Sunset Shimmer sat atop a lush green hill with the late March breeze blowing through her now clavicle lengthened curls.

Her paint brush gilded dark blue paint onto a canvas, adding the finishing touches to her long time worked painting.

This had been one she was immensely proud of. The navy blue small alicorn gracefully floated in center with the moon, her pegasi feathers carrying her and reflecting the moon's shining light. The sparkling stars in her flowing mane a glittering silver.

“That’s looking really beautiful, Sunny.” The artist's girlfriend commented peeking up from her book to the easel.

“Thanks, Sparkes!” Sunset replied happily, turning back to the lavender skinned girl with a smile, “I’m really proud of this one.”

“You should be.” Twilight smiled back, sitting upright from her laying spot against the tree's trunk.

Sunset turned back to her canvas as she felt two slender arms wrap around her waist and head nuzzle itself in between her shoulder blades.

The two females sat in the embrace for a moment as the wind tousled their hair.

Sunset felt Twilight allow an exhale of relief to leave her, “This is really nice, I know I was nervous about skipping a school event but I’m glad we did it.”

The redhead nodded, “Me too,” she said as she turned her head back looking into those beautiful vibrant violet eyes that sparkled with intelligence and love.

“I’m glad to see you back to yourself. I’ve been worried about you for a long time.” The bookworm said with sincerity.

A spear of sadness and guilt struck Sunset in the chest at the idea of her girlfriend being scared for her, “I know, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Sunny. You’ve been through a lot, recovery is a long process.” Twilight said, brushing back Sunsets curls.

‘May the Celestial bodies and stars bless this amazing woman.’

Love and happiness drove Sunset's response as she cupped the lavender girls check and deeply kissed her.

After a moment the two pulled away, “I’m tired of feeling the way I have been for so long. I know I’ve fallen into the horrible cycle of self harm and destruction but I’m trying to break from it. I don’t wanna put myself through that anymore. I want to be the partner you can be proud of. Something Luna or my past mentor are proud of.”

Twilight smiled with glossy eyes, “I am proud of you and I’m so happy to call you mine. Trying is all I can ask of you. Sunset please remember that I will always be here for you.”

It was now Sunset’s turn for her eyes to get glossy, “I don't know if it's too early to tell you this but, I-... I love you.”

And she meant it. The love she felt for this human girl that she never would have believed she’d fall for, even if the grand wizard Starswirl came back and told her. This adorkable, scientific bookworm that was meant to be a counterpart of a pony princess was so much more than that.

“I love you too.” Twilight smiled with waterfalls threatening to spill over her eyes.

The redhead fully turned around and dove in for a long intimate kiss. Twilight hooked an arm around Sunset's neck and guided them down. With Sunset now on top, she quickly pulled apart only to reconnect the kiss, turning her head, making it deeper.

Sunset felt the other girl bite her bottom lip, in response she opened her mouth wider allowing Twilight access. The redhead whimpered lightly at the feeling of the shorter girl's tongue.

Lavender hands gripped at her worn leather jacket as their bodies squished together in an attempt to close any distance. They both let out quiet moans as their breasts enter locked.

The two quickly broke apart as the grass suddenly lighting a blaze in a pinkish-red fire.

“Wha.. What?” Twilight heaved out as she breathed heavily.

“Griffon pellets!” Sunset cursed, attempting to pat the flame out, “Sorry! My magic has been having random surges lately.”

“S-surges?” Twilight stammered, fixing her blouse and glasses as her breath returned to normal.

“Yeah..” Sunset said, successfully dispersing what was left of the flame.

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” The scientist asked.

Sunset shrugged, moving to sit criss-crossed, “It depends. My magic, even in Equestria, has always been based on my emotions.”

The ponytail wearer pulled out her notebook and began to take notes.

“Um, are you recording what just happened?” The redhead asked with a blush.

“Yes, magic is very fascinating. I want to learn what I can about it, so please tell me more.” Twilight said, holding her pen ready to write.

“Well, not all unicorns have emotion based magic. It mostly just depends on the type of personality you have. Obviously I'm not very level headed so my magic reacts.” Sunset explained.

Twilight hummed as she wrote it down, “Should we have magic practice lessons? We don't exactly want you to set a building on fire one day.”

“That's actually not a bad idea, Sparkes! I'll have to ask the princess to send some calming magic technique books through the portal. I used to do them with Princess Celestia but obviously I need to brush up on the subject.” The red head replied.

Twilight leaned forward in anticipation, “Unicorns have techniques on calming their magic?”

Sunset nodded, “Yep, there's meditation, herbal remedies and stuff like that. The old unicorn tribe of Pon-Xing were specialists in it.”

“Pon-Xing?”

“Yeah, it's an ancient tribe made of unicorns that looked different from other unicorns caused by the three pony tribe days. I actually have some close heritage to them. My horn was a bit curved compared to others like the Xing unicorns. Now that I think about it, ‘China’ reminds me a bit of the tribe.” Sunset ranted.

“Wonderful! I'm excited to helping you regain control of your magic and witness how it works!” Twilight said, placing a quick kiss to Sunset’s cheek.

The redhead chuckled, laying on her back and placing her hands behind her head, “Yea, I've really missed having my horn and magic, Sparkes. It’ll be fun getting to do some magic stuff again.”

Twilight laid beside her, placing her hands on her tummy, “I can imagine. Wasn’t it your passion in your world?”

Sunset nodded, “It was the very thing I was good at. I had broken a lot of records in many magic academia’s. My best were transfigurations, alchemy, illusions and fire manipulation, as I’m sure you can guess. Though there were lots of others.”

The indigo haired teen poked her fingers together, “I wanna learn magic.” She said in a pouty voice.

Sunset chuckled, “I promise as soon as you get some magical powers, I’ll help you out with that.”

Twilight flipped over, laying her head on Sunset's chest, “I’ll hold you to it.”

The redhead nodded with a smile in response.

The two layed in an embrace for several minutes before Twilight noticed the time, “It’s almost four, they must have finished the games an hour or so ago, wanna head back to your place?”

Sunset sat up reaching to begin packing her stuff, “Sure thing.”

Collecting their things the two walked hand and hand through the park and to the red motorcycle.

***

“Surprise!” A symphony of voices announced.

The former unicorn stood stunned for a moment as she heard her girlfriend giggling behind her.

Before her stood her foster family along with her friends at the dining table with a large round Orange cake with red and yellow flowers decorating the top and surrounded the statement, ‘Happy Birthday Sunset!’ Similar red round and yellow sun shaped balloons filled the area with a small stack of presents.

Tears pricked at teal eyes, “H-how did you?”

“Never underestimate your auntie Pinkie Pie in finding out birthdays!” The curly haired girl said, placing her chubish arm around the redhead.

The nightly shaded woman lightly chuckled at the party planner as she walked over to Sunset placing a party hat onto a flame colored head, “Happy Birthday, fireball!”

Two pairs of arms found their ways around Sunset, “Happy Birthday!” Trixie and Starlight exclaimed in unison.

“You're a fool, Sunset Shimmer, if you truly thought you could keep such a momentous occasion from Trixie!” The illusionist said with pretend offense.

Sunset giggled and whipped at her cheeks, “I hadn’t meant to keep it. I just haven’t thought or cared about my birthday in a long time.”

“Well that’s about to change! Come on, I got games I know you’ll love!” Pinkie exclaimed as confetti shout out from behind her.

The festivities for the party carried on without a hitch, the attendees engaged in many rounds of games, including an intense battle of chess between the party star and her girlfriend.

Tried with all of Sunsets' might, the lavender girl ended up claiming the victory in the end.

“Alright, Fireball, are you ready for some presents?”

The redhead beamed and nodded.

Elated, Sunset let her inner child have its moment as she -attempted- to open the wrapping with some dignity.

Trixie had wrapped, in a blue and silver starred paper, a book, Arcane 101, Practical Magic; in which Sunset beamed brighter, as magic has always been her passion and true talent she now has the opportunity to learn of human magic, even though it being a small amount and secretive in this world.

Starlight presented a tiny crocheted sweater for Ray the gecko, along with a larger one to fit Sunset. Fuchsia and Lavender gave the redhead new guitar shiner and strings, the expensive one's that would give her instrument a nice crisp sound.

Pinkie Pie was practically buzzing as Sunset opened her bagged presents, that being the redheads favorite candy, strawberry sour patch kids, and a white unicorn with a red mane and a glittery golden horn, “Isn’t she super cute! I thought she kind of looked like you with the hair! And the fact you're both unicorns!” The pink teen said excitedly.

“She’s super cute, pinks!” Sunset confirmed with happy warmth in her voice.

“What are you gonna name her?!” The curly haired female asked.

Sunset looked back to the stuffed unicorn, taking into account its glittering horn and hoofs, “Princess Glitter Butt,” she said decidedly.

Twilight let out a giggle along with the others snickers and Pinkies laugh. Luna rolled her eyes despite her smile.

The past years she spent in this world were even lonelier days then what she had already been used to in Equestria. The former unicorn would just do anything not to think about it, spending her time plotting as she did in the past. In Equestria, Princess Celestia made the annual celebration a happy one with the two spending the day together in the palace garden with cake and hoof-made presents from the solar goddess.

This time though, in the moment, she sat happily surrounded by friends and a family that actually loved and wanted her. She wasn’t just a pony or person that was just a student.

She’s a loved one.

***

Rainbow Dash shoved her hands into her pockets as she entered a cold room with even colder metal chairs and divided tiny desks with glass walls splitting half way of the metal table.

“Wait here, prisoners will enter in a minute.” A cop told her.

Her nerves burned with anticipation, anxiety and anger. How could someone she knew be so incredibly cruel?

True, she had made mistakes but nothing topped what Gilda had done.

Rainbow just had to know why. She had to know what took over her past friend.

A large buzz sounded in the room and a metal door on the other side of the glass opened revealing the buff female.

“Dash… should’ve guessed.” Her gruff voice said bitterly. She was a bit muffled due to the glass.

Gilda sat heavily in the seat and gave a hard look to the sky blue skinned female before picking up the phone on the wall.

“Gilda.” Rainbow said, her voice shaking with anger as she gritted her teeth, “How could you?”

The felon rolled her golden eyes, “How could I what?”

“Don’t act stupid! You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

“Wait the whole Shimmer revenge thing? Heh, yeah I might have gotten caught in the end but it was worth it.” Gilda said with a disgusting glint in her eye.

“The fuck?! How do you not have any remorse?! You tortured her!” Rainbow exclaimed, standing a bit in her seat.

“Remorse? Wow, crash, that's a big word for you. And don’t act like you were any better.” Gilda grumbled back.

“What?” Rainbow snarled with anger punching her chest.

“You're the one who started her spiral. You abandoned her and not to mention you physically assaulted her too when you stuffed her into that locker.”

“T-that’s not the same! And I’ve apologized and most importantly I regret it!” Rainbow countered.

“Please you basically did the same. Abandoning that ‘poor lonely girl’ when she had no one else and you knew it. I’ve never seen someone go from tyrant bitch to a suicidal snowflake so fast.”

Rainbow's grip on the dirty black phone had grown so tight it could rival a boa constrictor with her knuckles turning white.

“And no, I don't regret it. I don’t regret letting my boys get to do what they want, even when she screamed. It made me laugh at how pitiful she was.”

The prisma haired female's face switched to one of horror and disgust, “Y-you- what?” Her voice came out breathless at the implication of Gilda’s words.

Once again she received an eye roll, “Also don’t regret getting to beat her face in and getting to see her fight hunger and try to sleep. She tried so hard to be strong. She tried so hard not to cry or show pain. That made it feel better. Every punch and kick I gave her I got to watch her break a bit more and more.” Her gravely voice said with a wicked glee.

“What did she ever do to deserve that?” Rainbow asked, holding back tears.

“She took you away from me. We’ve known each other since we were kids. You then found those other girls in middle school. Sunset Shimmer broke you guys apart, I was thankful for that, then she got you guys back together and she had the audacity to join!” Gilda said, beginning to raise her voice.

“Princess Twilight was the one to bring us back together. We became friends with Sunset because we promised the princess.” Rainbow defended.

Gilda let out a short laugh, “There it is. You never really wanted to be her friend. You were waiting for an excuse to get rid of her.”

“I- that’s not true!”

“Maybe you didn’t do it consciously but it was still you who made the problem worse and refused to give her the light o day.” Gilda pointed at the girl on the other side of the glass.

Rainbow hung her head, searching for a response.

“Second thing, the princess girl might have brought you guys back together but it was Sunset who kept it up. That manipulative bitch was the one that got to join your little group. While I got left behind all because your friends couldn’t handle me.” Gilda said with venom.

“That’s not true! I wanted you to be with us! I wanted all of my friends to get along! But you choose to stay mean. You chose that gang over me. You can’t blame me for not wanting to stay in that lifestyle, I wasn’t getting dragged down to it too.” Rainbow said, her voice going from infuriated to a watery weak.

“I wasn’t raised the pansy way, Dash. All I wanted was for you to be with me, yet you never really cared, you put others above me and left me behind. After that I had nowhere else to turn.” Gilda claimed.

Rainbow looked at Gilda dumbfounded, the pieces coming together, “Why did you just want it to be us?”

Glinda trembled, her fist visibly shaking as it laid on the table, “I was- am in love with you.”

Silence.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes in thought and brought in a deep breath, letting it go she felt the tension leave her. Gilda had made her choice. A year and a half ago, in that time being in that stupid fight with her friends, she joined that gang Gilda had when she was young. Rainbow knew how it was to feel you have nowhere else to turn to other than that. It was different now, when Rainbow rejoined her friends she tried to give Gilda an out. Pinkie threw them a party and Gilda just couldn’t control herself. Bursting out in random anger at small things, punching a hole in Pinkie Pies wall and making threats. No matter how Rainbow tried to convince and help her to be better, the rough female just wouldn’t.

“Gilda, I tried, I really did. Even after what you did at the party, the girls were still willing to give you a second chance-“

“I don’t want to be friends with your little snowflakes.”

“The only one here who sounds like a snowflake to me is you. You gave up. You choose to not change. It's not mine or Sunset's fault. You made your choice of putting yourself in this position, so live with it instead of blaming others.” With that Rainbow slammed the phone back into the wall leaving Gilda at the booth with a baffled look on her face.

***

Sunset laid out on the couch with her tummy full of cake and her head in her girlfriend's lap. Trixie and Starlight sat cuddled and asleep on the rugged floor with the popcorn bowl. Pinkie Pie was not too far from them, laying on her stomach, watching the tv and the twins sat in the two comforters also asleep.

Trixie being oh so funny as she is, decided to put in a movie before anybody had a chance to decline. The movie so far had been about a pink unicorn princess who lost a magical rainbow and now had to find her way back home and the others also tried to find her. Funny enough that filly unicorn had also been named Rarity and oddly sounded a little bit like a certain purple and green baby dragon. Pinkie Pie and Twilight had giggled at the movie reveal while the others rolled their eyes. Sunset wore a smirk that she hid from the others.

Sunset felt delicate fingers stroking through her hair, “Are you having a good birthday?” The lavender skinned female whispered.

The redhead nodded her head, “It's been amazing. It’s ironic since I had forgotten about it.”

Twilight nodded, “I remember my eighteenth birthday. It wasn’t quite as lively, just the family and a cake.”

Sunset sat up, “You're already eighteen?”

The indigo haired girl nodded with a smile.

“When?” Sunset asked bemused.

“Not long before I met you, my birthday is Christmas Day.” Twilight clarified.

“I can’t believe you're older than me!” Sunset whisper yelled, only to briefly pause in thought, “In this world at least.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow.

“Well I came to this world when I was seventeen in Equestria but when I came through the portal I was significantly younger, like seventh grade young.” Sunset explained.

“At this point I guess I don’t really have an age, This world's time moves a lot slower than my world. It’s been six years for me that I’ve been here but for Equestria it’s been close to forty.” Sunset said with a twinge of sadness for her original body being lost.

Twilight sucked in a sharp breath, “So, what does that mean for your body in your home world?”

Sunset shrugged, “I don’t know, my body could either remember its age or just be paused… Does that gross you out?”

The bespectacled female shook her head, “No. I have to admit, it’s a bit weird but in this world you're a freshly eighteen year old and if in your world you're a fifty something old pony I’m sure you’ll still be hot.”

Sunset laughed, “Dear Celestia, I don’t even want to think about that.”

The two settled back into a cuddle reentering the movie as a somber duet between two unicorns played.

The redhead's ears pricked up at the sound of the front door opening. Her heart couldn’t help but pick up at not knowing who walked in.

Her foster mothers voice greeting the person who entered allowed Sunset’s heart to return to its normal pace.

The very woman entered the arch way of the living room with her older sister stopping behind her with a festive bag in hand.

“Principal Celestia?” Sunset asked, as audibly as she could.

The woman waved with a gentle smile that held a weight of guilt to it. Luna waved the young woman over.

The redhead stood up gently, her hand lingering in Twilight’s before she maneuvered around the sleeping girls- now noticing that her pink curly haired friend had also fallen asleep.

The three moved into the kitchen in order to allow a conversation without disturbing the slumbering.

The nightly woman patted the tall women's shoulder before exiting the room.

“Principal? Is everything alright?” Sunset asked.

“Yes. Yes, I just wanted to say happy birthday and give my apologies.” Celestia said.

“Oh…” Sunset scratched the back of her neck.

Celestia brought in a deep breath, “I hope you know that I truly am sorry for how I handled the cyber situation. I'm also sorry this apology is long overdue. I suppose even as an adult I make mistakes and need time to build courage.” Celestia let out a weak laugh.

The flame haired girl shook her head, “I never blamed you… It hurts but I get it. With everyone else in the school and my past it's hard to know.”

“No, Luna knew better than me. She understood your stance and what you were going through, I on the other hand was ignorant. I hate that I failed in my role as a principal. I’m sorry, truly Sunset Shimmer.” The woman lowered her head in sincerity.

Tears built in Sunset’s, something about seeing not only her principal but a counterpart of her first motherly figure princess apologize so meaningfully to her had been something that meant so much to the former unicorn.

Sunset engaged the woman in a hug, “Thank you. I forgive you. I’m learning to let go of the past and this..this helps.”

Celestia hugged the girl back, “It’s an important thing to do. Would you like to open your present?”

“Oh jeez, I never realized how fun yet awkward it is.” Sunset said, backing away and handing her hand out as Celestia handed her the bag and giggled, “It doesn't get easier.”

“Wonderful news.” Sunset deadpanned.

The redhead reached into the bag finding a large container of chocolate covered strawberries and a small red velvet box. The redhead opened the box to find a necklace with a circular pendant with her cutie mark inside it.

“Principal Celestia…this is so beautiful.” Sunset said with teary eyes and a watery smile.

The principal offered a warm smile, “I'm glad you like it, it was Lu Lu’s advice.”

Said woman poked her head around the corner, “I heard my name?”

The two looked at the purple and blue haired woman curiously.

“Have you been there the whole time?” Sunset asked amused.

Luna stepped into the kitchen opening the chocolate strawberry container, “Not the whole time, but I got a craving for strawberries.”

The principal and former unicorn looked at each other before giggling.

Author's Note

Hiiii, sorry its been a minute. I had fun writing this chapter though and I hope you had fun reading it!
As for anyone wonder why Rarity wasn't at the part that will be explained later.

Any advice, concerns and critique's are welcome and apricated ^_^/