Thirty moons before Sunset Shimmer returned to Equestria to steal the Element of Magic, she fled into a strange world.

Lost and disoriented, yet still burning with ambition, she runs into someone who is eerily familiar - and yet so very different from the saccharine pink alicorn whose wings she so deeply resents.

Taken under the wing of a disguised Chrysalis, Sunset starts to learn the ways of this world - and how to control it. A bond blossoms between them, an unexpectedly compelling anchor to this alien world.

And when it all falls apart - she crafts a plan.

An entry for The Red Parade's 2023 May Pairings Contest hosted by the Original Pairings group.