Lost Among Memories

by RedPegasus

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 7 (EqG), Adventure, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Wallflower Blush, Sunset Shimmer, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Shadowbolts (EqG), Equestria Girls
Length: 25991

A new school year brings the promise of new experiences for Sunset at Crystal School. But when her friends forget about her and their friendship, Sunset will have to find out who is behind it, and recover their memories or being forgotten forever.

A new school year brings the promise of new experiences for Sunset at Crystal School. But when her friends forget about her and their friendship, Sunset will have to find out who is behind it, and recover their memories or being forgotten forever.

Published 2025-01-06 21:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-31 08:15:39 UTC

Forgotten

Author's Note

HAPPY 2025 EVERYONE!

Does anyone remember this saga?
... no...?
... no?

...
I knew I had to do the mirrorverse saga.

Well! I know I've been dead for years, and... I have no excuse for that. Sorry.
But here I am, a new adventure of our favorite fire-haired pony girl from Crystal Prep

I hope you enjoy it, and although it will be a short story, I will do my best to update soon.

Forgotten

The sun shines and illuminates in the early hours of the morning. The clear sky reveals its light blue, adorned by the sight of fluffy clouds of the purest white.

Under this placid sky, on a campus that glows in the morning light, a gate opens allowing entry to the site as well as to the imposing, elegant, and splendid building that it resides on.

The pillars that appear to be made from crystal shimmer in the golden light of the sun. Tens of hundreds of young people dressed in very particular outfits begin to move around the place.

Meetings, reunions, talks, laughter, and experiences and memories are shared as they all walk through the venue towards the gigantic building.

So too does a girl who stands out from the rest. A girl who receives greetings and smiles from others with every step she takes. She returns every wave and every smile.

🎵~In the past, I used to walk these halls~🎵

🎵~Acting tough, but all alone~🎵

The wind moves her hair, causing the colors of red and gold to flutter, which when combined form the image of flames that dance as she enters the building.

🎵~ I needed a friend to lend me a hand ~🎵

🎵~ I couldn’t do it on my own ~🎵

Upon entering, she is immediately mugged and squeezed into a tight hug, delivered by a girl with blue hair tied up in a ponytail. This girl’s smile is huge as she looks over and hugs the other one, who hugs her back with a smaller but just as happy smile.

🎵~ We’ve come so far together ~🎵

🎵~ I have memories to treasure ~🎵

🎵~I look at you, stories come to life~🎵

The two girls walk and not far away they see a student with purple hair, also tied up in a ponytail. Her calm face is adorned with large black glasses. She is focused on her book, however, when the girl with two-tone hair puts her hand on the manuscript and makes the one with glasses look up at her, they immediately smile at each other and give a big hug.

🎵~ And if I need to remember ~🎵

🎵~ I know where I can find you ~🎵

🎵~In these pages, you will last forever~🎵

🎶~Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah~🎶

🎶~Ah, ah-ah~🎶

🎶~Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ahhhh~🎶

The three begin to walk calmly through the corridors of the school. A girl in goggles throws a ball at the fire-haired girl, and she just stops it with her hands. Her smile is satisfied as she sees the athlete approaching her and returns the ball before walking together.

The blue-haired one sees a lime-haired teen adorned with pink headphones, which prevent the owner of these from noticing the group, so the jock girl takes them off and thus the rock lover joins them passing arm around her friend’s shoulders with googles.

The one with glasses sees a girl with short lilac hair adorned with a sun brooch in a nearby locker. She raises her voice to call her and when that young woman sees the group waiting for her, she joins them.

🎵~Remember when I lost the crown~🎵

🎵~You didn’t leave me out in the rain~🎵

Memories of being rejected by old friends come to mind for the fiery-haired girl and how she got to know these girls.

🎵~ We still had songs to sing, magic transforming ~🎵

She also remembers how she was reunited with those who rejected her, and meeting a girl with the same face as hers who fell prey to corruption.

🎵~Special in every way~🎵

🎵~The gems chose us by name~🎵

By saving that girl, they became good friends and there was nothing but smiles.

🎵~ We’ve come so far together ~🎵

🎵~ I have memories to treasure ~🎵

🎵~I look at you, stories come to life~🎵

As they continue through the corridors, a girl with long blond hair greets them. They see two slightly younger girls, one of them with violet hair, next to her friend with light blue hair in a locker. They both greet politely upon seeing the group.

🎵~ And if I need to remember ~🎵

🎵~ I know where I can find you ~🎵

🎵~In these pages, you will last forever~🎵

A couple of girls walk past the group, one with platinum hair in two ponytails with bangs tied back and tiny orange glasses on her face. The other has dull pink hair with a grayish aquamarine tied in a ponytail, small freckles adorn her face.

They don’t greet the group, but they do look at them for a moment, curiously, before going their own way.

🎶~ Forever, forever ~🎶

One by one, the six of the group separate, going through different corridors and classrooms until only the fire-haired girl remains, who closes her eyes with a smile although she doesn’t notice when she bumps into another student.

🎶~In these pages, you will last forever~🎶

Lost Among Memories

Sunset feels like she’s falling on her butt, and when she looks up, notices that in the same position is an extremely pale girl, almost looking like a ghost. Her hair is leafy strands of a green color, so green that it appears to be very long, hanging grass. Her face is adorned with small white freckles and her soft eyes, with a weak look, a brown color reminiscent of the color of the bark of a tree.

“Excuse me…” The girl speaks, her voice is somewhat deep and with little emotion. Sunset seems somewhat surprised by the sudden impact.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t see you coming.”

Saying that Sunset begins to pick up some papers that seem to have fallen from the young lady’s hand.

“…I’ve been standing here for quite a while.”

Sunset stops her act of picking up papers to see this girl with a surprised expression.

“I didn’t realice.” She admits with some embarrassment in her eyes.

“I was trying to get your attention during the middle of the song.”

Now Sunset can’t help but blush and smile, very awkward and embarrassed.

A few students around look at the scene, slightly intrigued, though no one pays much attention. They just mind their own business.

Royal Pin asks his partner. “Who is that girl Sunset Shimmer is talking to?”

Jet Set sees them with disinterest. “… Who cares?”

The boy’s response is disinterested and somewhat aggressive. He and his companion don’t give it more importance, they just withdraw.

Sunset, after getting over her embarrassment, goes back to picking up the papers. The strange girl proceeds to do the same, taking her notebook and picking up some pens and pencils.

There is a moment when they both try to pick up the same paper, but by mistake they end up grabbing the other’s hand. They look at each other surprised, Sunset lets out an amused laugh but the other one just takes her hand away from Sunset’s, blushing and looking away.

Sunset stands up and extends her hand to help the other. She accepts her help and Sunset lifts her so that they are both on their feet, so the former unicorn hands over her papers.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I’m Sunset Shimmer, nice to meet you.”

Sunset introduces herself with a friendly smile. The strange girl looks at her somewhat confused.

“I’m Wallflower Blush…”

“It's a pleasure, Wallflower Blush!”

Our Equestrian girl announces happily. Wallflower, on her side, seems restless; she opens her mouth to speak, though she doesn’t say anything, just sighs.

“…I’m new here. This is my first year at this school…. academy… preparatory… whatever it is.”

“Oh! First day of school and first day at a new school, huh? I know it’s hard to adjust to a new place, but you’ll get used to it fast.”

“… Riiight.”

Wallflower’s voice is still gravelly, laden with what sounds like laziness. But in her weary eyes and the way she clutches the books to her chest, it seems what appears to be fear.

Sunset doesn’t let that detail go unnoticed, and knowing such a feeling, she smiles kindly.

“What is your first class?”

Instead of answering, the girl with the lush green hair hands her a paper containing her class schedule.

“Hey! We have almost the same hours.”

Hearing that surprises the new student quite a bit, even her voice seems to perk up a bit.

“Really?”

“Indeed! Come with me, I will accompany you to the classroom. Then, if you want, I can show you around the school.”

The former equine’s words make Wallflower Blush live up to her name as her cheeks blush and gently wrinkle with a smile on her lips. Wallflower doesn’t respond with words, she just nods curiously.

Sunset smiles and even dares to put her arm around the teenager’s shoulders. The closeness surprises Wallflower, but far from bothering her, she seems to get closer to Sunset as the two walk. Her blush only grows as does her smile.

~Lost Among Memories~

Both girls arrive at the classroom and Sunset finds two free seats, one next to the other.

It doesn’t take long for the class to start. The students, who at first were animated and talking to each other, shut up as soon as the teacher arrives in the classroom. The teacher makes a short presentation of himself and the class begins without further ado.

The students around cease their activities, all focus on the teacher’s lesson. Sunset does the same, however, when she sees the somewhat anguished face of her new classmate, decides to support her.

“The teachers here are very private with their classes. I bet you’re not used to that. Just jot down as much as you can, then I’ll catch you up on today’s lesson.”

Wallflower doesn’t appear to be sure of that statement.

“Um… can we?”

“Sure. Everyone here studies in a group so they can keep up. Don’t worry, do the best you can.”

Trying to calm her down with a smile, Sunset begins to deal with her own notes, leaving the forest-haired girl to fend for herself. Although flustered, the new girl tries to do so and takes her school supplies out of her backpack, missing much of the lesson yet tries to write something down.

~Lost Among Memories~

When the time change bell rings, the teacher stops his lesson and informs that it will continue next time. The students put their things away and begin to leave the classroom.

Sunset walks out of the room with her backpack slung over her shoulder, Wallflower appearing behind her almost like a shadow.

“I didn’t know the classes here were so…”

“Severe? Cold? Boring?”

“Um, yeah, that…” Wallflower’s voice is still soft, but Sunset can only laugh.

“Take it easy. You’ll get used to it.”

Sunset looks at the new girl’s schedule sheet.

“Heh, here we part ways. Your next class is on the top floor. Don’t worry, it’s not hard to find the classroom. How about we meet up later in the next hour over lunch? I’ll introduce you to my friends! I’m sure you’ll like them. See you later!”

Before the forest-haired girl could reply, Sunset had already hurried to her next class.

“Okay. Bye bye…”

Wallflower says goodbye to her, though Sunset is no longer around to hear her. She lowers her head and hears a sound, turning around she sees an almost imperceptible flash in her backpack hanging on her back. It only lasts half a second but she notices it. Wallflower Blush raises her hand to take her backpack, although she doesn’t. Instead, she just walks away.

~Lost Among Memories~

The rest of the morning goes by uneventfully until noon arrives and, of course, lunch.

“I’m sure all of you are wondering why I decided to meet here today.”

The girl with goggles talks keeping a serious face, intertwining her fingers with her hands raised and her elbows on the table.

The other five members of the Sunset Among Shadows look at her, sitting at the cafeteria table, each carrying a tray of lunch.

Sunset decides to answer. “I assumed it was for lunch.”

Indigo Zap lightly taps the table with the palm of her hand.

“No! I have an extremely important notice for everyone, because…”

She pauses after saying that last word, and the remaining five friends look at her intrigued.

“I’ve decided on our superhero names!” The athlete exclaims as she holds up a paper with some words crossed out, others circled, and some written in strange ways.

Sunset, Twilight, Sunny Flare, Lemon Zest, and Sonata Dusk stare at her for a moment before showing signs of laziness, embarrassment, frustration, excitement, and confusion, respectively.

“What did she say?” Sunny asks, though she doesn’t seem to want to hear the answer.

“I will be… ‘MEGAZAP’!”

Indigo yells climbing on the table and the whole room goes dark. A light illuminates the girl with goggles, drawing the attention of all the students present.

Nearby, Red Pegasus, with an electrician’s kit, looks around the site as he stands in front of the electricity panel.

“Oops, sorry about that.”

Raising a key turns the cafeteria lights back on.

Sunny Flare looks somewhat severely at her friend.

“Indigo, sit down. Don’t step on our lunch.”

The jock pays attention, though she rolls her eyes at her, and returns to her seat.

“Besides, what’s your idea by bringing such names?”

“Duh! If we’re going to be superheroes, we must have secret identities. And that means we have to give ourselves cool names to fight evil!”

Twilight adjusts her glasses. “Indigo Zap, I know that a few weeks ago we had an adventure in which we dressed up as the Power Ponies to save the day…”

The comment makes the group look towards infinity, immersed in an apparent memory.

“…but since then you haven’t stopped talking about superheroes." The smartest girl in the group continues. “Don’t you think that’s too… fanciful?”

“Twilight, we are high school girls who have magical powers. If we’re going to live a fantasy, we ARE going to live it right!”[ Exclaims the athlete. “You will be ‘Hypermind’!

“Say what?!”

“Sunny will be called 'Beauty Flare'!”

“Indigo, that’s- Actually, I like that name.”

“Lemon… “

“Can I be the 'Scarlet Rocker'?”

“…you will be 'Maximum Loud'.”

“I changed my mind. I like that name better.”

Sonata seems to get very excited. “What about me, me? What will my name be?! ‘Wonder Siren’?! ‘Batsiren?! ‘Spidersiren’?! Uh, uh! I’ve got it! How about ‘Sonata’? !”

The indigo-haired girl remains silent for a second. “I was thinking about it a lot, and I wanted to combine ‘Mermaid’ with a word related to music, but since nothing came to my mind, I used an app that mixes words and… I got one! ‘Mermelody’!”

Sonata doesn’t respond, though she makes a long, impressed ‘Oooh’ sound.

Twilight makes a statement. “Wait a sec. Sonata is a ‘Siren’, not a ‘Mermaid.”

“Siren, Mermaid, it doesn’t matter. She has a fishtail after all.”

“Hey, that’s offensive to my kind!”

“You’ll be 'Mermelody', I didn't pay for the subscription to that app for nothing. Now, Sunset…”

The aforementioned seemed to have lost the thread of the conversation minutes ago and instead, she had started eating her spaghetti. Her mouth is full with some noodles hanging from her lips, as well as slightly smeared with sauce on them.

“…I’m still having trouble with yours since you acts how to sleepwalk.” Explains the jock of the group. “I thought of ‘Sun-Dream,’ ‘Sun Walker,’ I even thought of calling it ‘Ultra Instinct.’ But an unknown number called me and said they would sue me if I used that last one…it was really weird.”

Sunset looks just as lost as at first, and she just slurps her spaghetti down.

“Anyways. Since I was already tired, I thought of one final name: ‘Daydream’! Sounds cool right? Sure, I still don’t get how your power works, but it still sounds cool!”

Twilight seems quite wary as she looks at her friend with goggles. “Do you expect us to use those ‘superhero names’?”

“Well, if you want murderers and thieves to learn your identity and then seek revenge by kidnapping your talking puppy, don’t blame me.”

“Don’t bring Spike into this!” Twilight yells, getting to her feet. Only when performing said action she end up hitting someone standing behind her, and the tray of food that this person brought falls to the ground.

“Oh my! I’m sorry!” Twilight Sparkle apologizes for seeing what she provoked.

Wallflower sees her lunch thrown at her, the girl apologizing and her uniform stained with sauce and fruit juice.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no! What have I done?!”

Sunset is surprised to see her new acquaintance. “Wallflower Blush?”

Sunny Flare stands up to help. “Are you two alright? Oh honey, your uniform.”

The fancy girl speaks as she sees the stains on the new girl’s uniform.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Twilight yells. “Napkins! NAPKINS! Where are the napkins?!”

Disturbed, she grabs all the napkins on her lunch table and tries to clean up, but seeing that isn’t enough, she runs to the cafeteria entrance.

Sunset stands up to look at the green-haired girl.

“Wallflower, what were you doing there?”

“You said I could come to have lunch with you…" The new student responds with some surprise.

Twilight returns with several napkins in her hands and immediately goes back to trying to clean up.

“Please forgive me! It was by accident! I just had no idea you were behind me!”

“You should have let me know you arrived." Sunset says, to which Wallflower looks almost outraged.

“I’ve been trying to call you ever since the writer of this did his forced cameo.”

“YOUR TV'S SPECIAL WAS FORCED!!- I mean… WHAT?!”

There’s an awkward smile from Twilight and also from Sunset.

Indigo whispers lightly to the others at the table.“Wow, what a weird girl. It’s like she’s a ghost or something.”

Sunny manages to hear her and sends Indigo a scolding look. She then heads towards Wallflower.

“I’m sorry honey, can you repeat your name please?”

“…Wallflower Blush.”

Although the girl with the glasses tries to clean the new student’s uniform, she is not very successful.

“I don’t think napkins will help with sauce stains.” The fire-haired girl says worried.

Sunny Flare applauds. “Oh! I have a stain remover in my locker. You never know when you might need it.”

“Neat! Can you lend it to us?”

“Of course, honey. Anything for you.”

With that, Sunset and Sunny lead Wallflower out of the cafeteria leaving the rest of the group to continue with their lunch.

~Lost Among Memories~

Shortly after the three teens are in one of the academy’s bathrooms. Sunny places the stained vest in the sink and uses a small spray bottle to apply a liquid to the stains. She then turns on the faucets to rinse it with water.

Sunset and Wallflower look at her, staying close to her. The new girl only wears her school shirt while she watches her laundry being done.

“I'm sorry about what happened.” Sunset apologizes. “I don’t think it was a good first impression… I hope you don’t mind…”

The green-haired girl shakes her head softly. “Don’t worry… I’m used to things like that…”

Sunny takes the vest out of the wash. “And done! It’s already clean, honey. You just have to dry it, that’s why I brought the dryer.”

Explains the short-haired girl pulling out a hair dryer.

Wallflower steps forward. “Let me do it, you already did a lot…”

“It’s not a bother, honey. If you’re a friend of Sunset’s, you’re a friend of mine.”

Wallflower gives a small smile, but still grabs the dryer and starts blowing on her jacket trying to dry it.

While the new girl takes care of her uniform, the bathroom door opens and Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet enter through it.

“I question such a decision on your part.”

“Meh. I'm sick of dealing with stupid students who have nothing to do but complain."

The lilac-haired girl sees her acquaintances arrive and greets them kindly.

“Sugarcoat, Sour Sweet, good to see you.”

“Sunny Flare, Sunset Shimmer, good afternoon to both of you.” The girl with platinum hair greets them.

“Yeah, yeah. Hi.” The girl with freckles waves lazily.

“Hi girls, what are you doing here?” Sunset asks.

Sour looks at the girl with a certain severity. “It’s the bathroom, what do you think we do?”

Sunset blinks, then flashes a nervous smile. “Heh, yeah, dumb question.”

Sunny seems amused by her friend’s response. “What were you two talking about? It looks like you were having a serious conversation.”

Sugar responds by adjusting her glasses. “I wouldn’t describe it as a serious conversation, however, Sour Sweet tells me that she won’t be running for Student Council President this year.”

This surprises the elegant girl. “Really? You have been president for two years, what happened?”

The one with freckles shrugs. “I got fed up with work. Especially from the students who always annoy me by asking me favors for their affairs.”

Sour Sweet says that indiscreetly looking at Sunset, who again smiles with some embarrassment.

“Also, I only became president to shut the mouths of those who kept telling me that I would never achieve anything in life. It’s my last year at the prep, and I don’t want to spend it fixing other people’s problems.”

While she did provide a fair reason, it was obvious that Sour Sweet was looking to end the conversation as she headed to one of the bathroom stalls. None of them object to anything else.

Sugar puts her partner aside for a moment and continues talking to her Shadowbolts companions.

“Not to pry, Sunset Shimmer, maybe you should run for president of the council.”

Sunset is surprised at such a comment. “Huh? Me? Why Me?”

“Most students hold you in high esteem and you possess outstanding abilities in many fields, both inside and outside of academics.” Explains the girl with glasses. “I think it would be a good opportunity for you.”

Sunny supports Sugarcoat’s idea. “Sunset, she’s right. Well, most of Crystal Prep already considers you a queen. It would be favorable for the performance of their students.”

Sunset gets a bit perplexed. “Uh, I…I don’t think that’s for me.”

“Why not? You are a natural leader.” Comments Sunny Flare smiling.

The one with red and gold hair rubs the back of her neck. “I’m not interested in that, okay? I am happy to be just another student.”

Sugar closes her eyes and remains impassive. “Although you can by no means be considered just ‘another student’ as you describe it, is your decision. Now I must attend to my own business.”

With this, the platinum-haired girl makes a small detour around both of them and then heads to one of the cubicles.

Sunset and Sunny finish the conversation and prepare to leave the bathroom.

“You should seriously consider the Student Council Presidency, Sunset. ~A position of such high rank, would give you an air of power and grandeur that you deserve.~”

Sunny speaks as she walks out of the bathroom, putting on an almost flirtatious tone of voice. The fire-haired girl holds her breath to answer.

“I’ll think about it if you promise not to suggest it in that tone again.” Sunset says this, leaving her behind and rolling her eyes at Sunny Flare as she smirks a bit.

Wallflower watches them go while she continues to dry her vest.

“Yeah. I’m going to finish…”

Suddenly, the light in the bathroom flickers and then goes off.

“… in the dark.”

Wallflower seems to be depressed.

~Lost Among Memories~

Elsewhere, outside…

Red Pegasus, who is at the fuse box next to the bathroom, growls in annoyance as he tries to fix it.

~Lost Among Memories~

School is over and our dimensional alien girl is back in her apartment.

["I’m addicted~, na na na na~, this hotel is~, mh hm mh hm~”

The fire-haired girl sings harmoniously as she takes a small frozen pizza, now hot, from her microwave but when she wants to take it to place it on her plate she shakes her hands desperately.

“Hot, hot, hot!”

Sunset exclaims almost dropping the plate on a tray.

“Need help?”

A voice is heard from her living room, a voice identical to hers.

“Don’t worry! It’s just that I forgot to use the handle.”

Saying this, Sunset blows into her affected hand and then goes to the fridge. She looks for a package, which contains ham; Sunset looks at it for a few seconds and just shrugs, opening the package. After cutting the pizza with a knife a few times, Sunset Shimmer heads into the living room where she finds her twin from Canterlot High sitting on her couch.

“Dinner is ready! I put slices of ham in your half.”

The bespectacled Sunset Shimmer – or Sunseen, as she’s better known – has a bit of a laugh at that detail. “Thanks for the ham. You didn’t need to bother.”

“Don’t mention it. It wouldn’t have felt right forcing you to eat vegetarian pizza.” The resident Sunset responds, then sits next to her doppelganger and hands her a slice of pizza.

“Alright, how was the first day of the year in Canterlot?”

Sunseen takes a piece of pizza and blows on it a bit before answering. “Fairly good! Since Camp Everfree it seems like everything is livelier.”

“Oh, right! I heard that Canterlot also went to Camp Everfree. How did it go?” Our known Sunset asks taking another bite of her pizza.

The visiting Sunset takes a bite of her pizza before responding. “It was pretty crazy!”

~Flashback~

Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry run from the depths of the forest after being trapped in the cave towards the camp, only to discover that the establishment has been encased in a dome made of giant roots.

Sunset looks worried, but the blue-haired boy puts a hand on her shoulder and looks at her confidently, supporting the girl.

The fire-haired girl takes a breath and raising both hands, creates a crimson aura that surrounds her hands as well as the roots, thus managing to push them away while forming a passage for both teens to enter.

Inside, they can see the Rainbooms fighting Gloriosa Daisy.

Applejack uses her magical strength to fight the roots that were trying to imprison her. Pinkie was trying to attack the corrupted camp’s chief with her pink sparkles. Rainbow Dash ran through the place, using her speed to take the campers and leaving them next to Rarity, who with her shields protected them and Flutterhy, while the latter touched a small mole covering herself in a yellow glow and immediately appeared to gain the ability of dig quickly.

However, the hole Fluttershy made filled with roots before anyone could escape. Applejack tried to throw a rock at Gloriosa, but she summoned a root to stop it and throw it at Pinkie Pie. Rainbow had to rush and get her out of the way.

Sunseen runs to her friends, and Flash follows her. The Rainbooms, seeing them, go where they are and they all get together. However, Gloriosa had encased herself in a pillar of roots that protected her and was attached to the camp’s dome. The roots surrounded the six friends and their companions. The dressmaker created a shield that would protect them all, although it wouldn’t last long…

“I can’t hold it forever…!”

The boy looks at his friend with glasses and speaks to her with some despair “Sunset! You have to use your magic. You can move the roots like in the cave.”

Sunseen looks terrified at that thought. “I-I don’t know if I can… Gloriosa is very powerful… more than me…”

“No, it’s not! You can do it, Sunset.”

“B-But what if Doomsday takes control…? What if using magic wakes her up again?”

“It won't happen!” Exclaims Rainbow Dash. “We know you’re not like that.”

“We’re with ya, sugarcube.” Seconded AJ.

Sunseen looks at all of her friends. The Rainbooms give her a smile of confidence and kindness.

The girl with glasses closes her eyes and tries to use her magic. But inside she feels a presence and hears that voice…

“YES! DO IT! uSe tHe MaGiC! yOu WiLl MaKe Me MoRe PoWeRFuL aNd WhEn i CoMe OuT, i WiLl DeStRoY eVeRYtHiNg YoU LoVe!”

Sunseen feels the evil being rise and grow behind her, making the girl look so small and helpless.

“uSe It! UsE iT! gIvE mE tHe PoWeR!!”

Sunseen trembled and tried to shrink away from that presence.

“Sunset!”

Flash’s voice echoes through the void causing Sunseen to look up, seeing him and the girls near her.

“You are not Doomsday!”

Rarity appears next to him.“You are not a monster! You are our friend!”

Rainbow Dash appears as well. “And we believe in you like you believe in us!”

Applejack smiles confidently. “We will be with yah, in the good times and even more in the bad ones!"

Pinkie Pie jumps to her place. “Because we love you more than the parties!”

Fluttershy exclaims in a louder voice than usual. “Our friendship will never be broken!”

The shouts and words of those present reach Sunseen and make her want to cry.

Suddenly she feels Doomsday grab her shoulders and spin her around, coming face to face with the evil being she once was.

“DoN't LiStEn To ThEm! YoU kNoW tHeY aRe LyInG! yOu KnOw WhAt YoU aRe, WhAt I aM! i Am ThE bEsT vErSiOn Of YoUrSeLF!”

Sunseen looks scared, but then she… breaks down.

“NO! THAT’S NOT TRUE!”

With that cry, the girl raises her fist and delivers a direct blow to Doomsday’s face, causing the wicked being to step back.

“YOU ARE NOT ME! I’M NOT LIKE YOU! You are horrible and evil! I will never be like you! I AM… SUNSET SHIMMER!!”

Sunseen begins to glow with a golden light, which mixes with the magic of her friends and makes her glow brightly.

“And I know what the real magic is! The magic of Friendship!!”

The entire camp is covered in that golden light. Sunseen feels her body covered in flames, although she doesn’t feel pain. Instead, she feels warmth, joy, and strength. The flames cover her body in a beautiful pink and white dress, her skin takes on a bright orange hue, a golden light springs from her back, forming wings, just like the horn that now covers her forehead, and a kind of golden mask covers her eyes.

The girls and Flash Sentry watch spellbound as Sunseen transforms into an angel of light, who now uses her golden magic to destroy the roots, thus liberating the camp. She then flies towards Gloriosa’s pillar and with a wave of her hands opens it, revealing the corrupted woman. Gloriosa Daisy rages and charges green magic into her hands, Sunseen does the same and casts an ace of golden light to combat Gloriosa’s attack.

The camp chief’s magic is defeated and the golden light covers her completely, destroying those crystals on her neck. The fragments fly through the air and suddenly they surround each of the Rainbooms, causing them to transform.

Red and purple shards surround Sunseen and she feels magic go through her. She joins her friends and together they create a blinding burst of light…

… when said glow subsides, everything returns to normal.

The six friends discover that they now have pendants, each a different color.

~FLASHBACK~

Sunseen shows her pendant: a geode that splits in half, revealing one side orange and the other purple.

“Wow! So you became an angel of light to defeat Gloriosa who went crazy with magic?!”

The human Sunset Shimmer laughs at her doppelganger’s reaction. “Well, that’s how everyone describes it. There was no mirror nearby so I could see myself.”

“That turned out to be cooler than the magical flying horse!”

The two fiery-haired girls share a laugh.

“I’m honestly surprised that Gloriosa resorted to such a thing,” Equestria’s Sunset Shimmer comments. “I wonder why she didn’t use that magic against the Windigos when Crystal Prep and I went to the camp.”

“Against the what now?” Sunseen asks stunned.

~Lost Among Memories~

The day ends, the fire-haired girl says goodbye to her twin as she leaves her apartment. Before parting ways, they hug and take a selfie. Soon, Canterlot’s Sunset Shimmer retreats and Crystal’s Sunset Shimmer returns inside.

Sunset is now sitting on her bed, already dressed in her pajamas. Her legs are folded close to her chest, enough to support a book on them.

‘Well, hello Sunset!’

‘I bet you already know this, but I have decided to start this personal journal about my life, school, and everything else.’

‘It’s a way of replenishing the diary I used to share with Princess Twilight. Only, this time, it will be for myself, in the future. Although if you are reading it, it’s your present…’

‘…it will make more sense when you want to read it again, Ha Ha.’

Sunset laughs for a moment. She then continues to write.

‘Today was the first day of school in the new year at Crystal Prep. Amazingly, so much time has passed since Anon-a-Miss, Canterlot, and everything that brought me here.’

‘Perhaps I should start the first chapter of this diary with a recount.’

‘It all started last year, during the winter…’

Sunset continues to write, reminiscing about those days…

~Lost Among Memories~

The next day the sun shines in the sky, peeking slightly from the horizon. Its light already bathes the campus of Crystal Prep Academy.

Sunset Shimmer appears, always cheerful and excited. Walking through the entrance, she notices how all the students gather and share moments. She waves to several of them when their eyes meet, but instead of waving back, they all look at her in confusion. A couple of them raise their hands in a gesture, although they still look lost.

Sunset finds it strange, yet she doesn’t pay much attention to it either.

She walks into the school and sees more students wandering the halls.

As she walks, she sees Sour Sweet and greets her.

“Hello Sour Sweet, how are you doing?

The girl with freckles stops when she hears her name, but when she sees the fire-haired teen, looks at her baffled. Sunset just smiles and raises a hand in greeting.

“… Do I know you?”

Now it’s Sunset who looks puzzled, but she quickly switches to a smile.

“Ha ha! That’s a good one. I didn’t know you liked those jokes.”

Sour Sweet doesn’t say anything, just frowns slightly.

“Weirdo.”

That’s all the bipolar teen says before leaving. Sunset wipes her smile away and raises an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

Continuing on her way, she finds Sonata Dusk in her locker. The blue Siren is singing a song softly.

“~Ooh ooh ooh ooh~ Find the magic~ ooh ooh ooh ooh~”

“Hello, Sonata, nice song. Is it new?”

At her name, the Dazzling turns around, but as soon as she sees Sunset her face fills with terror. She drops her belongings and stumbles a bit before running away as much as she can.

“Sonata?! Wait! Wha-”

Sunset extended her hand to the blue girl, however, she has already disappeared into the hallway. The Equestrian girl is lost. She looks at her friend’s things scattered on the floor. Sunset takes them and puts them inside the locker as best she can.

By now our former equine had already lost her smile. She looks very confused.

After closing Sonata’s locker, she continues walking. Meanwhile, she looks pensive.

Sunset eventually sees her friend Twilight, she is also in front of her respective locker arranging her books.

The sight of her best friend allows her to recover her smile. Sunset approaches Twilight while the purple-haired girl takes her glasses and proceeds to apply a cleaning liquid to them and then rub them gently with a cloth.

“Hello Twilight, good morning!”

The teen seems surprised to hear her name. Without her glasses, only she can see colored spots so she puts them on to distinguish who is talking to her. However… her confused expression remains.

“Hey, do you know what happened to Sonata? She acted very weird a few moments ago.”

Twilight doesn’t answer, just continues to look at her confused.

“I mean, weirder than usual. The thing is that I greeted her and she ran away from me. Do you know if there’s something wrong with her?”

After the question there is silence. There is no response from Twilight, and slowly Sunset begins to worry again.

“…Excuse me, uh… have we met?”

Now there is not only surprise and confusion, Sunset seems shocked.

“Twilight… what are you saying?”

“Um… I’m sorry. But can you tell me who you are?”

Sunset Shimmer is speechless. That’s when Lemon Zest appears and encircles the arms of the purple-haired girl.

“Hello Twi-Spark! Who’s your friend?”

“Um, she’s not my friend. And, I don’t know who she is…”

“Twilight… what are you saying? It’s me! Sunset! Sunset Shimmer!”

Not only the scientist, but the rock girl doesn’t seem to understand what the former equine is saying either.

“Well, Sunset Shimmer. I’m Lemon Zest! The best rocker in Crystal Prep. Are you new? Do you like music? You should listen to our band, we are the best in this academy!”

Sunset gets annoyed and angrier.

“Lemon Zest, what are you saying?! I know your band, I’m part of your band! We have known each other since last year!”

The rocker looks lost, she goes back to her friend with glasses but she just shrugs.

Sunset begins to shake. “…Is this a joke…? Tell me this is a joke…”

“Hey, girls!” Indigo Zap suddenly greets. “Why all the fuss?”

The athlete arrives accompanied by Sunny Flare and the four girls look at Sunset.

“Indigo! Sunny! Twilight and Lemon are acting very strange.”

At Sunset’s words, the two newcomers look at the other two, yet there is nothing but bewilderment on everyone’s face.

“Girls… what’s wrong with you? You’re acting like you don’t know me!”

Again there is only silence. For a moment the four Shadowbolts seem lost and puzzled. On her side, Sunset looks more terrified and shocked, unable to understand what is happening.

“Um… okay. And tell us… who are you?” The one with goggles asks with a certain tone of suspicion.

Sunset’s face turns pale and she puts on a look of horror…

The fire-haired girl remains frozen in the hallway. Her face and her eyes reflect terror and confusion, as she looks at her four friends.

“…Guys…what’s wrong? It’s me, Sunset… your friend!”

No one here seems to understand what our girl is saying. This only makes her more desperate.

“Lemon! We’ve been playing together for months!” Sunset screams in despair looking at the green-haired girl.

Lemon Zest is surprised and seems to think for a brief moment.

“Um, I don’t remember us playing. But if you play, you could join my band! We are the best band in the whole school!”

The former unicorn clenches her teeth and struggles to stifle a snarl.

“I’m ALREADY in your band! It was ME who taught you to play the bass! YOUR band has MY name on it!!” Sunset Shimmer screams so loud that the girls, especially Twilight, decide to back off.

“Whoa! Calm down a bit, girl.” Says Indigo defensively. “You’re going over the line with those screamings.”

“Indigo! Don’t you remember we played together against Trottingham in the football match?!”

“Mmm… nope. Although I have many players on the team. Maybe I just… don’t remember you.”

“Lightning and I scored the game-winning goal for Crystal!”

Such a statement only leaves the jock puzzled and speechless. Sunset, unanswered and feeling on the verge of a mental breakdown, looks at Sunny Flare.

“Sunny! Don’t you remember everything we’ve done? We went shopping! We went to see movies! You helped me with that Internet stalker!”

The lilac-haired girl seems to think about it for a moment.

“Hmm… I remember a stalker, who was manipulating Suri Polomare.”

“Yes Yes! Exactly!”

“But… I don’t remember you being involved.”

Sunset nearly grabbed her hair in desperation. “…It was me he was harassing!!”

As a last hope, Sunset turns to her friend with glasses.

“…Twilight! Twilight, you remember me, right? You are my best friend. We’ve been through so much together…”

She speaks with an almost broken voice towards her last hope. Her eyes quiver and sparkle as she looks at who she calls her best friend. The other three girls also see the intellectual, who is behind Indigo Zap, obviously intimidated by the whole scene.

Twilight for her part, doesn’t seem to know what to answer.

“… I think, I remember you…”

Those words light up Sunset’s face and a smile begins to form on her lips.

“Twi…”

“…I remember you yelled at me at the Friendship Games.”

That confession breaks the little joy that the Equestrian had accumulated, returning to that despair and terror.

“… What?...”

“During the competition…you jumped on me and took my spectrometer. Then… you yelled horrible things at me…”

Remembering such a moment seemed to be very painful for the scientist. Not only her, but Sunset Shimmer turns pale and looks like she’s about to burst into tears.

The athlete in the group seems to realize something. “Now that you mention it, I remember it too. You were mean to Twilight that time!”

Sunny Flare joins Indigo. “Indeed. I also remember the incident.”

The lime-haired teen also supports them. “Oh yes, that was very ugly.”

The three girls speak one behind the other, now each looking upset.

“… What…? Not…. No no no no!! Twilight, that can’t be all you remember! The two of us investigated the magic! We did chores together! We studied together! I was your partner at Camp Everfree!”

Despite Sunset Shimmer’s attempts to make Twilight remember something about her, the scientist is only intimidated and shrinks in on herself, hiding behind Zap.

Sunset tries to call her name once more while reaching Twilight with her hand, but she is stopped by a push from the girl with goggles.

“Stand back! Look, I don’t know who you are, but I can tell you’re nuts. And I won’t let you hurt my friends, so back off!!”

The indigo-haired girl says this by taking a threatening step, fist raised. Sunset can’t do anything but obey what she said, she steps back and looks at her four Shadowbolts companions with despair as well about to cry.

Indigo Zap gives her a calm, yet menacing look. Sunny Flare looks at her disapprovingly, and Lemon Zest frowns at her somewhat annoyed. Twilight Sparkle… doesn’t even look at her, she just looks down regretfully.

The one with fiery hair can’t speak, she can’t do anything. She just watches how the four of them turn around and walk away from her without saying anything else.

Sunset stands by those lockers, doing nothing but watching her friends…former friends… walk away from her.

Such a strange scene… and yet… so familiar…

“…No… no! NO NO NO!! This can’t be happening!!!”

Sunset screams before running down the hall looking for something. Of someone. From anyone.

Sunset notices Lightning Dust by a drinking fountain and runs towards her, yelling to get her attention.

“Lightning Dust!!” She exclaims, somewhat surprising the named person. “Lightning Dust, you remember me right? Together we won the game against Trottingham, we fought against the Windigos. You found my diary and you knew who I really was!”

Sunset Shimmer yells out all the relevant facts she remembers living next door to the blonde girl, but the only response she gets from Dust is crossed arms and raised eyebrow.

“What nonsense are you babbling? And who the heck are you?”

Sunset can’t understand what the blonde is saying and just growls as she grabs her hair. A hurried girl with red and gold hair runs down the hall again, for her part Lightning shrugs before continuing to drink from the drinking fountain.

Our former equine continues her impromptu race trying to get the attention of the other students, but none of them pay attention to her.

When she suddenly sees a slightly younger student, with light blue hair, approach her.

“Coco! Coco Pommel! Do you remember me? You once went to my house for a party!”

“Uh, excuse me? What are you saying?” The younger student asks in a polite tone.

Once again Sunset can only moan in despair when she realizes that the blue-haired girl doesn’t remember her.

Clutching her face, Sunset walks away from the stunned and confused Coco.

Rings the bell for the start of school and the students quickly disappear from the hallways and into the classrooms.

But not Sunset. She just sits hugging her knees, leaning against the lockers, in an attempt to soothe her troubled head.

Dark memories come to her mind, from the last time she felt this alone.

“This can’t be happening…” She tells herself as she tries to suppress those horrible memories.

“…It’s like everyone in Crystal has forgotten me.” She talks to herself, hiding her face between her knees.

It is then that her own words come to her mind.

“Everyone… in Crystal…”

Sunset quickly stands up and takes her phone. She taps it a couple of times and puts it to her ear to hear the ringtone.

“Answer me please please please…”

“Hello?”

“Applejack!”

“Sunset! What a pleasant surprise. How are ya doin’?”

Sunset smiles with excitement at hearing that southern voice. But she quickly wipes her smile away, feeling unsure of her next question.

“Applejack, you… you remember me, right?”

The question goes unanswered for a few seconds, seconds in which Sunset nervously bites her thumb.

“Of course Ah remember ya! What question is that, Sunset? Yer feelin’ good?”

Hearing those words, the former equine smiled. She leans against the lockers again and even has to wipe away a couple of tears that she feels falling from her eyes.

“Sunset? Sugarcube, yer still there?”

“Yes, yes. I’m here…”

Taking a deep breath, Sunset manages to let go of her grief and fear. With a serious but determined gesture, she continues speaking.

“Applejack, I… I need your help. From all of you.”

~Lost Among Memories~

As the day brightens with summer rays in the air, at Canterlot High School there is no sign of students off the premises as it is class time.

The only presence there is the fiery-haired girl who rests seated, her back resting against the base of the statue in the school. Statue that is no longer there…

During her most difficult times, Sunset Shimmer used to come to this site. Her lying in the ‘portal’ of what was once her home; Under the shadow of that mighty steed, it made her feel protected. Yet right now, unable to overcome this adversity, Sunset cannot feel safe. She could only hug her knees and wait…

Wait…

Sunset’s mind went back to the last time she felt abandoned. When Anon-a-Miss made her friends turn their backs on her, leaving her in utter abandon. Now, it was happening again… her friends at Crystal Prep had dumped her, and Sunset had no idea what was going on…

Fortunately for Sunset, her mind couldn’t go any deeper as the sound of the school bell snapped her out of her thoughts. With hope in her eyes, she stood up and looked towards the entrance of the building.

She takes a swallow anticipating any outcome…

Sunset Shimmer gets slightly startled when the doors open and, running, the Rainbooms appear and instantly rush to where she is.

“Sunset!”

“Here we are!”

Seeing her former friends run directly towards her brought a hopeful smile to the Equestrian. Her eyes stung, but she refused to let the tears flow and she laughed as she felt her arms wrap around her and the unmistakable scent of cotton candy hit her nose.

“SUNSIIIIIIE!!!” The happiest, pinkest girl in that group yells as she sends a big hug to her exfriend.

“We missed you!!”

Soon more arms unite both girls, a group hug is formed between the old friends. Two people are kept partially apart. One is the newest member of the Rainbooms, who has the same face and name as our alien acquaintance. And the other, is the young guitarist who shares a strong history with our girl from Crystal.

“Sunset!” The Equestrian screams as she greets her doppelganger.

“Hi Sunset, heh.” The fire-haired girl – but who wears glasses – with an amused smile on her face, returns the greeting.

Both fire-haired girls hug and smile warmly at each other. Then Crystal’s Sunset looks at her musician friend.

“Flash, you came too.”

“Applejack told me that you needed help and I couldn’t sit idly by.”

The boy’s words touch the Shadowbolt girl, and she gives him a big hug that he reciprocates.

“Thanks, Flash.”

The happy moment lasts a bit longer, as the Canterlot’s athlete turns serious to ask the expected question.

“AJ told us you’re in trouble. What happened?”

Instantly Sunset loses the joy she had gained…

~Lost Among Memories~

It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes, although is enough for the faces of everyone present to fill with amazement and concern.

“Did they forget about you?” The shy pink-haired girl is surprisingly the first to speak. “But… but that’s…”

“That’s awful!” The double with glasses exclaims. “What could have caused such a thing? I don’t see why the memories of an entire school would disappear just out of a sudden.”

“That’s obvious!” Rainbow answers seriously. “There’s some strange magic going around Crystal Prep Academy and it’s hurting Sunset! We have to do something!”

Applejack is left with doubts. “But what can we do?”

The rainbow-haired girl answers quickly. “Go to Crystal Prep! Find whoever is doing this and stop them!”

“We can’t do that.” Rarity rejects with concern. “We still have school, we can’t leave like this.”

“Screw school!” Rainbow screams in annoyance. “Sunset needs us.”

“No, Rarity is right.” Says the former Wondercolt. “I can’t ask you to leave school to help me.”

“Oh, come on! What are we supposed to do then?!”

Sunset thinks about it for a second. “Search in Canterlot. If this was caused by magic, it’s more likely what originated here, since Crystal hasn’t experienced any direct magical events.”

All the friends turn around to see their school.

“Do ya think that the person responsible could be here?” Asks the blonde. “Ah mean, Ah don’t think there’s anyone left who might have somethin’ against ya.”

“Believe me Applejack, I keep thinking the same thing every time and still someone comes along looking to ruin my life.”

A sigh escapes from the exequine, and the others present look embarrassed, inadvertently evoking unpleasant memories for all of them.

“Sunset, what will you do?” Asks the animal caretaker wanting to break that pressure.

“Will you search in Crystal for clues?” Sunseen asks his the same. “By the way, how are you here if you also have classes?”

“Everyone there has forgotten about me, so I doubt anyone will notice that I’m gone.” Answer Crystal’s Sunset. “And as for looking for clues… I don’t know. Even if I search the entire place, it’s going to be hard being alone on my own.”

Flash seems to look doubtful but decides to speak. “Um, I…I have something that might help.”

All the girls turned their gazes to the only boy in the group, who until now had been pretty quiet. When they see him they realize that in his hands he has the old diary that once belonged to the girl from Equestria.

“…Flash, is that…?”

The blue-haired guy hesitates for a second more, then is determined. “I’m sorry. As soon as you started telling me about all the lost memories, I thought it was something magical and, I kept going. I sent a message to Twilight… not the one here, but the one from your world.”

He explains to her, noticing a certain nervousness in his voice.

“P…Princess Twilight? What has she told you?” Sunset asks, also nervous about the situation but at the same time interested in the possible answer.

Flash checks the book one more time before answering. “She says she wants to talk to you, the point is that she wants you to go there. She already opened the portal.”

He says the latter uncertainly, fearing some backlash from the fire-haired girl. However, this is not the case; in fact, Sunset doesn’t react, she remains static and stunned by such a revelation.

All eyes are on Sunset Shimmer, and she just stares at nothing. Her mind seems lost, filled with thoughts.

After a few seconds that seemed too long, Sunset looked down, saying nothing… then she turned around, looking at the base of the statue.

Memories fill her mind. Memories of the last times she saw the portal, when she said goodbye to Princess Twilight long ago. And in that instant when she enacted that she could no longer belong to Equestria…

The idea of Returning to her native world leaves her frozen, fearful, and full of insecurity.

Swallowing, Sunset goes back to her friend to make sure of everything Flash says.

“Th-that’s… w-what she told you…?” Her voice stutters when she asks that question.

Flash, seeing Sunset in that state, worries about her, and trying to respond he stumbles over his tongue when he wants to provide an answer. Not being able to do it, he only manages to nod with a look full of concern for his former girlfriend.

He is not the only one, everyone present seems worried and anxious about such an idea; everyone except Sunseen looks confused. She clearly doesn’t understand the situation or why the recent pressure in the environment. Even so, she prefers not to say anything, for fear of making things worse.

There is a deathly silence when Sunset turns back to look at the portal. Her hands shake as she clenches her fists, her shoulders tremble slightly. She thinks about everything that has happened in such a short time, and although fearful, Sunset forces herself to stand firm and make the decision.

“Very well. If the princess says so, then I must go. Ultimately, I have to find out what’s going on. And I will do whatever it takes to get my friends back.”

She barely finishes talking when she feels a pair of arms around her. Soon there are another couple of them, and then the five friends from Canterlot High envelop her in a hug that seeks to give her strength, the strength she needs. And they get it.

Pushing her fear aside, Sunset Shimmer gazes determinedly at the base, knowing that the portal to her old world is open. She returns once more to her friends, who smile at her in encouragement.

“I’m going to Equestria.” She says, forcing her voice to sound confident. “I don’t know how long it can take me there.”

Rainbow Dash answers her. “Don’t worry! We’ll be here when you get back!”

Applejack seconded. “We will take care of the school. Ah’m sure we’ll all manage to find somethin.”

Rarity joined them. “Leave it to us, darling. We won’t let you down.”

The two pink-haired girls in the group just smile and nod, one with much more encouragement than the other.

Both Flash and Sunseen do the same and Sunset feels more secure thanks to the support of her Wondercolts friends.

Taking a deep breath, she turns around, stares at the base for a few seconds, and then – as if afraid to change her mind – forces herself to run towards the wall.

There is a slight surprise from the group when they see her disappear into the wall, with a small flash.

All is quiet for a moment, no one here is sure what to say.

Once again it is the athlete from Canterlot who takes the floor. “Well, you heard her. We have to start investigating! If there is magic on the loose from Equestria, we must find it! LET’S GO, WONDERCOLTS!!”

The others agree and they prepare to leave.

It is Sunseen who lags a bit behind. She is about to follow them when he sees Flash Sentry stay at the place, take the journal, and start writing.

“Any problems Flash?”

“No, I’m just letting Twilight know that Sunset is on her way. And to inform us about anything they need.”

“Alright. I’ll go with the others, let us know if they send any messages!” The newest member of the Rainbooms exclaims as she runs off.

Flash only gives her an affirmative answer as he finishes writing his message in her journal.

When he’s done, Flash Sentry closes the book and lets out a breath. He looks at the base with concern.

“Take care Sunset. We’ll be waiting for you.”

With that thought out loud, he turns around ready to leave. However, the boy is instantly stopped when he almost collides with a person.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you there- Wait, what… what do you have there?”

Flash doesn’t react and only feels that he has been blinded by a light.

His unconscious body falls to the ground, dropping the journal. The person approaches him, takes the book, and then walks slowly toward Canterlot High School.

~ To be continued… ~

Back to Home

That sensation of crossing the portal was something Sunset Shimmer doubted she would ever get used to. The experience of being dragged beyond the limits of the physical world, falling into a spiral of dazzling lights and colors, was disconcerting. Although there was no pain, she could feel her body distorting, losing all senses for an instant, only to be hurled through the air and crash to the ground at the end of the journey.

Our former equine slowly got up, her body aching and her head spinning. It took her a few seconds to reorient herself, but soon, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Sunset!! Are you okay?!” the voice called out, filled with concern.

Sunset immediately recognized the voice. Even with her blurry vision, she saw a purple blur in front of her. Shaking her head to clear it, the blur resolved into the form of a purple pony standing before her.

“Twilight!” Sunset whispered enthusiastically, though her tone was still weak.

The Princess of Friendship smiled in relief upon seeing her friend conscious. With urgency, Twilight Sparkle approached and hugged her warmly, a gesture Sunset reciprocated without hesitation. For a few seconds, they leaned into each other, finding comfort in the embrace.

When they finally parted, Twilight adopted a serious expression.

“Sunset, tell me, what happened?” she asked, her concern evident.

Sunset’s smile faded as she lowered her gaze. With a sigh, she began to recount what had transpired.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Minutes passed as Sunset narrated everything that had happened. Both were seated around the magical table that served as a map of Equestria. Twilight sat in her usual throne, while Sunset borrowed one of the nearby chairs.

“This is very serious,” The princess pony said with a worried tone. “Memory spells aren’t impossible, but erasing memories from so many ponies at once, and so specifically to remove only those involving you… It would require extremely powerful magic, if it’s even possible.”

“It is,” Sunset replied sadly. “It happened. Everyone in Crystal has forgotten me, and I don’t know what to do…”

Her voice nearly broke. Twilight, feeling helpless, closed her eyes and held her head in her hooves, trying to think of a solution.

“I have no idea what it could be!” Twilight exclaimed in frustration. “We need to investigate… But none of my books have information about memory spells…”

Sunset remained silent for a few seconds before speaking with determination:

“Then there’s only one place I can go.”

~ Lost Among Memories ~

The day was progressing normally at Crystal Prep. Among the students, a young scientist with thick glasses and a neatly tied ponytail, Twilight Sparkle, was exchanging books at her locker. The routine was interrupted by a familiar voice shouting.

“Twi-Spark!! Twi-Spark!! TWI-SPARK!!” yelled Lemon Zest as she ran towards her.

“For the love of Einstain, Lemon! What’s going on?” The science girl asked, startled by her friend’s sudden entrance.

Lemon Zest, panting to catch her breath, thrust her phone into Twilight’s face.

“It’s Sunset! She's right, she’s in the band!”

Twilight, confused, pushed the phone away to focus on the screen.

“Lemon, what are you talking about?”

“I was watching our Hooftube page! In the videos of our music… Sunset is there! Look!”

In a hurry, Lemon played a couple of videos. Twilight watched in shock as the footage showed Sunset Shimmer playing and singing with them in the band. The videos clearly depicted her presence, but Twilight’s memories didn’t match. In her mind, she only saw herself, Sonata, and Lemon.

“How…?” she whispered, bewildered.

Lemon looked equally disturbed.

“Twilight, something’s wrong. I don’t remember any of this, but I was the one who uploaded those videos. Unless Sunset is a magical hacker, there’s no way they’re fake. She’s part of our band, our friend!” she declared firmly.

Twilight felt an inexplicable chill run through her as she observed the evidence that defied her reality.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Later, in the school’s backyard, four of Crystal Prep’s five friends gathered along with someone else. Sunny Flare crossed her arms in annoyance as she spoke.

“It’s embarrassing to have to ask for permission to use the bathroom, so let’s talk quickly and get back to class.”

Sonata Dusk tilted her head, confused.

“Did someone really erase our memories? Because I don’t remember somebody doing that.”

A few reproachful looks were directed at Sonata, but no one bothered to explain. The rocker girl raised her phone and showed the videos again.

“I’m telling you! The videos of our band prove it. She was playing with us.”

Indigo Zap entered the area hastily.

“It’s true! I checked the sports club records from last year, and Sunset is listed as a member."

"There are even videos of her playing in a game against Trottingham…" Lightning Dust said, seconding her friend with googles. "But I don’t remember seeing her play.”

"I told you so!" Lemon Zest exclaims. "Something weird is going on! This must be some weird magic again!"

There is silence as everyone seems to think about this. Twilight is slightly distracted to look at the blonde-haired athlete.

"Lightning, why did you come? I thought you didn't like Sunset, regardless of erased memories."

The blonde shrugs her shoulders with a certain indifference.

"Meh any excuse is good enough for me to skip class. Besides, whatever they're doing is certainly more interesting."

Sunny decides to speak up. "Let's focus please. There's no denying the evidence, after all, Sunset has been near the school."

The group fell silent, processing the situation. Twilight looked at her phone, where a photo on her screen displayed her and Sunset, smiling and close. The image stirred a wave of emotion in the scientist.

“Of us…” she murmured, continuing Sunny Flare’s thought.

Lemon stepped forward with determination.

"I'm telling you it's something magical." Lemon exclaims. "It's the only explanation! We have to find out who or what's doing it and give them what they deserve! We have to get our memories back."

Sunny Flare looks worried. "But how are we going to do that? We can't just leave school."

The blonde athlete questions that statement. "Why not? It seems that her pony friend did it. I haven't seen her since morning."

That revelation makes everyone worried, they realize that Lightning is right.

Then Indigo has an idea. "Wait! … if Sunset is our friend, we must have her number!"

The girl with the googles takes her phone and searches through her contacts, smiles when she finds it and immediately calls.

But… there's no answer. She tries a second time, and a third time…

"AGH! No answer…"

This doesn't help improve the group's mood.

Sunny Flare sighs. "We can't do anything from here. And we'll get into trouble if we don't go back to class soon."

The rock girl of the group snorts in annoyance. "Who cares about classes! Sun-Shim needs us!"

"But if we can't communicate with her we don't know what to do." Sunny explains. "We need to think."

The scientist of the group thinks for a moment. "Sunny Flare is right. … if this is magic, Sunset is the only one who would know what steps to take. We don't even know what we're looking for!"

"But we can't leave this like this!"

The green-haired girl speaks again, and then turns to the other equestrian girl of her group.

"Duskie! You're magic! Do you have any plans?"

The blue mermaid seems to get uncomfortable with such a question.

"I... it's usually Adie who makes the plans, I just do what she tells me..."

Indigo looks at her with some hope in her eyes. "Can you call her? Maybe she has some ideas."

"That's a good idea." Twilight seconds looking at Sonata.

The siren of the group nods and soon picks up her
phone.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

The lead siren lies reclined, seemingly asleep in her bed. She is slightly awakened by the sound of her cell phone. She picks it up and answers it.

"... Now what Sonata? … Mh? Of course I remember Sunset, it's not like I can forget her. … what...?"

As she hears what her younger sister is saying to her over the phone, the lead siren quickly sits up and sits on her bed.

"What are you saying?!"

~ Lost Among Memories ~

On the other side of the mirror, in Canterlot, Sunset and Twilight were making their way to the royal castle. Both wore disguises to keep their presence hidden: cloaks covering their backs and cutie marks, scarves over their manes, and dark glasses to hide their eyes.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little confused about the need to stay incognito.

"I still don’t understand why we have to go unnoticed, Sunset. I could call Celestia and tell her we need to enter the library," she said, glancing at her friend.

Sunset frowned, clearly frustrated.

"Twilight, I already have enough problems without having to deal with Celestia. I don’t want to talk to her about how I’m the worst student she’s ever had. This is not the time."

Sunset emphasized her words, and her tone made it clear that she didn’t want to discuss it further. Twilight, seeing her reaction, felt a little down but hid it behind her dark glasses.

"Alright, I understand. But… how will we get into the castle without being seen?"

The silence stretched between them as they neared the castle walls, hiding in some bushes. Sunset stared at the smooth wall for a moment as if searching for something.

"If I remember correctly, it should be… here," she muttered.

With a flash of light from her horn, she gently touched the wall. Instantly, the symbol of her Cutie Mark appeared on the surface. Before Twilight could ask what she was doing, the wall seemed to disintegrate, creating a small opening.

"What is that?!" Twilight asked, startled.

"It’s a secret exit I made when I was Celestia’s student. I used it sometimes to sneak out of the castle and study in a more secluded place," Sunset explained with a smile as she ducked down and passed through the opening.

Twilight, though still a bit stunned, followed her without hesitation.

"Does Princess Celestia know about this?" Twilight asked, curiosity in her voice.

"Secret, exit," was Sunset’s brief response.

Once safely inside, they made their way to their destination: the royal library. As they walked through the hallways, Sunset stopped in front of a hall.

"Star Swirl's hall. This place holds the deepest knowledge about that world. Only he can tell us who erased everyone’s memories," Sunset said seriously.

Twilight nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand, Sunset. But I’ve read every book and scroll in this place, and none of them mention the mirror or that world."

Sunset frowned and, after a brief moment of reflection, suggested:

"What about the forbidden secret hall?"

Twilight looked at her, clearly confused.

"Forbidden, secret, hall?"

The princess pony is baffled by such a question. Sunset, not having an answer, approached a bookshelf. Using her magic, she began pulling out all the books at once, which only puzzled Twilight further. The princess stepped closer, still uncertain about what was happening.

"Hey, Sunset, no offense, but I’ve been in this library hundreds of times and I’ve never seen—"

Twilight didn’t finish her sentence, as Sunset returned the last book to its place, something incredible happened: a mark began to glow on the side of each book. Together, the marks formed a spiral with stars, the same one that represented Star Swirl.

The bookshelf began to tremble and, as if by magic, split in two, revealing a passage that led to a staircase lit by torches.

The purple pony, with her mouth open in awe, continued staring at the scene before her.

"-a… secret… forbidden… hall…" she muttered, completely stunned.

Sunset smiled faintly, amused, and gently lifted her hoof to close her friend’s jaw before starting down the staircase. Twilight, still in shock, followed her closely.

The staircase seemed to go on forever, and it took them about a minute to reach the bottom. When they did, they found themselves in what appeared to be an ancient cave carved into the rock. There were more shelves and bookcases, and the air was thick with dust, as if no pony had been there in years.

"Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh...!" Twilight repeated to herself, overwhelmed by the sight of the books around her.

"So many books... unread! Ancient historical pieces!"

Suddenly, the purple pony began to hyperventilate, her magic acting on its own. Books flew toward her and opened to random pages, and she tried to read them all at once.

"This... is... I can’t..."

Her voice trailed off as she struggled to catch her breath. Sunset, momentarily concerned, couldn’t help but feel a little playful.

"Hey, if you think you can’t handle it, I can keep going alone from here."

No sooner had she spoken than her friend leaped at her, embracing her desperately.

"Don’t take this away from meeeee!" Twilight cried out, a little hurt, her body nearly collapsing under her own weight. Only the grip of her hooves around Sunset’s neck kept her from falling.

Sunset couldn’t help but smile, both amused and touched by the sight.

The princess of friendship begins to run like a colt in a candy store, running from shelf to shelf, pulling out books and examining them with increasing excitement. Her expression, however, started to look somewhat unsettling as she hugged the books she collected.

Despite this, Sunset didn’t let it distract her. She began reviewing the books on her own side, hoping to find anything that could be a clue.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but Sunset was already feeling the fatigue, especially after having read, seemingly from start to finish, a book so large it was even taller than she was.

"Did you know that Chancellor Puddin Head tried to make carrot juice the national drink? ... I know it, I know it now," Sunset said with clear frustration, crossing her front hooves and leaning on the table next to the enormous, and apparently frustrating, book.

Princess Twilight, a little further behind, watched her with a small smile.

"Aww, looks like you picked the fun books," Twilight commented innocently, causing Sunset to lean more heavily on the table, drained. Twilight even covered a small yawn.

"Maybe we should take a break from the search for a while," The princess suggested.

Sunset sighed in a resigned manner, willing to rest, but then her purple friend came closer and leaned against her side with a triumphant smile.

"Because I already found something~!" she announced in a semi-singing voice. Hearing that and the promise of a clue made Sunset smile with renewed energy. However, Twilight quickly became more serious.

"Have you heard of the 'Seven Forbidden Artifacts of the Dark Age'?"

Sunset seemed slightly surprised and took a few seconds to think.

"I read about that somewhere. You're talking about the Alicorn Amulet, right?"

Twilight opened the book she was holding in her magic and began flipping through some illustrated pages.

"The Alicorn Amulet is one of them, objects that in a past era were used by evil unicorns for their terrible purposes. The Alicorn Amulet, the Sácanas Staff, the Bewitching Bell, and… this, the Memory Stone."

"Memory Stone? That sounds promising," Sunset said, taking the book with her own magic and starting to read what was written. Twilight read aloud with her.

"'The Memory Stone once belonged to a powerful sorceress whose name is unknown, for she used it to erase the memory of anyone who saw or confronted her. Clover Clever, Star Swirl’s apprentice, was tasked with stopping the sorceress and destroying the stone. But every time she managed to find it, the sorceress used the power of the stone to erase her memory and escape. Still, Clover Clever used scraps of parchment to write down everything that happened and to know where to go.'"

"Wow, the girl really lived up to her name, didn’t she?" Sunset remarked.

They shared a smile at that idea before continuing to read.

"'In their final confrontation, the magic of both unicorns opened a vortex that ended up dragging the sorceress and the stone to a place where Clover Clever could never find them…'"

As they read the final part, both friends stared intently at the illustration of a vortex, a portal, and a seemingly terrified mare in its center.

"… Sunset, what if that vortex dragged the sorceress and the stone to the mirror world?" Twilight asked.

Sunset paused thoughtfully, still looking at the illustration.

"If that’s the case… if someone found the stone, they must be using it to erase everyone’s memory. … but—"

"Who?" Twilight interrupted, finishing Sunset’s question. Both of them fell into deep thought.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Once again, the Crystal Prep girls gathered, this time accompanied by the older sisters of their siren friend.

"So, they erased your memories of Sunset? That’s interesting," Adagio remarked, observing the others with curiosity.

"I wish they would erase my memory," Aria said with a dark expression. "It would help me forget how Sunset humiliated us some time ago."

Sonata, in her usual playful tone, interrupted:

"Please, Arie! We all know you like Sunsite."

Aria scowled, looking at her sister with annoyance, and replied:

"I like her as much as I like you."

She says this in a grumpy tone, and with an annoyed look. But that doesn't affect the blue one, on the contrary.

"Awww! I love you too, sis!"

Sonata let out a laugh and gave her sister a tight hug. Aria blushed for a moment, then became irritated, trying to break free, ready to strike her.

Indigo, visibly tired of the jokes, intervened:

"As sweet as family love is, we need to fix this. We need to find out who did this and fix it. So... Adagio, any ideas?"

Adagio fell silent for a moment, her arms crossed. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

"Me? Are you asking me?" she finally answered, as if she hadn’t expected to be consulted.

Sunny, with a serious expression, added:

"None of us know what to do. And it seems Sunset has left the school. No one has seen her since this morning."

This left Adagio deep in thought. She stayed silent for a few seconds, staring off into space, as if contemplating something. Finally, she murmured:

"Knowing Sunset, I don’t think she ran away. She must be looking for answers, just like you. And if I’m right, there’s only one place she could have gone."

With that, the orange-haired siren turned around and began to walk away, without saying more. Twilight, surprised, called out:

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Adagio, without stopping, replied firmly:

"Aria, let's go! We need to find Sunset before this gets worse. All the rest of you, stay here. If she returns, she will look for all you here."

Twilight, confused, asked:

"But where are you going? Where is Sunset?"

Adagio didn’t answer, continuing to walk with Aria following her. The rest of the group remained there, watching them leave, looking to Sonata for an explanation, but she didn’t have one.

Indigo, frustrated, seemed ready to follow them, but Sunny stopped her:

"Indigo, no. She's right. If Sunset returns, she’ll find us here. We have to wait."

Indigo tried to protest, but couldn’t. The group remained bewildered and worried.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Sunset was seated, using a quill and ink to take notes on a parchment. There was also a drawing on it, the same one that appeared on the memory stone.

When she finished, the amber pony rolled up the parchment and stored it in her satchel.

"It’s better I return home. Now that I know what I’m looking for, I’ll be able to break this spell," she said, her expression worried, but determined.

Twilight, concerned, asked:

"Are you sure? Maybe we should investigate a bit more. Clover Clever’s books might give us more clues."

Sunset shook her head.

"I don’t think so. The book says the stone was lost beyond that portal. I doubt Clover was able to follow it into my world."

Twilight remained unsure but understood. Sunset, with determination, continued:

"Thank you for your help, princess. I wouldn’t have figured this out without you."

Twilight smiled, but her concern returned.

"Sunset, you must be careful. We don’t know what other magic might be hiding inside that stone."

"It doesn’t matter," Sunset replied firmly. "My friends need me, and I assure you, Twilight, there is nothing and no one in this world or the other that can stop me."

With those words, Sunset turned decisively, but just after taking two steps, her face collided with something soft, white, and fluffy. She raised her head and saw a coat whiter than snow. ... the fiery-maned pony stands there, staring at that fur, looks down and she sees two gold-clad hooves or shoes, she looks up, and sees a pair of pink eyes accompanied by a multi-colored mane, and a crown.

Princess Celestia, the supreme ruler of the kingdom, looked down at her.

Sunset remains still, not moving or speaking. Then, using her magic, she places Twilight in front of her and curls up behind her.

"Um... Sunset..." murmurs the purple princess, glancing over her shoulder.

"Shhh! I think she didn’t see me..." Sunset responds, her whisper barely hiding her urge to shout.

Twilight lifts her gaze, meeting her mentor's eyes. Celestia’s expression is calm, yet there's an air of tension. The young princess tries to calm herself.

"Eh... hehehe... Hello, Princess Celestia! What... what a coincidence to see you... I..." Twilight stumbles over her words, her nervousness is palpable, and the more she tries to speak, the more she gets tangled up.

"Twilight," Princess Celestia’s voice is deep and firm.

The voice from the older princess causes Twilight to shudder, and her coat stands on end.

"Could you give us a moment, please?" Celestia’s request is soft yet clear.

The Princess of Friendship appears worried and looks at her unicorn friend. Sunset, curled up behind her, stays still, enveloped in silence.

"If I don’t see it, it’s not real..." Sunset’s whisper is barely audible from her golden mane.

The purple pony slowly steps back, revealing the trembling figure of thy ambar pony to the older princess. Celestia, with her always solemn expression, directs a look filled with emotion at the young alicorn. Sunset doesn’t dare lift her head, the fear evident in her eyes.

The air feels thick, as if time itself has stopped. Finally, Celestia’s voice breaks the silence.

"Sunset Shimmer, please, could you stand up?" Her tone is soft but commanding.

Sunset, with her heart pounding, stops trembling and slowly stands. Her head remains lowered, and it takes several seconds for her to gather the courage to look at Celestia. The moment seems eternal.

When she finally raises her eyes, Celestia makes a gentle motion, and her crown falls to the floor. Sunset can’t help but turn her head away, closing her eyes, fearful of what will happen.

A soft touch on her face makes her turn back. She opens her eyes and sees the face of her former teacher, calm, full of understanding, but also a subtle sadness. Celestia looks at her with a tenderness that makes Sunset tremble, her eyes reflecting something beyond words.

"I’ve missed you so much, Sunset Shimmer" The sun princess whispers, and with those words, the unicorn’s world seems to crumble.

Sunset can’t move, can’t speak. She just feels how the ancient princess wraps her up with the utmost care, pulling her toward herself. The embrace is soft but firm, and Sunset feels the beat of Celestia’s heart in her chest, the warmth and softness of her being. These feelings, which she thought were lost, return with overwhelming intensity.

She can’t stop herself. She buries her face in the white coat, trying futilely to control the tears that are flowing.

"I’m sorry... I’m sorry..." she murmurs with a broken voice, as her tears fall endlessly.

Celestia holds her even tighter in her embrace, gently stroking her fiery mane and wrapping her in one of her wings like a protective blanket. The warmth from her body fills Sunset, and without strength to resist, she lets the crying take over, shouting in desperation.

"I’M SORRY! I’M SO SORRY! I’M SORRY!" her broken voice cries out with each word, as if all her pain is pouring out with the tears.

Celestia holds her with the tenderness and firmness of a mother, letting her own tears fall as well, embracing the pony with a gentleness that only unconditional love can provide.

Twilight, witnessing the scene, can’t help but be moved. She cries, deeply touched by the moment, while wiping away her own tears with her hooves.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

After what felt like eternities, the three ponies stood facing each other, deep in thought, contemplating the matter at hand.

Princess Celestia’s voice broke the silence. “How my heart wishes our reunion could have been under different circumstances... But I understand the gravity of this situation.”

Twilight Sparkle, visibly insecure and troubled, couldn’t hide her anxiety. “Do you think, Princess Celestia, that the Memory Stone could have fallen into that other world, and is now being used by another pony?”

The sun princess pondered the idea for a moment before responding. “The secrets and mysteries of that world go beyond any record we have in this library. I truly believe anything is possible.”

Sunset Shimmer, hearing this, did not feel any relief. Instead, determination settled across her face. “I have no other choice. I must return and continue my investigation from there. Perhaps no pony in Equestria knows what happened to the stone or the sorceress, but there might be clues in my world—legends, myths... Everything could be useful.”

Twilight hesitated, concern evident in her voice. “Are you going to do this alone? Without your friends...?”

Sunset’s response was firm. “I have no choice. My friends need me, and I can’t let our friendship break again... I know what it feels like to lose it because of another's actions. I won’t let the Anon-a-Miss incident happen again.”

The pirncess of friendship flinched at the mention of the name. The memory of those painful moments weighed heavily on her heart. She lowered her head for a moment before speaking again. “I’ll stay here and keep researching. I may not figure out what happened to the stone after the portal, but maybe I can find a way to counteract its magic and restore your friends' memories.”

The unicorn pony smiled softly, her gratitude clear. “Thank you, Princess. I don’t know what I would do without your help in these matters.”

Twilight blushed, smiling shyly and turning her gaze away. Celestia, meanwhile, couldn’t stop looking at her former student, her face full of both surprise and pride.

“I must say, this is a great change from our last conversation. Sunset Shimmer, I can see how much you’ve grown and learned. I’m proud of the pony you’ve become.”

Sunset stood still, stunned by the words. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to. Her eyes trembled, and for a moment, she seemed on the verge of tears. But she held back, offering a smile to her former mentor.

“Thank you, Princess Celestia... And I... want to apologize for the way I acted in the past... I know you tried to teach me about friendship, and I... failed you. If I had listened to you...”

Celestia interrupted, her voice soft and comforting. “Sunset, you didn’t fail me.” The older princess remains silent for a moment “It was I who failed you, Sunset.”

Both smaller ponies stared at their mentor, completely shocked. They couldn’t understand what she was saying.

“No...!” Sunset stammered. “Celestia, I made the mistake. I was a bad student!”

Celestia’s expression softened. “There are no bad students, Sunset. If a student fails, it’s because they had a poor teacher. And that’s what I was to you. I wanted you to learn, but I never truly taught you. I wanted you to listen to me, but I never spoke to you. I wanted you to follow the path I envisioned, but I never showed you what it was, or why. It took me years to understand that it was my responsibility, not only to teach you but to raise you. Your mistakes were my mistakes. I failed you as a teacher, and that’s what caused our separation.”

Sunset shook her head. “No... Princess, it wasn’t like that! You wanted to teach me! But I didn’t listen! You wanted the best for me, and I just...”

Sun Princess looked at her with regret. “Yes, I wanted the best, but instead of showing you why, I tried to force you to accept it. I treated you like a servant, not as a student. Sunset... I hope one day you can forgive me for everything I put you through, for my mistakes...”

The usually composed Princess Celestia’s voice was filled with guilt and remorse, a stark contrast to her usual poise.

Sunset could not move, her body still as she gazed at Celestia, both astonished and pained. Unable to control herself, she threw herself into a hug, as though trying to melt into her former teacher.

“There’s nothing to forgive! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for everything I did...!”

Celestia wrapped her wing and hoof around the pony, fighting back tears that threatened to fall.

“The past no longer matters. You’ve grown and matured. You’ve become the pony I always knew you would be, and you did it on your own.”

Sunset, still in Celestia’s embrace, whispered softly. “Not entirely on my own.”

She pulled back slightly to approach the other princess of the group, pulling her into an embrace as well.

“I had so many people there to help me.”

Twilight said nothing, but allowed herself to melt into the hug as well. Celestia smiled warmly, watching them.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

The base of the statue emitted a strange sound, and a bright light appeared just as our fiery-haired girl reappeared. She felt the tremor caused by the strange sensation of crossing between worlds. For a moment, she almost lost her balance, but she steadied herself, standing tall. She shook her head before fully registering her surroundings. The day was still present at Canterlot High, but the sun was beginning to set on the horizon.

Almost no one was nearby, except for the Rainbooms...

The girls Sunset knew better than anyone at school were walking toward her, deep in conversation. Even their newest member was with them.

Sunset sighed softly, feeling relief at seeing them approach. However, that relief quickly vanished as soon as the six girls saw her. They were shocked at first, and then, some of them appeared... upset.

“Oh great, look who’s back.” Rainbow Dash's voice held an unmistakable aggression, and Sunset was deeply confused by it. "What do you want now? Traitor?”

Sunset froze, feeling as if her body had gone cold at hearing that word.

"A'h thought you were gone for good." Applejack's voice carries the same feeling as Rainbow's. "Can’t ya leave us oncefor all?"

Sunset speaks, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “W-What? What are you talking about?”

Rainbow frowns and looks more upset. “What do you want now? Are you here to expose more secrets? Or hit more people? Because if that’s the case, believe me, I’ll be happy to return the favor.”

Rainbow cracked her knuckles, looking ready to fight.

Sunset starts to shake

“Girls, what’s going on?! Why are you acting like this?!”

Sunset’s confusion and desperation were growing with every second.

Rainbow just exclaim “Don’t play dumb! Anon-a-Miss!”

Sunset freeze...

That name... that damn name... It caused everyone to fall silent. Sunset could see nothing but the hateful glares from the girls who used to be her closest friends...

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie... all of them wore expressions of disdain, anger, and even disappointment.

A sixth stare, that of Sunseen, showed no emotion, but didn’t dare look at her twin.

Sunset couldn’t hear anything else. Gradually, her awareness began to fade. The world around her was consumed by a dark hole that swallowed all the light... her mind drifted back to the painful memories of betrayal and hatred that she had tried to bury.

She felt herself falling into an abyss... slow... very slow... and then... nothing.

... To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Hello! Thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you liked it.

Just a note to mention a few things.

The plot of the original special fails in terms of showing the lack of physical evidence about the friendship with Sunset, I tried to make that better.

Another point, Celestia's reunion, and the way she 'helped' the plot, was a waste, since the reunion was not emotional and Celestia did nothing that any other character could have done. That's why I made Sunset herself the one who knew about the restricted section and put a reunion more like what I would have liked to see.

Speaking of the section, I don't understand why the stone records are in such a hidden place, when other things like the sirens, or even the magic clock from another special are in normal books in the Twilight library. I don't see the point of hiding the stone so much, and that's why I wanted to add something to it, placing a "subplot" about forbidden artifacts, the stone being one of them, makes sense that the information is hidden.

That's all for now, I hope you like it and if you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll answer them
Rrad you later, bye!

The Memory Stone

"Liar"

"False friend"

"Traitor"

"Demon"

Sunset’s eyes shot open, and she immediately sat in bed. Her breathing was heavy, her face reflected terror, and she was drenched in sweat.

"Well, you're finally awake."

The unexpected voice startled her. She jumped back, quickly pulling a knife from under her pillow and gripping it tightly in her hand. Her eyes locked with Aria Blaze, who looked at her with curiosity and surprise.

"You sleep with a knife under your pillow?" Aria asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sunset blinked, glancing between the siren and the weapon in her hand. Finally, after a moment, she responded:

"This world isn’t safe for a high school girl living alone."

Although still disoriented, Sunset lowered the knife and allowed herself to relax. Her expression, however, remained confused.

"Aria? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? How did I get back to my apartment?" she finally asked, looking around at the familiar surroundings of her room.

"Adagio and I brought you here after you fainted in Canterlot," Aria replied flatly, pulling out her phone and typing something.

"In Canterlot? But..."

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back: returning to Equestria, meeting the girls from Canterlot High, and... the painful moment when they accused her of being Anon-a-Miss.

"It wasn’t a dream... It can’t be... Not again."

She hugged herself, curling her legs against her chest and burying her face in her knees.

"Yeah, we saw everything," Aria said, focusing still on her phone. "We also heard about the memory-erasing thing. At first, I didn’t believe it, but after seeing how your 'friends' treated you, it seems possible... Or maybe they’re just dumber than I thought."

Sunset remained silent, lost in her thoughts until something important came to her mind.

"The stone! My bag! Aria, where are my things?"

"If you mean that bag you had, it’s over there."

Aria gestured toward the door, where Sunset’s satchel hung. The girl dashed to it, quickly pulling out the papers she had transcribed in Equestria, along with the sketch of the Memory Stone.

Sunset sighed in relief, grateful the portal had allowed everything to cross intact.

"Is that a clue to what happened?" Aria asked, moving closer to her.

"Maybe... I don’t know..." Sunset murmured hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the sketch.

"So, what are you going to do? Do you know where that stone is?"

Sunset's silence answered for her. Aria rolled her eyes, shook her head, and walked toward the door.

"Whatever, it’s getting late. Adagio has to work, and if we leave Sonata home alone, she might end up eating the kids' toothpaste again."

Aria opened the door but glanced back at Sunset, her expression serious.

"Let us know when you decide what to do... Not that I care."

Without waiting for a reply, she closed the door behind her, leaving Sunset alone.

The former pony sat back on her bed, spreading the papers out before her. Her gaze fell on the sketch of the Memory Stone.

"The Memory Stone..." she whispered to herself. "Could someone have found it and been using it to make everyone forget me...?"

As she tried to connect the pieces in her mind, recent events flooded back. The accusing stares of her former friends haunted her, just as they had months ago.

And then, she heard it again. That name...
The name of that... "person." That mistake.

Sunset clutched her head with both hands, trying to suppress the memories invading her mind. She shook her head from side to side, gritting her teeth in a desperate attempt to push them away.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

In another place, another girl with fiery hair struggles with her mind.
In her head, she tries to relive memories, that moment she had worked so hard to forget—when a far too dark side of her took over and caused disaster.
But… something was missing.

"Sunset… Shimmer…?" she whispered.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Dragging her feet with exhaustion and a swirling sense of confusion, Sunset arrived at Crystal Prep. Her mind looped through everything that had happened in such a short time.
Her friends at Crystal Prep had forgotten her. Alongside Princess Twilight, she had uncovered a possible cause. Then, her former friends in Canterlot had once again accused her of being Anon-a-Miss.

"Ugh, what am I going to do?" she muttered, clutching her forehead. "I don’t think I can find that stone alone."

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a distant yet loud voice.

"SUNSIIIIITE!!"

"Sonata?" Sunset's head snapped up, just in time to see a blue blur rushing toward her. Before she could process what was happening, she was enveloped in one of Sonata's signature spine-crushing hugs.

"Sunset, there you are!" The siren cheered.

"Gh-ghh—Sonata," Sunset wheezed, her words strangled by the siren’s grip. "I… love your hugs, but… not my vertebrae…"

Reluctantly, Sonata let go, leaving Sunset coughing and clutching her chest.

"Dang, Sonata," The pony girl croaked, regaining her breath. "I forgot how much your hugs hurt. Forget—wait! Sonata, you… do you remember me now?"

Sunset's hopeful eyes met Sonata's, but the siren's hesitant smile faltered.

"Not really… but even so, we'll help you! Come on!" Sonata grabbed Sunset's hand without waiting for a response and dragged her toward the school.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Inside Crystal Prep, Sunset spread the sketch of the Memory Stone on a table in Twilight’s 'lab'. The small room was crowded with the group of friends, who practically smashed their faces together to get a look at the drawing.
Indigo Zap was the first to pull back from the pile of curious faces, looking directly at Sunset with an eager expression.

"So, this stone is what erased our memories?"

Sunset folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "Well, I can't be sure, but it all lines up. If that stone ended up in this world and someone found it, it would explain everything."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Lemon Zest exclaimed, bouncing in place. "Let’s find that stone and fix this, like, right now!"

Sunny Flare sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Lemon, honey, I doubt it’s going to be that easy."

Sunset nodded solemnly. "I know what to look for, but I have no idea where—or even how—to find it."

The goggles girl smirked confidently. "Don’t worry. I’ve got this. We’ll just search everyone’s stuff at school until we find who has the stone!"

"Indigo, that’s impossible!" Sunny protested.

"'Impossible' isn’t in my vocabulary," Indigo declared, darting toward the door. "I’ll grab my gear—we’re gonna need backup!"

Without waiting for anyone’s objections, Indigo sped out of the room.

The others exchanged glances, their silence filled with thought. Finally, Twilight spoke up. "Well, gathering more people to help search isn’t a bad idea."

"Totally!" Lemon agreed, already pulling out her phone. "I’ll get our Hooftube followers in on this!"

With that, she dashed out, tapping away on her screen.

Sunny sighed again and turned to Sunset. "Well, while they do their thing, any ideas, Sunset?"

Sunset crossed her arms and looked down. After a moment of thought, she exhaled deeply. "This time, I’ve got nothing. I don’t even know where to start looking."

"In that case," Twilight interjected, "I suggest we split up. We’ll cover more ground that way. I also recommend setting alarms on our phones—every five minutes, we send each other updates. That way, if any of us gets memory-wiped again, we’ll know right away."

"Now that sounds like a plan," Sunset admitted with a faint smile.

"Alright," Sunny said, pulling out her phone. "I’ll set the alarms and tell those two. Good luck, girls—and be careful."

As Sunny left, Twilight turned to Sonata. "Sonata, can you let your sisters know about the situation? If we all end up memory-wiped, they’ll be our backup outside the school."

"AYE SIR!" Sonata saluted and started texting as she skipped away.

This left Sunset and Twilight alone. For a moment, they stared at each other, as if both wanted to speak but didn’t know how to start.

"Hey, Twi…" Sunset finally broke the silence.

Twilight adjusted her glasses, curious. "Yes?"

"I just…" Sunset hesitated, then smiled softly. "Thanks."

Twilight blinked in surprise before returning the smile.

The two parted ways shortly after. Unfortunately, neither noticed someone lurking nearby, listening to every word. This figure clenched the Memory Stone tightly in frustration, causing it to glow ominously.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

The next few minutes felt eternal for Sunset as she wandered the hallways, unsure where to go or what to do. Her mind kept conjuring images of the Memory Stone and the possibilities of what anyone could do with it in their possession.

She thought about her friends at Crystal Prep and those from Canterlot. That last thought made her stop in her tracks, clutching her chest as her heart tightened painfully. The hurt of being accused of being Anon-a-Miss was something she had believed she left behind, a memory she thought she had overcome. And now…

She shook her head forcefully, pushing those thoughts away.

"I need to recover the stone and fix everything," she thought with determination.

She checked the time on her phone, ready to send the agreed-upon message to the group. But then, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, every student around her froze, clutching their heads as if in pain. What happened next was inconceivable.

A flash of light emerged from the forehead of every student, forming a glowing ribbon that floated through the air like it was alive. Sunset watched in horror as each boy and girl seemed to suffer intense pain before releasing that ribbon of light and collapsing unconscious.

The hallway fell eerily silent, now filled with the still bodies of students on the floor. Sunset, paralyzed for a moment, could only watch as the ribbons of light drifted together, all heading in the same direction and phasing through walls and ceilings.

Her concern urged her to check on her fallen classmates, but seeing them all unconscious, she decided instead to follow the glowing ribbons and uncover the cause of this phenomenon.

She quickly typed an urgent message on her phone as she forced her legs to move, chasing after the mysterious lights that intertwined and danced through the air.

Finally, the ribbons converged at the school’s main entrance. Without hesitation, Sunset pushed the doors open and stepped outside, hoping for answers. But what greeted her was a blinding light that engulfed everything around her.

Before she could react, her vision caught the faint outline of a figure before her body gave out, and she fell to the ground.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

"Sunset… Sunset! Please wake up…"

The insistent voice pulled Sunset from her unconscious state. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking as her vision began to clear. The first thing she saw was… her own face.

Startled, she scrambled back, confused and frightened.

"Sunset, wait! It’s me, Sunseen!"

The other redhead raised her hands in a calming gesture. Sunset stared at the glasses adorning her face and finally recognized her counterpart from this world.

"Sunseen… It’s you, but…"

Sunset’s words trailed off as she noticed the presence of others. Looking up, she saw the Rainbooms standing nearby, each of them gazing at her with a mix of sadness, doubt, and curiosity.

To her surprise, it was Rainbow Dash who extended a hand to help her up. Sunset accepted the gesture, allowing the athlete to pull her to her feet.

"What… what are you all doing here?" Sunset asked, still disoriented.

"We’re not entirely sure either," Rainbow replied, crossing her arms.

"Rainbow!" Rarity scolded gently, her tone soft but firm.

Rainbow clicked her tongue in irritation but said nothing more. Though she seemed annoyed, there was an air of uncertainty about her.

"Sunset, we know something strange is going on," Sunseen spoke up, her gaze steady and serious.

"Um… Excuse me, Sunset… It’s… your phone…?" Fluttershy’s quiet voice drew Sunset’s attention.

Looking down, Sunset saw her phone lying on the ground. Confused, she picked it up and realized the camera had been recording the entire time.

With trembling fingers, she stopped the recording and played the video back. What she saw froze her in place.

On the screen, she relived the moments leading up to her blackout: the glowing ribbons of light she had followed throughout the school led her to the exit. As she stepped outside, she was met with a familiar figure.

A girl with forest-green hair stood there, holding the Memory Stone.

"Wallflower Blush…" Sunset whispered, a knot forming in her throat.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Sunset hurried through the hallways of Crystal Prep, her phone pressed to her ear as she tried to call someone.

“Why isn’t anyone answering?!” she muttered in frustration.

As she rounded a corner, she spotted the familiar figure of her purple-haired friend. Relief washed over her as she called out.

“Twilight!”

Twilight turned, startled, her expression confused.

“There you are! Are you okay?” Sunset asked, rushing toward her.

“Uh… sorry, who are you?” Twilight’s response made Sunset freeze in place.

“Not again…” Sunset whispered, her voice laced with dread. “Twilight, it’s me! Sunset! Your friend!”

Twilight’s puzzled expression didn’t falter. Sunset groaned in frustration and tried calling again on her phone.

“Twilight, where’s your phone?!” Sunset asked urgently.

“My phone…?” Twilight echoed, her confusion growing. Despite her bewilderment, she began searching for her belongings. “My phone… where… it’s not here… where did I leave it?”

Sunset’s heart sank. “Wallflower… she must have taken it!”

Twilight stopped her search and stared at Sunset, utterly lost.

“Twilight, it’s Wallflower! She has the Memory Stone, and she’s used it to erase your memories—and everyone else’s in the school!”

“My memories?” Twilight asked, her voice shaking. “What are you talking about? Who even are you?!”

Twilight took a step back, visibly unnerved by Sunset’s intensity.

“I’m Sunset! I’m your best friend! We’ve known each other since last year! We went to Camp Everfree together! You’ve stayed at my house! We have a band with Lemon and Sonata!”

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Twilight stammered, now clearly frightened. She turned to leave, but Sunset grabbed her wrist, spinning her back around.

“You do know me!” Sunset insisted. “Twi… I know you don’t remember, but we’ve been through so much together.”

“Don’t touch me!” Twilight shouted, yanking her arm free. “I don’t know who you are! And I don’t want to be rude, but you’re acting crazy!”

“Twilight! Please!” Sunset begged. “I know you! If you just think—if you try to remember—you’ll realize things don’t add up.”

Twilight’s frustration boiled over. “What could you possibly know about me?!”

“I know EVERYTHING about you!” Sunset replied with absolute certainty.

Her words stopped Twilight in her tracks.

“I know, When you were nine, you built a weather satellite but couldn’t launch it because your parents wouldn’t buy you rocket fuel.”

Twilight scoffed, masking her discomfort with sarcasm. “Big secret.”

“I know that when you sign your name, you draw a six-pointed star on the dots of your i’s,” Sunset continued.

“And what of it?” Twilight snapped.

“I know you hate baths and only take showers.”

Twilight tried to walk away, but Sunset followed, undeterred.

“I know you can’t sleep with socks on. I know that when Cadence babysat you, you invented a silly handshake together.”

Twilight’s pace slowed. Her head dipped lower as Sunset’s words sank in.

“And I know that Spike—your dog—was a gift from your brother, Shining Armor. He gave him to you when he left for college so you wouldn’t feel lonely.”

Twilight stopped completely. She turned around abruptly, her voice trembling as she demanded, “How do you know all that?!”

Sunset’s intense gaze softened. She took a step closer, her voice calm but firm.

“Because you’re my best friend, Twilight. There are no secrets between us.”

A heavy silence settled between them. Twilight’s mind raced, her heart pounding in her chest. She clutched at her heart as if trying to steady it, her eyes darting away, unable to face Sunset directly.

Sunset broke the silence, her tone quieter, yet filled with emotion.

“Twilight, ever since I came to this school, you’ve been the one who’s helped me the most. I trust you more than anyone, and your friendship means more to me than anything else. The moments I’ve shared with you… they’re my happiest memories.”

Twilight stood frozen, unable to respond. Her chest tightened as she felt an inexplicable wave of anxiety and nervousness washing over her. She looked away, gripping her chest tighter, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

Twilight hesitated, her voice trembling as she tried to make sense of her emotions. "I... I don’t understand. Why...? I don’t even know you, but... I feel like... like..."

Sunset’s expression grew serious, her fiery hair casting a faint glow in the dim hallway light. Beneath her determined gaze, fear and sorrow swirled. She stepped closer to Twilight without a word, closing the distance between them until they were standing face to face.

Their eyes met, locking in a silent exchange that carried the weight of unspoken memories—or at least, Sunset’s memories. For a moment, it seemed like the world around them had faded. Neither moved, neither spoke.

Then, the shrill ring of Sunset’s phone shattered the stillness, as if snapping them both out of a trance. Sunset startled and quickly answered the call, her breath catching when Rainbow Dash’s voice came through the speaker.

“Sunset! I found her! Green hair looks like grass—she’s in the school parking lot!” Rainbow’s voice was urgent, almost breathless.

Twilight could hear every word, the call on speaker mode. It wasn’t just them; all the Rainbooms were on the line. Rarity and Sunseen had found Indigo Zap. Applejack was talking to Sunny Flare, while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stayed with Sonata and Lemon Zest.

Meanwhile, in the parking lot, Rainbow Dash was already moving, her sharp eyes locked on Wallflower’s retreating figure. Without hesitation, she started after her.

“Hey, moss-head! Get back here!” Rainbow shouted. Her voice, carried by the phone, echoed in the air.

“Rainbow, wait! Don’t face her alone!” Sunset called out in a panic, gripping her phone tightly. “Rainbow! RAINBOW!”

There was no response. Sunset’s chest tightened with worry as her imagination conjured the worst. Gritting her teeth, she shot a nervous glance at Twilight, who was still frozen in her place. Without waiting for her to speak, Sunset bolted toward the parking lot, her determination unwavering.

Twilight stood there, stunned and overwhelmed by the chaos unfolding around her. She still didn’t fully understand what was happening, but as she watched Sunset disappear into the distance, a sharp pang hit her chest. It was an unfamiliar, unbearable ache—an undeniable pull.

Unable to stop herself, Twilight took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and ran after Sunset.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Sunset sprinted across the school grounds, her heart pounding as she reached the parking lot. Her gaze immediately landed on her friends, all they gathered in a tense semicircle around Wallflower Blush. In Wallflower’s trembling hands was the Memory Stone, its ominous glow promising devastation. She aimed it at the group like a weapon.

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!” Wallflower’s voice quivered with a mix of fear and determination. “You don’t want to end up like your friend!”

Sunset’s eyes darted to Rainbow Dash, who lay on the ground cradled by Fluttershy. Rainbow’s usually confident expression was replaced by confusion and fear, her wide eyes unrecognizing.

“What happened? Where am I?” Rainbow’s voice was faint, almost trembling.

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy whispered, her voice shaky with worry.

“Who are you people?” Rainbow asked, her gaze darting around nervously.

Anger and fear twisted the faces of the other girls, but none dared approach Wallflower. Sunset froze momentarily, taking in the scene. The reality of it struck her like a physical blow. Gritting her teeth, she ran to the group.

“Wallflower!” Sunset called out, her voice sharp.

Wallflower flinched at the sound of her name, turning to face Sunset. Her grip on the Memory Stone tightened.

“Don’t come any closer, Sunset!” Wallflower warned.

Sunset’s gaze didn’t waver. Her friends exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what would happen next.

“You brought them all here,” Wallflower spat bitterly. “You couldn’t just stay forgotten, could you?”

Sunset shook her head, her voice firm. “Of course not! Wallflower, you stole everyone’s memories! Not just here, but in Canterlot too!”

Rarity stepped forward, her anger barely contained. “She made us believe we were still dealing with Anon-a-Miss! All the heartache, the division…”

Applejack crossed her arms, her tone grim. “If it weren’t for Sunseen noticing things didn’t add up, we’d still be fooled.”

Wallflower’s knuckles whitened as she clenched the stone. Her face twisted in frustration. “I thought erasing Sunset would make you all hate her, drive you away from her. But no, you just had to ruin everything!”

Indigo Zap stepped forward, her fists clenched. “Listen, kid, I don’t know what your deal is, but no one messes with my friends or memories and gets away with it.”

Wallflower’s glare hardened. “Try it! I dare you!”

“Wallflower, please!” Sunset pleaded, her voice desperate. “Stop this!”

“Shut up!” Wallflower snapped, her voice breaking. “I wanted to teach you a lesson, to make you feel what I feel. I erased everyone’s good memories of you. But it didn’t work…”

Her voice faltered, the weight of her words hanging in the tense silence.

“But what if I erase all their memories of school?” Wallflower’s voice gained a manic edge. “Then they’ll think of each other the same way you think of me: as nothing!”

Sunset’s heart sank. “Don’t! If you erase their memories, you’ll destroy their friendships!”

Wallflower’s eyes gleamed with tears. “Then they’ll finally understand! They’ll feel what it’s like to be… invisible!”

Before anyone could react, Sunseen stepped forward, her geode glowing. Her magic reached out, wrapping around the Memory Stone in a shimmering aura. Wallflower gasped as the stone was tugged from her grasp.

“What are you doing?! Let go!” Wallflower screamed.

“You let go!” Sunseen retorted, her hands trembling as her magic intensified.

Their eyes locked in a fierce struggle. Wallflower’s pupils began to glow a faint green, and suddenly, the Memory Stone emitted a blinding flash. A wave of light struck Sunseen, and she collapsed, clutching her head. The glow faded as the stolen memories were absorbed into the stone.

“Sunseen!” Sunset rushed to her fallen friend, helping her sit up. Sunseen’s face was pale, her eyes unfocused.

Sunset’s fear transformed into fury. Rising to her feet, she faced Wallflower with fire in her eyes.

“Why are you doing this?! You’re erasing everyone’s memories, but not mine! Do you want me to suffer? Is that it? What did I ever do to make you hate me this much?!”

Wallflower’s anger wavered, replaced by sorrow.

“What did you do? YOU WANT TO KNOW?” Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, “I… I’m invisible… to everyone. No one notices me, no one talks to me. I’m always there, and no one ever sees me…”

Her voice broke as painful memories resurfaced. Wallflower’s shoulders trembled, but she continued.

“No one cares about me… No one except you, Sunset.”

Sunset’s breath hitched. “What?”

Wallflower’s gaze was a mix of anger and longing. “When you were the mean girl at Canterlot High, you saw me. You made me your target. You bullied me, pushed me around…”

Guilt stabbed at Sunset’s heart. She lowered her head, her voice trembling. “Wallflower, I’m so sorry. I-”

“Don’t apologize!” Wallflower interrupted, her voice rising. “Do you know how I felt back then? How did I feel when you bullied me?”

Sunset braced herself, expecting the worst.

“I felt… happy.”

The words stunned everyone. Wallflower’s tears fell freely as she continued.

“I was happy because, for once, someone noticed me. Someone knew I existed. Even if it was to hurt me, at least I wasn’t invisible anymore.”

Her grip on the stone faltered as her body trembled with emotion. “I didn’t care that it hurt. I was just glad someone was looking at me. I even got jealous when you bullied others instead of me…”

Wallflower’s voice broke, her tears dripping onto the Memory Stone. “Then the Fall Formal happened. You changed. You became a good person. You started helping everyone… everyone except me.”

Sunset took a tentative step forward, but Wallflower raised the stone defensively.

“You were just like everyone else,” Wallflower whispered. “You stopped seeing me. I stopped existing for you. I stopped existing to anyone.”

The memories of her loneliness surged, and Wallflower’s voice cracked under their weight. “I just wanted to matter. I just wanted to be seen…”

Wallflower sat alone, lost in her thoughts. She had been nobody, a mere shadow at Canterlot High, invisible to everyone. Not even to be bullied or helped. She was nothing. No one had ever really seen her, and that feeling of isolation had gnawed at her, day after day.

She recalled the sight of Sunset, laughing and talking with her friends, enjoying the companionship of others. A sense of bitterness grew within Wallflower as she remembered how Sunset had forgotten her, how she had faded into the background like a ghost.

It was as though Wallflower had never mattered to her.

One memory in particular stood out: a photo of Sunset, leaning against a wall, gazing off in another direction. It was a photo taken without her knowledge. Wallflower’s cheeks flushed with a mixture of sadness and longing as she stared at it. But her sorrow was quickly replaced by anger. In a fit of rage, she ripped the photo into pieces.

“I came to hate you… I hated you because you forgot me, just like everyone else,” Wallflower whispered to herself, the bitterness in her heart growing sharper.

The memories surged, bringing with them the events of Anon-a-Miss. She had seen Sunset, broken and crying, on the ground.

“When Anon-a-Miss happened… and everyone despised you and abandoned you…”

Wallflower’s lips curled into a smile as she recalled the scene. For the first time in what felt like forever, she had felt a sense of satisfaction.

“I felt good, I thought you were finally paying for everything.”

Another memory returned to her: the sight of Sunset, pleading with others, trying to convince them she was innocent.

“I knew it wasn’t you. I knew that if it had been you, no one would’ve ever found out. You begged them to believe you, and I believed you… but I didn’t care.”

Wallflower just walks away from her, leaving Sunset to suffer alone. A twisted satisfaction had filled her, and she couldn’t deny it.

“For once, I was the one ignoring you. And it felt good.”

Back in her room, she stared at the photo, now taped back together. Her tears fell onto the fragile image.

“But I still missed you seeing me, I wanted... I wanted you to notice me again.”

The tears continued to fall as she collapsed onto her bed.

“When it was all over, and I realized you wouldn’t come back to Canterlot High… I decided to come here.”

Her confession left Sunset’s friends in stunned silence.

Sunny Flare, unable to hide her shock, finally spoke. “You came to the school… for Sunset?”

The question made Wallflower hesitate. She clutched the Memory Stone tightly in her hands, her body trembling.

“I came for you,” Wallflower said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I wanted to see you… I wanted…”

Sunset took a cautious step toward her, her eyes fixed on Wallflower.

“Wallflower…”

Wallflower remained still, though her fear was evident. Sunset moved closer, her steps deliberate, but Wallflower did not stop her.

“I wanted to make you see me again, like before…”

Sunset continued walking, unwavering. Wallflower, her heart racing, didn’t stop, and her voice was growing desperate.

“At first, you did… but then, when you were with your friends, you forgot about me! I... I didn’t matter! I didn’t exist to you anymore… or to anyone!”

Her words carried a heaviness that seemed to sink into the hearts of everyone present.

“I didn’t matter… when you were with them... I didn’t exist…”

Sunset paused, glancing back at her friends. They exchanged looks, unsure of how to respond.

Wallflower’s voice cracked as she continued, her pain laid bare. “So, I thought… if you didn’t have your friends, maybe you’d see me again.”

Her hands trembled as she held the Memory Stone, her grip tightening.

“I erased their memories of you, of the school, of everything. I wanted... I wanted everyone to forget you, so it would just be you and me…”

Sunset reached her, her face softening. Wallflower’s hands shook, but she kept the stone pointed at Sunset.

When Sunset reached out, Wallflower flinched, stepping back instinctively. But Sunset’s amber eyes, filled with understanding, met Wallflower’s tear-streaked emerald gaze.

The silence between them was heavy, and Wallflower’s composure shattered.

“I just wanted someone to see me… I don’t want to be invisible...” Her voice cracked. “I don’t want to…”

Sunset’s voice trembled with empathy. “Wallflower, I’m sorry... I truly am.”

Sunset’s words were filled with raw emotion. Wallflower bit her lip, her hands shaking as they fell to her sides. She clenched her teeth, fighting back tears. The Memory Stone slipped from her fingers and hit the ground with a soft thud. A moment later, Wallflower fell to her knees, her sobs breaking free as she buried her face in her hands.

Without hesitation, Sunset knelt beside her, pulling the broken girl into her arms. Wallflower clung to her, finding comfort in the warmth of Sunset’s embrace as she cried.

The others watched in silence, their hearts heavy as they witnessed the vulnerability of the moment. Even Rainbow Dash, holding Fluttershy’s hand, looked on with an uncharacteristic softness.

Rainbow Dash spoke quietly, her voice gentle. “Wow, I don’t know what’s happening, but… I think she means it.”

Her words, so unlike her usual tone, surprised some of her friends.

Wallflower continued to sob, her voice muffled as she whispered repeated apologies. “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…”

Sunset said nothing, only stroking Wallflower’s hair, offering what comfort she could. The tension in the air began to ease, a collective breath escaping the girls as they realized the storm had passed.

But none of them noticed the Memory Stone lying on the ground, glowing faintly.

Sunset was the first to sense it. A sudden unease gripped her, and she pulled away from Wallflower, her eyes darting to the stone. Wallflower, frozen in fear, watched as a beam of light shot from the stone, twisting and pulsing in the air.

The light grew brighter, almost as if it was forming a pair of glowing eyes that fixed on Wallflower.

“SUNSET!” Wallflower screamed, terror, filling her voice.

The light engulfed her, and a blinding flash erupted, consuming the parking lot. Everyone shielded their eyes from the searing brightness. The world around them vanished in the radiant burst, leaving them unable to see what was happening...

To be Continued...

The Sorceress

The light completely covers the school parking lot, and it takes almost a minute to calm down.

As Sunset's vision clears, she is shocked by what she sees. Wallflower has changed...

Her hair is longer and darker, her skin has also darkened. Now her body is dressed in a black leotard, sleeveless, adorned with patterns that look like vines and leaves on her legs, in yellow, with an orange tone on the torso area. She wears long gloves with the same designs in a darker shade of orange.

Around her neck is the Memory Stone, as if it were a necklace. And when she opens her eyes, they are completely black, and her irises are a crystalline color.

This, accompanied by the malicious smile on her face and the fact that she is floating, leaves all those present stunned.

Sunset stared, barely able to whisper, "... Wall-... flower...?"

The girl with the stone smiles, looks at her hands, at her body, and then lets out a soft but wicked laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha!" The entity's voice echoed through the air with a cruel laugh. "Yllanif, ev'I enod ti. Rof a tnemom, I thgouht I t'ndluow evah hguone rewop. Tub taht feirb tnemom fo ssenkaew saw hguone ot lortnoc taht evian elttil lrig."

The words she spoke were completely unintelligible to the girls, leaving them all confused, and not knowing how to react.

"Anyone know what she said?" Applejack asked, looking at the others with confusion.

"That's... Old Equestrian...!" Sunset couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Uoy...! Er'uoY ton Wallflower Blush! Ohw era uoy?!

The fact that Sunset was speaking in an unknown language only astonished the group even more. But it also drew the attention of the strange figure before them. The woman, who didn't seem human at all, stared at Sunset intently before responding.

"Llew, enoemos morf siht dlrow ohw swonk eht egaugnal fo Equestria," the entity said with a calm but authoritative voice. "Er'uoy ton a lamron namuh, era uoy?"

With a slow movement, she touched the stone around her neck. As soon as she did, the stone glowed with an intense light, and then...

"I think we can communicate better now," she added, smiling as though she knew more than she let on.

Now that the girls could understand her, their astonishment mixed with a growing distrust. Despite the surprise, they remained cautious, and an increasing fury began to fill them.

"Speak! Who are you and what did you do to Wallflower?!" Sunset exclaimed, her voice firm but filled with desperation.

The entity let out another laugh, this one more mocking. "Ha ha ha ha!! The girl? She's no longer here. But instead of worrying about her, you should worry about yourself!"

With a swift motion, she raised her hand. A green, viscous energy began to emanate from her fingers. As she extended her hand, a bolt of energy shot toward the ground with such force that all the girls screamed and quickly moved out of the way. The blast left a deep hole in the concrete, rapidly spreading across the area.

The impact knocked the girls to the ground, some stunned and others completely terrified. The entity watched the destruction she had caused with an unsatisfied gaze.

"Hmm, it seems my power has weakened. This body isn't made for manipulating magic. But that can be fixed," she muttered as if speaking to herself.

Before the girls could recover, the entity descended quickly and, with inhuman strength, grabbed Indigo by the neck, lifting her. The girls watched in terror, unable to do anything to help her.

The worst was yet to come. The Memory Stone began to glow even brighter. They could see Indigo's memories being drawn from her forehead in threads of light, fading away as they were absorbed by the stone. The girls watched in horror, unable to intervene.

When the absorption ended, the entity dropped Indigo, who fell to the ground, looking completely lost and confused.

"What... what happened... where... who... am I...?" Indigo, with her goggles askew, seemed to not recognize anything, her eyes empty, devoid of the spark they once had, as if she were no longer herself.

Lemon, unable to contain her anger, took a step forward. "Zap-Zap! Ugh! Now I'm really mad!" she exclaimed, her voice full of fury.

She ran toward the entity, who looked at her with unsettling calm. Lemon prepared her throat, and soon a sonic scream as loud as thunder erupted from her mouth. The sound stunned both the entity and the girls present, leaving them all reeling from the intensity of the impact.

"Lemon Zest! Control yourself!"

Sunny yells as she covers her ears, just like all the others.

Meanwhile, the entity glares at the green-haired girl with annoyance. She shoots an energy beam at her, striking her and stopping her attack, knocking her to the ground.

"Lemon Zest!" Sunset calls out.

Before the rocker can recover, the entity grabs her and steals her memories, just like she did with Indigo Zap.

"Hey! Pick on someone your size!" Rainbow shouts angrily as she dashes at the greenish entity with great speed.

The entity is surprised but doesn't react in time before being hit by the multicolored speedster.

The entity crashes to the ground, and Rainbow rushes toward her again. This time, however, the entity creates a barrier around herself, causing Rainbow to crash into it, leaving her stunned enough to be captured and have her memories taken.

All the remaining girls stand watch as the entity starts emitting a greenish glow, her body crackling with electric energy.

They ready their magic powers to attack and defend, but with just a simple movement—raising her arms to her sides and then bringing them forward—the entity creates magical vines that entangle everyone. By sheer luck, Sunset's magic reacts, allowing her to leap out of the vines, but her friends aren't so fortunate.

Sunset watches as the malevolent entity approaches each of the others, ripping Pinkie and Fluttershy's memories away before taking Rarity and Sunny Flare. With each action, she grows stronger.

Sunseen, too, sees this, focusing her kinetic power. Twilight notices and mirrors her, both of them using their magic to break free from the vines holding them.

"Sunset! Twilight!"

Our former equine approaches her twin and locks eyes with her bespectacled friend. The three watches as the entity, who was once Wallflower, steals everyone's memories. Her power increases tremendously, and all their friends are left collapsed on the floor, without any memories.

"Bitch...!" Sunset mutters in a low but hateful voice.

The entity just smiles wickedly, and with a magical energy ball, forces the three of them to separate and leap to dodge it. At that moment, the entity seizes the opportunity, grabbing Sunseen and starting to take her memories.

Sunset and Twilight look on in horror, but Sunseen resists, raising her hand to grab the exposed part of the entity's arm. With her magic... she has visions...

Visions of a hooded woman appearing from a portal in the forest...

This woman looks wounded and tired, but most of all, furious...

The woman starts digging into the ground, creating a small hole. She then takes the Memory Stone, holds it over herself, pointing it at herself, and then... the stone activates...

The entity seems to realize what's happening, and immediately throws Sunseen to the ground, hitting her in the process.

"What did you just do?!" the entity demands.

"Sunseen!" Sunset cries out to her twin. Sunseen supports herself on her arm and hand to weakly get up.

"I saw... I saw... a woman... she used the stone..." Sunseen explains, her voice shaking.

Sunset listens, but she stands frozen in shock at what Sunseen tells her.

"Sunset, she used the stone on herself! She took her own memories!"

Sunset is stunned by this, staring at the entity, then remembering what she learned from the princess about the sorceress who once used the stone... she also recalls what the entity said when she first appeared...

"For a moment, I thought I wouldn't have enough power. But that brief moment of weakness was enough to control that naive little girl."

"… The sorceress..." Sunset whispers. "You are the nameless sorceress who once had the stone! The one who fought against Clover Clever and disappeared through a portal!"

The entity, the sorceress, smiles at what she hears.

Sunset stared at the sorceress, her face serious and full of determination.

"You came to this world and used the stone to seal your own memories. And… when Wallflower found it…" Sunset said, raising her voice with a mix of surprise and accusation.

The sorceress let out a cold, cruel laugh as if her words were an expected response.

"Indeed. When I found myself in a strange world, with no magic, I decided the best course of action was to lock my memory in the stone. I had to make sure my memoryless body knew how to bury the stone. And so, I waited, patiently, for the day someone would find it. That was when that foolish girl, 'Wallflower,' discovered it. Since then, I began influencing her to use it. With each memory I took from another human, I grew stronger. And with the power your friends gave me, I finally took control of her. Now that I’m back, I will take control of this pathetic world… and then, I will use the portal I now know exists, to return to Equestria and conquer it."

As if to emphasize her words, a burst of pure dark energy erupted from her hands, lighting up the surrounding darkness.

Sunset clenched her fists, her expression fierce.

"You won’t succeed. I’ll stop you."

The sorceress let out a sardonic laugh.

"HA HA HA HA! And what can a pathetic human like you do?"

Suddenly, the sorceress raised her hands, and several bursts of dark magic flew toward Sunset, who leaped to the side with agility to dodge them. Her eyes shone with a fierce light as the wind collided with her face, but her focus remained sharp.

The sorceress, seeing how easily Sunset dodged, frowned, and her voice rang out, filled with arrogance.

"It seems you and your friends have some experience with magic, but compared to me, YOU’RE JUST NOVICES!"

The sorceress fired another wave of energy, which Sunset dodged again, twisting in the air. But the force of the attacks kept her away, leaving no opportunity to get close enough for a counterattack.

Meanwhile, Twilight watched in horror and worry, unable to stay out of it. With a face tense with fury, her eyes gleamed with determination as she noticed the stone hanging from the sorceress’s neck.

Focusing all her energy, she concentrated on the stone, trying to snatch it away, but the sorceress noticed the attempt and quickly grasped the stone with one hand, launching an attack with the other.

In that instant, Sunset rushed to the rescue, pushing Twilight aside, and both tumbled to avoid the impact of the spell that hit the pavement, creating a sizable hole.

Twilight slowly rose, looking at Sunset with a mix of relief and gratitude.

"Sunset…"

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked, her expression softening for a moment.

Twilight nodded, but both turned toward the sorceress, who was now approaching them with a malicious smile. Her eyes burned with a palpable threat.

"I won’t let you get away with this," Sunset said, determined to face the danger.

However, just then, the sorceress was engulfed in a purple aura that surrounded her, starting to immobilize her.

"What…?!" the sorceress exclaimed, surprised.

Both girls looked on, and to their astonishment, saw the girl from Canterlot using her own magic to hold the sorceress in place.

Despite her effort, the sorceress began to shift her body slightly, as if trying to force herself free. Sunset, struggling with all her might, tried to keep her contained.

"Twilight!" Sunset shouted, begging for help.

Twilight, still weak, got up and joined the fight, channeling her energy into the sorceress. Together, they managed to keep her trapped, though the tension was thick in the air.

"Now, Sunset!" Sunseen cried, struggling.

"Take the stone! It’s the only way!" Twilight says.

Sunset nodded, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on her. Her mind focused on the stone, on her sole objective. She took a deep breath before charging toward the sorceress.

The sorceress, realizing she couldn’t stop it, tried to resist, raising her arm to launch an attack. However, Sunset, with agility and speed, jumped, dodging the blast while also reaching her target and placing her hand on the memory stone.

As she fell, she yanked the stone from the sorceress's neck and rolled across the ground to absorb the impact of the fall.

"Give it back!" the sorceress screamed, filled with rage.

With a wave of pure fury, the sorceress unleashed a massive burst of magic, creating a shockwave that slammed into the two girls with glasses, forcing them to cease their struggle.

Both of them fell, bruised, while the sorceress lunged at Sunset to recover the stone.

Sunset looked at the stone in her hand, glowing with a greenish light, and when she noticed the sorceress coming toward her, she quickly turned and aimed the stone at her.

The sorceress seemed to realize what was happening, but she couldn’t stop in time. As she reached Sunset, the stone activated its magic, beginning to drain the sorceress's memories.
"
AAAAHHHH!!" the sorceress screamed as her memories were pulled from her mind and absorbed by the stone. "NO! NO! NOT AGAIN…!"

It only took a few seconds before all the memories, and with them, the magic controlling Wallflower faded away…

Soon, the shy, freckled girl reappeared, but it was clear she was weak, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Sunset watched her, then glanced at all her friends, who, still with confused and dazed expressions, could only watch without understanding what had just happened.

Sunset raised the stone, and with one final effort, released the memories of everyone. Each memory returned to its rightful owner.

The place fell silent as everyone tried to recover from what they had just experienced. As for Sunset, she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fainted, dropping the stone beside her. Her friends rushed to her side to help.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

Sunset lay on her bed, resting in her apartment room. Twilight was sitting beside her, while Sunseen stood nearby.

"Are you feeling better, Sunset?" Sunseen asked with concern.

"Hmm... yeah, I was just exhausted. ... What about the others?" Sunset replied softly.

"They’re in the living room. Well, I think Sonata and Lemon are raiding your kitchen," Twilight said with a small smile.

"Heh, that’s fine. Although I’m not sure they’ll find anything they like," Sunset commented as she began to sit up.

Twilight instinctively tried to stop her, but Sunset gently took her hand and smiled reassuringly. The three girls left the room and headed to the living area, where all of Sunset’s friends were waiting. They greeted her warmly, relieved to see her feeling better.

Sunset glanced around the room. Some of her friends were sitting on the sofa or chairs they’d found, while others stood around. The space felt crowded, leading Sunset to a clear conclusion.

"... I need to move to a bigger place," she murmured, loud enough for Twilight and Sunseen to hear.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Applejack asked with interest.

"I’m fine, Applejack. I just needed some rest. ... I’m still not used to being a... magical sleepwalker or whatever," Sunset said with a small laugh.

"You saved us again, honey. We owe you one," Sunny added warmly.

"No, all you helped," Sunset replied modestly.

"Don’t be modest, Suns. Honestly, we were pretty useless... We need to get better at this magic stuff if we want to be real super heroes," Indigo Zap admitted bluntly.

"I don’t think that’s something we need to worry about, Indigo Zap," Twilight said, prompting a few chuckles from the group.

However, Rainbow remained serious. She looked directly at Sunset before speaking.

"Hey, Sunset, what do we do about... her?" she asked, nodding behind her.

Everyone turned to look at Wallflower Blush, who was curled up in a corner of the room. She hugged her knees tightly, looking as if she wanted to disappear. Concerned, Sunset approached her while the others stayed silent.

Wallflower’s face was hidden, but her red, tear-streaked cheeks were visible. When Sunset placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, Wallflower lifted her gaze to meet Sunset’s empathetic turquoise eyes.

"I’m sorry... I never wanted any of this to happen..." Wallflower murmured in a shaky voice.

Sunset gently squeezed her shoulder, took a deep breath, and replied:

"I know. It wasn’t your fault, Wallflower. That witch enchanted you to do her bidding."

"I just wanted someone to notice me. I don’t want to be invisible again," she admitted, her voice breaking.

Sunset hugged her from behind, and Wallflower burst into tears, apologizing over and over. No one interrupted the moment, though the tension in the air was palpable.

After letting Wallflower cry it out, Sunset released her gently and stood up.

"And the stone? Where is it?" she asked.

Sunny Flare retrieved the Memory Stone from her bag and handed it to Sunset, who took it with a serious expression.

"Um, Sunset... Is it safe to keep the stone? I mean... could that evil sorceress come back?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

The question made Sunset pause, recalling how she had managed to trap the sorceress’s essence inside the stone. But...

"I don’t know, Fluttershy," she admitted.

"Give it to me. I’ll smash it, and bye-bye witch," Rainbow suggested confidently.

"Um, that might release her... For now, we need to ensure the stone doesn’t fall into the wrong hands," Sunset replied.

Hearing this, Wallflower curled up further into herself, though no one noticed. The tension was interrupted by Pinkie’s energetic voice.

"Cheer up, gals! We defeated another magical threat and saved the world! This calls for a ‘We-Defeated-Another-Magical-Threat-and-Saved-the-World’ party! Let’s celebrate at my place!"

The idea was enthusiastically received, and everyone began preparing to leave. However, Sunset noticed that Wallflower was still seated in the corner, looking dejected. She approached again, kneeling on one knee and offering her a hand.

"Come on, Wallflower. I know it’s hard... I’ve been there myself. But believe me, things will only get better from here."

The freckled girl didn’t seem convinced, but the friendly and kind smile of the ex-equestrian persuaded her to take her hand, allowing her to help her up.

“...Things will get better... but... how can they improve if I...? No one notices me anyway...”

Sunset was ready to respond, but to her surprise, Rarity spoke first.

“If you’ll allow me, darling, I know it might sound bold of me, but I think, if you want everyone to notice you, you need a makeover. Something that makes you stand out more.”

The girl with forest-green hair looked surprised, though she also seemed a bit intimidated by the fashionista’s determined approach.

“I already have a few ideas for a very eye-catching ensemble!”

Sunny Flare joins the chat “And I’d love to add some touches to highlight your natural beauty, honey.”

The two elegant girls exchanged enthusiastic glances, while Wallflower seemed even more intimidated. Her eyes quickly searched for Sunset’s, almost as if pleading for help, but the ex-equestrian could only shrug.

Wallflower swallowed hard, dreading whatever they had in mind for her.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

A new day began at Crystal Prep. Students wandered through the halls, chatting with friends or hurrying to their classes.

Sunset walked calmly, receiving a few friendly greetings from those passing by. She took a deep breath and exhaled in relief, noticing how everything seemed to have returned to normal.

As she continued, she spotted Twilight at her locker, organizing her belongings. With a smile, she approached her.

“Hi, Twilight!” she greeted enthusiastically.

Twilight looked up, staring at her with a puzzled expression.

“...Sorry, do I know you?”

Sunset’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of horror. Her face turned pale as she took a step back, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. Before she could say anything, Twilight burst out laughing.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I couldn’t resist.”

The scientist kept laughing while Sunset stared at her, first confused, then angry, relieved, and finally amused.

“You...!”

With a yell, Sunset put her in a headlock. Twilight couldn’t stop laughing, even as she tried to apologize.

“Let’s see if you think it’s funny when I’m done with you!”

“Ha, ha, ha! I’m sorry! Sunset, please forgive me!”

When Twilight finally stopped laughing, Sunset released her, though she still looked a bit annoyed.

“Damn it, Twily. Couldn’t you pick another moment to turn into a prankster?”

“Sorry, I don’t know where it came from. I just thought it would be fun.”

“Yeah, ‘fun.’ You almost gave me a nervous breakdown.”

Sunset was still smiling, but her tone turned more serious, and her expression showed a hint of sadness.

“Come on, it’s not that bad. You managed to fix the problem, and I’m sure you’d still be able to convince us all that we’re friends.”

“Even so... thinking about you forgetting me is... painful...”

The humor faded when Sunset said that. She looked down with a sorrowful expression, and Twilight grew concerned.

“Having everyone forget me was horrible, but knowing that you had forgotten was the worst... I felt like I had lost something far too important...”

“Sunset...”

Feeling genuinely regretful, Twilight quickly stepped forward and hugged her, surprising the ex-equestrian, who soon returned the gesture.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that...”

“No, I should apologize for getting like this. I just... I guess I didn’t realize how much you mean to me...”

Twilight was taken aback by her words, but before she could ask anything, Sunset gently pulled away, though she kept her hands on her friend’s arms. Their gazes met, filled with unspoken emotions.

“Twi, I...”

Sunset looked nervous, as though searching for the right words. Twilight watched her expectantly, her gaze trembling and her cheeks slightly flushed.

Both of them stared at each other, their hearts beating faster, and then...

"Hey, Sunset!"

Both of them jumped in surprise and quickly pulled away, their cheeks flushing. The athlete, accompanied by Lemon Zest and Sonata Dusk, approached them with a carefree smile.

"Uh... hey, girls" Sunset murmured, trying to regain her composure.

"Hey, Sun-Shim! Twi-Spark!" Greeted Lemon enthusiastically.

"Hi!" added Sonata in her usual cheerful tone.

"Hey, did you see Cinch this morning? She nearly lost it because of the holes in the parking lot in the back!" Indigo said with a mischievous smile, causing Lemon and Sonata to laugh.

While her friends laughed, Sunset furrowed her brow, clearly frustrated, and Twilight looked equally concerned.

"It’s not funny, Indigo. Remember, we were the ones who made those holes." Sunset emphasized, locking eyes with the athlete.

"Shhh! No one can prove it" Indigo whispered, putting a finger to her lips. Then, with a smirk, she added "And in any case, it was the Memory Witch’s fault. Cinch should thank us for stopping her before she did something worse.

Lemon decided to change the subject. "Speaking of whiches, what happened to Wall-Blush? Sunny and the snooty girl from Canterlot took her, and we haven’t heard from them since."

The group seemed to ponder this for a moment until Sonata broke the silence.

"Do you think they ate her?"

The others looked at her, confused.

"No, we didn’t eat her" replied Sunny Flare’s voice, who appeared behind the group with a satisfied smile. "but, we gave her a complete makeover" Sunny announced with pride.

Before anyone could ask more, the answer came on its own. From down the hall, Wallflower Blush appeared, walking nervously. As she passed by, the other students stared at her, some surprised, others fascinated.

Her previously unruly hair was now straightened and tied back into a ponytail, adorned with pearls, and a sunflower-shaped pin in the front. Her face had a slight blush, a little shadow under her eyes, and her lips shimmered faintly with what seemed to be lip gloss.

Indigo was the first to react, letting out a surprised whistle.

"Damn, Sunny! What kind of magic did you use on her?"

"It’s the magic I mastered before the flames. You’d be surprised by what a little makeup can do" Sunny replied with a playful tone.

Wallflower lowered her gaze, her face growing even redder. Sunny continued.

"Although I admit the uniform doesn’t help much. But we spoke to Rarity, and she’s already preparing a new wardrobe for her."

"Um, Sunset... what do you think?" Wallflower asked hesitantly, her voice trembling with anticipation.

Sunset smiled after a brief moment of surprise. "You look fantastic, Wallflower."

The compliment made Wallflower blush even more, while Indigo wrapped an arm around her and smiled at the group.

"Alright! I think now we’re the SunSeven! But if you’re going to stay with us, you’ll need an epic name. How about 'Flower Power' or 'Green Garden'? Don’t worry, girl, I’ll think of something."

"Uh...?" Wallflower murmured, confused.

"Indigo, don’t scare the girl. She’s just coming out of her shell" Sunny intervened firmly.

"Shell?" Sonata asked excitedly. "So, are you a turtle in Equestria? That’s cool! I’m not the only sea girl anymore!"

"Who knows? She could be a land turtle" Lemon added with a smile.

Wallflower stood there, completely bewildered by what she was hearing.

Sunny chuckled softly. "Don’t mind them, honey. They’re just happy you’re with us."

Wallflower didn’t say anything, but she smiled, and her eyes slightly watered at those words.

The bell rang, signaling the start of classes, and they all began to head toward their respective classrooms, leaving Sunset, Twilight, and Wallflower alone.

"Well, we should go to class." Sunset said calmly.

"Um, yeah... Sunset, could I ask... could I... ask you something?" Wallflower asked timidly.

"What’s up?"

"Well, you know... I came to this school, but the classes are really hard..."

Sunset let out a small laugh. "Yeah, it’s a big difference from Canterlot."

"Yeah... I was wondering if you could... help me study to catch up with the classes."

"Sure! We can meet at my house to study."

Wallflower’s face lit up with a smile, though the blush on her cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.

After a brief farewell, Wallflower started walking but suddenly stopped, turned quickly, and ran toward Sunset. Before she could react, Wallflower hugged her neck and pressed her lips against hers.

The gesture was as sudden as it was brief. Wallflower quickly pulled away, running off with her face completely red but a radiant smile on her lips.

Sunset stood frozen, as red as her hair, unable to process what had just happened. Twilight, standing next to her, was equally in shock.

"...O-k... um... I’m going to class. See you later, Twilight" Sunset stammered before hurrying away.

Twilight managed to snap out of her daze and called out to her.

"Sunset! Wait!"

Sunset turned, still confused.

"What were you going to say to me...? Just now..."

It took Sunset a second to understand the question, and when she did, her face turned even redder, and she became more nervous.

"I... uh... n-nothing, nothing. It wasn’t anything important. Just... you know, I’m glad we’re friends. Um, see you later."

With those words, Sunset quickly turned and left the place, leaving Twilight alone, surprised, confused, and then disappointed... and upset.

"Ugh... Indigo, you’re going to pay for this"

She muttered as she closed her locker with some frustration and headed to her class.

~ Lost Among Memories ~

~ End ~

Epilogue

It was a normal day in the city, in a somewhat small, narrow but very tall house, with windows high up. Inside, Sunset placed the fishbowl with her pet gecko, Ray, on a table. She gently petted him, and the little reptile happily wagged his tail in response.

"And with this, it's official. I've moved!" Sunset said, and her friends from Crystal Prep, as well as those from Canterlot, cheered enthusiastically at the announcement.

Sunset's new house consisted of a single room, but it was so large that it covered the entire ground of the small building. It didn’t have a second floor, but it did have a landing where Sunset had placed her bed and the basic items for her room. The furniture was scattered around, and they had added decorations to make the place more cozy.

"Thanks to all of you, girls. It would have taken me days to move all this on my own," Sunset said with a smile.

"Honey, please," Sunny replied.

"We’re friends, that’s what we’re here for," added Rarity.

"And besides, this place looks awesome!" Rainbow shouted as she threw herself onto Sunset’s new couch and turned on the TV.

"I sold almost all my old furniture and bought some new things. I think they look nicer," Sunset said with a smile.

"Your new hideout is AWESOME, Sun-Shim!" Lemon commented.

"But tell me, Sunset, will you be able to afford this place?" Twilight asked.

"Don’t worry, I’ve checked my finances. With the money I’ve saved and what I earn at the sushi restaurant, I should be able to keep this place for at least a year. After that, I’ll find a better job," The pony girl replied.

"Well, you know if you need anything, you can always count on us," The farmer girl said with a smile.

"And with us! The Sunsix are always united!" Crystal athlete said shouted.

"And the Rainbooms! Friends forever!" Canterlot athlete added.

Sunset smiled, touched by her friends' words. She felt happy to have them around.

"Hey! I just had an idea!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Does it involve throwing a party?" Sunset asked suspiciously.

"No! … YES! Let’s throw the best 'Party because Sunsie got a new house and we’re the best friends' EVER!"

Everyone was excited, and Sunset could only smile and laugh, truly happy to be with them.

...

...

...

It was a peaceful night, though the sky was covered with clouds that promised light rain. In the small garden attached to her new house, Sunset held the Memory Stone high. Her turquoise eyes watched the stone in her hands, while she pointed at the sky. The stone’s large “eye” seemed almost to return her gaze.

But Sunset was confused. Slowly, she lowered her arms, still looking at the stone, then scanned her surroundings. Her face showed uncertainty and little by little, fear started to creep in.

It was when she looked down that she noticed a note on the ground, beside a small hole in the grass.

"Bury the stone, and go inside."

Sunset didn’t understand. She picked up the paper and read it carefully. Then, she looked at the stone in her hand, noticed the hole in front of her, and saw a small gardening shovel. She read the note once more and, although she still didn’t understand what was happening, decided to do as instructed. In less than a minute, the hole in the garden was covered again.

Sunset stood before it, the small shovel in one hand, the note in the other. She read the note again, then turned and looked at the back door leading into her home.

...

When she entered, she felt even more lost. She looked around, her face reflecting confusion and insecurity. Slowly, step by step, she moved through the space.

Her little Ray watched her from his fishbowl, looking concerned about her behavior.

Sunset walked a little further until, sitting on the steps that led to the landing, she saw her journal, her journal. And it had a note attached to it.

"Read me."

Sunset became even more confused. She hesitated but cautiously approached. She picked up the book and noticed a small marker indicating where to open it. She did...

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer."

That was the first line written.

"Yes, that’s your name. If you’re reading this, it’s because you used the Memory Stone to seal all your memories."

Every word she read left her more confused. She glanced at the door she had entered through, trying to process what she had done and what she was now reading.

"There’s a lot you need to know..."