Walking the Moonlit Path

Sunset gazed empty-eyed as she watched her mentor depart. Motionless, dazed.

Defeated.

Her plans stripped out from under her. Years of bending the knee, heeding her call, all for her to fall.

Pointless.

Light flickered, reflecting off the marble and stained glass, shimmering endlessly as the shadow of the sun bore down on her. She shivered.

Cold.

Her gaze remained where her mentor once stood, for how long, she wasn't sure. Could have been hours, she didn't know, nor did she care.

All she could perceive was the mental image of Princess Celestia, that fake smile plastered on her muzzle. Her eyes full of barely disguised disgust for her failed pet project. Her stance tall, emanating authority; her final parting words reeking of nothing more than empty platitudes forged from millennia of trial and error to instill loyalty amongst her subjects.

Never forget that I care for you, Sunset Shimmer...

Lies. All lies.

Her hug. Celestia’s forelegs had wrapped around her, slow, methodical, as if wondering if Sunset were worth the effort. After all, why bother, if her most recent favorite toy had broken down? The Princess could always get another plaything. She had nothing but time.

But Sunset's time, however, was running out.

A single blink interrupted Sunset’s endless staring, slow and calculating. Steady breaths filled her lungs. Outwardly, she showed no signs of distress. She steeled her emotions, honed in from studying her former teacher.

An outburst wasn't going to get her anywhere. If she was going to be denied her destiny—that there was never a plan... fine. Fine! She'd just have to take it for herself, by herself.

With new resolve, and no time to waste, Sunset glanced in every direction, and when she determined she was not being watched, disappeared in a blink.

"So inconspicuous..." she scoffed. Her smile turned downright devious as she stared into her reflection, her destiny. It was hers for the taking, and no sun goddess was going to deny her her birthright.

It would take time, yes, but when she achieved greatness elsewhere, she'd be back.

After all, why conquer one world, when you could conquer two?

The corner of her mouth faltered, a sigh escaping her lips as she held her head low.

It doesn't have to be this way, a small voice in her head told her. Maybe her teacher was right.

Former teacher, she reprimanded herself. And what, her mind fought back, are you just going to obey and languish in agony? A simple pupil—lackey—to show off as a prize to future delegations from other nations? Look at this puppet I raised. She's trained well, she can even do tricks!

No.

Time well wasted.

But no more.

It was time. Her time.

Without another thought, she rushed forward, planted her hooves on the mirror, closed her eyes, and with gritted teeth, she waited.

And waited...

And waited...

Nothing.

No sensations, no zipping forward, no falling through.

Just cold, hard glass.

Her eyes shot open; she stepped back in a panic.

"What," she gasped. "Why..." She paused. Maybe it wasn't time yet, maybe she just calculated it wrong!

She rechecked the book. Thirty moons, there it was, clear as day

But no... She counted the weeks, the days, the hours, for this moment, all in case her original plan became a fruitless endeavor.

It was time. It was time. It was her time.

IT WAS HER TIME!

"No, no, no, NO!" she screamed, jumping forward and shoving against the glass. But it didn’t budge.

No magic. No teleportation. Nothing.

Just her frantic, disheveled reflection staring back at her in abject terror. Her physique taking in sharp breaths unable to be steaded, her head endlessly shaking in disbelief.

Lifting a hoof she banged against it, but the mirror remained steady, and although she was ready, it was not.

Thirty moons.

The mirror began to fog as she leaned against it, as if reflecting her inner turmoil while the universe played out some sick joke. Her breathing became more ragged, her appearance haggard as her thoughts continuously clamored for an answer. Anything.

Okay, Sunset, don't—you're fine. It's fine! Use your head. You can work this out.

She struggled to steady her breathing, to clear her mind, to do something to calm down, but it wasn’t happening, Celestia's teaching be damned. She didn't have time for tea and meditation!

She stepped back, and gave the portal a once over, even going around it to see if there was anything out of place. She didn’t know what she was looking for, or if there was anything to find to begin with, but she had to do something, right?

Right?!

No time.

She grunted in frustration and bared her teeth.

Think, think! she internally screamed at herself.

Thirty moons. That was all the book had said. Thirty moons. Twenty-two of which she’d had to wait out, and it had all been completely pointless! Like Starswirl himself mocking her from the grave. Just like Celestia.

Just like Celestia.

Heat rose to her ears, the ringing became more pronounced by the second. A buzz grew, the focus: her temple.

She'd been made a fool of.

A great fire lit in her soul as her life flashed by: the morning meditations, the boring delegations; the long, sleepless nights studying in the library; the great gulf that grew between her and her mentor with each passing day. All of it a giant waste of time.

The base of her horn felt hot, an eerie azure aura flashing to life as it overtook her horn entirely.

And in the tempest: a face, a look of indignation loomed over her, judging, smiting her down from where she stood. Her words of cold comfort washed over her as they replayed in her mind, endlessly mocking her.

Your future, Sunset. Yours, and yours alone.

Alone.

She screamed.

In a manic rage, she unleashed her fury incarnate. Her beam was like that of a blazing sun, releasing energy at the apex of a solar flare. It poured into the mirror; it greedily lapped up the energy like a dehydrated mare dying of thirst.

Seething, her mind was in a blank slate, as she was unable to control her own actions, letting her primal self take the reins. A bead of sweat traced down her cheek; the ringing in her ears grew louder. Her temples ached.

The mirror continued to take in what it was granted, the magic starting a vortex at center; the mirror had an otherworldly glow now.

The amethysts lining the outer rim of the mirror fizzled, a white gleam radiating from their very being. In moments, their glow coalesced, their purple coloring collapsing in on themselves; in their place wicked rubies formed, overtaking them entirely.

The pain grew. Was she screaming? She was vaguely aware of anything at all; a billowing smoke of white from her periphery was pushing and pulling.

And in that storm, in a fraction of a moment, an eerie calm washed over her. Time came to a stand still.

A blink.

A single intrusive thought reared its ugly head in her stupor. A single cold hard truth.

I have no future.

A wave of dread washed over her, and in her single moment of realization, she faltered.

Her magic dissipated, the tug she felt released.

She gasped, her intake of air sharp and painful. The ache in her head, insurmountable. Cold sweat poured in the equally cold marble below.

And when she finally calmed, she shakily attempted to stand.

No destiny.

She choked, wavering once more. Her eyes clouded over, the colors of her surroundings blended together into one ugly conglomerate. All save for one focal point: the mirror, completely unphased by her rage.

Just another failure.

Another thought coiled around her, leaving her helpless as it whispered one final truth.

You have nothing.

She collapsed.

And although her certainties crumbled beneath her, she could at least count on one certainty: the floor would remain.

Cold and tethered, Sunset weathered the reality that came pouring in.

Nothing.

Sobs were all that remained.