Return of the Prodigal Sunby HeartfireFirebrand 2ChaptersChapter 1: Surprising ReturnChapter 2: StarlightChapter 3: Castle of HarmonyChapter 4: Night OutChapter 1: Surprising ReturnIt had been a few months since they heard the story of Sunset from Discord, Twilight’s efforts had not been able to locate the universe Sunset was sent to. She was called to Canterlot for a serious matter; they had explained to Twilight that an evil Centaur known as Tirek had been released from Tartarus. Twilight who had been feeling worthless of late was ready to rise to the challenge “Yes! I’ll find him and…” Celestia shook her head “No, Twilight. I’m afraid I have to call in another to stop Tirek. Discord.” Luna, Cadence and Twilight gasped. Before they could respond Discord opened the door in a surprisingly normal way, Luna raised an eyebrow “That was an abnormally suppressed entrance Discord.” Discord stepped to the side revealing a demonic figure entering the room “Sunset, I’m sure you can handle this.” Sunset clicked her fingers, Tirek appearing on the floor, she glared upon the withered centaur and ripped out what little magic he had stolen, sending them back to their owners. Sunset clicked her finger once more, the centaur evaporating into thin air. Celestia took a deep breath “We didn’t want him to be killed. We just wanted to be locked away.” Luna raised an eyebrow “We disagree sister, we would gladly have flayed him alive for daring to harm our citizens again.” Discord shook his head “You think I would spare him? He got lucky, I would have had my fun with him before destroying him.” Sunset turned to see Cadence visibly shaking, Sunset walked over slowly. Cadence looked up at Sunset with fear. Sunset gave her a sad smile “I’m not the same mare I was when I left, if I was, I would have started a fight with Celestia immediately.” A man walked in. “I am VEGA, it's a pleasure to meet you all in person.” Sunset walked over to VEGA giving him a peck on the cheek, Cadence’s eyes glowed with delight “You found someone?” Luna raised an eyebrow “I thought you and Slayer would hit it off?” Sunset shook her head “We never saw each other that way, we had a long time together before I met VEGA. If we ever would have hit off, we would have done so long before I met VEGA.” She then lifted her hand revealing an engagement ring “Hey Cadence, would you like to be my best mare?” Cadence smiled, “I’d love to.” Celestia frowned “You mind speaking to your mother? She had been worried about you?” Sunset scowled “You didn't inform her that I was missing?” She then paused. “ Maybe that was for the best, she would have torn the castle apart to find me.” Twilight was looking down at her hooves, Discord put a paw on her withers “You okay?” Twilight gave him a weak smile “I’m fine.” Discord let out a sigh. “Fluttershy is turning me soft.” He then clicked his talons “Let’s give them some time to themselves.” Twilight finds herself on a cotton candy cloud, Discord frowned “What’s wrong?” Twilight frowned “I feel that I haven’t done much as Princess yet, and I still haven’t found my key for the chest yet.” Discord smiled, “I have a feeling that your path will guide you to the key, I’m sure. But we should return before they notice we’re gone.” Discord returned them to the room, Sunset turned to them nodding. Discord floated over to her whispering something. Sunset frowned “I remember hearing that she disappeared, it seems my family issues can wait. Besides, she was a friend to my brother, so I should head out there.” Twilight asked “Could I come along?” Sunset frowned “It could be dangerous. I can handle it alone.” Twilight smiled “Maybe I could help. There might be more to what’s going on there.” Sunset frowned “I am more suited to smashing things than diplomacy. Alright, but we need to get going soon.” The duo prepared to head off. Author's Note This is a bit short but the next Chapter will be longer. Chapter 2: StarlightTwilight asked “Who is this mare you looking for?” Sunset crossed her arms “Starlight Glimmer, a friend of Sunburst. From what I could tell from my brother's letters she had even greater raw magical power than I did. I was quite jealous, I never saw her at the school with him. Now I know she ran off to create a village in the middle of nowhere.” Twilight frowned “Is that why you said it could be dangerous?” Sunset frowned “A mare living that far out alone for that long could have become mentally unstable and with that power who knows what she has done.” Before they could continue the train stopped in Ponyville only for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie entered taking seats except for Rainbow. Sunset scanned their energies, stopping for an extra second on Pinkie. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight “So, what happened in Canterlot and why are you with her?” Twilight responded “Well the threat has been dealt with by Sunset here but we are heading to solve something else. It might be dangerous?” Rainbow pounds her chest with her hoof “Danger is my middle name?” Applejack nodded “Well we ain’t the type to leave a friend to go into danger alone.” Fluttershy gave a soft smile “Yes.” Pinkie jumped up “I will throw the victory or new friend party after we are done. Onwards.” Rarity smiled “Tone down the excitement, we are around a very powerful individual here.” Sunset chuckled “Relax, I have little interest in formality. Rarity was it?’ Rarity frowned “How do you know my name?” Sunset turned to her “Well I read your minds for names, it’s easier then asking and saves time, don’t worry I didn’t go further.” Rarity frowned “Next time, ask first before doing that. It is rather rude to invade another’s mind.” Applejack added “Not to mention dishonest.. That seems like a liar’s trick.” Fluttershy raised a hoof “Relax, girls. She didn't do it with malice. Now let it go, we might have a new friend here.” Sunset shrugged “I’m not exactly the next at friends but I guess I can try. What do you girls do for fun?” Rainbow smirked, “I am the fastest flyer in Equestria, I could beat you in a race.” Sunset shrugged, “I might test that another time.” She then turned to Rarity “You’re a dress maker, I might want some dresses commissioned. Some simpler designs and others more complicated, I don't exactly have fur to cover my more private areas.” Twilight blinked “So that’s why you are wearing clothes?” Pinkie interjected “Well I plan parties, I’ll throw you one when we return to Ponyville as well.” Sunset felt three energies within the pink mare, one incredible source of positive energy and two dimmer sources of energy, one neutral, and one dark. Soon they arrived at the last station and headed towards a small town in the middle of nowhere with houses arranged in an equal sign formation. Sunset raised an eyebrow at the smiling ponies “They seem to be golems, I have never seen ponies so uniform before. That would explain the housing, you don’t need fancy homes to house golems.” Pinkie frowned “I still feel something is wrong with them.” Rarity commented “It could certainly use a few more architectural flourishes or any flourishes.” Rainbow looked around. “This has to be the most boring place in Equestria.” Applejack shrugged, “Seems pretty normal to me.” Fluterhsy whispered “I think it’s nice.” As they entered, multiple ponies said to them “Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.” Sunset nodded “Definitely golems, they repeat the same words as each other.” One of them commented “We’re not Golems?” Sunset then scanned before a flicker of horror that was quickly masked “Your living ponies. I want words with the one who did this?” Another laid their eyes on Twilight “Welcome. Pardon my rudeness but are you an Alicorn?” Sunset growled “Yes, she is. Now tell me who did this to you!” They responded “Nothing is wrong, our founder Starlight Glimmer has made us very happy.” Sunset froze “What. She stole a piece of your soul and you're happy about it. I must have a word with her. Where is her home?” Then Starlight emerged “Sunset I heard about you from my brother. I'm surprised you’re here alongside the Princess of Friendship?” Sunset chuckled, “I’m surprised you’re out here stealing pieces of innocent ponies' souls.” Starlight shook her head “I am just helping them embrace true Friendship. Maybe a tour will assist you.” The town began to sing. Life is so grand in Our Town We're always filled with cheer We never have to look around To know that we're all here Sunset frowned, this was going to end in disaster she knew it. In Our Town, in Our Town We don't have to wait To find out that our destiny Is just to emulate Starlight encouraged “Let's see those big, happy smiles!” Sunset could point out so many flaws. Life is a smile in Our Town Our cutie mark's the same Because we do not separate Ourselves by more than name In Our Town, in Our Town We dare not compete Winning only breeds the worst Ego-filled conceit Starlight gestured to everypony “You see? Now everypony wins!” Sunset sighed. Life is a joy in Our Town We're all equal here No one is superior And no one shakes in fear In Our Town, in Our Town We work as a team You can't have a nightmare If you never dream Other ponies argue Do you ever wonder why? When you think your talent's special You don't see eye-to-eye There's just too many differences That lead to disarray But when you learn to act as one It's like a holiday In Our Town, in Our Town We don't complicate When you learn to simplify Life is oh, so great Join in our utopia Come out of the dark Banded by equality By our cutie mark! Rainbow Dash began laughing “Your kidding, right? Give up our Cutie Marks. No Way!” Fluttershy frowned “Don’t be rude. While I wouldn’t do it. They have made a choice. We can’t judge them on that.” Twilight smiled embarrassed. “I'm sorry, I guess we’re just a little confused by this.” Starlight explained “We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks.” Sunset crossed her arms “I would like to discuss this further while allowing the others to continue their exploration of your little town.” Starlight smiled, “Come and join me.” They entered Starlight’s humble home, Sunset frowned “Forgive me but I can see some problems with your little town's functionality. I might be a bit crass about it.” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Go on.” Sunset frowned “You take away their gifts, their talents. Doesn't all that do is make them shit at everything?” Starlight frowned “What do you mean?” Sunset grimaced “They are useless, incompetent. This town is barely sustainable for ten ponies yet alone thousands.” Starlight frowned “I have made plans for that I assure you. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some things to attend to. I’ll be back.” After Starlight left, Sunset chuckled to herself “She thinks he has me fooled. I will fix this shortly.” Ten minutes later, Sunset heard the sound of hooves. Sunset stood up and walked out only to see Twilight and the others missing their Cutie Marks. Starlight held up her staff “This is the Staff of Sameness. It is one of the Great Mage Meadowbrook’s Nine Enchanted Items. This allows us to remove Cutie Marks, which we have used on your friends. Now it’s your turn.” Sunset chuckled as the blast of magic hit her and bounced off “I studied under Celestia, I have even learned about things he didn’t want me to know. Meadowbrook only made eight enchanted items.” Sunset clicked her fingers, the staff burning up as the ink Starlight was using to hide the truth of her Cutie Mark vanished. All of the ponies around her glared at her “You lied to us.” Starlight exclaimed “I had to. Only my magic could help you become equal, to stop thinking you're better than everypony else. I bought Friendship. I brought you Equality. I brought you Harmony. The only way for all of us to be happy is if we are all Equal.” One of the townsfolk that Sunset discovered their name was Party Favour, stepped forward “Except for you.” Starlight responded “Once I had spread Equality to all of Equestria I would place my mark in that Vault too.” All of the Townsfolk glared at her as Sunset clicked her finger releasing all the marks from the Vault returning them to their owners. Starlight burst into a gallop teleporting away, Twilight and the other ponies began chasing her as Sunset watched. As they arrived at the caves one of the villagers named Double Diamond shook his head “We’ll never find them in there.” Twilight gritted her teeth “No, I need to find out why she did all this.” Twilight barreled into the cave teleporting after the renegade Unicorn. Starlight screamed “You ruined everything!” Twilight screamed back “I just want to know why you did all this! You must have a reason! As she continued to chase her, they both grew tired.” Twilight’s greater stamina won out as she caught up to the exhausted unicorn. Starlight spat fine “My friend, my best friend, Sunburst left me because he got his Cutie Mark and I didn’t. His family sent him to Canterlot and I never saw him again. I never tried to make another friend because I was scared a Cutie Mark would take them away.” Twilight held out a hoof “How do you feel about meeting him again? I am willing to help you, please. Just take my hoof, I’m willing to help you and you may even make some new friends along the way.” Starlight looked at the Twilight “You would do that for me after all I’ve done to you. Why?” Twilight smiled “Because you need help, because you’re a sad little filly who lost their only friend and lashed out at the world. I’m willing to help.” Starlight began tearing up, taking her hoof “Okay.” Twilight helped the exhausted Unicorn out of the caves. Outside the cave the stick that was so called Staff of Sameness glowed turning into the final key. Sunset smirked as she returned with the final key “It seems you were better at this that I am. That’s why you're the princess and I’m the warrior. Now let’s get you all home.” It was not long before a train took them all back to Ponyville. Author's Note I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had to figure out some way to bring the Castle in to the story, this is my attempt. Chapter 3: Castle of HarmonySunset and Starlight accompany the Element Bearers into Golden Oaks Library. Twilight levitated the chest out “Now let’s see what this chest holds?” Pinkie bounced up and down “I can’t wait.” Rainbow grinned “Let’s do this.” Applejack lifted her key “Settle down, Rainbow. We’re going to do it.” Rarity frowned “Hopefully this will replace the Elements, if another threat turns up again we can’t exactly stop it.” Fluttershy nodded. Twilight inserted her key into the chest and they turned their keys, and it glowed a rainbow as it sunk into Golden Oaks Library. Everyone except Sunset almost fell over as the ground began shaking. Once the shaking eased, they stopped out to see a giant golden tree towering over in the distance. Twilight gasped “What is that?” Sunset chuckled “Twilight, you’re a Princess. It’s your castle, a Castle of Harmony, Castle of Friendship created by the bond between you and your friends.” As they enter the castle, they see rooms that have Cutie Marks pertaining to one of Elements of Harmony. Twilight frowned “What do those marks mean?” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Well it seems those rooms are made for each of you, to allow you to do your own thing in them. This is a Castle that belongs to all of you.” They trek through the winding halls of golden oak walls to find a room with what looks like a huge circular war map with the Six Elements Cutie Marks as pins on it. It was surrounded by six wooden chairs, each one with a soft backrest matching the Element Bearer’s coat colour with their mark on the top. Twilight shook her head looking at the castle “Girls, look around for a bit. I need to help get Starlight situated in town.” Sunset smiled, “I’ll join you.” Twilight’s closest friends began exploring the castle. Starlight raised an eyebrow as they began leaving “Why can’t you just take me to see my friend?” Sunset shook her head as they left the castle“Have you considered that this interaction is going to be awkward with Sunburst and if you rush it you may say the wrong thing. I’m not sure what I want to say to my brother either. You haven’t meaningfully connected with others, maybe you should try to build up a support network, make some new friends.” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Never been very good at that, always tried to be in control.” Twilight gave her a warm smile “Making friends with people who are different is hard but a good place to start is to take interest in them and learn how they do things.” Starlight gave a weak smile “I guess I could try.” Sunset chuckled, “Let it come naturally. Now let’s get you set up.” The pair of them arrived at the Town Hall and met with Mayor Mare “We are looking for a place for Starlight to stay?’ Mayor Mare smiled “I can arrange a home for one for twenty bits?” Starlight blinked “Twenty bits, house cost more than that where I used to live and that was in the middle of nowhere?” Mayor Mare chuckled, “When you live near the Everfree Forest, it’s hard to make housing expensive.” Twilight passed twenty bits over and Mayor Mare passed the deed to a small house on the outskirts of town to Starlight. Once they left the building Twilight turned to her “Do you want me to escort you to your new home?” Starlight shook her head “I should be fine, I think I can find it. The address is on the deed.” Sunset nodded “Well I should head back to Canterlot.” Then an excited look filled her eyes“I have to plan my wedding. Bye.” Twilight raised an eyebrow “For her violent tendencies, I’m surprised she would be excited about a wedding?” After Starlight and Twilight split ways, Starlight found her way to a quaint house with a plain tiled roof. It had a simple interior, a single bathroom, kitchen and small entertainment room. Starlight frowned “Smaller than my old place, then again I don’t really have anything on me.” Starlight opened an enchanted box and found it empty, so she decided to go out and get some food. She had a small bag of fifty bits, enough for a meal but she would need more for daily living expenses. Starlight made her way to the market, she made her way to a few stalls and purchased some essentials. She bumped into Applejack at the apple stall “Ya settling in well Starlight?” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Well I need to find some work to make some bits?” Applejack frowned, “Well, the farm doesn’t have the bits for hired help.” She then smiled “Maybe ya should go to and find work at Sugarcube Corner. There are a few other shops but Sugarcube Corner is quite popular and with Pinkie being very busy they may need extra help.” Starlight smiled, “Well, I’ll have a look.” Applejack smiled, “Want a few apples for your place?” Starlight smiled, putting a couple of bits on the table “Yes please.” Applejack gave her a couple of apples, Starlight returned home setting up her food in the fridge. Starlight took a quick shower to clean herself before she went out. Starlight then headed to Sugarcube Corner, she arrived at the shop only to find it empty save Mrs Cake happily baking away. Mrs Cake turned around as she heard Starlight's hoofsteps “Hello Dearie, how can I help?” Starlight rubbed the back of her mane “Well I’m looking for work?” Mrs Cake gestured to her with a smile “We could use an extra worker with Pinkie being busy being a Hero of Equestria. Have you any experience in baking?” Starlight rubbeds the black of her head “No.” Mrs Cake giggled “Relax, I’ll be more than happy to teach you how to bake.” Mrs Cake and Starlight entered the back room. Mrs Cake got out some basic cake ingredients, she set up measuring cups and spoons. Mrs Cake smiled “At first you should follow the recipe, eventually you’ll intuit the steps and what works and what doesn’t but that takes time and practice.” Starlight began measuring out the ingredients nervously, Mrs Cake joined her “Relax. Nopony is a master at the start.” Starlight took a deep breath to calm her nerves “Thanks.” Mrs Cake smiled, “It’s no issue, Dearie.” After measuring the ingredients and putting them together in the bowl, Mrs Cake explained “Just stir it slowly Dearie until it becomes nice and thick.” She then set up a cake tin “When it is done, just pour into the tin until it is about the quarters full.” After that was done, Mrs Cake gave Starlight some mitten and then explained “Set the oven to 180 degrees and monitor the cake closely.” After Starlight set the temperature and put the cake in the oven. Mrs Cake raised an eyebrow “So where did you come from?” Starlight sighed “Well I ran a village in the middle of nowhere and because my only friend left me when I was younger because he got his Cutie Mark, I used my powers to steal people’s Cutie Marks and make them all the same. I believed I was doing the right thing but I may have made an error in my judgement.” Mrs Cake patted her on the shoulder “It’s okay Dearie, ponies make mistakes sometimes. What matters is we learn from them and try to do better, accepting that you made a mistake is the first step.” Starlight smiled, “Thanks.” Mrs Cake continued to smile “It’s no problem, Dearie.” It was not long before the cake was finished, it was a fairly basic cake but it was still good. After it had cooled they cut a piece each, Starlight smiled after taking a bite “It tastes better having worked hard on making it. I could have conjured up something with magic but the work makes it much better, more satisfying.” Mrs Cake smiled “Exactly.” She then smiled “Do you want to spend some time with me, Octavia, Lyra, Bon Bon and Derpy. We meet up to discuss events around town and play games. Want to come.” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Sure, I don’t have much experience among others.” Mrs Cake gave her a pat on the back “You’ll do fine, don’t worry. We’re all friendly.” Starlight returned home that day to prepare for a night out. Author's Note I feel like having Starlight go out and make some friends is important. I feel Ponyville residents are very friendly if you approach them correctly and make a good first impression Chapter 4: Night OutStarlight and Mrs Cake arrived at the house of one of Mrs Cake’s friends, when they entered they saw two ponies that in Starlight's mind couldn’t be any more different. One was an Earth Pony that was clearly sophisticated while the other was a Unicorn that seemed to spend her time in a club. The Unicorn gesture to Starlight “Mrs Cake, who’s our new guest?” The Earth Pony shook her head “Vinyl, show some respect to our guest.” Vinyl shrugged “I’m just curious, Tavi.” Starlight rubbed her neck. “I’m Starlight, I don’t really have much experience spending time with others.” A teal unicorn entered followed by a cream Earth Pony carrying a tray of sweets. A gray pegasus carrying a tray of muffins on her back entered behind them. The gray pegasus smiled at Starlight “I’m Derpy” she then gestured to the cream earth pony the teal unicorn “This is Bon Bon and Lyra.” Lyra grinned “A new friend, I have something I would like to share with you later if we have time.” Bon Bon groaned as she set the snacks on the table “I’m sure Starlight has better things to do then hear stories about humans.” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Sunset mentioned something like that at some point in a letter she sent me. She was in a world full of humans.” Lyra shook her head “I may inquire about it later but if Sunset refuses me, I’ll leave her be.” Vinyl blinked “Who are you and what did you do with Lyra?” Lyra groaned “Sunset was a very dangerous individual. I was still only a filly but I had heard her angry shouting across Canterlot. There was a lot of fire and yelling.” Octavia frowned “I heard a few rumours but I didn't think that really happened.” Starlight shook her head “How about we start, what kind of games do you play?” Vinyl smiled “Tonight is card night, we have various card games.” As Vinyl began setting cards, Lyra looked at Starlight “So. Where did you come from?” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “I ran a village where I stole everyone’s Cutie Marks, believing that I could make a world where everypony was equal. My friend abandoned me the moment he got his talent.” Lyra blinked “You can do that? But then how would anyone know they were special? That they could achieve great things.” Starlight frowned “I believed that any superiority over another was the enemy. It didn’t really work out in the end.” Vinyl turned to her “It often doesn’t. I tried to be what those in Canterlot call a proper musician but it simply didn’t work. I had no passion for that and all my music even when played technically well sounded soulless. One finds their path their own way.” Vinyl then passed out seven cards to other ponies at the table as they did so, Starlight glanced towards the window for a moment before turning back to Vinyl. Outside the window five pairs of light arctic blue eyes stared through the window before whispering “She almost caught us.” Starlight grimaced as heard the sound of flying “So someone was spying on us?” Octavia frowned “Who?” Starlight shook her head “I don’t know, light arctic blue eyes that glowed in the dark.” Lyra shivered “Changelings… I remember them. The glow of their eyes and the feeling of their magic.” Bon Bon frowned as she comforted Lyra “Why would they be spying on us?’ Starlight frowned “Not on us, on me. I’ve been so out of the way that I’m a wild card. Whatever they have planned I’ll try to keep you out of it. At least until I know more about their plans.”Lyra was taking deep breaths as Bon Bon was giving her a massage on her back. The group stayed silent for Lyra to recover. Meanwhile the changelings returned to the hive, Queen Chrysalis was sitting on her throne as she was pinged (We have returned.) Chrysalis frowned (What have you discovered?) The Changelings responded (While we have got a little bit of information on Sunset Shimmer who seem to wield power that eclipses Discord we also have gathered intel on an unicorn of impressive power.) Chrysalis grimaced (Report to me personally.) Chrysalis started pacing, if there was a being more powerful than Discord this could shift the balance of power. Her plan to infiltrate and capture all the ponies would have to be altered. The changelings arrived in her room, they bowed “Our Queen. What little we have gathered from Sunset Shimmer is that she is far superior to Discord. We have no way of defeating her at this point, we aren’t even sure what she is capable of. Given that she has returned to Canterlot, our spies up there may be collecting more data.” Chrysalis nodded “Well done but what about the new Unicorn?” One of them shook her head “She is very observant, too observant. She noticed us almost immediately. We were trying to get close at night. She must have some experience with needing to be observant.” Chrysalis growled “Return to Ponyville and collect more information during the day! Just stay hidden! Failure again will not be tolerated!” Chrysalis frowned “With a little more information, we will have to terminate her. She is a threat to the well-being of the Hive and with rumours of a new Royal Wedding we can gather more energy for our plan.” She then returned to her chair to continue managing the plans for the takeover. Author's Note I'm sorry I haven't written chapter in a while, motivation is hard to come by.
Chapter 1: Surprising ReturnIt had been a few months since they heard the story of Sunset from Discord, Twilight’s efforts had not been able to locate the universe Sunset was sent to. She was called to Canterlot for a serious matter; they had explained to Twilight that an evil Centaur known as Tirek had been released from Tartarus. Twilight who had been feeling worthless of late was ready to rise to the challenge “Yes! I’ll find him and…” Celestia shook her head “No, Twilight. I’m afraid I have to call in another to stop Tirek. Discord.” Luna, Cadence and Twilight gasped. Before they could respond Discord opened the door in a surprisingly normal way, Luna raised an eyebrow “That was an abnormally suppressed entrance Discord.” Discord stepped to the side revealing a demonic figure entering the room “Sunset, I’m sure you can handle this.” Sunset clicked her fingers, Tirek appearing on the floor, she glared upon the withered centaur and ripped out what little magic he had stolen, sending them back to their owners. Sunset clicked her finger once more, the centaur evaporating into thin air. Celestia took a deep breath “We didn’t want him to be killed. We just wanted to be locked away.” Luna raised an eyebrow “We disagree sister, we would gladly have flayed him alive for daring to harm our citizens again.” Discord shook his head “You think I would spare him? He got lucky, I would have had my fun with him before destroying him.” Sunset turned to see Cadence visibly shaking, Sunset walked over slowly. Cadence looked up at Sunset with fear. Sunset gave her a sad smile “I’m not the same mare I was when I left, if I was, I would have started a fight with Celestia immediately.” A man walked in. “I am VEGA, it's a pleasure to meet you all in person.” Sunset walked over to VEGA giving him a peck on the cheek, Cadence’s eyes glowed with delight “You found someone?” Luna raised an eyebrow “I thought you and Slayer would hit it off?” Sunset shook her head “We never saw each other that way, we had a long time together before I met VEGA. If we ever would have hit off, we would have done so long before I met VEGA.” She then lifted her hand revealing an engagement ring “Hey Cadence, would you like to be my best mare?” Cadence smiled, “I’d love to.” Celestia frowned “You mind speaking to your mother? She had been worried about you?” Sunset scowled “You didn't inform her that I was missing?” She then paused. “ Maybe that was for the best, she would have torn the castle apart to find me.” Twilight was looking down at her hooves, Discord put a paw on her withers “You okay?” Twilight gave him a weak smile “I’m fine.” Discord let out a sigh. “Fluttershy is turning me soft.” He then clicked his talons “Let’s give them some time to themselves.” Twilight finds herself on a cotton candy cloud, Discord frowned “What’s wrong?” Twilight frowned “I feel that I haven’t done much as Princess yet, and I still haven’t found my key for the chest yet.” Discord smiled, “I have a feeling that your path will guide you to the key, I’m sure. But we should return before they notice we’re gone.” Discord returned them to the room, Sunset turned to them nodding. Discord floated over to her whispering something. Sunset frowned “I remember hearing that she disappeared, it seems my family issues can wait. Besides, she was a friend to my brother, so I should head out there.” Twilight asked “Could I come along?” Sunset frowned “It could be dangerous. I can handle it alone.” Twilight smiled “Maybe I could help. There might be more to what’s going on there.” Sunset frowned “I am more suited to smashing things than diplomacy. Alright, but we need to get going soon.” The duo prepared to head off. Author's Note This is a bit short but the next Chapter will be longer.
Chapter 2: StarlightTwilight asked “Who is this mare you looking for?” Sunset crossed her arms “Starlight Glimmer, a friend of Sunburst. From what I could tell from my brother's letters she had even greater raw magical power than I did. I was quite jealous, I never saw her at the school with him. Now I know she ran off to create a village in the middle of nowhere.” Twilight frowned “Is that why you said it could be dangerous?” Sunset frowned “A mare living that far out alone for that long could have become mentally unstable and with that power who knows what she has done.” Before they could continue the train stopped in Ponyville only for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie entered taking seats except for Rainbow. Sunset scanned their energies, stopping for an extra second on Pinkie. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight “So, what happened in Canterlot and why are you with her?” Twilight responded “Well the threat has been dealt with by Sunset here but we are heading to solve something else. It might be dangerous?” Rainbow pounds her chest with her hoof “Danger is my middle name?” Applejack nodded “Well we ain’t the type to leave a friend to go into danger alone.” Fluttershy gave a soft smile “Yes.” Pinkie jumped up “I will throw the victory or new friend party after we are done. Onwards.” Rarity smiled “Tone down the excitement, we are around a very powerful individual here.” Sunset chuckled “Relax, I have little interest in formality. Rarity was it?’ Rarity frowned “How do you know my name?” Sunset turned to her “Well I read your minds for names, it’s easier then asking and saves time, don’t worry I didn’t go further.” Rarity frowned “Next time, ask first before doing that. It is rather rude to invade another’s mind.” Applejack added “Not to mention dishonest.. That seems like a liar’s trick.” Fluttershy raised a hoof “Relax, girls. She didn't do it with malice. Now let it go, we might have a new friend here.” Sunset shrugged “I’m not exactly the next at friends but I guess I can try. What do you girls do for fun?” Rainbow smirked, “I am the fastest flyer in Equestria, I could beat you in a race.” Sunset shrugged, “I might test that another time.” She then turned to Rarity “You’re a dress maker, I might want some dresses commissioned. Some simpler designs and others more complicated, I don't exactly have fur to cover my more private areas.” Twilight blinked “So that’s why you are wearing clothes?” Pinkie interjected “Well I plan parties, I’ll throw you one when we return to Ponyville as well.” Sunset felt three energies within the pink mare, one incredible source of positive energy and two dimmer sources of energy, one neutral, and one dark. Soon they arrived at the last station and headed towards a small town in the middle of nowhere with houses arranged in an equal sign formation. Sunset raised an eyebrow at the smiling ponies “They seem to be golems, I have never seen ponies so uniform before. That would explain the housing, you don’t need fancy homes to house golems.” Pinkie frowned “I still feel something is wrong with them.” Rarity commented “It could certainly use a few more architectural flourishes or any flourishes.” Rainbow looked around. “This has to be the most boring place in Equestria.” Applejack shrugged, “Seems pretty normal to me.” Fluterhsy whispered “I think it’s nice.” As they entered, multiple ponies said to them “Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.” Sunset nodded “Definitely golems, they repeat the same words as each other.” One of them commented “We’re not Golems?” Sunset then scanned before a flicker of horror that was quickly masked “Your living ponies. I want words with the one who did this?” Another laid their eyes on Twilight “Welcome. Pardon my rudeness but are you an Alicorn?” Sunset growled “Yes, she is. Now tell me who did this to you!” They responded “Nothing is wrong, our founder Starlight Glimmer has made us very happy.” Sunset froze “What. She stole a piece of your soul and you're happy about it. I must have a word with her. Where is her home?” Then Starlight emerged “Sunset I heard about you from my brother. I'm surprised you’re here alongside the Princess of Friendship?” Sunset chuckled, “I’m surprised you’re out here stealing pieces of innocent ponies' souls.” Starlight shook her head “I am just helping them embrace true Friendship. Maybe a tour will assist you.” The town began to sing. Life is so grand in Our Town We're always filled with cheer We never have to look around To know that we're all here Sunset frowned, this was going to end in disaster she knew it. In Our Town, in Our Town We don't have to wait To find out that our destiny Is just to emulate Starlight encouraged “Let's see those big, happy smiles!” Sunset could point out so many flaws. Life is a smile in Our Town Our cutie mark's the same Because we do not separate Ourselves by more than name In Our Town, in Our Town We dare not compete Winning only breeds the worst Ego-filled conceit Starlight gestured to everypony “You see? Now everypony wins!” Sunset sighed. Life is a joy in Our Town We're all equal here No one is superior And no one shakes in fear In Our Town, in Our Town We work as a team You can't have a nightmare If you never dream Other ponies argue Do you ever wonder why? When you think your talent's special You don't see eye-to-eye There's just too many differences That lead to disarray But when you learn to act as one It's like a holiday In Our Town, in Our Town We don't complicate When you learn to simplify Life is oh, so great Join in our utopia Come out of the dark Banded by equality By our cutie mark! Rainbow Dash began laughing “Your kidding, right? Give up our Cutie Marks. No Way!” Fluttershy frowned “Don’t be rude. While I wouldn’t do it. They have made a choice. We can’t judge them on that.” Twilight smiled embarrassed. “I'm sorry, I guess we’re just a little confused by this.” Starlight explained “We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks.” Sunset crossed her arms “I would like to discuss this further while allowing the others to continue their exploration of your little town.” Starlight smiled, “Come and join me.” They entered Starlight’s humble home, Sunset frowned “Forgive me but I can see some problems with your little town's functionality. I might be a bit crass about it.” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Go on.” Sunset frowned “You take away their gifts, their talents. Doesn't all that do is make them shit at everything?” Starlight frowned “What do you mean?” Sunset grimaced “They are useless, incompetent. This town is barely sustainable for ten ponies yet alone thousands.” Starlight frowned “I have made plans for that I assure you. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some things to attend to. I’ll be back.” After Starlight left, Sunset chuckled to herself “She thinks he has me fooled. I will fix this shortly.” Ten minutes later, Sunset heard the sound of hooves. Sunset stood up and walked out only to see Twilight and the others missing their Cutie Marks. Starlight held up her staff “This is the Staff of Sameness. It is one of the Great Mage Meadowbrook’s Nine Enchanted Items. This allows us to remove Cutie Marks, which we have used on your friends. Now it’s your turn.” Sunset chuckled as the blast of magic hit her and bounced off “I studied under Celestia, I have even learned about things he didn’t want me to know. Meadowbrook only made eight enchanted items.” Sunset clicked her fingers, the staff burning up as the ink Starlight was using to hide the truth of her Cutie Mark vanished. All of the ponies around her glared at her “You lied to us.” Starlight exclaimed “I had to. Only my magic could help you become equal, to stop thinking you're better than everypony else. I bought Friendship. I brought you Equality. I brought you Harmony. The only way for all of us to be happy is if we are all Equal.” One of the townsfolk that Sunset discovered their name was Party Favour, stepped forward “Except for you.” Starlight responded “Once I had spread Equality to all of Equestria I would place my mark in that Vault too.” All of the Townsfolk glared at her as Sunset clicked her finger releasing all the marks from the Vault returning them to their owners. Starlight burst into a gallop teleporting away, Twilight and the other ponies began chasing her as Sunset watched. As they arrived at the caves one of the villagers named Double Diamond shook his head “We’ll never find them in there.” Twilight gritted her teeth “No, I need to find out why she did all this.” Twilight barreled into the cave teleporting after the renegade Unicorn. Starlight screamed “You ruined everything!” Twilight screamed back “I just want to know why you did all this! You must have a reason! As she continued to chase her, they both grew tired.” Twilight’s greater stamina won out as she caught up to the exhausted unicorn. Starlight spat fine “My friend, my best friend, Sunburst left me because he got his Cutie Mark and I didn’t. His family sent him to Canterlot and I never saw him again. I never tried to make another friend because I was scared a Cutie Mark would take them away.” Twilight held out a hoof “How do you feel about meeting him again? I am willing to help you, please. Just take my hoof, I’m willing to help you and you may even make some new friends along the way.” Starlight looked at the Twilight “You would do that for me after all I’ve done to you. Why?” Twilight smiled “Because you need help, because you’re a sad little filly who lost their only friend and lashed out at the world. I’m willing to help.” Starlight began tearing up, taking her hoof “Okay.” Twilight helped the exhausted Unicorn out of the caves. Outside the cave the stick that was so called Staff of Sameness glowed turning into the final key. Sunset smirked as she returned with the final key “It seems you were better at this that I am. That’s why you're the princess and I’m the warrior. Now let’s get you all home.” It was not long before a train took them all back to Ponyville. Author's Note I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had to figure out some way to bring the Castle in to the story, this is my attempt.
Chapter 3: Castle of HarmonySunset and Starlight accompany the Element Bearers into Golden Oaks Library. Twilight levitated the chest out “Now let’s see what this chest holds?” Pinkie bounced up and down “I can’t wait.” Rainbow grinned “Let’s do this.” Applejack lifted her key “Settle down, Rainbow. We’re going to do it.” Rarity frowned “Hopefully this will replace the Elements, if another threat turns up again we can’t exactly stop it.” Fluttershy nodded. Twilight inserted her key into the chest and they turned their keys, and it glowed a rainbow as it sunk into Golden Oaks Library. Everyone except Sunset almost fell over as the ground began shaking. Once the shaking eased, they stopped out to see a giant golden tree towering over in the distance. Twilight gasped “What is that?” Sunset chuckled “Twilight, you’re a Princess. It’s your castle, a Castle of Harmony, Castle of Friendship created by the bond between you and your friends.” As they enter the castle, they see rooms that have Cutie Marks pertaining to one of Elements of Harmony. Twilight frowned “What do those marks mean?” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Well it seems those rooms are made for each of you, to allow you to do your own thing in them. This is a Castle that belongs to all of you.” They trek through the winding halls of golden oak walls to find a room with what looks like a huge circular war map with the Six Elements Cutie Marks as pins on it. It was surrounded by six wooden chairs, each one with a soft backrest matching the Element Bearer’s coat colour with their mark on the top. Twilight shook her head looking at the castle “Girls, look around for a bit. I need to help get Starlight situated in town.” Sunset smiled, “I’ll join you.” Twilight’s closest friends began exploring the castle. Starlight raised an eyebrow as they began leaving “Why can’t you just take me to see my friend?” Sunset shook her head as they left the castle“Have you considered that this interaction is going to be awkward with Sunburst and if you rush it you may say the wrong thing. I’m not sure what I want to say to my brother either. You haven’t meaningfully connected with others, maybe you should try to build up a support network, make some new friends.” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Never been very good at that, always tried to be in control.” Twilight gave her a warm smile “Making friends with people who are different is hard but a good place to start is to take interest in them and learn how they do things.” Starlight gave a weak smile “I guess I could try.” Sunset chuckled, “Let it come naturally. Now let’s get you set up.” The pair of them arrived at the Town Hall and met with Mayor Mare “We are looking for a place for Starlight to stay?’ Mayor Mare smiled “I can arrange a home for one for twenty bits?” Starlight blinked “Twenty bits, house cost more than that where I used to live and that was in the middle of nowhere?” Mayor Mare chuckled, “When you live near the Everfree Forest, it’s hard to make housing expensive.” Twilight passed twenty bits over and Mayor Mare passed the deed to a small house on the outskirts of town to Starlight. Once they left the building Twilight turned to her “Do you want me to escort you to your new home?” Starlight shook her head “I should be fine, I think I can find it. The address is on the deed.” Sunset nodded “Well I should head back to Canterlot.” Then an excited look filled her eyes“I have to plan my wedding. Bye.” Twilight raised an eyebrow “For her violent tendencies, I’m surprised she would be excited about a wedding?” After Starlight and Twilight split ways, Starlight found her way to a quaint house with a plain tiled roof. It had a simple interior, a single bathroom, kitchen and small entertainment room. Starlight frowned “Smaller than my old place, then again I don’t really have anything on me.” Starlight opened an enchanted box and found it empty, so she decided to go out and get some food. She had a small bag of fifty bits, enough for a meal but she would need more for daily living expenses. Starlight made her way to the market, she made her way to a few stalls and purchased some essentials. She bumped into Applejack at the apple stall “Ya settling in well Starlight?” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Well I need to find some work to make some bits?” Applejack frowned, “Well, the farm doesn’t have the bits for hired help.” She then smiled “Maybe ya should go to and find work at Sugarcube Corner. There are a few other shops but Sugarcube Corner is quite popular and with Pinkie being very busy they may need extra help.” Starlight smiled, “Well, I’ll have a look.” Applejack smiled, “Want a few apples for your place?” Starlight smiled, putting a couple of bits on the table “Yes please.” Applejack gave her a couple of apples, Starlight returned home setting up her food in the fridge. Starlight took a quick shower to clean herself before she went out. Starlight then headed to Sugarcube Corner, she arrived at the shop only to find it empty save Mrs Cake happily baking away. Mrs Cake turned around as she heard Starlight's hoofsteps “Hello Dearie, how can I help?” Starlight rubbed the back of her mane “Well I’m looking for work?” Mrs Cake gestured to her with a smile “We could use an extra worker with Pinkie being busy being a Hero of Equestria. Have you any experience in baking?” Starlight rubbeds the black of her head “No.” Mrs Cake giggled “Relax, I’ll be more than happy to teach you how to bake.” Mrs Cake and Starlight entered the back room. Mrs Cake got out some basic cake ingredients, she set up measuring cups and spoons. Mrs Cake smiled “At first you should follow the recipe, eventually you’ll intuit the steps and what works and what doesn’t but that takes time and practice.” Starlight began measuring out the ingredients nervously, Mrs Cake joined her “Relax. Nopony is a master at the start.” Starlight took a deep breath to calm her nerves “Thanks.” Mrs Cake smiled, “It’s no issue, Dearie.” After measuring the ingredients and putting them together in the bowl, Mrs Cake explained “Just stir it slowly Dearie until it becomes nice and thick.” She then set up a cake tin “When it is done, just pour into the tin until it is about the quarters full.” After that was done, Mrs Cake gave Starlight some mitten and then explained “Set the oven to 180 degrees and monitor the cake closely.” After Starlight set the temperature and put the cake in the oven. Mrs Cake raised an eyebrow “So where did you come from?” Starlight sighed “Well I ran a village in the middle of nowhere and because my only friend left me when I was younger because he got his Cutie Mark, I used my powers to steal people’s Cutie Marks and make them all the same. I believed I was doing the right thing but I may have made an error in my judgement.” Mrs Cake patted her on the shoulder “It’s okay Dearie, ponies make mistakes sometimes. What matters is we learn from them and try to do better, accepting that you made a mistake is the first step.” Starlight smiled, “Thanks.” Mrs Cake continued to smile “It’s no problem, Dearie.” It was not long before the cake was finished, it was a fairly basic cake but it was still good. After it had cooled they cut a piece each, Starlight smiled after taking a bite “It tastes better having worked hard on making it. I could have conjured up something with magic but the work makes it much better, more satisfying.” Mrs Cake smiled “Exactly.” She then smiled “Do you want to spend some time with me, Octavia, Lyra, Bon Bon and Derpy. We meet up to discuss events around town and play games. Want to come.” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “Sure, I don’t have much experience among others.” Mrs Cake gave her a pat on the back “You’ll do fine, don’t worry. We’re all friendly.” Starlight returned home that day to prepare for a night out. Author's Note I feel like having Starlight go out and make some friends is important. I feel Ponyville residents are very friendly if you approach them correctly and make a good first impression
Chapter 4: Night OutStarlight and Mrs Cake arrived at the house of one of Mrs Cake’s friends, when they entered they saw two ponies that in Starlight's mind couldn’t be any more different. One was an Earth Pony that was clearly sophisticated while the other was a Unicorn that seemed to spend her time in a club. The Unicorn gesture to Starlight “Mrs Cake, who’s our new guest?” The Earth Pony shook her head “Vinyl, show some respect to our guest.” Vinyl shrugged “I’m just curious, Tavi.” Starlight rubbed her neck. “I’m Starlight, I don’t really have much experience spending time with others.” A teal unicorn entered followed by a cream Earth Pony carrying a tray of sweets. A gray pegasus carrying a tray of muffins on her back entered behind them. The gray pegasus smiled at Starlight “I’m Derpy” she then gestured to the cream earth pony the teal unicorn “This is Bon Bon and Lyra.” Lyra grinned “A new friend, I have something I would like to share with you later if we have time.” Bon Bon groaned as she set the snacks on the table “I’m sure Starlight has better things to do then hear stories about humans.” Starlight raised an eyebrow “Sunset mentioned something like that at some point in a letter she sent me. She was in a world full of humans.” Lyra shook her head “I may inquire about it later but if Sunset refuses me, I’ll leave her be.” Vinyl blinked “Who are you and what did you do with Lyra?” Lyra groaned “Sunset was a very dangerous individual. I was still only a filly but I had heard her angry shouting across Canterlot. There was a lot of fire and yelling.” Octavia frowned “I heard a few rumours but I didn't think that really happened.” Starlight shook her head “How about we start, what kind of games do you play?” Vinyl smiled “Tonight is card night, we have various card games.” As Vinyl began setting cards, Lyra looked at Starlight “So. Where did you come from?” Starlight rubbed the back of her head “I ran a village where I stole everyone’s Cutie Marks, believing that I could make a world where everypony was equal. My friend abandoned me the moment he got his talent.” Lyra blinked “You can do that? But then how would anyone know they were special? That they could achieve great things.” Starlight frowned “I believed that any superiority over another was the enemy. It didn’t really work out in the end.” Vinyl turned to her “It often doesn’t. I tried to be what those in Canterlot call a proper musician but it simply didn’t work. I had no passion for that and all my music even when played technically well sounded soulless. One finds their path their own way.” Vinyl then passed out seven cards to other ponies at the table as they did so, Starlight glanced towards the window for a moment before turning back to Vinyl. Outside the window five pairs of light arctic blue eyes stared through the window before whispering “She almost caught us.” Starlight grimaced as heard the sound of flying “So someone was spying on us?” Octavia frowned “Who?” Starlight shook her head “I don’t know, light arctic blue eyes that glowed in the dark.” Lyra shivered “Changelings… I remember them. The glow of their eyes and the feeling of their magic.” Bon Bon frowned as she comforted Lyra “Why would they be spying on us?’ Starlight frowned “Not on us, on me. I’ve been so out of the way that I’m a wild card. Whatever they have planned I’ll try to keep you out of it. At least until I know more about their plans.”Lyra was taking deep breaths as Bon Bon was giving her a massage on her back. The group stayed silent for Lyra to recover. Meanwhile the changelings returned to the hive, Queen Chrysalis was sitting on her throne as she was pinged (We have returned.) Chrysalis frowned (What have you discovered?) The Changelings responded (While we have got a little bit of information on Sunset Shimmer who seem to wield power that eclipses Discord we also have gathered intel on an unicorn of impressive power.) Chrysalis grimaced (Report to me personally.) Chrysalis started pacing, if there was a being more powerful than Discord this could shift the balance of power. Her plan to infiltrate and capture all the ponies would have to be altered. The changelings arrived in her room, they bowed “Our Queen. What little we have gathered from Sunset Shimmer is that she is far superior to Discord. We have no way of defeating her at this point, we aren’t even sure what she is capable of. Given that she has returned to Canterlot, our spies up there may be collecting more data.” Chrysalis nodded “Well done but what about the new Unicorn?” One of them shook her head “She is very observant, too observant. She noticed us almost immediately. We were trying to get close at night. She must have some experience with needing to be observant.” Chrysalis growled “Return to Ponyville and collect more information during the day! Just stay hidden! Failure again will not be tolerated!” Chrysalis frowned “With a little more information, we will have to terminate her. She is a threat to the well-being of the Hive and with rumours of a new Royal Wedding we can gather more energy for our plan.” She then returned to her chair to continue managing the plans for the takeover. Author's Note I'm sorry I haven't written chapter in a while, motivation is hard to come by.
