Sunset had to admit, the palace was beautiful. Of course the castle in Canterlot was beautiful, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this place. She followed Stella as they made their way down winding passages that made Sunset’s head spin as it seemed like a maze in a way. She couldn’t help noticing how the guards were professional, but many gave friendly acknowledgement to the blonde who smiled and greeted them politely in passing. To Sunset, that said a lot about the girl as the blonde was showing that although she may have been a princess, she cared about those that served her and they returned that feeling. It gave her a boost in confidence that she did the right thing in the end and came with her.

“Ah, Princess Stella.” A guard said, halting their progress at the door with a sheepish look, “Your father and the Headmistress Faragonda would like to speak to Sunset Shimmer alone. The King asks that you wait in your room and your friend shall join you shortly.”

“But I promised I’d be there with her!” Stella gasped in shock and worry, not wanting to let her possible new friend down.

“It’ll be okay, Stella. I’ll be along shortly.” Sunset assured the blonde who stared at the fiery haired girl with worry.

“I’m sorry, Sunset.” Stella sighed as another guard came up to escort the princess away. Sunset did manage to see the guard quickly look around for anyone who could possibly be paying close attention before slipping the girl something that she quickly hid in her bag as she followed closely.

“Please go on in, his majesty King Radius and Lady Faragonda are expecting you.” The guard said, opening the door to usher the teen girl in. Cautiously, Sunset stepped into the room and saw an older woman and a regal looking man sitting at a small table with a tea set and cookies set out before them.

“Greeting, your royal highness King Radius.” Sunset said as she bowed deeply to the man who chuckled softly.

“I take it you have experience in court?” Radius asked mirthfully, shaking his head. “Right now none of that matters, you are our guests and we would like to speak with you. Please have a seat.”

Hesitating for only a moment, Sunset stepped forward and took the seat indicated across from the other two. A maid that Sunset didn’t even realize was there seemed to materialize out of nowhere and poured the three a cup of tea.

“Thank you Matilda, we will be fine.” Radius said, the woman bowing before making her exit. “So Sunset Shimmer, please call me Radius when we are alone. In public though, especially in an official capacity, please do refer to me as King Radius.”

“And you may call me Faragonda dear.” Faragonda said, lifting her own tea and taking a sip. Suddenly finding herself parched, Sunset repeated the action herself and thought she could die from bliss from just how good this tea tasted. It was nothing like any tea she had ever seen, probably because it was from a whole other world.

“Sunset is fine for me.” Sunset said, her nervousness returning a bit.

“So Sunset, from what my daughter’s friends have explained, the four of you had an exciting encounter before returning here. And you changed into a dark fairy?” Radius said, broaching the subject that Sunset knew was going to come up from the mixed reactions those boys and fairies had. Slowly she picked up a cookie and nibbled on it, trying to buy time before answering. Eventually she did and she told them about the whole encounter.

“This is not good, Faragonda. What would an Ogre want with the Ring of Solaria?” Radius asked. “I can understand wanting a dark fairy on their side, but they can’t exactly wield the ring to its full potential as they aren’t of the royal line.”

“We can discuss that later, I think we have more pressing concerns to get to.” Faragonda said as she gave Sunset a once over. “So you are truly a dark fairy? I’m sorry to say child, but that will make things a little difficult for you as there are some who fear your power.”

“Do you?” Sunset asked softly, making Radius burst out laughing.

“Why should I? One of my best friends was a dark fairy! She may have had a fiery attitude, but she was the kind of person you wanted on your side more than anyone else. She was fiercely loyal to those she loved and would do anything to protect them.” Radius said with a little whimsy in his voice.

“Marion was a firecracker, always getting in trouble with her pranks that you and Oritel would help her pull off.” Faragonda added wistfully, “Sunset, there is nothing wrong with being a dark fairy. At worst, you may need a bit more guidance to get yourself in balance so as not to let your darker emotions get the better of you. Some people just listen to old lies too much and have come to believe them as fact while some of us know better. I will admit you will face some hardships from some of the teachers and students at first, but as they come to see who you truly are, they will see the good and kind person you can be.”

“And how do you know I’m not evil?” Sunset asked, wanting to see how they would react to that.

“Sunset, I am an experienced fairy with several levels under my belt. I can sense true emotions and intentions and there isn’t an evil bone in your body. I can see pain and great sadness in your aura, but I don’t sense a malicious or evil bone in your body. In fact, you remind me a lot of Marion in some ways. Tell me, just where were you born again?”

“Have you ever heard of a place called Equestria?” Sunset asked, watching as their eyes blew wide open.

“Only the Company of Light and myself know of that place. It isn’t easy to get to.” Radius said, disappointment crossing the two's faces. “I was hoping there was a possibility that you could have been Marion and Oritel’s daughter.”

“Sunset, it won’t be easy at first, but I truly want to see you succeed and join my school.” Faragonda said.

“That said my dear, I’m afraid you will face opposition to you being there that would require you to have the backing of someone high up. That’s where I come in, I want to adopt you as my ward.” Radius explained, “The girls told us that they discovered you were homeless and I want to give you a family.”

“Why?” Sunset croaked out, “You barely know me.”

“You risked your life to protect a school who had turned against you when you could have simply fled and left them to their fates. If that isn’t a mark of character, I don’t know what is. I want to nourish that and stand behind you and support you. You sadly can’t become a princess because of laws set in place for centuries without going through a lot to change it, but in every other respect you would be my daughter.” Radius explained, “When you graduate as a fairy you will be able to claim a title such as Duchess or Baroness, but you won’t be a part of the royal succession.”

“You don’t know me though! Why? Why would you want a monster like me?” Sunset cried out prompting Faragonda to get up and go around to comfort the teen. Over the next half hour Sunset had told them everything from being an orphan to being taken in by Princess Celestia only to be denied a family and told to make friends with those anyone with half a brain would know would be impossible for one in Sunset’s position. They learned how Sunset was once again alone and homeless and how she escaped to the human world where she became a bully and ended up in the bottom of a crater thanks to harmony magic that cleansed her of the darkness that had taken hold of her heart. They even learned of all of her work to redeem herself and make up for what she had done only to have all of her efforts ruined by three jealous children.

“I want to adopt you more than ever now because every child deserves a loving family.” Radius growled, “If I even get ahold of that old nag, I’ll do something I won’t regret.”

“Now Radius, you know better than to go around killing like that. Though I would like to give this so-called Princess a piece of my mind.” Faragonda said as she rubbed Sunset’s back. “I think you should take up Radius’s offer my dear, his backing would keep anyone trying to get you out of the school to back off.”

“Come on, I need more children I can lean on when I get older.” Radius pouted.

“I guess if it is the only way to get the backing I need to go to Alfea, I’ll do it.” Sunset sighed, realizing this was moving a bit too fast. She knew it was probably because of this prophecy Stella mentioned, but Sunset felt as if both of these adults were not only serious about this, but they actually cared.

“I’m glad my dear.” Radius said, ringing a bell on the table. “Remember Sunset, you don’t have to force yourself to do anything you don’t want, I’m not helping you to force you into anything. I am genuine with my want to adopt you though and it would make me happy if you would see yourself as a part of this family.”

“Here are the forms you had me retrieve, sire.” A guard said, handing over a stack of papers.

“Thank you.” Radius said, the guard bowing and leaving the room. “Well, Sunset, ready to become one of us?” Radius said.

“I guess so.” Sunset said nervously as Radius sorted through the papers. “Faragonda will be our witness as well as help you look over everything if you need council on anything.”

“Thank you sir.” Sunset said with her head bowed and tears gathering in her eyes. This is something she had dreamed of for years and yet she couldn’t bring herself to fully enjoy it. She couldn’t put her trust into this blindly, though she would do her best to give it a try. She just knew deep down that as soon as whatever prophecy that is using her as a puppet is done, she will be out once again. And, again, she still wanted to give it a real try even with her doubts.

“There is no need to thank me, my dear. No child should ever be without a home, much less a family. I just hope that someday you will see us as family.” Radius said with a sad smile, making Sunset wonder if he could read her thoughts or feelings. Over the next half hour the three looked over the paperwork and Sunset managed to impress the older two people in the room with not only understanding everything in the forms, but asking logical questions about what something would mean to her. Especially the clause of it being Sunset’s decision to return to her birth family if she ever learned of who they were and Radius would respect her decision and support her in it with the promise of always having a home here if something happens.

“It is getting rather late.” Faragonda said as she stretched as she rose from her seat. “With all of that settled, I’ll drop the paperwork off for you Radius before I head back to Alfea.”

“Thank you old friend.” Radius said as he rose to see the woman out while Sunset sat with her head spinning while asking herself if she did the right thing. She really didn’t know these people and she didn’t exactly come begging for handouts or anything of the like. Yet somehow she managed to find a place to belong, however tenuous it was.

Stella sat at her desk, the small package the guard gave her left unopened for the moment. She cared about what happened to Sunset, learning about how the girl’s situation had hit the blonde hard. The kind of people that did the things to her after she reformed, sure Sunset wasn't a goddess or anything and did her share of bad things, but she reformed and worked hard to makeup for them. It wasn’t right the way Sunset was treated and it was horrible that the poor girl was in the situation she was. Thankfully she was informed on the way back to her room of her father’s plans to adopt Sunset meaning Stella wouldn’t have to try and persuade him to do it.

It kind of put things more in perspective for the princess as the fact that the world wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns was experienced first hand instead of just being taught about it. Not that she didn’t have her own hardships, but they looked petty next to Sunset’s own. And it was exhausting channeling her inner Flora. She wasn’t dense, you would have to be a special kind of dense not to see the pain Sunset was in, but she wasn’t the greatest at comforting people. She was more the type to show her snobbish side and make wisecracks, not tell people what they need to hear to help them get through their problems. Again, that was Flora’s thing as the group’s motherly figure. Stella had to admit that she respected the girl much more after trying to help Sunset and soothe the girl’s pain.

Thankfully the girls were going to meet up for shopping in the morning and lunch meaning that Flora could hopefully take over the brunt of soothing as Stella barely managed back in that viper pit of a school. She knew she had to curb her tongue a bit until Sunset gets to know all of them and knows Stella doesn’t mean anything by her normal attitude. Yet she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to her old attitude as it reminded her too much of those girls who caused Sunset all of that pain in the first place.

Groaning, she dropped her face into her arms on the desk and took a shuddering breath. She had to wonder if her father and Faragonda knew about Sunset’s situation and sent her there to see it first hand as a way to temper her usual spoiled attitude. It was kind of ironic if they did as she did act spoiled at times, but she was a lot different in private from what she portrays in public. She didn’t want to think what people would say as they ridiculed her for her questionable hobbies if they found out. Not that they were bad, but being obsessed with things from other worlds was not something a crowned princess should be doing. At least that’s what she’s always believed and experienced.

Remembering the discarded package, she sat up and tore it open while wondering if it was an anime from Earth again or perhaps a romantic comedy from that colony world that Magix was in talks with about bringing into the alliance. Either way she hoped it was really good as she could use the pick me up.

“What’s that?” Sunset asked from behind her, making Stella cry out in fright and throw the small crystal memory device in the air only for the fiery haired girl to catch it thankfully before it could hit the ground and possibly get damaged.

“It’s kind of a, well, you see, it is a-“ Stella stuttered as she tried to come up with an explanation where she could hide this side of herself from the other girl. Not even her friends knew about this particular hobby and it was embarrassing. Seeing the dejected look made Stella’s decision though as she took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. “I’m not sure what it is yet, I haven’t uploaded it to see. You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, not my dad and not our friends.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Sunset sighed, getting a slight smile from the blonde.

“Sunset, we are going to be sisters now and I really want us to be close. Sometimes secrets like this are a way to prove trust and bond over it.” Stella explained, plucking the device from the other girl’s hand before placing it on a small circular platform on her desk making a holographic screen appear over it. “A few of the guards are in on my secret and get me copies of movies and shows from the exotic worlds they get to travel to. Some might not have magic, but they have great culture.”

“Is that a hedgehog?” Sunset asked as she looked at the screen. There was a blue talking hedgehog that in all honesty freaked Sunset out a little.

“Oh nice, I already have the first two!” Stella cheered, “Come on, get comfortable and watch this with me!”

Sunset looked around the room stopping upon seeing a flag hanging on the wall. It had a very familiar two tones sun prominent on it which surprised Sunset a little. “What is that from?”

“Oh, that’s my aunt’s family crest. Or was, their entire world was destroyed and they were wiped out.” Stella explained, a sad tone filling her voice before she rubbed her eyes to rid herself of the tears before encouraging Sunset to come watch with her. “Come on, Sunset! Come enjoy the movie with me!”

“I’m coming.” Sunset said as she was having trouble tearing her gaze from the flag that was a mirror image of her cutie mark. She wanted to ask more questions, but Stella dragged her away from it to watch the movie. Sunset wasn’t sure why this had to be kept a secret, but if that was what the blonde wanted then it would be kept secret.

Author's Note

A big thanks to Sunny Scriber for editing this chapter.