Book four of "Who We Become".
After discovering the magic of friendship, Sunset Shimmer's senior year was one of the happiest times of her life. But it's been almost two years since graduation; all her friends have moved on to studying abroad, to pr...
I tend to hold the comics closer to canon than most authors, but there are a few places where the timeline between the comics and the show just don't sync up. As a result even though I did draw on The Fall of Sunset Shimmer as a Sunset's official backstory I also changed some stuff to fit in with what I wanted to do the show better. Either way familiarity to the comic isn't necessary since I summarize the relevant information.
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"We'll never get past this because you aren't seeing how great I deserve to be. Is that really all you have to say to me?"
"No. The guards will escort you out."
"This is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life."
Sunset sat staring out the window. She'd relived that moment countless times, especially in the past few days. It was the last conversation she had ever had with Celestia. It all seemed so distant now, and not just because of how long ago it was. Looking back on her actions, she almost felt like she was watching a different pony entirely – that is, until she remembered her former mentor's eyes fixed on her. Even if it was just a memory, she could still feel those magenta eyes lingering on her.
Although the train ride was smooth, it did nothing to improve Sunset's mood. She hated traveling in anything she couldn't control because it felt like she was putting her life into somepony else's hooves. As she watched the countryside roll past, all she could think about was how much better the trip would be if she were on her motorcycle. Most of her friends told her it was a death trap, but she never felt more in control than she did on her bike.
When she wasn't worrying about meeting Celestia, she was irritated by being stuck on a train, and there was nothing to distract her from either thought. She'd borrowed a book from Twilight by one of her favorite Equestrian authors, but as much as she was looking forward to catching up on what she'd missed while in the human world, she couldn't focus on the words. Twilight and Fluttershy had offered to come with her, but she insisted on going alone. She told them it was because they needed to focus on the wedding, but really she needed time away from them to collect her thoughts.
She'd had feelings for Twilight since the Fall Formal almost three years ago. After everything Sunset had done to her, she still extended her hand in friendship. In a way, Twilight had saved her life that day. Once her mind wasn't clouded by the overabundance of magic from Twilight's crown, Sunset knew her plan would never work. A school full of teenagers was no army, and even with the crown she was no match for Celestia. And while she doubted Celestia would have allowed her to die, whatever remained for her if Twilight hadn't stopped her was hardly a life worth living.
Over time, her feelings grew from admiration to love once they began talking through the journal. But Twilight was a princess and Sunset was a traitor. There was no way things could ever work out. Besides, Twilight moving to the human world obviously wasn't happening, and Sunset had been terrified of returning to Equestria.
