The Princesses Of Equestria

Chapter 3: Hugs and Goodbyes

"So, what did ya call us all here for, sugarcube?" asked the blonde-haired girl named Applejack in her heavy western accent. She and the five other girls (including this world's version of Twilight Sparkle) were standing together beside the horse statue. This was their usual meeting place, also being the magical gateway to Equestria.

Sunset Shimmer didn't know how to break her news. But if she did, she knew that they would be able to help her to make the decision. They were good like that.

"Well, the thing is . . ." she began to say, hesitating for another moment.

Pinkie Pie interrupted joyfully, "You were summoned to Equestria because you are an alicorn princess and you now replace the ruler of the sun!!!"

A confused silence followed her statement. Rainbow Dash stopped dribbling her soccer ball to shoot the curly-haired girl an incredulous look. "Yeah, I am pretty sure that is not it," she muttered, resisting the urge to roll her magenta eyes.

"Well, that is actually pretty much it," Sunset corrected her while smiling awkwardly.

Her friends all stared at her in shock. "Seriously?!?" They all yelled in unison, including Pinkie Pie, who hadn't actually believed that she was right.

"Yeah . . ." Sunset murmured uncertainly. They still gazed at her blankly, and didn't say anything, so she started to add to Pinkie's explanation, telling them that she was supposed to rule alongside Twilight.

"Wow, that sounds awesome!" Rainbow remarked. She began to bounce her ball up and down with excitement, while Rarity Belle nodded her head in agreement. "It does sound rather wonderful, I must admit. So when are you leaving, darling?" She asked in her posh feminine accent.

"I . . . I actually don't know if I want to," Sunset confessed, her turquoise eyes immediately dropping to her boots.

"Oh, but darling, you must! It's your destiny!" Rarity exclaimed, her sapphire-blue eyes widening as she stared at Sunset in disbelief.

"How cool would it be to rule a whole land?!" Dash added.

"And alongside Twilight!" Pinkie Pie added happily. None of them knew that Twilight had visited a few days ago to give Sunset the news. She had made sure to avoid them because she knew that Sunset would want to tell them herself. Sci-Twi, however, remained silent at the mention of her pony equivalent.

"So do you guys think that I should go for it?" Sunset asked, looking back up at her friends in surprise. She had thought that they would be against it. There cake a chorus of responses: "Absolutely!" "Totally." "Definitely!" "Yes!" "Yup." "You really should."

"But, seriously, sugarcube," said Applejack, "when are ya leaving?"

"In two days," Sunset informed her. But . . . she still didn't know if she wanted to do this.

"You will come back to visit us, won't you?" Fluttershy asked in her usual soft tone as there was a spark of hope in her teal eyes.

"Of course I will," Sunset replied, speaking with confidence for the first time in this conversation. "At least, when I have the time."

"Oh, we will miss you so much," exclaimed Rarity, acting like a drama queen - there was nothing new there.

"Wow, though! Who knew that you were going to be the next princess of Equestria!" Rainbow said enthusiastically.

"Don't forget us small people when ya become royalty of another empire," agreed Applejack with a light chuckle.

"I won't. I will miss you all so much," Sunset sighed. She really didn't want to leave them. But they seemed to have made the decision for her.

"Well, girls, I think that we should let her get to her packing," Sci-Twi declared, adjusting her black-rimmed glasses over her violet eyes as she spoke for the first time since they had gathered by the statue. She and Princess Twilight had met once, but it was purely on accident, and they didn't want to again because it had been extremely awkward after the Friendship Games.

The seven girls shared a final group hug and stated their final goodbyes. They knew that they would miss Sunset too, but they were also incredibly proud of her, and knew that she would make the perfect princess, which was why they had encouraged her to follow fate. Sunset was sad to be leaving the human world that she had grown to love, but at least she would be able to finally meet the pony counterparts of her friends . . .