A Search For Something More

Chapter 25: 17, 25, and 36

As soon as class ends, Sunset Shimmer and I walk over to the school soccer field and sit on the benches as we watch our friends practice. We give it a couple of minutes before Sunset Shimmer starts to explain where she's from. I listen to her intently, but the more I listen, the more confusing her explanation becomes. I am especially perplexed when she finally explains what she originally is. I thought she was some kind of humanoid being or some alien creature, but the truth turned out to be both simpler and yet much stranger than I thought.

"So... you're a horse?"

"Not a horse, a pony," Sunset Shimmer corrects.

"That's basically a horse, Sunset," I counter. "You're basically a smaller horse."

"I know that sounds that way in this world, but in Equestria, they are separate species. We're both equines, but ponies have different races and possess different magical abilities that horses can't obtain," Sunset Shimmer counters.

"And you're a unicorn?" I ask.

"Yes, I'm a unicorn. Therefore I can use my magic to cast spells and levitate objects whereas pegasi can use their magic to fly and walk on clouds and Earth Ponies use their magic for strength." Sunset Shimmer explains.

"And there's basically pony versions of everybody in your world?"

"Well, not quite everyone," she says. "It's my understanding with one of my conversations with Princess Twilight that Mr. Iron Will is a minotaur, and Mr. Doodle is a donkey in Equestria."

I look away from Sunset Shimmer for a second.

"Mr. Iron Will is a minotaur, and Mr. Doodle is a donkey," I say, thinking out loud. "That kind of sounds about right. And Princess Twilight is a unicorn too?"

"Yes, well...she was," Sunset Shimmer answers. "She was born a unicorn, but shortly before the Fall Formal, she was turned into an alicorn."

"A what?" I ask.

"It's a mixture of a unicorn, pegasus and earth pony." Sunset Shimmer says. "There are four alicorns who rule Equestria: Twilight, her sister-in-law, Candence, and Celestia and Luna, who are the immortal rulers of the country."

"Wait, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna are immortal in your world?" I ask bewildered. "Does that mean they're immortal in our world too?"

"Well...no, not to my knowledge," Sunset Shimmer says. "In fact, I honestly think they're mortal in this world."

"How do you know that for a fact?" I question. "The Celestia and Luna in this world could be immortal and have discovered ways to hide it for Lord knows how many years. It wouldn't make sense for them to be immortal in one world and yet only exist now over the past...30 or 40 or so years in a parallel world."

"Well that's probably where it gets really confusing," Sunset Shimmer says while scratching the back of her head. "This world and Equestria are both parallel and perpendicular at the same time."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, Twilight and I have been discussing how a lot of the students and staff at CHS are human counterparts to many of her friends in Ponyville where she lives and from Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. Having said that, though, most of the people who are teenagers or adults in their 30s or 40s in this world are all young adults in Equestria."

My face is more perplexed by the minute as I take in this information.

"So everyone here are adult horses - er, ponies in your world?" I manage to ask.