A Search For Something More

Chapter 29: Caramel the Farmer

Two weeks have passed since Valentine's Day, and things have been going pretty well. Applejack has started to become more accepting of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's relationship, Pinkie Pie had to say bye to Cheese Sandwich as he had to travel again. Still, she is keeping a cheery attitude knowing that he'll be back someday, and Sunset Shimmer and I have started to become close friends. In fact, now and then, after finishing the school day with English class, we get into a conversation where I will ask more about her world, Equestria, which I enjoy. It's still odd that she's a unicorn from another world. However, the nerd in me finds it fascinating to learn about minotaurs, griffons, hydras, dragons, phoenixes, and alternate versions of some of the towns and cities in our world like Manehatten, Baltamare, Las Peagas and even Crystal City with their unique history in her world.

"So, this Crystal Empire contains a race of crystal ponies that you guys to forgot about?" I ask Sunset Shimmer as we walk down the halls to the exit after just finishing school for the day.

"Basically," Sunset Shimmer answers. "From what Twilight has told me, King Sombra cursed the place to disappear for over a thousand years until it reappeared, and he tried to use the empire to rule Equestria only to be defeated for good by Spike and Princess Candance."

"Heh, not to sound nitpicky, but I'm starting to see a pattern with all the things that keep happening both here and in Equestria of late," I say. "Seems like every threat either worlds come across that isn't from you or this changeling queen is just some force of evil that was temporarily defeated for exactly a thousand years. King Sombra, Discord, Sonata, and her sisters, Tierek, and Moon of Nightmares or whatever Vice Principal Luna is called in your world."

Sunset Shimmer rolls her eyes before giving me her signature smirk.

"It's Nightmare Moon, you big dork," she says while playfully nudging me in the arm. "But you do have a point. A lot of things happened to the ponies of Equestria before it was just Princess Celestia who ruled the country."

"And yet Vice Principal Luna turning into an evil force of darkness is the only thing that became a known legend," I say skeptically. "And everyone has a counterpart in this world?"

Sunset Shimmer hesitates before she answers.

"So far," She says. "I haven't traveled very far from this world's version of Canterlot on account of the fact that CHS was considered the key place for my plans for world domination, so there are a few ponies in Equestria whose counterparts I haven't met yet like Princess Twilight."

"Interesting," I say as we exit the building. "So, do you think your counterpart is out here somewhere?"

Sunset Shimmer stares blankly at my question. I stop walking as I notice she looks a little troubled.

"Something wrong?" I ask.

Sunset Shimmer snaps out of her frozen state and answers calmly.

"I honestly never thought about that," she says. "It is possible that my counterpart is out there somewhere. But I don't know if I would want to see her."

"Why not?" I ask. "It could be interesting to see how you two might be similar or different from each other like a lot of things from both of our worlds."

"I know, but I don't feel comfortable with thinking about the fact that there's another Sunset Shimmer out there," she says. "Every time I think about it, I wonder whether or not I'm living a life that's supposed to belong to the other Sunset Shimmer in this world instead of me. I'm a little worried that because of some moral reason, I will have to go back to Equestria even though my life and the people I care about are here."