The Princesses Of Equestria

Chapter 1: Sunset's Decision

A/N: All of the chapters in this book will be 1-6 pages long. Thank you! <3

Sunset Shimmer plopped down onto her queen-sized bed. Anxious thoughts ran through her mind, knowing that she had to make a difficult decision. Should she return to her homeland, Equestria? Or should she stay in the human world that she now called her home?

Earlier that day, Princess Twilight Sparkle had given Canterlot High School one final visit. It didn't take her long to find Sunset and when she did, she gave her the strangest and most unexpected news. . .that she would become an alicorn princess if she came back to Equestria! However, if Sunset did return, she would have major responsibilities to maintain. So, the question remained. . .

Should Sunset stay or leave?

She gazed wistfully at the framed photograph on her beside table of her new group of friends: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity Belle and last but not least, Princess Twilight's human clone who was nicknamed Sci-Twi so that everyone could tell them apart. If Sunset did choose to return to Equestria, how would she break the news to them? She would miss them more than words could say. Lying down on her side and cradling her pillow as if it were a baby, she stared at her bedroom wall. She would have to break the news to everyone that she had commitments to: her band, her teachers and the school in general. It wasn't exactly 'forbidden' for the people of this world to know about the pony realm known as Equestria, but it wasn't encouraged either. She would just have to vaguely say that she was moving to another school. No, better yet, moving to another country. That was actually closer to the truth.

"I'll just see how I feel in the morning," she mumbled to herself before pulling the warm duvet over her tired body. Almost immediately, sleep enveloped her vision and she found herself in a dream.

"Sunset Shimmer! Thou have arrived," a familiar, feminine voice exclaimed. Whipping her head around, Sunset caught sight of a tall alicorn with a glittering blue mane and tail. Her gleaming, turquoise eyes seemed to stare into Sunset's soul. It was Princess Selene, more commonly known as Princess Luna. She looked stunning as usual.

"What? What's going on?" Sunset asked, feeling puzzled.

"Thou are asleep at the moment. This is your dream," Princess Luna replied calmly. Sunset had suspected this already, but she didn't say so. The thing that confused her was that she rarely had nightmares, and usually Luna only appeared in dreams to help ponies with fighting their fear. This didn't seem to be a nightmare since all Sunset could see so far was the princess. But. . .wait! Luna also appeared in a pony's dreams if she had to tell them something fatefully important. Sunset guessed this was one of those times. However, there was still one thing that didn't make a lot of sense: Sunset wasn't a pony! She used to be one, of course, but now she was a human living in the human world! "But how are you in my dream?" She asked, staring in awe at the majestic mare.

Luna simply smiled. "Have thou forgotten that I can see into pony's dreams?"

Sunset wanted to roll her eyes. She had known that, too. It was common knowledge in Equestria that the Princess of the Moon could do this. "But I'm not a. . ." She started to say before looking down at herself to discover that she was indeed in her pony form. "Wh-what-"

"It's magic, my dear," Luna whinnied as she extended her feathered wings before continuing, "I assume that Twilight Sparkle gave thou a visit this day like my sister instructed. I expect that she told thou about Equestria's need for thy presence."

Sunset frowned, still not understanding. "She did give me a visit, but why is my presence needed in Equestria?! I thought that I was only known as a villain there." As much as it hurt her to say it, she knew that she had betrayed the Princess of the Sun. She was convinced that she wouldn't be welcomed back with open hooves. But Luna simply shook her head as her ocean-blue eyes still sparkled like sapphires. "Thou previously were a villain, yes. That is how we are similar, Sunset Shimmer, and thou have learnt your lesson exactly as I have. Is that correct?"

Sunset didn't say anything for a moment, but it dawned on her that Luna was right - she had learned her lesson, and Celestia was not the type of mare to hold someone against their past. Still, would she really be accepted in her homeland? "Well, yes, but-" she began to say, only to be interrupted once again by Luna, "-and thy power will be able to replace my sister's strength to raise and lower the sun." She shot Sunset a knowing smile that was probably meant to be reassuring, but it didn't feel that way to her.

Sunset's mouth fell open in total shock as she stared at Luna blankly. "Me replace. . . Princess Celestia!?" She gasped. This was just . . .wow! Twilight hadn't mentioned THAT!

"Indeed," Princess Luna confirmed. "Thy and Twilight shall work together to raise the sun and moon when our time passes."

Sunset took a startled step back, almost stumbling over her own hooves. It was all too much to take in. Before she could ask more questions, Luna vanished in a swirl of shimmering blue clouds. . .

. . .And Sunset woke up from her dream in shock.