A few years ago…

During the late afternoon, Flash Sentry and his band started to exit Canterlot High School after their first concert was over and their audience had left. However, Flash realized that he had forgotten his car keys back in the school.

Telling his friends to leave without him, he rushed back in and retrieved them from his locker.  Then he walked to the School’s front entrance with his guitar case in held in one hand and his keys in the other, intent on just heading straight for his car and then throwing himself on his bed.

Before he opened the glass doors, he could see something past them. It was faint glow, coming from the base of the statue of a horse in the courtyard.

At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.  Then he noticed they weren’t, as the glow became brighter and brighter until a humanoid figure phased out from the glowing base. Once the figure was out of the base completely, the glow stopped.

Flash dropped both his items and hid behind a trash can that was right next to the front doors. Peeking from his hiding spot, he could see a figure. It was a girl dressed like a high school jock. She wore black boots, a short skirt and a black leather jacket. Her hair was mix of red and yellow, blazing on top of and behind her orange head.

There seemed to be a look of ambition in the girl’s vibrant green eyes. She seemed to be smirking deviously as she stepped though the portal.

Cowering behind his cover, Flash was terrified, trying to tell himself this was all a dream.  When he edged out from the behind trash can again, the girl now seemed confused looking at herself and the new environment.

The odd part came when she started to walk.  It looked like she had never walked before, trying to gain control of her balance.  Flash flinched when he saw the girl fall and almost slam head first in the sidewalk, just to be saved by her hands.  Displeased with her balance problems, she slammed her right hand into the cement with all her strength.

That caused tears to swell up in her eyes, as she held her bruised hand to her chest.

Flash didn’t know if it was a good idea to approach this strange human, but he began to feel sorry for her. Besides, he had to get to his car in the parking lot anyway. So he slowly picked up his keys and his guitar case, checked his hair in the reflection of the glass doors and proceeded outside.

“Uh…Hi!” He called out to the girl.

The girl wildly turned its head to him, looking surprised. “Hello…..”.

Flash wondered “Uh…what brings you here….” ‘Wow, Flash…treating this girl like some alien’ He thought to himself.

The girl looked around then demanded “First, you tell me what the hay here is!”

“Hay?” Flash Sentry asked, raising an eyebrow up.

“Yeah – what, you don’t have hay here?” the girl asked.

“Oh, we have ‘Hay’ here.  It’s just that we say ‘what the heck’ here.” Flash Sentry explained, keeping his cool

“Fine. Why don’t you just tell me where ‘the heck’ is here is so I can get going….” The girl barked “…somewhere…”

“Here is Canterlot High, in Canterlot, a modern suburban neighborhood.” Flash explain holding his arms out to the school and the surrounding area “So what are you doing here?”

The girl got up and tried to walk towards Flash. She stopped when her legs started to wobble.

"I take it, you saw me come through that magical portal," She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder to the statue's base.

“Magical…portal?” Flash wondered “I thought that was just a normal statue.”

“How could you possibly not know about magic? Aren’t there any of your species than can do magic?” The girl asked.

“We…don’t have magic in this world. And none of us can do it except for some magicians with fancy special effects.” Flash replied

“Special effects, my hoof!” the girl scoffed “Your world must not realize the full potential of mag- ”

“Hoof?” Flash wondered.  The girl then looked at her hands and then at her legs, noticing she had no hooves.

“Oh…never mind, you.” The girl replied in casual voice turning around “I will be off to explore this foreign realm. See you aroun -  Oof!”

The girl tripped due to her flawed footing and slammed face first into the sidewalk. Flash raced to help her up but he shrugged him off.

“I’m fine.” The girl replied.  She bought her hand to her nose and realized it was bleeding.

“If you come with me I can give you place to stay for a while….and maybe some bandages.” Flash offered. “You don’t want to be sleeping on the streets – it gets very cold and you will go hungry.”

The girl stood up and tried to walk away from Flash only to trip again. Flash darted over and saved her from another injury, by quickly wrapping his arms around her.

“Hey, I can take you in…and…well…I can get you up to speed on things in this world.”  Flash insisted as his arms let go of the girl.

Dusting her shirt, the girl mumbled “Fine.”

Flash then guided her to her car, offering her the passenger seat by setting his guitar case in the back. The girl eyed the vehicle’s interior and exterior as some alien vessel before taking her seat.

The girl then jumped onto his seat with her hands on the seat in between legs which stuck out.  Flash didn’t know what to say about it but his look prompted the girl to fix her seating with her legs forward and her hands on her lap.

“Don’t forget the seat belt” Flash advised, buckling up.  The girl observed and took her buckle by her mouth.  As she stretched it, Flash stopped her and took the buckle out of her mouth.

“Try using your hand.”  Flash advised giving the buckle back to her.  The girl, feeling so humiliated gripped the buckle with her hand and clicked it into the slot.

“Great…I feel like I’m back in magic kindergarten.” The girl mumbled.

“Magic kindergarten?  We don’t have any magic here.”  Flash reminded

“But you said there were magicians!” The girl replied, feeling confused.

“Well there magic is not really….magic…it’s just special effects that is setup to look like its magic.” Flash explained.

"So how do you know about magic?!"  The girl demanded.

"Uhhh...make-believe stories...I guess..." Flash answered

“I take it you don’t have winged beings too?” Shimmer grumbled. Flash nodded.

“Gaah!” she moaned “It’s going to thirty moons before I can go back! And now I’m stuck with a bunch of bipedal….things…”

Flash wondered what she had meant by that but he felt tired. Starting the engine of his car he asked “So…do you have a name?”

The girl just looked away from him, studying her reflection in the car window.

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Present day

Five Months after Equestria Girls………

Sunset Shimmer wrapped a self-knitted scarf around her neck, after putting on some thick winter boots and a violet waterproof jacket.  She took her mittens off the floor as she was walking to her door, where she knew someone was waiting.

Standing outside was her boyfriend, Flash Sentry.  His face was pink due to the fact he didn't have anything to cover it. A coat of frost was on his blue hair.

“R-r-ready to go?” the shivering blue-haired boy asked.

“Sure thing.” Sunset replied, giving him a warm kiss on the cheek.

As they hiked down from the apartment building and into the streets, the snow crunched to their steps and snow silently fell from the paper-white sky.

Sunset asked “How come it’s snowing in February? I thought it was end of winter.”

Flash explained “Sometimes there is snow in February but it is very rare. What is even, rarer is that it’s snowing near Valentines day.”

Sunset smiled, for she was familiar with the romantic human holiday “That’s kind of magical if you ask me.”

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The next morning, Flash woke up and headed downstairs after getting dressed, ready to have his breakfast in the kitchen.

Surprisingly he found the girl there too, eating some toast with butter on it.  In fact, the slice of toast was hanging from her mouth as she munched it down.

The girl made eye contact with Flash but then broke it quickly spitting out her toast back on her plate. He could see her nose had healed, thanks to help of the ointment in his bathroom.

“You know, I can whip up some eggs if you would like.” Flash offered still trying to be kind.

The girl asked “You don’t think I know how a toaster works in Equestria?”

“Equestria? Is that where you came from?” Flash asked taking some blueberry yogurt from the fridge.

The girl didn’t say anything.

Flash then seated himself in front of the girl. “Listen, I know that you are angry and confused about this non-magical place. But you owe me for patching up your nose and helping you find a place to stay. All I ask is that you tell me what you are doing here.”

The girl grumbled, “I came here because…I wanted to prove something to somepony…”

“Somepony? Sorry, keep going…” Flash was starting to guess that the world this girl came from had a lot to do with horses.

“Basically I know I’m ready for…these advanced lessons that she was setting me up for.  But she wouldn't ever listen to me. So I ran away to see if I could somehow prove myself elsewhere. However, now I see that coming into this world was pointless – there is no magic, no form of power, nothing that can help me.”

Flash Sentry asked “So what was that thing about thirty moons?”

“The portal that you saw me come through opens every thirty moons so…”

Flash didn’t know how long thirty moons were, but it certainly sounded like a long time.

“….So I guess you are stuck here with me.” Flash finished.  

The girl glared at him. “With you?”

After an awkward silence, the two just focused on their breakfast. The girl took the toast with her mouth and started to munch it again. However it fell out of her mouth as she was chewing.

“It would be easier if you used your hands and your mouth when you eat.” Flash informed.

“Should I just use my hands for everything?” the girl groaned.

“Pretty much – basically for stuff like carrying, holding, catching…” Flash explained.  "..well, definitely not kissing or licking or..."

"Are you implying something?" The girl sharply asked. Flash shook his head, trying to look innocent.

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Sunset found the nearby woods almost similar to Everfree, despite the huge difference what kinds of creatures settled there. Pillars of falling snow formed from holes in the treetops.  There was no sign of a building or another soul. It was if she was in another world

Flash walked beside her in silence. Held his gloved hand up and spotted a squirrel climbing up a frozen tree. Flash reached into his pocket and pulled out some nuts.

“Remember that time I took you to petting zoo?” Flash asked as he fed the squirrel.

Sunset chuckled “Please don’t remind of time I tried to hold a conversation to a pony as I fed it – that was so embarrassing in front of everyone.”

Then she started to pat the squirrel's head, feeling its soft fur and warm fur. “I used to have fur like you,” she cooed.

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“Is there a reason why you want to come to school with me?” Flash asked, feeling worried.  They had exchanged some things about the human world and Equestria after breakfast, and Flash was able to get the girl walking properly very quickly.

“It’s the only place where I may learn how to fit in your ‘human society’.” The girl stated. As the two walked inside, some of the students didn't bother to glance twice at the new girl and Flash Sentry together.  

But the girl seemed to have taken interest in a lot of boys and girls being together, chatting, kissing, and holding hands. Flash could see the look in her eyes, and he could sense that she never had a boyfriend before..

Flash thought, ‘here goes nothing…’ and asked “So….did you ever fall in love with someone?”

The girl frowned. “Nope, I was too busy for that. It’s a waste of time.”

“Oh…” Flash replied, partly taken aback “I asked because…even though I attract many girls here as a musician, I never really have time for them, either. Or any feelings.”

The girl replied “Yet it surprises me that you aren't swarmed by any right now, unless you aren't as popular as you say you are.  Has any girl stood out to you?”

Flash said “Well…only one….but I still don’t even know her name…”

The girl open her mouth to add some comment to make fun of Flash’s cowardice, only to stop when she saw Flash smiling at her

“….Are you talking about me?” She asked. Flash shyly nodded.

Then Vice Principal Celestia walked up to the couple. “Good Morning, Flash Sentry. It’s nice to see you again. Who is your friend?”

Flash was about to introduce the new girl to his Principal, but the girl was shocked as shown with her pupils shrinking and her jaw-dropped mouth. “C-Celestia? How did you…”

“Excuse me? I do not believe we have met before.” Principal Celestia placed a hand on her chin, observing the girl. Flash did not know why, but he felt had to find a way to help her out of it.

“Oh, I was telling her all about how great you are, Principal, because…” Flash begun.

“I…am…going to enroll here At….uh…Canterlot High School!” the girl shouted happily at the top of her lungs with her hands in the air as if she was cheering.

Principal Celestia replied “Welcome to CHS then.  You and I will have to drop by my office to complete your request to enroll here. Excuse us, Flash.”

Flash nodded silently to the girl, indicating to go ahead with what the Principal asked.

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On their way back, Sunset and Flash walked cautiously across the slippery sidewalks.  Not many cars were on the icy roads but many boys and girls played in the streets ice-skating, snowball fighting, or making snowmen. Meanwhile some adults tried to shovel off the snow into a pile far away from the road.

“Winter…man…” Sunset sighed happily as her hair was decorated with snowflakes and a white mist flowing from her mouth “I always loved winter in Equestria.  Where I lived, we could preserve the snow with are magic for a few days after it had ended.  As fillies we kept snowballs to play tricks on our friends.”

“Yeah…the snow…the weekends from school…the hot chocolate…” Flash added trailing off.

On their walk they passed by Canterlot High.  The school was planned to be open today but due to the large snowfall, it was cancelled.

“I can never get my eye of that new entrance we had built.” Flash said. “Feels as if that way lifetime ago”

“To me it always feels like it was yesterday.” Sunset said

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“So, you say you were homeschooled until now?” Celestia noted, filling out the girl’s record on her computer.

“Yes,” the girl stated on the other side of the desk. So far, this Celestia wasn't the same Celestia that she ran away from, nor was she royalty. But she did seem to have a high rank and access to the various tools of this world that the girl had yet to learn about out.

Celestia continued to type not making any eye-contact. “Do you live with your parents?”

“…no…” The girl replied. Then realized that ‘yes’ may have been a better answer. But it was the truth, for back in Equestria she was in an orphanage until she became old enough to hold a part-time job and enroll in Princess Celestia’s School.

“No?  Where are they? How were you home-schooled then?” Celestia asked calmly and patiently.

Sunset took a quick breath in through her nose and put on her acting face “It’s hard to explain you see…”

“Do tell anyway…Sunset Shimmer…” Celestia started reading her name on the computer.

“Well…I lived with my aunt and uncle for long time, since my mom and dad didn't want me.  But eventually I grew tired of it and they let me go.  My uncle did not believe I could live my own life now, even though I couldn't drive nor had much money.  Then one night I arrived…in this neighborhood and met Flash Sentry.  I was in need of high school education so that’s why he directed me here, today.” Sunset lied.

Celestia followed her story well but to Shimmer she seemed to studying her for any deception.

Then she settled “Very well then Sunset,” Celestia finished filling out Sunset’s information. Sunset thought that this Celestia was too occupied to actually care if she was lying. Or maybe she knew too well...

“Here is your schedule of all your classes, as well as some syllabi that you need to read, sign, and give back by tomorrow morning.  I have also given you a forum, inviting you to partake in the princess competition within the winter-rap-dance-event that will happening in a week’s time.”

Sunset thanked Principal Celestia and walked out of her office, reflecting her smile.

“And remember, Sunset Shimmer, my door is always open.” Celestia said.

Just as soon as principal Celestia closed the door, Sunset Shimmer raced across the hall and out to the front courtyard.  There was the portal concealed within the base of the statue.

Placing her hand on the portal surface, she could only feel the solid reflective surface of the base.

“Good – no pursuit from Princess Celestia anytime soon…” She checked. But her business wasn't done just yet

Sunset concentrated on the portal, focusing to see if any images would come out. On the other side she saw herself as an alicorn who could rule Equestria.  If the portal could project that image in Equestria, what image would it project now?

Some colors started to swim but the image they formed was very blurry being sharpened very slowly.   Sunset could see a hallway of castle she had no knowledge of.  It was dark and a lone royal guard was patrolling these hallways.  But the image moved past these hallways into a dark room.  Its features were concealed by the darkness, but a faint shine could be seen on a bedside table.  It  was from a crown of some sorts, with a six-pronged magenta star in its center.  Somehow, Shimmer could feel an aura of immense power coming from the image of the crown….as if….it had so much magical power….

“An element of harmony…” Sunset mouthed. It had to be….it just had to be. If not, it was still something of great power.

Then the image shown human hands, clutching the crown off the bedside table. The image then moved away from the crown and towards the face of the human who was holding it.  

Sunset soon could see that human was her, grinning with victory.

All of a sudden, the images vanished and all Sunset was looking at her own reflection.

“Are…you okay?” Asked Flash, from behind her. Sunset jumped and spun around. She just nodded, feeling awkward.  Flash took her to a nearby bench silently, thankful that no one was looking at them together.

“Hey…you miss your home, don't you?”  Flash asked.

“I didn’t like it that much…” Sunset denied

“You…seemed kind of desperate before I came along.”

Sunset turned away from him “No…I just….”

“Yes…you can tell me anything…” Flash assured.

“I just…need a friend.” Sunset said starting to give out crocodile tears. “I don't know anything about this world, or how it works, or….I…I’m just angry…and no matter where I am…I feel so alone….”

Flash then hugged Sunset.  This caused Sunset to blush red – she had never been hugged by a strange boy before. Nor she was prepared to be met with a hug so quick.

Flash spoke “Hey…I know we haven’t gotten off to a great start when we first met…but…I want to do everything I can to help you…”

“Really?” Sunset asked

“Really.” Flash confirmed looking into Sunset’s eyes.

For the first time as long as she could remember, Sunset wasn't thinking about power or Equestria.  She was now thinking about the boy before her. Her emerald eyes were looking back at his blue eyes….

The school bell rang and Flash cried, “Oh man! I’m late for music class!”  then he turned to Shimmer “What do you have for class?”

“Class?”

“Look under second period.”

Sunset pulled out her schedule and replied, “Same as you, Music…But I don’t even play an instrument on a regular basis! Wait – I didn't even have anything for any of my classes!”

“That’s okay…” Flash assured “The teachers will know you as a new student so I wouldn't worry now. We can go get supplies after school is over.”

Shimmer didn't know what to say…this boy was so…kind...gentle…he had offered her so much…

“Uh…Flash?” Sunset squeaked.

“Hmm?” Flash wondered.

“My name is…Sunset Shimmer…”

Flash just smiled warmly and held her by the hand and guided her back inside the school. “That is a beautiful name.”

Sunset’s eyes just sparkled all the way back into the school….she had a lot to learn about this world and looked forward to her time with Flash.  But in reality, her time at Canterlot High would keep her busy for another thirty moons until she was determined to embrace her destiny to get the Element of Harmony in her clutches.

‘After all if I'm going to be the ruler of Equestria when I get back, I might as well start practicing in this world’ she thought to herself

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Flash and Sunset sat down on a school bench - That same one they sat on a few years ago - looking at the portal from where they sat. The snow dotted their hair, their coats, and their frostbitten faces.

“Tell me…do you ever miss Equestria?” Flash asked.

Sunset nodded “Yeah…sometimes I do.  I mean it’s good that I choose to settle down here…but deep down, I keep telling myself I want to go back.  It would be convenient if the portal to Equestria could be working twenty-four seven.”

“Mmmhhmm….” Flash said “We have come a long way from when we first met. It will be something to tell your mentor back home.”

They sat in silence for a while as the snow collected and the air grew colder.

“Flash…I’m torn….I really want to go back. I want to go back to Equestria and stay there.”  Sunset confessed.  “But….part of me can’t because…of my friends….and you….”

Flash seemed puzzled “What? Why? I thought you were happy here.”

Sunset nodded “Yes, but being human feels so different when you realize you are pony on the inside. I mean with humans, they forget a lot…and they seem to live without any magic – in some cases, the magic of friendship - going about their lives with each other until they leave each other. Then they forget you and what they did with you, as they forgot about Princess Twilight or even the fact we rebuilt the school as a whole.”

Flash looked at Sunset in the eyes, understanding what she had meant. He replied “I’m sorry, Sunset…I’m sorry that you have to feel this way as a human.”

“I didn't feel it all the time…” Sunset noted “…When I enrolled here, I was glad to be a human, looking all attractive and beautiful and popular…but now…when realize who you actually are, more than ever you want to be who are.”

“And that is?”

“A unicorn.  Somepony. That wants to just be back in a world of harmony.”

Flash said “I bet your ‘other’ in Equestria is feeling the same – maybe she one day wants to come back here and be a human….And maybe you could go back to Equestria when the portal opens for both of you.”

Sunset refuted, “But Flash, going back for good could mean breaking up with you.”

Flash gave his assuring smile “Maybe I could tag along then.”

“You have your band, your fame…and all your friends…., and your dream to be on a country tour.  Could you give all up that…and be in strange world, away from a place you always called home, living in a way that is considered different for a huge chunk of your life, if not all of it?”

Flash wanted to deny it but Sunset looked at him in the eye, asking for the truth.

“I…I…” Tears started to come to his eyes. “I…don’t want to say it, Sunset….but if letting you go makes you happy then….”

Shimmer put a finger to his mouth and held his hands in her lap “Shhh…I’m still here for another twenty five months – I won't be going soon. I just want to make sure that both of us are ready for it and strong when it happens…”

The couple stood up and began to walk back home, trying to put their previous thoughts out of mind as the snowflakes still drifted around them.