In a laboratory with equipment so expensive one would think that the owner would at least be able to spare some resources for proper illumination, sat a lone scientist in the cover of the dark. However there among mass spectrometers, microscopes that cost more than most people’s first cars, and containment cells for inordinate and precarious resources, the lighting of the room was minimal, just like the proprietor of the confined space preferred. She would often find herself performing experiments in the cloak of darkness almost, with just an unremarkable amount of light to see her notes. There was something sedative about the darkness to her, something soothing and endearing. A blanket of relaxation that wrapped itself around her when she needed peace, a need that came often.

The scientist of the lab adjusted her stylish frames and buttoned up her lab coat to stifle the chilly air that came to this part of the homemade lab. Cursing herself she recalled that she kept telling herself all month to put a heater in this room, but every time she put it off and forgot about it until it was nightfall and was only reminded when she had been up all night performing experiments in the frigid cold. The next day she would tell herself to get it taken care of, only to trot down the same path predictably and make the same blunder again. It was difficult for her to break this dance of stubbornness with herself. Despite being Summer, many of the experiments in this room combined with it being in the bowels of her home decreased the temperature significantly.

Sitting down in front of three expensive computer monitors, she reached to adjust the web camera. Watching it focus on herself being displayed on the monitors in front of her, she could see her digital reflection among the various documents and notes she had opened up on her expensive custom-made PC. Looking at the image, she once again realized how much the yellow highlights of her lengthy wild red hair stood out, though they were only second to her piercing teal-green eyes that seemed to illuminate the dark whenever she was seen in a room.

Perched on her nose were rather stylish narrow frames, bi-focal, transitional lenses of course; no expenses spared.

Thinking about it, she realized that even in this lighting she looked relatively pale. No sunlight for days does that to you, I suppose. With a deep breath, she pressed the record button on her keyboard to begin her message.

“Ahem…” she spoke, trying to clear her throat for the recording. “This is Sunset Shimmer, and this is a recording for data log…” she thought for a brief moment before scrambling through her notes on the desk to find the correct information.

Locating the file she looked back up at the camera. “978. Yes, that seems to be correct. Experiment A-108, I regret to report has been a massive failure, despite my best efforts. The test subject, whom I’ve nicknamed “Morty” has unfortunately perished.” She sighed as she held her head in defeat upon reporting this news.

“As you probably remember from previous logs, I was testing the effects of using an anti-conduction serum I created to disperse the force and energy emitted for the experiment on the bullfrog. Initial tests seemed to be going well, however it turned out that it had nothing to do with the anti-conduction agent and he actually did sustain damage from the experiment… He was just an exceptionally resilient bullfrog and thus didn’t show any clear signs of injury until hours later,” she explained as she reached up to adjust her glasses.

“Needless to say, I am rather disappointed by the results; however I will begin work on the next experiment. My anti-conduction theory has yet to be disproved; I simply need to reassess my approach of how to attack the problem. That is the proper scientific process after all.” She could actually feel a smile approach her face, but only briefly as she reminded herself of many unpleasant facts.

She let out a sigh and shook her head as she hung it low, her whole expression drooping. “Truthfully, I am not sure why I record these videos anymore. Perhaps in the event that I cannot explain any of this and fail to remedy this situation I want there to be documentation… Or maybe I just want it to be known that I put an effort forth and tried.”

The young woman looked over at the wall behind her computer and gazed at a photo she had hung there, it was one she peered at many times while in this room, and it always reminded her of why she was doing this, why she was pushing through each and every failure, regardless of how difficult they became to face, and today her failure felt particularly difficult; the cold air in the room only aiding in her discomfort. The problematic feeling of defeat looming in the air, piercing through her fortitude was almost enough to shake her into giving up, but somehow she always found the strength to push forward and ignore such thoughts. She always found a way to extrapolate new resolve to keep her spirits elevated enough to carry on.

With a more somber expression she leaned in closer to the camera and spoke again quietly, “As always, these videos should you be watching them are the chronicles of my work and a telling of my story up to this current point in time.”

She paused and closed her eyes. “And if you’ve been watching all this time, I don’t need to remind you that this is more than a video lab report, but also a diary of my story thus far for the past four years; everything I've been through and all I've done. My name is Sunset Shimmer, and this is my story.”

With those words, she tapped the stop button to end the recording.

Hey! You're reading the author's note. That's kind of you. Special thanks to my spouse Applety for the illustrations for this story. Yes there are going to be many of them. Stay tuned!

Also bear in mind that her interpretation of scenes might vary slightly from the text. It's nearly impossible for two people to see the same thing from words alone.

Point of reference as well: this was written when the most current content for Equestria Girls was the 4th film: Legend of Everfree. So it ignores everything beyond that.