“But you let your hatred for me infect your heart. Now you’ve been cleansed of it.” Twilight put her hand over Sunset’s on top of her deck. “And this time, they’ll be here to help you.”

-

My name is Sunset Shimmer. I am a student and duelist of Canterlot High School. But there are but a select few who know me for who and what I truly am. And all too many that I hurt, in so many ways, all for who and what I was. And I feel uncertain if I will every be able to shed myself of these past sins that defined me.

On the surface, I might as well be your average high school girl; I go in, go to class, I study, do homework, etcetera, just like my peers. But all that is just skin deep. I am not from around here, that is to say I’m not from out of town, another county, state, country, I am not even from this very existence I stand within. I am a pony. A unicorn. From a parallel dimension, from the land of Equestria.

What feels like it might as well have been an eternity, I was once the prized student of Princess Celestia, the immortal, wise and benevolent ruler of Equestria. And no doubt her greatest disappointment. Being the protégé to the undisputed leader was once what was most dear to me, a unicorn of humble beginnings, who also had the skill and aptitude to be something greater. Alas, there was someone else; someone better than me. Someone worthier. Someone destined. And I could not bear it. Which made her also worthier than I could ever be in my unchecked hubris.

I fled my home, crossing the limbo between worlds, to come here. A place where I could get away, start over, and not be undone by fate like I had been once. This new world of humans, with no magic or higher powers to get in my way. At least it’s what I thought at first. The human world itself does not hold magic of its own, but by my actions, I made it manifest through something endemic to it.

Duel Monsters.

It is a game, the most popular pastime of this world. Discovered and perfected by an eccentric artist as a recreation of purported dark ritualized combat practiced millennia ago by the ancient civilizations of this world. By my own inherent magic, I made it into a reality. And I used it to hurt others. And planned to hurt so many more, had I not been stopped by the very pony I’d resented for so long.

It took the words and insight of someone I’d deemed my enemy, Princess Twilight Sparkle, to finally shed myself of the darkness I’d wallowed in. Were I in her place now; I don’t know if I had been able to forgive me. For three years, I held Canterlot High under my thumb. I drove everyone to resent one another through a game that once brought people together. Despite all I did, the Princess found the heart to believe I could turn things around, and even left me the very deck she used to undo my wrongs.

I feel unworthy of Twilight’s kindness, and even now I wonder if I am deserving of the trust of my six new friends who would show me the way like the Princess did for them. Nonetheless, I have the chance now; to undo my sins of the past. I have decided to keep this diary as a reminder, to aid me in my journey…

-

“Hey, Sunset! You in there?!”

Sunset jerked out of her reverie, looking up from her diary to realize Pinkie Pie, the aptly named party-girl, leaning over her on her spot behind the Wondercolt statue.

“Hiii!” said Pinkie eagerly, waving her fingers down at Sunset with an innocent smile on her face, “What ‘cha doing sitting there all alone?”

Sunset saw that the four other equivalents to the Elements of Harmony were with Pinkie; Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. In contrast to Pinkie’s exorbitant enthusiasm, they seemed far more reserved.

Rainbow Dash was the least enthused among the five, standing idly with her duel disk bearing hand to her hip. Applejack’s expression hinted at similar reservations, though she seemed more tactful as opposed to the rainbow-haired athlete, looking lax with both hands in her pockets. Fluttershy was smiling meekly, but Sunset felt it was far from genuine, given some of their past encounters. And Rarity, whom she’d gone as far as tainting with her own internal darkness to get at Twilight; it was perfectly understandable that she looked most dubious.

Sunset hugged her legs to her chest and looked away from the five glumly. That’s what she deserved, she figured.

“Come now,” came the whispery tone of Fluttershy, to which Sunset watched as the pink-haired animal caretaker extended a hand beside Pinkie.

Sunset looked up at the two girls, offering their hands to her, the one who hurt them and everyone else in the school so much in the past. Pursing her lips, Sunset slid her diary into her bag and reached out, Pinkie and Fluttershy helping her up on her feet.

Applejack walked up to them, a small smile on her lips, “Ah think…” she stopped for a moment, sighing softly as she reached out and wiped a thumb beside Sunset’s face, “Ah think Princess Twi wouldn’t approve if we didn’t hold true to giving ya a chance, right?”

Sunset looked at the farmer dumbstruck, feeling her other eye, to find her fingers stained in clear liquid. For a moment she’d felt like slinking or running away, to be out of sight and out of mind. But now she was frankly unsure of what to do. She felt as fresh tears down her eyes, wiping a sleeve against her face.

Sunset felt as Pinkie put a comforting arm around her shoulders. It did little to halt the surge of confusion and emotions running through her mind as she stood there among the five.

“M-maybe…” she hiccupped, “Maybe it’s best if you just leave me be.”

“I dunno…” said Rainbow Dash in a drawling manner, “I mean Princess Twilight did trust her deck to you…”

Sunset looked up at the athlete, eyes trained on her duel disk; specifically, the forty cards set into its holder, the very same Twilight had used to defeat her and bring an end to her misbegotten machinations.

“Maybe we should be a little more trusting too, wouldn’t you say?” asked the athlete, looking in Rarity’s direction.

The fashionista approached with crossed arms. Though seeming unsure, she complied with Rainbow’s question with a short nod. Sunset understood Rarity’s dilemma perfectly, what with having been used the way like she had been.

Sunset brought her hand down over her duel disk, over the deck the Princess of Friendship entrusted her with. She’d not used it, she’d dared not use it, not yet. For now, she would carry the Princess’ Harmony Spirits in her stead, and maybe one day when her sins were atoned, would she be worthy of them.