The Dawn Of Homecoming

Twilight sat in front of her pets, patiently waiting for Starlight to tell her what had been troubling her. She’d said she would tell them, but her reluctance was clear.

"S-Shouldn't we help Trixie first, Mistress?" Starlight asked hopefully.

Twilight thought this over for a few moments, then looked over to the blue unicorn lying beside Starlight. "How are you feeling Trixie? Do you want to talk about what happen earlier, or…?"

Trixie shook her head. "No Mistress. I would like to talk about it at some point, but we should help Starlight first. She’s had to deal with it for an entire week now."

Twilight nodded in understanding. "That settles it, Starlight. Now, what's going on?"

As Starlight listened to the firm tone of her mistress’s question, she felt like she was about to start hyperventilating. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath, then let it out and began to talk.

"A-Alright, Mistress.” She had to pause and take another deep breath, but then she focused on her mistress’s reassuring presence and continued. “I’ve been having nightmares where you abandon me. It happens in a different way every time, but the end is always the same, you abandon me and then I kill myself."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt two forms press up against her, followed quickly by both Twilight and Trixie wrapping her in a hug.

"Oh Celestia! Starlight you should've told me! I could've helped you sooner. You should know something like that is never going to happen!" Twilight said soothingly.

Starlight relaxed slightly as she felt her mistress’s hoof running through her mane and Trixie’s muzzle gently nuzzling at the side of her neck. As the fear she’d felt for the last week began to subside, she felt tears start to flow down her cheeks.

"I know, Mistress. I was just scared that you would abandon me for real. Logically, I know that will never happen, But I’ve just been so scared I would lose you and Trixie. I was so scared of losing the pony closest to me again."

"Again? Did you lose somepony you loved before?" Twilight asked in concern, receiving a nod for in answer.

"Do you want to talk about it? I won't pry if you don't."

Starlight wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, then nodded. Twilight laid down in front of her while Trixie settled down at her side.

"If I'm going tell you this story, please don't yell at me or interrupt me."

Once she received nods of agreement from her sister pet and her mistress she sighed, took a deep breath, then began her story. "Mistress when you forgave me and saved me from myself back during...the incident. Do you remember when I told you about Sunburst?"

With a nod from the purple alicorn’s she took another deep breath and continued. "That was a lie."

Starlight paused for a moment, looking for any reaction from her mistress. The only ones she received were a nod of understanding and a motion for her to continue.

"Sunburst doesn't exist, though I did have a friend when I was just a filly. Her name was Sunset Shimmer. The whole spiel about Sunburst getting his cutie mark and being shipped off to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns was true, save for the name and the fact we actually did kept in touch. She came to visit me every weekend. We were very close. But one day I heard she’d completely disappeared from Canterlot and was never seen again. Fearing the worst, I fell into a pit of despair, believing I had lost the only pony who had ever, and would ever, be my friend."

Starlight paused as she started to cry again, but after a moment she was able to calm herself and continued. "I-I began to research a spell. One that would kill me. It essentially would be me self-destructing. But I couldn't go through with it, I was too scared to die. In the dream’s, when I was again abandoned by ponies I loved most, I’d go through with the spell."

As she finished her story, she looked up to see her mistress’s reaction. She wasn’t sure what reaction she’d been expecting. Pity maybe, or perhaps compassion, the ball of fear that still hadn’t completely left her whispered of disgust at a pony who had scared away the one pony who had been willing to call her a friend. Whatever the case, she certainly wasn’t expecting the reaction she got, her mistress was smiling.

"Oh Starlight, you are NOT going to believe this. I've met Sunset Shimmer!!" Twilight didn’t even try to hide the glee in her voice, as she enjoyed the looks of stunned disbelief she was getting from both her pets.

"Y-You have?!" Starlight asked, hope practically dripping from her voice.

Twilight nodded furiously. "Yep! Not only have I met her, I'm also a good friend of hers! I know where she is, too!!"

Tears of joy started to drip down Starlight’s muzzle at this and she stared up at her goddess in desperate hope. "Can we visit her soon then, Mistress? Please Please Please Please Please?!!?!?!?!?!

"Of course we can!! I promise you, we will visit her soon! We'll go to her place in a few days!" Twilight informed the two unicorns.

Starlight leaped at her mistress and pulled her in a loving hug, while smiling a smile that even Pinkie Pie couldn't top.

"Oh, Thank you so, so, much Mistress. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!" Starlight exclaimed gratefully.

"You are quite welcome, my pet." Twilight said, returning her pet's happy hug before continuing. "So, do you think the nightmares will stop now, or should I talk to-?"

"No mistress, I don’t think I’m going to be having any more nightmares."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Trixie joined their hug, simply holding her sister pet and her mistress close for a moment, before asking her own question.

"May we go to sleep now?"

"You don't want to talk about what happened, Trixie?" Starlight asked.

"No, I’ve gotten it out of my system." Trixie assured the two of them.

"Alright then let us get some good sleep tonight." Twilight told her two pets.

***

Sunset Shimmer awoke in the giant cardboard box she had been living in for the last two days. She’d had to leave Canterlot High when everyone there turned on her. They’d decided that she couldn't be trusted after all and got a warrant for her arrest. At first, she thought her friends would've been on her side, but they didn't seem to trust her as much as she thought they did. She cried to herself as she thought back on what had happened.

"Why? *hic* W-What did I do wrong?" Sunset questioned in between her sobs.

One of the few things she had taken with her was the book that let her communicate with Princess Twilight. She could've contacted her at any time, but she was terrified that she might have turned against her too. Hiding in this cardboard box, she’d had little to do besides think, and think she had. She’d thought about her past, about everything that had eventually led her here, all the mistakes she’d made and everypony she’d ever hurt. Sighing to herself, she decided to face her fears and write to her friend, even if she turned out to be against her too, maybe she’d be willing to help her fix at least one of her mistakes.

"Please don't hate me Twilight." Sunset quietly begged, then picked up a pen.

"Dear Princess Twilight,

This may sound strange to you, but, do you still like me? Are we friends? Or do you also secretly hate me, like everyone else did? I guess I'll get this out of the way. I-I love you Twilight. I have since you forgave me back then. It turns out everyone at CHS was just pretending to forgive me since they all jumped at the chance to get me arrested. I heard I'm wanted, Twilight. There is price on my head. Please don't hate me too, Twilight. Please respond, Twilight. Please help me. Also, even if you don’t want to see me again, could you do me one favor? There’s a unicorn in the village I grew up in, her name is Starlight Glimmer. If you could, would you tell her I’m sorry. Sorry for vanishing without a word, sorry for never writing, and well, just sorry for everything. And Twilight, thank you, for everything.

-Sunset Shimmer

After she signed her name, she waited with bated breath for a response from her only remaining friend. Ten minutes passed, Twenty. Finally, when Thirty minutes had passed, Sunset Shimmer began to cry, Even Twilight had forgotten her existence it seemed. Then the book began to vibrate. Hope filling her heart, she stared at the book as it vibrated with a soft magenta glow. After a few minutes of staring, she opened the book and began to read Twilight's response.

***

Twilight woke up with her pets cuddled up to her. Carefully, so as not to wake them, she removed herself from between her sleeping pets and watched with a smile as they both subconsciously slipped half way into her empty spot and cuddled up against each other without waking. As she strolled through her castle, she suddenly felt like eating something. Turning towards the kitchen, she let options play through her mind as she trotted along, finally settling on a daffodil sandwich as an ideal breakfast.

As she munched happily on her sandwich, she heard the pitter-patter of talons on marble. Looking up, she saw Spike running towards her, holding something in his claws.

"Uh, Mom? You may wanna see this."

Looking down at what her son was offering her, she saw a very familiar vibrating book resting in his claws. Letting out a gasp, she took the book from him, then patted him lightly on the head. Opening the book, the purple alicorn gasped in horror as she read through her friends message. Quickly, She and wrote a simple message in reply.

***

"Get to Equestria as fast as you can." Sunset read aloud.

Nodding to herself, she ran as fast as she could, all the way from where she was downtown to Canterlot high itself. Hopping the fence surrounding the back area of the school she moved as quickly as she could, now that she was at CHS people were starting to notice her.

"Hey guys It's her!!" Sunset heard some of them yell.

Spotting the mirror, she through everything she had into one final mad dash, bobbing and weaving around everybody who tried to stop her.

"Sunset we've got you now!" She hear Flash Sentry shout.

Needing every drop of air she had as she sprinted into the home stretch, she limited her response to a single upraised finger. Just as she was about to reach the portal someone grabbed her foot and she fell. Looking behind her, she saw the aforementioned jackass latched on to her left foot. Lashing out with her free foot, she connected with his face, hard. Her kick broke his nose, causing him to let go of her. Despite this she kicked him in the face twice more, further mangling his already broken nose. After she was satisfied, she leapt for the portal. Relief rushed through her as the familiar swirl of colors swallowed her up.

Twilight stood next to the Mirror as is started to glow. She perked up as an orange unicorn was sent flying through the portal, her nearly empty saddlebags slipping off her back and falling to the side right before she smacked into her.

Looked up, Sunset saw Twilight Sparkle looking down at her with a loving expression. Unable to restrain herself, with a burst of tears she wrapped herself around the alicorn.

"P-Please don't hate me Twilight. I'm so sorry I wasn't very nice to you before! Please forgi-" Sunset started but a lavender hoof pressed against her muzzle, effectively shushing her.

"I could never hate you, Sunset, especially not after you just confessed your love to me." Twilight nuzzled the shaken mare in an effort to calm her down.

"Now, what happened?" Twilight inquired.

"I-I don't know. One day the cops showed up asking around for me. I thought everything had turned out alright after the Battle of the Bands, but everyone told the cops about everything I did. They saw security cam footage of my demon form and quickly issued a warrant for my arrest. I told your friends in that world about this and that Flash Sentry actually tried to rape me. They were clearly disappointed when I told them that I got away from him and then they sold me out too. I thought they all forgave me. It hurts, Twilight. I thought I had finally made a place for myself, only to find out everyone who I thought was on my side secretly hated me. I'm so happy that you aren't one of them Twilight. I'll always be grateful for you." As her story came to an end, she began to return the princess's nuzzles.

"Oh Sunset, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't believe they would do that! How could they?!!" Twilight exclaimed, seething in anger that the ponies...no the people who had been her friends could had treated Sunset in such a way.

Sighing, she took a moment to calm herself as she enjoyed the feel of the mare who was still pressed against her.

"Still, I suppose this is for the best." Sunset spoke softly as she separated from Twilight.

"I've been wanting to come back to Equestria for a while now, but I've never gone through with it because I thought they wanted me there. Heh, looks like I couldn't have been more wrong about that, huh?"

Twilight caressed the side of the orange unicorn’s head with her hoof, hoping to ease Sunset out of the somber mood she was in. Her plan worked, as soon she felt a soft muzzle start to nuzzle the caressing hoof.

"You can stay with me if you want." Twilight offered gently.

"Thank you, Twilight. I'm very grateful for your hospitality." Sunset said with a smile. She hoped to put the past behind her, not wanting to think of that awful place anymore. All she wanted to do now was show ho grateful she was to the mare in front of her, who had repeatedly been so kind to her.

"Oh, this makes things so much easier, we were planning to visit you in a few days, but now you’ve come to us." Twilight commented happily.

Sunset perked up, then gave the purple Alicorn curious look. "You were planning to visit me? Wait, us? What do you mean by us?”

The answer came in the form of a voice that made Sunset's heart skip a beat.

"Mistress? *yawn* Are you in here? Trixie and I are sorry for not finding you sooner." Starlight rubbed sleep from her eyes as she called out to her mistress. As she took her hoof away from her eyes, said ocular orbs widened in utter shock. The shock was short lived however, as she quickly bolted towards the shocked orange mare standing in front of her. With a cry of. "SUNSET!!!!!!!" The mauve unicorn crashed into her old friend in a huge tackle hug.

"Oof." Sunset let out a gasp as the excited unicorn crashed into her. Tears of joy poured from her eyes as her brain fully processed who the mare clinging to her was.

"St-Starlight? Oh Celestia, STARLIGHT!" Sunset cried as she returned her oldest friend's embrace. "I'm so so sorry for leaving you back then! Please forgive me!" The orange unicorn cried.

Starlight nuzzled her fellow unicorn's cheek. "Of course I forgive you, you idiot! Just please, never leave me again."

Sunset nodded rapidly, vowing silently never to abandon the mauve unicorn ever again.

"It’s good that you two are so close. This is so heartwarmingly adorable." Twilight cooed.

Blushing, the two unicorns separated from their shared embrace. Trixie had moved to her mistress's side while her sister pet reunited with her old friend.

Looking up, Sunset noticed the blue mare standing next to the alicorn that the orange mare would now willingly die for. "Hello there, I don't think we've met. I'm Sunset Shimmer, what's your name? Are you a friend of Twilight's?"

"Hello, Sunset. My name is Trixie S. Lulamoon. It's nice to meet you, and so soon, too. Starlight told us about you just last night. And to answer your question, I'm much more than just a friend of Mistress's. I'm her Pet, along with Starlight."

"Hold on, Pet?" Sunset repeated.

Looking at the blue mare she then noticed the collar around her throat. As the final words of the silver maned unicorn registered, she turned to look at Starlight, and sure enough there was an identical collar around the mauve unicorn's neck. She blushed as she read the text inscribed on Starlight's collar.

"Wow. It must be great knowing that you have such an amazing pony loving and taking care of you." Sunset said with a dash of jealousy in her voice.

She couldn't help the longing look in her eyes as she stared at Starlight's collar. 'I can see why these two would submit themselves to Twilight. She is such a great pony'

"Maybe I could be Twilight's pet, too." Sunset continued, then gasped as she realized she’d said that last part out loud.

The orange mare nervously looked up to see what the three mares' thought of her now that she’d said that out loud. While they all had different reactions, none of them were ones she was expecting. Twilight gave her a sultry grin, Starlight had a happy smile that rivaled even those of Pinkie Pie, while Trixie wore a welcoming smile on her muzzle. Starlight then turned to her mistress and quickly got her attention.

"Did you hear that, Mistress?! Can she be your pet, can she? Please Please Please Please Please Please Please?!?!?!" Starlight asked, eager to have her oldest friend as close as to her, her mistress, and her sister pet, as possible.

Twilight chuckled at her mauve pet's antics before turning her attention to Sunset. "I certainly wouldn't mind if another close friend of mine wanted to become that much closer to me. So, Sunset Shimmer, do you want to be my pet?"

"Twilight, you saved me from myself back in the other world and became the first friend I’d had in a long time. You saved me from the other world by allowing me to stay here. And now, on top of all of that, you reunited me with my Glim Glam." Sunset said using her old nickname for Starlight as she began to walk towards Twilight.

"I will forever be grateful to you for what you have generously done for me. I can’t think of a better way to show my gratitude then to serve you for the rest of my life. So please, Twilight. Please become my Mistress. Please allow me to be your pet."

As she approached the lavender alicorn, she bowed before her. Sunset felt a hoof slip gently under her chin as Twilight directed the orange mare's eyes towards her own. The purple princess then pulled the orange unicorn's lips onto her own, effectively sealing the two of them into a kiss.

"Welcome home, my newest pet." Twilight said after the two mares’ lips had parted. Sunset couldn't help herself as she wrapped her forehooves around the lavender princess and nuzzled her neck.

"Thank you, so, so, much, my Mistress." Sunset said happily.

Finally, she had somepony, no three ponies, who loved her for real. Starlight and Trixie joined in on the hug, sharing their affection.

"I'm so happy! I'll always be loyal to you, Mistress. I love you all!" Sunset told her mistress and her new sister pets. The four mares reluctantly parted from their hug after a while.

"You are safe now, my newest pet. You’ll never have to worry about anypony, or anybody, ever hurting you again.” Twilight said, effectively dousing the last flames of worry inside of Sunset's heart.

"So, Mistress, when will Sunset get her collar?" Starlight asked, her fellow unicorns nodded in agreement.

Sunset was eager to make Twilight's ownership over her official as quick as possible. Before Twilight could answer however, the mirror portal began to glow once again. Sunset's eyes widened in fear, fear that faded slightly as her new family quickly moved to stand protectively in front of her. Multiple forms flew out of the mirror and landed, quite ungracefully. Not one of the new arrivals managed to stay upright. Among them was an earth pony with a practically shattered muzzled that Twilight recognized as Flash Sentry. The aforementioned jackass looked up and shot up into a standing position as he saw a familiar head of red and orange hair.

"Thewe She ish Offishersh! Thash the Bitsh tha bwoke mah noshe!" The jackass screamed as he pointed his hoof at the red and orange maned unicorn.

Twilight scowled as Flash and the other ponies he’d identified as officers of the law began to blink at their new forms as they all stood up. Finally, Flash and the others seemed to realize that everypony in the room was, well, a pony. The sight of the officers trying to figure out how to handle their strange predicament was almost enough to banish the scowl from her face, almost.

"What the hell ish goin' on?! What didju do you bitsh!!!" Flash Sentry screamed at the orange mare who stood behind the other three mares.

He then ran towards her, fully intending to kick her ass. His intentions collided with reality when, unused to his new center of gravity, he tripped and fell right into Twilight, getting his blood smeared into her coat.

Seeing the earth pony crash into their mistress, all three pets snarled, but Trixie was the first to move. she knocked the waste of space off of her owner with an enraged buck that could rival Applejack's, she sent him flying into the wall. She then went over to him and grabbed his head, before promptly and smashing it into the ground.

Sunset quietly cheered for joy as the ass that she hated oh so very much was injured even more severely. Twilight, remembering what Sunset had told her that bastard tried to do to her, communicated it to Trixie through their mental link. After pausing to send an apologetic and understanding glance to Sunset, she proceeded to slam the jackass's head into the ground over and over again, causing both the floor and parts of Flash Sentry's skull to crack. Trixie was surprised by her own strength, but only when she was sure he’d die if she slammed his head down again did she stop. The police officers turned ponies tried to rush her, but they were all stopped by Twilight's magic.

"What do you ponies think you are going to do to my pet?" Twilight asked dangerously. The officers in her magical grasped gulped in fear.

"N-Nothing, Ma'am!" One of them said. That answer seemed to actually appease Twilight.

"Good answer." She spoke darkly before unceremoniously dropping them from her grasp.

Twilight then approached Flash Sentry. Picking him up off the floor, she looked him dead in his eyes, not that he could see her. In fact, since one of the subtler magical attacks she’d felt Trixie use had severed his ocular nerves, he would never see anything again.

"How fucking dare you come into my home with the intent of harming my newest pet?!!?!?!" Twilight screamed, steadily increasing the pressure of her magical grip until several of his ribs broke.

"T-wiughlighght? Doghnt leght herrr Triughk yugh!" He said, desperately trying to get Twilight to side with him.

Shaking her head, Twilight deciding not to even waste her breath on him, simply slamming him into the wall hard enough to knocking him unconscious. Turning to the policemen, who by this time were all shaking in fear, she picked up the unconscious body of Flash Sentry and dumped in front of them.

"Take this piece of shit back to your world and DON'T COME BACK! UNDERSTOOD?!?"

"Yes Ma'am!!" The other world's law enforcers chorused before picking up the bloodied teenager and fleeing through the mirror portal.

Twilight lit her horn casting a quick spell to clean all the blood off of herself and the floors.

"Ugh, I can't believe they chased you into this world." Twilight groaned.

Sunset whimpered quietly to herself as her body shook, she’d been here less then an hour and already she was causing her mistress trouble. How likely was she still to want her after all this?

Throwing herself on the ground before her mistress, she started to beg. "I'm so sorry!! I didn't mean to cause you trouble Mistress! Please don't kick me out!"

Twilight looked at her in surprise. "Sunset, why would I ever kick you out? It was no trouble at all. Didn't I tell you before that you didn't have to worry about anypony or anybody for that matter hurting you?"

"Yes Mistress, sorry Mistress." Sunset said sheepishly.

Twilight moved over to her newest pet and kissed her once again.

"Don't worry about it. We will always take care of each other." Twilight reassured her as they parted from her kiss.

"Mistress?" Trixie asked as she moved closer towards the purple alicorn.

"Yes, Trixie?" Twilight responded.

"Can you explain why I'm so strong now? I never would have been able to do what I did to Flash Sentry before." Trixie asked her mistress, curiosity evident in her voice.

"As I’ve mentioned, Alicorn cum, in addition to being more nutritional than anything else somepony could eat, if eaten regularly will increase your magical powers, and in time you won’t even have to worry about morality. In fact, if you continue eating it long enough it will turn you into something not unlike an Alicorn." Twilight reminded the three unicorns before her.

Starlight gasped as the full extent of what their mistress had told them finally sunk in. "Wait, does this mean that we will all be able to stay with you forever?"

The question caused the other two pets to focus their gaze on Twilight in tandem, desperate hope clear in their eyes. When Twilight answered with a simply nod All three of her pets rushed her, pressing their bodies against hers.

"This is the greatest news ever!!!" Trixie screamed happily. As her sister pets shouted their agreement, Twilight wrapped her wings around all three of them.

While she’d already noticed that her wingspan, along with the rest of her body, was growing every day, the realization that she could hold all three of her pets with her wings made her more confident in one of her recent hypothesizes. She was now all but certain that, in time, she would have a body structure similar to Celestia’s. A thought that greatly excited her.

"Now, Sunset, how about we go and get you your collar." Twilight suggested to her newest pet, who nodded happily. Twilight then walked out of the room followed by all three of her loyal pets.

***

Twilight was walking down the street, flanked by her faithful pets, as they made her way to the entrance to the Everfree Forest when they heard a familiar shout out to them.

"Twilight! Trixie!”

When both ponies turned around, Twilight quickly jumped in front of Trixie as she saw Applejack standing behind them.

"Wait wait wait wait! I've come to apologize! Please just hear me out" Applejack hastily got out upon seeing the hostile expressions on both Twilight’s and Trixie's faces.

Starlight’s face quickly adopted a similar expression as she turned and saw who had called out to them. Sunset on the other hoof, simply looked confused. Starlight noticed this and whispered what had transpired the previous night to her. The orange mare took a defensive stance next to Trixie as soon as Starlight finished.

"Get it out, AJ." Twilight said. "You're on very thin ice with me."

Applejack stopped in front of them and took off her hat to show her sincerity.

"Look, I know I was in the wrong and I'm sorry. I was just being protective of my lil' sister and didn' really think the situation through. I didn' give ya an honest chance and I'm mighty sorry about that. I know this doesn't excuse what I'd put ya through with that newspaper. I had no idea ya woulda lived such a horrible life. I hope with time I can earn ya forgiveness, but even if I can't, please don't hate ma' family for this." Applejack finished.

Trixie walked up right next to Applejack, then punched her. Applejack looked as if her lover had just told her to go die in a ditch somewhere, but then her face took on a look of acceptance and she moved to leave, only for Trixie stopped her.

"Sorry, I just really needed to hit you one more time. I know it's weird but deal with it." Trixie said. "I'll accept your apology because I can tell that you are sincere and because you are Mistress's friend. But I can't completely forgive you. Mistress informed me that you were the one who got the newspapers to say all that stuff about me. That's not going to go away, but I'm willing to allow you to earn your forgiveness."

Applejack bowed her head in respect to the former showmare. "Thank ya, Trixie. I'll make it up t' ya, I promise."

So after saying her part, Applejack turned and left the four mares to go about their business. They continued on in silence until they were out of Ponyville and had entered the Everfree Forest.

"Trixie I'm so proud of you for being the better mare." Twilight praised her pet, who in turn moaned with contentment and a blush at the complement.

"T-Thank you, Mistress."

"Mistress, may I ask where we are going?" Starlight inquired.

"We are heading to my friend Zecora's hut. She's the zebra I asked to make your collars, which you may have noticed by now aren't exactly normal collars. I had her enchant them so that they could do certain things that we will discuss later. I'm going to have her make a third one for Sunset." Twilight answered just as the four mares arrived at Zecora's hut.

Author's Notes:

If you guys couldn't tell, I really hate Flash Sentry. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this. A Huge Thanks to rooks_fanfiction for going through the trouble of editing this. I tried REAL hard with this one and it shows with being my longest chapter so far