This is Part 13 of my rewrite concept, one chapter only.

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Chapter 11: Tomorrow

Philomena guarded a second entrance to her study, located to the left of the fireplace. Princess Celestia silently looked in her library of documents in a corner room. Currently, only the Royal Sisters could search them unless granted permission by Celestia herself, and a permanent, transparent bubble was placed around them both collectively and individually to prevent any destruction whatsoever. She found several scrolls related to Star Swirl, but no spells. Then came a knock from Princess Luna.

Celestia: Come in.

Luna: *walks inside* Found anything, big sister?

Celestia: I’m afraid not. How about you?

Luna: *shakes head* No.

Celestia: *takes out pearl white scroll with list of Star Swirl’s studies, crosses off Twilight’s and Luna’s* Two down, maybe several dozen to go.

Luna: Still finding some rooms, are you not?

Celestia: Too many to count.

Luna: How many?

Celestia: Hmm…maybe twenty-five. And not counting the ten or so I know of already.

Luna: Did Star Swirl ever take a break in his life?

Celestia: *chuckle* Oh, he took some.

Luna: Name one.

Celestia: Well… *pauses* He took a century off writing spells.

Luna: What did he do in between?

Celestia: I don’t know, Luna. He never liked talking to anypony. Always preferred to work for himself.

Luna: So, is that why he failed to complete the ascension spell?

Celestia: Well, like I said, he never truly understood friendship.

Luna: Or maybe he didn’t care.

Celestia: Perhaps. Luna…*looks down at the scrolls*…do you think Sunset will forgive me?

Luna: Why, of course. What makes you believe she won’t?

Celestia: Well…did you see how she reacted last night when Pinkie said we’re all friends here?

Luna: No.

Celestia: You felt it, though, didn’t you?

Luna: Yes.

Celestia: Did it…scare you?

Luna: A little bit. What’s the matter, Celestia?

Celestia: Pain. She’s in pain, Luna. She doesn’t show it, but doesn’t hide it, either. Do you think the others notice, too?

Luna: If they did, they didn’t exhibit it. Is that why she sat next to me?

Celestia: Well, Luna, she does have a fascination for you.

Luna: Wish that happened before I became Nightmare Moon. *giggle*

Celestia: So what do you think about it? Do you like it?

Luna: Celestia, I don’t know what to think. I cannot explain why, but she makes me happy.

Celestia: Apparently, Miss Pinkie Pie there raised her so well. From what Twilight told and wrote to me, I can say my guess was completely true. The two Pinkies are almost completely alike. Now she has Pinkie Pie’s biggest talent: making others happy.

Luna: But it feels like a different kind of happy, doesn’t it? I know Pinkie is affectionate, but Sunset acts like a sister or mother…even for her age.

Celestia: Mother… *caresses her own hoof on her muzzle* Reminds me of how close we were before she ran away. I miss that. *sighs wistfully* I wish we’re at least friends again.

Luna: So tell her.

Celestia: No, Luna! *disgruntled sigh* Sorry. Right now, she wants nothing to do with me.

Luna: And she’ll continue to want nothing to do with you unless one of you approaches the other. Neither of you will say no forever.

Celestia: After calling me a monster, I doubt it.

Luna: But she wrote notes to you while locked in Pedestria, did she not?

Celestia: Yes, but—

Luna: But nothing. Celestia, if she hated you, then why did she bring the diary or write to you? She’d burn it before running away.

Purple eyes looked down at the cool, white floor. White eyelids blinked. Her ethereal mane slowed its flow.

Luna: *cups wing around her back* Sister, you wondered if she’ll forgive you. So talk to her. Won’t hurt to try.

Celestia: *sighs sadly and longingly* I hope so.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was in Sunset’s study. It was dark outside, and the lone light sources came from the half-moon outside and two chandeliers with tiny light bulbs within. Like Twilight’s study, Sunset’s was two stories high, except there was a spiral staircase from the middle and a gradual incline along the side. The bottom floor had several bookshelves, all reaching from floor to ceiling and a bed snugged against the window. Upstairs, shelves full of books stacked along with a gigantic globe of Equestria in the middle and a sundial by the window. As Spike slept in a makeshift cot, she rummaged through each book, scanning the pages quickly, but not so rapidly in order to not skip it, and she used an extra piece of magic to scan with her horn. Book by book, she found nothing, but she continued anyway, emptying out shelf by shelf. After finishing one shelf, she looked up at the high, conical ceiling, where books stacked tidily all the way up to the top.

“It’s gonna be one long week,” she grumbled to herself and went to sleep in her own cot beside him.

Next morning, knocking on the door woke her up. The rest of her friends and Spike (who woke up early) came over and brought food for them all to eat outside. Twilight didn’t want to, but Spike and Rarity reassured her, anyway. After all, you can’t find a spell on an empty stomach. They had their meals, chatted briefly, and then went to work in Sunset’s study.

Later, Sunset Pie Shimmer was busy cooking outside on the beach in front of the house. Over a rock pile of fire, she was toasting some leftover banana leaves and radishes. When they were lightly charred, she yanked them away from the fire, cut the portioned leaf into strips, rolled the leaf tightly around each radish, and used a little maple syrup to glue the leaf together and calm down the spicy radish. She handed them over to her family, and they bit into it. You got that bite of the radish and that sweet of the syrup to compliment it.

“Sister?”

Sunset looked up. “Yes, Solsty?”

Solstice’s grin shone brightly. “May I have more, please?”

Sunset tossed her rolled-up radish into her mouth. “Amsholutely.”

She stood up, speared more radishes through a wooden skewer, and planted it beside the campfire.

Throughout the early afternoon, they continually devoured this concoction.

As they ate, Pinkie Pie in the human world was walking down a boardwalk bridge in a bay near her house. Staring out at the bay, seagulls dipped their beaks underwater to down fish, and Pinkie watching reminiscently. She turned to her right and paid attention to a bench behind a rail; a transparent flashback of thirteen-year-old Sunset and twelve-year-old Pinkie flashed as they sat in winter wardrobes giggling and eating ice cream together. There, Sunset played a tiny trick on Pinkie by tapping her on the right shoulder to distract her and sneaking a small spoonful of Pinkie’s ice cream. Pinkie was caught by surprise and then stole a little spoonful herself while Sunset giggled cheekily. The two kids took turns alternating the ice cream while laughing. When the flashback disappeared, Pinkie returned home and opened the garage door, where Cloudy was busy carefully stuffing untangled streamers into a half-open party cannon barrel.

“Hi, Mom! So, are they ready?”

Cloudy Quartz snapped the cannon closed. “Ready,” she replied with a grin.

Pinkie took out a paper cup of strawberry ice cream and scooped some into her mouth.

At the beach, Sunrise went back to work lifeguarding. Nopony swam so far off the coast; whenever anyone did, she’d use her horn to slowly pull them ashore. Luckily, nopony was stupid enough to try. Everyone sunbathed, built sandcastles, or played sports on the sand, either through volleyball or some other family activity.

Then, a little disk nailed her left rear leg, startling her. As she went to pick up the disk, Solstice’s aura grabbed it, and he flicked it back to Sunset and Dawn, who were running back and forth. Dawn grabbed it with his mouth and tossed it back towards Solstice, who dove and barely missed. But he retrieved it when it hit the sand and flicked it over. Sunset successfully grabbed it on the dive and was immediately tackled by a laughing Dawn and Solstice.

Sunrise peaked at them from the corner of her eye. Her tense lips cracked a chuckle, and she sighed happily. Man, how much did she wish to join them right now.

Unfortunately, she had at least three hours of work left.

But by 7pm, everyone had already retired for the night, and Sunrise was cleared for the day. But the Shimmers weren’t ready to leave yet. All four were far away from the shoreline, but they kicked sand around while trying to catch that old flying disk into their mouths without using their horns or hooves to cheat.

For possibly the second time all day, Solstice caught the disk. After he landed, he showed off his surprise.

Solstice *muffled*: I got it! I got it!

Sunset: Great job, Solsty!

Dawn: Excellent catch, son. *crouched down and wiggled his legs* I’m ready.

Sunrise and Sunset crouched down, too.

Sunset and Sunrise: Ready!

Solstice spat out the disk and twirled it with the bottom of his right toe.

Solstice *slyly*: Who wants a disky? Who wants it? You, *at Dawn* you, *at Sunrise* or you? *at Sunset, then flicks it gently across the beach* Go!

Sunrise, Dawn, and Sunset chased after it. Dawn picked up a hot start, but began to fade as Sunrise and Sunset took the lead. As the disk descended, Sunrise took the lead and jumped up to grab it. But before she could, Dawn leapt over her, grabbed it, and landed hoof-first.

He spat out the disk and slowly twirled it around his hoof with a cocky grin. “Rule number-1: Never count out a Shimmer. Rule number-2—”

“Last one to tickle him’s a rotten egg!” yelled Sunrise.

Dawn’s eyes shrunk. “Oh, dear…”

He zipped away as Sunrise hurried after him, chortling.

Fortunately, he didn’t run for very long; Sunrise wrapped her front hooves around his abdomen and pulled him to the ground. Then, she began to lightly jab at his belly, and he guffawed uncontrollably.

Sunset and Solstice watched several yards away and faced each other, big grins on their muzzles. She held out a hoof, and he tapped it with his own.

But before she could do anything else, he lunged forward, wrapped his front legs around her, and caused her to fall on her back. Then, like Sunrise, he vigorously poked at her belly. This time with all four hooves. Sunset squirmed, but her legs felt paralyzed, yet her tail flailed. Louds gasps of young laughter from her and little Solsty erupted. Loud enough for Sunrise and Dawn to stop their own tickle fight and watch.

That night, Sunset was in bed, leaning back on her headboard. Journal on her lap, she glued an image of herself blushing as her rump was covered in cherry jam from falling on the pie.

“You were waiting for it,” she wrote underneath and drew a smile.

Immediately, her journal glowed, and Pinkie’s writing faded in below.

“Thanks a lot, Sunny! You owe me a new cake!”

“My pleasure.” Sunset grinned wickedly.

“Wait ’til everyone sees this! They’ll be laughing like crazy! Wait! Maud’s here! B.R.B.”

Less than a minute later, the diary flashed again, and Sunset turned the page.

“Hilarious.

—Maud”

“Hey, Maud! How’s everything with you and the others?”

“I’m doing okay, Sunny, but it doesn’t feel the same without you here.

—Maud”

“Empty, isn’t it?”

“Very.

—Maud”

“But it won’t be for long!” Pinkie wrote and scribbled an image of all three hugging.

“Um…we never set up a reunion time, Pinkie-Mommy.”

“Oh. How ’bout 9 AM tomorrow morning?”

“Groovy idea! Maud, what do you think?”

“I think it’s fantastic.

—Maud”

“YAY!” Sunset scribbled a pony and human raising their front legs (and arms) in excitement beside it.

Knock-knock.

Sunset: C’min!

Solstice walked inside.

Sunset: Hey, Solsty!

Solstice: Hey, Sunny. Hey, what’s that? *climbs on the bed*

Sunset: My diary. *scoots over* I’m writing t’my family from the other world.

Solstice: Cool! Can I write?

Sunset: Sure! *dips pen in ink* Solsty, tell me what y’wanna write, and I’ll write it with your name on it.

Solstice: Cool! “Hey”…

Sunset: “Hey”…

Solstice: “Sunset’s”…

Sunset: “Sunset’s”…

Solstice: “Other family”…

Sunset: “Other family”… *writes his name down at the end*

“Hi, Solstice! I’m Pinkie Pie! It’s exciting to talk to ya!”

Solstice: *eyes the floating quill* May I—

Sunset: Oh! Of course. *exchanges the quill pen and watches*

Solstice: “Pinkie, you sound amazing. Signed, Solstice.”

Pinkie: “Awwwwwww, shucks! Wait, you’re Sunny-Hunny’s little bro! Oh, my gosh!”

*Sunset laughs, Solstice giggles*

Solstice: “Sunny says so many great things about you.”

Pinkie: “Aww!”

Maud: “Hi, Solstice. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m one of her older sisters, Maud.”

Solstice: “Hey, Maud. Name’s Solstice. Nice to meet you, too.”

Maud: “Hopefully, we will all meet in person soon.”

Solstice: “I hope so, too.” *turns to Sunset* In person?

Sunset: Figure of speech, Solsty. *kisses his head*

Maud: “I have to leave for work tonight. Sunset, Solstice, goodnight. —Maud”

Solstice: “Goodnight, Maud! Pinkie, Sunset, be right back. Dinner.”

Pinkie: “Okie-dokie-lokie.”

Solstice: *laughs, leaves*

Sunset: “Wonderful li’l bro, isn’t he?”

Pinkie: “Absolutely! Reminds me of another baby sister I know.” *writes a wink*

Sunset: *laugh* “I really miss you, Pinkie-Mommy.”

Pinkie: “We all miss you, Sunny. Boy, oh, boy, we got a marvelous surprise for you tomorrow! Can’t wait!”

Sunset: “I know you too well. You go all the way with your plans.”

Pinkie: “Maybe a little TOO far out of my way.”

Sunset: “What do you mean?”

Pinkie: “If I tell you, it’s not a secret anymore.” *writes a wink*

Before Sunset can write more down, Pinkie added, “Don’t worry, you’re gonna love it! Pinkie-Promise or your money back!”

Sunset: “Watching too many infomercials lately?”

Pinkie: “Understatement of the decade. Thirty-second commercials over and over and over and over again! Makes my hair flatten.”

Sunset: “Not the hair! NEVER flatten your hair!”

Pinkie: “Don’t throw a kenohorah, Sunny!”

Sunset: “Oy vey.”

Pinkie: “So, do your mom and dad there know you’re leaving tomorrow morning for two days?”

Sunset: “Shoot, I forgot! Be right back.”

Pinkie: “I’ll be waiting.” *scribbles a grin underneath*

As Sunset departed to tell her family her plans for the next two days, Pinkie laid the book down on the bed, walked to Sunset’s room, and stared at the deep twilight sky outside her window. Smile small. Eyes half-tired. And a red streamer twirling around her left index finger.

“Tomorrow, Sunny,” she murmured, smiling. “Tomorrow.”

 

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Source: Fanfic concept: an Equestria Girls rewrite