All future installments of "Dawn and Dusk" Series will take place between chapters one and two of Silver Lining.
The rays of light shined in through the narrow slits in the window blinds, the bright beams of golden sun adding a little color and warmth to a disaster area of a room, which had become a far cry from the neat and tidy space it was over a year earlier; the floor littered with clothes, walls plastered with posters of famous pop and rock bands, and a messy bed, occupied by a lone teenage girl, one Sunset Shimmer to be exact. And at that moment, said teenager ceased her loud snoring as the sun hit her eyes.
"Nnng," she groaned, pulling the bedspread that had been kicked away in the night over her purple pajamas and up to her head to shield her still tired eyes from the offending light. But alas, if it wasn't the sun that finally got her out of bed, it was the knocking on her bedroom door.
"Who is it?" Sunset murmured, still half-asleep as she turned over in her bed, her barely audible question miraculously heard by the party on the other side of the door.
"It's me, Sunset. May I come in?" came the soft and nurturing voice of the one woman who Sunset could openly say she loved with all her heart. The one woman apart from her friends who was more than willing to give her a second chance when no one else would. The one woman in this world that took her in when she had nowhere else to go…
The one woman she called Mom.
Canterlot High's own Principal Celestia.
"Un huh, yeah, sure," Sunset grumbled as she rolled on her side, her back facing the door as it opened to reveal the woman who had adopted her after the infamous Anon-O-Miss incident. But instead of her usual, professional clothing she wore at the school, Celestia wore a rather interesting ensemble of clothes that Sunset had only seen her wear at the Star Swirled Music Festival; a diamond-studded pair of biker-boots, black leggings that lead up to a pair of fashionable jean shorts paired with a purple t-shirt, the pair of clothes partially concealed by a dark violet plaid jacket with neon-green accents, which perfectly matched the lovely sunhat she wore.
Yep, anyone walking past Celestia on the street would be unable to recognize the woman who strode over to her adopted daughter's bed, sitting on the other side of the bed that Sunset faced.
"Sunseeeet," Celestia whispered in a singsong voice, her soft hand gently pushing back a strand of fiery-golden hair to see her daughter's beautiful face, the older woman always feeling a pang of deep affection in her heart whenever she saw it.
"Five more minutes, please Mom," Sunset grumbled, turning away from the affectionate gesture, which only made Celestia role her eyes in amusement as she leaned down to whisper in Sunset's ear with that same singsong tone.
"Happy Birthdaaaaay."
"To yoooou," Sunset half-consciously sang back, only for the flat note to be immediately replaced by a loud snore, her response, followed by the unflattering sound causing Celestia to giggle as she leaned down, playfully rubbing her nose against Sunset's cheek, the gesture causing the half-conscious teen to let out a giggle as she slowly started to come out of dreamland.
"It's your birthday, silly," Celestia answered.
"Tooo meee," Sunset mumbled back, only for her eyes to snap open after her brain had finally registered what had just been said. Quickly sitting up, Sunset looked at her adopted mother with an expression of thinly veiled excitement, which only grew when she saw Celestia holding a chocolate cupcake, covered in frosting that Sunset knew was specifically colored to match her hair, and a lone lit candle in the shape of "18" in the center.
Yep, Sunset and hit that big human world milestone.
"It's my birthday," Sunset exclaimed with an ecstatic giggle, the teen lightly bouncing in her bed, the sight alone making Celestia giggle as well as she pulled the girl close to her, placing a tender kiss on her forehead as she gave the cupcake to Sunset.
"Make a wish, Sweetheart," Celestia cooed, only to feel her heart melt as Sunset snuggle deeper into her side, her eyes closed as she let out a content hum.
"I don't need to…I already have everything I could want."
And with that, Sunset blew out the candle, her cyan eyes staring longingly at the small sliver of smoke that rose from the burnt wick, the teen leaning her head on Celestia's shoulder as the mother and daughter just sat there, enjoying the other's company in silence. But after about three minutes of just sitting on the edge of the bed, the silent moment was interrupted by a low rumble.
"Sounds like someone's hungry," Celestia giggled, the older woman smirking at the light blush that appeared on Sunset's face. And upon taking notice that Sunset needed to change out of her magenta pajamas, Celestia got up from the bed.
"Why don't I go ahead and leave you to enjoy your treat and change," Celestia said as she walked towards the door, "and then you can come down for breakfast. And after that, we can get this day of fun started."
"Sure thing, Mom," Sunset said as she took her first bite out of her morning cupcake, the girl moaning as the rich chocolate cake mixed perfectly with the smooth vanilla of the icing.
Aunt Luna, you are amazing, Sunset thought to herself, the teen knowing full well that her mother couldn't cook or bake to save her life, so naturally it always came down to her adopted aunt, who Sunset was surprised to find after moving in with the sisters had a passion for something other than the video games she played in her "Lunar Base" in the basement of the two story Cape Cod-style home. It still amazed Sunset that Luna could slay an entire horde of zombies, yet still make a killer eggplant parmesan.
GRRRRRR!
The thought of food did not ease Sunset's growling stomach, even though it now had a helping of rich, chocolatey goodness. But Sunset knew she needed a real breakfast and not sweets, though that never stopped her in the past. After getting up, made her way over to a sizable terrarium in one corner of the room. And inside, Sunset giggled as she watched the black-sotted golden occupant stretch himself, opening his little mouth in a cute yawn as he lazily cracked one eye open.
"Good Morning Ray," Sunset continued to giggle, reaching in to gently stroke one finger along Ray's spine, the sweet little gecko stretching contently before returning to his lazy morning on the little rock platform, almost completely ignoring Sunset as she put in his breakfast before Grabbing her phone from its charger by her bed and making her way towards her bathroom, all while swiping through her MyStable page which was already flooded with birthday messages, and nonchalantly shedding her clothes as she went. And in all honesty, Sunset actually felt a bit more comfortable au natural, given how ponies, save for the occasional suit or vest, lived in a state of, well, nature.
And as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, Sunset couldn't help but stroke her ego a little as she admired herself, taking into account how much she had grown into her body. Her already alluring hourglass figure had retained its overall form, which Sunset was silently grateful for. Twirling around, Sunset glanced over her shoulder to admire her shapely hips and round but firm "flank" as she had continued to call it, the right cheek now sporting a tattoo that resembled her cutie mark. Sunset giggled at the memory of when she and Luna returned from their "Aunt/Niece Bonding Trip" a month after Celestia adopted her, when Celestia almost had an aneurysm when she saw Sunset's new mark. And the sight of Celestia chasing Luna around the house, screaming about "all the irresponsible things she's done" was still the most humorous thing she had seen in her life.
As Sunset turned back around to fully face the mirror, she let her eyes linger on her most "valuable assets." And if Sunset was being honest, she now had more of an understanding of the male obsession with breasts than when she first arrived in this world. And when she learned this after just a month in the human world, she began to feel that sort of self-consciousness that other girls had. When she first arrived, her breasts weren't anything spectacular, just a couple of perky lumps on her chest. But she didn't have to worry about it for long, from the time Princess Twilight first arrived and the present, Sunset found herself having to find loser clothes as the once pathetic mounds had grown into an attractive pair of eye catchers; round and firm c-cups with a dark caramel-colored nipple to top each. And as had become habit to Sunset, whenever she admired her girls she always lifted them up, only to let go and let the drop, revealing to any onlooker other than Sunset that they were the perfect combination of firm with a little bounce.
DING!
Pulling herself from her self-admiration, Sunset picked up her phone that she had set by the sink, unlocking it to find a PM from her favorite purple-skinned girl. Smiling a loving smile, Sunset opened the message to find exactly what she had expected.
Sparky: Happy Birthday, My Ray of Sunshine!
Sunshine: Thanks, My Midnight Ladybug!
Sunset still couldn't believe that out of all her friends, out of all the other potential candidates, save for Flash Sentry, she ended up falling in love with the cute, geeky nerd that was Princess Twilight Sparkle's human counterpart who transferred to Canterlot High after the whole debacle at the Friendship Games against Crystal Prep.
It was still hard for her to wrap her head around how far she and Twilight had come in such a short amount time. In truth, Sunset was the one who started things almost two weeks after Twilight transferred, with a little, well a MASSIVE nudge from Pinkie Pie. And she was shocked to learn that Twilight had been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out as well. The first date went well; a simple movie night followed by a trip to the Sugarcube Café. But for Sunset, the most memorable part of that night was when she took Twilight home. Sunset had meant for the evening to end with a heartfelt hug and maybe a peck on the cheek or forehead, but Twilight had other plans.
And just like that, Sunset had had her first date with Twilight, and gotten her first kiss from her to boot.
Now here they were, one year later and still very much in love.
DING!
Sunset was pulled from her reminiscing by another message from Twilight.
Sparky: Watcha doing?
At that moment, Sunset got an idea.
An awful idea.
Sunset got a wonderful, AWFUL idea.
Standing in front of the mirror, Sunset brought her phone up to eye level, her camera ready to snap a picture, fully intent on sending Twilight a selfie of her in her current "state of undress." And while when they first dated Sunset thought that Twilight would be mortified at such a concept as "Sexting," she had come to find out that Twilight was not as innocent as she was led to believe. In fact, it was only when the two decided to take their relationship to a more intimate level that Sunset found out Twilight was only as, uh, "adventurous" as she thought she was allowed to be. But imagine the fiery-haired girl's surprise when that veil was lifted, and her girlfriend turned out to be the stereotypical "naughty schoolgirl."
Since then, Sunset never shied away from sending her girlfriend a few tasteful nudes and vice versa.
And the moment she got a response from her message, Sunset smirked in victory.
Sparky: You wound me, Sunny. I almost tried to jump into my phone.
Sunset merely rolled her eyes as she responded.
Sunshine: Well, why settle for your phone when you can have the real thing whenever you want?
Sparky: You're evil.
Sunshine: You know it babe. I'll see you and the girls tonight, if I don't see any of you before.
Sparky: Gotcha, see you Sunny.
Sunshine: Love You.
Sparky: Love You Too.
And with that, Sunset set her phone down before stepping into the warm, inviting trickle of her morning shower, her heart beating a mile a minute with love for Twilight…
And anticipation for the day.
As Celestia made her way back downstairs and into the kitchen just adjacent of the spacious living room, she was greeted by her sister, dressed in a casual attire of a violet spaghetti-strap sundress that went to her knees, which themselves were covered by a simple pair of baggy dark jeans ending in pair of dark purple, open-toe heels. And to top off the ensemble, a plum-colored leather jacket
"She up?" Luna inquired as she continued to chop some fresh fruit for a fruit salad for Sunset.
"Yes, she's washing up and will be down in a few," Celestia responded, the older sister grabbing some of the blueberries and strawberries that her sister had left for her to use on her oatmeal that had just finished cooking on the stove. And after she had fixed up her bowl, Celestia took a seat at the breakfast nook that separated the kitchen from the dining room, stopping only momentarily to grab the cup of coffee she had poured herself before going to wake Sunset, who at that moment eagerly bounded down the stairs in her attire she had picked out for the day, which was a simple, yet classy combination of her favorite leather jacket over a magenta crop-top blouse, a pair of denim capris and a pair of traditional converse shoes.
"WOAH!" Celstia exclaimed, sending Sunset a finger gun and playful wink.
"LOOKIN' GOOD, SWEETIE!"
"FEELIN' GOOD, MOM!" Sunset giddily replied, offering her mother and aunt a little show as she twirled around, the action earning her a few playful hoots and wolf whistles from the two older women. And once she had had her fill of attention, Sunset made her way over to the counter for her fill of food, walking up to Luna who had just finished putting together Sunset's breakfast.
"Morning Aunt Luna," Sunset said, standing on her tiptoes to place a peck on Luna's cheek, the otherwise brooding vice-principal of Canterlot High trading her seemingly permanent scowl for a soft smile as she returned the gesture, immediately letting out a soft chuckle as she followed Sunset to the breakfast nook.
"Good morning, Birthday Girl," Luna responded, setting the bowl of fresh fruit in front of Sunset who eagerly dug in, the girl's eyes instantly lighting up as she discovered that her aunt, who went back to the kitchen counter to clean up then nurse her THIRD cup of coffee, had done something different to her usual morning breakfast.
"Did you do something different with the fruit?" she inquired excitedly, the girl receiving a playful stink eye from her mother.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Sunset," she playfully chided, causing a blush to form on Sunset's face as she swallowed what was already in her mouth.
"Sorry Mom," Sunset said with a slight blush, only for her attention turn back to the salad before putting more on her fork, "it's just SOOOO good!"
Luna couldn't help but giggle behind her hand, the usually stern vice principal of Canterlot High actually enjoying the praise she was getting from her niece.
"Well since it's your birthday," she began, "I decided to mix things up with a special mix of honey, powdered sugar and a dash vanilla."
"It's AMAZING!" Sunset exclaimed, the two older women exchanging a look that conveyed to the other that they were surprised that the usually calm and collected girl before them was so excited about her birthday, as if she was a little kid.
"Wow Sunset," Luna finally said, an amused chuckle laced in her tone as she got the girls attention, "I must say I haven't seen this side of you before."
Unfortunately for Luna, this had the exact opposite effect she intended on the girl, who immediately became self-conscious, shrinking in on herself as if she'd just been scolded, her exuberant smile turning into an almost timid frown.
"Oh, uh…sorry," she murmured under her breath, pushing around the fruit in her bowl. Immediately taking note of this, Luna went into panic mode as she instantly began to stammer out an apology.
"OH, NO NO, SUNNY!" she exclaimed, immediately by the girl's side as she placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, "I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing! I just…I'm just not used to seeing you so excited."
"It's okay, Aunt Luna," Sunset responded, offering her aunt an understanding smile.
"I get it. It might seem strange that I'm so excited about today, but…it's just because this birthday is very special."
"Why's that, Sweetheart?" Celestia curiously inquired, wondering to herself why this particular birthday was so important for Sunset.
"Well," Sunset tentatively began, unsure of whether to reveal some of her past. But, realizing it very well may strength her relationship with her found family, she felt it was the best course of action.
"Back in Equestria…I didn't know my birth parents. They died when I was just a little filly, so I don't really have any memories of them."
Celestia and Luna both exchanged looks of shock, both clearly taken aback by this revelation. But their attention immediately went back to Sunset as she spoke.
"I spent most of my filly years in an orphanage. It was nice, all things considered. But none of us really got a birthday for ourselves. It was usually just that month's birthdays all mushed into one, so no one felt left out. Though I think it was really to save bits."
"Oh," Luna said with a groan, "I remember they did that in Kindergarten."
"Yes," Celestia added in, her scowl present s she remembered those times as well, "it really wasn't that great of an experience."
This seemed to cheer Sunset up some, though her frown somewhat returned as she continued.
"Well, one day the Princess, the Celestia of my world, came by the orphanage on a 'good will' visit, if you wanted to call it that."
Sunset sent a playful smirk to her mother, who had a small blush on her face, though that gave way to a deep frown brought on by a teasing smirk from Luna.
"Really," Sunset continued, "she was there to recruit potential candidates for her School of Magic. Of course I made the cut. For years I trained under Princess Celestia. And in that time, she always expressed great pride and satisfaction at my progress."
Celestia couldn't help but smile at this, feeling she could relate to her royal counterpart in her pride for her daughter.
Unfortunately, the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Unfortunately, I made the mistake of thinking that she could care for me as more than a student. And one day I realized that…I was right."
Sunset stifled a whimper and swallowed a lump in her throat, a thin line of tears appearing in her eyes.
"Well, I ran away after that, thinking that all that hard work was for nothing. That I would never be anything more than her student. As a result, I turned bitter and resentful. Eventually I found the mirror, and well…you know the rest."
At this point, the tears began to fall as the teen continued to look at her half-eaten bowl of fruit.
"That's why this birthday is so special…because it's the first one I've had in a while where it's just me…"
Sunset paused, the young woman surprising Celestia by wrapping her arms around her middle, burying her face into her chest as happy tears escaped her eyes.
"And my family."
At that point, the two sisters couldn't hold back any longer, the two women immediately enveloping their daughter and niece in a tight embrace, hot tears careening down their cheeks as they held the most important girl in their lives close to them. And between them, the two heard a quiet, content sigh escape Sunset's lips as a small smile broke on her lips.
After about three minutes, Celestia was the first to break the embrace.
"I'm glad you told us, Sunset," Celestia said as she pulled away from her daughter, cupping her cheeks as she spoke to her, "and so I don't want you to forget that today is all about you. Nobody else…just you. Anything you want to do, just say it!"
Giving it a moment of thought, Sunset decided that right now, she was content with anything.
"I don't care…just as long as we're together."
The two sisters smiled at each other, happy that Sunset could finally be with a family that loved and cared for her. And with what she said next, both knew in their hearts they would always be there for her.
"I Love You Guys," Sunset whispered, the tears long gone as she looked at both women, who couldn't help but chuckle at this.
"We Love You Too, Baby," Celestia said, placing a tender kiss on Sunset's forehead, only for the girl to let out a perturbed laugh as Luna ruffled her hair.
"More than you know."
"Okay, okay," Sunset laughed as she pushed Luna's hand away.
"Alright Sunset," Celestia interjected, "why don't you finish up and go finishing getting ready. We'll clean up, and once we're all set, we can head out?"
"Sounds great," Sunset said cheerfully, the birthday girl finishing her breakfast in a few minutes before she made her way back upstairs to freshen up, but not before planting a quick peck on Celestia's cheek. And as Sunset went about her business, Celestia just sat in silence, her mind reeling at the thought that that girl, that innocent child…
Was her daughter.
Wow, she thought to herself with a smile, before preparing for the day.
And what a day it was.
Starting off on the right foot, the trio stopped by the Sugarcube Café for a round of Sunset's favorite beverage, a Caramel Bomb Frappuccino, the young woman having got her mother and aunt hooked on the stuff during their first official family outing. And since it was Sunset's birthday, the proprietors Mr. and Mrs. Cake said it was on the house…though Sunset did leave a nice tip in gratitude.
Next stop on the trip was the Canterlot Mall, with Celestia being insistent to a reluctant Sunset that she intended to spoil her on her big day. And while Sunset did restrain herself, she did find a few items in her favorites stores that she liked, especially a new leather jacket at her favorite clothing store. She even ran into a few of her friends along the way. Well, mainly Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash since the two worked at the pet shop and sporting goods stores in the mall. The two even convinced their bosses to give Sunset a birthday discount, for which Sunset expressed great gratitude.
For the rest of the day, Sunset, Clestia and Luna spent the day shopping, grabbing some lunch, and even catching the new Daring Do movie at the mall's cinema. But before long, Sunset felt the excitement from the day start to zap her energy. And by the time the pre-evening hours were rolling round, Celestia and Luna were more than happy to take her home…hiding their mischievous smirks the whole time. And while Sunset did catch these expressions, making her a bit suspicious, she was too tired to pry. But the moment she stepped through the front door of the house into the dim living room, Sunset's tired demeanor was quickly vanquished by a resounding…
"SURPRISE!"
The huge amount of confetti shot from the infamous party cannon twinkle din the lights that suddenly illuminated the room, Sunset's eyes going as wide as her smile when she saw all of her friends standing there, her six best friends, mainly Pinkie Pie, having decked out the place with streamers, balloons, and bunting. Also in attendance Sunset was happy to see Flash Sentry and…
"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!" she exclaimed as she ran to the Princess of Friendship, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"Happy Birthday, Sunset!" the Equestrian Princess responded with a giggle, the two breaking away as Sunset looked up the royal alicorn-turned-human with intrigue.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Sunset said, crossing her arms as she sent her friend an amused smirk.
"Well," the princess began to explain, "I had planned to write you in the journal, but I decided that I should come and give you my good wishes in person."
When Sunset heard this, her smile grew even brighter as she looked upon the girl who was essentially her first real friend in this world.
"Well I'm glad you're here," Sunset responded before looking to her other friends and girlfriend, who had walked up to Sunset as she spoke, placing a firm kiss on her cheek as she snuggled into her side as Sunset addressed the rest of the group.
"All of you."
And it goes without saying that it didn't take long for the festivities to get into full swing. And it was a great party. Sunset received many practical, but thoughtful and sentimental gifts, which she was ever so eager to show her appreciation for.
But for Sunset, the most amazing gift she could receive, was from Celestia.
And every time she looked at the framed document, Sunset just couldn't help but feel giddy whenever she realized that Celestia…
Was now legally her mother.
Yes, that document was an adoption form, finally having come through after months of legal limbo.
And when Celestia had presented it to her, with her and the city notary's signatures and all, it was missing only one thing…
Her own signature.
And needless to say, not a dry eye could be found as Sunset and Celestia, after the ink had dried, shared their first true embrace as Mother and Daughter. And as Sunset sat in her bed, the festivities now long since concluded with everyone having either gone home or turned in, she couldn't help but smile happily at the framed adoption form in her lap. And as she set the frame on her nightstand, Sunset settled into the warm sheets, turning off her light before rolling over onto her side toward the open window, the tantalizing smell of the Canterlot spring filling her nostrils.
And as the gorgeous full moon rose in the sky, Sunset allowed one last whisper to slip over her lips before letting the call of sleep pull her in.
"I'm home."