The Misadventures of Sunset Shimmers

Chapters

II - Introducing: Sunset Shimmer
III - The Melancholy of Sunset Shimmer
IV - A Day at Funland
V - Game of Soccer
VI - A Hairy Situation
VII - Finding Work
VIII - Terror From the Past
IX - The Canterlot Mercenary Club
X - Shining's Friends
XI - FUN! FUN! FUN!
XII - Best Friends
XIII - A Trip to the Vet
XIV - Hallowe'en
XVI - The Origins of Friendship
XVII - A Whole New World
XVIII - A Blast From the Past
XIX - Call of Sunset
XX - The New Teacher
XXI - One Small Favour
XXII - The School Play
XXIII - Sunset Shimmer's Birthday Suprise!
XXIV - The Daring Deal
XXV - The Heist
XXVI - The Rescue
XXVIII - Epilogue 2
I - Introducing: Sunset Shimmer
XV - The Right Gift
XXVII - Epilogue 1

II - Introducing: Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer – your everyday fifteen year old high school girl who comes from a rich family and attends Canterlot’s Private Academy for Girls. Her grades are the highest in her class alongside her best friend’s, though her focus is less on study and more on keeping up her social standing. Being a people-person, Sunset Shimmer is able to get along with all different types of people, and with her looks and her charms she is able to manipulate almost any boys to get what she wants.

Fortunately for Sunset Shimmer, her best friend Twilight Sparkle is there to keep her from taking her abilities too far. Twilight Sparkle is every bit as smart as Sunset Shimmer, her grades being the only ones in their class to be a match for Sunset Shimmer’s, but her interests focus less on social interactions and more on books, books, and more books. She had been friends with Sunset Shimmer since the two were children, and being the more cautious one of the two, she was always there to keep Sunset Shimmer from hanging out with the wrong crowd or taking advantage of boys hopelessly in love with her too much.

Whilst sometimes it bothers Sunset Shimmer whenever Twilight interferes like that, after taking some time to consider things for herself she often finds that Twilight was right to do so, and without all those times Sunset Shimmer is certain that she would not be the high-achieving honour student that she is now.

Likewise, whilst Twilight Sparkle may be the anti-social one between the two, her shell has slowly been cracking over the years that the two have been friends, and her confidence has boosted greatly from all the times Sunset Shimmer had given her a little nudge every time Twilight started to doubt herself.

The two girls each held a quality that the other was lacking, and thanks to that they were not only the closest of friends, but together they were the most popular girls in school.

One Saturday afternoon, the two were hanging out together as per usual. As it was raining outside, the two decided to stay indoors and play a game in Twilight’s room. Since Twilight had won the coin-toss, it was her decision, which meant that Sunset Shimmer was forced to play a game of Road to Knowledge… a game that, in Twilight’s words, was ‘both fun and educational’. Sunset Shimmer still hadn’t found that first criteria in this game, though.

“Five… A Biology question.” Twilight Sparkle picked up a card from the Biology pile and read over the question. “In photosynthesis, what cycle converts light to-”

“Calvin cycle,” Sunset answered confidently, not needing to hear the entire question to know where it was going.

“Correct!” Twilight answered cheerfully. “You can either move forward to the next blank space or take a chance.”

“The heart of the cards has not been with me today,” Sunset said as she picked up her piece and moved it forward one square, onto a blank tile.

“Well, they say you make your own luck,” Twilight said. “Maybe you shouldn’t have twisted that guy’s arm.”

“He was touching your butt,” Sunset retorted. “Or trying to, at least. And since when do you believe in luck?”

“I’ll have you know that I am very open-minded,” Twilight told Sunset. “And you didn’t have to break his arm. You could have just told someone.”

“I didn’t break his arm,” Sunset defended, “I just gave him a lesson he won’t soon forget. ‘Sides…” Sunset Shimmer leaned over the board and stroked a hand against Twilight’s cheek, gazing into her eyes. “I can’t have my precious Twilight being defiled by another, now can I?”

Twilight swatted the hand away. “Back off, Romeo,” Twilight deadpanned.”I know you’re just teasing, but what if my parents walk in and get the wrong idea?”

“Or your big brother?”

“Yeah, what if-” Twilight stopped as she realised that that was not Sunset Shimmer who had spoke. Sunset Shimmer quickly backed away and acted innocent, and Twilight heard laughter behind her. “I-Is that-”

“Well well, I guess my lil’ sister is growing up,” Shining said as he placed a hand on Twilight’s head and roughed up her hair, causing her to fail her arms in a vain attempt to make him stop.

When she finally got away and straightened out her hair, Twilight turned around to see her big brother standing before her, his black suit and white shirt completely soaked, presumably from the rain outside. “Big bro!” Twilight cheered as she jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around her brother.

“Welcome back,” Sunset said with a smile at the display of a lovely sibling reunion. “I take it you’ve got some leave?”

“Yeah,” Shining said. “I just got done with a huge case, but I need to let my leg recover.”

“Recover?” Twilight asked. “What happened? I thought you said your cases weren’t dangerous.”

Shining Armor flinched. “Ah, well, that is… I fell down the stairs at my office! Yeah, I was so excited to hand in my report, that I tripped?”

Twilight gave her brother a suspicious look, before sighing and shaking her head in exasperation. “So that’s it. Sheesh, you’re such a klutz.”

Shining Armor laughed along with Sunset Shimmer, though his laugh contained more of a nervous tone. “Anyway, I-”

“SHINING FRANCIS ARMOR!” Shining and Twilight both jumped at the harsh tone of their mother, Twilight Velvet – wearing a white one-piece dress with a single blue star sewn on the left hip and a white pearl necklace around her neck – as she entered the room, glaring at her son and tapping her foot against the floor. “What do you think you’re doing, wearing those soaking-wet clothes around the house? Come on, let’s get you out of that suit and into something dry!”

“But mum-”

“Don’t you ‘but mum’ me! Come on, out out out!”

Shining Armor sighed and nodded his head, leaving the room with his head hanging low. His mother followed him outside and to his old room, where she had brought up his briefcase that he had left downstairs in his haste to see his sister again.

“Honestly, you’re just like a child,” Velvet said as she opened Shining’s briefcase, finding more action figure and comic books than she did living essentials. She took out a clean white polo shirt and some jeans and handed them to her son. “Keep this up and Cadance will lose interest in you.”

“Not a chance,” Shining retorted. “I just haven’t seen Twilie in so long. I wanted to see her again. Is that so wrong?” Shining reached for his tie to remove it, but stopped when his mother cleared his throat and pointed to a spot on his jacket. “Oh, right…”

Twilight Velvet glanced behind her to make sure nobody was there, and then pulled out a key from her dress pocket. Shining Armor took the key and approached a set of drawers to his left, unlocking the top drawer and opening it up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his handgun. “I really don’t like you carrying that thing around.”

“Neither do I,” Shining said as he removed the magazine and placed both parts into the drawer. “But it’s regulations.” Shining locked the drawer and placed the key aside as he resumed changing his clothes.

“Well, just don’t let Twilight know,” Velvet said as she turned around to give her son some privacy. “Goodness knows how she’ll act if she knew.”

“Don’t worry,” Shining said, “She thinks I just shift about paperwork and analyse data.”

Meanwhile, back in Twilight’s room, Twilight Sparkle sneezed suddenly as Sunset Shimmer was reading her question. “Sorry,” Sunset said, “But I don’t think ‘achoo’ was it.”

“Very funny,” Twilight said in a sarcastic tone. “C’mon, read it again.”

“Alright, but you only get this last chance. What is the term to describe the energy released when one mole of gaseous atoms acquires an electron to-”

“First electron affinity,” Twilight answered with a proud smile.

“Correct,” Sunset said with a smile of her own. “Nerd,” she whispered.

“If I’m a nerd, then you are too,” Twilight said in a flat tone.

“I must be, if I’m spending my Saturday afternoon playing Road to Knowledge. But at least I still have some sense of style.” Sunset Shimmer laughed whilst Twilight simply rolled her eyes. “Anyway, you can either take a chance or you can force me to take a Chemistry question.”

“Well since you aced the last five Chemistry questions, I’ll take a chance.”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed a chance card and read it out to Twilight. “You won a Noble Prize.”

“YES!” Twilight cheered in a pitch that rang painfully in Sunset’s ears. Twilight blushed and cleared her throat. “… Cool.”

“Nerd,” Sunset said as she handed the card to Twilight.

“Did that sound just come from Twilight?” Shining Armor asked as he entered the room, his clothes now dry after a quick change. “What happened? Did the telescope she wanted go on sale or something?”

“Not yet,” Twilight said. “Hey, wanna join us?”

“We’re already midgame,” Sunset pointed out.

“So?” Twilight asked. “We’ll just let him start near us, it’s no big deal.”

Sunset Shimmer simply shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s fine. He could do with the handicap anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shining asked as he sat down between the two girls.

Twilight reached into the box beside her and pulled out a blue piece, setting it in-between her own purple piece and Sunset’s orange one. “It means that, because we’re so much smarter than you, we’re likely to answer more questions right than you are.”

Shining Armor gave his sister a bemused stare whilst she simply gave him a cocky one. “Oh? Keep in mind I’ve already graduated college, yet your two are still in high school.”

“Look out, Twilight,” Sunset said, “We got us an Art graduate here!”

Twilight giggled whilst Shining Armor frowned. “Art and a Minor in Math!”

The two girls laughed whilst Twilight Velvet – carrying a tray of lemonade and cookies – walked inside to Shining’s defence. “Now now, girls. What he lacks in smarts, he makes up for in charm.” Shining smiled and nodded in agreement. “And beside, I’m sure in Mepidor, he’s a genius among dwarves.”

Shining’s frown returned at his mother’s teasing tone. “Epidor,” he corrected. “And I’m an elf, not a dwarf.”

“Don’t worry, worry, Mrs. V,” Sunset said. “We’ll give him question from the Junior version.”

Velvet giggled as she turned to leave the room. “Alright, just make sure to take it easy on him, you two.”

Shining sighed as he saw Twilight handing him the dice from the side. “Your turn,” she said.

Taking the dice, Shining Armor rolled them onto the board. He moved his piece onto a brown tile. “Physics, right?”

Sunset nodded as Twilight picked up a card. “Describe Newton’s third law of motion.”

“Hah! I know this one,” Shining boasted. “When one body exerts force on another, the second body exerts equal force back.” Shining seemed to be proud of his answer. That is, until the two girls turned their heads and snickered. He then remembered that it had been a while since he last did any Physics work, and now wasn’t so sure. “Uh, I mean… an object is either at rest or moving at a constant speed unless a force acts upon it?”

“You were actually right the first time,” Twilight told him, laughing even more as she reached over and high-fived Sunset Shimmer.

Shining frowned and turned his attention to Sunset. “This was your doing,” he said. “My sister was sweet and angelic, but then you corrupted her! You demon!”

“So you caught me,” Sunset responded. “What you gonna do, Mr. FBI?”

“Alright, Shining,” Twilight said, “You can either take a chance or move back two spaces. You do not answer a question if you land on a question tile.”

“Chance me,” Shining said. “By the way, how is school going? I hear your grades are still up, but have you made many new friends?”

“Actually,” Sunset began, “Twilight here actually started a conversation with a group of girls just the other week.” Twilight smiled as she turned her head to the side with a blush. “Well, if you could actually call that conversing.”

“It was hard!” Twilight argued. “I didn’t know anything about them! I didn’t have enough information about their likes, dislikes, histories, or personalities to know what was appropriate to say!”

“You knew that Lyra is into Pretty Pony Princess, and that that Babs girl is Anti-Bullying Awareness Club.”

“Babs is a Freshman. You know I’m not good with children. And Lyra’s just… a little loud about her interests…”

“She can be a handful,” Sunset admitted. “But at least Octavia seemed to like you. She even invited you to hang out with her at some point.”

“Yeah, but she hasn’t texted me yet…”

“You should try taking the initiative yourself, Twilie,” Shining suggested.

“Well,” Sunset said to Twilight, “Lucky for you, I went ahead an arranged a slumber party with our new friend. You can thank me later.”

“You what?!” Twilight screeched. “When were you going to tell me this?!”

Sunset put a finger to her chin. “Let’s see… After knocking you out and moving your unconscious body there?”

“W-What date?”

“Next Saturday.”

Twilight bolted to her feet. “That’s not enough time!” Twilight said. “I’ve never been to a slumber party before! I need to read up on all of the rules so that I’m ready! Not to mention that I need to make sure I have everything ready! I need to make a checklist, I need to go shopping, I need to make sure Spike has someone to watch him if Mum and Dad were going out that night… Why am I playing boardgames?! I have too much work to do!”

Twilight ran out of the room, almost tripping over her pet dog Spike on the way out as he passed by and entered the room. Spike yipped and ran towards Shining Armor, excited after not seeing him for so long.

“Shouldn’t you go after her?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she picked up her glass of lemonade and took a drink.

“Hey, I just got back from work,” Shining said as he reached down to stroke Spike’s back. “Besides, Cadance is coming round later. We’ll give Twilie some time and if she’s not calmed-down by then, I’m sure Cadance can handle it.”

“And the ‘Brother of the Year’ award goes to…”

“Hey, at least I didn’t make plans for her without her knowledge,” Shining retorted.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that Octavia’s still waiting on our response?” Sunset asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat as picked up the chance card for Shining Armor that Twilight had dropped.

“You truly are a demon,” Shining said, resisting a smirk growing on his face.

“I’ll make it up to her,” Sunset assured him. “I’ll… buy her an ice-cream on our way to school tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s a Sunday,” Shining pointed out.

“Twilight’s got extra classes, and because I apparently have nothing better to do on a Sunday, I’m accompanying her,” Sunset explained.

“Twilight’s got make-up classes?” Shining gasped.

“No,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. “She requested them.”

Author's Note

Alrighty. So now that you've gotten accquainted with our stars, Sunset Shimmer and Sunset Shimmer, a quick breakdown of how this story's format will work:

*Each chapter will alternate between the two Sunset Shimmers. In other words, every odd-numbered chapter will be look into the life of our former-Equestrian Sunset Shimmer, and every even-numbered will look into the life of the American Sunset Shimmer.

*The two Sunset Shimmers will not meet, nor will their stories overlap. Minor references might be made (decision pending), but they live their own lives and have their own stories that do not cross paths.

*There will be plots that carry throughout the course of the story (e.g. Sunset's desire to create her own Elements of Harmony), but for the most part this will be a slice-of-life story.

That's all. I hope you all enjoy what I have planned ^_^

III - The Melancholy of Sunset Shimmer

Wednesday afternoon came quickly for the students at Canterlot High. The rest of the day was going to go even quicker for some students; since the day was going to be cut short, and the only period left would involve no actual learning or thinking at all. Since it was Parent’s Evening later that day, the final period would simply be the students moving things around and helping the teachers to get ready.

Rainbow Dash found and joined her friends after picking out her lunch. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, and Golden ‘Carrot Top’ Harvest were all sitting at the table. Rainbow Dash looked around the cafeteria as she sat down. “I haven’t seen Sunset today. It’s not like her to skip school. A class or two, sure, but she always shows up to school itself.”

“It’s ‘cause today’s a Parent’s Evenin’,” Applejack explained. “Don’t tell me ya haven’t noticed she’s always absent on Parent’s Evenin’ days.”

“And Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,” Rarity added. “And on Family Appreciation Days, too.”

“She seemed to be fine yesterday,” Fluttershy said. “Although she was a lot quieter on the way home.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Golden Harvest called out to the friends, “Why exactly are you guys so intent on becoming her friends?”

“What’s wrong with wanting to be friends with somebody?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You can never have too many friends, y’know?”

“But she’s Sunset Shimmer,” Golden Harvest said. “She tried to take over the entire school using that weird demon-magic thing, and she’s always bossing people about and acting so rude!”

“Well, she’s gotten better,” Applejack defended. “A smidge, at least.”

“She’s not all that bad,” Rarity told Golden Harvest. “You remember her ex-boyfriend Flash, correct?”

“Guy who moved to Russia about a month ago?” Golden Harvest asked, receiving a nod. “Yeah. He dumped her, right?”

“Right,” Rarity confirmed. “And yet, despite having plenty of opportunities, she not once took the time to exact her revenge.”

“There’s also the time she tried to take the crown from Twilight,” Fluttershy spoke up. “She could have threatened to hurt Spike for it, but instead she let him go and threatened to break the portal.”

“Spike?” Golden Harvest asked.

“Y’all remember that lil’ dog that followed Twilight around, don’tcha?”

“Oh yeah!” Golden Harvest clapped her hands together. “He was so cute! And he could talk, too! How cool is that?”

“But what we are saying,” Rarity continued, “Is that Sunset Shimmer is not as bad as she makes herself out to be.”

“Sure, she can be a bit bossy, an’ a tad short-tempered,” Applejack admitted, “An’ at first, we were all convinced she was a hopeless case. But after spendin’ some time with her, we all found out that it’s just a tough exterior, an’ beneath it is an okay gal who we’d all like ta know a lil’ better.”

“We just gotta keep her away from all-powerful magical crowns from other worlds and she’ll be fine,” Rainbow Dash said, prompting a laugh from Golden Harvest. “No, I’m serious.”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie suddenly shouted, startling the others. “You know what? We should go over to her place after school and make sure she’s okay!”

“That’s a splendid idea!” Rarity said. “Only we don’t know where she lives.”

“Why don’t you ask Featherweight?” Golden Harvest suggested. “He knows everything about everybody in this school.”

“But he only discloses it to the school’s paper,” Rarity pointed out. “If we just ask him outright, he’ll never tell us.”

“Y’could always ask Principle Celestia,” Big Macintosh suggested. “If it’s Sunset’s friends tryin’ ta help her out, ah’m sure the principle’ll help ya out.”

“Hey, yeah!” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Celestia’s gotta know for sure! Thanks, Big M.!”

“Thanks bro,” Applejack said.

Big Macintosh simply nodded and bit into his hamburger. “Eeyup,” he said with his mouth full, disgusting the girls and causing them to all back away as they cringed.

Sunset Shimmer rolled in her bed, her left arm feeling numb after lying on it for so long. Her arm started to feel a little better now that blood was flowing through it again, but now she was staring directly at her window. Despite her curtains being closed, light still peeked through and even closing her eyes didn’t help much.

She grumbled as she tried lying on her back, simply facing the ceiling above her. Hearing the door open downstairs, Sunset Shimmer knew that school must have finished around one hour ago, as that was usually how long it took Celestia to return home.

Sunset’s stomach rumbled, but she was in no mood to clamber out of her bed and walk downstairs for a snack. She reached towards her phone to see if she had received any texts, having put it on ‘silent mode’ that morning.

Turning back to her ceiling, Sunset realised how plain and boring it was. It was just a smooth sea of white and had no special features worth noting.

Sunset Shimmer wasn’t feeling comfortable, so she rolled back onto her left side. “I hate days like this,” Sunset mumbled to herself. “Stupid humans and their happy little families…” A knock came at Sunset’s door. She figured that it must have been Celestia, coming to give Sunset her compiled reports from all of her teachers before leaving her alone. “Come in,” she said.

The door opened, and five sets of footprints marched inside. Noticing the clear discrepancy, Sunset sat up to find five girls standing at the foot of her bed, all smiling at her, and the leader of the pack – Pinkie Pie – waving.

“Hi!” Pinkie said.

“Ah!” Sunset responded as she threw her covers off of herself, revealing her orange pyjamas with her Cutie Mark pattern running across it underneath. “W-What are you doing here?!”

“We came ta see how you were doin’,” Applejack explained. “So this’s yer room, huh? It’s a lot more… ordinary than ah would’a pictured it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sunset asked as she watched Rainbow Dash, who had decided to give herself a tour of the room, closely. ‘I gotta make sure they don’t find my notes on creating new Elements of Harmony!’

“You’re not feeling unwell, are you?” Fluttershy asked with deep concern, approaching Sunset Shimmer to check her temperature.

Sunset batted away the incoming hand. “I’m fine,” she said. “Wait, if you guys are here, then that means… You know!”

“Know what?” Rarity asked.

“That Celestia is…”

“Oh!” Rarity waved her hand dismissively. “Please don’t let that worry you, Sunset dear. If you wish to keep that a secret, then we shall not tell a soul. Is that not right?”

“You got it!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Our lips’re sealed,” Applejack confirmed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked at the rocks on display beside Sunset’s laptop with a confused look on her face.

Fluttershy simply nodded. “Well, that aside,” Sunset said, “What gives you all the right to just barge into my room like this?”

“We didn’t barge in,” Applejack said. “We knocked, and y’all told us to come on in, so we did.”

Sunset Shimmer wanted to argue against that, but the room was starting to spin as a result of her sitting up far too quickly after lying in bed all day. That and she knew that Applejack had a valid point. “Whatever. Just leave already.”

“But we came to make sure that you are okay,” Rarity said.

“And you can see that I am okay,” Sunset Shimmer returned.

“Then why’d you cut school?” Rainbow asked. “And why’re you just lyin’ in bed doing nothing?”

“Maybe that’s how I spend my time,” Sunset said through gritted teeth, a hint of annoyance slipping out in her voice.

“C’mon, Sunset,” Applejack pleaded, sitting down on the foot of Sunset’s bed beside her. “Y’can tell us if there’s anythin’ wrong. We’re jus’ worried ‘bout you.”

“Well no one asked you to be worried,” Sunset refuted, though that didn’t seem to make any of them back down. ‘Why me?’ she thought to herself as she sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you. And then you leave, got it?”

The other five girls nodded. They waited for Sunset Shimmer to begin, but she instead just sat on her bed with her eyes closed. “… Well?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Right,” Sunset said, opening her eyes after thinking about where to begin. “You all know that I’m not from here, right?”

“Yes,” the five girls responded in unison.

“And that I’m actually a pony from another world?”

“Yes.”

“… Well, I wasn’t exactly alone in that world.” Sunset saw that she needed to elaborate from the looks on the other girls’ faces. “I had a family. A mum and a dad. They both loved me, and they were so proud of me. Whenever I scored high on a test, they rewarded me. Whenever I was hurt, they cheered me up however they could.”

“They sound nice,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’d like to meet them.”

“… So would I,” Sunset said, bringing the conversation to an immediate halt.

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash said as realisation struck her. She took a step forward, but stopped. She wasn’t sure how to approach this.

“You miss yer folks, then?” Applejack asked.

“I haven’t seen them since I came to this world,” Sunset told the other girls. “I haven’t seen them in so long. And there’s no way for me to see them until the portal opens, but even then… I can’t.”

“Why not?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“‘Why not’?” Sunset asked with a scoff. “Oh, I don’t know… Maybe because it’s been so long they probably wouldn’t even recognise me. Maybe I wouldn’t recognise them. Maybe they’re not even alive! Maybe I wouldn’t even be able to find them! Maybe news of what I did has reached their ears, and even if I went back to them, they wouldn’t even want me!”

Sunset Shimmer groaned and slammed her face into her hands, shaking her head as she took a deep breath. “… Most of all, there’s no way I’d be welcome in Equestria. You saw how I was left behind. I’ve been banished, so even if I go home, I’ll never be able to see them again. Never…”

“So that’s why you’re always absent on these days,” Rarity surmised.

“Parent’s Evening, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Family Appreciation Day… They’re all just constant reminders of what I’ve lost. Of what I’ll never have again. Every time I see a student hanging around their parents, with big smiles on their faces… I hate it.”

“Ah understand,” Applejack said in a gentle tone, trying to place a hand over Sunset’s only for the other girl to pull her hand away.

“You don’t understand!” Sunset yelled. “Your parents died and you made peace with that, but I don’t even know how mine are doing! I have no way of talking with them, but for all I know they’re still out there!”

“Ah know!” Applejack shouted, placing her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “Ah know, Sunset. It’s never easy bein’ separated by family. But ya don’t have ta feel alone, y’know?”

“That’s right,” Fluttershy said. “Um, if you want, we’ll be here for you…”

“We can be your family!” Rainbow Dash suggested. “You can like, think of us as your older sisters or something.”

Something snapped inside Sunset Shimmer. She pushed Applejack away and climbed to her feet, gritting her teeth at Rainbow Dash who flinched under Sunset Shimmer’s glare. “I don’t have any siblings!” Sunset shouted. “Or maybe I do! I wouldn’t know, because there’s NO WAY FOR ME TO SEE MY FAMILY!”

Before anybody could say anything, Sunset Shimmer bolted passed the five girls and out of her room. Everybody quickly followed after her down the hallway outside. They watched her enter her bathroom and slam the door shut behind her, a clicking sound following after.

‘Stupid human girls!’ Sunset thought as she curled up inside of the bathroom, burying her face into her knees as her back pressed against the door behind her. ‘I don’t want you to be my family! You’ll never be my family! My family is in Equestria, and I’ll never see them again!’

A choke escaped Sunset Shimmer and she felt a tear roll down her face. ‘I’ll never know how they feel about me… If they still care for me, or if they’re upset and blame me for being trapped here… I’ll never know…

‘I-If I go back to Equestria… will I be allowed in? Would I be allowed to move freely? Even if I am, that Celestia betrayed me, after I devoted my life to her! My whole purpose for going back is revenge! My parents… would never accept me back into their lives if they found that out…’

A knock at the door broke Sunset Shimmer’s thoughts. “Sunset?” Celestia asked from outside.

“W-What?” Sunset asked as she rubbed the tears from her face.

“Are you almost done in there? I would like to have a shower before I leave for Parent’s Evening.”

Sunset remained silent for a few seconds as she simply stared at the door. After taking a deep breath and grabbing a nearby towel to dry her face, Sunset Shimmer unlocked the door and walked outside.

“I’m going to go to sleep early today,” Sunset announced as she walked outside, past Celestia and towards her room, where the five girls were waiting with concerned looks on their faces. “That means get out.”

“Now hold on!” Applejack said, stepping forward in front of Sunset Shimmer. “Look, ah’m sorry if we upset ya just now. We didn’t mean ta hurt ya, we just wanted ya t’know ye’re not alone.”

“But I am,” Sunset said. “I came to this world by leaving everything behind, including my family. Whether or not that was a mistake… I don’t know. But there’s nothing that I can do about it now.”

“Ah know we can never replace yer family,” Applejack said, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around Sunset Shimmer, “But we can still be yer friends, right?”

“Let go,” Sunset said, trying to push Applejack away from her but failing to find the strength. “Why do you even care so much?” ‘Obviously because Twilight told them to.’

“Because you’re hurt,” Rarity said, catching Sunset off guard. “You’ve been bottling this up all this time, haven’t you? That’s not healthy, dear. Besides all the wrinkles, you’ll only wind up hurting yourself more and more until one day you just can’t take it.”

“And besides, it’s what friends do!” Pinkie Pie said, jumping to the side of the two girls and embracing them both in a big hug.

“You keep calling me your friend,” Sunset pointed out.

“Because it’s true,” Rarity responded.

“It’s nice to have a lot of friends, don’t you think?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset remained silent even as Pinkie Pie and Applejack released her. ‘I never had friends back in Equestria. Even here, I don’t really care much for friendship.’ Sunset sniffed as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. ‘But… it doesn’t feel so bad. Better than moping around in bed all day, at least.’

“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she checked her watch. “We have to leave for Parent’s Evening!”

“So what’ll ya do?” Applejack asked Sunset Shimmer. “You alright stayin’ here? Or d’ya wanna hang with us tonight?”

“What’s the point?” Sunset asked. “I’ve got no parents. It kind of defeats the purpose.”

“We can still have fun though,” Pinkie Pie said. “If the six of us go together, we can talk and play together and compare our results and stuff!”

Sunset Shimmer was about to turn down the offer, but something inside her chest stopped her. ‘I’d much rather just stay here, but…’ Sunset sighed. ‘But I’d just be wasting my night by staying in bed anyway.’ “I guess I can go.” Sunset immediately cursed herself mentally, but the other five girls seemed ecstatic.

“Ya will?!” Applejack asked.

“She will!” Pinkie Pie confirmed. “You all heard her! No takesies-backsies!”

Sunset Shimmer turned around to hide her annoyed look. “Fine, I’ll go! But if I don’t enjoy it, I’m leaving.”

“That seems fair enough,” Applejack said. “But, are ya gonna go like that?”

“Hm?” Sunset looked over her body, finding that she was still dressed in her pyjamas. Her face reddened as she heard the girls behind her giggling. “… I’m going to change. You girls wait downstairs and don’t touch anything!”

“Don’t take too long,” Rainbow Dash said as she and the others walked past Sunset Shimmer, heading downstairs whilst Sunset made her way back towards her bedroom.

‘I don’t get it,’ Sunset thought to herself as she began to unbutton her pyjama top. ‘Why am I suddenly so energetic? Am I looking forward to this?’ Sunset quickly shook the thought away. ‘No. Of course I’m not. There must be a more logical reason behind this.’

“Hey Sunset?” Pinkie Pie asked as she entered the room, just as Sunset Shimmer removed her top and dropped it to the floor. “… Wow.”

Sunset’s face exploded into a sea of red as the pink girl continued to stare, her fists shaking and her eyes burning with fury. She quickly picked up her shirt to cover her chest, and shouted, “KNOCK BEFORE YOU ENTER!”

Pinkie Pie quickly ducked outside, screaming apologies as she slammed the door shut.

“I think that confirms it,” Sunset Shimmer said as she walked over to her wardrobe and opened it up. “I definitely don’t like those girls. Not one bit.”

IV - A Day at Funland

Fun Land – said to be the most fun place in all of Canterlot, hence the name. It was an amusement park that had everything one would need for a fun day out with friends or family. Rides, shows, restaurants, a small water park, and even a zoo filled with a wide variety of animals from land, sea, and air.

It was the perfect way for Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer to spend their teacher training day off of school. Accompanying the two were Shining Armor and his girlfriend, Mir Amor Cadenza, dressed in a pink blouse with a blue heart image on the front and a matching pink skirt that reached down to her ankles.

The four had started their fun day out by visiting the water attractions near the entrance, deciding that it was best to get them out of the way and allow themselves to dry off sooner. Cadance wasn’t too keen on water rides and decided to sit them out. Twilight wanted to do the same, but unfortunately for her she had a friend named Sunset Shimmer who wouldn’t let her off quite so easily.

“I’m not getting my hair wet alone!” Sunset said as she dragged Twilight by the arm towards the ride’s entrance. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“But Sunset-”

“We came here to have fun together, right?” Sunset asked. “Wasn’t it you who said friends have the most fun when they do things together?”

“Well, yeah, but… What do I know? I’m anti-social!” Twilight argued.

“Well, then, it’s a hypothesis,” Sunset returned, “And as a scientist, that means you have to test it.”

“… Shiniiiiing!” Twilight cried to her brother, who was walking ahead of the two down the line.

“Sorry Twilie, but I seem to remember a certain little sister who dragged me onto the butterflies ride the last time we were here,” Shining said, turning back to give his sister a grin.

“That was eight years ago!”

Shining Armor simply shrugged and turned back to face forward. “Time doesn’t heal all wounds.”

“You guys are mean!” Twilight said as she submitted to her fate, sticking her tongue out at her two tormentors.

“So Sunset,” Shining said, trying not to laugh at his sister’s misfortune, “I hear you and Twilie are going to Germany next month for your studies.”

“That’s right,” Sunset said. “Well, more a vacation than for actual studying. Have you ever been?”

“You went last year on business, didn’t you?” Twilight asked, receiving a nod from her brother.

“That’s right. An old colleague and I went to track dow- Er, I mean, we went to find a retired agent to get some information on a case that he had!” Shining laughed nervously and tried not to let his unease show as he continued to walk forward in a robot-like manner. Close! She could have found out I got injured chasing a wanted criminal to another country! Better change the subject.’

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m fine! Totally fine!” Shining replied.

“… Now I remember,” Sunset said, turning to Twilight. “Your brother’s a total dork, isn’t he?”

“Hey!” Shining shouted in protest.

“Sunset, don’t be rude!” Twilight said, bringing a smile to her brother’s face. “Only I’m allowed to call him that. Well, Cadance too, but only ‘cause she’s marrying him.”

“I-It’s not like that!” Shining shouted, suddenly flustered again, but this time for a different reason. “We’re not ready for marriage yet! We’re not even engaged yet!”

“You’ve been dating for a year now,” Sunset said. “Longer than that, even! A year-and-a-half! If you don’t hurry, she’s gonna lose interest in you real fast and go for some richer, more attractive guy.”

“What?! Who?!” Shining demanded, suddenly looking around with a furious look on his face. “… Uh, I mean… that will never happen! She loves me way too much for that, and she’s totally charmed by my coolness and masculinity.”

“Dorrrrrrk,” Twilight whispered, laughing with Sunset Shimmer as Shining pouted and continued to walk in silence. Eventually the three reached the end of the queue and boarded the ride together, Twilight making sure to position herself behind her older brother to use him as a shield against water.

Cadance watched with a smile as she spotted Shining Armor on the next boat that left the log flume’s boarding station. She couldn’t quite see Twilight or Sunset Shimmer, as they were much smaller than Shining Armor, but she assumed that they were there, which meant that she would not be waiting much longer.

Cadance looked down at her map of the amusement at all of the various features and attractions. “Oh, this looks nice,” she said to herself as she spotted the Ferris wheel in the centre of the park. “It says here that when it gets dark, it’s the most romantic view in all of Canterlot.”

“It’s probably just a ploy to draw in gullible customers,” the woman sitting beside Cadance said.

“Still, it’s nice to dream,” Cadance responded. A few seconds passed before her head shot up and she turned to her side to see who was sitting next to her. “Y-You!”

The woman sitting beside Cadance laughed. Her skin was a heavy jet-black colour, almost the exact opposite of Shining’s albino-white, and her hair was a deep blue. She was wearing a horizontally-striped dress that started as dark-green near the top, gradually became lighter at the middle, and then finally ended as a dark-aqua near the bottom.

“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?” Cadance asked with a frown. “I thought you were working today.”

“Why would you think that?” Chrysalis asked. “I’ll have you know that I came here today for a very lovely date with a fine young man.”

“Oh? Then where is he?” Cadance asked, receiving nothing but silence from Chrysalis. “… You didn’t-”

“Bah! It was his loss!” Chrysalis shouted, stomping the ground with her left foot in frustration.

“You got stood up?” Cadance asked, half-sympathetic for her friend/nemesis and half-containing her laughter. “Oh, poor Chryssy.”

“Well, it wasn’t a total loss,” Chrysalis said as she took her seat next to Cadance, forcing her to shift sideways to make room for Chrysalis on the bench. “After all, it seems you’re here all alone, too. Perhaps we could turn this into a fun day with just us girls.”

“I’m not here alone,” Cadance said. “I’m here with Shining and-” Cadance immediately brought her hands to her mouth.

“Oh, Shiny’s here?” Chrysalis asked, her grin now back with twice its prior fury. “Even better.”

“First of all, Shining Armor is my boyfriend!” Cadance said. Chrysalis simply looked to the side with a bored look on her face. “So stop making moves on him! And secondly, we’re not here by ourselves. We’re accompanying Twilight and her friend.”

“And?” Chrysalis asked.

“And so, if you’re going to stay, you’ll have to be on your best behaviour!” Cadance elaborated.

“How old is Shiny’s sister again?”

“Fourteen. She’s turning fifteen in three weeks.”

“Then what’s the problem? Why, she’s practically a woman already!” Chrysalis said with a laugh.

“I’m serious!” Cadance shouted with a frown. She gasped as she noticed Shining Armor leaving the ride in the distance.

“Oh, there he is,” Chrysalis said as she moved to stand up, but stopped as she felt a hand wrapping around her wrist. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’ll try to watch my tongue around the kids.”

“… Also,” Cadance whispered as she leaned over towards Chrysalis, “Don’t let either of them know what Shining’s real job is.”

“What?” Chrysalis asked.

“If either of them ask, just say he simply has a desk job.”

“Oh, come on,” Chrysalis said in an exasperated tone. “Don’t you think they would find him so much cooler if they knew-”

“Just don’t tell them,” Cadance repeated in a sterner tone. “Shining doesn’t want Twilight to know. He thinks she’d worry too much if she knew, and… I agree.”

“… Well, I guess it won’t exactly kill me,” Chrysalis said as she rose to her feet, Cadance following her. “But you know, it is my belief that lying is the ultimate form of mistrust.”

“Really?” Cadance asked. “The way you always wear those disguises and hit on Shining with my face?”

“I act, not lie,” Chrysalis said with a smug smile. “Though I admit I have told some tall tales to our co-workers, can you think of one time I have ever truly lied to either you or Shiny?”

“… I wish I could,” Cadance muttered. “Anyway, it’s not like Shining intends to keep it a secret forever. He’s just waiting for her to grow a bit, so she can handle it better.”

“Whatever works for you,” Chrysalis said as she waved towards Shining Armor and walked over to him. “Hey there, dear Shinyyyyy!”

Shining Armor felt a chill down his spine and froze in place as he heard the voice calling out behind him. Even as the footsteps came to a stop, he refused to turn around and face the horrible reality he knew was waiting for him.

“Who’s that?” Twilight asked, taking cover behind her brother as she stared at the woman standing before them.

“That would be… Chrysalis,” Shining said with a shiver. “She’s a colleague of mine.”

“She looks kinda… scary,” Twilight said.

“You’re right to be afraid.” Chrysalis chuckled and shot Twilight a toothy grin, causing her to flinch. The fangs likely didn’t help to calm Twilight’s nerves. “I’ve been known to frighten even grown men.”

“Relax. She’s harmless,” Shining told Twilight as he turned to face Chrysalis. He spotted Cadance approaching him from behind Chrysalis. “What is she doing here?” he asked Cadance as she joined his side and grabbed his arm.

“She got stood up on a date,” she said, bringing a smile to Shining’s face.

“You sure seem happy about that,” Chrysalis said as she noticed the smile.

“What?” Shining asked, trying to force the smile away. “No, no. You must be mistaken.”

“… That must be it.” Chrysalis returned her attention to Twilight, who immediately retreated further behind her brother. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“Uh, sure… This is Twilight, my little sister,” Shining said, attempting to nudge Twilight out of hiding, “And her friend, Sunset Shimmer,” he added, looking over to Sunset, who was staring intently at Chrysalis’ chest.

“… Don’t worry,” Chrysalis said to Sunset with a proud grin and her arms folded in such a way that her chest stood out more. “Yours will fill out someday.”

“Huh?” Sunset blushed as she realised what Chrysalis was talking about. “T-That’s not what I was thinking about!” she shouted.

“Oh? Then what?”

“Well, it might just be me, but… do you have a gun on you right now?”

Chrysalis gave a whistle of appreciation. “Those are good eyes you have.”

“And… she has a knife strapped to her waist,” Twilight added.

Chrysalis laughed. “Yep! You’re Shining’s sister, alright!”

“Chrysalis works in a different field to me,” Shining explained. “Her field puts her life at more risk than mine, so she carries them around for her protection. A stun gun and a self-defence knife.”

“O-Oh,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. “Just a stun gun…”

“Of course, I hardly need it,” Chrysalis told her. “My skills as a martial artist are usually enough to defend myself.”

“You do martial arts, too, don’t you?” Sunset asked Shining Armor, who nodded.

“My brother is the best!” Twilight boasted, a smile returning to her face. “There’s not a single opponent he can’t beat.”

“… I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Chrysalis said, laughing as Shining grunted and averted his eyes from Twilight.

Twilight gasped as she caught on. “Y-You beat my brother?” she asked.

“She fought dirty,” Shining defended.

“That’s your view,” Chrysalis said with a shrug. “I am a firm believer that the ends justify the means. And I will use whatever means it takes to achieve my goal.”

“And what exactly is your ‘goal’?” Sunset asked.

Chrysalis remained silent for a few moments, before simply smiling and stretching her arms. “I wonder… Anyway, where are we heading to next?”

“‘We’?” Shining asked.

“She’s invited herself along with our group,” Cadance explained.

“What?! Why?!” Shining shouted.

“You would leave a poor maiden like me on her own after her heart has been torn in two?” Chrysalis asked, a sad look on her face and her eyes wide and tearing.

“Of course not,” Shining said. “Don’t see what that has to do with you, though,” he added quietly, causing Chrysalis to frown at him.

“Well, why not?” Sunset asked, surprising her friends and receiving a smile from Chrysalis. “The more the merrier, and I’m kind of interested in learning more about your colleague.”

Chrysalis approached Sunset Shimmer and raised her hand, bringing it down on top of Sunset’s head and patting it as she laughed. “You’re a good kid! I think I’m going to like you.”

“Oh!” Shining shouted suddenly as he looked down at his map with Twilight and Cadance. “The zoo’s near here! Let’s go check it out!”

“The zoo?” Chrysalis asked with a raised brow. “I wasn’t aware that you were interested in watching animals laze about inside small pens.”

“They have a petting zoo, too!” Twilight said, jumping up-and-down on the spot as she turned to Sunset Shimmer. “You know how much I love petting zoos!”

“I can vaguely recall you having a fondness for small critters,” Sunset said with an amused smile at the sight of her friend bouncing about with an excited look on her face.

“And there’s an entomology house,” Cadance said with a sly grin to Chrysalis, whose eyes immediately widened and lit up.

“Well then, what are we standing around here for?” Chrysalis asked as she walked ahead of the group.

“Good thinking,” Shining whispered to Cadance. “Those bugs’ll keep her distracted so we can tour the zoo in peace!”

Cadance gave Shining Armor a puzzled look. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Didn’t I just point out the bug house?”

Now it was Shining’s turn to be confused. “Y-Yeah, but you only said that to trick her into leaving us alone for a bit, right?”

“What? No!” Cadance told him. “I love bugs! They’re so cute and fascinating, and they have such interesting lifestyles and-”

“So… you actually want to see the bugs?” Shining asked.

Cadance gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Shining. I forgot that you’re afraid of bugs.”

“M-Me?! Afraid of little, itty-bitty bugs? Hah! I-I just wasn’t aware you were such a fan yourself, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?” Cadance asked. “I mean, I remember the time you visited my parents’ house and you saw that spider, and then my dad had to take out the newspaper and-”

“T-That was just because I sprained my ankle and the pain suddenly came back to me,” Shining said. “The spider being there was just a coincidence, totally unrelated.”

Cadance smiled. “Oh, I see.” She leaned her head against Shining’s shoulder as they continued to walk. “Of course. My big, brave Shining Armor wouldn’t be afraid of something as cute and cuddly as a tarantula.”

“T-Tarantula?” Shining asked, his face becoming more pale, though it was barely noticeable to those around him.

“Technically not a bug, but an arachnid,” Twilight said as she joined the conversation from her brother’s right. “But then, they also have a snake area in that ‘bug house’, so it’s not entirely accurate.”

“S-Snakes?”

“Are you cold, Shining?” Cadance asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Shining responded in a shaky tone. ‘You’ll be fine, Shining. You’ll be totally fine. Big, strong guys like you can’t be taken down by small, weak creatures like that.'

“I’ll be fine… I’m totally fine… They’re behind glass, they can’t reach me…”

Cadance draped the blanket that Chrysalis had brought to her over Shining Armor as he rocked back-and-forth, curled up into a ball on the bench just outside of the petting zoo.

“Good grief,” Chrysalis said with a sigh. “We barely even got past the hatchery.”

“He told me he wasn’t afraid,” Cadance said with a frown on her face, blushing mildly as passerbys stared at the two of them.

“You didn’t know?” Chrysalis asked. “He has entomophobia. I thought he was just escorting you to the entrance. I didn’t think he’d actually follow you in.”

“Oh Shining… Wait, how do you know about that?” Cadance asked.

“It’s my job to know,” Chrysalis answered. “We often have to work together out in the field, so I need to know his strengths and weaknesses. Just as he knows mine.”

Cadance turned to her boyfriend with a pout. “That’s not fair! Just because you two work together, you know things about him that even I don’t. That really bugs me.”

“Bugs?!” Shining yelped with a start.

“Smooth move,” Chrysalis said with a laugh. “Don’t worry. Just take him down to the medical hut and let him rest for a bit. He’ll be back to normal soon.”

“But the girls-” Cadance began.

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Chrysalis told her. “Besides, it’s not that far away. We’ll just wait here for you.”

“… Thanks,” Cadance said as she rose to her feet, helping Shining Armor to his. “C’mon Shining. Let’s go get some rest.”

“Crawling… Creeping… Slithering…” Shining muttered as Cadance escorted him away towards the medical hut.

Chrysalis placed her palm to her face and shook her head as she watched the two leave. “And that’s the guy you’re head-over-heels for, Cadance.”

Meanwhile, completely oblivious to her brother’s mental breakdown, Twilight Sparkle was enjoying her time in the petting zoo with all of the baby animals. She was given some feed from the caretaker and made quick work of befriending many animals. Her friend, however…

“G-Go away!” Sunset shouted at the piglet that was approaching her. She backed up until she was against the fence behind her. “Go on, shoo! Twilight likes you, go bother her!”

Twilight laughed at the display her friend was putting on. “He just wants to be friends with you, Sunset!”

“Well I don’t want to be friends with him!” Sunset shouted as she quickly ran past the piglet, only to run into a lamb that bit into her skirt. “Let go! This skirt is worth more than your life!” Twilight continued laughing as she walked over and distracted the lamb with some feed, allowing Sunset to get away from the lamb with her skirt intact, albeit wet from the animal’s slobbering.

“You shouldn’t raise your voice so much at them,” Twilight said. “Just smile and show them you mean no harm.”

“That’s your way of doing things,” Sunset said as she pulled out a napkin and tried to clean her skirt. She shot a glare at the piglet rubbing its snout against her ankle. “… When you grow up, you’re going to become my delicious dinner,” she said with a grin, licking her lips and shaking her foot to get the piglet away from her.

“C’mon, they don’t mean any harm,” Twilight said as she continued to stroke the lamb before her. She stopped and her eyes widened as she felt something pulling her hair, and turned to find a second lamb chewing her hair behind her. “… AAAAAHHHHHH!”

“Get off of her!” Sunset shouted as she ran up to the little lamb, nudging it and stamping her feet to try to scare it away. “Let go, now!”

The lamb eventually did let go and walk away, leaving Twilight to quickly stand up again and examine her chewed hair with tears in her eyes. “M-My hair…”

“Are you okay?” Sunset asked with a concerned look as she spun Twilight around, frowning as she saw the tears running down her face. “Did he hurt you?” she asked with an angry tone in her voice.

“Only a little bit,” Twilight said with a sniff. “But more importantly, look what he did to my hair… It’s ruined!”

Sunset pulled her friend into a hug, kicking her left foot to shake away the chickens brushing against her leg. “Now now, it’s nothing a little makeover can’t fix.”

“What happened?” Sunset and Twilight turned their heads to see Chrysalis waving to them from the petting zoo’s gate.

“It’s nothing,” Twilight said, wiping her tears away. “I think I’m done here now,” she said to Sunset with a smile.

“That’s good. I forgot how much I hated dealing with animals,” Sunset said as she grabbed Twilight’s hand and escorted her towards the gate.

“You’re not much of an animal person, huh?” Twilight asked. As the two approached Chrysalis and left the petting zoo, something caught Twilight’s attention. “Where are my brother and Cadance?”

“They’ll catch up to us. They just had something to take care of,” Chrysalis said. “While we wait, how about we get some ice-cream?”

“Ice-cream? That sounds good!” Twilight said, her eyes lighting up. She heard Sunset laugh beside her and cleared her throat. “I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise,” Chrysalis said, turning around and leading the two towards the nearby ice-cream vendor.

“Um, you’re in the FBI too, right?” Twilight asked whilst the three lined up, attempting to break the ice with Chrysalis.

“I sure am,” Chrysalis said.

“What kind of work do you do there?”

Chrysalis took out her purse and stepped forward, reaching the front of the queue and ordering three ice-cream cones. “I work in the field, but in particular I’m the head of the espionage department. My talents lie mostly in infiltrating criminal groups and finding the evidence we need to make our move.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Twilight said. “I’m glad my brother doesn’t do anything like that.”

‘Oh, if only you knew,’ Chrysalis thought as she took the ice-creams from the vendor and passed two of them to the girls behind her. “Yes, well, your brother and I actually hold the same rank within the bureau, so we meet quite often inside of work.”

“What about Cadance?” Sunset asked as she followed Chrysalis towards a nearby bench.

“She’s ranked below my brother,” Twilight answered. “So I guess that means she ranked below Chrysalis, too.”

“That’s right,” Chrysalis said. “But enough about that. Tell me a little bit about yourselves. You know, despite how much I speak with your brother, he hasn’t really told me much about you.”

“He hasn’t?” Twilight asked, her smile falling a bit. “Well… there’s not really much to tell…”

“Oh really?” Sunset scoffed. “What about the fact that we’re the top students in our year?”

A blush crossed Twilight’s face. “Okay, there’s that, but-”

“Or that we totally took first place in last month’s National Science Fair?”

“Yes, but-”

“And let’s not forget how popular you’ve become with the boys lately, now that their hormones have started to kick in.”

“Okay!” Twilight shouted, clamping her hand over Sunset’s mouth to stop her from speaking any further. “So we’re honour students and… a little popular… but that’s all, really.”

“What about your dreams for the future?” Chrysalis asked. “What do you aspire to be after you graduate?”

Twilight removed her hand a put a finger to her chin. “I don’t know… I just love to learn new things, but I don’t really have any big dreams outside of that. I guess a job as a librarian would be nice, even if it’s not the most high-paying job in the world…”

“Our bureau’s research and development department is always looking for bright young minds like yours to train,” Chrysalis told her. “Perhaps you might want to consider asking your brother to put in a good word for you? And what about you, Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset smiled and sat up tall and proud. “That’s easy. I was born to be a leader!”

“A leader?” Chrysalis asked. “Of what?”

“Hmmm… Maybe the world is a bit of a stretch,” Sunset said before pausing to lick the ice-cream dripping down her cone. “I’d settle for President of the USA.”

Chrysalis almost choked on her ice-cream as laughter escaped her. She had to lean back and take several moments to calm down, all the while an annoyed-looking Sunset Shimmer was glaring at her from the side. “Well,” Chrysalis said as she finally calmed down, “I suppose it’s good to aim high.”

“I wouldn’t doubt her, though,” Twilight said, smiling towards her friend. “Sunset’s the vice-president of our academy’s student council, and she’s got a certain quality that just makes people follow her lead.”

“Well, I’ll be full-on president as soon as our current president graduates,” Sunset said, her face beaming with pride. “And my first act will be to get you, Twilight Sparkle, to speak to more people and to make more friends!”

Twilight’s eye widened and she almost dropped her ice-cream. “Y-You can’t do that!”

“President’s orders! Plus I’m older than you.”

“Only by like a few months! Anyway, what you’re talking about is a blatant abuse of your powers, and-”

“Not if I simply merge the Science Club’s clubroom with another,” Sunset said. “Then you’ll be forced into a situation with more people, and the only way to survive will be to get over your anthropophobia.”

“You wouldn’t do that!” Twilight argued.

“Wouldn’t I?” Sunset asked with a challenging stare.

‘I see,’ Chrysalis thought as she watched the two girls bickering back-and-forth, soon leading to the two them getting up and Twilight chasing Sunset Shimmer around whilst the later taunted her friend. ‘One is an aspiring leader who overestimates her own bounds, and the other is brimming with natural talent but convinces herself she’s nothing special. The two of them form a great team together, especially when their minds are in sync as much as they are… Just like Shining and Cadance – a man who would work himself too hard if nobody was there to stop him, and a woman who trust others too easily.’

“Heeeey!” Chrysalis looked away from the two girls to find Shining Armor and Cadance approaching. Shining was looking much better than earlier, though Chrysalis had to wonder if it was Cadance grabbing his hand, or the other way around. “What’s going on?” Shining asked as he watched his sister and her friend running around.

“They’re just having a bit of fun,” Chrysalis said. “All better now?”

Shining blushed and nodded his head. “Y-Yeah… I just needed some time to collect myself.”

“We’re thinking of grabbing something to eat now,” Cadance said. “I suppose you’ll be joining us, too?”

“Why thank you for the invitation,” Chrysalis said as she rose to her feet. “I would be delighted to join.”

Rolling her eyes, Cadance turned to Twilight and Sunset, who were staring each other down from opposite sides of a large rock. “Girls! We’re moving on!”

The two girls heard Cadance’s call and ended their battle… for the time being. “Coming!” Twilight called back as she and Sunset ran back towards the group.

Chrysalis watched as the other four took off ahead of her and followed their lead, her eyes fixing on Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer and a grin crossing her face. ‘Well, the boss asked me to scout out new potential members, and I have a good feeling about these two. I’ll have to keep an eye on them for a while.’

Author's Note

More of a chapter to introudce Cadance and Chrysalis and help us get to know our FBI side-cast a lil' better, but there's still some Sunset and Twilight stuff in here :3 Next one (chapter six) will focus more on the friendshipping of America's two bestest smart-girl duo ^_^

V - Game of Soccer

As a mare of many magical talents, keeping in shape and staying fit was never a concern for the young Sunset Shimmer. Many spells were accessible to her that would allow her to burn off excess calories with just a flick of her horn. As a girl growing up in a land without magic and high in fatty foods, however, proper exercise was suddenly a key concern for Sunset Shimmer.

Whilst out on her Saturday morning jog, Sunset Shimmer would pass by many familiar places and people, but would not stop for any of them. Not because she disliked them, or because she was short on time, but simply because they bored her. Even as a filly, casual conversation with ordinary ponies simply didn’t appeal to her, so she avoided it.

Today, however, something caught Sunset’s eye as she passed by the Canterlot Public Park. A scene that was interesting enough to warrant her stopping to see what was up. Many people passed by her, most of them adults with children, as they wandered away from the scene building up on the makeshift soccer pitch.

Lying down on the grass on her front, her face down in the mud but her long rainbow-coloured hair allowing for easy identification, was Rainbow Dash. She was wearing her sports jersey, suggesting to Sunset Shimmer that she had been out there practicing for the upcoming match.

Behind Rainbow Dash, trembling and slowly taking a step back with tears running down her face, was the unmistakable cowardly form of Fluttershy, also dressed in suitable sporting attire. And what she was so afraid of was…

Three girls and two boys, all of which looked to be around their age, were towering over Rainbow Dash, grinning and laughing with malicious tones in their voices. A fourth girl, this one the tallest, approached Fluttershy.

Sunset Shimmer recognised the uniform that they were all wearing. Black tracksuit trousers and matching hooded jumpers, with an equine skull with two wings stretching out from either side on the fronts of each of their jumpers… They were the Manhattan High School’s Shadowcolts, here for a match with Canterlot High School’s own Wondercolts team. They were all wearing their hoods up, so Sunset Shimmer couldn’t identify any of them.

“What’s wrong?” the tall girl asked Fluttershy. “You’ve gotta be tougher than that if you honestly think you stand a chance against us.”

“B-But I’m not-”

“What?” the girl asked, turning her head and putting a hand around her ear. “Speak up! I can barely hear you!”

“You… You leave Fluttershy alone!” Rainbow Dash shouted, pushing herself up, only to be stomped back down into the mud by the guy standing before her. “Damnit! You’re playing dirty!”

“We’re just checking out the competition,” the girl responded, examining Fluttershy with much scrutiny. “You look like you should be playing tea parties with you dolls at home.”

“P-Please,” Fluttershy said. “Please don’t hurt Rainbow Dash…”

“Huh?” The girl stepped closer. “What was that? Louder!” Fluttershy could only whimper as she turned her head to the side, closing her eyes and muttering prayers under her breath. “C’mon! If you’ve got something to say…” The girl reached up and grabbed Fluttershy’s chin, pulling her head so that their eyes met. “Then say it to my face!”

“She said that you should stop using her friend as a doormat,” Sunset Shimmer said as she approached the group, who all turned their eyes towards her. Standing tall and proud, Sunset Shimmer cast her gaze over the five standing above Rainbow Dash. “I would request the same thing, too.”

“Who are you?” the leader asked as she released Fluttershy. “Hey! Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

“You don’t seem that tough,” Sunset Shimmer said. “It’s your lackeys over there that I’m more concerned with, so I’ll keep my focus on them.”

“What was that?! You have some nerve!”

“So do you,” Sunset Shimmer said. “Assaulting a pair of Canterlot High students, and in our own city, no less. As president of the Student Council, I will not merely glance over this.”

“Oh, so you’re their friends, is that it?” the leader asked, walking up towards Sunset Shimmer, who still didn’t turn to pay any attention to her. “Damnit! I said look at me!”

Sunset Shimmer finally shifted her attention as she saw the other girl kicking through her peripherals. Quickly, Sunset Shimmer backed out of range of the kick and grabbed the girl’s leg. “I’m not. I simply won’t allow outsiders to attack members of my school.”

“Let go!”

“Hey! What’s going on over there?!” Everybody gasped and turn their heads to where a man, dressed in police attire, was running up towards the scene.

Using the distraction, the girl attacking Sunset broke free of the hold she was in and took off away from the park, her partners following after her.

“Stop!” the policeman shouted, but it was no use. They were simply too fast. He stopped in front of Sunset Shimmer and glanced over the scene, finding Fluttershy helping Rainbow Dash out of the mud, before turning an angry glare to Sunset Shimmer. “What is going on here?! I will not tolerate fights like this between students!”

Sunset Shimmer looked up at the policeman, her bottom lip curled and her eyes watering as she sniffed. “I-I’m sorry, officer. It was those mean bullies. I saw them a-attacking my friends and I just had to help them, so I… I…”

The policeman gulped as Sunset brought her arm up to her eyes and cried into her sleeve. “C-Calm down, Miss. Please. I’m sorry for yelling.” Looking around with a nervous look at the crowd gathering around, the policeman cleared his throat and stood up straight. “W-Well, I suppose I can let you off with a warning. But fighting really is bad, you know? If you ever find yourself being bullied again, you should find an adult and let them know, okay?”

Sunset Shimmer removed her arm and nodded her head. “Calling Sheriff Silverstar!” a voice shouted from the speaker strapped to the policeman’s shoulder. “We got reports of hoodlums shoplifting at your location!”

“Oh shoot! I’ve got to go, but you make sure to remember what I told you today!” With that, Silverstar turned and left the scene.

Fluttershy approached Sunset Shimmer, carrying a limping Rainbow Dash around her shoulder. “Um… t-thank you…”

“What were they after?” Sunset Shimmer asked, wiping the crocodile tears from her face and folding her arms as she cast an annoyed gaze over the two girls.

Fluttershy flinched, so Rainbow Dash answered. “They were just tryin’ to get an advantage over us for the match on Monday.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so? And they thought the best way to do this was to attack the two of you?”

“They thought that Fluttershy was on the team, too,” Rainbow Dash said. “I don’t think they were after me specifically…”

“Which means the others might be in danger, too,” Sunset surmised. “Hmph! If there is one thing I will not tolerate more than a student who thinks they can talk back to me, it’s outsiders causing trouble for my school!”

“Y’know, being the president of the Student Council doesn’t mean you own the school,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Regardless, I will not simply stand back and let this go unchecked,” Sunset said as she pulled out her phone.

“Who are you calling?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m going to have the team assemble at Rainbow’s house,” Sunset explained. “It’s nearby, after all. We’re going to make sure no one on the team is alone up until the day of the match.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “You really care about us, huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Sunset said. “I simply refuse to give up any of our school’s cups or trophies to a low group like that.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. She should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. “Well, I don’t mind everyone meetin’ at my place, but I think it’s already too late. I sprained my ankle pretty bad.”

Sunset looked down at Rainbow Dash’s foot hovering slightly above the ground. “Well you’d better hope it’s nothing serious. Otherwise, we’re going to have to find you a replacement.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with helping us like this?” Fluttershy asked. “We don’t want to get in the way of any plans you had today…”

‘I was going to see how that statue piece reacts to different types of electromagnetism…’ Sunset approached the two and grab Rainbow Dash’s free arm, wrapping it around her shoulder. “I did have plans today, but then I found that troublesome group who thought they could walk all over Canterlot High and get away with it. Now I have to make an example of them.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We’ll discuss that later. For now, we have to make sure they don’t injure our school’s star players,” Sunset said as the three girls began to move. “Let’s meet the rest of the team at your house and then we’ll discuss strategy.”

“This is our star team?” Sunset Shimmer asked, looking over the gathered players around her. Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, Scootaloo, Snowflake, Caramel, and Braeburn. Fluttershy was also present, tending to Rainbow Dash’s ankle by wrapping a bandage around it. “Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust aside, we have two newbies, a freshman, and…” Sunset looked at Snowflake, who was sitting in a formal style on his knees with his back straight. “… Didn’t you get kicked out because you broke too many windows?”

“YEEEEEAH!”

“… H-He got better,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “He’s totally got more control now, and besides, we thought it was unfair to crush his dreams like that just ‘cause of a little accident.”

“As I recall, there were over fifty incidents in under one month of complaints being filed against the school because of a soccer ball with too much power smashing into people’s homes,” Sunset said. “Well, I guess he can be on defence. But what about the newcomers? Why isn’t you captain on the team?”

“Firefly’s doing some joint training thing with Cloudsdale High,” Lightning Dust explained. “She left the tournament to us.”

Sunset sighed. “That girl’s always causing trouble. Did she at least leave some paperwork behind this time?”

Lightning Dust shrugged. “There were a few papers in the clubroom. Maybe that was it?”

“Um, excuse me,” Caramel said, raising a hand, “Is it true that Rainbow Dash was attacked by the Shadowcolts earlier?”

“It is,” Sunset said. “That is why you are all here. If our school’s soccer team is being targeted, then I feel it necessary to keep you all together until the day of the match. That’s why I had Lightning Dust call you all here with some provisions for sleeping over. This will be your safe house until the day of the match.”

“… But I’m the only one who seemed to bring anything,” Caramel noted as he looked around the room, spotting only his own sleeping bag and backpack in the corner.”

Lightning Dust shrugged. “No way my folks would agree to me sleeping over at someone’s house on such short notice. ‘Sides, I think we’ll be fine going home in the evening. The Shadowcolts have their training sessions then.”

“And my mum wants me back by nine,” Scootaloo said. “She doesn’t like me staying out too late.”

Sunset sighed and shook her head. “Guess it can’t be helped. Even so, you can’t honestly expect to believe that this is your winning team.”

“Well what d’ya expect?” Braeburn asked. “Any kid that’s serious ‘bout sports goes to Cloudsdale, and they kick our butts all the time. Not exactly good for morale.”

“We’re short on club members as it is,” Rainbow Dash said. “OW!”

“What?” Sunset asked, examining Rainbow Dash’s ankle. “Don’t tell me-”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said. “Rainbow Dash, this is pretty bad! I don’t know if this will recover in time for your match.”

“What?!” Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash shouted in unison.

“No way!” Rainbow Dash protested. “I’ve been practicing so much! I have to play!”

“A loss by forfeit? I won’t accept it!” Sunset Shimmer shouted. “I will not let those Shadowcolts make fools of Canterlot High!”

“Well unless we can find a new sixth member by Monday, there’s not much we can do,” Lightning Dust said. “This pisses me off.”

Rainbow Dash nudged Lightning Dust with her elbow. “Kid present!” she whispered. “Watch the language!”

“Well you’d better find someone!” Sunset shouted. “Our school’s reputation is hanging in the balance here!”

“She really cares that much about what others think of our school?” Caramel whispered to Braeburn.

“She does,” Braeburn confirmed, “But not usually to this extent.”

“What’s her deal?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Fluttershy. “Why’s she so fired up about this?”

“I think she’s just upset that you got hurt,” Fluttershy told her. “In the park, she kept her eyes on you because she was concerned.”

“Are you sure?” Rainbow asked. “You must have been imagining it.”

“Hey, why don’t you join our team?” Scootaloo asked. “Since you’re our Student Council president, you should be looking out for us, right?”

“But is she even any good at athletics?” Lightning Dust asked.

Sunset folded her arms and grinned. “Doesn’t matter. All we need is six members to avoid disqualification.”

“Um, the Shadowcolts aren’t exactly pushovers, y’know?” Braeburn said.

“Right. But after their foul play earlier today, I’d say we’re well within our rights to return the favour.” The gathered Soccer Club members gasped, whilst Sunset Shimmer pulled out her phone. “I’ll just get Snips and Snails to sneak into their hotel and add a little something to their meals that will make them unwell on the day of the match. Then they’ll have to resort to substitutes.”

“Hold on!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “We’re not stooping that low!”

“I joined the Soccer Club to play against challenging opponents, not their underlings,” Lightning Dust said. “Besides, I only play honest, fair games!”

“That’s right! It’s not cool to use cowardly tricks like that!” Scootaloo said.

“YEEEEEAH!”

“So you’ll just accept the fact that they tried to sabotage our school’s team?” Sunset Shimmer asked. “You’ll just roll over and give them the victory, just like that?”

“Of course not!” Lightning Dust said. “But who said we’re gonna lose? Heck, if we beat ‘em with this handicap, won’t that just make our victory all the sweeter?”

“Hard an’ honest work is the way forward,” Braeburn said, “Not tricks and dirty scheming.”

“Are you forgetting what they did to Rainbow Dash?!” Curious looks were sent Sunset’s way by everybody gathered in the room. “I mean… don’t you want to get revenge for your teammate?”

“Hey, it’s not like they hurt me real bad,” Rainbow Dash said. “Besides, if you really wanna avenge me, I’d prefer you do it by beating them the right way.”

“I never said I wanted to avenge you,” Sunset said before sighing. “But if that’s how everybody else feels…” The nods she received from every other member of the Soccer Club made Sunset Shimmer groan in frustration.

“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Scootaloo said. “They went to the trouble to attack someone on our team, so they can’t be that good, right?”

“The last Shadowcolts team was made up of final year students,” Lightning Dust said. “I don’t know anything about this current one.”

“Hey Sunset,” Rainbow Dash said, “Are you really gonna fill in for me? I mean, we only have a day to get you ready.”

“Not much we can do in a single day,” Lightning Dust said.

Sunset Shimmer put a hand to her chin. “… Well,” she said, “It won’t take long for me to study up on the rules and basic plays of this game.”

“The issue is you athletic skill,” Braeburn said. “Or your lack thereof.”

“But don’t you go running every week to stay in shape?” Fluttershy asked.

“Just ‘cause she runs a lot, doesn’t make her a good soccer player,” Caramel said.

“No, but it does make her fast and durable,” Lightning Dust said. “So what d’you think? If you can just get the ball to me, I can score all the goals we need.”

Sunset Shimmer thought it over. “It sounds like it could work,” she admitted. “Very well then. Tomorrow we’ll meet p her for some last-minute practice. Just make sure not to travel alone, okay?”

“Got it,” everybody else replied.

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she suspended a test tube before her eyes, staring at the clear liquid inside. “Why did I agree to that? I should have just called Snips and had him contaminate their food. It would have only been a little morning sickness, nothing harmful.”

Sunset picked up her pen and scribbled something down onto the paper on her desk. “Negative response. At this rate, the portal will open again before I can harness this world’s magic. And now I’ve got a stupid soccer match to worry about? Maybe I could have Big Macintosh fill in for me instead. He might actually be able to intimidate the enemy.”

Sunset’s phone began to ring beside her, singing the song ‘Smile, Smile, Smile’ by Pinkie Pie. “How does she keep changing my ringtone?” Placing her test tube down, Sunset reached for her phone and answered it. “What is it?”

“Oh, um, sorry to bother you, Sunset Shimmer.” The voice on the other end was unmistakably Fluttershy’s. Sunset even had to press her phone closer to her ear in order to actually hear the girl. “Um, if you’re busy, I suppose I could talk to you later… I-If you don’t mind, that is.”

Sunset felt a vein about to pop. “Just tell me what you want!” She had already been interrupted, she might as well know what it was for.

“W-Well, it’s Rainbow Dash. Her ankle was worse than I thought and… I think it might be broken.” Sunset fell silent. “S-She’s at the hospital right now. I’m with her. I just thought that you should know. She might not be able to make it to practice tomorrow.”

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes. “Is that so? Thanks for the heads-up, I guess.” Sunset disconnected the call and placed her phone down, remaining silent for a few seconds as her hands shook. After a few seconds of thought, Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes and climbed out of her seat, reaching across her desk and cleaning up her work station. Suddenly she didn’t feel like working on her little project anymore. She didn’t feel much in the mood for anything; she simply felt the need to lie down in silent meditation and calm herself down before an artery ruptured.

“Oh my gosh! Dashie, are you okay?!”

Fluttershy had to stand between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to prevent the latter from making Rainbow’s injury any worse. “Pinkie Pie, please-”

“We heard about what happened,” Rarity said as she pulled Pinkie Pie back. “What those Shadowcolts did was simply awful!”

“Well, ya ain’t lookin’ that bad,” Applejack said as she examined her friend. “Are ya okay ta be walkin’ about so soon?”

Rainbow Dash, using her crutches to keep her balance while her injured foot was suspended in the air, smiled and nodded her head. “It’s cool. Just as long as I take it easy for a while. The doctor said it should heal up in about eight weeks, probably even less than that since it was only a minor injury.”

“Ah heard Sunset Shimmer’s gonna take yer place in the match today,” Applejack said, receiving a nod from Rainbow Dash. “Is she gonna be alright? Ah’ve seen her in Gym. She’s fast, but not so nimble.”

A smile spread across Rainbow Dash’s face. “I got a text from Lightning Dust this morning. She said: ‘Don’t worry. We’ve got this in the bag.’.”

“Well, the match is about to start,” Rarity pointed out as she looked down at her watch. “We should go and find somewhere to sit.”

“Need any help?” Applejack asked.

“Thanks, but I think I can manage,” Rainbow Dash replied as she slowly began to move forward. “Just ‘cause I’m hurt, doesn’t mean I gotta stop workin’ out.”

“If you say so.”

The five friends walked together towards the soccer field, where students from all over the school, and also outside students from Manhattan, were gathering. As they neared the stands, they passed by the team from their school that would be playing in the match.

“You guys!” Rainbow Dash called out, drawing their attention. “Good luck!”

Sunset Shimmer noticed the crutches and the bandage around Rainbow’s foot. Her eyes narrowed and she turned back to the field, picking up the pace as she continued to walk.

Lightning Dust grinned. “She’s got fire in her eyes,” she said as she followed after Sunset. “No way we’re gonna lose this match.”

As soon as the match began, the student of Canterlot High who were gathered began to cheer. Rainbow’s attention was kept on Sunset Shimmer, curious about how she would handle herself out there. It seemed that the team had a rather simple strategy: Braeburn, Scootaloo, and Caramel were on defence, with Snowflake in the goal, and Lightning Dust on the offence. Sunset Shimmer’s job was to get the ball and pass it to Lightning Dust, who would take the shot.

It was a simple strategy, but Rainbow Dash was surprised at just how well it had worked. Sunset Shimmer showed no mercy throughout the entire match, her eyes remaining focussed the whole time as she kept them on the ball and never let it out of her sights. Although her aim was off, she showed great skill in being able to intercept the ball from opposing players many times over.

Even when the Shadowcolts resorted to trickery, attempting to trip and injure Sunset Shimmer and Lightning Dust or kick the ball into their hands to earn free kicks, the team didn’t let up. In fact, these tricks only seemed to fuel the raging fire in Sunset Shimmer’s eyes, and her skill simply continued to increase throughout the course of the game.

“She’s good,” Applejack commented as the game drew into its final minute, the score tied three-all. “Ah never thought she could be so athletic.”

“From where I’m standing, it appears more the case that the other team is simply too intimidated by her to play to their fullest ability,” Rarity said.

“I still don’t get it,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “What’s driving her to go so far?”

“I told you,” Fluttershy said, smiling as she watched Sunset Shimmer pass the ball to Lightning Dust, “She’s upset with the other team for hurting you.”

“No offence, but that’s jus’ crazy-talk,” Applejack said. “Ah mean, sure we hang out with her more often than we did before, but she still ain’t exactly warmed up to us jus’ yet.”

“But she’s still a human being, and has a good heart,” Fluttershy responded. “I know she cares more than she lets on.”

“I hope so!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I still haven’t been able to take a picture of the six of us with her smiling yet!”

Rainbow Dash turned her attention back to the game. Lightning had a clear shot towards the goal, and pulled her leg back. But Rainbow’s eyes shifted focus to Sunset Shimmer, who was standing back as she watched Lightning Dust taking the shot. ‘She said it’s just for the school’s reputation, but…’ Rainbow Dash remembered back to when Sunset Shimmer had come to her aid in the park. ‘I don’t know… She doesn’t usually get her own hands dirty unless it’s personal. And she never picks her own fights.’

“SHE DID IT!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as the ball went into the net, followed by the crowd going wild as the scoreboard updated to show the new score favouring Canterlot High. With only seven seconds left on the clock, their victory was assured.

“They really did it!” Applejack cheered as she clapped her hands and stomped her feet with the crowd.

“That was a simply stunning victory!” Rarity shouted over the noise of the cheering crowd.

Rainbow Dash watched as the winning team gathered around and celebrated… All except for Sunset Shimmer, who was silently walking off of the pitch by herself. Rainbow Dash grabbed her crutches and pushed herself up as quickly as she could.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked.

“Sorry, I’ll be right back,” she said as she sneaked quietly past Fluttershy.

“Wait, I’ll help you-”

“I’m going to the little girls’ room.”

Fluttershy blushed and sat back down. “O-Oh… W-Well, if you need anything, just call me right away.”

“Will do.” Rainbow Dash slowly made her way off of the stands and wandered away from the field… in the opposite direction to where the restrooms were.

“Sunset!” Sunset Shimmer stopped and turned around. She found Rainbow Dash quickly rushing towards her. “Wait up!”

“Shouldn’t you be moving a little more slowly?” Sunset asked.

“I… I just… needed to catch u-up is all,” Rainbow Dash said through her pants for breath as she closed in on Sunset Shimmer. “Where ya headin’ in such a hurry?”

“To get changed and go home,” Sunset Shimmer said. “Now that our school’s reputation is safe, I’m going to take a much-needed bath to wash away all of this sweat I’ve built up.”

“But what about the victory party?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “The what?”

“Y’know… After every match, we have either a ‘victory party’ or a ‘we’ll do better next time party’. Basically, the team gets together for pizza and-”

“I’m not on the team,” Sunset interrupted.

“But you helped us out, so you’re an honorary member. And besides, aren’t you hungry after all that runnin’ around?”

As if on cue, Sunset’s stomach rumbled, bringing a blush to the girl’s cheek as she placed both hands over it. “… E-Even so, I can have something to eat when after I go home.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” Rainbow Dash said. “And it’ll be my treat… As long as you order something cheap.”

Sunset gave Rainbow Dash a suspicious look. “Why are you so eager to invite me along?”

Rainbow’s face turned a slight shade of red and she brought a hand up to scratch the back of her head. “Well, I guess it’s to thank you for sticking up for me back in the park, but also ‘cause we’re pals, y’know?”

Sunset was taken aback by that response. “Just so we’re clear, I was standing up this school, not for you specifically.”

“Whatever, you still helped me,” Rainbow Dash responded.

“And about your offer… fine. It just so happens I was going to have pizza tonight anyway.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Awesome! Now c’mon, let’s get back before they take the group picture!”

“You do it,” Sunset said. “I’m joining you for this party of yours, but that’s it. I just want to get out of this sweaty clothes as soon as possible.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Honestly, why do you have to be so difficult?” she muttered as she turned around. “Well alright then. Your loss. I’ll catch up to ya later then.”

As Rainbow Dash slowly made her way back towards the pitch, Sunset turned around to make her way towards the changing room, only to stop as she came face-to-face with Principal Celestia, who was smiling down at her student. “Y-You… How much did you…”

“So,” Celestia said, “You’ll be saving that soup for tomorrow night, I’m guessing?” With a blush, Sunset Shimmer huffed and stormed past Celestia. “Just try not to stay out too late!” Celestia called after her student. “Making friends is good, but so are your studies!”

“I’m not making friends!” Sunset shouted back before continuing on her way, a little faster now. “Stupid Rainbow Dash,” she muttered to herself with a furious look on her face. “Just ‘cause she has that stupid injury, she thinks she can guilt trip me into…” Sunset shook her head. ‘No, I’m not letting her win. I’m just taking advantage of her stupidity to get some free pizza and then I swear I’m out of there!’

The door to Principal Celestia’s house creaked open silently. Sunset Shimmer slid slowly into the house through the small crack and then just as stealthily closed the door, allowing it to click before removing her boots and tiptoeing through the house, towards the stairs.

“Welcome back,” Celestia called out, turning on the hallway lights and startling Sunset Shimmer. “Did you have fun? I suppose you must have, since you stayed out until ten at night.”

Sunset Shimmer glared and fumed at the smug-looking principal standing before her, but no words came from her mouth. Partially because she was tired, and partially because she still hadn’t explained to herself why she had stayed out so late with those people.

“… I’m going to take a bath,” Sunset finally said after a short staring contest with Celestia, trudging up the stairs with a heavy sigh. ‘Next time I should just keep running and mind my own business…’

VI - A Hairy Situation

Canterlot Private Academy for Girls – as the name implies, it is an academy in the city of Canterlot for girls only. It is also one of the more prestigious education centres in the state, catering only to those from rich backgrounds, or with the grades to achieve a special scholarship programme.

The high school campus consisted of three buildings: the main building, the science centre, and the creativity centre. For the most part, students would eat their dinner either inside of the main building or, on a lovely day, outside in one of the gorgeously-maintained garden areas.

Twilight Sparkle was different, though. She preferred the quiet of the academy’s library, surrounded by stacks of books and taking in the scent of aged parchment and ink whilst she ate. She didn’t care much for sports or games, and the homework that the teachers gave her was never enough, so she would spend her lunchtimes reading as much as possible and pushing herself further. It was what made her happy, after all, even if-

“Twilight!”

“GAH!”

… Even if Sunset Shimmer would inevitably find her and disrupt her studies by grabbing her into a headlock from behind, making a complete mess of the school uniform her parents had spent good money on.

“Sunset!” Twilight said in a hushed as she wormed her way out of her friend’s hold and adjusted her tie. “It’s a library. You have to be quiet.”

“Ah, it’s fine!” Sunset said, pulling up a seat beside Twilight and sitting down.

Twilight blushed, before turning to face her friend and then glaring at the messy state of her uniform. Black blazer was unfastened, white shirt was untucked, skirt was wrinkled, tie was crooked, and… “Is that gum?” Twilight asked just in time for Sunset Shimmer to blow a bubble with the gum in her mouth. “You know that’s prohibited in school!”

“It’s only a stick of gum,” Sunset said in a dismissive tone. “What are they gonna do? Kick out one of their brightest pupils over a piece of candy?”

“They might,” Twilight muttered as she turned her attention back to her book, only for Sunset Shimmer to snatch it away. “Hey!”

“You read too much,” Sunset told her. “Let’s go hang out with the other girls for a bit! It’ll be a nice change of pace from talking to yourself around dusty old books all the time.”

“They are not dusty!” Twilight argued. Sunset Shimmer blew into the book in her hands, releasing a cloud of dust that made Twilight cough. “… O-Okay, they’re a little dusty, but only because I’m the only student who seems to appreciate them! Anyway, who are these ‘other girls’?”

“It’s us!” Twilight jumped and turned to the girl suddenly sitting in front of her. She recognised the energetic girl with the huge grin on her face as Lyra Heartstrings, an eccentric music-lover and head of the school’s ‘Brony/Pegasister Society’, a society of students who are fans of the Pretty Pony Princess toyline… It consisted mostly of girls from the elementary school branch.

“Lyra, you’re too loud,” the girl sitting beside Lyra in the cream jumper and long blue skirt said. Bon Bon was a student from the university section of the academy, studying for a degree in Culinary Arts. She had a reputation among the younger students as ‘The Candy Lady’. Rumours that she and Lyra were dating were confirmed at the last high school dance, though it was thought at the time that they were about to break up after Lyra shouted her confession into the microphone in front of the entire high school division.

“You’re lucky,” the final girl at the table said. “She’s not your roommate.” Octavia Philharmonica. Another music-lover and a member of the high school’s choir. Her instrument of choice is the cello, whilst Lyra’s is the harp. Of all the girls at school beside Sunset Shimmer, Octavia was the one that Twilight felt the most comfortable with. Perhaps it was her maturity or her intellect, but whatever it was, Twilight had an easier time with her than she did with most other students.

“So I kinda told the girls you’d come have lunch with us by the lion fountain,” Sunset told Twilight with an innocent smile. “That’s cool, right?”

“No,” Twilight deadpanned with a sigh. “Why didn’t you think to ask me about this first?”

“‘Cause you would’ve just said no,” Sunset said as she grabbed Twilight’s arm and stood up. “Come on! One day in the sun won’t kill ya!”

“But my reading-”

“You’re already at the top of your classes!”

“W-What about sunburn?”

“Got ya covered,” Sunset said, producing a bottle on sunblock from her bag. “Though with the cloud cover we’ve got today, you shouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“What about getting hit by stray soccer balls?” Twilight asked.

“Pitch is on the other side of the campus,” Lyra pointed out.

“Sunset, if she doesn’t want to come, I don’t see why we should force her,” Octavia said, bringing a hopeful glint to Twilight’s eyes.

“She needs to get over her agoraphobia,” Sunset said, destroying the glint as quickly as it had appeared, “And the most effective method is to tackle it head-on!”

“But I’m happy here!” Twilight protested, grabbing onto the table with her free hand.

“It’s not healthy!” Sunset said, pulling Twilight to no avail. “You have to… go outside… from time-to-time!”

“Don’t… wanna…”

“Tough! You can’t… be a shut-in… forever!”

“Watch me!”

Lyra giggled as she watched the two compete in a tug-of-war which soon led to Twilight dragging the table she was holding across the library floor. Bon Bon and Octavia simply wandered off to the side and pretended that they didn’t know the two girls.

“I’ll cut off your hand if I have to!” Sunset threatened.

“I’ll hold my breath if I have to!” Twilight returned.

“Excuse me, girls.” The two stopped their little argument and turned to the angry-looking elderly woman to their side, glaring down at the two girls. “I will not put up with any disruption in my library.”

Lyra, Bon Bon and Octavia sneaked past the librarian and quietly crept towards the entrance, leaving Twilight Sparkle on Sunset Shimmer alone to face the tyrant.

“I still can’t believe you got me kicked out of the library!” Twilight shouted before taking a big bite out of her sandwich.

“To be fair, that lady’s a crank anyway,” Lyra said, though it didn’t appear that Twilight was listening to her.

“Look, I said that I’m sorry,” Sunset said. “Anyway, at least you’re outside now! And you’re not dead yet, are you?”

“… Well, you may have got me outside, but I am not going to take part in your silly games!” Twilight reached into her bag and pulled out a book, opening it up and reading it from the marked position.

“Oh come on! It’s a nice day out, and all you want to do is read?!” Twilight ignored Sunset Shimmer. “… Look, I was only trying to help you. We’re gonna graduate someday, right? When that day comes, we’ll have to go our separate ways, and you’re gonna have to learn to face the world on your own.”

“… I can take care of myself, thank you,” Twilight responded.

“Oh yeah? If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even be able to get past the crowds of students to reach your classes in time. And what about all the times somebody approached you and you just froze up or walked away? You do that in the real world, people will think you’re just out to make enemies.”

Twilight didn’t say anything. She simply focused on her book, though the look on her face softened a little bit as she did so.

“Ugh. Why do I even bother?” Sunset asked as she reached into her pocket. “… Hey Bon Bon, you got any more of that new gum?”

“Hm? Oh, sure. One moment…” Bon Bon reached into her bag and searched through her possessions.

A light bulb shone in Lyra’s mind. “Hey Shimmer! You should totally try to blow the world’s biggest bubble!”

Octavia sighed and brought a hand to her forehead. “… What?”

“Y’know! Bons’ new gum produces really big bubbles, right? Well, what if we stacked it up? Wouldn’t that make a really, really big bubble?”

“Lyra, even for you, that is the stupidest thing I have ever-”

“That’s a good question,” Bon Bon said, cutting Octavia off and bringing a blush to the other girl’s face. “I mean, I’ve never tested it out, so I guess it could work…”

“Sweet! Let’s try it out!” Lyra said, grabbing a bunch of sticks from Bon Bon’s hand and offering them to Sunset Shimmer. “Let’s say… five sticks?”

“Are you trying to break my jaw?” Sunset asked in a flat tone. “I’ll start with three.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You really think this is going to help me prepare for my future outside of high school?”

“It’s called ‘socialising’, Twilight. All the cool kids do it,” Sunset replied.

“All the ‘cool kids’ have mediocre grades, at best,” Twilight muttered.

Sunset ignored the comment and unwrapped her first stick of gum, throwing it into her mouth and chewing it. This was joined by a second piece, and finally a third piece.

“Okay, now blow!” Lyra cheered in an excited tone.

“So childish,” Twilight said, keeping her eyes on her book as she spotted a large, pink bubble forming in the corner of her eye. That was when it had happened. It all happened so quickly, and nobody ever saw it coming.

Twilight pulled out her notebook and a pen to jot down some notes, when suddenly a teacher shouted out to the four of them, startling the girls and causing them to look towards the source of the voice. The bubble that Sunset Shimmer was blowing collided with Twilight’s pen, causing it to pop and scatter outwards…

As Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, and even the teacher stared in shock, Sunset Shimmer stared in horror as Twilight seemed to have been frozen in place. Slowly, Twilight’s hand reached up behind her head, tracing along the bottom of her hair and travelling upwards until she could feel the wet, sticky gum.

“T-Twilight,” Sunset Shimmer said, her eyes and hands trembling as she waited for Twilight to say something.

What came next was a scream so loud that everybody in the vicinity was suddenly aware of what was going on, and then Twilight jumping to her feet and running as fast as she could towards the main building.

“Twilight, wait!” Sunset shouted as she chased after her. ‘Oh no… What have I done?!’

Sunset Shimmer sat outside of the nurse’s office with her head buried into her hands. ‘I can’t believe I did that… Twilight’s never going to forgive me. She’s going to hate me forever, I just know it!’

“Is she okay?” Sunset looked up to see Octavia standing before her, and then returned to covering her face with her hands. “Is that a no, then?”

“She’s not speaking to me,” Sunset said. “Understandable, I guess… The nurse called her mother, and she’ll be here soon to pick her up.”

Octavia nodded and took a seat next to Sunset Shimmer. She didn’t say anything, though. After all, she didn’t know what to say in a situation like that. She knew how close Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were together. Heck, the entire high school knew that the two were BFFs. And as far as she knew, the two had never had a serious falling out before. Minor squabbles, sure, but nothing to this level…

“I’m sure she’ll be alright,” Octavia offered, though it didn’t seem to help. “She’s a strong girl, right? This is certainly a shock to her, but give her some time and I’m positive she will bounce right back in no time.”

“… I hope so,” Sunset muttered as she turned her attention towards the nurse’s office’s door. The sound of footsteps drew the two girls’ attentions to the middle-aged woman in a white dress walking down the hallway. “Mrs. V… I-I’m so sorry, I-”

“Is she alright?” Twilight Velvet asked, her tone neither harsh nor gentle.

Sunset sighed. “She’s fine… I’m sorry. This is all my fault…”

Velvet shook her head. “I heard from the nurse that it was an accident. I’m sure that you didn’t mean to hurt her.”

Sunset simply turned her head away with a shamed look on her face as Twilight Velvet approached the nurse’s office and knocked on the door. She walked inside, a few muffled voices were heard within, and then she came back out moments later, a dejected Twilight Sparkle following behind her, the gum in her hair standing out to Sunset Shimmer who only felt more guilty upon seeing it.

“Can you please let her teachers know that she’ll be taking the rest of the day off?” Velvet asked the nurse.

“Of course,” Nurse Redheart said.

“Twilight,” Sunset called out, rising to her feet. “Twilight, I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

Twilight stepped forward, away from Sunset Shimmer, ignoring her friend’s words. “Twilight,” Velvet called out after her, but she refused to stop. She simply continued to move forward, as if in a trance. “… Thank you for all your help,” Velvet said to the nurse, before walking quickly to catch up to her daughter.

Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth together and punched the wall beside her. “… She hates me,” she said, falling to her knees and staring down towards the floor. “She hates me and wants nothing to do with me anymore!”

“N-Now I’m sure that’s not true!” Octavia said, rushing to Sunset’s side and holding the distressed girl who was clearly struggling to hold in her tears. “She’s just gone through something rather traumatic. I’m sure she just needs some time before she can speak to anyone.”

“Yeah!” Lyra shouted as she approached the two, Bon Bon following behind her. “You know what Twilight’s like! When she’s sad, she just needs some space before she’ll open up!”

“But usually, she opens up to me straight away!” Sunset cried. “Ever since her brother moved out, I’m the one who always solved her problems! Now I’m the source of the problem!”

“I’m sure that Twilight Sparkle won’t see it that way,” Bon Bon said, crouching down reaching forward to gently hold Sunset Shimmer. “She is not the type of girl who I can imagine will blame her best friend for something like, or hold onto a grudge.”

“But-”

“Do you think that she’s that kind of girl?”

Sunset Shimmer was silent after that. “Look, just give her some time,” Lyra repeated, offering a hand to her friend and helping her to her feet. “For now, you need some time to cool off, too. Can’t have you approaching Twilight in the state you’re in now.”

Sunset sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “W-What do you mean?”

“I mean, we should go somewhere nice and quiet to chillax!” Lyra said. “Somewhere where you can think clearly and get it all out of your system before you go and make up with Twilight.”

Sunset was silent for a moment, before slowly nodding. “Y-Yeah… maybe you’re right…”

“Uh, Lyra?” Octavia said. “You realise that school isn’t over yet, right?”

“This is an emergency!” Lyra said in a dismissive tone. “I’m sure we can skip a few afternoon classes for our dear friend Sunny here!”

“Well, I have no more lectures for today anyway…” Bon Bon said, before giving Lyra a deadpan stare, “But really now, you should stop finding excuses to cut class. Even if this one is somewhat legitimate.”

“So it’s settled then!” Lyra exclaimed, ignoring Bon Bon’s second comment. “Let’s all go to my place and drink our troubles away!”

“D-Drink?” Octavia asked with a worried look as Lyra grabbed Sunset Shimmer’s arm and began to march away with her.

“Don’t worry,” Bon Bon said with a sigh as she and Octavia followed the other two girls from a distance. “She just means apple juice.”

Sunset Shimmer slammed her empty glass down onto the floor and breathed a heavy sigh as she leaned back against the bed behind her. “I screwed up big time,” she said.

“Yeah, kinda,” Lyra said as she walked into the room, now wearing a green T-shirt with a harp emblem on it and light-green cargo shorts instead of her school uniform. “You should probably cut back on the apple juice though. That stuff’ll give you wicked-bad stomach aches at the rate you’re going.”

“Right now that’s probably what I deserve,” Sunset groaned as she turned her head away. “I never should have forced her to go outside. I should have just let her be the happy little bookworm she is, but noooooo… I’m like, the worst friend ever.”

“That’s just the… juice… talking.” Lyra sat down beside Sunset Shimmer and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You were just trying to help broaden her horizons. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Your methods were a bit forceful,” Octavia – now in her casual black T-shirt and beige trousers – admitted from her bed opposite Sunset Shimmer, “But you heart was in the right place.”

“‘Sides, it’s nothing a little haircut can’t fix,” Lyra pointed out. “What’s the big deal?”

“I’ll admit, all this does seem to be an overreaction to a silly little mishap,” Bon Bon said. “Twilight never struck me as the kind of girl that was focussed too much on her looks, either.”

“You’re right, she’s not,” Sunset Shimmer said. “Except for her hair. Because she grew her hair out long for one person in particular.”

“Who’s that?” Lyra asked. “A boyfriend?”

“Her brother.”

Lyra snapped her fingers. “So close!”

“… How is that close?” Bon Bon asked with a raised eyebrow. “You know what? Don’t answer that. Just… please continue, Sunset.”

Sunset sighed. “Well basically, her brother likes long-hair on girls. And one day, when we were children, I mused to Twilight that he might like it on her, too. Shining Armor agreed that she would look cute with long hair, and she took that to heart. From that day on, she resolved to grow her hair out long for her brother.”

Octavia and Bon Bon shared uneasy looks. “Ah,” the both said in unison.

“Soooo… it’s a bit more complicated than we first thought,” Lyra summarised.

“Twilight takes pride in her hair,” Sunset continued. “She always refused to cut it, and she fusses over it every single day, making sure that it grows nice and healthy. She even measures it make sure that it’s an even length.”

“Seriously?” Lyra asked in a deadpan tone.

“Seriously,” Sunset confirmed. “And now it has to be cut off… all because of me…”

A silence passed over the group for a few tense moments. Octavia broke it after she glanced up towards the clock hanging on the wall nearby. “You know, it has probably been enough time for Twilight to have cooled down.”

Bon Bon nodded in agreement. “You should go and make things right with her, Sunset. If her hair was as important to her as you say it was, then she must really need a friend right now.”

Sunset scoffed. “Yeah, ‘cause she’ll want to see me of all people.” Sunset shook her head. “No, there’s no way she’d want me to just show up and apologise. For her to even begin to forgive me, I’d have to do something to make it all up to her. Something like…” Sunset gasped. “That’s it!” she shouted as she rose to her feet. “I’ve got it! I know exactly how to make this all up to her!”

“How?” Bon Bon asked as Sunset Shimmer ran past her and towards the dormitory door.

“Don’t worry guys! I’ll make things up to Twilight, and this is the only way to do so!”

A sense of dread came over Sunset Shimmer as she stood outside of the beauty salon, thinking about what she was about to do. She reached a hand up to her wonderful, silky-smooth hair and sighed. “Better get this over with…”

As she walked forward, the door’s opened up and another girl came out. The two bumped into each other and Sunset dropped her bag. “Oh! Sorry about that,” the girl said. “Sunset?”

Sunset gasped. She recognised this voice. “Twilight?” she asked as she looked up from her bag. She gasp again. “Twilight, your hair…”

The purple girl standing before her blushed. “I-It looks stupid, doesn’t it?” she asked.

Sunset quickly shook her head. “No, no! Of course not!” She wasn’t lying, either. She knew that this was inevitable, that Twilight would have to cut her hair in order to remove the gum, but this was…

Twilight’s hair was now only a third of its previous length, only reaching down to half-way down her neck. It definitely made her look different… but to Sunset Shimmer, it wasn’t in a bad way. Somehow, it seemed to really highlight Twilight’s beauty. Previously, Sunset Shimmer would always see Twilight as a shy yet playful kid sister who she had to look out for, but now, Twilight looked more…

“T-That look really suits you,” Sunset said with a smile.

“You mean it?” Twilight asked, a mix of surprise and hopefulness in her voice.

Sunset nodded. “It makes you look more grown-up,” Sunset said. “More mature, I guess. I dare say the boys will have a hard time leaving you alone when you show them your new look tomorrow.”

Twilight blushed and lowered her head, but smiled nonetheless. “I see… So it doesn’t look… dorky, or anything?”

“… Wellll,” Sunset said, circling Twilight to get a good look at the new haircut from every angle, “Maybe a little, but hey, that could just be your natural dorkiness factor, anyway!”

Twilight threw a playful punch that Sunset dodged whilst laughing. “Seriously though! Does it look stupid?”

“It looks fine,” Sunset said. “Better than fine. It looks great.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good…”

“But… what about your brother?” Sunset asked. “Didn’t you grow your hair out for his sake?”

Twilight nodded. “I did, but… Well, I guess it’s time I get out of that phase and stop pining for my brother’s attention so much… right? Besides, this length really is more convenient, and practical, too!”

Sunset grinned. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I got gum in your hair!”

“Don’t push it,” Twilight said with a frown. “By the way, how did you know I’d be here?”

Sunset titled her head to the side. “How did I… Oh! Right! Well, I didn’t really know. We just happened to bump into each other. You see, I came here to…” Sunset sighed, and Twilight regarded her with a quizzical look. “I came here to make things right…”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“I know there’s never anything I can do to take back what happened, and I don’t blame you if you never forgive me,” Sunset said, “But at the very least, I can show you how sorry I am. That’s why I’m… gonna get my hair cut short, too.”

Twilight gasped. “You’re what?!”

Sunset nodded in confirmation. “It’s the least I can do to-” She was cut off by Twilight’s hands on her shoulders, shaking her back-and-forth.

“No! You can’t! Your hair’s so beautiful and you spend so long styling it every day, it would be a waste to cut it now!”

Sunset grabbed Twilight’s hands and steadied herself. “Look, I’m not saying this will be easy, but I have to do it! I did something horrible to you, and I have to pay my dues!”

“No you don’t!” Twilight told her.

“Yes I do!” Sunset insisted.

“NO!”

“YES!”

Twilight groaned and stomped a foot onto the floor. “You don’t have to because I don’t hate you!”

“You! … Y-You don’t?” Sunset asked, surprise and confusion in her voice. “B-But I… I dragged you outside even when you made it perfectly clear you didn’t want me to, and then I got all that gum in your hair and you had to-”

“I know, and I know I gave you the cold shoulder after that,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Look, Sunset, I… I was just a little shocked, that’s all. Sure I don’t exactly appreciate you invading my personal space like you did,” Sunset grimaced at that, “But I had some time to cool off and think about it, and you know what? I forgive you.”

Sunset simply stood there in shock, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide with awe. “I don’t want something silly like a bad hair day or you being a little nosey to ruin our friendship,” Twilight said as she leaned forward and hugged her friend. “That’s why I just want to forgive and forget, and also why I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret just because you think you hurt me.”

“Twilight, I… I don’t know what to say.” Sunset returned Twilight’s hug with a smile. After a moment, the two parted, and Sunset released a huge sigh of relief. “Oh thank god!” she shouted, holding a hand over her chest and feeling her fast-beating heart. “I’m so glad I bumped into you here. I was this close to forever destroying my image!” To indicate how close she was, Sunset Shimmer held her index finger and her thumb in close proximity to each other, leaving only a tiny gap of space between them.

Twilight giggled. “Though, I would like to see what you look like with short hair. That would be kind of funny.”

“Hmph! Too bad that will never happen,” Sunset Shimmer declared as she folded her arms. “So we’re good then?”

Twilight nodded. “Sure. But you’re gonna have to do something pretty special to make up for me missing a whole afternoon of school.”

Sunset Shimmer put a finger to her chin. “Oh gee, how about getting you out of school for an entire afternoon?” she asked in a teasing tone. “Y’know most girls your age would be okay with that.”

“But I’m not most girls our age,” Twilight responded. “Well, if we’re going to play hookey, we’re going to do it by the book!”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

The door to the beauty salon opened and both girls turned to Twilight Velvet, who was putting her purse away into her bag. “Oh, Sunset Shimmer!” she said as she noticed the two girl standing outside. “Did you two make up, then?” The two nodded, and Velvet smiled.

“Mum, we’re going to the arcade,” Twilight said. “Is that okay?”

Velvet considered it for a moment. “Well, I guess it’s a little late to take you back to school now,” she said. “Just be back home by dinner, okay?”

“We will!” Twilight said as she grabbed Sunset’s wrist. “Come on, let’s go!” she cheered as she ran through the mall, Sunset stumbling and then running behind her.

“T-Twilight, what-”

“First we have to go to the arcade,” Twilight said. “Then we get ice-cream, then we go to a clothing outlet and shoplift a few sweaters!”

“What?!” Sunset shouted as she forced her wrist out of Twilight’s hold and stopped.

Twilight also stopped and turned to her friend. “… Well, maybe we don’t have to go shoplifting,” she said with a sheepish grin and a squee. “But we do have to do the other things typical of a day playing hookey from school!”

Sunset regarded the excited-looking girl with a dumbfounded look, before sighing and shaking her head. “… Okay then. Let’s go,” she said as she walked past Twilight, who nodded and followed after her. ‘New look, same old Twilight. I’m glad she was able to forgive me… and that she’s such a good friend.’

VII - Finding Work

Another night, and still no progress made on Sunset Shimmer’s secret project. The girl let out a sigh as she stashed her notes away into the safe in the corner of her room and she moved over towards her bed. “I’m running out of ideas… Well, not really ideas, but I don’t exactly have the equipment I need to carry out most of them.”

After climbing into her bed and making sure that she was comfortable, Sunset reached over towards the light switch above her head and flicked the lights off. “Why does it have to be so hard to get my hands on some proper scientific equipment and materials? I can’t even find a decent lab to work in…”

The phone on Sunset’s bedside table vibrated and the screen lit up, alerting her to an incoming text. She reached over towards it and opened the message coming form an unknown sender. A smile crept across her face. “Well well… That’s one problem solved at least… Oh.” Sunset’s smile fell as quickly as it had formed, and with a sorrowful sigh she placed the phone back down. “Great… I knew there’d be a catch. Without money, I guess there’s not much chance of me continuing this research much longer.”

Sunset Shimmer rolled onto her side and yawned. “I’ll deal with this problem tomorrow. For now, I need to make sure I’m ready for tomorrow…”

The following morning, Sunset Shimmer arrived at full of energy and ready to take control of the preparations for Vice-Principle Luna’s surprise party later that evening. In honour of her twentieth year working at the school, Principle Celestia had given the students the day off to work on the party in secret whilst she kept her sister busy by taking her on a shopping trip… two towns over.

Sunset Shimmer naturally took charge of the whole operation, and was met with very few objections. The students admitted that her abilities to lead and organise large-scale events such as this was unrivalled within school, and some voiced their support for her on just this alone.

Many others, however… “WHAT COLOUR STREAMERS DID I SAY?!” Sunset shouted as she closed in on the three boys carrying streamers with them.

“B-Blue, ma’am?”

“And what colour do you have with you right now?!”

“G-Green?”

“Oh, so you aren’t colour-blind. Just stupid?”

“T-The store was out of blue streamers, so we-”

“Then in that case, GO TO A DIFFERENT STORE!” Sunset roared. “And while you’re at it, return these for a FULL REFUND! Our funds are very limited, you know?!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” The three boys took off. None of them dared to talk back to Sunset Shimmer when she was angry, nor did any of them feel brave enough to flat-out refuse her orders.

“And you three!” Sunset shouted towards the four boys standing in the middle of the gym and simply talking to each other. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re just talkin’,” one of the boys said. “Chill out, man.”

“Chill out? I gave you a job to do, and we don’t exactly have all day, now do we?”

“And we’ll get it done. Just not now.”

Sunset approached the boys, her eyebrows creasing and her eyes flaming as she drew near. “Or, perhaps you were thinking you could just pretend you’re working whilst really just leaving your job for others to take care of?”

The boys all gulped and backed away. “W-What? No! Of course not!”

“Then explain why there is currently a freshman pinning up the banner that I told you to pin up.” None of the boys had any answer to that. “That’s what I thought. Now the way I see it, you have to choices: do the tasks you were assigned to, and I mean now, or find your club funds suspended for the next three months!”

The boys gasped. “Y-You can’t do that!” one of them protested.

Sunset closed in on him, their faces mere inches apart. “Try me.”

After a moment of silence, the boys turned and left to their assigned duties. Sunset Shimmer watched them for a few moments to ensure that they were actually getting back to work, and then gave a nod as she looked down at her checklist. Behind her, Applejack and Golden Harvest couldn’t help but giggle at the way the boys were so easily scared into submission by her.

“Say what ya want ‘bout her,” Applejack said to Golden Harvest, “But she knows how ta get things done ‘round here, that’s for sure.”

Golden Harvest nodded. “I’ll bet nobody else in this school can get those lazy boys to work.”

“You two!” Sunset yelled to the two girls. “Did I give you permission to start chatting amongst yourselves? Those chairs need to set out within fifteen minutes! Now get to it!”

As Sunset walked away, Golden Harvest leaned over to Applejack and whispered, “I still say she’s a slave-driver, though.”

Applejack chuckled and picked up two folding chairs. “Well, ‘least she ain’t cracked out the whips yet.”

Sunset Shimmer looked over her checklist and marked off ‘ice sculpture’ as Big Macintosh wheeled the sculpture of howling wolf past her. “Don’t drop that thing on the way to the freezer!” Sunset shouted to Big Macintosh. “That thing cost us a lot of money!”

“Eeyup!” Big Macintosh shouted back as he continued his task.

Sunset lowered her checklist and sighed. “Speaking of money, I still haven’t found a solution to my problem yet…”

“What problem?”

Sunset jumped back and spun around with a start. She found Pinkie Pie standing directly in front of her, smiling and tilting her head to the side. “Y-You! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?!”

Pinkie Pie pulled a notepad out of her hair and flipped through a few pages. “People ask that a lot of me! Good thing I keep a record here of all times they’ve told me that! Let’s see here… Thirty-two times! Second only to Vice-Principle Luna!”

“… Well then stop it!” Sunset shouted before slamming her hand into her face. “Look who I’m talking to. She won’t learn.”

“So what’s the problem?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You said you had a problem. Is it something I can help with? I love to help my friends out with their problems!”

“I know,” Sunset deadpanned. “It’s nothing, though. Anyway, shouldn’t you be doing something right now?”

“Oh, I’m done with that!” Pinkie Pie said.

“You’re done watching that quarter I placed on the ground?” Sunset asked in a sceptical tone. “The one I asked you to watch indefinitely until I came back?”

“Well, here’s the thing. Rainbow Dash came by and asked what I was doing, and I told her you gave me a super-important job for the preparations for Luna’s party but then she picked up the quarter and told me you were pulling my leg, which I said was impossible because you were inside and I was all the way out in the courtyard! Then she hid the quarter from me so now I can’t find it, and if I can’t find it I can’t watch it, so I came here for my next assignment!”

Sunset groaned. ‘So much for that plan.’

“Hey, about that problem-”

“I told you it’s-” Sunset stopped herself and tapped a finger against her chin. ‘Actually… It’s a long shot, but it should at least keep her distracted, if nothing else.’

“Yes?” Pinkie asked expectantly.

“… Okay, so here’s the deal,” Sunset said, wrapping an arm around Pinkie Pie and walking her away from the other pupils. “You see, I’m running a little short on pocket money lately, which is bad because there are a lot of things I want to buy.”

“Like what?”

“Just… things,” Sunset said. “Anyway, I was thinking of getting a part-time job, but the only offers I found lately are in the evening, and that cuts into my personal time that I’d can’t afford to lose. I’m really busy at the moment.”

“What with?”

“Just… stuff. So, what I want you to do, Pinkie Pie, is go to the library, access one of its computers, and don’t come back until you’ve found me a part-time job nearby that does afternoon shifts on the weekend only.”

“Oh, I got one of those!” Pinkie Pie said.

Sunset froze for a moment. “… You what?”

“Yeah. I got a job like that. Afternoons on the weekend, and sometimes on weekdays, too.”

“Y-You do?” Sunset asked.

“Yuh-huh. It’s a babysitting job for Cakes’ twins. Heeey, maybe I could ask them if you can sit for them sometimes!”

Sunset’s mouth hung open, but no words came out. ‘I-Is she serious? I mean, that’s great if she is! With a job I can earn money, and with money I can create my own Elements to overthrow Celestia!’

“Actually,” Pinkie Pie said, “Maybe that isn’t such a good idea. I mean, you gotta be verrrrry responsible when it comes to sitting kids, y’know?”

Sunset scoffed. “I’ll have you know I’m very responsible! Take a look around! Could any other student lead a group like- YOU TWO!” Sunset looked past Pinkie Pie at two boys sitting down on a table and chatting. “Did I say you could rest?! GET THAT TABLE OVER TO THAT WALL NOW!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” the two boys shouted as they jumped up quickly and moved the table together.

“That’s not the quite the same thing,” Pinkie Pie said. “That’s leadership, not responsibility.”

“Whatever,” Sunset said. “Children are easy to deal with.”

“Oh? You’ve sat for kids before?”

“Of course not. They’re loud and needy and ruin my good reading material… but they’re easy to understand and to figure out. And I did read a book on foal psychology one time. It was very informative.”

“First off, these aren’t foals,” Pinkie said. “Second, stiiiiill doesn’t inspire much confidence.”

“Pony, human, whatever! I’m sure there’s not much difference. Nothing a quick Google search won’t fix, anyway.”

“Tell you what,” Pinkie said. “I’ll convince the Cakes to give you a chance. You sit the kids with me, and we’ll see how you do! That sound good?”

Sunset huffed at the allegation that she alone was not enough to sit a couple of kids. Regardless, though, this was the chance she had been searching for. A chance to earn more money so that she could buy more materials and equipment, and a way into a more advanced laboratory than her bedroom with a basic chemistry kit on her table. “Fine. Deal.”

“Great!” Pinkie Pie cheered, grabbing Sunset’s hand and shaking it.

Sunset turned around and walked towards the stage, reading over her checklist again and comparing it to the progress made on the stage. She stopped and frowned. Turning around, she found Pinkie Pie right behind her, still smiling as she remained silent. “What now?”

“Well, I need another task!”

Sunset grumbled and had to restrain herself from tearing her checklist in half. “… J-Just go watch the clouds outside and let me know if you find one shaped like an astronaut.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Pinkie Pie said as she saluted, before bolting off in a cloud of dust and a stream of confetti.

“That girl is just one big nuisance,” Sunset sighed as she plucked the confetti from her jacket. “Now let’s just hope the other one hasn’t seen through-”

“HEY!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she stormed towards Sunset Shimmer. “There’s no such thing as ‘headlight fluid’!”

At the beginning of that weekend, in the early morning of Saturday, Sunset Shimmer left her house shortly after breakfast and boarded the bus to Sugarcube Corner, the café that her employers worked at. Whilst she rested her eyes in the back corner of the bus, Sunset Shimmer brooded over the utter failure of the party she had spent so much time and energy preparing. “Would it have killed even to say, even once, “Oh, by the way, my sister is allergic to carrot cake”? Out of all the times Luna has come over, she couldn’t mention that once?”

Sunset wasn’t sure what she was annoyed more by – the fact that Celestia never supplied with that bit of vital information, or the fact that she just happened to pick the one cake that the cake-loving vice-principle could not eat.

The bus skidded to a halt. As its doors opened, Sunset gave a curious look to find Pinkie Pie climbing on and paying the driver. She sighed as the pink girl turned her way and ran excitedly down towards her. “Gooood morning, Sunset Shimmer!”

“Morning,” Sunset replied as she scooted as far into the corner as she could when Pinkie Pie took the seat beside her. “What kind of babysitting job starts at ten in the morning?”

“The kind where the parents have a really long journey and they can’t take their kids for reasons I didn’t hear because I was distracted by the kid breaking my Pac-Man record!”

“Unbelievable,” Sunset said as she rolled her eyes.

“I know, right?!” Pinkie shouted as she slammed her hands onto her lap. “I worked hard setting that high score, and not only does he just completely own it, he even uses those vulgar initials! What if one of the babies saw it?!”

“They’d slobber and drool and be utterly clueless. Just like babies always are,” Sunset replied flatly.

“Hey now, I hope you brought your kind face today! You know that children are easily influenced by negative behaviour.”

“They’re not even a year old yet,” Sunset pointed out. “And I swear, if they start grabbing my hair, I’m out of there.”

Pinkie frowned. “Y’know, this might just be what you need. If that’s how you feel about kids, then you’ll never make a good mum after you meet ‘Mr. Right’.”

“Like I care about any of that. Even as a pony, stallions never caught my fancy.”

A moment of silence fell between the two. “So you’re into girls then?” A blush across Sunset’s face caused Pinkie to assume her conclusion was correct. “‘Cause I’m totally fine if you are!”

“I’m not!” Sunset shouted. “I just… Look, it’s none of your business anyway, but I don’t care about stuff like dating or raising children! It’s stupid, it’s pointless, and frankly I have better things to do with my time!”

As Sunset turned away to look outside the window beside her, Pinkie lowered her head and stared at her feet. “… You think Rainbow Dash is cute? ‘Cause I think she’s into girls too, and you two would make such a cute couple.”

Sunset Shimmer slammed a hand into her face. “I swear, this job had better pay well.”

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie Pie entered Sugarcube Corner with Sunset Shimmer following behind. The store was closed for the day, and the two owners were feeding their children at the counter, both wearing formal attire that caught Pinkie’s eye. “Ooh, fancy duds! Where ya going?”

“Were you not paying attention yesterday?” Mr. Cake asked, though Sunset noted his tone didn’t show much annoyance or disbelief, but sounded very casual. As though he wasn’t the least bit surprised to have to explain things to Pinkie Pie more than once. She made a mental note of the similarity they seemed to share.

“Sorry, my mind was distracted,” Pinkie apologised with a slight giggle.

“We’re going to the funeral of Cup’s aunt,” Mr. Cake reminded, casting an awkward silence through the air.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Mrs. Cake,” Pinkie Pie said.

“My condolences,” Sunset added.

“It’s quite alright, darlings,” Cup Cake said. “She was a distant relative, so I didn’t really know her all that well. The trip is long, though, and Pound’s going through his first teething, so I didn’t feel comfortable with bringing them along.”

“You must be Sunset Shimmer.” Mr. Cake extended his hand towards the girl, who shook it with a nod. “My name is Carrot Cake, and that’s my wife Cup Cake.”

“‘Carrot Cake’?” Sunset asked, followed by a gag that gave Carrot a strange look on his face.

“Ah, sorry,” Pinkie Pie said for her friend. “She’s had a bad experience with a carrot cake recently. Y’know, the desert, not a person.”

“Yes, well, I’ve heard certain things about this girl,” Carrot said as he looked down at Sunset Shimmer, “But Pinkie Pie asked me to give you a chance, so I’m sure you can’t be a bad girl.”

“She’s alright once you get to know her!” Pinkie assured her employers, pulling Sunset Shimmer close into her personal space.

“Do you have experience with children?” Cup Cake asked.

“Well of course,” Sunset replied, earning a confused look from Pinkie Pie. “Before I started High School I used to watch my little cousin all the time.”

“But have you ever sat for babies?” Carrot Cake asked. “There’s a world of difference there.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing I can’t handle,” Sunset responded confidently as she approached one of the giggling babies on the counter and leaned down to smile at them. “Hello, kids. We’re going to get along well today, aren’t we?”

“Let me introduce you,” Pinkie Pie said. “This one’s Pound Cake.” She pointed to the one with short brown hair wearing a light-brown top. “And this one’s Pumpkin Cake.” She then pointed to the baby with short orange hair wearing a blue top with flowers on it, who in response reached out and grabbed Sunset’s nose.

Sunset yelped and quickly backed away, glaring at the two giggling infants sitting before you. “Yes… A pleasure to meet you,” she said as she rubbed her nose.

“Well, if you need any help, just ask Pinkie.” Carrot Cake stepped around the counter and whispered to Pinkie, “And if any problems arise-”

“Don’t you worry, Mr. Cake!” Pinkie Pie picked up the two twins, who laughed and cheered in her arms. “We’ll be juuuuust fine, right guys?” The twins responded by reaching up to Pinkie Pie’s hair and making two very high-pitched sounds that would have made Sunset cringe if she wasn’t attempting to keep up appearances.

“Alright then, we’ll leave it to the two of you then.” Carrot Cake opened the door for his wife to walk through.

“Please keep an eye on Pound,” Cup Cake said before she left. “Since his teething began he’s picked up Pumpkin’s old habit of chewing on whatever he can find lying around.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave my sight!”

“He’s on the counter,” Sunset said, alerting Pinkie to the fact that the child had somehow worked his way out of her arm and onto the counter.

Pinkie Pie quickly scooped him up and shot one final smile at the Cakes, who exchanged a worrying glance before leaving the store. “… Why did you say that?” she asked as soon as the door had closed. “You said you’ve never sat for kids before, so why-”

“It’s not like they’re going to look into it,” Sunset said. “It’s just easier to say that I have.”

“You shouldn’t lie in front of the babies.”

“They don’t even understand us.”

“That’s not true. They understand us completely!” Pinkie held up the two babies and moved her face closer to them, causing both of them to start laughing again. “Isn’t that right? You two are smarter than you look! I see it in your eyes.”

“So how does this work then?” Sunset asked as she looked around, taking note of the nice layout of the furniture and the soothing aroma in the air. She wondered if she should visit this shop more often. “Is there a checklist or a timetable we need to follow?”

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie said. “Well, there’s a list of allergies and emergency numbers on the fridge, but other than that we just play with the kids and make sure to feed them when they’re hungry.” A familiar scent entered Pinkie’s nose, causing her to gag and quickly hold the babies at a distance. “And… one other important duty, too.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but when the same scent reached her nose too, she caught on to what Pinkie Pie was saying and quickly covered her mouth and nose with her shirt. “You can’t be serious!”

“It’s our job! Don’t worry, I’ll show you how with Pumpkin first, then let you try with Pound.”

“Why don’t you just do both if you’re so good?!”

“You want this job, don’t you?”

Sunset considered how desperate she really was for this job… and decided that she was very desperate. “Fine,” she conceded with a sigh. “Go ahead. Share your wisdom.”

‘I need the money. I need the money. I need the money.’ Sunset Shimmer repeated this inside her head as she rubbed the soap against her hands under the hot water of the bathroom sink. Even though she had not touched the ‘business’, after getting so close to it she couldn’t help but feel… contaminated? Diseased? Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to risk eating anything until she was sure her hands were clean.

Satisfied finally after five minutes, Sunset put the soap down and shut the water off. “Maybe instead of banishing Celestia, I’ll have her spend the rest of her life foalsitting all the babies of Equestria…”

Sunset rolled down her sleeves and left the bathroom, finding Pinkie Pie waiting on the other side. She stopped and prayed that she didn’t hear her in there. “You all done?” Pinkie asked, receiving a nod from Sunset. “Great! The kids are watching cartoons right now. Wanna help me fix some lunch?”

“I brought my own,” Sunset said.

“Oh… Well, why don’t you go watch TV with the kids then? I think you’ll like it. It’s really funny!”

As Pinkie Pie walked down the hallway with a hum, Sunset followed after her with a scoff. “Cartoons? I grew out of those when I was five.”

As the cartoon mouse dropped the anvil on top of the cartoon cat’s head, the children laughed and waved their hands in the air, whilst Sunset Shimmer simply remained frowning. “Not only is this an insult to the laws of physics, but is this really something that kids should be watching?” The cat picked up a dynamite stick, apparently believing it to be a cigarette, and lit it. As expected, it exploded in his face, leaving him surprised as he coughed out rings of smoke. Sunset fought the grin trying to force itself on her face. “Stupid…”

Pinkie Pie walked into the room to join the three, carrying a tray of cupcakes and a glass of hot chocolate. “Ooh, this is a good episode!”

“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” Sunset said as she lifted up one of her sandwiches. “Is that really your lunch?”

“Yup! I’m a growing girl, and I need lots of energy in my diet!” Before Pinkie Pie could take the first bite out of her ‘meal’, Pound Cake suddenly began to wail, startling the two girls. Pumpkin Cake soon joined in, causing Pinkie to sigh and place her tray down. “Right on time…”

“What’s wrong with them?” Sunset asked as she put her own lunch down and stood up to approach the children.

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie said as she walked towards the kitchen, soon returning with a bag of flour. “I got this.”

“What are you-” Sunset quickly backed away as Pinkie Pie held the flour above her head and… let it loose. “… What, pray tell, was that supposed to accomplish?”

Pinkie Pie stared in disbelief as the two babies continued to scream. “I don’t get it! That always works!”

“Well, it didn’t this time,” Sunset deadpanned. “Now if you’re quite done trying to make yourself a delicious treat, perhaps we could try to feed them?”

“Yes! Of course!” Pinkie Pie raced into the kitchen and this time returned with two bottles of milk. She offered them to the babies, but both of them simply knocked the bottles away. “I guess they’re not hungry then… And we just changed them, so what could it be?”

Sunset tapped a finger against her chin, her eye twitching as the piercing sounds of the babies’ crying continued to go through her mind. She thought back to what the Cakes had told them that morning, wondering if there was anything relevant. “Maybe… Maybe Pound Cake is teething…”

“But what about Pumpkin?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“She could be crying because Pound is.”

“Teething… Teething…” Pinkie groaned as she held her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do! The Cakes didn’t tell me how to handle that!”

“Where’s his pacifier?” Sunset asked. Pinkie motioned for her to follow her into the kitchen and led Sunset to the two pacifiers lying on the counter. She picked up the one of the right.

“This one, but what are you-”

“I read this in a book,” Sunset said. “Go back to the babies and see what you can do.”

Pinkie Pie was curious as to what Sunset had planned, but agreed that at least one of them should be with the twins at that time. She left the kitchen and entered the living room, where the babies’ crying seemed to have gotten even louder. “H-Hey, guys! How about a song?!” Pinkie took in a deep breath of air. “Olllllllld McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!” The crying got louder still. “AND ON THAT FARM HE HAD A-” Hands started to slam on Pound Cake’s table as the crying continued to grow in volume.

“Are you quite done making it worse?!” Sunset shouted as she re-entered the room, carrying Pound Cake’s pacifier in her hand.

“Sorry!” Pinkie apologised. “What were you doing in there?!”

Sunset made her way to Pound Cake. “I read in a book that this helps with teething! ‘Draw water into a pacifier and freeze it’!” Sunset offered the pacifier to Pound, placing it into his mouth. His screaming grew to a steady silence as he seemed to accept the pacifier and happily began to chew on it.

“It worked!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “But… Pumpkin’s still crying…”

Sunset turned to Pumpkin Cake, who was indeed still crying and screaming and reaching her hands out. Sunset considered what to do in this situation.

“Mama! The doll Aunty got me is broke! It won’t stop making this noise!”

“Sunset, dear, it’s not broke. It’s crying. Just like a real baby.”

“Well it’s loud and distracting! How do I shut it off?!”

“You do what you would to calm down any crying infant. You hold it gently, bring it close to your chest, and gently rock it back-and-forth.”

“Like this? … Hey, it worked!”

“Now you know for next time!”

“Wait, it’s going to do it again?! UGH! Why couldn’t Aunty have got me a quieter doll?!”

Sunset sighed as she reached towards Pumpkin Cake and lifted her out of her seat, surprising the young girl but not halting her crying just yet. “Gently hold her… close to my chest.” Sunset held the baby just as she had her doll in the past, and brought her closer towards herself. Already the effects were obvious as Pumpkin’s screaming quieted to sobs and hiccups. “Now rock her back-and-forth.” Sunset began to rock the child, slowly at first but then building up her speed a little as it not only seemed to calm her down, but also bring some form of enjoyment that made Pumpkin Cake laugh.

“Wow! You did it!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she clapped her hands. “I knew you’d be a good babysitter! I can’t wait to tell the others about this!”

“How about you don’t?” Sunset asked as she looked over her shoulder and glared at the pink girl. “Unless you want to be the janitor’s assistant for the next six months.”

“But you’re so good at it,” Pinkie said with a deflated look. “Why wouldn’t you want others to know how good you are with children?”

“Heed my words, Pinkamena Dianne Pie,” Sunset Shimmer said, her rocking becoming a little faster and Pumpkin’s laughter dying down as she gagged on something in her throat and her face turned green. “If you tell anyone about this, I will-”

“BLECH!”

Sunset’s arms stopped their swinging as she felt something heavy on the front of her, and smelled something awful coming from the same direction. Slowly, she turned her head towards the girl in her arms, who seemingly found something quite amusing about the present she had given her sitter.

“We’re home!” Carrot Cake announced as he entered the store. He received no answer as his wife followed in and he removed her coat for her, so he made his way towards the living room to make sure that everything was fine. On his way, he noticed that the washing machine had apparently been turned on at some point, and took a curious look inside to find the clothes that Sunset Shimmer had worn that day.

Cup Cake entered the living room and gasped at what she saw. Besides a few toys scattered about the floor, the room was very tidy and, in fact, looked cleaner than how she left it that morning. The crib by the couch was occupied by two sleeping toddlers wrapped up snugly in their blankets, and the couch itself was occupied by Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer, who seemed to be wearing Pinkie Pie’s pink-over-blue overall dress.

The TV that they were apparently watching was simply showing static, whilst the VCR showed that the tape inside was wound all the way to the beginning and was ready to be played. The two girl were sleeping side-by-side, with Pinkie’s head rested on Sunset’s shoulder whilst Sunset Shimmer seemed to have been trying to pry the other girl away in her sleep. Quite fruitlessly.

Cup Cake made her way over towards the two sleeping girls and gave the two a little nudge, stirring them out of their sleep. “We’re home,” she said quietly to avoid waking up the babies. “I take it everything went okay?”

The two girls yawned and rubbed their eyes as they sat up on the couch. “It went fine,” Pinkie Pie said as she stretched her arms. “Sunset here was a really big help, especially when Pound started teething.”

“I see.” Cup Cake turned to Sunset and smiled. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Sunset said in a drowsy voice. “I knew that taking care of kids would be easy.”

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Carrot Cake offered as he walked into the room. “It’s getting pretty late. I can call your house and let your parents know where you are.”

Sunset’s mind immediately woke up at the invitation to spend dinner with Pinkie Pie. “No thanks,” she quickly said. “I should really get going.”

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”

“Really, I’m fine,” Sunset said as she rose to her feet.

“Well then, I guess I’ll just pay you then.” Carrot Cake reached into his wallet and pulled out a few notes. “And I’d be more than happy to hire you again,” he said as he handed some money to both girls.

“You totally should,” Pinkie Pie said. “She needs the money more than me, anyway. For, uh… stuff.”

Sunset picked up her bag and put the money away into her purse, making sure to count it as she did so. ‘That should be enough to rent out a lab for a few days, but I still need more for the equipment I need.’ “Well then, I’ll be going now. It was a pleasure.”

As Sunset began to leave, Cup Cake made her way over towards her children with Pinkie Pie, whilst Carrot Cake followed after Sunset to see her out. “Oh, Miss Shimmer?” Sunset turned to face him. “Do come by tomorrow. Your clothes will be clean by then.”

Sunset looked down at the clothes that she was wearing and blushed. She turned away and grumbled as she made her way towards the door. ‘And this is why I am never going to have children. Ever!’

Author's Note

Fun fact: I use the search function after writing each of these chapters to find common pony words that may have slipped their way into this fic. Oh pony, why you make me pony so much?

VIII - Terror From the Past

The pain was almost too much to bear, but he couldn’t stop running. His legs felt heavy, his heart was racing, his stomach felt like it was on fire, but he had no choice but to keep moving. Keep moving until he reached the safe house. There, he could lay low for a few days, wait for the heat to die down a bit, and then flee the city proper. If only he hadn’t been so stupid. If only he hadn’t taken such a huge risk, he wouldn’t be in this situation right now, being hounded by those-

“FREEZE!” He stopped. The street before him became a wash of blinding lights and loud sirens. Vague shadows shifted about in the light and encircled him. “Don’t move! You’re under arrest on charges of murder!”

Feeling trapped, the only thing he could think to do was point his firearm forward and fire blindly in the hopes that that would somehow resolve the situation. Unfortunately, his arm was caught by something before he could move it. It was a hand. “I’ve got you now,” the ragged breath of his pursuer said. “I told you… there was no escape…”

He gritted his teeth. “Shining… Armor…” Suddenly, the pain became too much to bear. The rush of adrenaline that blocked out the pain from his wound had worn off, and now all that he could do was fall to the floor and writhe in pain.

“Bring the first aid kit!” Shining Armor shouted as he placed a pair of handcuffs onto his captive victim’s wrists. “Hurry!”

The lights died down, revealing two officers and two medics rushing towards the two. Behind them was a man in a dark suit, who looked to be in his late-fifties. Shining Armor rushed towards this man. “You did good out there,” the man said as he placed a hand on Shining’s shoulder. “We’ve been after this man for ten years. And now, thanks to your efforts, we caught him.”

“All I did was chase him… fruitlessly…” Shining Armor said. “If the backup hadn’t arrived-”

“The backup was only able to do its job because you called it in, and because you chased our culprit relentlessly, keeping him in the open.” The man nodded his head as he witnessed the culprit being carried away. “I see good things in your future. It seems I made the right call on scouting you out.”

“Thank you, sir!” Shining Armor said.

“I’ll kill you!” Shining Armor and his boss turned to the car where the culprit was giving the officers arresting a hard time. “You hear me, Shining Armor?! I’ll freakin’ kill you! You and your family!”

Shining Armor felt a chill down his spine. “My… family?”

“I swear, when I get out of prison, I’ll find you! And I’ll kill everyone you hold dear!”

The officers finally managed to get the culprit into the car. Shining Armor watched with dread as the vehicle drove away, and jumped as his boss suddenly spoke up beside him. “Don’t worry about what he said.”

“Sir?”

“With the crimes he’s committed, he’ll be away for the rest of his life.” Shining Armor felt relieved to hear that and smiled. His boss returned the smile before moving on to talk with a nearby officer.

“… My first big case as an FBI agent…” Shining Armor felt a tingle down his spine. The same tingle he had felt when he first received his police officer’s badge, and again when he found out that the FBI were personally seeking him out. “That was so awesome!” he shouted as he thrust a fist into the air. He blushed as he realised people were watching him and quickly regained his composure.

As he followed after his boss, the words of the man he had just arrested came into his head once more. “I don’t have to worry about that,” he whispered to himself, assuring himself that everything would be okay. “Right, of course not. With that criminal record, Grogar won’t ever be released.”

Three years later, Shining Armor’s life remained fun and exciting, as well as full of work. Still, since joining the FBI, he had made many friends and met many interesting people. And not long after joining, he met Mi Amore Cadenza, the woman he currently had been dating for an adventurous two years.

Indeed, life had its ups and its downs, and the workload never seemed to ease off, but all-in-all, Shining Armor could not complain, and he would not trade this life away for all the glory in the world.

“You’re in high spirits this morning.” Although there were some aspects that he would be more than happy to trade away given the chance. Shining Armor stopped to greet Chrysalis.

“That’s because I-”

“You spent the night at Cadenza’s?” Chrysalis chuckled. “Yes, I can tell. You reek of perfume and you brought a lunch into work today. No doubt something she made for you, hm?”

Shining Armor blushed as he looked down at the lunchbox he was carrying in his hands. He walked past Chrysalis and made his way towards the refrigerator behind her. “Yeah, well, what’s it to you? That’s what couples do, right?”

“Too bad Cadenza’s coming to work later today. The two of you could have held hands as you walked here together.”

“You jealous?” Shining Armor asked with a smug grin.

“Oh please. If we were dating, we would do so much more than simply hold hands on our way to work.”

A shiver ran down Shining’s spine. “Well, maybe in some crazy parallel world that is the case. But here, I’m just gonna take your word for it and leave it at that.”

“Suit yourself. Just give me a call when you grow bored of little Cadenza,” Chrysalis said with a wink. “Oh yes, I almost forgot. The boss is looking for you.”

“The Director?” Shining asked. “What for?”

“You’ll see when you get there.”

Shining Armor gave Chrysalis a curious look as she simply turned and walked away. With a shrug, Shining left the kitchen area and walked down the hallway towards the elevator, wondering what his boss could possibly want with him.

Sunset Shimmer tapped her foot repeatedly on the carpeted floor as she stared up the stairs before her. “Come on already!” she shouted. “It’s been fifteen minutes! How long does it take?!”

“Just a second!” Twilight shouted down the stairs. “Just a few more to go!”

“You said that ten minutes ago!” A glass of water entered Sunset’s vision. She turned her head to see Twilight Velvet offering her the glass and gracefully accepted it. “Thanks.”

“I’m terribly sorry about all this,” Velvet said. “I don’t know what got into Spike to chew up all of Twilight’s checklists, but she was up late into the night trying to recreate them. I tried to get her to stop, but-”

“It’s hardly anything new,” Sunset said. “Well if she’s not done in five more minutes then we can threaten her with the possibility of being tardy.”

“I’m done!” Twilight shouted from up the stairs. “Let me just grab my things and- W-WHOA!” A crashing sound followed by a young girl’s moans sounded from upstairs. Moments later, the sounds of a door opening and then closing were followed by the appearance of the short-haired girl Sunset Shimmer had been waiting for.

“It’s about time,” Sunset said as Twilight reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Here you go, dear.” Velvet gave Twilight a small plastic lunch box. “Now you two be careful on your way to and from school today. In fact, maybe I should give you a lift…”

“What for?” Twilight asked.

“Didn’t you read the paper this morning?” Sunset asked. Twilight shook her head. “Right, I guess you were busy… Well, the papers said there was an escaped convict sighted here in Canterlot.”

“An escaped convict?” Twilight asked in a worried tone.

“I don’t think we have to worry, though,” Sunset said. “It’s light out, lots of people about, and the convict is said to be from Tambelon. We just stick to the open streets and avoid foreigners and we should be fine.”

“I don’t know,” Velvet said. “I’m still a little uneasy about all this. This is usually such a peaceful city, and you two aren’t exactly the best athletes.”

“You have a Language class to attend, right?” Sunset asked. “If you drove us, you might miss it.”

“I don’t want that,” Twilight said. “Sunset’s right. We’ll be fine walking to school.”

Velvet looked between the two and the nodded. “Well, okay… But I’m definitely going to pick the two of you up. It’s winter, so it gets dark early, and that makes me really worried.”

“Deal,” Twilight said. “Now come on, Sunset, we’re gonna be late!”

Sunset watched Twilight run past her with an annoyed look on her face. “And whose fault will it be if we are?!” she asked as she chased after her friend.

Velvet sighed as she watched the two girls leave. “… I’m worrying too much,” she assured herself as she moved towards the living room. “Shining says that the police force in this city is the best ever. There should be no problem.”

“Sunset, waaaaaait!” Twilight cried, stopping dead in her tracks in order to catch her breath.

Sunset also stopped to breathe. “W-We’re going to be late if we keep taking breaks!”

“B-But I’m n-not good at… at running…”

Sunset wiped the sweat from her brow and looked down at her watch. She then looked around and found an alleyway to her side, leading towards the direction of the school. “We might be able to make it if we cut through here.”

“But isn’t that dangerous?” Twilight asked. “Mum said to stick to the open streets and-”

“Twilight, it’s daytime,” Sunset said. “And the convict wants to remain hidden. Besides, he was sighted on the other end of the city, so it’s unlikely he’ll be anywhere around here.”

“Are you sure?”

Sunset nodded. “Anyway, it’s just a short walk through the alleyway and we may just make it on time. The alternative is being late.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “O-Okay! You’ve convinced me! But… you go in first, okay?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “What am I, your knight in shining armour?”

“Please?” Twilight asked, clasping her hands together as if to pray.

With a sigh, Sunset turned to the alley and led the way. She felt Twilight grabbing her blazer from behind. “You are such a scaredy-cat, aren’t you? Total opposite of your brother.”

Twilight frowned. “My brother is trained to handle himself in a dangerous situation. I’m a fragile young girl whose beauty attracts evil.”

“You got the fragile part right, at least.” Sunset felt a fist hit her back softly and laughed. “Well on the bright side, your chest certainly won’t attract any bad people!”

“You’re horrible!” Twilight cried as she swung her bag at Sunset Shimmer, who laughed as she dodged out of the way and ran from Twilight’s attacks. Twilight stopped and huffed as she folded her arms.

Sunset turned around to tell Twilight she was just joking, but she gasped as she found a tall figure approaching Twilight from behind. “TWILIGHT, RUN!”

Twilight gasped and turned around to see what was behind her. She found a tall, hooded figured standing before her, holding a pipe high into the air. Twilight quickly turned and bolted towards her friend, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“You’re not getting away!” The figure shouted as he reached for Twilight’s hair, just missing it and grunting. He threw the pipe at the retreating girl, striking her leg and causing her to fall to the ground. “Sister of Shining Armor… You’re a good place to start.”

“Twilight, come on!” Sunset shouted as she helped her friend up and continued to run away with Twilight’s arm draped over her shoulders. She turned the next corner that she came across and knocked over a couple of trashcans, never stopping or turning back as she ran as fast as her body would allow her.

Sunset found a figure approaching her from the front and stopped. Panic spread throughout her system and she looked all around for a place to escape to. “Sunset-” Sunset moved towards a door beside her and tried to open it. “Sunset-” The door was locked, but thankfully lock picking was just one of the many subjects Sunset Shimmer had read up on in her spare time. “Sunset, wait-”

Hearing the door click as she moved her hairpin about inside it, Sunset pushed the door open and ran inside with Twilight, slamming it shut behind herself. She took a moment to collect her breath, before remembering the terrible danger that she was in. The room was dark, but she could just about make out many objects in front of her. “Let’s go,” Sunset said as she began to move.

“Sunset, that was a policeman out there,” Twilight said, bringing her friend to a halt.

Sunset turned around to look back towards the door. All was silent for a few moments… before the unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang through the air, startling the two girls. No new sounds came about for the next few seconds. “M-Maybe it’s safe to go back out there?”

The door handle turned, and the door creaked as it began to open. Sunset rushed behind the objects beside her, which she found to be a pile of boxes, and crouched down behind them with Twilight, the two peeking out to see who was there. As the door opened fully and the light from outside shone into the room, the two found the figure that had attacked them earlier walking inside, a gun in his right hand.

The two ducked down quickly and held their breaths. They heard footsteps behind the boxes and simultaneously held their hands over each other’s mouths in order to stifle their whimpers. The two made eye contact and Sunset motioned for Twilight to follow her. Removing their hands, Sunset and Twilight began to crawl slowly, quietly, to their right, moving behind the cover of boxes and containers to find cover in the deeper shadows.

“Where are you?” the man called out suddenly. “I know you’re in here. Come on out and we’ll talk about this.”

“He’s moving further inside,” Sunset whispered as she and Twilight rounded a corner of boxes and sat with their backs to them. “When he’s far enough in, we’ll go for the door.”

Twilight simply nodded. Terror had stricken her too deep for her to dare make any noise. The footsteps continued deeper into the room and stopped suddenly. A second later, the lights suddenly flickered on, revealing the full features of the large storage room that the three were in.

To make matters worse, a loud, female voice began to sing from Twilight’s blazer pocket.

“You think about all the things that you love to do-”

Twilight quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket, feeling her heart beating at a mile an hour, and hurriedly pressed the red button to deny the call. Her relieved sigh only lasted a second before a gunshot sounded behind her, followed by a pellet hitting the floor beside her.

“That’s where you are,” the man said as the sound of his footsteps drew closer and closer. “Shining Armor should be on his way. We wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, now would we?”

Twilight’s hands shook and tears fell from her eyes as silence seemed to fall all around her. She grabbed onto Sunset Shimmer’s arm without thinking, as though pleading for her friend to do something. Sunset Shimmer though was faring no better.

“We’ve got to run,” Sunset whispered. “It’s our only chance.”

“I’m scared,” Twilight whimpered as she held Sunset’s arm tighter.

“It’s okay. I’m here,” Sunset said, grabbing Twilight’s arm and wrapping it around her shoulders. “Come on. We’ll make a break for the door and get out of here, and everything will be just fine.” Twilight didn’t seem at all reassured by that. “Hey,” Sunset said, giving Twilight a little shake. “We’ll be fine. Okay?”

After a moment, Twilight slowly nodded. “O-Okay.”

“Good. Now, on three.” Sunset and Twilight both rose to their feet. “One… two…”

“UGH!” Before Sunset’s countdown could be completed, something large and heavy fell to the two girls’ side, startling the two of them and causing them to move quickly away with frightened screams.

“W-What-” Twilight began to question before she realised that what had fallen beside was… the hooded man.

“Are you two okay?” a female voice asked to their left. The two turned their heads to find Chrysalis, dressed in a navy-blue suit, walking towards them. “Your leg’s hurt?”

“Y-Yeah,” Twilight said as she stared at Chrysalis in complete surprise. “Um, you-”

“How did you find us?” Sunset asked. She noticed several people run into the room behind Chrysalis.

“The police officer outside,” Chrysalis said. “Somebody reported a gunshot, and my team was nearby. The gunshot was likely from the downed officer outside.”

“Is he okay?” Twilight asked in concern.

“He’s fine. It seems he was overpowered, but only knocked unconscious. When we came to investigate I heard some music, and then a gunshot.”

Sunset turned to look at the body being handcuffed by the police. “What did you do to him?”

Chrysalis held up a small handgun before the two. “Tranquilizer darts. Much more quiet than bullets, and don’t leave as much mess to clean up. Anyway, perhaps I should escort the two of you to your homes now. You’ve been through quite the ordeal here, and that leg needs to be looked at.”

“Who was that man?” Twilight asked. “Why was after us? He mentioned something about my brother.” Twilight gulped as she prepared to ask her next question. “Is… Is my brother in some kind of dangerous situation?”

Chrysalis stared into Twilight’s big, frightened eyes for a few moments, her own eyes cool and calculating. With a smile, she reached a hand forward and patted Twilight’s head. “Don’t worry,” Chrysalis said. “The man who came after you was a convicted mob boss from Tambelon. It was your brother’s keen eye when reviewing his case that found the evidence we needed to arrest him, so he was a little mad at him.”

“So my brother isn’t doing dangerous stuff?” Chrysalis shook her head, bringing a relieved sigh from Twilight. “That’s good. I was worried… I thought that Shining was putting himself in harm’s way or something.”

“He won’t come back, right?” Sunset asked as she watched the escaped convict being taken away.

“Of course not,” Chrysalis assured. “After this incident, we’re going to have him deported to his home country and have him locked away in prison there. Even if he escapes, he won’t be finding his way to the States anytime soon.”

“That’s good to know,” Sunset said as she smiled at Twilight Sparkle. “Hey… your short hair saved you back there, y’know?”

Twilight smiled back, reaching for her hair behind her head. “I guess it did. You really do have my back, don’t you?”

“You think about all the things that you love to do-”

Twilight yelped as he phone began to sing in her hand. She checked the screen for the caller ID. “It’s my brother.”

“He must be worried sick,” Sunset said. “You should answer.”

With a nod, Twilight pressed the green button to accept the call and put the phone to her ear. “Hello?” Twilight pulled the phone away for a second as loud squeaking sounds came from the speaker. She slowly moved it back in place and limped to the side as she tried to speak. “Shining, I’m fine, I- Shining? Shining, calm down! I-”

Whilst Twilight attempted to get a word in with her brother, Sunset turned to Chrysalis with a sceptical look. “So what gives?” she asked. “If you knew that the guy had a grudge against Shining Armor, why weren’t any guards assigned to each of his family members?”

Chrysalis gave Sunset a grin. “Actually, the truth is that my boss at the FBI only just found out about the prison break today, from this morning’s newspapers. A proper team hasn’t even been assembled yet.”

“Then what about you?”

“I didn’t want to wait for an official task force to be put together, so I ditched my duties and called in a few friends from the police station. I wanted to get here before Shining Armor, after all.”

“Why?”

“Because if I didn’t, that girl might see the side of her brother he doesn’t want her to see.”

Sunset and Chrysalis both turned to Twilight, still talking on the phone to her brother, before looking back to each other. “Okay, I get that,” Sunset said, “But why go out of your way to protect her like that? You’ve only met her once.”

Chrysalis put a finger to her chin in thought. “Hmmm… I guess… it was to repay a favour to somebody I owe a great debt to.”

Sunset raised her eyebrow, but was unable to question it any further as Twilight returned to her side. “Shining’s on his way,” she announced. “He said he’ll meet me at my house.”

Chrysalis nodded. “I’ve got a car waiting outside. I’ll take a look at that leg first, and then I’ll give you a ride.”

“I’ll go too,” Sunset said. “After something like that, I’m not leaving you alone until your brother gets here.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said as she hugged her friend. “Really though, I don’t feel so bad. My leg barely hurts, and I-”

“Twilight, you hands are still shaking,” Sunset pointed out as she stepped back from the hug and held up Twilight’s hand for her to see.

Twilight gave a sheepish grin. “Well… okay, so maybe I’m a little shaken up.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “… I’m not saying you can’t come over, if you really want to.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Chrysalis said as she turned around to lead the two girls out of the building. “… By the way, how did the two of you get in here?”

“I picked the lock,” Sunset said with an air of pride.

“Oh? How interesting…” Chrysalis continued to face forward as a grin spread across her face. ‘Very interesting indeed. This girl’s resourceful.’

“By the way,” Sunset said to Twilight, “What about your parents?”

“Uh… Shining said he would call them and let them know I’m okay.”

“And they’re okay?”

Twilight shrugged. “I guess. I mean, they’re strong people. I’m sure they’re taking it fine.”

“My poor girl!”

“I knew I should have given you a lift!”

“I’m so happy to see you’re okay!”

“Please forgive me Twilight!”

“Would you like me to get you anything?”

“I’ll never let anything like happen again, I promise!”

Sunset Shimmer and Shining Armor watched from the side as Twilight Sparkle was crushed between her parents and their powerful, crushing hugs. “I’m starting to see where she gets her panickiness from,” Sunset said.

“I’m so ashamed,” Shining Armor said as he hung his head. “I should have gotten there sooner. I should have been there to protect her.”

Sunset sighed and reached up to pat Shining’s shoulder. “You tried your best. That’s all you could really do.”

Shining turned to Sunset with a sorrowful look. “… Thanks for being there for her.”

“… I didn’t save her. That was Chrysalis.”

“But I’m sure that Twilight would have just frozen up on her own,” Shining said. “You kept her safe long enough for help to arrive. Thank you.”

Sunset blushed and scratched the back of her neck. “Well, of course. She needs me to look out for her, after all.”

“Guys, really, I’m fine!” Twilight pleaded as she tried to struggle out of her parents’ grasps.

Sunset smiled and turned around. “But right now, she needs her family… Go to her. I assure you that she doesn’t blame you for anything.”

Shining Armor turned to Twilight and nodded. “You’re probably right…”

Sunset Shimmer walked through the hallway towards the front door. “I should probably be getting back home now. My parents are probably worried sick about me.”

“Sunset.” Sunset turned around to face Shining Armor. “Keep looking out for her. I can’t always be there… so be there for her in my place, okay?”

With a nod, Sunset turned around and opened the front door. ‘Of course I will be.’ As she left the house and closed the door behind her, Sunset felt a shiver run down her spine. As she recalled the events that transpired earlier that day, from the two figures approaching her and the two gunshots that she heard, suddenly the temperature around her seemed to drop and her entire body shook. She also recalled Twilight’s terrified face that she wanted to protect, and the wrist she held as she pushed herself to protect her friend. ‘Sometimes though, I feel like she’s there for me.’

Author's Note

Thanks to aebed for pre-reading :3

IX - The Canterlot Mercenary Club

“Order, please.”

Rainbow Dash snickered behind Rarity as she reached a hand forward and petted little Pound Cake’s head. “Oh, he is so precious. And he seems to have really taken a shine to you.”

Sunset’s eye twitched as Pound Cake giggled and squirmed about in her hold. “Order, please.”

“Why ah think ya make a great babysitter,” Applejack commented. “Never knew ya had such a soft spot for the kids, though.”

Sunset felt a vein popping beneath her eye. “Order, now.”

“How d’you get him to sleep though?” Rainbow Dash asked, still snickering as she leaned onto the counter with a coy grin. “I’ve heard you sing, and it’s not that good.”

“ORDER!” Sunset snapped, startling the girls in front of her and the baby in her arms. As Pound Cake began to cry, Sunset had to restrain the curses in her throat as she carried him quickly into the living room. “Snails, take over!”

“Need any help?” Fluttershy asked as Sunset retreated, but was only answered by the slamming of the door. “Oh, um… okay…”

Sunset paced around the living room, gently rocking the baby in her arms and gritting her teeth together. “I should have known better than to visit the café that they frequent.” Pound Cake’s crying seemed to stop for a second, but it started back up after a momentary hiccup. “Of course, it’s not like I was expecting this to happen.”

As Pound Cake’s crying slowly started to die down, Sunset Shimmer sighed and approached his bottle lying nearby. She picked it up and offered it to the baby, who quickly snatched it from her hand and happily began to drink away.

“Well, so long as they pay me for this…” After seeing that Pound Cake had calmed down, Sunset Shimmer decided to head back out into the café and continue her work. “Better get this over with. And you,” she said to Pound with a glare. “Stop causing me so much trouble.”

“Pinkie!” Pound cried as he reached forward and grabbed Sunset’s nose.

“… My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she said as she removed the hand around her nose and walked towards the door leading into the café.

Snails saluted Sunset Shimmer as she walked back out of the living room and stepped up to the counter. She looked around to find that the girls were no longer there. “Did they leave?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Snails replied. “They took their orders and said that they would be heading to the arcade, ma’am!”

“The arcade?” Sunset said with a scoff. “Yeah, sure. ‘Cause I totally wouldn’t rather spend my time there than here.”

“You can go if you want!” Snips said quickly. “We can take care of things here, and you can go have some fun!”

Sunset gave the boy a flat stare. “You honestly think I would leave you two to take care of a baby?”

“Aw, how hard could it be?” Snips asked, approaching Pound Cake and scratching under his chin. The baby responded by opening his mouth and clamping it around Snips’ finger. “… YAAAAAAAH! Get it off, GET IT OFFFFF!”

“He has one tooth,” Sunset said as she pulled Pound Cake away. “Anyway, I wouldn’t want to go to the arcade if they were there, so it doesn’t matter.” Sunset turned away from her two servants to face her next customer. “Now, who’s nex- Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

“Good afternoon,” Celestia said as she smiled down at her student. “I wasn’t aware that you were working today.”

“I wasn’t,” Sunset said with a groan. “I was just checking this place out when suddenly, Pumpkin Cake had to be rushed to the emergency room for ingesting some silica gel.”

“Oh dear.”

“I’m just covering for the Cakes for a little extra money,” Sunset finished.

“You’re covering for them?” Celestia asked as she turned to the kitchen to see Snips and Snails frantically baking treats and handing them out to customers.

“… They told me to watch the store and the kid. They never said to work the store. Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“Is there a problem with me being here?”

“You don’t exactly blend in,” Sunset said in a flat tone as she looked around at all of the quiet students sitting around the café.

“I suppose not,” Celestia admitted with a laugh. “The truth is, I wanted to take a look at some of the places my students ‘hang out’ at. By the way, is it always so quiet in here?”

“That’s only because you’re here,” Sunset told her.

Celestia looked around with a raised eyebrow. “Is that so?” The students tried their best not to stare at their principal watching over them, and not a single one of them dared to utter a single word. “It’s okay,” she told them. “You don’t have to be quiet on my account. I’m not your principal outside of school.”

After a few tense moments, one student sitting in front of Celestia leaned forward to say something to his friend. “Ah-ah!” Celestia said suddenly, startling the student. “No slouching. You’ll hurt your back.”

“Um, s-sorry,” the student said as he quickly straightened his back. Whatever he was about to say was lost as he simply stared down at the table nervously.

“So, you gonna order something or what?” Sunset asked.

Celestia turned back to Sunset Shimmer and smiled at the baby in her arms. “Is that one of the children you sit for?” she asked as she leaned in to take a closer look. “He’s a cute one. What’s his name?”

Sunset felt another headache coming on. “I’ll tell you what. You order something, and that will be his name!”

Celestia leaned back and put a finger to her chin. “Then in that case, how about a pound cake?”

Sunset stared at her principal in disbelief. “… You knew his name already, didn’t you?”

“I’ve met the Cakes before. Good people.”

“Then why did you ask me what his name is?”

“Because you need to work on your social skills,” Celestia said with a grin. “Actually, I’m trying to cut back on the junk food. But I suppose Luna will probably like a slice of chocolate cake.”

“Snips! We got any more chocolate cake?!”

“We’re making one now!”

“I’ll be happy to wait,” Celestia said, bringing a sigh from Sunset Shimmer.

“Yay. Lucky me. Alright, whatever. Just move aside for the next customer.”

Celestia moved to the side to allow the next customer, a teenaged-looking boy in a brown biker jacket and with a slicked-back hairstyle, to make his order. Instead, though, the boy simply approached and leaned onto the counter.

“Hey there. I couldn’t help but notice you while I was walking by. Sunset Shimmer, right?”

“Order?” Sunset asked as Pound Cake attempted to climb out of her arms. She adjusted her hold to make it even harder for the baby to escape.

“I know you’re busy right now, but I was thinkin’ maybe you and me could go do something fun when you get off work.”

Sunset ignored Celestia’s giggles and reached for Pound Cake’s pacifier on the counter whilst the baby continued to struggle in her hold. “It’s ‘you and I’, and no offence, but I’d rather spend the day taking care of this little monster.”

“So you like kids then?” the boy asked, not picking up on the disgusted tone as she referred to the baby. “Yeah, kids are cool. I love ‘em, too. Isn’t that crazy? It’s like it was meant to be.”

Celestia’s giggling grew louder whilst Sunset’s patience grew less. As she placed the pacifier in Pound Cake’s mouth, an idea came to her mind and she turned to the boy with a grin. “Oh, you like kids? Then perhaps you could be a dear and do me a favour.”

“Sure, whatever you need.”

“Could you change Pound’s diaper?” Sunset asked, holding the baby out to the boy. “I think he drank some bad milk, ‘cause let me tell you, it does not smell nice.”

The boy gulped and slowly backed away. “E-Er, that’s… I-I just remembered I got somewhere to be, bye!” The boy turned tail and fled quickly, knocking a couple of children over on his way out of the store.

Meanwhile, Celestia’s giggles continued to grow. “What a waste. I think the two of you would have looked cute together.”

“With that loser?” Sunset scoffed. “I think not. You saw how useless he was when I asked a simply request of him. If a boy wants to date me, they had better be prepared to follow me, even into Tartarus.”

“Tar-what now?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, it’s what you Americans would call ‘Hell’,” Sunset explained. “In any case, I’m not the least bit interested in dates.”

“But you’re at that age,” Celestia said. “And you always look so lonely whenever you attend our school’s parties. You might like the company of a nice boyfriend around.”

“Instead of worrying about my love life, why don’t you focus on your own?” Sunset smirked as she leaned onto the counter. “Made any progress with him yet?”

Celestia’s smile faded and a drop of sweat fell down her forehead. “I… have no idea what you’re referring to.”

“You know, Mr. Explosive Maniac himself, Discord?” Sunset chuckled at the twitching of Celestia’s eye. “You two certainly seem to hit it off great.”

“That mad man?!” Celestia shouted, bringing the café into complete silence for a moment before the buzzing of students talking started back up again. “I told you already, there’s nothing between us, and there never will be!”

“Mhm? And is that why he’s the only one who can make you flip your top like this?”

“That’s because he’s irrational, he’s a menace, he’s a terrible teacher, and he gives me nothing but nonsense answers and smart-aleck remarks!”

“Then fire him,” Sunset said. “He’s certainly destroyed enough school property for you to do that. Or could it be that there’s something holding you back? Like, hidden feelings for him?”

Celestia blushed and took a step back, her lips firmly closed together and her eyes trembling as her sweat increased. “A-Anyway, I believe I’ve collected enough information here. I’m a very busy woman, so if you’ll excuse me…”

Celestia walked quickly towards the café’s exit, leaving Sunset alone at the counter with no more customers to serve and a very satisfied look on her face. “Well, that certainly made up for wasting my time here.”

“Where’d the principal go?” Snips asked as he arrived at Sunset’s side with a plate containing a slice of hot chocolate cake.

“She ran away,” Sunset said with a victorious smile. “I used her weakness against her.”

“Her weakness?” Snips asked. “What’s that?”

“Never you mind. You just focus on serving our customers. I’m going to take a break.”

“What?! But-”

“I’m sorry, did I stutter?” Sunset asked. Snips quickly straightened his stance and shook his head. “Good. Then get back to work, and don’t get the orders mixed up.”

As Sunset rounded the corner of the counter and made her way towards a vacant seat by the window with Pound still in her arms, three little girls quickly intercepted her, halting Sunset in her path. “Hey, did we hear right?!” the middle girl asked.

Sunset recognised the three little monsters. To her right was Sweetie Belle, a cute young freshman with a beautiful voice, but unfortunately hindered by stagefright. She is also Rarity’s younger sister.

In the middle of the trio was Apple Bloom, a cheery young bundle of energy, also a freshman, who loved DIY projects and was at the top of all of her Design and Technology classes. She is also Applejack’s younger sister.

And finally, to Sunset’s left was Scootaloo, also a freshman, and an athlete in the Soccer Club. She had multiple bandages down her body, most likely from scooter-related accidents. She was fast and very agile, but her grades were abysmal. She is also Rainbow Dash’s ‘younger sister’.

“What do you three want now? If it’s about your stupid little club, I already approved it!”

“It’s not that,” Scootaloo said.

“We overheard you talking to Celestia about her and Discord being an item,” Sweetie Belle asked. “Is that true?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and walked past the three, sitting down at the vacant seat and setting Pound Cake down on the table in front of her. “That’s not quite the case. She just has the hots for him but is in denial about it.”

“What about Discord?” Apple Bloom asked.

Sunset shrugged. “Who knows? I can’t understand that guy at all. But from how much he intentionally tries to wind her up, I’d say it’s likely.”

The three girls exchanged excited looks and nodded. That was never a good sign. “Alright, then it’s settled!” Apple Bloom said. “We’ll help those two get together and become the next big heroes of our school!”

“But what about our current job for Diamond Tiara?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Forget it! The school’s newspaper is doomed to fail anyway,” Scootaloo said. “Nothing interesting ever happens around here. Or when it does, it’s when we don’t have a camera…”

“Right, so we’re in agreement then?” Apple Bloom asked.

All together, the three girls shouted, “Canterlot Mercenary Club, move out!”

Sunset watched as the three girls bolted out of the café, almost knocking over many customers in the process. “… Whether they’re babies or preteens, kids will always be the bane of my sanity,” Sunset sighed as lay back in her seat, with Pound Cake cheering and clapping at her misfortune.

The structure of a nucleus was something that Sunset Shimmer had down when she was still making paper mâché art in elementary school. Covalent and ionic bonding was a concept she understood through one flick of a text book during recess, and she had already dedicated the names and uses of over a hundred isotopes within her first year at Celestia’s School.

So the idea of having to draw ‘X’s on twenty different circles to show she understood electron configuration was not even a challenge for her, nor was it the least bit entertaining. It was simply tedious, and a waste of her time that could be better spent on more important work.

To make matters worse, she couldn’t simply doze off in class for the remainder of the hour. Not because her teacher was strict, but because he was loud, and, for lack of a better term, a ‘nutjob’.

His fashion sense alone made that perfectly clear; his ‘suit’ seemed to be half of a business suit and half of a blown costume sewn together, his shoes consisted of one trainer on his left foot and one hiking boot on his right, and his gloves were mismatched as well, his right one being bright yellow and rubbery and his left one being black and made of leather.

His long white beard gave him the appearance of a wise old sage from storybooks, whilst the tinfoil hat on his head, sticking up in the shape of antlers, just made him look like a conspiracy theory lunatic. And that was just his appearance. His actions solidified the fact that judging this book by its cover was the right thing to do.

Everybody knew that Discord was missing more than just a few screws in his head, and that’s what they loved about the crazy teacher… most of the time. Sunset, however, just found him to be another loud voice drilling into her head in this crazy world.

“What’s wrong, Miss Shimmer?” Discord asked as he towered over the bored-looking student, a frown on his face. “I do try to make my lessons fun, but you don’t seem to be enjoying them!”

“That’s because you keep giving us this kid stuff,” Sunset replied. “There’s not really much fun to be had sitting quietly whilst everybody else struggles to keep up.” Sunset could plainly see the frowns and scowls on her classmates’ faces, but she couldn’t care less.

“Oh my! I hadn’t thought about that,” Discord said as he put a hand to his chin, rubbing his beard. “Ah! I’ve got it!” Discord ran back towards his desk and pulled out a soft, spongy yellow ball from inside his drawer. “Let’s play a little catch whilst we wait for everybody else to finish! Then you won’t be sitting around with nothing to do.” Discord threw the ball at Sunset Shimmer, who was caught off guard by the sudden invitation and just barely managed to catch the ball.

“W- I’m not interested in catch,” Sunset said with a scowl.

“Then how about operation?” Discord asked, suddenly at Sunset Shimmer’s desk with a number of board games at his disposal. “I personally have never failed once in my life, so you’ve certainly got a challenge there.”

“Mr. Discord! Can I play too?” a student asked from the other side of the room.

“Once you’ve answered all questions correctly, and raise your hand when you wish to speak! This is a classroom, not a playground!”

“You know that Celestia will dock you pay again if she finds you trying to play games in class,” Sunset said.

Discord laughed and walked back to his desk with his games. “Oh noooo! The big, bad principal is going to dock my pay. Whatever shall I dooooo?” Discord reached into his desk and pulled out a pink cake with seven candles on it. “If that’s the price I have to pay to spread a little fun around here, then so be it!”

“Um, you know that Celestia has a strict policy against sweets in class,” Fluttershy reminded her teacher as he scooped up a chunk of cake in his leather gloved-hand and took a bite out of it.

After swallowing, Discord simply shrugged. “That old stick in the mud needs to liven up! The classroom should be a place of fun and freedom, not a place to be shackled to her overweight ankles.”

“Is that so?” Discord, and almost every student in the class, froze in place at the sound of their principal’s voice at the classroom’s door. Slowly, Discord turned his head to see a calm-looking Celestia before him, though if one looked closely, it would appear that a wall of fire was raging behind the principal. “‘Overweight’, huh? Coming from the one stuffing his face with sweets just an hour before lunch.”

“This is my lunch,” Discord pointed out. “I’m just feeling a little peckish, so I decided to start early. Anyway, I was just pointing out that your figure is just a little-”

Discord was silence by a stack of papers being smacked into his face. “I want this report redone, not in crayon, and with the word count actually met.”

“You said ten thousand words!”

“And you gave me ten pictures.”

Discord sighed and shook his head. “Oh, but dear Celly, don’t you know? ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’.”

Celestia once again smacked the stack of papers into Discords face and then slammed them onto his desk. “No pictures.”

“Tch, fiiiine.” As Celestia turned to leave, Discord blew a raspberry. He stopped as she momentarily turned around, and then continued as she once again made to leave the classroom.

After she had rounded the corner, Discord picked up the papers on his desk and stared at them for a couple of second. He then turned to the class and asked, “Who here wants to earn some extra credit?”

Nobody responded. Instead, every student in the classroom, save for Sunset Shimmer, kept their heads down and worked silently on their work. Discord stared in bewilderment before donning a proud smile. ‘Man, I’m a good teacher.’

After her Chemistry lesson, Sunset decided to pay the library a visit to check out some books on mirrors. She figured that, even if it was a long shot, she might find something in them about magic.

As she proceeded down the hallway, she couldn’t help but notice the large scaffold that some workers were using earlier to work on the ceiling. However, the ones at the top were most certainly not workers. They were…

“What are you three doing up there?” Sunset asked the three ‘Mercenaries’ at the top.

“Ssh!” Apple Bloom replied. “Get out of the way! They’ll be here soon!”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Sweetie Belle signalled for Sunset to climb up to them. With some reluctance, she grabbed the ladder and slowly made her way up. “Hey, you know it’s dangerous up here, right?”

“We’re not dumb,” Scootaloo said, pointing to the bright yellow hardhat on her head. The other two girls were also wearing similar hats, and Sweetie Belle offered one to Sunset Shimmer, who put it on.

“We set up a trap for ‘em,” Apple Bloom said. “We got Celestia and Discord to both agree to comin’ here at the same time.”

“They’re so gonna fall in love when they meet each other here,” Sweetie Belle said with a giggle.

“You think that’s all it will take?” Sunset asked. “If eye contact was all it took to fall in love, those two would have been a couple long ago.”

“It’s not the eye contact that’ll do it,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s this.”

Sunset grew concerned at the bucket of water in Apple Bloom’s hands. “What’s that?”

“A bucket of water.”

“I know that! I mean, what are you going to use it for?!”

“We’re gonna dump it on Celestia’s head,” Scootaloo said. “Then yell ‘watch out!’, and Discord will swoop in to save Celestia and the two will fall instantly in love!”

“… That has to be the most stupid thing ever,” Sunset said. “You really think protecting her from some water will do the trick?”

“Who said anythin’ ‘bout just the water?” Apple Bloom asked. “We’re gonna drop the whole thing down!”

Sunset’s eyes grew wide suddenly. “You idiots! That’s too dangerous!”

“We already said we’d alert them,” Sweetie Belle said.

“And what if they don’t react in time?! Or if Discord doesn’t manage to get Celestia out of the way quickly enough?! And even if he does, Discord would still end up in harm’s-” Sunset stopped to consider whether that would truly be such a bad thing. “A-Anyway, it’s too dangerous! Someone could get hurt, or worse.”

The three girls looked down with saddened looks on their faces. “Yeah, ah guess ye’re right…”

“We just wanted so bad to do a job right for once,” Sweetie Belle said.

A thought crossed Sunset’s mind. “Well then, how about the three of you give me a hand with my research?”

Scootaloo gagged. “You want us to study outside of class?”

“Not like ya study in class,” Apple Bloom said, causing Sweetie Belle to giggle and Scootaloo to scowl.

“I’m not saying it will involve studying,” Sunset clarified. “I just need somebody to help me find the books I want and to do some jobs for me so that I have more time to study.”

“What about Snips and Snails?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“The last time I asked those two to bring me some books, half of them were too torn up to be read.”

“Maybe we should try this,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Think about it: if Sunset Shimmer becomes a doctor or a professor and makes some great invention, we’ll be the ones who helped her do it!”

“And then we’ll be famous!” Scootaloo gasped.

“And rich!” Apple Bloom added.

“We’ll have all the boys coming after us!” Sweetie Belle shouted excitedly. She received a blank look from Apple Bloom and a disgusted look from Scootaloo. “You know, so we can make them compete for our attentions by doing things for us.”

“Well, we’d better hurry,” Sunset said. “Our lunch break will end soon enough, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stay behind helping me out after school.”

Apple Bloom nodded and placed her bucket down. “Canterlot Mercenary Club, let’s move out!”

“Canterlot Mercenary Club, ah’m exhausted,” Apple Bloom sighed as she rested her head against a bookcase, her hands shaking under the pile of books that she was carrying. “Since when was our library this big?”

“It’s always been big,” Scootaloo said. “There’s like, three floors and over a hundred sections.”

“How do you know that?” Sweetie Belle asked as she pushed a ladder along a bookcase.

“The comics used to be on the top floor, but they moved towards the back of the bottom floor last month,” Scootaloo explained. “This place is like a maze if you don’t know your way around! Does anyone even use most of these books?”

“Mah granny said this place used ta be a university back when she was our age. She said it was ‘downsized’ or somethin’ ‘cause of some ‘unepical research’.”

“You mean ‘unethical’?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah dunno. Ah don’t even know what ‘downsizing’ is. All ah know is that Granny says this place became a high school, but a lot of the facilities stayed. Ah guess the library is one of ‘em.”

“Come to think of it,” Sweetie Belle started, “Isn’t the library open outside of school hours to the public? I think I remember my dad coming here a few times while I was on my way home.”

“Okay, I think that’s… half of them,” Scootaloo said as she added one more book to her ever-growing stack. “GAH! Why does she want so many books?!”

“Well, ah officially can’t carry anymore!” Apple Bloom said as she slowly lifted a foot off the floor in order to turn around. “Let’s jus’ take these back ta Sunset and demand our pay!”

“We weren’t charging her, though,” Sweetie Belle said. “Come to think of it, we never charge any of our clients. Perhaps we should start doing that.”

“Well I’m with Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo agreed. “I mean, I could carry like, twenty more of these things, no problem! But, er, you two look like you really need a break…” Scootaloo’s eyes shifted left-and-right as she slowly turned around to face the same direction as Apple Bloom.

“Then let’s get back ta Sunset Shimmer!” Apple Bloom declared. “… Uh, which way did we come from, again?”

“Here!” Apple Bloom shouted as she dumped her stack of books onto Sunset Shimmer’s table, startling the girl who was in deep concentration towards whatever book she had been reading.

“It’s way too much,” Sweetie Belle complained. “There’s no way we could carry all of the books you asked for!”

“Plus they’re hard to find,” Scootaloo added. “It took us forever just to find these ones!”

Sunset raised an eyebrow and turned to the clock behind her. “Oh. You have been gone a while, haven’t you? Lunch is almost over.”

“Maybe ya should’ve given us a smaller list,” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Well I never said that you had to find all of them at once,” Sunset argued. “I assumed that you would have known to only bring what you can carry. And as for finding them, we have an electronic search system installed on all of the library’s computers.”

The three Mercenaries exchanged glances before turning back to Sunset Shimmer. “We do?” Scootaloo asked in a surprised tone.

“We only use those fer checkin’ our blogs an’ uploadin’ videos,” Apple Bloom said. “Then Miss Cheerilee kicks us out fer causin’ a ruckus.”

With a sigh, Sunset Shimmer rose to her feet and marked a page in the book she had been reading. Closing it up, she gathered it and five other books from the pile that the girls had given her. “Well, it’s too late to make use of these now. I’ll just take these five and read the others later.”

“After all the work we went through, ye’re only takin’ five?!” Apple Bloom shouted.

“I can only carry five, and you might want to keep your voice down. This is a library.”

Scootaloo groaned and kicked the floor. “I’m not putting those back!”

“You don’t have to,” Sunset said. “The librarian will likely do it whilst we’re in class, which you three should be going to before the bell rings.

“An’ what about you?” Apple Bloom asked. “There’s no way ye’re fittin’ those in yer bag. Are ya jus’ gonna carry them around with ya all day?”

“I’m going to retire to the rooftop and read through all five of these before the day’s end,” Sunset told them.

“Hey, no fair!” Scootaloo protested, her two friends nodding in agreement. “Why should we go to class if you don’t go?!”

“Because I’m the Student Council President,” Sunset answered. “I make the rules, and you follow them! Besides, I don’t need to go to class. Everything this school’s curriculum has to teach me I mastered a long time ago, whereas these books might actually contain something new for me to learn. When you think about it that way, it’s really the more logical choice.”

“Your next teacher is Mr. Doodle though, right?” Sweetie Belle asked. “He won’t be very happy if he catches you skipping his class.”

“You think I haven’t prepared for that?” Sunset asked. “As we speak, a perfect alibi is being crafted for me right now.”

“Sick?” Cranky Doodle Donkey asked Cheerilee as he walked alongside his fellow teacher down the school’s long hallway. “Sunset Shimmer is sick? That’s rare. It’s not a family-based holiday today, is it?”

Cheerilee shook her head. “Everybody gets sick, Mr. Doo- Er, Cranky.”

“Not her. I swear, the girl has some magical enchantment on her that keeps her strong and energetic at all times.”

“Well, maybe ‘sick’ isn’t the right term… The nurse thinks it might be food poisoning.”

Cranky scoffed. “Well, whatever. I suppose I’ll let it slide this one time, since it can’t really be helped. And how is Miss Shimmer?”

“She’s resting in the infirmary,” Cheerilee said. “Her guardian can’t pick her up until after school hours, so she’ll be resting there for the rest of the day.”

“Maybe I’ll drop by and pay her a visit after my next class, then. Since I’ll have an hour to spare, after all.”

Cheerilee bit her lip and quickly shook her head. “Not a good idea. She was throwing up an awful lot and the nurse said that nobody should bother her while she’s in this state.”

Cranky stopped and gave the teacher a sceptical look. Cheerilee simply smiled innocently in response, a squee coming from her mouth as her toothy grin grew larger. With a sigh, Cranky decided to accept the story and continue on down the hallway.

Cheerilee, however, rounded the next corner and parted ways from Cranky. As she passed by an empty classroom, Cheerilee looked both ways in order to confirm that the hallway was empty, and then stepped inside.

“Well?” Cheerilee asked as she closed the door. “Did the nurse agree to help us out?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said as pushed up from the wall he was leaning against and approached his teacher. “All ah have ta do is fix up a swingset for her kids this weekend, an’ she’ll cobberate our story.”

“‘Corroborate’, Big Mac,” Cheerilee corrected with a waggle of her finger, before giggling and leaning in to kiss him. The two parted moments later, both blushing, and both feeling their hearts racing as they turned back towards the classroom door. “Classes will be starting up soon. You had best be going now. It won’t do to have you be late and get detention.”

“Eenope,” Big Mac agreed. “Not unless it’s a detention with you.”

“Oh, you,” Cheerilee laughed as she stepped aside to let her student pass. As the door closed behind Big Macintosh, Cheerilee released a sigh and walked towards the empty desk, sitting down at it and resting her head on her hands. ‘Honestly, though, that Sunset Shimmer is something else. She didn’t seem to think much of it when she caught us, but then two months later she uses it to force a favour from us!

‘… I wonder what she needs this alibi for, anyway?’

“Hey, maybe we can skip class with you!” Scootaloo suggested. “We can, like, help you study and stuff!”

“We’ll do a much better job this time for sure,” Sweetie Belle said.

“No,” Sunset said simply. “You three need to go to class, especially Scootaloo. I’ve seen your grades, and they’re nothing to be proud of.”

Scootaloo fumed whilst Apple Bloom glared. Sweetie Belle, however, concocted a mischievous grin as she approached Sunset Shimmer. “Well, I suppose we could go to class,” she said. “But of course, then there would be nothing to stop us from being witnesses to your crime when Mr. Doodle decides to investigate.”

Sunset’s eyes widened in shock. “A-Are you threatening me?”

“On the other hand,” Sweetie Belle continued, “If we were accomplices to your crime, then there would be no way we would tell the truth to anybody. Right, girls?”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo adopted the same grins as their friend and nodded their heads. “Riiiiight,” Apple Bloom said. “Only way ta guarantee our silence is ta let us tag along.”

Sunset regarded the three girls with a look of surprise and aggravation. Finally, she sighed. “Alright, fine,” she grumbled as she passed the three. “You girls can come along, but only for today!”

“YAY! Canterlot Mercenary Club Class Skippers!” the three girls shouted in unison, almost deafening Sunset Shimmer and causing a glass of water on her table to shatter.

As the four walked through the library towards its exit, Sunset gave Sweetie Belle a momentary glance of intrigue. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“… You’re good,” Sunset said.

Sweetie Belle simply giggled and blushed. “I get it from my sister.”

Sunset sighed as she closed the book she was reading and placed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Nothing in here, either…” Looking up to the three girls playing around on their separate laptops, Sunset knew that it was going to be a long shot, but she asked anyway. “You girls find anything?”

“Huh?” Scootaloo asked. “Oh! Uh, nope! Not ye- HEY!”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the three girls. “You’re just playing games, aren’t you?”

The three stopped and looked at each other. “… Maybe,” Apple Bloom said finally.

“Well… I can’t say I didn’t suspect that sooner,” Sunset admitted as she turned to her final book. “Maybe I’m expecting too much from a high school library…”

“Well, ‘magic mirrors’ doesn’t exactly sound like something you’d find information on just lying around,” Sweetie Belle said. “I mean, we did look it up for you, but most of what we got was just RPG gaming stuff, and the rest was just mythology that you dismissed right away.”

“I’ve already looked at all of this world’s mythoses,” Sunset said. “I’ve done extended reading into them and can safely conclude that not a single one related to magic mirrors is factual. It can all be explained scientifically.”

“Why are ya so interested in this stuff, anyway?” Apple Bloom asked. “D’ya really miss yer home that much?”

Sunset waved a hand. “Not at all. It’s not that I miss it. It’s just that I have unfinished business there, that’s all.”

“Like what?” Scootaloo asked. “Last time, you tried to go back there as a demon, right? What kind of ‘unfinished business’ do you have there?”

“It’s… complicated,” Sunset said.

“Well, we’re mighty interested in hearin’ yer story,” Apple Bloom said.

Sunset turned to the three girls to find them all paying her their fullest of attentions, eager looks on each of their faces. With a sigh, she continued. “My former mentor there… she abandoned me, because she feared my power. My potential.”

Sweetie Belle titled her head. “You’re that strong?”

Sunset shook her head. “Not yet, but I could have been a princess by now, if only my mentor hadn’t feared what power I possessed. From the moment I looked into that mirror, I knew that I was destined for greatness. But there was something else in my reflection that I couldn’t comprehend, and I still can’t, to this day. I think it was the key to my success.”

“Did ya ask yer mentor what it meant?” Apple Bloom asked.

Suddenly, Sunset’s hand curled into a fist and her expression darkened. “Yes… and that was the beginning of it all. No matter how many times I asked, my mentor, she simply refused to tell me anything, stating that all will become clear when I am ready.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It means that she was keeping something from me,” Sunset said. “She knew what that image was but wouldn’t tell me, hiding behind the excuse that I wasn’t ready, when I was already performing magic at a postgraduate level!”

Sunset slammed her fist onto the hard stone floor beneath her and gritted her teeth together. “I couldn’t sleep at night. Every time I closed my eyes, that image in the mirror was all that I could see. Since my mentor refused to tell me anything, I decided that I would resort to the one thing that had never let me down: books.

“The only books that would give me my answer, though, were forbidden by Royal Decree. Of course, I had always had access to whatever reading material I had wanted before, and my mentor would always offer me her help whenever I wanted to find specific information. But this time… this time, she would not allow it, and she exiled me as her student, forever.”

“That’s so sad,” Apple Bloom said, a frown on her face.

“I think I know why she did it, though,” Sunset said. “She had never been afraid to offer me her help up until that point, so why then? What made her suddenly punish me without any mercy, not even offering me the chance to appeal or show that my newfound knowledge could help our kingdom? The answer is simple, when you think about it: she fears me. She fears that I may surpass her one day, and so she put a tight leash around my neck to ensure that day would never come.

“But I escaped. I fled from her prison and made my way here, and I schemed… I schemed of the day that I would return, and I would show her that I have surpassed her training, surpassed all of her expectations, and become more powerful than she could ever hope to be!”

The three girls simply stared with wide eyes as Sunset Shimmer took heavy breaths before them, the cold wind blowing through their hairs as silence reigned for a full minute.

“Why d’ya have ta do that, though?” Apple Bloom asked. Sunset turned to her with a questioning look on her face. “Ah mean, if ya don’t really care ‘bout what’s in yer other world, why go through the trouble of showin’ up jus’ one person? Why not jus’ let it slide an’ live yer life here, happy?”

Sunset huffed and turned her head away. “A child wouldn’t understand. My entire life was devoted to serving her, to showing her what I could do. But she betrayed me. She shattered my entire reason for living with just one action… and so all that I have left now, is showing her that I have surpassed her tutelage.”

“But you have friends here,” Sweetie Belle said.

“They’re not my friends,” Sunset argued. “I don’t have friends. I don’t need friends. Friendship only slows you down and hinders your judgement at a critical moment. What I have are allies and assets to help me achieve my goal. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Apple Bloom put a finger to her chin. “But, ya always work so hard on school events an’ makin’ sure everyone follows the school rules. Why’s that?”

Sunset was silent for a moment. “J-Just a simple pastime, that’s all.”

“I don’t think so,” Scootaloo said. “When Rainbow Dash was hurt by those Shadowbolt guys, you were the one most fired-up about beating them.”

“Ah!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “I know! You were the Student Council President at your old school, weren’t you?”

Sunset shook her head. “Wasn’t allowed to be. Never had the time, what with all the training I had to go through.”

“Then… you’re trying to make up for the chance you missed?”

With a groan, Sunset shook her head again. “Look, I just like being in a position of leadership, okay? I don’t know, maybe it’s because my chance at being a princess was robbed from me.”

“Applejack says it’s ‘cause ye’re really nice under that thick skin,” Apple Bloom said, startling Sunset Shimmer. “She said it’s ‘cause ya genuinely want everyone at this school ta be happy an’ enjoy themselves, but ya jus’ have a hard time showin’ it.”

Sunset laughed. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Your sister isn’t exactly the greatest source of information, you know?”

“Oh! I’ve got it!” Scootaloo shouted. “It’s ‘cause this is your new home!”

Sunset flinched as she turned to Scootaloo. “W-What?”

“Well, you said you don’t care about your other world, right? Maybe that’s because you don’t wanna live there anymore and instead want to stay here!”

“But she’s tryin’ so hard ta get back,” Apple Bloom said.

“Only for revenge! I think that she likes this world a lot better!”

“You’re wrong!” Sunset shouted, rising to her feet and glaring down at the three girls before her. “If you must know, it’s simply because I owe this school, and its owner, a debt of gratitude!”

The three girls leaned in with curious expressions on their faces at that. “You do?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What happened?”

Sunset remained silent as she turned her head away.

“What’s your name?”

“…”

“You look hungry, and your clothes are soaking. Do you live nearby? I can take you home, if you wish.”

“I can never go home.”

…

“Come with me. I’ll get you something to eat and draw you a warm bath.”

“Sorry, but that’s all you need to know,” Sunset said. “I had never been in debt to anyone before, but ironically, my life was saved by her. I wasn’t about to let that go unsettled.”

“‘Her’?” Apple Bloom asked. She turned to her two friends, who simply shrugged in response.

‘There’s one that I must defeat, and one I must repay… Sometimes I feel like I’m just fate’s plaything.’ Sunset turned back to the three girls to find that they were expecting her to go on. She knew that they would only continue to bug her until she told them what they wanted to hear… unless she could somehow attract their attention towards something else.

“Hey, why don’t you tell me about that new music video of yours?” Sunset asked. ‘Anything to change the topic from this…’

“You really wanna hear about it?!” Sweetie Belle asked suddenly, stars in her eyes. “The lyrics were all done by me, of course. You see, it all started when I was playing in my room and I heard a noise outside, so I-”

“And that’s how the Canterlot Mercenary Club was born!” Apple Bloom finished as she and her two friends walked alongside Sunset Shimmer towards the school’s gates. “Since there’s a limit on how many clubs ya can join, we jus’ made a club where we can do a bit of everythin’!”

“Sweetie Belle wanted to call it the ‘Quest Acquisition Programme’,” Scootaloo said, directing a smirk towards a pouting Sweetie Belle.

“Oh look!” Sunset shouted suddenly, stopping and pointing towards three girls at the school’s gates. “There are you sisters! Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye!” ‘Thank goodness! I was this close to making a Nightmare Pact with the Mare in the Moon!’

“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called out as the three girls turned towards the Mercenaries and Sunset Shimmer.

“Heya Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as the three approached the group. “What’s goin’ on? Why’re y’all hangin’ out with Sunset Shimmer?”

“We were telling stories!” Sweetie Belle declared.

“And helping her study!” Apple Bloom added.

“And completing our contract!” Scootaloo finished, hold her right hand to her left arm as she spun it around.

Applejack looked up to Sunset with a sly grin, which caused the latter student to flinch. “W-What?”

“Ah knew ya had a soft spot fer kids, after all,” Applejack said, causing Sunset to blush as Rainbow Dash began to snicker. “Why, if ah had known sooner, ah would’ve asked ya ta sit for Apple Bloom sooner!”

“I do not have a soft spot for kids!” Sunset insisted. “They-” She stopped. She didn’t want to make it known that she was blackmailed by three freshmen. That would be even worse than the ‘soft spot for kids’ thing… probably. “Anyway, they’re your problems now! I’m out of here!”

“Wait!” Rarity shouted, stopping Sunset in her tracks. “My parents are going to the theatre this weekend and I’ve made plans with a friend. I don’t suppose you could watch Sweetie for me, could you?” Sunset fumed and her hair began to rise up like a burning fire. “Um, if not, then I’m sure that Fluttershy wouldn’t mind,” Rarity added, slowly backing away from the flaming Sunset Shimmer.

“I’m going home now! Goodbye!” Sunset turned around to leave, but was stopped when she heard three familiar voices behind her.

“See ya tomorrow, Sunset Shimmer!”

“It was fun talking with you!”

“Tell us more cool stories next time!”

Sunset simply swallowed the lump in her throat and continued forward. ‘Stupid kids. Don’t go forcing me to reveal my past like that…’ Taking a deep breath, Sunset turned head and shouted, “Just make sure to do your job right next time!”

“Hey Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo asked as she stepped onto the bus, “You feel like we’re forgetting something?”

Apple Bloom nodded her head. “Ah do, but ah can’t place mah finger on what.”

“I’m not moving until you do,” Discord said as he stared at Celestia with his arms folded, the two of them standing at the base of a large scaffold.

“Then it seems we are at a stalemate,” Celestia declared, standing in much the same pose with her eyes equally focused on Discord. ‘He really thinks I’ll fall for another one of his tricks? As soon as I let my guard down and turn around, he’ll spring his trap on me! Well, I won’t give him the satisfaction!’

‘She really thinks I’ll fall for whatever stupid revenge scheme she has planned?’ Discord thought to himself. ‘I must admit, when Luna said her sister was getting fed up, she wasn’t kidding. Never thought Celestia would have the patience for something like this, but… I’m sure I can wait it out longer than her.’

‘I think my show is starting soon,’ Celestia thought to herself, beginning to sweat. ‘… I’ll just have to catch it on the Netflix.’

‘Drat, I was supposed to go trolling losers on Omegle today,’ Discord thought to himself. ‘… I’ll just have to spare them for today…’

‘… For the love of god, MOVE!’ the two thought in unison as the epic standoff continued to rage on into the late afternoon.

Author's Note

So longest chapter to date by a considerable amount.

The direction of this chapter changed considerablly when I realised that I couldn't think of many entertaining ideas involving the whole DisLestia subplot, but didn't want to simply trash what I had so far ^_^;;

By the way, if you're picturing Sunset holding Pound Cake in your mind the same way I am, it looks freaking adorable. Sunset Shimmer is best babysitter ^_^

X - Shining's Friends

“I already told you, I can’t be with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because… I’m not what you think I am. I’m actually… a robot, sent from the future to save humanity by killing you brother!”

“I swear, this series is really going downhill this season,” Sunset said as she reached for the popcorn to her side and scooped up a handful. “Do they really need to force a sci-fi element to keep this show alive?”

“I’m just surprised Sapphire Shores is still going along with it,” Twilight said, looking up from her book and facing the screen. “They must be paying her a lot.”

Sunset picked up the remote beside her and pointed it towards the TV. “You mind if I change the channel?”

“Not at all.”

As Sunset began to flick through the channels, a bottom half of a white dress with a pair of feet blocked her vision. She looked up to find Twilight’s mother standing before her. “Girls, wouldn’t you rather go out somewhere fun than sit in front of the TV all night?”

“We considered that,” Sunset said, “But there’s nothing interesting going on tonight.”

“Well, Shining Armor is about to go out bowling with some of his friends, and they’re looking for some more players,” Velvet said. “Perhaps the two of you would like to join him?”

Twilight and Sunset Shimmer looked at each other. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually,” Sunset said.

“But I’m not very good at bowling,” Twilight said.

“We can still have fun.”

“And there will be ice-cream there, too,” Velvet added, sparking a sudden interest in Twilight’s eyes.

“I’m in!” Twilight declared as she jumped up out of her chair.

Sunset pushed herself up off of the floor and stretched her arms. “I guess that settles it then. What time we leaving.”

“Right now,” Velvet said as she flicked the TV off. She turned her attention towards the doorway, where her son was standing and fastening a watch to his wrist. “Shining, dear, your sister and Sunset will be accompanying you.

“What?” Shining asked as he regarded his mother. “Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s going to be there.”

“Well then, you’ll just have to keep an extra eye on them to make sure that nothing happens,” Velvet said. “Besides, the two of you don’t play together as much as you used to.”

“That’s because I’ve moved away,” Shining said. “And my job is very demanding.”

“Right. So now you should take this chance to make up for lost time.” Velvet ushered Twilight and Sunset out of the room. “Go on now. Have fun, but make sure you’re both home by ten.”

“W-Wait. But I-” Shining’s objections were ignored as his mother ushered all three of them out of the house, closing the door behind them after saying one final farewell. “… Well, I guess the two of you will be joining us tonight.”

“She seemed rather in a hurry to get us out of there,” Sunset said as she gave a suspicious look towards the front door.

“Hey Shining,” Twilight said, “Who’s ‘he’?”

“Ah, I’ll introduce you when we get there,” Shining said as he began to walk down the drive. Twilight and Sunset followed after him, both girls sparing one final curious look towards the house.

Velvet kept watch at the window as her son, daughter and daughter’s friend entered the car parked outside. As the engine started, she moved away from the window and span around on the spot. “Coast is clear!” she sang as she spread her arms out wide.

Night Light approached his wife and placed his arms to her sides. “Finally, a night all to ourselves.” He leaned in to give Velvet a quick peck on the lips. “Trust you to birth not just one, but two children who never want to go anywhere.”

Velvet simply giggled as she hit a switch on her CD player, starting up some slow dance music in the background. “Too bad Twilight has that ten o’clock curfew.”

“We’ll just have to make the most of our night.”

Upon arriving at the Canterlot Bowling Alley, Shining, Twilight and Sunset were greeted at the entrance by tow familiar faces: Cadance and Chrysalis.

“We beat you,” Cadance said as she wrapped herself around Shining’s arm. “That means you’re paying for our admission.”

“I sure hope you brought your wallet,” Chrysalis said as she mimicked Cadance’s action on Shining’s other arm. Cadance hissed at the sudden pest stealing her man whilst Shining Arm shook his arm to free it from her hold.

“Your brother sure is popular for a D&D nerd,” Sunset observed as she watched the display right out of a cheesy sitcom.

“I hope he picks Cadance in the end,” Twilight said as she stared warily at Chrysalis. “She’s much nicer, and Chrysalis is kinda scary…”

“She saved our lives before, though.”

“I know,” Twilight said, “But still, there’s something… ominous about her.”

“You’re just imagining things,” Sunset told her. “So!” she called out to Shining Armor, “When are we gonna start?”

“Just as soon as the others get here,” Shining said, his attention drawn to the car park where an expensive-looking black car seemed to be pulling in. “Well speak of the devil.” Shining Armor waved towards the car as two people climbed out of it. Behind them, a motorcycle entered the car park and pulled up beside their car.

The two who had exited the car approached the group, allowing Twilight and Sunset Shimmer to get a much better look at the two of them. “Good evening, my dear boy,” one of the men said. He looked about the same age as Twilight’s dad and spoke in a very posh accent. His blue hair was slicked back and he had a very small blue moustache. His most noticeable feature was the monocle over his eye… if not the fancy tuxedo that stood out from everybody else’s casual wear.

“Let me introduce you,” Shining said, turning to the two high school girls. “Twilight, is Fancypants.” The monocle-wearing man nodded his head. “… And Blueblood.” Shining pointed towards the other man that had joined them. He looked to be about Shining’s age, and whilst his wear wasn’t quite as formal as Fancypants’, it was certainly more frilly… to the point that one might question if ‘he’ was actually a ‘she’.

He had very long, silky golden hair that glistened in the light, and wore white gloves on his hands, one of which was holding a rose to his nose as he sniffed the apparently-pleasant aroma from it. He stopped and turned his attention towards the two girl, his charming smile never leaving his face. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, mademoiselles.

“Don’t let his looks fool you,” Shining cautioned. “He’s a total perv and a complete knucklehead.”

“Shining Armor!” Blueblood shouted in a scolding tone. “I am hurt by your words! I am not, as you so elegantly put it, a ‘perv’. I am simply a firm admirer of the female form.” Blueblood flicked his hair back and pointed his nose upwards. “In any case, I am a gentleman, and as such have very strict standards. One of which is that I am only attracted to girls that have crossed the threshold of womanhood! … Eighteen years old.”

“Oh really?” Chrysalis asked. “So if I told you that the two over there were prone to randomly making out, you wouldn’t be interested one bit.”

Blueblood’s eyes widened and he just barely stopped his face from suddenly turning to face the two girl. “N-Not one bit…”

“It is a pleasure to meet you fine young ladies,” Fancypants said, extending his hand towards the two girls. They each shook it in turn.

“You guys, this is my sister Twilight,” Shining said as he motioned towards his sister. He then turned his hand towards Sunset. “And this is her friend, Sunset Shimmer.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Twilight said.

“So do the two of you work with Shining or something?” Sunset asked.

Fancypants shook his head. “No, not quite. My family owns a jewellery shop in town. I also dabble a little bit in the stock market.”

“‘Dabble’, he says,” Blueblood laughed. “This guy knows exactly what to invest in and when to pull out! If you ever turn to stock exchange, he’s the man you should go to!”

Fancypants cleared his throat as a blush crossed his face. “Yes, well, in any case, I only know your brother through Blueblood here,” he said to Twilight.

“And what do you do?” Sunset asked Blueblood, whose face suddenly turned from charming to smug.

“I work in disaster response,” Blueblood declared as he twirled his rose around in his fingers. “Shining and I sometimes cross paths, though we also knew each other from high school.”

“Disaster response?” Twilight asked. “That sounds interesting!”

“Yeah,” Shining said, “And despite all else, he’s actually pretty good when it comes to his job. He knows exactly what actions to take and what people to send in before everyone else can even get their head around what’s going on.”

Blueblood nodded with a prideful smile on his face as he listened to Shining Armor’s praise. Suddenly, it hit him. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘despite all else’?!”

Everybody else laughed whilst Blueblood simply turned his head away with a huff. “Hey, we goin’ in or what?” a voice asked behind Blueblood and Fancypants. “It’s freezin’ out here!”

Everybody turned to face the new arrival at the door. It was a tall, tough-looking woman wearing a brown bomber jacket and white tank top, with a pair of tattered genes covered in dirt and dust. She was holding a white helmet in her right arm and a cigarette in her left hand. Her hair was clearly dyed white with purple tips, and it almost looked like it was made of feathers. Her face had a few scars that stood out very clearly.

Twilight yelped and quickly hid behind Sunset Shimmer, who turned to Shining and relaxed when she saw he didn’t look entirely worried by the sudden intruder’s appearance.

“Y-You guys!” Shining shouted to Blueblood and Fancypants.

“Y-You said we needed to bring at least one more person to make our teams equal!” Blueblood shouted back. “Gilda overheard our conversation and, well, we thought she might like to come along and…”

“That’s all well and good,” Cadance said, her eyes never leaving Gilda’s left hand as a stern expression stuck to her face, “But I’m going to have to ask that you put that out if you intend to bowl with us. I cannot stand the smell of those things.”

“N-Neither can I,” Twilight said, poking her head out just in time to make eye contact with the scary-looking woman. “Eep!” she squeaked as she ducked back behind Sunset’s back.

Gilda looked down to her cigarette and grumbled something. “Whatever,” she said as she dropped the cigarette to the floor and crushed it with her foot. “So what’s the deal? We gonna bowl or what?”

Shining stared at Gilda cautiously for a few seconds, before nodding his head and stepping further inside. “Well, I guess at least our teams are even now… Let’s decide what our teams will be, then.”

Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Chrysalis, and Mi Amore Cadenza.

Shining Armor, Fancypants, Blueblood, and Gilda.

“This sucks,” Blueblood whispered to Shining Armor. “Why couldn’t I have been put on the same team as Chryssy or Cadie?!”

“It’s just the way it worked out,” Shining said with a shrug. “And please don’t call my girlfriend ‘Cadie’.”

“Hey man, if it wasn’t for me, you never would have spoken to her,” Blueblood said. “Besides, that’s what I’ve always called her, ever since we were kids.”

“Well it’s sort of inappropriate now.”

“Yo, dweebs!” Gilda shouted, snapping the two boys to attention. “Game’s startin’! Stop playin’ Chinese Whispers and get bowling!”

“R-Right!” Shining shouted. “Well then, I guess I’m up first with…” Shining’s hand reached towards a ball, only to come in contact with another, pink hand. “Oh, sorry,” he said as he smiled at Cadance, the two blushing as they pulled their hands back.

The two then reached in for a different ball, their hands once again coming into contact. “Oops. My bad,” Cadance giggled as the two retreated their hands once more.

A third attempt produced the same result, the giggles evolving into laughter as the two stared at each other.

“Just grab a ball already!” Gilda snapped. “Jesus, this isn’t some stupid love-comedy flick here!”

The laughter stopped, and Cadance scowled as she reached for the nearby pink ball and walked away with a huff. Shining picked up a nearby blue ball and turned to Gilda. The two glared at each other for a second before he grumbled and walked towards his lane.

“Hey!” Gilda shouted as she checked the scoreboard. “Why the hell is it ‘Men versus Women’?!”

Shining Armor felt a chill down his spine. “Uh, well… it’s almost men versus women, so…”

“I’m a chick, in case ya hadn’t noticed!” Gilda shouted, puffing out her chest to confirm that her statement was true.

With a sigh, Shining nodded his head. “Right, right. Sorry about that.”

“If she’s a woman, then I’m a handsome unicorn stallion with a luxurious golden mane,” Blueblood whispered to Fancypants, who nodded his head in agreement.

“What was that?” Gilda asked, startling the two men them into cowardice.

“N-Nothing at all!” Blueblood said as he quickly hid behind Fancypants. “Just agreeing that you are indeed a fine specimen of the female form!”

“Indeed,” Fancypants said as he nodded in agreement. “Why, if I weren’t already married, I would even consider asking you to attend my next garden party.”

Gilda sat down beside the two men, causing them to shriek and move as far away in their seats as they could. She leaned back against her seat and stretched out her arms, looking over towards the two high school girls opposite her. “So, you two doin’ all your homework on time? Makin’ sure you attend all your classes?”

Twilight simply nodded, whilst Sunset Shimmer refused to give in to Gilda’s intimidation. “Yes, actually, we are,” she said. “The two of us are actually at the very top of our classes, and we have never once missed a day of school.”

Gilda guffawed as she reached into her bag and pulled out a green bottle from within. “How precious! Honour students, eh? I guess that means you don’t drink, either?” she asked, shaking the bottle before them.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the bottle before her. “Alcohol just damages the brain and kills the liver,” she said. “Not to mention it makes you fat. AH! Not that I’m saying your fat! No, I didn’t say that!” Twilight quickly took refuge behind Sunset Shimmer, who was beginning to feel like she should have a moat surrounding her by that point.

“Ah, come on now,” Gilda said as she opened the bottle and chugged the drink. She pulled the bottle away with a sigh and then continued. “When I was your age, I was drinkin’ and smokin’ and cutting all my classes, and I turned out great! Head of security and a hero, thanks to this chump.” She motioned to Blueblood, who shifted uneasily in his seat.

“Well that’s all well and good for you,” Sunset said, “But I’m going to become the next President of the States.”

Gilda whistled. “An’ what about your friend?”

Twilight slowly came out from her hiding spot and put a finger to her chin. “Um… I guess, there’s a nice library in town that I wouldn’t mind taking over from the elderly couple that work there once they retire?”

“Failing that, she could be my vice-pres,” Sunset said, wrapping an arm around her friend.

Twilight’s eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. “Uh-uh! No way! Too much pressure!”

“Gilda,” Chrysalis spoke up, attracting all attention towards herself, “I’m curious. What did you mean by you being a hero thanks to Blueballs?”

Blueblood scowled at the offensive nickname, but didn’t have a chance to raise an objection before Gilda spoke up to answer. “Ah, guess ya might not have heard, but I saved the guys life a couple o’ weeks ago.”

“You did? What happened?”

Gilda smirked as she turned to Blueblood. “I guess he must’ve pissed off the wrong guys, ‘cause I caught a suspicious dude dropping a package in his car and threw his ass in the slammer! Turns out the package was a bomb, and thanks to me discovering it when I did, a team was able to get there an’ take it apart before it went off!”

“A bomb, you say?” Chrysalis asked, her eyes narrowing. “And who was the culprit working for?”

Gilda simply shrugged. “Dunno. Ain’t my department; I’m just Head of Security. I caught a trespasser and took care of him, then your FBI buds took him away.”

Chrysalis simply stared in silence for a few seconds. Suddenly, a grin crossed her face and she turned to Blueblood. “Well, can’t say I’m surprised. In fact, I’m surprised you don’t get even more assassins coming after you.”

“Now that’s just cruel!” Blueblood scoffed, bringing a finger to his face and wiping away a tear that may or may not have even been there. “I’m sure my dear Cadie would never be so mean.”

“You were almost killed and you never told me?!” Cadance suddenly shrieked to Blueblood, startling him as she closed in on him with an angry glare. “You jerk! I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me something like that!”

“By the way, ya still owe me one,” Gilda said as she took another chug of her drink. “Oh, and you’re up now.”

Blueblood looked up to the scoreboard to see that Cadance had scored nine points, whilst Shining had scored a spare. “Right! Let me show you how a true man bowls!”

Chrysalis leaned in to whisper something into Sunset’s ear. A wicked grin crossed Sunset’s face and Chrysalis rose to her feet to join Blueblood at the bowling lanes.

As Blueblood arrived at the line and closed one eye, calculating the weight of his ball and the angle of his bowl, he took a step back and slowly brought his arm back.

“Twilight, don’t touch me there!”

Blueblood fumbled his ball and it fell into the gutter as he quickly turned around to find Sunset Shimmer grinning his way whilst a blushing Twilight Sparkle sat beside her.

“S-Sunset!” Twilight scolded as she punched her friend’s arm.

“Just kidding!” she sang. “By the way, does a true man live in the gutter?”

Blueblood gritted his teeth together as he fumed at the snarky girl. “Why, you…”

“I got a strike,” Chrysalis said as she made her way back to her seat. “Oh, but don’t feel pressured to finish your turn any quicker, now.”

Blueblood grumbled as he walked back to grab a new ball. “Smooth move, dweeb,” Gilda said.

Ignoring the comment, Blueblood grabbed a new ball and approached his lane once more. “Hey Twilight, let’s kiss!”

Sweat dripped down Blueblood’s brow, but he refused to be distracted this time. “Heh. I already told you, I’m not interested in girls under eighteen.”

Blueblood pulled his arm back, ready to bowl. He would have to settle for a spare…

“Chrysalis, are those real?”

“Why yes. Would you like to feel?”

Blueblood almost released his ball, but just about managed to keep his grip as he turned to the two teasing girls with a face as red as a tomato. “OH COME ON!”

“Okay, that’s enough now, you two,” Cadance said as Sunset snickered in her seat. “Let’s let him bowl in peace.”

“… Thank you, Cadie.” Blueblood assumed his position one more time, rearing up his arm and… thinking about whether Chrysalis’ breasts really were real. They were big, he knew that, but what if they were just fakes? That would be devastating! Why would anybody do such an awful thing? Why-

Blueblood bowled his ball without realising it and gasped. Fortune seemed to be on his side, though, as he at least managed to hit the pins and score eight points, leaving only the two corner pins standing.

“At least it wasn’t a total loss,” Gilda commented as she turned to Fancypants. “Looks like you’re gonna have ta salvage this.”

“I must confess that I’m not too confident in my bowling ability,” Fancypants said. “May I ask, which ball do you think would be the best to use?”

“For a frail guy like you? Go with that yellow one there.”

Fancypants looked to the yellow ball that Gilda was pointing to and picked it up. “Oh my. That’s… rather heavy…”

Sunset also picked up a ball and approached her lane. “It’s actually been a while since I last went bowling…”

“Well then, we’re in much the same boat I suppose,” Fancypants laughed as he took his place beside Sunset Shimmer. The two bowled simultaneously, both balls reaching the end and knocking over a fair amount of pins. As the two walked back to collect their next balls, Fancypants asked, “Your name is Sunset Shimmer. Does that mean that your father is-”

“Midnight Inferno, CEO of Inferno Industries?” Sunset asked with an air of pride. “Why yes. Yes he is.”

“I knew it! You look just like him, beard excluded.”

“So you know my father?” Sunset asked as she picked up her ball and walked back to her lane.

“Actually, it was my store that your father brought his engagement ring from,” Fancypants told her. “Though it was my mother who owned it at the time. Your father and I hit it off and I funded his business venture, though I regret to say that we lost contact shortly after he started climbing the corporate ladder.”

“You’re not the only one,” Sunset said. “Even my mother doesn’t seem to speak much with him these days. The few times he stops by home are to pick up a change of clothes or some mail.”

“Oh my. Your mother’s name was Aurora, if I recall correctly?”

“Aurora Borealis,” Sunset confirmed as she bowled her ball, knocking over all but two remaining pins.

Fancypants nodded and bowled his own ball, knocking over all but one of his remaining pins. “They were so close though. How could they have drifted so far apart?”

“Well, she still loves him,” Sunset said, “And he does come back for special holidays to spend time with us. Mum just says that his work is very important…” Sunset folded her arms and began to walk back to her seat. “Personally, I don’t see how a job can be so important you don’t even see your family…”

“What does his company do, anyway?” Fancypants asked as he accompanied her.

Sunset Shimmer simply shrugged. “You got me. All I know is it has something to do with science.”

“Hey kid!” Gilda called to Twilight as Sunset and Fancypants returned. “Looks like we’re up!”

“Oh! Uh, right…” Twilight stood up and looked to Sunset Shimmer.

“You’ll do fine,” Sunset assured her with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. “Just go for one of the lighter ball and try to aim straight down the middle.”

“But what if I drag the whole team down?” Twilight asked. “The losing team buys the ice-cream, so-”

“That doesn’t apply to us,” Sunset said, pointing a thumb over her own shoulder. “We’re still too young to gamble, so it’s only these two who’ll be paying.”

“Hey!” Cadance shouted in protest.

“Just relax and do your best. If you mess up, I’ll make up the difference on my next bowl.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

“So you comin’ or what?” Gilda asked from her own lane. Twilight saw that all of her pins were already knocked down. “C’mon! Let’s see what ya got!”

With a determined look on her face, Twilight nodded and approached her lane, grabbing a ball on the way. She stood at the line, staring the pins down as she slowly brought her arm back…

“Bend your knees more!” Gilda shouted. “And put your back into it! You’re not gonna knock anythin’ over standin’ like that!”

“Oh, uh… l-like this?” Twilight asked, crouching and tilting backwards a little bit.

“This is why eggheads shouldn’t be jumpin’ right into physical activities,” Gilda said as she approached a startled Twilight. Before she could retreat, Gilda got behind the timid girl and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up a little bit and tilting her forward. “Okay, now bowl.”

Twilight nodded and pulled her arm back. She felt a hand grab her arm and shift it slightly to the right. She pushed her arm forward and released the ball… and it made contact with the pins, knocking all ten of them down in one go.

“I-I did it!” Twilight shouted in a cheerful voice, hopping back to her group, where Sunset Shimmer was ready with the high-five. “I did it, guys! I got a strike!”

“Yeah, we saw,” Sunset said, reaching up and patting Twilight’s head. “See? Sports can be fun.”

Twilight stopped her bouncing and cleared her throat. “Y-Yes, well… I suppose that there is always an exception, isn’t there?”

Sunset turned her attention to Gilda, who had returned to her own team’s side and promptly sat down onto their bench. “But why’d you help her out?”

“Why else? I want this ta be a challenge!” Gilda answered, reaching down for her bottle and chugging away at the contents inside.

“Thank you,” Twilight said with a warm smile.

Gilda stopped and pulled her drink away, surprised by the sudden show of gratitude. “Eh? What for? Y’know I’m still gonna beat you all, right?”

“If it wasn’t for you, I might have never bowled like that this entire game,” Twilight told her. “So thanks, Gilda.”

A blush crossed Gilda’s face and she quickly averted her eyes. “Hmph. Surrounded by dweebs…”

Beside Gilda, Blueblood, Shining Armor and Fancypants had huddled together. “Did you see that?” Shining asked in a whisper.

“She actually showed a cute side,” Blueblood said in a panicked tone.

“Maybe she really is a woman,” Fancypants offered.

“I can also hear you all loud-and-clear,” Gilda told them, causing each of them to jump away in unison. “C’mon, Dork Armor! It’s your turn!”

“Er, right…” Shining Armor passed Gilda to collect his ball. ‘Never mind. Even Chrysalis is cuter than her…’

“We won!”

Shining Armor, Blueblood and Fancypants all sank into their seats in defeat. They had lost, and to a team that had two novices, too. Today was certainly a dark day for their masculine pride.

“And that means free ice-cream,” Twilight reminded her brother as she towered over him, taunting the losing team with Sunset Shimmer.

“Twilight, today might be a good day to lift that diet, don’t you think?” Sunset asked with a teasing grin pointed at Shining Armor.

“Well, I suppose just one day wouldn’t hurt,” Twilight responded with a giggle.

“Alright! Let’s pick out the biggest bowls on the menu,” Gilda said as she placed her arms around the two girls.

“Why are you so happy?” Blueblood asked. “You’re not on their team!”

“The deal was that the guys pay for the women if they lose,” Gilda said. “Like I said, I’m a woman!”

“T-That’s-”

“A loophole,” Fancypants interjected. “But a valid one,” he added with a sigh.

“Chrysalis, maybe we shouldn’t order too much,” Cadance said, bringing a hopeful look to Shining’s face.

“It’s fine. He just received a huge bonus, anyway,” Chrysalis responded.

“Oh! Then in that case, let us not hold back!” And just like that, all hope was lost once more.

“We wouldn’t have won if Gilda hadn’t shown me how to bowl so well,” Twilight said.

Blueblood cast a suspicious look on Gilda. “Yes. Fancy that…”

“Eh, bowling’s alright, I guess. But if ya wanna try a real sport, I can show take ya down to the firing range and show you how ta use a gun.”

Shining’s eye twitched. “No thanks! She’s quite alright, thank you very-”

“That sounds fun!” Twilight cheered.

Shining’s jaw dropped. “B-But you hate guns!”

“I hate them being used on living things,” Twilight corrected, “But I appreciate the sport of marksmanship. In fact, I’ve actually been sort of curious about it for a while now.”

“No way! You’re too young!”

“Actually, she’s fine as long as she has an adult present,” Sunset said. “I prefer archery myself, but I suppose I could give it a try, too.”

“Alright! I’m off work next weekend, so let’s do it then?” Gilda asked as she walked away with the rest of the girls.

“That’s fine with us,” Twilight answered. She looked over her shoulder and asked, “Are you guys coming?”

“We’ll be right there,” Blueblood said with a sigh.

“And maybe while we’re there I can show ya how ta beat a guy up if he gets too fresh with ya!” Gilda offered as she continued walking.

“T-That’s alright,” Twilight said. “Just the firing range will suffice.”

Shining Armor glared at the back of Gilda’s head. “I don’t like her hanging around with Twilight. She’s a bad influence.”

“Worry about other things right now,” Blueblood said. “Like our poor wallets.”

“Don’t worry, lads,” Fancypants said in a reassuring tone. “I had a similar crisis with my wife, Fleur, recently. It may seem like we’re being pushed around now, but our revenge will come at before night’s end.”

“How so?” Shining Armor asked.

“Sunset! It’s time for bed!”

“I know!” Sunset responded to her mother as she shut off the bathroom sink and placed her toothbrush down. She made her way across the bathroom, humming merrily as she recalled the sweet victory earlier that evening.

As her nightly routine came to an end, there was only one thing left to do: stand on the scales and record her weight.

And so she climbed onto the white bathroom scales and glanced down. Her head shot back up, the humming coming to an abrupt end. She slowly brought her head down again and sweat dripped down her face.

“T-This can’t be… How did I-” Sunset gasped as it hit her. The ice-cream. The large serving of ice-cream, and the several small tubs she had on the side. And all of the chocolate, strawberries and cherries that came with them. All the little candy sprinkles and the M&M’s. Sunset thought that just one night wouldn’t hurt, but-

Sunset heard her ringtone and jumped with a start. The ringtone was the one that played whenever Twilight called her: ‘California Girls’. She quickly ran out of the bathroom and towards her bedroom, picking up her phone and answering the call. “Hello?”

“Sunseeeeeeet,” a sad-sounding voice on the other side cried.

“Let me guess… you checked your weight, too?”

A sniff came from the other end, accompanied by, “Uh-huh…”

Sunset sighed. “… Alright, we’re establishing a new ground rule for our diet plan: no ice-cream for the next three years.”

Another sniff came from Twilight. “What about cake?”

“… Only on special occasions. Birthdays and Christmas.”

“And Easter? Oh, but my family’s Jewish on my dad’s side, so we have to celebrate Hanukah, too.”

“Okay, those four… and maybe the last and first days of the school year, too.”

“End of exam week? That’s a special occasion.”

“Agreed. And New Year’s Day. But that’s it!”

“Totally! Just those seven days, and on December 21st!”

“What?”

“Y-Y’know, the world’s ending and all that?”

“… I’ll allow it. But no mo- Actually, your mum just got a ‘Best Author’ award, right? We’ve got to celebrate that!”

“Oh, totally! And y’know, Joe recently made a new menu and he was really looking forward to us sampling them. It would be rude not to.”

“Well we don’t want to be rude. Okay, but only one or two of each new cake he has in stock! … And maybe-”

“SUNSET SHIMMER! BED!”

Sunset yelped and fumbled her phone in her hands. “S-Sorry, we’re gonna have to finish this tomorrow! Night!” Sunset hung up her phone and placed it to her side, yawning and stretching her arms as she climbed into her bed.

“… Ah, there’s ice-cream in the fridge, and it’s not like mum can eat it, being lactose intolerant and all… It sure would be a shame to waste it… No! Bad thoughts!” Sunset rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to think of anything besides cold, delicious strawberry ice-cream, covered in raspberry sauce and with a couple of cherries on top… “Maybe just one scoop in the morning.”

XI - FUN! FUN! FUN!

“LONDON! WOOHOOOOOOO!”

Passerbys stared at the pink girl swinging from lampposts in a top hat decorated like the British flag as she proclaimed the greatness of everything she passed by.

“Well, somebody sure is enjoyin’ herself,” Applejack said as she watched with amusement as a family quickly took shelter whilst Pinkie Pie ducked into a nearby sweet shop, coming out moments later with a gingerbread house in her hand.

“I don’t blame her,” Rarity said as she pointed her camera towards Big Ben in the distance, pressing the shutter switch. “The sights here are simply magnificent.”

“I dunno. I prefer Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash gagged as she placed another chocolate into her mouth. “Better food, cooler people, and they know how to speak the language properly over there. It took me ten minutes to find the pants in that store because, over here, they’re called ‘trousers’.”

“It’s also less crowded back home,” Fluttershy said. “And all my animal friends are there. It’s a shame that I couldn’t bring them along. Angel Bunny would have loved to see the London Eye.”

“Well ah think they’re both fine cities,” Applejack said as she walked towards a nearby stall selling London-styled trinkets. “Hey, what d’yall think would be a good gift for Sunset Shimmer?”

Rarity frowned as she lowered her camera. “Oh, right… It’s a shame that she couldn’t be here.”

“Well she doesn’t have a passport,” Rainbow Dash reminded her. “There wasn’t anything we could have done, short of smuggling her into the plane.”

“Pinkie Pie couldn’t even get her party gun past security, let alone a person,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Ah’m sure she’s havin’ plenty o’ fun back home,” Applejack assured everyone.

Pinkie Pie appeared behind Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and wrapped her arms around the two of them. “That’s right! And for now, we have a replacement anyway: Sunset Shimmer 2.0!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has her own identity, thank you very much!” Trixie shouted as she turned her attention away from the nearby magic stand to glare at the pink girl. “And I am nothing like that arrogant, self-important tyrant of a Student Council President!”

“Trixiiiiie!” Snips cried from behind Trixie, standing next to Snails as the two each held a pile of bags. “Can we please take a break?!”

“Or maybe you girls could help lighten the load?” Snails suggested.

“Stop whining or you will not receive special guest roles in Trixie’s next big performance!” Trixie shouted, bringing the two to a quick silence as she resumed her browsing.

“See?” Pinkie Pie asked with a smile. “It’s just like the whole gang’s here, only she’s not telling us to ‘get lost and stop saying that we’re friends’!”

“I do wonder what she is up to right now, though,” Rarity said as she put a finger to her chin.

“Ah’m sure the principal’s keepin’ her entertained while the rest o’ school’s gone,” Applejack replied.

“Now, can anybody tell me how a volcanic eruption occurs?” Celestia asked as she turned away from her blackboard and faced her class, a small book open in her hand. “Anyone?”

Sunset Shimmer sat at her desk leaning on her elbow, tapping her desk impatiently with a finger as she stared at her teacher. Two seats to her right, Twist was practically jumping out of her seat with her hand raised, just about begging to be picked.

“Come on now, Sunset. You can’t have Twist answer all of the questions I ask today.”

“It’th okay, Miss Celethtia!” Twist said as she bounced up-and-down in her seat. “I don’t mind!”

“Why are we learning about Geography when there are only two of us here?” Sunset asked, curling her left hand into a fist as she sat up straight. “For that matter, why is school even open when you’re the only teacher, and there are only five students who didn’t go on the trip? Did you honestly expect everybody else to still show up?”

“Twist did,” Celestia pointed out.

“Twist would show up even if a hurricane hit,” Sunset said.

“That’th not true!” Twist argued. “My mum wouldn’t let me leave the house if that happened.”

“And I wouldn’t exactly say that I’m the only teacher here,” Celestia continued. “Doctor Zecora is filling in for our Science faculty whilst they’re away.”

“And if I have to listen to her rhyming one more time, I swear I’ll ‘accidentally’ start a fire just to get out of here.”

Celestia and her student simply exchanged stares in silence for a few moments, before the teacher smiled and closed her book. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said. “Since there are only the two of you here, perhaps we could do something fun instead of these boring old lectures…”

“Do you even know the meaning of ‘fun’?” Sunset asked in a sarcastic tone.

“I thought we were having fun,” Twist said.

“I’ll have you know that back in the day, I was the life of the school ground. Students everywhere sought me out for a good time and I was something of a class clown.”

“Why do I have trouble believing that?” Sunset sighed and leaned backwards in her chair. “Well, I’ll play along. What did you have in mind?”

“First, stop leaning in your chair like that,” Celestia said. “Fun’s fun, but nobody will be laughing when you crack your head open.” Sunset gave Celestia a flat look as she leaned forward and sat her chair down properly. “Good. Now, how about a Math quiz?”

Twist gasped in excitement whilst Sunset simply groaned and held her head in her hand. “Oh yeah. That sounds fun.”

“It was just a suggestion,” Celestia muttered with a frown. “Then how about a movie? And I don’t mean an educational one,” Celestia added quickly as she saw Sunset about to retort.

“Does this school have any non-educational movies?”

“I’m sure I could find something lying around in the teachers’ lounge. Or would you rather get back to learning about earthquakes and volcanoes?”

Sunset Shimmer waved her hand dismissively. “Go on then. See what you can find.”

“I dunno. I just don’t get what all the hype was about. Home’s way better than England.” Rainbow Dash caught the ball she was keeping up and shivered. “And warmer, to boot.”

“Mr. Turner said the food here’s pretty good,” Applejack said as she removed her jacket and draped it around the trembling Rarity beside her. “Ah told ya ta dress warm.”

“B-But we’re in a foreign land, ambassadors of the US! We have to make a fine impression. Show them the glamorous fashion styles of our country!”

“An’ ya couldn’t pick somethin’ with sleeves? Or more than one layer of clothin’?”

“Hey Fluttershy, what’s up?” Pinkie Pie asked, noticing her friend’s saddened expression as she looked across the street. “You still missing that puppy from the pet store?”

Fluttershy nodded. “It’s just not fair… We had so much fun together, and we connected right away! He was my perfect pup…”

“You say that ‘bout all the dogs you play with,” Applejack said. “An’ it can’t be helped. We only have enough money for food an’ small souvenirs.”

“I know,” Fluttershy sighed.

Pinkie Pie hummed in thought, before reaching into her blouse and pulling out a packet of playing cards. “Hey Trixie! Turn this into a bunch of paper birds!”

Trixie frowned. “And since when did Trixie become an on-demand magic gag to you peasants?”

“C’moooooon!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. “… Unless you’re sayin’ ya can’t do it.”

Trixie’s eye twitched. “… Fine, but this is the last time.” Trixie grabbed her cape and flourished it over the pack of cards. When her cape cleared out of the way, the packet was gone, and from Pinkie’s hand flew a flock of paper doves. Fluttershy smiled at the sight.

“Feeling better?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Thank you, Pinkie.”

“It was my trick,” Trixie pointed out.

“Sorry I’m late, girls!” Time Turned shouted as he ran towards the six girls waiting outside of the restaurant. “I got lost reminiscing about all these sights.”

“About time you got here. I’m starving!” Rainbow Dash complained. “The food here better be as good as you said it is.”

“Trust me, you won’t be disappointed,” Time Turner said confidently. “Now then, shall we?” As he walked forward, the group followed after him, Trixie and Pinkie Pie bringing up the rear.

Pinkie Pie stopped and blushed as she felt something wrong with her back. Something that should have been hooked shut was now open. She caught Trixie grinning. “Hey!”

“Maybe next time you’ll have a little respect for the dark arts,” Trixie said as she followed after the group, leaving Pinkie Pie to re-secure her assets.

“Table for Dr. Turner please,” Time Turner said as he approached the counter inside.

“One moment,” the waitress said as she wrote something down into her notebook. When she was finished she looked back up with a smile. “Sorry for the wait. Table for Dr. who?”

“Turner. T-U-R-N-E-R.”

“I didn’t know you were a doctor,” Rarity said. “Why didn’t you tell us? We’ve been calling you ‘Mister’ this entire time.”

“Well I’m not one to boast, really,” Time Turner said. “Besides, it’s not much to write home about. Only a PhD in Physics… and Chemistry… Biology, Geology, Odontology, Anthropolo- You know, pretty much every ‘ology’ out there.”

“That’s a lie,” Trixie said simply. “You’re way too young to have all those degrees.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Time Turner laughed. “Okay, fine. You got me. I only have a degree in Physics.”

“Still mighty impressive,” Applejack said. She caught Pinkie Pie joining the group. “You took yer time.”

“Okay Dr. Turner, your table is ready for you.” The waitress stepped from behind her counter to lead the group to their table. Once everybody was sat down the waitress left them to read their menus and decide their meals.

“So, how are you all finding your time in England?” Time Turner asked.

“Boring,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh?” Timer Turner frowned.

“Dash here’s jus’ a lil’ homesick,” Applejack said with a smirk.

“Well one can hardly blame her. The entire day people have been giving me strange looks when they should have been regarding me with looks of awe and wonder!”

“That’s ‘cause ye’re wearin’ a summer dress when it’s… How cold is it out there?”

Time Turner checked his watch. “Minus one.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “WHAT?! What’s wrong this country?! Should we even still be living at that temperature?!”

“Ah, no. I meant Celsius.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “So they can’t even get temperatures right. Why does this country have to be so upside-down?!” Rainbow slammed her face into her arms on the table.

Time Turner reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Well, maybe this will help. I know how much you enjoy soccer, so I bought some tickets to the match later tonight.”

Rainbow suddenly lifted her head. “Tickets to a soccer game?! Now you’re talkin’ my good old American language!”

“Well, I suppose I could join you… after changing into something a little more suited to this horrendous British weather,” Rarity said with a sniff.

“Um, I already made plans to visit the pet shop after dinner tonight,” Fluttershy announced.

“Pet shop?” Time Turner asked.

“She found some dog in a pet shop just ‘round the corner an’ she’s grown kinda attached to ‘im,” Applejack explained.

“Oh! You mean Average-sized Pet Shop? I didn’t know it was still in business! Well, that’s alright. And what about the rest of you?”

“Ah’d like ta go, but ah already made plans ta walk with mah sister an’ her friends later tonight.”

“HEY!” The group turned to one of the nearby tables to find Diamond Tiara, her hair dripping wet, standing opposite Apple Bloom who was holding an empty glass in her hand. “You did that on purpose!”

“N-No ah didn’t! It was an accident, ah swear!”

“Oh yeah? Well so was this!” Diamond Tiara grabbed the tomato on her plate and threw it at Apple Bloom, who quickly dodged. The fruit hit Snips sitting at another table.

“… FOOD FIGHT!”

The group watched as a panicking Cheerilee and a couple of the restaurant’s staff desperately fought to break apart the full-scale war that had broken out between the freshmen.

“… On second thought, ah think she’s at that age where she doesn’t need her big sister hoverin’ over her all the time.”

“Well, wasn’t that fun?” Celestia asked in smug confidence as she ejected the DVD from the disk tray and returned it to its box.

“That. Wath. AWESOME!” Twist cheered.

“That. Was. Lame,” Sunset deadpanned. “Not only was it boring, the whole thing was downright stupid. I feel like I lost a few brain cells just watching it.” ‘I suppose it’s fitting that such a film would share the same name as her.’

“I’m sure there was some part that you enjoyed,” Celestia said assuringly.

“Watching you fumble about with the DVD player was fun,” Sunset admitted.

“I really liked it!” Twist said. “After this, I’m gonna go out and buy the bookth!”

“How anyone could like that film is beyond me, but at least we can leave now.”

“Not quite,” Celestia said. “We still have a few hours before the final bell rings.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. She could have sworn that that film dragged on for at least half a day.

“Well, if you didn’t enjoy the film, I suppose we could always try something else to pass the time… How about a board game?”

“YEAH!” Twist cheered.

‘If my allowance wasn’t on the line, I’d be so out of here,’ Sunset thought to herself as she sighed.

“Checkmate,” Sunset declared as she moved her Rook in place to trap Twist’s King. “That makes ten games now.”

“Wow… you’re tho good at this. How do you do it?” Twist asked.

“I’ve always had a knack for winning,” Sunset said. “Though I’m starting to get bored now. Is this really the only game we have?”

“Well there’s a Monopoly set too,” Celestia said, “But half of the pieces seem to be missing.”

“Maybe we could uthe the Home Ec. rooms and make a cake?” Twist suggested.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Twist!”

“Interesting how the kid can think up better ideas than the adult,” Sunset said.

“Well maybe that just means your mind is on the same levels as a freshman’s,” Celestia retorted, making Sunset scowl.

“You’ll make a powerful enemy of me,” Sunset muttered as she rose from her seat and helped Twist to pack away the Chess set.

“Thith is fun,” Twist said. “I’m not used to having fun with others.”

“Well the children at this school are completely crazy.”

Twist shook her head. “No, I just- Uh, never mind. Let’th go make that cake!”

“Okay, I take back what I said. This got boring very fast,” Sunset said as she mixed the third set of batter in the bowl she was holding whilst Twist did the same to her fifth set. “Why did you have to suggest we make cakes for the entire school for when they return?”

“I just thought it was something fun we could do together that would also be nice for everyone else,” Twist said.

“Why did you even come into school this morning? If it was just me I might have been able to convince Principal Celestia to just cancel.”

“But I love school,” Twist said. “I don’t really have any talent besides being smart, and my parent are alwayth working tho I’d just be bored if I stayed at home.”

“Why not go out somewhere then? The mall, the arcade, the cinema…”

“I don’t go out much. I don’t really have any friends to go out with…”

Sunset stopped her mixing and glanced at Twist before resuming. “That doesn’t stop you from having fun. I have plenty of fun all on my own.”

Twist simply shrugged. “I don’t know… I’m not thmart or interesting like you, and I just get tho upset when I see everyone else talking to friends and having fun while I’m… not…”

Sunset poured the mixed batter into a tin. “Well maybe you should do something about it instead of moping about.”

“But it’th hard talking to people I don’t know!”

“Nobody ever said that life was hard!” Sunset responded. She picked up the tin and threw it into the oven beneath her. “You don’t always get what you want and things can be taken from you at a moment’s notice! That’s why instead of complaining about how ‘hard’ something is, or how ‘unfair’ a situation might be, you should do something about it!”

“Like what?” Twist asked, her hands stopping as she stared up at Sunset Shimmer.

“You want friends? Then find someone you think you’ll like and talk to them,” Sunset said. “Don’t expect life to hand things to you for free. Trust me, it doesn’t work that way. The only sure-fire way to get something is to get it yourself.”

“But what would I say?”

“That’s up to you. You’re the one who wants to befriend this person.”

Twist put her bowl down and simply stared into the batter for a few seconds. “What if I tell them about all my badges in Girl Thcouts?”

“I’d find that absolutely boring and meaningless information,” Sunset said.

Twist frowned. “Yeah, tho would everyone.”

“How do you know? If you give up that easily, you’ll never know for sure.”

“But it ith boring.”

“To me, but I’m different from everybody else at this school. For some reason, somebody here might actually enjoy hearing about how you can embroider a handkerchief.”

“I can altho make wax candles, start campfires, set up tents-”

“Again, I’m not interested,” Sunset repeated, “But somebody else will be. All you have to do is try it out.”

“And what if they’re not interested, either?”

“Then try again, until you find someone who is.”

Twist frowned as she twirled her fingers around each other. “But it’th scary talking to someone I don’t know. What if they laugh at me?”

“Then ignore them. They’re likely an idiot if they laugh at some child talking about their hobbies.”

“What if they pick on me?”

“Then report them. That’s where my job as Student Council president comes into play.”

Twist smiled and looked up at Sunset Shimmer. “You know, you’re a lot nicer than I always hear.”

“I’m just telling it like it is,” Sunset said as she grabbed the bowl that Twist had abandoned and continued mixing the batter inside. “It’s not like there’s much else to do around here, and besides…”

“What?”

‘I was alone once, and it almost cost me everything.’ “You just look so pathetic, weak and helpless as you are, that I can’t help but take pity on you.”

Twist giggled. “You’re the first perthon to care about me like that,” she said, before lunging forward and latching onto Sunset’s waist. “Thanks!”

“H-Hey!” Sunset cried, startled by the sudden contact that sent her stumbling backwards. She screamed as she tripped over and fall onto her back, the bowl in her hands flying into the air and the batter falling victim to gravity’s scheme, covering the two girls on the floor.

It was at that moment that Celestia decided to walk in with a box in her hands. “Sorry I took so long. I got the-” She saw the two girls covered in batter on the messy floor and blinked. “Oh my. Are the two of you okay?”

“Never better,” Sunset growled as she sat up, pushing Twist off of her.

The freshman girl simply smiled and laughed sheepishly as she nervously backed away.

The following morning resumed normal, everyday life for Sunset Shimmer. She boarded the bus as normal and saw many familiar faces joining her after they had returned from Britain late last night. Among them, at one stop, were Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who of course had to approach Sunset Shimmer and greet her immediately.

“Yo!” Rainbow Dash greeted, Fluttershy silently waving behind her. “How was school durin’ our absence?”

“Uneventful. So no big change,” Sunset replied. “How was your trip?”

“It was awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Man, who knew the British could be so cool?! We got to see this awesome soccer match, went to this really cool restaurant where the food was great, and we got a ton of cool souvenirs!”

“And we got something for you, too,” Fluttershy said. “Something we hope you’ll like.”

“Oh? What?” Sunset asked.

“We’ll give it to you together,” Rainbow told her. “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

‘Maybe if it’s the Element of Magic… What could they possibly have gotten me that they’re confident I’ll like?’

“A-An early edition of the new Prancy Drew novel?!” Sunset Shimmer could hardly believe her eyes. “A-And it’s signed, too!”

“Yeah! We happened ta pass by a Prancy Drew signin’ thing in a bookstore an’ she was givin’ away one hundred copies of her new book in a lottery thing,” Applejack said. “We know how much ya like it, so-”

“This is great! You guys actually did something good for once!” Sunset exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement as she flipped the book open and took in the smell of an new, unread book.

“Gee, thanks,” Rarity said. “And you’re welcome, too.”

“I’m glad you like it!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “I thought we should have got you a Union Jack dress, but Rarity said it was a fashion disaster and Rainbow Dash said it would just look stupid. Applejack had no opinions one way or the other and Fluttershy was busy brooding over her puppy friend, and then Trixie wandered off somewhere because we were boring her. Or I was overwhelming. I forget which.”

“You’d better get to class, girls,” Celestia cautioned as she walked past the six girls. “The bell will be ringing soon.”

“She’s right. We should probably get going before we’re late,” Rarity said.

Sunset closed her book and placed it away in her bag. ‘I’ll have to read this later. From the looks of it, it’s probably similar to Equestria’s ‘Search for the Azure Sword’, but it should still be interesting comparing the differences.’

As Sunset walked behind her friends, she noticed a group of freshmen running past her. The Canterlot Mercenary Club, plus one more behind them. Twist.

Twist was smiling and laughing as she ran just behind the three girls.

Sunset realised that she was smiling herself and quickly deduced that it was simply from the book in her bag. Taking a moment to wipe the smile from her face, she followed after the other girls towards the school.

Author's Note

What's this? A break? Holy crap, I forgot what that felt like!

Lesse... I haven't updated this one in a while. Let's go for it :3

XII - Best Friends

Canterlot Park – Seven years ago:

“Ninety-eight! Ninety-nine! One hundred!” Sunset Shimmer uncovered her eyes and turned around excitedly. “Ready or not here I-” Sunset stopped as she realised that her prey, Twilight Sparkle, was still sitting beside her in the sandbox, still staring into her book. Her eye twitched and she neared the other girl, giving her a sideways glare for some time until it became apparent that Twilight was taking no notice. Finally, she reached out and poked the reading girl’s face. “Hey. You’re supposed to hide while I’m counting.”

Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book, rubbing where her face had just been poked by Sunset’s finger and giving an apologetic smile. “Eheheh… Sorry about that. I was just so engrossed by this book…”

“Well stop being engrossed and go find somewhere to hide! I’ll count to fifty this time,” Sunset Shimmer said with a toothy grin. “That’s what you get for not listening first time!”

“But I’m at a good part right now,” Twilight said simply as she returned her gaze to her book. “We can play later, okay?”

Sunset’s cheeks puffed and her eyes narrowed as she watched her friend ignoring her in favour of that thick book. With a huff, and making sure to kick a little sand, Sunset Shimmer rose to her feet and stomped angrily. “Fine! I’ll go hide, and you come looking for me!”

Without waiting for any form of confirmation or even acknowledgement from her friend, Sunset ran out of the sandbox and through the park, looking around and eventually finding the perfect place to hide: a large, concrete half-pipe that was abandoned by a construction crew some years ago, and claimed by the children that visited the park frequently. Sunset Shimmer sat down and folded her arms. Now she just played the waiting game.

Sunset Shimmer poked her head outside again. Still no sign of Twilight anywhere. “I bet she’s not even looking,” Sunset said, pulling her head back in with a pout. “Fine by me. I can wait forever if I have to.”

A cold wind blew through the pipe, making Sunset shiver and creating an echo that made the girl look down the pipe cautiously. “T-There’s no such of thing as ghosts, Shimmer. Especially not in the day…” Looking outside again, Sunset gasped as she saw just how dark it had become. She had no idea how long she had been in that pipe, but to think that the sun was already beginning to set…

A drop of rain hit Sunset’s arm and she jumped. Sticking her hand outside, Sunset could feel more droplets falling from the sky, rapidly increasing until soon it was a full-on downpour. Sunset Shimmer moved further into the pipe, bringing her knees to her chin and holding herself tighter to fight the cold. “I-I can wait here forever. Maybe if I get a cold she’ll feel bad for ignoring me.”

A noise passed by outside and Sunset wasn’t sure whether it was the wind whistling, or a wolf howling. Either way, it only served to increase her building heart rate and slow, heavy breathing. “Stupid Twilight. Why won’t you find me already?”

A splash outside made Sunset’s breathing stop instantly. She wanted to turn her head to look outside, but her body was frozen. She couldn’t work up the nerve to look around her shoulder for fear of whatever might be out there. A wild animal, a bad person, a monster…

Tears rolled down the frightened girl’s face as she heard more splashes. They were definitely being made by something moving outside, there was no doubt about it. And they were getting closer. Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and prayed for whatever was out there not to find her. To just turn around and walk away. She prayed for her safety. She prayed to be back inside her house with her parents.

“Sunset?” Sunset Shimmer gasped and opened her eyes with a jolt. She knew that voice. “Sunny!”

“Twilight?” Sunset rose to her feet and opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by her friend suddenly attacking her with a hug.

“Thank goodness! I was looking all over for you!” Twilight cried through tears and hiccups, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend, almost as if she feared losing her should she let go. “What were you doing here? Why didn’t you come back earlier?”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to say. On one hand, she was supposed to still be angry with Twilight for ignoring her earlier, but on the other, she was thankful that somebody had come to her rescue. “I-I was hiding from you, and you never came looking for me…”

“I told you, I wanted to finish that part of my book!” Twilight yelled.

“And I told you I wanted to play!” Sunset yelled back. “It’s no fun just sitting there watching you read!” Twilight hiccupped and sniffed over Sunset’s shoulder. A pang of guilt passed through Sunset and she slowly brought a hand up to her friend’s back. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or anything, I just…”

“Well you did,” Twilight said. “I was so worried when you didn’t come back. I thought something had happened to you.”

Sunset gulped as she felt Twilight shivering in her arms. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, this time through more tears.

Twilight pulled back and shook her head. “It’s fine, just… Let’s just go back now, okay?” Twilight sniffed one final time and wiped her tears away, braving a smile as she held out her hand for her friend to take.

Sunset Shimmer reached out for the hand, hesitating when she saw the state that it was in. Filthy, cut, splintered, and bruised. With her head low, Sunset took a hold of Twilight’s hand.

“On three,” Twilight said as the two reached the end of the pipe. Sunset simply nodded in silence. “One, two…”

“Do you two have any idea how worried we all were?!”

Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer both winced as Twilight Velvet’s scolding voice greeted them upon their return. Soaked and out of breath, the two were overjoyed when they finally reached Twilight’s house. All that joy left them when they opened the door and a very, very angry-looking mother greeted them.

“Shining Armor is out there looking for you both as we speak!”

“I gave him a call,” Night Light said as he peered his head in from the living room. “He’s on his way back now. I’ll call Sunset’s parents next.”

“I thought I could trust you two to come back at a reasonable time,” Twilight Velvet continued, prompting more sobs from her daughter. “What were you trying to accomplish by scaring me half-to-death?!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Twilight sobbed, bringing a hand up to her eyes.

Sunset shook her head quickly. “No, it’s not her fault! She was just looking for me!”

“Save it,” Twilight Velvet said. The two girls closed their eyes as the furious mother approached them… and then opened them again in shock as they felt something warm wrap around them. “I’m just glad that you’re both safe.”

Twilight and Sunset both calmed down somewhat in Velvet’s hold, but only until she pulled back and her glare returned in full fury. “I called Sunset’s parents,” Night Light said as he walked into the room with the house’s phone, one hand covering the bottom. “Looks like this downpour’s only going to get worse. They said if it’s alright with us then Sunset can sleep over for the night.”

“That would probably be for the best,” Twilight Velvet said with a nod. “Now, you two go change out of those clothes and jump into the bath before you catch a cold! I’ll heat up some soup for you afterwards.”

The two girls nodded solemnly, Twilight escorting her friend up the stairs as her sobbing slowly died down. Sunset Shimmer kept her gaze fixed on the floor beneath her and bit the inside of her mouth every time the sound of one of Twilight’s sobs or hiccups entered her ears.

Twilight Sparkle’s house – Present day:

The door to Twilight Sparkle’s bedroom opened ever-so-slightly, creating not so much as a single creak as a single foot entered into the room and gently touched down onto the carpet, followed by the other. The owner of those feet moved carefully, sneaking across the room to the purple girl studying at her desk with two mountains of books to either side.

The creeping figure reached into her trenchcoat with her gloved hand and pulled out a small knife, arming herself as she approached her target. She raised the knife and her free hand, ready to send the studious bookworm off to a peaceful, unending slumber.

“I’m studying. Come back later.”

Sunset Shimmer halted and frowned at the back of Twilight’s head. “How did you-”

“I always know when you’re there,” Twilight said matter-of-factly with a smug grin. “You should know that by now.”

Sunset walked over to Twilight’s bed and made herself at home laying down on top of it, toying with the rubber knife as she stared up towards the ceiling. “Maybe you’re secretly psychic or something.” Sunset cast a sideward gaze to her friend. “You’d tell me if you had superpowers, right? Your best friend in the whole world?”

“Relax, it’s nothing that exciting,” Twilight deadpanned as she turned a page in her book, never taking her eyes off of her literature.

“Good book?” Sunset asked.

“It’s alright, but the author clearly never had anyone proofread it. This ‘Yukito’ seriously needs to get his act together.”

“Yet it’s still more interesting than me, it seems,” Sunset Shimmer sighed, throwing the knife into the air and catching it repeatedly. “I’m surprised you haven’t already read every book in the world by this point.”

“That’d be kind of hard considering I can only speak three different languages,” Twilight laughed. “And it’s not ‘more interesting’ than you. I just-”

“-Just can’t take your eyes off a good book,” Sunset said with a grin. “Yeah, I get it. You’re just like you were when we were children.”

“… Are you saying I haven’t grown up?” Twilight asked in an accusatory tone.

“Maybe. Obviously you’ve gotten smarter, but you’re still the same know-it-all bookworm as before, with the power to ‘sense’ when I’m around.”

“Well, I could say the same of you,” Twilight countered, a smirk on her face. “You still get angry when I’m too busy to play with you.”

“I’m totally not angry,” Sunset Shimmer scoffed.

“You’ve gotten better at controlling it, I’ll give you that.”

“What, so you can sense my feelings now, too?”

Twilight chuckled as she closed her book and turned to her friend. “No. You’re just an open book is all.”

“… I guess we stay the same no matter how old we get, huh? You’ll always be more caring than you let on.”

“And you’ll always be insistent and invasive,” Twilight returned.

“Hey, I was paying you a compliment!” Sunset shouted. Twilight simply laughed in response. “Oh, but speaking of which, I’ll be sleeping over tonight.”

Twilight’s laughter stopped. “Wha? But-”

“Your mum already said it’s okay. She’ll be bringing some snacks up soon.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed and slumped in her chair. “Yeah, sure. Would have been nice if you’d asked me, but whatever…”

Twilight Sparkle’s house – Seven years ago:

“She was pretty angry, huh?” Twilight asked as she climbed into the bathtub, sinking into the warm water and leaning back to allow her friend plenty of room to join her.

Sunset Shimmer also climbed in. “I think she was more worried than angry,” she said, hoping to convince herself more than Twilight. “… Uh, Twilight? I’m… I’m sorry about what happened…”

Twilight shook her head. “I shouldn’t have gone looking for you on my own. I should’ve told an adult.”

“Not that,” Sunset said. “I mean I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”

“Oh… Well, yeah. I was pretty scared. I thought something had happened to you.”

“I was just upset because, you know, you seemed more interested in that book than… than me…”

Twilight quickly shook her head. “No! Of course I wasn’t!” she shouted, startling her friend. “I told you, I was just at a really good part! I-I’m sorry if… if I made you feel bad…” Twilight sniffed and hiccupped as her head lowered. She felt something touching her chin and looked up to find Sunset Shimmer reaching out towards her.

“Stop crying,” she said. “Please, just… just stop. It’s my fault. I got jealous over a book of all things, and the I made you worried about me and you… you searched for me for a long time, didn’t you?”

“Wha- How’d you-”

“Your hand,” Sunset said, grabbing Twilight’s wrist and pulling her hand out of the bathwater. “It’s filthy, and you hurt yourself. And it’s all because of me. I’m sorry, Twi.”

Twilight sniffled one last time before slowly shaking her head. “I just… couldn’t leave without knowing you were okay…”

“But what made you think I was in the park, anyway?” Sunset asked. “For all you know I could’ve gone home.”

“I… I don’t know,” Twilight said. “Somehow, I just knew you were there. Like, I could just feel it… or something?” Sunset stared at Twilight silently for a moment, before her lips started curving on her face. “W-What?” Twilight asked, blushing as Sunset’s smile grew. “Stop that! I’m being serious!”

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Sunset’s laughter echoed throughout the bathroom and Twilight’s glare seemed to bounce harmlessly off of the other girl until she had settled down. “Great! So I had no chance of winning anyway!”

“Stop laughing!” Twilight whined, sinking slightly into the water.

“Sorry, sorry,” Sunset said, wiping the tears out of her eyes. “Well, hey, at least now I know you’ll find me if I go missing again!”

“Are you planning on going missing again?” Twilight deadpanned with a f lat stare.

“I dunno. How long are you planning on being a bookworm?” Sunset asked, receiving a splash in the face as a response. Sunset’s eye twitched as Twilight stuck her tongue out. “Revenge!” she shouted as she splashed back, causing Twilight to shriek as a torrent of water hit her face.

“Take this!” Twilight laughed as she splashed again.

“Your precious books can’t save you now!”

The door slammed open suddenly, startling the two girls and sending chills down their spines as the demonic mother stepped inside, figurative horns rising from her head and flames enveloping her body.

“Stop wasting the water and clean yourselves properly!” she scolded with such force that the room trembled.

“SORRYYYYYYY!” the two girls cried in unison, ducking back down into the water as Sunset reached for the shampoo beside her. Two piles of pyjamas were left at the door as Twilight Velvet slammed it shut. The two girls stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments before both simultaneously breaking into smirks, followed by laughter that filled the bathroom for a long time before dying down.

Canterlot – Present day:

Twilight Sparkle put a hand into the bathtub and measured the water’s temperature for a few seconds before deciding that it was just right. Satisfied, removed the towel wrapped around her body and placed it neatly to side, ensuring that it was folded perfectly into a triangle before returning to the side of the tub.

Sunset Shimmer picked that moment to open the door and walk inside. “Hey. Bath ready yet?” she asked as she removed her jacket and tossed it carelessly to the side.

Twilight jumped at the sound behind her and slowly turned her head to find Sunset Shimmer standing behind with a tilted head. “G-G-G-G-G-G-”

“I was just thinking we could take our baths together. Y’know, like the old days.” Sunset reached down to remove her top, but was stopped by an ear-piercing scream and a pair of hand pushing her back towards the door.

“Get out get out get out get out GET OUT!”

The door slammed on Sunset Shimmer’s face and the sound of the locking mechanism clicked through the air. After a brief moment to let what had just happened catch up to her, Sunset sighed and reached a hand up behind her head. “I guess not all things stay the same…”

Author's Note

This chapter took FOREVER to finish due to real life priorities :( And the longer it took, the more guilty I felt that it wasn't some big or spectacular thing to make up for how long this story was on hiatus.

Hell, I can't even gaurantee that future chapters will be coming out any quicker (though I'm sure as hell gonna try!)

Sorry it took so long~ ><;;

XIII - A Trip to the Vet

“The start of the ‘Great War’ was caused by the assassination of the archduke of Austria-Hungary, now two separate countries, that led to their allied country Germany declaring war on the Allies.” Sunset Shimmer flipped the page in her textbook. “Propaganda campaigns were used to convince the citizens to enlist into the army before conscription was put into effect… ‘Conscription’…”

“Squeak, squeak!”

“Quiet, Whiskers,” Sunset told her pet hamster sitting beside her before rising out of her chair and approaching the laptop sitting on her bed. She opened the lid and the screen lit up. “Let’s see here. ‘Conscription’… Forced into service? Huh. I sure am glad I didn’t come here one hundred years earlier.”

“Squeak, squeak! Squeak, squeak!”

“I said be quiet!” Sunset yelled, startling her hamster who scurried quickly into his little plastic hut. She sighed and approached the cage. “Look, I’m… I’m a little stressed out at the moment. Thanks to all of my secret work on magic, I’ve fallen behind in History class. I need to get back up to speed by the end of this week or else I might not get an A!”

“Kaw! Kaw!”

“It is too a big deal, Night Gazer!” Sunset Shimmer told her pet raven perched above her head. “How can I rule an entire country if I allow my grades to fall?! Even if I’ve already graduated once, it would be an insult to my perfect record!”

“Kaw kaw! Kaw!” Night Gazer replied, flapping his wings.

Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms and stared indignantly. “You watch your beak! I didn’t name you after one of the greatest unicorns ever to besmirch his name with such a vulgar tongue!”

“Squeak squeak, squeak squeak!”

Sunset Shimmer ignored her pets for the moment and sat back down, continuing her reading as she flipped through more pages of her book. Her eyes widened as she reached one page and she almost dropped the book in surprise. “And they just kept fighting? Even through all that?” Sunset scratched her head and reclined backwards in her chair, staring up towards the ceiling. “I wonder what Celestia would’ve done if she faced such a persistent enemy? Equestria survived the last one thousand years mostly by using the threat of alicorn prowess to scare off would-be enemies.”

“Squeak squeak, squeak!”

“The ‘humans’ of this world are more violent than they let on, but they lack any real natural powers to project that violence, so they create devices that harness and exploit the power of science and nature.” Sunset Shimmer continued to stare up in complete silence for a few more seconds. Suddenly, she gasped. “Wait a minute… Maybe I could do that, too!” Sunset’s eyes turned to the green notebook to her right. “If I can’t use magic myself, then maybe…”

“Squeak… squeak…”

Sunset Shimmer turned around with a confused look and she caught her hamster crawling out of his home slowly, breathing heavily with his eyes half-open. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked, reaching over to open the cage and pick up her pet.

“Squeak… squea-…”

Whiskers collapsed in Sunset’s hands, causing her to stand up quickly with a shocked gasp. “Whiskers?! Hey, what’s wrong?! Hang in there, Whiskers!”

“Kaw! Kaw!”

“Shut up!” Sunset put her index finger to Whiskers’ neck. “He’s not dead yet. I’ve got to take him to the vet.” Sunset walked back over to her laptop and closed the lid. She then grabbed her jacket from over the back of her chair and picked up her phone on the way out of her room. “Principal Celestia! I need you to drive me somewhere!”

“This late?” Celestia asked as she ducked out of her bedroom in her pink tank top and tracksuit bottoms. “I’m in the middle of my workout. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“There’s something wrong with Whiskers,” Sunset explained. “I need to take him to a vet.”

Celestia quickly approached her student and took the hamster into her own hands. “Go grab the keys and wait in the car. The vet will surely be closed at this hour but I know of a good animal doctor who should be able to help.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and hurried down the stairs, leaving Celestia alone with Whiskers. The principal cast a gaze down the stairs to ensure that her student was gone before walking towards Sunset’s bedroom door, opening it, and looking around the dark, empty room. After a few seconds, she pulled her head back out and reached into her trouser pocket for her phone. She punched in some numbers and hit the button to dial.

“Hello, Dr. Cureall?”

The ride in the car was quiet as Sunset held her caged pet in her lap with a look of worry. She bit her lip as Whiskers’ laboured breathing died down to slow, weak gasps for air. ‘If only I put a little more focus into medical magic! … Wait, that wouldn’t help me in my current state anyway.’ Sunset slapped a hand against her face and fell back into her seat with a sigh. “I’m so powerless…”

Celestia glanced over as she heard Sunset’s angry muttering and looked down at Whiskers. Although she was already travelling over the speed limit, she stepped down onto the gas pedal a little harder. “Don’t worry,” she said, focussing her eyes back onto the road. “Dr. Cureall is the greatest vet I know. She treated my sister’s rat and my eagle before their… unfortunate accidents.”

“Oh? What happened?”

A frown appeared on Celestia’s face. “Well, Luna’s rat was eaten by my eagle, Philomena…”

“And Philomena?”

“… She fell asleep in a bonfire before it was lit and burned to ashes.”

Sunset Shimmer grimaced. “That must’ve been rough…”

“Anyway, before then, Dr. Cureall was there for us when our pets fell ill and she was great. I’m sure she can help Whiskers.”

A squeak from Whiskers’ cage drew Sunset’s attention and she sighed as she poked a finger into one of the holes, reaching for her pet. “I should have noticed this sooner, but I was so focussed on my research that I didn’t see the signs.”

“‘Research’?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sunset Shimmer straightened up quickly. “I-I mean ‘studies’! You know, for school and… school.” Sunset turned her head to the side, pretending to be focussed on the passing scenery outside the window. “A-Are we nearly there yet?”

Celestia narrowed her eyes. “Hmmm…” Slowing down as she came to a red light, Celestia turned to her student and asked, “Not only your ‘studies’, but you’ve also been out a lot lately. Staying out late and turning your phone off.”

“I’m saving the battery,” Sunset responded, not turning her head back to face Celestia.

“And you leave the house with quite a big backpack.”

“… I play board games with my friends.”

“You mean Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and the others?”

“Maybe.”

“Sunset, please-”

“Look, I get that you’re my principal and all, but what I do on my own time is my own business.” Sunset finally turned back to face Celestia. “I’m not doing anything dangerous, if that’s what you’re worried about, and I know how to look after myself.”

“… Alright,” Celestia conceded with a sigh. “If you say you aren’t doing anything dangerous, then I’ll leave it at that. But, if I may offer some advice, not as your principal, but as someone who cares about you?”

“I have a feeling you will anyway.”

“Let go of whatever’s tormenting you. Let the past stay where it belongs, and focus on what you have here and now.”

“…” Sunset Shimmer sighed and leaned back into her seat. “… Yeah, yeah. I got it.” She poked a finger into Whiskers’ cage again, staring blankly at her pet as she wiggled her finger about. ‘What I have here and now? What do I have here and now? My magic is gone, my rightful title of ‘princess’ was robbed from me, and I’m stuck in this crazy world where I’m an outcast. Revenge is all I have right now.’

Upon their arrival, Dr. Cureall was able to see Whiskers right away. Celestia and Sunset Shimmer were left in the waiting area for around thirty minutes before somebody came to see them. It was a girl with long pink hair and yellow skin. A girl that the two of them recognised, who ‘eep’ed upon seeing the two of them there.

“Fluttershy?” Celestia asked. “What are- Why are you wearing that nurse’s outfit? Don’t tell me… you’re working here?!”

“Um, n-not really working here… M-My parents are friends of Dr. Cureall and she offered to teach me some things about caring for animals and… lets me help her out sometimes…”

“But still, it’s rather late,” Celestia pointed out. “I know your grades are good, but are you sure you wouldn’t rather spend your free time playing with your friends instead of working?”

“Oh, it’s not like I work here all the time. And I really enjoy it,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“And?” Sunset asked, a bored look on her face. “What about my hamster? Is he going to be okay?”

“Oh, Whiskers will be fine,” Fluttershy said. “Dr. Cureall is just finishing her report and then she’ll bring you to him. Just make sure he gets plenty of rest… But, the problem is that, he, um…” Fluttershy shifted a foot across the floor, casting her gaze down as she mumbled quietly.

“What?” Sunset asked in an annoyed tone. “Come on, out with it already!”

“Oh! Uh, the problem is that… Whiskers is old.” Fluttershy cleared her throat. “In hamster years, that is. He’s… probably not going to make it to the end of this year…”

Sunset gasped and her eyes fell down to the floor. “O-Oh…” She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When her eyes reopened, she leaned back in her seat and look off to the side. “Oh, so that’s all it is? Well, guess there’s nothing that can be done then…”

“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy said with a solemn look. “I know it’s difficult to lose a friend, and I wish there was more that I could do.”

“Unfortunately, there are some things we just can’t cure with medicine.” A yellow-skinned woman approached the group form behind Fluttershy, dressed in a white lab coat and with her blue-and-silver-striped hair tied into a bun. In her hands was the cage with the resting Whiskers inside. “I’m sorry there wasn’t anything more I could do for you, Miss Shimmer, but you made the right call by bringing him here. Even if it’s only a little bit, this fellar’s got some life left in him still.”

“It wasn’t my call,” Sunset said, turning towards Celestia.

“It’s good to see you again, Dr. Cureall,” Celestia said, standing up and extending her hand.

Dr. Cureall shook it and said, “Please, call me Mane. So, is she yours? Or maybe Luna’s?”

“Hm?” Celestia glanced at Sunset Shimmer before quickly shaking her head and laughing. “No, no. Neither of us even have partners yet, let alone children. I’m just looking after her for the moment.”

“I see. Well, like I said, just make sure Whiskers gets plenty of rest.” She leaned in to add in a whisper, “Personally, I don’t believe he’ll make it past four or five more months. You might want to prepare yourself, maybe book a day out at an amusement park to help ease the pain for Sunset Shimmer.”

“I’ll think of something,” Celestia replied, taking Whiskers’ cage from the vet. “Thanks again for everything.”

“Anytime. Well, preferably a little earlier in the day,” Cureall added with a giggle. “No no, seriously, I’m happy to help an old friend. But now, I’d just be happy to get back to my salad waiting for me at home.”

“I suppose it is around that time,” Celestia said, looking down at her watch. She then looked back to Fluttershy. “I suppose you’ll be heading home soon, too?”

“Oh, um, I usually go round to Rainbow Dash’s place after this, since my parents come home late.”

“Isn’t Rainbow Dash practicing with her team today?” Sunset asked, bringing a sudden halt to all conversation as Fluttershy made a perfect impression of a deer in headlights.

“O-Oh no! What will I do? I can’t go all the way home by myself at this time!”

“Can’t you drive her home?” Celestia asked Dr. Cureall, who simply shook her head.

“My car’s in the shop getting a tune-up, and I get the train to work anyway.”

“Well then, how about I give you a lift to your home?” Celestia offered, bringing a smile to Fluttershy’s face.

“Oh, you really wouldn’t mind? That would be really helpful.”

“It’s not a problem, really,” Celestia assured her. “Sunset Shimmer, why don’t you go walk Fluttershy to the car while I finish things here?”

“What? Why?” Sunset asked.

“I might be a while, and I’m sure you don’t want to listen to two boring old ladies’ banter.” Celestia ushered Sunset along. “Go on now. You two go on ahead.”

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow before following Fluttershy through the lobby and out into the car park.

“Um…” Fluttershy fiddled with her fingers as she walked beside Sunset Shimmer, the two stopping once they reached Celestia’s car. “So, you like hamsters?”

“Hm? No, not really. I bought him to be a spy… It didn’t work out very well.”

“But you seemed to really care for him back there.” Sunset Shimmer simply nodded. Fluttershy looked around with a nervous look before adding, “I really like animals, you know? I’m glad to see owners like you that care.”

“You don’t have to fill the silence, you know,” Sunset said. ‘… Wait, now I get it! She was trying to get me and Fluttershy talking to each other!’

“Oh, sorry…”

Sunset cast an annoyed glare back towards the vet’s office. “Whatever. Just be quiet until Principal Celestia returns.”

“Oh. O-Okay…”

Several minutes later, Celestia exited the vet’s office with Whiskers’ cage in her hands. “Sorry that took so long. Did you two discuss anything interesting.”

“Not really,” Sunset said.

Celestia turned to Fluttershy, who simply shook her head before opening one of the car’s doors. “I see…”

Sunset climbed into the front passenger seat whilst Celestia entered the driver’s side, handing the cage to her student before starting the engine. “I’m on to your tricks. I’ll thank you not to interfere in my life,” Sunset said quietly without turning to face Celestia.

“I just thought you might appreciate a pleasant conversation with a nice person. You seem to have been under some stress lately.”

“I can handle myself, thank you very much.”

Without saying anything more on the matter, Celestia reversed out of her parking space and began the drive to Fluttershy’s house.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy mumbled, catching Celestia and Sunset’s attentions. “Um… I-It’s nothing…”

Celestia glanced into the rear-view mirror and saw Fluttershy searching through a small handbag. She grew a concerned look on her face. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the key to your house.”

“Um, well…”

Celestia slowed the car to a stop and looked around. “Can you contact your parents?”

“Mhm,” Fluttershy confirmed with a nod, pulling out her phone.

“Let them know that you’ll be at my house.” Celestia turned around in the road and started to drive the opposite direction.

“Oh, are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

“I told you to stop interfering,” Sunset grumbled.

“You think I planned her forgetting her keys?” Celestia replied in a hushed tone. “I can hardly leave her alone, locked outside of her house.”

“… I guess not.”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Celestia said. “It’s no imposition at all. Just make sure you let them know my address so that they can find it.”

With a nod, Fluttershy began texting, whilst Sunset Shimmer turned to look out of her window with a sulk.

“I’m sorry you even prepared dinner for me,” Fluttershy said, her eyes cast low as her face turned red. “At least let me help you wash up.”

“Nonsense. You’re our guest,” Celestia said as she collected the empty plates from Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer. “Your parents should be here in thirty minutes, is that right?”

“Yes. Assuming there’s no traffic, that is…”

“Why don’t you two go upstairs for now? I have to go over some papers down here.”

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes. “You usually do that in your own room.”

“Well, I decided I wanted to try something different,” Celestia responded with a smile. “Maybe you could show Fluttershy your other pet, Sunset Shimmer.”

“I don’t think that-”

“You have another pet?” Fluttershy asked. Sunset was taken aback as the shy girl was suddenly in her face, stars in her eyes and her mouth spread into a wide, excited smile. “What kind of animal is it? Is it a dog? A cat? Another hamster?”

“I’ll be down here if either of you need me,” Celestia said, flashing one smug grin before leaving the two alone.

“Oh, you have to show me. Please please please please please-”

“Ugh, okay! Okay! Just… follow me, okay?”

With an enthused nod, Fluttershy followed Sunset Shimmer up to her room.

“Kaw! Kaw!”

“Oh, my…” Fluttershy reached out towards the raven that was glaring right back at her.

“Careful!” Sunset shouted, but was stunned into silence when Fluttershy was able to freely stroke the gentle bird’s feathers.

“These feathers are so soft. Sunset Shimmer must take really good care of you.”

Sunset gave the bird a heated glare. “What, so a stranger is fine, but you peck your own owner’s face?”

“Kaw!”

“Be quiet!” Sunset Shimmer placed Whiskers’ cage down onto her desk and sat down on her chair.

“What’s his name?” Fluttershy asked, not taking her eyes off of the beautiful bird perched before her.

“Night Gazer.”

Fluttershy turned to Sunset with a curious look. “You mean like the rock star?”

“Rock- Is that what he is in this world?” Sunset sighed and shook her head solemnly. “No. Where I come from, he’s a wizard and was responsible for revolutionising the very world of arcane magic as we knew it.”

“Oh. He sounds impressive… In our world, according to Rainbow Dash, he ‘shreds a mean guitar solo’.”

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the textbook on her desk. “Anyway, I’ve fallen behind on my studies thanks to tonight. If you don’t mind, could you be quiet until your parents arrive?”

Fluttershy silently nodded her head with a frown. “S-Sorry…”

“Kaw!”

Fluttershy jumped and turned to Night Gazer. “I think he’s hungry.”

Sunset Shimmer scoffed. “Don’t be foolish. I fed him before leaving for the vet.”

Fluttershy helped herself to some of the dried insects in the bag on Sunset’s desk and offered them to Night Gazer. The bird gobbled them up quickly and happily. “There you go,” she said in a soft tone, stroking the raven’s feathers. “He’s a growing boy. You need to feed him more often.”

“… How were you so sure he was hungry?” Sunset asked.

“I could tell,” Fluttershy responded.

“You could tell? What, do you have some kind of gift that lets you understand animals?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Nothing quite like that, but I’ve learned a lot from Dr. Cureall and it’s actually a lot easier to tell what animals want than you’d think.”

“Is that so?” Sunset asked with an intrigued look. “You must have studied a lot for that.”

A blush crossed Fluttershy’s face as she played with a lock of her hair. “No, not really. I just really love learning about caring for animals. It’s what I want to do after graduating.” Fluttershy scuffed a foot against the floor. “You know, it’s actually thanks to you that I’m working for Dr. Cureall at the moment.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Well, even before we became friends, you always had this attitude that I kind of admired. Whenever you wanted something, you would take it, and when something got in your way you challenged it and kept moving. I always wished I could be as assertive as you.”

Sunset Shimmer grinned. “Well, it’s nice to hear that you have such a good taste in role models.”

“Even when we defeated you at the Fall Formal, you still came back to school and faced everyone again, and you still continued to move forward no matter what, doing your best for the school and to reform yourself.”

Sunset’s eyes glanced over to the locked drawer on the opposite side of the room. “Uh, yeah. I just felt so awful, you know?” ‘So awful because I lost.’

“You really inspired me to go after my dream no matter what, and to do so right now, instead of waiting for it to come to me.” Fluttershy bowed her head. “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer. If there’s anything that I can do to help you out…”

“Uh, that’s fine,” Sunset said. ‘She’d probably go tell her friends if I asked a suspicious favour of her.’ “So wait, you’re saying that if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be working at that veterinary clinic right now?”

Fluttershy nodded her head. “If it wasn’t for you, I probably also would never have been able to convince my parents that I can raise a pet. Whenever somebody tries to walk all over me, I just try to think about what you would do.”

Sunset Shimmer started to smile. “Well that’s-”

“And then I think, ‘Nobody could out-mean Sunset Shimmer!’, and suddenly I’m not so scared anymore!”

Sunset Shimmer fell from her chair onto the floor. “… On second thought, you can repay the favour,” she said through gritted teeth, reaching for her textbook and showing it to Fluttershy. “I’m lagging behind in History. Your grades are good, so you can tutor me before your parents arrive. You should feel honoured; only the very best have ever tutored me privately.”

“Um, t-that book has some pretty graphic images,” Fluttershy said, shivering as Sunset Shimmer opened up a page which contained an image of a soldier suffering from the effects of mustard gas.

“You said you wanted to repay me, right?”

“W-Well, I did, but-”

“You’re going back on your word?”

“… No?”

Sunset Shimmer patted the desk to her side, moving her chair back a bit to offer some space for Fluttershy to stand. With a whimper, Fluttershy approached the desk and took the textbook from Sunset Shimmer.

“O-Okay, so first, we’ll cover…” Fluttershy gulped. “T-The gasses used during the war…”

“Okay, I seem to be up-to-speed now.” Sunset stretched her arms and yawned, rubbing her teary eyes before closing her notebook and switching off the lamp on her desk. A knock at her door drew her attention.

“Fluttershy, your parents are here to pick you up,” Celestia’s voice declared from the other side.

“We’ll be right out,” Sunset said as she rose to her feet. She turned to her bed, where Fluttershy was snoozing peacefully beneath the covers. “Some payback. She passed out just from reading the estimated death tolls of the war.”

After approaching the bed, Sunset reached a hand out and shook Fluttershy gently. The girl murmured, but didn’t wake up. “Hey,” she said in a quiet tone. “Come on. Wake up.”

“Mm… Five more minutes, Angel…”

Sunset Shimmer stopped her shaking and bit her lip. ‘What now? Should I shout to wake her up?’ Sunset looked at Fluttershy’s face. The other girl looked so peaceful as she slept. With a sigh, Sunset pulled away the covers and lifted Fluttershy into an upright position, turning around so that she could carry the sleeping girl on her back.

She then left her bedroom and descended the stairs of Celestia’s house, where she found the principal and two figures whose faces were obscured by the front door’s doorframe at the bottom.

“Is she okay?” Celestia asked as she watched Sunset carrying Fluttershy down the stairs.

“She just fell asleep,” Sunset said. “She must have been exhausted.”

“Thank you so much for looking after our little girl,” the man at the door said before taking Fluttershy from Sunset Shimmer. “Here’s a little something for your troubles.”

“Please, you don’t have to pay me,” Celestia said, pushing away the money that the woman at the door was offering her. “It was no trouble at all, really.”

“I’ll accept that payment, then,” Sunset said, taking the money herself with a grin. “This will go a long way towards getting that new iPhone model coming out!”

The man laughed. “You kids and your crazy new gadgets. Thank you for being such a good friend to our daughter. She’s so shy that it often worries us.”

“… It should be me thanking her,” Sunset said. “I was feeling down today, but she cheered me up.”

After saying their goodbyes, Fluttershy’s parents left with their daughter. As Sunset Shimmer counted the money in her hands, Celestia turned to her with her arms folded. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, but don’t you already have the latest iPhone model?”

Sunset froze for a moment before saying, “Clearly you don’t know that there are multiple variants of iPhone models out there.”

‘… I wish I knew if that were true or not.’ Celestia cleared her throat. “Regardless, between this and you saving money from that babysitting job of yours, I find it hard to believe that you’re lacking the funds to buy whatever phone you want to.”

“You’re doing it again,” Sunset said in an annoyed tone, turning to face Celestia head-on. “You’re being intrusive.”

“I’m looking out for you,” Celestia said. “I wasn’t born yesterday, young lady, and I certainly know a conspiracy when I see one. What have you been up to lately, and how worried should I be?”

“You shouldn’t be, that’s just it. I don’t need you looking out for me, and I’d appreciate if you were to stop sticking your muzzle where it doesn’t belong!”

“‘Muzzle’?” Celestia asked as Sunset turned and stormed up the stairs. “Wait, one last question! What you said about out Fluttershy cheering you up… was that true?”

Sunset stopped for a moment and opened her mouth, but no answer came out. She instead quickly reclosed her mouth and headed towards her room, leaving Celestia alone to sigh at her unanswered question.

XIV - Hallowe'en

Hallowe’en was always Sunset’s favourite holiday of the year, no doubt about it. Sure, Christmas came with free presents, and Easter had its chocolatey goodness, but Hallowe’en carried Sunset’s favourite pastime as its tradition – pranking others with absolutely no repercussions. Especially Twilight Sparkle. Every year, she made it a point to one-up herself in making Twilight scream in terror, and every year the look on Twilight’s face was simply precious. This year would be no different.

Twilight Velvet opened the door soon after Sunset had knocked on it. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw Sunset Shimmer dressed in her outfit: a fiery wig and a red dress with orange streaks, and red body paint complete with red, pointed ears.

“Oh, my. And what do we have here? A scary demon come to take our souls?” Twilight Velvet giggled, stepping aside as Sunset Shimmer invited herself in.

“And what is Twilight going to be this year? A wet blanket?” Sunset asked with a laugh. “She’d better not be ‘under the weather’ again this year. I intend to go trick-or-treating until midnight now that my parents think I’m old enough.”

“Until midnight?!” Twilight Velvet gasped. “Oh, I don’t know. I mean, you’re both still so young and-”

“I’m fifteen years old now, and Twilight will be soon, too!” Sunset argued. “Besides, you let Shining Armor stay out until midnight when he was thirteen, from what I hear.”

“Yes, but Shining was a lot more responsi- dependa- … Shining Armor was training at the gym every day, so there was little chance of-”

“Being more muscular gave him a better chance against a psycho with a knife?”

Twilight Velvet sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll… I’ll let you and Twilight stay out until midnight, but under one condition: you stay with Shining Armor the entire time.”

“What?!” a voice shouted from the living room. Shining Armor soon rushed into the room, dressed in a tuxedo and black cape with his hair slicked-back. He removed a pair of plastic fangs from his mouth and said, “Mum, I already told you I’m going to see a movie with Cadance tonight!”

“Shining honey, you now that those movies aren’t worth the cost of admission. You can simply rent it while you’re out.”

“But-”

“Don’t argue with your mother, Shining,” Night Light said as he entered the hall, putting an arm on his son’s shoulder and leaning in to whisper, “And besides, those ‘moves’ you were gonna use don’t work, trust me. She’ll either be too engrossed in the movie or too scared to kiss.”

“Cadance doesn’t scare easily, but she does get bored easily,” Shining whispered back.

“Then let me put it this way: a responsible big brother who watches out for his little sister and sacrifices his whole night to keep her safe. Don’t you think that will earn you some ‘brownie points’?”

“… Mum, I’d be happy to escort Twilie and Sunset tonight,” Shining said with a bow. “I suppose I could ask Cadance if she wants to come, too.”

“So, where is Twilight tonight?” Sunset asked, looking over the fancy dress that Twilight Velvet was wearing, and then the tuxedo worn by Night Light. “I’m guessing that you two are leaving soon for some kind of party, so she’d better hurry up and get ready.”

“I think she’s in the kitchen,” Velvet said with a grin. “Why don’t you go and check?”

With a nod, Sunset walked through the hallway and entered into the kitchen, remaining unfazed as the pantry door opened and a black blur jumped out, shouting, “Boo!”

“Hello, Twilight,” Sunset said, raising an eyebrow as she looked over Twilight’s black bear costume. “Uh, nice um… A bear, huh?”

Twilight Sparkle frowned and looked down at her costume. “No! I’m the Hidebehind!”

“Oh!” Sunset Shimmer looked over the costume once more and scratched the back of her head. “You really can’t tell that from just looking though. Just like last year, you chose a really obscure figure to dress up as.”

“There’s nothing obscure about the Jersey Devil! I don’t know why people kept thinking I was a dinosaur,” Twilight said with a huff and a pout. “Anyway, I’m not going to let you scare me again this year! This time, I’m going to get you!”

“Uh-huh. Is that why you got that fake spider ready?” Sunset asked, pointing to Twilight’s shoulder.

“Huh? I didn’t get a-” Twilight froze, and slowly began craning her head to the right. “S-S-S-S-S-S-”

“YAA!”

“KYAA!” Twilight crouched and covered her head, only realising just a few moments later that Sunset Shimmer was laughing. Turning to her shoulder, Twilight saw no spider. “Oh come on!” Twilight yelled, standing up and stamping her right foot. “That doesn’t count! I wasn’t ready!”

Sunset Shimmer wiped a tear from her eye as she regained her composure. “T-That’s kind of the point… Whew. You are just too easy, Twilight.”

Twilight’s face turned bright-red. “I am not!”

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” Shining Armor asked as he entered the room. “In Sunset scaring you again?”

“NO!” Twilight shouted as she stormed past her brother, stomping her feet as she walked.

“Oh come on, Twilight!” Sunset yelled after her friend. “It was just a joke!”

“You know she scares easily,” Shining reminded Sunset before folding his arms. “And then I have to deal with it when she has nightmares this night every year.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Nightmares? Still?”

“Last year, you pretended to lose your arm after sticking it out of the car window.”

“… Yeah,” Sunset said with a smile. “That was fun. Difficult to prepare, but well worth it.”

“She passed out!”

“Okay, okay! I’ll try not to use anything bloody or gory this year.” Sunset put her fingers to her chin. “I’d better call Babs and tell her the plan has changed, then.”

The sound of the doorbell rang through the house. “Just take it easy this year, okay? I told Mum I’d watch over you but I think you’re responsible enough on your own.”

Sunset gave Shining a knowing grin. “You’re saying you don’t want me and Twilight ruining your date with Cadance, aren’t you?”

“If all goes well, I might be able to convince Cadance to spend the night.” The sound of the front door opening echoed through to the kitchen.

“Oh? What are you planning to do if she does?” Sunset asked with a chuckle, turning Shining’s face red. “Well, I’ll try not to cramp your style, stud.”

“CADANCE!” screamed throughout the house. Shining Armor and Twilight ducked their heads back into the hallway to find Twilight hanging off of a woman in a green dress with grey skin and dark-green hair, braided and styled to look like snakes.

“It’s good to see you again, too,” Cadance said as she lowered Twilight down. She turned to face Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer.

“H-Hey, Cadie,” Shining greeted, walking towards the girl and giving her a quick kiss. He pulled back when he heard sounds of giggling and turned around to scowl at Twilight and Sunset. “Grow up…”

“So, what movie do you have planned for us?” Cadance asked as she held back her own laughter.

“Oh, about that… I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans. See, Twilie and her friend are gonna be out late tonight, and so my mum asked me to watch over them…”

Cadance frowned at the news. “You couldn’t have told me that sooner? I got dressed and everything.”

“Well, I was thinking… if you don’t really have anything else planned tonight, I mean, since we were going to see a movie anyway, maybe you’d like to… come with us?” Shining put on his best smile as his confidence wavered. “Y’know, trick-or-treating?”

“Trick-or-treating?” Cadance asked with a raised eyebrow. “You’re inviting me to trick-or-treating at our age?”

Shining gulped, now sweating bullets. “W-Well, I mean, if you don’t want to-” Shining Armor was interrupted by a finger to his nose.

“Just kidding,” Cadance said with a wink. “I’d love to go with you, Shiny. And I’d love to help look after Twilight with you, too.”

Shining Armor smiled, and released a huge breath of air. “Hey!” Sunset protested. “What about me?”

Cadance giggled. “I didn’t think you would need looking after.”

“Don’t let her fool you,” Shining laughed. “She probably needs more watching over than Twilie does.”

“What?!” Sunset yelled whilst Twilight laughed.

“Well then, should we be on our way before all the good candy is handed out?” Shining asked.

“Shining,” Cadance said with a smirk, “Could it be that you’re looking forward to this more than you’re letting on?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Shining said as he pulled out a black plastic bag from his coat. “… What? It never hurts to be prepared.”

“Riiiight.” Cadance walked through the door as Shining opened it, followed by the two younger members of their group. “By the way, Twilight?”

Twilight turned to Cadance with a smile. “Yes?”

“Nice teddy bear outfit,” Cadance said warmly. “It’s really cute.”

“GAAAAH!” Twilight roared as she turned back and stomped down the walkway, leaving a confused Cadance behind.

“W-What did I say?”

“Trick-or-treat!” Sunset and Twilight cheered in unison as they presented their open bags to the elderly lady who opened the door.

“I’m not a teddy bear!” Twilight clarified.

“Oh my! My husband would have a heart attack if he saw your costume!” the lady said as she dipped her hand into a jar of candy and poured some into each of the two girls’ bags. “He’s so terrified of the Hidebehind that I sometimes have to make him sleep downstairs whenever he has nightmares about it.”

Twilight smiled. “Finally, someone gets my costume!”

“Congrats!” Sunset said as she inspected the new contents of her bag. “It only took about fifty houses and twenty-eight passerbys, too.”

“Oh shut up.” As the two turned to leave the elderly lady’s doorstep, they noticed that their escorts were missing. “Shining? Cadance?”

The sounds of giggling attracted their attention back down the path that they had come from. The two agents were still en-route to their location when they stopped to have what appeared to be a little tickle-fight.

“Oh come on!” Twilight shouted as she walked towards them. “Do you two have to do that out in the open?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Shining laughed as he and Cadance released each other. “So, get anything good?”

“We did,” Sunset answered as she unwrapped a piece of candy and threw it into the air, catching it in her mouth and swallowing it whole. “You guys have been missing out, though.”

“You really shouldn’t eat like that,” Cadance said. “You might choke.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sunset said in a dismissive tone. “Anyway, try to keep up or we’ll leave you behind.”

“We’ll try,” Shining responded, before watching as Twilight and Sunset took off towards the next house.

After receiving their candy from the gentleman at the next house that they visited, the two were annoyed to find that, once again, their escorts were holding them back. “Well, we need to backtrack that way anyway,” Sunset said as she threw another piece of candy into her mouth.

“Cadance said not to do that,” Twilight cautioned. “You might choke.”

“Oh, come on, Twilight. I’m not going to-” Sunset stopped and almost gasped after throwing another piece of candy and attempting to swallow it whole. The gasp was stifled as said piece of candy found itself lodged in her throat, blocking the girl’s windpipe. Grasping her throat with one hand and attempting to spit the candy back out, she reached her other hand out to plea for help.

“Sunset, are you-” Twilight’s concern only lasted for a few seconds, before she gave her friend a deadpan stare. “No, wait. This is just another one of your tricks. Well nice try, but I’m not falling for it this time.” Twilight turned around with a harrumph, leaving Sunset to her silent pleas for help. “Yeah, yeah. Just catch up whenever you’re ready,” she said as she began to walk back towards Shining Armor and Cadance.

Sunset’s eyes grew wide and tears started to fall as she watched Twilight walking away, her vision becoming hazy with each passing second. ‘T-Twilight, wait! I can’t… breathe…’

“Are you okay?!”

Sunset felt some pressure around her body and her chest tighten, before she spat out the piece of candy attempting to take her life. As she gasped for air and took in heavy breaths to make up for the oxygen that she desperately needed, she heard a footstep behind her and turned around.

“That was close! You alright there, Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset nodded her head at the question posed by Babs Seed. The freshman was dressed up as Frankenstein’s monster, complete with fake stitches all over her clothes and her body. “Thanks, Babs. I didn’t know you knew the Heimlich maneuver.”

“Eh. I tried it out thinkin’ I’d be a good doctor, but then I saw all the stuff ya have to do to get a medical degree and was like, ‘no thanks!’.” Babs looked around. “So what’s up? You out here all alone or somethin’?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I’m with Twilight, her brother, and her brother’s girlfriend.”

“Huh. Why didn’t they help ya then? And where are they?”

Sunset bit her lip. “T-Twilight, uh…” Sunset reached a hand up and scratched the back of her neck. “I-I dropped my phone, so I came back to get it. I’d better go catch up with them, actually. They’re probably gonna start worrying.”

“Well, it was nice seein’ ya again. Too bad we had to cancel that prank tonight, though.”

“Eheheh… Y-Yeah…”

“Hey Babs! You coming?!”

Babs waved over to the two girls standing at the other side of the road before turning back to Sunset Shimmer. “Later, Shimmer!”

“See you later,” Sunset replied as she waved goodbye to the retreating Babs. Moments later, she turned her gaze downwards, before turning around and walking slowly back to where Twilight and her friends were.

“So I was thinking later we could-”

“Would you stop flirting already?!” Twilight shouted, interrupting Shining Armor’s advances as she approached the two. “You’re slowing us down!”

“What’s the big rush?” Shining asked. “I thought you didn’t like Hallowe’en, anyway. You’re always so scared when it’s this dark.”

Twilight scowled at her older brother and resisted the urge to kick his shin. “That was years ago!”

“More like last year,” Shining muttered.

“I’m not a child anymore!” Twilight finished with a huff, folding her arms. ‘Besides, I want to finish before midnight…’

“Uh, where’s Sunset Shimmer?” Cadance asked, looking around and finding no sign on the other girl.

“Oh, she’s just playing a prank on me, again,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.

“I told her to take it easy on you,” Shining sighed.

“We’ll just wait for her to catch up to us.” Only seconds later, Twilight heard footsteps approaching and turned around with a smug grin as the defeated-looking Sunset Shimmer came her way. “Ah, there she is. Sorry your plan didn’t work this time.”

Sunset’s eyes glanced into Twilight’s, and then quickly moved away. “Y-Yeah. Too bad, huh? Oh well, guess we’d better move onto the next house then…”

“Are you alright?” Cadance asked as Sunset walked past everyone, concern in her voice.

“Of course!” Sunset responded quickly. “Come on! Pick up the pace, you two!”

“Or I’ll tell Mum you neglected your brotherly duty to make out with you girrrrrrlfriend,” Twilight threatened with a smirk.

Shining Armor raised his fist playfully as Twilight ran down the street excitedly. “Well, good to see she’s enjoying herself. I guess she really is getting over her fear of the dark.”

As Shining Armor followed after Twilight, Cadance walked alongside Sunset Shimmer behind him. “Hey, is everything okay?” she asked.

“Huh?” Sunset turned to Cadance. “O-Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I’ve had some experience with children- I mean, younger people, and I’ve sort of developed a sixth sense for when they’re distressed about something.” Cadance brought her voice down as she asked, “What happened? I won’t tell anyone.”

“… Well, just now, I nearly…” Sunset bit her lip and averted her eyes. “Er, what I mean to say, is that Twilight saw through my prank.” Sunset scratched the back of her head. “I pretended to be choking on some candy, but Twilight just walked away… I guess I feel a bit sad that it didn’t work out like it usually does.”

Cadance examined Sunset’s actions carefully as the younger girl spoke. She put her fingers to her chin and hummed in thought. “… Or could it be that you’re uneasy over the fact that Twilight so easily dismissed you when you were ‘choking’?” she asked, receiving a hesitant nod from Sunset Shimmer.

“I guess it just frightened me. I mean, what if it was for real? I know that Twilight would blame herself forever, and seeing my best friend turning her back on me like that…”

“But you know that it wasn’t intentional,” Cadance said. “You know that Twilight would never try to hurt you or anything, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Sunset, come on!” Twilight called out, drawing her friend’s attention.

Sunset Shimmer looked over to the smiling girl waving towards her and ran towards her. “You’re pretty enthusiastic tonight.”

Twilight beamed. “Actually, I’ve been reading this book on facing your fears. I guess it’s been working.”

Sunset smiled and followed Twilight to the door of the next house. After knocking on the door, a young girl with long red hair and dressed as a bottle of wine opened the door. “Trick-or-treat!”

“… One second,” the girl said before ducking back inside of her house. The door opened again moments later and the girl poured some chocolates into Twilight and Sunset’s bags, and then into Shining Armor’s.

“Whoa!” Sunset shouted, startled by the elder brother’s sudden appearance. “So, finally decided to join in?”

“… Cadance said I should be doing my duty better,” Shining mumbled.

“You got scolded,” Twilight chimed, earning a huff from her brother.

“There you go,” the girl said as she pulled her bowl of chocolates back. “They’re from my mum’s collection, so they should be pretty good.”

“Thank you, Berry Pinch,” Sunset said, earning a blush from the young girl as she closed the door.

“You know her?” Twilight asked.

“She’s a freshman at our school,” Sunset explained. “Same age as Babs.”

“What the?” Shining Armor asked as he pulled out one of the chocolates, which was shaped like a small wine bottle. He examined the back of the foil closely. “These have alcohol in them!”

“They do?” Twilight asked nervously.

“They do?” Sunset asked excitedly.

“They do,” Shining confirmed, “And that’s why I’m gonna have to confiscate them. You two are too young!”

“No way!” Twilight shouted. “I’m a big girl! I can handle it!”

“You’re only fourteen!” Shining argued as he grabbed Twilight’s bag.

“No faaaaaaair!” Twilight complained as she tugged back.

Meanwhile, Cadance had approached Sunset Shimmer to continue where they had left off. “Listen, about what we were talking about-”

“It’s okay,” Sunset said, watching Twilight and Shining’s tug-of-war with a huge smile. “Look at her. She’s having the most fun I’ve ever seen her have this time of year. I don’t want to take that away with my silly worries.”

“Are you sure that you’re fine now?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. I just want to help her enjoy this night, and enjoy it myself, too.”

“Alright, fine!” Shining said finally. “You can keep those chocolates, if you don’t tell Mum and Dad! And you have to take them responsibly, by which I mean one a day at most!”

“Deal!” Twilight replied cheerfully.

“Also, you owe me one big favour!”

“Hey!”

Sunset stifled a laugh, which drew the attention of the two siblings. “If you two are done, I believe we still have quite a few houses left. And only a few hours until midnight.”

Twilight puffed her chest out with pride. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. The way tonight’s been going, I don’t think I’ll have any problems staying out until well after midnight.”

“I’ll hold you to that then,” Sunset said as she began to walk towards the next house, Twilight walking alongside her.

“Are you sure it’s okay to let her have those chocolates?” Cadance asked Shining as the two followed behind them.

“I doubt that Twilie would eat any of them anyway.”

“I was referring more to Sunset Shimmer. Do you really think she’d stick to only one-a-day?”

“My deal was with Twilie only,” Shining replied. “As for Sunset… I’ll think of something,” he said, with some level of dread in his voice.

“Eighty pieces!” Twilight cheered and began to sort her loot into their respective categories.

“Darn. Only seventy-eight,” Sunset grumbled. “Looks like you win this year.”

“Hah! In your face!” Twilight shouted, before blushing and clearing her throat to regain her composure. “S-Sorry. I read a book about gloating but it didn’t specify how much volume to use… Anyway, this marks my first victory this year so I’m happy!”

Sunset Shimmer smiled and nodded her head. “Hate to say it, but you’re right.” What followed was a long yawn. “Well, I guess I’d better head back home. Try not to have any nightmares now.”

“Oh trust me, I won’t.” After seeing her friend to the door and waving her goodbye, Twilight returned to her bedroom to finish sorting her candies. She was interrupted by her phone ringing and promptly answered it. “Hi Mum, I- Oh, Lyra! Sorry, I thought that… Wait, why are you calling me this late? … Huh? Is Sunset okay? … Choking? But that was just- B-Babs saved her?” Twilight’s hands began to shake and her sweat began to drip down her forehead. “A-Are you serious? … I’ll call you back!”

After ending her call, Twilight quickly punched in another number. “… Sunset? Um, about earlier, when you were… ‘choking’ on that sweet…”

“Oh, that. Yeah, guess I didn’t fool you this ti-”

“Was that for real?” … “It was, wasn’t it?”

“… I-It’s alright. Babs was passing by and helped me.”

“But if she wasn’t there, you could’ve… O-Oh my gosh. Sunset, I’m so, so sorry, I-”

“No, don’t be. It’s my fault, really. I guess I just pulled one-too-many pranks on you. Y’know, the whole ‘boy who cried’ wolf thing.”

“But those were just pranks! You were choking, and I completely turned my back on you.” Twilight wiped a tear from her eyes and held back a sob, though doing so resulted in a very audible hiccup.

“Hey, stop that! Look, I’m fine, and it’s not like I’m blaming you or anything.”

“But… But still… what if it happens again?” Twilight asked between her sobs. “I’m so, so, so sorry, really!”

“I told you, it’s alright! … But you’re right. It won’t be funny if it does happen again, and it’s not like I can just stop pranking you. After all, it’s just so much fun to see your face afterwards!”

“H-Hey!” Twilight cried through a little laughter. Her tears were beginning to dry up. “So then… what should we do?” Silence carried for a few moments before Twilight snapped her fingers. “I got it! We’ll make a safe word!”

“A safe word?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah! That way, if something like this happens again, you can just use your safe word and I’ll know it’s for real!”

“Huh. That actually makes a lot of sense. Alright then, how about ‘S.O.S.’? It’s simple and easy to remember.”

“Got it! So from now on, that’s our safe word! And uh… I hope you’re feeling okay…”

“I told you, I’m feeling fine! Now stop worrying or you’ll give yourself nightmares!”

“I’m too old for nightmares!” Twilight protested. “But just as long as you’re okay, that’s all I need to know. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sunset.”

“Yeah. Try not to eat too much candy before bed.”

After hanging up and placing her phone down, Twilight noticed a figure standing at her doorway and froze when she saw Shining Armor standing there.

“H-How long have you been there?” Twilight asked, startled by her brother’s sudden appearance.

“Uh… since you established a ‘safe word’…” Twilight gasped and her face turned a shade of red equal to Shining Armor’s. “Uh, I just came in here to tell you you should be getting to bed… So, uh… good night.”

As Shining Armor shut the door, Twilight scrambled to her feet in an attempt to explain herself to him, but she was too late. “Wait! It’s not what you thiiiiiiiiiiiiink!”

As Sunset recounted the night’s loot once more, certain that her bag was heavier before returning to Twilight’s house than it was afterwards, she couldn’t help but feel that she was missing something.

“Ugh. What am I missing here?” Sunset looked over every type of chocolate and candy laid out before her carefully. The large ones, the small ones… “Wait, where are those alcohol ones?!”

XVI - The Origins of Friendship

“Hey Mum, are we there yet? Are we? Is that it? No, I guess not. Is it that building there? No? Is it-”

“Sunset, dear…” Sunset’s mother rubbed her forehead as she tried to keep her attention focussed on the road ahead of her, “You will know when we’re there because I will stop that car and get out. Until then, can’t you practice your indoors voice?”

“But you said it wasn’t far and I hate the car! You won’t let me play or read or nothing!” Sunset huffed as she slumped back into her seat.

“That’s because you either throw your toys at me or throw up when you’re reading.” Sunset’s mother slowed down for a red light and looked at her pouting daughter in the rear-view mirror. “I know, let’s play a game! Until you see a helicopter, you can only speak in Russian!”

“But I don’t know any-”

“And we start now!” Sunset closed her lips and looked outside of her window. Her mother smiled and set off as soon as the light had turned green.

“Helicopter! I win!”

Sunset’s mother gasped and looked up into the sky, to find that there was indeed a helicopter passing by above them. ‘Oh, fuck you, action news!’

“So what’re the other kids like? What kind of snacks do they have there? Do you think I’ll be allowed to practice my singing? Let it gooooo, let it goooooo!”

“Hello there! You must be Sunset Shimmer!” Mrs. Mash watched as Sunset ran past her, giggling excitedly as she made her way towards where three other children were playing with building blocks. “Well, somebody’s excited for their first day.”

“Excuse me, but there are some things that I was hoping to talk to you about before leaving Sunset here…”

“Certainly. Any allergies that I should be aware of or medical conditions?”

“Oh, nothing like that. It’s just that… Sunset can be a little rough around the edges.”

Mrs. Mash giggled. “Yes, well, I’ve dealt with troubling children before.”

“She can be very loud and energetic, and she sometimes has a bit of an issue with sharing…”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And also she doesn’t like taking naps during the day and I have to trick her into drinking some warm milk to get her to sleep, and she likes to read but I don’t want her reading too much as it may damage her eyes, she likes to climb to high places and I’m worried about her falling and hurting herself, also she sneezed in the car this morning so she may be coming down with a cold, maybe I should give you the number of her doctor just to be safe?”

“Ms. Shimmer, everything will be okay,” Mrs. Mash said. “Trust me, I’ve been a kindergarten teacher for many years now and even have my second child on the way.” The teacher patted her slightly bulging belly as she looked down with a smile.

“Oh? Congratulations! Still, I can’t help but worry… I’ve never left her alone before. Maybe I should stay a little and just make sure she’s okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“I have the day off, anyway, so it wouldn’t be cutting into any of my plans.”

“In that case, do you know anything about baking treats? I could use an extra hand in the kitchen.”

Sunset’s mother smiled and gave a nod. “If there’s one thing I know calms Sunset down, it’s my freshly-baked cookies straight from the oven!”

“Well then, so long as you don’t mind working for zero pay, I’d happily welcome your assistance.” The teacher led Sunset’s mother through the classroom where many children were running around and playing with toys… very loudly. She gave a quick look to her teenage helper, Cadance, who gave a pleading look back, and silently apologised as she left the room.

“Cadaaaaaance!” Octavia cried as she grabbed Cadance’s leg. “Lyra’s picking on meeeeee!”

“Am not!” Lyra shouted as she latched onto Cadance’s other leg. “She’s lying!”

“Girls, please.” Cadance looked around the room for a saving grace, but there was none to be found. “C-Can’t you try to get along? Please?”

“CADAAAAAAANCE!” a boy shouted from the other side of the room, followed by the loud sounds of his wailing. Cadance gulped as she trudged across the room, the two girls on her legs bickering the entire time.

“Whoa!” Cadance exclaimed as an orange blur zoomed past her. “Careful!”

Sunset Shimmer ignored the teenager as she made her way towards a couple of girls playing with toy cars and trackers. “Hey!” she greeted. “What ya doing?”

“We’re playing cars!” one of the girls answered before offering a blue car to Sunset. “Wanna play?”

“Okay!” Sunset grabbed the car and ran it across the carpet alongside the other cars. Grinning, she moved the car quickly to the side, ramming it into the red car that one of the other girls was holding, knocking it to the side. “CRASH! BOOOOOM!”

“OW!” the girl exclaimed as she pulled her hand back. “What was that for?!”

Sunset ignored the other girl and rammed the remaining car out of the third girl’s hand. Raising her arms, she proclaimed, “I WIN!”

“That hurt!”

“Why did you do that? We were just driving!”

“That’s boring!” Sunset explained. “I know, let’s play tag! C’mon!”

“We don’t want to,” one of the girls said.

“Yeah, we’re still playing cars.”

Sunset pouted. “Fine! I’ll play with someone else!” As Sunset stormed off, she looked around the room for some new children to play with. Her eyes landed on a pair of boys playing with foam swords. She grinned and rushed over to join in.

“Hya!”

“Ya!”

“Oww! You got me!” the shorter boy cried as he backed up slowly, holding his hand over an imaginary wound.

“I’ll avenge you!” Sunset cried as she jumped to the shorter boy’s side, holding out her hand. “Give me your sword, quick!”

The boy handed Sunset his sword and fell down onto his back, making gargling sounds as he ‘died’. The larger boy lunged forward and stabbed with his sword. “No girl can beat me!”

Sunset parried and swung her sword, missing before trying again. The boy blocked her attack and pushed the sword aside, causing it to slip out of Sunset Shimmer’s hand. “Ah!”

“I win!” the boy proclaimed proudly. “Surrender now and I’ll let you live!” Sunset huffed and ran forward, slapping the boy’s hand to make him drop his sword. “Ow! Hey, what’re you-”

“Ahahahahaaaah!” Sunset laughed as she pointed the boy’s sword at him. “You let your guard down!”

“You didn’t have to hit me!”

“It’s only a game,” the shorter boy said as he approached his friend’s side.

“Hmph! A game that I won!” Sunset replied with a defiant look.

“Yeah, well, we’re gonna play something else,” the larger boy said, pulling his friend aside as they walked away.

Sunset dropped the swords and started to follow them. “Boys only,” the shorter boy said.

Sunset stopped in her tracks and puffed her cheeks.

“There! Dream Castle is complete!” Lyra said as she looked over her completed model with a smile. It was a large, white castle with a swing set outside and many ponies playing and talking all around it.

Suddenly, a ship crashed into the side, knocking many of the ponies over as a swarm of bloodthirsty pirates swarmed the castle. “Yarrrrrgh! Hand over yer gold an’ no one dies!”

Lyra frowned and jumped to her feet as she glared at the girl who had ruined her perfect model. “Hey! You ruined it!” she shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

“Of course! Pirates are attacking!” Sunset replied, picking up two pirate models and having them attack a pony lying on her side. “Take that, ya scurvy scallywag!”

“Stop it!” Lyra cried as she grabbed the toys out of Sunset’s hands. “I don’t want pirates attacking! It’s Dream Castle! Bad things don’t happen there!”

“Girls, is everything okay?” Mrs. Mash asked as she walked over to the scene of the disturbance.

“Sunset ruined my castle!” Lyra shouted as she pointed a finger at the accused girl.

“No I didn’t! I was just playing!” Sunset shouted back.

“Sunset, did you ask Lyra first if you could join in?” Mrs. Mash asked. Sunset remained silent and shifted her eyes to the side. “Perhaps you should apologise to Lyra, Sunset Shimmer?”

“Why?” Sunset asked as she crossed her arms. “It’s not like they’re her toys.”

“And I will talk to Lyra about sharing, but you were at fault too, and you should apologise to make amends.”

Sunset’s hands shook as she fought back the tears forming in her eyes. Finally, she sprinted as fast as she could across the classroom, running past her mother as she left the room and rounded a corner.

Sunset’s mother told the teacher that she would go after her daughter, and Mrs. Mash simply nodded as she stayed to deal with Lyra.

Sunset’s mother found her daughter sitting in the middle of the hallway, her face buried in her knees as she sobbed quietly. With a sigh, she sat down beside her daughter and gently lay a hand on Sunset’s.

She waited in silence for a few minutes until Sunset had finally calmed down. “Sunset, do you want to talk about what happened in there?”

“… No.”

“Do you know why what you did was wrong?”

“I was just trying to play.”

“I know that, but that girl put a lot of work into that castle and then you ruined it. How would you have felt if it was the other way around?”

“…”

Sunset’s mother scratched her head as she tried to think about what else she could say to help her daughter understand. “Sunset, sometimes you… you don’t fully think about your actions, and sometimes, you can hurt people without meaning to. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad girl, it just means that you need to take more care with how you play with the other children.”

“None of them wanted to play with me.” Sunset turned her head so that she was facing away from her mother. “… Can we go home?”

Sunset’s mother sighed. “No, Sunny. I can’t just take you home because you’re upset.” Though having said that, Sunset’s mother felt bad seeing her daughter so sad right before her eyes. “… Okay, how about this: you can spend the rest of the day with me helping Mrs. Mash, and then tomorrow, you try to make some friends, but this time try not to be so… aggressive. A fresh start. Is that okay?”

A few moments passed before Sunset slowly raised her head and nodded. Her mother smiled a stoked her hair before the two of them stood up. Sunset held her mother’s hand as the two of them walked back together towards the classroom.

One week had passed since Sunset’s first day. “You’re not staying today?” Sunset asked, tightening her grip on her mother’s hand.

“Sorry Sunny, but Mummy’s got to work today,” her mother explained as she crouched down, stroking her daughter’s hair with one hand and pulling the other hand until it broke free of Sunset’s grasp. “Besides, you can’t spend every day around me. You have to make some friends.”

Sunset crossed her arms and pouted. “None of the other kids wanna play with me.”

“I know it’s tough, but you just have to try.” Sunset’s mother checked her watch and gasped. “I really have to get going. Can you be brave for me, sweetie?”

“… Okay.” Sunset squirmed as her mother kissed her cheek and then watched with a sad look as her mother left. For several moments she didn’t move. She simply stared at the huge door that had separated her from her mother and wondered how long seven hours was.

“Good morning, Sunset,” Mrs. Mash greeted as she approached the little girl. “You shouldn’t stand in the way of the door, sweetie.” Mrs. Mash kneeled down and helped Sunset take off her coat, before standing back up again and taking the girl’s hand. “Would you like to put your bag with the rest?” Sunset simply nodded, not saying a word. “Come along then.”

As Sunset followed Mrs. Mash into the playroom, she noticed all of the children playing and doing their own things. Some were playing with blocks, some were completing a jigsaw, and some were making a mess with the Play-Doh. Many of them eyed Sunset cautiously as she passed by them.

There was one girl that Sunset didn’t recognise, sitting by herself in a quiet corner and reading a book. Mrs. Mash caught Sunset looking at the new girl and said, “That’s our new friend, Twilight Sparkle. She wasn’t feeling well last week so she hasn’t had the chance to get to know everybody. Maybe you could go and say ‘hello’ to her?”

Sunset Shimmer placed her bag down with the other students’ whilst Mrs. Mash hung her coat onto a peg. “Today the entire class will be working on a goodbye card for Miss Cadenza. She’s leaving us today, so we’re going to wish her luck and throw her a big party.” Mrs. Mash smiled and leaned down to whisper, “Don’t tell her, though. It’s going to be a surprise.”

Sunset nodded and returned the smiled. The idea of a party heightened her spirits, though when she looked back towards the other children she remembered that she had no one to enjoy it with. No one… except for maybe the new girl. Without a second thought, Sunset ran across the room towards Twilight Sparkle, jumping over and swerving around the other children in her path.

“I said no running indoors!” Cadance shouted, knowing that her words would fall on deaf ears but still trying regardless.

Sunset Shimmer stopped in front of Twilight and gave her biggest smile. The other girl didn’t seem to notice though, her attention reserved for the large book in front of her instead. “A-hem!” Sunset pretended to clear her throat to get Twilight’s attention, but the bookworm simply turned a page in her book and continued reading. “A-HEM!”

“Huh?” Finally, Twilight lowered her book and stared silently into Sunset’s big, wide eyes as the flame-haired girl smiled back with her arms folded. “Uh… can I help you?” Twilight asked after a long moment of silence between the two, bringing her book closer towards herself to hide half of her face behind it.

“Oh, no, but maybe I can help you,” Sunset replied. “I saw you sitting here all by yourself and thought I’d come and let you play with me.”

Twilight’s eyes shifted to the side. “I don’t… I just want to read.”

“That’s fine, you can read,” Sunset said, “While you hide from me!”

Twilight turned her confused eyes back to Sunset. “Huh?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Hide-and-seek, duh! You hide, I count to one-hundred, then I try to find you!”

Twilight shifted about in her spot for a few seconds before looking around the room. “A-Are you sure you want to play with me? There are other kids here that you can-”

“One! Two! Three!” Sunset Shimmer covered her eyes with her hands as she started counting out loud. “Four! Five! Uh…”

“Six,” Twilight helped.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be hiding!” Twilight jumped and quickly scrambled to her feet, running across the room and away from Sunset Shimmer. “Eleven! Twenty!” Sunset took a second to figure out what number came next. “Ready or not, here I come!”

Sunset Shimmer ran all over the room, searching every potential hiding place that she could think of. Under the tables, behind the coats, in the toy cupboards, but Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found.

“Okay children, it’s reading time!” Cadance called out as she approached the ‘reading corner’ with the day’s book of choice. “Everybody gather round and sit quietly so we can all hear.”

Sunset frowned as she kicked the small block tower standing beside her, knocking it down in the process. ‘She ran away from me,’ she concluded, tears welling in the young girl’s eyes. ‘I just wanted to play… Why does no one want to be my friend?’

“Sunset, have you seen Twilight around?” Cadance asked as she approached the girl. “I saw you two talking earlier, but she hasn’t seemed to have turned up yet.”

Sunset Shimmer pouted and turned her head away with a huff. “I don’t know,” she said.

Cadance noticed the tears running down Sunset’s cheek and asked in a concerned voice, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Sunset snapped, startling the teenaged helper. “I wanna use the bathroom!” she shouted as she stormed out of the room.

“Wait!” Cadance shouted after her. She was stopped by Mrs. Mash’s hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll escort her. You go ahead and start reading before the kids start a riot,” she giggled.

“But what about Twilight? She still isn’t-”

“Don’t worry, she’s fine. I’ll bring them both back shortly.”

Cadance tilted her head before nodding slowly. “Well… okay then…” Cadance turned back to the gathered children waiting for her to begin reading to them with a smile, before looking down and gasping in shock at the book in her hands. ‘Shifty Maid in May’. ‘W-Wrong book!’ she screamed inside of her mind as she rushed to her handbag to retrieve the right book.

Sunset Shimmer ran into the bathroom with her sleeve over her eyes, wiping away the tears as she came to a stop in front of the row of sinks across the wall. She sobbed for roughly a minute before she lowered her arm and looked at herself in the mirror. ‘I just… I just wanted to make some friends… Why am I so bad at it?’

Sunset sniffed and turned the taps to run some water to wash her face with. She sniffed again, followed by a hiccup, but her sobbing at least had stopped. As she turned the taps off and reached for a paper towel, something in the mirror caught her eyes. A pair of white socks inside of the stall behind her, with a purple skirt behind them on the floor.

With a gasp, Sunset turned around and opened the stall door to find Twilight Sparkle sitting inside, her nose stuck inside that same large book as before. Twilight gasped and raised her head, looking up at Sunset with her mouth agape.

“O-Oh, you found me,” Twilight said, picking herself up off of the floor and bookmarking her page as she closed the book. “Is it my turn to search, now?”

“You… You were hiding here?” Sunset asked, receiving a slow nod from Twilight. “All this time?” Another slow nod came from Twilight. “… How was I supposed to find you in here?!” Sunset shouted, startling the other girl.

Twilight raised her book as a shield and took a step back. “I-I’m still new to this game. D-Did I do something wrong?”

Sunset bit lower lip and took a moment to think about what to say next. “… N-No, I just… I… I-It was a good hiding place…”

“Isn’t it?” Mrs. Mash asked as she walked into the restroom, a proud look on her face. “I helped her find it, you know. I thought a smart girl like you would have been able to find her, but perhaps it was just a little too difficult.”

Sunset Shimmer frowned. “I thought she was gonna stay in the playroom… and then I thought she was avoiding me…”

“Well, in any case, I’m afraid playtime is over for now. Let’s make our way back for reading time, okay?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up and she clutched her book tightly. “‘Reading time’?” she asked, the corners of her mouth curling up into a smile.

Mrs. Mash took both girls’ hands and escorted them back to the playroom.

“I’m so sorry!” Cadance apologised to Mrs. Mash. Behind her, the students were growing restless, some demanding a story, some running around, and some pulling at Cadance’s dress to get her attention. “I left the book you wanted me to read at home! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright Cadance,” Mrs. Mash said, though the worrying look on her face didn’t agree with her words. “I’m sure there must be a book somewhere that we can read to them.”

“Um…” Twilight tugged at Mrs. Mash’s hand, gaining the teacher’s attention. She held up her book and said, “W-We could read this.”

Mrs. Mash took the book and examined the cover. “‘Daring Do and the Pharaoh’s Plight’.” She looked down at Twilight and asked, “You’ve been reading this all by yourself?” Twilight nodded timidly. “That’s impressive. You must be one smart girl.”

Twilight smiled and shied away as the teacher patted her head. “I-I love reading, and Daring Do is my new favourite book of all time!”

“Well then, would you like to read for the rest of us?” Mrs. Mash asked.

“Huh? M-Me?”

“Only if you want to, of course, but I think that being able to read such a big book at your age is an incredible talent, and it would be shame not to share it with the rest of the class.”

Blushing and fiddling with her hair, Twilight looked down to the floor and nodded meekly. “O-Okay, I’ll try.” Slowly, being led by Mrs. Mash’s hand, Twilight made her way to the front of the group of children. All mouths hushed and all eyes fell onto the shy young girl hiding behind her big book.

“Everyone, we’re going to hear a bit of reading from our new friend Twilight today. She’s got quite a talent for reading, so let’s all be respectful and encourage her as she shares that talent with the rest of us.” Mrs. Mash nodded to Twilight to begin. “Go on. We’re all ears.”

Twilight nodded back. After taking a deep breath, Twilight turned to the front of her book and scanned the words, trying to make sense of them as they seemed to jump around the page. “D-Daring Do woke up… in a dark, cold room, surrounded by rocky p-pillars and torches. “Where am I?” she asked herself.” Twilight’s breathing steadied as she saw some of the harder words coming up and she prepared herself. “Looking around, Daring Do was confused, and shivered as a breeze blew past her. “I can’t re-mem-ber how I got here. Could I have… am… amnes… ia?” Daring Do-”

“What’s a neshya?” Lyra asked suddenly, throwing her hand into the air.

“Who’s Daring Do?” Octavia asked.

“Children, remember what I said about being respectful,” Mrs. Mash scolded. “If you have a question, raise your hand and I’ll ask Twilight to pause for a moment.”

Twilight took a step backwards. “Uh…”

“‘Amnesia’ is when you can’t remember something, Lyra,” Mrs. Mash continued, “And Daring Do is the main character of this book, Octavia. There are actually a lot of adventure books written about her, if you like this one.”

“Uh…” Twilight looked up to her teacher, receiving a nod to continue reading. “D-Daring Do scrambled to her feet and-”

“My dad had scrambled eggs for breakfast!” a boy from the crowd shouted out suddenly. A glare from Mrs. Mash silenced the pupil quickly.

“A-And…” Twilight whimpered as she realised that she had lost her place. Not wanting to hesitate for too long, she just picked a sentence and continued reading. “T-The markings on the w-wall were ancient hieroglyphs-”

“What?”

“T-That Daring Do recognised from her studies. “Fascinating,” she said. “This seems to be a complex math problem. It seems I can rotate the panels to solve it. First, I need to solve X, and then-”

“I don’t get it.”

“Me either.”

“When’s the action gonna start?”

Mrs. Mash sighed. She knew how to take a hint. ‘It seems this book might be too advanced for the rest of the class, after all.’ Clapping her hands together, Mrs. Mash said, “Alright, class, since you clearly aren’t interested in today’s reading material, how about we all just go outside for a game of scatterball?”

The class cheered and jumped in unison as Mrs. Mash and Cadance led the excited crowd towards the door leading to the playground outside. Mrs. Mash looked over to find Twilight still standing in her spot, frowning as she stared down at the floor. She was about to call out, when suddenly…

“What kinda math problem is it?” Sunset asked, startling Twilight, who looked up to find that the flame-haired girl was still sitting at the front row with a big smile on her face. “I might be able to solve it! I’m smart, y’know?”

Twilight blinked, before returning her face to her book. “U-Uh, actually, there’s a diagram of the puzzle on the next page, i-if you want to-”

“Show me!”

Twilight flinched. “Oh, but, can you read?”

“I can do numbers and some small words.”

Twilight slowly turned the book around so that Sunset could examine the diagram inside. Just a little over ten seconds later, Sunset said, “Okay, I got it. Keep reading. I wanna know how she got there.”

A smile slowly creeped over Twilight’s face and she nodded. “S-So then, Daring Do inputted the answer and the wall slowly opened up. On the other side was the most beautiful site she had ever seen: a golden crown, embedded with- Oh, embedded means-”

“I know what it means,” Sunset said with a frown. “C’mon! Keep going!”

Mrs. Mash smiled as Twilight continued reading, a lot faster and a lot more spirited than before. Sunset continued to listen eagerly. Looking outside and finding that Cadance had the situation pretty much under control, the teacher pulled up a chair and sat down beside the door, able to keep an eye on both the class, and the two new friends.

One year had passed. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were fortunate enough to have wound up in the same school together, the elementary division of Canterlot Private Academy for Girls.

The two had continued to be friends all throughout their kindergarten days, and despite not interacting much with others outside of classroom activities, the two were still happy and played together every day.

Until one day, something dawned on Sunset Shimmer. It was just after the day’s second lesson, when all of the children in the school were let loose for fifteen minutes of playtime. Sunset was being tailed by Twilight as usual, and also as usual, Twilight’s faced was buried in a book.

“What are we doing today?” Twilight asked. She never minded what the two did, so she always let Sunset decide.

Sunset Shimmer stopped, as did Twilight. “Hey… you really like books, don’t you?”

Twilight lowered the book, revealing her confused expression at Sunset’s pointing out of the obvious. “Uh, yeah. Like I said, reading is my favourite thing ever.”

“… Better than me?” Sunset asked with a frown.

“Uh, n-no?” Twilight responded weakly. “I mean, I love reading, but you’re my friend.”

“Why?” Sunset asked. “Why are we friends? You’re always reading, even when we play together. Why do you even bother playing with me if you’re just gonna spend all your time reading your books?!”

Twilight lowered her book further and fidgeted with her feet as her eyes darted around the playground. “You… said you wanted to be my friend…”

Sunset gasped, afraid that she might have made a mistake. “I-I do! I just don’t get why you want to be mine!”

“Well… because you… said you wanted to be my friend,” Twilight repeated. “You were the first person, besides my brother, who ever wanted to play with me. You didn’t mind if I read while we played, so I didn’t have to choose.” Twilight’s eyes met Sunset’s, and the other girl flinched. “Why did you want to be my friend, though? I’m just… I only like reading, and I’m not good at talking to other people.”

Sunset scratched her arm in silence for a moment, biting her lip as she watched Twilight’s expression drop. “Because you said you would be my friend,” she answered quietly. Twilight tilted her head in response. “No one else wanted to play with me, because I’m… not very good with others myself.”

“But you talk so freely and fearlessly,” Twilight pointed out. “I’d have thought you’d have tonnes of friends. I actually… kind of respect you for it.”

Sunset shook her head. “I’m too free and too fearless. I always had- have to have things my way, and it drives other children away.” Sunset smiled at Twilight. “You’re content with just playing along with others and don’t need friends to be happy. I respect you for that.”

Twilight smiled back, a blush crossing her face as she raised one hand to scratch the back of her head. Her book slipped out of her other hand, but Sunset caught it before it hit the floor. “Uh, here…”

Twilight reached out for the book, but stopped, her hand frozen in the air for a few seconds. She pulled back her hand and turned around, exposing her backpack to her friend. “Put it away,” she said. “It’s playtime right now. I can read later.”

Sunset simply stared silently at Twilight, before reaching forward and opening Twilight’s backpack to put the book inside, right next to her treasured ‘Smarty Pants’ doll.

“So, what are we playing?” Twilight asked.

Sunset thought for a moment, before a demonic grin crossed her face. “Oh, I was thinking of a nice little game caaaaaalled…” Sunset reached out and nudged Twilight’s arm. “TAG!”

“TAG!” Twilight shouted as she caught Sunset’s shoulder as the other girl attempted to run past her. “I know that look too well!” Twilight bragged as she ran away with a proud grin on her face.

“Hey! No tag-backs!” Sunset scolded as she chased after the fleeing Twilight, the two girls laughing as they chased each other across the playground, causing many accidents along the way, but all of them worth it, for that day was just the start of a beautiful friendship that would last throughout the ages.

Sunset Shimmer, at the age of nine, looked over her final report entitled ‘How I Made my First Friend’ and grimaced as she read over the final paragraph. Grabbing the eraser to her side, the girl frantically rubbed out the final line. “Way too cheesy.”

Author's Note

For those wondering what 'scatterball' is, I'm not sure if it's even a real game or something that my primary (what you Americans called 'elementary') school invented. Basically like baseball (or 'rounders' as we call it), but the pitcher has three soft balls that they throw to the 'batter', and the batter catches and throws them in random directions.

... Basically baseball for pussies. Hella fun, though :D (And can be played indoors. Suck on that, bad English weather!)

XVII - A Whole New World

It wasn’t the first time that Sunset Shimmer had stormed off after an argument with her mentor. But usually their arguments resulted in something as simple as running away for a day or a bowl of jelly on top of the princess’ head. When the words ‘expelled’ reached Sunset’s ears from the princess’ mouth, she had no course of action left but to run farther than she ever had done before. Not just fleeing the city, nor even just the country itself. The voice in the mirror had called Sunset Shimmer out of her own world, and into a whole new one.

“Well, well. What have we here?” Sunset asked as she stepped forward and looked around her surroundings. It was then that she noticed that she was standing on just her hind legs and quickly righted herself. As she did so, she noticed the unusual boots on her hind legs. And the strange clothing all over her body. And the strange digits on her forelegs. “W-What happened to my body? Are these hands?!”

A cold wind blew by and Sunset Shimmer shivered. Ahead of her was a building. Deciding to put the questions of her body aside for the moment, Sunset galloped over to the building with haste. When she reached the door she stopped to open it with her magic… only to find that she couldn’t do so.

Reaching a hand to her forehead, Sunset felt around for her horn. She gasped as she found it missing, confirming it with her own eyes as her image was reflected in the glass door before her. “No! M-My horn! How could- Where-” Sunset whipped her head around and stared towards the statue behind her. She stared for several moments, sweat dripping down her face as her hand hovered above her bare forehead.

As the sound of Princess Celestia’s voice echoed through the air, Sunset huffed and turned back to the door. She looked down to examine her new hands, flexing her fingers one-at-a-time and then clenching all of her digits into a fist. She then looked back up to the door and stretched her hand out to grip the handle. As she pulled, the door refused to budge. “Locked?” Sunset then tried pushing the door and succeeded in opening it. “… Oh.”

The inside of the building was just as dark as the outside was. Sunset tried to cast a spell to summon some light, but was reminded her of her cruel fate. “I had better find a light switch…” Sunset trotted across the floor cautiously, raising an eyebrow as she noticed how high the ceiling seemed to be.

“What do the creatures here do? Stand on their hind legs?” Sunset joked, before seriously considering it. It was then that she realised that her tail was missing as well as her horn. “I guess not. It would be kind of hard to keep my balance…”

As she neared a wall, Sunset raised a hand to feel around for a light switch. She was startled when the lights suddenly came on all by themselves, allowing her to see everything in the room clearly. Including the tall figure approaching from down a long corridor. Sunset ducked around a corner before the figure could get close and peeked her head out to see what she was faced with.

“I’ve got to stop these late nights,” the figure said, her voice feminine and very familiar to Sunset Shimmer. The creature was reading a small, purple book as she walked quickly into the room on her two hind legs. As the creature left the building, the lights turned off once more and a clicking sound echoed throughout the empty room.

Sunset slowly came out from her hiding place, peering outside of the glass doors to find the tall creature walking away. She looked down at her own body and began to rise to her two hind legs, hesitating when her knees began to straighten. As she rose higher and higher, she found that it actually wasn’t as hard as she thought it would have been to keep her balance, and soon she was standing on just her two hind legs.

Sunset grabbed the door’s handle again and tried to open it, only to find that it had been locked by that creature. “Guess I’m stuck in here now. The light switch must be nearby…” Sunset Shimmer felt around the doorway, eventually finding a switch to the left of the door and pressing it in. The lights came on suddenly, allowing Sunset to clearly see her surroundings.

“What a strange world,” Sunset mused as she walked forward into the centre of the large room, looking around at the photographs of the same type of two-legged creature she had seen moments ago. Her eyes landed on a plaque that read: ‘Canterlot Public High School’. “Canterlot? I thought this was another world.”

Walking forward some more, Sunset Shimmer found a glass case full of trophies, medals, and more photographs. There were also some name engraved on a plaque at the back of the case. “‘Spitfire’, ‘Soarin’, ‘Fleetfoot’… Those are the newest members of the Wonderbolts. ‘Firefly’? As in General Firefly?”

Sunset Shimmer walked to her right, finding photographs lined up along a wall under a plaque that read ‘Staff’. She gasped as she found a black-and-white photograph of an old, wrinkly creature in a strange outfit labelled ‘Discord’. “W-What’s going on? The Discord? The one trapped in stone in Princess Celestia’s garden?” Another photograph caught her attention. This one was of an even older-looking creature with a long, white beard and a cane in his hand. It was labelled ‘Professor Starswirl’.

“Starswirl the Bearded. He’s here, too?” Sunset looked below the name label, and found another label that read: ‘Retiring’. She gave a relieved sigh. If there was anypony that runaway didn’t want to see at that point, it was a good friend of Princess Celestia’s.

“In any case, I should find out where I am, and more importantly, what I am.” Sunset turned around and looked down the various corridors around her, wondering which way to go. She found what appeared to be a map attached to a wall and walked closer to it. “There’s a library if I go down the eastern corridor. A library and… ‘com-put-er room’? What’s a ‘computter’?”

“Is someone there?” a voice called out, making Sunset jump. The voice had come from the corridor behind her, and so Sunset wasted no time in running down the eastern corridor immediately to her right.

Sunset huffed and puffed as she ran, occasionally slowing down as she almost tripped over her legs many times. She recalled how many doors it was to reach the library and counted how many she had passed along the way. “There… it… is…”

To Sunset’s good fortune, the door was unlocked, and the light switch was to the left of the door upon entry. As the room became illuminated, Sunset Shimmer could only stare in awe at the vast collection of knowledge standing before her. It made the library she had access to in Canterlot look like a third-rate bookstore. Bookshelves stretching higher than she could see, and stretching farther than she dared measure.

“Perfect,” she said quietly. “With all these books, there must be something about this world I’m in.”

Sunset Shimmer walked down the ends of each lane of books, reading the plaques that described each genre along the way. ‘Fiction’, ‘Non-fiction’, ‘Drama’, ‘Science’, ‘Mystery’… She stopped upon reaching ‘History’. “This looks promising.”

Of course, finding the selection of books on history was only the first step. There were still so many books to choose from, and there was no telling how much time Sunset had before another one of those creatures would show up. She had to judge each book by its cover in order to find one that would tell her everything that she would need to know about this new world.

Sunsets eyes landed on a book titled: ‘History of our World’. “Sounds like what I need,” Sunset muttered to herself as she took the large book out of the bookshelf and opened it up. She scanned many pages, only finding pointless origin stories of creatures she didn’t recognise, until she finally she reached an entry on so-called ‘humans’. “This looks like what I look like. Is that what these creatures are called?”

Returning to the contents page of the book, Sunset Shimmer found an entire section on ‘The History of Humanity’. Turning to the first relevant page, Sunset Shimmer began reading. It was clearly an abridged version of the full story, but it was a very fascinating read. From ‘caveman’ tribes to villages of the ‘dark ages’ that were highly religious and hunted witches for practicing magic, to great wars involving countries across the entire world, all leading up to modern civilisation, with a human population of… “S-Seven billion?!” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t even comprehend such a figure. Equestria’s population had barely hit a million itself.

“Gotcha!”

Sunset shrieked as a gloved hand grabbed her wrist, causing her to drop the heavy book onto her foot. “OW! Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!”

“That’s my line, young lady!” the old man grabbing Sunset’s wrist scolded, pulling her away from the bookshelves and into the moonlight peeking in through a window. “Breaking into school at night. What is with youngsters these days? So? Who are you and what’s your parents’ phone number?”

Sunset Shimmer didn’t answer. Part of the reason was because she didn’t want to give away the fact that she was from another world to just anybody. There was also the fact that she didn’t know what a ‘phone number’ was.

“Not gonna say anything? That’s fine. You just wait right here while I call the police.”

“The what now?” Sunset asked, trying to pry her hand free but failing. The old man’s grip was strong enough to cut off her blood flow, so there was no chance of her slipping away.

“Too late, you had your chance.” The old man pulled a small, black object from his jacket’s pocket and pushed a few buttons. He put the object to the side of his head as Sunset continued to fight his hold. “I wanna report a break-in at Canterlot Public High School. Yeah, that’s right. Darn teenagers breaking in at night and messing the place up! Who, me? I’m the janitor! … Don’t you worry, I’m not lettin’ her go anywhere ‘til you get here. Just hurry up so I can get back to moppin’ up the floors!”

As Sunset watched the old man put the strange object away, she decided to try kicking her way to freedom. She reared up a leg and swung it at the old man’s knee, but it seemed to have no effect. “What?!”

“You youngsters are always usin’ violence whenever you get into trouble! That’s why I always wear my shin protectors to work!”

Sunset huffed. It seemed that she really wasn’t going anywhere until the ‘police’ would arrive. The old man certainly didn’t seem to mind standing around, doing nothing for what seemed like hours as he stared silently at Sunset Shimmer. A loud, high-pitched sound drew Sunset’s attention to a nearby window, where she saw flashing red-and-blue lights suddenly filling the room.

“C’mon, let’s go,” the old man said as he tugged Sunset Shimmer along forcefully. She had no choice but to follow him back to the entrance of the building. Outside, there was a large, black-and-white beast sitting behind a large man in what seemed to be a cowpony outfit, altered to better fit these ‘humans’.

“This the one you caught breakin’ in?” the cowpony asked.

“This’s her, Sheriff. She’s your problem now, just make sure she knows not to break into my school ever again!”

“I’ll take her down to the station and ask her a few questions,” the sheriff assured the old man, tipping his hat before laying a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “C’mon, into the car, young lady.”

“‘Car’?” The sheriff led Sunset towards the purring beast, which seemed to be made of metal upon closer inspection, where another man was sitting inside, wearing a white shirt and a black tie. Sunset ducked her head and sat down in the back of the ‘car’ without another word.

The sheriff closed the door and the entered the front. As he heard the sound of the door’s handle behind him being pulled, he shook his head and sighed. “Door don’t open from the inside. Now buckle up.”

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow and turned back to the sheriff. She watched him pull something from one side down to the other, clicking it into a small black box. Looking to her left, Sunset found the same device and copied his action. It seemed to be some kind of restraint, only it wasn’t very restraining at all.

“Rookie, whenever you’re ready,” the sheriff said suddenly, turning to the man to his left.

“Oh, sorry, sir,” the man replied. “She’s kinda cute, isn’t she, Sheriff Silverstar?”

“… Just drive, rookie.”

Sunset wondered what was going to happen next, when suddenly, the room started to move forward on its own. Sunset looked outside of the window and, before she knew it, the world around her was passing by faster than in any chariot she had ever been in.

“Is this a train?” she asked out loud, awestruck by the lights and the sheer volume of humans that she saw passing by outside. It was so much that she was seeing in just a short amount of time. Then suddenly, her stomach began to churn. Her face turning green, Sunset quickly clasped her hands over her mouth and looked around the back of the car frantically.

Sheriff Silverstar, hearing the muffled whines behind himself, turned around and gasped. “H-Hey! Don’t you dare do that in my car!”

Sunset held out as long as she could, but it only took one bump in the road for her to break the policeman’s order.

After being given a new set of clothes at the station – a plain white shirt that was an entire size too large for the girl and a pair of blue trousers referred to by the younger policeman as ‘jeans’, Sunset was escorted to a small room for questioning.

The younger policeman left her clothes in a bag beside the table before leaving the room. Sheriff Silverstar offered the girl a glass of water, which she refused, before starting his questioning.

“So,” he began, “Why don’t you start with your name and your age?”

“…”

“… Look, if you wanna go home tonight, you’ll have to cooperate. Need I remind you that refusing to cooperate is a felony, and will only make your current situation a whole lot worse?”

‘I get it. They’re like the Royal Guard,’ Sunset concluded, before smiling and answering, “Sunset Shimmer. I’m thirteen years old.”

Sheriff Silverstar raised an eyebrow. “Thirteen?”

“That’s right.”

“… Okay, I’ll bite. You’re thirteen years old. Now, next question: why did you break into the school?”

Sunset shook her head. “I didn’t break in. The door was unlocked.”

The sheriff eyed the girl suspiciously. “It was just unlocked?” Sunset Shimmer nodded, resulting in a sigh from Sheriff Silverstar. “Alright, fine. Then why did you enter the school building after hours?”

“I was lost,” Sunset answered quickly. “I was looking for someone to give me directions.” It wasn’t completely a lie. She was lost, but she had expected to see ponies on the other side, until she saw her own appearance in a reflected surface.

“In a school?” the sheriff asked. “Why would you think there’d be anyone to even ask in a school at night?”

“Well, the door was unlocked,” Sunset pointed out.

The sheriff remained silent for several seconds as he stared solidly into Sunset’s eyes. The girl didn’t so much as twitch or flinch the entire time. The sheriff then reached for a sheet of paper to his side and glanced over it. “We questioned the janitor while you were changing.”

Sunset tilted her head quizzically and asked, “How? He didn’t come with us.”

The sheriff lowered his sheet and gave the girl a disbelieving look. “Uh, over the phone?”

“…” Sunset closed her mouth before she could ask her next question. She could only assume that there was some means of communicating that didn’t exist in Equestria, and she’d only draw attention to herself if she questioned what was possibly an obvious concept.

“Anyway, the janitor said he caught you readin’ a book in the library. Tell me, why were you in the library, Miss Shimmer? Were you hoping the books could give you directions?”

Sunset bit her lip and gave no answer. She hadn’t considered that they had questioned the old janitor, so she wasn’t prepared with a response.

After a long pause between the two, Sheriff Silverstar sighed and leaned backwards in his chair. “Look, I don’t wanna be stuck here this late any more than you do, but if you don’t cooperate, it’s gonna be a long night for both of us.”

“I already told you, I was looking for directions,” Sunset repeated, a little more insistence in her tone than before.

“An’ I don’t buy it. Y’know why? The janitor unlocked the doors when we got there, meaning they weren’t unlocked.”

“They were! They were locked when that other-” Sunset silenced herself quickly, but it was too late.

“That other what?” Sheriff Silverstar asked. “Did you happen to see anyone, by any chance?”

“… T-There was… a female there… She locked the door as she left.”

“Ah yes, the principal,” Sheriff Silverstar said. “The janitor mentioned that she was there. But then, if you saw her, why didn’t you stop her to ask for directions, hm?”

“…”

“Frankly, your story has too many holes in it, Miss Shimmer. I don’t know what you were up to in there, but you’re only digging yourself deeper by lying about it.”

Sunset Shimmer took a deep, calming breath, and then slowly leaned forwards, both of her hands on the table in front of her, and gave the sheriff and long, hard glare. “I’m telling you, I was lost.”

“… Finally, you’re tellin’ the truth,” the sheriff responded. “But you’re not tellin’ me the whole truth. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Then why did you go into the school building? Remember, I’ve already proven that you didn’t go in to ask for directions.”

Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth together. “… I was cold, okay?” she answered after thinking over several possible scenarios through her mind, deciding that the simplest answer would be the best. “I just wanted some shelter for the night and thought nopony- nobody, would check there.”

Another heavy silence fell between the two as Sheriff Silverstar tried to pry any further information out of the girl through intimidation, but she didn’t so much as shake the entire time that she was under his gaze. Finally, he climbed out of his seat and nodded his head. “Fine, we’ll go with that. Since you’re so… young, apparently… I’ll let you off with a warning this time. But I will have to inform your parents.”

Sunset’s blood froze as the sheriff pulled out a notepad and a pen from his pocket. “M-My parents?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“That’s right. Now, what’s their number?” The sheriff waited, but received no answer. As he looked up from his notepad, he found Sunset trembling in her seat. Her hands were clutching onto her jeans and her mouth hung open, as though she had fallen into a state of shock. “Look, I know you don’t want me to contact them, but it’s my job, so-”

“I… don’t have any parents,” Sunset answered in a quiet voice that echoed very loudly through her own mind. ‘My parents… are back in Equestria…’ Closing her eyes and sweating, Sunset added, “They’re dead. I don’t… have any parents, anymore.”

“… Ah.” Sheriff Silverstar stood still in an awkward silence, his heart racing as he chose his next words carefully. “I’m… sorry to hear that… Then, your current guardians, or carers?”

Sunset shook her head. “There’s no one… I’m all alone now…” Sunset’s eyes widened. “All… alone… Oh Celestia, I’m all alone,” she whispered.

Taking in a deep breath, and then exhaling, Sheriff Silverstar put away his notepad and pen and walked slowly back towards his seat. ‘Guess I’m gonna be headin’ home late tonight,’ he thought to himself as he sat back down. “… Are you okay, Miss?” he asked, noticing tears in Sunset’s eyes and her chest heaving from heavy breathing. “Hey, rookie! Bring in some water and a paper bag!”

“I’m fine,” Sunset insisted, though her voice was low and scratchy. “I-I just want to go home, please.”

“I thought you didn’t have a home to go back to.”

Sunset’s breathing stopped for a moment as her breath caught in her throat. “T-That’s right. I don’t… but, I want to… leave, please… I just want to…”

“Miss Shimmer… I don’t know what kinda tragedy could’ve happened to ya, but know that you don’t have to go it alone anymore,” Sheriff Silverstar said, reaching a hand out but then pulling it back when Sunset jerked away from him. He scratched the back of his head and shifted his eyes away as he added, “I wanna help.”

“How?” she asked – almost demanded – as her breathing started to steady.

“I wanna take you to the orphanage down in Buckfield. They’ll be able to give you a new home, maybe even a new family.”

“A new home? A new family?” Sunset’s breathing began to pick up again. ‘No. You can’t… My family isn’t dead. They’re alive. I can’t leave them.’

“It’s a bit of a trip, so we can leave in the morning. I can’t just leave you out there on your own like that.”

“No,” Sunset said suddenly. “No. You can’t… You can’t take me away from here.”

The door to the interrogation room opened as the sheriff’s partner entered with a tray containing two glasses of water and a small, brown paper bag. “Please, Miss Shimmer. I only want to give you your best chance.”

“NO!” Sunset shouted. She sprang out of her seat, sweeping her right leg to knock the rookie off of his feet and grabbed the metal tray before throwing it at the sheriff. Whilst he was recovering, Sunset jumped over the downed policeman and ran through the station, dodging one more policeman as she made her escape from the reception area.

“Stop her!” she heard the sheriff yell from behind. She didn’t stop running. She ran and ran until her legs felt heavy, but she never once stopped. The streets were dark and the rain was pouring down hard, but she never once stopped. She had to duck into alleys to avoid the ‘cars’ pursuing her and she stumbled over garbage a few times, but she never once stopped.

Whether it was a miracle or the work of fate, Sunset Shimmer found her way back to the very school building, back to the very statue, that she first saw upon her arrival in that world. “I can’t stay here,” she panted as she pushed herself the extra mile to reach the statue. “My parents don’t know where I am. They’re probably worried sick about me. I don’t belong in this world, without magic, without my own kind!”

Sunset reached the statue and stopped for a moment to catch her breath. “I… I can’t do it. I thought I could… escape from her… and stay in this world, but I just can’t.” Sunset wiped the tears from her eyes and made her way slowly around the statue, finding the front where a large, shining surface met her gaze. “… Princess Celestia… you’ve beaten me…”

With that, Sunset shimmer walked forwards into the portal. When her foot hit the metal, she stopped, as did her heart. As did the sound of the rain, and all sense of time around the young girl as she slowly looked down, only to discover that her foot was not going through the portal at all.

“No.” Sunset reached a hand forward, but it met with the same fate as her foot. “No, please.” Sunset pulled her hand back and thrust it forward. It hit the statue and Sunset jumped back with a start, grasping her hand and falling to her knees as broke down into tears in the rain. “Please, don’t do this to me. You can’t do this to me.” Sunset curled up as she felt her body’s temperature dropping quickly. “Please let me back in. I’m sorry. I’m sorry! Just, please… I’m scared…”

The sound of the rain grew louder as Sunset’s hands met her face, but then grew quieter again as her vision became dark. The last thing that Sunset saw before she was met with complete darkness was a silhouette standing above her and kneeling down.

Sunset Shimmer stirred and rolled as she tried to get comfortable. The warm blanket wrapped around her body was starting to slip off so she grabbed it and pulled it up. Once she was snug in her bed again, Sunset clenched her hand into a fist and sank deeper into her pillow.

‘… Wait.’ Sunset opened and then closed her hand again. “I have hands?” Sunset opened her eyes and took in her surroundings for a bit, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. “This isn’t my room… Ah!” Sunset sat up suddenly, remembering everything that had happened to her last night.

“Oh, are you awake?” a voice called out from another room. Sunset looked around, trying to pinpoint where the voice had come from. “I’m making breakfast. Would you like anything to drink?”

“I-I’m fine,” Sunset responded, though her voice was a little hoarse. She stood up, taking a moment to steady her wobbling legs and spreading her arms to help keep her balance, before walking around the room to try to deduce where she was. With all the furniture, the photographs and the dining table at the far end of the room, it seemed to just be somepony’s house. Only, she knew that it wasn’t a pony that lived there.

She stopped at one photograph in particular that showed two young girls in bathing suits hugging and smiling at the camera. One had dark-blue skin and a moon pattern across her swimsuit and swim cap, and the slightly taller one had white skin and long, rainbow-coloured hair with a sun pattern across her swimsuit. For some reason, the taller one seemed familiar to her.

“That’s a picture of me and my sister, back when we were young,” a voice said behind Sunset Shimmer. Sunset jumped and turned around with a start, finding a tall, white-skinned woman standing behind her with the same rainbow-coloured hair as the girl in the photograph. The woman was wearing a yellow blazer and purple trousers, and was carrying a tray with two bowls of cereal on it and two glasses of what appeared to be orange juice. “I know you said you were fine, but you sounded like you could do with something to drink.”

“W-Who are you?” Sunset asked, her heart pounding as the familiar figure placed the tray down onto a small table beside the couch that Sunset had woken up on. “What am I doing here? Last thing I remember I was…”

“I found you passed out outside of my school,” the woman explained, sitting down on the couch and patting beside herself. Sunset walked forward and sat down next to her. “I went back because I forgot some papers, and I’m glad that I did. It was becoming a real storm out there, and if I hadn’t have found you… Well, I’m just glad you seem to be okay.”

“You brought me back here? To your home?”

The woman nodded. “At first, I had considered calling the police, but you woke up and asked me not to. It seemed that something was troubling you, so I waited for you to wake up first.”

“The ‘police’?” Sunset gasped as she recalled Sheriff Silverstar, and how he had wanted to send her away. “No! I can’t go there! If I do, they’ll send me someplace far away!”

Sunset Shimmer shook and stared at the floor, clutching the blanket draped around her body. The woman noticed this, and leaned forward to scoop up some of the cereal in the bowl closer to Sunset, offering her the spoon. “For now, eat up. You must be hungry.” Sunset’s stomach growled in response, confirming her theory. “You can tell me all about it after you’re finished. I promise I’ll listen to your every word.”

Eating didn’t take too long for the hungry pony-turned-human, who hadn’t eaten much back in Equestria to begin with, being too involved with her studies, let alone since she had come to this new world. After she was done, she set down her bowl and chugged the orange juice. It did wonders for her throat, and she soon felt ready to talk. The woman was sitting quietly and patiently.

“… I have no home to go back to,” Sunset started. She didn’t reveal everything to the familiar stranger. She didn’t reveal that she was a pony, or that she was from another world. She said the same lie that she had told the policeman the previous night: that her parents had died, and that she had no family to turn to. She told the woman how the sheriff had wanted to take her away to an orphanage, far away from Canterlot, and how she had ran away because she didn’t want to leave. She left her reasons for wanting to stay a secret, but insisted that she absolutely had to stay.

When she was finished, the woman spoke up, after having remained silent through Sunset Shimmer’s entire story. “So you’re an orphan.” Sunset nodded. “And you were running from the police because you were scared… is that about it?”

“I wasn’t… scared… I just don’t want to go away.”

Sunset felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to meet the woman’s gaze. “It’s okay to be scared, Sunset. Especially when you feel alone in the world and don’t know who you can trust. I know it can’t be easy, but you don’t have to be all alone out there. There are people you can rely on, and the sheriff was only trying to give you your best chance.”

Sunset Shimmer tensed up. She could tell where this conversation was going. “But I… I just want to go back to how things were.”

“I’m sorry, dear, but that just isn’t possible.” The woman pulled Sunset Shimmer in for a gentle hug. She felt the young girl easing up in her hold. “I know, it isn’t fair. Sometimes, life is hard, and all we can do is fight with those we care about at our sides. Sheriff Silverstar cares, otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to help you find a home.”

“…”

“You know that I’m right, don’t you?”

“… Are you… going to turn me in?”

“… I’m sorry, Sunset, but I’m afraid I have no choice. Not only would keeping you here be illegal, it would be wrong. Your best chance is out there, with a family that will love you and care for you.” The woman released Sunset Shimmer and rose to her feet. “Please understand. I’m doing this to help you.”

Sunset could only nod slowly, before the woman began to walk away. Tears started to well in her eyes and Sunset thought about all that she had lost in just a single night. She was no longer Princess Celestia’s star pupil. She had lost any chance of ascending to the throne. She would never see her professors again, or hear their praises. She would never play with her foalsitter, or practice magic, or visit the spa with her pet falcon – the closest thing she could get to a phoenix. She would never see her parents again, eat dinner with them, or see their looks of pride as she returned home with a gold star on her report card.

“Hello, Sheriff Silverstar?” the woman said from another room. Sunset’s eyes drifted lazily towards the open doorway. She had contemplated running, but couldn’t find the energy to do so. Every fibre in her being was telling her to just give it up and accept her defeat. She had lost everything, and might as well just get used to her new life in this new world. “Yes, this is Celestia.”

Sunset’s eyes snapped open. Suddenly, it all came flooding into her. The face, the hair, the voice. It all seemed so familiar to her because it was all Celestia, the princess who had taken her in, taught her so much, cared for her like a mother… and then tossed her away without a second thought. The same Celestia who had betrayed her, and was responsible for her current situation. Sunset Shimmer clenched her fist and furrowed her brows as she got up and slowly walked forwards.

“It’s about the girl that you talked to last night, Sunset Shimmer. I-”

“You…” Celestia stopped talking and turned around. She found Sunset Shimmer standing in the open doorway, staring daggers into her as she took a small step forward. “Because of you… All because of you…”

“Sunset, please,” Celestia said, covering the device in her hands. “I have to do this. I have to let him know that you’re here.”

“You’re going to… send me away… again…” Sunset gasped. She took another step forward, reaching a hand out as she began to feel light-headed and dizzy. Her vision was fuzzy, and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. “No… No, you can’t!” she shouted, grabbing onto Celestia’s shirt with such force that one of the buttons tore off. “You can’t send me away again! You can’t!”

“P-Please, calm down!” Celestia pleaded, taking a step back and placing the device down onto a nearby stand. She saw that Sunset was crying and froze on the spot. “S-Sunset…”

“Please, don’t do it,” Sunset pleaded, falling to her knees but refusing to let go of Celestia’s shirt. “I can’t… I can’t stand to go through that again. I can’t go through that pain, of being betrayed by the one pony I thought would always have my back.”

“But you need a home. A family.” Sunset shook her head violently and tightened her grip as she felt Celestia attempting to pry her fingers open. “I can’t be that, Sunset. I can’t be a mother.”

“Yes you can,” Sunset whispered. “… I’m begging you. Don’t send me away again. If you do, I… I don’t know what I’d do…”

The only sounds filling the room as Celestia and Sunset Shimmer froze in time came from the choked sobs of the girl kneeling on the floor, and muffled shouts from the device sitting beside Celestia. After several long moments, that seemed like an eternity to Sunset Shimmer, Celestia reached for the device beside her and held it to her head. She didn’t say anything at first, but after looking down at the crying girl one final time, she opened her mouth and said, “Sheriff, about that girl, Sunset Shimmer… what would be the procedure for adopting her?”

As Rarity soaked in the hot, soothing waters of the spa bath and listened to Sunset’s story, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the girl, even despite the terrible acts that followed regarding herself and her friends.

“I see,” she said as Sunset finished her story. “So that’s why you live with Principal Celestia, and why you want to buy her the perfect present for Christmas.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” Sunset retorted quickly. “I don’t like living with her or anything. I just have nowhere else to go that’s near the portal. And I’m only buying her a present because I owe her my life.”

“Are you sure,” Rarity asked with a frown. “And despite owing her your life, you still want to go back and fight with your old princess?”

Sunset Shimmer turned her head away and replied, “I owe Principal Celestia my life, but I will never forgive Princess Celestia.”

“But you have a life here, with friends who care for you and a caring home to go to every night. Why do you still seek violence?”

“… I had a home there once, too,” Sunset answered. “I don’t belong here. I can never belong here, and nothing you say could ever change that.”

“Sunset-”

“My mind is set,” Sunset said as she stood up, water dripping down her body as she climbed out of the bath and grabbed a nearby towel to wrap around herself. “Ever since Principal Celestia took me in… No, even before then, since I had arrived in this world, the only thing I’ve ever worked for is revenge.” Sunset turned around to face Rarity, a frown on her face. “I’m… sorry I tried to drive you and your friends apart, and that I tried to use the other students for my goals. I was bitter, and… a little jealous.”

“I told you, dear, you’re already forgiven,” Rarity said with a gentle smile.

“But I won’t stop. I will get my revenge on the princess. It’s just a matter of time.”

As Sunset began to walk away, Rarity contemplated whether to follow after her friend or give Sunset some space. “Sunset,” she called out. The other girl stopped. “… We’re you’re friends. You can come to us at any time if something is bothering you, however small, or however deep.”

Sunset hesitated before saying, “Thank you. Then, as my… friend… can you promise not to tell anyone what we discussed here today?”

“… My lips are sealed,” Rarity assured, miming the action of locking her lips and throwing away the key. Rarity watched Sunset leave the bathing room before sinking down into the tub with a deep sigh. “Oh, who am I fooling? I’m no friendship expert. Now if she wanted to challenge the princess to a fashion contest, I’d be able to give her some pointers…”

“You’re home.” Celestia looked over towards the front door, to where Sunset Shimmer was carrying a bag in her hands as she removed her shoes. “You went shopping?”

“It’s your present. No peeking,” Sunset said with a glare. “That goes for your paranoid sister, too.”

“I’ve told Luna to respect your boundaries better. I’ll have another word with her when she next comes to visit.” Celestia rose to her feet and approached Sunset Shimmer. “You know you don’t have to get me a present each year.”

“It’s tradition, right?” Sunset turned her head away as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Besides, I need to repay you somehow for letting me stay here.”

Celestia stopped and gazed at Sunset Shimmer for a couple of seconds. She took a step closer, and Sunset took a step away in response. “… If you really want to repay me… you don’t need to buy me any presents. There’s only one thing I want.”

“And what’s that?”

“Tell me… how you feel about me.”

The sudden request shocked Sunset Shimmer and ran through the girl’s mind several times before she was finally able to process it. After she did so, she slowly turned her head to meet Celestia’s eyes and asked, “What?”

“For a while now, you’ve been… ‘repaying’ me for letting you live here, with gifts and help around the house. You also asked me not to send you away.” Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “But every time I talk to you, I’m met with an…”

“What?” Sunset repeated.

“An attitude, and general avoidance.” Celestia clenched her hand into a fist and asked, “It’s been bothering me, and I just have to know: what do you think of me?”

Celestia was met with a long, silent stare as Sunset’s eyes shook and her teeth grinded together. “… You sure you want to know?” Sunset Shimmer asked, receiving a resolute nod in return. “Fine. I’ll tell you.” Celestia braced herself. “I… want to hate you.”

Celestia’s fist tightened. “You want to hate me?”

“Yes. Whenever I look at your face, or hear your voice, I want to hate you with every fibre of my being.”

“… And… do you?”

Sunset Shimmer once again gave a lengthy pause before delivering her answer. “I wouldn’t be staying here if I couldn’t stand your guts.” With that, Sunset stormed up the stairs with her day’s shopping, leaving a semi-relieved Celestia down in the hallway.

“I suppose not…” Celestia turned around and walked slowly back into the living room, towards the stack of forms sitting on the dining table. With a gulp, Celestia picked the forms up and glanced over the front page, staring at the word ‘Adoption’ at the top. “… I may not be cut out to be a mother after all… but maybe I should give it one final chance.” Celestia walked over to her desk in the corner of the room, cluttered with papers and stationary, and put the papers into the top drawer, locking it and placing the key into her pocket.

Author's Note

*looks at title* And then Sunset Shimmer was Aladdin. I wonder who her Jasmine would be? Cadance? ... I think I like that idea.

If you'll excuse me, my mind is shipping Cadance and Sunset Shimmer and I'm liking the results.

XVIII - A Blast From the Past

There were many things in the world that Sunset Shimmer didn't know. The meaning of life, for one, and the secret to world peace. Of all the things that she didn't know, however, she was not expecting Twilight's secret laboratory to be one of those things. Nor did she expect it to be hidden beneath their school, accessed by a false bookcase within the library.

"You say you just found this lying around?" Sunset tapped an empty glass vial hanging above an inactive Bunsen burner and gasped as it started to fall. She managed to grab it just in time and gently secured it back into its clamp.

"Yup!" Twilight cheered as she skipped across the lab, leading her friend towards a large computer with several monitors. "I think it was probably used before the academy was built, but whoever left it behind didn't take everything with them."

Sunset stopped behind Twilight and looked around. She found a cabinet on its side with a lot of glass shards scattered on the floor. "Looks like something went down in here."

"What really caught my attention was this machine, though," Twilight said, pushing a few buttons on the console of the computer. "It looks like they were conducting some pretty heavy research down here."

Sunset raised an eyebrow as she glanced back over at Twilight. "Hey, should you be touching that?"

"It's fine," Twilight assured her. "What's the worst that could happ-"

"WARNING: TEMPORAL EXPERIMENT INITIATED. PLEASE SELECT DESTINATION."

"… I can fix this," Twilight said, about to start pushing more buttons before Sunset grabbed her wrists from behind.

"Don't!" Sunset shouted. "Look, let's just back out of here slowly and carefully. We can report this finding to your brother and he can have a team of experts come in and-"

"Are you nuts?!" Twilight cried, pulling her hands free of Sunset's grasp. "Do you have any idea how big of a find this is?! The computers are brand-new, but if this was here before the academy was built then it must be at least forty years old!"

A series of hums and beeps silenced the two before the lights around them dimmed. "ACKNOWLEDGED. DESTINATION CALIBRATED. INITATING TEMPORAL RELOCATION."

A bright light surrounded Sunset Shimmer, trapping her in a prison that she could not seem to pass through. "TWILIGHT, HEL-"

"-P!" The light vanished, and Sunset blinked her eyes a couple of times. She was still inside of the abandoned lab, but the computer was inactive, and Twilight was nowhere to be seen. "T-Twilight?"

"Who's there?" Sunset jumped and turned around. Standing behind her, wearing a white lab coat and a pair of clear goggles, was somebody who could very easily have passed for Twilight, had it not been for the blue streaks mixed in with Twilight's purple and pink hair, and the fact that she appeared too old to be a teenager. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

"W-What? But, there's no way you could be Twilight. You're too old!"

The woman huffed. "How rude! I'll have you know that I'm only thirty-three!" She flicked her hair and added, "And for your information, I am indeed Twilight Twinkle."

Sunset Shimmer gasped. "T-Twilight Twinkle? But that's her grandmother's name. B-But then that means… Oh. Em. Gee."

Twilight Twinkle tilted her head. "Ohemgee? What's that?"

"I… W-What year is it?!"

"Why it's nineteen-seventy-five, of course."

Sunset Shimmer took a step back, her face pale and her hands shaking. She placed a hand against her forehead and tried to think of another plausible explanation, but she knew that it was in vain. There was only one answer. "I'm… in the past."

Twilight Twinkle's eyes widened, and she shifted her attention from the girl to the computer behind her. "… Great Scott…"

"Do I really need to wear this bag over my head?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she walked cautiously down the street, her eyeholes not adequate for providing accurate vision, though she could see the strange looks pointed towards her just fine.

"Of course!" Twilight Twinkle exclaimed, taking Sunset Shimmer's hand and picking up the pace for the both of them. "If someone here were to recognise you in the future, we have no idea what catastrophic events that might cause!"

"I think it's fine so long as it doesn't alter the past, right?"

"Fool! Don't you realise that government has eyes everywhere? There's no telling what could happen if this technology fell into the wrong hands!"

"The 'wrong hands'?"

Twilight Twinkle stopped and turned suddenly, moving her face closer to Sunset's so that she could whisper, "The president, the CIA, the FBI… None of them can be trusted!"

Sunset Shimmer took a nervous step back and sighed. "If only she knew that her grandson…"

"What was that?" Twilight Twinkle asked. "You'll have to speak up. I damaged my hearing when I was fifteen, sneaking into Roswell to prove that they were hiding the existence of aliens."

"And did you?"

"… They must have anticipated me and hid their evidence before I arrived."

"Of course." Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand from Twilight Twinkle's grasp and moved ahead of her. "In any case, let's just keep moving. I want to get this bag off of my head as soon as possible."

Twilight Twinkle raised an eyebrow as she followed. "How do you know the way to my house?"

"I've been there before," Sunset Shimmer said. "With your granddaughter. I'm her best friend."

Twilight Twinkles clapped her hands and laughed. "Granddaughter! Oh my, to think that I have a granddaughter someday!" Twinkle wiped a tear from her eye and calmed down, before asking, "Well then, I guess now I have something to look forward to."

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip and froze on the spot. "About that… you kind of… die… before she's born-"

"AHHHHH!" Twilight Twinkle covered her ears and shook her head. "Why did you tell me that?! You can't tell me something like that! Knowing too much about my own future is dangerous! You could forever alter the course of history, you fool!"

"S-Sorry!"

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it! From now own, don't tell me anything about the future unless I specifically ask for it, understand?" Sunset Shimmer nodded her head silently. "Good! Now then, lead the way. I'll keep a lookout for government agents."

"Whatever you say…" 'I guess crazy runs in the genes. I wonder if Twilight's mother was ever like this?'

'Speak of the devil…' Sunset Shimmer wasn't sure how to feel. She was used to looking up as Twilight's mother scolded her and Twilight, or pleading whenever the two needed permission or a ride for some trip out of town. She was not used to looking down on the strict motherly figure as a confused-looking little girl in her pyjamas, a teddy bear in one hand and a plastic cup of juice in the other.

"Hello, Velvet," Twilight Twinkle said as she kneeled down before the girl, stroking her head with a smile. "Were you a good girl for Aunt Rosedust?"

"Mhm," Twilight Velvet replied with a nod, not taking her eyes off of Sunset Shimmer the entire time. "Why she wearin' a bag on her head?"

"It's an experiment," Twilight Twinkle replied.

"Ex-peh-ri-ment?"

"That's right. 'Experiment'. It means I'm performing an important scientific test, and she's my lab rat."

"Hey!" Sunset Shimmer protested. Suddenly, a woman about Twilight Twinkle's age appeared behind Twilight Velvet. Her skin was yellow and her hair pink, and she wore a feather in her hair that was just a slightly-darker shade of pink.

"Back so soon, Doctor Twinkle?" the woman asked.

Twilight Twinkle stood up and reached into her purse, whilst Sunset Shimmer simply looked on in shock through her bag. "Doctor? … That's right, Twilight's grandmother was a doctor… Oh god, she's a doctor."

"Thank you as always, Rosedust," Twilight Twinkle said, handing a stack of money to the woman, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Would you mind looking after Velvet just a little longer tonight? I've made a breakthrough and will be heading back to my lab after collecting a few things."

"You're leavin' again?" Twilight Velvet asked, a frown forming on her face.

"I'm sorry, dear, but you must understand that this is very crucial work. Your mother is fighting to save the entire universe!"

Twilight Velvet smiled and nodded her head. "Will you tell me 'bout it when you come back?"

"Of course. Every last detail."

Sunset Shimmer gasped as something crossed her mind. "Wait, it couldn't be… Twilight Velvet's first novel… was inspired by this?"

"Well, I'm afraid that I simply don't have the time," Rosedust said, looking at her wristwatch. "I have another appointment to make in thirty minutes."

"I could look after Velvet for you," Sunset Shimmer suggested.

"Are you good with kids?" Twilight Twinkle asked.

"Good enough to not let them be killed."

"Works for me. Just make sure you don't let her get into the coffee or she won't be able to sleep all night."

As Rosedust walk past the two to leave, she turned and said, "You know, if you keep relying on others to look after Twilight Velvet, you're going to miss watching her grow up."

"I just have one more experiment to prove my hypothesis correct," Twilight Twinkle said. "After that, the world will be a better place for all and Velvet and I can spend all the time we want together!"

"Your hypothesis?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"That's right. I intend to prove that the American government has been abusing time travel to make its own country more powerful! That's how we suddenly got our hand on nuclear warheads during the war! They're from the future!"

"… Riiiiiiight. And I suppose this 'time travel' that they have access to is-"

Twilight Twinkle pressed her hand against roughly where Sunset Shimmer's mouth would have been located behind her bag. "SSSHHH!"

Sunset Shimmer slowly removed the hand from her mouth and with a look of mild annoyance. "As I was saying, how long do you think you it will take before you can get that thing working?"

"Who knows? I'll come find you when I'm ready though." Twilight Twinkle leaned down and gave her daughter a hug. "Now be good for Auntie Shimmer, okay Velvet?"

"Okay Mum! I will!"

After Twilight Twinkle left, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Velvet simply stood in silence for a long, long time, staring at each other awkwardly, neither one daring to make the first move.

Finally, Sunset Shimmer asked, "So… what do you do for fun around here?"

Sunset Shimmer had no idea where to take a child in her own time period, let alone two generations into the past. It didn’t help that the only thing she really knew about Twilight Velvet was that she was as fond as books as Twilight was, and there were no libraries anywhere in Canterlot yet. The nearest library was the next town over, but Sunset didn’t want to go too far whilst Twilight Twinkle worked on the time machine.

Ice-cream seemed like a good idea, so Sunset took the young Twilight Velvet to a local diner where she could order the two something sweet to eat. It worked for the most part, minus the strange looks Sunset was getting for her clothing.

“So… what’s Mommy… doin’?” Twilight Velvet asked in-between scoops of her ice-cream. In her hurry to shovel all of the sugary goodness into her mouth, most of it missed the mark and covered her cheeks.

Sunset Shimmer chuckled and took out a napkin to clean the child’s face up. Twilight Velvet squirmed in response but didn’t put up much more resistance until she was clean. “As she said, it’s a very important job to save the world.”

“My brother says that she’s actually an eeeevil witch, makin’ potions an’ spells to make me go to bed early an’ eat broccoli.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s- Wait, you have a brother?” Sunset tried to recall any time she had ever heard of Twilight Sparkle having an uncle.

“He lives in my rocket ship an’ only comes out when Mommy’s not home.”

“Ah, I see.” Sunset chuckled again. ‘I see she’s always had an active imagination.’

“Is Mommy a witch?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, she’s not. Quite the opposite: she’s a scientist.”

“A si-en-tist?”

“It means that, instead of turning people into lizards, she helps them by finding the answers to the most important questions in the universe.”

“Like where ice-cream comes from?”

“Hahaha… Yes, like where ice-cream comes from. In fact, she might already know.”

Twilight Velvet gasped. “I gotta ask her!” Suddenly, the girl jumped out of her seat. “I gotta use the bathroom!”

Sunset watched her run towards the restrooms at the back of the store. “Don’t take long!” With a sigh, Sunset rested her head on her hand and turned to look outside of the window. Everything look so much different than she remembered. Buildings she used to walk by or enter frequently either didn’t exist or were still being built. More people were walking to where they needed to go rather than driving. The homeless problem certainly seemed to have improved, unless they were all just good at hiding themselves.

The door behind Sunset opened and the little bell inside the shop rang. “Hey Dusk Glimmer!” Sunset heard footsteps walking towards her but she ignored them, since whoever it was wasn’t after her- Sunset felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. “I thought I told you never to… You’re not Dusk Glimmer.”

Standing before her, Sunset Shimmer was facing a much taller woman, her face painted with more makeup than a clown would wear, with a long black trenchcoat over her bandaged chest. She raised a fist to Sunset’s face quickly, causing her to flinch as the spikes of her wristbands made contact, and laughed along with her friends.

“Check out this dweeb’s clothes,” one of the girls said, pulling at Sunset’s jacket before Sunset Shimmer took a step back, glaring daggers at the group. “Ooh, new girl thinks she’s tough! What's with the bag? Too ashamed to show your own face?”

“What’s your name?” the girl in the long trenchcoat asked. Sunset Shimmer didn’t answer right away, so the girl grabbed her chin with one hand and said, “You got wax in your ears, huh?”

“Tireena, knock it off!” the clerk at the counter shouted.

The girl, ‘Tireena’, released Sunset Shimmer and slowly turned to face the clerk. The old man suddenly shied away, hiding behind two of the customers eating at the counter.

Sunset Shimmer took the chance trip Tireena up with a sweeping kick. Everybody gasped as the large girl slammed into the floor, followed by Sunset Shimmer jumping over her and rushing outside. Tireena fumed as she pushed herself up and watched as her assailant fled across the street. “Get the girl!”

Tireena rushed outside with her friends, watching as Sunset Shimmer stopped a couple of kids riding on their scooters and stole one of the toys. “Hey kid, lend me this for a moment will you?” Sunset Shimmer dismantled the handlebar from the scooter, turning it into a skateboard, before throwing it down and proceeding to ride it down the block.

“Get in the car!”

Sunset Shimmer checked behind herself, making sure that she was clear of Tireena and sighing with relief. As she turned back to see where she was going, she was confronted by a large, motorised monster and screamed as it rammed into her, falling onto the hood as the girls driving it laughed and cheered.

“Hand me the club!” Tireena shouted, letting go of the steering wheel as she was handed a large, spiked baseball bat, and she stood up in her seat, her shadow consuming Sunset Shimmer. “Eat this!”

Sunset rolled to the side, dodging the spiked bat that pierced the car’s hood. The engine erupted and the car jerked, knocking Tireena off of her feet and onto the hood with Sunset Shimmer. As the car slowly rolled to a stop, Sunset jumped off and back onto her skateboard, riding off with a flip of the finger and a raspberry to the gang of hoodlums… before crashing into a statue and falling onto her back.

As her vision began to adjust itself, Sunset was greeted to the jeering scowls of several unhappy girls. One of them – Tireena – pulled Sunset to her feet and pulled her fist back, ready to clock Sunset Shimmer’s noggin and quite possibly end her life right then-and-there.

“GZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Tireena fell down, smoke rising from the back of her neck, and her friends all looked to see what had happened. Sunset Shimmer gasped. Standing behind Tireena’s fallen body, Twilight Sparkle was holding a powerful Taser in her hand with a demonic smile on her face. “Who’s next, hm? How about you, young lady?”

“It’s that mad scientist!”

“L-Let’s get out of here!”

Tireena’s friend picked Tireena up and fled the scene, leaving Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle all alone.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Twilight shouted. Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head to clear the last of her wooziness away. As her vision began to settle, she found that it was not Twilight Sparkle, but Twilight Twinkle that was standing before her. “What did I tell you about not disrupting the space-time continuum?!”

“B-But she started it!” Sunset Shimmer shouted. “She was picking a fight, and then-”

“I don’t care! What’s worse: a girl picking a fight with some innocent chap or the end of the universe?!”

“Well when you put it that way,” Sunset mumbled, casting her eyes downwards.

“Well, we all still seem to be here, so I suppose I can overlook it. In any case, I have the time machine all ready to go!”

Sunset’s face lit up. “You do?!”

“Wellll… I had to tinker around with it first, give it a new form, but yes, it is all set to go.”

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go!”

"… So why a delorean?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she felt the cold metal of the car and bent down to look inside. It looked cozy, minus the sparking machines taking up over half of the space.

"Well, if you're going to travel through time, why not do it in style?"

"Where did you even get the money for all this?"

"I took out a loan." Twilight Twinkle opened the door and ushered Sunset Shimmer inside. "Now hurry, before you tear a hole in the space-time continuum!"

"W-Wait, wait!" Sunset Shimmer was forced into the car and watched as the door closed on her. She opened the window, glaring at Twilight Twinkle. "Just like that?! No goodbyes or-"

"Please, you must hurry!" Twilight Twinkle insisted, reaching inside and fastening Sunset Shimmer's seatbelt. "The longer you stay here the more uncomfortable I feel, and besides…"

"Besides… what?" A loud explosion startled Sunset Shimmer and she tried to look over her shoulder. "What was that?!"

"They've found us!"

"Who's found us?!" Sunset Shimmer demanded.

"The FBI!" Twilight Twinkle pulled out an AK47 and started firing, forcing Sunset Shimmer to cover her ears. "GO! NOW!"

"WHAT?!" Sunset asked. Twilight Twinkle reached into the car and pushed a few buttons. As she pulled her hand out, the window started to wind itself back up and the car came to life. "HEY!"

"Drive!"

"But I-"

"I'll be fine, but you have to go, or else you'll never return back to your time!" Twilight Twinkle smiled. "I like you, Sunset Shimmer. I'm glad that my granddaughter has a friend like you by her side… Now please, drive! Once you hit eighty-eight, you'll see some… interesting stuff."

Sunset Shimmer gulped and nodded her head. Focussing in front of her, she pushed her foot down on the accelerator and sighed. "A manual? Really?" Adjusting the clutch, Sunset placed one hand on the gearstick and revved the engine. A bullet hole hit her side mirror and she screamed, releasing the handbrake and taking off. She hit eighty-eight miles per hour fairly quickly and entered a wormhole of colours, seeing clocks flying all around her, along with a blue box that spun around.

A flash of light filled Sunset's vision, and when it died down, she found herself back in the lab… with guns pointed at her from several soldiers in black uniforms.

"Get out of the car! Now!"

Sunset Shimmer's hands shook, and she froze as several lasers shone in her eyes. Slowly, she reached for her door and opened it up, climbing out and raising her hands. "Please…"

"UGH!"

"AAH!"

"OOF!"

One-by-one, the soldiers fell, with loud bangs accompanying each one. When the final soldier fell, Sunset Shimmer turned around to find Shining Armor standing behind her, his white shirt open, revealing his muscular chest, and wearing a tatty bandana on his head.

"Come with me if you want to live."

Sunset Shimmer couldn't find many words as she blushed and extended her hand slowly. "Yeah…" Shining Armor took her hand and carried her in his arms, rushing through the facility. She rested her head into his chest and felt at peace.

"Sunset Shimmer."

"Yeah?"

"It's time for school."

"… What?"

Sunset Shimmer blinked her eyes and tried to make sense of things. Why was she suddenly back in her room. Where had Shining Armor and the time machine gone? Why could she hear Twilight Sparkle's voice ringing in her ears?

"Sunset Shimmer! It's time for school!"

And then it hit her. The annoying alarm clock that Twilight Sparkle had given her after she was late for school one day after sleeping in. The pile of sci-fi films at the foot of her bed and on her floor. The popcorn scattered everywhere and the fact that she was sleeping in her casual clothes.

Sunset Shimmer yawned and rubbed her eyes. "That's what I get for marathoning all those movies in one night…" Sunset Shimmer smacked the alarm clock to shut it up and then climbed out of her bed. She approached the mirror on her wall and studied her appearance. Her hair was a mess, so she picked up the nearby brush and began to fix that at once.

A brush here-and-there, and she was looking much more presentable. She put the brush down and stared into her mirror for a few more seconds… Her face suddenly turned red as she woke up completely. "Why was Shining Armor there?!"

Author's Note

Filler chapter is filler! :D

Alternate ending:

"That's what I get for marathoning all those movies in one night…" Sunset Shimmer smacked the alarm clock to shut it up and then climbed out of her bed. As she did so, a figure in green clothes soared into her window. It was Twilight Sparkle, floating in the air with a tiny blonde fairy at her side. "Sunset Shimmer, thank goodness I've found you! You have to come back to Neverland with me right away!"

Sunset Shimmer nodded her head and held out her hand. Twilight Sparkle gave her some fairy dust and the two took off together outside of Sunset Shimmer's window, flying past Big Ben and onwards into the night sky.

Twilight Sparkle woke up with a start, panting heavily and planting her hands firmly onto her bed to confirm that she was back on solid ground and once again obeying the laws of gravity. After calming down, Twilight held her head with a groan and then looked down her bed at the collection of movies scattered about. "… That's what I get for binging on Disney the entire night…"

XIX - Call of Sunset

“Why don’t we just ask her?”

“D’you really think she’d give us a straight answer?”

The five friends – Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie – had gathered behind the school building that morning to discuss their plans for the upcoming break, but they had hit a snag when Sunset Shimmer came into play. They put their collective heads together but could not come up with a solution to their conundrum: what could they do that their reluctant friend would also enjoy?

“I think she might enjoy going to the pet expo happening just outside of town,” Fluttershy suggested.

“That’s your thing,” Rainbow Dash said. “Sunset Shimmer doesn’t strike me as the kind to care for animals.”

“How ‘bout we take ‘er to the rodeo?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, I’m sure that seeing her own kind being saddled and ridden for our amusement is exactly what she’d like to see,” Rarity retorted, earning a scowl from Applejack.

“It’s not like we’re hurtin’ them or anythin’!”

“How about-” Pinkie Pie began.

“We’re not hosting another party,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Not after last time.”

Pinkie Pie pouted and folded her arms. “Not my fault all that confetti got into the cake batter.”

“Umm…” The group looked up to find Pinkie Pie’s sister, Maud Pie, standing above them. The grey girl was wearing her signature blue dress and her lifeless eyes expressed no emotion to anybody but Pinkie Pie. “Sis, did you finish all of your homework last night?”

“… OH NOOOOO!” Pinkie Pie clutched her chest and fainted onto her back, her face turning pale and her pupils shrinking in her open eyes.

“I thought so,” Maud said. She reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a sheet of paper. “If you’d like, you could copy my answers. I am certain that the majority of them are correct.”

Pinkie Pie sat up straight with a smile on her face. “Nah, I’m good! Besides, honesty is the best policy, Maudie! You know that!”

Maud blushed and nodded her head. “Right. Sorry.”

“Heehee! It’s okay!”

“Hey!” Maud Pie turned around to find Trixie standing behind her, her arms folded and her foot tapping the ground repeatedly. “Are you coming or what?”

“Mm.” Maud waved goodbye to her sister and walked over to Trixie.

As the two girls walked away from the group, Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie and asked, “How long have those two been friends?”

“Oh, Trixie did some work for my folks when she was saving to buy that caravan of hers,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Ah guess she was serious ‘bout takin’ her show on the road when she graduates,” Applejack mused.

Pinkie Pie nodded and continued. “She met Maud there and the two really hit it off!”

“… They did?” Rarity asked, looking just as confused as her other friends besides Pinkie Pie. “I mean, they just seem so… different.”

“Trixie said that Madie’s a good listener and Maudie liked Trixie’s shows,” Pinkie Pie explained. “She used to hold one every night before leaving, until she saved enough money and quit her job.” Pinkie Pie sighed. “It’s so nice to see my little sister making friends all on her own. I was actually starting to worry she’d go through all of high school without a single friend.”

“I guess it’s true what they say about opposites attracting,” Rarity mumbled.

Rainbow Dash glanced over to the pair in the distance and put a hand to her chin. Pinkie Pie held a lightbulb over her head and a grin crossed her face. “Hey, I think I just got an idea.”

“Did it hurt?” Applejack laughed.

Rainbow Dash ignored the comment and climbed to her feet, chasing after Maud Pie and Trixie. “Hey guys!” The two stopped and turned around to face Rainbow Dash. “Hey, Maud, you wanna help Pinkie out, right?”

“Why?” Maud asked. “Is she in trouble?”

“Ohhh yeah! A real bind!” Rainbow Dash turned to Trixie, giving the magician a grin that made her uncomfortable. “We could really do with some… magic, to help us out.”

Trixie sighed. She stood outside of the Canterlot Gun Range with Maud Pie, the two of them wearing shades and black fedora hats to hide their faces. “Trixie can’t believe she let you talk her into this.”

“It’s to help my sister and her friends,” Maud Pie reminded.

“Yes, but I don’t see why we couldn’t have charged them at least a little bit for this.” Trixie pulled out a plastic card from her pocket and examined it. “Well, let’s hope this is good enough to fool the clerk.”

“A fake ID?”

“Yeah. Oh, you don’t have one, do you?” Maud shook her head. “Well then, maybe you should just leave this to me then.” Trixie opened the door before her and entered the store.

“Hey! Hey heyheyhey! No kids in ‘ere!” the clerk shouted from behind the counter as the pair of girls walked in.

“Kids!” Trixie scoffed. “How dare you! Just because I have a condition that impedes my growth, it does not make me any less adult!”

The clerk rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I get a lot of that.”

“Well do you get a lot of this?!” Trixie slammed her driver’s licence onto the clerk’s counter. Her fake one, of course, but judging by the softening look the clerk’s face, it was good enough.

“A-Ah, sorry ‘bout that. I get a lot of brats in ‘ere that tell all these sob stories so I can’t really give anyone an inch these days.”

“Whatever,” Trixie spat, putting her ID away and turning to the door leading to the gun range. “I wanna practice my aim.”

“An hour is thirty bucks,” the clerk responded. Trixie placed the money onto the counter and walked towards the door. “Hey! You got ID too, little lady?”

Trixie gasped and turned around. Maud Pie had tried to follow her into the range, but the clerk had grabbed her arm and stopped her. Biting her lip, Trixie cursed in her mind as she tried to think of something to say.

Maud Pie’s eyes met the clerks and he froze up. Her cold, stone-like gaze sent chills down the clerk’s spine and his grip began to loosen. Maud’s mouth opened and, in a cold, emotionless voice, she asked, “Is there a problem?”

The clerk let go of Maud’s arm completely and backed up, his arms raised. “N-Nope! No problem here, ma’am!”

Maud Pie nodded and placed thirty dollars onto the counter, before walking past her surprised friend. “… She’s good,” Trixie whispered, following Maud Pie with a grin.

As the two entered the range Trixie looked down the lanes. There were three people using the firing range: one was a middle-aged man with a trucker cap and a long beard, one was an elderly lady whose hands were shaking as she aimed her gun, and finally, Sunset Shimmer was occupying that farthest lane. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever fired a gun before, have you?” Trixie asked Maud.

“Papa taught me how to fire one during our family trip to Hawaii after I asked him to teach me.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Why would you need to- HAWAII?!” Trixie shook her head and continued her original question. “Why would someone like you need to learn how to fire a gun?”

“I wanted to learn to protect my sister,” Maud answered.

“Your sister? You mean Pinkie Pie?” Maud nodded her head. “She doesn’t seem the type to go getting into trouble.”

“She’s too nice and friendly. Somebody might take advantage of her and she wouldn’t notice,” Maud explained.

Trixie deadpanned. “That’s… a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“It isn’t like I’m breaking rocks with my fist or anything. I’m just protecting my sister from thieves and rapists.”

“… Don’t tell me you stalk her.” The lack of an answer only served to unnerve Trixie further. “Y-You can’t be serious!”

Maud turned to Trixie, staring into her eyes with her usual emotionless gaze. “… I was joking. I respect my sister’s privacy.”

Trixie blinked a couple of times before sighing in relief. “Then, the whole gun thing?”

“That was true. Whenever my sister meets someone new I check him or her out, first.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Have you ever heard of a sister complex?”

“Have you ever heard of a superiority complex?” Maud began walking down the aisle whilst Trixie simply followed in silence. She marked the victory in her mind before asking, “What about you? Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“Yeah,” Trixie said. “I learned how to use one thinking I could use some tricks in my show. Turns out health and safety issues prevent me from taking one into a public venue or into a children’s party.”

“That’s a shame. I would love to fire a shot at you and see you dodge it.”

Trixie slowed down a little to put some distance between herself and Maud. “Uh, thanks… I think.”

“How are we going to make Sunset Shimmer reveal what she likes?”

“Leave that to the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie replied, focussing her eyes on Sunset Shimmer as the two closed in on her. “Seeing through people is a natural talent for one such as me.”

As the two arrived behind Sunset Shimmer, they watched as she loaded a new clip into her gun. The two looked down the firing range to find a target sheet being carried away by a crane. It had a human shape on it and showed that Sunset Shimmer had successfully hit the target’s stomach four times, its heart once and its head once. As a new target came into play Sunset wasted no time unloading all six of her new shots into its neck, creating a nice necklace of bullet holes on her victim.

Trixie’s mouth was agape as Sunset turned around and glared at the two. “What are you two doing here?”

“… Hmph. Not bad,” Trixie said with a flick of her hair. “It seems that Sunset Shimmer is a girl of many surprising talents.”

“In here, it’s Maria Timely,” Sunset said, casting a quick glance down the aisle to make sure that the clerk was not there. “And outside, you never saw me here.”

“What are you doing here?” Maud Pie asked. “Why do you need to know how to fire a gun?”

“Because there’s no magic in this world,” Sunset answered, loading a new clip into her gun and turning around to aim at her next target. “I need a way to defend myself, and this is the best way there is.” Sunset Shimmer unloaded all six round, hitting both knees, both elbows and both eyes of her target. “It’s also just a good way to relieve stress. Now, how about telling me how you found out I was here?”

“How did we know?” Trixie asked. “Who says that we did? We were surprised to find you here.” 'Your henchmen are easy to buy information from, y'know?'

“… Really?” Sunset deadpanned. “You two just happened to walk into the same firing range as me?”

“We both come here often. It’s amazing we haven’t run into each other before.”

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes, but Trixie did not flinch. “Well, why don’t the two of you just take a lane far away from me?”

“But we’re already here,” Trixie said, entering the lane neighbouring Sunset Shimmer’s and taking the gun there. She started to load it when she noticed that the gun in Sunset Shimmer’s lane was still in its holster. “… You have your own personal gun?”

“So what if I do?”

“It’s illegal for a minor to carry around firearms,” Maud Pie said.

“It’s a good thing we’re not minors then, otherwise we couldn’t be here in the first place,” Sunset retorted, glaring daggers at Maud Pie, who took a step backwards in response.

“You said that you come here to relieve stress,” Trixie noted, aiming her gun down her lane with just her left hand and taking a shot. She clicked her tongue as her bullet missed the target. “Are you a big fan of guns?”

“… They’re interesting little devices,” Sunset acknowledged, holding up her gun and examining it. “Much slicker and more elegant than a bow and arrow. At first I just wanted to make sure I could hit my mark, but as time went on…” Sunset Shimmer whipped her gun forward quickly and fired her shots rapidly. “I started to challenge myself. Hitting specific targets, hitting targets quickly, even firing blindly.”

Sunset’s target had six holes in a circle across its abdomen. Trixie turned back to her own target and brought her second hand up, holding her gun steadier as she fired her next shot. This time she nailed the forehead.

“I’ve learned that using one hand doesn’t make you look cool,” Sunset said with a grin. “Not when you keep missing your mark. You don’t look cool when you’re dead.”

“I bet you could do it though,” Trixie said. “It’s funny. I always thought you were too grumpy to find something you enjoy, but it seems even you have a hobby. Too bad you’ve got no one to share it with.”

Sunset Shimmer lost her grin and looked down at her gun with a frown. “Well, it’s not like I have no one,” she said. “There are plenty of other customers that come by here and challenge me to a contest.”

“I bet you probably play a lot of video games, huh?” Trixie asked, firing another shot and hitting her target’s left foot. “Like Call of Duty, or Wolfenstein.”

“I’m not interested in something I can’t physically feel,” Sunset Shimmer answered. “A controller doesn’t compare to the real thing.”

“But it’s probably as close as you could get,” Trixie pointed out. “… Well, maybe not. I suppose there’s also paintball.” Sunset looked up with a questioning look on her face. “In fact, I hear there’s a big game happening next week. Paintball is probably as close as you could get to a full-on gunfight with other people.”

“Paintball… It’s not quite the same.”

“Oh, you should see the courses they have there,” Trixie said. “Trenches, forts, forests, traps, moats. And that’s just the wartime field. They also have a sci-fi field and a fantasy field. And then the prizes for those who come in at the top…”

Sunset grabbed her last magazine and loaded it into her gun. She aimed down her lane and hesitated for a moment, before saying, “Tell me more.”

“There. Problem solved,” Trixie declared as she walked into Pinkie Pie’s room, finding the group of give friends sitting around a magic eight ball. “… What are you doing?”

“Oh, we didn’t know if you would be successful so we moved onto our backup plan,” Rarity explained.

Trixie’s eye twitched. “… A magic eight ball. You replaced Trixie with a magic eight ball?!”

“But you said you did it, right?” Rainbow Dash asked as she stood up with her friends. “So? What’s the word?”

Trixie thrust out her open hand and shouted, “THIRTY DOLLARS!”

After the five friends reluctantly pitched in six dollars each, Trixie told them that they were going to participate in a paintball tournament the following week, and that Sunset Shimmer had no idea that she would be playing with them. With that, the five friends left to make preparations.

The following week saw the beginning of a week-long break for all schools, and on the first day of that week, Sunset Shimmer had made plans to participate in the great paintball tournament that Trixie Lulamoon had told her about. Whilst she couldn’t find anything about it online, according to Trixie, it was an unofficial one hosted by fans.

The idea of being able to practise her marksmanship on living targets, and to test her skills in surviving against enemies with similar weapons, were tempting to Sunset Shimmer, but what ultimately made her mind up was the prize for coming in first. Though she was vague on the details, Sunset Shimmer could only surmise a hefty cash prize for coming in first. Cash that could further fund her research.

After dressing appropriately – opting for shorts rather than a skirt and ditching her jacket since it was forecast to be a hot day – Sunset Shimmer packed her bag and put her phone into her pocket. Before leaving, she lifted the rug on her floor and opened the trapdoor she had created in her floor and pulled out the box that was buried in there. The box required an eight-digit combination that Sunset Shimmer punched in. ‘35259091’. It clicked and opened, revealing a pair of gloves inside.

Sunset Shimmer pulled out one glove and slowly placed her hand into it, biting her lip as she pressed her fingers against the fabric. Inside the glove, small fragments of glass from the mirror were sewn in, and were setup to dig into her skin when the glove was worn. She fastened the wrist to ensure it would not slip off, and then placed the other, regular glove onto her left hand. Holding up her right hand, Sunset Shimmer focussed. A couple of second later, her hand glowed green and she smiled.

“Right, time to go then,” she said as she collected her bag and left her room.

Sunset Shimmer dropped her bag as she departed from her bus. She was standing at the entrance to the Splatoon Paintball Arena, where she came face-to-face with the five people constantly invading her life.

“Oh, you’re here!” Trixie shouted, walking over to Sunset Shimmer with Maud Pie beside. “We’re just waiting for a couple more people and then we’ll get started.”

Sunset Shimmer’s hand were shaking and she grinded her teeth together. “I thought you said there was a ‘grand tournament’ here today, being held by fans.”

“Yep!” Trixie answered, her grin growing wider by the second. “And here it is! The Canterlot High First Annual Paintball Tournament, or FAPT!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack sniggered as Rarity, Fluttershy and Trixie blushed. “Not… the best abbreviation, darling,” Rarity said.

Trixie cleared her throat. “In any case, once the girls arrive we can begin.”

“I thought I would actually be facing challenging opponents here!” Sunset Shimmer shouted. “Not a bunch of kids who spend their time asking balls the future!”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie retorted. “No one doubts the power of the eight ball!”

A car pulled up to the entrance, with Big Macintosh in the driver’s seat. The back door opened and three cheerful little girls jumped out, laughing as they ran up to greet the group. “Thanks Big Mac!” Applejack shouted as she waved over to her brother. “Don’t worry ‘bout the pickup! Ah’ll take ‘em home!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac replied, reaching behind himself to close the door that the girls had left open before reversing his vehicle and driving away.

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood at attention before Sunset Shimmer and saluted. “Canterlot Mercenary Club reporting for duty!”

“… I’m leaving,” Sunset Shimmer said. “I can’t believe I booked a day off of work for this.”

“Oh? Could it be that you’re afraid of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Sunset Shimmer stopped in her tracks. “Or maybe it’s the ‘kids’ that you’re scared of? Or maybe our elite mercenary force?”

“… Afraid? Of jokes like you?”

“Well, if you’d rather run away and babysit-”

Sunset Shimmer turned around and charged towards Trixie, stopping just short of her face. “You’re. On.”

Trixie sweated as Sunset Shimmer walked past her, leaving a chill that descended down her spine. “… Too far?”

Rainbow Dash laughed as she and her friends approached Maud and Trixie. “Man, that was great!” she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. “I swear, if I knew I could get free favours from you sooner-”

Trixie reached forward and grabbed the collar of Rainbow Dash’s shirt. “Listen you-”

“Ah-ah! Pinkie’ll be sad if her friend gets hurt!”

“Trixie, let her go,” Maud said immediately.

Trixie’s arm shook, but she ultimately relented. “… Well, fair enough, but she can hardly be sad if you get hurt during the game,” she said, looking to Pinkie Pie for confirmation. The pink girl nodded. “Wonderful. Then let’s just hope we’re on opposite teams, hm?”

Now it was Rainbow Dash’s turn to sweat as Trixie and Maud walked after Sunset Shimmer, towards the registration area, leaving a chill that descended down her spine. “… Too far?”

“C’mon, let’s go register our group,” Applejack said to the Canterlot Mercenary Club, grabbing her sister’s hand.

Apple Bloom quickly pulled her hand out of her sister’s grip and protested, “Ah can walk mahself!”

The three younger girls all ran together towards the registration area, singing about the fun that was sure to come. With a sigh, Applejack followed, Rarity patting her shoulder for support. “They grow up so fast,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash followed last. “… Wait, there’s eleven of us. Won’t this be unbalanced?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Fluttershy said. “I invited someone else to make the teams even.”

“Really? Who?”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy each felt a hand on their shoulders, and turned around with gasps. Behind them was a large, muscular man in a white tank top, grey cargo shorts and camouflage face paint. The large man removed his hand from the frightened Rainbow Dash and have a thumbs up.

“Sergeant Iron Will, reporting back for active duty!”

As Iron Will and an uncomfortable Applejack registered their group, Rainbow Dash took Fluttershy aside to ask why she had invited their Gym teacher along.

“W-Well, you asked if I had any friends who weren’t animals that I could invite, and Mr. Iron Will used to be a soldier before he became a teacher.”

“That’s even worse!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Whichever team he’s on has the advantage!”

Fluttershy covered her mouth with a hand and cast her eyes downwards. “I-I didn’t even think about that. I’m sorry…”

Sunset Shimmer and Maud Pie stood against a wall as they watched the argument. Sunset’s eyes turned to where Trixie and Rarity were arguing about fashion versus functionality. Neither one seemed to notice that their skirts were not at all practical on a battlefield. Rarity’s was too long and restricted movement, whilst Trixie’s offered free movement, but could easily reveal too much unless she moved slowly.

Pinkie Pie and the Canterlot Mercenary Club were playing with the crane machine in the corner and failing miserably. Sunset Shimmer actually felt a little bad after seeing Sweetie Belle’s fifth failed attempt to get a stuffed rabbit toy from the machine. With a huff, Sunset flicked her finger, casting a green light that hovered the rabbit up just as the claw closed.

As the toy was dropped into the hopper, Sweetie Belle’s tears suddenly disappeared and were replaced with a wide smile and a cheerful hop. The girl laughed as she grabbed her new friend and hugged it tightly, with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie congratulating her.

Sunset Shimmer huffed and turned away. “Idiots…” she muttered, before turning to Maud Pie standing silently beside her. Besides her blue dress that was impractical for a combat environment, the grey girl did not look or say anything stupid, or anything that annoyed Sunset Shimmer and gave her a migraine. She just stood there, nice and silent, waiting patiently for the game to start. “I have no problems with you,” Sunset said.

Maud Pie’s head raised by an inch to acknowledge the statement, and she responded, “Oh. Okay.”

Sunset then turned her attention back to Iron Will, who was returning with Applejack with twelve tags in his hands. “Alright soldiers, listen up! Take one tag and it’ll tell you what team you’re on! There are four teams in total, with three people to a team!

“Iron Will realises that he has had many more years on the battlefield! Iron Will realises that some of you may not even know the difference from your gun and your hand! But rest assured, Iron Will will go easy on whatever teams are unfortunate not to have Iron Will in their ranks!

“In fact, Iron Will will not even use his gun until he is at point-blank range to his target!”

Rainbow Dash gave her friends an uncomfortable look. “I’m not sure if I should be thankful or afraid…”

Everybody collected their tags one-by-one and the teams were set. Sunset Shimmer was joined by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Trixie Lulamoon was joined by Applejack and Rarity. Maud Pie was joined by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and Iron Will was joined by Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie.

“This. Blows,” Sunset Shimmer said as her two teammates struggled to figure out how to put on their headgear.

“Well, at least the teams are balanced,” Trixie pointed out. “One gun expert on each.”

Iron Will raised an eyebrow. “‘Expert’? But you’re all kids!”

Trixie chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, Mr. Iron Will, don’t you know? These days it’s common for children to take holidays with their families to states where the laws for handling firearms are much more lax.”

“It is?” Applejack asked, receiving shrugs from all of her friends.

Iron Will nodded his head with a hum. “I see. Times really have changed since Iron Will was a new recruit…”

The first round started with the four teams in each corner of the battlefield, having five minutes to scavenge supplies scattered around and prepare their defences and their arsenal for attacking.

Trixie worked on preparing a base that would blend in with the environment, providing them cover and a chance to surprise any attackers on their land. Applejack collected whatever she could find around them, and Rarity put it upon herself to organise the stock and lay down some traps.

Meanwhile, Iron Will had instructed Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie to collect all of the materials in their area, and prepared a makeshift bunker that would provide excellent defence whilst offering many openings to attack the enemy, including a viewing platform in a nearby treetop.

Sunset Shimmer's group was doing… less well than the other groups. After returning from her expedition to find more ammo, Sunset Shimmer found that Sweetie Belle had somehow trapped herself inside of her own pitfall trap, and that Apple Bloom had hid herself inside of a hole that was rigged with a trap designed to explode paint when somebody got too close. The only problem was that she had not left herself enough room to clear the trap, nor any means of escape.

Deciding that she was on her own, Sunset took whatever supplies the other two had found for herself, ignoring their pleas for help, and began to strategise which group to attack first.

As for the final group…

"… Okay guys, at some point, we are gonna have to talk to each other," Rainbow Dash said. Her group had done nothing after gathering supplies, save for simply standing in a circle with various looks. Fluttershy's eyes were all over the place, and she continually opened and closed her mouth, as though she had lost her voice, Maud Pie was staring blankly at the other two, and Rainbow Dash was growing visibly more annoyed by the second.

A siren rang, announcing the start of the battle, and the walls separating the four areas began to come down.

"Okay, here's the plan-" Rainbow Dash realised that Maud had vanished, and that Fluttershy was crouched on the floor, covering her ears at the loud sound of the siren. "Hey! Where'd Maud go?!"

Fluttershy turned and found that Maud had gone, and then answered, "I-I don't know…"

"Alright, forget her! C'mon Fluttershy, let's go take down Sunset's group first! They're probably the easiest ones for now."

Fluttershy simply nodded, following Rainbow Dash as the two ran through the forest terrain.

Trixie, Rarity and Applejack watched carefully for any signs of movement outside of their bunker.

"You sure this'll keep us safe?" Applejack asked.

"Most certainly!" Trixie answered. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is a master of the art of camouflage! Why, I daresay we may be trapped here forever should our only way in and out somehow become locked!"

"Please don't say that," Applejack deadpanned.

"And do try to keep your voice down," Rarity said. "We won't be 'hidden' if they can hear us from the other side of the battlefield."

"Fret not! It would take a master of ninja arts, or a complete genius, to uncover the location of our fortified domain!"

"What about somebody missin' a few screws?" Applejack asked.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "What?" Applejack pointed outside of the window, where Trixie found Pinkie Pie standing outside, waving at the three of them with her gun still holstered. "Impossible! How could she have found us?!"

"Pinkie sense?" Applejack suggested.

"Maybe she sniffed us out," Rarity offered.

"Why can't she be more like her sister?" Trixie groaned.

"In what way?"

"Y'know, be like a normal human being?!" Trixie grabbed her gun and fired it. Pinkie Pie jumped to the side, evading the bullet. Trixie fired two more shots, but Pinkie simply leapt over them. "Stop that! You're not a cartoon for stars' sake!"

Pinkie Pie stuck her tongue out at the three, before turning around and shaking her rear. "Now that's just rubbin' it in," Applejack said.

"Not to mention unladylike," Rarity followed.

Pinkie Pie ran away, prompting Trixie to jump out of the bunker, screaming, "Oh no you don't! Get back here you pink abomination!"

"Trixie, wait!" Applejack shouted as she left the bunker to chase after her partner. "Don't go off alone!"

"D-Don't leave me here!" Rarity shouted, following after the two through the forest.

Trixie fired shot after shot, her paintballs either missing Pinkie Pie completely or hitting the many trees all around them. "I." Another shot. "Will." Another shot. "Get you!" Trixie stopped to reload her clip.

"Trixie!" Applejack cried as she caught up. "Forget her! Let's just get back to the bunker an' wait out the battle some more."

Trixie grumbled as she loaded her gun with a new clip, before gasping as a chill descended down her spine. "Watch out!" Trixie pushed Applejack down and swiftly dove to the side, taking cover behind a tree.

A paintball passed over the fallen Applejack and struck Rarity – who had just caught up and was already panting and sweating from all the running – in the breast.

"AAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Rarity screamed as she clutched her chest and fell to her knees.

"You've been hit!" Scootaloo's voice shouted out. "Time to head to the losers' area!"

"I WILL END YOU!" Rarity screamed as she rose to her feet, fire in her eyes. As she stomped away, passing by Trixie, she stopped to add, "This is all your fault!". With a final huff, Rarity made her way out of the battlefield.

Applejack watched from behind the safety of a nearby rock and checked her own utility vest. "Guess these don't provide much protection. Hope the helmets still do…"

Trixie slowly reached out her hand, hoping to provoke a response from Scootaloo. She heard a shot fire, and quickly pulled back to safety. "Well, guess we'll just have to wing it from here."

"What about Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asked. "If there are two of 'em out there-" Applejack felt the cold feel of metal against the back of her head, and she froze, sweat dripping down her body.

"Pinkie Pie's the least of your worries," said a dark, hushed voice as she barrel of the gun lowered, and a shot rang through the air.

Trixie turned at the sound of Applejack's pained cry. She found Iron Will standing behind Applejack, who was clutching her back whilst wincing in pain. Trixie wasted no time in raising her gun and firing, hitting Iron Will's shoulder. "Hah! That's one down!"

"Iron Will learned the hard way never to get cocky on the battlefield. And now you will, too."

Trixie was about to respond, but before she could, she heard a bang and felt a sharp pain in her back, causing her to let out a shriek that echoed throughout the forest. She turned around. Pinkie Pie was standing behind her, giggling and bouncing on the spot in absolute glee. "Ee-hee-heeeee! I got one! I got one!"

"Sometimes a soldier must sacrifice himself for the sake of the mission," Iron Will explained. "Now, let's evacuate the battlefield on the double!"

"No! That was just a fluke!" Trixie cried as Iron Will dragged her flailing form from the field, Applejack following after them. "Give me one more crack at her! I'll teach that pink menace not to mess with a master of the magical arts!"

Fluttershy stopped at the edge of the hole in her path and peered down. She found Sweetie Belle standing inside, tears streaming down her face. "Oh! Are you okay?" she asked, offering a hand for the child.

Sweetie Belle sniffed and nodded her head, accepting Fluttershy's hand and climbing out of the pit. "Fluttershy! What're you doing?!" Rainbow Dash demanded, pointing her gun at Sweetie Belle. "She's the enemy! Shoot her!"

"Eek!" Sweetie Belle ran away as a barrage of paintballs flew past her, running towards the safe refuge of Apple Bloom's hiding hole.

"Shoot her!" Rainbow Dash repeated.

"I'm sorry!" Fluttershy screamed as she assisted Rainbow Dash, firing blindly at the fleeing girl.

Rainbow Dash groaned and gave chase, cornering Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom together in the hole. "It's over now!"

"Wait! Don't come i-"

The hole exploded, paint coating the three girls' clothes and helmets, and bringing a null silence over the battlefield.

"Ah, darn it!" Rainbow Dash shouted, throwing her gun to the floor.

"Eheheh… Sorry, Rainbow Dash," Apple Bloom said, grinning sheepishly as she left the hole with Sweetie Belle. "Guess we're out now, huh?"

"Eep!"

All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who was clutching her bottom with tears welling in her eyes. Sunset Shimmer chuckled, and stepped out from behind a tree, her arms crossed as she said, "Well, it seems that you two actually accomplished something, after all."

"Ugh! Now we're down to one member, and she's gone AWOL!" Rainbow Dash complained.

"Well, time to clear out now!" Sunset watched as the four girls left the battlefield. She took a step forward, but stopped as she felt a hostile presence. Turning around, she found Maud Pie pointing a gun her way. "There you are!"

Maud fired a shot, which Sunset dodged and returned. Maud removed her foot from the small tree beneath her, allowing the shrubbery to shield her as she fled deeper into the forest.

"A challenge? I accept!" Sunset ran after the girl, but found that she had lost her fairly quickly. She felt two shots heading her way and took refuge behind a tree. "Where is she? … She's nearby, but I couldn't see her, so that means…"

Sunset snapped her head upwards, finding Maud Pie sitting in the tree above her. Raising her gun, Sunset fired a barrage of shots as fast as she could, emptying her magazine on the stealthy assassin.

"I can't believe you took each other out!" Rainbow Dash said, laughing as she placed an arm around an uncomfortable Maud Pie. "That is priceless! Way to avenge us, teammate!"

"This is absurd!" Sunset protested.

"I'm having fun!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed.

"Well, Iron Will's team is up by one," Applejack said. "The next game is gonna be two-on-two, so we're gonna have ta combine our teams."

"Ooh, can we pair up with Maud?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Sisters have telepathic abilities! We could totally use them to our advantage!"

"We don't," Maud Pie asserted.

"Trixie would prefer any team that isn't theirs," she said, glaring at the team of Iron Will, Scootaloo, and Pinkie Pie.

Iron Will stepped forwards, and said, "Iron Will thinks that the young ones should be with the stronger team!"

Scootaloo gasped in excitement. "You hear that, girls?! The mercenaries unite!"

As the Canterlot Mercenary Club gathered around and cheered, Sunset Shimmer huffed and approached a nearby vending machine. She feigned inserting several coins, and then held her gloved right hand over the glass, forcing the machinery to release a refreshing bottle of soda.

"Sunset Shimmer?"

"WHAT?!" Sunset yelped, spinning around and hiding her right hand behind her back.

Iron Will looked taken aback, and then said, "There's another reason I wanted us to be teammates for this next game. It's to teach you the value of teamwork."

Sunset Shimmer sighed. She turned back around to collect her drink. "Look, this isn't school, so don't try to give me any lectures."

"You don't listen in school anyway," Iron Will pointed out.

"Right, so why would I listen now? I'm here for one reason: to win. Those kids…" Sunset looked over to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who were giggling as Scootaloo pulled out many 'heroic' poses with her gun. "They're liabilities, plain and simple."

"They could be assets, if you let them be. You're the president of our school's council. A leader's job involves lending a hand to recruits having a rough time."

"I never even wanted them to be on my team."

Iron Will folded his arms. "Then given the choice, who would you have picked."

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes. "Out of you lot? … Applejack is the only one I can see being of any use. Level-headed, athletic, and not smart enough to try forming her own ideas."

"You want a slave, not a comrade."

"I want to win," Sunset repeated. "With as few headaches as possible."

Iron Will sighed and shook his head solemnly. "Iron Will knew a soldier who thought like you. Thought the weaker recruits deserved to be left behind. Only cared for those who knew how to fight."

"He sounds like a smart guy."

"… If he had just accepted my request to join him, maybe he wouldn't have been outgunned."

Sunset Shimmer stood silently for a few moments, before Iron Will turned around and left. Sunset Shimmer scoffed. "Even if I did need friends, who would be my friend… after learning what I'm trying to do?" Sunset opened her bottle and chugged the drink, replacing the fluids that she had sweated out, whilst drowning the pit that had formed in her stomach.

Sunset found that she fared no better during the next game, wherein two teams of six worked together to infiltrate the enemy's base and capture their flag. Iron Will gathered everybody up to brief them on the plan, but he had forgotten to factor in one minor detail.

"Those children are useless," Sunset Shimmer grumbled as she walked away from her assigned post. "Even if you draw them a diagram of what they're supposed to do, they'll just find some spectacular way to mess it up."

Sunset hid around the corner to her base's flag, where Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie were standing guard, as per Iron Will's instructions. "Hey," Pinkie Pie said, "D'you ever wonder why we're here?"

"Not really," Apple Bloom replied.

Sunset took out one of her paint grenades and gently levitated it to the door's narrow entrance, attaching the pin to the butt of Pinkie Pie's gun. Upon firing, the vibrations would loosen the pin, creating an explosion that would wipe out anybody nearby.

"That's settles the defence. Now to attack while the rest distract them."

Running through her base, Sunset Shimmer took as many shortcuts over walls as she could. As she reached the line that divided the two bases – the colour changing from red to blue – Sunset slowed down and opted to be more cautious. She heard gunshots and gazed over a wall, to find Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle engaged Applejack and Rarity.

Sunset sneaked past, leaving the two children to their fight, continued her infiltration of the enemy's base.

Scootaloo ducked her head down and nodded to Sweetie Belle. Together, the two of them ran from their hiding spot and retreated back into their base, rushing towards the flag. Looking over her shoulder, Scootaloo said, "They're followin' us, alright!"

"We gotta lure them to Sunset!" Sweetie Belle reminded, turning the next corner with Scootaloo. The two gasped, as Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be found. With Rarity and Applejack hot on their heels, Sweetie Belle asked, in a panic, "What do we do?! What do we do?!"

Scootaloo gritted her teeth together and glanced around the corner. "You run! I'll keep them busy!"

"But-"

"There's no time! Just go!"

Sweetie Belle nodded, a tear rolling down her face, and then took off. Scootaloo cocked her gun and swallowed the lump in her throat, before jumping out and firing at the two approaching girls. She managed to hit Applejack, but not Rarity. Scootaloo's visor was hit, blinding her and eliminating her from the game.

Sunset grabbed Fluttershy's mouth from behind and fired a shot into her back, muffling the yelps that followed until the other girl had quietened down. Upon being released, Fluttershy solemnly left the battlefield in complete silence.

As Sunset continued her trek through the enemy's base, she noticed Iron Will sneaking around in the distance. Between the two of them, Trixie was patrolling the area. 'She's sharper than the others. Maybe I should draw her attention to Iron Will.'

Just then, Sweetie Belle ran up to Iron Will, waving her arms about as she said something that she couldn't hear. He nodded and pointed to a small recess in the wall on the lower level.

Sunset grinned. "Much better," she said to herself as she aimed her gun, firing a paintball at Sweetie Belle's feet. This prompted a high-pitched yelp which, naturally, caught Trixie's attention.

Trixie jumped down, catching Sweetie Belle fleeing through one of the base's tunnels. "Like shooting fish in a barrel!" Trixie proclaimed as she aimed her gun and fired.

To Sunset's surprise, Iron Will managed to jump in the way of the paintball just in time. "Run Sweetie Belle! And don't look back!"

"Oh no you don't!" Trixie yelled as she chased after the fleeing girl.

Rainbow Dash ran out after hearing the commotion, and opted to follow Trixie after Sweetie Belle. Sunset Shimmer grinned, as that meant that the flag was left unguarded.

Walking into the empty room, Sunset put her gun away and rubbed her hands together. The flag waved gloriously in the simulated wind, and was soon to be the very thing that led her to victory.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie couldn't help but feel that things were a little too silent. She felt uneasy. As though someone had slipped past her impenetrable defence and was just about to take her out from behind.

"AHHH!"

Or Apple Bloom. Pinkie Pie turned around, finding Rarity taking cover behind some nearby crates. Pinkie Pie fired her gun, the vibrations releasing the pin from the grenade attached to it. The next thing anyone knew, the entire room was paint.

A pair of eyes opened up and blinked a couple of times, and then Pinkie Pie, covered entirely in red paint, stepped forward, separating herself from the background. "Wowzers. These guns got better since the last game."

"MY HAIR!" Rarity screamed, dropping her gun so that she could grab her now-red hair as panic spread throughout her system. "MY BEAUTIFUL, LUXURIOUS HAIR! IT'S RUINED!"

"At least the flag's secure, but what-" Apple Bloom noticed the shell of a grenade on the ground, and picked it up in order to examine it. "Isn't this one of the grenades Sunset Shimmer picked out?"

As Sunset approached the flag, a chill descended down her spine. She felt as though she was being watched. Like something was standing behind her, with the intent to kill. Grabbing the paintbrush in her tactical vest, Sunset turned around quickly, but found nothing there.

Suddenly, she felt something pouncing down from above. Sunset's quick reflexes allowed her to roll backwards out of the way as her assailant stabbed the ground with her paintbrush. Wiping the sweat from her cheek, Sunset looked up to find out who had so daringly assaulted her.

"It's the two of us, again," Maud Pie said as she rose to her feet.

"Maud…" Sunset smiled, as the two began to circle around each other. "Good. Now I can get my revenge on you for last time."

"You used your own team as a distraction. I didn't know one of my sister's friends was so cold." Maud stopped moving and slashed her paintbrush horizontally towards Sunset's face.

Sunset leaned back to avoid the attack, and then returned in kind, followed by a stab when Maud dodged her first blow. Maud dodged again, resulting in a stalemate between the two.

The two stood with their paintbrushes pointed outwards as they stared each other down, each one daring the other to make the first move. "What do you care?" Sunset asked as she threw her paintbrush into her left hand.

Maud Pie took two steps forwards and slashed at Sunset's chest, missing when Sunset jumped back, and then followed her move up with an upwards slash aimed at Sunset's chin.

Sunset Shimmer dodged the second attack and took a menacing step forwards, prompting Maud to take one step back. "I have to know if I can trust you around her. She's sometimes too kind." Maud swung her paintbrush from Sunset's left, and Sunset parried with her own.

Maud retracted her paintbrush and swiftly span around to Sunset's right, though Sunset turned to face her before Maud could make any use of this move.

"It sounds to me like you simply don't trust your sister," Sunset said with a smirk.

The two circled around each other once more in silence, before Maud replied, "I trust her to show kindness to everybody. Even those who don't deserve it." Maud stepped forwards and slashed once more at Sunset's chest. Sunset parried the blow again, but at the same time, she had lost her footing.

Thankfully for her, so did Maud. As Sunset tumbled backwards, Maud Pie tripped forwards. Sunset jumped and performed a back flip in the air in order to right herself, whilst Maud performed a cartwheel.

The two were left with their backs to each other. Sunset glanced over her shoulder, and found Maud looking into her eyes. The two turned around and entered into ferocious combat, wood striking wood as their paintbrushes collided.

The two reached a standstill after one final parry, and Maud asked, "My sister believes that you are trying to right your wrongs. But if you're not, that would break her heart."

Sunset laughed under her breath. "I see. So you're that kind. The kind that thinks they can meddle in another person's affairs under the pretense of 'caring' for them. Well it's none of my concern, because I never asked for her kindness in the first place!" Sunset released a pin from her remaining grenade and pushed it onto Maud Pie, before retreating with a couple of back flips.

She watched as Maud simply stood there, her eyes wide and her body frozen. The grenade exploded, and the paint-covered Maud put her paintbrush away to clear the battlefield. "… When we were children, Pinkie Pie burned herself when playing with fireworks." Maud Pie stopped to look at Sunset, and said, "I don't want that to happen to her ever again."

"Then maybe she should stop playing with fire," Sunset replied, putting away her paintbrush and walking towards the flag. She grabbed it with her right hand and pulled it from its stand. "This makes up for the last game."

"Not yet!"

Sunset gasped and dashed to the side, rolling for cover behind a pillar as several shots missed her.

"What part of 'we'll sneak up on her' sounded like 'announce our presence to the whole world'?!" Trixie shouted.

"That wouldn't have been cool enough!" Rainbow Dash argued. "Besides, I had to let her know who was gonna finish her off!"

Sunset groaned and reached for her grenades, only to be reminded of the fact that she had used them both already. 'Where's my backup?! … Oh, right. I used them all…'

"No one left but you now!" Trixie shouted. "You could make this easier and just give up."

"As if I would surrender to the likes of you!" Sunset attempted to poke her out from her cover, but had to retreat quickly as she heard shots fired towards her.

"Fine then, stay right there! Rainbow Dash, you get her flag while Trixie keeps her pinned down!"

Sunset gasped. "You got it!" Rainbow Dash replied.

Grinding her teeth, Sunset clutched her hand into a fist, wincing as the glass piercing her fingers stung her a little. 'Wait, that's it!' Sunset focussed on the sounds of Rainbow Dash's footsteps, and then channelled some magic into her hand.

"It looks like she's done for," Scootaloo said from the lobby, watching the match play out on the monitors provided.

"Serves her right for sellin' us out like that!" Apple Bloom said with a huff.

Applejack sighed. "This was supposed ta help us get closer, but she's still actin' like we're the enemy an' keepin' her distance."

"If that was your objective, then this may not be a total loss," Iron Will said as he stared intently at the monitor showing Sunset Shimmer. "Sometimes, one has to be shown the value of friendship and working together. Perhaps realising what her actions have brought her will give Miss Shimmer cause to reflect on her outlook on life."

"I agree," Rarity said. "Sunset hasn't had many friends, and the one person she looked up to more than anything, in her eyes, betrayed her."

"Y'mean that 'Princess Celestia'?" Applejack asked.

Iron Will guffawed, startling the group. "The principal a princess?! Oh, that'll be the day! Gwahahahahah!"

"Uh, yes, as I was saying," Rarity continued, "Sunset doesn't like to open herself up to people. Even when Principal Celestia-" Rarity stopped herself suddenly.

"Even when she what?" Applejack asked.

"What? Uh… N-Nothing. What I meant to say, was that Sunset Shimmer just… I mean, she seems to be scared of making new friends. Perhaps she fears that we will betray her, too."

"Iron Will's no psychologist, but if she's got inner demons, it'll take time and patience to work 'em out." Iron Will turned to the girls, and said, "If you still want her friendship, you'd best prepare for some hardships! You'll have to fight for it, even if that means fighting Sunset Shimmer herself!"

The girls all exchanged glances and nodded together. "Hey! Rainbow Dash tripped!" Apple Bloom shouted as she pointed to the monitors. Everybody turned to see.

"What are you doing?! Get up!" Trixie shouted.

"I-I dunno what happened," Rainbow Dash said as she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Sunset took the opportunity to jump out and surprise Trixie, blasting the magician before she could respond.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHH! NOT AGAINNNNNNN!" Trixie screamed as she stomped her foot.

Rainbow Dash managed to recover herself just before Sunset could fire her next volley of shots, and quickly made her way to cover.

Sunset ran from pillar to pillar, evading Rainbow's shots and making her way over to where Trixie was throwing a fit. 'Forget the flag! I can end this now!'

Taking one of the grenades from Trixie's belt, Sunset pulled out the pin and threw it over towards Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow's eyes widened as the device landed at her feet. "Oooooh, son of a-"

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy removed their hands from the Canterlot Mercenary Club members' ears and looked over towards the receptionist. "Hey, was that legal?" Applejack asked.

"What did Rainbow Dash say?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I don't know," Sweetie Belle said with a shrug.

"Hey! Why'd you block our ears?" Scootaloo demanded.

The receptionist, after popping the bubble made by her bubblegum, said, "Yeah, that's legal. The rules say you can use any equipment you find on the field. Doesn't mention equipment from people that shouldn't be on the field."

"Sounds like a loophole if ya ask me," Applejack deadpanned.

"And Sunset Shimmer abused it to her advantage," Rarity followed.

"And Sunset Shimmer also came out a winner," Sunset said as she joined everybody in the lobby, followed by her angry victims, Trixie Lulamoon and Rainbow Dash. "If the rules are flawed, they should fix them."

"On the battlefield, there are no rules," Iron Will said as he approached Sunset Shimmer.

"Whose side are you on?!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she stomped past the teacher to join her friends.

Maud Pie approached Trixie with a wet towel and began wiping her face. "Stop that! I am perfectly capable of cleaning myself!" Trixie shouted as she swiped the towel, walking with Maud to the side as she cleaned the sweat off of her face.

Iron Will followed Sunset towards the nearby vending machines. He watched as the girl put in a few coins and pushed the button for a bottle of water. "What do you want now?" Sunset asked, turning to the teacher with a grin. "Who says you need friends to win?"

"You got lucky," Iron Will said, his arms folded. "Had Rainbow Dash not tripped-"

"Some say luck is a skill." Sunset opened her water and began drinking. 'Or magic, whatever works.'

"Your luck is bound to run out someday, and what will happen then?" Iron Will asked, only to receive no answer. "Do you know why these girls went through the trouble of arranging all of this?"

"They want to be my friends," Sunset answered after she removed the bottle from her lips. "I know, and I don't care. I never asked any of them for their friendship, and I don't need it."

"Because you're afraid?" Sunset looked startled for a second, before giving Iron Will a cold, hard glare. "I don't know what happened or what you're going through, but I do know that you've burned many bridges. What will happen one day when you burn the wrong bridge, and you have nobody there to support you?"

"I'll deal with it, like I always do."

"Like at the Fall Formal?" Sunset Shimmer bared her teeth. "I'm telling you this because I have known people exactly like you, and not a single one of them ever reached a happy ending! You're still young! This is your chance to decide whether you'll accept help when it's offered to you, or doom yourself to forever fight alone."

"… Did any of your friends… hold any vendettas?"

Iron Will raised an eyebrow. "Against me?"

"Against anyone. Were any of them out for revenge?"

Iron Will rubbed his chin and hummed in thought. "Y'know, I think there were a few."

"How did it end for them? After pushing everybody away."

"Well, many of them died for unrelated reasons," Iron Will said. "Many of them died in the process. A few got their revenge, but died from their injuries."

"None of them got their revenge and survived?"

iron Will shook his head. "Some did. But whether you could call it 'living'…"

"I see…" Sunset Shimmer took another drink of her water.

"The final round is four separate teams again. I know you don't think of your comrades as anything but children, but everyone has power that's just waitin' to come out. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the one that makes 'em shine!"

"… Winning is all that matters to me, and I'll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal."

Sunset Shimmer walked away, leaving Iron Will to sigh and shake his head. "What am I doing wrong? I only know how to make people come out of their shells, not how to calm a wild horse." Iron Will took in a deep breath, and then proceeded to join the rest of the group for their final game.

"Where is she?!"

"She's over there!"

"How is she so fast?!"

"Is she a ninja?!"

"SHOUTING!"

Sunset Shimmer watched from behind a large tree as Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie ran about like headless chickens, firing randomly into the air and through the forest. Sunset ducked back as a stray paintball hit her tree.

The panicking girls had already taken down Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, but Maud Pie had eluded them. Iron Will was nowhere no to be seen.

"Should we… do something?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Maud Pie left a while ago," Sunset said. "I guess she doesn't want to hurt her sister… I've got an idea." Sunset Shimmer ran forwards, ducking behind various trees on her approach to the girls. She heard the sound of a twig snapping and turned around quickly to find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle following her. "Did I say to follow me?!" she shouted in a hushed whisper.

"You didn't say not to," Apple Bloom replied.

"What do you want us to do?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Just… stand back and don't get in my way!" Sunset turned back to where Pinkie Pie and Scootaloo were, only to find them running towards them. With a gasp, she ducked behind her tree. The two ran by, screaming as a volley of paintballs were fired their way.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Pinkie Pie by the shoulder and pulled her in, rushing out from her cover with Pinkie Pie as her human shield.

"WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH! I didn't sign up for this!" Pinkie Pie cried as she watched Applejack and Rarity getting closer. "Ohey, Trixie's gone."

Sunset narrowed her eyes and pointed her gun forward, firing two shots that each hit one of the girls.

"Ooh, nice aim!" Pinkie Pie complimented.

"You… realise that I'm using you as a shield, right?" Sunset asked, looking around cautiously for Trixie.

"Am I doing a good job?"

"… Sure. Why not?"

"Look out!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

Sunset turned around and found Trixie pointing a gun towards her. 'I-I can't dodge it!'

"Revenge is mi-" A paintball hit Trixie's hand, causing her to yelp and drop her gun. "OH COME ON!" She shouted, stomping the ground before collecting her gun and storming off.

"Who-" Sunset found Apple Bloom pointing her gun towards where Trixie was standing. "Y-You saved me there…"

Apple Bloom slowly grinned and gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah, ah really did."

"That was so cool!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"Way to go Bloomy!" Pinkie Pie praised. "It's okay Scootaloo! We're alright!"

"Don't tell them where I am!" Sweetie Belle gasped and fired her gun blindly into the bushes. Scootaloo groaned and stepped out of the bushes, a blue stain on her visor. "Nice one, Pinkie Pie."

"Oops!" Pinke replied with a blush. "Eheheh… sorry…"

As Scootaloo left the battlefield, Sunset Shimmer took a moment to catch her breath and try to update herself on the current situation. "Trixie's team is out, Iron Will's team is now missing one Scootaloo…"

"And Maud's on her own," Apple Bloom finished.

"Which is where my shield comes in," Sunset said, turning around to confront Maud Pie face-to-face. "I knew you hadn't gone far, but you never fired any shots. Because your sister was in the fray."

"Really?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Awwww, that's so sweet of you!"

"Let my sister go," Maud Pie said in a cold, harsh tone.

"Now why would I do that?" Sunset asked with a grin. She fired a shot at Maud, only for her opponent to dodge an take cover behind a rock. "I've got the ultimate weapon against you. You're only delaying the inevitable this point."

No response came, and Apple Bloom bravely stepped forwards. "Ah'll go take her out," she whispered, but was stopped by Sunset's hand.

"You fool. She's waiting for that." Sunset hummed in thought. "If we just wait this out, we can win."

"But isn't this match decided by who had the central land the longest?" Apple Bloom asked. "We stayed on the outskirts the whole time, so wouldn't we lose?"

Sunset gasped. She had forgotten all about the round's special gimmick, and started to sweat. "We need to draw her out…"

"Maud's stubborn," Pinkie Pie said. "One time, she got a bad grade and was too afraid to show our parents, so she locked herself inside a bathroom until the police managed to pick the lock!"

"… There may be one way to coax her out, and relieve this headache," Sunset said, pointing her gun at Pinkie Pie's foot. "Come out now, or I fire at your sister!"

Pinkie Pie smiled with glee. "YAAAAY! I'm being helpful!"

Maud poked her head out from her cover, staring intently at the gun aimed at Pinkie's foot. "… What do you want?" she asked.

"I can't afford for you to draw this out any longer," Sunset said. "Shoot yourself, and I'll release your sister! Refuse, and… well, you get the idea!"

"What guarantee do I have?"

"None. But you do have thirty seconds to decide."

"I don't know if I like this side of her," Sweetie Belle said to Apple Bloom.

"Ah like it, 'cause it's on our side!" Apple Bloom replied.

"Very well then," Maud Pie said, pointing her gun at her own chest. "I'll do it, but you better let Pinkie go."

"No Maudie! Don't do it!" Pinkie Pie cried.

"Forgive me, Sister." Before Maud Pie could pull the trigger, a tall, imposing figure jumped down from the treetops and landed behind her. With his left hand, he ran a paintbrush along Maud's neck, and with his right, he fired a single shot towards Pinkie Pie, eliminating them both immediately.

"One sister taking her life for the other… Iron Will will not stand idly by and watch such a tragic scene unfold!"

Pinkie Pie slipped out of Sunset Shimmer's hold and walked over towards Maud. "Aw well, that was fun! Good luck Iron Will! Knock 'em dead!"

"Sister, you could have freed yourself this whole time?" Maud asked as her sister walked by her. She followed after Pinkie Pie, the two leaving the battlefield together.

"Yep! I just wanted to try being a shield! It was fun until I got shot."

"I dislike when you make me worry…"

Sunset Shimmer stood agasp at the events that had just transpired, but she broke out of her stupor as Iron Will took a threatening step forwards. "Y-You shot your own teammate!"

"So?" Iron Will asked. "The ends justify the means. There are no rules on the battlefield!" Iron Will put away his paintbrush and trained his sights on Sunset Shimmer. "Isn't that right?"

"Wait! You said you wouldn't shoot unless at point-blank!"

"I changed my mind. You're too dangerous an opponent for that."

Iron Will unleashed a barrage of bullets, forcing Sunset and her team to run for cover within the dense forest around them.

"What do we do?!" Sweetie Belle asked.

Sunset looked over her shoulder, but found no sign of their pursuer. That didn't stop her from sensing him, though. "He's an ex-soldier! This is hardly fair!"

"It's three-against-one! Don't talk to me about 'fair'!" Iron Will's voice boomed out from all around the fleeing girls.

Ahead of them, Sunset spotted a bunker with a small, open window, covered in leaves and dirt. Sunset picked up the pace, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed as a barrage of paintballs flew by them.

"Get in!" Sunset shouted as she rolled inside, her teammates managing to join her without being hit.

"We're safe!" Apple Bloom said as she sat against a wall to catch her breath.

"Don't be naïve," Sunset said. "Iron Will will be here to finish us soon enough."

"What can we do?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Sunset stared at Sweetie Belle for several seconds, before a wicked grin crossed her face. "I have an idea."

"Twenty-nine… Thirty…" Iron Will stepped out from his cover and slowly approached the bunker. "I'm waiting no longer! Iron Will demands that you come out, or I'll smoke you out! … N-Not literally, of course. No smoke bombs or flares or anything…"

"I'm coming out!" Iron Will raised his gun as Sunset Shimmer did indeed step out from the bunker, carrying a flailing Sweetie Belle in one arm and training her gun on Iron Will with her free hand. "Want to shoot?! Go ahead!"

"You'd use your own comrade as a shield now?! That's just disgraceful! And where's the other one?!"

"Well, she put up some resistance, so she's out." Apple Bloom came out from the bunker, clutching her chest and wincing as she ran away into the forest, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Sunset Shimmer… you scoundrel! I'll have you court-martialled for this!"

"Oh, please! You shot your own teammate!"

"Pinkie Pie was already dead! I couldn't allow you to have a shield to protect yourself!"

"Well, I have one regardless. A little small, but- NOW!"

Sweetie Belle raised her hand and fired her gun at Iron Will. The teacher simply rolled to the side, evading the shot, and gave them a questioning stare. "That was your plan? Distract me and try to catch me off my guard? If I weren't a trained soldier, that might have worked."

"True. It was a leap of faith."

Iron Will narrowed her eyes. "What do you have planned?" Iron Will gasped. He heard the sound of a footstep behind himself, and turned around quickly to find Apple Bloom pointing a gun at him. She fired, hitting where his heart was. "H-How did-"

"Ah did it!" Apple Bloom cried out in joy. "Ah really did it! Woohooooo!"

"Good going Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle called out.

"A-Ah don't know if ah can do that," Apple Bloom said. "Ah'm not too good at sneakin'. Ask Applejack."

"You have to have faith in yourself," Sunset Shimmer said. "With faith, you can do anything. Or what, is the mercenary afraid to take this job?"

Apple Bloom mulled it over for a second, before nodding her head with a confident smile. "Okay. ah'll do it." She clutched her chest and took in a deep breath. "Okay, fake tears, an' look like ah'm in pain…"

"It's like ya said, Sunset!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Ah put mah mind to it, an' ah snuck up behind him without him ever realisin'!"

"I told you so," Sunset replied, dispelling the magical aura around her hand. 'A little sensory-manipulation spell also helped. Good thing these creatures haven't been exposed to too much magic. He didn't notice that anything was off with him at all.'

Iron Will turned to Sunset Shimmer with a look of utter surprise. After a couple of seconds to pick himself up and collect his thoughts, Iron Will gave Sunset a smile and said, "That was some good teamwork."

"You were testing us," Sunset Shimmer said.

"No. I was proving a point." Iron Will said, before turning to leave the battlefield. "Sometimes, you need comrades to fight alongside you. You support them, and they'll support you."

Sunset Shimmer scoffed. "Don't confuse the situation. I merely used whatever resources I had on hand, and these children counted. It's called 'improvisation'. Furthermore-"

"Uh, Sunset Shimmer?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Could you put me down now? I don't like being off the ground for this long…"

With a blush, Sunset gently placed Sweetie Belle back onto the ground, and then cleared her throat. As she watched Iron Will leave, she muttered to herself, "Anything to win."

Sunset Shimmer followed her team towards the centre of the battlefield to make their victory concrete. As she watched them celebrating and singing cheerfully, a smile crossed her face. "Well, I suppose there's some merit in being a valuable asset to others…"

"We did it!"

"We won!"

"And no casualties!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle high-fived each other in celebration, whilst Sunset Shimmer simply walked over to the reception table and deposited her equipment, wiping the sweat from her forehead upon relieving herself of that heavy helmet.

"Good work out there," Iron Will praised as he deposited his equipment besides Sunset Shimmer's. He gave her a thumbs-up.

"Hmph. It must be embarrassing for an ex-soldier to lose to a bunch of kids."

"Two kids, and a genius who hides her true talent," Iron Will corrected. "Forget the books; you should join one of our school's teams!"

"No."

"Don't think about it too much," Iron Will said with a deflated look. "… You did well, relying on your team like that."

"Let's just get one thing clear: I didn't 'rely' on them, and I didn't work with them because I wanted to. I was simply out of options, and that's all."

"Are you telling me you didn't enjoy it even the slightest bit?"

Sunset Shimmer turned around with a huff, and said, "Nope."

She began to walk away, when Iron Will called out, "Then I guess I just imagined that smile of yours!"

Sunset stopped and clenched her hands into fists. "Yes. You did."

"A shame," Iron Will said, scratching his head as he walked away. "I would've liked to see more of that smile."

Sunset Shimmer waited for a few moments, for the sounds of Iron Will's footsteps to fade away, before she continued to move towards the exit. She was intercepted by the meddlesome group of five that had schemed this entire day to begin with.

"Hey! Where're ya goin'?" Applejack asked.

"Home," Sunset answered.

"Oh? Didn't Trixie tell you?" Rarity asked. "The paintball was only the start of the fun! Next comes to sleepover at my house!"

Sunset Shimmer cast a glare at Trixie, who was busy punching the punching bag that Maud had procured from somewhere and shouting up a storm.

"Just us six," Rainbow Dash added. "No kids or teachers crampin' our style."

"Hey!" Sweetie Belle shouted, puffing our cheeks. "Mum said you've got to let me play with you!"

"That's fine," Applejack said, casting a mischievous grin over the younger girl. "So long as ya don't mind us talkin' 'bout boys and kissin'."

"Ewwwww! Never mind!"

As Sweetie Belle ran off, Sunset Shimmer attempted to bypass the meddlesome five, only for Pinkie Pie to nonchalantly block her path. "I didn't pack anything."

"That's fine. I've got spare pyjamas and a spare toothbrush," Rarity said.

"Really, I'm fine," Sunset said though gritted teeth. Suddenly, her phone range, indicating that she had received a text message. She pulled out her phone to check the message.

Sunset Shimmer, I have been called to Luna's house suddenly for an emergency meeting and will not be back until morning. The door is locked, so please ask one of your friends if you could sleepover at their house for the night. Celestia.

"… You planned this, didn't you?"

"Planned what?" Pinkie Pie asked.

With a sigh, Sunset said, "Fine then. It looks like I have no choice."

"Woohoo!" Pinkie Pie grabbed Sunset's head in a headlock and walked her along with the rest of the group towards the building's exit. "PAR-TY! PAR-TY!"

"Let me go!" Sunset demanded, unable to free herself from the pink menace's grasp.

"Also, as the winner tonight, you are entitled to choosing the night's activities!"

Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer simmered down. "Well. Perhaps tonight won't be so bad after all," she said with a wicked grin.

Author's Note

Points to anypony who figures out what the Sunset and Maud paintbrush fight scene is based off of :pinkiesmile:

XX - The New Teacher

"TWILIGHT, LOOK!"

Twilight Sparkle flinched as a flier was shoved into her face by Sunset Shimmer. Upon opening her eyes, all that Twilight could see was a blur of colours obscuring her vision. "I can't see it."

"We're totally going, right?!"

"Maybe if I could see what it is-"

"Your parents will be cool giving us a lift, right?"

"Again, perhaps if I could just-"

"Hope you've got your allowance saved up!" A silence passed as the two stood still in the middle of the street, gaining strange looks from passersby. "I'm done now."

"So what is it?"

Sunset pulled the flier back so that Twilight could read it properly. "It's a new expo having its first event this weekend! It's not too far from Joe's shop."

Twilight read the large wording of the poster. "'CanterCon'? Movies, games, anime and manga, comic books… with special guests including Craig Charles and Vic Mi… Mig-nanana?"

"We're going, right?" Sunset repeated. "It doesn't run on too late so we'll get to enjoy the whole thing, and there's going to be a large sci-fi area filled with rare memorabilia and a live Robot Wars!"

Twilight gasped. "And look! A karaoke contest! We have to enter! It's the one time I can sing in front of complete strangers and feel at ease!"

"So it's decided then?"

Twilight nodded her head. "I'll be getting my allowance this week, and it's close enough that I'm sure my parents would be alright dropping us off."

"Great! You should totally wear something cuter this year. Like, Sailor Moon, maybe?"

Twilight and Sunset walked together down the street. "No way! That skirt is way too revealing! Besides, I'm happy going as Gandalf again."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Always that wizard with you."

"Hey, if magic was real, I'd trade all my books for it in a heartbeat."

After arriving at their next class, Sunset and Twilight took their seats and chatted about the coming expo until the teacher walked in, silencing the class as the students took their seats. Only, to everybody's surprise, it wasn't their usual history teacher that walked in; it was the school's principal, Ms. Harshwhinny.

Everybody quickly moved to adjust their shirts, their ties, and anything else that may have been out of order. Ever since the principal had introduced a uniform policy at the academy, she had made it a point to pull aside anyone who didn't 'wear it to code'. Just one button unfastened, or one wrinkle on your tie was all that it took.

Twilight still hadn't gotten used to the new uniform, herself. The pleated skirt and matching waistcoat were fashionable, but the skirt was so long that it fell to her ankles and made moving hard, especially when she was in a hurry to reach her next class before the bell rang. The tie was a nuisance to put on every morning, and having to button her white shirt to the collar suffocated her every time.

Sunset Shimmer, on the other hand, had already adjusted to everything but the restriction on jewellery and makeup. There had been times where she had forgotten the strict new rules and had her favourite accessories confiscated, or been forced to wash her face in the bathroom before class.

Ms. Harshwhinny narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the entire class. "… Everyone, I regret to inform you that your history teacher, Mr. Barish, is currently away due to an accident that has required him to undergo extensive surgery." The entire class broke out into mumbling, before the principal slammed her hand onto the desk beside her, hushing everybody up. "Therefore, I would like for you all to welcome your new teacher until Mr. Barish returns."

Ms. Harshwhinny nodded to the open doorway, and in response, a woman stepped into the classroom. She was tall, pink-skinned, and dressed in a fashionable-yet-professional one-piece dress that made her hips in particular stick out. Had the school not catered only to girls, a few appreciative whistles may have rung throughout the classroom.

The woman's eyes were a deep purple, and they were wide as she shined a friendly smile towards the class. Her hair was mostly purple, tired into a large ponytail, and was lined with blue and lighter-purple streaks.

"It is nice to meet all of you," the woman greeted. "My name is Starlight Glimmer, and if there is one thing I would like for you all to learn from me, it is to remember that everyone, no matter their race, ideology, or any other circumstance, is equal, and so I would like you all to treat me the same as you would any other student."

Ms. Harshwhinny cleared her throat. "Miss Starlight Glimmer has recently completed her master's degree in history and, in particular, has focused greatly into the American Civil War which, I believe, is your next upcoming examination. Now, I know that I shouldn't need to remind you of this, but our academy has a long-standing tradition of respect and professionalism and, just because Miss Glimmer is only a substitute teacher, that does not change. If I hear of any trouble, or unprofessional conduct, from any of you…"

Ms. Harshwhinny didn't even need to finish. One glare from the principal's eyes spread the message of fear into the students just fine. "I think we'll get along just fine," Starlight Glimmer said, looking over the class with a warm, welcoming smile. "Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Yes, Ms. Harshwhinny!" Everybody replied at once.

"Well then, if there are any problems, Miss Glimmer-"

"I'll be sure to send any troublesome students your way," Starlight Glimmer assured the principal. "Though I have a feeling that that won't be necessary. They all just seem so nice."

"Children are children. One of them will slip up eventually." With that, Ms. Harshwhinny cast one final glare over the classroom before leaving.

Starlight Glimmer clapped her hands together and asked, "So, who likes movies?" A few students raised their hands. "Well, if you all do well in your mock test this week, I have a very fascinating movie about the war for you all!"

The students mumbled to each other as they smiled. "This new teacher doesn't seem so bad."

"I love her hair."

"You think she'll give us less homework?"

Starlight Glimmer tapped her hand against her desk a couple of times, gathering the attention of her new students. "Okay, everyone! Let's focus so that we can get those good grades! I'll be giving you all a test at the end of the week."

The entire class groaned collectively, save for the noticeable absence of one Twilight Sparkle. "Whyyyyyy?" one girl asked as she slumped over her desk.

"Because I want to fit in with the other teachers, and I can't do that if I'm liked by my students," she said with a giggle. Only a couple of the students laughed at her little joke. "Also because I need to know what level each of your are performing at. Now, open your textbooks to page sixty."

At the end of the week, the fated day of the test had arrived. A total of three students had called in sick on that day. The rest of the students were presented with a multiple-choice test, with fifty questions and answer sheets with four to six choices per question.

The test was about the American Civil War of Independence. Heads were scratched and pens tapped against tables as the minutes ticked by. Starlight Glimmer smiled as she watched her students squirm and suffer under the cruelty of her devilish test.

"Thirty minutes remaining," Starlight announced.

"This is too hard!" one student finally yelled as she threw her pen down and held her head in her hands.

"We are under exam conditions," Starlight reminded. "And yes, the test is hard. Unless you studied the parts that I told you to instead of playing video games all week."

"I wasn't playing video games. I just visited the mall every day." The student gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Well next time you visit you may want to consider picking up a history book. In the meantime, finish the test silently until-" Starlight noticed a hand raised and turned to Sunset Shimmer. "Yes, Miss…"

"Sunset Shimmer," Sunset replied. "I'm finished. Can I please go to the bathroom?"

"If I let you outside, you won't be allowed to re-enter until the bell rings," Starlight informed Sunset. "Are you sure you have finished all questions?"

"Yes."

Starlight nodded her head. "Then quietly bring your papers to the front and place them on my desk, then leave without causing a disturbance. Remember that there are other classes still going on."

"Yes, ma'am." Sunset Shimmer obeyed. After she left the classroom, she rushed off down the hallway and towards the nearest bathroom in the school.

She returned to the classroom and stood outside quietly for fifteen minutes, after which the door opened and Twilight Sparkle stepped outside. "It's about time," Sunset said as Twilight closed the door. "It took you that long to finish it."

"It was a difficult test," Twilight retorted. "I had to check my answers carefully, something that you should have done, too."

Sunset waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. It's not gonna affect my final grade. I'm sure I got most of it right even without checking it."

"Your overconfidence is your weakness," Twilight said as she folded her arms.

"Your faith in your friends is yours."

"Then good job I have no faith in you."

The two laughed, quietly, before Sunset pulled out her phone and checked the time. "So, what do you think of this new teacher?"

"She's fun," Twilight answered. "And she knows her stuff, too. But… I don't know, maybe it's just me, but it kinda feels like she's been staring at me lately."

"Perhaps she's got the hots for you."

Twilight gave a deadpan stare and replied, "I highly doubt that."

"Hey, you don't know. Bookworms might be her type."

Twilight playfully punched Sunset's arm. "I'm serious! It was like that during the test, too. She also seemed really… happy, when I finished."

"Well, maybe it's because you've been answering every question she asked this week before anybody else got a chance."

Twilight's face turned red. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Oh don't apologize. Everyone else likes it when you give them an excuse not to raise their hands."

The bell rang, and the classroom door opened. Students filed out with relieved looks on their faces and arms stretched high. "Looks like it's over," Sunset observed. "Guess we should be heading over to our next class now."

"Right," Twilight nodded. As the crowds dispersed, Twilight noticed Starlight Glimmer grading the test papers at her desk. "We have music next, which this- Huh?" Twilight turned down the corridor, where she noticed a line of pupils entering Starlight's classroom. "She has a class? Why is she grading our papers now, then?"

"Hey, you coming?" Sunset asked from down the corridor.

"Oh, yeah!" Twilight quickly followed, walking with Sunset down the long hallway.

Students rejoiced as the school day ended, granting them the freedom to flee the school and remove their choking ties, and then race home to change out of their restrictive skirts.

Twilight ran the final checks on her bag to ensure that she had all of her possessions, and that her notebooks were in alphabetical order. "You ready for CanterCon tomorrow?" Sunset asked from the doorway of their final classroom of the day.

"Yep! I'll be getting my allowance today and then spending it all tomorrow!" Twilight replied with an enthusiastic fist pump. "Or… half… Maybe just a quarter…"

"Careful. Don't go too wild," Sunset said with a snicker.

"Okay! I got everything!" Twilight fastened her bag and picked it up. "Let's go!"

As the two girls left the classroom, they bumped into Starlight Glimmer outside, who was carrying a piece of paper in her hands. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle! I'm so glad I caught you before you left!"

"Miss Glimmer?" Twilight asked with a questioning gaze. "What's wrong?"

"I just got finished marking your test paper and… well, I'm rather concerned. I realise that it was hard, but you scored a zero."

Twilight's bag dropped, her mouth hung open, and Sunset Shimmer stared in shock. "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-"

"Hold on, are you sure you got the right girl?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "'Twilight Sparkle'? Neat handwriting, circles probably filled in to perfection…"

"Believe me, I was as surprised as you are." Starlight handed the graded paper to Twilight, who took it with her shaking hands. "Twilight, I was hoping for a chance to visit your home and speak to your parents about this. I know a house call is a little extreme, but, given that everybody else managed to score at least a fifty…"

Twilight squeaked as she looked over her test paper to confirm the story for herself. A tear rolled down her cheek and she hiccupped. "I-It can't be…"

"Twilight," Starlight said, reaching out and placing both hands on Twilight's shoulders, "I believe a quick talk with your parents may be in your best interests."

"… O-Okay," Twilight said quietly, casting her head down and sniffling. "Sunset, you go home without me."

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked. "I could come with you and-"

"I'm sure…"

Sunset said nothing more as she nodded her head and watched Twilight walking away with Starlight Glimmer. She clenched her shaking hands into fists as she glared at the back of the teacher's head. "This is a mistake," she whispered to herself. "There has to be something wrong…"

Turning around, Sunset ran through the building as fast as she could, climbing a flight of stairs and then making her way to the history classroom. It was empty. Carefully, Sunset closed the door and approached the desk.

She searched the desk drawers, as the top of the desk was clear of any papers. The top drawer contained piles of magazines that made Sunset raise an eyebrow. "Someone sure is into Soviet history…" She closed that drawer and tried the next one.

There, she found the test papers in two neat piles. One pile was for the question sheets, and the other was for the answer sheets. Twilight's sheet was on top. "That's right. They give photocopies to the students who request them…"

Sunset Shimmer picked up Twilight's paper and checked it against one of the question sheets. "The first question… WHAT?! Twilight, you… And then after that was… What are you doing, Twilight?! These answers are terrible!"

After reading through a few more questions, Sunset dropped the sheet and slumped into the teacher's seat. "No way… Twilight, you really did get a zero…"

Twilight Sparkle hung her head low in shame, whilst her parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, stared at her answer sheet in distress.

"Our Twilight, a zero?" Night Light asked. "That's impossible!"

"Twilight, dear," Velvet began, placing a hand on her daughter's, "I know I always brag about how well you are doing in school, but you know that I still love you even without your outstanding grades, right?" Twilight nodded her head. "Even so, a zero is just…"

"I don't know what happened," Twilight choked out, holding her forehead in her hands whilst her loyal pet, Spike, whimpered and pawed at her boots.

"I might have an idea," Starlight Glimmer announced, attracting all attention towards herself. "I've been observing your daughter over the past few days. While it is true that she is of exceptional intelligence, I fear that she may be suffering from a condition that has afflicted many students in the past. One that is not so easily recognised…

"Your daughter is bright. Perhaps a little too bright. When she is 'in the zone', as it were, she loses all connection with what is going on around her and pushes ahead, without ever looking back."

"What are you suggesting?" Twilight Velvet asked. "That our daughter is reckless?"

"In a way," Starlight admitted. "Not by any fault of her own, though. I believe that her brain lacks focus, or rather, discipline, perhaps brought on if she has never been in any real trouble in the past that has caused a teacher or any other adult to correct her mistakes."

"Well, Twilight's not one to get into trouble," Night Light said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"And that's where our problem lies," Starlight said. "As I said, I've seen this problem many times before. Twilight was so confident in herself that she perhaps failed to read the questions as carefully as she should have done, or did not pay close enough attention to what she was answering."

"But I looked over my answers, twice," Twilight insisted.

"And through your own eyes, they were right. Because you couldn't possibly be wrong," Starlight returned. "A student who has never been disciplined eventually develops the mindset that they can never be wrong. It has caused many early geniuses to devolve into dropouts. It may start with her flunking a few tests, and then a couple of years later she struggles to keep up with the class.

"There's also the fact that she is a curious mind. When asked to research one topic, she researches five others at the same time. Her brain needs focus. It needs discipline."

"W-Well what do you suggest?" Twilight Velvet asked.

Starlight Glimmer sighed. "Honestly, I was hoping that it was just my imagination. Twilight's previous test scores all gave me some reassurance that she wasn't going to suffer the same fate as those other students, but after today, there can be little doubt…

"Thankfully, there is a school I know of that caters to students with all manner of learning difficulties, including those who suffer from a lack of focus." Starlight reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a pamphlet, handing it to the family to look at. "They are highly accredited and can carry her education all the way through to a postgraduate degree."

"It looks like a boarding school," Twilight Velvet said, a nervous look on her face.

"It's not," Starlight assured. "It is a specialist institute with a strict set of guidelines, sure, but those guidelines are there to develop discipline in students who lack it. In Twilight's case, she would be given very clear goals to work towards and perhaps a private mentor to keep her focussed on her task."

"But it's so far," Night Light pointed out. "I don't know. This doesn't sit well with me."

"But… what if my grades really start to suffer?" Twilight asked. "What if I fail high school and have nowhere to live because I can't hold down a job?"

"That won't happen," Twilight Velvet said, reaching over and holding her daughter. "You'll always have a place here, no matter what."

"It's merely a suggestion," Starlight told the family. "Perhaps we should wait to see what happens for now, although I assure you, this institute has helped out many pupils who are geniuses at heart, but simply need that extra bit of outside help to realise their true-"

Starlight Glimmer was interrupted by loud banging from the direction of the front door. Night Light excused himself to see who it was, and returned moments later with a panting Sunset Shimmer.

"Guys, wait!" Sunset shouted, her knees almost buckling as Night Light helped her to stay upright. "I-I've got something to show you!"

Sunset slumped into the teacher's seat and shook her head. "Twilight, you really did get a zero. But how? These answers aren't just wrong, they're phenomenally wrong. It's almost like you were answering a different set of…"

Sunset Shimmer gasped. She glanced over to the pile of question sheets and started to sift through them. "It couldn't be…" Near the bottom, Sunset encountered a sheet that was different from the others. "It is!"

"Among all the question sheets, there was one that had a set of completely different questions than all the others," Sunset declared, presenting the sheet for all to see. "And at the top of the sheet is Twilight's name! Thankfully she's still in the habit of signing everything she writes on."

Twilight blushed and said with a pout, "I'm getting better." Suddenly, she gasped. "Wait, then that means that…"

Sunset nodded her head. "You took an entirely different test that the rest of us!"

Starlight Glimmer hummed as she took the test paper from Sunset Shimmer and examined it closely. "Well what do you know? This is the paper that I had originally chosen, but decided that it was too advanced for all of you!" Starlight Glimmer set it aside Twilight's answer sheet and examined the two for several moments. "And unless I'm mistaken, you've scored an amazing eighty-eight!"

Twilight's parents both sighed with relief, whilst Twilight was simply flabbergasted by the shockingly good news. "S-So I passed?"

"Was there ever any doubt?" Sunset asked with a grin, before frowning and shivering. "For some reason, saying that doesn't feel right."

"You more than passed, Twilight," Starlight said with a warm smile. "And my apologies for this entire mess! I should have checked my stockpile of question papers more closely."

"Well, for a minute there I thought that I was going to be kicked out of school," Twilight said with a nervous grin.

"Oh, trust me, you have nothing to worry about in that regard." Starlight Glimmer turned to Sunset and said, "I owe you my thanks, too. I'll overlook your snooping for now, since it saved the day, but in future, perhaps you should try simply appealing instead?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Sunset said as she approached Twilight, giving her friend a celebratory hug.

Starlight Glimmer nodded her head and said, "Well, it's good to see that you have such a good friend to look out for you, Twilight Sparkle. I should probably be heading off now."

"I'll show you out," Night Light offered.

"Thank you. And I truly am sorry for this whole fiasco, Twilight. It's just, I've seen so many brilliant students falter that I couldn't stand to see it again."

"It's quite alright," Twilight said with a warm smile. "You were just trying to help, and I'm thankful for that. You'll make a great teacher someday. You just need a little more focus," Twilight added with a wink.

Everybody laughed, and then Night Light escorted the teacher to the front door. "I must say, you really gave my wife and I quite a scare."

"Your daughter is exceptionally bright," Starlight stated. "You must be proud."

"You betcha! I do worry about whether she's making enough time for friends, though."

"Well at the very least, she seems close to Sunset Shimmer."

"Mhm. Those two have been friends since they were children. It's rare to see the two apart. I'm glad that she has Sunset Shimmer to look out for her since her brother isn't around anymore."

"Oh my. I'm terribly sorry."

"Huh? Oh! No no no no no! I didn't mean- He's moved out, not moved on!"

Starlight blushed and turned her head away. "Oh! M-My bad! I completely misinterpreted-"

"No, it's fine. I could have worded that much better."

"So… Sunset Shimmer looks out for her. That's good to know." Starlight Glimmer opened the front door and stepped outside. "Well then, Mr. Light."

"Please take care, Miss Glimmer."

As the door closed, Starlight Glimmer checked her watch and then turned to leave. "Indeed. It is good to have a close friend to watch your back… Sunset Shimmer… I wonder what she scored on my test?"

XXI - One Small Favour

Mrs. Cake wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point in her busy life of motherhood, everything just sort of clicked. She had gotten the hang of dealing with her chaotic twins, even when they were awake. Before, she would struggle to keep Pound from climbing to high places, and to keep Pumpkin from tasting everything in sight. But now? Now, she had them behaving like perfect little angels. She had picked up on how to tell when the tykes were scheming, and how to prevent a disaster from happening as a result.

Now, Mrs. Cake cherished her moments with her babies. Watching them play with their little blocks, giggling as they watched the purple dinosaur dance on the television, and crawl over to her whenever they wanted some attention was just the most precious, most peaceful thing in the world to her.

And then the bell rang. Mrs. Cake sighed. Even with the burden of motherhood weighing on her shoulders, she still had to make time to run the bakery with her husband. "Mummy will be right back," Mrs. Cake said as she leaned down to her children, who simply stared at her blankly before returning to their blocks.

She picked up the walkie-talkie to her side and turned it on, allowing her to hear everything that went on in the parlour as she made her way to the shop floor. Once there, she found Sunset Shimmer at the counter. "Oh, good morning dear. I thought you wanted to have the day off today."

"I do," Sunset responded. "That's not why I'm here. I was wondering if you could bake something for, uh, a friend of mine."

"Well, that all depends on what it is your friend is after. Oh! Would you like to say 'hello' to the twins while you're hear? I think they've been missing you!"

"I'm kind of in a hurry-"

"Oh, nonsense! You should slow down and enjoy life before it passes you by!"

Sunset sighed and nodded her head. "Fine, but about my friend-"

"Oh! Pound did the cutest thing the other day! He saw our wedding video and tried to replicate it with Pumpkin," Mrs. Cake giggled.

"Cute," Sunset deadpanned.

"I've got the photos if you want to see them."

"Not rea-"

"Here they are!" Mrs. Cake grabbed an album from a nearby shelf and opened it, shoving the contents into Sunset's face. "They are so adorable! I wish you had been here to see it!"

"Mrs. Cake, about my request."

"Oh yes, yes! You said that your friend wanted us to bake something up for them?"

"Yes. He was hoping that you could bake him something called an 'MMMM'."

Mrs. Cake deflated at the news and cast her eyes to the side. "Oh. Well, um, that was a cake that my husband and I made together for a contest a while ago. I can't make it on my own."

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow and then looked around. "Well, where's your husband?"

"He's out getting our car serviced. He should have been back by now. I'm getting worried, but I can't just leave the children here all alone, and I don't want to take them to that sketchy part of downtown…"

'Don't you dare ask me to sit for them!' Sunset cleared her throat and gave the best smile that she could muster. "Well, maybe I could go and look for him?"

Mrs. Cake gasped. "I couldn't possibly ask you to do that!"

"Then don't. I'll still do it."

Mrs. Cake's expression softened, and she smiled at the young girl. "Sunset Shimmer, you truly are one of the nicest teenagers I've ever met. I wish that more of them could act more like you."

Sunset Shimmer closed the album and placed it onto the counter to her side. "Well then, I guess I'll go and-"

"Wait! You haven't said 'hi' to the children yet!"

Sunset's eye twitched. "So I haven't."

"Come, come! They'll be ever-so-happy to see you!" Suddenly, the sounds of crying came through the walkie-talkie. "Oh dear! What happened now?!"

Mrs. Cake and Sunset Shimmer ran together towards the parlour, where they found Pound Cake crying whilst Pumpkin Cake chewed on a stuffed giraffe.

"What's his problem?" Sunset asked.

"That giraffe is his favourite toy," Mrs. Cake explained. "Pumpkin does this every time I take my eyes off of her for even a second."

Sunset nodded and approached the twins, leaning down next to Pumpkin Cake and grabbing the giraffes leg. "Pumpkin, this toy isn't yours to chew. It's also not very sanitary."

Pumpkin cringed her face and pulled back on the giraffe. "Uh!"

"Now I don't want to be a spoilsport, but I also don't want to have to give you a timeout, either. So hand over the giraffe and we'll forget this whole thing ever happened!" Sunset circled her gloved index finger, sending a trail of magical energy into Pumpkin's mouth and gently prying the bottom of her jaw open slightly. The giraffe slipped out, and Pumpkin reached out for it with tears in her eyes.

Pound stopped crying and cheered with joy as his favourite toy was reunited with him at last. He hugged it firmly, despite it being covered in drool, to ensure that he would never lose it again. Unfortunately, it was now Pumpkin's turn to cry.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Aaaaaand now comes the tricky part of raising twins," Mrs. Cake said as she picked up her daughter and rocked her gently. "It's impossible to please them both!"

"We just need to give her something else to chew on," Sunset stated. "Has she got any pacifiers?"

"Yes, but she keeps spitting them out."

"Maybe you could try flavouring it with her favourite food?" Sunset suggested.

"I… suppose that might work." Mrs. Cake ran over towards a bag on a nearby table and reached inside, pulling out a pacifier from within. Sunset Shimmer took the pacifier and smeared it with some of the baby food she had gotten used to giving the kids, along with a dose of sleeping spell for good measure.

The pacifier went into Pumpkin's mouth, and she calmed down, sucking happily for a few seconds… before yawning and falling asleep comfortably into her mother's arms.

"Goodness! She must have been tired. No wonder she was so cranky."

"Well, seemed the pacifier trick worked," Sunset pointed out. "Now that things have quieted down, I suppose I'll go out and look for your husband."

"Right! Let me write you down some directions before you go."

Following the directions given to her by Mrs. Cake, Sunset Shimmer found her way to the Gop Tear Garage, located roughly two bus rides from the bakery. Exhausted after the long trip, Sunset Shimmer wasted no time approaching the lanky little man with his head buried inside the hood of his car.

"Mr. Cake?" The man jumped, banging his head on the car's hood. Sunset cringed as he turned to face her.

"Sunset Shimmer? Well what a surprise! You hear to get serviced too?"

"I don't have a car," Sunset said, folding her arms. "Your wife asked me if I could come by and see what's taking you so long. She's starting to worry."

Mr. Cake blushed and smiled like a child winning a gold medal. "Aww, that's so like my little Cup Cake…"

''Little'?' Sunset scoffed internally.

"But y'see, there's a bit of a problem… The guy who runs this place hasn't come into work yet, and his apprentice can only do so much on his own."

"Then… bring the car in tomorrow."

"I can't," Mr. Cake sighed. "Truth is, with all that's been going on lately with the twins, I didn't notice that I'm already past the due date for servicing! If I put it off any longer, I could get into serious trouble."

"Then call the guy up and ask if he can come in."

"We tried, but he must have left his phone here. I'd go and visit him at his house, but I didn't bring any change for the bus."

Sunset Shimmer groaned, and looked down at her watch. "Alright. If you tell me where he lives, I could go and bring him here. Sound good?"

"Well if you could, that'd help an awful lot," Mr. Cake laughed. "Truth is, I offered to help out as best I can, but I really just don't know anything about cars."

"So, where does this guy live?"

"Of course he lives just around the corner to the bakery," Sunset said in a sarcastic tone, entering the elevator of the apartment complex and hitting one of the buttons inside. "Thankfully, I carry plenty of change…" The elevator reached its destination, and Sunset Shimmer stepped outside, following the hallway down to the door labelled '53'.

Raising her hand, Sunset Shimmer knocked on the door and waited. She heard the sounds of footsteps inside, soon followed by the sounds of clicking, before the door opened and a large, white-skinned boy gazed down at her.

"S-Snowflake?" Sunset asked, taking a step back as a pungent, sweaty smell assaulted her nostrils. She pinched her nose and asked, "I-Is you father home? The mechanic over at Gop Tear Garage?"

"… DAAAAAAD!" Snowflake yelled, before stepping back inside. He was replaced moments later by another, even larger person, his muscles bulging through his tank top and his head barely touching the ceiling inside the room.

"YEEEEEEEAH?!" he asked as he looked down at the tiny girl standing before him.

"M-Mr. Rage?"

"YEEEEEEAH!"

"I-I'm here on request from M-Mr. Cake."

"Oh. Right. He wanted his car serviced today, didn't he?"

"Yeah… So, any chance you could-"

"Look, kid," Mr. Rage started, "I'd love to help, but my son's got an important test tomorrow and I promised to help him study for it."

"I'M GONNA PASS IT!"

"YEEEEEEEAH!"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEAH!"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!"

Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat and waited for the two to calm down. "Well, I'm pretty smart. Maybe I could help?"

"You know Spanish?"

Sunset bit her lip, cursing herself for never taking the time to learn one of this world's many other languages. "Ah. Spanish. Well… maybe there's another teacher that could help?"

"Find me another teacher and I'll help your friend. Until then…" Mr. Rage slammed the door on Sunset's face.

Sunset clenched her fist and stomped away. "Darn it. I need somebody who can speak Spanish. But who?"

"Oh, I'd be delighted to help the poor lad," Rarity said as she guided her needle through the dress on her mannequin. "As a young lady, I took up many classes in foreign languages, knowing that one day my boutiques would open all over the world!"

"Great!" Sunset said with a smile. "So you can get him ready for his test tomorrow?"

"Wait, the test is tomorrow?! Oh, no no no no! I can't! I have so much to do!"

Sunset deflated. "Rarity, come on! Surely you can put your work on hold for just one day! I thought you were the most generous person in school!"

"Flattery will only get you so far, dear, but thank you all the same." Rarity put down her thread and her needle and hummed in thought. "Welllll… I suppose I could put my work on hold, if you do a little something for me."

Sunset slammed her hand into her face. "Oh, great… What is it?"

"You see, there is this jewel in Ruby's Emerald Emporium that I have had my eyes on for quite some time now, but I have not been able to haggle it down to a reasonable price. If you could convince Ruby to reduce the price for me…"

"And just how am I supposed to do that?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way, what with your… charming personality…"

"One thousand dollars."

Sunset Shimmer leaned onto the displayed and gave the shopkeeper a friendly smile. "I'm sure you make enough money that you could afford to lower the price just a tad."

"… One thousand dollars," Ruby repeated as she continued to file her nails.

Sunset slumped and screamed internally, but was just about able to contain her voice. "Look, Rarity's a popular customer here, right? Surely you could give some kind of discount?"

"Rarity?"

"Yes! Like I said, she's the one that wants it!"

"Well, Rarity does come by here a lot, but I can't just go giving out discounts when it's not even the holidays…"

Sunset Shimmer took a step back and took a deep breath. "Okay, how abooooout… I don't know! How about a trade?!"

"… Apples."

Sunset looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"I want apples."

"… Why do you-"

Ruby stopped filing and said, "I don't need to explain my reasons to you. Five crates should do it."

"Five crates?! Where the buck am I supposed to get…"

"Ya want how many apples?!" Applejack shouted, taken aback by friend's request.

"Five!" Sunset Shimmer replied, holding up her open hand for emphasis. "Don't ask why, but it's important! I'm pulling the 'friend card' here!"

"Look, Sunset," Applejack sighed, lowering her head, "I'd love ta help ya, but we barely make enough ta keep the farm. Givin' away five crates just isn't somethin' ah can do. Sorry."

As Applejack left, Sunset Shimmer sighed and hung her head. Usually, she would not be one to admit defeat so easily, but she was exhausted, and short on change. 'Where else could I get five crates of apples in this town?'

"Psst." Sunset's head shot up, and she looked around. "PSSSSST!" Sunset turned towards the barn, where she found Granny Smith waving for her to come closer. "Ah hear ye're lookin' for apples. Ah can help ya."

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow and approached the old lady. "I thought Applejack said-"

"Oh, don't mind what that Applejack said. Ah'm sure the farm can afford t' spare a fewc rates… if'n ya do us a lil' favour first, of course."

"Of course," Sunset sighed. "What will it be?"

"For years now, the Richs have been outdoin' us in the apple market. Ah wanna know what their secret is, so ah can get ahead of 'em this time!"

"You want me to spy on them, then?" Sunset asked.

"Well, don't think of it as that, more like-"

"Oh no need to sugar-coat it. I'm all for spying on the competition. I just didn't expect it from you, is all."

"Well, ah've been around a while now, an' ah know that sometimes, it's necessary t' play a lil' dirty…" Granny Smith said with a grin and a light chuckle. "Now, Filthy Rich won't be easy t' break, but his daughter, Diamond Tiara, might be willin' t' part with the information if ya can persuade her…"

"Diamond Tiara? Ugh. Great… Well, guess I've got no choice. I'll see what I can do."

"You want me to sell out my father?" Diamond Tiara asked, her hands on her hips. "And… why would I do that?"

"Name your price," Sunset Shimmer said as she folded her arms. 'Everyone else has…'

Diamond Tiara scoffed. "Yeah, sure." She took out a piece of paper and waved it teasingly before Sunset Shimmer. "Gee, maybe if you could get my teacher to bump up my grade from my last exam, I just might be willing to part with this list of my father's contacts."

"Why do you even have that?"

"Because Daddy thinks it's safer on me than in a safe, but this might be just the day to prove him wrong."

Sunset Shimmer put a hand to her chin. "And… which teacher is it that I'll be dealing with?"

"Oh, I'm so glad that you took the time to visit me on your day off!"

As Discord poured chocolate milk into an empty glass, Sunset Shimmer looked around at the mess all around her. Artwork that was lopsided, photographs inside of cabinets whilst dishes and plates sat outside of them, a television that was upside-down, a bed shaped like a car, and a bathtub in the middle of the living room. "You don't get much company, do you?"

"I don't know what it is, but nobody ever seems to come and visit me. Not even my parents! Though it doesn't help that I never knew my parents, but they should still make the effort! Don't you think?"

"I don't care. Let me cut to the chase: raise Diamond Tiara's grade."

Discord sighed and shook his head. "Now, now, Sunset Shimmer. You know that I can't just go around raising somebody's grade like that! … Well I can, but it's not as much fun as seeing a student squirm when they see a big fat 'F' on their paper!"

"Look, Diamond Tiara's promised to try really hard in the future. She just needs this grade so that her father can focus on his work without worrying about her."

"… Sunset Shimmer, come on now. What do you take me for? Diamond Tiara has something that you want and the only way for you to get it is if I bump up her grade, isn't that right?"

Sunset Shimmer was speechless for a few seconds, before she finally said, "You could give Pinkie Pie a run for her money."

"Well, I like you, so maybe I could make an exception this one time, but…"

Sunset Shimmer groaned. "Let me guess! I need to go all the way to the other end of the town to get something you need, that send me on yet another quest to get something else for that person, right?!"

"… I was only going to ask you if I could have Celestia's phone number, so that I could prank her. She changed it the last time and I've been getting bored lately."

"… Now that I can do." Sunset pulled out her phone and gave Discord Celestia's number. In return, he altered the grade on Diamond's paper to something more presentable. "Great! Then I'll be seeing you! Oh, and don't tell Celestia that I gave you that."

"Oh, don't worry, dearie! I wouldn't dream of selling you out."

The chuckle that Discord gave unsettled Sunset Shimmer, but she couldn't worry about that. She had a lot of busses to catch."

"You… really got him to change my grade?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"Yes! Now, keep up your end of the bargain."

Diamond Tiara scoffed. "I was joking! I didn't expect you to actually do it!"

"But I did! Now give me that information!"

Diamond Tiara stashed the paper into her pocket and shrugged her shoulders. "And sell out my father? Hah! Yeah right! But thank you anyways, Sunset Shimmer!" As Diamond Tiara waved, she turned around to leave.

Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth together, before formulating an idea. She used her magic to gently lift the paper from Diamond's pocket and levitate into her hand. "… No. Thank you," she said with a grin.

"Ah-hah! So this is how that weasel always beats us!" Granny Smith declared, reading the paper closely. "Well, now that ah know his plan of attack, ah can prepare a counter!"

"So, about those apples."

Granny Smith nodded her head. "You jus' let me know where ya want 'em delivered an' ah'll have it sorted out for ya!"

"I got you your apples!" Sunset Shimmer declared as she approached Ruby, a victorious look on her face.

"Yeah, I just got them," Ruby said.

"… Wow. That old lady works fast."

"Well, here's the jewel."

As Sunset Shimmer took the jewel and closed its case, she gave Ruby an odd look. "… You're really trading a jewel worth one thousand dollars for five crates of apples?"

"If you'd like, we could cancel the deal."

"No way! I'm just… You should meet my teacher, Discord. You'd get along well."

"Whatever…"

Sunset Shimmer pocketed the jewel and then left the store. "Alright, time to head back to Rarity's…"

"You… You really got it! And it's not even counterfeit!" Rarity put down the jewel after she was finished with examining it, and then turned to Sunset Shimmer. "How did you pull this off?"

"You don't wanna know. So, you can teach Snowflake Spanish?"

"I thought his name was Bulk Biceps?"

"Whatever his name is! You gonna teach him or not?"

"Well, my word is as good as diamonds in the sky! Lead the way, my dear friend!"

"Thank you kindly, Miss," Mr. Rage said as he shook Rarity's hand.

Rarity whimpered as she covered her nose with her free hand and simply nodded her head. "Your son will surely pass with her as his teacher."

"YEEEEEEEEAH!" Mr. Rage released Rarity's hand and turned to Sunset Shimmer. "Well then, let me give you a lift down to the garage!"

"YEEEEEAH!" Sunset replied, following Mr. Rage down the hall. "Thanks, Rarity! Have fun now!"

Rarity whimpered as she entered the apartment, immediately finding herself surrounded by dirty clothes scattered about, empty pizza boxes, and oily vehicle components. "Curse my generous nature…"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Rage!" Carrot Cake said as he pulled a nice chunk of money out from his wallet, handing it to the mechanic. "You have no idea how glad I am that you came by when you did!"

"You should thank her!" Mr. Rage said, motioning to Sunset Shimmer as he collected his money. "Your car's running just fine now! Just make sure you don't miss your service date next time!"

"I won't, and thanks again!"

Sunset and Carrot Cake both climbed into the car and left the garage. "Finally," Sunset groaned as she leaned against the window. "I can't even remember why I… Oh! Mr. Cake, I have a favour to ask you!"

"Well shucks! After all you've done, I'd be happy to help you with whatever you need! So what is it?"

"I was wondering if you and your wife could make an 'MMMM' for a friend of mine."

Carrot Cake looked surprised. "An 'MMMM', huh? Gosh. We haven't made one since the contest, but… Well, heck, I suppose we could give it another go! So, who's this 'friend' of yours, anyway?"

Sunset Shimmer grimaced. "Well, he's…"

Featherweight raised an eyebrow, as a sweat-covered, panting Sunset Shimmer slumped over his desk, a wagon containing a rather large cake behind her.

"I… got… it…"

Featherweight examined the cake, and then Sunset Shimmer. "… I asked for that over five hours ago."

"You have… no idea… what I've… been through…"

"Well, actually, I kind of already picked a new article to focus on."

Sunset's breathing stopped. Her head slowly rose, her eyes blank and her expression dead. "… What?"

"You took so long, I ditched the idea to review the 'MMMM'. Sorry, but your phone was off, so I couldn't tell you."

Sunset Shimmer stood up slowly, and then reached out her hand, grabbing the skinny little boy by his collar. "No."

"W-What? Hey…"

"No no no."

"C-Calm down. I mean, maybe I could-"

"I went through hell to get this cake for you! I don't care if you no longer want to write about it! I fulfilled my end of the bargain, no fulfil yours!"

"O-Okay!" Featherweight shouted, gasping as Sunset released him. "I-I guess I did promise you. Here." Featherweight handed Sunset Shimmer a photograph and a memory card. "That card is the only digital copy of that picture, and that photograph is the only one that was ever printed."

"… Thank you," Sunset said, before crushing the card in her hand. "Oh, and the next time you point your camera my way… this memory card will be you."

Featherweight gulped, and slowly nodded his head. "U-Understood…"

Sunset Shimmer turned around to leave. She opened the doors and stepped outside of Featherweight's hut, making sure to round a corner before she used her magic to burn the photograph and the card with her magic.

As she dropped the photograph to the ground, she caught one final glimpse of the accursed object as it fell to pieces. She grinned. The image of herself picking her nose in an absentminded daze was forever destroyed, and would never be seen by anyone.

Her image was safe once more.

Later that night, Celestia was disturbed from her slumber by her phone lighting up and vibrating on her bedside table. Moaning and rubbing her eye, Celestia looked to the object and asked, "Who could be texting me this late?"

Picking up the phone, Celestia froze as she recognised the sender's number. The text was nothing more than a mere image of Discord's smug, grinning face, captioned with the text 'U MAD?'.

Clutching the phone in her hand, Celestia screamed and threw it against the wall, shattering it into two pieces, before falling back onto her head and trying to drift off back to sleep. 'That's another phone I'll have to buy, but it'll be worth it. I just wish he would stop somehow getting my numbers.'

XXII - The School Play

Author's Note

WARNING: Contains spoilers for Romeo and Juliet! You have been warned! :flutterrage:

XXII - The School Play

The school year was coming to an end, and the final exams had just finished up. The students of Canterlot's Private Academy for Girls' high school division were winding down after the long, stressful period, enjoying their last few days before graduation hit them and they would have to start worrying about finding work or moving onto further education.

Fleur Dis Lee entered the gymnasium and the class hushed up. All eyes were on the drama teacher as she took the stage and cleared her throat for the important announcement that she was about to make.

"Everybody, first off, I would like to congratulate you on making it through your final exams, and wish you all the best of luck when the results return and you decide your futures." Everybody clapped and cheered for themselves, spreading noise throughout the gymnasium for a solid minute before finally calming down. "Now the only thing left to do is finish your final year off with a bang. And what better way to than a wonderful performance at our closing ceremonies?"

"Sleeping Beauty!"

"Let's do Hamlet!"

"Rescue at Midnight Castle!" Lyra looked around as students all around her sighed. "What?"

"This year, I have decided to go for a classic," Fleur announced. "By which I mean, of course, the classic tale of love, Romeo and Juliet!"

"I call Tybalt!"

"No! I wanna be Tybalt!"

"Just so long as I'm not the star…"

Fleur tried to hush her students as they dissolved into their own dialogues with each other. "Everybody… Everybody!" One-by-one, the students began to quiet down and pay attention to their teacher. "We will do this diplomatically! I will go over the roles one-at-a-time, and I want to hear you call out names, other than your own, that you think should play the role.

"First, naturally, is our stars, Romeo and Juliet themselves."

"No question!" Lyra shouted. "Sunset should be Romeo!"

Sunset snapped her head to the girl with a concerned look. "Uh…"

"Oh, yeah!" Twinkleshine said. "And Twilight should be Juliet!"

Twilight jumped at the mention of her name. "Um…"

"Yeah, that'd be great!"

"I'd pay good money for that!"

"They have that kinda… chemistry between them, don't ya think?"

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle exchanged concerned looks, before facing the crowd that seemed to be completely against them. "W-Wait," Sunset began, "I don't think I-"

"Well, it seems that we don't need a tally," Fleur Dis Lee announced, turning to the blackboard behind her and scribbling the two students' names down. "And so we have our stars! Work hard, you two, for you will be the belles of the… play."

"But I never-" Twilight started, before being interrupted by a starry-eyed Moondancer.

"Good luck, Twilight!" Moondancer turned to Sunset Shimmer. "You too! I know you two will be the perfect couple!"

Sunset Shimmer blushed and took a few steps back. "L-Listen to what people are saying!" she cried, though her cries fell on deaf ears as the rest of the class had already started to decide the remaining roles. Reluctantly, Sunset Shimmer sighed. "… Well, I guess I'd better start rehearsing those lines…"

"Mhm…" Twilight and Sunset turned to each other for a few seconds, before each turning around and walking away in opposite directions. 'Okay, so this will be… awkward. Besides not even know how to act, why do I have to pretend to be Sunset's… Ohhhh, why couldn't I just graduate in peace?!'

Sunset Shimmer froze as she read the script provided to her by Fleur Dis Lee. 'Ah… I've never been able to read Shakespearian well…' Sunset gulped. 'Why me?'

"And so, class, even though I won't be giving you anymore homework, I hope that you will all continue to study history in your own time," Starlight Glimmer announced as she checked her watch, finding there to be just enough time for one, final speech. "It is important to know the mistakes of our past, so that they never be repeated in the future. And of course, always remember: we're all equal!"

The bell range, signalling for the students to start scuttling out of their chairs and collect their bags to leave. "Twilight Sparkle, I want to speak to you before you leave! Everybody else, don't neglect your studies just because your exams are over!"

Sunset raised an eyebrow as she watched Twilight remain seated, a vacant look on her face. "I'll wait for you at the gates," she said, leaving the classroom with everybody else.

Twilight simply nodded, and watched as her teacher approached her. "D-Did I… do something wrong?" Twilight asked.

"Wrong? Of course not," Starlight Glimmer assured, borrowing Sunset's seat so that she could sit next to her student. "But you seemed to be rather… distracted, during my class. I just wanted to ask if everything was okay."

Twilight nodded her head. "Of course. I think I'm just tired, that's all."

"Twilight, you may be graduating soon, but I am still your teacher for a little while longer, and so I would appreciate it if you could confide in me when you're feeling down."

"… It's just that I don't think I'm good enough to star in the play."

Starlight smiled and took Twilight's hand in her own. "I heard about that. You're playing Juliet, aren't you?"

"Mhm. But I've never played a lead role before. What if I mess up my lines? What if my timing's off? As a tree or a sheep, it doesn't matter, but I'm one of the most important roles!"

"Twilight, you've just had your final exams not too long ago," Starlight reminded. "Back then, did you worry about 'what if I answer wrong?', or 'what if I confuse my answers?'?"

"Well, no, but that's different! All eyes will be on me!"

"Yes, they will," Starlight agreed. "But they won't be judging you, Twilight. They will merely be cheering you on, so that you can give them a performance to enjoy."

Twilight averted her eyes. "And what if I can't give it to them?"

"You are one of the most amazing pupils I have ever encountered." Twilight blushed, but smiled, at the compliment. "I'm sure that if you put your mind to it, you will pull off an amazing performance. At the very least, you won't know what you're capable of until your try, right?"

"… You're right," Twilight said, turning to her teacher with a confident gaze. "Everyone's going to be counting on me. I have to work hard so that I don't let them down!"

"That's the spirit!" Starlight rose to her feet, followed by Twilight. "Now head on home, and remember, never give up! We're all on equal footing here, so there's no reason to fear what others think."

"Thank you, Miss Glimmer," Twilight said, grabbing her bag and running towards the door. "I'm gonna get home early so that I can practice lots!"

"And I'll look forward to the show," Starlight replied as she waved goodbye. Her student left, and she chuckled lightly beneath her breath. "Show me what you can do, Twilight Sparkle."

"O' Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Twilight lowered her head and stared down from atop her bed with a solemn look upon her face. "Deny thy father and refuse they name, or, if thou wilt not… Uh… If thou wilt not…" Twilight groaned, jumping down from her bed and grabbing the script that was laying on her desk. "What was that line?!"

Suddenly, a hand slammed onto Twilight's shoulder and another covered her eyes. "Hey now! No cheating!"

Twilight screamed and flailed, striking her assailant and freeing herself as she turned around. She panted as she glared at her brother, who was holding his nose in his hands. "S-Shining Armor?!"

"Owwww!" Shining rubbed his nose and sniffed. "Those self-defence classes clearly worked…"

"W-Why are you here?" Twilight asked, before rushing her brother and grabbing him in a huge embrace.

"Ooph!" Shining pushed Twilight away a little so that he could breath. "Easy, Twilie! I got to leave early today so I thought I'd come and visit for dinner."

"That was Romeo and Juliet you were rehearsing, right?" Cadance asked as she entered the room, startling Twilight who jumped away quickly from her brother. She nodded sheepishly. "I heard that you were playing Juliet in an upcoming play. Having a little trouble with your lines?"

"I just can't remember which line goes where," Twilight said with a frown. "It's really hard."

"You just need a little practice with a partner," Shining Armor stated. "Just associate your own lines with Romeo's, and they'll act like triggers for your memory!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Will that work?"

"Did for me. Hey, I know! Why don't I play the part of Romeo for you?"

Shining Armor reached for the script, but Twilight pulled it away and hid behind it. "Uhhh… It's just, I'm still practicing so, it'll be a little embarrassing… Besides, you're my brother. It'd feel weird."

Shining Armor gasped and took a step back. "W-What's so weird about it?"

Cadance chuckled. "Well then, want to try practicing with me?" she offered, receiving a very timid nod from Twilight. "Don't worry. I think you'll find I'm quite the decent instructor."

"Then… can we try the scene where they meet at the party?"

"Sure… Would you care to start us off?" Twilight didn't say anything for some time. Her eyes continually shifted to Shining Armor, and back to Cadance. Cadance followed her gaze and smiled. "Shining, dear, could you possibly wait downstairs?"

Shining Armor frowned. "But I wanna watch Twilie's acting."

"I know, but she doesn't want you here while she's practicing her lines. It's too embarrassing."

"I'm… embarrassing?"

"Sorry, but it'll just be us girls up here."

Night Light patted his son's back as he joined him on the sofa, using the TV remote to switch on the monitor and change the channel to a game of football. "There there, son. There are times where us men are just not needed." Night Light opened his own can of beer and offered one to Shining Armor, who accepted it without raising his head.

"Girls are mean."

"I know, son. I know."

Sunset glowered as she hovered her hand along the bookcase, scanning the spines of the many books in the section and descending down the rows one-at-a-time. She found two books on acting and added them to her pile. When she realised that she could no longer carry her books with just one hand, she decided that she has gathered enough and brought them to the nearest table.

As she sat down, she took one of her books and opened it up, frowning when she found that it had been vandalised inside. She sighed and looked through the contents anyway.

"Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset jumped and looked across the table. "Chrysalis?" Sunset asked, almost yelling before she remembered where she was.

"Well, this is quite the coincidence," Chrysalis said with a grin, bookmarking her page and setting her book aside. "What brings you to the library so late? I thought that your school's exams were over."

"I'm doing some research for a play our class is putting on," Sunset explained, holding her book up and revealing the cover. "I'm playing a boy, so I thought I should learn how to act like one."

"That's easy," Chrysalis said with a grin. "Just sit back in your favourite chair and don't listen to the women in your life."

The two shared a laugh, getting a few hushes from the people around them as they tried to tone it down. "No, but seriously, though," Sunset began, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I need to act more like a man from Tudor times."

"What play is it?"

"Romeo and Juliet." Sunset blushed as she added, "I'm playing Romeo."

"Oho… Well then, how about I lend you a hand?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "You know how to act?"

"Of course I do. I'm a master, actually. Why, I've infiltrated more syndicates and organisations than I can keep track of, and not once has my cover been blown… excluding that one time with the pudding and the- You know what? That's not important."

"Well, I was just going to read a few of these books, but-"

"Books can't teach you how to act," Chrysalis said. "Acting is a form of expression. It needs to be taught through words. Through examples. And more importantly, a book can't tell you if you've got it right or not."

Sunset hummed in thought, and then closed the book before her. "Well, what have I got to lose?"

"That's the spirit," Chrysalis said. "Well then, why don't we visit the diner across the street? It's usually empty and we won't be a bother to the good people around us, there."

"Sounds good. Just let me… put away all of these books," Sunset said with a dejected look as she realised just how many books she had picked out.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I know a shortcut."

"A shortcut?"

Chrysalis gathered up all of the books, including her own, and took them towards the library's main entrance. There, she glanced around to ensure that nobody was looking, and then dumped all of Sunset's books into the tray labelled 'Returns'. "There. Problem solved."

Sunset bit her lip. "Well, that is faster, but I feel kind of bad for the person who has to return those."

"Well it is their job."

"Fair point. By the way, what book is that you were reading?"

Chrysalis held the book up, revealing the cover. "Agatha Christie is a particular favourite of mine. I like to come here to read one of her novels whenever I have time off from work."

Sunset followed Chrysalis to the checkout counter and waited as the agent checked out her book. She then followed her out of the library and into the diner across the street. "By the way, what role is Shining's sister playing?"

"Twilight? She's… Juliet…" Sunset blushed again, and then glared when Chrysalis started to laugh.

"Well now, I'll have to make sure that I come and see that."

"My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late…"

"Sounding good!"

Twilight jumped and nearly dropped her script as she turned around. Starlight Glimmer chuckled as she sat down besides Twilight. "M-Miss Glimmer!" Twilight put her hand to her chest. "You almost scared me to death."

"Sorry about that. I was just passing by and heard you rehearsing."

Twilight looked around. The school's courtyard was empty, as to be expected since it was the morning. Students arriving at the school would be hanging out at the front or heading to their classes, which made this place perfect for practicing her lines alone. Or so she thought. "T-Thank you," she said, frowning as she looked down.

"What's wrong?" Starlight asked in a concerned tone. "Still nervous?"

"A little…"

"Well, if it's any help, I think you're making excellent progress."

Twilight shook her head. "It doesn't feel like it."

"You're putting your all into it. That's a start, right?" Starlight placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, prompting her student to turn to face her. "Don't sell yourself short. You're a talented young girl, Twilight."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you, Miss Glimmer."

"Honestly, you're one of the best students I've ever seen. Your grades are exceptional everywhere, minus gym." Twilight frowned again. "I'm curious, what do you intend to do after graduating?"

"I'm still not sure. There's a library that's run by an elderly man. I was thinking of asking if he's in need of any help."

Starlight gasped. "T-That's all?" Twilight nodded her head. "But… Twilight, your mind is brilliant! You honestly intend to spend your time arranging books in a dusty old library?"

"I don't really have any big hopes or dreams. Books make me happy, and being able to just surround myself with all that knowledge…"

Starlight Glimmer sighed. "… You know, I might have an opportunity for you. I-"

The bell rang through the air, and Twilight jumped as a hand placed itself upon Twilight's other shoulder. She turned and scowled at Sunset Shimmer. "Why is everyone sneaking up on me today?!"

"C'mon, we've got an early assembly today."

Twilight gasped. "Oh no! I totally forgot!" She rose to her feet and turned to Starlight. "I'll keep practicing hard! Thank you for your encouraging words!"

Starlight smiled. "It was my pleasure." She waited for the two girls to leave, before she too rose to her feet and walked away in the opposite direction.

Lunch came around that day, and Sunset and Twilight decided to practice their lines together on the school's rooftop. As the play's two star-crossed lovers, the two agreed that they would need to practice playing opposite each other during all of their scenes.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Sunset read from her page, slowly as she tried to make sense of the words inside of her head.

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Twilight closed her eyes as she tried to recall her lines. "You're… good at sounding like a boy…"

"Uh, thanks?" Sunset read her lines silently, and then moved the script aside. "O, then dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." Sunset took a breath. "I have no idea what I just said."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

Sunset brought the script to her face again and read through her lines. "… Wait."

"Yeah?"

"… Romeo and Juliet kiss."

"… Yeah…" Sunset folded her arms and stared silently at Twilight for a few seconds. "… Wait, we're Romeo and Juliet!"

"Got there in the end?" Sunset glared at the pages and then scrunched them up in her hand. "Do they really expect us to…"

"T-There's no way I can…" Sunset turned around and stormed across the rooftop. "Sunset?"

"I'm going to see that drama teacher right now and talk with her about this!"

Sunset Shimmer slammed her foot into the ground before a startled Fleur Dis Lee, and shoved the script into her face. "Romeo and Juliet kiss!"

"… They are in love," Fleur said, brushing the script aside and revealing a sly grin. "Is there a problem, Miss Shimmer?"

"You want me to kiss Twilight?!"

"I don't 'want' you to do anything, other than act!"

"Which requires me to kiss Twilight!"

"… That does appear to be the case. Now, if you understand-"

"We're dropping out this play! Both of us!"

Fleur grabbed Sunset's arm as the student tried to leave, and dropped to her knees. "You can't! The two of you were born to play these roles!"

"Then change the script! Remove all kissing scenes!"

"I will not!" Fleur stood tall and stared down hard at Sunset Shimmer. "To foul the arts by censoring such a vital scene from this romantic tragedy… why, I could never commit such an atrocity!"

"Well I'm not kissing my best friend."

Fleur sighed, shaking her head solemnly. "Miss Shimmer, if it is truly such a problem for you, then perchance you might be okay with a compromise? Just a simple feint, one that could fool an audience by bringing your lips close to Twilight's, but making no such contact."

"… You want us to just… fake it?" Sunset shuddered. "I don't know. I'd still have to get… close to her."

"Miss Shimmer, if the two of you are truly such friends as you claim, then surely there should be no problem with such intimacy if it is merely an act, yes?"

"It doesn't… quite work that way… I don't think…"

"Well please, think about it," Fleur said, turning around and walking away. "Don't be too hasty now! The play is still some time away, and there are many who are looking forward to it."

Sunset didn't say anything. She simply turned towards the opposite direction and left the room, her head awash with conflicted thoughts and feelings.

As the bell rang to signal the end of school, Sunset packed away her things in a hurry and left the classroom before anybody else. She had spent the rest of the day since speaking with Fleur thinking about the play, and now wasn't sure what she should do.

She headed for the computer lab that Twilight's ICT class was scheduled to use and poked her head inside. She looked around, but was unable to find her friend at any of the stations inside. She turned to Lyra and asked, "Hey, have you seen Twilight?"

"I think she headed straight for the drama room," Lyra answered.

"The drama room?"

"Yep. She looked really excited."

"We spent the whole lesson talking about how much we're looking forward to the play, and I think that motivated her," Octavia stated.

"Oh. You're… looking forward to it that much?"

"Of course. It will be the final play in this school that we will be able to see."

"And to top it off, Twi's playin' the star role!" Lyra added. "It's great that's she's getting' out of her shell right at the end."

"And the two of you are such good friends, I'm sure that your chemistry together onstage will be most excellent."

Sunset hummed in uncertainty and scratched the back of her neck. "Well, I guess I'll… try not to let you down…" Unable to think of anything other to say, Sunset turned and fled down the corridor, making her way towards the drama room.

Inside of the drama room, Sunset watched as Twilight practiced her lines alongside Rosedust.

"I come anon," Twilight said, smiling as she approached her partner. "But if thou mean'st well, I do beseech thee-"

Twilight's lines hit their marks completely. She moved her hands and her body dramatically in order to convey her emotion… Perhaps a bit too dramatically, but Sunset could tell that she was really trying.

The two ended their scene and Rosedust offered Twilight a compliment, one that Twilight returned with a calm and clear tone. Sunset Shimmer smiled. Her timid, introvert friend was coming out of her shell.

"Hey Sunset! You gonna join us?" Rosedust asked, prompting Twilight to turn around in surprise.

Sunset waved her hand and walked over to join them. She collected a script from Rosedust and flicked through it to a page. "I think I might need to go over the rose ball scene again."

"That's cool. Let me just go over the scene." Rosedust picked up an extra script and flicked through the pages, searching for the right scene.

Meanwhile, Sunset turned to Twilight and said, "You've been making some new friends, huh?"

"Huh? I have?" Twilight asked. "I mean, I was only practising my lines…"

"Were you sharing friendly conversations with everyone here?"

"Yeah…"

"Have you been laughing with them?"

"A little…"

"Then you're friends."

"Oh… I didn't know that was all it took…"

Sunset laughed, earning a playful punch from Twilight. She sighed and stroked Twilight's head. "Ahhh, my little bookworm's growing up."

Twilight backed away from the hand, and then gasped. "By the way, did you talk to Fleur about the er… the thing?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but then realised what Twilight was getting at and nodded her head, leaning closer to whisper, "She said she wouldn't remove it, but we can still fake it. The only problem is that it has to look real to the audience, so we'll have to get pretty close. If you don't want to-"

"Okay."

Sunset blinked, unsure that she had heard what she had just heard. "What?"

"I said it's okay," Twilight repeated, blushing a little bit. "I mean, as long as we're not actually kissing. Everybody's looking forward to seeing me play Juliet, and if I have to play that scene with anyone… well, I know that I can trust you, so…" Twilight noticed Sunset grinning and began to fluster. "W-What?!"

Sunset laughed and threw her arm around Twilight. "It's just so great to see you interested in something other than books!" Sunset glanced at her script and said, "Well, if you're cool with it, I guess I can give it a shot. I mean, the play seems important to you, so…"

"T-That's not it!" Twilight said, breaking out of Sunset's hold. "I just want to make sure we graduate with wonderful memories, that's all."

"Hey, you guys ready to start or what?" Rosedust asked.

"Sure," Sunset replied, clearing her throat and taking in a deep breath before she recited her line. 'I was still unsure about this whole thing, but if Twilight can do this, so can I.'

The night of the play finally came. Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and the entire class had all practiced hard for this one night, but now that they were performing on a brightly-lit stage with thousands of eyes bearing into them… tensions were starting to rise.

Twilight's legs shook as she entered the stage for the first time and glanced out into the audience. She tried her best not to break character or skip over any of her lines, but her voice cracks were noticeable to her and caused her to speed up her lines each time.

"Twilight's really letting the atmosphere get to her," Rosedust whispered to Sunset.

"Yeah," Sunset agreed. "My scene's coming up soon, and watching her right now… is making me nervous, too."

"Well try to suck it up. If you can be calm for Twilight, it might help her out."

Sunset gulped as the stage's lighting changed to indicate her time to shine. "Well, here goes something."

"Break a leg!" Rosedust said as she patted her friend on the back, causing Sunset to trip and fumble onto the stage. "Uh, g-good luck…"

In the audience, Night Light and Twilight Velvet couldn't have been any prouder. Their daughter was the centre of attention, and though her voice was cracking from time-to-time, she was reciting her lines excellently and maintaining her composure far better than they had expected her to.

Shining Armor, recording the whole thing on his camcorder, zoomed out as Sunset Shimmer entered the stage to join Twilight. "Whatever you did, it was amazing," Shining Armor remarked to Cadance, who was sitting beside him.

"Oh, I just gave her a few pointers," Cadance said with a blush. "Twilight's the amazing one.

The family continued to watch as Sunset and Twilight recited their lines together and danced across the stage. Many scenes passed, in which Twilight prayed to the heavens, recited sweet, romantic poetry, and entered confrontation with the play's antagonists. Sunset Shimmer also showed off the fruits of her practice, reciting her lines with strength and confidence, holding herself high and proud, and fighting her opponents with grace yet intimidating ferocity.

"I'm glad to see that my training was not for naught."

Shining Armor and Cadance jumped back in surprise and turned around to face Chrysalis, who was sitting behind them. "W-What-"

Chrysalis shushed Shining Armor by putting a finger to his lips. "Don't disturb the good people around us."

"Why are you here?" Cadance asked in a whispered tone.

"I came to see the play, of course," Chrysalis replied simply.

"Why?" Shining Armor insisted.

Chrysalis grinned, and nodded to the stage. The two turned back to finding Sunset Shimmer, standing over the 'corpse' of the actor playing Tybalt, dropping her sword and screaming her misfortune.

"Sunset Shimmer?" Cadance asked.

"Yes. We crossed paths and she mentioned the play. I decided to offer her some advice on acting."

"I guess if anyone would know about deception, it would be you," Cadance admitted.

"You flatter me."

"But why help her, of all people?"

Chrysalis chuckled under her breath and rested her chin on top of her hands. "Because she interests me. I have a good feeling about her?"

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. "'A good feeling'?"

"Your sister's back on."

Shining Armor gasped and snapped back to the play, zooming in on Twilight once more.

Starlight Glimmer watched from the back of the room as Twilight pleaded with the apothecary for his aide. "Her voice cracks are completely gone," she noted. "For someone so shy, so withdrawn, to shine so bright in just a few days… It's impressive, but I get the feeling that most of this strength came from that friend of hers."

Twilight left the stage, her scenes done for the time being, and Starlight reached into her bag and pulled out several pieces of paper. "Separating them would almost certainly extinguish that bright light of hers. One should take care when doing so, though, as that other girl seems sharp, but has yet to catch on…"

"A dateless bargain to engrossing death!" Sunset cried as she kneeled before the 'sleeping' Twilight. "Come, bitter conduct! Come, unsavoury guide!"

A harsh hush fell over the room as Sunset leaned down, bringing her face closer to Twilight's. She felt her heart beating faster and her face starting to flush, and hesitated for a second before remembering her lines. "Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! Here's to my love!"

Sunset took the potion prop attached to her belt and drank the water inside. She coughed a couple of times. "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick." Sunset leaned down so that he lips hovered just besides Twilight's cheek. "Thus with a kiss, I die."

Night Light was trembling in his seat, the only thing preventing him from shooting up being his wife's hand over his own.

"Relax, dear. I already told you that it's only a feint."

"I know that," Night Light said. "Still, that doesn't stop my fatherly instincts from kicking in."

Velvet sighed and turned to her son. "Shining, dear, could you please talk some sense into-"

Cadance shook her head solemnly as she kept the camera pointed towards the stage, filling in for Shining Armor, who was preoccupied with wiping his eyes and blowing into several tissues.

"I-It's not fair," Shining cried. "Just when they were starting to get to know each other…"

Velvet sighed and buried her face into her hand. "Men…"

Twilight examined Sunset's body and picked up the small bottle in her hand. "What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand?" Twilight gasped. "Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end!" Twilight glanced sideways into the crowd, to where her parents were sitting, and gulped. 'Almost done.'

"O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die a restorative." Twilight's breath caught as she looked down at Sunset for several seconds, her face turning red. She noticed Sunset's eye open and her friend nod slightly.

Leaning down, Twilight rotated Sunset's head so that it was hidden behind the back of her own, allowing her to mask the appearance of a kiss without drawing too close to her friend.

"Thy lips are warm." Twilight sat up straight and glanced out into the audience again, releasing her breath as she realised that nobody was laughing at her. The opposite, in fact; many were choking back their tears.

Sunset cleared her throat, and Twilight turned. She had missed her next cue and scrambled her brain for her next lines.

"O happy dagger!" Twilight cried as she snatched the dagger prop from Sunset's belt. 'Shoot! I missed a line! Do I go back?'

"Just go with it," Sunset whispered. "Keep going."

Twilight nodded. "This is thy sheath!" Twilight thrust the prop into her waist, the plastic blade retreating into the hilt to give the illusion of penetrating her skin. The lights dimmed and the music stopped in an instant. "There rust, and let me die…"

Twilight fell forwards, draping over Sunset's body as the lights covering the stage dimmed to blackness. The curtains fell, allowing Twilight and Sunset to leave the stage whilst the next actors took their places.

"Aaaaand it's over!" Sunset said as she reached the backstage area with Twilight, patting her on the back. "You can breathe now."

Twilight accepted Sunset's generosity and exhaled the deepest breath she had ever held. "I-I actually made it through that!"

"You were great," Sunset assured her. "You really pulled through, and you only got better throughout the whole thing."

Twilight blushed and looked back at the stage. "I was so nervous when I saw my family out there."

"Well, you did a lot better than I thought you would," Sunset said with a grin. "Really, all that practise was obviously worth it."

"You did great, too, Sunset," Rosedust said as she approached the two. "The entire time, I really believed every line that you said."

It was now Sunset's time to blush. "W-Well, I mean, I've been practising a lot, too."

"The play was a huge success thanks to everybody here, but our two stars really shone bright." Rosedust patted their shoulders as she walked past them. "I'm sure your families would agree, too."

Sunset and Twilight exchanged glances, before turning to leave the backstage area and head towards the dressing room.

"That was great, Twilie!" Shining Armor praised as he roughed up his sister's hair. "For a moment, I almost thought you actually died!"

"T-Thanks," Twilight said as she straightened out her hair with a moan. "I was super nervous up there, especially when I saw you guys! I thought… you might laugh at me, or something…"

"Well we didn't laugh," Chrysalis said, "But some of us certainly did cry."

"I-I wasn't crying!" Shining Armor shouted.

Cadance turned her head and mumbled, "You were a little…"

"You were crying?" Twilight asked.

"I wasn't!" Shining Armor protested.

"It's okay, bro! I'm still alive!"

Shining Armor groaned as his parents chose to laugh rather than come to his aide. Chrysalis stepped towards Sunset and said, "You did well out there. I'm glad my lessons didn't go to waste."

"Twilight and the rest of our class helped a lot, too," Sunset explained, "But you really helped me to sound more like a boy. Thanks."

"Well, I'm a fan of theatre, so I thought I should help you. Also, I wanted to see how good you could be…"

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask any questions, she spotted Starlight Glimmer approaching the group. "Bravo! Bravo!" Starlight shouted as she gave the two students some applause. "The two of you were absolutely spectacular! I'm glad that I put off grading papers to see this play."

"Who's this?" Chrysalis asked.

"Oh, she's our substitute history teacher," Twilight explained. "Thank you, Miss Glimmer. And thanks for convincing me to try my best. I never could have imagined I would have so much fun tonight!"

"Oh, please," Starlight said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I may have given you a few words to motivate you, but it was your hard work and excellent friendship that allowed you to shine!" Starlight turned to Twilight's parents, and reached into her bag. "They really did try their best for this play. I think that the two of them deserve a reward." Starlight pulled out some coupons from her bag and offered them to Twilight Velvet. "There's an excellent restaurant that a relative of mine owns. Reservations are usually difficult, but I've been able to secure some seats this weekend and think that you would all rather enjoy the food there."

"Oh my, that's very kind of you, Miss Glimmer," Velvet started, "But I'm afraid that the girls already have plans for this weekend."

"We're going to a signing this Saturday," Twilight explained. "A. K. Yearling's gonna be there, and because my mum knows her, we get to sit with her and help her sell books!" Twilight's voice cracked as she let out a tiny squee, and Sunset rolled her eyes and her hands trembled behind her back.

"I see," Starlight said, retracting the tickets and giving the two a pleasant smile. "Well, I hope that you both enjoy yourselves. You certainly deserve it."

Starlight waved the group goodbye as she left, giving herself some distance before she reached back into her bag and pulled out her phone. She dialled a number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. "Change of plans. I won't be needing those reservations afterall… Don't worry, they just already had 'better' plans, but I'm sure we can salvage this. I'll still need your 'special recipe'.

XXIII - Sunset Shimmer's Birthday Suprise!

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Sunset Shimmer watched with bemused gazes as they watched Pinkie Pie bouncing around the table they were sitting at, squeaking and giggling as she clutched something in her hands close to her chest.

Fluttershy bit into her lettuce sandwich and shifted quickly to the left and Pinkie Pie landed besides her on the bench. "Hey guys, check it out!" she shouted as she revealed the object in her hands – a phone.

"A phone," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "That's what you're so excited about?"

"It's a new phone! I got it because my folks struck oil under our rock farm and sold it for MILLIONS!"

"I heard about that," Rarity said, "But I didn't know it was worth that much…"

Pinkie Pie sat down and twirled a lock of her hair. "Welllll, maybe not millions, but a lot! Dad got us all new phones, and we're going on vacation – my vote is for Disney World 'cause it's the 'happiest place in the world' and that's totally me, but it's a family decision so we'll see – and we're also gonna get work done on the house and-" Pinkie Pie gasped as she flicked through the apps on her phone. "GUYS! I can connect to my Facebook account during school!"

"So ya like the new phone, then?" Applejack asked with a grin.

"Yuh-huh! It's got everything! I can see my emails – so I can see who RSVPs to my parties – I can play games, it's got a calculator, a camera, it can play music and videos, I can browse the internet, I can-"

"Okay, we get it," Sunset said, almost crushing her juicebox in her grip. 'Brag about it, why don't you?'

"It's got a Gameloft app, but, nobody's perfect, I guess. Except for Weird Al. He's pretty perfect. I'd like to meet him someday. It's also got a calendar that reminds me of important birthdays coming up. Which of course is all of them!" Pinkie Pie tapped the screen to open the calendar and scrolled through it. She tilted her head as she skimmed through the months. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Rarity asked.

"I can't find Sunset's birthday on here. I thought this thing synched with my Facebook account."

"She probably jus' made it private," Applejack said with a sideways gaze towards Sunset. "Like every other detail she has on there."

Sunset sighed as she put down her drink and picked up her tomato sandwich. "If you must know, it's May the Fourth." Sunset took a bite into her sandwich, before becoming the victim to an ear-piercing shriek from the pink girl across the table from her.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!" Pinkie Pie screamed, grabbing Sunset by the shoulders and shaking her violently. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I only have one week to throw you the bestest ever surprise part-" Pinkie Pie gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. "No! Forget what I just said!"

Sunset gulped. 'Why did I open my big mouth?' "Look, I don't need a surprise party."

"Right! Why is exactly why you're not getting one!" Pinkie Pie winked to her friends, and Sunset sighed.

"I mean it…"

"So do I! Now come on, gang! We've gotta plan… something entirely unrelated!" Pinkie Pie grabbed Applejack and Rarity by their arms and pulled them over the table.

Rainbow Dash jumped up with an excited grin and followed after them. "Cool! We get to cut class!"

Fluttershy diligently packed away everybody's bags and gathered them all up. "Um, sorry, but I have to go with them. You don't mind eating alone, do you?"

Sunset waved a hand dismissively. "I'll manage," she said in a sarcastic tone. "Go waste your time with your friends."

Fluttershy bowed and then followed after her friends, leaving the cafeteria. Two minutes later, Principal Celestia approached Sunset's desk and asked, "I just saw your friends leave school in a hurry. Is something wrong?"

"They're planning me a surprise party for my birthday."

Celestia folded her arms and nodded her head. "I see… I wasn't aware that you had a birthday coming up."

"You didn't need to know. So, you alright with them just leaving like that?"

"Stopping a Pinkie Pie party has… proven to only cause 'issues' in the past. I'll just write off their absences as sick days."

"How much trouble could that hyperactive goofball cause?"

"You have no idea…" Celestia left, leaving Sunset Shimmer to her lunch.

Sunset Shimmer bit into her sandwich, before feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket. She checked it to find that it was a text from Pinkie Pie.

'Totally not related to what we're doing, but how old will you be?'

Sunset grumbled and locked her phone, but then it vibrated again.

'I have unlimited texts so I can just keep texting you until you answer~ <3''

Sunset groaned and texted her reply.

'So hypothetically, if I was going to make you a cake, would you prefer me to be subtle with the candles?'

Sunset turned her phone off and crammed it into her bag with a roar. She continued to eat her sandwich before a thought dawned on her, and she froze. "… Great. Now I'm thinking about the fact that I'll be twenty-five…"

Suddenly losing her appetite, Sunset packed away her lunch and rose from her seat, trudging out of the cafeteria as she felt her face for wrinkles. "… Maybe that spa Rarity goes to has some rejuvenative treatments…"

Five days passed, and the party was just about complete. The cake had been prepared and delivered to Pinkie Pie's house, the games had been picked and set up at Pinkie Pie's house, the invitations had been sent out telling the guests to go to Pinkie Pie's house, and the decorations – streamers, banners, confetti and all – had been set up… at Pinkie Pie's house.

All was good to go as Pinkie Pie completed her checklist and prepared to leave for school. "Pinkie," her father called out as she opened the door. "I've got some bad news."

"What is it?" Pinkie asked. "Are you not gonna be able to come to the party today?"

"It's not that. Well, it is… I'm afraid you can't have your friend's party here after all."

Pinkie Pie dropped her backpack and simply stared at her father.

"What?!" Rarity asked. "We have to move the party from your house to somewhere else… today?!"

"Sssh!" Pinkie Pie hushed as she looked around. "I'm sorry!" she whispered. "Dad said there's a problem with the boiler and we don't have any heating for a few days. We're all gonna be staying at a hotel until then."

"Well, we got space down on the farm," Applejack said. "Ah guess we could have it down there."

"But how're we gonna move everything in time?" Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly growing very excited. "Are we getting' another day off school?!"

"That'd look suspicious, though," Pinkie Pie said, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Well, we're not in all of the same classes," Fluttershy pointed out. "Maybe we could leave early and Sunset wouldn't notice?"

Everybody quickly pulled out their timetables and compared them together. "Okay, so it looks like we're all in the same class together for fourth period," Rarity noted.

"But then only Pinkie an' Sunset are together for home economics," Applejack finished. "So if the rest of us leave, we can make it by the time Pinkie brings Sunset t' the farm."

"How're you plannin' to do that, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I have my methods," Pinkie Pie replied with a wink.

"Uh, don't think I wanna know, actually…"

"Right, so we have a plan!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed. "Let's synchronise watches!" Pinkie Pie pulled out a phone. "Just so happens I have a new app for that! Teehee!"

"How will we transport everything, though?" Rarity asked. "None of us can drive."

"Sunset can," Pinkie Pie replied. Everybody gave her a silent look for several seconds. "… Oh."

"Well, I can drive," Rainbow Dash said. "Just… not legally, is all."

"Ah guess ah could ask Granny Smith ta drive us, but that would depend…"

"On what?" Rainbow asked.

"On whether or not she found her glasses this mornin'. Oh! Big Macintosh!"

"He can drive!" Rarity chimed. "Oh, but we'd be cutting into his classes…"

"Ah it's fine. Big lug's smarter than he pretends, an' ain't planning on goin' to college anyhow."

"Well, if you're sure it's alright…"

"Now, his first class is… He's with Miss Cheerilee. Ah'll go see if he's already linin' up."

Sunset Shimmer stared at her timer as it ticked slowly. Her cakes were almost completed; she simply needed to play the waiting game and she would be good to go.

"Keep watching for me. I'm gonna go grab some icing," Sunset said to her partner, Pinkie Pie.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie cast her full attention onto the oven, licking her lips at the delicious baked good rising inside. She felt her phone vibrating inside her pocket and gasped, ducking beneath the counter as she pulled out the device, making sure to keep it out of sight of her strict teacher.

'Disaster! We hit a flat! Keep her busy longer!'

Pinkie Pie bit her lip and looked up at the clock. It was almost time to leave, and the only way to keep Sunset from leaving was to do something drastic… Something unspeakable!

"Forgive me, delicious baked goods." Pinkie Pie turned up the oven to its maximum setting, holding back her sobs as the treats inside screamed and begged for mercy. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning the oven back down as the timer rang out.

Sunset Shimmer returned with the icing and opened the oven. "Right, let's finish this up and- Wait, what happened?!"

"Oh, hey!" Pinkie screamed, feigning surprise as the charred mess of confectionary was placed onto the counter. "How did that happen?"

"Looks to me like you had the temperature set too high," Cranky said as he looked down over the students' work. "Which means you'll have to start again…"

"But I had it on the right setting! I'm sure of it!" Sunset protested. "Besides, it's almost time to leave."

"Don't matter. My wife isn't going to be home until later tonight, so I have allllll the time in the world."

Sunset deadpanned. "You're not serious."

"Did I stutter, young lady?" Cranky turned the pages of the girls' recipe book back to the first step and pointed to emphasise his point.

With a reluctant sigh, Sunset moved the spoiled goods aside and reached for her mixing bowl. "Let's just get this over with… again."

"I'll go grab some more sugar!" Pinkie skipped along to the trolley at the front of the class, smiling a proud and devious smile at a job-well-done. She took out her phone and texted her friends the good news."

"Well, we should be able to make it at this rate," Applejack said as she closed her phone and glanced through her window. "Good thing we keep a spare in the back of the car."

"Good thing Big Mac was able to get out of classes," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Yes, but, are you sure that you're teachers are okay with this?"

Big Mac gulped and nodded as sweat dripped down his head. "E-Eeyup."

Applejack leaned across to Big Mac and whispered, "Ah can't believe y'all are hooked up with Miss Cheerilee."

"R-Remember, you promised not ta tell anyone if ah drove y'all, and the party goods, t' the farm."

"Ah know, ah know. Next time, try keepin' it off of school grounds. Ah don't want Apple Bloom's big becomin' a news story sensation, ya hear?"

Suddenly, the car jumped, and everybody gasped. Big Mac hit the brakes and skidded to a halt. "Everybody alright?!"

"We're fine!" Rarity reported through her breath. "I hope the cakes are okay…"

"Ah'll check, y'all wait here," Applejack said as she unfastened her belt. She climbed out of the car and walked over to the boot, spying a large pothole down the road that was clearly the cause of the jump.

"Ah'll put in a word to the mayor tomorrow," Big Mac said, startling his sister.

"Ah said ah'll check!"

"Ah know, but us Apples stick together."

Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Don't be so corny an' jus' open the boot already."

Big Macintosh opened the boot of the car, frowning as he looked inside. "… What now?"

Pinkie Pie bit her nails as she read Applejack's latest text.

'Cakes are ruined. Going to SCC to get more. Stall longer.'

"How?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"How what?" Sunset asked.

"HOW… much sugar do we need?" Pinkie Pie asked as she quickly put her phone away.

"Just a couple of spoonfuls," Sunset said, raising her eyebrow. "You're a baker."

"Eheh, yeeeeeeah. Just testin' ya!" Pinkie Pie grabbed the bag of sugar and brought it over to the bowl. When Sunset wasn't looking, she poured the bag's contents into the bowl. "Whoops! I'm so clumsy!"

Sunset and Cranky turned to the pink girl standing sheepishly over the ruined mess of the cake mixture. Cranky sighed. "Start again."

Sunset clenched her fist and bit her lower lip as tears started to form. "I'll put the ingredients into the bowl this time."

"Okay!" Pinkie grinned. 'My job is done anyhow!'

One-and-a-half hours later, Cranky looked over the completed cupcakes and nodded. "Well, they're a little messy…"

"Sorry, sir," Sunset said through gritted teeth, "But after some sugar spillages and some 'accidental' fires, I was in a bit of a hurry."

"You get a pass with these, so you can go on home. I can't hold you for much longer, anyway."

Sunset sighed and grabbed her bag with haste. "Good. I'm so gone."

"Head home safe now," Cranky said as he left the room with his briefcase.

"Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed as she also picked up her bag. "You got any plans today? I mean, besides brooding and studying quietly in your dark room."

Sunset narrowed her eyes as Pinkie shovelled some of their cupcakes into her mouth. "Is that how you see me?"

"Uh, sometimes."

"… Well, yes. Unfortunately, I don't have any big plans for tonight."

"Well, I'm headin' over to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack with some chores! It's harvest time soon and she's offered some of her family's famous cider for our help! Wanna come?"

"That sounds boring, and stupid. I'm good, thanks."

Sunset grabbed one of the cupcakes and bit into it as she walked towards the room's exit. Pinkie called out, "She's also paying well!"

Sunset stopped. "… How much?"

For reasons beyond her comprehension, Sunset was asked to wear a blindfold whilst Pinkie Pie escorted her towards the farmhouse. For reasons even more beyond her comprehension, Sunset agreed to it. Maybe it was just to save herself the grief of hearing the pink girl's ramblings, or maybe it was simply to avoid having to see her never-faltering smile for just a few minutes.

Regardless, she was starting to regret going along with Pinkie's games as she found the knot holding the blindfold firmly pressed to her eyes impossible to unfasten with just her left hand, her right on held firmly by Pinkie Pie as she was led down the farm's road.

"Okay, we're here!" Pinkie Pie sang.

"Does that mean I can remove this blindfold now?" Sunset asked, pulling her right hand free and reaching up before Pinkie Pie could even respond. She unfastened the knot and removed the clothe, and was assaulted by an array of bright colours that caused her to squint her eyes.

Suddenly, explosions and confetti filled the air. Sunset jumped, and her vision returned just in time for everybody gathered to shout, in unison, "SURPRISE!"

Sunset Shimmer blushed and narrowed her eyes. "I thought I said that I didn't want a party."

"Everyone should be allowed to celebrate their birthday!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking the liberty of outfitting Sunset Shimmer with a party hat.

"Besides, darling, the guests have all taken the time to be here," Rarity added, gesturing over the group that had shown up. There were Pinkie Pie's sisters, the Cakes and their twins, the Canterlot Mercenary Club, and of course, the five invasive girls themselves, her 'posse'.

"That's not my-"

"Happy Birthday, Sunset," Mrs. Cake said as she approached.

"Thank you," Sunset said quickly, before turning back to the girls. "I don't-"

"We got you a present," Mr. Cake added, handing the girl a thick, brick-like object wrapped in orange paper with stars over it. "To thank you for all your hard work, and to celebrate you turning… what was it, again?"

"Uh, eighteen," Sunset lied, grabbing the present and opening it. Her eyes widened as she saw the new Tomb Raider game inside. The game was newly-released and out of her price range, what with her other recent 'investments'. It was something that she'd been interested in playing through someday, if she ever got the chance before returning to Equestria. "T-This is… Uh, thank you," she said, sincerely, as she looked down at the twins trying to reach out towards her.

"The twins made you something, too." Mrs. Cake nudged her husband, and he gave Sunset a piece of paper with several coloured blobs filling the page. "They painted it themselves."

Sunset wanted to cringe at the sappy family before her, but the way that the twins were smiling as she accepted the painting forced her to keep her face straight. "T-Thanks…"

Applejack took liberty of Sunset's presents and said, "I'll jus' set these down with the others." She gestured to a table where many wrapped presents sat. "Fer now, how 'bout a few games t' get things started?"

Sunset narrowed her eyes once more. "I told you, I'm not-"

"Unless you're chicken," Rainbow Dash butted in, holding some darts in her hands as she grinned smugly at the other girl.

"… I know that you're trying to play me for a fool… but fine. I'll wipe that grin off your face and then I'm gone!" Sunset grabbed her set of darts and the two made their ways over to the board hanging off of a tree.

Rainbow Dash threw her three darts and scored one hundred and thirty point. "Is that all?" Sunset laughed as she stepped forwards, aiming carefully and then throwing her first dart, then her second, and then her third. One hundred and forty points.

"Is that all?" Applejack asked, stepping up with her own grin and taking possession of Rainbow's darts. "Why don't y'all try this on fer size?" Applejack threw her darts, striking a perfect one hundred and eighty points.

Sunset Shimmer stood wide-eyed, unable to grasp such accuracy. She wiped the surprise from her face and tried to return the grin. "N-No problem. I can do that." Sunset held up her first dart and aimed. Sweat ran down her brow as she realised that she couldn't make such a shot at a whim. She channelled some magic into the dart and threw it. It missed, just hitting the border of the regular twenty zone. "H-How?!"

"Looks like y'all jus' need a lil' more practice," Applejack teased. "It's all in good fun though, right?"

Sunset Shimmer absolutely refused to be outdone by the simple farmer, but she knew that she could not win through darts. So she tried another game instead, one which she was much more experienced at.

The karaoke machine that Pinkie Pie had rented proved to be her friend. She hit every note with precision, getting a perfect score, whereas Applejack struggled to keep up with the pace and pitch of her own song. Sunset enjoyed being at the top once more… that is, until Rarity stepped in and challenged her rule.

The two sang many songs, neither one letting up or showing any mercy as they hit perfect score after perfect score. Sunset didn't know when it had happened, but at some point, she was smiling. She was smiling, even though she had not yet won. She wiped the smile off of her face and pulled out her phone to check the time, when Pinkie Pie blew into a blowing horn to draw everybody's attentions.

"It's time for presents! Everybody gather round the birthday girl!"

Rarity set down her microphone and looked at Sunset expectantly. Sunset realised that all eyes were now on her and she sighed. "Hey now, least you could do is see what everyone got ya," Applejack said as she noticed the solemn look in Sunset's eyes. "C'mon now. Ya might find somethin' ya like."

'Unless it's a ticket home, I'm not interested,' Sunset thought, but she approached the table anyway.

"You know, everybody went through a lot of effort to set things up for you," Fluttershy whispered as she walked alongside Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I said you didn't have to."

"But we wanted to," Fluttershy replied.

"Why?"

"Because it's your birthday, and we wanted you to have fun."

Sunset stopped, though Fluttershy didn't seem to notice as she kept walking on.

"Sunset, dear?" Mrs. Cake called out, drawing the girl's attention. She could see Mr. Cake and the twins off in the distance. "I'm terribly sorry, but we're going to have to leave early. I want to get the twins settled in for an early naptime."

Sunset waved her off. "It's fine. You didn't have to go through the trouble of showing up, anyway."

"Oh, don't be silly. What sort of friend would I be if I hadn't shown up?"

"Friend?"

Mrs. Cake covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, unless you feel uncomfortable around an old gal like me?"

Sunset almost failed to hold in her chortle. "Uh, no. It's not that. Just didn't know you considered me one, is all."

"… You didn't deny me being old."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

Mrs. Cake laughed and, to Sunset's dismay, so did she. Mrs. Cake waved goodbye to everybody and then followed after her husband.

"Sunseeeeeet! Preseeeeeeents!"

"Pinkie Pie, please calm down!" Rarity scolded.

"But I'm so excited! I want her to see what I got her!"

Sunset Shimmer turned to the pink girl, and then approached the table with all of the presents sitting in a pile. She reached for one that was decorated with patterns of a balloons and fireworks, with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. She noticed Pinkie Pie beaming in the corner of her eye, and shifted her target to the one beside it.

Pinkie Pie's face dropped as Sunset opened the present, finding out from the label that it was from Applejack, and she found a book inside. "That there is all the family recipes that've been passed down the Apple family through the generations. A copy, o'course, but we make it a point not t' hand out our secrets lightly." Applejack winked, and added, "Use it well."

Sunset had to admit that the Apple family's treats were quite delectable, but there was a matter that confused her. "I'm not part of the Apple family, though."

"Well, us Apples have a pretty loose definition of what counts as 'family'. Ah'd say y'all qualify!"

"Well… thanks, I guess," she said, placing the book down. It was a nice present, but she wasn't supposed to enjoy it. She moved back to the pink-ribboned present, and caught Pinkie Pie beaming again. She swiftly moved towards the smaller one atop it, and Pinkie Pie bit her lip and screamed inwardly.

Sunset opened the present from Rainbow Dash and found a CD inside from one of her favourite foreign bands. "T-This is rare in this country."

"Well, my old man visits a lot of places," Rainbow Dash explained. "It wasn't cheap though! It cost a whole thousand yen!"

"That's roughly nine dollars," Susnet deadpanned.

Rainbow Dash huffed. "Why do you know exchange rates when you don't even have a passport?"

Sunset smiled at the CD, eager to listen to it later. "Thanks," she said automatically as she place it atop Applejack's book. She continued her ritual of teasing Pinkie Pie's present, before moving onto the one from Rarity, and then the others.

Rarity had made Sunset a new dress. One that showed her elegance and her intellect, but also suggested a fiery determination and a strong will. At least, that was how Rarity had described it. To Sunset, it was soft and looked lovely. Almost too lovely to wear casually.

Fluttershy's present was a trilogy of books that Sunset had expressed interest in before, and the Canterlot Mercenary Club had prepared a song for her, as well as a cape to initiate her into their club.

After the song was over, and the hazardous stage that they had performed upon collapsed under the collective weight of all of their stage props, Sunset opened Maud's present. Rock candy.

"Not sure what else I expected," Sunset muttered, everybody else nodding in agreement.

"Well then, I guess that leaves…" Pinkie Pie was practically jumping in excitement as Sunset eyed the only present left on the table. "The cake."

Pinkie Pie screamed and collapsed to her knees, Fluttershy holding her shoulders gently.

"C'mon, Sunset," Applejack said with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, okay," Sunset laughed as she approached the final present, opening it up to reveal a storm of confetti that obscured her vision. When it had vanished, Sunset was greeted to an assorted array of baked goods, with various toppings, shaped like everyone from the group.

"I made them myself!" Pinkie Pie boasted. "D'ya like them? Do ya, do ya?!"

Sunset pushed the pink girl out of her personal space. "Yes, yes, now calm down!"

Pinkie Pie was elated and jumped high into the air in celebration. Whilst she was still airborne, Maud took the liberty of rolling out the birthday cake, topped with candles in the shape of an algebraic 'x'.

Pinkie Pie landed and pulled out a box of matches to light them all. Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Yeah, I get it," she said as she shook her head.

The girls to her side all snickered at the inside joke. "Well, make a wish!" Applejack said.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, not believing in that silly superstition. But that cake did look good, so she blew out the candles anyway, if only so that she could cut into that baked good sooner.

Everybody clapped and Pinkie Pie began to cut the cake, giving the first slice to Sunset Shimmer. As she watched the other slices be handed out, she had to admit that she was impressed by how much thought had gone into this party. She bit into her slice of the cake, and then gasped silently. It was good. So good that she didn't even realise how quickly she devoured the rest of her slice.

"Well then, shall we resume where we had left off?" Rarity asked, motioning with her head towards the karaoke machine.

Sunset Shimmer scoffed. "Right. I still had to beat you, didn't I?"

After several more songs and draws between the two, the group had decided to settle this match with alternative means of competition. Charades, Nerf battles, Drawful… When it was time for the Canterlot Mercenary Club to leave for their respective curfews, things stepped up a notch.

"I never really understood blank, until I found blank," Rainbow Dash said, watching everybody with an excited and eager stare.

Rarity cringed at the severe vulgarity of her cards, whilst Sunset Shimmer questioned her morality as she picked two of her own.

The girls played until the first signs of sunset showed over the horizon. Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie offered to help Sunset carry her presents home, as they were going in the same direction anyway.

Upon arriving, Sunset took the presents from the two and thanked them for their help. "I'm glad you liked it! I think it was my bestest party yet!"

"You say that about all of them," Maud pointed out.

"It was certainly surprising," Sunset said.

"Well duh! That's the point of a surprise party!" Pinkie Pie replied.

Sunset laughed, and waved goodbye as she turned to step inside. 'That's not quite what I meant. I can't even remember the last time I've had such fun… or that anyone's gone to such efforts for me…'

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she closed her bedroom door behind herself, chuckling as she dropped her presents onto her bed and flicked on her laptop. "No new emails? Guess I'll have to keep poking around for a bit."

Sunset's phone buzzed, and she reached into her pocket to pull it out. It was a text from Pinkie Pie.

'BTW, sorry 4 home ec. today! I was just trying to stall u so we could get the prty rdy, hope u rn't mad :('

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and typed her reply.

'No moreso than your butchery of the English language. Really, it's fine. I had a lot of fun and'

Sunset Shimmer stopped, and read over her text. Suddenly, her smile faded. "… I can't honestly be having fun with them…"

'No moreso than your butchery of the English language.'

Sunset stared at her text for several moments, humming in thought and adjusting her seated position. "But, it was nice of them… I haven't felt like that since before I came to this world. I thought they were just trying for Twilight's sake, but they really care about me…"

'No moreso than your butchery over the English language. Thank you.'

Sunset bit her lip. "N-No… They're nice people, not like Celestia at all! I can't… I shouldn't involve them like this…" Sunset Shimmer leaned down and held her forehead, her breathing picking up. "It was wrong of me to try to use them like that, I know that now. But what if they think I was just using them again? What if they try to stop me and get hurt?"

Sunset's laptop played a sound, indicating that she had received new mail. It was from Snips.

'Hey Sunset! that compass you gave us started glowing today! wanna meet up tomorrow at Granny's Diner?'

Looking back to her phone, Sunset deleted the text-in-progress and switched off the device. She set it down on her desk and stared at it for a full minute. "… I have to pick up the pace. The longer I stay here, the more attached I'm going to get."

Hitting the button to compose a new message, Sunset typed out an email to 'DD'.

'I'll need that shipment now. Leave the goods inside the storage unit as soon as possible and then get back to me. I will wire your payment in advanced – don't screw this up.'

After sending the message, Sunset shut her laptop immediately and froze. "There's no turning back, now," she told herself, turning around and reaching under her bed. She pulled out a small box containing two gloves. She took her magic-conducting glove and put it on, grimacing as she felt the shards of glass inside dig into her skin.

She took the second glove, lined with mirror shards on the outside, and cast her gloved hand over it. Green energy coursed over the second glove, and she then swapped the two around.

Looking across the room, Sunset tested her new glove by attempting to cast a spell on the light switch. Her hand glowed, and the switch flicked off, shutting off the room's lights. She turned them back on and chuckled.

"A success! So long as the glove contains magic-conductive material, I can enchant it to connect to the wearer indirectly. Now, I only need one more object…"

Sunset put the gloves away and flicked the lights off once more, settling herself into her bed and closing her eyes. "This world, I'll soon be leaving it behind… and returning to Equestria."

XXIV - The Daring Deal

"Eeeeeee!" Twilight squealed like the excited schoolgirl that she was as she peered down the line, dancing on-the-spot and clutching her notepad to her chest. Just two more people… "Just two more people!"

"And it only took two hours," Sunset Shimmer said, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. She was a fan of A. K. Yearling, sure, but enough to queue for two whole hours? Only because her friend didn't want to queue by herself.

Thankfully she had her handheld with her. She had never StreetPassed with so many people at once before. Still needed a few puzzle pieces, though.

The person at the front of the queue left, and Twilight moved forwards. Sunset put her 3DS away and followed. "We're almost there!" Twilight whispered, her hands clenched into fists as she inched closer. She was close enough to hear the person in front of her.

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book," the man said in a thick, Spanish accent. "But I must say, I would have enjoyed it more had Daring Do bought the wrong map and wound up lost in the jungle for several days."

The man wore cream-coloured shirt and a pair of jeans. His close-shaven jaw curled into a grin as he leaned forwards and reached out to hold A. K. Yearling's chin. "Get. Lost."

"Don't worry. I won't create a scene. Not here."

"I'll call security-"

"You have something that I want," the man said, ignoring the author's threat. "I have something that you want, Daring Do, so we'll make a deal. One hour. Meet me in the auditorium, and we'll make the trade. No guards, no weapons, no tricks."

"And I should trust you why?"

The man's grin grew. "Is this the face of a man who lies?"

"No. It's the face of a man who goes back on his word at the last minutes, Caballeron."

Doctor Caballeron turned to the panicking girl shuffling to Daring Do's side, a phone in her hand as her eyes stayed fixed on the man. "If you want the compass, Miss Do, then you will give me the reagent. The choice is yours, but your dear father doesn't have much time left."

Daring Do pulled her head back and glared. Caballeron held his book, motioning to it. Begrudgingly, she signed it, and he picked it up before her turned to leave, waving to the girl behind him.

Twilight watched the man leave with stars in her eyes. "Oh. Em. Gee!" She rushed to the table and slammed her notepad onto it, pushing her face into the author's and staring into eyes in total awe. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You're… Daring Do?!"

Daring Do pressed a hand against Twilight's mouth. "SSSHHH!"

"What's going on?" Sunset asked, approaching the table with a glare. "Wanna get your hand off my friend's mou-"

Twilight pushed Daring's hand away and said, "I will never wash these lips again!"

"… What's going on?" Sunset said with a sigh.

"Look, can you just forget that you heard that?" Daring Do asked. "I don't want people knowing that Daring Do is real."

Sunset's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"SSSHHH!" Twilight pressed her finger to her lips and glared at her friend, before whispering, "She doesn't want people knowing!"

"Please, just don't tell anyone," Daring Do repeated as she signed Twilight's notepad. "I have a lot of enemies. To most people, I am just an author who Daring Do sells her stories to – I don't even know the girl. She just sends me emails and I write up the stories."

"Wait, I thought Daring Do was fiction," Sunset said as she handed her own notepad over.

"That's for the people who've never met me. I label it as fiction so they don't go looking for me. Only a few people know that Daring Do and A. K. Yearling are the same people, Doctor Caballeron sadly being one of them."

Twilight gasped and turned around, but she was unable to find the scruffy-looking gentleman from before. "T-That was the Doctor Caballeron?"

Daring Do sighed. "Yes, and he's just as despicable as in my books."

"Twilights ships you together," Sunset said with a smirk, motioning to the girl besides her.

Daring Do turned to the girl with a bemused stare. "Oh. You're one of those fans."

Twilight blushed and giggled sheepishly as she fumbled her notepad away into her bag. "I-It was only one fiction. Honestly."

Daring gave Sunset her notepad back, and asked, "So, got any questions you'd like to ask?"

"Honestly, I don't think I do, anymore," Sunset said. "This revelation kind of resets all the questions I had thought of while I waiting to speak to you."

"Can you take a picture with me?" Twilight asked, taking out her phone and holding it up with a pleading stare.

"Sure thing," Daring Do said, standing up and walking around the table to stand between the two girls. "Just remember: don't tell anybody that I'm real."

"Don't worry. You're secret's safe with us!" Twilight assured, holding the phone up and pressing the button to take the selfie.

"Can you believe that Daring Do is real?" Twilight asked, biting into her burger and eating it with a giddy look on her face.

"That was kind of a shock," Sunset admitted, "But you've mentioned it like, fifty times by now." Sunset grinned as Twilight blushed. "I'm kinda worried that Doctor Caballeron is also real, and here among us. He's always out to kill Daring Do. I wonder if he's here to do that now?"

Twilight swallowed the food in her mouth and frowned. "That… That would be terrible, but then, this is a public place, right?"

"In 'The Aztecs' Curse', he lured her to an empty room in a school and tried to kill her with a silenced pistol."

Twilight gasped. "She's meeting with him in five minutes! We have to stop her!"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. Behind Twilight, Daring Do was running about. She was in her adventurer's outfit from the books, looking around all over the place. Passersby seemed to think she was simply a fan wearing a costume and paid her not much heed.

"Where is she meeting him?"

"The auditorium," Twilight told her.

"Then what's she doing over there."

Twilight turned around, and then snapped back to Sunset Shimmer. "I wonder if she's not going?"

"Daring Do running from Caballeron? Nah. That can't be right." Sunset hummed in thought as she studied Daring Do's panicked moves. "Maybe we should follow her."

Twilight bit her lip uncertainly. "I don't know. Isn't that kinda stalkerish?"

"Twi, how often is it that one of our favourite fictional heroes turns out to be real?" Sunset chuckled under her breath. "Besides, how can we stalk someone who 'doesn't exist'?"

Sunset winked, and Twilight giggled in response. "You're right. She said herself that Daring Do is purely fictional."

"Right, so we're not following her, 'cause she's not really there."

With nods, the two girls got up and followed Daring Do through the expo, pushing through crowds and keeping a good distance from the adventurer as they tried to figure out where she was going.

At some point, Sunset had lost track of Twilight through the crowds of people and started to look around for her. "Twilight! Hey, Twi?!" Not looking at where she was going as she continued to move, Sunset bumped into Daring Do, startling her. "Whoa! Uh, h-hey! Fancy meeting you-"

"You following me?" Daring Do asked with a stare. She then looked around, and said, "Whatever you want, save it. I'm doing something important at the moment."

Sunset frowned. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I-I just thought that maybe I could help. Caballeron threatened you with something earlier, right?"

A moment of silence passed, and then Daring Do sighed. "Look, I asked you to forget about all that."

"But it's clearly a trap! You can't go to meet him!"

"I wasn't going to." Seeing the confused look on Sunset's face, Daring explained. "Doctor Caballeron sent me a message. He's cancelled the meeting… He sent it after my assistant had "mysteriously" gone missing."

Sunset clenched her hands into fists. "That coward, stooping so low!" A moment of realisation passed over the girl. "I see. So you're looking for them, now?"

Daring Do nodded her head. "He hasn't made any demands yet. If I can find them before he does, I can take him by surprise."

"I'll help!"

"No," Daring Do deadpanned. "It's too dangerous, and besides, I don't need help."

"But-"

"Look, kid, I appreciate the thought, but just leave this to the professionals. Trust me, this isn't a world you want to be in."

"But you always take on companions!"

Daring Do rolled her eyes. "Y'ever notice how my companion changes from book-to-book?" Sunset nodded. "That's because I regret it, every time. But I keep making that mistake."

Sunset shook her head. "It's not a mistake to trust in others. I learned that the hard way."

"No. I'm not making that same mistake this time. Just take your friend, and leave." Daring Do turned and, without another word, she pushed her way through the crowds, leaving Sunset Shimmer behind.

Sunset Shimmer was respectful. She knew when somebody needed their space and when she should just back off. This wasn't one of those times. This was one of those times where she needed to be stubborn. Where she needed to do what she could, even if it was only a little.

Sunset took out her phone and started texting.

Twilight read the text, and then put away her phone. Sunset had explained the situation to her. "I need to find Sunset so we can put a plan together. I've just found out my favourite author and my favourite character are the same person! There's no way I'm gonna lose them!"

The problem… was that Twilight had no idea where she was in relation to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset said that she was at a place with many ATMs along a wall, but… that was every wall in this long , identical hallway.

As she looked around, something caught her eyes. Twilight gasped and ducked behind a potted plant, watching as Doctor Caballeron moved through the crowds of people, and casually entered a door that had a 'No Entry' sign on it.

"He must be holding her in there," Twilight whispered to herself as she watched with a heated glare. "It would be too dangerous to go alone… No, I have to do something. My brother would do the same thing." 'And I'm not just doing this to get Caballeron's autograph!'

With a resolute nod, Twilight approached the door and grabbed the handle. She opened it slightly, look around to ensure that she was not being watched, and then stepped inside, making sure to leave the door ajar as she ventured into the room.

Suddenly, Twilight felt something press against the back of her head. Her body stiffened and her blood froze. "… You're not Daring Do," the man behind her stated. "Do you not know that this area is off-limits?"

"I-I was just looking for the bathroom!" Twilight blurted, her hands shaking as her breathing increased. She regretted her poor decision to chase a known murderer… 'Though, really, I should have known better from the start. Nice going, Twilight.'

"Hmph. A pretty girl such as yourself should not go sticking her nose into dark places." Caballeron pulled his gun away and allowed Twilight to turn around, chuckling as he saw the blush spread across her face. "Yes, I have that effect on people."

"T-Theeeen, I suppose I'll just get going then," Twilight said, slowly and cautiously stepping around Caballeron, inching her way closer towards the door.

"Tell Daring Do that I do not have her assistant."

Twilight stopped. "I-I don't know what you-"

"I know that she sent you," Caballeron said. "The two of your seemed awful close at the signing earlier. You're acquainted with her, are you not?"

Twilight was about to correct him, but suddenly, an idea came to her mind. "W-Why yes! Yes I am!" she said, arms at her hips as she puffed out her chest proudly. "So you see, killing me would be a mistake! You know how Daring Do gets when she's angry!"

"Oh, believe me. I know." Caballeron chuckled, putting his gun into his jacket and turning to face Twilight. He closed the door to his side, drawing a worried gasp from her. "No doubt, both you and her believe that I kidnapped her assistant."

"W-Well, didn't you?" Twilight asked. "I mean, that is a classic Caballeron tactic right there."

"Normally, I would be inclined to agree with you. However, Miss Do has desperate need of this thing." Caballeron pulled a compass out of his jacket and dangled it by a chain in front of Twilight's eyes. "There's no need for me to risk provoking her that way, when I already have something she cannot refuse."

"A… compass?"

"Oh, did she not tell you? This compass once belonged to her father, who is now missing after a recent expedition was attacked."

Twilight gasped. "Daring Do's father is missing?"

"This compass may hold a vital clue to saving him, or, it may just be a compass. But that is a risk that Miss Do simply cannot take. Therefore, as you can see, I have all the cards that I need. I have no reason to take a hostage, making the transaction even more risky than it already was."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "But if you didn't kidnap her assistant, then who did?"

"Somebody far worse than I, who is after the same thing, but has no such collateral." Caballeron put the compass away and said, "I will give you one hint: he considers himself to be the 'King of the Cat Kingdom'."

"Ahuizotl!" Twilight cried, her excitement revealing itself as a tiny squeal. She cleared her throat. "Ahuizotl."

"The same," Caballeron said. "And let me tell you, that man won't care that he's in a public place. He will open fire if he does not get what he wants."

"Then we have to stop him!" Twilight shouted, grabbing Caballeron's arm. "Daring Do's in danger!"

Caballeron took Twilight's wrist and released it from his arm. "Alas, I am outmatched this time. I did not bring enough firepower to fight a foe as dangerous as Ahuizotl."

"So, what, you're just gonna run away?" Twilight asked. "I didn't know Doctor Caballeron was such a coward! Daring Do must feel sorry when she writes you in her books!"

"I am simply weighing my options. I suggest that you do the same."

Twilight gritted her teeth together, backing away from Caballeron and opening the door to leave. "Yeah? Well, you do what you wanna do! I'm going to go help Daring Do!"

Caballeron watched as Twilight ran out of the room. He reached a hand up and stroked his hairy chin. "What interesting companions you always seem to find yourself with. And so fiercely loyal, too."

Caballeron took his phone out of his pocket and punched in a few numbers. "It's me. Bring that in. This deal just might go through after all."

Daring Do entered the cafeteria cautiously. Because of the expo, the cafeteria on the second floor was meant to be shut. However, the lights were on, and there was a figure standing in the centre of the room.

It was the man who had texted Daring Do just moments ago, ordering her to meet him in order to make the exchange. Her reagent for her assistant's life. The man who wore a sharp, clean blue suit and matching tie, with a blue purple helmet atop his head adorned with two long, sharp ear-like points.

The man who grinned like the Cheshire Cat whenever he had Daring Do right where he wanted her – Ahuizotl.

"So glad that you could make it," Ahuizotl said as he held Daring Do's assistant in one of his long, muscular arms. His other arm was pointed forwards, aiming a silenced handgun at Daring Do. The girl in his arm struggled, but he didn't even seem to notice it. "I trust that you have what I want?"

Daring Do clutched the vial in her hand. "Why do you want this thing, anyway? It's no good to someone who doesn't know a thing about ancient alchemy!"

"Why do I want it? For the same reason I want everything that the ancient world left behind: wealth. Gold. Riches. Money!" The man cackled and turned his pistol onto Daring Do's assistant. "Now, let's make the deal! First, you leave the reagent on the floor and then leave the room!"

"Not without some guarantee for her life!" Daring Do demanded.

"You're in no position for making demands!"

Daring Do gritted her teeth together. Slowly, she kneeled down and place the reagent onto the floor, keeping her eyes on Ahuizotl at all times. The vial touched the floor, but her hand did not release it. "First, point your gun away. Then I'll let go."

"… Hmph." Ahuizotl complied, moving his aim from his hostage and onto Daring Do. "Kick it over here."

"Not so fast." Daring Do gasped and turned around. Doctor Caballeron walked into the room, and was making his way confidently towards her, a grin plastered on her face. "Ahuizotl, my friend. How could you not cut me in on this deal?"

Ahuizotl trained his gun on Caballeron. "You seek to interrupt our transaction?"

"On the contrary," Caballeron said. "I wish to offer you an alternative deal. Her life…" Caballeron reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He flicked it into the air, allowing it to glide across the wind and land on the floor at Ahuizotl's feet.

The paper was a cheque, and when he read the number that was written on it, Ahuizotl's jaw dropped. "… You would pay this much to help your dear Daring Do?"

"Not at all. I want the reagent. See, I'm one of those people who would pay a handsome sum for it, and if money's all your after…"

Ahuizotl studied the man suspiciously. "Then why not simply wait until our own transaction is over?"

Caballeron's grin grew wider. "What? And miss tormenting Daring Do myself?"

"… Heh. So that's it." Ahuizotl shrugged, and motioned the man over. "Very well then. Come here, and I will give you the hostage." Caballeron raised his arms and approached. It was only when he was close enough that Ahuizotl's nose began to twitch. Suddenly, he aimed his gun at the man. "Wait, who are you?!"

'Caballeron' clicked his tongue. "What, you've got the smell of a cat, too?"

Ahuizotl roared in anger. "How dare you try to trick me?! Who are you?!"

"… Agent Chrysalis, FBI."

Ahuizotl gasped, before suddenly being zapped from behind. He yelped, dropping his gun and releasing his hostage, who immediately took the chance and ran to Daring Do's side. "Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," Chrysalis said as she removed her mask, revealing her true face. She turned to Sunset Shimmer, who was standing behind Ahuizotl with a taser, and grinned. "See? I told you it'd work out okay."

Twilight came out from behind Sunset and grabbed Ahuizotl's arms. She pulled out a pair of handcuffs and slapped them on. "Ahuizotl, you are under arrest for kidnapping and attempted murder! … Did I do that right?"

"I would've twisted his arm about first, but not bad for a first attempt."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "W-Wow. I can't believe I just did something so reckless. Shining Armor would kill me!"

"Exciting, isn't it?" Chrysalis asked with a laugh. "When I got your call, I was surprised. We've been after this guy for ages, but he always slips away."

"Why didn't you bring a bigger force, then?" Sunset asked.

"Not enough time, or evidence," Chrysalis said. "Honestly, you were just lucky I was nearby."

"Blast you!" Ahuizotl shouted, stretching his arms in an attempt to free himself. "BLAAAAAAAAAAST!"

"My, my, Ahuizotl. Such a whiner." Everybody gasped and turned around. Doctor Caballeron was there, holding Daring Do in one arm, with a knife against her throat. "I must say, young lady, I am mightily impressed. To think that you had connections with the FBI…"

"Let her go!" Twilight demanded, and Sunset raised her taser.

"Put that thing down. It's already been expended." Caballeron turned to Chrysalis, who had drawn her own pistol and pointed it at him. "And you. You would risk hurting the hostage to take that shot?"

Chrysalis studied the man for a few moments, before lowering her gun. "… You won't get away if you kill her."

"Oh I won't, so long as you follow my demands. First, release Ahuizotl."

"What?!"

"He and I conduct business together regularly. It wouldn't be in my best interests to leave him hanging. Release him… now."

Chrysalis turned to Sunset and Twilight with a heated glare, grinding her teeth together. "… Do it."

Caballeron laughed as Twilight took the key for the handcuffs and opened them. As Ahuizotl rose and turned to her, he shouted, "Don't touch her!" The large man turned to him with a confused stare. "I have more money than you would ever get selling this reagent. Leave the two young lasses alone and it's yours… Unless you would like to test the patience of our FBI friend over there?"

Ahuizotl turned to Chrysalis, whose gun had been aimed at him without him even realising it, and slammed a foot against the floor. "One day, this weakness for pretty women that you have will get the better of you!"

"Perhaps, but then, without the young lass over there, I would never have been able to turn these negotiations in my favour." Caballeron motioned for Ahuizotl to move towards him. "Knowing you, you would've killed Miss Do's assistant either way, and she would have smashed the reagent in retaliation."

"You give me far too much credit." Ahuizotl arrived at Caballeron's side and leaned down to pick the vial up. "Though I can see where you're coming from."

"Hold onto that. We'll make our getaway soon."

"What is it, that you would pay so much money for it?" Ahuizotl asked.

"A vital ingredient, for a poison that leaves no trace in an autopsy. Where you see nothing but value in money, I see a weapon that would make my operations much smoother."

"You're sick," Daring Do spat.

"I know. That's why I'll always win."

"What's the other condition?" Chrysalis asked. "You said 'first'."

"The next condition is to call off the agents you have skulking about. I know you must have called for some backup."

"I didn't-" Chrysalis stopped as Caballeron's knife slowly dug into Daring Do's skin. "…" She put her pistol away and pulled out her phone. "… Target has escaped. Pull out of the area. I repeat: pull out."

"Very good," Caballeron said. "And now, we wait." Fifteen long, uncomfortable minutes passed. Nobody dared to speak, or to move. They just waited. Waited to see what Doctor Caballeron would do next. Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside. "Well then, it seems that my ride is here."

Caballeron moved Daring Do towards the windows at the end of the of cafeteria, Ahuizotl and Chrysalis following him slowly. As he opened the blinds, daylight filled the room, and everybody was greeted by a helicopter hovering outside. Ahuizotl smashed a window with a chair, and then leaped outside and onto the helicopter.

"And with this, we part ways," Caballeron said. "Until we meet again, my dear Miss Do. Oh, and do give my regards to your father." Pushing Daring Do to the floor, Caballeron followed Ahuizotl onto the helicopter.

Chrysalis raised her gun and fired a shot, but the helicopter had already turned around and began to flee. "Darn! I have to chase them! That reagent is-" As Chrysalis walked aside to call in reinforcements, Twilight and Sunset ran to Daring Do's side.

"Are you okay?!" Twilight asked, helping Daring Do to her feet.

"I'm fine," Daring Do said.

"That was… quite the adventure, huh?" Sunset asked with a laugh.

"That was reckless of you," Daring Do said. "You could've been really hurt there."

"But we had to help!" Twilight said, clutching Daring Do's hand. "We couldn't just do nothing while your life was in trouble!"

Sunset scratched the back of her neck and said, "See, that's the kind of person Twilight is. And, unfortunately, she has a talent for dragging me things like this."

"… I see," Daring Do said, smiling softly at Twilight. "Thank you. I'll make sure to mention you in my next book. Under a pseudonym, of course."

Twilight's eyes widened, she drew air into her lungs, and Sunset covered her ears. An ear-piercing screech filled the room that threatened to deafen everybody there. When it was over, Twilight was left blushing as she steadily composed herself. "T-Thank you. I'd be honoured…"

Daring Do reached into her pocket, and pulled out a compass. "At least this wasn't a total loss… He left this."

"Your father's compass!" Twilight gasped. "He… gave it to you?"

Daring Do nodded, a grim look on her face. She clutched the metallic device and said, "I don't like the idea of taking his charity, but if I can find my dad…" Daring Do turned to Chrysalis, who had just gotten off of her phone. "You're FBI, right? I don't suppose you could keep this case a secret from the police. I'd prefer it if my identity wasn't revealed."

"That's fine with me," Chrysalis said, "But you will need to come down to the bureau to give us some information on that reagent. I'll introduce you as a toxicology expert."

Daring Do nodded her head. "Thanks again, you guys," she said to Sunset and Twilight, tipping her hat to them before she walked over to Chrysalis. "Take care, and try to be less nosey in the future!"

"I'll try, but no promises," Twilight said as she waved goodbye.

Sunset also waved, her eyes turning from Daring Do to Chrysalis. "Good job," Chrysalis said with a wink. "Keep it up. You'll go far."

"… Huh?" Chrysalis and Daring Do left, and Sunset asked Twilight, "What did that mean?"

"Hm?"

"Uh, never mind… Hey, how much time is left until the expo closes?"

Twilight pulled out her phone and checked the screen. "It's almost lunchtime. We can still make it to the VA panel if we eat fast."

The two girls made their ways back down to the event. People were still crowding the hallway and the venue inside, seemingly none of them having noticed the helicopter that had drawn close to the building earlier.

They ordered some lunch and ate it in a hurry, talking about their amazing adventure, how incredible it was that Daring Do was real and was going to include them in her latest book, and ultimately… how sad it was that they could never tell anyone.

With dejected sighs, Sunset sipped her soda whilst Twilight checked her phone. "We've got plenty of time. We probably could have afforded to chew slower."

Sunset sent a glare her way. "I only choked two times."

"Oh? Twilight and Sunset?" The two girls turned to find Starlight Glimmer, their history teacher, heading towards them. She was carrying several bags along her arms that she set down as she stopped at their table. "Well, what a coincidence!"

"Miss Glimmer?" Twilight asked. "You came to this expo, too?"

"Just because I'm a teacher, doesn't mean I don't have interests outside of teaching," Starlight said with a wink. "I was actually just about to head home. How are you both doing? I hope you've been putting much thought into what you want to do when you graduate."

"Please don't lecture us outside of school," Sunset groaned as she slumped onto the table.

"It's important that you decide your futures now, while you're young." Starlight smiled, and added, "But you're right. I shouldn't be a nag. Say, do either of you have the time?"

Sunset motioned to Twilight, who pulled out her phone and answered, "Half past twelve."

"Then, I should really be going." Starlight leaned down to pick up her bags, accidentally dropping one and spilling its contents in the process. "Oh dear."

"Here," Sunset said as she leaned down, Twilight joining her as the three gathered up the scattered items. "You… bought a lot."

"I know," Starlight said as she rose to her feet, reaching for the table for support. "I couldn't really help myself. There was just so much to buy."

Sunset and Twilight rose moments later, offering the teacher her bag. "Must be nice to have a salary," Sunset remarked.

"Well, you'll be there in just a few years," Starlight returned. She turned around and began to leave. "Enjoy the rest of the expo, you two!" In a mumble, she added, "It will be one you'll definitely remember."

Sunset sat back down with Twilight, putting a hand to her chin. "Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do. Work just seems like such a pain."

"We should probably ask our parents about it," Twilight said, twirling her hair around her left index finger. "I'm… not too sure, myself."

"I mean, there's nothing I'm really that passionate about, y'know?" Sunset reached for her drink, but then stayed her hand. She grumbled, pushing the drink to Twilight. "I need to use the restroom. You can have this if you want."

Getting up, Sunset ran towards the nearest restroom. Twilight took the drink and sipped through the straw. 'Future, huh? I wonder if Mum and Dad would be angry if I just said I wanted to spend my life around books?'

Time passed, roughly six minutes, before Sunset returned, approaching the table where her friend still sat. "Sorry about the wait," Sunset said, picking up her bag. "We should get going if we wanna get good seats."

Sunset patted Twilight's shoulder as she rounded the table, and Twilight fell. A thud resounded through the hall, catching the eyes of many passersby, and Sunset stood frozen for a solid ten seconds and she just stared at her friend lying limp on the floor, her eyes closed and her breathing slow.

"TWILIGHT!"

Author's Note

Uh-oh...

XXV - The Heist

Sunset Shimmer tapped her table impatiently as she waited, and waited, and waited. She leaned forwards to sip her coffee, only to find that the cup was empty. She discarded the cup into a nearby trashcan and waited more.

Finally, she spied the two boys entering the café, arguing with each other over something surely stupid and not worth her time. As they approached her table, she cleared her throat, and the two fell silent in an instant. "… Mind explaining why you're so late?"

"I-It's not our fault," Snips insisted. "Apple Bloom was showing off this hula hoop thing and-"

"I seem to have stopped caring. You said that my compass started to glow?"

Snails nodded, taking out the small compass from his pocket and holding it out. "It was this bright, golden glow! It happened when we walked by Ruby's store."

"Ruby's? Ah, that jewel store… Jewels, huh?" Sunset leaned back in her chair, stroking her chin and humming as she thought. "Jewels… That complicates things."

"I think a ruby would suit you, Sunset," Snails offered, to which Snips scoffed.

"Puh-lease! Clearly a sapphire would be best, 'cause it'd match her eyes!"

"A ruby!"

"Sapphire!"

"Ruby!"

"Saph-"

Sunset rose from her chair and grabbed the two boys' heads, banging them together to silence the two. "Give me that compass. You two can go home now."

"A-Are you sure?" Snails asked as he rubbed his head, offering the compass to Sunset Shimmer. "We could-"

"I'm sure. Oh, and mention this to anybody, and you're dead, got it?"

"Y-You got it!" Snips yelled in a panic. "Not a word to anybody! You can count on us!"

Sunset took the compass and the two boys left. She waited for a few minutes before also leaving the café, taking an escalator to the next floor up and stopping outside of Ruby's store. As they had said, the compass began to glow.

'This compass is enchanted with magic, to seek out other sources of magic. Anything that can harness magic. Anything that can be a conductor of it. I need something as powerful as the portal itself to force it open…'

Sunset pocketed the compass and entered the store, checking the displays carefully and feeling the compass in her pocket to see how it reacted. Some of the jewels made it hotter, whilst some made it feel like ice. There was only one that gave her the response that she desired – the most expensive jewel in the store. It was a single amethyst, not particularly big but expertly carved. According to the display, the jewel was bathed in history and magical legend. It seemed that those legends were true.

Sunset left the store and entered a nearby phone booth, pulling out her phone and looking around cautiously before dialling a number. With what money she had left, she couldn't afford to buy the jewel… so she had only one choice remaining.

"Hi there, Diamond Dogs. It's me… Yes, our business was over, but I've got an opportunity for you. A jewel store. Some high-quality items that'll fetch a high price, and I only desire one of the jewels as my cut… I'll send you the details later, but I need to know that you're in."

Sunset clicked her pen in her mouth as stared down at her notebook. On the pages were checklists and diagrams, many of which had been crossed out. She was running through countless scenarios inside her head, wondering how many possible ways things could go wrong.

What if the Diamond Dogs bail on her? What if they tip off the police? What if the FBI or CIA had been intercepting her calls? What if it's storming that night and she gets struck by lightning? Sunset pulled out her phone and checked the weather forecast. Okay, no fear of that.

Sunset rubbed her eye and yawned. It was hard to get any sleep with victory so close, yet so far away. She turned a page in her book, and narrowed her eyes. The next list of worries related to Equestria itself.

Although she had returned recently to steal Twilight's crown, she had only visited briefly enough to determine its location. She had not checked the advances in military technology, or in magic, since she had left the country.

She drew a picture of a semi-automatic rifle and grinned. No way they could stand up to this world's 'magics'. The biggest problem was making sure she didn't get swarmed. She stilled remembered the castle's layout and the patrols of the guards from when she was Celestia's pupil, but who knows how that could have changed over the years?

"Hey Sunset, you listenin'?"

Sunset looked up and across the table, where Applejack was frowning at her. She closed her book and said, "Yeah, I heard you."

"What're ya doin' over there?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Homework? At a cake shop.?"

"You got it," Sunset said as she put her notes away, and then reached for her coffee. "Unlike some people, I have plans to pass my midterms."

That was a lie, of course. Sunset Shimmer had no intentions to even take those exams.

"If ya don't slow down an' rest a lil', ye're gonna wear yourself out," Applejack warned.

"My, you look positively dreadful," Rarity said, noticing the bags under Sunset's eyes. "You look like… like…"

"Like you whenever there's a fashion contest comin' up?" Rainbow Dash asked. Everybody but Rarity laughed light-heartedly.

Even Sunset found herself giggling at the joke. "I don't look that bad," she said, before catching herself and correcting her face. Bored look as she drank her coffee without a care in the world.

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Y'know you can have fun, right? That emo look doesn't suit you at all."

"I don't know what you mean," Sunset said.

"She means that you're always acting like you aren't having any fun when you clearly are!" Pinkie Pie explained. "Which I don't get. Why would you wanna pretend you're not having fun?"

"… It doesn't matter," Sunset said as she put her coffee down, her eyes turning away as she mumbled, "I won't be here much longer, anyway."

"What was that?" Applejack asked.

Sunset rose from her chair and said, "I'm tired. I think I'm just gonna go home and get some sleep."

Applejack nodded her head slowly. "Well, alrighty then. We're still on for the movie next week, right?"

"Sure, sure," Sunset said as she picked up her bag. She'd be in Equestria next week, so it didn't matter whether she turned them down or not. She left the store, her head low as she mumbled possible outcomes and solutions to herself.

Fluttershy sank in her chair after Sunset had rounded a corner. "I really don't think she likes us, you guys."

"She does," Applejack said in a sure tone. "She just don't wanna admit it… Nah, there's somethin' more to it. I can feel it."

"Hey, she left something here," Pinkie Pie said as she reached down to the floor and picked up a sheet of paper. As her eyes scanned over the writing on it, she gasped, and showed it to the group. "You guys… Sunset's got a secret boyfriend!"

"No way!" Rainbow Dash said, reading the note for herself. 'Meet Diamond Dogs tonight – make sure to arrive first.' Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Pinkie? I'm pretty sure 'Diamond Dogs' isn't a boy's name."

"Then… she has a girlfriend!" Pinkie Pie concluded.

"No, Pinkie, it's a group," Rarity explained.

Pinkie's eyes widened. "Wow… Sunset's a playa, playa!"

Applejack's expression turned sour as she snatched the note and stared at the words. "Guys… These 'Diamond Dog' fellars are bad news… Ah think Sunset's gettin' herself involved in somethin' dangerous."

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her chair. "What, like fighting?"

"No… Like stealin'."

Sunset Shimmer made sure to arrive at the mall's entrance early, so that she could hide nearby and watch as the Diamond Dogs showed up, making sure that they didn't plan to sell her out. The three members of the gang, who seemed to be three men in dog-themed costumes, arrived together. They didn't seem to bring anybody else, nor did they seem smart enough to harness the concept of betrayal.

Regardless, Sunset took no chances, readying a spell behind her back as she emerged from hiding, approaching the three in her own costume modelled after her demonic transformation. The mask would hide her identity, and would also serve as a reminder that there was no going back now.

The Diamond Dogs were clearly cautious as she approached, so she stopped and waved. "It's me," she said, and her voice seemed to calm them down. "My name is Blaze Scarlet."

"We don't care 'bout your name," the tallest Diamond Dog said, raising his eyebrows as he looked over her outfit. "You dress funny."

"Coming from you?" Sunset laughed. "Well then, since we seem to be done with formalities, let's go over the plan, shall we?"

"Yes. Explain how you plan to beat security system."

"Oh, that won't be a problem. I'll handle the security, and all I need from you is to get me inside."

"We can dig into anywhere!" the Diamond Dog boasted.

"So I've heard. There's a vent that leads directly above the store. Dig through that, and we're in. I'll disable the security systems from my phone."

"You can do that?" the shortest Diamond Dog asked. "Dude! Technology is the shit!"

"Indeed," Sunset said with a grin.

"Alright, we in," the tallest Diamond Dog said. "You lead. We follow."

"Of course. Right this way."

Sunset Shimmer crawled behind the Diamond Dogs in the mall's ventilation systems, pretending to be using her phone as the one in the lead followed her schematics to find the jewellery store.

Once they were above it, the three initiated their part of the heist: breaking and entering. Sunset had given them the signal that the security systems were down… Of course, she only told them that because it is what they wanted to hear.

Sunset Shimmer was no fool. The store's security system was beyond her. Even with magic, she knew that she would have to be delicate when handling it, and if it had suddenly deactivated, an alarm would have been tripped.

She knew that there was no way to avoid tripping the alarm… so she allowed the Diamond Dogs to do it, instead. Once inside, metallic barriers covered the doors and windows, and small panels blockaded the ventilation system, as the sounds of blaring alarms startled the gang.

Sunset Shimmer jumped down into the store, unfazed as she cast a spell on the cameras around her. She couldn't shut off the security systems, but she could alter the recordings so that she would not be in them.

"You said that you shut off the systems!" the tallest Diamond Dog yelled over the blaring sirens.

"I did, didn't I?!" Sunset replied as she casually approached her prize. The large amethyst that could conduct magic… It was finally hers. A simple spell to shatter the case, and it was hers. "I just needed somebody to take the fall! That, and you guys have a really nasty reputation, y'know? I think it'd be safer for all our sakes if you stay behind bars!"

"You'll pay for this!"

The Diamond Dogs charged at Sunset, who simply chuckled as she raised her glowing hand. In the next moment, she was gone, a flash of light consuming her before the Diamond Dogs' eyes.

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOOOOOOU!"

Sunset laughed heartily as she tossed the jewel up-and-down in her hand, laying back in her bed for what would be the final time. "Finally! With this, I can create a new glove that can channel magical energy, and then repair the portal with the glass shards. Then, it's just a matter of forcing the portal open which, with my abilities, will be a no-brainer."

Sunset reached for her phone and dialled a number, humming a tune as it rang. There was just one more thing that she needed. The phone picked up, and Sunset said, "Snips, it's me. This'll be our final call, I'm afraid. I need you to get me something from a certain location and bring it to the school… Snips?"

"… Sorry, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset raised her eyebrow, before another voice on the other end said, "An' jus' what is this 'thing' that y'all need deliverin'?" Sunset gasped, almost dropping her phone as she fumbled the jewel in her other hand and sat upright. "If ya like, maybe we can help?"

Sunset heard the sounds of her other 'friends' greeting her, and her hands began to tremble. "W-What is-"

"They cornered us!" Snips cried. "They asked us what was goin' on with you and what you were doin', but we never said a word, I swear!"

"But when Snips' phone rang," Snails added, "They told us to put it on speakerphone and stay quiet…"

Sunset grinded her teeth, clutching her phone so tightly that she threatened to break it. "Listen, you guys, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but it won't matter. After tonight, we'll never see each other again, understand?!"

"Suns-"

Sunset ended the call and threw her phone into a wall, shattering it as she released heavy pants. She continued to breath for several seconds, before rising to her feet and rushing over to her workspace. "I've got to hurry. If those meddlesome people try to come after me…" Sunset bit her lip, trying not to think about… them, as she worked on her new glove.

After finishing her new glove and testing it with some basic spells, Sunset rushed to her storage unit and found the stash of weapons left there by the Diamond Dogs. A couple of pistols, a semi-automatic shotgun, 3 grenades and enough ammo to fuel a small army.

She didn't need too much, just enough to reach Celestia and defeat her quickly. A prolonged fight could be dangerous, but Celestia's magic would be powerless against the brutality of this world.

Upon reaching the school, Sunset stopped to catch her breath and search through her backpack. She pulled out a small plastic bag filled with glass shards, and used her magic to levitate them one-by-one towards the statue, repairing it so that the portal could be opened again.

"Almost there… I'm almost home, Celestia…"

Once the final shard was replaced, Sunset put down her bag and closed her eyes, focussing her magic around her fingers and charging a powerful spell. Wind began to blow around her and the statue and the ground began to shake. Green sparks crackled through the air and snapped against the statue. Opening her eyes, Sunset beheld as the portal opened before her suddenly, and lowered her hand slowly.

The portal was more like a vortex than the simply curtained-doorway that it was before, pulling in leaves and small stones viciously, and threatening to pull Sunset off of her feet like a hurricane.

"Ahahahah! No place like home, eh?!" Sunset covered her eyes to protect against the dirt flying about. The vortex settled slightly, but it was still raging, sparks of electricity crackling through the air as the statue above it rumbled.

Sunset loaded her shotgun and cocked it, and then stared towards the portal. "Well then, let's not waste any time!" She took one step forwards, before a voice called out her name.

"Sunset!" the voice called out again, causing her to turn to her left, where she found Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, all running towards her with their arms raised to cover their eyes.

Sunset gritted her teeth. "Don't try to stop me! I'm going home!"

Applejack stopped, and the rest of the group followed. They stared at Sunset Shimmer as they caught their breaths, and then Applejack said, "If ya truly wanna go home, that's yer choice! But, is this what ya really want?! Ta go there an' start a war with yer own kind?!"

"I'm not the one who started this war, but I sure-as-heck will finish it!"

"An' then what?!" Applejack asked. "What life waits fer ya after ya kill yer old teacher?!"

"Redemption!"

"That's not redemption!" Rainbow Dash shouted through gritted teeth. "That's just revenge! And then what?! You really think they'll just let you go after that?! Make you their new princess or whatever?!"

"Please!" Pinkie Pie cried, tears streaming from her eyes. "Don't throw your life away like this! We can talk about it!"

"My life?!" Sunset paused for a moment, reaching up and placing a hand over her chest. "This is… the only life I have now." Sunset closed her eyes and yelled, "This is the only thing I have in my life, now!"

"That's not true!" Rarity shouted. "You have us!"

Sunset opened her eyes, looking at each of the girls for a few moments, before a sudden flash of light from the portal startled her. "I-I can't be your friend!" she shouted. "I'm not one of you! I was thrown into this world, I wasn't born into it!"

"D'ya think that matters?!" Applejack asked.

"You're our friend, no matter where you come from," Fluttershy said.

"'Friend'?" Sunset gasped. "B-But I… Revenge is the only thing I've been thinking about… this whole time…" Tears welled in Sunset's eyes. "H-How could I just… let that go?"

Applejack extended her hand. "We'll help you…"

"One small step, Sunset," Rarity said, giving a small nod of encouragement.

"We've got your back, Sun," Rainbow Dash added.

"You think revenge is the only path for you now… but if you let go, and stay here with us, we can show you a better way," Applejack said.

Sunset panted and rubbed the tears from her eyes as she looked between the portal and her… her friends.

"They're… You're my friends…" Sunset gritted her teeth. "You've made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry and confused… and what has Equestria ever done for me? What has Celestia ever done, besides throwing me here?"

The portal began to flicker, and Sunset took a step back. She removed her shotgun and threw it to the ground, followed by her glove. "Forget it, Celestia! I won't let you have the satisfaction! YOU HEAR ME?! I HAVE FRIENDS, AND I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THEM FROM ME NOWWWWWW!"

The portal roared, and then imploded, unleashing a blinding flash of light that make the girls scream and blinded them for several seconds. When they could see again, the portal was gone, and the statue… was in shambles.

Sunset huffed, approaching the remains of the statue. "… No opening the portal now."

"Sunset!"

Sunset turned around, only to be tackled to the floor by Pinkie Pie, who was both crying and laughing as she hugged Sunset tightly. "GAH! P-Pinkie-"

"I'm soooooooo glad you decided to stay!"

Rarity pulled the pink girl back, sparing Sunset the agonizing death whilst Applejack helped her to her feet. "Pinkie Pie, dear, you really need to control your emotions better."

Sunset dusted herself off, and stared at the five girls awkwardly. They stared back. The silence was painful. "Umm… I… decided to stay…"

"Yeah, we heard," Rainbow Dash said, folding her arms with a grin. "'I have friends now, and I won't let you take them away from meeeeeee!'."

Sunset's face turned red as the other girls failed to suppress their giggles. "I-I did not say that! You must have been hearing things!"

"Nothin' ta be ashamed of, Sunny," Applejack said. "Ah thought it was rather sweet."

Sunset groaned. "No! It was not! ARGH! You girls are painful!"

"And that's why you love us!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Careful. She might hire a dangerous group to take us out," Fluttershy said, giggling to herself… before realising that she was the only one. She shrank behind her hair and asked, "T-Too much?"

Suddenly, the sounds of sirens cut through the air, and the six girls gasped and looked around them. A destroyed statue. A loaded shotgun. A backpack of other assorted weapons.

"Crap! What do we do?!" Rainbow Dash asked in a panic.

"Get the hell out of here! Wait, no, the fingerprints!"

"Don't worry!" Pinkie Pie said, picking up the weapons and jogging on-the-spot. "My sis and I can get rid of these!"

Sunset raised an eyebrow and wanted to ask how, but a shove from Rarity reminded her of the more urgent issue, and the six girls scattered into the night, weaving through dark alleys and never looking back.

Author's Note

Heyyyyyy, just a little under three months :D

I SWEAR I'm trying to get this story finished this year >.<;;

XXVI - The Rescue

Sunset sat out in the hospital's waiting room whilst she waited for the doctor to return. Twenty minutes after Twilight was taken to the examination room, Shining Armor arrived, accompanied by Cadance.

Twilight's parents were away, and the doctors were unable to reach their phones. Shining Armor assured that he would contact them as soon as he could.

When he asked her what had happened, Sunset simply shook her head and told him that she had suddenly collapsed. Thirty minutes passed in a silence that felt like hours, when the doctor finally returned with a solemn look on his face.

He explained to them that Twilight's condition was stable, but that her life was still in danger. There were trace amount of a complex toxin in her system, and they had called a specialist to come to the hospital and properly examine it.

"Is she awake?" Shining Armor asked.

"We've put her under anaesthetic for now. We don't want to put her under any stress until we are sure that her life isn't in any further danger."

Shining Armor clenched his hand into a fist and cursed under his breath. If anything had happened to Twilight, he would never be able to forgive himself. "Twilie, I'm supposed to protect you, but I can't even do anything!"

"How did the toxin enter her system?" Cadance asked. "Was it something she ate? Or was it airborne? We might need to investigate the area she was in when she collapsed."

"As far as we can tell, it was something that she ingested," the doctor explained, "But until Dr. Zaius arrives, we cannot- Oh! Speak of the devil!" The doctor waved to a man who had just entered the hospital. A grumpy-looking man in a long trenchcoat. "Please help us, Dr. Zaius!"

Sunset tried to think back to the exact moment that Twilight collapsed. "Was it a fast-acting toxin?"

"Well, we-"

"Don't know, do you?" Dr. Zaius interrupted. "Which is why you called me all the way here at this hour, isn't that right? Well, don't just stand there with your mouth open! Show me the patient."

The doctor nodded. "This way. I'll have to ask you all to wait here a little longer."

As the two doctors left, Shining Armor sat back down and buried his head into his hands. Cadance offered to get the three of them some coffee from a nearby machine, and Sunset took out her phone and opened up a browser window.

'When Twilight collapsed, she had just taken a sip of my drink. But I'm fine. Was something added to it when I wasn't looking? But the only person who came close to it at that time was… Ms. Glimmer.' Sunset opened up the academy's website and checked the staff directory. "I'm going to make a call," Sunset said. "Let my folks know I'm okay."

Shining Armor simply waved his hand. He may not have even heard her. She left the room and shivered as the outside wind buffeted against her. She dialled the number of Mrs. Harshwhinny and waited for her to pick up…

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Harshwhinny. It's Sunset Shimmer."

"It's unusual for a student to call one of their teachers outside of school. Quite unorthodox."

"Yeah, well, it's kind of an emergency. See, I found something that belongs to Ms. Glimmer and I want to return it to her. I think she might want it back right away, so I was wondering if I could give it to you to return to her?"

"I am rather busy right now, Miss Shimmer. This is a busy time of year and I am barely meeting deadlines as it is."

"Then, maybe you could let me know where she lives and I can deliver it myself?2

"That would be a blatant breach in confidentiality. If you need her address, you would need to contact her yourself."

"The thing I found was her phone, so I can't really do that."

"I see… Well, I cannot give you her address, but I can give you her home number and you can contact her that way."

Sunset Shimmer grinned. "That'll work. Thanks." She wrote down the number that was given to her and then ended her call. Upon entering, she felt bad for suspecting her teacher the way that she was. She waited for a further forty minutes with Shining Armor and Cadance, when the two doctors returned.

"Well, thankfully it was a very minute dose. If it was any larger it'd need a powerful antidote that I don't have right now," Dr. Zaius told them. "As it is, she'll hang in there. I'll drive over to the university and grab some of the antidote, just in case, but she should make it so long she avoids stress.

"As for your question earlier," he directed to Sunset Shimmer, "The toxin is a fast-acting one. It was also ingested, meaning that she ate or drank something moments before she fell."

Shining Armor would have questioned Sunset on what exactly that was, had his mind not been clouded by thoughts of seeing Twilight to confirm that she was safe with his own eyes. The doctors allowed him, Sunset and Cadance to see her, on the condition that they be quiet.

Upon arriving, relief washed over their faces. Though for Sunset, it was overridden by thoughts of anger and revenge. 'There's no mistake, then. The only thing that Twilight ingested was… and that would mean that…' As Sunset crumpled the piece of paper in her pocket, her eyes flared.

The following morning, Sunset left her house early, after failing to get much sleep the previous night, and made her way to Starlight Glimmer's house. Mrs. Harshwhinny had unwittingly given Sunset all that she needed to locate the teacher's home… No, the suspect's home.

When she got there, Starlight's car was still there, but there was no sign of life inside. She didn't want to believe that her teacher could have done something so horrible, but it was the only thing that made sense… She had to be sure, so she knocked on the door several times to see if anybody was home.

After she was certain that it was safe, Sunset looked around herself, confirming that the street was empty, and ran around to the back of the house. There were no open windows, so she would need to make one…

Picking up the nearest rock, Sunset threw it with all of her might and smashed one of the windows near the ground. She climbed into the house, minding the sharp shards of glass, and found herself in a small kitchen. There were empty boxes and packets everywhere. Instant foods and takeaway meals, covering everything, even the stove, and the radio that was tucked away in the corner.

Not your typical household radio for listening to the latest hits of your current generation. No, this was a kind of radio that Sunset had seen before, back when Shining Armor was a policeman and had allowed her and Twilight to ride in his patrol car.

"Well, what an odd thing for a teacher to have…" Sunset ventured further into the house, where she found a hallway with no furniture, no pictures, nothing that would suggest that a person lived there. All that she found was a pistol on a small table. She was tempted to reach out for it, but she ignored the feeling. That last thing she needed was her fingerprints on that thing. She was already committing one crime.

She entered the next room, and gasped. Just as the kitchen had been littered with empty boxes and packets, this room was also littered… with photographs of Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset gritted her teeth and marched into the room. The photographs had writing on them. There were photographs of Twilight studying and taking her exams, photographs of Twilight eating and sleeping, of her bathing and walking with her family, shopping and walking her dog…

On the large table at the end of the room, there were photographs of Twilight and Sunset Shimmer together. A bottle of pills was on the table, and Sunset's face had been crossed out in each of the photos. Next to the pills was a folded piece of paper, which Sunset opened to reveal a map of Canterlot and the surrounding areas.

"What the hell is all this?" Sunset found a circled location on the map, but wasn't sure what it meant. Whatever it was, though, Sunset had all that she needed, and didn't want to stay any longer trying to figure this whole mess out.

After unlocking the door from the inside, Sunset left the house and called Shining Armor, looking around cautiously to make sure that Starlight Glimmer wasn't going to suddenly return home.

"Shining, I've got to tell you something!"

"I know," Shining Armor replied, surprising Sunset.

"Y-You do?" Had he investigated in his own time?

"Yeah… Twilie's gone missing…"

Sunset's eyes widened. "What?!" Sunset shook her head. "Damnit, she got there first! What the hell were you doing?!"

There was a moment of silence, and Sunset was certain she had heard a soft sobbing on the other end.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean- … Listen, come pick me up right now. I know who's behind all this."

Upon his arrival, Sunset Shimmer explained the situation to Shining Armor and his team that had come with him. They entered the house and investigated the room that Sunset had found. To say that he was angry would be an understatement. His face had lost all of its paleness, being consumed by a burning rage and veins that threatened to pop.

"Leave things to us from here, Sunset," he said after he had collected his thoughts. "We'll head to the location marked on this map and get to the bottom of this."

"What?! But if Twilight's in danger, I want to help!"

"You've already helped enough," Shining Armor insisted. "And besides, I can't put you in any danger."

"But-"

"No!" Sunset backed away, startled by Shining's sudden anger towards her. "I'm not asking you, Sunset, I'm telling you! Go home, and leave it to us! This teacher of yours is dangerous! This isn't some game, do you understand?!"

Sunset Shimmer simply nodded, tears welling in her eyes. She nodded, despite wanting to scream her objections. Shining Armor simply sighed and apologised, before leaving with his team. Sunset could only watch them leave in silence… and then fall to her knees as they rounded the first corner.

"… How could I just go home when Twilight's in trouble?" Clutching her skirt, Sunset grinded her teeth together and clenched her eyes shut. "Damn! Twilight's missing and I can't do a thing to help her!"

Sunset punched the ground, panting as she stared vacantly forwards for several seconds. "Twilight… Just hang on. I'm coming!" Rising to her feet, Sunset ran over to Starlight's car and smashed the window with a nearby garden ornament.

Hotwiring the car was easier than Sunset thought it would be. She had researched it previously – out of curiosity, of course – but she had always thought that it would have been a lot harder than it looked.

Driving, however, proved to be a challenge on its own. Especially when Starlight's car was a manual transmission. Several stalls later, along with a few near miss incidents and some confusion at Canterlot's only roundabout, and Sunset found herself pursued by the police on her way out of the city.

Sunset pulled over, knowing that she would not escape, and panicked as the cop approached. She just wanted to help Twilight, but now, she was just going to make things worse!

Gulping, Sunset turned to the window, where the policeman raised an eyebrow and tapped on the glass. She lowered it, and he asked, "A little young for a joyride, aren't you?"

"Please, officer, I-"

Sunset was cut off by the sounds of new sirens approaching, and both her and the officer turned their heads to find a blue Porsche approaching, its sirens fading as it stopped. The door opened, and out stepped a woman in a black suit with long, green hair.

"Thank you, Officer," Chrysalis said as she approached the two, pulling out her badge and displaying it to the confused cop. "I'll take it from here."

"FBI? Do they normally come out for a simple case of juvenile delinquency?"

"I'm terribly sorry. You'll have to forgive my sister," Chrysalis said. "She's just acting out because our parents are going through a divorce. It's all been rather difficult for her." Chrysalis put her badge away and closed the distance between herself and the officer, taking his hand and regarding him a sultry gaze and a wink. "You can let it slide, can't you?"

The officer blushed, pulling his hand away and clearing his throat as he adjusted hit cap. "W-Well, if you make sure she doesn't do it again… I'll have to impound the car, though."

"No need. I've already placed a call and a team will be here shortly."

"… World must be pretty peaceful. At this rate, you guys are gonna take all the work away from us."

Chrysalis giggled. "Don't worry. You're doing a fine job out there, keeping our lovely city safe."

The officer left with a simple salute, and as he entered his car, a truck arrived at the scene, parking itself in front of Starlight's car.

Sunset entered Chrysalis' car and cast her eyes down. She said, "I suppose you'll be taking me home now, right?"

Chrysalis closed her door and asked, "What makes you think that?"

Sunset regarded the older woman with a confused look. "T-That's what Shining Armor wants, right?" Suddenly, a thought came to Susnet's mind, and she gulped. "You're not… gonna take me in, are you?"

"It's the death penalty for you, I'm afraid." Chrysalis peeked to her side and saw Sunset's face pale as she froze. Chuckling, she said, "I'm kidding. I'm not going to take you in, nor am I taking you home… unless, of course, you want me too."

Sunset tilted her head. "I… don't get it. I thought you wanted to keep me out of it. I'm a civillian!"

"Hmmm… Well, it is a against protocol, just a little, but then, if you had found your own way there, and I simply went in after you, then surely Shining Armor can't be too mad, right? At me, that is."

"… Why would you do that? What's in it for you?"

Chrysalis stepped down onto her gas pedal, and the car started moving. "To be honest, I've had a feeling about you since we first met. You remind me of myself, in two ways. The first being that you seem like natural FBI material. I want to see it for myself, whether or not I'm right."

"… and the second similarity?"

Chrysalis smiled. "That you can't abandon a loved one."

The car pulled to a stop to the side of a long country road. Chrysalis turned off the engine and reached into the backseat. "We're here."

Sunset looked around confusedly. "We are? I don't see anything."

"We'll walk the rest of the way. We don't want them to know we're coming. You can bet Shining Armor parked some distance away, too."

Sunset turned to Chrysalis, raising an eyebrow. "What are you looking for?"

Chrysalis responded by pulling a magnum from the backseat, along with two flash grenades. Sunset trembled at the sight. "Last chance to bail, now," she said. "I'll protect you as best I can, but I can't make any promises once we're in there."

"… If Twilight's in trouble, then I want to help her," Sunset said, though her shaking voice contradicted her strong words.

Chrysalis passed her a flashlight, and then attached a second one to her gun. "Then let's go, and keep your voice down. You ever use a gun before?"

"No…"

"Then here," she said, giving Sunset a Taser. "You'll be less dangerous with this, and it won't kill, so you won't have to hold back."

The two walked for roughly a mile until they reached a large a hilltop, overlooking a large, abandoned lumberyard, surrounded by new-looking fences topped with barbed wire.

"Well, isn't that suspicious?" Chrysalis mused, pulling up a pair of binoculars to her head and surveying the yard. "No signs of movement, besides Shining's group sneaking in around the back. Looks like there's a weak point in the fence we can exploit."

"Can you see Twilight?" Sunset asked, shifting about on-the-spot as she looked ahead.

"She's likely inside. Wait, there's an armed man outside one of the of the buildings… a guard, perhaps? He doesn't seem to be patrolling the site."

"And?" Sunset asked through gritted teeth. "Let's go already!"

"Twilight's likely in that building, Sunset, and we now know that it is guarded. We'll proceed slowly." She lowered her binoculars and turned to the antsy girl to her side. "They went through the effort of taking her, they won't kill her so quickly."

Sunset wanted to argue, but she knew that Chrysalis was right. Admitting it was still too hard, though, so she simply waited for Chrysalis to lead and then followed on. The two soon arrived at the fence, where Chrysalis asked Sunset to stand guard whilst she cut a hole through it.

Looking around, Sunset couldn't help but notice the dark corners inside the mill, the sharp, rusted instruments, the broken glass lying scattered on the floor… She hoped that Twilight was okay.

A guard caught her attention, and she slowly stepped towards Chrysalis, keeping her eyes on the man as he lit a cigarette in the distance. "There's someone there," she whispered.

Chrysalis turned around and aimed her gun, but she didn't fire. She lowered the weapon and motioned for Sunset to follow quietly. As the two took cover behind a bush, another guard came out and started to yell at the first.

The two men argued for a few minutes, before finally, the fight seemed to end. The first guard left the area, but the second started to make his way towards a small shack located near the fence. He opened it and rummaged about for just under a minute, before returning with a red, metallic toolbox. He slammed the door and walked back into the mill.

"Nice job catching that guard," Chrysalis said.

"Well, all I did was pay attention to my surroundings…"

"And for that, we survived the first obstacle," Chrysalis grinned. "Now let's see if we can make it to Twilight!"

Chrysalis finished creating her hole in the fence, and the two rushed through, hugging walls as they crept slowly through the lumberyard.

"There's a door over there with only one guard," she said. "I'll make a distraction so that you can get inside, then I'll take him out once you're safe."

"Will you be okay?" Sunset asked.

"Against one guard? Yeah, I should be fine." Chrysalis cracked her knuckles and gave a confident smile. "Get ready to run as soon as the guard moves."

Sunset nodded, and Chrysalis rushed from their hiding spot and towards the guard. Before he could even raise his gun, Chrysalis had kicked it out of his hands and threw a series of punches that he could only block.

Sunset watched as Chrysalis slowly stepped back and went on the defensive, prompting the guard to attack with all of his might, unwittingly moving away from the door. She followed Chrysalis' orders and ran to the door, stopping for a moment to watch the fight ensue. As she did so, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind the door and gasped.

She drew her Taser and hid inside a nearby bush, watching as the door opened and a single man stepped outside. He noticed the fight and pulled up his gun, trying to aim for Chrysalis but struggling with his friend in the way.

Sunset fired, shocking the guard and forcing him to fall to the floor. She turned back over to Chrysalis, who had what had transpired and then opted to finish her opponent. She grabbed the man's arm and slung him over her shoulder, sending him crashing onto the ground and knocking him out in an instant.

As she approached Sunset Shimmer, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Sunset could only nod as she dropped the Taser. "H-He came out of nowhere…"

"That happens on the field, but you handled it well. Honestly, when I heard him coming, I was getting ready to pull out my gun, but then I saw you hide and draw your weapon…"

"You heard him? From so far away?"

Chrysalis laughed and put a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "You heard him, too. Even if you were closer than me, you picked out such a soft sound in the midst of this crisis. It seems my instincts were right about you…"

Sunset wasn't sure whether to smile or be concerned, but when she remembered why she was there to begin with, she shook off the feeling and turned to the open door. Chrysalis led the way once more.

Inside was a scene that neither of them were expecting. A large window, behind which was Twilight Sparkle, strapped to a chair with her mouth gag and her eyes forced open, tears streaming from each one. She was being forced to watch something projected onto the wall before her, but what it was, they could not tell.

Two men in white coats stared at the girls for a few seconds, before jumping from their seats. They raised their hands as Chrysalis drew her gun. "Don't move! I want your hands where I can see them!"

"P-Please don't shoot!" one shouted as he slowly leaned back.

"She said stop!" Sunset shouted, halting the man. "We don't wanna shoot you, but if you force us to…"

Chrysalis slowly approached the two, stopping once she closed the distance halfway. "Slowly, move over to that wall," she said, motioning to her right with her head.

As they moved, Sunset charged towards the desk, which housed several computers and was littered with papers, and reached for a chair. "Hold on, Twilight!" she shouted, throwing the chair at the glass, only for it to bounce off helplessly.

"It's likely reinforced, in case the prisoner escapes," Chrysalis said, keeping her eyes on the men. She pulled out a pair of handcuffs and motioned for them to turn around and to place their hands behind their backs.

"Damnit, what are you doing to her?!" Sunset looked down at the papers, shuffling through them curiously. There were several pictures of various people in there, with names associated with each one. "Midnight Glitter… Dusk Shine and Nightfall Shine… Moonlight Glammer… Evening Blaze, Sundown Twinkle…"

"All people you've kidnapped?" Chrysalis asked. "Why?!"

"This is…" Sunset gasped as she read through the documents and studied the computers. "This is a brainwashing program! You're playing these clips to make Twilight, and all these other people, become your slaves!"

"No!" one of the men shouted. "Not our 'slaves'! Our equals!"

"That's right!" the other man added. "Starlight Glimmer showed us that all people are born equal! She showed us that none are better or worse than others, and we're sharing this gift with those we rescue!"

"Some kind of 'equalists' cult?" Chrysalis asked as she finished cuffing the two men. She had them sit down and then turned to Sunset Shimmer. "There should be a way to turn that off."

"Found it," Sunset said, initiating the program to shut the recording down. "I know how to use computers," she said with a hint of pride.

Chrysalis smiled, and then turned to Twilight. As though their interference was a signal, Shining Armor burst into the room with two of his men, his shotgun pointed at Twilight in the centre. He gasped and immediately lowered his weapon, rushing to free his sister from her bondage.

"Well, looks like she's safe now," Chrysalis said as she folded her arms. "Guess I'll let him know about these two, and then we can go-"

"That's as far as you go, Shining Armor." The two girls gasped as the familiar voice sounded from the other side of the glass. Shining had just finished releasing his sister, and raised his shotgun to Starlight Glimmer, only to slowly lower it and raise his hands as she walked forwards, her gun aimed at Twilight's head.

Twilight had passed out in the chair, and was unaware that she was even in danger. Even if he could pull her away in time, he could not hope to escape with a limp body in his arms. Shining's comrades had trained their guns on Starlight, but made no sudden movements.

"I'm surprised that you managed to find this place, but thankfully, I still prepared for it. Put your sister back and walk against that wall, or else…"

Shining Armor gritted his teeth. "What d'you need my sister for, anyway?! She's done nothing wrong, so whatever you're after, leave her out of this!"

"Your sister is a genius," Starlight stated, surprising the man. "And geniuses are exactly what we need. I'm going to show your sister that we are all the same, that we are all equal, and then, using her talents, along with so many others like her, we will spread our message far-and-wide, until soon, we are a force that can compete against those who would have you believe that we are all different! That we are all unique, and that some, will always be different to others."

Chrysalis pointed her gun at the glass and shouted, "Get back, and cover your ears!"

Sunset stumbled for a second, before quickly running to the side of the room and placing her hands over her ears. Chrysalis fired, a few shots, shattering the glass and startling everybody in the other room. Her final shot knocked the gun out of Starlight's hand, and Starlight turned to glare at the newcomer.

"Give it up, Starlight Glimmer!" Chrysalis shouted. "You're surrounded. There's nowhere to run."

"… Oh no. Whatever shall I do?" Starlight asked with a grin, before turning around to face the blank screen behind herself. "Tell me, did you think I hadn't noticed that the film I prepared just for Twilight had been turned off?"

"…" Chrysalis heard a click behind herself, and slowly lowered her gun as she felt something cold against the back of her head. "Damn."

"I'll leave it to you, Night Glider." Starlight leaned down and picked up her gun before Shining Armor could react. "Now, where was I?"

Sunset jumped out from the shadows, startling Night Glider as she tackled into the taller woman. As they fell to the floor, a shot rang through the air, hitting the ceiling as prompting Starlight to turn back around.

Chrysalis raised her gun once more, and Shining Armor grabbed Twilight and ran to the side.

As Starlight looked around the room, finding her options very limited, she released the gun in her hand and glared daggers into Sunset's eyes as the teenager rose. "Damnit. If only you didn't exist."

As Starlight's gun hit the floor, a bright light filled the room, catching everybody off guard. Chrysalis turned and pinned Night Glider to the ground, whilst Shining Armor clutched his sister to ensure that she could not be grabbed.

As the light faded, Starlight Glimmer was gone. Shining Armor ordered a complete search of the area, but his comrades were only able to confirm that she was nowhere to be found, and that one of the cars that was parked in the lumberyard earlier was missing, too.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes, groaning as the morning sunlight filling the room caused her to blink a few times. She felt something heavy to her side and pushed herself upright, turning to see Sunset Shimmer sitting beside her bed, asleep and using her arm as a pillow.

Confused, Twilight reached forward and nudged Sunset, earning a few grunts from her friend before she finally began to awaken.

"Twilight?" Sunset asked, before gasping and lunging suddenly forward, hugging her friend tightly. "You're awake!"

"Ow! Y-Yeah, I am! W-What's going on? Why are you in my room?"

"Your room?" Sunset asked as she leaned back. "Twi, you're in the hospital right now."

"I am?" Twilight asked, lowering her head and humming her thought. She gasped. "That's right! I was taken away by those strange men, and I think Ms. Glimmer was there, too! Wait, Ms. Glimmer, she… Why did she… Oh god. Sunset, what happened?"

Sunset wasn't sure what to say. Twilight was clearly in a lot pain, and telling her the truth of what happened might upset her, but lying to her would have been just as awful…

"You were drugged and kidnapped," Shining Armor answered, alerting them both to his presence as he approached them from the door. "However, you were unharmed, and those guys have all been apprehended. You're safe now, Twilie."

Twilight didn't seem too sure. "W-What about Ms. Glimmer?"

"… She was saved, too, from those men."

Twilight tilted her head. "But… I'm sure she…"

"You should rest, Twi," Sunset said, gently lowering Twilight onto her back. "You've been through a lot. I'm sure your mind's a total mess right now."

Twilight frowned. "My mind's always clear! A lot more than yours, Miss Scatterbrain!"

Sunset simply laughed. "Well, this 'scatterbrain' just sacrificed her whole weekend to keep you company, so show some thanks by getting some rest."

"Your whole weekend?" Now Twilight felt bad. She frowned, and said, "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to, though, and that's all I need."

"She wouldn't move, even to use the bathroom. That's why we had to ask for an extra bedpan," Shining Armor said with a laugh.

Sunset's face exploded into a sea of red, whilst Twilight simply inched away and asked, "R-Really?"

"HE'S LYING!" Sunset shouted, turning around and punching Shining's arm.

"OW! H-Hey, it was just a joke, okay? She's used the bathroom like a normal person, but getting her to eat was a bit of a challenge…"

Twilight giggled as she saw Sunset pout, her face slowly turning back to its normal colour. "Okay, I get it. I'll get some rest, and… thanks, Sunset."

"… Well, you would've done the same for me," Sunset said.

"Uh, maybe?" Twilight ventured, and then flinched at Sunset's sudden glare. "I mean, definitely! Absolutely!"

Shining Armor cleared his throat. "By the way, I've asked the hospital not to inform our parents. Since we managed to recover your just fine, I felt it unnecessary to disturb their vacation with this. They'll see the hospital bill, though, so we're gonna tell them it was a simple case of food poisoning.

"The director of this hospital is somebody I know. He'll go along with the story for now." The two girls nodded, and Shining turned to Sunset and motioned his head towards the door. "Now that Twilight's awake, I think you should get some air. It'll be easier for her to rest if she's left alone for a bit."

Sunset felt uneasy about leaving, but since Twilight was was awake, she simply nodded her head and got up, following Shining Armor outside. She stopped to look one final time at Twilight, and then left the room, closing the door behind herself.

"Starlight Glimmer got away," Shining Armor said quietly as soon as the door had closed.

"What?" Sunset asked, struggling not to raise her voice. "But how? You guys were right on her."

"She managed to lose us through a tunnel. She must have prepared an escape route. Our intelligence found that she had boarded an aeroplane to England last night, and we're currently requesting permission to open an investigation there, but it doesn't look like we'll get it. Not enough direct evidence for them to give the okay…"

"What about the stuff in her house?! In that lumberyard?!"

"None of it could be traced to her. Turns out the house was never truly sold, and we could find no prints or DNA to link the evidence to her. Any files that may have been about her were under aliases, with no photographs and no other means of identification."

"So basically, she gets away with kidnapping my friend? Your sister?"

"Even if the FBI cannot follow her, we're putting some requests through Interpol to be on the lookout for her. But at the very least, she won't be coming back for Twilie anytime soon. Regardless, I'm gonna take some time off from work. Stay close to her and make sure everything's clear, y'know?"

Sunset Shimmer sighed and frowned. "Well, I guess that's all you can do."

"… By the way, I didn't really say it earlier. Thanks for your help earlier. You did pretty good… though I'm still pretty mad that you came along after I told you not to."

"Well, I wanted to help, and… honestly, it felt nice, helping somebody in trouble." Sunset pulled out her phone and checked the time. "I'd better go get something to eat. I'll check in on Twilight later."

"You should probably go home soon."

Sunset shook her head. "I've already called home. They're cool with me having a sleepover."

"At a hospital?" Shining asked as he walked alongside Sunset down the hallway.

"What they don't know won't hurt 'em." She smiled, and added, "Besides, I need to keep an eye on her. Clearly you alone can't handle it."

XXVIII - Epilogue 2

The streets surrounding Canterlot Private Academy for Girls was packed, and the campus was flooded with students in graduation garbs and their parents.

Sunset Shimmer posed with Lyra and Octavia as Bon Bon took a photo. "Man, can't believe I made it through all that!" Lyra said with a relieved sigh, slumping over to Bon Bon with a defeated look on her face. "But now I can't mooch off of my parents anymooooore. They want me to get a job and start paying rent!"

"You could always go to college," Bon Bon suggested.

"Ehhhh. I think I might just see if any of the bakeries around here are hiring. Though I'll have to learn how to, y'know, bake." Lyra turned and glared at Sunset Shimmer. "Of course, some people don't have to worry about their futures! You can get into any school you want, huh?"

"Hey, now," Sunset said, raising her hands. "It's not like that. I have to work hard, and there's still no guarantee that-" Sunset's phone range, startling her. "Ah, I gotta take this."

"It's fine. I need to find my parents, anyway," Octavia said, waving goodbye to the group as she left.

Lyra and Bon Bon also said their goodbyes as Sunset answered her phone. "Hello? Oh, yes, that's me! … Really?"

Twilight Velvet pointed the camera at her family, and said, "Say 'top grades'!"

The camera flashed, and Twilight moaned with embarrassment. "Muuuum! How many times are you going to make a big deal out of that?!" she asked, her face red as she looked around. Nobody around them was looking at her, yet she couldn't help but feel watched.

"Well, it's not every day that your daughter has the TOP GRADES in the her school! If I don't brag, who will?" She clicked the camera again to capture Twilight's reddened face. "The only thing your brother did that was 'top of his class' was being the only cadet to confuse a clock for a bomb."

Now it was Shining Armor's turn to blush. "I-It was deceptive from a distance!"

"Whilst he was dismantling it."

"I'm not an expert!"

"During a tracking exercise."

Shining Armor groaned, and said, "Should we really be taking the thunder away from Twilight's day right now?!"

Twilight Velvet giggled. "You're right. This is Twilight's day. Dear, can you stand aside so I can get Twilight and Shining together?"

Night Light moved aside, and Shining Armor scooted closer to his sister. As he did, she asked, "You confused a clock for a bomb?"

"The lighting was poor!"

The camera flashed, and Velvet sighed. "Now your face looks funny. Let's take it again, and no outbursts this time!"

After a few more family photos, the group heard Sunset's voice calling out to Twilight. They turned to find Sunset approaching them through the thick crowds.

"Heyyyyy!" Sunset yelled as she drew near. "We finally did it, huh?"

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Yep, we sure did!"

"Congratulations on graduating," Night Light said to Sunset.

"Thanks. Hey, would you guys mind if I talk to Twilight for a bit?"

"Of course not," Velvet said, motioning for Shining and Night Light to follow her. "We'll be at the buffet. Take all the time you need."

As Twilight's family left, Sunset suddenly felt uneasy, not sure how to break the news to her best friend. "So, uh… what're your plans from this point?"

Twilight blushed, scratching the back of her neck as she said, "I'm not really sure. I mean, I want to continue my studies, but I don't know what in. It's kind of a big decision to make, huh?" Twilight gave Sunset a curious look. "What about you? Do you know what you want to do?"

Sunset gulped, and nodded her head. "I… did some thinking, after that thing that happened with you before… I want to do something that involves helping other people. That… protects them."

Twilight tilted her head. "You mean like the FBI?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I've decided to study law so that I can follow that sort of path… There's a university that's renowned for being the best in the country, and they accepted my application."

"That's great!" Twilight exclaimed.

"… It's in another state."

"That's… less great…" Twilight's spirits dropped, and she couldn't hide her disappointment however much she tried.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you all-of-a-sudden, but-"

Twilight shook her head rapidly. "No no no! If that's what you want to do, then I'm happy for you! It's just… I didn't see it coming, that's all."

Sunset could sense how much Twilight was holding back her tears, and she reached out to hug her. "Hey, it's not like we'll never see each other again. I can come back during breaks, and I'll write to you regularly."

Twilight returned the hug, closing her eyes. "Y-Yeah, I guess…" A tense moment of silence passed between the two, before Twilight said, "You were the first friend I ever had, besides my brother. You've always been there for me and it's thanks to you I was able to talk to other people at all."

"Heh. What's with that, so suddenly?"

"I guess, I just wanna thank you, Sunny."

"… It's me who should be saying that, Twilight. Before I met you, I was lonely, and… kind of a brat." Sunset laughed at her memory of her own self. A sad, pathetic laugh. "You stayed with me, though, and you brought out the best in me. So thanks, Twilight, for never giving up on this idiot."

The two parted, tears streaming down both of their faces. They turned away to wipe the tears away, laughing at how silly they must have looked.

"I really am happy for you, Susnet," Twilight said as soon as she could see clearly again. "And I'm with you all the way. I'll miss you… but like you said, we can still write to each other, so I guess I won't be entirely alone."

Sunset smiled. "Yeah. Besides, you could use the chance to make some other friends besides me," Sunset teased, earning a playful punch from Twilight. "… Y'know, I won't be leaving for a few weeks. Maybe we could have a sleepover… or two, next week?"

"You got it," Twilight said, taking hold of Sunset's hand and turning around. "Let's go find some of our classmates. I want us to have more photos to remember our time here!"

"You want to seek out our classmates?" Sunset asked.

Twilight grinned. "What can I say? You've rubbed off on me."

And so, the two walked through the crowds, hand-in-hand, not knowing and not caring what the future would bring, simply content with knowing that they would always have each other.

The end.

I - Introducing: Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer – a girl unlike any other in her school. On the outside, she is your typical fifteen year old high school girl with an interest in being popular and a general dislike for hanging around other people. On the inside, she is actually a twenty-five year old unicorn with enough knowledge to graduate the United States’ highest level university with any number of degrees in multiple fields, and was once even the personal student of a pony princess named Celestia.

So how is it that now she is a student at Canterlot High in a world where she cannot use her magic, living with the school’s principal and spending her days hanging around ordinary students? Well, many things happened, which ultimately led to Sunset Shimmer being cut off from her original world. Not that she cared too much. She never did care about much other than studying and impressing her mentor. Of course, when that same mentor betrayed her, her interests shifted. Now, her desire is mostly focussed on revenge.

She had spent a long time in this world, biding her time and just waiting for the right time to strike. When the time finally came, she had made her move. She stole the Element of Magic, a power magical artefact, from Equestria. She attempted to use the Element to overthrow Princess Celestia, but the princess’ new lackey, Princess Twilight Sparkle, stopped her.

Now, Sunset Shimmer was trapped for another thirty moons at the very least. But it wasn’t all bad. She had clearly underestimated Twilight’s powers, that much was evident, but she would not make the same mistake again. Sunset Shimmer was a genius, after all. She knew that failure once did not mean you had lost. If anything, it was a valuable learning experience. From her failure, she could become more prepared for her next attempt at defeating Princess Celestia.

For example, after wielding the Element of Magic, knowledge of its origins and of its power flooded into her mind. Although it is mostly a jumbled mess, she was able to vaguely understand how the Elements of Harmony worked. From that, she was able to come up with a new plan. If stealing the Elements of Harmony was too tough, then she would simply create her own set.

“Some might call me crazy,” Sunset Shimmer mused to herself as she looked over her notes for any errors, “But it’s all a matter of thinking logically. The Elements have to have been created at some point, so why shouldn’t they be able to be created again? I just need to organise my thoughts. Write down what I know and try to piece it all together. The issue is the fact that magic was most likely used to create them, and in this world, I can’t use magic.”

Outside of her room, Sunset Shimmer heard the front door open and her legal guardian call out to her. “I’m home!”

“She’s back early?” Sunset asked with slight annoyance as she gathered up her notes, her samples, and her apparatus and hid them in the usual place – in the secret compartment at the back of her wardrobe. “Darn it. Though I suppose I was going to head out later tonight anyway…”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her phone and her bag and opened her bedroom door, turning the light off and shutting the door behind her as she headed for the stairs. “You’re back early,” she said to Celestia as she descended the stairs.

“I finished early,” Celestia explained. “Where are you going so late at night?”

“We’re out of strawberry milk,” Sunset replied. “Your sister drank it all, so I’m going out to get more.”

“This late?” Celestia asked with a curious look.

“I can’t guarantee I’ll sleep peacefully without it,” Sunset told her.

“Well, don’t be out too late,” Celestia cautioned, holding out her hand. “And give me your wallet.”

“What? Why?” Sunset asked, but didn’t receive an answer. She knew that Celestia would not let her leave without complying, so with a defeated sigh, she reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet, handing it over to Celestia.

“Nice photograph, ‘Maria Timely’,” Celestia commented as she pulled out the ID card inside of the wallet. She then examined the wallet carefully, before opening a small, concealed pocket at the back and pulling out yet another card. “I’ll just hold onto these.”

‘Darn it! How does she keep finding those?’ Sunset Shimmer took her wallet back and put it into her bag. “Fine, you caught me. Can I go now?”

“Just remember, back before ten,” Celestia told her.

“I know, I know. Later.” Sunset Shimmer walked past Celestia and put her shoes on before leaving the house. She walked down the drive and out of the front gate, waiting until she was sure that Celestia wasn’t watching her before pulling out her phone and pushing a few buttons on the screen.

The phone rang for a few seconds before the person on the other end answered. “Hello?” Snips asked.

“Meet me at the Dollar Store by the theatre in one hour,” Sunset ordered. “Bring a new ID.”

“Your mum found out again?” Snips asked, not needing an answer. “I’m kinda busy right now. Can I meet you in two-”

“I said in one hour. If you’re not there, then you’d also better not show up in school tomorrow.”

“Okay, okay!” Snips replied in a panicked tone. “I-I’ll be there, I just need to-”

“Good. I’ll see you in one hour then.” With that, Sunset Shimmer hung up the phone and placed it back into her bag. “Honestly, it’s so hard to find good help. But at least he’s easy to use, and I don’t have to worry about him betraying me. Now, my first stop is the school.”

Taking a left turn, Sunset Shimmer waited by the side of the road until a taxi showed up, signalling for it to stop so that she could climb inside. She told the driver to go to the school and to wait for her whilst she ‘picked something up’.

Fifteen minutes later, Sunset Shimmer was at the school. The taxi driver had told her to hurry up with whatever she was doing, but she cared little for what a lovely driver had to say to her. She approached the school building, but stopped at the statue just outside of it.

The statue was her real target here. The statue that was also a portal to another world. A portal powered by magic, in a world where Sunset Shimmer, and indeed all of the human race, were unable to harness magic themselves. It existed, that much was certain from past events, but it was inaccessible to Sunset Shimmer in her current form.

“Somehow, this statue can harness magic once every thirty moons,” Sunset Shimmer said as she leaned down and stroked a hand against the base of the statue. It felt like any old marble statue. It certainly didn’t seem to have any special properties. “Why is that? Why every thirty moons? I doubt the thirtieth moon cycle holds any significance that the previous ones do not. The only explanation that I can think of is that the statue needs to build up energy first, before it can use the magic it’s been gathering from around it.”

Sunset Shimmer reached into her bag and pulled out two small tools – a hammer and a chisel. “I need a sample of this statue for study. In order to create my own Elements of Harmony to combat the ones in Equestria, I’ll need to be able to harness magic. To do that, I need a special material. The only issue is that doing this might damage the portal in some way, but theoretically, as long as I keep the fragment I take safe-and-sound, I should be able to fix it.

“In any case, I’ll get nowhere without my own weapon to counter the Elements, and chances are that Celestia will be on high alert whenever the portal is open from now on.” Positioning her chisel carefully, Sunset Shimmer bashed the end with her hammer, eventually succeeding in chipping off a piece of the statue. She placed her tools back into her bag and pulled out a small custom vacuum cleaner with a plastic bag attached to the end. She picked up the large fragment on the floor and used the vacuum to ensure she retrieved every last shard that had fallen.

Once she was certain she had it all, she removed the plastic bag, placed the larger fragment inside, and sealed it up nice and tight. “Okay, I’ve got my sample. Now to get out of here.”

Sunset Shimmer was glad to see that the driver was still waiting for her, though his patience had clearly worn thin from the attitude he gave the girl as she climbed back inside. She ordered him to drive to the theatre back in city, shutting him up with a generous tip from the money she had been saving for her important research. If it would get this angry guy with obvious family issues to stop droning on and on during the entire ride, it was worth it.

Thirty-five minutes later, Sunset Shimmer was at the Dollar Store she had arranged to meet Snips at. She was still ten minutes early, which annoyed her as it left her with nothing to do but to stand around and wait. Of course, she wasn’t going to stand around outside in the horrible cold weather. She stepped into the store and headed over to the magazine rack, deciding that she might as well pass the time by reading something. She had to admit, there sure wasn’t a shortage of interesting reading material in this world.

She passed by two people that she recognised from school. One was Derpy Hooves – an interesting name for a human, Sunset Shimmer noted – who was reading a baking magazine from the looks of the cover. She was a fairly innocent and naïve girl, who often associates herself with the neutral field in any feuds she happens to wind up in, which usually turns out to be a lot. She’s also famous for being the go-to girl whenever you have a note to pass in class or a letter to deliver anonymously. She’ll do anything for a muffin.

The other was Rainbow Dash, one of the five girls who had partnered herself up with Twilight Sparkle to foil Sunset Shimmer’s plans to defeat Princess Celestia. She was a member of the team’s Soccer Club, and biggest fan of the Canterlot Cougars, the football team of this very city. She didn’t excel at many subjects. In fact, she didn’t excel at any save for Physical Education. There was one thing in particular that Sunset Shimmer didn’t like about this girl.

“Hey! Sunset Shimmer!” Rainbow Dash called out as she noticed Sunset Shimmer in the corner of her eye. Before Sunset could turn and flee, Rainbow Dash was already hanging around her neck with that big, stupid grin that she always wore. “What’s up? I didn’t take you for a night girl.”

“I didn’t take you for a gaming girl,” Sunset countered as she noticed the gaming magazine in Rainbow’s hand.

Rainbow Dash immediately closed the magazine and turned herself away from Sunset Shimmer. “T-This isn’t what it looks like! I was getting this for a friend, got it?”

“Whatever,” Sunset said as she moved a few steps away. “I really don’t care. It’s just more material I can use against you.”

“You wouldn’t,” Rainbow Dash said. “Not to a friend.”

That was what Sunset Shimmer couldn’t stand about her. Or about any of the five girls who had joined forces with Twilight Sparkle to defeat her. “Stop saying that we’re friends,” Sunset said as she folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash.

“But we are,” Rainbow Dash told her. “I made a promise with Twilight, and I intend to keep it!”

“Oh? So you only want to be friends with me because Twilight told you to?”

Rainbow’s eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. “No no no no no! You know I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just… Ugh! Why do you have to make things so difficult?”

“It’s what I do,” Sunset answered nonchalantly. “If it bothers you, just walk away.”

“Yeah, that’s not really my style,” Rainbow Dash told her. “Well, look, I gotta go. My friend really wants me to get this mag over to him. Try to do something ‘bout that attitude of yours, ‘kay?”

Sunset simply mimicked Rainbow Dash in a quiet, silly voice as the girl walked past her and over to the counter. “Like I care,” she said to herself as she wandered through the store and towards the refrigerated items. She picked up a few cases of strawberry milk and waited, checking her watch to find that it was one minute until Snips was supposed to be there.

“Sunset Shimmer!” And now it was bang on time. Sunset turned to her right to see a worn-out boy panting to her side, holding up a small card to her as he struggled and failed to form any coherent words.

“You got here in one hour,” Sunset commented as she grabbed the card from the boy. “Good job.”

“T-Thank you,” Snips replied in an exhausted tone. “C-Can I g-go now?”

“You may,” Sunset replied. “Just make sure you’re ready to answer my summons at any time in the future.”

“Y-Yes, Sunset Shimmer…” Snips turned around as slowly walked through the store, stumbling about and knocking many items off of their shelves as he passed through the aisles.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer made her way over to the cash register. She picked up a bottle of gin while she was there and placed her items on the counter, along with her ID. The clerk clearly didn’t believe that she was over eighteen – which in a way was ironic considering her true age was twenty-five – but a quick lash-out from Sunset Shimmer would soon change that.

“What?! You got a problem?” Sunset asked.

“N-No, ma’am,” the store clerk replied, starting to sweat a little bit. “It’s just that you look a little… younger than your printed age, is all.”

“I can’t believe this!” Sunset shouted, sounded absolutely shocked and appalled. “Here I am, just trying to buy some milk for my little brother and a soothing bottle of gin after a hard day’s work, and you’re trying to hit on me?!”

“N-No ma’am! I didn’t mean it like that, I-”

“I’ll have you know that my parents just suffered a terrible accident, and I am working my butt off trying to support both myself and my little brother! My boss is constantly trying to sexually harass me and my brother’s grades are dropping thanks to the trauma he’s suffered! I have enough going on in my life without some sick, perverted store clerk trying to pick me up whilst all I’m trying to do is make a simple purchase!”

“I-I’m sorry!” the clerk shouted, passing the ID back to Sunset Shimmer and ringing up her purchase. “That’ll be five dollars, ma’am.”

Sunset Shimmer slammed the money onto the counter and grabbed her items after they had been placed into a plastic bag. “Honestly, men can be such animals,” she spat as she turned to leave. As she exited the store, a pleased grin crossed her face, followed by a small chuckle from her lips. “That was fun. It feels good to make people squirm like that.”

Sunset Shimmer opened her bag and reached inside for the empty water bottle she had stored inside. She opened the cap and also took out the bottle of gin she had just purchased, pouring the contents into the plastic bottle with careful precision.

When she was done, she placed the plastic bottle back into her bag and started to walk down the street, stopping by an alleyway to throw the alcohol bottle into a glass bin before waiting for a taxi to come by.

“Thirty moons is a long time, but I can wait. I’ll bide my time, discover the secrets of the Elements of Harmony, and when the portal opens again, I’ll be ready to-”

Sunset Shimmer’s phone started to ring, interrupting her monologue. She pulled it out and found that she had received a new text. It was from Pinkie Pie.

“STUDY SESSION AT MY PLACE, TOMORROW, NINE PM! BRING JAMAS, IT’S A SLEEPOVER!”

“Why the hell should I go to a study sleepover with you dorks?!” Sunset shouted at her phone, having no regard for the people passing her by and giving her strange looks. “You guys are the reason I’m stuck here for another thirty moons! I was the princess’ prized pupil, and you guys are just ordinary students at a mediocre school! Why should I associate with the likes of you?”

Sunset Shimmer hit the button to reply and started to press letters on the keypad.

“I’m not staying the night. I’ll be there until eleven, and then I’m gone.”

She hit send. Five seconds passed as she stared at her phone, with a message confirming that the message was successfully sent. She sighed. “What the hell did I do that for?”

Mystery number one of this strange world: Sunset Shimmer hated these five girls, so why was it so hard to have nothing to do with them?

XV - The Right Gift

“Pinkie Pie, get away from me!”

“C’mon, Dashie!”

“I said no!”

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she stood outside of the classroom door, her hand grasping the handle but frozen by the shouts and sounds of clattering from within. “Do I even want to know?” she asked herself as she opened the door. Inside, she found Rainbow Dash backed against a wall, her arms extended to keep Pinkie Pie and her puckered lips at bay. “… I don’t want to know.”

“Seems Pinkie Pie got a hold of the mistletoe while we were decoratin’ the classroom,” Applejack explained, handing Sunset a wreath. “Here, think y’could hang this outside for us?”

Sunset watched as Rarity approached the spectacle and swiftly snatched the mistletoe from Pinkie’s hand. “Oh, right. It’s ‘Christmas’ soon.” Sunset pondered on that thought as she turned around and hung the wreath up on the classroom door. She then gasped. “It’s Christmas soon!”

“Sure is!” Applejack said in an excited tone. “Every class is takin’ the day off ta decorate the school!” Applejack noticed Sunset’s bulky backpack. “Er, ya might’ve over-packed a bit for today…”

“Darn it!” Sunset shouted as she slung her backpack to the floor and sat down in a nearby chair, rubbing her forehead with a free hand. “I can’t believe I forgot after what happened last year.”

“What happened last year?” Fluttershy asked.

“I wasted an entire day, that’s what!” Sunset answered. “Climbing ladders, lifting heavy boxes, getting tangled up in lights, and catching frostbite because of someone’s snowball fight idea!” Sunset finished her list with a sharp glare at Rainbow Dash, who simply returned it with a smug grin.

“You’re just jealous ‘cause I won,” she said matter-of-factly.

“But we got the day off, remember?” Applejack said.

“Yeah, exactly!” Sunset replied. “I wasted an entire day doing all that, and didn’t even learn anything from it! What purpose is school if not to learn?”

“But it’s fun!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “We all get to pitch in together and make the school look great for Santa!”

“And it’s nice to see all of our hard work at the end of the day,” Rarity chimed in. “Not to mention the carols, the good will, the-”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Sunset said as she checked her watch. “Look, I’m not doing this again this year. If anyone asks, I slipped on ice and banged my head.”

“Ye’re not gonna stay ta help?” Applejack asked.

“C’mon, Sunny!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. “It’s Christmas! Time of joy, and laughter, and laughing, joyfulness, and-”

“And a time of togetherness,” Rarity interjected.

“Maybe to you, but to me, it’s just another day of the year.” Sunset leaned down to pick up her backpack. “Only colder.”

“C’mon, don’t be a Scrooge!” Rainbow Dash shouted as Sunset turned to leave.

“Bah humbug,” Sunset replied in a sarcastic tone, shutting the door behind her as she left. “Honestly, I don’t have time for this…” Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The date reminded her that there were only five days left until Christmas Day. “I’ve got to find a present for her before it’s too late.”

As Sunset exited the school building, she slipped on the icy ground and landed on her behind, groaning in pain. “Darn you… karma…”

“What about this one?” Suri asked. She held up a pink jumper with a large, green Christmas tree embroidered into the middle of it. “Doesn’t it just scream ‘festive’?”

“A Christmas tree pattern is nice, but if it’s the spirit of Christmas that you’re after, then it has to be this holly leaf pattern,” Rarity replied, holding up a blue jumper with said pattern embroidered into the middle. “And look! It’s fifty percent off!”

“Well, why not get both?” Suri suggested as she took another copy of Rarity’s jumper from the rack. “Coco, take these to the counter and have them gift-wrapped! Chop chop!”

“Yes, Miss Suri,” Coco Pommel sighed as she took the two jumpers from her mentor, along with a fat purse.

“And get yourself something nice while you’re at it,” Suri added, bringing a beam of light to Coco’s face. “Something a dollar or less.”

Coco sighed once more. “Yes, Miss Suri.”

“Good kid, but she needs to stop sighing so much,” Suri said as she walked with Rarity towards the selection of cashmere tops. “So Rare-rare, what’s new at Canterlot High? I hope you’re taking good care of that trophy, because I’ll be taking it from you come spring.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find that my talent with the needle and thread has grown exponentially since our last encounter,” Rarity said in a smug tone. “You may be the best at Manehatten High, but at our dear Canterlot High, I am a goddess!” Rarity stopped as she spotted somebody familiar browsing through the cashmere section. “Oh, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Wait, Sunset Shimmer?” Suri asked. “The demon who took control of your classmates and tried to bring about one thousand years of darkness with her undead army?!”

“… I think that the rumours may be a tad exaggerated, though sadly, that is for the most part true.”

Sunset turned to her right and jumped at the sight of Rarity waving towards her. “W-What are you doing here?!”

“Me? A fashionista? In a clothing store?”

“Hey, Rarity?” Suri said, backing away slowly. “It’s been good catching up, but I, uh, just remembered that I left the cat on. I mean, I didn’t feed my oven. I mean- I-I gotta go!”

“Miss Suri,” Coco said upon her return, “They didn’t have any gif-”

Suri interrupted her apprentice by grabbing her arm as she ran past her, dragging the startled girl as they ran through the store. “Coco, new task! We need garlic, silverware, and crosses! Lots of crosses! Maybe some holy water!”

Rarity sighed and shook her head, turning red as many eyes turned towards her. After shaking off the embarrassment, she turned to Sunset Shimmer and asked, “What are you doing here? You never struck me as the type to be interested in the latest trends.”

“Of course I am,” Sunset said. “You humans just don’t have any good taste.”

“Well excuse us for not being magical pony princesses.”

“We’re not all- No, you know what? I’m in a hurry here. I have to find a present before Christmas and I’m running out of time.”

“A present?” Rarity asked. “Who for?”

Sunset cursed herself beneath her breath. “Did I say ‘present’? I meant ‘none of your business’!”

“Come on, dear, don’t be like that. I could help you find the perfect present!”

“… Alright, but this stays between us.”

“My lips are sealed,” Rarity said, miming the act of sealing her lips with a zipper, locking said mouth and then throwing away the key.

“It’s for Celestia,” Sunset said quietly.

“Principal Celestia?” Rarity asked in a surprised tone.

“Ssh!”

“Oops! Sorry,” Rarity said at a much quieter volume. “That just caught me off guard is all. I mean, you never really come across as liking our principal that much… or anyone, for that matter.”

“It’s… not quite like that,” Sunset said. “Look, just help me find something. I’ve been looking through these shirts but I don’t think any of them are really her style…”

“Well, perhaps you could try another type of present,” Rarity suggested. “What does Principal Celestia like?”

“… Nagging?” Sunset said, causing Rarity to giggle. She fought back a smile creeping on her face, but it was tough not to be proud of her own snappy remark. “Giving out homework?”

“Okay, okay,” Rarity laughed. “Seriously now, what does she enjoy? You must have picked up something from your time living with her.”

“Keep your voice down when you say that.” Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms and hummed in thought. “She likes tea, but I’m not an expert… She also like her sister, but I don’t think I can get her one of those.”

“Does she maybe have a hobby, or some kind of collection?”

“Collections, no, but hobbies? She does play tennis with Luna every weekend.” Sunset snapped her fingers. “That’s it! A new tennis glove! Though, would that be too cheap of a present.”

“Sunset, it’s not the price that matters,” Rarity said. “It’s the thought that’s put into it, and I think you definitely hit the mark in that department.”

Sunset Shimmer rubbed her arm as she averted her eyes awkwardly. “Uh, thanks I guess…”

“Don’t mention it. It’s what friends are for, after all. Say, why don’t you come with me? I happen to know a great designer of sports apparel who could cut you a ‘sweet deal’, as it were.”

“You?” Sunset scoffed. “You know someone into sports?”

“Of course,” Rarity replied with a frown. “Just because I don’t play them myself, it doesn’t mean that I have no interest in sports. Besides, he’s the same designer who makes the uniforms for our school’s teams.”

“Well then, Miss Expert, lead the way.”

“So… why are we in a spa?” Sunset asked, her eyebrow twitching from annoyance whilst her nose twitched from the pleasant scents of bath salts wafting through the air.

“We have time before the mall closes and felt that this could be a great way for us to bond,” Rarity answered, waving a slip of paper in her fingers. “Besides, this ‘two for one’ voucher won’t use itself, and you scared off my friend earlier.”

“It’s not my fault your friend is scared of the boogeyman.”

“But it is your fault that you became a demon and terrorised our school that night.”

“… It was partially Twilight’s too,” Sunset mumbled. “If she just hadn’t tried to take her stupid crown back…”

“Hello there Lotus!” Rarity greeted the woman at the reception desk. “The usual, please, and for my friend as well.”

Lotus took the voucher from Rarity and nodded her head. “Right this way, Miss Rarity and… ‘friend’.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I’d-”

“Come now, Sunset. It’s on me,” Rarity said. “And I think some time to unwind would be really good for you.” ‘It might make you a little less… cranky.’

Sunset Shimmer pondered for a moment. “Well, it has been a stressful week.” ‘With Pinkie Pie sending me ‘jingle cats’ videos every couple of hours.’ Sunset nodded her head. “Fine, but it’ll have to be quick. I had important plans tonight.”

“Of course. We’ll be out before you even know it.”

“Is everything to your liking, Miss Rarity?” Aloe asked, collecting the empty glasses to the side of the bathtub.

“Oh, yes, dear,” Rarity sighed as she sank into the tub. “The temperature is perfect. Right, Sunset?”

“… I thought you said this would be ‘quick’,” Sunset said, directing a sharp glare towards the other girl.

“Well then, if there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to call me.” With a bow, Aloe left the two girls to their bathing.

With the two alone by themselves, Rarity leaned forward with a smirk and said, “So tell me, Sunset, have you any interesting experiences to share?”

“‘Interesting experiences’?” Sunset asked.

“You know, romantically. As popular as you are, surely there are many boys just lining up to ask you out.”

Sunset shook her head. “Maybe you missed the part where I reigned the school with an iron fist for the past two-and-a-half years and then tried to make them my mindless slaves?”

“True, but I still hear some of the things that the boys say about you.” Rarity chuckled. “In fact, some of them like that domineering side of you. They think it’s one of your greatest appeals.”

Sunset scoffed. “Well, good for them. They want to date a pony.”

“So you don’t have anyone that you like? There are none of our classmates who you would date?”

“Of course I wouldn’t. Even with our racial differences, I was once next-in-line to become a princess. I would never settle down with any of these peasants who have nothing to offer.”

“That’s too bad, because personally I think that you’d look cute around the arm of Big Macintosh.”

“Applejack’s brother?” Sunset asked with a gag. “No thanks. He’s so slow and dim-witted, and besides, he’s already taken.”

“He is?!”

Sunset gasped and clasped her mouth shut with her hands. “N-No!”

“Oh my goodness! You must tell me who he’s dating! You must!”

Sunset bit her lip. ‘Darn it! I threw away my trump card!’ “Uh, I shouldn’t, really. That’d be an invasion of privacy, you know?”

“And that’s ever stopped you before?” Rarity asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Ugh! Fine! But you can’t tell anyone!” Rarity nodded her head in agreement. “Alright, well, you didn’t hear this from me, but I have reason to believe that he’s seeing some older woman from the Canterlot University.”

“Oooh, a scandalous love affair with an older pupil!” Rarity squealed with glee as her face lit up with delight.

“Yeah, well, it’s not certain. Anyway, what’s with the sudden interest in my love life?”

“Hm? Oh, just trying to spice up conversation with you.”

“Yeah? Well, spice it up some other way.”

“Very well then. Why are you seeking so much for the perfect present for Principal Celestia.”

Sunset groaned as she leaned her head back. “I thought I told you to drop it.”

“But it just seems so strange to me that you, who is such a loner, would go to such an extent for somebody you claim to despise so much.”

“… I never said I despise her.”

“‘Sunset, I expect you to be home before sundown tonight.’ ‘I despise you.’.”

Sunset waved a hand dismissively. “Okay, so maybe I said it once.”

“Seriously now, I’m interested in hearing the history between you two.”

Sunset looked into Rarity’s pleading eyes and sighed. “She helped me out when I first came here by giving me a place to stay, so I just feel like it’s the least that I should do to repay her. Happy now?”

“I… suppose so.” Rarity was silent for a few seconds before adding, “You really care for her, huh?”

“I’m out of here.” Sunset rose out of the water and climbed over the edge of the tub.

“Wait, the treatment’s-”

“-Over. I want to meet this friend of yours already.”

Rarity moaned as she watched Sunset leave the room and pouted as climbed out of the bathtub. “Gossip is never this hard with Suri…”

“I mean if I’ve told her once I’ve told her a thousand times to stay out of my jewellery box!”

Sunset groaned as Rarity finished yet another story. She had been waiting for her special order to be finished for just over a couple of hours, and unfortunately she had spent those couple of hours wandering the mall with Rarity. “Sisters are annoying, what d’you want from me?”

“It’s not just that. It’s a matter of privacy,” Rarity said. “It’s bad enough that my mother just does as she pleases in there while I’m out, but Sweetie Belle doesn’t even have the decency to clean up after herself whenever she goes snooping through my things.”

“Is the glove ready yet?” Sunset asked Trenderhoof, who was so into his work that he couldn’t even spare a moment to glance over to Sunset Shimmer.

“Just a few finishing touches,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, dear.”

“I don’t know what that is, but just hurry it up.” Sunset pulled out her phone to check the time. A sudden text message startled her, but she didn’t check it because she knew exactly what it was based on who it was from. “I swear, if Pinkie Pie sends me on more selfie of herself in a deer costume…”

“Oh, I think she looks absolutely darling!” Rarity commented.

“You would. You made the darn thing.”

“Well, yes, but personal bias aside, she just makes it work, don’t you think?”

Sunset sighed and put her phone away. “… Hey, there’s something I’ve been wondering about this holiday.”

“Oh? Well ask away. I’d be happy to help you understand this wonderful time of year!”

“This Jesus guy… why do we celebrate his birth by giving each other gifts instead of him?”

“…”

“For that matter, why do we sing about these ‘Rudolph’ and ‘Santa’ mascots instead of him? And why do we celebrate a guy who was supposed to help everybody but clearly failed?”

“I… think you’re missing the point there. Christmas isn’t just about celebrating the birth of Christ. Why, you don’t even have to be Christian to celebrate it.”

“I know, I know. It’s about ‘love’ and ‘sharing’ and ‘giving’, etcetera.” Sunset punctuated each point with a gag or a roll of her eyes. “Sorry, maybe I’m just a little bitter ‘cause you guys don’t have any obligation to be this jolly, yet you still are.”

“‘Obligation’?”

“See, where I come from, there’s a holiday similar to this called ‘Hearth’s Warming’. You don’t have to celebrate it, but those who don’t get frozen in ice by windigos who come out of hibernation around that time of year.”

“That’s… er…” Rarity scratched her arm awkwardly. “You know, I always hear bad things about Equestria. I always imagined a land of talking ponies to be more… colourful.”

“Oh, it’s colourful,” Sunset said. “Except the zebras, but they’re not welcome in most parts of the country. At least not when I was still there. The Princess was still working on that but she kept getting distracted by other things.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows.” Rarity glanced down at her watched and gasped. “Goodness, it’s this late already?”

“I’m working as fast as I can!” Trenderhoof shouted.

“You didn’t really have to stay here, you know?” Sunset said. “You could’ve gone back to the spa.”

“True, but I wanted to be here in case you needed any more help,” Rarity replied.

Sunset looked around the store awkwardly, soon fixing her gaze back on Rarity. “Uh…”

“And I’m done!”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, quickly shifting her eyes towards the clerk and the glove in his hand. Embroidered onto the glove in beautiful golden stitching was the name ‘Celestia’. “I’ll take that, and a couple of rackets, too.”

“Of course,” Trenderhoof said, packing the gloves into a small bag as Sunset picked out two rackets, one white and one blue. “Since you’re a friend of Rarity’s, I’ll give you a special discount!”

“She’s also a friend of Applejack’s,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes as Trenderhoof froze his hand over the till and turned a shade of red.

“I-I see. W-Well then, I guess I could… give a slightly bigger discount…”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue as she reached into her purse and pulled out some money to cover the purchase. As the two girls left the store, Sunset turned to Rarity and asked, “What was that about?”

“Trenderhoof has a crush on Applejack,” Rarity answered with a giggle. “At first it bothered me, but now I think it’s rather cute…”

“It bothered you? Why?”

“Uh, no reason,” Rarity replied, averting her eyes.

“… Ooooh,” Sunset said slyly. “I see. You like him.”

“Did like him!” Rarity corrected. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore! He only has eyes for Applejack!”

“… You’re jealous,” Sunset said matter-of-factly. “Envy’s a pretty ugly emotion, you know?”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk!” Rarity scoffed.

“I’m not envious of anything. If Twilight wants to waste her time serving Princess Celestia, I really couldn’t care less.” Sunset looked up at the large clock tower in the centre of the mall. “Anyway, we seem to have some time left. I suppose we could head back to the spa, if you want to.”

Rarity stopped, surprise overtaking her as she stared at Sunset disbelievingly. “Really?”

“Only because I’m feeling generous today,” Sunset snapped, turning her head to hide her blush. “It must be this ‘holiday spirit’ or whatever. I suggest you take advantage of my offer while you still can.”

Rarity didn’t need to be told twice. Grabbing Sunset’s arm, she practically dragged the other girl through the mall and towards the spa. “Well then, let’s not waste any more time! It’s been such a long time since I’ve had somebody from our school to invite along to the spa with me!”

Sunset grumbled as she moved her feet quickly to keep up. When she saw the smile on Rarity’s face, her own scrunched up and she looked away quickly, trying to ignore the churning feeling in her stomach. For some reason, she felt happy.

“Well, I must admit that I had fun today, Sunset.”

Sunset simply shrugged in response. “Guess it could’ve been worse. At least I was able to find a good present.”

“You must truly care for Principal Celestia to have gone through all of this trouble. Well then, I suppose I’ll see you later.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah,” she said as she waved goodbye. After Rarity had left, Sunset turned around and opened the door to Celestia’s house, peeking around the corner before creeping quietly inside. ‘Care for her? Not really. It’s just that I owe her my life…’

Sunset noticed that Celestia’s shoes were nowhere to be seen and relaxed. She ascended the stairs towards her room. “She was the one who found and saved me that night,” she mumbled as she approached her bedroom door. “If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve died lost and alone in this strange new world. That’s why…”

The bedroom door creaked open and Sunset Shimmer walked inside. After turning on the light and shutting the curtains, Sunset hid her presents to Celestia beneath her bed, and pulled out a small chest.

The chest had the word ‘diary’ written on the front, but the contents were not what one would expect. Removing the key taped to the bottom, Sunset Shimmer unlocked the chest and opened it up, revealing a small, pink book.

Inside the book was a hollowed-out space, filled with shards of glass. Sunset removed one of these shards and stared at it for a moment, taking in a deep breath of air for what she was about to do. Sunset lifted her sleeve and hovered the shard of glass over her arm. With one sharp thrust, Sunset pierced the skin and bit her lip to stifle her screaming. Blood trickled from the glass half-embedded into her trembling arm.

After taking a moment to collect herself, Sunset Shimmer released her breath and closed her eyes. Moments passed… followed by more moments… before the shard began to glow a faint cyan colour. The glass began to shake, before soon falling out of her arm altogether, the aura disappearing at the same time.

Sunset Shimmer laughed as she grasped the open wound on her arm, her laughing growing louder and louder and she stared down at the shard of glass on the floor. “I did it,” she whispered with awe, leaning down to pick up the shard of glass, stained with her blood. “I’ve discovered the secret to harnessing this world’s magic in this useless body. With this…”

Turning back to the open chest, Sunset Shimmer placed the shard back and closed the chest, locking it before hiding it back underneath her bed. “With this, I can finally exact my revenge on you, Princess Celestia!”

XXVII - Epilogue 1

Five months had passed since the girls had stopped Sunset Shimmer from crossing the portal and declaring war on her homeland. After that day, Sunset had opened herself up more to the girls, hanging out with them without any groaning and allowing herself to smile and laugh along with their jokes.

Two weeks later, however, Sunset left the school, and although she hadn't told any of her friends what she was doing, she assured them that she was totally fine and stayed in contact via video calls. Celestia herself had assured the girls that Sunset was fine, and so, they trusted her.

Now, the girls were getting ready to face graduation by visiting the local university on an open tour day.

"It's… big," Applejack said, gulping as she looked around at the crowds and crowds of people flooding the vast campus. "How do folks find their ways around here?"

"Canterlot University is actually one of the smallest universities in the country," Rarity told her, humming as she looked through the brochure. "Hmmm… There are some interesting courses here, but I've already been accepted to Fashion University North…"

"Then why are you here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, the rest of you were coming, so I thought I'd tag along."

Applejack peered over Rarity's shoulder at the brochure. "To be honest, ah'm probably jus' gonna take over the farm… but ah'm thinkin' 'bout takin' up some agriculture classes part-time."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I already know I'm gonna do somethin' in sports. Just dunno where."

"Oh, there's a vetiranary course here," Fluttershy said with a sigh of relief. "And there's a seminar on the science faculty soon."

"Well, let's head on over then," Applejack said, and the others nodded, besides Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, the former groaning at the mention of 'science' and the latter pouting, because…

"I still can't believe there are no party courses here…"

The six girls took their seats in the large lecture theatre, Applejack whistling her appreciation at the sheer size. "This ain't nothin' like the classrooms back at school."

"Of course not," Rarity said. "Classes here are roughly five times larger than they are at Canterlot High."

"How d'ya remember all the names of classmates, then?"

"Well, when you're studying that much, I imagine you don't have enough time to be making friends with everybody, anyway."

Pinkie Pie frowned. "I don't like this place."

"Okay, everybody! Settle down!"

The girls turned their heads to the front of the room, where all other eyes were also pointed. Many surprised gasps and murmurs passed through the crowd, and the girls were no exception, watching as a teenage girl in a lab coat took her place at the podium and looked over the class.

"I am Sunset Shimmer. I teach theoretical physics here at Canterlot University, and I am here today to talk to you about enrolling in the sciences."

Pinkie Pie slammed her hands onto the table in front of her, and screamed, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"

After she was finished giving her speech, Sunset's eyes fell on the five girls that had never stopped staring at her with those dumb looks for the past twenty minutes. She gave a relieved sigh, and her five friends climbed out of their seats and made their ways down the theatre, running towards her.

"You're alive!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, tackling Sunset in a hug after arriving first. "I'm so happy! It's been so long! Where have you been? What've you been doin'? Why're you a teacher here? Did we go through wormhole that skipped time forward a few years? Is that how time works? Anyone got a watch?"

Sunset crawled out from under Pinkie whilst the other girl was rambling, and saw an extended hand from Applejack. She accepted it and rose to her feet. "Thanks."

"Well… this's a surprise," Applejack said simply.

"Yeah. Five months without comin' out to see us, and now you just show up as a teacher at Canterlot U.?"

"She wanted to surprise you," Celestia explained as she approached from the side, smiling at Sunset Shimmer. "That was a nice first speech, Sunset. Well done."

"Begging your pardon, but… what exactly is going on?" Rarity asked the two. "How is it that Sunset, who was just five months ago attending the same high school as us, suddenly a lecturer at a university?"

Sunset cleared her throat, and took a few seconds to figure out where to begin. "Well… after I decided to stay in this world… er, town, rather… I thought about what I should do with my life here. You see, I'm actually much older than I look in this body, and in my last… town…" Sunset glanced to Celestia, who was still listening intently. "… Where I came from previously, I was already educated to a level far beyond high school, even beyond college and university."

"Sunset asked me if there was a way to speed up her education," Celestia explained. "She said that she wanted to earn her degree sooner so that she could look for employment. I know the dean of this university and so I asked him he could test her for early enrolment."

"So y'all enrolled early then? But wait, you said you're a teacher," Applejack pointed out, and Celestia giggled.

"When the dean offered to test her for early enrolment, Sunset asked if she could simply be given the final assignments to complete over the summer and earn her degree right away. He humoured her…"

"And she earned her degree in just five months?" Rarity asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"One," Sunset corrected. "Had I known that the content here was so easy, I would have waited a little longer so that I could hang out with you girls some more."

"In five months, she has earned a total of three Bachelor's Degrees and a Master's," Celestia said, grinning as the girls' jaws dropped in unison. "And is currently working on her PhD."

Sunset puffed her chest out in pride. "As I said, I'm a genius. Had I been officially tested where I came from before-"

"Marry me!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, before asking, "Wait, scientists make lots of money, right?"

"I think so," Applejack said.

"Marry me!"

Rainbow Dash pulled Pinkie Pie back, and Rarity asked, "So, does this mean we won't be hanging out anymore?"

Sunset felt bad for a moment, especially when she saw the hurt looks on their face. "For the moment, I've got just too much work… But as soon as I earn this final degree, I'll be able to hang out with you all again, just… probably not on a regular basis."

"Well, it sounds like this's what ya wanna do," Applejack said with a smile. "An' ah'm glad ye're doin' so well."

"Me, too," Fluttershy said. "Um, I-I mean, as long as you're happy, so am I."

The other girls agreed, and Sunset felt her heart flutter as a tear started to well in her eye. To think, she was going to give up these great, supportive friends, and for what? Revenge? War? A possible lifetime in a cold, rotting dungeon?

She wiped the tear away, confident that she had made the right choice back then. As she did so, Rainbow Dash noticed the jewel-line glove on her hand. "Wait, you made another one?!" she shouted as she pointed.

Sunset gasped, and grinned sheepishly. "W-Well, y'know, magic just has… so many perks, y'know?"

"'Magic'?" Celestia asked.

Sunset gulped, and ushered her friends closer so that she could whisper. "By the way, I meant to ask: which of you picked up my old glove?" The five friends looked at each other with puzzled expressions. "None of you?"

"We thought you did," Applejack told her.

Sunset shook her head. "I went there to pick it up, but it was gone." She hummed in thought, and then shook her head dismissively. "Well, I'm sure it's fine. Nobody could just pick it up and know how to perform magic, after all."

The waiter approached the table with the strangely-dressed man, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing as he placed the strawberry shortcake down. "Sorry, sir, I've talked to the manager, but we just don't serve chocolate milk here…"

Discord lowered his newspaper and gave the young man a smile. "Oh well, that's fine." He left the boy a rather generous tip and watched him leave. Afterwards, he reached the empty glass on his table with his gloved hand. A golden light surround the cup, filling it with chocolate milk from the top-down.

As he took a sip and leaned back in his chair, the madman chuckled. He pulled the glass away with a contented sigh, using his magic to add some marshmallows to his drink. "Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing."