Sunset Shimmer stood waiting in the Everfree City train station. It was a beautiful sunny morning with a cool breeze coming in along the open air platform. The station clock showed that it was 8:53. She had been here almost ten minutes and was still too early, an understandable consequence of always waking with the sun. Still, it gave her time to tame her unruly hair and prepare herself for the day ahead.

She looked at her outfit again. She reconsidered whether she should have gone with the bookish scholarly outfit she had put together, over the jacket and boots she had chosen. She knew that her leathers made her more intimidating, but she found comfort in their ability to make people think twice about pushing her around. That feeling of strength might be important today.

She scanned the crowd again and grinned to see Twilight Sparkle, the girl she was waiting for, walk into the station. Her friend wore her usual outfit, something resembling the uniforms that some schools required. She drank from her travel mug, probably coffee, and looked around the station. Noticing Sunset Shimmer she walked over to her, smiling.

"Hey, Shimmer, so sorry I am late, I had to take Spike for his walk, and I couldn't find my itinerary for the trip and I was up so late working on it, and..." she rapidly apologised.

"It's cool, Sparks," Shimmer laughed. "I know you are way more of a night owl than an early bird. Besides you aren't late. Can't blame you that I am always early for everything under the sun. So how have you been? I have not seen you since school ended for the holidays. So..."

"Umm, yeah," Sparks said with hesitation. "I've been busy with my summer study schedule, my programming internship and volunteering at the observatory. Anyway, what you been doing for the last, ah, 5 weeks, haven't heard from you much, everything, uh, good?"

"Good, great, amazing even. Yeah, you know me never a minute to spare. Been getting our summer challenge up and running for the gangs you know. Can't let them to their own devices or they'll start slipping into bad habits. The burden's of leadership and all that," Shimmer replied with bravado, smiling a little too wide. "Haven't even noticed you, uh, weren't... um, yeah"

Sparks looked away from her friend,"Glad to hear it's been good."

"So..." Shimmer replied, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. "Canterlot, never been there before, what are we going to see again?"

Sparks' face filled with enthusiasm as she replied, "First time visiting there for me as well, but there is an exhibit on at the Golden Oak Library about Star Swirl, so called 'Father of Astrophysics.' I am so excited. I hear that they have some of his notes and a replica of one his prototype telescopes. They even have one of those bells he used as wind chimes. It's going to be..."

The whistle of the train pulling into the the Everfree station drowned out their conversation. Shimmer stepped on and nodded to Sparks. "Come on, you can tell me all about Star Swirl on the train ride over." Turning away, she was able to let out a breath of relief. She wouldn't have to worry about an awkward silence during their journey at least.

Sparks sat at one of the outdoor tables of Sugar Cube Corner, a café specialising in baking and confectionery, flicking through the photos on her digital camera. Her milkshake glass stood emptied, drained of its delicious contents. Shimmer sat opposite her, stirring her mostly full sundae. Sparks wasn't used to her friend being so quiet. Shimmer had been smiling in all the photos from the trip so far, but whenever she thought Sparks wasn't looking she became pensive. Maybe she was bored, Sparks knew that most people did not get filled with energy at the thought of learning about the lives of historic physicists. She leaned forward to say something but was interrupted by someone shouting down the street.

"Twilight! You're back" a tall teenage blue haired teenage boy came running towards her. "Where did you go after the dance? You just disappeared." He pulled her out of her chair into a hug. "Never mind that, it's so good to see you."

"Um, ah, who, what are you... who?" Sparks struggled to push herself away bewildered.

"Hey, Buster," Shimmer freeing her friend from this stranger's embrace. "You lay a hand on my friend again and you'll regret it."

The boy turned to her, "Sunset Shimmer, after all you've done. You think I'd do anything to Twilight. What..."

"So you know me, in that case you know I don't put up with bullies or boys who get hands on," Shimmer's entire presence became threatening and hostile, she spoke in a cold but frank voice. "You should get out of here, before I make you regret it."

"Shimmer, wait, there's probably a perfectly valid reason this guy randomly hugged me," Sparks tried to explain.

"He grabbed you out of nowhere, Sparks, why are you always so..." Shimmer stomped her foot in exasperation.

"Guy? You've forgotten me?" The boy turned to Sparks, but then walked away with a sigh, "Whatever I'm out of here."

"Good riddance!" Shimmer shouted after him. "You okay Sparks?"

"I hate it when you get like this," Sparks mumbled. "He probably just thought I was someone else."

Shimmer's face fell in confusion and frustration, "He called you by name, he grabbed you out of nowhere. You have no idea who he is. You can't leave people push you around like that, they'll take advantage."

Sparks stepped back and turned away from the other girl, "Look, you've been acting weird all day. What is up with you?"

"I've been trying to find a way to say that... umm... it's not's important, I just really wanted today to..." Shimmer faltered.

"Maybe we should split up for a while, explore Canterlot individually for a bit. I don't think you could sit through me dredging through another bookshop anyway," Sparks offered with a forced smile. "maybe meet up for lunch in an hour or so. I'll text you."

Shimmer stood still, saying nothing, as Sparks grabbed her stuff and left a tip. After walking a little away she turned back, "I'll message you later, I promise."

Shimmer was still standing outside that café ten minutes later, watching her sundae continue to melt in the summer sun. Her face full of conflicted emotions. She was interrupted by a waitress coming to clean up.

"Sorry, been really busy inside, let just clean these up..." A girl with an unruly mess of bright pink hair with an amazingly infectious smile whisked away the glasses while wiping down the table. "Sunset Shimmer! Sorry didn't notice it was you. Umm, are you okay? This isn't about last week is it?"

Shimmer looked at the girl. "No. It's something else. Wait. What. Do I... know you?"

"Oh, Ooooh!" the waitress's face filled with understanding of something unknown. "I'll be right back. Sit there."

Shimmer sat down confused, and a minute later the other girl came out with a pot of tea and poured it for her. As Shimmer smelled it, she couldn't suppress a small smile. "Is that ginger and lemon? That's my favourite. How did you know?"

"I can tell everyone's favourite, it's a thing I do. I thought is was peppermint but that's someone else. My name's Pinkie Pie, and it's really great to meet you!" Pinkie enthused.

Shimmer took a sip of tea, "Wait, you know my name, but it's great to meet me. Apparently something happened last week, and you had my tea confused with someone else. What's going on here?"

Pinkie took in a deep breath, "Well..."

Sparks walked out of another bookshop. Normally searching through books would calm her nerves but today they weren't helping. She couldn't stop thinking about her fight with her friend. She never wanted to just abandon her, but things had gotten so confusing. She sighed again. She ran through the days events again, when she saw something that made her stop.

A girl who looked just like Sunset Shimmer was wandering through the town square mumbling to herself. She was dressed differently though. He hair was tied back and her clothes were simpler, no leather jacket or boots, intellectual and subdued. Sparks approached her but stopped, today was strange enough without tackling doppelgangers.

As she turned away her friend's lookalike saw her. "Twilight, how are you back? It hasn't even been seven moons, let alone thirty. Is Equestria okay?"

"Equestria? I'm sorry, who are you?" Sparks said perplexed. "You look just like my friend Sunset Shimmer, but you're not her... are you?"

"I am Sunset Shimmer, but...you're not Twilight," the girl said with a deflated tone, "I mean you are but the other one. I was hoping you, she, Twilight could help. It's been so hard since you, the other you left. I'm sorry. It's..."

"Maybe I can help." Sparks said with fake confidence. "I know a lot about Sunset Shimmers and the trouble they get in. So tell me what's wrong, Sunset. You don't mind if I call you that. I just call my friend Shimmer and it'd be easier to be able to use different names."

"Sunset is fine," the mysterious girl answered. "You'll really help?"

"It's what we Twilights do, apparently," Sparks answered. She put on a cheesy grin and shook hands with Sunset. "I'm Sparks, nice to meet you... So what's up?"

Sunset took in a deep breath, "Well..."

Author's Note

It's my first fanfiction. I changed Sunset to Shimmer and Twilight to Sparks to help differentiate between the ponies who became people and the people who were people the entire time but off-screen. I wouldn't apply this to any other characters as it's unnecessary and I like the idea of Everfree City Twilight and Sunset calling each other Shimmer and Sparks.

All feedback is appreciated.