Sunset Shimmyby shortskirtsandexplosionsChaptersMorning, She's Shimmyin'Lunch, She's Shimmyin'Afternoon, She's Shimmyin'Evening, She's Shimmyin'Morning, She's Shimmyin'Pinkie Pie smiled wide. "And so the rabbi said, 'No, you have chicken mouth!'" All five girls giggled from where they stood on the front steps to Canterlot High. "Hey, guys!" Sunset Shimmer's voice rang in the morning air. Applejack glanced down, clutching a strap of her book bag. "Why, howdy, Sunset! How are you this..." She blinked, eyes crooked. "...mornin'?" "Uhm..." Fluttershy leaned over, brushing aside her pink bangs. "Sunset?" "Sorry I'm late! What's up?" A big smile was plastered across the teenager's face. "Wow, you guys are tall all of the sudden!" Her eyes narrowed. "Did you all buy new platforms?" "Not at all, darling." Rarity gestured. "You're... crawling on all fours." "Pfft! I am not!" "Uhhhh..." Rainbow Dash nodded, face scrunched. "Yeah you are" "Girls, for real, if I was crawling on the floor, I think I would know." "Then would ya mind tellin' us the time?" Applejack asked. Sunset Shimmer lifted one hand off the concrete courtyard so she could look at her watch. "It's about eight minutes 'til homeroom and—" She froze in place, blinking at herself. "Huh..." Her knees squirmed against the bottom steps of the high school. "Would you look at that." "Is everything alright?" Rarity asked. "You seem rather... th-that is to say, your voice sounds—" "Hoarse?" Sunset shrugged. "So I went to bed with a slight cough. No biggie. I took a lozenge and now things are clearing back up in the ol' tubes." Reeling backwards, Sunset wobbled slightly and at last stood upright. "I promise I'll be ready to sing my heart out for band rehearsals this evening!" "Okay..." Rainbow squinted. "If you say so..." "Say!" Sunset grinned wide. "Is it true that Principal Celestia is fundraising for a new Track and Field program next week?" "Uhm... Yes." Fluttershy nodded. "I-I think so." "Squee!" Sunset's forearms reared in the air while she clomped her left foot against the ground. "I've been looking for an excuse to stretch my legs! I bet if I gallop fast enough for the tryouts, they'll make me team captain!" "'Gallop,' huh?" Rainbow cleared her throat. "Well, you'll have to be on the top of your game if you wanna beat me." Sunset gasped. "You're competing too?!" "You bet!" "Great! We'll be saddle buddies!" Sunset leaned in and... rubbed her cheek against Rainbow's. "See ya in home room! I gotta jet!" And she bolted up the steps in a red-and-yellow blur. "Uhhhhhh... yeah." Rainbow wiped her cheek, sticking her tongue out. "Ugh..." She glanced at the other girls. "Is it just me, or does Sunset seem a bit..." "Euphoric?" Rarity suggested. "Cuddly?" Fluttershy stammered. "Missin' a few apples up in her branches?" "Applejack!" Rarity frowned. "Well, t'ain't normal for a person to act that way!" Applejack frowned back. "Especially out in public!" "And just how do we know what's 'normal' for Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy asked. "All things considered, we barely know her at all!" The other girls nodded and murmured in agreement. "Huh..." "Reckon she has a point." "Quite alarming, actually..." "OH MY GOSH!" They all looked down. Pinkie Pie was squatting on all fours, staring up at them. "She's right! You girls do look tall!" The others exchanged nervous glances. The first bell rang. Students milling about suddenly hurried to their homeroom classes. "Let's... uh... let's go." "Right..." "We'll talk about this later at lunch." "Sure thing." "Guysss!" Pinkie hissed and crab-walked up the steps. "Wait for meeee!" Fluttershy held the door open for her. "Thankie-Thankies! By the way, nice flower print, Fluttershy. Very pretty!" "Uhhhhhh..." Fluttershy blushed red as a beet. "Uhhhhhh!" Applejack yanked Pinkie up by her wrist. "Will y'all just walk normal?!" She stormed inside, growling. "Land's sakes!" Lunch, She's Shimmyin'"Hey girls!" Sunset Shimmer smiled, waving a hand from where she sat in the cafeteria. "Come on down! I saved a seat for you!" "Much appreciated, darling." Rarity and Fluttershy sat across the table from her. They placed their trays down, but suddenly blinked. "My my," Rarity stated. "I never knew you wore glasses." "I know, right?" Sunset smirked as she adjusted the lenses over her turquoise eyes. "Truth be told, I can barely see a thing without 'em." "Then how come you've never worn them before?" "Because all this time I was trying to keep up a 'cool' and 'wicked' image. Y'know..." Sunset rolled her four-eyes while gesturing with a dainty hand. "Fall Formal Princess... Flash as my magazine cover beau... evil succubus extraordinaire... blah blah blah—" She suddenly gasped, yanking her forearms up with dangling wrists. "Oh. My. God. They're serving carrots today?!" "Why... y-yes!" Rarity nodded with a smile. "They placed some out just as we arrived at the serving counter." Fluttershy held up her tray. "Would you like some?" "Squee!" Sunset lunged forward, headbutting the plate. "Eeeep!" Fluttershy flinched. When she braved a glance, she saw Sunset leaning back with four orange "tusks" sticking out of her mouth. "Mmmmmmmm!" Sunset munched and munched and munched. Slowly, the carrots receded into her mouth, spilling a few crumbs across the tabletop. Other students across the cafeteria craned their necks, curious as to the source of the pleasant, hungry moaning. Rarity winced, fanning herself as her shoulders hunched on either side. At last, Sunset gobbled up the last of the stalks. Her ears twitched as she swallowed the morsels down. "Mmmmmm... blblblblbl." She blew out her lips and smiled. "Scrumptious." Her lens'd eyes blinked at the two girls' gawking expressions. "What?" She rubbed her cheek. "Is there something on my muzzle?" "No, your..." Fluttershy bit her lip. "...muzzle is fine." "Oh, that's good." Sunset tossed her hair back, nostrils flaring. "Because I haven't had a good brushing in months and I'd hate to not look my best." "You... d-don't say!" Rarity chuckled nervously and smiled. "You know, darling, if you enjoy the carrots that much, there're plenty more over there at the food line." "Oh, I couldn't. Three in the afternoon is enough for me." She stood up halfway and patted her skirt. "Don't wanna make the flanks any rounder, if you know what I mean." "No." Fluttershy shuddered. "We d-don't." "Well, you know how it is." Sunset chuckled delicately as she rolled her eyes. "You eat too much, you can't clear a fence, even with a running start. You eat too infrequently and you risk twisting your insides with colic. Not like I've got anything to worry about... heh... I haven't been sweating profusely each time I try going to the bathroom." "Erm..." "But enough about me! Tell me how your day's been going!" She leaned forward, planting her chin on her bent wrists. "Seen any handsome stallions lately?" "N-no, Sunset. I... c-can't say that we have." "Bummer. Well..." Sunset winked. "Remember to be polite! Keep your tails down at all times, except for when they pass by. Then give it a little flick just to get their attention." She leaned back with a smug smile. "Works every time." "... ... ...uh huh." Rainbow Dash and Applejack strolled up. "Hey guys! Mind if we sit here—?" "APPLES! Squee!" And Sunset headbutted Applejack's tray. "Tarnation!" Afternoon, She's Shimmyin'"Weeeee! Horsie riiiide!" "Faster! Faster!" "Neiggggggh!" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all sat at in their booth, slurping on sundaes and smoothies. Their eyes were collectively locked on the scene taking place on the opposite end of the bakery. Sunset Shimmer "galloped" around on all fours with twin toddlers riding her shoulders. A plump woman stood behind the front counter, pouring frosting onto cupcakes as she stared with a soft, motherly smile. "Wuh oh... we're coming around the bend!" Sunset frolicked around a table and "reared up," thrashing her forearms in the air. "Whoahhhhhh! A rattlesnaaaake! Ohhh noes!" The babies on her back giggled and cheered. "I haven't seen Pound and Pumpkin have this much fun in a long time!" said Mr. Cake as he wiped a tabletop clean towards the front of the store. He turned and smiled at the scene. "Usually around this time of the day, we're struggling to keep them from turning the whole bakery into an opera house, on account of their crying!" "Guess you just need to bring them by the stables every so often!" Panting for breath, Sunset adjusted her glasses and craned her neck back to smile at the toddlers. "Is that right? You like going for a country trot?" She leaned in and rubbed her cheeks against them. "Yes you do! Heehee! "Yes you doooo!" "You're a natural with them!" Mrs. Cake said. "Dearie, would you consider letting us pay you to babysit them every other weekend?!" "Really?! You mean it?!" "So long as you're up for the challenge!" Mr. Cake uttered, walking by. "Oh! Absolutely!" Sunset Shimmer plopped back on her haunches and cuddled the two. "I love foals!" "I... uh..." Mrs. Cake smiled awkwardly. "I imagine that extends to babies as well?" "Oh, definitely! Every colt and filly! C'mere, youuuuu..." She held them close as they cooed in delight. "Squee!" From across the way, Rarity pointed with her wet straw. "There. That." "What?" Rainbow glanced over. "Did you hear that?" "Mmmmfff..." Pinkie licked sundae froth from her lips. "Hear what?" "That sound! That sound she just made!" "I heard it." Fluttershy nodded. "Then again, I heard it the first few times she made it today." "You mean she's making freaky sounds now too?" Rainbow remarked. "I just know that I've heard it before," Rarity said, slurping the remains of her smoothie in deep thought. Suddenly, she brightened. "I've got it!" She looked at the others. "Every time Princess Twilight has visited!" "I figured it was, y'know..." Applejack shrugged. "Some sort of Equestrian thang. Like a dialect from that 'Canterlot Castle' that Twilight's always tellin' us about." "A horrrrrrse dialect!" Pinkie Pie uttered hoarsely. "And her cheeks get all big and puffy! Like this!" And she reached over, tugging at the corners of Fluttershy's face. "Squee!" Fluttershy wheezed forth before batting Pinkie's hands away. "See?!" Pinkie proudly boasted. "You don't think that... like..." Rainbow scratched her forehead. "Sunset Shimmer is going backwards or something?" "You mean like a relapse?" Rarity remarked. "A pony relapse?" Applejack droned. "Y'all can't be serious." "I don't think it's that hard to imagine," Fluttershy said, still rubbing her cheeks. "Think about it. Sunset Shimmer's been happy ever since we defeated Adagio Daemon." "Erm... don't you mean 'Adagio Dastardly,' darling?" "That wasn't her name!" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "It was... it was..." She rubbed her chin. "Uhm..." "I know!" Pinkie held both arms up. "The Onyx Eclipse!" Silence. She blinked. "Wait..." "Anyways..." Fluttershy continued. "Ever since the Battle of the Bands..." "Sure..." "...Sunset Shimmer's been... well... happy." "Super duper happy!" "Well, she did win our trust, once and for all," Rarity said, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Mrmmm..." She suckled on the straw, eyes darting aside. "I suppose we... did alienate her a bit for the first few months following the Fall Formal." "A bit?" Applejack's eyes were straight. "More like a might." "Well, the point is that we've since embraced her in open arms and we all know it." Rarity pointed with her straw. "And, most especially, so does she." "So... like..." Rainbow gestured at the "galloping" teenager. "...this is Sunset Shimmer when she's happy? I mean really happy?" "I guess so, darling." "So why's she acting all crazy?" "Crazy to us, maybe," Fluttershy said. "Huh?" "Well, think about it." Fluttershy glanced over. "She was born in Equestria." "She was born a pony, ya mean," Applejack said. "R-right." "Well, that explains a few things," Rarity said. "Though, if you ask me, it's no excuse to forsake proper etiquette." "Why, whatever do you mean?" Fluttershy pouted at the elegant fashionista. "Is there a rule book that says she can't act as her own natural self while she's over here?" "Darling, for all intents and purposes, Sunset Shimmer is here to stay. She owes a debt to the school for the damage that she did when she was a powermongering... erm... y-you know what. So, it stands to reason that she should try to... well... blend in better!" Fluttershy folded her arms. "And ignore the unbridled joy that she's kept pent-up within?" "Ugh..." Rainbow shuddered. "Could we use the word 'bridle' less when we're in the same room with Sunset? Suddenly, it's giving me the willies." "I think we should all be ashamed of ourselves for judging Sunset so harshly!" Fluttershy tilted her nose up. "She's redeemed herself in more ways than one! She's entitled to a little fun and relaxation! No matter how silly!" "Weeeeeeeeeee!" Pinkie's voice warbled against the walls. Fluttershy and the rest of her friends looked over. Sunset Shimmer giggled as she "pranced" across the room. Pinkie Pie straddled her back, whipping her jacket in the air like a lasso. The Cakes and their pouting toddlers watched silently from afar. "Yeeeeeeehaaa! Hi-hoooooooo Shimmer! Awaaaaay! Heeeheehee!" "Neeeeeeigh!" Fluttershy bit her lip. "Uhm..." She brushed a strand of pink hair up and over her ear. "...m-maybe we should show her to the n-nearest playground, instead." "I was thinkin' something more along the lines of a trip to the glue factory." "Applejack!" "Well, it wouldn't hurt to open her eyes some, ya reckon?!" Applejack gestured. "She's sure as heck openin' ours!" "Wooooo-hooooo! Best! Horsie! Ride! Evarrrrrrrrr!" Evening, She's Shimmyin'"For the last time, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash frowned as she walked towards the Apple Family garage, carrying two guitar cases. "We're not a country band or an indie band..." She glared aside. "We're a rock band!" "Nnnngh..." Applejack grunted, lugging an amplifier in the late afternoon sunset. "How do y'all figure?" "Look, it's so simple even a bumpkin like you can figure it out." She smirked. "Are we smoking, drinking, and losing our spouses?" "Uh... reckon we ain't." "Then we're not a country band!" "Then what about that 'indie' nonsense?" "Are you wearing a shirt?" "Eeyup." "Am I wearing a shirt?" "Er... yes?" "You think the other gals are wearing shirts?" "Well, of course they are!" Rainbow smirked. "Well, there you have it!" She waved Applejack off as she stepped into the garage. "We're a rock band!" "Hrmmm..." Applejack grumbled. Clearing her throat, Rainbow dropped the two guitar cases and struck a pose. "Never fear, awesomeness is here—!" "Shhhhhhhhhh!" Fluttershy hissed. She and Pinkie Pie motioned for silence, then pointed across the room. "Guhh..." Applejack placed the amplifier down beside Rainbow Dash. Both girls craned their necks to see. Atop the couch positioned along the edge of the garage, Rarity sat. But she wasn't alone. Sunset Shimmer lay across the full length of the sofa, asleep and on her back. She laid her head across Rarity's lap with a dumb smile plastered to her face. Her glasses lay crooked over twitching eyelids, and her arms were bent straight up, as were her lower legs and feet. Applejack and Rainbow blinked before exchanging blank expressions. Rarity cleared her throat quietly. She held a finger up. "Observe..." She reached down and stroked Sunset's hair, then scratched along the inner nape of her neck. Sunset squirmed slightly. "Squee..." Her lips curved as she made a whinnying sound, and soon her legs and feet were making tiny little "hoofie-kicks" in the air of the garage. Her body settled down with a slight twitch to her pelvis, as if shaking a tail that wasn't there. Fluttershy clutched her hands together while smiling warmly. "Girls, I do believe I have made an observation," Rarity whispered, continuing to brush the teenager's red and yellow hair. "I think Sunset Shimmer might be adorable." "Abso-doodle-lutely!" Pinkie chirped. "Bleackkk." Rainbow's face twitched as she folded her arms. "If you say so." "Oh Rainbow..." Fluttershy giggled lightly. "It's okay to admit that you find Sunset to be adoracute." "So, what you're saying is..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "If I pranced around like an idiot on all fours and started eating fruit without using my hands made silly horse noises, then I would be adorable?" "Don't be ridiculous." Applejack winked. "Yer already adorable." "Ugh. I am not taking this from a bassist!" "Hrmmmm..." Sunset nuzzled Rarity's palm as her left ear twitched, followed by her right. Rainbow blinked. "Although..." She rubbed her chin, squinting at Sunset's face. "...with the way the light glints off her glasses while she lies there..." "Give innnnnnn..." Pinkie leaned over, eyes swirling. "...give in to the cutenessssss." "Ugh... c-can we just do our rehearsals already?" "What's the rush, darling?" Rarity smiled. "We're all here. After more than one crisis, we're all in one piece. What's more, we're all happy." "Most of all Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy cooed, kneeling down to stroke the girl's cheek. "Think about it. For so long, she's struggled to get by the evil way. But now that she's found friendship, she's returned to her Equestrian roots. It's like... like arriving home after being terribly lost for so long." "Hmmm... reckon I can't fault her for that," Applejack said. She smiled. "And, all things considered, she's mostly harmless nowadays." "That's the best kind of Sunset Shimmer!" Pinkie said. "Heh. Darn tootin'." "As long as she doesn't start making horse noises when she steps up to the mic," Rainbow said, squatting beside Fluttershy. "Of course not, Rainbow. She knows better than that." She smiled and leaned in, "nuzzling" the teenager. "But, for now, it's nice to know that she's forever our little pony." The rest of the girls nodded and giggled lightly. Silence. "So, tomorrow...!" Pinkie grinned. "Can I come to school as an alligator?!" "NO." they all barked. "Awwwwwwwww..." Pinkie hung her head.
Morning, She's Shimmyin'Pinkie Pie smiled wide. "And so the rabbi said, 'No, you have chicken mouth!'" All five girls giggled from where they stood on the front steps to Canterlot High. "Hey, guys!" Sunset Shimmer's voice rang in the morning air. Applejack glanced down, clutching a strap of her book bag. "Why, howdy, Sunset! How are you this..." She blinked, eyes crooked. "...mornin'?" "Uhm..." Fluttershy leaned over, brushing aside her pink bangs. "Sunset?" "Sorry I'm late! What's up?" A big smile was plastered across the teenager's face. "Wow, you guys are tall all of the sudden!" Her eyes narrowed. "Did you all buy new platforms?" "Not at all, darling." Rarity gestured. "You're... crawling on all fours." "Pfft! I am not!" "Uhhhh..." Rainbow Dash nodded, face scrunched. "Yeah you are" "Girls, for real, if I was crawling on the floor, I think I would know." "Then would ya mind tellin' us the time?" Applejack asked. Sunset Shimmer lifted one hand off the concrete courtyard so she could look at her watch. "It's about eight minutes 'til homeroom and—" She froze in place, blinking at herself. "Huh..." Her knees squirmed against the bottom steps of the high school. "Would you look at that." "Is everything alright?" Rarity asked. "You seem rather... th-that is to say, your voice sounds—" "Hoarse?" Sunset shrugged. "So I went to bed with a slight cough. No biggie. I took a lozenge and now things are clearing back up in the ol' tubes." Reeling backwards, Sunset wobbled slightly and at last stood upright. "I promise I'll be ready to sing my heart out for band rehearsals this evening!" "Okay..." Rainbow squinted. "If you say so..." "Say!" Sunset grinned wide. "Is it true that Principal Celestia is fundraising for a new Track and Field program next week?" "Uhm... Yes." Fluttershy nodded. "I-I think so." "Squee!" Sunset's forearms reared in the air while she clomped her left foot against the ground. "I've been looking for an excuse to stretch my legs! I bet if I gallop fast enough for the tryouts, they'll make me team captain!" "'Gallop,' huh?" Rainbow cleared her throat. "Well, you'll have to be on the top of your game if you wanna beat me." Sunset gasped. "You're competing too?!" "You bet!" "Great! We'll be saddle buddies!" Sunset leaned in and... rubbed her cheek against Rainbow's. "See ya in home room! I gotta jet!" And she bolted up the steps in a red-and-yellow blur. "Uhhhhhh... yeah." Rainbow wiped her cheek, sticking her tongue out. "Ugh..." She glanced at the other girls. "Is it just me, or does Sunset seem a bit..." "Euphoric?" Rarity suggested. "Cuddly?" Fluttershy stammered. "Missin' a few apples up in her branches?" "Applejack!" Rarity frowned. "Well, t'ain't normal for a person to act that way!" Applejack frowned back. "Especially out in public!" "And just how do we know what's 'normal' for Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy asked. "All things considered, we barely know her at all!" The other girls nodded and murmured in agreement. "Huh..." "Reckon she has a point." "Quite alarming, actually..." "OH MY GOSH!" They all looked down. Pinkie Pie was squatting on all fours, staring up at them. "She's right! You girls do look tall!" The others exchanged nervous glances. The first bell rang. Students milling about suddenly hurried to their homeroom classes. "Let's... uh... let's go." "Right..." "We'll talk about this later at lunch." "Sure thing." "Guysss!" Pinkie hissed and crab-walked up the steps. "Wait for meeee!" Fluttershy held the door open for her. "Thankie-Thankies! By the way, nice flower print, Fluttershy. Very pretty!" "Uhhhhhh..." Fluttershy blushed red as a beet. "Uhhhhhh!" Applejack yanked Pinkie up by her wrist. "Will y'all just walk normal?!" She stormed inside, growling. "Land's sakes!"
Lunch, She's Shimmyin'"Hey girls!" Sunset Shimmer smiled, waving a hand from where she sat in the cafeteria. "Come on down! I saved a seat for you!" "Much appreciated, darling." Rarity and Fluttershy sat across the table from her. They placed their trays down, but suddenly blinked. "My my," Rarity stated. "I never knew you wore glasses." "I know, right?" Sunset smirked as she adjusted the lenses over her turquoise eyes. "Truth be told, I can barely see a thing without 'em." "Then how come you've never worn them before?" "Because all this time I was trying to keep up a 'cool' and 'wicked' image. Y'know..." Sunset rolled her four-eyes while gesturing with a dainty hand. "Fall Formal Princess... Flash as my magazine cover beau... evil succubus extraordinaire... blah blah blah—" She suddenly gasped, yanking her forearms up with dangling wrists. "Oh. My. God. They're serving carrots today?!" "Why... y-yes!" Rarity nodded with a smile. "They placed some out just as we arrived at the serving counter." Fluttershy held up her tray. "Would you like some?" "Squee!" Sunset lunged forward, headbutting the plate. "Eeeep!" Fluttershy flinched. When she braved a glance, she saw Sunset leaning back with four orange "tusks" sticking out of her mouth. "Mmmmmmmm!" Sunset munched and munched and munched. Slowly, the carrots receded into her mouth, spilling a few crumbs across the tabletop. Other students across the cafeteria craned their necks, curious as to the source of the pleasant, hungry moaning. Rarity winced, fanning herself as her shoulders hunched on either side. At last, Sunset gobbled up the last of the stalks. Her ears twitched as she swallowed the morsels down. "Mmmmmm... blblblblbl." She blew out her lips and smiled. "Scrumptious." Her lens'd eyes blinked at the two girls' gawking expressions. "What?" She rubbed her cheek. "Is there something on my muzzle?" "No, your..." Fluttershy bit her lip. "...muzzle is fine." "Oh, that's good." Sunset tossed her hair back, nostrils flaring. "Because I haven't had a good brushing in months and I'd hate to not look my best." "You... d-don't say!" Rarity chuckled nervously and smiled. "You know, darling, if you enjoy the carrots that much, there're plenty more over there at the food line." "Oh, I couldn't. Three in the afternoon is enough for me." She stood up halfway and patted her skirt. "Don't wanna make the flanks any rounder, if you know what I mean." "No." Fluttershy shuddered. "We d-don't." "Well, you know how it is." Sunset chuckled delicately as she rolled her eyes. "You eat too much, you can't clear a fence, even with a running start. You eat too infrequently and you risk twisting your insides with colic. Not like I've got anything to worry about... heh... I haven't been sweating profusely each time I try going to the bathroom." "Erm..." "But enough about me! Tell me how your day's been going!" She leaned forward, planting her chin on her bent wrists. "Seen any handsome stallions lately?" "N-no, Sunset. I... c-can't say that we have." "Bummer. Well..." Sunset winked. "Remember to be polite! Keep your tails down at all times, except for when they pass by. Then give it a little flick just to get their attention." She leaned back with a smug smile. "Works every time." "... ... ...uh huh." Rainbow Dash and Applejack strolled up. "Hey guys! Mind if we sit here—?" "APPLES! Squee!" And Sunset headbutted Applejack's tray. "Tarnation!"
Afternoon, She's Shimmyin'"Weeeee! Horsie riiiide!" "Faster! Faster!" "Neiggggggh!" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all sat at in their booth, slurping on sundaes and smoothies. Their eyes were collectively locked on the scene taking place on the opposite end of the bakery. Sunset Shimmer "galloped" around on all fours with twin toddlers riding her shoulders. A plump woman stood behind the front counter, pouring frosting onto cupcakes as she stared with a soft, motherly smile. "Wuh oh... we're coming around the bend!" Sunset frolicked around a table and "reared up," thrashing her forearms in the air. "Whoahhhhhh! A rattlesnaaaake! Ohhh noes!" The babies on her back giggled and cheered. "I haven't seen Pound and Pumpkin have this much fun in a long time!" said Mr. Cake as he wiped a tabletop clean towards the front of the store. He turned and smiled at the scene. "Usually around this time of the day, we're struggling to keep them from turning the whole bakery into an opera house, on account of their crying!" "Guess you just need to bring them by the stables every so often!" Panting for breath, Sunset adjusted her glasses and craned her neck back to smile at the toddlers. "Is that right? You like going for a country trot?" She leaned in and rubbed her cheeks against them. "Yes you do! Heehee! "Yes you doooo!" "You're a natural with them!" Mrs. Cake said. "Dearie, would you consider letting us pay you to babysit them every other weekend?!" "Really?! You mean it?!" "So long as you're up for the challenge!" Mr. Cake uttered, walking by. "Oh! Absolutely!" Sunset Shimmer plopped back on her haunches and cuddled the two. "I love foals!" "I... uh..." Mrs. Cake smiled awkwardly. "I imagine that extends to babies as well?" "Oh, definitely! Every colt and filly! C'mere, youuuuu..." She held them close as they cooed in delight. "Squee!" From across the way, Rarity pointed with her wet straw. "There. That." "What?" Rainbow glanced over. "Did you hear that?" "Mmmmfff..." Pinkie licked sundae froth from her lips. "Hear what?" "That sound! That sound she just made!" "I heard it." Fluttershy nodded. "Then again, I heard it the first few times she made it today." "You mean she's making freaky sounds now too?" Rainbow remarked. "I just know that I've heard it before," Rarity said, slurping the remains of her smoothie in deep thought. Suddenly, she brightened. "I've got it!" She looked at the others. "Every time Princess Twilight has visited!" "I figured it was, y'know..." Applejack shrugged. "Some sort of Equestrian thang. Like a dialect from that 'Canterlot Castle' that Twilight's always tellin' us about." "A horrrrrrse dialect!" Pinkie Pie uttered hoarsely. "And her cheeks get all big and puffy! Like this!" And she reached over, tugging at the corners of Fluttershy's face. "Squee!" Fluttershy wheezed forth before batting Pinkie's hands away. "See?!" Pinkie proudly boasted. "You don't think that... like..." Rainbow scratched her forehead. "Sunset Shimmer is going backwards or something?" "You mean like a relapse?" Rarity remarked. "A pony relapse?" Applejack droned. "Y'all can't be serious." "I don't think it's that hard to imagine," Fluttershy said, still rubbing her cheeks. "Think about it. Sunset Shimmer's been happy ever since we defeated Adagio Daemon." "Erm... don't you mean 'Adagio Dastardly,' darling?" "That wasn't her name!" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "It was... it was..." She rubbed her chin. "Uhm..." "I know!" Pinkie held both arms up. "The Onyx Eclipse!" Silence. She blinked. "Wait..." "Anyways..." Fluttershy continued. "Ever since the Battle of the Bands..." "Sure..." "...Sunset Shimmer's been... well... happy." "Super duper happy!" "Well, she did win our trust, once and for all," Rarity said, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Mrmmm..." She suckled on the straw, eyes darting aside. "I suppose we... did alienate her a bit for the first few months following the Fall Formal." "A bit?" Applejack's eyes were straight. "More like a might." "Well, the point is that we've since embraced her in open arms and we all know it." Rarity pointed with her straw. "And, most especially, so does she." "So... like..." Rainbow gestured at the "galloping" teenager. "...this is Sunset Shimmer when she's happy? I mean really happy?" "I guess so, darling." "So why's she acting all crazy?" "Crazy to us, maybe," Fluttershy said. "Huh?" "Well, think about it." Fluttershy glanced over. "She was born in Equestria." "She was born a pony, ya mean," Applejack said. "R-right." "Well, that explains a few things," Rarity said. "Though, if you ask me, it's no excuse to forsake proper etiquette." "Why, whatever do you mean?" Fluttershy pouted at the elegant fashionista. "Is there a rule book that says she can't act as her own natural self while she's over here?" "Darling, for all intents and purposes, Sunset Shimmer is here to stay. She owes a debt to the school for the damage that she did when she was a powermongering... erm... y-you know what. So, it stands to reason that she should try to... well... blend in better!" Fluttershy folded her arms. "And ignore the unbridled joy that she's kept pent-up within?" "Ugh..." Rainbow shuddered. "Could we use the word 'bridle' less when we're in the same room with Sunset? Suddenly, it's giving me the willies." "I think we should all be ashamed of ourselves for judging Sunset so harshly!" Fluttershy tilted her nose up. "She's redeemed herself in more ways than one! She's entitled to a little fun and relaxation! No matter how silly!" "Weeeeeeeeeee!" Pinkie's voice warbled against the walls. Fluttershy and the rest of her friends looked over. Sunset Shimmer giggled as she "pranced" across the room. Pinkie Pie straddled her back, whipping her jacket in the air like a lasso. The Cakes and their pouting toddlers watched silently from afar. "Yeeeeeeehaaa! Hi-hoooooooo Shimmer! Awaaaaay! Heeeheehee!" "Neeeeeeigh!" Fluttershy bit her lip. "Uhm..." She brushed a strand of pink hair up and over her ear. "...m-maybe we should show her to the n-nearest playground, instead." "I was thinkin' something more along the lines of a trip to the glue factory." "Applejack!" "Well, it wouldn't hurt to open her eyes some, ya reckon?!" Applejack gestured. "She's sure as heck openin' ours!" "Wooooo-hooooo! Best! Horsie! Ride! Evarrrrrrrrr!"
Evening, She's Shimmyin'"For the last time, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash frowned as she walked towards the Apple Family garage, carrying two guitar cases. "We're not a country band or an indie band..." She glared aside. "We're a rock band!" "Nnnngh..." Applejack grunted, lugging an amplifier in the late afternoon sunset. "How do y'all figure?" "Look, it's so simple even a bumpkin like you can figure it out." She smirked. "Are we smoking, drinking, and losing our spouses?" "Uh... reckon we ain't." "Then we're not a country band!" "Then what about that 'indie' nonsense?" "Are you wearing a shirt?" "Eeyup." "Am I wearing a shirt?" "Er... yes?" "You think the other gals are wearing shirts?" "Well, of course they are!" Rainbow smirked. "Well, there you have it!" She waved Applejack off as she stepped into the garage. "We're a rock band!" "Hrmmm..." Applejack grumbled. Clearing her throat, Rainbow dropped the two guitar cases and struck a pose. "Never fear, awesomeness is here—!" "Shhhhhhhhhh!" Fluttershy hissed. She and Pinkie Pie motioned for silence, then pointed across the room. "Guhh..." Applejack placed the amplifier down beside Rainbow Dash. Both girls craned their necks to see. Atop the couch positioned along the edge of the garage, Rarity sat. But she wasn't alone. Sunset Shimmer lay across the full length of the sofa, asleep and on her back. She laid her head across Rarity's lap with a dumb smile plastered to her face. Her glasses lay crooked over twitching eyelids, and her arms were bent straight up, as were her lower legs and feet. Applejack and Rainbow blinked before exchanging blank expressions. Rarity cleared her throat quietly. She held a finger up. "Observe..." She reached down and stroked Sunset's hair, then scratched along the inner nape of her neck. Sunset squirmed slightly. "Squee..." Her lips curved as she made a whinnying sound, and soon her legs and feet were making tiny little "hoofie-kicks" in the air of the garage. Her body settled down with a slight twitch to her pelvis, as if shaking a tail that wasn't there. Fluttershy clutched her hands together while smiling warmly. "Girls, I do believe I have made an observation," Rarity whispered, continuing to brush the teenager's red and yellow hair. "I think Sunset Shimmer might be adorable." "Abso-doodle-lutely!" Pinkie chirped. "Bleackkk." Rainbow's face twitched as she folded her arms. "If you say so." "Oh Rainbow..." Fluttershy giggled lightly. "It's okay to admit that you find Sunset to be adoracute." "So, what you're saying is..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "If I pranced around like an idiot on all fours and started eating fruit without using my hands made silly horse noises, then I would be adorable?" "Don't be ridiculous." Applejack winked. "Yer already adorable." "Ugh. I am not taking this from a bassist!" "Hrmmmm..." Sunset nuzzled Rarity's palm as her left ear twitched, followed by her right. Rainbow blinked. "Although..." She rubbed her chin, squinting at Sunset's face. "...with the way the light glints off her glasses while she lies there..." "Give innnnnnn..." Pinkie leaned over, eyes swirling. "...give in to the cutenessssss." "Ugh... c-can we just do our rehearsals already?" "What's the rush, darling?" Rarity smiled. "We're all here. After more than one crisis, we're all in one piece. What's more, we're all happy." "Most of all Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy cooed, kneeling down to stroke the girl's cheek. "Think about it. For so long, she's struggled to get by the evil way. But now that she's found friendship, she's returned to her Equestrian roots. It's like... like arriving home after being terribly lost for so long." "Hmmm... reckon I can't fault her for that," Applejack said. She smiled. "And, all things considered, she's mostly harmless nowadays." "That's the best kind of Sunset Shimmer!" Pinkie said. "Heh. Darn tootin'." "As long as she doesn't start making horse noises when she steps up to the mic," Rainbow said, squatting beside Fluttershy. "Of course not, Rainbow. She knows better than that." She smiled and leaned in, "nuzzling" the teenager. "But, for now, it's nice to know that she's forever our little pony." The rest of the girls nodded and giggled lightly. Silence. "So, tomorrow...!" Pinkie grinned. "Can I come to school as an alligator?!" "NO." they all barked. "Awwwwwwwww..." Pinkie hung her head.
