Three Little Words

by Shaud

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, Slice of Life, Romance
Length: 6225

They were only three little words, but they were about to make a big difference.

The relationship between Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle has grown in unexpected ways. They've stayed in close contact since the battle of the bands, and both enjoy the other's company.

Now, Sunset wants to take the next step and tell Twilight what's been on her mind. She's a bit nervous, and memories of past mistakes seem to haunt her still, but nevertheless, she's going to push on…

After all, they're only three little words.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-01-29 01:48:25 UTC

Your Faithful Student

The rain fell softly outside of Sunset Shimmer's window. The warm light from her bedroom stood in stark contrast with the gloomy evening, making her pause in her thoughts. The purples and grays outside reminded her of Twilight Sparkle; someone who had grown to be a close friend of hers despite their differences and past transgressions. It was thanks to Twilight that she had a decent roof over her head during this storm. It was also thanks to her that she now had friends, and was beginning to grasp the true meaning of friendship.

It sounded so cliche when she said it, but she owed the princess everything. It was thanks to her that she hadn't gone off the deep end and attacked Equestria. And then, only a short time later, the princess had showed up again and saved them all from a bunch of sirens. Sunset couldn't help but think of Twilight in high regards. She had surpassed Celestia's teachings, where Sunset herself had failed.

She really is something. Sunset thought to herself, smiling softly. She looked down at the book in her hands, the one with her cutie mark on the front. The mate of the book had since been passed down to Twilight, and had been the main form of communication between the two since the Battle of the Bands fiasco. Sunset ran a hand along its spine, and felt a stab of guilt. She had yet to talk to Celestia, though she knew she had to. Twilight was all about trying to set up a time for the former teacher and student to meet up again, but Sunset just didn't feel ready.

Twilight, fortunately, understood how intimidating the Princess could be. They had spoken for countless hours about the many times they had both messed things up out of fear of disappointing the Princess or making her mad. Turns out Twilight could be quite the trouble maker when she wanted to be, something which Sunset found, at the very least, amusing.

Actually, there were many things about Twilight that Sunset would find hard to believe, if she didn't know the girl. Her insecurities, which were much like Sunset's, for example. One wouldn't think that the Princess of Friendship would be so insecure. Twilight's unwillingness to make friends at first was a harsh reminder of where Sunset went wrong, and it tortured Twilight to know she might have been so close to failure herself. The mother-daughter-like relationship the purple mare had with Celestia was like a hot poker right through Sunset's heart.

They were very similar, and Sunset figured that much of it had to do with Celestia. However, despite the fact that Twilight succeeded where Sunset had failed, there were no harsh feelings between the two. On the contrary, they were very close. They spoke almost every day, and Sunset had learned a lot from the younger girl. One thing was certain; Twilight deserved that princess role. Sunset... Well, she was beginning to believe that she wasn't destined to be a leader, herself.

This night, however, Sunset was going to try something a bit different. Her feelings, no, her entire perception of Twilight had changed steadily in the time they had known each other. She had gone from thinking of Twilight as a friend to... Something more. Something that took her a long time to recognize, the feeling was so strange to her.

She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a pen. She mentally thought out everything she was about to write, to decrease the amount of errors she might make. The thing about writing in a magical book was there was no erasing, and she wanted to make this perfect. She thought about how Twilight might react to what she had to say. The thought of rejection almost made her heart stop cold right then and there. What if Twilight refused the offer?

At the moment, the thing Sunset wanted most was Twilight's approval. They were friends, certainly, but that could change at any time. Or it could stay the same. She just wanted Twilight to be pleased with her.

C'mon, you coward, Sunset tried to bully herself into remaining calm, Just write the letter.

She placed the tip of the pen to the next empty page, and began to write.

Dear Twilight,

Today has been a rather gloomy day. No weather Pegasi to clear the clouds, which means we have to sit through some awful storms. I honestly don't know how humans have managed to live so long.

Rainbow Dash is in a foul mood because of it, of course. Something about an "Awesome three-on-three match going to waste." I swear, I don't understand sports, let alone her obsession with them. To make it up to her we all promised to play basketball with her sometime later this week... Yay...

Fluttershy was acting strange yesterday--I told you about that, right?--Well, I didn't know what that was about until Rarity told me (the gossip she is) that Flutters had a crush on someone! Can you imagine? Rarity thinks it's Big Mac, but I have doubts. He seems to like Cheerilee, and I can't imagine Flutters falling for him knowing that.

Sunset paused as she wondered what to talk about next. Quit stalling. Let's just get this over with! Her heart pounded in her head as she once again began writing.

Actually, to be honest, I think Flutters likes Applejack. She's too scared to say anything, though, because humans are stupid. Did you know that in many regions same-sex couples can't be married? Many humans deem such relationships as 'unnatural'. What a bunch of baloney. So, add that on to it being Fluttershy, and you can probably imagine how this is going to end up.

I want to help, somehow, but I'm not sure my help would be appreciated. I get along best with Fluttershy out of the group, though, so maybe I could at least talk to her about it. I just don't want to hurt or scare her--I've done enough of that for a lifetime. I think that's something new about friendship that I've learned: Be careful with how you get involved with your friends, because sometimes even helping can make things worse. It seems a bit backwards, but it sure is important to remember.

I've learned a great deal about friendship, and I have you to thank for that. You've changed my life, Twilight, and I'm honored to be your friend. If you don't mind me saying it, you're a very special pony. You're everything that I've always wanted to be, and I look up to you. That being said, I have a proposition for you. Could I maybe write to you about the things I learn here? Kind of like friendship reports? I have so much to learn, and I greatly need you help.

Three words. Three, little, words... Sunset closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. This was it. If this really happened, if she went through with this, things would change. Hopefully, for the better.

**Your faithful student,

Sunset Shimmer.

No turning back.

Fallen For You

It had been a relatively normal day for Twilight Sparkle and her friends. While there was no super powered baddie to be taken down, a few fights in Ponyville had broken out, each fight taking two Elements of Harmony to calm them down. Twilight herself had only recently gotten back to her home, and immediately plopped down on her bed.

"Get some rest, Spike." She called to her companion, "We've done enough work for today."

A grunt of acknowledgement was heard, soon followed by the drake's light snores. Twilight smiled to herself and rolled onto her side, about to get ready for bed herself. It occurred to her to check the book that Sunset wrote to her in before bed, just in case. She kept the book in a special drawer in her room, safe from prying eyes and curious hooves.

Opening the cover and flipping through she realized that she had, in fact, gotten a message. What at first seemed to be a normal greeting soon turned into what was almost... A friendship report? Why in Equestria...

Twilight's heart skipped a beat as she read over a certain group of words. Your faithful student echoed through her head for several moments before she closed the book, unsure how to respond.

It was true that her and Sunset had grown closer since the Battle of the Bands. Twilight had found herself an honest friend that was a lot like herself in Sunset Shimmer, and she cherished that friendship.

Maybe a little too much.

After she came back from the human world for the second time, Twilight found herself uninterested in Flash Sentry. The only person--or pony--in her mind was Sunset Shimmer. At first she wrote it off as being worried about her or simply missing her. But it didn't stop there. Many times she had found herself talking a friend's ear off, going on and on about something Sunset did, or something she felt Sunset should do. Once Rainbow, in a sheer fit of boredom and annoyance, said "Can we not talk about your marefriend for five minutes?!"

That had shut Twilight up quick. As the others defended her against Rainbow's harsh tone, Twilight herself had a moment to reflect on just why her world suddenly seemed to revolve around Sunset.

Have I... Fallen in love? Twilight paled at the thought. Not that she had fallen in love--or even that the other pony was a mare--but that it was Sunset Shimmer. An ex-villain. An ex-student of Celestia. This felt like some kind of betrayal. Was she doing wrong by Celestia by falling in love with Sunset? What if Celestia got mad at her?

She quickly excused herself and went straight to Canterlot. The princess was busy at the moment, however, so she was stuck there alone without anything better to do than to think about her situation. After a bit she had calmed down, and had a laugh at her own expense. Why would Celestia be mad? Celestia loved Sunset like a daughter, much like she loved Twilight. If she had been thinking rationally, Twilight would have known that Celestia would be happy for them--especially if Twilight could get Sunset back in Equestria.

When Celestia was finally free to talk, Twilight instead asked the princess about Sunset, eager to learn more about their past and to hear stories about Sunset. She wasn't too surprised when, as she left, Celestia wished her good luck (adding a wink for good measure).

She made her way home the following day and apologized to her friends about her rapid departure. They were happy for her, once she explained the situation, and she even got a heartfelt apology from Rainbow.

When it came to actually telling Sunset about her feelings... Well, she was worried about rejection. Especially now that she knew that humans tended to reject same-sex couples. Maybe Sunset didn't, but what about their human friends? This whole mess was getting out of hoof.

And now, looking down at the book on her lap, Twilight felt a surge of doubt.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Of course I wouldn't mind! I would be honored to receive your friendship reports.

I agree with your chosen course of action. Perhaps merely staying by your friends' sides will give them the strength to do what they want. It's good to always support your friends, and also to make sure that what they are doing is good for them.

I've been thinking of visiting you again. When would be a good time for you? Celestia has told me that I deserve a bit of a vacation, and I can't think of a better place to visit.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle.

There. Maybe a visit to the other girl would give Twilight enough confidence to confess her feelings.

P.S. Twilight added mentally, not actually writing it down, I've gone and fallen for you.

What's a Lego?

Going through the portal between Earth and Equus* felt something like being sucked through a crazy straw. Twilight felt an extreme pressure all around her, and was tossed around at dizzying speeds. It wasn't painful, exactly, but it was certainly uncomfortable.

When she fell out the other side, her six friends were waiting for her with grins. She grinned in sheer happiness as she saw them once again after weeks of being apart. True they were this world's version of her friends, but they were not the same as the ponies she knew at home.

She saw Sunset and her heart sped up a bit.

"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie was the first to hug her and tackled her back to the ground she had just gotten up from. The others soon followed, laughing.

"Hey, girls!" Twilight giggled as she shifted to get someone's elbow out of her stomach, "Glad to see you guys again!"

"Time to really par-tay!" Pinkie squealed as they all jumped up.

"Glad ta have ya back, Twi." Applejack said with an easy smile as the group made their way to Pinkie's house. They had decided that three days of Twilight's "well-earned vacation" would be spent with her pony friends, then three with her human friends, and then one day with her family.

"Yeah, it's always a lot more fun when you're around!" Rainbow said with an impish grin.

"So far the only reasons she's needed to be around is to stop some power-crazed teen and her lackeys." Rarity giggled. "Oh, no offense, Sunset."

"None taken," Sunset said with a smile, "You have a point. Hopefully there won't be any baddies to fight this time."

"Which will be a great change of pace." Twilight said with a sigh. The other girls laughed, but they understood what she meant. The job of a princess was never done, it seemed.

They reached Pinkie's house and went inside. They all said hello to Maud before heading upstairs, which made Twilight remember something. She sat on the bed as the others took their usual spots: Rarity, Fluttershy, and Sunset sat on the floor near the door, all fiddling on electronic devices. Pinkie sat sprawled in a chair, her laptop on her lap. Rainbow and Applejack sat at the foot of the bed, arguing over which game to play.

"Hey Pinkie, why do you live with Maud? What about your parents, or the Cakes?"

Pinkie gave her an odd look. "The Cakes? Why would I live with them?"

"In my world you live with them. Kinda like a foster kid. I just thought the fact that that's different here was notable."

"Oh! That's interesting!" Pinkie smiled, "I live with Maud because she and I don't get along with our parents much. I visit them over holidays and try to fit in for a while but, honestly, I'm happier here with her." When Pinkie didn't offer any more information, Twilight figured the girl didn't want to talk about it any more.

"So, Princess," Sunset drawled, grinning at the other teen, "What do you want to do? It's your vacation, after all."

"Ooh-ooh! That's a good point, Shimmy!" Pinkie grinned, "Twilight, pick something for us to do!"

Twilight glanced at Sunset, who winced a bit at something Pinkie said. Perhaps the excitable girl was too loud for her.

"Uh... how about a movie? You guys pick one to watch."

There was a monstrous amount of noise as Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie all jumped towards the DVD shelf at once, knocking half of the contents down.

"GODZILLA!" Rainbow roared.

"The Lego Movie!" Pinkie cheered.

"Lucy!" Applejack grinned.

"I second Lego Movie." Sunset offered.

"Thirded." Fluttershy whispered, anxious about the thought of watching the action movies. Rarity only shrugged.

"Lego movie it is, then!" Twilight said happily as Pinkie set the movie up. The others grabbed spots on the bed or on the floor, and Twilight moved over to allow Sunset to sit beside her.

"This is a funny movie, you'll like it." Sunset assured the princess, who smiled.

"Good!" They turned their attention back to the TV. Twilight's heart pounded in her chest as Sunset settled beside her and leaned her head back, almost on the princess's shoulder. They were all silent for a few seconds as the beginning previews began to play before Twilight poked Sunset's shoulder, curious about something.

"What's a Lego?"

Need Some Help?

The next day Twilight awoke earlier than her friends and, not wanting to bother them, left Pinkie's room quietly. She glanced back at her friends as she walked out the door, and her eyes lingered on Sunset's sleeping form for a moment before she shut the door behind her.

I'm in over my head here. Never having been one for romance, Twilight found herself ill-prepared for the anxiety mess that was confessing her love. She found herself filled with doubt and fear at the possibility of not only rejection, but disgust or even hate. She knew she was being dramatic and extrapolating, but it was in her nature to do so. She just couldn't help it.

She walked down the hall slowly and quietly, not wanting to wake the girls or Maud. Or boulder. What?

Shaking off her scattered thoughts Twilight tip-toed downstairs and found her way to the living room, using the early-morning light streaming through the windows to guide her. After poking around for a bit she managed to find a note-pad and a few pens, all of which were various shades of pink, and sat on the love seat. She pulled her legs up to her chest and set the pad on them, getting ready to write.

Pen in mouth, Twilight set forth to writing down the information she had so far collected from her friends and through various movies and internet 'memes'. Awkwardly, she began to write, being unused to the small muzzle and large tongue that humans had. Although she had begun writing with her hands, Sunset had told her it took a few months to perfect hand writing. And seeing Sunset's neat and flowing penmanship, Twilight realized it would be a long time before she was up to that level.

So far I have noted that human culture is vastly different from that of pony culture. Of course this is a generalization of the word culture, but going too in depth comparing and contrasting the differences of every individual culture and collection would be simply too much to do in such a short period of time.

Or, at least, this is what Twilight would have written if she had been able to. She gazed down at the scribbles and scratches on the paper that almost made sense when put together, and sighed. This wasn't going to work.

"Need some help?" She nearly swallowed the pen at Sunset's question, having not heard the girl walk up to her.

"Oh! Sunset! Are the others awake?" Twilight took the pen out of her mouth and watched the other girl sit down next to her.

"No, and I doubt they will be until much later. Usually the all-nighters mean they wake up after noon."

Twilight glanced at the clock. Eight. That was four hours before the other were awake. Now was her chance...

"What about Maud?" Twilight asked hesitantly. This could be her chance to have Sunset alone. The only question was if she had enough courage.

"She'll be leaving for work soon. She works at the Pennyville museum and has to take the train."

"Oh. Hey, why do you suppose Canterlot's name stayed the same, but the other cities changed?" Chicken.

"I dunno, honestly," Sunset leaned back onto the cushion and propped her feet up on the coffee table. "I know in this world it's called Canterlot because a battle was fought near here, and the victorious army rode horses into battle, and the opposing one was solely on foot. That's what that statue in front of the school is for; it's a kind of... memorial thing?"

"I didn't know that." Twilight blinked, "That could be useful." She turned back to the pad she had been attempting to write on, and pulled a face.

"Lemme see that." Sunset giggled as she gently took the pen and pad from her friend, "You just say what you want me to write."

"O-okay." Twilight smiled, flattered by her friend's offer. She recapped what she had been trying to write moments before and, when she and Sunset got into a rhythm, she continued with her observations.

Occasionally Sunset would give her opinion or a bit of insight, and would write it in the margins for Twilight to take into account later. Occasionally Twilight would drift off into a thought or would tell Sunset to go 'off the record' and in these times Sunset would find herself doodling in the margins of the paper, absently smiling at the other girl's antics.

Twilight noticed, but wan't quite ready to comment on it.

"I think that's good for now." Twilight sighed a few hours later. Sunset practically threw the pen and stretched out on the couch while dramatically throwing her arm over her face.

"Finally!" Sunset put her legs on Twilight's lap and stretched out as she cradled her writing hand, "And Spike does this every day?"

"Yeah, the poor guy." They giggled at the drake's misfortune.

"HEY GIRLS!" Pinkie cheered from the kitchen, "We're gonna make waffles! Maybe! Does anyone know how?!"

Twilight and Sunset shared a look before laughing again.

"To the waffles!" Sunset jumped up from the couch, ready to dash into the kitchen, but immediately regretted that decision as her vision went funky and she fell backwards--

Onto Twilight.

"S-sorry!" Sunset gasped as she found herself on Twilight's lap, both girls fighting blushes. Sunset straightened herself up and stood again, this time cautiously.

"Y-you're fine. I mean--It's no big deal--"

They stopped and stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, both girls hesitating.

"WAAAAAFFFFLES!" Pinkie's screech made both of them jump. Once again they shared a look before laughing, this time nervously.

"Evil beware," Twilight joked shyly, "We have waffles."

She practically swooned at the laugh that came from Sunset at that statement. She almost said something else when an alarm started going off.

"Is... Is that the fire alarm?" Sunset asked, dreading the answer. Twilight's face was panicked, and she knew something really bad or really stupid was about to happen.

"NOT THE WAFFLES!!"

The two shared one more look before rushing in the direction of Pinkie's dismayed scream.

Safe and Sound

Thankfully, nothing had actually caught on fire. Unfortunately, the charred remains of the waffles in the waffle maker told the girls that breakfast had been delayed.

"Where have you two been?" Rainbow asked casually from her seat at the island, "You missed all the fun."

"I was just taking some notes on human culture. Sunset was helping me, since I still can't quite write with these... Hands."

"Be thankful Pinkie didn't rope ya into helping cook." Applejack drawled with a lazy smile, "Adding magic to the equation might've made the waffle maker explode."

Pinkie, meanwhile, was mourning the loss of said device. If Sunset had to take a guess, she would think that the wires had somehow short-circuited. She wasn't a professional, though.

"Is there anything else to eat?" Twilight asked, rubbing her stomach. Sunset's own stomach growled loudly at the thought of food, and she blushed as the others laughed.

"We could go to WeJump!" Rainbow grinned, "They have the best pancakes."

"I don't have any money, and I doubt Twilight does either." Sunset pointed out, and Twilight nodded.

"We'll split the cost of your food." Rarity said coolly, "Everyone can chip in to help buy breakfast."

When everyone agreed, they all set about getting ready for the day. An hour later, they were out the door.

"I can't eat another bite." Rainbow groaned.

"Ya shouldn't have eaten a whole Funny Face by yerself." Applejack chastised her, having zero sympathy.

Sunset chuckled and leaned back in her seat as Rainbow groaned again. The waiter, a handsome boy not much older than them, came by with the check, and Rarity began flirting with him. Because he was cute or to get a discount Sunset had no idea.

  She glanced over at Twilight out of the corner of her eye, and froze when she saw the other girl staring at her. The two paused for a moment before quickly turning away, blushes on their faces. Rarity misinterpreted the moment, however, and commented on it when the boy left.

"Isn't he adorable?" Rarity giggled as she watched the boy leave.

"He's cute." Twilight nodded. Applejack and Rainbow agreed as well. Fluttershy merely shrugged.

"Not really my type." Pinkie said off-handedly, and Sunset nodded at her in agreement.

"What's your type?" Rainbow looked at Pinkie.

"Fun! Like me!"

"It would take someone like Pinkie to... Well, like Pinkie." Rarity giggled, and Pinkie nodded.

"Exactly! They have to be on my level."

"Same for you, Sunset?" Applejack teased, "Gotta find someone as crazy as you are?"

"More or less." Sunset smiled.

"But, specifically, what's your type? Band groupies?" Rainbow took a jab at her, and Sunset fell for it.

"Uh, no. Flash was a one time deal."

"The younger kind?"

"Button was flirting with me." Sunset insisted, blushing madly.

"What about DJs?"

"...You mean, like Vinyl?"

"You two do seem to chat a lot." Rainbow wiggled her eye brows.

"Yeah, because I'm one of only a few students that knows sign-language. And she's a friend."

"Mm-hm." Rainbow smirked.

"Just what are you trying to say, Rainbow?" Sunset's eyes narrowed. Her face turned pink and she could feel her heart beat in her temples. She did not want to have this conversation... In public... With Twilight right there. Fear and anger made her tone bitter.

"Nothin'."

"Please don't start a fight at WeJump." Rarity pleaded, "It'll be all over school..."

"Rainbow, quit questioning people's sexualities." Applejack said dryly, obviously having had to say that before, "We understand that people do that to ya all the time, but that doesn't mean ya have to do it back."

The entire table was forcing back laughter as Rainbow went red in the face. Sunset felt relieved by Applejack's honesty and bluntness. And seeing Rainbow get what was coming to her wasn't bad, either.

"I'm straight, Faust dammit!"

It was Twilight that meekly said, "...Gilda?"

The table broke out in a laughing fit as Rainbow sputtered and tried to defend herself. "That was a one time thing! We're just friends now!"

"A likely story." Sunset winked at Twilight, who wore a huge grin. When they had all settled down they got up to leave, each still giggling (except Rainbow.) Sunset excused herself to go to the restroom, and told the others she would meet them at the car. They walked back to the parking lot in a large group, and after a moment Applejack whispered something to Rainbow.

"Why should I apologize?"

"Ya know damn well why. How about asking her privately next time, at least?"

Rainbow huffed. Their conversation was ignored by the other girls, who were still talking about the cute waiter. They all stood idly around the Fluttershy and Rarity's cars for a while before they began to wonder where Sunset had gotten to.

"Maybe someone should go check on her?" Fluttershy offered quietly. The others nodded in agreement. Twilight and Rainbow set off back into the resturaunt. They checked the bathroom, however, and found that their friend was not inside.

"Where could she have gone?" Twilight asked, a bit worried. A nagging part in the back of her mind wondered if she had gotten in trouble, or hurt, or...

"Relax," Rainbow said calmly, trying to soothe the girl who was beginning to panic, "She's a big girl. We probably just passed her on the way in. Let's go back to the girls."

Rainbow turned and began walking towards the door, calmly but quickly. She herself was wondering where Sunset had disappeared to, though she was less worried than Twilight. She had seen Sunset deal with people before, and she knew the girl probably hadn't been kidnapped or anything like that. She was about to point this out to Twilight when she realized she wasn't following her any more.

"Uh... Twi?" The purple girl was no where to be seen.

A loud bang that echoed in her eardrums nearly knocked her to the ground. People around her began panicking, and she found herself pushed to the side as managers and waiters alike stumbled around.

"What was that sound?"

"What was that light?"

"Are we under attack?"

"I just don't know what went wrong!"

Rainbow grit her teeth and began walking towards the source of the noise.

Magic in Me

Sunset Shimmer was never a believer in luck. For the most part it was because she only ever seemed to be unlucky; luck didn't favor her, so she didn't believe in it.

However, for just a moment, she believed that maybe luck or fate or what-have-you could be real.

Sunset had gotten a very bad feeling after leaving the group. It felt like something was trying to warn her-who or what she couldn't say. Her stomach was churning and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end as she walked to the back of the restaurant. She passed by numerous people on her way to the back, but found the restrooms themselves empty.

When she was finished she walked back out, only to find the bad feeling had doubled. Something was very, very wrong.

Sunset swore under her breath as she glanced around. She felt compelled to do something--to act on the feeling--but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Her breathing quickened and she felt in her gut that something bad was about to happen.

Hoping to distance herself from whatever the problem was, she stepped out a side door and into the afternoon air. A slight breeze ruffled her hair a bit, and she moved her hand to rearrange it when suddenly a sharp crack tore through the air. Some distance away, a large decorative tree had begun to tilt to the side, towards WeJump. Sunset's eyes widened as the tree groaned and swayed under it's own weight. Ropes that appeared to have been previously holding the tree steady as it grew fell limply as their stakes were tugged from the ground.

While the tree wasn't incredibly large, at the rate it was falling it would crash right through the back windows, possibly injuring someone at the very least. Sunset knew this was the kind of problem to not jump into herself; the logical thing to do would be to tell one of the managers or perhaps warn people to avoid the back of the building. Sunset had always prided herself in being logical, and decided to run and get a manager while getting as far away from the windows as possible.

Then Sunset noticed the kids at the base of the tree. They weren't immediately noticable since they seemed to have come out from behind the tree only moments before. If Sunset had to guess, she would say that those kids probably had something to do with the tree falling over.

"You idiot!" An all-too familiar voice cried, "You broke the tree!"

"Nuh-huh!" The second half of the duo whined, "You did!"

Sunset felt her stomach drop out as she realized who the kids were.

"Snips! Snails!" She broke into a run as the two boys tried to wrestle each other to the ground under the tree. Said tree seemed to have finally given into its fate as it leaned forward even more with enough momentum to possibly hurt or even kill the two boys under it.

The thought of Snips or Snails getting hurt almost made Sunset sick. After the Fall Formal the trio had a bit of a falling out, which led to Snips and Snails going one way and Sunset another. Sunset understood... In time. She found out eventually that loyalty was earned, not demanded, and fully intended one day to befriend the two boys for real.

She couldn't do that if they were squished by a tree, not could she?

"Look out!" Sunset got to the boys just as the tree hit. She threw an arm around each of them and pulled them down towards the ground. From there they sat in a kneeling position as the tree fell down on top of them. A thundering boom echoed around them, but Sunset didn't feel anything...

At first. Confused, Sunset looked up looked up and saw the familiar shimmering blue of her own (thought to be long gone) magic. A sphere of translucent blue encased the trio and protected them from the tree, which had been knocked to the side. The spell faded with a flicker, and Sunset got a good look at the tree, which was now burned and splintered on the ground around them.

A defense spell? Sunset groaned as she felt the magic tax her human body. But... Humans can't do magic...

Snips and Snails looked up in awe and fear as the spell faded and they realized the tree would have fallen right on top of them. They shared a glance when they realized Sunset had-somehow-saved them.

"Sunset!" Twilight's frantic and surprised voice came from the side door, which had been narrowly missed by the tip of the tree. "Boys! Are you alright?"

The duo answered in the affirmative as Twilight knelt down by Sunset, who realized she had been sitting on the ground.

"M-magic..." Sunset mumbled as her head throbbed.

"I saw it," Twilight said gently, "But are you okay? That was an advanced spell for a unicorn, I'm surprised your human body could handle it." There was something in her tone that hadn't made it into words. What Sunset did was not only impossible, but it could have killed her. Should have, if either of them thought too hard about it, but they both tried to avoid that thought.

Sirens in the distance alerted the four to the fact that other people would be out soon to investigate the noise. Twilight looked at the tree-what remained of it-and figured it would be best if they left. There was no way they could explain why the tree had fallen and apparently been struck by lightning on a clear day.

"We have to go. You two get out of here." Twilight gave a pointed look to the boys.

"But Sunset-"

"Will be fine." Twilight assured them with a small smile, "I've got her. Come by Pinkie Pie's house tomorrow if you want to see her, okay?"

Looking unsure but not wanting to argue, the boys ran off. Twilight was touched at how much they seemed to care for Sunset. They seemed to have parted ways with her previously, but she wondered if there was more to that then there appeared to be. Twilight helped Sunset to her feet just as Rainbow busted out of the side door.

"Whoa!"

"No time to explain. We need to go." Rainbow was surprised but nodded and helped Twilight pull Sunset along. Sunset seemed to be exhausted, no surprise considering what Twilight had just seen. Though it seemed odd to her that Sunset had been able to cast a spell. Perhaps something had triggered her magic? But if that was true, was there a way to let them keep magic in this world?

Their other friends soon saw them, leading to more panic and confusion. Twilight hushed them all with promises of filling them in once they were back at Pinkie's house.

Twilight held an unconscious Sunset all the way there and glanced at her numerous times, worry written all over her face.

"Wait a second," Applejack held up a hand as Twilight recounted the events that had played out earlier, "The rest of us have to sing songs or play an instrument to activate our magic. Yet Sunset just... Did this spell?"

"I'm not entirely sure what happened myself." Twilight admitted. She glanced towards the stairs. Sunset was resting in Pinkie's room while Twilight filled the others in on what had happened. Sunset had managed to tell Twilight that Snips and Snails had done something to the tree before passing out again, and Twilight was trying to piece it all together.

"Maybe it was a self preservation thing-or a trying to save someone thing?" Pinkie wondered out loud. "I mean, she was trying to help Snips and Snails. Maybe that triggered something?"

"That's a good point, Pinkie," Twilight  looked thoughtful, "Maybe, since she and I are from Equestria, we have different 'triggers' to start our magic up?"

"Since we weren't born with magic, we only get it through our songs," Rainbow said, "But you two, if you knew how, could probably do it whenever."

"Even on vacation weird things happen." Twilight sighed. Of course, this whole thing meant that what had originally been a confession of love would now be a more in-depth analysis of how magic worked in the human world. Figures.

"Let's just hope this is the only weird thing to happen." Rarity said gently.

Twilight highly doubted it would be.