Take With Food

Chapters

The Sound of Money
The Taste of Magic
The Smell of Food

The Sound of Money

“Let me get this straight. We're going to cut off a bit of our magic, put it in this thing, and feed the Sirens? You do remember how close they came to killing us, yeah?”

“No, Rainbow.” Sunset turned from the television screen that showed the Sirens' image. The Rainbooms had seen it before, as had the Crystal Prep girls, but she figured it would focus their attention. “They didn't try to kill us, just beat us, and they failed at that.”

“But we're giving them what they want!” Rainbow Dash folded her arms, looking mutinous. “If we let them feed off our magic now, how do we know they won't get their powers back and try to take over again?”

Sunset put her magical book on the table, between a scattering of wires, lockets, and tools on one side, and the stacks of cupcakes on the other. It was as if she were hosting a mad scientist's twisted bake sale. “I thought the same thing, so I wrote to Equestria to ask advice.” She looked at the dozen other girls sitting around the music room. “Princess Twilight said the amulets were the only thing that really caused trouble, because they needed negative energy to power the Sirens' voices. If we give them a new way, one that takes pure, positive magic, then they can't force people to do their bidding.”

The Shadowbolts had sat quietly through a fuller explanation of the Battle of the Bands earlier. Now Sugarcoat raised her hand. “You only found out their situation because you received a video, not because they came to you to apologize and beg for help. If we're going to go through all this trouble, shouldn't we make sure that they want it?”

“Good question,” Sunset said, nodding. “But I'd rather try for a solution first and offer it to them once we know it's possible, rather than giving them false hope if we approach them now. I've got some people keeping an eye on them and we'll know if they try to leave town. Anyone else have anything to say?”

“You got people?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. “When did that happen?”

She smirked. “It's amazing what happens when you close a few portals with a mere wave of your hand. Now, come on. Sour Sweet doesn't want us to waste her cupcakes and we've got work to do.”

As Pinkie Pie squealed and bounded towards the baked goods, everyone else took their time. Some gathered around Twilight's pile of tech to examine the new trappers, while others headed towards the whiteboard she had set up. One one side was line after line of equations. The other side had blueprints and diagrams for the new devices. On the middle line were all of Sunset's notes about Equestrian magic. She had kept them relatively simple, just so everyone could understand her thoughts. A solution wouldn't elude them just because she had tried to be overly smart.

Lemon Zest examined a hard-shelled compact, flexing it as it opened and closed. “If I were you,” she said, “I wouldn't repeat Twilight's mistake of making it open up. Hinges can break easily. I've dropped way too many headphones to figure that out.”

Applejack frowned. “If it ain't gonna open, how do they suck up the magic?”

“Her model was a closed system. I'd design something that sucks up the magic through vents or something.” Lemon snorted. “That's assuming you can even store it all. She almost blew us all up with, what, six of you?” She gazed at the whiteboard equations, then shrugged. “I dunno about the math, but lemme take a look at the case. Shop class was always fun." Picking up a couple of different types of casing, she wandered over to the blueprints and stood beside Rarity, immediately getting into a discussion with her.

With a sense of slight hope, Sunset sat back down and watched her friends mingle with Twilight's old classmates. She hoped some of them had a brainwave soon. The quicker they had a working model, the quicker they could run a trial.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were prodding at Indigo Zap, the two trying to discover just what it would take to make her pony up. From what Sunset had seen, the girl had a competitive streak as bad as Rainbow's, but it wasn't likely 'willing to rip your face off to win' was something that would bring out the magic inside her.

Sunny Flare was arguing with Sugarcoat over some of the math, while Twilight worked to arrange enough wiring to fit into a smaller case. Crystal Prep students might be anti-social, but they were scarily smart, which was why she needed them. Her own pony brain, even coupled with Twilight's frightening intellect, wouldn't be enough.

Sour Sweet had taken down the notes on magic and was reading them off to one side. Well, that made sense, given how she seemed to be the most-affected by Equestrian magic at the moment. Sunset hoped it helped her. Unbalanced magic users were a scary concept.

As afternoon turned into evening, they always seemed to be just on the edge of a breakthrough. The inner workings of the magic-traps performed well after a couple of false starts, siphoning off a slight bit of magic without draining anyone completely. But once the magic was inside the trap, they discovered a new problem: releasing the energy in a palatable form.

“Come ON, YOU STUPID ENERGY!”

“No, Pinkie,” Applejack sighed, leaning on her forearm. “Yellin' at it ain't going to make the magic be anythin' else but wisps of energy. And I think you've had enough of them cupcakes for a while.” She shoved the schematics over across the table to Twilight and Sunset. “Whaddya think's causing the problem?”

“Magic and energy are the same thing, just expressed differently, The Sirens' gems absorbed magic and empowered them by turning it into energy,” Sunset said, frowning. She flipped the papers around and stared at them upside-down, hoping that would trigger an idea. “I hoped to duplicate the process by making magic tangible.” Her hands described a circle. “You know, take the magic and surround it in a shell that they could eat." She shrank slightly under a couple of incredulous stares. "I might have been snacking at the time."

“Nice,” Lemon Zest said, cackling. “Give it that tasty candy coating, yeah?”

“Like a magical gumball machine,” Sour Sweet volunteered. She hadn't said much through the whole process, obviously doing her best to temper her sarcastic side. “Magic goes in, energy gumball comes out. That's one option. But that'd take up too much room!

Rarity nodded. “True. We are trying to make these somewhat compact.”

“Oh, the miniaturization process won't be a problem. Once we work out the parts, we can always take it to the 3-D printing lab back at Crystal Prep and reduce the scale.” Sugarcoat picked up their current model that was nesting in half a plastic egg. “So, with that in mind, what are the steps we need to get from raw magic to processed energy pellet?”

“And how do we make it tasty?” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “If you're going to feed this to them, it's gotta have some flavour!” She zipped out of the room and was back seconds later with a miniature chemistry kit, a cheese grater, and a bag of groceries. “Leave that part to me!”

As the Shadowbolts stared at her and the other Rainbooms shrugged it off as 'Pinkie Pie antics', Sunset chuckled. “Okay, while Pinkie Pie does extracts and Sunny Flare and Twilight redesign the blueprints so they can be adapted for 3-D printing, let's try and solve this last problem, everyone.”

Slowly but surely, they pushed forward together. Replacing ancient spells with technology at this level would have been impossible before Sunset had stolen the Element of Magic. Now, with their environment empowered by Equestria, she was sure that a solution meant the Sirens could have access to enough magic to last them the rest of their mortal lives.

Hours passed, and finally, of all people, it was Applejack who had the breakthrough.

She had sat and watched Fluttershy have some of her magic drawn out by the testing model. The magic was sucked in swiftly, then it swirled through a long length of tubing towards the small chamber that would dispense it as a shining orb of energy.

Applejack frowned and motioned the others over. “It's takin' an awful long time to get through. When we pour cider, we just turn the tap on and off. Any way y'all can just go right from gathering the energy to popping it right out?”

Twilight scoffed. “Applejack, please. There's no way to just go from one to the other without some sort of filter, let alone skip four or five steps in the process.” Then her eyes went wide as she stared off into the distance. “Buuuuut,” she breathed. “If we switch the augury processor for an etheric nexus . . .” She lunged past Applejack and yanked the tubing out, releasing the magic into the air in a puff of smoky vapour. “New idea! We're no longer using alchemical cables. Indigo, get me that cabalistic torus. I've got a hunch!”

Coughing, Fluttershy waved a hand to dispel the residue of Kindness that curled past her. “Oh, um, good? Does that mean I'll have to do this again?”

Rainbow pulled her away. “Take a break, Flutters. I'll fill in for the next test.”

Sunny Flare saw what Twilight had in mind and quickly turned to scribble new calculations on the board. “That could work! Also, if we add the proper spin in the torus as it solidifies the energy, then it has less chance of deforming through the dispensing process.”

With everyone re-motivated, work progressed on the prototype, and it was just after midnight when Rainbow Dash ponied up and hovered a couple of feet off the ground. She slowly flapped her wings, waiting for Sunset to edge the new device into range so it would sense her magic. "This is gonna work, yeah?"

"Let's find out," Sunset murmured. As the trap detected Equestrian magic, a small ring of lights glowed. Tendrils of energy slid off of Dash's aura and drifted across to disappear into the vents inside of the ring. It only took an instant as the device hummed to itself, then it gave a quiet chirp and the blinking lights went from a pale violet to a deep blue.

Rainbow Dash lost a little altitude, but waved a hand as the tip of her toe touched the floor. “I'm still cool! Not feeling worn out or anything! That's good, right?”

“Yes, it's good.” Sunset looked around at everyone. “Let's see if this ends up working." She reached down and gave the tiny dial in the middle of the lights a careful twist. There was almost no noise, but the ring of lights gave a soft flicker and a glowing blue orb the size of her thumb rolled out to land in her palm. Holding it up to the light, she smiled. “There it is, one hundred percent Essence of Loyalty!”

There were a few tired cheers, but nearly everyone slumped down in their chairs and sighed with relief. They had made it.

Sunset made a decision. "Okay. Enough for tonight. Go home, get some rest, and take the weekend for yourselves." Or, if they were anything like her, they would be right back here tomorrow to finish the job.

She just had to make a phone call to ensure the Sirens weren't about to skip out on them. Not when they were so close.

-~-~-~-~-~

The Taste of Magic

If anyone was still worried about the Sirens faking their hunger, seeing the three of them shuffle into the room dispelled those doubts. They were dull-skinned, hunched over, and frightened as they saw all the people waiting for them. The Great and Powerful Trixie came in behind them and nodded at Sunset as she coaxed the Sirens towards everyone. “Trixie appreciates you acting on her message, Shimmer.”

“And we appreciate you sending it in the first place.” Sunset wanted to hug her, but Trixie's innate, overblown dignity wouldn't allow it in here, not in front of people. She only accepted praise, adoration, and grovelling while in public. Later, though, she would think of a way to thank Trixie for sending her that video in the first place.

Time to see if this was worth it. Sunset took a deep breath. If Princess Twilight were here, she would make a big speech about friendship and offer the Sirens any help they wanted. Well, she wasn't Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. So she would do this the Sunset Shimmer way.

First of all, she had a backup plan. Even though she could see the Sirens were in terrible shape, she still had to prepare for a trap, and so had ordered Rainbow Dash to take all the schematics and notes and hide in a classroom nearby with an open phone line. If this turned out to be a trick that would wipe out everyone in the room, she would go through the portal to Equestria and pass everything to Princess Twilight. The knowledge would be preserved somewhere the Sirens couldn't get to it. Rainbow had fought this idea, suggesting that Fluttershy go instead, but Sunset wanted someone who would roar right back with an army to stop the Sirens from doing any more damage to this realm.

Second of all, she couldn't show any weakness. So, motioning for both Indigo Zap and Applejack to flank her, Sunset approached the three Sirens. “I almost think another rainbow might do you good,” she said, shoving her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. “It would bring some color back, if nothing else.”

“We've got nothing for you,” Adagio croaked, stepping out in front of her fellow Dazzlings. “If you're going to put us on a leash, Shimmer, just slip it around our necks and be done with it. Don't draw this out any more.”

Sunset pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Oh Adagio, I don't need anything from you. I already have it all. But I also have a problem. Equestrian magic poured into this world during the Friendship Games, and there's nothing I can do to push it all back where it came from. So, I've got an offer for you, and I think you won't be able to refuse it.” She fished a small, glowing red orb out of her pocked and held it up between her thumb and forefinger. “How would you like to have all the magic you can eat?”

She tossed it to Sonata, who squeaked and fumbled it, finally trapping it in the crook of her elbow. The other two Sirens stared as she dug it out, setting it on her palm and tapping it with a fingernail. The 'plink' of the hard shell made Sonata furrow her brow, then she looked around, hesitant. “I can just eat it?” she asked.

“Try,” Sunset urged. “Take your time.” This was the moment. She didn't know what would happen. Maybe the energy ball would be inedible and Sonata would break a tooth on it, or the magic wouldn't be strong enough and they would have to consider a different formula, or even materials. Or this could be the moment the whole charade fell away and the Sirens revealed their sudden, but inevitable betrayal. All their work came down to this moment, and Sunset blindly reached behind her, looking for reassurance. Someone's fingers wrapped around hers, then someone else's, and then a third, and she inhaled sharply as she felt her friends crowd in behind her, supporting and giving her their love.

Sonata popped the little ball into her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. “Mmmmf!” She rolled it against her teeth with soft clacks and then gave a quick, hard suck, her eyes flicking open again in wonder. “Cranberries!” she squeaked, her voice muffled. “'Ria, it'sh really good!”

Sheer relief flooded through her and she could feel the same ripple pass through her friends. Anticipating the other Sirens' reactions, Sunset quickly offered up some green and rainbow spheres for them. “We can show you . . .” She didn't get a chance to finish as both Adagio and Aria snatched them up and stuffed them in their mouths.

Their expressions turned incredulous seconds later and they looked at each other, then back at Sunset. Adagio's cheek twitched, as if she wanted to say something, but then she looked down again, seemingly lost for words as she chewed.

So it was Aria who swallowed and stared. She shook her head, her shoulders shaking as she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, seconds away from a heart-wrenching breakdown. Just as her eyes were growing big and wet with unshed tears, Fluttershy slipped past everyone and put an arm around her, offering a handful of tissues. At that gesture, Aria did burst into tears as Sunny Flare joined them and she and Fluttershy led the ex-Siren off to one side to compose herself.

Sunset sighed as both Adagio and Sonata looked similarly unsteady. She hoped they could both hold it together long enough for her to explain everything. “Do you two need a minute?”

“No,” Sonata murmured, looking misty-eyed as well, “but if you've got another, I'm still hungry? Please?”

Sunset smiled, producing a small handful of spheres and pouring them into Sonata's cupped palms. “We've worked hard on these, but they're still a first attempt. It might take some time to get everything right, but we'd rather you not starve while we try and make them perfect.” She looked at Adagio. “The magic at the Friendship Games drew you three out, didn't it?”

“You were throwing it around without a care!” Adagio groaned, wrapping her arms around her own stomach. “The view from our apartment was too painful to watch and we had to come closer. Even if we couldn't eat any of it, we had to try!” Her voice cracked on the last word and it dropped to a whisper “So much tasty magic, and you let it just bleed away. How could you? How could she?” She shot a venomous glance at Twilight Sparkle.

“She didn't know.” Sunset moved closer to Adagio, ready to defend her friends. “She noticed our magic from the Battle of the Bands and came to investigate. We didn't understand what she was doing, either, and mistakes were made, bad ones. We all brought this on ourselves. Now we all need to make it right again.”

She motioned to Rarity, who came forward with three small, round lockets in her hands. Each was threaded onto a loop of velvet and had a small dial in the center of the metallic case. The last one had come out of the 3-D printer just a couple of hours before. “I know they may not look like much, but there's one for each of you, if you want them.”

Okay, now Sonata was sniffling. If she broke down into wet, snotty bawling too, Sunset hoped Fluttershy still had a dry shoulder.

Adagio brushed discreetly at her own eyes, then picked up her new locket and examined it, looking intrigued. “You made these?”

“Everyone did,” she admitted, “Each will harvest a little bit of magic at a time, and hold it for when you're hungry. Then you just turn that dial to whatever flavour setting you want and, poof, energy." Sunset shrugged. "We — well, none of us knows what magic actually tastes like, so Pinkie tried to give you a whole range of . . . Ooooof!”

Sunset stumbled as Adagio wrapped her arms around her in a massive hug and both of them were lost in an avalanche of orange hair. Seconds later, she felt another impact as Sonata launched herself into the hug as well, and the side of her neck grew damp as sobs filled her ears. Okay. Never mind, Fluttershy! Looks like I've got these two.

After the three of them had sorted themselves out and the Sirens calmed down, she helped them fasten the clasps around their necks. “I'd be prepared to stick around for a while longer. There probably isn't much magic for you to feed on outside of town, and while the cases are almost indestructible, there's still a chance things can break. Our science isn't as good as magic, at least, not yet.”

Sonata stroked her locket, eyes wide. “Coool,” she whispered. “Um, is it okay if we stay for a while and keep eating? It's been a while since I've had some good energy.”

Adagio nudged her. “Don't go stuffing yourself, Sonata. These aren't like our old amulets, remember that.” She watched as Sonata took the spare locket and went to join Fluttershy and Aria, then turned to Sunset Shimmer. “So, what's the cost here? Do we become friends now? Or is our leash shorter than that?”

She couldn't blame Adagio for asking, but her heart still ached to be even asked that question. “We don't have to be anything. Your life is your own, as long as you don't hurt anyone with the magic that's now out there. No one here would mind if you were their friend, either. But it's your decision. We just couldn't let you starve in a world full of food.”

The two of them gazed at each other, then Adagio nodded and reached up to run her fingers along her new velvet choker. “Fair enough, unicorn.” She looked around with more interest now that she wasn't so hungry. “So, you've been busy since our last encounter. New friends?”

Sunset shrugged. “Same as you, I think. New acquaintances who were willing to listen.”

“Oh, and that's different?” she scoffed, then softened. “Still, thank you.” She turned and cast an experienced eye over the girls from Crystal Prep. “There is a lot of potential there. They've barely scratched the surface of their own magic, I think.” Her smile curved slightly. “Mmm. Yes, I believe I will listen to you, Sunset Shimmer. All of you are worth sticking around for.”

They might have created a new batch of monsters, but at least those monsters were now in debt to everyone, Shadowbolt and Rainboom alike. The scales were balanced for now, and life could continue.

Until next time.

Sunset decided that she had earned herself another cupcake.

Author's Note

Thanks to smxsonic for batting ideas around and the whole "Sour Sweet Can't Stop Prancing and Baking Cupcakes" concept.

Go read his "Twilight Sparkle's All-Unicorn Retreat" fanfic!

The Smell of Food

Crystal Prep Academy had one heck of a Home Economics department, if their performance in the Friendship Games hadn't already made that apparent. Everything was immaculate, gleaming, and cutting-edge. Well, except for one particular workstation, where it looked as if a baked goods bomb had exploded.

Sunset Shimmer picked delicately at a cupcake wrapper, taken aback by the sheer number of freshly-frosted treats that covered the counter. Cupcakes were cooling on racks, others had already been frosted, and there was a suspicious attempt at something vaguely resembling Rice Krispies Treats in a miniature pyramid. “Thanks for agreeing to this meeting. I'm sorry I couldn't say more over the phone, but this is done better in-person.”

“And we apologize that you had to come here, but as you see, Sour Sweet is having a bit of an episode,” Sugarcoat commented, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the girl pirouetting around the messiest of the kitchens. “We couldn't pull her away from her oven.”

“I'm in the ZONE, okay?” came a sing-song snarl. “If I could stop, I would! Cupcakes, so sweet and tasty! Cupcaaakes!” The unmusical whine of a blender drowned out her warbling.

Lemon Zest slid her headphones off and let them hang around her neck, wincing at the racket. “Yeah, she's been at that for a while. Kinda weird, since she's never been the kitchen sort.” She shrugged. “But whatevs. I can't wait to see Sugar Belle's face when she finds out there's no more icing sugar left for class tomorrow.”

Sunset was sure this was why Twilight had bolted from Crystal Prep. If she had hackles, they would be rising with all the suffocating, passive-aggressive sarcasm. But at the same time, the attitude spoke volumes about their surroundings. This was a group that was always on the defensive, the hyper-competitive atmosphere making it difficult for any of them to trust each other. Was this why the magic of Friendship had chosen them?

“I'm actually impressed you managed to sneak in here,” Sunny Flare said, looking far more amused than Sunset felt was necessary as she reached across to rub the sleeve fabric between thumb and forefinger. “Nice fake Crystal Prep uniform. What's the matter, didn't Twilight's old outfit fit you?”

Sunset ignored that, trying to remain calm and not yank her arm away. They hadn't been Twilight's friends before, so it was no business of theirs what she did now, but she still had to have this conversation with them. “It doesn't matter. Something's happening and I need your help, but it could be dangerous.”

“Are we talking 'eaten by a carnivorous plant' dangerous or 'falling through a hole into another world' dangerous?” Indigo Zap asked, putting her chin in her hands and looking intrigued. “Because, whoo, that magic of yours is weird!”

“Wait.” Lemon Zest sat up from her casual lounging. “Sour Sweet's not gonna tear a hole in space when she opens that oven, is she?”

Sugarcoat snorted. “Highly unlikely, given she's been baking for the last few hours without incident. If anything would to rip open the fabric of reality, it'd be that noise you call music.”

Sunset choked back a frustrated noise and shot to her feet, startling the four girls across the counter. “Hey! I came here, hoping the magic of Equestria had somehow found its way inside you, but none of you are interested in anything other than making smart remarks! Maybe I was silly enough to think brilliant students like yourselves might have noticed something was off. But now I'm wondering how you even gave Canterlot High so many problems in past Games!”

Wide-eyed, Sugarcoat opened her mouth, then closed it again, colouring slightly.

Lemon Zest flailed her arms, having pushed off a little too hard with her chair tilted back and she scrabbled frantically at Indigo and Sunny's hands, grasping them to pull herself back up.

In the middle of this, Sour Sweet scurried up, her clasped hands pressed to her flour-stained cheek and her pale violet eyes sparkling in a disturbingly cheerful manner. She slapped her oven mitts down. “Oooh, you really think we might have some of that pony magic inside us?” She seemed to grow three inches taller as she rocketed up onto the tips of her toes to lean across the counter and get into Sunset's face. “No kidding! I get wings when I least expect them, and I can't stop prancing and baking cupcakes! So forgive us for trying to deal with it in our own way!” Then she scooped up a cupcake decorated with white frosting and a sparse cover of miniature jujubes. “Oh, and try this, if you want. You've picked at it enough already!”

There was silence, then Sugarcoat grunted. “What she said.”

Tentatively accepting the treat, Sunset leaned back on her stool. “Okay. I'm sorry.” She tried to calm down as she peeled the wrapper off. “When Twilight opened all the portals to Equestria, more magic leaked into this world. I don't know how much more, but since we were all in the middle of that mess, it's likely most of the populations of CHS and Crystal Prep were exposed.” She bit into the cupcake and her tastebuds were suddenly assailed by a mixture of chocolate, sugary frosting, and a sudden burst of flavor as the jujubes were revealed to be sour. “Mmmmf!”

“Good, isn't it? Indigo's going to make us all run laps if we keep indulging ourselves like this,” Sunny Flare said, resting her chin on her crossed arms. “Tell us about the magic. It's pretty safe, isn't it?”

Sunset paused to wipe her mouth. “Yes, it's safe. In fact, I think it's happy with all of you. You've got potential and magic likes potential.”

“Oh, it likes potential! Then why isn't Twilight Sparkle popping ears like I've been?” Sour Sweet growled, stuffing her hands into oven mitts to go and get her next batch out of the oven.

“Yeah,” Indigo Zap said, casually reaching over to snag a cupcake of her own. “Did it reject her because she did stupid things with it?”

Shaking her head, Sunset tapped herself on the breast. “No. It's actually buried deep inside her. The same thing happened to me last year when I tried to open the Element of Magic for my own use. Magic doesn't reject you, it consumes you.” She shivered. “Being overpowered by magic isn't stupid, but if you abuse it, it'll be a long time before it talks to you again. Call it self-preservation on its part, meant to stop even more damage from being done.”

There were no smart remarks now, as the five girls stared at her. Sour Sweet slumped in a chair, pulling off one mitt and reaching up to touch her scalp where pony ears would be. Lemon Zest looked pale, even as she tucked one leg beneath the other. And Sugarcoat opened her mouth again, then closed it once more.

“The magic's inside you. Like I said, it won't hurt you unless you abuse it, but I'm asking you to accept it and treat it well. It comes out when you show the truest part of yourself.” Sunset looked Indigo Zap in the eyes. “That must be hard, since this place makes you form a shell to keep yourself safe. Even passing through those halls, I can see that no one looks out for each other here. We were once like that at Canterlot High.”

“We . . . kinda care about each other,” Lemon Zest protested. “I mean, it's not like we hang out after school or have sleepovers, or go shopping on weekends, but we —” She frowned. “Hey, how come we don't go shopping on weekends? We should totally do that!”

“What a great idea!” Sour Sweet cooed, fanning herself with her oven mitt. “If only we could pull ourselves out from the mountains of homework we get!” She growled, snatching her frosting spreader away from Indigo Zap before she could lick it.

Sunny Flare shoved at them and smiled at Sunset. “They just mean it's stressful being this good. Don't judge us because we're all trying to stay afloat. What's waiting for you when you graduate?”

Equestria, perhaps, if she could ever gather up the courage to return. Sunset knew she could atone there for her many mistakes, just as she had in this world, but she had also been the one to bring magic to Canterlot High and the surrounding area. That made it her responsibility to watch over this world. She didn't dare think about going back home until that job was finished. “I've . . . got some options,” she allowed.

“So, you're here to help us figure out how to control this magic, yeah?” Lemon Zest asked. “We might not be able to hide it from others for too long. People kind of notice when things are weird. Well, other than Sour Sweet trying to murder people with a muffin tin.”

“That's an average Home Economics class for us,” Sugarcoat pointed out. “Except usually she prefers a hand-cranked eggbeater when she goes on a rampage. Her wings might raise suspicion, though.”

This was the hard part. Would they care? “I'm not here for that, no. Something's come up, and the six of us at Canterlot High don't have enough of our own magic to do anything about it. I said it would be dangerous, and it is. In fact, it might even mean losing our magic if we don't do it right.” Sunset spun her phone across the counter, banking it off a muffin tray so it slid to a stop in front of Sunny Flare. “Someone sent a video to me after Twilight and I fought. This is why I came.”

The other Shadowbolts gathered around Sunny as she tapped the screen, and they all watched over her shoulder. The tiny speakers couldn't handle the deep rumbling, and so the distortion was loud, but no one flinched until the video reached the moment that had broken Sunset's own heart. The moment where the camera panned away from her tussle with Twilight to focus on the shadows across the street from the school, where three figures lurked. They wore dark pants and sweatshirts with the hoods pulled right up, but there was no mistaking the thin faces, the hunger, and the pained loss in their eyes.

The Sirens were huddled together, starving, and staring at a buffet they couldn't eat.

“Geez,” Lemon Zest hissed. She looked up at Sunset, eyes narrowed as if she were calculating something. “That's not good.”

Indigo Zap shook her head. “I've had teammates that tried to lose weight fast before. Lemon Zest's right. That's not healthy. What's it been, a month for them?”

Sunset nodded. “They tried to take over this world by using our own Equestrian magic against us. The more we had, the more they took. When we finally beat them, their power was broken and they ran off before I could do anything. Believe me, I never thought they would end up this badly. As it turns out, there's still a need inside them to feed on magical energy, even if they're human.”

She dropped something on the counter and everyone jumped at the sight of a battered and broken magic-trap. They had good reason to be spooked, as the last time they had seen Twilight's artifact, it had consumed their classmate and turned her into a vengeful dark alicorn. “I need to help them, but it means creating another one of these. A new trap that can absorb a little bit of magic, rather than completely draining it. It has to be something that won't hurt anyone, either them or us.”

“And you need guinea pigs,” Sugarcoat said, tentatively prodding the cracked and soot-stained trap with a nearby knife. “Is that it?”

She didn't hesitate. She'd never get their help if she held back information. “Yes. Twilight didn't know what her first device would do. Now that I'm helping her, we're confident that we can get it right. My friends are also pitching in, but we could always use more magic. Even altogether, we wouldn't have enough to feed the Sirens for long. We need more sources.” She looked at their uncertain faces. “I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was important.”

“Why?” That came from Sunny Flare. “Why is it so important to you that they get better?”

Sunset Shimmer sat back down and put her head in her hands. “Because it's my fault magic's in this world. Every time it hurts someone or causes problems, I feel guilty.” She looked up again. “You've got Equestrian Magic now because Twilight didn't understand it, but I'm the one who unleashed it in the first place and I can't seem to stop it from growing. So all I can do is try to make sure it's being used for the right reasons. Is that important enough?”

Everyone hesitated, then Sunny Flare looked around and received nods from everyone. ”Miss Shimmer, I believe you can count on Crystal Prep's help.”

“Oh, joy,” Sugarcoat sighed, reaching for a cupcake. “More wacky adventures. Looks like I picked the wrong week to go off sugar.”

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