Other

Chapters

1 - Other day
2 - Other cheek
3 - Other self
5 - Other world part 1
5 - Other world part 2
6 - Other fall
Interlude
7 - Other wrath
8 - Other issues
9 - Other pain
10 - Other tears
0 - Journal's recap
4 - Other parties

1 - Other day

Fluttershy felt like she was the happiest girl alive.

She was humming a melodic tune while walking down the sidewalk that led to her home, anticipating the happiness of having Sunset Shimmer just for her all day long. Fluttershy had already reassured her friends, so she didn’t have to worry about them anymore, and her parents were camping out of town until the evening.

It was just her, her beloved, and an empty house. Just for them.

At the thought of that, Fluttershy raised the pitch of her humming and hopped lightly for the rest of her trip. ‘I’m going to give her the best afternoon she could hope for. First, I’ll check if she’s resting in her room. Then, if she’s not too tired, I’m going to snuggle the soul out of her. Ooh, maybe we could have some kisses too. However, I’ll have to make a proper meal later, something that she can eat from the bed. Maybe I could feed her? No, she would be against it. Well, I can still try, even if we could have a little argument. Nothing too serious, just a little fight between lovers. Then we can go to bed, have some cuddles, share some more kisses and...’ Suddenly, Fluttershy stopped on her feet. The following images of she and Sunset drove her blushing.

‘Well, My parents should be back by then, so I doubt we’ll have the chance,’ she thought before resuming her walking, entering the porch. ‘I swear, my fantasies used to be far more innocent once.’

Fluttershy entered her home as silently as she could. She didn’t dare make too much noise, in case her girlfriend was sleeping. Fluttershy approached the stairs tip-toeing but was stopped by her nose, catching a smell coming from the kitchen. Peeking from the doorway, she saw the girl of her fantasies in front of the stoves.

Sunset Shimmer was looking inside a big pot, one hand was holding the lid while she was using a spoon with the other. After tasting the content of the pot, she felt a couple of arms wrapping around her waist.

“Um, shouldn’t you be in the bed?” asked Fluttershy.

Sunset turned back smiling. She had tied a towel around her head in order to keep an ice bag on her left eye. “As much as I can enjoy being lazy for once, lying in bed for an entire day and doing nothing was driving me crazy.” She gave a fast peck on Fluttershy’s cheek and stared back at the pot. “Besides, I don’t want to let you do everything in the house as long as I’m here.”

Fluttershy giggled. “So, what are you up to?”

“Vegetable soup.”

“You have to fight the scurvy?”

Sunset looked Fluttershy quizzically. “I don’t have the scurvy.”

“Well, it’s still a big concern for most pirates.”

Sunset kept staring confused until realization hit her. “Oh, eyepatch jokes. Clever.”

Fluttershy giggled and enjoyed the closeness of the red-gold hair. “How is it?”

“Not as bad as this morning. Also, it has stopped pulsing since I put the ice on it.”

As Sunset focused once again on the dinner, Fluttershy tightened the embrace and sank her face into the hair. Sunset simply enjoyed it, but she heard Fluttershy mutter something very slightly. She could tell, though, that Fluttershy used a sad tone.

“What did you say?”

“I’m sorry.”

Sunset turned over to look at her girlfriend in the eyes. “Why so?”

“I… I feel like it was my fault. I know it was Rainbow Dash, but she did this just in order to protect me.”

“That’s just silly, Fluttershy.”

“It is not! You didn’t do anything wrong, but it was you who suffered the most yesterday.”

Seeing that Fluttershy was truly upset, Sunset embraced her as reassuringly as she could. “It was just a misunderstanding that we sorted out. There’s no reason for weep about yesterday and, honestly, I don’t even hold against to Rainbow Dash.” Then she kissed her. It wasn’t one of the passionate tongue-tongue kisses but just a long caring peck on the lips. One where you could look your partner in the eyes, as to say ‘I’m here for you’. “Everything is ok,” said Sunset as she was caressing that beautiful face in front of her.

When Fluttershy looked more calm, Sunset thought to change the subject. “So, all of you saw the other me at the bus station near the Crystal Mall, right?”

Fluttershy looked confused. “The other you?”

“Ah, yes. I didn’t explain it yet. You see, Twilight and I write often to each other and once she wrote me about several correspondences between our worlds. She also thinks that everybody here has a pony counterpart there. I had no idea the first time I came to this world, but that would explain some oddities I noticed during my visiting here.”

“So what you’re saying is...”

“That the girl you saw could be my human counterpart who was born in this world.”

Fluttershy’s mind went back to her rendezvous with the girls, remembering something similar. “And Pinkie Pie keeps striking,” she muttered, lost in thought.

“Pardon?”

“Wait. Do you mean that she is your exact copy?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, there should be some differences between the two of us. Besides, she is she, and I am me. I would like to find out more, but she probably doesn’t live around here.”

“She probably does, actually. Yesterday, after our... discussion on the phone, I met her at the White Tales park. That’s what made me believe in what you were saying.”

Sunset started to gather plates and spoons for the table, then she departed from the embrace as she focused on laying the table. “That is weird.”

“Why so?”

Caught in her reasoning, and in the table, Sunset said, “If she lives nearby, she should go at the CHS but we never saw her before. Furthermore, I checked at the orphanage and they told me there never was a Sunset Shimmer in their records.” As soon as she set the last spoon, Sunset realized two things: that Fluttershy was looking at her even more confused, and what she had just said.

“Oh, right. I never told you.”

“Told me what?”

“Back in Equestria, I...” Sunset bit her cheek, unsure about how to confide that part of her life.

Lastly, she took a deep breath.

“I’ve never met my parents.”

During the pause that followed, Sunset moved back to the kitchen, starting to cut some more vegetables. “My first memories are from an orphanage in Canterlot named Tomorrow’s Smiles. It’s where I spent the first years of my childhood, actually.”

Fluttershy understood that this wasn’t easy for Sunset, she was willing to tell her just because she was her girl. So Fluttershy took it seriously, she pulled a chair nearer and sat on it, looking at Sunset. “I would like to hear about it.”

“Basically, you could say that I was born in that orphanage. I was left there when I was just a few days old and nopony knew anything about my life before.”

“How so?”

“My keepers told me that, one night, they heard somepony knocking at the front door and then they found me outside, sleeping in a basket. They were nice ponies. The keepers, I mean. They always made sure of providing us a safe environment. They were very meticulous and wanted for us to be adopted as fast as possible. But they weren’t trying to be mentors or parents. I guess that taking care of dozens of foals turns you detached. Anyway, they were very available for us, and they even encouraged me studying magic.

“Here starts my fall, I guess. You see, I was very good at magic and having a lot of potential, recognized by everypony, meant a lot at the Tomorrow’s Smiles. It meant more attention, a better chance of being adopted by a caring family. There were even the rich and snobby families that looked just for incredible talents. We thought it was the best possible thing, at that age. So everypony was happy for me as I improved my skills, and I focused entirely on my studies. I became so self-absorbed that I turned out to be insufferable for the other ponies.

“I didn’t care, friends wouldn’t have brought me what I wanted. Instead, I put even more efforts into my studies and one day –” Sunset stopped to cut the vegetables, smiling at the distant memory. “– the day arrived. My keeper trotted into the room and called me up. As I reached her, she looked down at me with a radiant smile and told me that somepony wanted to see me in the other room. I knew what it was about, I could feel it, and I couldn’t be more excited. I was so impatient that I literally ran through the door.”

Sunset raised a hand to her face and used her palm to rub her right eye. “Sorry, the onions.”

“What happened then?” asked Fluttershy, smiling.

“In the other room...” Sunset stopped, thinking what to say next. “You wouldn’t understand,” she thought aloud.

When she realized how that must have sounded, she quickly backpedaled. “Don’t take me wrong, I just mean that I have to introduce her to you first. You see, Equestria is not just a land where ponies thrive, but also a kingdom. And I think there’s a ninety-nine percent probability that our ruler is the pony counterpart of Principal Celestia.”

“Really?”

“Princess Celestia, that’s her name, is a powerful and wise alicorn that lives in the Canterlot’s royal palace. She has ruled over the pony lands for millennia, driving us from the darkest night to the brightest day. She and her sister control the motion of the sun and the moon.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. Astonishing, isn’t it? Not for nothing she has earned the faith and trust from everypony. It’s even partly her merit if Equestria is filled with peace and harmony, yet she’s very humble and kind.

“So you can guess my disbelief when I found her in the other room. I was running in, looking for my new parents, and I found her. Princess Celestia was there waiting for me. I stopped abruptly on my hooves, literally mouth agape. I remember her giggling as she came closer, then Celestia asked me if I was keeping my mouth open wide perhaps because she looked like a piece of cake.

“It wasn’t the first time I had seen her. She really cares about her public relations, so she often pays visits to hospitals, orphanages, that sort of things. But that time, Princess Celestia had come just to see me. Because she was looking for a new protegee and wanted me as her new pupil. When she told me that, I was so euphoric at the moment that I cast the most difficult spell I knew back then, transforming a bonsai into a full-grown sassafras.” At the memory, Sunset started to laugh brightly. “Ahah, you have no idea of the mess that followed. Luckily, Princess Celestia was there to fix everything. And when she did, we all noticed that by casting the spell I had earned my cutie mark.”

Sunset closed the pot so as to let it boil over the flames. Then she approached Fluttershy and sat, over her lap. “In short, it was the best day of my life. My efforts were finally starting to pay off, I had a new family, the Princess herself wanted me under her wing, and I earned my cutie mark.”

“It’s a beautiful story.”

Fluttershy stayed there, taking her time to absorb everything that Sunset was telling her. She knew, though, that there was something more. “So, you have to cast a spell in order to earn your cutie mark?”

“Well, no. We’re used to believing that the cutie marks are meant to appear when we need to know more about ourselves, but usually, they appear when we follow a spurt of inspiration and let us flow into the harmony. Something like that. In my case, I assumed that Princess Celestia wanted to test my magic so I flung myself into it and gave all I had. Just for a moment, I felt like nothing could go wrong.” Sunset sighed. “Which may be the reason why everything went wrong from there forwards. Becoming the personal student of Princess Celestia fed my ego and all my bad traits. I became even more self-absorbed and mean, putting myself above everypony else. I always counted on myself to achieve my goals, without thinking about the consequences. I even started to treat Celestia as something that belonged to me.”

Sunset took a deep breath, before concluding the story. “Until… she banished me from the castle.”

Fluttershy opened her eyes widely. “Did she kick you out from your house?”

Sunset looked away, embarrassed. “I hadn't left her with many choices, to be honest. She busted me while I was breaking the rules – and the law – and I still had the nerve to have a row with her. Frankly, with that attitude, I should have seen it coming.”

She ended her statement with a tune of bitterness as if she was about to blame her old self once again. Then, she felt a gentle hand pulling her from her cheek, spinning her head towards the most beautiful girl she ever saw.

“You’ll be a much better per- pony when you go back,” said Fluttershy, “and I’m sure that she’ll be happy to see you again. You earned your redemption, and you have five friends that would follow anywhere if you needed.” She blushed a little. “Well, actually four friends… plus me.” Fluttershy watched Sunset in the eye. “I love you, Sunset.”

Both Sunset and Fluttershy went silent, thinking about the things that were just shared. It was an important moment for them as a couple, and they were glad to have faced it. Giving each other snuggles, they put themselves into a more comfortable position. Sunset then, astride over Fluttershy, hugged her and drove her closer. Returning the hug, Fluttershy started to kiss Sunset over her chin. Sunset kissed back over her face until their mouths found each other. Then they shared a kiss, one of the long, passionate, tongue-tongue kisses.

Sunset Shimmer was at her desk, busy on finishing the homework for school. It was the downside of spending the entire Saturday with her boyfriend, but it was all worth it. Besides, she had almost finished.

‘So,’ she thought, ‘if the cos of this angle is one-half, then the sin is...’

Her mental computing was interrupted by a buzz from her phone. Checking it, she saw that Bobby Hard had just sent her a message.

‘Hey bae, do you wanna hang out tomorrow?’

‘Tell you later. Doing homework now.’

As she sent the message, a doubt occurred her.

‘Shouldn’t you study as well?’

‘Why? You’re the smart one XD.’

Sunset smirked and put down the phone while she mentally lectured her booby boy. She didn’t make it back to her homework before her phone started ringing. Her smile grew a little as she saw the name on the display, then she answered the call.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, Sunshine, are you busy?”

“Nah, just doing some homework.”

“And don’t you ever dare to take it seriously.”

“I give it more credit than you do.”

“My point stands.”

Sunset shook slowly her head as she looked up. She still had no idea of how her mother could keep her job with that attitude.

“How was the meeting? Is it over?”

“Luckily, yes. You have no idea how boring it can be dealing with grown-up stuff.”

Sunset sighed, “Come on, Mom.”

“Fine, I called you to know if you wanted something in particular for dinner. I’m going to the mall now, so think quickly.”

“Uhm, Pizza?”

“Really?”

“Let me rephrase that. How about a pizza and movie night?”

“Sounds nice, are you sure you don’t have to study tonight?”

“My worst grade on the report is ‘A’.”

“You convinced me.”

“Also, I baked some cake in the afternoon.”

“I love you so much!”

“Thanks, Mom, totally not embarrassing to hear at my age.”

“What can I do? My daughter is so lovable.”

“Mom, stop it.”

Sunset could hear her mother giggling on the other side of the call. She couldn’t help but chuckle too.

“I’ll be there soon, little Sunshine.”

“I’ll wait, ciao.”

Sunset and Fluttershy were eating dinner in the living room when Mr. and Mrs. Shy arrived back home, carrying heavy backpacks from the camping. Fluttershy immediately greeted her parents happily, then both of them gasped as they saw Sunset’s black eye. The latter had removed her eyepatch before, in order to eat more comfortably.

“Goodness, dear. What happened to you?” asked Mr. Shy.

Sunset opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out of it as she gave a thoughtful look to Fluttershy. Her expression went flat for a moment, then she looked down and started to speak quietly.

“It… it was my fault. I know how much Fluttershy hates to find the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher.” As Mr. and Mrs. Shy looked at her bewildered, Sunset let out a sniff. “I should have been more careful.”

Fluttershy looked at her confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, eh.” Sunset turned her gaze away. “N-nothing?”

Fluttershy kept spinning her head between her girlfriend, who was suddenly acting like she was afraid of her, and her parents, who were now looking at her with incredulous eyes. When she understood what Sunset was doing, Fluttershy gave her a stern look.

At that point, Sunset snickered.

“That wasn’t funny,” said Fluttershy with a lecturing tone, as her parents breathed loudly in relief.

Mrs. Shy came nearer the table while her husband was bringing all the bags upstairs. She took a seat beside her daughter and said, “Please dear, I know you meant no harm but try to not scare us like that.”

Fluttershy quickly turned her head towards her mother. “Mom, don’t tell me you actually believed her.”

Mrs. Shy looked down embarrassed. “Um, not really. But she acted very well.”

“Haha, at least I know I’m still good at pretending.”

Slightly annoyed, Fluttershy gathered her flatware and went to the kitchen, leaving the other ladies behind. As soon as she was far enough, Mrs. Shy lowered her voice in order to not be heard. “You were pretending, right?”

Sunset thought about it for a moment, then she whispered something in Mrs. Shy’s ear.

As Fluttershy was coming back from the kitchen, Mrs. Shy raised her voice a little, sounding somewhat high pitched. “Uhm, so. Ahem, of course, it was a fun joke.” She couldn’t help but speak with a funny smile. “Besides, you would have been more subtle otherwise. You could use a wink or something like that.”

Making sure that Fluttershy was watching, Sunset winked two times at the elder woman, who gasped putting a hand over her heart.

“My baby, how could you?” Mrs. Shy spoke with the best indignant tone that she could muster, but her inability to look directly at Fluttershy betrayed her. She realized that as she saw the deadpanned look from her daughter. “I’m sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile, “she convinced me it would have been fun.”

Ignoring the laughs from her girlfriend, Fluttershy gathered the remaining flatwares and went back to the kitchen once again, instantly followed by Sunset. The former started to talk while filling the dishwasher. “I resent knowing that you think I could ever lay a finger on you.”

“Interesting choice of words,” said Sunset before kneeling closer. Then she whispered slowly and in a low tone added, “because I remember you laying more than a finger on me.”

Fluttershy didn’t reply, she just blushed madly as Sunset’s face was just an inch away from hers.

“Speaking of which,” continued Sunset, “do we share the bed tonight?”

2 - Other cheek

“Ouch!”

“Sorry...”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy, really. It’s just… a little sore.”

“But… it looks like it really hurts.”

“I’m a big girl, I can take it.”

“Okay…”

“Ouch… No, don’t stop.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. Just… try to be a little more gentle with those fingers.”

“It’s hard, my fingertips are too soggy to feel anything.”

“OUCH! You poked right on the bulge!”

Fluttershy flinched with a frightened and sad expression. A tiny squeal that resembled a whine came out from her mouth.

Sunset had to backpedal quickly. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.” She accompanied her words with actions, raising up a hand to Fluttershy’s cheek. Then, she started caressing her gently.

Feeling reassured, Fluttershy said, “Um, you are not angry?”

“Could I ever be mad at the sweetest girlfriend in two universes?”

Fluttershy looked down at Sunset, who was sitting on the bed, and enjoyed her affection for several seconds. She kept smiling at her with tenderness as Sunset’s hand kept releasing love.

“So,” she said quietly, “shall I go on?”

Sunset darted her gaze away before she managed to smile sheepishly. “Actually, let’s see how it looks, first .”

Fluttershy put the foundation cream away and grabbed a little mirror from her nightstand. She placed it between her and Sunset in order to allow the former to see her black eye. “It isn’t so bad now,” said Fluttershy, in an encouraging attempt.

Sunset sighed as she was spinning her head to check better on her left eye. It was still swollen, even with the makeup, but the dark color was almost completely hidden at least. Almost.

“I look awful.”

“That’s not true,” stated Fluttershy with vehemence, “you are beautiful.”

For a moment, Sunset wanted to talk back. Instead, she found herself rolling her eyes and lifting her pout to a little smile. Who was she to doubt Fluttershy, anyway?

“But we still can’t let you go out like this. Rarity would say it’s a crime against fashion.”

As Fluttershy resumed to coloring her face, Sunset smirked playfully. “What’s the matter? I already have the girlfriend.” She also tried to wink at Fluttershy, but it didn’t really work since she had one eye already closed.

“I’ll end up poking you again if you don’t stop moving,” said Fluttershy in a flat tone. “Nevertheless, the others feel bad already. Let’s try to not gather more wood on the fire.”

“Seriously? They feel bad?” Sunset hissed from the pain. By speaking, she had made an expression so bewildered that her left eye stung again. “You said that they were sorry and wanted to see me. I didn’t want them to feel guilty.”

“Well,” said Fluttershy, “if you want to know how it went...”

***

Fluttershy was walking to the Sugarcube Corner at a slow pace. All of her friends had texted her in the morning, worried about her situation. They still didn’t know how she had managed to deal with Sunset, they didn’t know that the girl they saw kissing a boy at the bus station wasn’t her girlfriend. Explaining everything would have been very confusing and, most likely, awkward.

She had to tell them that everything wasn’t what it looked like and then fix that misunderstanding.

However, she was too nervous to decide what to say, exactly.

Fluttershy approached the bakery where she was supposed to meet with her friends. Passing by the window she saw them sitting at the usual table, talking to each other while waiting for her. After a moment of relief, she felt a sudden burst of anger as she spotted a bunch of rainbow hair.

Her nervousness forgotten, Fluttershy entered the Sugarcube Corner without hesitation.

“Be careful, girls. Fluttershy should arrive any moment now and we have to cheer her up. Don’t do anything to remind her of the filthy cheater.”

“I’m not quite sure, Rainbow dear. I don’t think we should avoid the problem.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her friends sternly. “Rarity, if I know my old friend Fluttershy then you can bet that her heart right now is shattered. We have to be the most cheerful as possible and remind her that she still has us to count on.” Keeping her serious face, she turned towards Pinkie Pie. “I’m especially counting on you for this.”

Pinkie Pie nodded with resolution, then marked two black lines under her eyes. “I’m going to make her smile,” she said with a hard voice.

Rainbow Dash looked around her one last time, making sure that every girl at the table was filled with determination. “Alright then, prepare to receive and comfort a heartbroken fountain of sadness and despair. I want your best game!” Just as she finished her speech, Fluttershy sat near Rarity while glaring at Rainbow Dash.

All the girls went silent seeing her like this, surprised by the face she was wearing. They simply had never seen such a hard expression on her. Confused, they all exchanged quick looks, as if speaking in some sort of code.

Since Fluttershy didn’t look like she was going to say or do anything, they decided to go with the original plan raising questions like: How are you? Isn’t this a lovely day? Aren’t you happy to be with us? Do you know that your hair looks splendid today? What do you want to eat? Do you feel better than yesterday?.

Fluttershy answered the last question without moving or breaking the eye contact with Rainbow Dash. “I’m feeling much better than yesterday, thanks.”

At that, silence fell once again upon the table. Fluttershy had just used a voice so assertive like none of the girls was used to hearing from her. Rainbow Dash especially started to feel at unease, asking herself if Fluttershy was staring at her. All the others were sharing the same question.

“So, uh,” started Rainbow Dash, “I guess you moved on then.”

“Hm-hm,” hummed Fluttershy to confirm.

“Did you… face Sunset, maybe?”

“I did.”

“Oh.” Rainbow looked down, finally understanding why Fluttershy looked so peeved. She leaned on the table, putting her hand forward to let her friend reach it. Then she looked at Fluttershy in the eyes, with true sorrow, and talked, “I know it’s bad now, and believe me, I totally understand your anger. But the ocean is full of fishes and surely you’ll find a better girl than…”

“Still not single, Rainbow Dash.”

For a moment, confusion replaced the sorrows in Rainbow’s eyes, only to be replaced by disbelief right after. “Wait, didn’t you break up with her?”

For the first time since she walked in, Fluttershy stopped watching intensely at Rainbow and lowered her gaze to the ground. “Actually, I did.” Just for a moment though. “But only until I met her, then I understood that she wasn’t…”

Rainbow Dash stood up and bumped the table, hard. “You can’t be serious!” she yelled, “After what she did to you, are you just going to forgive her?! What did she say? That she’s sorry and never going to do it again?! Because it’s getting repetitive, Fluttershy, remember the Fall Formal?”

Rainbow Dash’s outburst of rage scared Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity, making them jump on their seats. Usually, they would have interfered to stop such a display of vocal violence, but they were bounded by a shield made out of anger. And it wasn’t coming from Rainbow Dash.

“It wasn’t her,” said Fluttershy, with a firm but somehow also angry tone. She hadn’t yet let Rainbow get free of her stare.

After hearing that answer, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and massaged her forehead, sitting back on the bench. “Then she’s still lying,” she said, more to herself. “Unbelievable. Listen, Fluttershy, I know that what we saw yesterday was horrible, but we can’t pretend it was something else.”

“It wasn’t her!" repeated Fluttershy, raising her voice. “What we saw was –”

“Oh, oh!” Pinkie Pie interjected from the middle. “The human counterpart of Sunset that was born in this world which would totally make sense since your girlfriend comes from a mirror-world but that somehow we had never met before until yesterday for an odd force of events?”

Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie dumbfounded.

“Just a hunch,” explained then Pinkie, almost whispering.

Fluttershy stared back at Rainbow, “What we saw was just a girl very similar to Sunset.”

“Oh please, Fluttershy. She’s just playing you for a fool. Do you really believe her just because she went to you with a ‘likely’ story and tears in the eyes?”

“No, I believe her because I actually met the other Sunset Shimmer in the evening.”

Still not trusting, Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and gave a look of defiance. “Oh yeah? And how do you know it wasn’t still her, just pretending?”

This time, Fluttershy raised her voice to a shout. “Because the other Sunset didn’t have a black eye!”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to retort, but oddly she couldn’t find anything to say back. So she took a moment to actually elaborate what she had just heard. As she did, her eyes opened slightly. Then she understood the real reason why Fluttershy was angry. Also, she noticed the accusatory tone used in the last sentence.

While Rainbow Dash was searching for anything to say and Fluttershy was giving her the stare, Rarity spun fast the gears inside her head and fit the pieces together. As soon as she understood what Fluttershy was implying, Rarity gasped while also feeling a strong indignation and bright hope. She followed her indignation first.

“Rainbow Dash!" she roared, climbing on the table with her hands. “Did you punch Sunset?”

Rainbow Dash was bewildered. She had managed to anger the kindest and the most generous girls from their circle of friends. And they were very much frightening.

Taking the lack of response as a confirm, Rarity pointed a finger in the air and went on, “Schäm dich! You never, NEVER lay a finger on a lady! It doesn’t matter the circumstances. Only a brute would do something as despicable and mean as to violently impose on a proper lady, and a lady is what our Sunset is.”

Under pressure, Rainbow Dash went for the first escape that could think of. “But she was acting like a total biiii –”

Remembering about the other severe look she was receiving, Rainbow Dash realized that she couldn’t finish the phrase and still hope to live it down. So, while giving Fluttershy a pleading look, she continued as long as she could while thinking about an alternative escape route.

“– iii –” ‘crap,’ “– iii –” ‘crap,’ “– iii –” ‘crap,’...

“–eutiful pony who turned into a respectable person?” offered Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash mentally thanked Pinkie Pie for her assistance. “Yes, totally what I meant to say.”

Still, she wasn’t out of danger. Dash began sweating as she was frequently darting her watch from one angry girl to the other. Even if 'angry’ was probably an understatement. “Listen, I just thought –”

“You clearly didn’t,” retorted Rarity.

“It’s not my fault, I… I assumed… it looked like…”

“Ah apologize.”

Those may be the right words, but it wasn’t Rainbow Dash to speak them. Every girl sitting at the table looked at Applejack with surprise. The cowgirl had grabbed her hat with one hand and brought it down, over her chest. She had spoken with her tone low, her head and eyes were turned down.

“Ah’m sorry, sugar cube. It’s my fault. Ah knew that Rainbow Dash was angry and Ah went with her to see Sunset. Ah repeated to myself that Ah was goin’ just to keep her under reasonable terms, but Ah didn’t. Ah didn’t rightly interject even when it was obvious what was goin’ to happen. Again, Ah’m sorry, but Ah waited before steppin’ in.”

With her display of honesty, Applejack showed clearly that she meant everything she had just said and that she was feeling really bad about it, too. All the girls were touched by it. Most of all Rainbow Dash, who thought to be much more guilty than her friend.

Despite that, Fluttershy still wasn’t happy. “I asked you to not do anything yesterday. Yet you ignored me and went to see her, furthermore, you attacked her without even listening. You know I would have never wanted that.

“She was in real pain this morning. As she woke up, Sunset was so dizzy that she didn’t even have enough confidence to walk around the house straight. I had to let her rest at home in order to come and see you because someone had to tell you not to attack her again at the first sight.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were looking more and more beaten at every world, unable to give a real reply in their defense. For Pinkie, this was just painful to watch without interjecting. “Um, Fluttershy? We’re not getting a tad too carried, aren’t we?”

Rarity, who didn’t like to be ruthless even when she was on the right side, supported the question, “Fluttershy, darling, I think Pinkie Pie is right.”

Fluttershy exhaled from her nostrils. She wasn’t liking that either, so she went on and said one last thing, “I understand why you acted the way you did. Really, I do. And I’ll forgive you as soon as Sunset will. But I’ll never forget that you hurt my girlfriend." Fluttershy spun her head towards Rainbow Dash. “Especially you, Rainbow Dash.”

While the two girls silently agreed from the other side of the table, Rarity remembered that she had yet one other instinct to follow. Gasping, she turned to Fluttershy with a fearful but somehow hopeful face. “But, darling, does that mean… you and Sunset…”

Finally, Fluttershy ceased to stare angrily at Rainbow Dash and softened her look. She looked at Rarity, who was holding her breath in trepidation, and just then she outlined a smile. “She didn’t do anything wrong, and everything is ok now between us.”

Rarity felt tears climbing to her eyes as she tossed her arms around her friend. Seeing her happy between all the possible scenarios was just too idyllic. “That’s just wonderful! Ooh, Fluttershy, we were all so concerned for you. And to think that I was the one who pushed you two into your relationship. That thought killed the inspiration for all my works at the boutique. But knowing that you were dealing with so much worse, of course. And I’m so happy that we don’t have to kick Sunset out of our group.”

“Yep!" Chirped Pinkie Pie, who somehow appeared by the other side and was hugging Fluttershy too. “All I wanted to think about was how to make you happy but half of the time I ended thinking about how to take revenge on Sunset, and now I’ll have to prepare an apology cake for that. To think that I was going to cancel the surprise party that I already planned I can feel shivers climbing through my spine which is kinda funny because it tickles. Eheh.”

As Pinkie Pie kept on giggling, Fluttershy moved her head from one friend to the other, blushing and smiling heartily. She wanted to ask something to Pinkie Pie, “Um, Pinkie, which party are…”

“Hm–hm?” hummed Pinkie Pie, inviting her friend to continue. After a few seconds of unusual silence, though, she looked at her friends curiously. Not just Fluttershy, but all of the girls were now looking around the bakery with mouths flat and wide open eyes.

Spinning her head, Pinkie saw that all the usually-muttering patrons of Sugarcube Corner were looking at her table with great interest.

***

“Well, that was awkward,” commented Sunset, “and they were all watching you since Rainbow started yelling?”

“Probably,” answered Fluttershy in a defeated tone. “We didn’t really notice until the end, then we just went on our way out. What was I thinking, starting to quarrel in a public place?”

Sunset frowned her eyebrows. “To quote Rarity, you clearly didn’t. OUCH!”

“I’m sorry, were you saying?”

“Did you just poke me on purpose?”

“Did not.”

Sunset grumped. “I was just saying that you maybe got a little too carried away by your emotions. I’m flattered for what you did, really, but I don’t want you to fight with your friends.”

“Our friends,” Fluttershy interrupted her work to look at Sunset. The way her girlfriend’s tone had changed from annoyed to concerned during the last sentence affected her slightly. “And you shouldn’t worry about that. Besides, I simply had to lecture Rainbow Dash for what she did to you.”

“But I don’t want there to be any more hostility between you and them. Not just because you are best friends with the others, also because…”

Sunset looked down at her feet for a moment before finding the strength to pull out the words. “Also because I don’t want to lose any of you. You are –” Sunset blushed. “– sort of the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Sunset raised her gaze and saw that Fluttershy was looking intensively at her.

But Fluttershy was still, and her mouth was flat with only the hint of a smile.

Sunset couldn’t quite place that expression, and got a little worried. “Um, did I break you or...?”

Suddenly, Fluttershy interrupted her in the best way you could ever interrupt your girlfriend talking. After a long moment, their lips parted from each other and Sunset had still her eye opened for the surprise. Also, she was slightly blushing.

Fluttershy smiled. “Never felt better.”

Fluttershy and Sunset were sitting on the back seats of the car. They were joining hands while Mr. Shy was driving them to school.

Mr. Shy himself was very happy seeing her daughter so serene with her girlfriend. Yet, he couldn’t help but be a little curious and concerned about something, so he coughed to catch some attention. “A-hem. So, Sunset, I think you forgot to tell us what happened to you.”

Sunset was taken aback by that. “Oh, ” she said, tossing a quick glance to Fluttershy before smiling at Mr. Shy. “It... was just an accident, really.”

“Oh, well, it happens.” Mr. Shy wasn’t one to argue.

Finally, they arrived at CHS, where Sunset and Fluttershy were supposed to meet with their friends.

As she got off the car, Sunset stopped in front of the main entrance with a feeling of uneasiness. Keeping her watch over the building, Sunset searched for Fluttershy’s hand.

Understanding her girlfriend, Fluttershy held her tight. “Don’t worry, Sunset, I already explained them everything.”

“I know,” replied Sunset, finally looking at her, “I’m just a little nervous.”

“It’s ok.” Fluttershy started to carry Sunset towards the front doors. “You know, I get nervous too, from time to time.”

Sunset looked at Fluttershy wryly. “Wow, for real?”

Fluttershy didn’t fail to notice the sarcasm, which didn’t amuse her. “Ok, I was going to tell you my secret for fighting the nervousness, but now you can forget it.”

Sunset laughed playfully at that reaction. “Oh, come on. I was just –”

“SUUUNSEEET!”

Whoever has found himself in a ‘fight or flight’ situation has probably experienced how the body reacts to danger by shooting a dose of epinephrine in our veins. For those who don’t, know that it’s quite difficult to picture with words the surreal clarity that you muster, while time itself expands for you to fully understand the danger you’re facing.

Which is how Sunset’s perception dilated, as she found herself right next to a frightening and crazily-fast shot Pinkie Pie, for what she could have sworn was an hour while everybody else just saw a pink blur overwhelm her.

“Oof.” Sunset felt herself lose all the air in her lungs as an iron grip crushed around her sides. Then she rolled away on the ground for a few yards until a grinning Pinkie Pie emerged, astride upon her.

“Hi! I was so happy to see you and Fluttershy joining hands that for a moment I thought to let you be, but then I thought ‘I should totally go and tell Sunset how much we all love her after what happened this weekend’ so here I am. We all love you a lot Sunset.” Pinkie Pie ended her statement with a large bright grin. Like, really really large.

“Love hurts,” Sunset managed to say, after she regained some air.

“So will I if Pinkie doesn’t stop shoving your jacket on the grass.”

Both Sunset and Pinkie Pie looked up and found an amused Rarity, standing tall over them. She helped Sunset to get up as soon as Pinkie Pie moved over.

“Thanks, Rare.” Sunset turned to the latest arrival with a smile, and she felt the soft palm of the latter leaning over her face. In front of her, Rarity was looking with concern at the closed eye.

After a close examination, Rarity caressed Sunset’s cheek in an attempt to console. “Aw, poor thing, Rainbow got you good.”

Sunset giggled, at least to reassure Rarity. “Naw, it isn’t that bad.” Then she winced feeling somebody hugging her gently but tight from behind.

Spinning her head, Sunset saw Fluttershy’s face over her shoulder. Her girl was blushing lightly and had her cheeks puffed like a baby. “Aww, are you jealous?” asked Sunset with a smirk.

Fluttershy looked down, as she blushed and puffed her cheeks even more, causing hilarity for all the other girls.

“Isn’t she cute?” Asked Rarity, before catching the figure of the two remaining girls of the group.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash approached the others with a hesitant pace.

When they were close enough, Applejack moved forward and looked rightly at Sunset. “Sunset, can’t tell you how sorry Ah am. Bless your heart, Ah swear Ah have no idea what got into me on the other day.”

“Applejack, it’s all right.”

“It ain’t alright, sugarcube. Ah treated you terribly and –”

“That’s not true.”

“It is! We shouldn’t have gone to meet you in the first place. And we were so mad that we didn’t permit you to spit your version.”

Sunset bit her cheek, unsure how to proceed. Applejack was feeling bad about Saturday, clearly, and she was way too stubborn to live it down easily. “Applejack, I just want to leave behind what happened so, whatever you think you did wrong, I forgive you.”

Applejack was about to complain, but Sunset raised her arms open for her. After a last timid glance between Sunset and Fluttershy, Applejack went for it and accepted the hug.

However, Sunset was impressed by the strength of Applejack’s feelings. Thinking back on Saturday, she recognized that Applejack had let herself be driven by the anger, indeed. There had been even a moment when Sunset feared that Applejack would have hit her. She had no idea that her cowgirl friend could have such an emotive side, but maybe it was just the thought of Fluttershy in tears that pushed Applejack.

Putting her thought aside, Sunset was happy to see a smile on Applejack’s face as they broke the hug. ‘One down,’ she thought as she turned towards number two.

Rainbow Dash was standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She returned the glance to Sunset and frowned slightly. While every girl watched her expectantly, Rainbow Dash tried the words inside her head, ‘Sunset I'm so sorry.’ Then she looked down and stayed silent.

Rainbow Dash heard Applejack calling her name, her friend wanted to end this story now and, for that, they needed an apology from her. Rainbow Dash just pointed her gaze away, keeping her mouth shut. She knew, ok? She knew she messed up. But this wasn’t fair. She was just trying to be a good friend, what was supposed to do after seeing Fluttershy so hurt? She had to do something! How was it even possible that she only made things worse? And why couldn’t she just mutter an apology and move on? She felt the guilt, she couldn’t even stand to look her friends in the eyes for the pain might as well apologize. It wasn’t fair.

Rainbow Dash didn’t know it, but she just didn’t want to admit that she had hurt one of her dearest friends. Well, Sunset too, but mostly Fluttershy.

So she just remained silent, while all of her friends were judging and criticizing her, for sure. She didn’t even have to look at them to know how mad they were. She didn’t want to see them, at all.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, Rainbow Dash felt something light on her shoulder. It was a yellow hand, and it belonged to Sunset Shimmer who was nervously smiling at her.

“So... uh, I heard that the new album of Countess Coloratura just came out, and I really wanted to add it on my playlists.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her puzzled, what was Sunset doing?

“Waaanna help me download it in the free and unlawful way?” proposed Sunset in a very accomplice tone. “We can even use the computer from the library.”

Was she...? For real? Rainbow Dash quickly glanced at all the other friends, and none of them looked angry. Not even Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash put on a confident smile. “Yeah, whatever. Hey.” Then she wrapped her arm around Sunset’s shoulder, dragging her inside the school. “By the way, that new necklace is awesome. Where did you get it?”

“Oh.” Sunset looked down, under her chin. There hung a small pendant with a heart shaped crystal gem in the middle. “It’s a gift from Fluttershy, for our six months anniversary.”

From behind, Applejack scoffed. “Ain’t an anniversary supposed to be celebrated once in a year? Owie!”

Rarity had pinched her cheek with lecturing eyes.

Pinkie Pie chirped. “That’s so sweet but aren’t you a couple of days early?”

“We kinda had a moment,” said Sunset, thinking back on Saturday evening.

“So, uh, anyway. I was wondering something,” said Rainbow Dash, “Pinkie Pie said that... ya know, this other girl...”

“My human counterpart from this world,” replied Sunset, matter-of-factly. “Yes, Pinkie Pie is right. But we have to go to class now so we should talk about it later.” As she said so, Sunset freed herself from Rainbow’s arm and moved away for a couple of steps. Then she stopped and offered her hand backward.

Fluttershy quickly grasped the hand, and the two of them went their way through the halls of the school.

Once they got away from the girls and their regards, Fluttershy noticed that something was wrong with Sunset. As she came closer, Fluttershy saw that Sunset was crying. Fluttershy gasped, then she dragged Sunset into a dark hallway. “Love, what’s wrong?”

Sunset raised a hand to wipe away her tears. “Sorry, it’s just,” she managed to say, removing her palm, “that I’m so happy.”

Only then, Fluttershy noticed that Sunset had a bright smile under her tears.

“You’ll think this is silly, but I always had a hard time considering myself on the same plane with you and the girls. When we all started to hang out, I was just the problematic girl with a lot of issues who had just tried to rule over the school becoming a she-demon. At first, I used to believe that you and the others were just pitying me, it took me awhile to understand how friendship really worked. Even then, I felt like I didn’t deserve you, or I doubted that we were truly friends because you were always ready to forgive me. I knew it wasn’t like that, I’ve known for a while now, but the doubt remained.”

Another tear fell over her cheek, and Sunset was quick to wipe it away. “And now, seeing how all of you reacted these days, somehow I feel like this proves my doubts wrong. I feel like I was even with you. I haven’t felt a similar emotion since... since...”

Fluttershy had never let Sunset’s left hand for all their time there. She was touched by that display, a little sad because of the burdens of her girlfriend, and immensely happy for her for having surpassed them. “...Since Celestia adopted you?”

Sunset opened her eye wide, taken aback by that comparison. “Um, I wouldn’t call that an adoption, but yeah.” She scratched her head, slightly embarrassed, as she spoke.

Fluttershy giggled, amused by the softer side of her girlfriend. Sunset wasn’t the kind of girl who liked to show it too often. Fluttershy wanted to say something to reassure her. Instead, she yelped as she was moved over by her hands.

“Sappy time is over. Let’s go.”

“But... but we were having a moment!” whined Fluttershy.

“Yeah, You’d better not get used to seeing this girl crying.”

“But it was beautiful!”

Holding Fluttershy tight, Sunset giggled and kept her pace. Her mind was in one other place, though, since a memory from the last months had suddenly surfaced in front of her eyes, triggered by the word ‘adoption’. It was one specific afternoon...

***

Foals Karring was trying not to fall asleep on the desk. Drinking another sip from her cup of coffee she considered, for the innumerable time, how bad it was to grow old. Just twenty, no, even just ten years before she would have been able to do the active job of taking care of the children at the Tomorrow’s Smiles, without getting tired until evening. And now here she was, already getting sleepy after being only a few hours behind the desk.

She didn’t complain, though, she was happy to lend some help to the orphans with the community work, even if it had a terrible hours payment ratio. But Karry didn’t mind. What she gained from those hours were the little satisfactions with the kids and a better image of herself.

That didn’t help her tiredness, though.

Her new co-workers proposed for her to take care of the desk and paperwork when they thought that she was getting too old for dealing with the kids, but she had the impression that sitting still all the time was just as tiring.

Karry got back to the only activity she had left, tapping over her mug while waiting for new families to enter the building. Much to her boredom, nobody had come during that day.

“Um, hello?”

Foals Karring almost jumped up for the surprise. She hadn’t noticed the young woman entering and approaching her until she spoke.

“Sorry, dear, I haven’t heard you enter.”

“Well, I’m sorry for spooking you, I guess.”

Karry smiled at the girl in front of her. She was very nice, with green water eyes and long hair of two colors. Red and yellow, just like the sunset. She was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and she was rubbing her arm while biting her cheek. From her wry smile, Kerry could tell that the girl in front of her was quite nervous.

“No problem, dear. Now, I think you should tell me why you came in.”

“Yeah, sorry. It’s just... a little embarrassing.”

“I can try to guess if you want.”

The girl probably didn’t, but she was too nervous for just blurt out the reason of her visit. Therefore, Karry started.

“Let’s see, you still aren’t of age to adopt a baby right now. And you’re far too young to come here for any working business.” The girl in front of her just kept nodding slightly. “My first shot is that you’re looking for a possible accommodation for the baby you’re going to have between nine months.”

At that point, the pupils of the youngling shrank. “What! No! I’m not even into...” She left the line hanging, bowing her head and blushing.

“Aw, well. Then I can hope that you’re coming back here after you find a pretty wife. We’re always looking for good homes for our children.”

The girl blushed even more.

“I should just say why I’m here.”

“I agree.”

“You see, actually, I recently had a... talk with my parents. They told me that I’m not the flesh of their flesh.”

“Oh,” muttered Karry, starting to get a picture. “Everything is alright I hope.”

“Of course. Don’t you worry, it’s just peachy.” The girl smiled, trying to look reassuring. “It’s just that I couldn’t help but have some questions, and my parents couldn’t answer all of them. So... I was hoping...”

“Say no more. Your situation is unusual, but you’re not the first to come here searching in the past. Are you sure that your accommodation was here?”

“Pretty much. I remember my parents mentioning the ‘Tomorrow’s Smiles’ which is sort of the only orphanage in town.”

“Fair enough. And your name is?”

“Sunset Shimmer.”

Karry tapped on the keyboard of her tabletop, searching for any matches in their records. After a couple of attempts, she turned back to Sunset.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any Sunset Shimmer in our records.”

Sunset was clearly surprised. “A...are you sure?”

“Maybe your parents changed your name after taking you home?”

“That’s impossible. My name was embroidered inside my cradle.”

Karry gave Sunset a questioning look.

“Um, my parents did know a couple of things.”

“Well, then. I’m sure that you haven’t been registered in our archive between now and the last thirty years. Besides, I don’t quite remember any child with that name, myself.”

Sunset tapped on the desk with all the fingers of her hands, her eyes darting around the room. At last, she had to surrender in front of the evidence.

“I guess that’s all, then...”

“Wait,” Karry opened a drawer and pulled out a little notebook. “Please, write your phone number here. I can send a couple of e-mails to our affiliates in the region. If they have some data about you, I will call.”

Sunset scribbled her number on the paper and gave her thanks. After that, she moved to went outside. As she was walking through the door, she stopped for a couple of second. Then, she spun her waists to speak.

“Your name is Foals Karring, right?”

Karry was bewildered. Before answering, she quickly tried to remember if she had said her name. “Yes but... how did you...”

“It’s written on your plate.”

Karry quickly checked over her dress if she was carrying any nameplate, but found none. Before she raised her head again, Sunset Shimmer was gone.

3 - Other self

The door of the storage room shrieked faintly as a light layer of dust floated, carried by the air push. The light entering from the doorway was barely enough to see everything in the room.

Upon a trotting, a green-coated pony reached the only window of the room. She opened the shutter, allowing the sunshine to come inside and brighten the atmosphere. From the threshold, a smaller, yellow-coated pony was standing, hesitant but curious.

“You can come in, sweetheart,” said the elder pony with a gentle tone.

The little filly trotted in, spinning her head around in search of something. Finally, she locked her gaze over an object in the corner.

“Mrs. Karwing, is that it?”

The elder pony approached the filly and put a hoof over her head. Smiling, she nodded her head. “Also, please, I told you to call me Karry.”

The little pony looked up and returned the smile faintly. “Ok, Karwy,” she quietly said as she moved forward. In front of her, there was a white bassinet resting on the ground. She couldn’t quite reach it, though.

Instead, she gave an uncertain glance back to the other pony in the room. The little green eyes were mirroring several emotions that were storming too hard inside her at that moment, holding her back.

Karry frowned before smiling reassuringly at the little pony. “Take all the time you need. I’ll go checking on the other foals in the meantime. Call me when you want to leave.”

The filly waited to be alone before turning her head back to the cradle.

It was big enough to carry a newborn foal but also little enough to be carried by a pony. The design was smooth and regular, rich with ornaments. A visor arose to protect the occupant from the light. The colors were bright and the embroidery glowed faintly under the light.

The little filly couldn’t find any flaw in its appearance. She approached closer and then leaned over the edge of the object. It was indeed solid and had managed well against time as well. Only a layer of dust proved how long it had been rested unscathed. She touched everything she could inside the cradle: the blankets, the pillow, the strips of fabric, the engravings even. Everything was beautiful, labored with art. She also recognized that the fabrics were made out of silk.

Lastly, the little filly focused on the visor. There was a particular ribbon that she wanted to examine. Lifting it, she found what she was looking for. A name embroidered with gold in the tissue. Her name. Sunset Shimmer.

The little filly stared at the golden letters for a while, perfectly still and silent. Then, she let her hoof fall over her side as she turned her look down. Without realizing it, tears climbed up her eyes and fall over the fabrics.

Only when she heard the sound of approaching hooves the filly regained self-control. She quickly wiped her tears away and turned towards the door.

Walking in, there was the same pony of before. “You’ve been here for a while, now. I was starting to get worried.”

Karry went over the shutter in order to close it and didn’t notice that her smile hadn’t been returned. Not at all.

“Are you ready to come out?”

The little filly lurched forward, surpassing the elder pony. “Yes, Mrs. Karwing.”

“Please, I told you to call me Karry.”

The little filly narrowed her eyes, marching forward. “Whatever.”

Sunset Shimmer was glaring at the object behind the shop window. That thing couldn’t help but keep her mind on her unpleasant memory, like a broken disk.

“Love,” called Fluttershy by her side, with a whisper. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Sunset was keeping her eyes firm, and her answer had been quite hasty and sharp. “I just don’t like the brand.”

“How is that even possible?!” Rarity approached the couple in a blink. “C.A.R.T. Furniture proves commitment to quality with every piece of furniture they offer. The only thing you can say about their furnishings is that they are simply astonishing. Believe me when I say that the quality of the work is incommensurable –”

“Nope.”

“– And that every expense here only comes back adding some unique style to your home –”

“Nope.”

“– And I’ll be glad to bring you inside and prove it,” said Rarity as she walked with a confident smile towards the entrance. “As soon as Applejack here gently steps aside and allow us to get in.”

Applejack, who was blocking the door with her body, just stared deadpan at Rarity. “Nope.”

The two of them remained still for a long moment, then Rarity fell on her knees and joined her hands in front of her. She began crying, “Oh, ple-e-a-ase! Just look at those cradles behind the shop windows! I must have at least one!”

Every girl rolled her eyes at the usual display of drama from their queen. Each one with a different level of amusement.

“Rare, a couple of those cradles cost just as much as my pickup.”

Rarity stopped her whining and looked at her friend in confusion. “And your point is?”

“Ah could build ya a crib out of our apple trees by myself if you asked me!”

“Yes. And your point is?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “It would be practically free?”

Rarity took a couple of seconds to think about it. “I did say that they’re on sale, didn’t I?”

Applejack groaned as she let her shoulders fell. “Why do you need a crib, anyway? Ah’d say it’s soon for worryin’ about that.”

Finally, Rarity got back on her feet and started to move away from the expensive shop. “First, a dear friend of mine and of my family is getting married, and it would be a perfect gift. Second, I could buy it just in order to show it, so stylish as it is. Besides, who am I to say that I won't meet soon my beautiful price rich enough to support my career and at the same time…”

Rarity would have gone on and on with her ranting about her possible future conjugal life, but the flat look from Applejack told her how much she was willing to listen about it. Again.

Rarity scoffed and changed the subject. “Also, don’t you ever think about the day when we’re going to have babies?”

Applejack spun her head over Sunset and Fluttershy. They were looking at a new shop while holding each other. “Don’t think Ah have to.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothin’.”

Fluttershy and Sunset had moved to the front of the electronic shop. They were watching a TV cooking show, the episode was about how to make cookies.

Sunset stared at the snacks hungrily. “You know, those bran cookies looks very appealing.”

“Um, I could learn how to cook them if you want,” replied Fluttershy, leaning by her side.

Sunset looked Fluttershy with tenderness for a long moment, making her girlfriend blush. Aroused by the reaction, Sunset slid her left arm from Fluttershy’s waist to the shoulders, forcing her to come near. When there was just a thumb of air between them, the couple started to nuzzle their noses along.

While they were cuddling, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie came closer. Carrying a paper bag, the former caught Sunset’s attention.

“Here,” said Rainbow Dash, offering the little bag of paper. “Veggie burger with hot sauce, as you asked it.”

Sunset Shimmer quickly released her girlfriend to open the wrapper, licking her lips in anticipation. As soon as she caught a glimpse of bread and vegetables, she bit it off wildly. “I was starving,” she said between her moans.

“You really like that stuff, don’t you?” asked Rainbow Dash, who was eating a hot dog.

“Hm-hm, you should try one.”

“Naw thanks. I need proteins.”

“It’s not an attempt at conversion, you could try for once. Just for the taste.”

Rainbow Dash just pretended to puke as she watched her friend eating her burger. “How can you claim to like a hamburger with no ham in it?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Hamburgers are actually made with beef, so –”

“I was just kidding, Captain pedantic,” muttered Rainbow Dash. “Anyway, have you seen the other Sunset while Pinkie and I were at the burger shop?”

“Not yet, but she should arrive soon.” Sunset finished her snack and focused back to Fluttershy. “Spicy kiss?”

Fluttershy giggled.

*****

The day before, after having spent all the required hours in class, the Rainbooms were inside the music room of the school. They had reunited with joy, happily greeting one another as every single girl arrived. Once everybody was in, Sunset explained everything about her double to them.

“So, let me see if Ah got this rightly.” Applejack raised her hands in thought. “We have two universes. One is a universe full of pony and the other is full of humans. For every pony in the first universe, we have a human counterpart in the second one. So basically, if you consider the universes as systems, we have two congruent universes of inhabitants with an equivalent function.”

As she finished, Applejack noticed that all the girls were looking surprised at her. “What?” she asked.

“Sorry, it’s just...” said Rarity, trying to not sound offensive. “That was quite an odd phrasing from you.”

Applejack merely returned a bemused look. “Y’all remember that we’re attending school and that we have a math exam about polynomial functions tomorrow, right?”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes tight and clenched her teeth as her posture deflated. “I was trying not to.”

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes before turning towards Applejack. “Anyhow, you summed it up correctly. I still lack proof to support this theory, but it would explain a lot of parallelisms that I noticed between our worlds. Such as my other self, of course.”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “So, you’re saying that we can’t know for sure that the girl we saw was your interdimensional twin?”

She may have misunderstood, but Sunset didn’t like the tone of her friend. Therefore, she looked at Rainbow Dash with flat eyes.

Seeing the hard expression, Rainbow Dash lowered her watch and backpedaled. “I-I didn’t mean –”

Sunset diverged her sight. “Of course you didn’t.”

Feeling that the atmosphere in the room was getting heavier, Pinkie Pie thought to interject. “Sooooo” – Pinkie grabbed her phone, tapping on the buttons – “Fluttershy is the only one of us who met this girl, right?”

Sunset turned to her, smiling. “Yep.”

“Hmm, you know, I would really like to spend some time with another myself from another universe! That would be like –”

“– The end of reality as we know it?” asked Sunset.

“Actually, I was going to say ‘the end of the world’, but it was figurative speech. Do you think that a thing like that could happen, for real?”

Sunset smirked before answering. “In my case? I don’t know. In your case? Surely.”

If Pinkie Pie took any offense, she didn’t show at all. Instead, she giggled as she was fiddling with her cell phone.

“Also, I don’t think we’ll ever have the chance to meet her,” continued Sunset. “I’ve already searched her by myself when Twilight explained this theory to me, and I found nothing. I seriously doubt that any of you could do better than –”

“Found her!” announced loudly Pinkie Pie.

Sunset was dumbfounded. “How did you...?”

Pinkie Pie jumped happily towards her, as every girl came near. “She was on Faaaceeeboook,” sang Pinke.

Sunset’s face fell. “Oh.”

Pinkie Pie extended her phone so that everyone could see its display. It showed the profile page of a young girl very similar to Sunset. The only difference was her clothing. Instead of a leather jacket and boots, she was wearing a nice dress and sandals. The name of the page, though, was Shimmering Sunshine.

“It’s her!” exclaimed Fluttershy. “She’s exactly as I met her at the park. But she told me that her name was Sunset Shimmer...”

“She must have used a nickname here,” said Pinkie Pie. “That’s why I didn’t find her sooner.”

Sunset snickered. “Shimmering Sunshine? Really?”

“She looks so nice in those pictures!” said Rarity. “Her style is quite simple, though.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” said Rainbow Dash with impatience, “Text her and arrange a meeting for all.”

Sunset turned a suspicious glance to Rainbow Dash. “You look very eager to meet her.”

Rainbow Dash pointed her eyes away. “Oh, you know me. Always ready to jump into the action. In fact, ‘Ready’ is my middle name. Rainbow Ready Dash.”

“We should ask her to meet us all at the Crystal Mall!” said Pinkie Pie. “That should be easy for her, and we can go shopping that way!”

Rarity clapped her hands. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, darling.”

Fluttershy wrote the message on her phone. “Um, so, when should we meet?”

“Toda–”

“Tomorrow!” Applejack interrupted Rainbow Dash with sternness. “We all have to study this evening.”

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and especially Rainbow Dash grunted loudly.

After they finished talking, all the girls sent a friend request to Shimmering Sunshine and went back to practice. They played several songs for half an hour before taking a break.

Worn out but happy, Rainbow Dash put down her guitar. “I can feel that this one is gonna be a hit.”

Sunset snickered. “Hopefully, not in my face this time.”

The smile on Sunset’s lips quickly died as she saw that none of the girls was entertained. Rainbow Dash, especially, looked hurt. “…Too soon?”

As a response, Pinkie Pie inhaled loudly through her teeth as every other girl focused on anything else.

“Come on, I was just –”

Fluttershy’s surprised yelp cut her short. “She answered.”

“What did she say?” asked Sunset.

Fluttershy read the message aloud. “Hello, you’re the girl from Saturday at the White Tales, right? I just saw your profile and I would like to meet tomorrow. I think there’s something we have to discuss.”

“Well, that’s settled,” said Applejack, before turning towards Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie. “Now, what about y’all go home and study, for once? Ah bet that you need it.”

The same trio made a loud groan, but they didn’t complain. They all knew that there was no escape from the doom of every school student.

Luckily, Sunset saw an opportunity to cheer up everybody. “Hey, why don’t you come to my place? We can have a group study, and I can help you with the subject if anyone needs it.”

Pinkie’s face went from despair to excitement. “Uh, can we have a slumber party?”

“Only if you’re a good girl.”

“Yay!”

*****

So, here they were the day after. Waiting at the Crystal Mall for another Sunset Shimmer to show up. While the present Sunset was really trying to not be bothered by Rainbow’s impatience.

“There’s no need to climb over the lamp like it was a vedette. We’ll see her soon.”

“The sooner, the better,” replied Rainbow Dash, climbing down her view spot. “And why are you not excited? You’re going to meet another yourself, how cool is that?”

“Yes,” muttered Sunset. “I bet that’s the reason why you want to see us in the same place so badly.”

From her reaction, Sunset could easily tell that Rainbow Dash was upset by that statement. It only took her a moment for her to put on an annoyed expression. “That almost sounded like an accusation. Why, do you suspect something?”

Sunset, instead of being intimidated, narrowed her eyes. “Why, do you?”

Rainbow Dash was taken aback by that, so she just kept her silence. Luckily, they both noticed Fluttershy approaching. The girl had just run for the water fountain, almost crying.

Sunset was quick to turn her frown upside down as she turned towards her girlfriend. “I take it that you didn’t like the spicy kiss.”

Massaging her lips, Fluttershy just looked up and shook her head. Her eyes were moist, even.

“Aww –” Sunset took Fluttershy’s cheeks between her palms “– Don’t worry. I know it hurts now, but you’re going to like it soon.”

Despite the pain, Fluttershy looked firmly at her girlfriend in front of her. “Sunset!” she said with rebuke, her cheeks getting slightly red. She couldn’t keep her firm stare for long, though, snickering as she closed her eyes.

That was when Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie arrived in a hurry. “Girls, girls! The bus is coming!” said Pinkie with excitement.

The bus made its announced appearance, pulling out from the traffic and into the bus stop. Assuming that this was finally it, all the girls stood in front of it as the bus’ doors opened. A few passengers and a couple of teenagers got off. The Rainbooms focused on the couple, a boy and a girl.

The boy was tall, healthy, and good looking.

The girl was wearing a dress with sandals and had a yellow skin, with green eyes and bacon-colored hair.

Nobody from the two groups spoke. They just spotted each other, and then they all pondered in silence for a while as other persons went along the walkway.

…

Sunset stepped forward to make the needed presentations, but the girl who was her spitting image raised a palm to stop her.

“Hold on, let me try one.” The new girl with a dress pointed at Fluttershy and Sunset. “I saw your Facebook pages, and it’s written that you two are in a relationship. Is that right?”

The two involved girls nodded their heads.

“Good for you. How long?”

Sunset used one arm to hug Fluttershy over her shoulders before answering. “Exactly six months today.”

The girl in a dress chuckled. “How cute. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but the last Saturday I and my boyfriend Bobby here” – Bobby, with ‘unsure what to do’ written on his face, waved his hand uncertainly – “were hanging out, and I think that your girlfriend saw us. She must have mistaken me for you because I heard her arguing with her boyf– girlfriend, which is you, later in the evening. I approached her after she dumped you on the phone and then we talked. Judging by the way she ran away, I assume that she figured everything out and went straight to you. And… I hope that you two sorted everything out?”

Sunset gave a happy nod, reassuring the girl in front of her.

“Glad to know. Lastly, I guess that you searched a little around for me to close this story. Found me on Facebook, sent a request and here we are.” The new girl crossed her arms with a smug smile. “How did I do?”

“Brilliant,” replied Sunset, with a similar expression.

“How did she do that?” asked Pinkie Pie, whispering to Rarity’s ear.

Rarity couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Maybe it was just a hunch?”

As Pinkie glared at Rarity intensely, the new girl spun on her feet and raised her open hand in front of his boyfriend. When she began rubbing her thumb against the other fingers, he pulled off twenty bucks from his wallet and surrendered them, reluctantly. She took them displaying her tongue and a teasing smile.

“What was that for?” asked Sunset.

Her counterpart turned towards her happily. “I thought up this story yesterday when you all sent me a friendship request. When I told him my theory and everything about it, he just shrugged it off as unlikely and went on with his reconstruction of events. By his judgment, I had a stalker who posted photoshopped images of me on a fake account or something like that.”

“You shouldn’t take that stuff so lightly,” murmured Bobby.

“Speaking of which,” resumed she, barely listening to him, “your name is seriously Sunset Shimmer?”

“Ya-ha.”

“Wow.”

Rainbow Dash spoke from Sunset’s side. “And so is yours?”

“Yep. What are the odds?”

Sunset chuckled but said nothing. It would have been too long for explaining about a magic mirror-portal that led to a parallel universe and so on.

“Hey,” said the new Sunset. “Why don’t we grab a milkshake or something? My treat for making you cry, Fluttershy right?”

Sunset and Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically, and the former answered, “Sure.” Then she turned towards her friends. “Are you in?”

All her friend looked in different directions, except for Rarity who stepped in. “Truly sorry, darling, but it’s running quite late. We should all take care of... other things.” She then presented a big smile for her friend.

Something seemed odd, but Sunset shrugged off the thought. She turned back towards Fluttershy and the other couple. “Well, it’s going to be the four of us, then.”

So, the three girls and the boy walked towards the nearest café. Fluttershy, from the left side, said, “Um, Sunset, –”

Both Sunset turned over and replied at the same time. ““Yes?””

The group stopped to watch the girls in the middle. Everybody, Sunset included, had a confused look.

“– How do we distinguish you?” concluded Fluttershy.

““Well –””

Bobby snorted as the two Sunset stared oddly at each other once again. As his girlfriend looked at him to scold him, Sunset talked.

“Please, you first.”

The other Sunset recollected herself. “I was thinking that you could call me Shimmy. If that’s ok with you.”

Sunset said teasingly, “Sure. Way better than Shimmering Sunshine.”

Shimmy winced, then she rolled her eyes. “Let’s start with something else...”

Bobby took a sip from his milkshake before talking. “Favorite subject.”

The answer came in sync. ““Everything connected with scientific research.””

Fluttershy’s turn. “Favorite Pop-star?”

““Countess Coloratura!””

Bobby’s turn. “If you were to bring your boyfriend –”

Sunset coughed.

“– your partner to see a movie, which genre would you pick?”

““Horror!””

“Why so?”

“This way, she can hug me tight.”

“This way, I can hug him tight.”

Both Sunset looked each other with wide eyes. Then, Sunset smirked as Shimmy blushed.

“And that confirms that I’m the manlier here.”

Bobby Hard coughed.

“Don’t worry, it was between the girls,” added Sunset, rolling her eyes.

Reassured, Bobby focused back on his milkshake as every girl was giggling.

They had been doing this game for a while. Fluttershy and Bobby made the questions to the two Sunset just to test if they would have answered in the same way. Until then, the similarity was astonishing.

Fluttershy thought of another question. “What’s your favorite dinosaur?”

““Pterodactyl!””

Bobby’s turn. “Favorite food?”

“Veggie burgers!”

“Pizza!”

The two twins looked at each other again, this time with shock. For the first time, their answers were different and out of sync.

“Aw, we were this close to becoming best friends...”

“I know,” continued Shimmy with a shrug. “However, having learned of such an abyssal difference between us, I see no other choice but depart and never talk each other again.”

“I find myself forced to agree.”

They kept a firm face for a short while before burst out laughing.

“I have to say, though,” said Bobby Hard, “I’m surprised that the two of you are getting along so well.”

His girlfriend turned towards him puzzled. “Why so?”

“Remember the other day? When you dragged me into the museum for the night? There was a girl who had your same dress and you immediately went angry with her.”

“I did not.”

“You called her ‘despicable little thief of style’.”

“I didn’t do that in her face,” she objected. “And she should have worn another dress.”

“And yet, here you are fraternizing with with your identical twin.”

Shimmy looked up to him, without understanding. “This is different.”

“How?”

“For starters, she’s not wearing my dress.”

“That’s practically the only difference between you two!”

The girls at the table giggled again.

Bobby supported his forehead with the palm of his right hand. “Girls are so confusing.”

“Well, how would you react if you met a guy dressed up just like you?”

Bobby looked up and frowned in thought for a few seconds. Then he relaxed his eyebrows and answered with simplicity. “I would compliment to him, first, and then I would ask him to become my bro.”

All the girls looked bemused to him. “Seriously?” asked Shimmy.

“Honestly, I can’t picture it any different.”

Sunset chuckled and said, “I know that this will sound narcissistic, but I never had a better first impression.” Immediately after, Sunset opened her eyes wide and turned towards her girlfriend with an apologetic smile. “Second to you, of course.”

Fluttershy pouted and looked away from her girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Shimmy looked up to her booby boy, who was watching her expectantly. Her face went flat as she answered with a casual tone. “Meh, you lost the golden cup for sure.”

Bobby winced, taken aback. Then he pouted and looked away from his girlfriend too.

Both Sunset stared at each other for an instant before smirking. At the same time, they leaned closer to their respective partners and used their ultimate weapon: a big peck on the cheek.

Bobby and Fluttershy’s pouts disappeared as their faces slowly blushed. Sunset and Shimmy found it hilarious.

“I’m not sure how to feel about seeing my girlfriend’s twin kissing another girl,” said Bobby.

“It is a little awkward,” agreed Fluttershy.

Still laughing, Sunset said, “Why didn’t I find you sooner?”

“Well, you should have been looking for me first,” answered Shimmy jokingly.

Shimmy didn’t notice that Sunset almost choke herself with her milkshake after hearing that. As she resumed to breathe, Sunset glanced around with a different kind of laugh. “Eh… hehe, Yeah... I meant I wish I found you sooner. Because we’re having so much fun.”

Then she took another sip from her milkshake to relax. That worked, and a thought came to her mind. “Speaking of which, I have a question, Shimmy.”

“Shoot.”

“You live nearby, right?”

“Yeah, in this area.”

“But why don’t you go to the CHS, then?”

“Eh,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I wanted to, at least I would have taken a shorter route every day to school, but my mother is the principal there and she has to be completely professional in the workplace.”

“Wait, your mother?”

“Yep, my mom is Principal Celestia.”

Sunset kept a dumbfounded face for a long moment, then she relaxed and smiled as she thought to understand. “Oh, I see. She adopted you.”

Shimmy shook her head sheepishly. “Uh, no. I’m pretty sure she’s my real mother.”

Sunset’s smile went flat as she opened her eyes wider every second. By her side, Fluttershy darted her look between the two Sunset with obvious concern.

Shimmy rolled her eyes and put on a sympathetic smile. It looked like she already had this conversation. “Yeah, I know. Teachers actually have a private life, family included. Shocking discovery.”

Sunset barely heard her. She barely heard anything.

Everything around her suddenly became duller.

She sensed it darker, and more distant.

She didn’t even care. Sunset didn’t even think it was strange.

Her mind had completely stopped. She had nailed her focus on a single matter. A little, simple thing. Something which you can talk about at the coffé with a stranger without even thinking too much about it.

She felt her right hand grasping her left arm. Weird, she didn’t want to move.

She just wanted to think about... it. About that little concern. It was no biggie. I wasn’t even possible. Was it?

Sunset felt herself trembling as she started to breathe louder.

She couldn’t... Could she...?

The melodic voice of Fluttershy singing pierced Sunset’s state of confusion. It was coming from her phone. Sunset had once recorded Fluttershy while she was performing a song for her, and then she had set the song as her ringtone in an attempt to give her girlfriend more confidence about her skills.

Besides, every time that her phone played her voice in public Fluttershy got red as a tomato, and it was hilarious. Then everybody went to Fluttershy, praising her singing skills and covering her with compliments, which was adorable.

That time, the song helped Sunset to calm down as she picked up the phone and checked the caller. It was Fluttershy. Sunset understood the message immediately.

She quickly stood up, using her arm to support herself on the table. She put a big fake smile. “S- sorry, this is important.”

Shimmy and Bobby looked at her confused and a little concerned. “Are you feeling good?” asked she.

“Y- yes, it’s just –” Sunset stepped back, shaking a little on her knees “– I really have to take this one. Sorry.” Sunset turned around and went straight for the door, Fluttershy following her.

When Sunset went outside, she moved a meter on her right and leaned over the wall. Fluttershy was by her side just a moment later.

“Sunset?”

Sunset said nothing for a short while. She also did nothing. She just kept staring forward.

In the end, she spoke with a firm and flat tone. “Go inside and tell them that we have to go.”

Fluttershy patted Sunset’s shoulder, giving her a final touch, then she went inside. She approached their new couple of friends with her head bowed. “Um, sorry...”

“Is everything alright?” asked Shimmy with evident worry.

“Oh, d- don’t worry it’s just... um, it’s getting late and we have to leave now.”

Shimmy looked unsure but said nothing.

“We really liked the company, though. And we would love to see you again sometimes,” added Fluttershy quickly.

“Yes, of course!” replied Shimmy with a half smile.

After the final greetings, Fluttershy made her way back. Once she was outside, Fluttershy looked for Sunset at the same spot where she left her.

Sunset wasn’t there.

Fluttershy felt a clench over her heart and her lungs being deprived of air as she searched around for her girlfriend.

Luckily, she found Sunset after a few seconds. The latter was slowly walking on the walkway, direct towards her apartment.

Fluttershy ran after her, but she didn’t dare to surpass her or to reach her side. So she just walked behind her. They both walked in silence for the streets of the town.

After a while, Fluttershy spoke.

“Sunset?”

No response.

“Um, Love, how are you feeling?”

“Great.”

Fluttershy flinched like she had just got a slap. Sunset hadn’t spoke with that tone since...

...since a long time.

“Fascinating, aren’t they,” said Sunset, using a detached tone. “The little few differences between me and my counterpart?”

Fluttershy was scared. “Um, can we talk about it?”

“About what? There’s nothing we have to talk about.”

“B- but… Sunset, if her mother is indeed Principal Celestia, then your mom –”

“Then nothing!” Sunset didn’t turn, but her anger was clear by the tone of her shout. “Now quit this nonsense that you’re babbling.”

Fluttershy knew that Sunset wasn’t lucid at the moment, but that didn’t make the words less painful. She felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Fluttershy wanted to cry.

As the sun was coming down, Sunset and Fluttershy reached the apartment. While she was going on the stairs, and still without turning around, Sunset talked, “You should go home, it’s getting late.”

Fluttershy refused.

“Honestly, Fluttershy,” said an exasperated Sunset, while unlocking the front door, “this is just a big –”

“““SURPRISE!”””

5 - Other world part 1

Wednesday, 7:30 am.

“Blessings, and good awakening, brothers and sisters. I hope you feel groovy today. As every morning, I’m now going to sing a sonic bliss to help you starting your day at peace, and put your senses at ease.

“Ommmm. Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!

“Ommmm. Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!”

Click.

Fluttershy retrieved her hand from the radio and rubbed her eyes with one palm as she awoke. Usually, she would have stayed in bed for a few more minutes, relaxing and listening Tree Hugger’s morning transmission, but she was too agitated that day. All of her thoughts went to Sunset the same moment she opened her eyes.

No, her image was already in Fluttershy’s mind even before she could lift her eyelids. Maybe even before she was awake. She was that much worried after the events of the last day.

Feeling an urgent need, Fluttershy turned her gaze at her plushies collection over the shelf and found what she necessitated. She leaned beyond the bed and stretched out her arm to reach a little fluffy plushie. It was a knitted little pony, with pink hair and a yellow coat. Fluttershy brought the little thing near her face, and she started caressing it.

While she was at it, the house started to get in the daily moveset of the family. Rays of sunshine started to enter from the window as her father’s footsteps went down the stairs. The engine of a motorbike sang loudly from the street, harmonizing with the coffee pot. Fluttershy remained still as life spurted all around her in the morning.

A part of her wanted to get up, get dressed, and get to school as fast as possible in order to reunite with her girl.

Another part was scared of what she would find.

Ten minutes before the lessons started, Fluttershy was standing in front of CHS’s statue. As usual, she was spreading fliers for the animal shelter, but she didn’t have the same motivation she generally did.

Since the Fall Formal, Sunset and the girls had started helping her with getting the other students interested in her charity activities in many ways, including handing out some fliers along her side as the students entered the school. It was during that period that Fluttershy developed growing feelings for her girlfriend, and when she found out that they were reciprocated it became part of their routine to meet in front of the school. They would greet each other as a couple, sometimes with some snuggles, and then they would face the challenges of the day together.

But Fluttershy still hadn’t seen Sunset that day. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t help but feel the absence of not only her lover, but also of confidence she had along her. She was only able to look at the ground and faintly hand the flyers around.

“Hello, Fluttershy.”

“Hi, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy winced and came back on earth as she heard the cheering voices. She was so absorbed in her own thought that she didn’t notice Pinkie Pie and Rarity until the two friends reached her from both her sides. “Oh, hello girls.”

“So,” said Pinkie, wrapping her arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders, “how are you?”

“Um...” Fluttershy took her time to ponder before answering. “Fine?”

Fluttershy felt Rarity embrace her too from the other shoulder. The former tittered before talking. “Well, I sure hope you wouldn’t mind having two set of arms here ready to help you out. You really shouldn’t be here alone, after all.”

Fluttershy darted suspicious looks to both her smiling friends. Her very smiling friends, who were so near that all their hips were pressing together.

She spoke with a voice as flat as her eyes went. “What do you want?”

Both Rarity and Pinkie Pie flinched, but the former tried to recover from the corner. “Hehe. Sweetheart, clearly we just want to lend you a hand. Why would you ever think that we have a an ulterior motive?”

“Pinkie is being too calm,” said Fluttershy, pointing matter-of-factly at the now whistling Pinkie Pie. “And you’re using that tone.”

“Beg you pardon?”

“You know. That charming and fluttering voice that you do while persuading.”

“Oh! Pfft, chk, th. That’s just...” Rarity stepped back and waved her hand as to dismiss the idea. Then she lifted her nose and turned her face away like there wasn’t even need to end the statement. Fluttershy instead pointed straight at Pinkie Pie with a stern look, making her sweat from the forehead.

After a couple of seconds, she broke. “Alright! Rarity said we had to be smooth.”

Rarity sighed.

“About what?” asked Fluttershy without loosening the grip.

Pinkie rubbed her nape. “Well, we really-really want to help you. Really. Just thinking about you makes my fever go on a joust.”

When she saw the dumbfounded expressions on her friends, Pinkie rolled her eyes disgruntled and burst out, “Really? My fever goes up and down… because I’m worried sick. Come on!”

Rarity shook her head and reached for Fluttershy’s shoulder, making her turn. “What Pinkie here is trying to say is, while we don’t want to force ourselves into your private life, we cannot just attend events like yesterday. We care about you, you know we do, and it would be oafish from us to not at least trying to help you.”

Rarity looked at Fluttershy straight into the eyes as she spoke. She wasn’t using the pitching and sophisticated voice anymore, her words were passionate and coming right from her heart. “I want to believe in Sunset this time. I really want to believe that she had a bad day. But you must tell us what happened.”

After a short moment of silence, Fluttershy broke the eye contact and stared downwards. They truly looked concerned about her, and probably about Sunset too. Fluttershy was sure that they only meant well, but was it ok to tell them?

Why wouldn’t it be? In the end, there was nothing to be ashamed for. And Sunset didn’t ask her to keep it a secret, so maybe it was ok to talk about it with a friend. Surely it was ok to talk about it with a friend.

But what if she was wrong?

What if Sunset assumed that it was too much personal to involve other people, even close friends? What if she only trusted Fluttershy to share about that side of her life with? She could get angry. She could feel betrayed, maybe she would never trust Fluttershy again. Maybe she would hate her if Fluttershy revealed everything.

“Please, darling.”

Fluttershy looked back at her friends, without knowing how to respond. She was only able to open her mouth without emitting a sound, when someone arrived and caused all the girls to startle with one word.

“Hi.”

Turning around, they all saw Sunset Shimmer. She was looking as usual, except her eyes were half-lidded open and her mouth was flat. No one could tell if she was just tired or in a bad mood. Unsure about how to behave, the girls remained silent as Sunset slowly approached them.

Once she was near enough, Sunset enveloped Fluttershy with one arm, holding her close. She gave her a little and fast peck before pressing their cheeks together. “Sorry I’m late.”

Fluttershy’s fears finally turned down a skosh. She was still worried, but she was happy with Sunset wanting her close again. “How are you, Sunny?”

“Sleepy.”

Behind Fluttershy, Rarity said, “Hi Sunset, we were just talking about you.”

“Yeah, speaking of the devil,” added lightly Pinkie Pie. Her playful expression morphed into a concerned one after a moment of pondering. “Ugh, no offense?”

Sunset looked up from Fluttershy’s shoulder. “None. Taken.” Then she rolled her eyes to Rarity. “You were talking about me, then?”

“Yes,” answered Rarity, without hesitation.

Sunset understood what Rarity was implying just by watching into her blue eyes. Sunset’s gaze went down to Fluttershy’s hair before talking again. “I know I was a party pooper yesterday.”

“That’s hardly the matter,” said Rarity with severity. Then she softened her tone. “Sunset, if you should have a problem–”

“I know, but you don’t have to worry. There isn’t a real problem, I just have to deal with a situation.”

Rarity asked with concern, “What kind of situation?”

“It’s just a hypothetical situation, and I’ll probably deal with it after school.” Still holding Fluttershy by her shoulders, Sunset moved towards the stairs in front of the school. “Really, I don’t want you to worry about this, it’s nothing.”

As they reached the front doors, Sunset turned apologetically to Pinkie Pie. “I’m sorry for the party.”

In reply, Pinkie touched her own chest with the fingers of her left hand and imitated Rarity’s attitude. “That’s hardly the matter, darling.”

Then, when they were inside the hall, Pinkie leaned on her side and whispered in Sunset’s ear, “You owe me a good party, anyway.”

Finally, Sunset chuckled faintly. The two groups departed for their lockers after promising to meet again at launch.

As they were walking in silence through the halls, Sunset kept a tight grasp around Fluttershy’s shoulders. It was the first time that they walked this close to each other in public.

Ironically, Fluttershy had never felt her girlfriend more distant.

Later, at lunch time, Sunset lifted her tray of food from the counter and went to the usual table of the other girls. Once she was halfway she noticed that she wasn't the first to have arrived.

Rainbow Dash was keeping her head up while wearing her shades, her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she was leaning her back over the backrest.

Applejack was leaning forward on her seat and had her arms crossed over the table, her face covered by her stetson.

Sunset sighed and resumed her pace. She sat down in front of the intimidating duo, thinking about something to say to break the ice. Her superior mind came out with a sheepish, “Hi.”

Neither Rainbow Dash or Applejack seemed to even acknowledge her presence.

Sunset gulped, cowed into silence, and focused on her lunch. While she was emptying her plate, Rainbow Dash and Applejack simply kept looking at her from behind their accessories. Feeling uneasy, Sunset tried to speak up once again. “You really should eat your food before it gets cold.”

Like the last time, there was no response.

Sunset had almost finished her meal, and she couldn’t stand to be treated like that. “So, I'm getting the silent treatment, huh?” Still, the two girls ignored her. “Look, I know that I shouldn't have acted like that yesterday. It was wrong from me to burst out at Fluttershy, regardless of what I was going through, but I–”

“You’re wasting your breath, Sunset,” said Pinkie Pie, coming from the background. “Those two aren’t going to talk with anybody for a while.”

Sunset looked puzzled at her. “What are you talking about?”

Pinkie Pie laid her tray of food on the table and went behind the dynamic duo to lift the shades and hat with her indices. Under the accessories, both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were keeping their eyes closed. Applejack was even drooling.

“What the...? Are they sleeping?” asked a bewildered Sunset.

“More like they're trying to recover from last night,” replied Pinkie Pie with a disapproving tone. “I know all the clues to recognize a late party, and I can tell you that those two got totally wild last night.”

Rainbow Dash snored loudly as to confirm from her sleep.

“Wow, what time do you think they got home yesterday?”

“Baby, I don’t think they went home at all.”

Sunset's eyes went wide. “You’re saying that they came directly to school without some sleep?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash here is just being her regular self, but I had a class with AJ first, and she was just as comatose. Luckily for them, nurse Pie here has just the right medicine for this kind disease.” Pinkie went to her tray and took a bottle of water.

“Well, I guess that hydration is important,” commented Sunset in thought. “But I don’t think that making them drink water will be enough to put them on their legs soon–”

As Sunset talked, Pinkie removed the shades from Rainbow Dash and spurted the water on her face with a strong swing of the arm.

“–or you could do that,” finished Sunset flatly.

As Pinkie put her sunglasses back on their place, Rainbow Dash started to make some ugly waking up noises. “Urg, whaaa...?”

Pinkie slapped her friend lightly on the head. “On your feet, Lazarus!”

In response, Rainbow's face fell on her plate of spaghetti and said something that was muffled by the food. Even if she wasn’t sure, Sunset thought it was something like: “Let me try again in three days.”

“That’s what you get for going to a not Pinkie-approved party,” said Pinkie as she reclined Applejack's head backward. “Without even inviting me, moreover,” she added, muttering to herself.

Pinkie emptied the remaining half of the bottle on Applejack, who woke up between some coughs. “Well, hello there. How are you doing?” asked Pinkie, with a half grin and slightly disappointed eyes, as her friend finally woke up.

Applejack straightened up and shook her head slowly. “Ah feel like Ah got shot through the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy Six thousand,” she said before resting her chin on the table.

Right after Pinkie took a seat between the tired duo, they all heard Rarity greeting everybody as she was approaching them her own food. “Bonjour.” She arrived at the table and her attention was immediately caught by her friends’ neglected state, making her smile disappear. “Please, tell me you haven’t reduced so because one of your dares.”

“Howdy, Rarity,” muttered Applejack, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. “And no, it ain't nothing to do with that.”

Rainbow Dash spun her head and narrowed her eyebrows. “Ya sure? I think I said something like ‘I dare you’ or something at some point.”

Applejack grunted and massaged her temple for a moment before answering. “...you may be right.”

Right at that moment, Fluttershy arrived too, sitting near Sunset. “What happened?” she asked with concerned, while her girlfriend placed an arm around her waist.

Rainbow Dash lifted her head of a couple of inches. “Uuh, I dreamed about Squirtle using Water Gun on me,” she said, slowly and weakly.

“Lucky you, Ah got a Waterfall all over mah face,” retorted Applejack, causing Sunset and Pinkie to giggle. Applejack turned to the latter with an annoyed look “Why did ya wake us up?”

Pinkie Pie skewered some spaghetti on her fork then brought it near Applejack’s lips. “Because recess time is running short and you have to eat, silly.” Pinkie proceeded to help Applejack and Rainbow with getting fed before they all had to go to class.

As they were all eating in silence, Sunset suddenly noticed that her backpack was vibing. She quickly turned over and pull the diary out of it. Hurrying, she leafed through the pages until she found the one writing itself.

As she was reading, she felt Fluttershy gently poking at her shoulder.

“Sunny? What’s going on?”

“Yeah,” interjected Pinkie, “who’s there? Is it Twilight? Ooh! Ooh! Is she coming visit?! Is it for a new threat to our world? Is it just a courtesy visit? Ooh! I can throw a ‘first courtesy visit’ party! I mean, that would be the first time that she comes here without worrying about–”

Despite their tiredness, both Rainbow Dash and Applejack found the strength to clench Pinkie Pie's mouth with their hands, muffling her waffling.

Sunset finished reading the page fast, then she put the diary back inside the backpack. “It’s Twilight. She’s not coming, though. She was just replying to my last message.”

“What about?” asked Rarity.

Ignoring Rarity, Sunset hastily turned to the two partygoers. “So, you two had a lot of fun last night?”

Applejack shrugged. “Suppose so. Kinda have a bunch of blurred memories right now, but Ah can tell it ain't fun now, for sure.”

Pinkie Pie looked down with a chuckle, “Looks pretty funny to me.”

“Trust me, it’s not,” replied Applejack harshly.

Rarity narrowed her eyes to Sunset. “You’re not going to change the subject. What were you–”

Rarity was interrupted by the sound of the bell that was marking the end of lunch break, meaning that they had to return to their school activity.

“Well, I guess that’s all,” said Sunset before getting up and moving away fast, much to Rarity disagreement.

Fluttershy hurried up and engulfed, in an unlikely way from her, what was left on her plate before chasing Sunset. When she was out of earshot, Rarity turned to Pinkie with a fierce look. “We must have a real talk with them. And you are going to help me to hold them down.”

“Okie-Dokie-Lokie! But first you’ll help me holding those two up,” replied Pinkie as she was attempting to lift Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who were out cold again.

“Deal.”

All of the Rainbooms, barring Sunset, were resting on the stairs in front of the school, waiting for the only member left to join them. In the meanwhile, they were planning what to do that evening. Casually, Pinkie Pie wanted to try out some recipes for cupcakes at the sugarcube corner and she needed some taste testers.

“Or tasters, how I like to call them,” said Pinkie with a smile. As usual, she saw some puzzled faces from her friends and understood that she had to explain that out. “You see, I took taste and tester and–”

“Darling, you do know that it’s already a word, right?” asked Rarity.

Pinkie Pie snorted. “Well, duh. Of course, it’s a word. I just used it in a sentence.”

“I meant–” Rarity shook her head “–nevermind.”

“So you’re all coming, right? Right?” asked Pinkie Pie as she started to bounce in front of them.

Rainbow Dash stood up from the stairs, faltering a little. “Well, I’m not gonna say no to some free sugar. Feel like my head really needs it right now.”

“Yeah, me too,” chimed Applejack with a big yawn.

“Fanterrific! Fluttershy, are you coming too?” Pinkie landed right in front of Fluttershy with her hands joined and big puppy eyes. “Please, say yes!”

Fluttershy wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Rarity and Pinkie had probably planned it sooner, but she was sure that they didn’t have any ill intent. “Well, I don’t see why not.”

Pinkie Pie hugged Fluttershy tight. “Yay, we just have to grab Sunset and we can go.”

As called into question, the quoted girl appeared from the front doors carrying her backpack over her shoulder.

“Sunset!” called Pinkie Pie as she was crawling on the stair treads. “We’re all going to my bakery – well, the Cakes' bakery actually – for a fun evening rich of tasting. You’re coming.” Then she shook her rump like a little dog.

“Actually...” Sunset was hushed by Pinkie’s fingers on her lips.

“There wasn’t a question mark and I wasn’t asking, Sunny. You’re coming.” Pinkie Pie slid down on the rail and led the way as every girl followed her. “I can’t wait to try out all my new ideas! Ooh! Ooh! What about this: personalized muffins and cupcakes! Every single muffin or cupcake is adorned and colored in a way that resembles its owner! I could use apples and custard cream for Applejack, then...”

Pinkie stopped herself when she felt Rarity’s hand poking her on the shoulder. As she turned back, she saw that Sunset had followed them just for a few steps before stopping in front of the statue that worked as the portal to the other world.

And by the look on her face, she was willing to go through it.

All the girls spun on their feet and traded worried looks at each other, unsure of how to react to the situation. “What is she doing?” asked Rainbow Dash with concern. “Is she going to...”

With the bated breath, Fluttershy broke away from the group and ran to her as fast as she could. “Wait! Sunset!”

Sunset looked at her girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

Fluttershy stopped in her place just two feets away, opening and closing her mouth with efforts but without results. Finally, she found the courage to talk. “Are… are you going back?”

Understanding her girl’s worries, Sunset turned over and smiled reassuringly. “I’m not going back to stay. It’s just a quick trip,” she said.

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“Not long. Maybe a couple hours, or I could stay for dinner. But I’ll be back before tomorrow.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, keeping her gaze low on the ground for a short silent moment. “I’m coming with you,” she said shyly.

“No!”

Fluttershy winced back, frightened at the sudden outburst. She could have sworn that Sunset’s face had shifted to desperate for an instant. But even if that was true, Sunset was quick to recover her smile. “I… I’m just having a little talk. There’s no need for you to come.”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but frown in disappointment, understanding that Sunset was practically begging for not being accompanied by her.

Sunset realized that and thought fast, offering then her backpack to Fluttershy. “Here, take this. This way, you’ll be able to write me with the diary if you want to. I can’t bring it with me anyway.”

Fluttershy looked at the backpack and said, “Ok.” Then she took it and held it with care over her chest. She still did feel her chest stinging with worries, but knowing that she could write to her girl whenever she wanted was enough to build trust inside her. Enough trust to accept Sunset’s will. Besides, it wasn’t time to think about herself. If Sunset had something to do, or face, Fluttershy knew that her duty was to support her girl no matter what. She only wished to be allowed to help, though.

Trying to underline that, Fluttershy leaned closer to give Sunset a kiss. But she only met air, as Sunset had already stepped closer to the portal.

Keeping the delusion for herself, Fluttershy looked ahead and said, “I’ll bake those bran cookies for when you’re back.”

Sunset turned to her with a smile. “Can’t wait.”

“See you soon, Sunset!” chirped Pinkie Pie from a few feet away.

Sunset smiled and waved her hand while all the girls made as much.

Then, she looked the portal in front of her.

After a moment of hesitation, she walked right through it with a steady pace.

5 - Other world part 2

Sunset was already familiar with the sequence of sensations that occurred during an inter-dimensional travel. The vortex of colors, the bright lights, the feeling that your body and all your world are tearing apart and, lastly, the illusion of falling forward as your supporting legs doubled. She expected all of that thanks to her previous experiences, and she wasn’t disappointed. Still, she didn’t have any memory about a purple smiling blotch filling her vision.

Only when the blotch raised on her rear legs, throwing her own front hooves up in the air, Sunset realized that she was in front of her friend, who was a lavender alicorn.

“Welcome back home, Sunset!” exclaimed Twilight with the same enthusiasm of a foal who just woke up for Heart and Hooves day. She even started to hop on her hooves as her venting went on. “Ooh, I almost couldn’t believe your message when you let me know you would be arriving today. This is so exciting!”

Sunset had to blink a couple of times before being fully confident with her surroundings. However, she could only give her attention to Twilight, finding her big happy face and her shrills tenderly amusing. “Woah, Twilight! I’m happy to see you too, of course, but” – Sunset narrowed her eyes and scratched her chin – “how long have you been there?”

Twilight finally calmed down, finding her usual composure. “Well, when you wrote me that you wanted to come visit us, I asked Spike to clear my agenda and take care of the visitors so that I could study here.” Twilight lifted her hoof and pointed at a desk, covered with books and scrolls, near the wall. “Then the portal started to glimmer, which I guess means somepony is using it, and I thought to show you a friendly face.”

Sunset chuckled. “Leave me a little more room next time. Speaking of room, are we in your castle?”

“Yes.”

Sunset looked around in awe. “Wow, Twilight. It’s gorgeous.”

“Oh, please. The only reason I can bear to live inside of here is because my friends adorned the place. And because I didn't have anywhere else to stay.” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin. “…And because a mystic harmony-tree grew it up just for me.”

Sunset had a short laugh. “Yeah, that’s quite an imposing manner from a tree.”

“But enough of that,” said Twilight, swinging her hoof dismissively, “you’re finally here! Princess Celestia and I were truly longing for this day to come.”

Twilight was focused on opening the doors with her magic, so she didn’t take notice of Sunset’s expression. The latter felt like she had her throat filled with chalk as she gulped. “Hehe, speaking of which, are you sure she's coming?”

“Absolutely,” said Twilight, leading the way. “Luckily, we already had a tea scheduled for today so I didn't hesitate to inform her that you were coming too. And I can assure you, she can’t wait to see you again.”

“Did… Did she say so?”

Twilight snickered and leaned closer to Sunset, looking her with a confident face. “Let's just say that I know how to read inside of the calligraphy.”

Maybe she was trying to impress Sunset, but the only reaction she got was a snicker covered by an amber hoof. “What?”

“Nothing,” said Sunset, who reached Twilight’s head with a hoof to mess with her mane. “You’re just adorkable.”

Twilight grunted in annoyance, just to recover her good mood a moment after. “You haven’t told me yet. How was the meeting with the other you? Was it interesting?”

Sunset’s left eye twitched as she mentally summarized the last evening. ‘If by interesting you mean a one way trip to the pit of insecurity, heartache, and despair…’

“Yes, very interesting,” she said, her voice higher than usual, smiling hard enough for her gums to ache a little.

“This is so rich,” said Twilight, clapping her hooves in excitement. Then she pointed a hoof towards Sunset and said, with a peremptory tone, “I expect you to inform me about every single detail.”

Sunset’s irises darted left and right, with a light layer of sweat forming on her head, then she chuckled at Twilight. “Now, now. Did we get out from the bed with the iron hoof or what?”

Twilight was a little taken aback by the friendly joke, but her mindset quickly went from one of a student overwhelmed by the emotion to a more reasonable pony as she realized what Sunset meant. “Oh, I... Hehe, I’m sorry. Maybe I’m getting a liiittle carried away by the inter-dimensional social experiment. And Celestia is also coming, and you’re here too. Which, all things considered, is probably very tough for you right now and I also should do my best to reassure you. Instead, I keep ranting about everything just adding more pressure and why can’t I just shut up?”

Sunset was about to say something to calm down her friend, but Twilight stopped on her place and lifted her hoof over her chest, holding her breath for a moment. Then she moved her hoof away and exhaled. “Sorry, I’ve been told about this bad habit of mine so many times,” she sheepishly said.

“Don’t fret about it. And you’re not pressing me,” said Sunset dismissively before trotting ahead, nearer to the next doors.

“No, I should really try to be more emphatic right now,” said Twilight, as cyan magic engulfed Sunset’s horn and the doors. “I know this is a very important moment for you, I guess that’s why I’m a little nervous for today.” A thought came to Twilight’s mind, making her close her eyes and chuckle. “Besides, it’s going to be Celestia and the two of us, who both were her students. It’s almost like a family reunion!”

SLAM!!!

Hearing the loud sound, Twilight opened her eyes wide and clenched her teeth. In front of her, she could see Sunset from her back. Sunset, who was standing perfectly still under the arched doorway now covered with cracks, turned aghast over Twilight and the two did nothing but watch at each other for a long moment. Finally, Sunset laughed sheepishly. “Haha, I... I just wanted to open the doors, but maybe I lost my hold on magic since the last time I was here.”

Twilight gave Sunset a bemused look, much to the latter’s concern, and pointed at her accusatively. “So I was pressing you!”

“I told you, Twilight, I just pushed a little too hard.”

“Well,” retorted Twilight, “Your ‘little’ exceedance was enough to shatter two of my doors, and to open cracks in the wall.”

“Twilight...”

The so-named princess hushed Sunset with a hoof and talked with a resolute tone. “You’re clearly nervous, therefore you’ll sit on my throne and try to relax while we wait. And that’s final.”

Sunset grunted and rolled her eyes before accommodating herself on the throne made out of crystal. An achievement that turned out to be way easier then what she had assumed it would be. It was pretty comfortable, despite being made purely out of a solid and hard material. It made her wonder if it was possible to craft more comfy thrones out of bizarre components.

Like a throne of swords? Nah, that would be stupid.

Still, comfy or not, Sunset was not willing to just stay seated and do nothing for the next few minutes, so she thought about a topic. Noticing Twilight’s Cutie Mark on the backrest, she pointed at all the other seats and asked, “Why are you giving me your spot, anyway? There are plenty of thrones that I could use.”

“Don’t worry,” replied simply Twilight. “It may have my Cutie Mark on it, but it’s just a chair in the end.”

Sunset looked at Twilight grinning with defiance as she thought how to attack Twilight’s logic. “Then why didn't you give me one of the other chairs?”

Twilight faltered for an instant. “Oh, um, I can’t give you somepony’s else chair. That would be...” Twilight paused and looked sternly at Sunset when she heard her muffled giggles. “You’re mocking me.”

“Just a little,” said Sunset with a smirk and a half-lidded gaze.

Sunset reluctantly looked away from Twilight’s pout and focused her gaze on the Cutie Marks drawn on the other thrones. It was easy to guess that they belonged to her friends’ counterparts, and even more easy was to her for pairing them with the right owner. Especially the three pink butterflies. Just the thought of her was enough to make Sunset feel incomplete, somehow.

‘She really would have liked it here,’ thought Sunset with a glimpse of remorse. ‘Maybe next time.’

Right then, the doors of the main hall swung open allowing the entrance of a new figure. Wearing what looked like royal clothes, a little purple dragon with green eyes made his way to Twilight. Sunset thought of a dragon emissary at first, if there was such a thing, but something struck in her mind as he went beside Twilight. “Spike?”

The little dragon looked up and said, “Hey, Sunset! Back to the real world, huh?”

Sunset blinked a couple of times before answering. “First, this world is just as real as the other. Second, you’re a dragon?!”

“Yeah-huh.” Spike nodded proudly before cocking his eyebrow. “What did you think I was?”

“I don’t know, a little diamond dog?”

Spike, clearly puzzled, placed himself between Sunset and Twilight. “Didn’t you see me when you entered in Twilight’s room to steal mmph–”

Sunset didn’t fail to notice the lavender aura that had just muffled Spike’s words. She just looked blankly at Twilight, who was smiling sheepishly, before talking in a detached tone. “Don’t worry. No offense taken. And to answer your question, Spike, it was dark and I couldn’t recognize you well. I wouldn’t have tripped over you otherwise.”

Once freed, Spike shot an annoyed glare to Twilight before turning to Sunset with a bit of uncertain. “Um, no hard feelings about that, right?”

“Are you kidding?” Sunset got up and reached Spike, looking down to him with a smirk. “I could have got away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling sidekick. To think that I was just one step close to dominating two worlds, and you had to literally be in the way.”

When he saw Sunset lifting a hoof over his head, Spike was startled and closed his eyes waiting for a blow. Instead, he felt a gentle caress between the scales of his head. “Thank you, Spike.” Looking up with one eye, he saw Sunset’s lips curved in a gentle and genuine smile.

Spike chuckled and shoved the hoof away with his claw. “Yeah, no biggie.” Then, he turned to Twilight. “I came here just to ask if you wanted me to bring the tea trolley.”

“That’s a good idea, Spike. I want us to have the best evening we can offer today. Speaking of which,” – Twilight pointed at Spike’s jacket – “that’s a really nice touch for the occasion. Where did you pull that out from?”

“Oh, hehe.” Spike grabbed the rims of his new red jacket adorned with gems and said, “Rarity passed by earlier and said she wanted to dress me up with a suit for special occasions.” As he finished showing off, Spike looked down blushing and started to push his indices together. “But, uh, she couldn’t fix it properly at the moment, so I was wondering… shouldn’t I go visit her while you talk with Celestia so she can finish it? I kinda promised her.”

Twilight could only chuckle and roll her eyes in front of the timid smile of her favorite little dragon. “Fine, but make sure to say hi to Celestia before you go.”

“Yes,” he muttered, pumping a fist as he walked away. “I mean, she’s working hard on this suit. We don’t want to let down a friend, right?” added Spike while pointing at Twilight with a wink.

The two mares giggled as Spike went out to get the foodstuff for later until Sunset brought up the conversation. “So Spike is…?”

“My closest friend, and my number one assistant,” responded Twilight.

Sunset whistled in admiration. “Bravo. Where did you find a baby dragon assistant?”

“Well, my entry exam for the CSFGU included hatching a dragon’s egg with magic and… let’s just say I passed the test brilliantly.”

“So… you hatched him?” asked Sunset with a bit of perplexity.

“Yes.”

“And then you raised him?”

“Not all by myself, I was a little filly back then, but yes. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Sunset frowned deeply and rebuked Twilight. “And you just call him your ‘assistant’?”

Twilight flinched, surprised and confused at the sudden shift of attitude of her friend. “Number one assistant, actually, but… yes?”

Pushed by an unknown feeling, Sunset closed the gap between them and ranted. “Are you considering the emotions of the little guy? You gave him life. You’ve been by his side during all his life. You probably thought him everything he was willing to learn from you!”

Twilight pondered on that for a second. “Well, yeah. But–”

“So, don’t you love him?”

“What?!” Twilight was completely taken aback. “Of course I do! He’s my baby dragon. But why–”

“Then why do you label him as a mere ‘assistant’?” asked Sunset, with insistence.

Twilight puffed her cheeks. “He’s proud to be my number one assistant, and he’s happy every time I call him like that.”

“Of course he is, if that’s the best you give him. Don’t you think that he wants to make you proud? Or that he wants more attention from you?”

“I think you’re assuming a lot?” hinted Twilight, narrowing her eyes.

“Maybe. Does he know that you love him?”

Twilight’s gaze got lost into Sunset’s direction. “Huh?”

“Do you make sure to remind him?” pressed Sunset. “Have you ever told him how special he is for you? How his presence fills your life? How proud you are of him?”

Twilight was staggered by all the questions, as a burning sensation of worry built up in her stomach. “O-of course he knows!”

“Has the thought never occurred to you that maybe he wants to be something more than a protegee for you? Or that he secretly sees you like family?”

Twilight was getting fed up of that inquisition about her parenting role. “Look, Spike and I have a solid relationship. He knows that I consider him family… and he would tell me if he feels neglected.”

“Of course he wouldn’t! He would be too intimidated.”

“Intimidated? Why?”

Sunset answered like it was obvious, “Maybe because you’re an alicorn princess?”

Twilight cocked her head. “That’s just a recent thing,” she said, finally stopping the rant of her friend.

Sunset, who was dumbstruck, needed a moment to fully elaborate what had just happened. She was surprised too of her own speech and the tenacity of it.

“Oh,” she said in the end. “Well, then it could be something else in your case.”

“In my case?” Twilight couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. “Who were you talking about?”

“Oh, um…” Sunset looked the ceiling, as it could help her thinking, for a couple of seconds before shaking her head and stare back at Twilight. “B-but you and Spike! Of course. Who else?”

Before Twilight could answer, the squeaking sound of the approaching trolley announced the return of Spike, catching all the attention of the two mares. Ignoring to be the main argument of a lively conversation, he just placed the foodstuff in the middle of the room and took a silver bell out of it.

“I’ll bring this with me at the front doors, so I’ll let you know when Celestia is arriving. She should be here any minute now, anyway,” said he, before turning back to the doors with a resolute pace.

Pushed by a sudden and mingled wave of doubts, panic, and love, Twilight launched herself to her little dragon. “Spike, wait.”

“Huh?” Spike had barely the time to turn back before being enveloped with a couple of warm purple hooves.

“You know you’re my little dragon, right?” asked Twilight, with a gentle voice.

Spike, in response, looked up slightly perplexed. “Twilight? You’re getting mushy.”

Twilight blinked a couple of times. Then she blushed. “Oh. Sorry.”

Spike felt the grasp around him getting loose and he was allowed to move freely again. He walked away with a smile on his lips before turning back and sarcastically say, “It’s ok, mom.”

Spike run away snickering before Twilight could recover from the shock. When she realized he was kidding, she took a seat and stared blankly at Sunset.

“Maybe I exaggerated,” said Sunset apologetically, while scratching her nape.

“Ya think?” retorted Twilight.

Sunset thought it was better to change the subject. “Sooo, what's up? Anything new happened recently in Equestria?”

Twilight thought about that for a moment. “Actually, a few weeks ago my friends and I had to face a powerful unicorn who was stealing Cutie Marks–”

Twilight was cut short by the sound of a ringing bell from the front doors. That faint sound was enough to fill with excitement and a bit of anxiety one of the two mares.

The other one was filled with only anxiety. A lot of anxiety.

That was it. The moment she would have found out the truth. Saying that Sunset was dying nervous would be an understatement.

Any second now, Celestia was going to enter the room and they would finally talk. And she was going to ask.

‘Come on, Sunset,’ she thought. ‘Just how bad can it go?’

*****

The doors opened with a strong grating sound as Princess Celestia made her appearance. She entered through the doorway and approached Sunset with a smile on her lips, stopping once she was near enough to talk.

Celestia took her time to look calmly at her former student before nodding to a greeting. “It’s good to see you, Sunset.”

“Celestia...” Sunset gulped, and felt the corners of her eyes burning. “Are… are you my mother?”

Celestia winced in surprise before answering. “Now, I’m very fond of you but… why would you ever think that?”

“So… you’re not?” asked Sunset with a hopeful whisper.

“I’m pretty sure I would know otherwise.” Celestia approached Sunset and leaned a hoof over her shoulder. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t consider you part of my family, Sunset. I’m very sorry for how we departed, and I think we both need to reevaluate the way we treated each other in the past. Also, Twilight has told me everything about what happened to you, from your mistakes to… more recent developments, and I’m so proud for how you changed in better.”

Celestia sat down and looked into Sunset’s eyes, smiling gently at her. “I understand that you need the support of beloveds now more than ever. I’m confident that your new friends will help you in this life-changing time of your, but I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you.”

*****

The doors opened with a grating sound and Celestia came in. “It’s good to see you, Sunset,” she said.

Sunset gulped. “Celestia. Are you my mother?”

Celestia’s face instantly morphed into a mask of disgust. “Do you really think that I could ever be the mother of a demon?”

Sunset tried to backpedal in fear, hearing a tone so severe, but Celestia came closer and narrowed her eyes. “I know everything about what you did, and I have no words, Sunset. I hope that you like where you’re living now because I think it would be better for everypony if you just stayed there while we live our lives in peace.”

*****

Celestia came in.

“Are you my mother?”

Celestia winced in surprise. “Oh, you found out?” She paused, bringing a hoof to her face. “My… so embarrassing. Yes. I guess you can call it a mistake of youth. Something I regretted from the first moment I saw you. I knew I was doing the right thing keeping you away from the castle, but of course I couldn’t just leave it at that without feeling guilt. I even tried to give you a chance some time after I abandoned you, but you had to be insufferable and screw everything up.

“I don’t know, I guess you were just born wrong or something. You weren’t even worthy to become an alicorn. A shame, really. Luckily, I found Twilight right after you left and she lived up all my expectations brightly.”

Right at that moment, Princess Twilight crawled on Celestia side and started to purr on her legs with a joyful face. “Yay, I’m just so perfect.”

Celestia looked down at her with a proud smile and caressed her with a hoof. “She’s the proper daughter I never had.”

*****

“Are you my mother?”

“Yes, I am. Unfortunately, this is supposed to be a secret.” Princess Celestia pressed her muzzle against Sunset’s. “You do realize what a shame would be for me if somepony found out about you and our true connection? You’ve just been a drag all your life long, and I could barely tolerate your sight even when you were my ‘beloved’ student. If I wasn’t so pure and kind I would have thrown you into a pit instead. Probably should have done it anyway, seeing how you were only able to disappoint me. Not even Luna ever managed to delude me as much as you constantly do, and she terrorized all Equestria by becoming a monster. But I guess you succeeded in at least one thing since you did even worse than her.”

*****

“Sunset! Are you alright?!” shouted Twilight as she grabbed and shook Sunset by her shoulders.

Snapping out of her mental disaster, Sunset realized that she was hyperventilating and that Twilight was getting worried. With her friend’s help, she quickly worked to steady her breath as she tried to wipe out the scene she just predicted from her head.

“Sunset?”

Calm enough to respond, Sunset looked back at Twilight whose face was the representation of concern.

“Maybe you’re not ready for this,” said Twilight. “It’s ok if–”

“No!” Sunset launched herself forward, grabbing Twilight in return, with a thought fixed in her mind. “It can’t wait anymore, Twilight.”

The sound of hoofsteps from the hall cut short whatever answer Twilight was thinking of. She knew it was too late to do anything now, except for giving her friend an encouraging look and go to greet her former mentor. And so she did, and the door was engulfed in a yellow-gold aura as she was coming close to it.

Finally, the door swung open to reveal the silhouette of a big and majestic alicorn. Twilight immediately recognized Princess Celestia. Her trusted mentor, the ruler of the kingdom, and her friend. Sunset, instead, looked at Princess Celestia like she had never seen her before.

“Princess Celestia,” greeted happily Twilight.

Celestia entered the room and looked down to Twilight with a tender smile. “It’s always good to see you, Twilight. Also, please, just Celestia.”

Their attention was caught by Sunset’s hoofsteps, who was slowly coming closer to them. Apparently, she had eyes only for Celestia, but her expression was blank and unreadable.

Celestia looked down at Twilight and raised a hoof, pointing Sunset. “If I may…”

Twilight nodded and stepped out of the way, making sure to give enough space to the two of them. Knowing that she was going to assist at a delicate moment, Twilight looked between Celestia and Sunset with great emotion. She really had high hopes for this meeting, for both of them.

A short moment of silence passed before Celestia decided to speak first. “I was glad to know that you wanted to see me, Sunset.”

Sunset merely kept staring at her.

A hint of dejection was barely visible just for a little instant on her face before Celestia tried again. “…I missed you during all these years.”

Still, no answer.

Celestia’s smile finally wore off as she looked down, sighing and slightly nodding her head. When she looked back at Sunset, her voice was gentle and calm. “I was hoping for a simpler reunion, but I recall that we didn't depart on the best terms.” Her lips curved into a reassuring smile. “If you feel like you have to get something out of your system, go ahead.” Her voice sounded so gentle, so helpful. “There's something you want to talk about?”

There was another short moment of silence before Sunset said something.

For all that time, Sunset did nothing but stare blankly at Celestia. Perfectly still.

When she finally talked, her voice was completely calm and casual. “Are you my mother?”

And just like that, nopony made a sound for a long moment.

For a long moment, it was like being inside a painting. Not a single sound. Not a movement. Everything and everypony were perfectly frozen in place.

Perfect inertia.

Broken, eventually, by Celestia. “Could you repeat? I’m not quite sure–”

“Are you my mother?” repeated Sunset, keeping her tone and her cool.

Celestia, on the other hoof, was starting to look shaky. She darted her eyes around as she was trying to buy some time. “Um…”

“It’s a simple question,” pointed out Sunset, unamused.

Celestia’s eyes focused back on Sunset when she had an idea. “Well, technically I’m still your legal guardian, so I suppose–”

That time, Sunset’s voice transpired her annoyance. “Biologically, Celestia! Yes or no!”

Searching desperately for an escape route, Celestia turned her head around the room. She saw a petrified Twilight standing somewhere behind her, but nothing that could help her in that situation.

Running low on patience, Sunset stomped a hoof on the ground. “Are. You. My. Mother?”

Finally, Celestia seemed to calm down.

She looked firmly at Sunset with wide open eyes as understanding seemed to hit her.

She lifted a hoof, opening up to Sunset, and tried to be as genuine as she could. “I can explain.”

That few word were enough to turn Sunset’s world upside down. It was like seeing a mirror shattering. Like being hit by a truck. It was something that couldn’t be undone.

Sunset lowered her head. “You really are…”

“Yes, but–”

“I’m so stupid,” muttered Sunset with a feeble voice.

“No, Sunset.”

“I should have known…”

Celestia got closer, trying to be helpful. “There’s no way you could have–”

Instantly, Sunset raised her head and shot a piercing look. “You…” she said in a low tone.

Celestia couldn’t tell when Sunset’s eyes morphed from a mask of sorrow to one of wrath. It was too fast. She couldn’t even tell she was backpedaling until Sunset started to move along.

“You…”

“Sunset–”

“How could you…”

“–allow me to explain–”

Sunset’s horn lit up with a cyan color. “I won’t listen!” she yelled.

Celestia stopped, frightened.

“Sunset, please!”

Sunset charged her horn.

“SHUT UP!”

Celestia saw Sunset recline her head backward.

The reaction was instinctive.

Covering her eyes with one hoof, Celestia summoned a shield right in front of her and waited for the blow.

There were a second, then two…

The blow didn’t arrive.

Reopening her eyes, Celestia looked for Sunset. All she could find were the glimmering cyan residues of her spell.

6 - Other fall

Near an open window, Sunset was sitting on a desk lifting a book right in front of her with her magic, studying the content of its pages with great care. She knew well that all the happiness of her life depended merely on her own skills and that she could increase those only by applying her focus constructively.

Of course, focusing would have been easier if she didn’t have to share the room with every other foal of the orphanage. Those thoughtless brats could have gotten outside to play but no, they had to be all noisy and annoying just a few hooves away.

The most distracting of all were those three little pests, two unicorns and one earth pony, who were running all over the place with a ball. They were having a good fun playing with each other and tossing the ball around until the filly earth pony threw it in Sunset’s general direction.

It wouldn’t have hit, the throw wasn’t even aimed at her, but as the red ball was to get over Sunset’s head a cyan aura wrapped it and kept it floating in midair, out of the reach of the foals.

The trio rushed to Sunset without losing sight of their ball. The filly, who thought to be responsible for throwing the ball too close to Sunset, stood in the front and voiced her friends.

“Ball!”

The demand gained no reaction from Sunset, who simply turned a page and kept reading her book.

“Sunset, the ball!”

“What ball?” asked Sunset in a detached tone, without even looking at them.

“That ball!” pressed the filly, pointing at the red ball glowing above Sunset.

“I don’t see any ball.”

“Please, Sunset!” The three little foals started to jump in place. “We want our ball!”

Sunset looked at them with a smirk, floating the ball nearer to them. “You mean this ball?”

“Yes!” shouted excitedly the three foals.

“You want it back?”

“Yeeeeah!”

When the innocent chorus of young foals trailed off, Sunset turned over and threw the ball out of the window. “Then go get it,” she commanded condescendingly.

The three foals looked at her with protesting faces but said nothing. Instead, they turned back and moved away from her. “Killjoy,” muttered one of the colts, barely loud enough to be heard.

Sunset simply stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry in their direction. Then she resumed her studies, satisfied with herself.

But contrary to her belief, her peace didn’t last long.

“Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset felt a shiver running between her shoulders as her caretaker called out for her. Had those little brats spilled everything out and wept about her? Or had she seen how she had behaved?

Sunset put her book away and slowly walked towards down the room. Maybe she could have said that those foals had lied, or that she didn’t intend to toss the ball away. Yeah, she just had to do a couple of puppy eyes and she was going to be out of trouble.

With refounded confidence, Sunset watched her caretaker, Foals Karring, and noticed that something was off. She wasn’t looking angry. She was… actually smiling at her. Very eagerly too.

“Here you are,” said Mrs. Karring with a cheerful voice. “Would you please go into the other room, Sunset? Somepony very special has a big surprise for you.”

Sunset needed just a second to fill the dots. When she did, her face lit up in a blink. She galloped to the doors without a second thought, holding her breath as she jumped for joy on the inside.

She dashed through the doors, swinging them open, and searched around impatiently for her new family. But in front of her, she saw a figure that she would have never dreamed of meeting. Not under these circumstances. Sunset looked up with mouth agape, as in front of her stood the most majestic pony that ever lived.

An alicorn. Her coat of a pink so light that almost looked white. Her mane an ethereal flow with the colors of the rainbow. Her enormous size a hint of her immense wisdom and maturity.

“Hello, Sunset Shimmer.” The alicorn came closer and giggled. “Why do you keep your mouth wide open, Sunset? Do I perhaps look like a piece of cake to you?”

Bewildered, Sunset moved her mouth in an effort to speak. “P… Princess…”

A soft and warm hoof gently caressed her hair as the alicorn smiled brightly at her. “Please, just Celestia.”

Sunset looked at Celestia in utter shock, her open mouth slowly turning into a full radius smile. She didn’t even notice Foals Karring arrive until she heard her voice.

“Princess Celestia came to my office this morning,” said Karry, “she’s here in search of a foal to become her new protégé.”

Sunset turned back and tilted her head. “A new what?”

“A student, Sunset,” clarified calmly Celestia. “As you may know, several centuries ago I built a school in order to teach how to control magic to the younger generations of unicorns. But I also started to personally guide some of those unicorns into their growth, and it has been a long time since my last pupil required my assistance.

“I think that you could be my next, if you wish to be. I can see that there’s a lot of potential in you.”

Sunset didn’t reply right at the moment, she was looking up to Celestia with a mist of awe and puzzlement.

As she was still thinking, Princess Celestia went on. “Of course, it’s not like I’m going to lock you in a tower to study all day. But you’ll have the possibility to transfer into my castle, attend my school, and of course I would become your legal guardian.”

Hearing that made Sunset feel something inside of her heart. For a short instant, it was like something was stinging, like a needle, as a thought invaded permanently into her way to see the world. ‘She wants a student.’

But a short instant was all she needed to shrug off that feeling. “Of course I want to be your special student!” she exclaimed happily.

“And I’m very good at controlling magic, Princess Celestia! I can show you.” Sunset looked around in search of something to enchant with one of her most difficult spells, finding a little bonsai on a desk.

“There’s no need–” Sunset didn’t even hear Celestia’s words, much was her focus on channeling her magic through her horn. She was feeling like nothing could go wrong, like she was able to do anything for that moment. With a great glim of lights, Sunset cast her growing spell on the plant.

“P- Princess, I’m so, so sorry about this…”

Celestia, who was still dwindling the many branches that were filling half of the room, took a little break to reassure Foals Karring. “You don’t have to worry, my little pony. After all, there has been no real damage.”

Sunset was sitting near the wall, looking down to her hooves while the two grown-ups were talking. She had no idea of what to do or to say now. Her spell had turned out to be even more powerful than she had expected, which was good. So powerful, in fact, that all the three of them had been suddenly under quintals of leaves. Which was bad. “S- so… d- did I pass?”

Hearing the feeble voice, Princess Celestia quickly spun and watched the little filly.

Sunset was pressing her front hooves together, shaking as she turned towards Princess Celestia. “Was it good enough? I didn’t mean to overwhelm you with it! It’s just… I don’t know, suddenly I was feeling so inspired, powerful, and confident that I just gave it all and… and…” Sunset looked down and lowered her head. “It has never happened before.”

Sunset’s ears fell down as the Princess came closer, ready to be scolded and sent back to the other orphans. But her chin was slowly and gently pulled upwards by the hoof of Princess Celestia, who chuckled down to her and said, “And I doubt it will ever happen again…. Unless you get a second Cutie Mark.”

Sunset furrowed her brows. “A second… ?” Without understanding, she followed Celestia’s gaze and, spinning her head, she saw that her body was different. On her flank, which she was sure to be amber that morning, there was the depiction of a sun. It was both yellow and red, split symmetrically in two half.

But Sunset didn’t focus on the details, for one thought was taking up her mind entirely. “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!” she shouted with joy. Her shrieks of excitement filled the room as she chased herself in a small circle.

Only when her enthusiasm went down, Sunset remembered who else was in the room. Blushing lightly, she stopped her pace and looked to the two smiling ponies. Her embarrassment made room for surprise, though, when she noticed that the Princess’s eyes were slightly moist.

“Princess?”

Princess Celestia blinked several times, rubbing her eyes with a wing. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess that all those leaves have irritated my eyes,” she said, always showing a tender smile. “My most vivid congratulations for finding your special talent, Sunset.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” said Sunset. “Does that mean that you’ll take me under your wing?”

Celestia enwrapped Sunset in a warm embrace with her wing. “I would be happy to.”

Without a second thought, Sunset launched herself around Celestia’s hoof, returning the hug.

Wrapped in the warm feathers and fur, she couldn’t help but feel like a champion inside her little heart. Thanks to her talent and hard work, the Princess herself was going to accept her in the castle. And not just was she going to be rewarded but was also given a chance to climb up the top and prove herself upon everypony.

Yes, Sunset was smiling for true happiness.

Things were going uphill now.

*****

Vortex of colors, bright lights and the feeling that everything was tearing apart. Only the first two faded when Sunset fell forward on her palms, out of the inter-dimensional portal.

She was back on the human-world. The stinging sensation of the concrete against the skin of her hands was the proof of it. But even if she knew where she was, she felt lost.

Sunset clenched her hands into fists as she supported herself on her elbows and knees. She didn’t stand up, though.

There was a turmoil in her chest keeping her crawling on the ground, lived up by a multitude of emotions: disbelief, fear, sorrow, betrayal, anger. Sunset gritted her teeth and focused on the one that didn’t cause her even more suffering.

Sunset pushed hard with her arms and quickly came back on her legs, determined to run back to her apartment. But her consciousness went fuzzy and her vision faded in black as she made the first step. Losing her balance, Sunset stumbled and fell with her hip over the left side of the statue’s base.

Pressing her back on the marble, Sunset managed to stay on her feet as she slid down. Closing her eyes, she felt like she was sinking into the oblivion until her rump touched the ground, sending a shiver running through her body.

Sunset shot her eyes open as she tried to recover her sense, realizing only then that she was panting and sweating. After a short moment, her body stopped to act abnormally and she was calm again.

‘Stupid circulatory system,’ she thought. ‘I went from prone to erect too fast.’

Once she was sure to feel fine, Sunset started to slowly climb up over the surface of marble. Finally steady on her feet, she checked herself over to make sure she was ok. But when she looked over her arm, she found a large tear over the sleeve of her jacket.

Moving away Sunset grunted loudly as she examined the damage. ‘Oh. Fanfreakintastic. What I just had to face wasn’t enough, apparently. No, I had to ruin my favorite jacket as well! Exactly what I needed now, thanks a lot, harmony… or karma… or whatever else. Gah. Is there something more you would like to add so to make this day even more miserable?’

Celestia lowered her hoof and looked back at the point where Sunset Shimmer was standing just an instant before. No trace of her was left, except for a few sparkles of magic leavings. ‘A teleportation spell,’ thought Celestia, but where could have she gone?

She had to think shortly about that, as a strange feeling of deja vu gave her the answer. “The mirror!” Celestia was about to trot forward, but she had no idea of where the mirror had been placed.

So she turned hastily towards the one who knew. “Twilight! Where’s the portal?”

Only after she finished her query Celestia noticed in which state Twilight was. Her former student was completely still, looking with shock at Celestia’s direction. “Twilight?”

“Hm?” Twilight snapped off her trance and looked Celestia in the eyes. She simply looked at her blankly for a couple of seconds, then she brought a hoof to her forehead and suddenly started to panic. “Yes! The mirror!”

Twilight lit up her horn and prepared to teleport, but then she stopped abruptly. “You don’t know where it is!” she shouted, before galloping down the hall. “Follow me!”

And so, both the alicorns hurried through Twilight’s castle until they arrived at the room with the magic mirror. Unfortunately, there was no evident hint of Sunset’s passing. Twilight trotted a few steps forward and, lighting up her horn, cast the spell Detectia.

A ray of purple right diverged from her horn and bathed the room, revealing more sparkles of cyan magic in front of the portal. “There are some residuals of her spell,” explained Twilight, “She must have teleported here and then...”

Celestia looked at her, recognizing the struggled expression on Twilight as she left the words hanging in the air.

However, Twilight was quick to recompose herself and looked up to Celestia. “I’ll bring her back, Princess Celestia. Don’t worry.” After she had spoken Twilight moved to approach the mirror, but she was stopped by Celestia’s voice.

“Please, don’t.”

Twilight turned towards her, bewildered. “What? But... Princess...”

“I just don’t think that’s a good idea, Twilight. She’s most likely confused, hurt, and very angry right now. You shouldn’t speak to her while she’s in such a state.”

“B- but–” Twilight pointed a hoof to the mirror “–we can’t just abandon her! If she’s suffering, then I should reach her and–”

“And she won’t listen.” Celestia closed her eyes and let escape a sigh. “I think she made that clear.”

Looking up again, Princess Celestia saw that Twilight still wasn’t convinced. Closing the distance with her former student, Celestia lent a hoof over her shoulder and looked into her eyes. “I know you want to help her. And believe me, your support on this matter is invaluable for me. But right now, all that you’re going to achieve by chasing her will only cause pain for yourself. Trust me, I know.”

Twilight kept her gaze low as the words entered her ears, making her understand. Celestia gently caressed her shoulder as she was waiting patiently for a response. Finally, Twilight looked up with moist eyes and talked with sorrow in her voice. “There... there’s nothing we can do then?”

Celestia looked at the portal again, in thought, and pointed at the book on top of it. “Is that my diary?” she asked, making Twilight nod in answer.

“Can I assume that Sunset still owns her copy?”

Twilight nodded again.

Celestia used her magic and a pink aura brought the diary to her, opened to a blank page. She then took a pen from the desk in the corner of the room and thought in silence for a moment. Deciding it was better to be short and direct, she started to write.

Sunset,

We’ll wait for you.

I know that you don’t want to see us now, but I also know that you’re not yourself at the moment.Also, you and I both know that you can’t ignore all your question about your past.

Well, our past. I suppose you found it out somehow.

I’m willing to tell you everything, Sunset. I promise I’m going to tell you the whole truth when you’ll be ready.

You only have to come back when you feel like it.

I’ll be waiting.

Celestia.

She decided to leave her signature simply like that and floated the diary back to its place above the portal.

Sitting composed on her haunches alongside Twilight, both gazing intensely at the mirror, all that Celestia could do now was wait.

However, she also noticed that Twilight’s eyes were still filled with doubt.

Celestia sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “Princess Twilight?” asked she in the end.

Twilight’s head spun towards her. “Yes, Celestia?”

“Remember that little talk we had? About us being on the same level?”

“Um” – Twilight rubbed her neck – “Yes?”

“And do you remember that I’m not your teacher anymore?”

Twilight looked a few times between the mirror and Celestia. “Are you saying… that I should go?”

“No. I still believe that’s a bad idea,” said Princess Celestia before smiling at Twilight. “But while I hope that you’ll listen to my judgment, I also want you to remember that you should always follow your instinct… and your heart.”

With her gaze low, Twilight took a moment to ponder about what she felt right on doing. But as soon as her eyes pointed the mirror again, she had made her choice.

With a mingled feeling of proud and disagreement, Celestia watched Twilight standing up and approaching the portal. Nevertheless, she stopped her. “Before you go…” said she, “what are you going to tell her?”

Twilight slowly turned her head back, and Celestia recognized in her eyes the look of somepony who was uncertain and also too afraid to ask.

“Sit.”

Twilight diverted her eyes from Celestia, and meekly said, “There’s no need to–”

“I’m afraid there is,” cut off Celestia.

Only after Twilight sat in front of her, Celestia began to unravel her story.

Applejack caught her yawn and scratched her eyes as she went into Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen. She finally had had some time to rest and she wanted to join Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

She found Pinkie sitting right in front of the oven, looking intensely at her little ‘babies’ growing up, while the other two were busy with Fluttershy’s cookies.

“Howdy, y’all,” she muttered with a strained smile.

“Oh, well awake,” replied Fluttershy.

“Hello, Applejack,” said Rarity.

Pinkie Pie pushed herself backward and rolled on her back. Crumpling, she rolled until her head was between Applejack boots. “Hi.”

Applejack looked down chuckling. “Sorry, Pinkie. Ah couldn’t help ya with the baking.”

Pinkie shrugged. “That’s fine, you only have to taste after all. Besides, you were sooo sleepy that clearly you weren’t in condition to bake.” Pinkie giggled. “After all, better baked not than baked bad. Ahah.”

Applejack waited patiently as Pinkie sniggered below her, but her friend didn’t show any intention of moving even after she calmed down. Instead, Pinkie kept watching her in reverse. “Sugarpie?” asked Applejack.

Pinkie grinned maliciously and sang, “I can see under your skirt…”

Just before an embarrassed Applejack could kick her, Pinkie rolled her way to the oven in reverse between laughs. She returned in the same perfect position, watching over her cupcakes.

Grunting and rolling her eyes, Applejack reached Fluttershy and Rarity. “And what are the two of you doing if Pinkie’s cupcakes are in the oven already?”

Fluttershy turned to her smiling, a little spot of flour on her cheek. “I promised Sunset to bake her some bran cookies for when she’ll be back.”

“Aww, ain’t that nice,” chimed Applejack, cleaning off Fluttershy’s face with her thumb. Then, she focused on the ingredients scattered on the table. “So it’s chocolate, walnuts, and… oatmeal?”

“Yes.”

“For Sunset?”

“. . .Yes.”

A knowing grin spread across Applejack’s face. But just as she was about to say something, Fluttershy pointed at her and said, “Joker, no joking.”

Rarity snickered, and Fluttershy turned to her as well. “Joker, no joking.”

From her crouched stance, Pinkie inhaled loudly as she was used to before saying something funny. Fluttershy turned around and held a hand out in a blocking motion. “Joker, no joking!”

Pinkie looked down as her posture deflated. “Oh, MAAN!”

“But ya gotta admit,” scoffed Applejack. “Giving oatmeal to Sunset is pretty ironic.”

“She likes it,” mumbled Fluttershy rolling her eyes, before returning her attention to her work. Applejack joined her, mixing and pelleting the ingredients, until Fluttershy said, “We need more chocolate snippets. Rarity, could you please break some bars with the grinder?”

“Couldn’t Applejack do that?” asked Rarity, high pitched.

Suspicious of her friend's attitude, Applejack replied bluntly. “Helping Fluttershy.”

“Don’t worry, dear. I can handle this part while you diligently crush the chocolate at the other table.”

“Oh, come on. Ah just got here,” complained Applejack.

“Yes, but that little machine makes such an annoying noise.”

Applejack could have relented, but there was something in Rarity’s tone that bugged her. “Well, Ah want to join and help my friend here.”

Rarity shot Applejack a cold glare. “Really, now?”

“Um, girls.” Abruptly, the two quarreling remembered that Fluttershy was between them. They looked her with wide eyes as she slowly backpedaled, holding the chocolate in her hands. “It’s fine. I’ll do that. Just… calm down, ok?” Without waiting for an answer, Fluttershy spun on her feet and went where the grinder was, on the other side of the room.

When Fluttershy started the grinder, Applejack leaned over Rarity and whispered, “What was that about?”

Rarity focused on rolling the oatmeal, without even looking to her.

“Rare?”

Insisting on not looking to Applejack, Rarity answered with a lecturing tone. “I don’t think you should stay close to Fluttershy.”

Those words made Applejack’s heart stop. She felt her forehead covering in sweat, and her throat going dry like she was chewing sand. “W- what? W- why?”

Rarity shot her a bemused look. “Seriously, Applejack?” She spun her head away and closed her eyes, outraged. “To say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement.”

Now Applejack felt like she was swallowing a brick. ‘Sheknowssheknowssheknows…’

Finally turning towards her, Rarity threw her arms to the air. “I mean, come on!” she whispered. “Haven’t you learned anything from the last week?”

Applejack stopped to tremble and her expression of horror was replaced by one of puzzlement.

“I can’t believe how you attacked Sunset yesterday. How uncouth.”

Applejack breathed heavily in relief, like she was expelling her soul from her lungs. But after a short moment of calm, anger started to build inside her. “Hey, hold on a sec! That wasn’t like last week at all,” she whispered back, offended.

“Oh, no.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “You just forced yourself on her without even knowing what the fight was about.”

“She was shouting at Fluttershy,” said Applejack in her defense.

“And that’s why we’re still friends,” said Rarity, softening her tone. “But if you had used just half of your common sense, you would have understood that there was a problem.”

Both girls looked each other in silence. Rarity leaned forward and whispered. “I’m mostly certain that something is eating Sunset pretty badly. I’ve tried to bring Fluttershy talking about it, but she keeps avoiding the subject.”

Meanwhile, in the other room, Rainbow Dash was still blissfully snoring. Laying over one of the benches with her right cheek covered in saliva, she was tightly holding her backpack like a pillow. But her peaceful rest met its end as something nearby started to buzz and glow.

Rainbow Dash shut her eyes harder trying to ignore it, but it was a battle that she couldn't win on her own. To save her nap, she had to call for help. “Phone vibrating!”

“Which one?” asked Fluttershy from the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash strained herself to open one eye, seeing the yellow light coming from Sunset's backpack. “It’s Sunset’s.”

Fluttershy made her appearance on the threshold with a puzzled look. “Um, no. That one should play my song…”

Fully awake by then, Rainbow Dash reached the bag and opened it. She found the source of disturb, which turned out to be the magic diary.

Fluttershy's eyes went wide as Dash pulled it out, but she paid no mind to it. Instead, she opened the book searching for the new page out of pure curiosity, but Fluttershy snatched it abruptly out of her hands.

Dash's rebuke died on her lips when she looked up and saw how aghast Fluttershy's face was as she hastily went between the pages.

Finally, she stopped turning over the pages. Much to Dash's dismay, the concern in Fluttershy's eyes grew. “Oh no.”

Alarmed, all the girls arrived from the kitchen and approached Fluttershy. “What happened?” asked Applejack.

After a quick glance around her, Fluttershy grabbed hers and Sunset’s bags. “I have to go.”

Rarity flinched in dismay. “What? But, Fluttershy…”

“Sorry girls, this is important,” said Fluttershy as she headed to the doors.

But before she could reach the exit, Rainbow Dash jumped over the bench and landed in front of Fluttershy. “Hey! If this is so important, why aren’t you telling us what’s going on?”

Fluttershy put up a warning face. “Dash, this really isn’t the–”

“No! I’m not going to stay here while you may need our help.”

“I don’t need you!”

Hearing that, Rainbow Dash widened her eyelids and opened her mouth in shock. Immediately after, her face turned into a stern look as she crossed her arms and threw herself back blocking the door with her shoulders.

Both girls silently refused to step back, addressing cold looks to each other instead. They looked like willing to make a scene, and maybe they would have done it if Rarity didn't interject.

She stepped forwards, gently laying one hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Fluttershy.” Rarity paused and sighed. “What Rainbow Dash here is trying to say, in a terrible way and with a despicable attitude–”

“Hey!”

“–is that we’ve all been shocked by what we saw at the party. And while we don’t want to intrude between you and Sunset, we’re also worried about you.”

Surprising even herself, Fluttershy diverged her sight and lowered her tone. “I can handle my relationship on my own.”

“But this isn’t just about you, silly. Sunset is our friend too,” said Pinkie, popping out from her side.

“Yes. And we’re worried about her as well,” agreed Rarity. “We all promised to Twilight that we would have taken care of Sunset, and I have this feeling telling me that she needs us more than ever.”

Searching for and escape route, Fluttershy’s eyes darted in all directions before stopping on Applejack. The country girl was the only one who hadn’t add anything to the conversation yet.

Scratching her neck, Applejack looked right to Fluttershy and said, “You don’t have to reveal us anything, if ya don’t want to. But we’re your friends.” She paused, grimacing slightly and keeping her eyes firm. “And Sunset’s, too,” she added then, sweetly.

Seeing that Fluttershy was torn by doubts, Rainbow Dash moved away from the door and did one step forwards to confirm Applejack words. The arrogance displayed in her eyes faded, leaving room to true concern.

There was a moment of silence as Fluttershy looked at her friends, unsure of what to do. In the end, narrowing her eyes with determination, she composed herself and walked to the door.

None of the girls did anything to stop her. Instead, they just looked down with a sense of bitterness, even as they heard the front door opening.

“Well, let’s go.”

All and eight eyes perked up, seeing Fluttershy holding the door open for them. “It’s a long story, so I would prefer telling you during the walk.”

On the sidewalk that would have driven her to her apartment, Sunset Shimmer kicked away a cobblestone that was in her path. Only to catching up with it after few steps and kicking it again. And again.

‘I can’t believe it,’ thought Sunset between a kick and the other. ‘Why can’t I believe it, moreover? She admitted it herself, I’m a noble bastard that got disowned by her parents. It’s pretty much what I already figured a long time ago, anyway. Who put me in that orphanage doesn’t make any difference.

‘I mean, sure, I would have never expected it was her!’

Sunset halted on her feet, looking down at the little piece of stone that was in touch with her shoe. Her face remained blank for a few seconds before morphing back into a frown as she resumed kicking the cobblestone forwards. ‘So what? Apparently, I didn’t know her as much as I thought.’

Sunset growled before strolling behind the cobblestone. ‘Why am I even brooding over it? There’s no purpose to do something so stupid. Actually, all today was just a loss of time. I should have stayed home and forgotten about everything. No, I should have never found out from the beginning.’

Her thought trailed off as memories of the past days resurfaced inside her head. She remembered the other Sunset who, accidentally, revealed her about the truth of her past. She remembered how that other Sunset looked nice, sweet and happy. And suddenly, more questions spurt to her. ‘Why was it so different for her and Principal Celestia? Oh well, I guess that was one of the differences between our worlds. Maybe this Celestia is simply more mature and less fake than my Celestia and, thanks to that, this Sunset had the chance to grow up with a caring family. And maybe, this Sunset turned out to be a good person and NOT mess everything up epically because she was LOVED!’

Clenching her teeth and closing her eyes shut, Sunset swung her leg with way more energy than she intended and sent the cobblestone flying away. Only for it to smash the window of a car, which promptly started to play a loud and annoying alarm.

Sunset stood right in front of it, looking at the car with a half-lidded stare. Just for the few seconds that occurred her for rebooting her sanity and fleeing away.

She arrived at the end of the sidewalk and turned the corner. Then, she ended her rush and took a couple of long breaths. ‘Damn it. I’m completely losing my mind. What am I going to do next? Throw fireballs from my hands?

‘It’s better if I don’t think about it,’ thought Sunset, resuming to walk. ‘But still, there are some oddities in this story if I think about it. Mostly about my doppelganger. I should call her and–’ Sunset shook her head ‘–no, there’s no reason to. It’s obvious that our stories are very different from each other’s. Besides, even if our past was somehow mirrored… well…

‘My past is not today.’

With a glance, Sunset saw the parking lot in front of her apartment so she allowed herself to lower her head and look at her feet as she went through the familiar route.

Despite doing her best to block out the negative thoughts, the outlines of her mouth and eyes sank down in a frown.

Everything about her was just down.

Like her gaze, so focused on her feet that she didn’t even notice the five girls sitting quietly at the staircase.

Not until she was just a few yards away.

Once she acknowledged their presence, Sunset raised her head and looked at them blankly. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy stood up and looked back to her.

Sunset was surprised to see them all. Surprised… and a little intimidated.

She didn’t have the best memories from the last time her friends ‘waited’ for her in front of her house.

“Hi, girls,” said Sunset, hesitant. She took a step back, darting her eyes between all them. “Why… why are you here?”

They didn’t respond. Instead, the insisted on looking to her silently or exchanged some quick looks between them.

Sunset’s unease grew with every second. “I’m sorry,” she said, putting on a smile, “but… it has been a very long day so, if I could just go upstair and–”

Fluttershy talked gravely, despite still trying to be gentle. “Sunset…”

Sunset’s mouth went thin and flat as her eyes grew open. Again, she was struck with surprise as her girlfriend momentary avoided the eye contact. If Fluttershy was interrupting her, it had to be something bad.

Before Fluttershy could bring herself to finish her sentence, Sunset scanned all the girls present in search for some clues.

Only then, Sunset realized what kind of eyes they all were giving her.

They weren’t angry. Or judgemental. Or lecturing.

It was worse.

They were sympathetic.

Fluttershy showed an apologetic smile. “…they know.”

Fluttershy knew she had to be brave.

She wasn’t really good at it. She was quite weak and helpless in fact, but she just had to overcome her fears. Because her girl needed her.

Unfortunately, Sunset was exactly what scared Fluttershy the most. She watched as her girlfriend was shaking, with an expression on her face that Fluttershy didn’t know how to read. Only her eyes, pointed straight at Fluttershy, showed a feeling of betrayment. The usual light inside them was dull.

Taking a step back, Sunset opened and closed her mouth in bewilderment several times without emitting a syllable. “What?” she finally managed to ask.

Fluttershy took a breath and talked calmly. “Sunny, I thought I had to tell them–”

“WHAT?!”

Frightened by the sudden yell, Fluttershy flinched back as Sunset clenched her teeth and closed her trembling hands into fists. Rainbow Dash was quick to jump right between them, shielding Fluttershy with her back and holding her hands out into a block. “Hey, hey, buddy. She’s just trying to help you. We all are,” said Rainbow Dash with all the consideration she could muster.

Sunset turned her glare to Rainbow Dash, getting only a look of apprehension in response. Then, she hissed loudly and grasped her head with both hands, closing her eyes shut.

Fluttershy saw Applejack and Pinkie as they tried to slowly get closer to comfort their friend, but Sunset shot them a glare so intimidating that they stopped right in their tracks. Then, Sunset re-closed her eyes and slowly massaged her temples, muttering to herself, “Okay. Okay? Okay…”

The girls, unsure on how to proceed, could only exchange doubtful looks until Sunset finally turned to them again. “Fluttershy,” she said with a voice flat and cold.

Hearing her name, Fluttershy peered over Rainbow’s shoulder with a nervous smile. “Y- yes?”

“Go away.”

Simple as that, seeing and hearing Sunset acting so cold and detached, Fluttershy felt her heart clenching painfully and tears climbing to the corners of her eyes. “B- but… I- I don't want to–”

“You don't understand,” said Sunset, her voice lower and hoarse. “You have to go away.”

Every single word pierced Fluttershy’s chest as she heard them, but she didn’t want to back off. She wanted to talk back, to say that Sunset needed her, to close the distance and give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But Fluttershy could only stammer, next to tears, and Sunset raised her voice. “I’m NOT fine, Fluttershy. Can’t you see that I’m not fine?

“So, could you please be anywhere else but next to me?!”

Slowly and gently, Applejack took another step forward. “Sunset, try to calm down.”

“I can’t! Take her away,” hissed back Sunset, narrowing her eyes.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy stared in horror as Sunset bossed everybody around with threats. Her face was contorted in anger, her voice was filled with venom, and Fluttershy could see a raging fire inside her eyes.

Fluttershy broke out from her staggering only when Rarity placed a hand over her shoulder. “Let’s do this how she wants. Dash, Applejack, please escort Fluttershy to her house.”

“B- but…”

Fluttershy’s protests were cut short by Rainbow Dash, who wrapped an arm around her and started to carry her away. “I’m sorry but… maybe she’ll cool down if we go,” said Dash, trying to sound reassuring.

Behind them, Fluttershy could see Sunset following them with her eyes as they moved away. And, oblivious to Sunset, she saw Applejack leaning closer to Rarity for a moment. “Ya sure you got this?” she whispered. “I could–”

Rarity bluntly induced Applejack after Fluttershy and Dash with a push. “Leave this to me and Pinkie.”

And so, Fluttershy found herself to be escorted home by Rainbow Dash and Applejack. She wanted to retort. To come back and fix her girlfriend. But she knew she couldn’t do that.

She knew she wasn’t brave.

Sunset watched in silence as Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked away with her girlfriend. It was an immense relief for her since she didn’t feel obliged to hold back anymore. She knew she would have never forgiven herself if she had to start a fight with Fluttershy. But with the others, it was a different story.

With a disgruntled expression, Sunset turned towards the only two friends who still remained. Pinkie, nervous and probably frightened, was fiddling with her fingers while Rarity was staring her, slowly furrowing her brow. “I really don’t want to say this, but you were exceedingly heartless just now.”

A half-lidded stare was all that Sunset gave back to Rarity before walking past her, but a white hand forbade her to go further. She wasn’t going to reach her apartment quietly if Rarity’s grasp around her shoulder had something to say about it.

“Sunset…”

“Take your hands off me.” Sunset matched her words with a strong shrug and turning over Rarity.

Rarity withdrew her hand but stood her ground and turned to Sunset, softly but also resolute. “Darling, we know that you’re going through a really bad moment–”

Sunset crossed her arms and scoffed. “Oh, really? You know?!”

“You know what I mean.”

“Well, let’s see,” said Sunset, turning her eyes up while scratching her chin. “What could ever pass by that ‘sophisticated’ little head of yours?”

Rarity gasped and narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?”

Before Rarity could press over or Sunset could answer, Pinkie finally found the courage to speak. “Please Sunset, don’t be like that. We–”

“I’m talking with Rarity,” said Sunset, zapping Pinkie Pie with her eyes.

Rarity closed her eyes and took a big breath, “I just think that you could use some support from your friends,” she said calmly. “We can help so much if you just let us–”

“Ha! Are you really sure about that?” asked Sunset with more than a little mockery. “You think you’re an expert in dealing with the feeling of being made a fool for your entire life? From the only pony you ever looked up to, nevertheless?”

“Modestly, I think I know a couple of things about heart aches.”

“Ooh, now I see. You think that this is all like one of your drama fictions.” Sunset clapped her hands right over her shoulder and popped a heel up, looking up and high pitching her voice in a bad impersonation of Rarity. “Oh dear, I just found out that poor little Sunset has lived all her life like an orphan. But that’s ok, because I’ve read Oliver Twist so I know everything about it.”

That little display was enough to leave Rarity agape and speechless, her face getting completely red in a blink. When she was over the shock, Rarity leaned forward and raised her voice to a shout. “Ok, that was offensive beyond measure! I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

Sunset leaned forward too, giving Rarity a condescending look and filling her voice with feigned sadness. “And honestly, I’m sorry that you’re failing so badly.”

“Girls…” called meekly Pinkie, in an attempt to divert their attention.

But, despite knowing that she was probably going to regret it, Rarity couldn’t help but dig further. “What do you mean?”

Sunset shrugged in nonchalance. “Don’t take it too bad, it’s just that you’ve always been a terrible friend.”

Rarity gasped. “WHAT?! That’s preposterous.”

“Yeah!” said Pinkie, hugging her friend close with one arm. “Rarity is one of the best friends ever.”

“Please,” said Sunset rolling her eyes, “everyone barely endures all your whims of a presumed diva. And do we want to talk about your insistence on making us all feel like we’re mere plebeian in your presence?”

“I- I don’t do that.” Rarity shot Pinkie a dubious look. “Do I?”

Before Pinkie could answer, Sunset resumed her heated rant. “And there’s more. Deep down, you know you are a terrible friend and you desperately try to cover it by filling our wardrobe. You are so afraid that no one wants to be your friend that you try to buy them with gifts.”

“T- that’s not true…” said Rarity. But Sunset knew that she was about to break down.

“Speaking of which…” Sunset slipped off her ruined jacket from her arms and roughly tossed it to Rarity. “Here! Since you wanted to help so badly, now you can do the only thing you’re decent at. See ya.”

Sunset arrived only on the first step of the stairs before Pinkie popped right in front of her. “Now, now, now. Don’t you think it’s about time to jump off the meanie train and, you know, maybe reconsider some of your words?” The nervousness inside her voice was poorly hidden.

“The meanie train?” asked Sunset, cocking an eyebrow.

With her smile dying off her face, Pinkie Pie turned a little pale and gulped. “I… I just... I just wanted to make you laugh a little.”

“Laugh a little? LAUGH A LITTLE?” Sunset tossed her head back and burst out in a hollow laugh. “Why, yes! It’s so important to laugh. Always, right?! In fact, why don’t we all take a good laugh?

“Even better, why don’t you plan a party, Pinkie? After all, that’s all you do. Every time. Whatever happens. So throw a party, Pinkie Pie! You could call it the ‘Sunny found her mommy’, and everyone will have a good laugh and we’ll have a good time! AND WE CAN GO HUNTING FOR RAINBOWS AND LEPRECHAUNS AFTER THAT!”

Pinkie Pie, who was sinking deflated on herself, looked up to Sunset with pleading eyes and quivering lips. “Please don’t get mad, but… you know that I’m not good at reading sarcasm so–” Sunset’s eye twitched “–could you tell me if you were–”

Sunset grasped her head in her palms and shrieked out loudly in frustration. Then, she towered over Pinkie, who fell back sitting on the stairs. “How can you be so STUPID?!”

Pinkie’s eyelids began to watering.

“Now, stop right there!” Rarity’s indignant voice reached Sunset’s drums. “Y- you can’t…”

Sunset turned over to hush Rarity, but she stopped abruptly as her eye caught a figure crossing the street and moving towards them. “You’re not like this,” continued Rarity, noticing only after that Sunset was looking through her with wide eyes.

Rarity spun her head in order to understand why Sunset was distracted and when she looked back her eyes were filled with terror. Sunset moved to go around her and, when Rarity tried to block her she pushed Rarity aside with enough strength to send her stumbling over the hood of a car parked near.

“Sunset!” Rarity cried out of protest, but Sunset was deaf to it as she walked against Princess Twilight with a strong pace.

Sunset’s felt she was all tense, and she was sure that her anger shined through her eyes. Twilight, instead, was proceeding slowly and uncertainly and her face was a perfect representation of concern.

Once they reached a dialogue range, Twilight stopped and attempted to smile. “Sunset, I’m glad you went back to your apartment. I–”

“Did you know?”

Twilight’s smile died on her lips. “Excuse me?”

“DID YOU KNOW?!” roared Sunset, extending forward with her shoulders.

Twilight flinched back and hold her hands out. “Sunset… I had no idea,” she answered in true sorrow.

Sunset remained silent for a short moment, scanning Twilight in search of any hint of lies. Finding none, she pulled back and crossed her arms giving Twilight a critical look. “And you are supposed to be Princess Celestia’s star student.”

Twilight looked down and joined her hands in front of her blouse. “I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“For… not knowing, I guess.”

“Why? Would you have told me, if you knew?”

“What?” Twilight’s head perked up and looked Sunset in bewilderment, stammering as she tried to comprehend that question. “I- I don’t know…”

“Well, I do,” replied Sunset with sassiness. “You would have done exactly what Celestia had told you to do. Like always.”

“Not like always,” retorted Twilight. “Actually, she didn’t want me to come here.”

If Sunset thought that nothing could have made her feel more hurt than she already was, she had just proven wrong. And she must have made it obvious considering Twilight’s startled and panicked expression.

“N- no, it’s not like that! She cares about you.”

Sunset poked at Twilight’s chest with both hands. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. “I still was at the part where you knew nothing.”

“I- I just meant that she wanted to give you your time to calm down before getting in touch.”

Sunset averted her eyes, unsure how to feel about it, but the only remarkable thing to see was Rarity, still on the stairs, kneeling in front of Pinkie Pie. “Then why are you here?” she asked at last.

“Because we’re friends.”

Sunset took a step back and opened her eyes wide. “Woah! Friends?! Which world are you living in, pray tell?”

Twilight just stared her with a confused look, making Sunset grunt in annoyance as she realized that she could have meant it literally. “Don’t answer that,” bitterly said Sunset. “It was just figurative speech.”

Even if Twilight got the message, she only frowned more. “I still don’t understand what you–”

Sunset raised a finger, cutting Twilight off. “Tell me, when did we become friends, precisely?!”

“It was… the Fall Formal.”

“Oh, the Fall Formal,” repeated Sunset, feigning surprise. “You mean after I was crawling on the ground?”

Twilight looked down, saddening at the memory. “…Yes.”

“After you offered me your hand and your friendship?”

Twilight looked up again, smiling in hope. “Yes.”

“Just one more specific,” said Sunset, rising up an index. “Was it before or after you turned away and went through the portal?”

Twilight’s smile died again. “What?”

“Hey, I’m not the friendship expert. If you think that abandoning your new so called friend is a good way to start–”

Twilight stomped to the ground in anger. “I didn’t abandon you!”

“You sure? Because, apparently, today is a good day to confess that sort of thing to me.”

“What are you talking about?!” asked Twilight on the brink of exasperation. “You know that I had no time left.”

“Yes, I know. I mean, except the time to go dancing with Flash, but I’m not holding a grudge. Honestly. I just don’t understand why would you ever say that we’re friends.”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer back, but no words came out of it. Instead, she closed her eyes and shook her head. Then, she looked back to Sunset with pleading eyes. “Sunset… please just listen to me. I can only imagine how much resent you’re brooding towards Celestia…

“But she told me everything.”

Sunset opened her eyes wide. This time, for real surprise.

“After you left, she told me why she… did what she did. And there’s a good explanation!”

Incredulous, Sunset tilted her head and watched Twilight with her mouth agape. “Wait, really?”

Twilight lips curved up a little, and she nodded faintly.

“There’s a good explanation?” asked Sunset.

“Yes.”

Sunset rested her hands on her hips and smiled broadly. “But… that’s great!”

“That’s a relief,” said Twilight releasing a breath.

“I KNOW! And here I was, thinking that there could have never been a good excuse for abandoning your child and then pretending to be a total stranger.”

Twilight relaxed face turned into an uncertain one. “Um, yeah…”

“But you have a good explanation!” continued Sunset with the pitch of her voice slowly rising. “That makes it totally different! Like, now you can tell me so everything will be ok and maybe we can all go back to Equestria. I can reconcile with my mommy and we can even sing a merry song in tune with everypony passing by while we go!” Sunset finished her sentence with a bright smile.

For next few seconds, Twilight was gaping in front of her. Then, she suddenly recovered and smiled again. “Alright, so–”

Sunset facepalmed.

She took a deep breath and slid her hand low enough to open her eyes.

“Twilight?” she asked, calmly and quietly.

Twilight gulped. “Y- yes?”

“THIS ISN’T HOW IT WORKS!”

Twilight recoiled, her hands covering her ears with and her eardrums in pain for the loud shout. It was like she had been pulled back by Sunset’s rage only.

As she was snarling to Twilight, Sunset heard the sounds of heels stepping behind her. Then she heard Rarity’s voice saying, “Sunset, you need to–”

In a flash, Sunset swung on her wrist and pointed menacingly to Rarity. “Stay out of this!” she threatened, and she instantly turned back to Twilight.

Shivering in front of her death glare, Twilight started to babble. “B- but I can assure you–”

Sunset rolled her eyes and threw her arms up. “Oh, I’m sure she has! How can she NOT HAVE a good explanation! She’s Celestia, Princess of the daytime. You would even say that her farts are made of rainbow if someone asked you!”

“Sunset,” squeaked Twilight, “just let me–”

“NO! Especially not from you! Nor from any other lackey who worships her!”

“I swear it’s not like that.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger towards Twilight. “Say one bad thing about her.”

“Excuse me?” asked Twilight in disbelief.

“One bad thing,” slowly repeated Sunset. “And I’ll listen to you.”

Twilight moved her mouth up and down, with a look of pleading on her face. Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, she averted her gaze and started sweating from her front head.

“Well?” asked Sunset with defiance.

“W- well… she…

“She…”

Sunset granted Twilight enough time of silence before smiling wryly. “Yeah. I didn’t think so.”

Humiliated and defeated, Twilight turned her eyes down as her body deflated.

However, Sunset couldn’t stand seeing Twilight so downcast. “Aw, here. Let me help you out,” she said, closing the distance between them.Then she pointed her finger to Twilight again and raised her voice. “Princess Celestia IS A BIG WH–”

The rumble of a motorcycle passing near spread over her words but she knew, from Twilight’s face, that she had been heard.

Nobody did anything as the sound of the engine trailed off, nor when Twilight removed her hands from her mouth. She only produced faint whines at first, all her energy focused on not burst out crying. “You are very distressed right now… it’s understandable.” Twilight started to walk backward as her eyes got moist. “I’ll give you time to calm down and… I’ll see you again. Soon, I promise.” As soon as she said that, she quickly turned over and let out a sniff, quickening her pacing.

After watching her go through a few steps, Sunset turned back to her apartment. But she found herself in front of a very disappointed Rarity and an incredulous Pinkie Pie. Sunset just cocked an eyebrow with a challenging look.

Without a word, the two girls went past her and chased Twilight.

Finally alone, Sunset crossed the parking lot, climbed the stairs, reached her door, and entered her apartment.

But as she heard the click of the door closing behind her, she realized there was something weird about it.

And yet it was just how she left it. Clean, ordered, with all the accessories and comforts. But what was she looking for, exactly?

Only then, she realized that the only reason why she wanted so badly to get here was because she had nowhere else to go.

Not a place to call home.

Not a person, nor a pony to trust.

Not anymore.

Without a sound, she laid down and curled over the carpet.

Interlude

*Sniff*

“Come on… it’s not that bad.”

“Yes *sniff* i- it is.”

With her arm already wrapped around Fluttershy’s shoulder, Rainbow Dash gave another soft stroke to her friend. Then, Fluttershy used her hand to wipe out the tears from the corner of her eyes and everybody resumed walking.

They had been following that routine for a while now. Walking in silence, Fluttershy getting emotional and tearing up, stop walking, Rainbow Dash supporting her, and resuming to walk in silence.

And in all this, Applejack could only stare them by the other side of Fluttershy. She had tried to reach her too, but every time she stretched an arm towards her friend in need she hesitated. And every time, that hesitation would make her avert her eyes and blush in shame.

This situation continued for several minutes until they reached a café and Applejack pointed to it, saying, “Hey, why don’t we get ourselves a milkshake there? My treat?”

Rainbow Dash perked up her head. “Woho, your treat? Of course I’m gonna–” Rainbow’s words stuck in her throat when she saw Applejack glaring at her, and she looked down to Fluttershy with a nervous smile when she understood why Applejack was annoyed. “I mean, if that’s ok with you, Shy?” she asked, turning to Fluttershy with a sheepish smile.

“Sure,” answered Fluttershy in her typical mouse-like voice, without even looking up.

Rainbow entered the café as Applejack held the door open for them, and the three of them immediately had to face the end of a really long queue of customers delimited by a line of tape poles.

“Aw, crap,” snapped Dash, “looks like we’ll have to wait.”

Still looking to the ground, Fluttershy quietly mumbled something unintelligible in response. Dash couldn’t stand it. Just watching Fluttershy’s mood was enough for her to feel her own expression frowning.

She diverged from Fluttershy and took a step backward, looking around, thinking of something that could use as a distraction and, hopefully, to cheer Fluttershy up. Her eyes found Applejack, and an idea hit her.

She only had to catch her attention surreptitiously. “Psst. AJ.”

Applejack heard her and spun her head.

Now, it was time to code speaking.

Rainbow Dash held the eye contact. Then pointed her eyes towards Fluttershy, who was right next to both them.

Looking back, she understood from Applejack’s blank expression that somehow she hadn’t got the very explicit message.

Rainbow Dash repeated the motion, but working more on the eyebrows this time. It was impossible to miss the meaning of that.

Applejack just opened her mouth in snarl. “Eh?” she mimed.

Dash looked up in annoyance, cursing her dull friend. This time, she slightly tilted her head towards Applejack, and then towards Fluttershy.

But looking back to AJ, she only found the same puzzlement as before.

Dash tilted her head again, pretending to cough. “Ahem.”

Applejack, still confused, cocked an eyebrow.

Rainbow Dash impatiently shifted her head completely towards AJ –Ahem– and then towards Fluttershy. “Mh.”

Applejack stared at Rainbow Dash for a short moment, until her eyes started to widely open in understanding.

Dash let out a satisfied breath and nodded, looking between Applejack and Fluttershy one last time.

Slowly but steadily, Applejack pupils shrunk as her eyes went wide and the corners of her mouth sunk down.

Tired of waiting, Dash tilted her head between AJ and Fluttershy.

Applejack hastily shook her head in response.

Dash shifted her head again. “Mh. Hm!”

Applejack zapped Dash with a glare and shook her head again. “M-hm!”

“Girls…” Fluttershy’s meek voice froze the heart of Rainbow Dash, who smiled nervously and quickly took a casual position. To her relief, Fluttershy had only started to turn over them, so it wasn’t like they were busted. “Is it ok if I go sitting at one of the tables?” she asked, trying to hide behind her hair.

Rainbow Dash brought a hand behind her head. “Oh, sure,” she said. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, please. Help Applejack with the milkshakes,” answered Fluttershy, slowly dragging herself away.

Rainbow Dash extended an arm towards Fluttershy, in an attempt of comforting her friend, but she wasn’t fast enough and left it hanging in thin air. She puffed in a silent complaint and turned towards Applejack, finding a death glare on her friend’s face.

“Have ya gone nuts!?” she said, hissing.

“AJ, you have to tell her,” said Rainbow Dash, with no hesitation.

Applejack pumped her fists downwards and raised her voice. “Oh heck no! What–” looking around her, Applejack realized that she was harassing the customers around them and lowered her voice. “What in tarnation is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” quietly asked Dash. “What’s wrong with you! Now is a good time to tell her about–”

“Now it’s the worst time, Ah recall.”

Rainbow Dash snorted from her nostrils and spun her head towards Fluttershy. Her friend had found an empty table and was now sitting with her arm crossed over it. Dash felt her own face softening just by seeing her so sad. “Look at her,” she said to Applejack. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do everything you can to cheer her up.”

Applejack’s snort of anger morphed into one of disbelief. “Wait… you want me to tell her my secret just to make her feel better?”

“Yup.”

Applejack scanned all over Dash’s face, pondering in silence for a long moment.

A really long moment.

“You’re an idiot,” she concluded.

Dash casually raised a fist ready for a light strike, but Applejack held a hand between them and spoke again. “Just think. For once, use that dense head that ya have stuck over your shoulders and tell me… What would happen if Ah told Fluttershy that Ah…?”

Rainbow Dash saw a strong flush appearing over the freckled cheeks and so she didn’t wait for Applejack, who couldn’t manage to finish the question, to answer. “Well, if anything she would be distracted, and not think about Sunset. And maybe, knowing that somebody else cares about her that way would make her feel… ya know, loved. I think she needs it right now and, who knows, she could even get over–” Dash hesitated for a second, then she discreetly pointed the self-pitying Fluttershy “–that.”

“Okay,” said Applejack, “let’s say all that happens. Ya really think that would be good?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Applejack gave Dash a harsh look. “No, that ain’t anythin’ good.”

“Why not?”

“Sugarcube, do you want Sunset and Fluttershy to break up?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash startled for genuine surprise. “N- no, I…”

“Because, in your best case scenario, that’s what’s gonna be.”

For the few seconds before Applejack explained, Dash stared her friend in bewilderment as she was sternly glared back. “Look, Sunset just found out that all her childhood was basically a big lie. Everyone would be more than a little edgy in her situation. And you saw her earlier, there was madness in her eyes. And Fluttershy got a slice of it shoved rightly in her face. She could even think that Sunset doesn’t lover her anymore.”

“Yeah, that’s why you should step in. I don’t want Fluttershy to dump Sunset, but this isn’t good for either of them. On the other hand, if you told Fluttershy about your feelings things could go well and you could both be happy.”

Applejack closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. Dash, they’re both under a hecka lot of stress! They ain’t in shape of reasonin’. And Ah’m not gonna risk their happiness because they had a bad day.”

Rainbow Dash spun her head away and looked upwards, deadpanning. “Such a happiness…”

Applejack shot her another glare. “They are! Just not now.”

Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks, more discontent than before, and focused on the line. A few customers had just been served, creating an empty space that the two girls were fast to close.

In that little pause Dash had enough time to think of a way to retort. “What about your happiness?”

Caught off guard, Applejack gave a little glance of dismay to Rainbow Dash, but she recoiled quickly. “Right now, that’s far from the important matters,” she said, but Rainbow Dash noticed how that question had caused Applejack to startle.

Dash puffed again and, driven by frustration, softly kicked the nearer pole. Applejack, Fluttershy, and even Sunset were all in a difficult situation now. And not only was she caught in the middle, but she also had no idea how to help them out. Far from it, every time that she tried to do something things would only get worse.

“Maybe I didn’t think it through,” she admitted.

“Mmhm,” agreed Applejack, both the girls remaining focused on the line.

“But you’ll have to tell her sooner or later.”

Applejack stayed quiet for a while before replying to that. “Perhaps.”

And with that, they waited quietly for some minutes until they reached the counter.

While taking the order, Applejack was assaulted by a doubt and turned to Rainbow Dash. “What’s Fluttershy favorite flavour?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t even have to think about it. “Chocolate.”

“Ya sure?”

“Of course I am.”

Once settled, their orders were soon ready to be taken away. Carrying two chocolate milkshakes and one caramel apple flavored milkshake, Rainbow Dash and Applejack moved to Fluttershy and sat down.

Rainbow Dash sat in the middle between Applejack and Fluttershy, who were crossed on the table, and started sipping from her milkshake. Applejack leaned over the table and offered Fluttershy her milkshake. “Here, sugarcube. Chocolate, your favorite.”

Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow and returned the eye contact. “But that’s Dash’s favorite.”

Rainbow Dash almost choked her drink. ‘What?’ she thought. ‘I thought it was hers, too.’

She was about to question Fluttershy, but Rainbow Dash felt the glare that Applejack was giving her through her skin. She spun her head and, indeed, Applejack looked quite displeased. Rainbow Dash offered a sheepish smile in return.

After a roll of her eyes, Applejack attempted to enjoy her drink. Rainbow Dash took example and sipped her milkshake as well, while Fluttershy merely stared at hers. The sound of their sipping were the only noise stronger than the surrounding murmurs.

They went on until Rainbow Dash’s patience no longer allowed it. “Come on Fluttershy,” she said, putting her drink down, “you can’t beat yourself up like this.”

“M- maybe I should.” Fluttershy let out a sniffle and rubbed one corner of her eyes. “I- it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have told you…”

Rainbow Dash leaned closer to her friend, firmly grasping her shoulder and looking her right into the eyes. “Ok, Shy? You know that I love you –not that way– but that’s nonsense. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Dash is right,” agreed Applejack in her calm tone. “It was us who made a mistake. We just assumed that Sunset would have needed us all to support her, but it was an impulsive decision. And we all gave her a reason to be even more mad.” Applejack leaned back on her seat and looked up, crossing her arms over her chest. “If Ah could go back of an hour, Ah would kick myself. We only added more wood to the fire. For how it went, we might as well have flaunted ribbons with ‘your girlfriend cheated on you’ written on them.”

Fluttershy whined out loud, lowering her head as Applejack bolted upright in her chair and clenched her teeth in fright.

Rainbow Dash was fast to lower her head at the same height. “Nonono wait wait. She didn’t mean it like that. You did the right thing.”

“That’s true,” hastily said Applejack. “Ah just meant that we should have understood it wasn’t our place, stood back, and waited for you to make sure that we could actually do something.”

Dash nodded quickly as she pulled Fluttershy up. “Exactly as she said. See, Fluttershy? It wasn’t your fault. At all. And I bet that Sunset knows that too, she just needs some time to–”

The look that Fluttershy shot her was enough to make Rainbow Dash recoil. Hidden under the pink hair, there were the mirrors of a lot of sadness and even more anger. “But have you seen her?!” she growled to them. “Have you seen how she was looking at me?! I hurt her!”

With her heart pounding, Rainbow Dash caught a quick glimpse of Applejack. They both were frozen in fear in front of Fluttershy’s angry stare. It lasted long enough, but eventually all the anger vanished and left room only for the sadness. “I hurt her…” faintly repeated Fluttershy as her posture deflated. Crossing her arms in front of her, she started crying as her front head reached the table.

Rainbow Dash hesitated only for a second before coming close, putting a hand over the Fluttershy’s shoulder again. “Hey, maybe it’s not that bad,” she said with unusual sweetness.

“Ah agree,” said Applejack. “‘Sides, Rarity and Pinkie have remained to comfort your babe and Ah’m sure as heck positive that they’re gonna turn all this situation into better. They could even be sittin’ into the living room, friendly talkin’ all about their feelings and stuff.”

Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were sitting in a deathly silence on the steps of CHS’s front entrance.

Each one of them seemed lost, gazing into their own nightmares that only they could see. They were too frightened to speak them aloud to the others, and the others were too busy with their own for realizing that they were needed from their friends.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity had reached Twilight shortly after their... confrontation with Sunset. Useless to say, Twilight was on the verge of tears after everything that had just been thrown at her. So they all walked side by side, with Rarity and Pinkie trying to cheer up their mutual friend.

But soon, realizing that words were useless, the three young girls found themselves simply walking in silence for the rest of trip. Getting past the many buildings, the several streets, and one particularly annoyed citizen who was yelling about some punk smashing his car’s window.

In the end, they arrived at the CHS and sat on the front stairs, still without uttering a word. They just remained there, lost in their thoughts with depressed frowns on their faces.

After a long while, it was Rarity the first to realize they were just wasting time and to speak up. “It’s nice to see you, anyway,” she said to Twilight with a warm smile.

Twilight turned her head slowly and looked soberly to Rarity. “Was that sarcasm?”

Rarity frowned in dismay. “Darling, of course not.”

Pinkie grunted loudly and leaned with her back against the stairs. “Boooy, we are bad at this.”

“I just meant that I’m happy to see you, with all the time that you spend away.” Rarity bit her tongue the same moment she finished speaking and looked Twilight with aghast. Meeting a flat look, Rarity’s smiled sheepishly.

Twilight kept on blankly staring at Rarity. “Well, that was sarcasm.”

Pinkie clicked her tongue. “Nah, I think that’s more irony than anything.”

Rarity looked up and grunted. “I was trying to be nice!”

Twilight averted her eyes and sighed. “I know...” Turning her eyes down and her posture deflating, Twilight embraced herself and said, “But... I really think she’s right. About me. What kind of friend gets away from you the same minute after she offers you friendship? Maybe for the first time in your life?”

She paused and her eyes got moist, her voice became bitter when she resumed to talk. “If you think about it, all the good that I ever did for her was a consequence of fighting her. Such a great Princess of Friendship I am.”

That display brought sorrow into Rarity’s heart, who immediately embraced her friend over the shoulders. “Twilight, we all know that you did what you could.”

Pinkie Pie leaned forward, popping into Twilight and Rarity’s view. “Yeah, Twi. And it may have been little, but it was exactly what she needed. And it’s not like you just dropped her where she was, you introduced her to us!”

“Exactly,” said Twilight. “I literally dumped her on your shoulders, leaving all the work to you.”

Rarity shook her head. “Nonsense, my dear. You didn’t just make her a boulder for the next guy around. You entrusted her to us. That’s because you knew that you were leaving her in good hands.” Rarity came closer and slightly tittered. “Did you not?”

Twilight returned the eye contact for a second before looking down again. “Thanks, but...”

Rarity waited for a bunch of seconds before asking, “But what?”

“She doesn’t see it that way.” Twilight sighed again. “She was so angry... and she even talked about Princess Celestia like that…”

“Now, dear,” said Rarity, “I dislike foul language too of course, but you’re just being silly.”

Pinkie Pie giggled and pressed herself over Twilight. “Really now, you shouldn’t be so affected by just a bad word.”

Twilight looked up to Pinkie in confusion. “I shouldn’t?”

Rarity coughed. “Well, I mean, it’s not like the first time that someone –pardon, somepony– said...”

Twilight’s look was quite explicit about the answer.

“Really?” asked Rarity, bewildered.

Pinkie Pie jumped in front of them. “You’re kidding me. We humans say that like–” she started counting off the fingers of her hands, soon running out of them “–a whole lot more than we should here.”

Twilight simply shrugged. “I’ve never heard it aloud before. Even our dictionary says it’s a word in disuse.”

Rarity barely held a snort. “You really are a pony princess from a land of magic little horses.”

“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?” asked Twilight, tilting her head.

Rarity turned her eyes upwards and said, “Well… nevermind that. All I’m saying is that Sunset just wanted to be mean, and she might have gone heavy because she was angry.”

“Or she could have meant it,” said Pinkie Pie, scratching her chin, “I mean that would make sense to her now that–”

Rarity shot a hard glare to Pinkie, cutting her off, and hoarsely uttered, “Not. Helping.”

Silence returned among them as Rarity and Pinkie looked with concern at Twilight. Their friend seemed just as mopey as before while she kept gazing under herself.

At last, Twilight stood up and took a few steps to the portal. “I’m sorry that I can’t stay,” she said, “but during these days I’m arranging the meeting with Rutherford, prince of the kingdom of Yakyakistan. It’s very important that everything goes smoothly.

“I don’t know how she may have behaved before I arrived, but can I ask you, once again, to be there for Sunset? Even in my stead?”

Rarity didn’t answer right away. After how she had been treated, part of her was hurt and didn’t want to see Sunset ever again. But it was a feeble part. Rarity took a deep breath. “I need to sleep over it for a night,” she conceded while looking away. “Then yes, I’ll be there for her.”

Rarity watched her friend Twilight turning her head towards her and muttering a faint thank you. They both smiled at each other with affection. Then, Twilight walked through the statue and disappeared.

Finally, Rarity felt allowed to stop forcing herself smiling. She had tried to play strong for Twilight, but all she wanted now were her couch and some time to rest. She set off for her home and Pinkie Pie walked along with her.

Their walk was way more silent than what a trip with Pinkie Pie was supposed to be. Her friend wasn’t even hopping like she was used to, opting instead for a dull common pace. But Rarity didn’t really pay mind to it. Actually, Rarity didn’t think about her at all.

Until Pinkie Pie said, “You didn’t take what that baddie said at heart, did you?”

Rarity startled as she broke free from her gloomy thoughts. Her eyes went immediately in search of her friend and found out that Pinkie was looking her with concerned eyes. Eyes that Rarity tried instantly to avert.

“Rarity,” resumed Pinkie with a considerate voice, “she was just trying to hurt you.”

“Yes, but those words had to come from somewhere, huh?” Rarity heard that her own voice was broken for the pain. But it was like she had just popped a plug, she couldn’t stop now. “Besides, it’s true that I can be insufferable at times. After all, how many times did Applejack snarl because of my modes? And I push Dash’s patience on the edge as well. And…”

Rarity felt a hand caressing her shoulder, followed by the chirpy words of Pinkie Pie. “Oh, but that is just part of our way to be! You know we actually like it deep-deepy down.”

But Rarity still wasn’t convinced. “I always thought so.”

“And you were riiight,” said Pinkie. “Besides, it’s so much fun to have you around.”

Rarity finally returned the eye contact. “So, you don’t think of me just like an ambulant dress shop?”

“Well.” Pinkie looked up and furrowed her front head in thought. “I did do that analogy sometimes.”

Looking back to Rarity, Pinkie saw the deadpan eyes she was getting. “I said sometimes.”

Rarity scoffed. “Hurray for sincerity.”

“Hurray!” said Pinkie Pie, closing her eyes throwing her hands into the air. It took her a moment for looking to Rarity with a glint of doubt. “Sarcasm?”

“You’re getting better,” said Rarity, giving her friend a light pat on the back.

“Aaanyway,” said Pinkie as she rolled her eyes, “as I was saying, you’re far from being a giant wardrobe that spits up dresses. What you give us is something beautiful and unique.”

“Of course,” said Rarity as it was blatantly obvious, “they’re free dresses. And of good quality, too.”

Pinkie Pie held her abdomen with both hands and laughed. “Ha! Rarity, none of us is interested in wearing good-quality dresses.”

Rarity abruptly stopped on the spot and gave her friend an incredulous look as an indignant sensation rose inside her. “Well, thank you very much,” she retorted before starting to move away.

But Pinkie grabbed her by her shoulder and stuck on her side. “Wait, wait. I said that we don’t care about dresses, but we still love that you keep giving them to us.”

Rarity stopped again for looking her friend. If it had been somebody else, Rarity would have labeled her interlocutor as an incoherent fool. But she had already learned that Pinkie Pie wasn’t such a thing. “Ok, why?”

“Because you made those dresses!” brightly exclaimed Pinkie. “You chose the design, the fabric, the colours. You always do everything. And most important, you do all that based on how you see us. I really don’t know how you do that, but you have a special talent that helps you finding everything that shines inside everything and everyone aaand you do what you can to bring what’s on the inside out into the light.”

“So, what you’re saying is that it’s not about the gift, but what the gift means?” asked Rarity with a pleasurable warmth growing inside her chest.

“I was trying to say that you make us feel beautiful… but yeah.”

Rarity felt a smile making its way over her face. “Oh, Pinkie Pie. I’m touched.”

“You should.” Pinkie wrapped an arm around Rarity with a gentle smile exclusively for Rarity. “Your generosity is quite touching if you ever stop thinking about it.”

Rarity vividly returned the embrace as they kept walking, an indescribable satisfaction overwhelming her. It felt so good knowing that somebody valued her work and appreciated it so deeply. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome, as your door mat says.”

Rarity tilted her head, puzzled by the randomness of the subject. “My…” She was cut off when Pinkie spun, dragging her right in front of her door and, therefore, her mat. Indeed, the word ‘WELCOME’ was visibly embroidered in it. “Oh!” Rarity hadn’t realized that they had already gone so far from the school.

“Byyye, Rarity!” chirped Pinkie from the distance while she went away.

Rarity couldn’t stop smiling as she opened the door and entered her home. Pinkie Pie had indeed succeeded in cheering her up, the petty nastiness that Sunset had throw to her sounded now hollow.

Walking through the living room, Rarity almost felt silly for having allowed Sunset’s words to have shaken her so much. Furthermore, she knew that the poor dear acted like she did only because she was suffering. Rarity knew that she couldn’t allow herself to turn her back and leave her friend alone, even despite that outburst that she had with her and…

Suddenly, Rarity’s eyes opened wide open and she stopped to move. A dreadful doubt crept into her thoughts. She tried to convince herself that she was wrong, that Pinkie was above a trivial thing such pique, but she still had to admit that she had been too self-absorbed to check on her friend. She grabbed her phone from her backpack and opened her messenger, writing a text to Pinkie.

Thank you for cheering me up. :)

np, LOL(lot of love) XD

Good, the reply had come instantly as usual. Rarity decided to press forward.

How are you feeling? :|

A minute after, only the check mark with the ‘message read’ notification appeared. Rarity bit her lower lip and fiddled with her phone.

I just want to know if you’re feeling alright after what happened.

Rarity sent the message and, as she waited, she went in the other room in order to proceed with her matters. Among the other things, she still had the homework inside her backpack to do.

Empting her backpack, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly when she pulled out Sunset’s torn jacket. The hours passed, and once she wasn’t busy with her duty anymore, she checked her phone again.

Still, there was no reply.

After that, she occupied her mind with her own projects until dinner. For when she tucked herself into bed, Rarity had already stop fretting about it.

7 - Other wrath

With only the hollow sound of her own footsteps to keep her company, Fluttershy spun her gaze around as she walked through the empty corridors of the school. ‘If nobody is in sight, they all must be in class already,’ she thought.

Not wishing to be late, she hurried her pace and headed to her locker. But turning over the corner, Fluttershy found her girlfriend facing away from her.

Remaining still and supporting herself with a shoulder over one of the lockers, her arms folded in front of her chest, Sunset looked like she was waiting for someone.

Assuming that she was waiting for her, Fluttershy slowed down and approached Sunset with a growing anxiety inside her. Too intimidated to speak, Fluttershy raised her hand in front of her and aimed to tap Sunset’s shoulder…

SLAP!

With her head jerking backward, Fluttershy felt a bolt of pain spreading from her cheek as that sharp sound echoed over the silence of the building. She took a step back in order to regain her balance and looked Sunset with puzzlement. She didn’t understand what had just happened.

Fluttershy was about to reach Sunset with her hand when her girl suddenly spun around in a blur.

Then, there had been that sound.

Fluttershy touched her cheek with the tips of her finger and a burning sensation of pain spread from it. But it couldn’t be… her Sunny would never…

Fluttershy looked in front of her and found that Sunset was now staring at her in a silent grave, her arm extended in a backhander. Searching over the face in front of her, Fluttershy didn’t recognize the kind girl that she had grown accustomed to love. The Sunset that was standing silently in front of her didn’t have those bright eyes that Sunny had, they didn’t have that spark of life inside them. No, the glare that this Sunset was giving her was just cold and cruel.

Although, she was familiar with those eyes. And even if she hadn’t seen those eyes for months, they still had their frightening effect.

With her eyes burning in pain, Fluttershy tried her best to speak without starting to tear up. “S- Sunny…?”

Sunset, slowly massaging her wrist, with a nonchalant tone said, “Oh, now it would come handy to you if I were your girlfriend, right?”

“W- what?” Fluttershy’s heart sank by hearing those words. “Sunset… you are my girlfriend.”

“Really? That’s odd… last time I checked, I was sure that lovers weren’t used to–” Sunset narrowed her eyes and menacingly leaned forwards “–stab each other in the back.”

“Sunset, that’s not…” With the pain climbing to her eyes, Fluttershy felt unable to defend herself. “The girls were worried, and I was worried. I- I just thought that we could have helped you.” Only when Fluttershy’s heel touched the locker behind her did she realize that she was moving backward, pressed by Sunset’s presence alone.

“Well, you failed. And it still wasn’t a good excuse for telling everybody the secrets of my life, especially if they’re not of your concern.”

“It did concern me.”

“Excuuuse me?” Sunset’s arms shot to either side of Fluttershy’s head, and the sound of her girlfriend’s palms striking the metal echoed through the lockers and into Fluttershy’s ears. Fluttershy trembled as Sunset towered over her with a stern and threatening face.

“N- n- nothing,” muttered Fluttershy as she sunk down, sliding over the locker.

“That’s what I thought,” said Sunset, rolling her eyes with a disgusted grimace on her face. “Gah, you really are pathetic, I can’t believe that I allowed you to be my girl for this long.”

“But… but…” From her sitting position, Fluttershy looked up and tried to tell her girl that it wasn’t true. That they were happy together, and that everything was going to be all right. But fear was crumbling her heart, forbidding her to do so. Tears were freely falling over her cheeks at this point.

“But what?!” shouted Sunset with strength as her face was getting red. “All I ever gained from you was pain, I was even run over by a truck on our first date, just because of you!”

Fluttershy barely held a desperate sob. “But I love you!”

A wicked grin grew over Sunset’s face as the cruelty inside her eyes became more obvious. “Oh, is that so?” she mocked.

Then, her green irises suddenly glowed as the white of her eyeballs turned black.

Fluttershy finally stopped crying and shot her eyes open wide. She couldn’t believe what she had just seen… no, what she was seeing.

Not only were the colors of her skin and eyes different, but even Sunset’s hair was inexplicably lighting up. Fluttershy ducked her head and trembled in fear while a considerable amount of sweat started to form all over her, her breath more heavy and slow as well due to the rising temperature. She barely had time to ask herself why the room was getting hotter before the metal pressing against her became incandescent, making her squeal for the pain as she jolted away.

She reached the floor with her palms and looked up with her face covered in tears. Searching over the locker she saw that Sunset’s hand, which was red too, was still pressed against it. Near that zone, the color of the metal was slowly changing from green to a more reddish one.

Looking down to her, Sunset’s mocking grin only grew… along with her teeth, which were turning into long fangs.

“Do you love me now, sweetheart?”

Still looking up, Fluttershy groped along the floor behind and pushed with her feet, crawling away from that frightening vision. “No, n- no… please…”

Sunset retrieved her hand and stomped her foot a few inches from Fluttershy’s leg, the floor cracking under its weight. Sunset’s fingers were now talons, her jacket was eroding away for the heat of her skin. “Come on, Fluttershy.” Her voice was grotesque. “Tell me how much you love me. Take me. Hug me. Give me a kiss!”

“Stay back!” cried out Fluttershy.

Sunset laughed and raised one arm, which was immediately engulfed by fire from to elbow onwards. “What’s wrong? I thought you said your love burned for me?”

Then, she lunged at Fluttershy with a feral snarl.

And accompanied by the dry sound of a snap, Fluttershy felt those sharp teeth digging into her flesh before everything turned black.

* * * * *

The last thing that Fluttershy could see were those fangs, coming straight to her, while the flaming talons held her powerless to the ground and she could feel the pain inflicted on her as the flames burned her skin.

She held her eyes closed and tried to shout out loud, but the only thing about her that wasn’t stuck in fear were her tears. She heard herself sobbing and gasping for air as she was waiting it to end.

Except it didn’t. When Fluttershy opened her eyes she didn’t see Sunset ripping her off. She was met by the sight of her plushies, placed in their usual spot. In her hands, she was holding the sheets of her bed.

Fluttershy started to breathe again when she realized it had been all a dream. But then, why did it feel so real? Why was her flesh still aching in pain? And why was she so scared?

“I- it was just a nightmare,” said Fluttershy to herself. “Just a nightmare.”

Fluttershy held herself tight, cringing under the blanket as her body was shaking with cold chills. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling over her cheeks, but she quietly held her sobs. She didn’t want to wake up her family.

She didn’t want to be an annoyance.

She really didn’t want to get up that morning. Her bed felt so comfortable and warm, and her body felt so tired and heavy. Besides, did she even have to go to school anymore?

Keeping her face pressed against her pillow, Sunset tried to ignore the light coming from her window and the buzzing of the alarm clock. She was seriously considering if skipping the day would have affected her in some way. ‘I’m already ahead of the schedule, and I’m not even considering that I should have finished with school already,’ she thought. ‘On the other hand, among all the despicable thing that I did, skipping class never was one of them. And to be honest, I’m kinda proud of my attendance record.’

Sunset raised slightly her head and gazed forward, briefly hating herself for being such a praise-addicted maniac. Nevertheless, she gave herself a push to stand up from the mattress and started her morning rituals, getting fed and clean in no time. She only met an obstacle when it came to dressing since she couldn’t find her new leather jacket anywhere. But after a quick search through the house, she remembered tossing it to Rarity the day before.

She hit her forehead and snarled, before searching for a substitute inside her closet. Opening it, she found her old leather jacket with the studs preserved inside a box and still in good condition. She had stopped wearing it shortly after starting to hang out with Fluttershy because the girl didn’t like it.

In any case, it was too cold for her liking to go outside without a jacket and this one fit her perfectly. Sunset wore it with a swift movement and beheld her own image by the mirror, nodding with a smug smile. ‘I’m back in black.’

Fzzt… fzzt…

Right in front of the school, Micro Chips and his friend Wiz Kid were fiddling with the remote control of Rocky, their newest creation. It was a little robot on wheels which they had designed to move on every solid surface in order to collect rocks from any environment, and they were now working on its autopilot. Unfortunately, Rocky could be quite stubborn about where it wanted to go, but Chips and Wiz knew that they would get somewhere soon.

Maybe not that morning, the bell was just about to ring, but soon. And one day, little Rocky was going to be sent to Mars on a mission for study and discovery. Chips closed his eyes and took a proud breath, listening to those little wheels as they rolled around.

Fzzt… fzzt…

Wishing to run one last test, the two boys started the driving macro once again while Sunset was arriving at the school entrance, walking with a steady pace.

She was searching around her for something as she was heading for the stairs and, preoccupied with her search, Sunset startled in surprise when her boot hit an alien object with a thud. Looking down, Sunset saw Rocky bumping against her right foot. She cocked an eyebrow as she examined the thing until Micro Chips and Wiz kid came along.

“Sorry Sunset,” said Wiz kid, smiling sheepishly, “we’re still working on Rocky’s auto pilot. It tends to bug and keep bumping on some the surfaces in front of it.”

Sunset barely deigned them of a look before focusing back on Rocky, which was pulling back and smashing against her right foot again. Chips assumed that she was interested in it. “It’s actually a sweet toy,” he eagerly explained. “One webcam on the front with a proximity sensor for auto pilot,” – fzzt… thud – “six wheels that adapt to any surface,” – fzzt… thud – “solar panels on it’s top,” – fzzt… thud – “a robotic arm that can lift little rocks and–” fzzt…

CRACK!

Micro Chips and Wiz both startled as their expression morphed with horror. In front of them, Sunset had heavily stomped on Rocky. The little robot was now caved inwards around Sunset’s boot, its wheels making one last spin before dying off completely. Then, Sunset raised her foot… just to kick Rocky in the air.

It landed inside the nearest trash can with a beautiful parabolic trajectory.

The boys simply gaped speechlessly, spinning their bewildered faces between Sunset and the can multiple times. They were so shocked that they didn’t even try to stop her when she went through them.

“Nerds,” muttered Sunset with all the disdain she was capable of.

Flash Sentry walked through the halls of the school and between all the other students, nervously rubbing his hands against each other. ‘This is the day,’ he thought to himself. ‘Today I’m going to make amends with Sunset.’

When Flash was dating Sunset, he was truly convinced that his partner was a beautiful girl. And it wasn’t just her appearance; he trusted that Sunset was kind and sweet. Even when his friends warned him that she was a liar and a bully he was unwilling to change his mind, but as the two were getting more and more acquainted Flash discovered what kind of tyrant she really was.

Nevertheless, he tried to stay by her side for a period. He still believed that the nice girl he had fallen for was hidden under a dense layer of ice, and he did his best to melt that ice and bring that girl out.

Unfortunately, with time Flash realized that he couldn’t tolerate how his ‘nice girl’ was acting behind his back and, shortly before the Fall Formal, he decided to dump her.

Then there was the Fall Formal… and things got complicated. Way too complicated for a teenage boy to make a sense out of it, between his new crush being from another world and his ex turning into a she-demon among the other things. But even after all that, he wished for Sunset to become a nice person.

And finally, Sunset lived up his expectations. Everybody knew her story of redemption from that crater in front of the school to whatever happened during the battle of bands, and she had managed to retrieve the friendliness of all the students that once feared or despised her.

And she also got into a new, more honest relationship.

Which was good; Flash was truly happy for Sunset when he found out about them. And surprised too, once he knew she was dating Fluttershy. Nevertheless, maybe for that reason or maybe because he felt bad about how he behaved during the battle of bands, he still felt uneasy around them and hadn’t yet mustered the courage to have a proper conversation with Sunset.

But that day his patience had reached its peak. Flash had decided he would go talk with her, wishing to be in good terms with his ex.

As he thought about all that, walking inside the school, he pumped his fist against his open hand and took a big breath in order to fire up. Just as if called on cue, the figure of Sunset appeared at the end of the hall walking in his opposite direction.

As she approached, he smiled warmly and waved his hand. “Hi, Sun–”

Before he could react, Sunset planted her hand between his ribs, squeezing the air out of his lungs and shoving him to the ground. Then, as she walked away without even paying him a look, he heard her saying, “Get out of the way, loser.”

Frozen in surprise, Flash didn’t even consider complaining as his butt was getting cold and all the other students simply walked around him. Except for a gray skinned, blond haired girl who reached him and soberly patted his shoulder.

In the end, his first words before standing up were, “What did I do?”

Resting her feet on her desk, Sunset sat in class and listened to music with one earphone while fiddling with her pencil. She had spent the last two hours drawing many lines following random spurts of inspiration, but now she started to see a regular pattern as she looked down to her notebook.

“Sunset Shimmer, are you following my lesson?”

Sunset raised her eyes to follow the voice. Mrs. Harshwhinny was standing in front of the chalkboard with her usual severe glance pointed right to her, making her situation quite undesirable for any other student of that class.

Instead, Sunset’s look was neutral and sassy. “Sort of,” she answered.

Harshwhinny thinned her lips into a line. “Well then,” she said, “I guess you won’t have any problem repeating what I just finished explaining.”

Sunset didn’t falter in spite of the provocation. She simply took a brief look to the chalkboard and, without even straightening up, said, “So, I guess from the scratches on the chalkboard that we’re studying photosynthesis–”

Harshwhinny folded her arms and snorted. “Very witty.”

“–which is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water. Usually, oxygen is also released as a waste product. Most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis and such organisms are called photoautotrophs.” Sunset did a little pause as all the attention of the room was aimed at her. “Basically, photosynthesis is what supplies our atmosphere with the good old oxygen and allows us all to breath. Do you want me to write the equation for the type of photosynthesis that occurs in plants?”

After her explanation, the class fell into a brief pause disturbed only by the light giggling of few students as Harshwhinny stoically kept staring Sunset. Probably, she was considering if she had something to lecture Sunset for. “Well,” she said, turning again to the chalkboard, “at least you brought yourself ahead with the program.”

Sunset returned her focus to her notebook and her music, or at least tried to until she heard the student next to her right whispering to her.

“Psst, Sunset.” That girl had green hair and was pink skinned, and if Sunset remembered correctly her name was Watermelody. Sunset considered ignoring her, but she had already made eye contact and that was enough for Watermelody to start the conversation. “Hi. I hope I’m not bothering, but I’ve heard that you’ve been helping other students with their homework recently and… would you like to study biology together sometimes?”

Sunset puffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Why?” she asked without hiding the irritation in her voice.

Watermelody lowered her gaze and blushed. “Ehm, because I’m not doing very well with this subject while you look to be–”

Sunset raised out a hand and put on a fake smile. “My mistake, I meant why should I care?”

Watermelody flinched as if she had just spat on with a bewildered look on her face. She had to open her mouth a couple of times before finding the words. “I just hoped–”

“Look,” cut short Sunset, “if you’re too dumb to understand why planties give you air it’s fine.” As she spoke, she took her bag and slid her things inside. “But at least try to not waste others’ valuable time.” Without waiting for a reply, Sunset tossed the bag over her shoulder and took off.

As she made it half the way to the door, Mrs. Harshwhinny spun her head and shot a glare even harsher than the usual. “Where do you think you’re going?” she roared.

Continuing to walk, Sunset said, “Lunch.”

Harshwhinny pointed to the clock. “There are still three minutes before the break, young lady.”

“Report me.” Without even turning back, Sunset opened the door and left the class under the bewildered stare of all her classmates… and even more of her teacher.

There were many things that Valhallen liked about Thursday.

On Thursday, he attended his favorite subjects, he had the meeting with his rock band, and it was also when his favorite show aired. But what he liked the most about that day of the week was the cafeteria.

Not only because Thursday had the best menu but also because his class was the nearest to get in line, giving him and his friend a huge advantage for the food and allowing them to save a big amount of time.

That Thursday like any other, Valhallen could sit with his classmates at the empty table inside the almost-empty cafeteria. They had been so quick that most of them had already retrieved their meals and the big stampede of students had yet to arrive, but it was just a matter of seconds now before the other students would arrive en masse.

As he was about to dig into his food, the doors slammed open and Sunset Shimmer came in. She took a tray and went to the end of the line, where there was Norman.

Wasting no time, she not-so-gently poked his shoulder. “Step aside.”

Norman turned around with a surprised look. “Uh? Why?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Her answer was blunt and sharp. “Because I said so.”

Norman’s eyes showed true bewilderment when he realized that Sunset wanted to simply go over him. He was about to just obey, but then memories of the old Sunset Shimmer bullying him came back to surface. ‘Not this time,’ thought Norman as he swelled his chest and took a stand. “Well, I don’t think I’m going to move until you stop using that tone.”

Bulk Biceps, who was in the line next to Norman, turned over Sunset as well. “Yeah.”

The three teenagers stayed like that for a couple of seconds, staring each other in a dreadful silence. Seeing that Sunset wasn’t going to do anything, Norman slowly turned his mouth into a smug smile. Besides, what could she do otherwise? He knew he had it under control.

Right then, keeping her expression bored and her voice casual, Sunset asked, “Tell me, how is it going with TrolleyHearty98?”

Norman abruptly morphed his expression from smug to panicked. Sweat drooled copiously from his forehead as he looked to Sunset with dread.

Then, without a word, he gripped his empty tray over his chest and moved aside. Past him, Bulk Biceps darted his head in confusion between Norman and Sunset but a glare from the latter was enough to move the bulky guy as well.

Valhallen and the other classmates saw everything from the table nearby, and they were all speechless save for Sandalwood. “Oh, boy…” he muttered scratching his green dreadlocks, while his classmates exchanged dubious looks.

Seeing how all the others were hesitating in front of that overbearing display was enough for Valhallen, who felt a brave emotion grew inside, giving him the strength to rise from the table. Sandalwood tried to calm him down, “Dude, let it slide.”

But Valhallen was deaf to the advice and walked, aiming straight to the bacon-haired girl. “Hey, Sunset Shimmer.” Sure that the girl had heard him, he pointed a finger at her and continued walking. “You have to–”

Sunset slowly turned towards him, and he immediately halted as her eyes fell upon him. He felt the words dying inside his mouth as shivers run through his back, her calm face was somehow so dreadful he was being covered in cold drops of sweat. That wasn’t a person, he was facing a predator. “You… you have to try the ravioli. They’re to die for.”

A mocking smile crept between Sunset’s sour expression. “Good boy,” she said, to then give him her shoulders.

Bowing his head low, Valhallen turned around and slowly walked to his table. Utterly defeated, he collapsed over his chair and let his forehead fall against the table. His friends silently gave him light pats on his back, honoring their fallen comrade.

From there, Valhallen saw Sunset tasting the dish he had just recommended her, instantly repelling it away with a disgusted face at his mockery. As she settled for a simple pear and went away, the girl with rainbow hair followed Sunset out of the cafeteria.

“What was that?” Chasing her alleged friend, Rainbow Dash burst the double doors open and quickened her pace. “Hey, Shimmer!”

Sunset, who was at first ignoring her, finally stopped getting away and turned around with a bored expression. “What?”

“What? I saw what you did, girl, that’s what.” Rainbow Dash stomped every step until she was three feet away. “You can’t go around and behave like that, you have to–”

“Or what?” After Dash was interrupted by a snarl, Sunset moved to make slow circles around her. “I’m done doing what others tell me to do, and I don’t see why I should follow your judgment in particular. What are you going to do now, force me?”

“I just want you to stop you being a big immature bully,” said Dash, feeling the blood pumping under her skin.

At that reply, Sunset tossed her head backward. “Ha! That’s rich, coming from you.”

Rainbow Dash froze, feeling like an iron grip around her heart as the words did their effect. Unwilling to show it, she took a cocky pose and avoided the eye contact. “W- what is that supposed to–”

“Oh, save it. You and I both know that, if I don’t behave like a good little girl as you expect me to, you’re going to hit me until I’m weeping down at your feet… either using rainbows or fists, they’re both good for you aren’t they?”

“Sunset–”

Sunset shot her a piercing glare, cutting off her sentence. “You know it’s exactly like that. It has always been like that. Thinking about it, I bet that when you all first approached me with the excuse of ‘being my first friends’ all you were just thinking about was being some sort of guardian. No, don’t tell me, something along the lines ‘Let the others help her, I’ll strike her down as soon as she betray us’?”

With horror, Rainbow Dash finally managed to lay her eyes on Sunset, but she didn’t have any breath to reply. Her mouth was uselessly hanging agape as her mind desperately grasped on one thought. ‘That’s not true.’

“Well, you got what you were waiting for.” Sunset turned her back and walked away. “Now, as much as I would like to let you have what you want, I don’t think you want troubles while we’re at school.”

With her heart aching, Dash extended one hand towards her friend while her silhouette shrunk. ‘That’s not true,’ she repeated again and again inside her mind as she pushed her breath through her throat to speak. And yet, those words wouldn’t come out. ‘Why don’t you say it?’ she thought. ‘What the heck is your problem? Just say it!’

Driven by impulse, Rainbow Dash locked the nearest item, a bin for the trash, and unleashed all her anger with a powerful kick. Following a loud sound, the bin fell over and poured out some of its content.

‘That’s not true.’

“Ah’m tellin ya, sis. She kicked us out,” angrily said Apple Bloom, dragging Applejack behind her as she walked through the hall. “The three of us were just usin’ the computer inside the library when Sunset came and shooed us away like pests.”

“And you’re sure that y’all weren’t bein’ annoying?” asked Applejack, holding her sister’s hand while also keeping her pace.

“We were just surfin’ on MyStable!”

Apple Bloom stomped her way until they reached the glass doors of the library, where she finally let go the grasp of Applejack’s hand and pointed inside. “She’s there!”

True to her sister’s words, Applejack could see Sunset sitting in front of one of the tables as she was absorbed in reading a book.

As Applejack checked on the girl inside, a sweet and shrill voice from the other end of the hall caught her attention. “Come on, Rarity. This way.”

Turning over, Applejack had a view of Rarity as she was being dragged by Sweetie Belle in a way similar to theirs.

Nevertheless, Applejack deadpanned as her friend came close. “You too, huh?”

Rarity thinned her lips and returned the coldness. “Apparently.”

“Now, y’all oughta go in and kick some sense into that bully.”

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. “We’ve been over this already, Apple Bloom. Sunset ain’t a bully… she just has to adjust being friendly.”

“Well, she wasn’t friendly today. At all,” objected Sweetie Belle.

Rarity gently rested her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Don't judge her for today, little marshmallow. She’s having a hard time.”

“And her best was when, precisely?” asked Apple Bloom. “Perhaps the time she went she-demon and brainwashed everyone?”

Applejack turned a stern glare over her sister, putting her hands on her hips. “Apple Bloom!”

Apple Bloom startled and looked up apologetically. “Sorry, sis.”

Applejack kept her look firm. “You two get outta here. We’ll take care of this, and then” – she pointed a finger to her sister – “we’re gonna have a little talk.”

Apple Bloom intensely looked at the ground, puffing out her reddened cheeks and clenching her fists before walking away just as angry as she had arrived. Sweetie Belle spun her head between the two older siblings before following her friend, leaving behind two friends looking each other in an awkward silence.

“So…” said Rarity.

“So,” said Applejack.

Rarity snorted from the nose and folded her arms. “It would seem that things with Sunset have gotten worse.”

“Eeyup.”

“We should do something.”

“In fact, Ah was going to.” Applejack promptly pointed to the library’s doors, only for Rarity to step in between.

“Shall I say, darling, I don’t believe you have the required tact for something like this.”

Applejack gave her friend a neutral look but said nothing. She only raised her palms to yield. “She’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” Rarity put her hand over one of the doors, ready to go in and reach their friend. And then…

Then…

“Well?” asked Applejack.

Rarity, who still had to open the door, narrowed her eyes and retorted, “Give me a moment, please. I’m thinking.”

Behind her, Applejack grinned smugly. “Here’s one thought. To go inside, ya have to go inside.”

Rarity puffed her cheeks. “I need to plan this out before I begin a conversation with Sunset, ok?”

“Plannin’, sure.” Applejack looked up and scratched her chin, humming loudly…

…for a couple of seconds. “Alright, done.”

Pushing a vexed Rarity aside, Applejack walked right between the doors and didn’t stop until she was right in front of her target.

“Howdy, Sunset.”

The girl on the other side of the table didn’t move a muscle, keeping her focus on reading.

“We have to talk,” insisted Applejack.

Finally, Sunset turned her head up. But instead of replying she placed her index next to her mouth and whispered, “Shh.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. “Don’t hush me. Ah–”

“Shhhh.” Applejack spun her head and exchanged a brief gaze with an angry Miss Cheerilee, who was working in the middle of the library. She smiled sheepishly and, in response, Cheerilee the librarian pressed two fingers under her eyelids and then pointed them to Applejack menacingly.

Returning her focus on Sunset, Applejack could almost read the words ‘I told you so’ from that complacent face of hers. Had it been a common bickering, Applejack could have even considered to give up. But this wasn’t a minor argument they were talking about.

If she couldn’t talk, Applejack was resolute to stay there until she’d got what she came for. She supported herself with her hands on the table and gave Sunset an immovable look, bringing her smirk to slowly fade.

Sunset tried to get back on her book, but it took her a minute to accept that she wasn’t able to ignore her friend. “You can come to my apartment, after school,” she reluctantly muttered.

Applejack nodded, keeping her face stern, and turned around to leave. “Can bet on it,” she said before walking away.

Even before getting out the library, Applejack could already see Rarity through the glass doors.

Knowing already what her friend was going to ask, Applejack answered as soon as she opened the doors. “She didn’t wanna talk yet–”

Rarity rolled her eyes and groaned.

“–but she’ll wait for us to her place, later.”

Rarity looked her in silence, squeezing her lips into a thin line. Then, she spun her head to her side and admitted, “Well, that’s something.”

The two girls headed for the hall, side by side. “We should all go,” said Applejack.

“I agree. Besides, I still find the idea of you two alone slightly uncomfortable”

To say that those words were unpleasant would be an understatement. Applejack abruptly stopped in place, her face twisting into a grimace for a moment. Until Rarity stopped as well and turned around, and Applejack narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. “Now listen to me, gal, Ah’m tired of this treatment,” she said with a low tone of voice. “Ah may have lost my temper before, that’s true, but Ah didn’t hurt Sunset in the slightest.”

Rarity copied Applejack’s eyes and voice, not intimidated in the slightest. “But you came pretty close to it, did you not?”

Distanced only by a few inches of thin air, a bolt of electricity ran between their eyes. Until, at the same moment, they both broke the eye contact and spun their head in the opposite direction.

“Truce?” asked Applejack.

“Truce. For Sunset.”

“We’re workin’ on the same field, then.”

Buried the axe of war, Aj and Rarity went to the cafeteria together. A bit because they were hungry, and also because they wanted to meet with the girls.

“So… how did things go yesterday?” asked Applejack as they were on the way.

Rarity sighed. “Quite bad, if I must be blunt. She started spitting fire from her mouth as soon as you went away. Figuratively, of course.”

“What did she say?”

“That I’m a terrible friend, I try to buy friendship with gifts, she doesn’t stand the way I behave…”

“Aw, shucks…”

For the first time that day, Rarity gave her a smile. “It’s fine, really. She was angry, and she had to… pour out, we can say.”

“Glad to know that ya still wanna help her, despite all. You took it pretty well.”

“Oh, I was on the verge of tears at the moment… and probably I would still be sour if it wasn’t for Pinkie.”

Applejack smiled briefly before a thought came to worry her. “Sunset jumped on her throat too?”

Rarity nodded.

“Is she alright?”

“I think so.”

“Ya think?” asked Applejack, frowning her eyebrows.

“We’re talking about Pinkie Pie,” said Rarity, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “She’s unable to hold grief or bitterness.”

Five minutes later they joined the rest of the Rainbooms at their table, finding a couple of meals already ready for them. “Thanks for thinking about us, Pinkie,” said Applejack.

“No problem,” said Pinkie, smiling. “It’s not like you’re ripping me off my second meal, after all.”

Applejack and Rarity stopped eating and looked down to their plates. Normally, they would have estimated that proportion to be one full meal. But since it was Pinkie Pie… “This was your second?” asked uncertainly Rarity.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Of course not. I just knew beforehand that you were going to arrive too late to get your own food from the line.” All of sudden, Pinkie Pie’s face became all serious. “Because I’m a psychic.”

Applejack and Rarity gave Pinkie a dubious look. “Was that sarcasm?” asked Applejack.

Pinkie Pie chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Just eat.”

Applejack and Rarity gave Pinkie a dumbfounded look before they shook their heads and complied. Everybody remained silent, just savoring the moment of peace.

Until Fluttershy, who was trying to be as small as possible, quietly asked. “So… uh, have you seen Sunset today?”

“We’ve… heard that she’s spreading quite a ruckus,” added Dash, shifting in her seat uneasily.

Rarity confirmed with a nod. “She’s taking it badly.”

“Reckon it could be worse,” said Applejack. “Anyway, Ah had two words with her before gettin’ here.” Applejack paused, to make sure that Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Dash were paying attention. “We’re going to pay her a visit in the afternoon.”

Applejack was expecting the others to heat up, or make a plan for later. She had even prepared herself for witnessing Pinkie Pie taking random items out of nowhere. Instead, Pinkie and Dash froze, staring at her with wide eyes.

Applejack darted her eyes between the two of them, a little worried. “What?”

Rainbow Dash spoke first. “You mean… this afternoon?”

As Applejack nodded, Dash bit her lower lip and hissed. “Aw, too bad… I have to practice with my soccer team. Sorry, really. But I know you’ll do great.” Then, she stood up to walk away.

Before Applejack or Rarity could say or do anything to stop her, Pinkie Pie said, “Yeeeah, and I’m kinda super-duper busy.”

“Doing what?” asked Rarity.

Instead of answering, Pinkie Pie took two phones and pressed them against her ears. “Oh, look at that. I’m so busy. Omygosh really, June? This sounds so urgent!” Holding the phones, Pinkie stood up and run away. “Sorrytoobusytoreply byeeeee…”

And so remained Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy tried to hide behind her hair. “Um…”

Without even hearing her, Applejack hit the table. “Consarnit.”

Distressed, Rarity supported her cheek over her hand. “Do you believe them?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Me neither.”

The two girls used the next few seconds to think in silence while, unbeknownst to them, Fluttershy was desperately trying to gather the courage to speak.

Applejack turned to Rarity. “Ah take care of the jock, you take the baby?”

“Fine. Let’s meet in front of Sunset’s apartment, shall we?”

“Um…” Fluttershy tried to speak up again, only for her words to catch in her throat.

“Got it,” said Applejack.

“See you later then.”

“Bye Rarity.” Applejack left her seat to go away, but first, she turned to Fluttershy with a warm smile. “Oh, Fluttershy, are you gonna be able to get a ride for later?”

“Well, no, I...”

“No problem, I'll pick you up then. Bye, Shy.”

Applejack went away, waving and smiling to Fluttershy as her timid friend remained there. She didn’t notice that Fluttershy was slightly trembling, nor did she think much about her attitude which was more introverted than usual.

Fluttershy remained at the table for a while, hiding her eyes full of sadness behind her pink hair.

“…Okay,” she muttered.

After the last bell of the day, Sunset walked through the halls of the school with the gravest look she could manage. Nobody dared to cross her, and all the students that still had to leave their books inside their lockers hurried up or went home directly rather than risking her wrath.

Not that Sunset minded. Actually, considering her sour mood, being not surrounded by petty people she didn’t care about was a relief. Nevertheless, Sunset had an overwhelming feeling of loneliness as she opened her locker.

There was one person with which Sunset wanted to be nearby.

Before she actually started to reorganize her books, Sunset took her phone and turned it on. For the first time for a while, she had gathered zero calls and messages during the entire day. Not that she cared. She only had to open one chat.

It was maybe the private chat with the most messages. No, surely it was. Dozens of text were sent every day. Some were silly, but they were all precious to her. And yet, that chat had been silent for a couple of days now. Sunset sighed as she thought about that.

She was considering sending a text and breaking that wall of silence when somebody really annoying from behind said, “Well, well, well. Take a look at this. Apparently, everybody is still scared of you.”

Sunset Shimmer recognized that voice immediately. Besides, there was only one fool so full of herself that could even think of talking to Sunset with that tone of superiority.

Sunset put her phone away and glanced over her shoulder. The plain and vexatious Trixie was going to her locker, making sure to look down on Sunset on her way. Sunset started to put what she needed in the locker. “Little mice shouldn’t bug a lion,” she coldly pointed out.

Trixie stopped with her hand over her locker, her smile threatened to disappear for the surprise. Only to grin even more victoriously just a moment later. “Ah-ha! Trixie knew that all your act as a nice girl was a recital.”

“Uh-huh,” said Sunset, without even caring anymore. She simply finished her business and closed her locker.

Then she turned around and started to walk home, but Trixie appeared in front of her and raised a finger to stop her. “The great and perceptive Trixie told you already, you may fool others simpletons but you’re like an open book to her. And it’s plain that you still are and will always be that she-demon beast.”

Silence fell as the two girls remained standing one in front of the other, both of them sustaining a direct eye contact. Trixie’s face was the pure expression of gloating, while Sunset kept her appearance blank.

And with a neutral tone, Sunset asked, “You call yourself a magician, right?”

“Hm! How insolent,” said Trixie, pretending to be almost offended. Then, she raised a hand and switched to a theatrical voice. “The great and powerful Trixie IS a magician.”

“Do you wanna see a magic trick, then?”

Before Trixie could reply, Sunset grabbed her by the sweatshirt and shoved her inside her still-open locker. Trixie yelped in surprise and landed between her books before Sunset silhouette threw a shadow over her. Trixie looked up, with her eyes open at full, and bit her lower lip.

“Abracadabra…” Sunset looked down on Trixie for another second, then she slammed the locker closed. “An annoying windbag has disappeared,” she announced while raising her hand, mocking Trixie’s theatrical voice and gestures.

As Sunset walked away, Trixie pressed her face against the slot. “What the…? Hey!” Outraged, the locked girl started to slam her palms against her cage.

BAM! BAM!

“The great and powerful Trixie demands to be freed this instant!”

BAM! BAM!

Bam…

“…Pretty please?”

8 - Other issues

Once the final bell rang, Pinkie Pie waited for all the other students to move out of her class before peering over the edge of the door. Supporting herself with one hand against the wall, she warily darted her eyes between every hall—left and right—and grinned with satisfaction.

Confident of herself, Pinkie held a breath and licked her lips as she took one last glance of the surroundings. She shifted posture, flexed her knees, moved her weight…

Then, she wildly leaped forward.

Keeping the flow, Pinkie Pie landed with her palm first and did a swift somersault against the floor. With one roll, she reached the other wall of the corridor and hid between one tight opening between two lockers.

She paused for a short moment.

Then, after another quick glance around, she bent over the polished floor and started to crawl like a snake. Or a caterpillar? Yes, like a caterpillar.

‘Caterpillars are funnier than snakes,’ thought Pinkie, chuckling between herself.

Pinkie Pie crawled all the way to her locker and stood up, pressing her back against it while she checked the surroundings. Seeing nobody around, she quickly opened it and reorganized her backpack as she needed to.

A relieved sigh escaped from her mouth a moment before she closed her locker’s door…

And right behind it, she met the warm smile of her dear friend Rarity.

“Hello, Pinkie,” said she. “I’m sorry for appearing all of sudden, but I was hoping we could have a proper conversation, like the good friends we are.”

Pinkie Pie froze—and held back a few little words that would never go past the PG rating—before returning the smile. “Oh, well, I really have no way to say no in front of your rationality and composure,” she said, causing Rarity to close her eyes and giggle.

“Thank you, I was hoping you would understand that we can have a mature dialogue without…” Opening her eyes, Rarity realized that Pinkie wasn’t in front of her anymore. Or better she was, only far more distant every second.

Rarity was completely taken aback by that reaction. She had expected Pinkie to be reluctant, maybe, but to run away was over the bar even for somebody as impetuous as her. Truly a shock that froze Rarity on the spot.

For a couple of seconds.

Until she tilted her neck with a loud crack. “If that’s how you wanna play it…”

That said, Rarity clenched her teeth and dashed behind her friend at full speed.

…

The chase went on until Pinkie Pie reached the main hall of the school, where she finally saw the magnificent doors of freedom in front of her. Her face lit up as she charged into one final sprint for the exit.

A sprint that was stopped when Mr. Cranky Doodle grabbed her and lifted her up by the collar of her jacket.

“Pinkamena Diana Pie,” he said, “you know I don’t want students to run inside the school.”

Curling up in a ball, Pinkie Pie looked behind her with a panicked expression, knowing that Rarity would have reached them in a moment. She spun her head towards every direction in search of an excuse. If she wanted to flee, she needed an ‘out of detention’ ticket, now!

Seeing the bathroom’s sign, she went for the first excuse that popped into her head. “Bathroom emergency. Bathroom emergency!” she shouted, shaking her arms erratically around.

Keeping his eyes on her, Cranky’s face turned from stern to one of bewilderment, which was soon replaced by embarrassment. “Oh, sorry,” he muttered, releasing the girl.

Pinkie Pie bolted inside the bathroom the same moment her feet touched the ground, while Rarity abruptly stopped on her heels in front of Mr. Cranky, who shifted all his attention to her. It only took her a moment to think of a way out.

Faking a frown of pain, Rarity shrunk her posture and held her stomach with both hands. “Ow, I feel like I’m about to blow my–”

“Ew, okay, okay!” said Mr. Cranky, contorting his face to one side and holding up his hands to silence her while Rarity stepped right into the bathroom with a satisfied grin.

The girls’ toilet was a long room with blue tiles that reflected the light—provided by two lamps—all over the place. On the right side of Rarity's perspective, there was a line of sinks attached right under a big mirror, while on her left side there was a line of closed cabinets where girls could relieve themselves.

Or hide.

With the bathroom emptiness subdued by the deep silence which followed the click from the doorknob, Rarity’s face changed completely. Wasting no time, she walked alongside the cabinets’ doors and slammed them open, all but the last. Predictably, Pinkie Pie wasn’t inside any of them.

She didn’t even bother to check the last one, nor did she try to burst in. Instead, she folded her arms in front of her chest and kept walking to the end of the bathroom. There, keeping her eyes on the closed cabinet, she spun on her heels and rested her back over the tiles of the wall.

“Could you come out?” Rarity struggled to keep her tone low and even, although her frustration was growing. “I know you’re there, Pinkie.”

“I doubt that,” was the faint reply.

Rarity sighed. “I just wish to talk. It’s clear that you’re distressed, and I would like to return the favor from yesterday.

“Please.”

There was a moment of pause but, eventually, Pinkie gave her answer.

“Fine.”

Hearing those words, Rarity quickly turned her body towards the cabinet with a little smile as her heart jumped for joy.

Then, the air duct’s grating fell and hit her head with a loud metallic percussion.

Rarity grabbed her head with both hands and stumbled a couple of feets toward the exit, moaning in pain. Holding back the tears and biting her tongue, she searched over the place and tried to understand what just happened. Luckily there was not a real injury but, still, the pain was quite atrocious.

From above, Pinkie popped out from the air conduct and jumped down, giving Rarity a puzzled look. “Why are you caressing your head?”

Rarity didn’t reply. She was already using all her strength to not break into tears, so she limited to throw a couple of daggers with her piercing and wet glare before standing up with a straight posture. She allowed a moment of silence, in order to give this conversation the proper importance. And a moment because she just needed a moment to recoil. And another in order to digest her rage. After that, she felt she could address the subject directly.

Rarity turned towards Pinkie with a stern look. “Sunset needs you.”

There weren’t anger or disdain in her voice, but it was enough for Pinkie to focus her eyes on the floor. Just like that, they had established their roles in that conversation.

“You know how hard it must be for her,” said Rarity, “but you’re lying your way out instead of going to cheer her up? Pinkie, I would never have believed you capable of something this low.”

Pinkie’s head jerked up, her eyes finally meeting her interlocutor. “I wasn’t lying.”

“Pinkie…”

“If you want to know, I’ve planned the birthday party of a kid today, and I must be there for the entire day.”

Rarity pursed her lips. “You have to attend to a birthday party,” she repeated flatly.

“Yep.”

“For whom?”

“He doesn’t live nearby, you don’t know him,” said Pinkie, folding her arms.

“Fine. Where?”

“Outskirts of town.”

“More precisely?”

“Fake Street, number zero.”

“…That doesn’t sound like a legit address.”

“Check it on your phone.”

Rarity took out her phone and did a quick search. To her dismay, a red pin with the text ‘Fake street, number zero, is here.’ appeared around the outskirts.

“I’ll be.” Rarity went over it and resumed pressing Pinkie. “Alright, he’s how old?”

“Seven, from today.”

“What did you put on the cake?”

“Strawberries, cherries, cream, and chocolate.”

“His favorite cartoon?”

“Phineas and Ferb.”

“Your gift?”

“I have it right here –” Pinkie fiddled with her backpack and pulled out a box with a present envelope “– a new box with legos.”

“What’s his name?”

Pinkie Pie opened her mouth to reply, stopped, and rolled eyeballs upwards.

“Uuuh…”

“A-ha!” boasted Rarity.

“Rats!” Pinkie closed her eyes shut and stomped her foot on the ground.

Rarity's satisfaction was short-lived, replaced with the urgency regard her task. “Now, tell me the truth.” Rarity kept her appearance as authoritative as possible, but she softened her tone. “It’s about yesterday?”

Pinkie didn’t answer right away. She remained silent and looked down with a pouty expression, gathering the will to confess.

Ultimately, Pinkie did it.

“She called me stupid,” she said bitterly.

Rarity opened her eyes wide in bewilderment. She even felt the urge to have a laugh from the surprise and the naivety of that answer. She did her best to hide her amusement as she queried further.

“That’s it? That was rude and unpleasant, true, but it was just a meaningless word–”

“Meaningless?”

From nervous and defensive Pinkie snapped into angry and aggressive, to the point she cringed her face and started to hiss. Rarity held her breath and startled back at that sudden shift.

With her hands curled into fists, Pinkie raised her voice. “You think it’s not a real word? Just a painless sound to fill the silence? Why don’t you use your word that has no meaning whatsoever and laugh at the stupid Pinkie Pie, then?”

Pinkie’s attitude shifted again, this time resembling the old merry Pinkie Pie. However, Rarity felt like there was something wretched and forced about her. “To those who say that Pinkie Pie is as stupid as a child, you’re wrong: my sister is five, and Pinkie is far more retarded.”

“What?” Rarity was repelled by the bad humor. “Pinkie, why would you say–”

Instead of listening, Pinkie trailed on. “I can’t even walk around the school without that annoying Pinkie bothering me with her stupid jokes, and she isn’t even funny.

Some say that Pinkie has cotton candy over her head, I say she has cotton candy inside her head.

Oh, have you noticed that Pinkie Pie always jumps around? What’s her problem? She never learned how to walk?

Aliens just landed on our planet in search of intelligent beings. Quick, somebody, hide Pinkie Pie away before we do a poor impression!”

Pinkie breathed deeply, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, and turned around in order to hide her face.

Rarity—speechless and mouth agape—looked at that display with a sharp pain building up inside her chest. She couldn’t imagine her friend coming up with such petty insults, especially targeting herself. Then, Rarity understood she didn’t.

“Who?” she asked coldly, her face hardening quickly. “Who said those things?”

Pinkie sniffed, sinking her head down over her chest.

“Nobody,” she said in a weak whisper.

“The truth.” Resolute, Rarity grabbed Pinkie by her shoulder.

Pinkie sniffled again. “…There was a page…”

“A page?”

Pinkie looked at her over her shoulder. “On the social network. You know, like a group page?”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, one day a notification popped out… something like: Your name has been used inside the page ‘Pinkie weirdo the party clown’.” Pinkie looked away again. “I followed the link and… that’s how I found it. The page was full of comments like… similar to… well, you know.”

Rarity was simply astounded, she couldn’t conceive how anybody could ever do something like that. To Pinkie Pie, the merriest girl she had ever met. And somebody had denigrated her just like that. A hollow laugh stopped her thoughts, and Rarity saw Pinkie turning towards her with a strained smile behind the tears.

“Some of those jokes were kinda funny,” she said.

“I doubt that,” harshly replied Rarity, her blood boiling under her skin. “But why have you even read those horrible things? And why didn’t this come out sooner?”

Pinkie looked down. “It happened when… shortly after we were all driven apart, and all the students preferred to mind their own businesses. Usually, I wouldn’t care about what a bunch of anonymous strangers thinks or say of me but… nobody traded a word with me at the time.” Pinkie hesitated before forcing out the last words. “And I felt lonely.”

Despite the burning behind her eyes, Rarity forbid herself to weep too, knowing that what she needed to do. First of all, she took out one of her handkerchiefs and pressed it around Pinkie’s nose.

“Blow.”

Pinkie obliged and blew hard enough from her nose to make Rarity wonder if it was her or somebody was playing the trumpet in the other room. Nevertheless, she threw the handkerchief away—it had served its purpose—and looked Pinkie straight in the eyes, closing the distance between them.

“Hear me out, Pinkie,” said Rarity, her tone firm and even. “You must not allow those people to drag you down and make you doubt yourself. No one, listen carefully, no one who knows you even a little would think such things because you are a nice, funny, intelligent, and capable young woman.”

Pinkie Pie quietly returned the eye contact. “So… you don’t think of me like an immature little girl with the coo-coos in her head?”

“Actually” – Rarity stared upward with a focused look – “I might have thought that sometimes.”

Pinkie Pie frowned.

“I said sometimes,” slyly said Rarity with a wry smile.

“Oh, ha ha.” Pinkie smiled and rolled her eyes. “You got me back.”

Rarity and Pinkie shared a moment silence, doing nothing but smiling at each other. Then, they burst out laughing.

“But seriously,” said Rarity, wiping away a tear, “don’t ever believe whoever undervalues your wit. Besides, Applejack herself once said that you’re probably the brightest of our group.” Rarity cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re not doubting Applejack, are you?”

Pinkie laughed a little more. “Of course not, I always trust my friends. Maybe that’s why I took it that bad when Sunset…” Suddenly, Pinkie opened her eyes wide open and gasped deeply.

“What’s wrong?” asked Rarity, worried again.

“What’s wrong?” Pinkie grabbed Rarity by her shoulders and pressed their noses against each other. “One of my friends is going through the saddest time of her life and I’m not there to cheer her up!” Rarity was turned over and pushed on her heels before she could say anything. “Let’s go!”

Applejack would have enjoyed a day like that.

As the sun rays were falling straight on her through a clear and limpid sky, she rested comfortably on the benches of the soccer stadium. Her hat provided her just enough cover to protect her eyes, so she could look around her and bathe in the warmth of the sun. Her muscles were relaxing—thanking her back with a constant pleasure—and the breeze brought just the right chill to her skin. Everything was just perfect.

She would have enjoyed a day like that for sure if she hadn’t been there for a specific reason.

From under her stetson, Applejack watched the soccer team doing warm up before practice. And between them, Rainbow Dash was bouncing the ball up and down while trying to ignore her insistent viewer. Applejack knew she didn’t need to call out for attention, Rainbow and she easily understood each other. In fact, she could tell Rainbow Dash was nervous just by how she was kicking the ball.

So she patiently waited, and it didn’t take long before Rainbow Dash ‘casually’ tossed the ball next to her. Applejack sat straight and prepared herself as her friend came close, preparing herself.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” said Dash.

“What are ya doin’ here?”

“I told you. I have practice today.”

Applejack frowned. That detached tone, that rebellious posture, the plain simple answer… Dash wasn’t even looking her, she just wanted to dismiss her and go on with her afternoon.

Applejack didn’t like that.

“Rainbow, since when do ya put a day of practice before you friends?” she asked, scowling.

“Hey, I don’t like your tone. And I can choose my priorities on my account. Besides, as I already said, I’m sure you’ll take good care of Sunset.” Dash took her ball and started to walk away. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, we have a game to win this Sunday and–”

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack slammed her palms against the bench and rose up. “Quit with the horseapples and come right here!”

Applejack gave Dash her hardest glare and wished that her firm voice alone was enough to persuade her.

The two of them breathed the tense air in silence until Dash decided to come back. Once they were face to face again, Rainbow Dash looked to her with one cocked eyebrow.

“Horseapples?”

Applejack shrugged. “Dunno, it felt right.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, causing Applejack to do as such. For a moment, they allowed that little joke to ease their nerves, but then Applejack had to question her.

“Why don’t ya wanna come… for real?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes suddenly turned down, and Applejack saw something similar to shame. Applejack decided to not press her friend and give Dash her time to think her words trough. Ultimately, she managed to spill it out.

“I’m awesome at playing soccer. Or playing guitar. I’m awesome with the hip-hop, and my motorcycle is neat. Heck, let’s just say that I’m the best at being cool because that’s just it. I could even be the coolest while I sleep.”

Applejack chuckled again. “Ya tried that a lot of times, and it ain’t such a good show.”

“That’s not the point,” flatly said Dash. “The point is, if I have to win a battle of bands against some mythical creatures in order to save the world, I can do it with no sweat. But nobody sane of mind would come to me for… talking. You know… about things… the deep things, like…”

“Emotions? Personal problem? Interpersonal advice?” offered Applejack.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I lack… uh, I don’t know…”

“Empathy?”

Dash let out a sigh. “You probably know better than me,” she admitted, deflating her posture.

A sad tingle touched Applejack’s heart. She knew about her friend’s limit, of course, and she had scorned her countless times for that. But to see her admitting it by herself? Surprisingly, Applejack didn’t like that view as much as she would have thought.

“Then keep yer ears open and listen, sugarcube,” she said, closing the distance between them.

“It’s true that ya are brash, impulsive, shallow, and sometimes ya even look kinda dull. But ya have the most important thing of all.” Ignoring the deadpan she was getting, Applejack placed her right hand over Rainbow’s chest. “Ya have plenty of good heart.”

Saying that last thing, Applejack saw Dash’s eyes squeezing and looking away. ‘Oh, Dash,’ said Applejack to herself. ‘If Ah didn’t know ya any better, Ah would say that you're just about to cry.’

“Intentions aren’t as important as results,” blurted Dash, still avoiding the eye contact.

“Yes, they are, and even more… as long as they’re honest.” Applejack smiled warmly when Dash finally looked back to her. “And as long as ya don’t stop tryin’.”

Rainbow Dash cringed and moaned. “Gosh, you’re so downright honest…”

Applejack took it as a compliment.

It was blatant from her expression alone that Dash was struggling with herself. Maybe it was a lack of self-esteem or maybe it was a form of regret, but whatever it was her eyes gradually softened and she seemed to get over it. Then, her face hardened with anger and she punched Applejack on the shoulder.

“Ow!” shouted she, more for indignation than pain.

“It’s three days in a row that you keep insulting me,” explained Dash, with an offended tone.

Applejack briefly gaped at her before shrugging it off with a grin. “Reckon it is. So, ya come with me?”

Dash hesitated again. “Do you really think I’ll be of some help?”

“Ah think you can be of much help.”

Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks and spun her head between her team and her friend, but Applejack could see from her eyes that she had already decided.

Dash turned towards the soccer field and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey, pals! I’m skipping today!” Grinning, she turned towards Applejack and blinked. “Run.”

“...so firecrackers are an absolutely no, but fireworks on the open could still have a good effect. Rarity, are you taking notes?”

Rarity, who was still being pushed forward by Pinkie Pie, asked herself what was she supposed to take notes with. “Uh-huh,” she hummed, opening the front doors of the school.

Pinkie kept pushing her from behind. “Moving forward, do you think that Sunset would like balloons? I mean, I know that she doesn’t like balloons very much but maybe…”

“Trixie has had enough of the demon girl!”

The familiar voice filled with anger brought Pinkie and Rarity to an abrupt stop on the top of the stairway. In front of them—next to the Wondercolt statue—Trixie was holding a speech as about ten students stood near in silence.

From the crowd, Flash Sentry said, “Please, don’t say it like that.”

“But she does have a point,” said Watermelody. “We already let her get away with everything she did once, and in return, she brainwashed all the students.”

“Oh boy,” muttered Rarity, pressing her fingertips against her eyebrows.

“The girl with green hair speaks rightly, and we all were victims of her evil deeds today. Trixie says we report her to the principal and require that the she-demon gets expelled.”

That started a discussion among the students, who exchanged whispers of agreement or disagreement until Sandalwood addressed Trixie directly. “Dude, aren’t you, like, cranking it up a skosh?”

“Trixie will ignore any comment which doesn’t address her with a fitting appellation.” That said, Trixie pouted and turned her head away, but she only managed to bring a lull over the little group. Peeking with one eye, she saw that everybody was looking her with different levels of disgruntlement. She briefly considered her options, then she rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air as she said, “Oh, fine! You want it in mid-terms? I don’t want to attend this school with that deceiving fury anymore, and neither do you.”

Trixie allowed a pause in order for the words to sink inside her crowd, knowing for sure that she was right. One after the other, most of the students bowed their head in agreement. Satisfied, Trixie resumed, “Now, whoever agrees is kindly requested to escort me to the principal’s office so that we–”

“Hi, dears.”

There was a massive spinning of heads, and Rarity smiled lovely to all the students whose attention she had managed to attract with just two words. “I hope I’m not being unpleasant to step in like this, but I think we’re interested in your conversation.”

Trixie looked up and sighed. “Great, now we’re going to listen the demon’s minion?”

“Excuse you, but Sunset is my friend,” replied Rarity, feeling her smile getting smaller.

“Maybe that’s only what she wants you to believe.”

Rubbing his temple, Flash Sentry huffed and said, “I told you already, Trixie. Sunset doesn’t have any sort of dark magical power, and she cannot–”

“That you know of,” Trixie turned towards him and pinched his chest. “Which, frankly, means almost nothing.”

“I used to date her,” he said coldly.

“And you’ve been played like a silly dog while she did whatever she wanted.”

Rarity saw Flash flinching back like he had just been slapped in the face. Feeling her anger rising, she stopped smiling and faced Trixie. “You’re being unfair.”

“That was the old Sunset,” added Pinkie.

“Oh, pfft, yeah. Unfair.” Trixie rolled her eyes and towered over Rarity. “Now move, we are going to meet the principal and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“You can’t do such a thing.” Rarity tried to sound confident, but she clearly heard her voice trembling.

“Why not?” Trixie smirked. “Are you going to stop us?”

“Pfft.” Pinkie waved off the idea. “Of course not. You’re free to do what you want.”

Despite knowing it was the truth, Rarity felt a pinch of betrayal.

“Ha,” roared Trixie. “Apparently, she’s the wise one.”

“Besides,” said Pinkie, “Principal Celestia isn’t even there.”

Everybody fell silent.

“Is that true?” asked Trixie.

Pinkie Pie nodded. “She always leaves early on Thursday.”

“Really?”

“So… I was thinking about getting a tattoo.”

Sunset Shimmer searched over her mother’s visage for a reaction, like a twitch or a tremble. Any possible hint about her state of mind. She and Celestia were sitting in the living room one in front of the other, and she could feel her nerves getting the best of her. Her mother, instead, was holding her chin between her hands and supported her elbows on the table. The eyes in front of Sunset were ice-still and focused, all the facial muscles rested. Celestia looked completely calm.

“A big one. Something like a big dragon on my back, with the tail that spins all around my arm… I was considering it because the cousin of a friend of mine has just started his little business as a tattooer, and he’s in big need of first clients. He lives in his parent’s garage—where he also has his workplace—because he was kicked out of college after a misunderstanding about illegal substances.”

Celestia barely hummed in response, the only sign she was listening to her while her face was a sculpture of marble.

Sunset swallowed and decided to go for it. She looked down to her body and started to caress her abdomen with one hand. “Also… I think I’m a little sick. It has been since I went to that concert with Booby a few weeks ago that I feel queasy, and I started throwing up yesterday. I wonder if the delay of my period has something to do with it since it should have been–”

Suddenly, Celestia moved.

Sunset looked with dread at the pale as it came down, knowing it wasn’t going to be nice. She narrowed her eyes in anticipation… as her mother pushed her pawn forward.

“Checkmate in two,” calmly announced Celestia.

Sunset didn’t have to study the checkerboard for long to confirm that her mother was right. And that she was going to lose the third game in a row.

“Oh, come on!” Frustrated, Sunset darted her look between the checkerboard and the smug grin of her mother. “How? How can you stay so calm?” she asked.

“I’m the principal of a High School. I’ve been hearing teenagers making up all kind of stories since before you were born.” Celestia shrugged. “Also, I trust you have better judgment.”

“You should know that teenagers like me tend to ignore their judgment.”

“Aw.” Celestia patted her snarky daughter on the head. “You’re not any teenager.”

Sunset lowered her eyes and accepted the compliment in silence, thinking—for the thousandth time—that her mom was a strange one.

“Now move. And remember–” Celestia’s smile turned childish of sudden “–loser gets to do dishes.”

“Oh. Come. On.”

“That’s fine,” said Trixie, “Vice Principal Luna will do even better.”

Rarity jumped in front of Trixie and held out her hands to stop her. “Trixie, wait. Please, listen. I understand that you’re afraid of Sunset.” Rarity moved her eyes on everybody else, raising her voice to be heard by all. “You’re afraid that, if she goes back to her hold habits, then other bad things could repeat. It’s also true that, maybe, we should have told the principal about her attitude back then. But I’ve spent the last six months alongside this person. I had fun with her, I’ve known her, and I can tell that she has changed.”

“Then why was she so cruel today?” asked Watermelody. “I just wanted to invite her to my house, and she treated me like garbage.”

“Yeah,” said Bulk Biceps. “And she shoved Flash to the ground because he greeted her.”

“I already told you, guys, she didn’t ‘shove’ me. I just tripped due to the surprise. Honest.”

“Enough.” Rarity raised her voice. “I’m well aware of how she’s behaving. I myself got my slice of it but…”

Rarity didn’t know what to say next. Even in case Sunset didn’t mind—and she knew she did—this situation was extremely personal and delicate. But she couldn’t hope to dismiss everybody with silence or lies.

“What?” asked Trixie.

Rarity nibbled her lower lip. “She’s… having a hard time.” she looked around her, searching for comprehension. “All I can tell is that she’s going through a personal situation, a really bad one, and she isn’t in control of her own emotions.”

To her relief, Rarity found that many of the students around her were paying attention to her words. She only needed to reassure them. “I’m just asking you to close one eye for today. Please, just for today. I’m sure that things will already take a better turn for tomorrow.”

The students of the group exchanged dubious looks, and Flash took a step forward to ask, “One of her relatives died or…?”

Rarity pointed her eyes upward and gravely said, “Something of that magnitude, I would say.”

By then, only Trixie seemed to hold some hostility towards Sunset. But Rarity knew that without the support of the majority she wasn’t going to be a treat.

Trixie menacingly pointed a finger in Rarity’s direction. “If she mishaps ever again–”

Rarity cut her short with a hug. “Oh, I knew you would come along, dear.” Wasting no time, she grabbed Pinkie Pie by hand dragged her away. “Thank you for the attention, and ta-ta.”

“How do you know things will be better tomorrow?” asked Pinkie, once they were distant enough.

Rarity answered flatly. “Because they have to, Miss Pie.”

After their flee from the soccer field, Applejack and Rainbow Dash reached the pickup and drove to the car park where Sunset’s place was. By cell phone, they had agreed with Pinkie and Rarity to wait for them there before trying anything with their hysterical friend. The last text had been a while ago, and Applejack’s patience was running short.

“They’re being more late than a vet when your cow is delivering.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head with a questioning look. “Know that first hand?”

“Funny story.” Applejack thought about it for a sec. “Actually, not.”

Applejack spun her head around to check the last member of the group, finding Fluttershy on the other side of the car. As promised, Applejack had gone after her so that they could all go together. Now, Fluttershy was staring intently at Sunset’s apartment, completely ignoring she and Dash and without uttering a word.

Applejack hadn’t given much thought about it first, but now she began to find Fluttershy quieter than usual. Dash must have noticed too, because she turned towards her and said, “Hey, Shy, everything’s good?”

Fluttershy nodded absently.

Applejack got really worried then. She and Dash exchanged a quick look before she got by Fluttershy’s side.

“Cat stole your tongue, sugarcube?”

Applejack waited for something, but Fluttershy did nothing to acknowledge her.

“Ehm, Ah do realize that this is your girlfriend and things are... well... they don’t look good at all. But you’ll see that everything will be better once we get up there and–”

“I don’t want to go.”

Suddenly, Applejack was in a lack of words. “What was that?”

“I don’t want to go up there,” quietly said Fluttershy, still looking at the window.

Rainbow Dash popped out from behind Applejack. “Woah, Fluttershy. Where does that come from?”

Fluttershy tried to hide behind her hair instead of answering.

“Sugarcube, Ah can’t believe you’re sayin’ something like this.” Disbelief, sorrow, and anger built up inside Applejack. “Ya love that girl upstairs, and ya know it as much as Ah do. Even if y’all ain’t havin’ the best week, this is still your Sunny we’re talkin’ abou–”

“She’s not my Sunny.”

Applejack abruptly stopped again, shocked by the words she just heard and by the way Fluttershy had just hissed.

“What?”

“SHE’S NOT MY SUNNY!” Fluttershy pointed her head towards the opposite direction, forbidding Applejack to see her face. “I know what she did today at school. I know that the other students are talking about the return of ‘demon Sunset’, and I know–”

Applejack placed herself in front Fluttershy, grabbed her by one shoulder and said, “Fluttershy, ya can’t give up now. Ya know that your girlfriend ain’t like that, she’s just sore because she has a lot to chew.”

Fluttershy turned towards her, and Applejack felt her thoughts go blank when she saw in which condition she was. Fluttershy had puffy eyes and a trembling jaw, her cheeks were covered in tears.

“And who’s fault do you think it is?” she asked, with a voice exasperated and filled with pain. “Who do you think drove her so mad? After all the troubles I caused? After I broke up with her by phone? BY PHONE! Because I was too coward to even listen to her. And who do you think pushed her to open up and face her inner fears only to then betray her at the first opportunity?”

Applejack felt a different, powerful emotion as Fluttershy sobbed and dried out her watery eyelids. It was something she didn’t recognize at first, but then the words she heard from Dash the day before bounced inside her head. ‘…maybe, knowing that somebody else cares about her that way … if you told Fluttershy about your feelings things could go well and you could both be happy.’

She considered with fear how tempting it was, how right it sounded right now. Applejack felt she had the chance to give Fluttershy new hope. As if a few words were all it took to let her know—that no matter what—she was always going to be loved. But could she? Was it really that easy?

Applejack was so lost in thought she almost didn’t notice Rainbow Dash getting in front of Fluttershy. “Buddy, that’s crazy talk,” she incredulously said, wearing a nervous smile. “Come on, who could be ever mad at–”

Fluttershy pushed back Rainbow Dash with both hands. “She could! And she would have all the reasons if she did!” She glared at Rainbow with anger as her friend staggered back. “It’s not like you could understand, anyway.”

Applejack clearly read how the last rebuke hit Dash like a dagger in the chest. Fluttershy herself looked ashamed.

“Um, Dash I–”

Applejack put her hands around Fluttershy’s shoulders, forcing her to stay near. All she wanted was to see her happy. And she knew she was able to make her happy. She just had to say a few words.“Fluttershy, listen to me,” said Applejack, with the sweetest tone she could muster. ‘Just a few words.’

“You are the kindest, sweetest, and the most carin’ person that Ah have ever met.” Applejack chuckled. “Not to mention how good you look. Ya always have the grace of a lovin’ mother, and yet you’re ready for everything when it comes about helpin’ someone in need.” Applejack readied herself with a deep a breath. “Ya are simply amazing, Fluttershy. So, believe me when Ah say…”

Applejack looked right into her cyan eyes.

Fluttershy looked back into hers.

“…Sunset could never hate you,” said Applejack.

She forced herself to smile reassuringly as Fluttershy struggled with herself, more tears gathered around her eyes. “B- but… this is my fault. It’s always my fault…”

“Ya can’t blame yourself for all the bad things that happen in your relationship, sugarcube.” Applejack breathed slowly, working on the right words. “And even if ya did something wrong, remember that when things seem to be bad ya have to clench your teeth and think about the good times. Think about when ya two were happy, and do your best so that things returns like that.”

“B- but… what if when she sees me she says wants to dump me? Or that she hates me?”

Applejack forced out a laugh. “She should be the darn biggest fool of the planet. Ah mean, you're…”

‘…beautiful, splendid, kind, amazing.’ Applejack scrunched her eyes and shook her head. “Sunset and you are so lucky to have each other, Ah…” Applejack choked on her words, feeling her face trembling when she tried to force them out. “Ah…”

Before she went to panic, Rainbow Dash tossed herself between them and continued in her stead. “We’re going to do whatever we can to bring you two together again, Fluttershy.”

Applejack staggered back—doing her best to control herself—and walked behind one of the cars, hiding while Dash was catching Fluttershy’s attention.

“It’s a promise, Ok?” she heard. “No matter what, once we’re done you’ll have your Sunny back. Understood?”

Applejack heard Fluttershy sniffling. “O- ok.”

…

“Now,” said Dash, using her hands to wipe out the tears from Fluttershy, “why don’t you go to see if Rarity and Pinkie are coming?”

Fluttershy needed a moment to take a hold of herself but, eventually, she managed to nod and return a smile. With one last pat on the shoulder, Rainbow Dash let Fluttershy head to the park entry.

Once Fluttershy was far enough, she headed where Applejack was sheltering. She found her trembling behind a car, holding herself in silence. Dash couldn’t see her face, but she feared the worst.

Dash bit her lips and approached her. “You ok?”

“Shut up,” hastily murmured Applejack.

Dash felt herself frowning, disappointed with the reaction. Firm to do something for her friend, she closed the distance between them and put a hand on Applejack’s shoulder.

“I’m proud of you.”

With a feral grunt, Applejack raised her arm and blew her elbow backward, right in Rainbow’s guts.

The pain was enough to stun her on her feet. She felt all the air escaping her lungs, and she couldn’t manage to bring it back again. Her diaphragm refused to do its job. In response to the pain, Dash felt a wave of rage climbing up through her arm.

With a supreme effort of self-control, Dash held back her fist and took a step back. She folded her arms in front of her chest and waited in silence.

Finally, Applejack calmed down and turned towards Dash with an apologetic look.

“Dash, Ah’m sorry…”

Rainbow Dash cut her short with a wave of her hand.

“Did that hurt?” asked Applejack with a worried tone.

“Pfft.” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Pointing her eyes down, Applejack walked in front of her and went after Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash waited until she was sure she could not be seen. Then, she slowly bent her knees and held her guts, moaning and cringing her face in pain.

“Horseapples…”

Five young girls stood side by side as the sun shined over the parking lot.

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy looked with determination at the apartment on the second floor. During the last twenty-four hours, they all had gone through some sort of personal trial. They had gone through doubt, pain, and guilt. Even their friendship had been tested, but they weren’t going to give up. They weren’t going to allow anything to split them again.

They were going to stay together. All of them.

And they were going to get their Sunset back.

9 - Other pain

Author's Note

Since it's been very long since the last update, I'm gonna recap things.

Sunset was adopted by Celestia from the orphanage, and the same day she got her Cutie Mark, but her endless ambition and pride brought her to flee from her home and dive into a new world. Once there, the first two movies happened and Sunset found a happy life for herself. She even got in a relationship with Fluttershy, despite a rocky start, and things were well until her doppelganger was spotted.

But if finding her doppelganger brought troubles, things got worse when she met her and discovered that she was the daughter of Principal Celestia. Sunset didn't take the news well, but when she finally did confront her past she came out broken. Without hesitation, she went back into her old ways and bullied everyone around simply because she could.

Now, it's up to her friends to bring the Sunset they know and love back.

9 - Other pain

OTHER PAIN

“WORTHLESS PIECE OF JUNK!”

Sunset slammed her hoof against her desk with strength, the frustration inside her so big that it smothered any physical pain. What was a little hoof ache, after all, when she had to deal with disappointment over and over again?

Her nostrils blowing smoke and teeth grinding tight, Sunset glared at the source of her anger. It wasn’t something groundbreaking or new, it was actually a common exercise, but it was going to be her next achievement. On her desk, she had prepared her last project of research: a simple – yet elegant – structure with the only purpose of supporting a self-sustained light gem.

But, because the universe hated her, the gem didn’t want to accept her genius and light up for more than a few seconds straight. Therefore, Sunset Shimmer had spent the last eighteen hours in her study doing the spell over and over again without any further progression.

Tired, hungry, and very frustrated, Sunset grabbed the gem with the magic of her horn and brought it closer to her muzzle. “Congratulations, topaz,” she said, her tone quiet but slowly getting louder with every word. “You just proved to the world that, indeed, you are nothing but a useless, unworthy, unwanted, insignificant left-over!” She tossed the gem on the table – the sound was oh so satisfying – and glared down at it closely. “Why aren’t you doing your part, huh? Do you want to go back into the dirt? Is that what you want? I mined you out of the dirt because I thought you could shine, and I can bury you underground where I found you anytime if you prove me wrong!”

“You’re really showing that rock, Sunset.”

“Shut up, you!” yelled Sunset, without looking back at the source of those words. In her anger, she hadn’t stopped to actually consider who could have entered her room without even knocking first, or who might be interested in interrupting her in the first place. Only shortly after her retort she recognized the voice, realizing that she had just yelled back to Princess Celestia.

Not only her body froze in a jiff, but even her burning anger was chilled so fast that she could hardly believe it.

She quickly considered to apologize, to explain that it was a bad moment, but she knew better than to show herself weak and malleable. No, she was strong and independent. That she had to show, and she wasn’t going to chicken out just because Princess Celestia was coming by her side. Sunset stood up straight, with her head raised up and her chest filled with pride…

…and her eyes pointed down, looking very away from Princess Celestia.

Even without looking at her, Sunset could feel that she had all of her mentor’s attention. She could feel her eyes, the warmth of her muzzle pointed towards her. That inquisitive check on her made Sunset feel the urge to tremble.

Had the tiles always been like that? It was incredible that she had never been interested in the floor before.

“Rough day?”

Sunset looked up to her mentor and, surprisingly, she didn’t find any trace of anger on her muzzle. She only found the old and undying smile that Celestia so often wore, matching that soothing, calm, and gentle voice. That alone was enough to fill her with relief.

All things considered, Sunset thought that maybe a proper explanation was due.

“I was pursuing the next step of my exercises,” she mumbled.

There was an audible – and cheering – chuckle. “Struggling that much?”

“What? Pfft, no.” Sunset darted her eyes between the objects on her desk, somehow having difficulties to explain why she was having troubles. “It’s just… it’s all this dumb rock's fault.”

“Oh?” Celestia’s smile didn’t waver. “A topaz is guilty of being dumb?”

“Why do you think ‘dumb as a rock’ is an expression?”

Both Sunset and Celestia looked at each other straight in the eyes. They didn’t speak, they didn’t move, they didn’t even blink for a long second. Then, they burst out laughing.

Sunset laughed loudly, supporting herself on the desk, and went on for as long as she felt like with all her pent-up frustration. Princess Celestia, on the other hoof, was much more composed. She soon stopped her giggling but waited with a patient smile for Sunset to finish as well.

“Sorry for not getting here sooner… I’m coming straight from the throne room,” said Princess Celestia.

That immediately killed the newly good mood. “Let me guess… another noble demanding to have the face of his grangransomething printed on the town coin?”

“No… but somepony noble did ask politely to have the pegasi cloud-houses moved because it ruined the view from his veranda, among other reasons I wish not to repeat.”

Sunset snorted, rolled her eyes, and faced Princess Celestia. “The nerve of those commons. Those meetings are a daily waste of time for ponies that don’t even deserve your attention, if you ask me.”

“Oh?” queried Celestia. “Pray tell, what do you think of them?”

“That they’re just self-centered, stuck up, and narcissist ponies who only come to you so that they can blame you for their problems,” answered Sunset as she spun her head and focused her look elsewhere.

“Really, now?”

“Yes, really,” growled she, going on with her speech. “They shout like idiots, they blame you for their faults instead of thinking about what they’re doing wrong because all they can ever think about is how great and important they think they are!” Sunset grunted, thinking about the blindness of those foolish ponies was enough to make her feel sick. They were only good at stealing time that she would be otherwise able to spend with her mentor. If only it wasn’t for them… if only they weren’t clothed with more power than her…

And yet, Princess Celestia spoke in their defense. “They can be quite hard to withstand,” she said, “but they’re good ponies deep down. Most of them act the way they do simply to hide bigger problems they can’t… or don’t want to face.

“Sometimes they feel angry, or frustrated, or even hurt.” She put her hoof under Sunset’s chin and gently lifted it upwards, until they were seeing eye to eye again, before resuming. “So I listen to them, I let them vent… I try to understand them. I can learn much about them this way because, even when misguided, words that carry emotion always come from the heart.

”And the heart–” gently, almost as if afraid to hurt her, Princess Celestia tapped her hoof against Sunset’s chest “–is where a little pony is its truest.”

Her words, and her expecting smile as well, left Sunset dazed. There was something within her big, purple, limpid eyes. Sunset could feel it, like a warm tickling in her chest. She could feel how Princess Celestia was trying to tell her something, to teach her a new perspective of the world. It was in her tone, in her words, in her eyes.

It was unsettling.

“Yeah, well…” Sunset pulled back and turned away, chuckling sheepishly all the way to her desk. Not that she wanted to run away… it was just one of those times when the princess acted really weird. “That’s very deep, I guess.”

Sunset heard something that resembled a groan from behind her. She instantly spun her head over and found again her mentor standing in the same spot, still smiling. Only this time, Sunset wasn’t sure if the smile was genuine or forced…

“So… your project,” said Princess Celestia, pointing at her work. “Why don’t we try this together?”

It was like that question punched Sunset in her chest. She darted her wide open eyes between her mentor and her work, then she focused on the former with a stern look. She knew she didn’t need help. “I can–”

Princess Celestia didn’t let her finish. “I’m sure you can. But why don’t we try this together?”

At a loss of words, Sunset fought the little part of her that shouted no, that she didn’t want any help. That she was fine by herself, and she didn’t want Princess Celestia to be here in case of another fai–

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, that little voice in her head silenced. All things considered, she had no reason to keep her away. In fact, she wanted more time with her. Especially so, ~~if~~WHEN she was going to get her genius shine along with her work. “Fine.”

Sunset used her magic to set every component of her project in place, confident that everything would work. It was going to be different from the previous twenty times, for sure. She built the Support Structure, she aligned the matrix’s spell, and lastly, she put the yellow gem on top of her work.

All that was left to do was to enchant it. With the right spell, she had to go inside the very sub-molecular structure of the crystal to ignite a chain reaction that would have bounced between the gem and the SS. It was supposed to be easy, except this was where she had failed every time.

Sunset had just the tiniest of doubts.

She closed her eyes, took a big breath, and suppressed those doubts. Doubts were for dumb fillies, and dumb fillies didn’t deserve the Princess’ mentorship.

Which was ok, because she wasn’t dumb and she didn’t have doubts. In fact, she had this. No pressure, she could cast the spell and call it a day and wasn’t anxious and wasn’t trembling or sweating and she wasn’t about to crumble it wasn’t working why wasn’titworkingsheneededhelp–

“Relax.”

A tender touch rifted Sunset back into reality. She jolted up, opening her eyes wide when she felt a feathery wing pressing lightly on her back.

It was like standing under a lamp surrounded by darkness. That feeling on her back… to Sunset, that alone was enough to give her strength and determination. With that warmth, that strong softness, that gentle support… she could overcome any adversity.

“Close your eyes.”

She did so after a deep breath.

“Use your magic and link to the topaz.”

Easy, and simple. She knew the procedure all too well, of course…

“Now, look into it. What do you see?”

… what kind of question was that? What was she even supposed to see? That wasn’t how it had to be done, she had to light it up not to look into it.

“You’re doing good, Sunset. What do you see?”

Then again, Princess Celestia was the mentor. It was ok to follow her instructions.

“Nothing,” she said, searching for… anything. “It’s all black.”

“Search deeper. Search for the light.”

“I can’t find it,” grunted Sunset. “There’s no light.”

“Trust me, there is not such a thing as total darkness.”

Sunset had to bite her lip, or she would have cried in frustration. She focused on something good instead, like the Princess’ embrace.

Princess Celestia was very good at embracing.

Right then, out of the blue, she found a light inside the gem.

“I see it!”

“Good. Now, let it flow and lit it up. Gentle, without pushing it…

“Open your eyes.”

Sunset opened her eyelids… to close them again immediately, blinded by the light. Wait…

“I DID IT!” Finally, her self-sufficient light gem was working! She almost felt like jumping giddily in place for… wait, Princess here. “A-hem, I mean, of course, I did it.” Better, but not quite enough. “I’m capable of anything.” Perfect.

“Yes, except being modest.” Ah, the usual, snarky comment to remind her not to gloat and to do even better next. Inevitably followed by the praise. “Nevertheless, congratulations on completing this project this soon in your life. The effort you’re putting in studying at your age is–”

Now, praises are good and well, but she had already piled plenty of those. No, Sunset felt like she ought to aim for a higher prize. “Oh well,” she confidently interrupted. “I could take even more advanced subjects if I had the chance. Speaking of which, that mirror…”

“No.”

Sunset’s confidence disappeared In the blink of an eye when Princess Celestia’s muzzle fell from a veil of pride in a wall of sternness. Of course, she wouldn’t let that stop her. “But I’m ready!”

“No, Sunset. As your mentor, I think I have the ground to put my hoof down.”

From experience, Sunset knew she had only two options: to give in or to melt that marble face with a heated glare.

After exactly one minute, she concluded that the heat glare wasn’t working.

“Fine.” She turned to leave, making clear that she was the one ending this conversation. “If you need me, I’ll be studying in the library.”

“Sunset, when was the last time you went outside?”

Why couldn’t the Princess just catch a hint and let her go? Soo frustrating.

Luckily for Sunset, the clock ringed before she had to give a reply. Looking at it, it was easy to see that it was time for the moon to rise… already? Maybe she had been in her study for too long.

Almost by accident, Sunset’s sight fell on Celestia and their eyes met. It took actual effort for Sunset to not scoff. Just like any other time when her sacred duty called, the Princess would just turn towards her with those conflicted eyes. Because Sunset wasn’t good enough to keep them together, because she had to go and do Princess stuff.

She just had to give her pity eyes. She just had to make her feel… Just go and raise the horizon, instead.

“Since you’re so forward with your studies,” said the Princess, after she put on a new smile, “why don’t you spend one night out? Maybe make friends? For me, at least.”

And with that, the princess finally trotted off.

After she had had the last word. Again.

Dammit.

Sunset waited, alone and frustrated. She waited until she could hear no more cracking steps. Then, she headed to the library. She didn’t need friends. “I just need to be better.”

“Can we get on with it already?”

Rainbow Dash knew everything about her friends. Or everything important, at least. That was like the basic of being friends, to know about them. She knew, for example, that her friend Pinkie went very loud whenever she wanted to. She also knew that Pinkie’s voice could get veeery high pitched when she was upset.

For these two reasons Dash – bringing her fingers around her poor ears – reminded herself that it was better if she didn’t stand next to Pinkie Pie. Like, never again.

“It feels like we’ve been stuck here FOR YEARS!”

“Darling, really, now simply isn’t the time for exaggerations.”

Pinkie groaned, exaggeratedly, as her head slumped backward. “Fine, it’s actually been ten minutes but it feels like it’s been two years! Can we help Sunset now?”

Owie, her poor eardrums.

“Alright, Pinkie,” said Rarity, rubbing her own ears as well, “I suppose time is crucial after all… but first, Dash, please care to repeat?”

Dash barely suppressed a groan. She wondered if Rarity was asking her because she was testing her attention, or because she didn’t trust her. With how things had been in the last days, she bet on the latter. “You three go in first,” she grumbled, “Applejack and I wait here for five minutes or so while you go and try to make her soft.”

Even Applejack, from her side, clicked her tongue in disapproval. Unfortunately, Rarity noticed.

“Applejack, I know how you feel about it–”

“You’re treating her as one of your gossips businesses.” retorted Applejack, avoiding her gaze.

“Um, girls…”

“I’m merely using common sense.” Rarity’s voice went all flat… no, stern. “We can’t all go inside at once, otherwise she’ll just feel intimidated–”

“And Ah guess –” to add tension, Applejack was getting really annoyed, narrowing her eyes and all “– us two staying behind is a random choice.”

“Applejack, I’m sure…”

“Truth be told, dear, it’s not.”

Dash felt a chill on her spine, staring in disbelief as Rarity and Applejack stood face-to-face. She had to do something before things got out of hand.

But then, Fluttershy got between them.

“Enough, both of you!” she shouted, tired of being ignored. “We don’t have time for this. I don’t know why you two are bickering, but we already have one friend that is having its way, way worse than you two.”

Gee, that girl sure had the fire in her when she needed it. Would be great if she was like that when she cheered for her…

Buuut, more important, her yelling did the job. Rare and Aj were looking both apologetic, ashamed, and… well, still annoyed at each other. But not ready to start a fight anymore.

“Truce?”

“Shucks Rare, ya know you can count on me.”

Rarity nodded once. “Good,” she said.

And with that, Rarity picked up a bag she showed up with (she didn’t tell what was in it) and grouped with Fluttershy and Pinkie. Then, just before they left, Rarity shot her the eyes. “Don’t screw this up,” she muttered.

Come on! Why was she looking at her like that? Ugh…

Rainbow Dash hesitated with her fist raised in front of the door, turned toward Applejack and said, “Ya ready for this?”Applejack gave her a sympathetic look and shook her head. “Nope. Are ya?”Rainbow Dash grinned and straightened herself up. “Of course... not,” she admitted.After all the tension she had caused, Dash had lost almost all of her usual confidence. She felt like even a little mishap could turn into a hurricane but it was ok, she just had to be more careful.

Yeah, because she was just sooo good at that.

Dash breathed in and knocked three times.

She waited. With patience.

A lot of patience.

“Stop kicking the doormat, will ya?” hissed Aj.

Before she could retort, there finally were sounds from the other side of the door. Dash readied herself, clenching her fist and swelling her chest. Show the opponent no mercy and… she was thinking about a football match. ‘BAD DASH,’ she scolded herself. ‘Try to think less Dash and more… literally anybody else.’ Within a few seconds, the door was opened.Behind it, a winded and smiling Rarity appeared. But not smiling-smiling, more like panic-smiling? Dash knew she wasn’t the best at deductions, but she had a strong impression that her friend looked relieved to see them.

That idea made her gulp in dread. Were things going that bad?She and Applejack stepped inside and walked to the right, where they found their friends. Sunset was sitting at the table—reading a book—while Fluttershy snuggled with her from her side and Pinkie was baking something on her own behind the kitchen counter.

But something was wrong. Pinkie was being so… normal. But not like a Pinkie Pie-normal, like a normal-normal.

And Fluttershy… she looked happy, attached to Sunset like that. Had they already reconciled? But then, why were Pinkie and Rarity looking so sober?“So, we’re finally all here,” Sunset commented with a snark, as Rarity sat at the table. A steaming cup of tea waiting for her.

Pinkie bolted in front of Sunset, her torso bent over the table, with a bowl full of mixture. “How’s this?” she excitedly asked.

Sunset dipped her finger in it and savored a sample. She clicked her tongue, twice.

“Not bad but… definitely too sweet.”

“Aw, it’s okay.” Pinkie Pie bolted back into the kitchen. “I’ll just make it all over again.”Rainbow Dash exchanged a quick look with Applejack and hemmed.

“Um, hi, Sunset.”“How are ya, girl?” asked Applejack.“Oh, very good actually.” Sunset looked up from her book, her face beaming with a smile. “Today I woke up without feeling my eye itching in pain.”Rainbow Dash felt something invisible punching her in the guts.

“Sunset!”

Sunset flinched and quickly turned her attention to Fluttershy. Being scorned at from her girl had some effect. Her expression turned to one of shame—nervously biting her inner cheek—or so Dash thought.

In the end, Sunset relaxed and turned back to her friends.

“Girls... I’m… sorry about that.” A ghost silence accompanied her pauses. “Really. About everything. I’ve been snappier recently, and I know that’s not okay. But–” Sunset spun her head, running her fierce eyes all around the place “–you know what I’m going through.”

“Oh, darling,” said Rarity with a sympathetic voice. She even went closer to Sunset, with her big pity eyes. “You can’t bottle things up like this. Talk with us. We can help–”

“Thank you, Rarity,” said Sunset, with a little too much vehemence, “but there is no reason to. I didn’t react well, yesterday. That’s on me. But I’ve come to terms with it.

“After all, it was just my past. And I already promised you that I’m going to build my life living today and looking for tomorrow.” Sunset smiled. “Besides, what does this even mean for me. Nothing, that’s what. I’m about to go to college a build myself a future here.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t believe it in the slightest. It wasn’t possible that Sunset had already eased her mind about it.

“Are ya sure about that, Sun’?” asked Applejack. “Ah don’t recall this was your plan, with your home being–”

“I never had one,” bluntly replied Sunset. “Plan, I mean. But that’s what growing up is about, right? I’m going to settle here, use loans to pay for my college, and then I’ll find my place in the world.”

From the kitchen, the noises of rustling up stopped and Pinkie Pie leaned in through the door. “You mean… this world?” she asked.

“Yup. Where else?” Sunset got her arm all around Fluttershy’s shoulder and tightened her grasp. “Home is where the heart is, after all. And I would never shut out my family.”

Out of blue, Rarity bolted up from her seat. “I need to use the bathroom,” she hastily added.

Before anyone could say anything, she was already in the other room.

That was a good opportunity, thought Dash. She just had to follow Rarity and ask her what she missed.

“Uh, yeah. Mee too.”

Hurrying behind Rarity, every one of her friends disappeared from her sight as she went to the other room. She let out a sigh of relief, she just had to stop Rarity and she finally would tell her what happened.

Not knowing was killing her. She was feeling so out of place, so useless. She needed to do something.

Rarity let the bathroom door open.

That wasn’t a good sign.

Walking inside, she saw Rarity standing with clenched fists in front of the bathtub. She was toying with a lipstick in her right hand, tapping and untapping the lid of her lipstick.

“Rarity?”

Ta-tap

Rarity did nothing different. She didn’t turn, she didn't answer. She just tapped and untapped, mumbling to herself.

“That little–” ta-tap “–devious–” ta-tap “–CONNIVING–” ta-tap “–DECEIVING–”

Dash jumped forward and reached her shoulder. “Rarity, calm down,” she said.

That worked, Rarity stopped doing whatever she was doing, but Dash almost flinched for the scare when she saw Rarity’s face.

She had her teeth clenched, her eyes sharp, her skin was red. Rarity looked angry. Like, super angry.

Only for a moment, though. She switched back to usual in a jiffy.

“I’m truly sorry,” Rarity said. “I just had to… collect myself. I couldn’t stand one more second of it.”

“One second of what? What’s going on?” she said. She had to know, obviously there was something fishy going on.

She didn’t lose her grip on Rarity, she wasn’t going to let her go before she got an answer. Rarity had to tell her something.

“Nothing.”

Huh?

“Huh?”

“Nothing. That is what is going on.” Rarity scoffed and then crossed her arms. “She’s been a sweetheart from the very moment we walked in. She was open, apologetic, a perfect host… the first thing she did? She asked Pinkie if she wanted to enjoy some snacks, she asked me if I wanted some tea, and she asked Fluttershy if they could sort things out.”

“Wait, Sunset offered snacks?”

“O, she was actually out, hence Pinkie offered to bake some.”

“Really…”

“Yes, anyway… Even before I could take a sip of tea, Sunset turned to Fluttershy and–” she paused, clenching her hands “–She asked her how she was holding up after yesterday.”

“What?”

“I know! The way she was asking, you’d say Fluttershy was the one having her life turned upside down. And it worked. Fluttershy let herself to be flattered so easily… Not even two minutes after we got inside, and she was already swooning in Sunset’s arms.”

Dash hoped that blinking hard enough would clear her thoughts. Nope, still confused.

“So you’re telling me… Sunset’s doing fine?”

“She sure was flaunting a perfect behavior,” answered Rarity.

“Wait,” Dash said.

That didn’t make any sense. Sunset wasn’t like that, and she knew. She had seen her earlier that day and her mind wasn’t cool. She even went and said… those things to her.

“Wait,” she repeated.

She was still feeling… bad about that. She didn’t want Sunset, or anybody, to think of her as a bully. She wasn’t. She would never betray or hurt her friends.

Dangit, what was that pain in her chest? Ugh, there wasn’t time for that.

“Wait… Didn’t we come here because she was being a… ya know, her old self again?”

“Mh-hm,” Rarity approved.

“Then why is she acting like…?” Aaand the keyword was acting. “Wait, you think she’s playing us?”

“I… don’t know. I don’t think so.” Rarity mulled over it. “I hope not.”

“That’s… just peachy.” She held her head between her hands. “How do we call her out?”

“Rainbow Dash.” Rarity’s tone was cold, her eyes piercing right through her. “I’m not going to pressure a friend when she might be on the verge of exploding.”

“…You want to do nothing?”

“I’m going to be a friend she can count on,” she lectured. “To my book, friends are supportive, they offer all they have, and they’re always ready to help you no matter what. They don’t call on each other misery.”

“Are you serious? You know something isn’t right! Heck, you were just hiding in a bathroom. A bathroom!”

“I was… a little angry at her.”

“Because she’s lying. She’s manipulating us. She’s lying to Fluttershy!”

“Um…” she bit her lip.

“What? Why would you deny that? You know it’s true!”

“I have a feeling, Rainbow Dash. I can’t doubt a dear friend because of a feeling…especially, not one that has gone through so much. Not at a time like this.

“I’m doing my best. We are all doing our best, but we’re also Sunsets friends and, unlike you, we use some consideration instead of bluntly jumping at the problem. I know you mean well but so help me Dash if you attack her in any way… !”

Rarity stomped her foot, trailing off her sentence without saying what she was gonna do to her. Not that she needed to, she was very clear. Not that Dash was scared, obviously.

Why would she even be scared in the first place? Because she was risking losing her friends?

Please.

She was never scared.

“Ain’t that a load of dung.”

Sunset immediately shot Aj a piercing glare. “Oh, because you always know better. Don’t you?”

“No. I just have this good old nose of mine for smellin’ bullsh–”

“Now now, what is this atmosphere?” interjected Rarity, coming straight from the bath. Rainbow followed her close, asking herself why she felt like she kept missing on things. “Let’s not lower our standards of civilization.”

“I’m calm, Rarity. And you don’t have to worry, I am quite civilized. Unlike someone, here.”

“Hey!” Shouted Aj.

“Is there anything you'd like to say?” asked Sunset.

“There’s plenty Ah’d like to say,” rebuked Aj.

“I don't doubt that.” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Pray tell, what did I ever do to you to get this treatment?”

“That’s nonsense.”

“Is it? But you didn’t hesitate to intimidate me by force as of lately.”

Fluttershy tugged Sunset by her sleeve. “Sunset, that was only once. To protect me.”

“I know. But even if it was for you, she lost her nerve and almost… well, you were there.”

“W-what?” Aj stammered. “That’s nonsense. I’d never–”

“I understand protecting your friend” –said Sunset, all while holding herself defensely– “but you've been overwhelmingly protective. Or is it just me that you despise so much?”

Uh oh. That was bad. Seriously, could she leave five minutes without something go awry?

“Hey, now I think you're looking way too much into this.”

“Not at all. If my alleged friend has a problem with me, I want to know. So, Applejack, I’m asking again: is there anything you want to say?”

Applejack breathed through her nostrils like a bull, clenching her hands into solid fists.

“Hey, hey, GIRLS! Come on, what’s this?” Pinkie Pie stormed in between, a pink bowl of dough in her hands. “We’re friends, and friends don’t argue. Please, I’m sure these naughties will lighten the mood,” she said, showing proudly her soon-to-be treats.

Sunset looked at it skeptically. “Did you mix raisin in the dough?”

“Of course… I know you like raisin.”

“Yeeeah…” – Sunset clicked her tongue – “but I don’t really feel like eating raisin right now…”

Pinkie froze abruptly, nothing but a little tic under her left eye moving. Rainbow Dash was so used to having her bobbing all around the place that seeing her completely still actually gave her creeps.

“No problem. I’ll bake them all over… AGAIN!” Pinkie shouted.

“Thank you,” chirped Sunset, hugging Fluttershy close by her side.

And Fluttershy? Fluttershy didn’t complain, but she had that look in her eyes that Dash knew well. It was that sort of ok but not-really-ok in a concerned-about-you way.

Yeah, she (sometimes) knew how to read her friend’s eyes pretty eloquently. Basics of friendship.

Also, it gave her stomach a knot.

There was something about the way Sunset talked, the things she said, the way she smiled… she was just too nice. For what Dash was seeing, Sunset either sweet-talked about nonsense, she acted defensively, or she changed the topic. Heck, every time somebody tried to take the initiative, she insulted in such a soft way they didn’t even notice the offense or play the part.

Chills were traveling through her spine as she watched her friend. Dash knew what was going on. That was the old Sunset.

No, something told her she was even worse the way it was back then.

Spinning her head around, Rainbow Dash checked all her friends fast. By the look of it, they were all this close to giving up: they just didn’t know how to bring Sunset to open herself, even by a little. And Sunset was doing a darn good job at shutting them off completely.

Fluttershy was already treating her ‘poor girl’ with all her affection, blinded by the pity act. Pinkie Pie was sure she could make her happy with cookies, Rarity was gifting her with the courtesy of doubt. And Aj… she couldn’t even tell the truth.

And the Rainbow Dash? She was afraid of hurting her friends even more.

There, she admitted it. She did what she felt was right before, and she screwed up. She screwed up, she hurt her friend, and everyone hated her for it.

She deserved it for letting down a friend. Now, though? She was walking on thin ice under the watch of her friends, and just one step away to lose them.

That was the situation she was in: at the final play of the game as the only attacker left and with a yellow card. She either stayed low and waited for it to end in disaster, or she risked it all and might end it in disaster anyway, plus getting kicked out of the team.

Looking at the chances, they weren’t pretty. Less than thin. It wasn’t even a real plan, nor anything a smart person would do.

But she was Rainbow Dash. And she had a feeling.

Nothing all the others tried worked. If she actually wanted to help, it was pointless to be more anybody else.

She was Dash.

Dash shook her head and groaned. If she wanted to lead anywhere, she had to do something. Even if it sounded like a bad idea.

And her bad idea required enough free space, and possibly something soft to land on.

With circumspection, she examined her surroundings and casually moved a step to her right. Now, right behind her were just eight feet of soft carpet. Perfect.

It was time for her idea.

She just hoped they’d forgive her.

Rainbow Dash licked her lips. “Aw maaaan,” she stretched out in her most annoying voice. “This super sucks.”

Everybody turned towards her. AJ, Rare, Shy, even Pinkie still clutching her bowl. Dash showed her widest, smuggest grin.

“Dash–” Sunset paused, blinked, and gestured her hand “–excuse me?”

“I mean you, Sunset. You suck.”

Pinkie Pie dropped the bowl on the floor. Rarity stopped breathing.

Sunset just scratched her neck awkwardly. “Well, if that’s what you think you can–”

“Seriously, did you even consider what this means for us?”

“For… us?” asked Sunset.

“No. Us. The Rainbooms.” Dash started to count on the fingers of her hand. “Me, Fluttershy, Aj, Rare, and Pinkie… plus Twilight, when she’s around.”

“Oh, ok. I don’t… see how my… how do I affect you?”

“It does. It affects us a lot. It makes us look so uncool.”

“In that case, you can… wait, how?”

“You’re asking me how? I thought you were smart, think about it.”

“I really don’t–”

“Six girls, all glitters at the prom rise up against a she-demon that mind-controls everyone around and throws fireballs, using the power of friendship and laser-rainbows to slap her down into the concrete. Can you think of a cooler start for my band? We slayed a she-demon!”

Sunset was so focused on her that she couldn’t see Pinkie gesturing madly. Nor Fluttershy shaking her head in her direction. Nor Rarity standing up with her mouth open. Nor Applejack as she put her hand on Rarity’s shoulder, forcing her down, while giving Dash a single nod.

“But no, you ruined it. Now the she-demon was actually a pathetic angry girl that mommy kicked out of her home. And that brings us from, I dunno, saving two worlds to punching a petty bully with issues. Total waste of mysterious backstory. So thank you, Sunset.

“You make us look bad with your pathetic life.”

And with that, every single mouth in the room was agape.

Sunset, however, was stoically still. Sitting on her chair.

She blinked once. Twice. Then she chuckled, she shook her head and she left out a giggle.

Then she dove on Dash.

A very good leap. Fast and aggressive. Dash was without air in her lungs, but she stayed focus on Sunset.

“YOU THINK I’M PATHETIC! YOU’RE PATHETIC!”

She heard chairs moving and yells from everybody. She felt Sunset climbing over her body, pinning her down. She saw Sunset’s face, unrecognizable, altered by rage. She saw her charging up a fist.

“YOU’RE A USELESS, UNWORTHY, UNWANTED, INSIGNIFICANT LEFT-OVER!”

Dash was faster. By little, but she was. She grabbed both Sunset’s wrists before she could hurt somebody. But Sunset’s words still struck her.

“No one likes you, no one loves you! NOT EVEN YOUR PARENTS WANT YOU! OF COURSE THEY GOT RID OF YOU!”

…

What did I just say?

I didn’t… I wasn’t…

I was just yelling. I… wanted to punch Rainbow Dash. I was… frustrated… angry… hurt?

I was just…

Who was I talking to?

…

Why am I on top on Rainbow Dash? Why is she holding my wrists? Why does my throat hurt?

…Why is she looking me like that?

I hate those eyes.

I hate them. No one can make those eyes at me. I’m the best, no one can look down to me like that.

Where are the others? They were right here, they should be… here…

They’re here. They…

You girls, you…

…No…

You can’t! Why… No! STOP!

Why are you all looking me like that?

D-do you know who I am? I’m SUNSET SHIMMER! I’m better than all of you combined! So stop looking at me with those eyes or… or…

…

Why is Rainbow Dash hugging me?

This makes no sense. We were fighting, why is she hugging me? My throat hurts! Stop huggin–

–are these… yellow arms? From where?

Why? Why is she… Fluttershy is…

It hurts! My throat hurts. My eyes hurt!

Don’t, Fluttershy. I’m hideous. I…

…AJ…

No… not you too…

It’s… it’s too much.

Rare… please… I’m not worthy.

Pinkie… you’re hurting me! You always hurt me when you do that!

YOU’RE ALL HURTING ME!

IT HURTS!

Girls… please…

I can’t… hold it together… I’m not good enough…

I’m not good… at all…

Stop this…

Please…

…stop…

…

I’m sorry…

10 - Other tears

OTHER TEARS

Princess Celestia was nowhere to be found.

Which was typical, thought Sunset as she trotted down the third corridor of the second wind of the caste… or was it the second corridor of the third wing? Somepony should add signs around the place.

Actually, could she do that? Not putting up signs, but order somepony else to do it? She was chosen by the Princess herself as her protegee. Surely, that meant something.

Maybe it meant… did they have a special bond? Something that made her special in the eye of everypony else? Even the Princess?

If that was the case, Princess Celestia was doing a really good job hiding it. Every time with her was about homework, and lecturing, and responsibilities, and exercises. That when she was even present, unlike now.

Back to the point, she had to find Princess Celestia. Asking Raven should be the right choice.

“She’s currently in the gardens, at the tea stall in the open,” said Raven. “However, she–”

One turquoise blink and Sunset was exactly where she wanted to be.

The Princess’ gardens were just as beautiful as anypony could have imagined. They grew free, but with beauty and harmony. In the center of a plain field of grass, a white stall with tables inside the fence was perfect to enjoy the flavors of tea and flowers.

The silhouette she was looking for finally came into view. Sunset didn’t waste any time, she straight up walked on ignoring any plea from the guards. Funny how they could do nothing more than ask her to stop. They knew who she was… and what her position meant.

Yes, her position was definitely exploitable. How much more could she push for?

She confidently reached the stall, walking with her head up with pride.

She instantly regretted it.

“Sunset!”

Princess Celestia had lectured her before. She had even been… well, not angry maybe, but she had seen the not-angry-just disappointed look on her face. But this time…

Princess Celestia had yelled her name.

Sunset had no idea something that simple could hurt. It was just her name but, for some reason, she just felt bad when she heard it.

It got worse when she noticed they weren’t alone.

“Sunset,” repeated Princess Celestia, lower and slower. “Please wait for a moment. I was having a conversation with guests that just came from a long distance.”

Said guests were brownish ponies with exotic features, sitting around the table with the Princess. One in particular caught her eye.

He was tall and slender, a bright brownish coat, turquoise eyes, and wore the regalia suited for a Visir or a King from Saddle Arabia. He must have been not much older than Sunset herself.

Not that she was intimidated. Of course not, she was Princess Celestia’s pupil. That put her way above the likes of him… but the Princess herself didn’t want her there.

Sunset backed away with the tail between her legs. She bowed her head, she apologized, and she turned away.

She heard the guest asking who she was, and she heard the Princess’ answer.

“Oh, this is very embarrassing,” she said. “My personal student has never shown this kind of bad manners before.”

The Princess had never spoken badly of her before.

Later, after she had already set the sun, the Princess found Sunset resting on her bed.

She said that her guest was the new sultan of Saddle Arabia, that their situation was unstable ever since his predecessor had died, that she was almost a grown mare and she had to learn there were behaviors to be respected.

She also said she was there for her if she wanted to talk.

Sunset nodded and said it was ok. That she understood.

The Princess left and, unknown to Sunset, she stopped right in front of her student’s chambers. Her head was low, and the pavement was so clean she could see her reflection in it.

She knew well that reflection. On days like that, she couldn’t help but frown at it.

“Good job, Celly.”

She was good at hiding the sarcasm in her voice, usually, but then again there was nopony to hear her there.

She shook her head, got back up, took a breath, and walked away.

“You’d better make it up to her,” she mumbled.

Sunset was getting tired of crying.

Not that she was ashamed of it anymore: crying is perfectly natural and a great way to process overwhelming emotions. Of course, back in the days, she used to think that crying only showed that she wasn’t able to control her own emotions. She used to think that it made her look weak.

She couldn’t afford to look weak. Even after coming to the new world, she had to show strength and dominance. She couldn’t remember why, exactly, but she knew she had to. It was just her way of doing things, and it worked.

Or it had worked, until she was defeated in front of the whole school. With her public image completely destroyed, she thought it would be okay to cry a little back then.

Then she opened up to friendship and, for the first time in her life, she felt like she might just be liked by someone. And not because she looked strong on the surface, they all knew she wasn’t. They saw her fall and still offered her a chance. But even then, she didn’t want anybody to think she couldn’t get a hold of herself.

Sunset always thought it was something natural. To behave in a way when around someone, to change manners around someone else, to show a different emotion in front of the right person. Like, ludicrousness with Pinkie Pie. Bravado with Dash. Pride with Applejack. Some mild smuttiness with Rarity. Care and love with Fluttershy…

She wasn’t pretending… she liked it. It was like each of her friends brought out the best of her. It was like their very souls had got into her heart.

Before she knew, it got to the point she’d jump in front of a moving truck rather than lose one of them.

That was how much she loved them. That was how much she was afraid of losing them.

The day she confessed to Fluttershy, she realized she’d do anything to keep them close. She’d even be anything. She would never let her emotions out of her control if that meant risk losing everything.

Then she thought she had lost everything, and she cried again. It also happened again when everything got back as it was.

She shouldn’t have done that. She used to be tougher than that.

And for everything to stay the way it was, she needed absolute control of herself. She had to be the Sunset everybody wanted. If only she could be that Sunset.

If only that Sunset hadn’t been a lie her entire life.

But the truth blew up in front of her face. Worse, it blew up in front of every person she cared about.

All she could feel was… anger. Anger so big and intense… all towards the one liar. Unfortunately, or maybe luckily, that Princess was in another universe. But the anger was so overwhelming she couldn’t feel anything else.

She couldn’t feel happiness, nor love. Anything. Not even her friends could reach her.

She knew she wasn’t handling it well. She knew she was doing wrong again. But she had to.

She had to stay angry. Because she also couldn’t feel sorrow, nor guilt. She couldn’t feel pain, nor despair.

Sunset knew she would break If she allowed that gargantuan pile of emotion to breach out even for just a moment. She would break, show her dear friends what she was really like underneath, and lose everything she loved.

Except, that didn’t happen.

Sunset lashed out badly and showed everyone, especially her friends, what she really was about. They had seen her dark scars, her hideous fears, and her pathetic past. And they were still there.

She just wanted to cry.

So she breathed in. She filled her lungs with air.

They had to cover their ears.

But they were there.

They held her, consoled her, tried to make her laugh. They helped her standing up, sitting on the couch, and stayed with her.

She would babble, and they would reply. She would scream, and they would hum.

Even though she was sure she didn’t deserve it, they were ready to forgive her. They were ready to cheer her up, to give her a hug, to say anything that could make her feel better.

For the most, although, they were there.

Sunset wasn’t crying.

She was a sobbing mess.

“I’m *sob* s-sorry!”

“Honey, it’s all right.”

“N-no i-i-it’s *sniff* not!”

“Well, of course it’s not,” cheered Pinkie, “but we’re here to make it all just right!”

Her answer was indistinguishable from a wail.

They all shifted closer to her, the couch squeaking faintly under the weight of four girls at once. She wailed louder.

It had been going on for a while. Ever since they pulled from the floor to the couch, they had all been standing or sitting around her, their hand always on her to caress her gently.

Maybe she sobbed for seconds, maybe she sobbed for hours. For all that time, she knew that they were all waiting for her to reopen her eyes.

She wanted to stop soon, but she kinda didn’t.

But she had to get better. She had questions to make.

“W-why?”

She searched with her eyes for an answer, and she found Rainbow Dash. She was right in front of her, and she responded with winces and dubious looks all around the room. Sunset felt her slim, fidgety hand gently rubbing her knee.

“Uh… we don’t know. Look, Sun, I don’t think there can be a good reason for what happened to you in–”

“NOT THAT!”

She didn’t mean to raise her voice. She didn’t want to scare off her friends.

They pulled back. Only for a moment.

She couldn’t blame them.

“Sorry.”

“It’s all right.”

Sunset felt hurt, again. Because, again, she was trying to be honest. To tell the truth, admit her wrongs. Confess the many wrongs she had done, how wrong she was. Again, they just let her.

Again.

“It. Is. Not.”

She hissed as menacing as she could but you can’t be that menacing with tears streaming down your cheeks and your voice trembling, cracked in emotion.

Because, instead of pulling back, two soft, kind hands warmed against her arm and side.

Again. And again, that hurt the most.

“Why?” she repeated. “Why are you doing this for me?”

She looked away from the hurt, from Fluttershy. She was just too condescending. And Dash was an idiot, dense as a brick. She wanted to truth.

Applejack looked back at her, a half-smile with all of the heart on her face, and tightened her strong, steady grasp on her other knee.

“Welp, we’re friends.”

She said herself no, that she couldn’t punch Applejack in the face for saying something that plainly obvious. But she really wanted to. So she remembered herself how strong Applejack was, and what it means to be punched back with that strength.

That helped. She still kinda wanted to punch her, though.

“But I treated you horribly,” she yelled, “I even…”

“Sunset, it’s all right.”

Sunset turned to her left side where delicate, swift hands massaged her.

More tears burned her way to her eyelids, and her shout died in her throat. She barely managed to talk.

“Rarity…”

“Now now, there’s no need–”

“The things I said to you, I… I have no excuses. I- I just wanted to hurt you and… and...

“I’m sorry… I meant nothing of it… And you wanted to help me, but I just w- wanted to hurt… to burn! I *sniff* I know it doesn’t… You’re an amazing friend and–”

“Sunset, Darling. I understand… we all do. And, sure,” –a tender smile, just for her– “what you did… hurt us. We were hurt, and we were worried, and we still are actually. But I don’t just turn away when I see coal. I look deeper.”

She felt two hands, ten fingers enveloping her face. Gently, her cheeks were pressed together until she was forced to watch into Rarity’s eyes.

“Thrust me. There’s a shining gem here.”

Sunset shook her head, she pulled back to free herself. She shut her eyes closed, she tried to move. She didn’t have the strength to break through that web of embraces.

She didn’t want to.

But she was sad inside of it, and she didn’t want to be sad. Then why didn’t she want to break out?

She stopped thinking about it when two bouncy, joyful hands patted her head.

“Hey, you’re with us now, right? Nothing wrong is gonna happen.”

Sunset squeezed her eyes, facing away from that voice.

“Pinkie. I–”

“Look at me.”

Nope. No, nononono–

“Hey, look at me.”

“nnooooo…”

“I said look at me!”

Sunset reluctantly opened her eyes and tossed her head backward. Sitting on the backrest, fiddling her hair, idiot smile… Pinkie was there.

How could she be there, after what she said to her? After she called her stupid, she treated her like a stupid, she…

“I forgive you.”

Yea, she was stupid. “O come on! You can’t just–”

“I did! I forgave you, because I know you’re sorry for making me sad and if I forgive you but then you don’t forgive yourself I’ll feel bad and then you’ll be sad and if you’ll be sad I’ll be sad too.” Grinning proudly, Pinkie continued. “And you don’t want me to be sad again, do you?”

She… wait, huh… she didn’t, right?

Did she?

She blinked.

No, she didn’t. Want her to be sad. Was Pinkie right?

“Huh. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that from you.”

“Whaddaya mean?” Pinkie asked.

“Usually, you cheer people up with jokes”

“...You think that every time I speak is to make a joke?”

“Well, I mean…” offered Rainbow, “it’s kinda your thing.”

“That’s it,” Pinkie said with a haughty sniff. “I’m not making any jokes until this chapter is over.”

And she said it so seriously no one questioned her.

But they laughed.

They couldn’t help it. They tried, but they couldn’t. Once the first scoff came out it all rolled down to a guffaw. It was just too absurd to not laugh.

Or maybe they just needed it.

Even Sunset laughed, between the tears.

And her friends.

She felt she could laugh, and cry. She did a bit of both.

She was sad. She was also happy.

She wanted to stay there. At least for a while.

A while passed.

They offered to stay, all of them. But they had their lives, and she had to get her own in order.

They were nice to her up to the end. They comforted her, they gave her hugs on their way out.

“If you need a good cheer up, call me!”

“...me breath...”

“We’re here for you at any moment you need.”

“Aw, thanks Rare. Come on now, there’s no need for–”

“And try to get better, will ya?”

“Fine, fine… thank you. Ouch. Seriously, check your strength.”

She untangled herself from the last hug and AJ saluted her as she moved out. Rainbow Dash was left, standing in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Yeah, I’ll just go.”

“Nu-uh. Gimme a hug.”

“We’re too cool for hugs.”

“I want one.”

“No you don’t.”

“Neither do you.”

She groaned loudly before finally giving in.

Sunset thought that her friend was just as she appeared. Fidgety, brash, even reckless. But she was there just when she was needed.

It was part of her charm.

She also hugged quite nicely when she wanted to.

“Listen, Sunset… about before…”

“I know. Really, I get it… actually, it was obvious even at the moment I just… I couldn’t… I needed to–”

“It’s alright. Alright?”

“...yep. All good.”

An awkward moment.

“...Well, aside from you punching me in the face.”

“WHAT? But I- ok. OK.” Rainbow pushed herself away. She breathed in, swelling her torso. “Sunset, I’m very so-”

Aw, that idiot.

“Yo, I was just messing with you.” Sunset bumped her shocked friend’s shoulder. “Captain Obvious.”

She chuckled. Rainbow’s face was just priceless.

“Sunset?”

“Hm?”

“...fuck you.”

They glared at each other for a moment before laughing their heads off.

“See ya, Sunset.”

She walked out of the door, she turned back, and she grabbed the handle.

“Um, bye, Shy.”

She closed the door.

Now she was alone with her girlfriend.

She hadn't said anything in a while and no one had questioned her if she was going to leave. She simply had stayed quiet, sitting on the couch. Pretty as ever.

She looked so pretty.

She also looked strong. Maybe stronger than ever. Beautiful eyes that could turn relentless at any given moment.

Sunset wanted to die. She felt like the air in her lungs was concrete, but she had to sit and talk to her.

“Babe,” she said. “You are the best thing in my world. I love you. I'm sorry. Let's make out.”

A bit more real, Sunny?

"Love, words cannot express how much I regret what I did. You are the light that fills my sky. The one who showed me true kindness and compassion. The one who never lied to me… I adore you… forgive me."

Yeah, good luck actually saying all that.

"Fluttershy, I know I treated you horribly… and it wasn't even the first time… but I promise It'll never happen again… like already promised last time… but I had a bad day… because yeah bad days are a perfectly normal thing it's my fault that I'm so messed up I can't take it and… what if it happens again?

What if I just keep falling in this loop and I'm horrible to you every time? What if I don't let you get out of it? And if we develop a toxic, codependent relationship? What if I actually hurt you!"

Sunset blinked. Again, and again. Tapping her fingers on the couch. Shifting her butt on its furniture.

Fluttershy watched her. Pretty. Patient.

"We should break up." Sunset crossed her arms. Cold as ice.

"You weren't there for me when I needed you. I was hurt, but no support from my girl. Thanks."

"You deserve better. You deserve someone who isn't utterly pathetic. You're wonderful, beautiful… you'll find someone. I bet everyone would want you… there has to be one that'll treat you right."

She wasn't going to cry.

No. Dammit.

She was done. She would stand, sitting straight, facing her girlfriend, speaking her mind, and nothing was going to stop her.

Not tears, not fear, not that burning pain in the corner of her eyes, not those soft lips that…

pecked her…

on the cheek.

Fluttershy's hands, her eyes, her love… she could feel them all… on her.

…

No!

Nononono she did NOT deserve this.

"Sunset, I know you."

Fear, and hope.

"You've done many wrongs, and you've done your best to amend since we started hanging out. Still, you have your demons… a side of you that… I'm afraid of… BUT it's still you! It's part of you… the scars you're working hard to heal from. And I love you. Every side of you… Look at me, please. You have to trust me when I say that you got so far… I- I'm proud of you… I want to stand by your side…"

"B-but what I've done… yesterday, the way I treated you… and today… I was using you, Fluttershy!"

"Yes, I know… and I let you do that, because I was scared! I was scared of arguing, fighting… I was scared of you."

She was a monster. How could she do that to her? It was over. She–

"But I shouldn't have been! Even at your worst… you could never hurt me, Sunset. Behind your loud, abrasive threats… you were still there. I should have trusted you… I should have listened to you. I should have soothed your anger, not run away from it… I shouldn't have settled for your sweet lies, because I just left you suffering…

"Sunset, I'm so sorry… I love you."

Love.

Sunset felt loved. Even better, she was feeling in love with someone. Being able to love… could she learn how?

How to love herself…

Fluttershy somehow had found a way.

She was so… amazing. Pure. And even then…

She shone like a beacon, lighting up the right path.

She was… no, Sunset was just… being ridiculous.

How could she… after everything…

She had to be strong. Unfaltering.

Her legs were too shaky to lift her from the couch. She turned her body away, the sky was already drawn in the dark of the night.

She had to stand for herself.

She always had.

She would be fine. She was strong.

...then why wasn't she able to hide her tears anymore?

"Fluttershy… please hold me tight."

She did.

Gently.

Like a mother's lullaby.

Sleep caught them both unaware.

Author's Note

So, technically it took less than two years... hehe.
Jokes asides, I know this chapter is a bit shorter than usual... but it has no less than the others. I'm just evolving my style, and I like how it's going. I'll release what's left of this story as soon as possible, and I hope you're not disappointed after all this time.
I have plenty of thoughts... opinions about which were good ideas and which not. But that's for when the story is over.
Hope to see you soon.

0 - Journal's recap

Hi future me, or whoever you are, this is Pinkie Pie!
From my present, which is your past (unless you have traveled through time. Oh, come to greet me in that case.), I'll write about what's happened in my past days.
So, Sunset and Fluttershy –or Sunshy, as I call them– are just about to reach their six months anniversary as a couple!
Yay, I’m super duper excited for them!
Wait, should I refer to them as ‘Sunshy’ or ‘Sunshyne’? I mean, they’re obviously as pretty as the sunshine, but how do you pronounce ‘Sunshyne’ making it different from ‘sunshine’?

Oh, I’ll think about it later, let’s move on. I still remember when they started dating, right after the battle of bands. Or was it before? I don’t quite remember. I should probably note that kind of things in a journal or something. Oh, silly me.
Anyway, I have to write about recent events, even if I don’t like it. And I don’t really like what happened yesterday.
All of us (for who doesn’t know, that is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer and myself . Alias, the Rainbooms.) minus Sunset where hanging out and having a lot of fun, everybody was happy and I was happy because nothing makes me happy as seeing everybody smile.

And then it happened.
Something that turned off all the smiles.
We all saw Sunset kissing a boy from the distance.
Except, it wasn’t really her. Of course, it was her counterpart from this world that she still hadn’t met before and whom we had never heard of, but we didn’t know that back then. And Fluttershy took it bad. Like, really bad. And no one wanted to be happy anymore. I wasn’t happy either.

Did I ever mention that one time when the cakes asked to take care of the twins and I was super duper excited for them so I said ‘sure thing’ and they told me that I could bring them home? I immediately introduced them to my sister Maud and she was so excited too, she actually smiled seeing when she saw the little cakes.
Well, she didn’t smile with her mouth, she smiled with her eyes. Maud doesn’t usually smile with her mouth, her lips are more solid than a rock. Maybe it’s because of our mom’s special soup?
Anyway, she was a huge help with Pumpkin and Pound since she was so enthusiastic to keep an eye on them while I was preparing the baby food for the babies and they didn’t move at all while I was away. Really, my sister is so incredible sometimes. What was I writing about?

Oh, right.
Fluttershy was so sad yesterday that we all escorted her back at home, but then she said she wanted to stay alone and so we left but Rainbow Dash and Applejack went to Sunset’s place and had an argument and apparently Rainbow Dash punched Sunset in the face.
Poor girl, she must have been through a lot that evening while she was trying to reach Fluttershy at her home, but Fluttershy wasn’t there because she was strolling through the park but it was a good thing because Fluttershy found the other Sunset and then she understood that that Sunset wasn’t her Sunset so she ran back home end everybody was happy again!
Well, the two of them were. The others and I were still sad and worried until this afternoon when Fluttershy told us what really happened.
I can’t tell how happy I was, even because I'm not telling, I’m writing. Wait, am I? Do you hear me? I mean, I’m writing but I’m also hearing my own voice, am I talking or am I just imaging it? Not even I can tell.
And I’ll better end it now so the story can go on.

4 - Other parties

Sunset spun the key and unlocked the front door with a click. It was getting late, the sun was almost settled down. She should have worried about dinner soon. She pushed the door open and was greeted by a cheerful surprise.

“Surprise!”

Sunset smiled. “Hi, mom.”

Celestia smiled. “Hi, Sunshine.”

Beneath the kitchen stand, Celestia was working on the cookers. She had taken off her jacket, remaining in shirt, and replaced it with a white apron.

“So, what’s the surprise?” Asked Sunset as she was freeing her feet from the sandals.

“I just learned how to cook a new dish.”

Sunset gave her a worried glance. When her mother tried to prepare a new recipe, there were two equally possible outcomes: flawless success, or…

“And I didn’t burn down the kitchen this time.”

Sunset sighed in relief. “What did you do?”

“I exceeded myself tonight.” Celestia kneeled down and pulled out a baking tin from the oven. Then she rose and showed her work with pride. “Behold, the lasagne.”

“Uuuuh.” Sunset inhaled as much air as she could by her nostrils. “This smells good.”

Celestia laid the tin over the silk and removed her apron. “We’ll just have to wait for a little until it cools down.”

Sunset took advantage of the few free minutes to rest comfortably on the couch. She grabbed the TV remote controller and switched between the channels as her mother sat next to her.

“So, how was your day?”

“Interesting, to say the least.” Sunset turned her face towards her mother. “Did you know that there was a Sunset Shimmer attending CHS?”

Celestia smiled at her warmly. “Of course I did.”

Sunset put on a smile. “I met her today, It’s just incredible how similar we are.”

Celestia chuckled. “I hope you had a good time.”

“Yes, we really had a lot of fun. And she seemed to be such a good person under that rebellious outfit.”

Celestia held back another laugh. If her daughter thought that Sunset Shimmer looked rebellious now, she should have seen her back in the old days. Nevertheless, she was glad to hearing so well about her student from a new friend.

“You could have told me that I had a doppelgänger attending your school, by the way,” said Sunset in a playful way.

“Didn’t I? I could have sworn I called once for telling you about it,” said Celestia as her memories went three years back…

*****

Principal Celestia was walking through the halls of the school, looking over the papers that she was carrying. Most of them were in a terrible state. They were ripped and stained till the point to be unreadable. Celestia wondered what could have caused such a damage, then she heard someone calling for her.

“Excuse me. You’re the Principal, right?”

Celestia turned towards the one who had just spoken and winced at the sight.

In front of her was standing a young girl that looked almost exactly as her daughter. She had the same shapes and the same colors of the body parts. She had to be the same age too. The only evident difference was the style: this outfit was way too different from what her Sunset would usually wear, and the hair were kept longer and wilder. Furthermore, Celestia noticed another difference. It was about the way this girl was smiling, Celestia just knew by watching her in the eyes that she wasn’t in front of her daughter. That smiling expression felt… less genuine than the smile she was accustomed to.

Anyhow, the similarity was enough to freeze the principal for a short moment, giving the girl the chance to speak first. “I’m sorry to bother you, Principal.”

Then the teenage girl did something that added more confusion to the situation. She clapped her feet together and bent her waist, looking down at the floor. It almost looked as if she was… bowing?

After another short moment of silence, the girl looked up with one eye opened just to see a bewildered Principal Celestia. At the sight, the girl rose and started to panic. “I–I’m sorry, perhaps did I offended you somehow? That really wasn’t my intention, I just –”

Finally back to a familiar situation, Celestia stopped the babbling. “Please, don’t fret. I’m just a little surprised by your gesture. That was… quite unusual.”

“Oh.” Calming down, the girl blushed and started rubbing her arm. “Gosh, that’s embarrassing. Where I’m from, I’m just used to the bowing thing in front of the Prince– ahem –Principal.”

“Where you’re from? Are you foreign?”

“YES!”

The young girl recognized that her answer had been too loud and lightened her voice.

“Yes. Actually, that’s why I was looking for you. I’m a foreign student that signed for your interchange program, but I was so interested in your country that I came here a little early. However, I’m afraid that due my hastiness I may not be fully in order with your schedules. I was wondering” – the girl joined her hands and looked up to Celestia with pleading puppy eyes – “wouldn’t it be possible for me to attend your school from now?”

Celestia’s shoulders deflated as she let out a sigh. “My little girl, you couldn’t have stepped in a more fitting moment.” Principal Celestia raised the ruined documentation and explained, “This is all the documentation regarding the interchange program of this year.”

The girl gasped and brought her hands close to her mouth. “Oh no, such a mess. How did this happen? Perhaps a raccoon or something?”

“I have no clue,” muttered Celestia. “This morning I entered in my office and I saw that the window was wide open, then I found this all over my desk.” She flicked the papers with her wrist, looking at them with an annoyed expression.

The girl looked up for a moment, then back at the papers. “Yeah, I think it was a raccoon,” said she, in a flat tone.

“Well, it’s hard to think that a raccoon would run here from the Everfree–” Celestia stopped herself and shook her head. It wasn’t time to bore this poor girl with details that didn’t concern her. “But we should focus on you now. Actually, this could be a big problem. You see, this was all the documentation I had relative to the program and I didn’t keep a backup file on my computer. Serves me right, I guess, but the interchange begins the next month and I’m not sure if we’ll be able to recover all the information we need from the other schools in time. This could even mean that we won’t have any interchange this year.”

“That’s just terrible,” said the girl with a horrified voice, keeping her eyes as big and adorable as was possible. “I was very looking forward to learning so much here…”

Celestia’s heart skipped a beat at that display of true longing for education. Also, that face partly resembled her of her daughter when she acted like a pander, which was nothing less than adorable.

Therefore, Principal Celestia smiled reassuringly and said, “I think it would be rude to neglect you of your right for scholarship while you’re here. Feel free to attend our classes, I’ll personally take care of your enrollment here. I’m just going to need some I.D. information from you and then you’ll be just like any other student here.”

“But I don’t have those.”

Principal Celestia looked dumbfounded at the girl, who quickly rephrased. “I mean… I… don’t have those with me. I’ll have to check the personal data on my documents, which I should get soon.” Seeing the query look, the girl hastily added, “From my apartment. Where I left them.” Then she smiled brightly.

Celestia blinked a couple of times before getting over her perplexity. “O–kay, just your name will be enough for now. Oh, how impolite of me, I didn’t ask you what it is yet.”

The girl smiled again before answering. “I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

Celestia opened her eyes wide and looked at Sunset bewildered. “Seriously?”

Sunset got worried for a moment. “Is something the matter?”

Assuming that Sunset’s surprise was honest, Principal Celestia was quick to reassure her. “Oh, not at all. Why don’t you go socialize with the other students? I’m sure they will help you with getting oriented here. Just leave the bureaucratic work to me and I’ll let you know whatever you need for your studies.”

“Thank you, I’m sure I’ll mingle just fine.” Sunset turned around just in time to hide her complacent and twisted smirk.

As the student in front of her walked away, Principal Celestia took her phone and quickly called her daughter.

The answer was almost instantaneous and low pitched. “Mom, is something wrong?”

“Hi, Sunshine. I Just wanted to tell you one curious thing. But why do I hear you so muffled?”

“I’m at school. More precisely, I’m in class right in front of my annoyed teacher who has his palm open demanding for my cell.”

Principal Celestia heard Sunset shutting down the call. “Ops.”

*****

“It must have slipped my mind,” said Celestia, getting up from the sofa.

“That’s just it? She seemed to be rather familiar with you,” asked her daughter perplexedly.

“Did she, now?”

“Her mood changed completely when I mentioned you.”

“Well, she’s one of my students. But we also know each other personally,” admitted Celestia as she was cutting the lasagne.

“And even so, you forgot to tell me about my homonymous twin.”

As a response, Celestia shrugged. “I guess I also stopped to consider it noteworthy after the initial surprise. Or maybe I just realized how much the two of you were actually different when I got to know her better.

“I failed to notice at first, but she did give me bad shivers whenever I saw her at school. Unfortunately, even if recent events proved some of my suspicions rights, I never was able to find out what kind of person she really was until a few months ago.”

Sunset climbed over the couch and sat on her knees, looking at her mother filled with curiosity. “I’m losing you.”

“I’ll just say that she ceased to remind me of you in a very short time. Anyway, I’m happy to know that you became friends. I think she’s a very nice girl as she is now.”

“As she is now?”

“Believe me, it’s better if you hear about it from her.”

Sunset looked up and shook her head, knowing that she wouldn’t have gotten more answers. Even if Sunset was used to it, her mom was very mysterious sometimes.

Sunset switched off the TV and mused over the quiz that was her new friend. “I wonder how she’s doing now…”

Colorful balloons, flying confetti and an entire set of bright smiles flashed right next to Sunset, filling all her sight. She couldn’t help but be dumbfounded at this.

All she wanted was to get inside the apartment, reach her bed and pretend that nothing had happened in the last couple of hours. Instead, she had to deal with this...

“Surprise!” shouted Pinkie Pie, slightly later among her friends. “Happy six months anniversary to you, lovebirdies.”

Sunset was stuck on her feet, and her mind was stuck as well.

Beneath her, Fluttershy held her breath.

This was bad.

Really bad.

It was the worst possible time for this. Sunset was way too upset for confronting her friends.

How was she going to react?

Fluttershy knew she couldn’t understand what Sunset was going through. But if she were into Sunset’s shoes, Fluttershy would have run into her room, shut the door, and never opened it again.

But Fluttershy wasn’t the upset one. Sunset was. And Sunset had a more strong and direct personality, for sure. For a moment, Fluttershy could see her girlfriend completely losing it and venting aggressively on her friends.

Terror invaded Fluttershy’s heart and mind. She couldn’t allow this, she had to do something.

With her heart pounding, Fluttershy slowly approached her hand to Sunset.

“L-love,” said Fluttershy, as she reached the back wrapped in leather jacket, “please, try to –”

Ignoring Fluttershy completely, Sunset clapped her hands and chirped happily. “Girls! You shouldn’t have!”

“Aww, of course we had to, silly,” replied Pinkie Pie. “I was planning this party since your first date! And since I almost canceled it from my schedule during the last weekend, guess who's gonna get extra ca~a~ke.”

Fluttershy had frozen behind her girlfriend, failing to understand. How could Sunset possibly sound so happy?

Finally Sunset turned over, allowing Fluttershy to see her chuckle. “Wow, you sure look super surprised, don’t you?” said she, dragging Fluttershy inside. “Come on, we don’t want to let everybody down.”

Sitting at the kitchen table and eating some cake, Fluttershy was feeling uneasy, but she did her best to look like she was enjoying the party. It wasn’t even that bad, actually.

Firstly, everyone got some cake as they shared short stories about the young couple. All their friends had an anecdote to bring back from the memories, trying their best in order to embarrass them a little.

Then, Rainbow Dash challenged Sunset to play video games, and the latter agreed willingly. Between laughing and pushes on the couch, Sunset managed to win three times in a row. Much to everybody shock, Rainbow Dash didn’t complain once.

But that wasn’t Fluttershy’s concern. The shy girl had remained quiet during all the party as her friends were having fun. Every time that Sunset talked or laughed Fluttershy’s uneasiness grew.

She knew it wasn’t right, and she also noticed that Sunset’s behavior had never been merrier. Somehow, that scared Fluttershy, making her almost wish that Sunset yelled angrily at everything.

But she didn’t want to be a party pooper. Everyone was looking to have so much fun. She just had to stay silent, just a little more, just…

“Hi, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy was so absorbed in her private thoughts that she didn’t notice Pinkie Pie until then. The latter had appeared near, kindly smiling down at her, and was taking a seat.

Fluttershy began to sweat. “Oh, hi, Pinkie.”

Pinkie leaned over the table with her elbows. “So, what’s the matter?”

“Um, nothing wrong. I’m fine.” Fluttershy’s answer had been automatic.

“I know, silly.” Suddenly, Pinkie’s tone shifted from the usual cheery and funny to one more serious and sensitive. “I want to know what’s wrong with Sunset.”

Fluttershy's eyes were wide open and her body started to tremble. They knew that something was off? Sunset’s distress was that obvious? Or Pinkie was the only one to have noticed?

Fluttershy didn’t have to ask in order to know. Keeping her tone low, Pinkie talked, “Nothing makes me happy like seeing my friends smile. But I didn’t feel any happiness since Sunset started to smile. Do I look happy?”

Fluttershy looked carefully at her friend. She didn’t have her usual smile, she looked more sympathetic and worried. Within all their time spent together, Fluttershy couldn’t remember a better smile. It felt so liberating, and warm. It made her feel like she could free herself of an iceberg that was pressing on her shoulder.

Fluttershy frowned and lowered her gaze. What was she thinking? That they could ignore the problem? That maybe Sunset could get over it? Or that they could simply postpone it? Clearly, Sunset was suffering for every second, she was just good at pretending otherwise. Fluttershy’s eyes went moist.

She couldn’t play doll and pretend that everything was fine.

Fluttershy took a long breath. “We –”

“Hey.” Sunset suddenly appeared between Pinkie and Fluttershy. She was still smiling, her eyes were darting from one girl to the other. “We’re choosing the movie for the night. Why don’t you mingle with us on the couch?”

The smile on Sunset looked unnatural to Fluttershy, she didn’t feel the usual tingling inside her heart that spurred from seeing her girlfriend’s happiness. She only felt scared. “Um, no thanks.”

Sunset’s hand quickly clenched over Fluttershy’s. “Well, at least you come with me. You’re my girlfriend, after all.” After saying so, Sunset started to pull Fluttershy forcibly.

Seeing the smiling and yet unsettling face of her girlfriend, Fluttershy felt her guts roll over. She used her weight to remain sitting on her chair, knowing that she had to be strong. Not for herself, but for the girl she loved. “S- Sunset. We have to talk.”

Fluttershy felt Sunset’s grasp getting tighter around her hand. She gave a quick glance to the other girls in the living room, they were all too busy talking to even acknowledge them.

“Can it wait?” said Sunset. “We’re in the middle of a party and –”

“The party is over.”

Both the girls turned, looking in dismay at Pinkie Pie. Neither of them would have ever expected to hear something like that from her. Yet, there she was. Sitting with a severe expression and using a hard voice. “Now talk.”

While they were still surprised, Fluttershy freed her hand and looked directly at Sunset, who returned the eye contact. They used that moment of silence between them to prepare for what was coming next.

“Sunset, I know you’re scared –”

Sunset crossed her arms. “I’m what?”

“You’re right, I have no idea about what are your feelings right now, but that’s why we have to talk about it!”

“We have nothing to talk about,” said Sunset, narrowing her eyes.

“Stop denying that,” said Fluttershy, pushed by her frustration, “you’re clearly upset.”

“I’m just annoyed, all I wanted was a little fun with my friends.”

The level of their voices raising up gathered the attention of all the other girls in the living room, who turned towards them with curious glimpses.

Fluttershy’s voice raised to a shrill scream. “But you can’t just ignore –”

“Why do you even care?!” Sunset threw her arms up. “It's my business!”

“Sunset, you have to talk about your mo–”

Sunset hit the table and shouted with all her strength. “FLUTTERSHY! DON’T!”

…

The apartment went completely silent. Nobody dared to make a sound or move a flinch. Everybody was just staring in awe at Sunset. No one would have expected such an outburst. Not even Sunset herself.

She didn’t even notice that her teeth were clenched her eyes were narrowed. She just kept glaring at Fluttershy as every breath calmed her down.

Finally, after a long moment, Fluttershy spoke with a febrile voice. “O- ok.”

Sunset’s hard face started to crack.

“Sorry, d- don’t be mad.” Fluttershy whimpered. “Ok, s- sorry I…”

…

Rainbow Dash was restraining an absurd quantity of rage. She had remained on the couch while Sunset and Fluttershy were talking, but as Fluttershy started to beg there was no way Rainbow Dash would have remained sitting and watching. She stood on her feet and walked half the way towards Sunset, across the living room. Rainbow Dash would have reached that bully and then…

‘Then what? Punch her again?’

The thought of that was enough to make her hesitate. She looked at Fluttershy once more, and she understood that she couldn’t do that to her again. She stopped, listening to her friend’s whimpers.

“… Please, Sunset…”

Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip and looked down. She just couldn’t move forward.

But someone else did.

…

Sunset’s expression morphed from anger to confusion.

She didn't understand. Why Fluttershy looked so scared? What was going on? What just happened? And why was she herself imposing so aggressively on her girlfriend?

Just as she realized what she was doing, Sunset jumped back with a wince.

She didn’t want this. She would never drive Fluttershy to tears.

Not again.

“Fluttershy, I...”

Her words died in her throat as Applejack came between the two girls. Sunset felt a shiver running through her spine as two strong hands grasped the collar of her jacket from ahead, forcing her to look at the angriest face she had ever seen.

“What the heck are you doing?!” muttered Applejack between her teeth.

“I…” Sunset explored all the corners of her brain as fast as possible in order to find a good answer. That only confused her even more, draining her eyes until they were empty. “I…”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “You don’t yell at Fluttershy like that!”

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie left their chairs and approached from both sides, putting their hand on the backs of Applejack and Sunset as they tried to calm them down.

“Applejack!”

“Jackie, wait! Sunset is upset.”

Applejack firmly kept the eye contact. “That makes two of us.”

“No, I mean that something has happened to Sunset this evening. I don’t know what, but she’s a little nut now because of it.” Pinkie’s left hand slowly went over Sunset’s body and landed on Applejack’s shoulder. After she gained some attention, Pinkie talked with more calm. “Please, let her go.”

Applejack gave another deep stare into Sunset’s eyes, then she closed hers and released her grip, stepping aside. “Reckon the two of you have something to sort out.”

Rainbow Dash followed Applejack with her eyes, as the latter spaced herself out from the couple. That attitude was something that Rainbow Dash would have never expected from her calm and affable friend.

Sunset looked at Fluttershy and felt her heart falling through her guts. She reached her and grabbed her hand as the words came out hastily. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry you’re right. We have to talk about this. We’ll talk about this, I promise. Just not now. Ok? We were just having a party and…”

“The party is over,” repeated Pinkie. She wasn’t angry, or judgmental in her voice. She just sounded a little sad, but she smiled nevertheless. “We’re on the second floor. If we ignore the elephant in the room, it’s going to be all messy. Besides, I think we need to go now.”

At Pinkie’s invitation, all the guests approached the front door, giving a final glance to Sunset and Fluttershy. Their looks mirrored confusion, worry, and a tip of disappointment. However, Rarity and Rainbow Dash went out without saying a word.

Applejack, instead, turned herself towards Fluttershy before leaving. “Ah’ll wait for you downstairs, in my pickup. It’s gettin’ late and you’ll need a ride to home.”

As Applejack crossed the threshold in the room remained only Fluttershy, Sunset, and Pinkie. The latter just stood there until the couple looked at her curiously.

“Well, I have to clean up everything,” said Pinkie to justify herself.

Sunset and Fluttershy spoke simultaneously and in a flat tone, ““Pinkie…””

Pinkie Pie gazed upwards, clearly annoyed, and went outside as well as the others. “Fiiine.”

The door was closed, leaving Sunset and Fluttershy the only persons in the room. There was a silence that stung in the air for a while as the two girls each took a seat at the table.

They let a few minutes pass by.

Finally, Sunset spoke, “It can’t be her, Fluttershy. Celestia can’t be my…” Sunset paused. “I’m not even sure she is able to breed. She’s almost considered a divinity in Equestria.”

Fluttershy knew what Sunset was doing. She was desperately fumbling around, looking for a hold of hope. And Fluttershy also knew she had to cut it straight. “But she’s still a pony.”

“Fine. But even if she is able to, she’s never been married. At least, not during the last millennia.”

“As much as I’d like it to be otherwise, you don’t need to be married in order to –”

“We’re talking about Princess Celestia, the living example of justice, kindness, purity, and wisdom. Do you really think that somepony like her would just get… y’know?”

Fluttershy just kept looking at her girlfriend.

“And even if she got herself carrying a child, and that’s a big if, why in her name would she ever...” The words got stuck in her throat.

How could it be otherwise, after it got so tight of all sudden?

“I mean, how could she...” Nope, her throat was just too tight. So tight that it was starting to hurt. “She…” Her eyes got moist for the pain.

Feeling her girlfriend’s distress, Fluttershy stood up to reach her, to hug her and comfort her any way she could. But she stopped when Sunset raised her palm open in front of her.

Sunset wasn’t even looking at her. She didn’t want to look at Fluttershy in that moment. She just took a long sniff from her nose, raising up her head and closing her eyes to wipe away the moistness. Then, she remained motionless for a short while.

Sunset kept her hand between Fluttershy and her for all the time she remained silent and with her eyes closed. After she was sure she had calmed down, Sunset talked, “You should go now.”

Fluttershy looked at her toes and crossed her finger in front of her skirt. “I could stay…”

“Applejack is waiting for you,” said Sunset with a tone that didn’t admit replies.

Fluttershy nodded, then she slowly went to the front door. Before putting her hand on the handle she turned and said one last important thing, “I love you.”

Sunset barely grunted in response as Fluttershy left her alone.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had got on the pickup in the parking lot, just in front of the residential complex. Applejack was waiting on the driver seat, occasionally darting concerned look to Sunset’s apartment, while Rainbow Dash was just passing the time tapping her fingers on the passenger seat. Side by side, both the girls were wearing deep frowns.

Knowing that Rainbow Dash would have exploded for the impatience if the silence persisted, Applejack thought about something to say. “You don’t have to stay here, ya know? Ah’ll be enough.”

Rainbow Dash replied with a harsh tone. “No way. Fluttershy is there, and who knows what they’re going through right now.”

Applejack didn’t reply. Both of them were sharing that query, but it still wasn’t their time to investigate yet. They knew it was something that regarded Fluttershy and Sunset only.

So they just spent their time thinking about the last months, about how their friendship had changed and how it blossomed in love for Fluttershy.

And by thinking about what happened at the party, Rainbow Dash felt sick. “Why did she have to act like that, just now?”

Turning to her left, Rainbow Dash saw that Applejack was looking at her wryly.

“What?”

“…Just now?” asked a harsh Applejack.

“Uh, yeah?”

Applejack scoffed. “Yes, right. ‘Cause Ah reckon that’s the problem here, not the fact that she was yelling at Fluttershy.”

“What?”

“No, what bothers you is that it happened ‘just now’.”

Rainbow Dash jumped on her seat. “I didn’t say that.”

Applejack turned to face Rainbow directly, using a tone of defiant. “Then why didn’t you defend Fluttershy?”

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes wide, defenseless. She couldn’t help but wait for Applejack to go further.

“Any other time, the Rainbow Dash Ah know would have stormed rightly between them the same moment Sunset raised her voice, but ‘just now’ you kept watching in silence.”

“Geez, what’s your problem?”

“Your problem is that you’re a selfish spineless chicken sometimes.”

Rainbow Dash was taken aback by that. She felt her anger rise from the inside for the insult. She narrowed her eyes and talked slowly. “Take it back.”

“Ah’ll do that after you give a proper apologize to Sunset.”

That surprised Rainbow Dash again, allowing her confusion to overwhelm her anger. “Wait, this is what we’re talking about?”

“Yes, missy. We’re talking about your guilt feelings here.” Applejack raised her eyebrow. “Did ya really think that losin’ a couple of matches at ‘Super Derby Cart’ would have made things even between the two of you?”

Sweat covered Rainbow Dash’s forehead. “We’re fine,” said she. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“Ya sure? It seemed to me like you were desperately trying to make up for something.”

“I have nothing to make up for.”

Applejack crossed her arms and looked up in thought. “Well, let’s see. Ya have ignored Fluttershy demand to not talk with Sunset before her, ya assaulted her verbally and physically, ya didn’t even spit the root of an apology, and, oh, ya also doubted her until the very end.” Applejack looked back at Rainbow Dash, who had turned tinier at every word. “Yup, sugarcube, we all noticed your attitude of today. And you can bet that Sunset was very hurt by it.”

Rainbow Dash maintained the eye contact for a few more seconds, then she lowered her eyes to her knees. “She understood that I’m sorry…”

“Sugarcube, understanding it and hearing from you that you’re sorry are two completely different things! She wants to forgive ya, but it’s a heck lot more difficult for her if you don’t swallow that massive pride of yours and admit that you made a mistake.”

Rainbow Dash did nothing for a long moment, as she pondered on every word she just heard. Then she hit the dashboard, put her feet on it and hid her head between her knees. She also enveloped her head with her arms.

When she calmed down, Rainbow Dash spun her head up fast towards Applejack. “What about you?”

“Whadda ya mean?”

“I mean…”

Rainbow Dash stopped herself when she noticed the figure of a girl climbing down the stairs and approaching the pickup. Both she and Applejack remained silent as Fluttershy took a seat behind them.

“Hey, how are you, Shy?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I’m fine.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack exchanged a worried look. That didn’t sound like the tone of somebody who was fine.

As Applejack started with the pickup, Rainbow Dash made another attempt. “What happened in there?”

Fluttershy tried to finish the conversation before it could start. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Within the shadows of the night, the trip was fast, short, and quiet. Neither Dash nor AJ wanted to push Fluttershy into confiding. But when they reached Fluttershy’s home, Applejack turned over her seat.

“There’s something ya have to tell us, sugarcube.” She paused, in order to make sure that she had all Fluttershy attention, and because she didn’t really want to say what was next. “Has… has it already happened before? Did she ever shout at you or…?”

“No!” Fluttershy launched herself forward. “No, she would never hurt me or yell at me. Not my Sunny. Really, she’s just… very distressed right now, but she’s the best girlfriend I could ever dream of.”

Applejack took Fluttershy’s hand and smiled reassuringly. “Ah just had to be sure, sugarcube.”

Fluttershy hesitated, then she smiled back at her friend and opened the pickup door. As she got off and nearer the house, Applejack gave a sad sigh.

After that, she remembered about her passenger. Rainbow Dash was just there, looking at her oddly. “Well, Ah suppose it’s time to take you home too.”

Applejack started the engine once again and went back on the street.

“What about you?”

Applejack ignored her.

“I mean, you’ve been acting so weird lately. You don’t normally let your emotions get to you, but you lost it in there. I saw your hands trembling when you let go Sunset. And even if I understand why you were so angry, you're usually more composed than that.”

Applejack kept her silence.

“And that wasn’t the only time.” Rainbow Dash took her chin inside her hand. “Come to think about it, even those past few days you were quite emotional. Heck, to be honest, I can remember a couple of times when we were all together and I thought something was off. Like when Fluttershy and Sunset told us they were dating.”

Applejack winced. “I was surprised.”

“I know, that's the only thing that you said that day.”

Looking back at Applejack, Rainbow Dash noticed that her body was shaking. She allowed her friend to park the car in silence before pushing further.

“Say, is something eating you?”

Applejack glanced briefly at her. Then she started biting off her nails.

“Come on, you always tell me the truth.”

Finally, Applejack let herself to bursting out. “Even Ah know that sometimes it's better if you just keep the truth for yourself.”

Rainbow Dash was speechless. She couldn't believe that her friend had just said that. “What?! No way.”

“Yes way!” Applejack raised her voice. “Sometimes, the truth is just unsettling and it would only be bad to spit it out. It would only make your friends sad and it would be only your fault for spoiling everything. So you should just keep it for yourself and cope with it because…”

Catching her breath, Applejack bit her lower lip and looked out of the window. “…it’s not important.”

Mouth agape, Rainbow Dash looked with true sorrow at her friend while she was trying to understand what she was hiding. Only now it was clear that she had been holding a secret for a while. Something that caused her to suffer, something that she was ashamed of. Something that she wasn’t able to control. And it had to do with one of their friends.

“Applejack,” whispered Rainbow Dash, an idea stuck in her mind like an ice shred, “do you… ?”

Applejack covered her face with her hat. “We’re at your place. I suggest you go to sleep.”

With her eyes closed, Applejack waited to hear the sound of a shutting door. Instead, after a long moment, she felt the strong grasp of an arm around her shoulders as a cheering and lively voice pierced her eardrum.

“Are you kidding? The night is young, and so are we! Come on, let’s get to a real party! You and me, girls night, on me!”

“Dash…”

“Don’t ditch me, sis! I dare you, no, I double dare you to bask in my awesomeness for a crazy night!”

Getting her hat back on place, Applejack gave a bemused look to her annoyingly awesome friend. Since her confident grin didn’t falter, Applejack sighed and restarted the engine.

She had come for a party, after all.

Sunset was still sitting at the table in the living room. She hadn’t moved since Fluttershy had gone away. At most, she just shifted her position on the chair a couple of times. Besides that, she had remained sitting, thinking as her gaze got lost in the room. Everything looked dull and gray to her.

Finally, her body remembered her how tired she was and Sunset went to her room. She turned off the lights during the short trip.

Sunset started her bedtime routine and, in a short time, she laid herself on the bed wearing her usual purple pajama.

She couldn’t sleep.

She wanted to, she was feeling tired and it was pretty late, but her mind kept on bugging her about one thought. Sunset kept her head on the pillow for half an hour before she decided to just solve the issue.

Sunset rose up from her bed and went to the desk. She turned the desk lamp on and grabbed her backpack. Opening it, she found the journal. That magical journal that was her only link for Equestria. That diary that would have allowed her to instantly write to the owner of the twin book.

The other copy of the book belonged once to Celestia, but it had been passed to Twilight several months ago and now Sunset and Twilight wrote to each other almost on a daily basis.

Sunset had used the diary just the day before, writing about the recent misadventure of Fluttershy with her twin and their appointment with the latter for the next day. Twilight had replied with great interest, supporting Sunset first and then asking to be informed about the matter.

Now, Sunset fiddled with the pen as she was thinking about what to write. It didn’t take her long despite the sleepiness.

Dear Twilight...