Sunset Shimmer: Student of Magick

Sweetie Belle said nothing more during the ride. Her initial happiness had become cloudy, as though she was fighting it. Sunset was a little concerned to see it, but she understood; given the emotional trauma, her friend was likely doubting her rescue.

Sweetie Belle still seemed lost in thought, so as Sunset parked, she said, "We're home."

"That sounds nice for once," the girl replied. She offered a tiny smile as she opened her door.

Sunset carried the suitcase up to her bedroom. Pearl and Midnight were waiting for them. The elder Mage took the lead in welcoming Sweetie Belle.

"I don't know how I can ever really thank you. I was sure it was all over, and then you came and helped me."

"Because we all care about you," Midnight said with a hug.

"Ah figure yer probably a mite worn out. Sunset can help ya get some rest, 'n Ah'll be able ta heal up yer bruises while ya sleep. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I do feel like I need some sleep. This whole day has been so...." She cut off with a sniffle, only completing her thought with a "Thank you."

"You mind if I help?" Sunset asked.

Sweetie Belle gave the briefest of nods, then slumped down on Sunset's bedsheets, closing her eyes.

With that, Sunset reached into her friend's spark with her magick. It immediately became clear to her that while the girl had put up a brave front, she was terribly shaken, like a shivering foal in a snowstorm.

Within seconds, Sweetie Belle was sound asleep. Pearl hovered nearby the whole time, reaching out with the Life arcana to heal the bruises she had suffered.

Once they were certain she was settled, Pearl and Sunset retreated to the living room where Midnight waited for them. They took seats facing each other.

"What do I do now?" Sunset asked. "I said her parents would be giving me legal guardianship."

"Did ya suggest that when ya talked ta them? Did they agree?"

"Yes, but I'm not skilled like you guys are. I don't know how long it'll last. They might show up with the police and say I kidnapped her."

Pearl shook her head. "Ah'm not an expert on the Mind Arcanum, but Ah do know suggestions fer somethin' big like that only work if'n the folk in question want it. It's a little morbid, but think of gettin' somebody ta kill himself: He'll only do it if'n he already has them feelin's.

"Besides, Ah felt some of the magick ya used. They agreed, 'n they won't change their minds. What'd they say?"

Sunset gave a summary of the magick-infused conversation that had led to the pregnant teen slumbering in her room. Pearl and Midnight's expressions darkened.

"She's a sweet girl. T'ain't right, treatin' yer own flesh 'n blood like that, especially when they don't deserve it. Ah wish this were rare, but Ah've seen too many families behave just like this."

"My own family didn't want me," Sunset admitted. She did not go into detail, but she saw the sympathy in Midnight's eyes.

"We make our own families, haystack. If'n yer birth family ain't included, that's their own fault. Puttin' a baby up fer adoption when ya cain't give her a good home's one thing, kickin' yer kin ta the curb when they ain't malicious is somethin' else.

"Ah'm gonna take Midnight back home, get us outta yer hair. Call me if'n there's any problems. Don't be afraid ta cry wolf; Ah'd rather come fer a false alarm than let anythin' happen."

"I will. Thank you both."

When she was alone, Sunset attempted to use her magick to check on Sweetie Belle's emotional state. She could not get it to work, the flat walls remaining in her vision. Her Mana reserves were empty, which did not surprise her with how much she had thrown into her suggestions.

That Midnight had been able to do so much in so short a time was amazing. The girl was a small powerhouse, her magickal maturity more than opposite her physical maturity. Sunset was curious how Awakened became more powerful, though she had not asked for fear that reaching for greater power would drive her back into the demon's embrace.

Still, it was worthwhile to know. If it came naturally over time, so much the better. If it required study and using magick, she would ask Pearl and the others how to control her development so that she would not lose herself as she had before leaving Equestria.

Despite having been awake only a few hours, Sunset felt exhausted. It was hard to believe the Congressus Peculiaris had been only the previous night. As much as she wanted a nap, Sunset chose to examine her own emotions. It was something that was inherent to her magick and did not require additional power.

'Why don't I feel more upset about this? Rarity and her parents completely betrayed everything I thought they were. I just lost one of my best friends.'

'You know damn well why you aren't sobbing on the floor. Come on, Shimmy, admit it. Come and join me. I've got a nice, dark little space where we can talk about what to do about this.'

'That's not happening.'

'Spoilsport.'

Sunset allowed herself to sleep. She dreamt of her demon form torturing Sweetie Belle's family, who had been strapped to tables in Sunset's living room. They screamed and begged for mercy, each plea met with ever-more-brutal punishments. She woke as Sweetie Belle entered the blood-soaked living room holding a baby in one arm and a tray of knives on the other.

It was night when she woke, a little after eleven. Sunset was surprised she had slept so long. Despite having been in the recliner, she did not feel as stiff as she had expected. She pushed herself to her feet, stretching and yawning, only noticing that someone had covered her with a blanket when it rustled to the floor. So long as she pushed herself the next day, she could get back into a normal sleeping pattern.

The sound of the bathroom door opening drew her attention. Sweetie Belle joined her in the living room, the girl looking much better than she had, both physically and emotionally. Both went into the kitchen, where Sunset poured them each a simple bowl of cereal.

"Are you okay with talking about a few things?" Sunset asked between spoons of sugary crunchies.

"Yeah. I figure I need to tell Button Mash, right?"

"That was one of them. What do you want to do about school?"

Sweetie Belle cringed. "I want to go ... but I also don't. I like being with my friends, but I'd definitely see Rarity all the time. What if people start saying things about me because of the baby? It's so complicated."

"Well, we do have a couple options. I know there are programmes to study from home or schools for people with special circumstances. Or you could try to transfer to Crystal Prep with how your grades have improved."

That last one earned a grimace, though Sweetie Belle poked her tongue Sunset's direction with a smile once she realised the older teen was making a joke. That she could respond well to it proved that she was feeling better.

"That's plan 'G.' I brought my laptop; do you wanna look at the other things you mentioned?"

"Sounds good."

While Sweetie Belle fetched her computer, Sunset sent a message to the Herald requesting a meeting with the Hierarch at his earliest convenience. Solstice Cherry replied before Sweetie Belle returned, confirming an appointment the next day at thirteen o'clock. Her head was still a little foggy, and Sunset had to stare at it for moment before she remembered that official communications used twenty-four hour time to avoid confusion. The Awakened kept all hours as many of their members were nocturnal. For some, a full night of activity - such as socialisation, study, or work - like the Congressus Peculiaris was normal.

The teens spent a couple hours researching options for Sweetie Belle's ongoing education. They were disappointed to find that their city did not have schools for teens in special circumstances, the closest being nearly two hours distant. They could arrange for Sweetie Belle to finish school at home, using the Internet, but they decided to keep that as a fallback plan. They both felt socialisation was important, and they knew spending all day, every day together would hurt their relationship.

She would have to return to CHS, which was not a terrible option excepting that Rarity was still attending. Sweetie Belle decided to make the attempt to endure, as less than two months remained before she would be a Sophomore and the older group would all graduate.

They also researched insurance and found that the state would likely provide the coverage needed for a teenage mother not living with her family. Sunset made a mental note to add that to her talking points when she met with the Hierarch. As soon as she had the guardianship papers and insurance in hand, they would need to arrange for a doctor. Sunset could afford an initial checkup, but her resources would be stretched if she had to do more than that.

In lieu of visiting a doctor, they ended their study session by looking for health tips and what to expect. Pearl's estimate had been four months, but neither was certain how accurate she was. Sweetie Belle was no assistance, as she was uncertain when it had happened. While she and Button had not been together very many times, her flightiness meant that she could not remember when they had or when she had her last period.

Sunset was frustrated, but she worked not to show it. Given all the other recent events, she was determined not to add to a pregnant girl's stress. Instead, they looked at the information around the sixteen-week period, checking multiple sources and cross-referencing both matching and differing information.

One common topic mentioned was that Sweetie Belle should have gained at least some weight. The girl had not; were it not for their trust in Pearl, and that Sweetie Belle could confirm that she had not been menstruating for some time, there would have been no sign of the baby.

"Do you think I'm sick? What if there's something wrong with the baby?"

Sunset tried to use her magick to soothe her friend. It still would not work; she had not taken sufficient rest to regain any, so she would have to absorb Mana as soon as possible.

She settled for hugging Sweetie Belle. "Pearl checked you when we were coming here and she said you were both fine. All the sites said that everyone will have different experiences and times for things to happen."

"Okay. I hope I can see a doctor soon."

They decided to end their research for the time being, only then noticing that the sun was peeking into the sky. They stepped into the yard and sat on the hood of Sunset's car to watch it, enjoying the beautiful pinks, reds, and oranges painting the horizon. There were a few wispy clouds straying across the sky, the ones nearest the dawn catching and refracting the colours to give gentle variations of hues.

Pearl found them there as she was going to meet her workers to start the day.

"Mornin', girls. Sparky, Cherry called 'n said ya set up a meetin' with the Hierarch fer today. Ya mind if Ah ask what yer plannin' ta talk about?"

"I'm hoping the Consilium can help get the guardianship forms through. I'm an adult, but only just barely, and I don't think a court would normally sign off on that."

"Oh, that'll be nothin'. We got a few Awakened in the legal system. They'll take care of it."

Sweetie Belle sat up. "You guys can mess with the courts?"

"Not a lot, but sometimes things happen that we need ta cover up. Some Mages use their magick fer bad, 'n then cover it up so's the regular police cain't solve it. When yer part of a different world, sometimes ya gotta take care of yer own criminals. 'Sides, we might be corruptin' the law sometimes, but ya'd rather be here than in a runaway shelter, wouldn't ya?"

"Yeah. It makes sense, I just didn't think about it."

"Well, Ah'll be on mah way. Sparky, lessons are on hold fer a few days while y'all get things squared away. Yer welcome inta the library fer a little self-study when ya got the time."

Pearl left them, whistling a folk song that Sunset recognised, though she did not know the lyrics. Sweetie Belle apparently did - or else was inventing her own - and began singing quietly while tapping the time on the car's hood.

They remained where they were until the sun breached the horizon and it became painful to watch any further.