Twinkling, Shimmering, & Glimmering

Chapters

Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 1: Happy New Year! Part II
Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 2: Painful Reminders and Floats.
Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 1: Happy New Year! Part I

Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 1: Happy New Year! Part II

“Okay, so when I volunteered to help Shy out at the Animal Shelter after my…err…’downfall’, I started out with an apology but she wouldn’t even look at me,” Sunset began (after being extensively pried by Pinkie ever since she bolted inside the room) as she sat on the carpeted floor with all of her friends’ attention, sans Fluttershy who was leaning against the red head and hiding her blushing face. “It was awkward. I didn’t know what to do so I busied myself with cleaning out the cat cages, talking to the animals, and simply lost in thought about the past few days after the fall formal.”

Rainbow and Pinkie sat across the speaking girl, enraptured with every word as their plate of dessert went ignored. Applejack listened from her perch on Sunset’s bed while discretely glancing at the resident fashion queen’s laser focused stare on the newly announced couple. The farmer mused that Rarity might wear a hole on the two’s heads if she kept that up. AJ let out a small smile at the thought before letting it fall as her eyes landed at an unoccupied part on the carpeted floor. Twilight’s plate remained untouched since Rarity entered and while the fashionista answered Sunset’s question of Twilight’s whereabouts with a short response of the classic ‘not feeling well’, only two out of the six members accepted the explanation.

“Then I guess I didn’t realize yet but I started singing the ‘Helping Twilight Win the Crown’ song of all things!” Sunset exclaimed as she recalled that day, remembering the moment clearly with a slight groan. Rainbow snickered at that, having a hard time imagining the once proud bully of Canterlot High School singing about the Magic of Friendship in a cutesy area filled with animals. Pinkie Pie rolled on the floor, seeming to have shared the same thoughts as the element of Loyalty.

“You, miss badass leather-wearing Alpha bitch of CHS, singing your heart out to a bunch of animals? HAHAHAHAHA,” Rainbow managed to let out before laughter took hold of her again as she pounded a fist against the carpet. A blur of pink rolled around the floor as well, giggling harder than ever at the use of a bad word.

Applejack chuckled before noticing Rarity’s shocked expression. Feeling puckish herself, Applejack opened her mouth and said in a familiar and eerily spot-on voice of a certain social media star they recently encountered, “Now now, I told you to not use the B-word.”

Silence permitted the room.

Until Rarity let out a loud snort, causing the others to begin laughing once more and filling the room with joy and their own happiness. Sunset held a hand against her head as she leaned back against the side of her bed, her own sides slowly starting to hurt. Fluttershy giggled beside her, leaning her face against the former pony’s shoulder.

Pinkie and Rainbow both began to groan and utter weak, “My sides!” before more laughter escaped them, followed by another series of, “OW! HAHAHAHA STOP! HAHAHAHA, I CAN’T- OW!”

Out of breath, red in the face, yet happier than ever, Fluttershy wiped a tear away as she glanced at her friends and their smiling faces. The animal lover snuggled against the older girl at the warm feelings she’s experiencing, not having laughed this much ever since she could remember. An orange arm draped around her, bringing more warmth to the shy girl and she vowed, here and now, to never give this up for anything. Another quote from the motivational videos suddenly came to mind, “If you really don’t want to lose her, Eliminate any saboteur.”

“Did you say something, Shy?” Pinkie’s voice brought the element of Kindness back to the present, seeing all eyes on her. Nervously, she squeezed at the arm draped around her as she replied with a soft, “Just…enjoying the company of my friends.” Rainbow grinned at that, “Yeah, it’s been so long since we can finally relax!” She followed this statement off with laying back down, arms folded behind her head.

Applejack nodded, “I’ve reckon. Too much magic been going about here and there if ya ask me.” She began ticking a list with her fingers, “First the Fall Formal,” she paired this off with a grin at the one present who turned into a she-demon, continuing as she ignored the eye roll directed at her, “Then the battle of the bands…”

“Friendship games…” Rarity added as she gave a worried glance at the empty seat on the floor.

“…Camp Everfree…” said Sunset, following Rarity’s sight with a light crease on her brow.

“…then the Daring Do movie premiere…” Fluttershy added as she took Sunset’s attention away with a loving peck on the nose.

“…don’t forget that mess with the Memory Stone…”Rainbow supplied from her position on the floor.

“Then the one with Vignette Valencia!” Pinkie Pie finished with a smile as she jumped up and cartwheeled around the room as she began speaking rapidly,“ThenwewillhavetosolveanewproblemwherewehavetogoonacruiseandfindawaytostopastormandthenRainbow,Sunset,andTwilightfoundthemselvesenteringaportalthatturnedthemintoponiesandTwilightpanickedanditfeelslikeRainbow’sthirdwheelingonSunsetandTwilightbutthenwhoknowswhatwillhappen-

Pinkie took a huge lungful of air before grinning happily at the gaping expressions of the Rainbooms. “Uh, come again?” Applejack asked with confusion clear in her tone. The party planner shrugged, “Wait till next year.”

All unanimously voting that Pinkie’s just being Pinkie, Rarity stood up as she idly picked up her plate to set it on Sunset’s study table. While rubbing a finger under the leopard gecko’s chin inside the tank he was in she looked back towards the new couple, “Darlings, you didn’t actually get to finish your tale. How and when did you two start becoming an item?”

The question simple enough to anyone, four teenagers knew the agenda laced within the inquiry.

Sunset scratched at her cheek as she glanced up, “Huh, yeah. Seems like we’ve lost track of the conversation,” she laughed before turning to the purple haired girl, “Long story short, Fluttershy heard me singing and I guess that made her start seeing ‘Sunset Shimmer’ and not just ‘the mean girl who made the shy girl cry all the time.’”

Fluttershy continued with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips, “I knew at that moment that Sunset really changed. The old meanie that I used to know wouldn’t let her guard down in her new environment, let alone sing where someone can easily hear her beautiful voice.” With Sunset rubbing the back of her head at the compliment, Rarity pursed her lips as she processed their tale. The fiery haired girl added, “After that and more visits at the animal shelter, I think we started being attracted to each other by the end of the Friendship Games,” here she blushed further at a certain memory. Rainbow snickered once she caught the other’s expression.

“We started going out, I guess, after the day we waited in line for that videogame I wanted.”

Fluttershy nodded beside her as her cheeks lit up with a memory of that fateful day. It still brought a tingling sensation in her as she recalled how Sunset looked, blushing adorably as the pony-turned-human sputtered how she wanted to invite Fluttershy over to her apartment while fumbling about it not being a date until she blurted out how she wanted it to be one.

“So over videogames, you two decided to start dating?” AJ asked the blushing girl, scratching her head.

“It…um…sounded more romantic when we experienced it.”

Pinkie Pie exchanged glances with Rainbow Dash, seeming to communicate the exact same thoughts. Sunset was half tempted to use her geode on them because the looks they were making slowly unnerved her but a glance across her room changed her mind.

The red head fiddled with her pedant, suddenly more anxious on another matter than the idea of two of her friends up to something. She honestly liked to beat herself up now, realizing too late how amidst all the laughter and the reminiscing she forgot about the one person that she shared the same bond over being ‘Demon buddies,’ as Pinkie put it. The connection she and Twilight shared over that experience brought her restless nights due to the thoughts and the continuous ‘weird feelings’ she had been feeling lately but after a quick advice from Princess Twilight, the true expert of all things friendship, interpreting her state of unrest concluded that Sunset may have felt a kinship with the young scientist.

It was common for that to happen as the pony princess told her about Starlight Glimmer’s connection with the pony Trixie (Sunset chose to ignore the underlying contempt laced within her friend’s tone at the mention of the stage magician) and became closer friends.

To simply put, it was safe to say that Sunset managed to find peace at having an answer to this weird bout of feelings. She honestly didn’t mind having a best friend. The closest thing to one she could recall was an affectionate little phoenix she hatched but even at that time, she could not decide if what she felt was true camaraderie or just something she can boast to her fellow unicorns about. Either way, she knew she could not let this new discovery go.

With that in mind, Sunset made a move to stand up and simply check on Twilight’s state and offer anything to ease the girl’s uneasiness but the sudden opening of the door halted her.

“Yay! Twilight made it!” Pinkie exclaimed as she went over to scoop the new arrival with a bone-crushing hug.

The girl being squeezed wheezed out a hello before patting Pinkie as a sign to let go. Once released and given time to gather her bearings, she adjusted her glasses while looking like she’s fighting back a grimace, “Hey girls, I was sent by Luna to tell you that the fireworks will be starting soon.” She added with a hesitant, “I think.”

The vice principal in question popped her head by the doorway after the young girl’s statement, looking a bit red in the face and oddly slaying the headgear that Sunset noted as the lamp shade from the living room. The adult let out a toothy grin and an erratic wave as she bellowed, “Come children of the night! Let us partake in the joys of staring at explosions of beauty painting the dead sky!”

As the odd choice of words has been said, she disappeared to answer the raucous calls of “Nightmare moon finally returned!” from downstairs.

The teenagers all blinked simultaneously.

“I…think that’s the cue that we should head downstairs now,” Sunset started again while she slowly recovered from seeing her aunt in such a state. All agreeing, they got up and headed down to where more raucous cheering and incoherent babbling could be heard.

With the fiery haired unceremoniously voted as the ring leader, she was the first to step down stairs as she braced herself for what she would find the state of the ‘adults’ in. She tried not to wince as she spotted the disarray that was formerly known as their living room.

As Sunset came into view, a tall spindly woman with exotic features paused in her untoward flirting with the younger girl’s mother and a spine-chilling grin settled in place as she sashayed towards the former pony and ensnared her into a hug.

“Ah, my darling niece whom I love love so much and would do anything for,” The woman’s lightly echoing and saccharine voice proceeded to add to her already intimidating features as she caressed the struggling Sunset’s hair while the elder stared with half lidded eyes at the school principal. “How are you?” She directed the question to the uncomfortable teen.

“I’m, ugh, good. Could you let me go, Aunt Chrysalis?”

Not seeming to hear her pleas, the woman now identified to all the Rainbooms as Chrysalis continued to run her fingers through the younger girl’s tresses as she did not break her gaze on the school administrator. Sunset was vaguely aware that she was like the cat being stroked as the show’s villain revealed themselves to the hero. She seized her useless flailing as she waited for the odd and suffocating tension between her mother and peculiar aunt (that she swore was a bug on the other side of the portal) to stop…or at least let her escape.

The group of teens snickered at Sunset’s expense, making her shoot a glare at their general direction.

“Now now you two, keep it in the bedroom will you? For Pete’s sake there are children present,” the condescending voice that joined in did not help alleviate Sunset’s mood. She moved her head to stare at the tall and well-dressed man that entered the fray.

Chrysalis scoffed at the newcomer, “Must you always ruin our moments, Discord?”

The man in question was not fazed, “You act as if you did not expect this from me.” He let out a laugh as he slung a white gloved hand around the woman, subtly loosening her grip on the young teen he took to calling his favorite niece.

Even if she was his only niece, he did not retract the title he had given Sunset. She was the only one who enjoyed his jokes after all.

With having been freed, Sunset sought solace back to her group and amusedly taking in Rarity’s unfocused gaze at her ‘crazy uncle’ (His words alone and not hers) and Twilight’s apparent frown directed at the man. The redhead let out a small smile tug at her lips, fondly recalling the memory of the nerdy girl’s encounter with Discord.

The man, in his entire finely dressed and well-kept manner, was a mad man. From his flamboyant entrance of unhinging the door (because he does not believe in simply turning a knob to get to different places) to the man’s grand yet random speech of claiming that the world they were living in was a Pyramid, and not a sphere or other ‘ludicrous’ claims. Maybe it was the sadist that still lingered in her or that she hadn’t fully changed her ways but seeing the struggle of Twilight vehemently yet failing to explain why the world they’re in is round to the stubborn adult (while he was eating a sandwich even) brought a sense of amusement in her.

“So I heard my dear niece has a girlfriend now,” Discord stated with a smile directed at the musing pony-turned-human. The sudden exclamation made the attention focus on him. Luna, from her perch upside down on the couch, yelled out, “She caught a good one!”

He did not miss two girl’s bristling at the statement. A dark finely trimmed brow was raised as he waited for further explanation. Celestia who remained silent the whole time from her relaxed position in her chair (Sunset was not amused to see it was actually the living room’s grandfather clock her mother was laying on) and a bit flushed herself supplied an adequate answer.

“My daughter’s banging her schoolmate.”

Chrysalis let out a hearty echo of a laugh as Sunset looked aghast with an exasperated, “Mom, why!?” Rainbow and Pinkie waited for the words to sink in before they collapsed into another painful fit of laughter. Applejack groaned into her hat as Fluttershy promptly fainted on the spot.

“Oh my,” Rarity let out while fanning her red face. Twilight drowned out the growls of “WE HAVEN’T EVEN DONE THAT YET!” from her crush and hurried towards the kitchen to get a glass of water, not hearing the calm voice of the house’s matriarch asking, “What do you mean by ’yet’ young lady?”

The techie let out a sigh as she rummaged around for a glass, not hearing the slight pitter patter of feet as they settled on a chair. She slowly turned and luckily did not drop the glass as she observed Sunset’s uncle staring at her with intense light yellow eyes.

All while standing on a chair as he gazed down on her.

She brought a hand up to her face, not having the emotional and mental capacity to handle the mad man at this moment. She already dealt with first failing to work up the courage to knock on her crush’s door, then getting flustered by said crush after being caught in her wreck/disorganized state all while leading to her heart breaking into multiple nanosized particles as she was faced with the harsh color brown truth of reality of the now unavailability of her crush, with the icing of the never-ending brown mush that is her life as the person of her crush’s affection was the sweetest and kindest person alive in all dimensions.

Twilight took a long sip as she processed all that.

The bright light yellow eyes blinked before the owner did a back-flip and landed perfectly on the checked floor. Not even slipping on the puddle that came from the young girl’s sudden sputtering.

“You have a bit of spit take residue still left over there,” Discord idly stated as he produced a handkerchief and dabbed it on Twilight’s dripping chin.

“Bah…” was all she managed to let out before shaking her head and leaning away from Discord. “Uh, if you do not mind Mister Discord but I would like to be alone… like right now,” she punctuated this statement by turning and crossing her arms as she faced the kitchen sink.

“But what if I do mind, Ms. Twiset Sunsparkle?”

Twilight whirled around immediately, “Argh, my name’s Twilight. Twi-light Spar-kle! Why do you keep using that annoying name?!” The man was unfazed, “Saying it by syllables won’t make the name any less forgettable.”

The frustrated teen threw her hands up at that, “Fine! Be that way, it’s not like I was your student at Crystal Prep before or that you were my Philosophy teacher that I had to sign up for because Everton had those units as a standard requirement for the entrance exam.” She let out a bitter laugh as she mocked gasped, “Oh wait, I was!”

A purple hand pointed at him, “You’re the reason why I didn’t get in immediately! You failed me because you wouldn’t accept my paper detailing about the inexistence of a ‘Tatzlwurm.’ I tried to ask you that maybe you meant a ‘Tatzelwurm’ but did you listen? No! And what is even a ‘Twittermite’? They don’t exist!”

Nothing but the silent huffs of the infuriated girl’s breathing and the background noise of chatter permitted the kitchen. The young genius brought a hand and rubbed it lightly against her eye as she glared at the man who was unbothered by the outburst.

“Are you done?”

The sardonic question did not diminish Twilight’s ire but she was in fact done. She was done fighting.

The younger shook her head with a defeated sigh and took a seat before burying her head in her arms. Fireworks started making their presence known as the Rainboom’s singer faintly heard the shuffling of feet heading out the backyard. Twilight lifted her head.

She was still not alone.

“Can’t you leave already?”

“I can.”

A beat passed.

“Will you leave then?”

“Eventually, I don’t exactly live here you know?”

Another beat passed, then a sigh.

“Twilight,” Discord began as he sat on the edge of a kitchen table and crossed his legs. He waited for the girl to look at him. He let out a toothy grin.

“Twittermites and Tatzlwurms exist.”

Celestia glanced back at the door leading inside her house with a concerned furrow of her brows just as another firework exploded with a loud boom. Her sister, a bit bleary eyed, squinted at the older sibling.

“Something the matter, Tia?”

“No,” the Principal uttered as she turned back to watch the spectacle taking place above, briefly making sure of the appropriate space separating a certain redhead and her girlfriend to answer the younger, “I just think I heard something, like the sound of an object smacking into another.”

“It must have been the fireworks sister.”

“…Must be.”

Discord had done a lot of things that his friends keep saying he should have regretted…or at least thought of more.

Like that time with the peanut burrito dipped with apple juice he invented back in his college days before it ultimately sent him throwing up for weeks. In his defense however, he just wanted a new version of PB and J.

Then there was that time with the ‘Hair brush Incident’ that he promised himself that he wouldn’t even bring up. He shuddered as he also failed in that regard.

Then…there was that mess with Celestia…

He furrowed his eyebrows at that. So maybe his friends do sometimes and occasionally have a point but those certain events always worked out for what he intended to happen. He told himself that before and he kept telling himself that right now.

Even if he got hit by a plastic glass and maybe obtained a bruise in a few days.

Point still stands as long as he, Discord de Lancie Q. Equus, keeps standing.

The bruised man slowly took a seat as he waited for the huffing and angry teenager to simmer down. A midnight blue boot stomped down on the tiled floor as Twilight growled out, “You. Are. Infuriating.”

“I am Discord,” he quipped in return but the sudden movement of the younger girl’s hand reaching for another glass (and this time made of real glass) made him backtrack, “Stop. Please, I apologize for my insensitivity.”

He inwardly sighed in relief when the teenager paused. Good, who knows what Celestia would do to him if she loses any of her wares?

The man brought a hand up in a placating manner, “I think I went overboard with the- as you kids say- ‘trolling.’ I should’ve remembered my limits.”

Twilight growled.

“Sorry, I should’ve remembered people have limits,” he restated then picked up the plastic mug. “It was wrong so I apologize.”

The purple girl grasped her arms together as she looked away, “Okay fine. Could you go away now?” Discord let out a deadpanned expression in return, “I’m trying to have a sincere form of moment here. Must you ruin it?”

At the motion of hands reaching once more for the glass, he held his own hands up in surrender as he stood up. “Bah, fine. Throw away my perfectly scripted message about how I understand your situation and all that. Brood for a couple of chapters for all I care.”

Twilight bristled at that, “Like you can even understand my situation, let alone know how I feel right now.”

Discord blinked as he gripped his chin in thought, “Well true. I wasn’t a lesbian when I was your age but I do recall having a man crush on a fellow colleague before. Didn’t last though, he just simply sucks the life out of the party whenever he opens his big mouth.”

Twilight stared. “I…did not expect that.”

“That’s the idea,” he stated with a smile. Another boom shook the house as they simultaneously turned towards the window at Rainbow Dash’s shriek of ‘Awesome, they’re finally done warming up!’ over the sound of a series of mini explosions. Multiple streaks of lights painted the sky.

The young genius adjusted her glasses as she glanced out the window. A sense of longing to be with her friends overcame her as she realized the time she wasted ever since she got here. She haven’t even recalled laughing or having a good time ever since coming to Sunset’s house and she decided, as she heard another shriek and laughter coming from outside, that it was time to change that.

“I…think I’m good to go out now.”

She didn’t even wait for the other to respond as she made her way towards the door but the screaming tiny voice in her head that suspiciously sounded like her mother made her stop and turn to at least thank the annoying person who stayed with her.

A sigh was let out before Twilight turned, “Mr. Discord, thank-

She blinked as the crazy man was no longer in her field of vision. She huffed until she screamed out loud as she found Discord now in front of her. He clasped a gloved hand around her shoulders, “No need for that obvious bit. I’m glad to be of help.”

He continued even if the teenager petulantly shrugged him off, “That’s me, the amazing listener that I am and an eager ear to lend to juvenile woes and drama.”

“…I’m going out now.”

She left him guffawing and chortling in the kitchen as she made her way to the door leading to the backyard. Once again faced with an oak white door, she took a deep breath. Amethyst eyes hardened their gaze on the wooden barrier separating her from the paradox that is her desire and aversion to see her friends.

“How about we run away instead? We don’t have to face them. We can just hide in our little lab and wait it all out.”

The purple hand reaching out the knob hesitated. Her heart started beating and her stomach began doing flips of several somersaults that she once saw Pinkie doing during a sugar high. The option to run and hide was tempting.

She took a step back.

The sound of joys and happiness from outside brought her shame. She shouldn’t be bringing the mood down with her problems.

She took another step backwards.

Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Sunset had done so much for her and what would she repay them? By being a mood killer. All of her friends are really great people, having done so much to earn and get where they are. Even after being reassured multiple times, Twilight still doesn’t feel like she deserved any of the good things that happened to her prior to her moving to CHS.

She was the cheap knock off of the pony princess who saved the school and united the students. She, the awkward science nerd, was the one who turned into a demon and planned to destroy both worlds for the quest for knowledge. She got stopped thanks to Sunset and once again got saved by her friends at the event in Camp Everfree.

Unlike her, those girls are the ones who were truly amazing, especially Sunset…

She stopped.

“Yes, last time I turned into something amazing, but I've let magic turn me into a monster, too. So if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me. I can help you, Twilight. And the rest of our friends can be there for you, too.”

Twilight marched onward.

“But not if you run away.”

“Twilight!” was what six girls simultaneously said upon seeing the girl. She let out a hearty wave as Rainbow Dash used her super speed to sling an arm around the egghead, “Finally! I was afraid you won’t get to see what my dad cooked up for tonight!”

At the light crease of Twilight’s brow to signal her confusion, Applejack explained from her seat on a patio chair, “RD’s dad works at a firework factory. He and his team are the one’s responsible for them what you see up the sky.”

Rarity giggled beside the farmer as she added, “She said her father named it the ‘Sonic Rainboom.’ You can guess who he named it after.” At the light pinking of her prismatic haired friend’s cheeks, she had a pretty good guess. She smiled at that even amidst being unceremoniously tossed on the checkered picnic blanket by a pink blur.

She hoped she didn’t outwardly tense up as the sound of her nickname (given by none other than her crush) was uttered by the strong voice of Sunset. "Hey, glad you can make it, Sparky."

“Hi…oh and congratulations to the both of you. Sorry I didn’t say that earlier, must have been something I ate at home.” She poured all the sincerity she can muster into the statement.

Fluttershy waved a hand from her position leaning against the redhead. “Don’t be sorry. I hope that you’re feeling alright now.”

“Yeah…I’m mostly okay.”

Sunset grinned at that, “Good. Nice timing too, it’s almost midnight and the ‘Sonic Rainboom’ is about to go off next.”

True enough, Pinkie Pie pulled out a giant clock from her curls and set it in the middle of the backyard where everyone present can see. Twilight pursed her lips. Having been told numerous times by Rarity and reading the materials related to the matter made Twilight aware on what will happen once both hands of the clock struck twelve.

She fidgeted in her seat as Rainbow and the rest joined them on the large and spacious picnic blanket laid on the trimmed grass. She barely heard Chrysalis amusingly asking “What happened to your forehead, Discord?” as she glanced around the area. Her eyes found the giant clock and she decided to focus on that, with minimal effort.

5…

Luna let out a light snore from her position on the plastic bench, a serene smile painting her sleeping features.

4…

Twilight caught Rarity’s eye as the older tried to convey the message she wanted the other to receive.

3…

“Be strong,” she mouthed as she glanced upward towards the starlit sky. Applejack shot a thumbs up in Twilight’s direction. It comforted her, even if for a bit, to see her friends’ efforts.

2…

Rainbow and Pinkie Pie smiled next to the young genius, each holding her hand as they all saw Sunset face Fluttershy and slowly bringing a hand to the animal lover’s face. Twilight squeezed their hands in return, silently assuring them (and maybe herself) that she won’t get hurt as much (maybe) from seeing the up and close display in front of her.

1…

Twilight shivered, hoping it was from the cold night air and not from dread of what would come. She was better than that.

The giant clock's hands struck twelve with an ominous clang.

An explosion of colors shot through the sky, bringing multiple hues and lights in contrast to the dull midnight. Multiple people around Canterlot cheered upon seeing the spectacle. Numerous of them held out their drinks as they celebrated the end of the year. Loud horns and honks were blared after the light show slowly faded. Through it all, a vice principal slept peacefully.

Twilight bit her lip as she mustered up a smile. The newly announced couple separated with blushing cheeks and happy smiles as they gazed at one another. Twilight didn’t notice four bodies hugging her nor the continuous noises of the small ending fireworks lighting up for the finale and the sounds being made from the other houses.

Loud as all of it was right now, she heard nothing more clearly than the sound of her own heart shattering.

Author's Note

That's...gotta hurt.

Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 2: Painful Reminders and Floats.

Two weeks had passed and Twilight managed to get over the bitter taste of heart break…that is, if one could consider crying continuously in her lab with several tubs of ice cream lay empty as a sign of recovering.

Nevertheless, she was proud of that achievement and that at least, in turn, meant she hadn’t needed to suffer in silence alone.

Days after New Year’s Eve, Rarity came to her home bearing gifts that naturally soothes a broken heart; such as tubs of ice cream, rented movies ranging from Science Fiction to Trashy Romance, and several wads of tissues.

Scientifically, it did nothing to change her mood sans the sweets (thank you serotonin) but even she could appreciate the sentiment of the idea…and the heavy implication of brainwashed commercialism but that, she decided, was another matter her frantic addled brain can process for another time.

Applejack followed the week after, then Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash two weeks later. The last two decided that getting out there and away from her ‘Fortress of Angstitude’ that was her lab might do her some good and it did. Sort of. Maybe.

Twilight groaned.

So maybe it did not work but who cares? Not her. What’s important was that she’s out of her lab, walking, eating food that doesn’t consist much of sweets and fatty chemicals, and heading to school with a smile oozing ‘I did not get my heart broken on New Year’s Eve’ kind of smile.

Sure it was hard to see her crush and her other friend not hiding their relationship and getting various supportive cheers and coos directed at CHS’s ‘Third Cutest Couple’ (Unsurprisingly, Wiz Kid and Curly Winds remained number one), and possibly being tooth achingly adorable with their innocent flirting and-grr- hand holding but Twilight was okay. She could handle being treated like a metaphorically baited Tiger with a juicy meat slab waved in front of her. She had control. She was no animal (saved when they pony up but that was an entirely different matter altogether as well).

Now walking down the street as was her routine, Twilight took in the fresh air. While a bit windy still, Twilight adored the cool breeze when it passed by her as it forced her to hug her coat tighter. The cold soothed her nerves, who knew? Seemingly looking to a great start, she believed she was about to survive another day of seeing her crush with another.

With her boots lightly crushing under the few patches of snow, Twilight trudged towards the back entrance of the school. She might as well take the path that the newest couple won’t likely pass through just so it could give her time to steel her resolve. Not like she didn’t trust herself to not have a breakdown at any time of the day but it paid to be well prepared.

'Just in case can save your face' were the words she now lived by.

Yet Marephy seemed to be on her period today because as luck decided, the person to greet her first thing in the morning-while not the redhead and pinkette- was none other than Gilda. The white haired girl with multiple piercings (that Twilight was sure was a strict violation in the student handbook were they in CPA instead) and brown leather jacket was her secret tormentor even since getting back from Camp Everfree.

The purple girl didn’t even know what she did to warrant the bullying yet, after some reflecting while being wedgied, most of the times these things happened to her was because, and to quote Sugarcoat, she was being a total doormat.

So apparently having levitation powers and the power of friendship on her side wasn’t enough to ward the ever lingering scent in her that practically screamed ‘pick on me, I’m a doormat!’ which caused her being easy pickings to the undetected and ‘wannabe Sunsets’ (Rainbow’s words, not hers) still present in CHS.

She actually doubted the claim of bullying being extinct that the students in her current school seemed to promote. Of course there will always be bullying, it was like a universal fact. As long as there will be the ‘easy target’ and the ‘morally disabled opportunist’ there will no doubt that someone will be getting bullied.

That said, her tormentor had been on her case ever since and though the idea of telling the others about her situation would seem like a good plan from the beginning, teenage pride and the barely erased guilt of causing grief on her friends paired with being the socially inept girl who had still a lot to learn about friendship reaffirmed her mind’s line of thinking that she can handle this on her own.

Besides, Gilda at least had the foresight to not leave anything permanent on Twilight that could lead to suspicion.

Finishing her jumbled train of thoughts, Twilight now regretted taking the scenic route. She should have remembered that the back of the school was the bully’s favorite hangout spot, either to corner some other doormat for lunch money or simply to smoke.

Still, as Twilight backed away a little bit, maybe she could-

“There you are Sparklebutt!”

-or maybe not then.

Twilight mustered up a weak smile as her attempt of an escape plan smashed into knotted pieces, joining the still scattered remains of her heart. The young genius sharply inhaled just as Gilda sauntered over to her and already the bully’s height towered over the purple girl, casting a large shadow.

“Sup, just wondering why Mrs. Harshwhinny contacted me about my overdue report,” the taller girl began as she smiled falsely at the nerd, “and how I got an A+ on my math homework when I seemed to have specifically ordered you to keep it a B-“

Twilight forced herself not to gulp as Gilda nonchalantly inspected her nails, nails that were sharp and long enough to cut and were now slowly tracing themselves under the purple girl’s chin.

“Really Sparklebutt, I know I can be smart but not that smart to have an A+” the nail trailed itself lower, along Twilight’s collarbone. “Don’t want Ole’ Cranky Doodle signing me up for your nerdy competitions.”

The girl that Gilda was cornering managed to find her voice as she adjusted her glasses and wheezed, “Right, sorry about that but a lot has been happening and I forgot about it when dealing with the easy math question but- MEEP!”

Twilight’s sentence ended into a squeak when she was forcibly pushed down, drawing a light stinging on her rump as it made contact with the ground.

Gilda bent down, eyes narrowed into slits. “Are you calling me dumb?”

“Wah-No!” Twilight tried to recover. “I-I meant it’s just, the questions weren’t that difficult and I usually space out with easy math questions-ow!”

This time, the young genius winced as she was grabbed by the front of her wooly blouse and was forced to make eye contact with narrowed yellow eyes.

“Sounds like you calling me dumb to me,” Gilda said as a feral grin fell into place, “should I remind you of your place in our little ‘business dealings’ again, Sparklebutt?”

Before Twilight could get a word in to futilely offer a compromise, she let out a startled squeak as Gilda hoisted her up and was now patting her down and wiping away grass and dirt.

Twilight opened her mouth, brows furrowed in confusion before the arrival of the previous (still current) object of her affections solved that inquiry. She resisted the urge to cry out in joy, a part of her doormat side thanking Sunset’s timely arrival.

Seeing Gilda sweat and mustering up a half-cooked smile also reminded Twilight to thank whatever being was looking down on her for having Gilda still afraid of Sunset Shimmer.

“Hey Twilight, Gilda,” Sunset greeted with a nod and her signature side smirk that usually made the purple girl weak in the knees and fall into a delirious and useless pile of teenage mush.

“Sup,” Was Gilda’s forced reply before she offered a stiff wave goodbye. “Gotta head to class now so I’ll be seeing you, and Twilight?”

At her name, the aforementioned girl forced herself to look at the bully and finding in her eyes a promise of pain and retribution if she explained their ‘dealings’ to anyone, especially Sunset.

“Thanks again for the help but maybe try not to forget what we talked before?”

A warning was heavily hinted in the statement, making Twilight feel helpless. As the last view of Gilda’s jacket disappeared behind the door Sunset’s voice cut in, replacing Twilight’s feeling of defeat to a feeling of longing and heart ache.

“Huh, guess she’s still scared of me,” Sunset said, rubbing her neck awkwardly as she stared into the direction of Twilight’s secret tormentor. “Really thought she got over that whole ‘broken nose’ thing between us.”

Twilight weakly nodded in response.

A week in her stay in CHS didn’t help reduce the wariness around the new girl. Anyone who saw firsthand the damage Twilight caused would rightfully feel a bit unease-might even say angry considering the new girl was also a former Crystal prepper- and that apparently left the bespectacled girl an easy target to a girl named Lightning Dust.

It was a surreal experience if one were to ask Twilight however because after an unexpected cornering of a barely lit section of the hallway and a severe taste of the classic ‘wedgie’, Sunset came to her rescue like a brave knight from the stories Cadence used to read to her. The former bully swooped down, took the girl by the shirt and unleashed the crushing might of her glare that Twilight swore froze the very blood in her blonde tormentor.

That moment may have solidified Twilight’s growing crush on the girl but it didn’t occur to a wide eyed bespectacled girl whose purple underwear stretched so far than was manufactured to be at the moment, too enraptured to focus on anything else but her shivering oppressor and her valiant knight.

After being mobbed by her still new group of friends in a feat of worry and concern, the incident left her with an interesting conclusion that was also solidified by the data she managed to discretely gather. One, a small if not sizable percentage of the population in CHS still feared Sunset (for some reason that Twilight could not grasp nor remember to hearing about).

Second, there was a perk of being Sunset’s friend and that was having wannabe bullies from going after any of her friends (or at least the ones most likely not to tell their situation to the group).

Of course no one would think to bully the same girls who have helped the school but there were those like Gilda, who in spite having still feared Sunset (Pre and Post reformation), thought they could still try to cause a raucous among the lowest of the universal high school food chain just because they can.

“What were you two talking about by the way?” came the voice that instantly cut off Twilight’s thinking, making the girl shake her head as she turned to the friendly face of Sunset.

“Uh, just…homework, I was helping with her assignments and I think I forgot one of our study sessions.” Twilight internally winced at the lie.

Why does she subject herself to this? Her friend was right there, and she could put a stop to all of it if Twilight would just say something but every time she decided to, a stubborn voice in her head kept telling her that she could still handle it.

She decided to change the subject as her eyes wandered around until it landed on her friend’s biker gloves. Odd.

“Uh Sunset? I think you forgot to take off your gloves.”

At that, the red haired girl’s expression morphed into a wince, like the reminder seemed to have physically pained her.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight instantly asked once she caught the pained look. Her heart started beating erratically. Did she say something offensive? Was there a new social faux pas about not mentioning one’s accessory blunder?

Sunset waved her gloved hand in a dismissive manner as she ran the other through her hair. She started towards the entrance and only looked back to reply, “It’s…something that I need all the girls to see. See you later at the music room on free period?”

Twilight automatically waved her hand in goodbye yet her brows furrowed in confusion at the last statement. She only got a shake of a head in response, barely catching the rest of Sunset’s mutter of ‘Can’t have the whole student body freaking out again.”

“Okay then, see you la-

The door closed with a dull thud.

-ter…” Twilight lamely ended, before she looked down and sighed.

Free period rolled by rather quick even for Twilight and it wasn’t because how she simply spent the whole time doodling tiny images of herself and a certain red haired girl after completing the tasks given to her by Ms. Harshwhinny.

When the bell rang signaling the end of her class, Twilight had finished decorating the wedding dresses on the caricatures and placed the finishing touches on the decors of the cathedral on the moon before promptly tearing the page she used out of her notebook and ripping it into tiny pieces that matched the remains of the organ that once resided her middle mediastinum.

Good news, it was 15% therapeutic just like the weirdly specific book that she borrowed from the library entitled ‘Got Your Heart Broken during, before, or after a Holiday Event?’ said. The bad news, she made a mess and was forced to be late to the meeting due to her inner neat freak that suddenly popped up and had her pick up every little scrap.

Still it helped that she ran as soon as she finished, almost bumping into a random student and nearly causing the janitor to spill his milkshake in the busy hallways but so what if she panted like a fish needing air when she arrived, looking red as the raised hand of Sunset Shimmer and on the brink of col-

“Huh?” Amethyst eyes zeroed in on the appendage, looking lost with her mouth agape.

“Yeah, hi to you too Twilight,” came Sunset’s wry reply, her other hand clasped tightly on Fluttershy’s who didn’t seize her gentle hand massage as she worriedly eyed the clawed hand.

“Darling, I-I don’t believe it…your hand…” Rarity spoke up, fanning herself as she gaped.

“Yes, you’re not hallucinating Rarity. It’s real, I can feel it too.” Sunset flexed her hand for emphasis before she grimaced. Fluttershy hugged the distraught girl.

Rainbow, from her perch on top of the grand piano, let out a nervous giggle turned wince. “Heh…you’re not going to go all ‘she-demon’ on us again, aren’t ya? Coz I didn’t like how we were almost incinerated the last time you went red and angry.”

At Rarity’s chiding to the athlete, Sunset can’t help let out a nervous quip in return. “G-glad to know seeing my claws could get you to use big words now.” The attempt to lighten the mood still fell short over the palpable tension in the room, one that not even Pinkie was sure nor know how to break.

Applejack tugged at her Stetson, a beat of sweat trailing down her forehead. “At least… you don’t seem frantic as much would expect from ya.”

A bitter chuckle was the farmer’s reply, “I kinda spent the whole moment from when I woke up to getting dressed screaming and quick-writing this to the princess.” A beat before Sunset added, “I don’t think she could understand my handwriting this time.”

“What did Celestia and Luna say then?” Rarity asked as she sat beside the fiery haired girl, missing the fleeting glare from possessive turquoise colored eyes, and ran a delicate finger over the claw before pulling back at the sudden heat. Fluttershy let out a squeak too and she let go of the hand she was massaging, as if burned.

“Oh My Gosh, are you two alright?!” Sunset shouted, eyebrows scrunched in surprise as she made to walk towards the two before stopping herself and deciding to simply cross her arms.

Seeing the normally confident girl hug herself in insecurity broke Twilight’s momentarily lapse in processing. Shaking her head, she adjusted her glasses with a light blush before switching on to serious mode.

“Is this Equestrian magic?” Then after going over to the dialogue that passed between her friends, the young scientist turned to the athlete, “and what did you mean by being ‘incinerated?’”

“Ah Sugarcube,” Applejack spoke up in RD’s bewildered place and scratched her head while Sunset murmured apologies to her two friends, “didn’t we already tell ya bout that?” At the girl’s head shake, the farmer continued, “You know, Fall Formal? Sunset the bully? Emotionally and sometimes physically attacked the students of CHS?”

Twilight finally remembered but she never heard anything about someone being incinerated or how a red clawed hand was involved. She wasn’t told about that part.

Seeing the confusion evident in the bespectacled girl’s face, Sunset stopped her profusely apologizing to her two friends and raised a brow. “I could have sworn I told you about my demon form already or sorta…implied it?” she said, dropping her arms as she fully turned her attention to the prominently blushing nerd.

At that, Twilight did remember something of the sort and maybe the reason that she couldn’t recall it as of this moment was perhaps due to the fact that, at the time when she was being explained to, she was too busy staring into brilliant cyan eyes and admiring the way the light seemed to be in the perfect angle enough to make Sunset’s hair shine- and she did it again. Oh poo.

“Right sorry, slipped my mind…it’s just…”Twilight wracked her brain for a proper response, “the bully part I can get but it’s hard to think of you like some sort of demon considering what you’ve done so much for the school ever since.”

Twilight was lucky that the rest of her friends, sans the couple, seemed to have an idea about the real reason and just decided to keep quiet about that.

Pinkie, popping up with a set of safety gear, appeared beside the shocked bespectacled girl as she leaned against the other’s shoulder in deep thought.

“Huh, guess it seemed a bit unbelievable when you point it out like that,” the party planner said before she smiled and squished Twilight’s cheeks. “Don’t worry though because I have faith that Sunny bunny ain’t gonna be that meanie demon-y bully no more!” The pink haired girl then turned to said former bully, narrowing her eyes along with a tongue out as she poked the clawed hand, “You aren’t, right? Coz I don’t think we have a spare rainbow friendship laser in case you turned mean again.”

Pinkie Pie merely grinned at the small frown aimed her way (courtesy of the resident animal caretaker) before she backed away with an innocent smile. “What? You never know!”

Applejack shook her head with a sigh, “So much for ‘faith’ Pinkie.”

It was silent in the music room for a moment before the farmer spoke up again, pushing down her Stetson as she gazed at her downtrodden friend. “Chin up Sugarcube, why don’t you have Fluttershy write to the princess in your stead while I’ll get ya some cider.”

“Oh, me too!” Rainbow called out, adding the unnecessary loud volume in an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere. The athlete got a discrete nod in thanks from the apple girl.

Applejack clapped her hands together. “Alright, anyone else?” she asked her friends.

“Just a milkshake for me!” Pinkie squeaked before plopping down on top of the piano, specifically on top of her friend’s legs, and merely adopted an innocent grin amidst the glare from the athlete.

Rarity glanced around her, biting her lip before making up her mind, and walked over to the farmer. “I believe I shall accompany you dear Applejack. While ciders and a milkshake do sound nice, I think I would prefer something else.” At the shrug in response to her statement, Rarity turned to the silent purple girl. “Twilight, dear, would you like to join us?”

Do you need time to process this? Will you be okay while we’re gone? The silent message conveyed.

“I’m good, thank you,” and Twilight meant it. While she appreciated her friends’ concerns and wholeheartedly touched by their care, she still would like to at least try to stomach being in the presence of the couple for long.

After all, broken heart or not, she still valued their friendships.

When the two oldest members of their group left, Twilight focused her attention back to the conversation with her mouth thinned to a firm line. Why did Sunset’s hand shifted into that? Twilight went over the fleeting bits of information she gathered in her head but she came up with nothing.

Just as the young genius was about to offer a science experiment session, Rainbow Dash piped up and waved a hesitant hand towards the downtrodden Sunset.

“Seriously though, do we need to freak out about this?”

The minute the statement was uttered, Fluttershy snapped the magical journal shut and glared at the athlete. This action drew startled looks from both the party planner and the prismatic haired girl, and even Twilight for that matter, before Fluttershy spoke up in a chiding tone, “That’s enough out of you two. Can’t you already see this is upsetting her?”

Rainbow Dash, ever the one to quickly recover from a scolding, raised her hands in defense. “Yeah alright Shy but you can’t blame us for being too paranoid right?” She sat up to fully look at the annoyed animal caretaker. “I mean, all past battles aside, the last time we handled Demon Shimmer we had a fireball hurled directly at us,” then Rainbow added with a whispered, “without even a hint of us knowing if we can fight back at that time… or survive.”

Pinkie nodded her head, surprising Twilight as she observed the usually cheery demeanor being replaced with a somber look the moment the party planner’s smile drop. Pinkie continued Rainbow’s thought. “We never actually had a villain who really terrified us, except Sunset.” Losing a bit of her hair’s puffiness, Pinkie stared at Fluttershy with furrowed brows. “If it weren’t for Princess Twilight’s magic…”

The statement trailed off, yet it didn’t need to be finished in order for them to understand.

Twilight bit her lip, suddenly thrown into a new perspective. She never heard this part before. All the bespectacled girl was told was how Sunset became a bully and that she was responsible for ruining friendships in CHS but this…Twilight shook her head as she banished unflattering thoughts.

Adjusting her glances, she spoke up while promptly ignoring her nervousness as all pairs of eyes were now on her. “Excuse me, sorry. While I’m finding all of this generally new information, I don’t think that talking about what happened is going to solve the mystery on why it’s happening again.” She gulped as her four friends remained silent, so she stammered, “I-I’m not s-saying that what you’re talking about is irrelevant or invalid but I think this on-going conversation is doing more harm than good.”

Building up her courage to the maximum limit, Twilight addressed the former bully directly. “Sunset, do you feel anything else out of place? Like a sudden need to hurt people or ruin friendships?” Brain catching up to what she just said, the purple girl bit her lip as an erratic thought came in to mind; was she too blunt?! Did she cross a line?! Was that too crass?!

Before another mental panic started to stir in the purple girl, Sunset finally looked up with a small smile and that action sent another wave of butterflies in Twilight’s stomach.

“Oh my stars! Why did Sunset have to be more radiant when she smiles?”

Luckily no one noticed the resident nerd discretely performing breathing exercises as Pinkie, RD, and Fluttershy’s attention were on the fiery haired girl, with the latter immediately going over to Sunset’s side in a gesture of comfort.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry that was greatly insensitive of me,” the yellow skinned girl began as she hugged her girlfriend, “I forgot how affected you’re about all of this too.” Rainbow and Pinkie offered their apologies as well, expressions of shame evident in their features but Sunset told them she was fine and it was okay.

“You both are right to be suspicious a-and scared, no worries you guys,” Sunset said with an easy hand wave and promptly ignored another string of apologies before she stood up and gave her two friends a hug, “but to answer Twi’s question, no.”

Flexing her crimson clawed hand, Sunset bit her lip before she shook her head. “Yeah I can tell. I bet this is just a physical transformation, so while I’ll probably look like my demon form I won’t act like my old personality again.”

“At least I hope so.”

Sunset sighed as another idea occurred to her, “It’s not the geode either but I’m not confident enough to wear it while I’m like this.” Another deep breath before she rubbed a hand to her face, “Partially I’m also to blame for bringing up a bad memory for you guys. I’m sorry.”

Breathing now under control, Twilight watched with a small smile as her friends hugged once more until the tension was lifted. She was glad that was settled but her curious nature seemed to fuel her courage today, making Twilight speak up with a serious, “We’re still not sure how that started in the first place.”

Getting her friends’ attention, Twilight began tapping her chin as she went over to the whiteboard resting on the side and started making a chart.

“I’m not fully counting the geodes out but until we can learn more about them I guess we can cross them out for the mean time.” Twilight drew a half-hearted attempt of Sunset’s jewelry then drew a large ‘x’ over it.

“You said you woke up with your transformation already, was there anything you did prior to that? Maybe you ate something or made contact with something that has Equestrian magic from last night?” Her guess may be a shot in the dark but ever since making contact with magic itself, she knew that it was starting to be the central cause of everything they’ve encountered.

Sunset scratched her head in thought, looking up as she tried to recall anything of the sort but ultimately coming up empty. She shook her head at her scientist friend, “Sorry, I didn’t do anything outside my regular routine.”

Twilight then raised her brow at Pinkie and Rainbow’s sudden snickering when they caught sight of the couple’s sudden blushing. “Well, aside from a…personal activity last night but I-I’m certain i-it had nothing to do with my current problem,” Sunset stammered as Fluttershy hid her giggling face on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

Having finally decode Sunset’s meaning thanks to the resident pranksters of their group’s outburst of laughter, Twilight turned back to the board while she promptly ignored the simultaneous rush of embarrassment, jealousy, and sadness in her and proceeded to put down an ‘x’ on the chart albeit more force than needed.

“Well, what about the days or weeks before?” The young genius asked with a faint blush on her cheeks as she walked to the side and began jotting down another series of symbols and figures. “I’ve been monitoring the patterns on when we run into Equestrian magic as a side project and while my guess is on a smidge on the random scale, I conclude that our encounters occur on an interval of a week to a month.”

Twilight adjusted her glasses as she summoned the courage to face her friends again, “Statistically speaking of course. I’m still working on it since I just started doing them some days after New Year’s Eve.”

“’A side project’, you didn’t tell me about that,” Sunset said with a raised brow. Rainbow and Pinkie turned to the nerd as well, questions in their eyes.

Having spent the past few days making sure Twilight slowly but surely reached the acceptance stage of heartbreak, Pinkie and Rainbow personally knew that their friend couldn’t possibly find the time to do that in the day because those were the times she had spent with them. To be able to do this side project, that would imply that Twilight spent the past nights working on it in the last few weeks.

With that in mind, cerulean and cerise colored eyes respectively gazed at nervous amethyst ones in concern as they conveyed a silent message of ‘We need to talk about that.’ The party being aimed with the worry silently responded a sheepish ‘Later.’

“I didn’t have the time,” Twilight evenly replied to the fiery haired girl’s query and was it just her or did Fluttershy glare at her?

Shaking her head, Twilight continued as she pointed to a symbol of a dual-colored sun at the center of multiple pointed arrows. “Anyway, so with no definite reasons I think it would be fair that we investigate what Sunset did for the past few weeks and maybe these coming days as well, just to be on the safe side.”

A blue hand was raised to which Twilight amusingly nodded to the athlete. Rainbow snickered, “So basically, we’re just gonna stalk Sunset?”

Pinkie appeared from behind the whiteboard, donned head to toe with camouflage gear before she squinted left to right. “Keeping an eye on Sunny Bunny? Count me in!”

This action drew small smiles among the teens… except one.

“Um, I would like to decline.”

As all pairs of eyes were on her, Fluttershy didn’t even flinch as she continued with her gaze like steel on the scientist, “It just feels excessive for me.”

Sunset tilted her head, unintentionally causing two hearts in the room to flutter from the cuteness of the action. “Why not, babe? I think this could be a great idea for us to solve this thing.” A clawed finger then tapped on the leather book, “Beats having to wait for a reply from the Princess too. Last I heard, she still had her hooves full due to some messed up student.” Her grin fell when Fluttershy adamantly shook her head.

“No, Sunset. Just, no.”

Twilight awkwardly stood to the side. W-was this a lover’s spat? Were they really arguing here of all places? The scientist shifted one foot to the other before she decided to walk over to stand next to the athlete, observing the couple’s quarrel on going in front of them with a hint of unease burning in her chest. Twilight couldn’t honestly tell if she was just jealous or… something else.

Pinkie Pie appeared next to her, munching on some popcorn before offering the bowl to the startled bespectacled girl.

“No thanks,” was the muttered reply as amethyst eyes zoned in on the pouting Sunset and cross-armed Fluttershy. Something about the fighting couple stirred a sudden pang in Twilight’s heart, along with a fleeting image of a certain green haired ex that pop into her mind before she forced it out of her head.

Twilight decided it was just simply jealousy.

Minutes passed with nothing but the sound of a soft voice spewing retorts along with another stronger voice offering counter comebacks. All three on-looking members of the Rainbooms were just thankful that Rarity and Applejack came back bearing drinks and some snacks, effectively silencing the previously arguing twosome.

Once the two settled Twilight restated what they had surmised to the new arrivals, with no short amount of interjection from Fluttershy’s side, and waited for their response.

Hand under her chin, Rarity asked one thing on her mind.

“Will I get to design our camouflage outfits!?”

Aside from the starry eyed look on the fashion designer’s face, Applejack added her two cents with a frown.

“Ain’t that a bit too much though?”

Sunset, opting to ignore the pleased look on her girlfriend for the time being, gladly defended the idea. Twilight may have internally swooned even if Sunset wasn’t exactly fighting for her but a girl can fantasize can’t she?

“Note to self, invest in a Sunset Jar right now. Every time I react to or do anything, uh, hindering me from moving on I’ll place a fiver in the jar.” Twilight thought with determination, pleased with her idea. That way, she could have a budget for her new lab equipment while simultaneously on the process of recovering from heartache.

“I get that it might seem that way but for now it’s our best lead,” then the fiery haired girl added with a hopeful look (Twilight belatedly noted the Sunset Jar will very much put a sizable dent in her savings),“It could even lessen the chances of things going south from here.”

Hand scratching on freckled cheeks, Applejack stared at desperate cyan eyes before she shook her head. “Sugarcube, I understand where you’re coming from and I can sympathize with the fear and all but it’s like you have little ole’ faith in yourself.” A firm hand clasped on Sunset’s shoulder, “I highly doubt you’ll go all ‘she-demon’ on us again and terrorize the whole school.”

“But-

“But nothing Sunset,” Applejack cut the other girl off, “You’ve come a long way and none of us are dunce enough to think you’re just gonna throw it all away for the heck of it.”

“Except in a holiday special comic!” Pinkie chimed in but the other Rainbooms chose to ignore that when it didn’t make sense to them.

Applejack shook her head before ruffling the contemplating girl’s head with a sisterly chuckle. “You’re a smart girl Sunset, might want to use that brain now if I were you.”

“Wait, so does that mean no more camouflage outfits?” Rarity interjected, stopping mid sketch on her designs before she blushed under the scrutiny of her friends. “What? I got inspired the moment I heard the idea.” The purple haired girl then stood up, smoothening out the wrinkles in her skirt, and went over to hug her friend. “Oh but AJ’s right darling, you simply need to have faith in yourself.”

Fluttershy followed after, squirming until she was the one directly hugging her girlfriend as she said, “You’re not the person you were before.”

Pinkie squeed and took the athlete and startled scientist by their hands before she glomped on her friends with a yell of ‘Group hug!’ followed by enveloping them into said embrace.

Feeling warmth in her chest and even being squeezed a bit uncomfortably, Twilight sighed in contentment. First hand experiencing the fruits of friendship, Twilight knew she would gladly have her heart broken as many times as it could so long as the smiles of the important people in her life remained.

Reconvening in the cafeteria at lunch, the Rainbooms sans Sunset (who decided to visit her mother to tell her about the ‘situation’) settled to not discuss their situation for the time being as they opted not to put a damper on the happy atmosphere in the lunch room.

With the voices of her friends turning to background noise, Twilight checked her phone for a few seconds then towards the double doors of the cafeteria. After a minute with no sight of a single strand of red hair passing through, Twilight glanced down on her device again. She probably did that a few more times but who was going to notice?

“You okay there Twi?” Applejack’s whisper cut in, interrupting her actions.

Apparently, an observant farmer would.

The bespectacled girl sheepishly smiled at the amused face of her friend. Twirling a lock of her purple hair Twilight settled for a nod, pocketed her device, and went back to focusing on the conversation around their table while dutifully ignoring the tickled look aimed her way. She was simply concerned for her friend, nothing more.

Twilight knew it was a lie that she kept telling herself since she started waiting for Sunset to arrive and she knew that her friend knew too but she had good reason to. Lunch period was nearly over and the fiery haired girl was still nowhere to be seen. It shouldn’t have taken Sunset the entire period to tell her mom about her situation.

Rarity, ever the keen observer when it came to juicy details, merely exchanged a silent conversation with the young genius before she flipped her hair in response to their athletic friend’s latest rant about the topic of conversation.

“Really Rainbow Dash,” Rarity began as Twilight saw the beginning signs of an admonishment, “must you really take those comments to heart?”

Twilight, now at a loss to the discussion, raised a brow. “Come again?”

She was at least glad no one brought up how she wasn’t focusing on the chatter before. The perks of a Rainbow Dash being all too pleased to repeat herself, the young genius guessed.

“The comments about our group, you know the band you’re in Sci-Twi?” The athlete ignored the glare she got from the use of the nickname as she continued, “Those people practically came up with the stupidest thing I heard since Pinkie’s ‘bunk couch’ idea.”

Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed. Just how long was she staring at her phone and the cafeteria doors?

Applejack luckily beat Twilight’s query first with a defeated, “Remember PP Rule # 1? ‘Just don’t ask.’” Twilight slowly nodded as Rarity scoffed at the prankster duo’s snickering.

Pinkie snorted. “‘PP’,” she giggled and then bumped fists with a chuckling Rainbow.

Not getting it and not even wanting to get it, judging from Rarity’s scolding of the two, the bespectacled girl turned back to the conversation at hand. “Okay so what did they say?”

“And more importantly,” Rarity interjected as she shot the soccer player a look that reminded Twilight of her mother scolding her when she accidentally poured chemicals on the carpet, “shouldn’t you be ignoring the comment section like I told you?”

A shrug answered the fashionista.

“So I got curious,” the prismatic haired girl defended, “I keep getting notifications on MyStable. Who just ignores the comment sections anyway?” RD’s genuine question incited a small face palm followed by a muffled ‘never mind.’

The athlete shrugged once again before turning to Twilight. “Anyway, I was just ranting about how these people think you’re the leader of our group,” Rainbow then added with a wry chuckle, “or Sunset.”

Pinkie Pie took out a cookie from her hair and munched on it in thought. “Well, technically they kinda are?”

“Argh, not you too!” RD groaned as she stared at the party planner in disbelief.

Applejack finished her apple cider before she regarded her friend with an exasperated look along with a deadpanned, “Does it really matter?”

Fluttershy, having finished sending her girlfriend a photo of a cute chipmunk and a text asking the other’s whereabouts, finally turned her full attention to her friends just as Rainbow Dash uttered a retort of “Heck yeah it matters!”

The prismatic haired girl then gestured towards the others. “Like why not think you’re the leader, or Fluttershy, or Pinkie, or Rarity?”

Applejack seemed genuinely impressed at what she heard. “Shucks RD, that’s probably the least egocent-

“Or, heck, even me? I’m, like, the most suitable candidate to be leader among us five too!”

-never mind.” The farmer sighed as she covered her face with her Stetson. “I’m gonna stay quiet now.”

The animal lover glanced around, confused to what just happened, while Rainbow continued with a cry of “Look at this!” and a blue finger pointed at the series of words from different people.

Fluttershy, being unfortunately seated next to the athlete, nearly got her vision assaulted with tiny characters due to the proximity of the device. Tilting her head a bit back, turquoise eyes squinted as she read each comment.

She knitted her brows afterwards.

While she did not feel strongly like her sporty friend, she can understand what Rainbow was trying to communicate. From what she read, it does feel like some of their talents were being devalued in favor of being instructed by the Rainbooms’ ‘leader.’

“Do we even have a leader?” Pinkie Pie piped in, licking her frosting covered hand as she asked around the table. No one commented on their friend’s sudden icing coated hand.

Rarity, after offering some tissues for Pinkie to use, tapped her chin in thought. “Now that you mentioned it Darling, I’m afraid we have not nor even came to thinking about officially appointing one of our own as our frontrunner.” Then her expression lit up at the idea. “Being the leader does sound appealing,” she murmured as her mind began conjuring multiple headlines of the Rainbooms led by the ‘Elegant Rarity’ and being awarded recognition for guiding the band to numerous victories and to being possible fashion icons.

“Looks like we lost her folks,” Pinkie quipped as she waved a hand up and down in front of Rarity’s glazed expression. Rainbow Dash snickered before sipping on her juice box as she addressed Twilight, who was quiet throughout the exchange.

“What do you think egghead?” the athlete asked but furrowed her brows in annoyance as the nerd looked up from her phone with a detached ‘huh?’

Shaking her head at Twilight, Rainbow was about to repeat everything she just said when the cafeteria doors opened.

Every student seemed to fall silent once the figure strolled in with a disciplined swagger. Like a general surveying her troops, the person with the spiky red hair entered the area with her turquoise eyes sweeping over to each confused teenager.

Various students began murmuring amongst themselves.

“Who’s that?”

“Whoa check out her suit.”

“Yeesh I feel like I’m back in the boarding academy.”

One by one they whispered before a strong clap seemed to echo inside the cafeteria.

“Greetings everyone,” the adult began as she walked forward, hands now firmly clasped behind her along with a rigid posture. With her chin held high, she passed each table as the mumbles were silenced once her gaze fleeted across the room.

She continued over the hush, “I am your new guidance counselor, Ms. Fizz. Should any personal issues and concerns befall you, you have no reason to hesitate to seek me out.” A dark purple hand was raised in front of her heart, as if swearing an oath. “I am here to personally help and guide you in behalf of the organization I was trained from and I will gladly do my best to assist you in your troubles.” Her hand then rose to list each topic she said, “Be they romantic, mental, physical, or even sexual; I am willing to listen and offer advice.”

Stopping just short at the center of the room, she circled around as she added, “However, being a listener is not the limit to my job. I am also in charge with discipline and assisting in various events in this school.” Then she brought both hands into view along with the clipboard she’d kept hidden from view.

Twilight uneasily eyed the insignia etched on the back of the object.

“That said, I am pleased to announce this year’s task; the Canterlot Float Parade.” Ms. Fizz allowed the excited chatter to resume for a moment until she raised a hand to quiet them. “Yes. The educational board has finally accepted CHS’s entry to joining this annual event and your Principal has tasked me to supervise.”

The Rainbooms, being seated just a few tables near the adult, saw the hint of a smile before it vanished as the guidance counselor with the stoic demeanor continued, “With that, I have personally surveyed each student’s strengths and weaknesses which will be relevant to your groupings.”

The muffled voices seemed to rise in volume but before it could increase into an uproar, the guidance counselor raised another hand. “Please, allow me to finish. This policy does not aim to break you up nor cause any disharmony.”

“That’s not an ominous sentence,” Applejack muttered once she eyed the newcomer. Rarity nodded her head yet there was hesitation in her action as she added, “Though she has an exquisite sense of style. I think I could design a whole new line of power suits based from her look.”

“This new rule will ensure that everyone has a fair and equal chance of winning.”

Rainbow Dash quietly snorted. “I bet twenty bucks she’s the villain with an equality shtick.”

Pinkie mischievously grinned, a curl of pink hair lightly shuddering. “You’re on.”

Turquoise eyes seemed to pierce through the table where the Rainbooms were seated, briefly silencing the conversation of the teens as the adult stated with a swept of her hand along with a cool smile, “Friendly games and competitions are good and all but still they are events where the participants compete and could win.”

The newcomer cleared her throat before continuing, “I have personally arranged these teams so that each member can give what the other lacks and vice versa. Your team mates are your team mates because together, your group has the potential of creating something beyond what you can do on your own. You were grouped because each of you has strengths that can accommodate the other’s weakness.”

The mask of stoicism slowly faded, briefly shocking the student body before they became at ease once the counselor genuinely smiled and it was fueled more by the following statement of “In theory, I’m confident this can make the Canterlot Float Parade one to be remembered throughout the ages.”

Amidst the cheers and pumped-up competitive spirits, Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine. Just why did this person feel…dangerous to her? More evident by the sincerity than the previous cold-attachment that the adult displayed. She eyed her friends and they seemed to think the same thing.

Oblivious to the silent exchanges, Ms. Fizz nodded once she was finished and then began stating the names of the students while directing them towards the tables to be organized into teams of five with a friendly smile.

“Five?” Twilight murmured with a hint of nervousness as she watched Bulk Biceps, Micro Chips, and the CMCs shuffle to a table. She could witness some students’ high-fiving each other and even giving out waves of greeting as they met their team mates.

A firm hand clapped the purple girl on the back, nearly knocking her glasses off her face from the impact before Applejack’s accent-laden voice took to a soothing tone, “No worries Twi. I’m sure you’ll be saddled with one of us even if it’s fixed like an apple on caramel.” The farmer chuckled as she rested back on her chair, “Villain or no, it ain’t that easy to split us up now after everything we’ve been through.”

“I agree,” Rarity nodded with a smile, “and just like Ms. Fizz said, we are grouped according to our skills and shortcomings that will compliment and accommodate one another. The Rainbooms might be the pioneers of friendship but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re always in equilibrium.”

“True that and no offense to you guys but none can seriously match my awesomeness,” Rainbow Dash gloated with a pleased grin, making the two oldest girls in the group to roll their eyes.

“I don’t think so. Trixie can at least give you a run for your money in the ego department,” Pinkie cheekily said, drawing brief chuckles around the table which was spurred on more with Fluttershy sagely nodding beside the fuming athlete.

Twilight smiled at the assurances-

“’Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy’, Table 5.”

-before it promptly dropped dead at the announcement, along with the jaws of her friends.

Author's Note

Savings in the Sunset Jar: 15

Book 1: Shadow. Chapter 1: Happy New Year! Part I

“Okay Twilight, you can do this,” she began, mentally psyching herself up as she stared at the plain white oak door. A cool breeze went past her, making the purple girl shiver as she pulled her scarf tighter. She was standing outside for nearly an hour now and though the owners of the residence would gladly let her in, all she had yet to do was announce her arrival.

…Which she still had yet to do.

“Come on! You just knock on the wood, wait for her- or her adopted mom or aunt- to open the door and get inside. Why is that so hard?” Twilight groaned in frustration as she hastily adjusted and readjusted her glasses, huffing as she bounced on her toes. “It’s not rocket science for Pete’s sake,” she muttered, glancing at her shoes.

She could distinctively hear Midnight Sparkle’s laughter, yet she chased that thought away. Sunset Shimmer and her friends helped her banish the demon, by the power of friendship no less. Twilight let a smile form despite her shivering as she was reminded of that fact. She glanced at her mitten covered hand, letting warmth seep in as she recalled the feeling of how she was saved by that special kind of magic, by a special kind of girl. Warmth continued to spread as she felt a blush rising all the way.

Twilight shook her head, steeling her resolve. She made a move to raise her arm once more, willing herself to knock but hesitated at the last second.

Curse you nerves!

A frustrated groan made her jump as she whirled around to find four of her friends, all staring at her with mixtures of disbelief and incredulity.

“Really Twi? We’ve been standing here for an hour now!” Rainbow began as she pulled at her hair, “Just knock already?!” Beside her, Applejack nodded lightly albeit less annoyed than the rainbow haired girl as she shot a pitying glance at Twilight.

“Now, now, Rainbow, we mustn’t rush her,” Rarity placated as she stood next to the farmer, doing her best to suppress a shiver from the breeze that went past them in the cool night air. She shot an encouraging smile at the nerd, “Even if it takes freezing ourselves for Twilight to work up the courage to confess, we as her friends must stand beside her darkest hour.”

Pinkie Pie jumped down from the patio’s roof, “Huh, I thought Sci Twi’s darkest hour was that time at Camp Everfree? Or that time at the Friendship Games? Or-OH! OH! Or that time when Timber Spruce broke up with Twilight because he thinks she’s not taking their relationship seriously so he told her to confess and she told him that she’s really in love with-

The hyperactive girl stopped to take a deep breath as she slowly slithered down and went back to standing beside Rarity, who was still glaring at her. “Yes that,” she said as she marched up the steps and took hold of the blushing girl’s cheeks, “and it made her stronger than ever.” She brought her friend close as Rarity stared up, “Oh what a wonderful tale of sorrow, yet amidst it all, she found light in the one who saved her!”

Stars seemed to shine in the fashionista’s eyes as she twirled, Twilight unfortunately in tow, “Sunset and Twilight. Two aspects of the sun and interconnected by fate alone!”

Applejack huffed at the girl’s theatrics, “Right, well can fate be so kind and open the darn door already? I’m feeling colder than our cider on Winter break and I ain’t planning to waste all Sunset’s family’s hard work by missing their food.” Rainbow agreed with a furious shake of her head, Pinkie nodding beside her.

The food hidden behind the door was homemade and the rare treat baked by the night’s chef was famous throughout Canterlot (yet still believed to be a town legend) for the mouthwatering goodness inside the modern Victorian home.

Rarity sputtered in disbelief, still gripping Twilight who was dangerously turning blue. “How can you prioritized food at a night like this!?” Rarity asked, aghast and not seeming to be aware of the flailing girl in her arms. The farmer merely huffed in response as she walked over and pushed the doorbell, ignoring her friend’s plight.

The lavender haired girl let out an offended ‘humph,’ crossing her arms while simultaneously letting go of Twilight who was now struggling to breathe properly again. “You have no ounce of Romance in you, Applejack. I am simply appalled.”

“Yeah yeah, ya’ll can give it to me later. Right now, I ain’t so keen at freezing out here for long. Won’t do Twi any good for a confession anyway if she turned blue,” The apple farmer took a glance at the wheezing girl on the floor, “either from the cold or you.”

Rarity had the decency to blush and turned to apologize and help the poor girl up. Pinkie bounced over and helped, giggling as Sci Twi wobbled and groaned. Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration before helping as well, “Really, Twi. You’re such a wimp,” rolling her eyes at the frown aimed at her from their very own fashionista, “Hey, I waited for an hour. That’s the longest I can wait for my friends to finally pony up and ask someone out. Cut me some slack, Rares!”

There was a sound of shuffling as Rainbow and Pinkie managed to sling Twilight’s arms over each of their shoulders just as the door swung open and Principal Celestia greeted the teenagers with her signature sun-rivaling smile.

“Why hello girls! Thank you for coming and –oh, Twilight, are you alright?” The older woman’s eyebrows shot up with worry as she took sight of the girl’s state. Applejack tipped her hat in greeting, “Nothing to worry bout Ms. Celestia. O’le Twi here just got taken by them nerves.” Rarity hurriedly added, “It is our first time celebrating New Year’s Eve with you all and we are grateful for you letting us partake in your time and humble abode.” The explanation seemed to be received with little hesitation before Celestia nodded and beckoned them inside.

The two eldest Rainbooms let their disoriented band mate in first as Pinkie and Rainbow passed through the doorway and looked for the couch to place Twilight on.

Passing by the farmer, Rarity lightly swatted at the other girl’s shoulder, “Why must you ruin love, dear Applejack?” She added with an exaggerated expression of exhaustion complete with her head lightly facing up as one palm draped itself atop her forehead.

The blonde merely sighed and closed the door.

As they both headed to the living room, their purple friend finally managed to come to as she blushed furiously while simultaneously sputtering out apologies and explanations to-lo and behold- the object of her affections. Sunset Shimmer simply grinned while the bespectacled girl continued to let out a series of incoherent babbles. Rainbow Dash groaned before moving away, probably to look for something to drink.

Pinkie Pie happily bounced towards her two older friends, bringing both her arms around them as she let out a whisper, “Twilight can’t talk straight…and I don’t think she ever did.” The farmer chuckled at that as she fidgeted with her Stetson, the hat still in place regardless of Rarity’s obvious attempt of having her friend wear anything else to match the ensemble she made for them.

The alabaster skinned student merely sighed, no longer able to bear the sight of the hopeless scene before her. Twilight’s blatant attraction towards the former pony was as obvious as the ‘friendship’ of Bon Bon and Lyra. It was even voted as the second worst kept secret in CHS for goodness sake! Yet here she was stuck, along with the other students (and faculty, if she were to trust the rumors) who proceeded to bet on the chances of Twilight ‘Not-so-subtle’ Sparkle finally asking Sunset ‘Oblivious-than-thou’ Shimmer out. Truly, element of Generosity or not, Rarity had enough of giving her friend time.

A lady must now take action.

“Hold your horses now, Rares-

Pinkie Pie snorted. Applejack glared. The pink haired girl bounced away with a broad grin. As their animated friend vanished towards the kitchen, the apple farmer turned to the peeved girl.

-I’ve seen that look. Now I want you to think about it before doing something RD worthy.” That got a small smile from Rarity. Applejack smiled back, “Remember about all that hooey you’ve been griping us about giving Twi time? What about doing that, huh?”

Rarity, for her part, attempted to look bashful once she’s been caught. She sighed before deciding to sink into the velvet cushions of the matriarchal household. “I know what I said Applejack,” she began with a sigh once more as she stared across the wide room, hearing the melodic laughter coming from Sunset as Twilight proceeded to blush further and looking like she was wishing to sink deeper into the couch than the hole she dug herself in, if Rarity were to follow the conversation.

Knowing the Equestrian’s affinity and type of humor (Rarity still blamed Rainbow’s influence) and how easily the genius girl gets flustered, it doesn’t take one to easily connect the dots. How she wished Sunset could have used her sense of intuition for those types of jokes to sense romantic interests. One can still dream.

“I do wish it wasn’t so painful waiting for love to bloom though.” Sunset have now brought a hand on the other girl’s shoulder to stop the onslaught of unintelligible words, offering a comforting smile as she took the other girl’s hand and led them towards the dining room connected to the kitchen. Green and azure blue eyes followed the two teens as Pinkie and Rainbow Dash walked out with a fresh tray full of cookies with the rainbow haired girl’s mouth already filled to the brim with the delectable goods.

Choosing to ignore the slew of cookie gibberish from her athletic friend, Rarity stood to follow once Luna, clad in a midnight blue dress with the words “Desserts Shall Last Forever!” stitched on the apron over it, walked out with another tray of cookies as she announced that dinner and the dessert were ready.

“Wow! Them food sure smells great, Ms. Luna,” Applejack complimented as took in the mouthwatering sight of the dishes laid out on the dining table. Principal Celestia finished placing the last of the utensils, clapping her hands together as she observed that everyone was here.

“Oh my gosh, Fluttershy!” Pinkie exclaimed as she instantly teleported to the meek girl’s side and ensnared her into a hug, “How did you possibly get here and without telling us even?!” She bounced up and down as she waited for the reply.

“Err, Pinks. I don’t think she can answer you when you’re jumping with her in tow,” Sunset commented as she bemusedly observed the two, Twilight giggling beside her. The pink one blinked before lifting her hands to the sides, releasing the disoriented girl. Celestia gave Luna a concerned glance as she watched Pinkie grab another handful of her sister’s beloved confections.

“Yes Darling. While not as enthusiastically as Pinkie has put it, I’m also curious,” Rarity began as she walked over to her friend, greeting her with a hug. Fluttershy was thankful it was more subdued than the greetings she got from Applejack and Rainbow who both have unceremoniously clapped her on the back. The fashionista did not miss the brief glance Fluttershy threw over her shoulder as she replied with her signature demure voice, “I decided to…help make the food. I…umm, wanted to surprise you all.” She then lightly threw her hands up, “Surprise.” That got a chuckle out of everyone present, making the shy girl smile.

Rainbow then threw an arm around Fluttershy as she pumped a fist in the air, “Oh yeah! Since you helped make the food I bet it all got 20% yummier!” Pinkie nodded as she tried to reach for another platter, with Luna finally deciding to fend her off. As they all began choosing their seats, Rarity lightly stayed behind to go over to Twilight’s side, who stood rooted at her spot and seemingly lost in thought.

“Dear, let me start off by saying how dreadfully awful it was for me to do what I did,” Rarity’s brow furrowed as the bespectacled girl jumped lightly in fright. “Wha-Oh no, uh, that’s fine. It’s fine,” She followed this off with a distracted hand wave as she giggled nervously. Celestia disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared a few minutes later with a new steaming platter of food. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Luna helped with passing the trays around the table.

“I never meant to make you jumpy. Have I upset you greatly?” The keytar player asked but received no response from the other. Rarity frowned, watching as Twilight continued to stare over her shoulder. Slowly following her line of sight, she let out a tiny “Oh…” as she watched Sunset walked over to Fluttershy and pulled out the chair for the meek girl.

Turning back to see the smart girl’s crestfallen look, Rarity bit her lip. She wondered how to assure her friend. Surely Sunset was just being the chivalrous girl she is, nothing to fret over. She snapped her fingers in front of Twilight, breaking the anxious girl’s gaze on the two chatting girls. “Now now Twilight, try not to think too much about what you saw,” Rarity said in a hushed tone as she pulled the fretting girl towards the long dining table. She took a seat next to Applejack who immediately shot a worried look at them. Rarity waved a hand, signaling that she can handle it. Shrugging, the farmer turned back and started a conversation with Luna about the food.

As she made sure that no attention may fall on them once she saw Pinkie distracted by the cookies and briefly heard Rainbow Dash beginning to tell a funny story from her practice to Celestia, Sunset, and Fluttershy, Rarity gave her full attention to the distraught girl. “Twilight, are you still with me?” The girl blinked in response before shaking her head with a sad groan, slumping down in her seat. “Twilight,” the tone Rarity used made the girl sit up again but a frown stayed as she watched Sunset laugh and shake in barely repressed mirth next to Fluttershy who covered her laughter against the Equestrian’s shoulder once Rainbow finished the joke with a proud smile, even if the athlete received a half disapproving/mirthful look from Celestia.

“I shouldn’t be jealous,” Twilight began, as she furrowed her brows, “my brain is telling me that I’m being irrational. I shouldn’t be jealous. Sunset is being a good friend. Fluttershy did nothing wrong.”

“Yet you still feel this ‘icky’ feeling, like an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of your stomach?” Rarity supplied with a soft smile, helping the confused girl sort out her thoughts and emotions. Another groan was her answer.

“It’s normal to feel envy, dear. You have this crush and she’s giving time to another and enjoying this person’s company. Right now you’re wishing that it was you in Fluttershy’s place, correct?”

A nod was Twilight’s reply as the Rainboom’s singer sighed, “Yeah and I don’t like feeling angry at Fluttershy of all people.”

“No one does actually, if you were to ask everyone in town,” Rarity said with a wry smile. “It’s like if you so much as think of an ill thought against her, the guilt is overwhelmingly ten times the gravitas than that of one kicking a puppy.” A particular unpleasant memory popped up, specifically something in relation to modeling, making Rarity wince, “It is really unbearable.”

Twilight groaned, the dull thud of her head meeting the table went unnoticed due to the boisterous laughter coming from the others as Pinkie Pie joined in the conversation. A sudden pang of guilt shot through her, making the young genius look up at her generous friend, “I’m sorry. Here I am bringing your mood down when you could be having a good time with our friends.” Hands suddenly gripped her around the shoulders, making her stare at narrowed azure eyes, “Now just wait one moment. I may not be having the ideal evening but it would not sit well for me to allow one of my best friends to suffer alone.” At that, Rarity’s gaze softened, “I wouldn’t really call myself a true friend if I let you wallow like this for the rest of the night,” she said as the fashion designer determinedly took a hold of her glass while her other arm pulled the nerd closer to her. “We shall bear this burden of yours until you have found the courage to admit your feelings!” Stars once again twinkled about in the purple haired girl’s eyes. Twilight was still amazed that all the theatrics and the volume used by her friend remained overlooked by the other people across the table.

A different kind of warmth bubbled into surface as Twilight lightly sniffled with a small smile. Rarity immediately let go, “Darling! Oh was it too much? I’m sorry dear I-

-No,” Twilight interrupted as she wiped a tear away yet few more continued to leak. Her friend offered a handkerchief to which she gratefully took. “You…I just…is it sad if I told you that no one has ever done that for me before?” Twilight weakly admitted, but it was certainly the truth. Aside from maybe her family, Spike, and Cadence, she knew she never had someone to call a real friend who was willing to do what Rarity did…or what any of her other friends would do if given the opportunity. At that thought, more tears leaked out but the smile remained on Twilight’s face. She dabbed at the cloth again as she distinctively heard a quiet, “Oh Twilight,” before she was engulfed in a hug.

Rarity made a few motherly pats on the younger girl’s hair; the action warranted a memory about how she would do this to Sweetie Belle and a small smile formed. “We’re here now Twilight. True you may have encountered a dozen or so hurdles that made you think of giving up but never forget that amidst those obstacles, there are people who you love and trust waiting for you. Either to catch you when you fall or simply show you how to get past them.” The alabaster skinned girl felt the other’s arms hug her back, along with a soft whisper of, “Thank you.”

A tinkling sound broke through the chatter and eating in the room, allowing all eyes to turn to Sunset as she remained standing just as she put down the silver folk she used and pointedly ignored the disapproving glance her adopted mother gave her in the mishandling of the utensil. She cleared her throat as she raised the glass further up, “I would just like to make a toast to honor this occasion,” she began.

Pinkie Pie gave a sidelong whisper to Rainbow Dash seated at her right, “I still don’t get why they call it ‘toast’ if there aren’t even toast involved.”

Sunset, being the one seated on Pinkie’s left, ignored the remark as she continued, “First, I like to thank the mar-err-the woman who decided to adopt me, even in my most stubborn and difficult times-

“Don’t forget ‘troublesome!’” Luna quipped from her seat across her niece, earning a chuckle from the Rainbooms and Celestia.

“-and troublesome times, she still found something in me worth adopting,” the former pony said with a light chuckle before self-deprecatingly adding, “even if it took a rainbow laser to the face for me to straighten out.”

Rainbow Dash mock coughed, “’straighten out,’ she says.” Her comment merely earned her a pointed stare from both Applejack and Fluttershy.

Choosing to ignore another remark again, Sunset carried on as she stared into the warm and gentle eyes of her mother, briefly seeing a flash of a horned and winged creature reminiscent of a familiar pony close to her heart, “You helped make me into a better person. You didn’t give up on me and most of all,” here she let out a watery smile, “You gave me something I wanted for so long that not even a million magical crowns could ever provide.”

Celestia, having teared up even before Sunset finished, brought her hands close to her chest as Sunset put the glass down to make her way to the Principal. The school administrator immediately met her halfway, finishing the hug as the older woman felt a touch of liquid against her blouse. She ran her fingers through red and yellow tresses in a calming gesture.

Pinkie Pie sniffed as her giant watery eyes leaked like a waterfall, gripping Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy close. Applejack tugged at her hat, smiling proudly at her friend and principal before noticing at the corner of her eye that Vice-Principal Luna started tearing up as well before the farmer’s shoulder was unceremoniously used as a tissue. From her seat, watching the bass player awkwardly consoling her friend’s aunt, Rarity dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief. “Oh what a heartwarming display,” she uttered with a beaming smile before turning to the bespectacled girl, making her grin widen. The fashion designer had seen many expressions similar to Twilight’s current one. She’d seen that look before, like the time when Fluttershy brought in a poor injured kitten, and when she caught Applejack talking about her day to a large winding tree of pears and apples.

To simply put, she had seen the look of love before and right now, seated in a tastefully decorated dining room with her friends and the maternal authority figures of her school, the expression painted on one Twilight Sparkle’s face could not be mistaken for anything other than pure admiration and affection.

Rarity sighed to herself, happy that her friend felt this strong surge of emotion towards another yet frustrated at the same knowing it would take a while (maybe even until graduation if they were lucky) for even the young genius to take the leap. She decided to not even count Sunset Shimmer to be the one to make the first move seeing as this was the same girl who did not even know about the Friendship Games…even after studying at CHS since freshman year for pete’s sake!

She surveyed the room, deciding that it would do well to calm her nerves before she get worked up once again at the thought of Sunset being oblivious to an important annual school event and it still irritated her but a memory of a session with Rainbow Dash and her drilling all the activities into the Equestrian’s head lightly soothed the annoyance. Her eyes flicked over to the athlete’s grimace as she tried to pry herself from the sobbing pink girl, to Applejack’s awkward attempts of a consoling, and to-

Her eyes widened into pinpricks before she blinked, as if to confirm what she was seeing. “No, it couldn’t be. She’s not really-Is she?!” were currently her thoughts as she gazed at the shyest member of their group. Fluttershy, animal loving and the kindest person anyone could ever meet, stared at the mother-daughter duo with the same expression she’s seeing on Twilight. Rarity even made sure to glance to and fro from the bespectacled girl and the element of kindness. As Sunset pulled away with a sniffle, Fluttershy stood up and hugged the girl as she led them back to their chairs. The Rainboom’s lyricist smiled with a proud little grin in her face, eyes shining with a glint that made Rarity think Fluttershy believed Sunset raised the sun herself.

There was no mistaking it, the expressions on Twilight and Fluttershy’s faces were identical. The fashion designer gulped, hoping that Twilight was too love-struck to notice. She nervously chanced a glance and her heart broke at what she saw. Twilight simply stared at her untouched plate, refusing to glance up yet Rarity could see the storm brewing behind those framed glasses. The purple haired girl bit her lip, suddenly at a loss. She did not wish to jump to conclusions but now seeing Fluttershy feeding Sunset from her plate, she has her doubts. “No!” Rarity lightly shook her head. Until it was official and the news of them dating came from them, she would not believe that-

“I…um…would also like to make an announcement,” Fluttershy’s voice cut through Rarity’s reverie, and she did not miss the wince that came from Twilight. She placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, as if urging her to stay strong and don’t panic.

Because Rarity was certainly not panicking in the inside, nor on the brink hyperventilating.

The animal lover stood up, not showing the anxiety she’s feeling as the spotlight was now on her. She suddenly contemplated of backing out but the orange hand gripping hers under the table made her steel her resolve. Fluttershy took a deep breath as her determined eyes scanned each and every person (her gaze lightly faltered when they fell on her nerd friend but an encouraging smile from Rarity made her move her gaze along) and mustered up the words she had been practicing for some time now. She practiced in front of the mirror in her room, she practiced in front of Angel bunny, and she even said what she wanted to say earlier before the Rainbooms arrived in front of a mirror in Sunset’s room.

“Winners can’t be beat, just go and say it! She repeated the words she heard from the motivational videos she started watching.

“I…am dating Sunset Shimmer.”

All of them lightly strained to hear. Luna looked on with a patient smile as Fluttershy hid behind her pink hair, “Could you please repeat it, Fluttershy? I’m afraid we didn’t catch that.” The girl in question peeked out from her safety curtain and repeated, “I…am dating Sunset Shimmer.”

Rainbow Dash blinked as she brought a finger inside her ear and cleaned it out, to Rarity’s absolute horror and disgust, “Uh Shy? Still can’t hear you.” Her worried expression threatened to split between her nervous best friend and to Pinkie’s sudden jovial and crazed shaking.

“I…” Fluttershy began again but her bravado was slowly starting to disappear as the others held their gaze on her.

The hand gripping hers instantly slipped their fingers in, intertwining them and bringing warmth to the shy girl.

Applejack, upon spotting the hesitation from her friend, looked on encouragingly with a placating gesture, “Go on, sugar cube.” At that statement and seeing the supportive looks around her, Fluttershy puffed out her chest and finally said in an even tone, “I…am dating Sunset Shimmer.”

She closed her eyes after uttering those words but a great weight left her once hearing them out loud. “I am dating Sunset Shimmer!” a happy squeak escaped her. The hand rubbing comforting circles with hers brought her eyes open, staring into loving cyan eyes. A blush formed on her cheeks as Sunset moved to peck her on the lips. Fluttershy inwardly panicked, torn between reminding the other of their audience and the pull she’s feeling as she slowly leaned in.

The sudden sound of a confetti cannon going off interrupted the gesture, making Fluttershy let out a startled, ‘Meep!’ before ducking under the table.

Sunset glared to her right, the innocent looking grin of Pinkie Pie did not falter even amidst the gaze of the other girl. Before the pink one could even be introduced to an earful and a hand, Luna scooped her niece into her arms and spun her around. The laughter of the younger adult brought everyone out of their surprise.

“Well, that was…unexpected,” Applejack began from her seat as Rainbow and Pinkie got off theirs to go under the table and congratulate the frightened girl. Rarity nodded absentmindedly, inwardly fighting the urge to go under the table herself (either to congratulate or strangle one can never know) as she decided to simply stay put and…try not to think about the money she lost to the bet.

The money…that she confidently wagered…

Rarity twitched in her seat.

Applejack allowed the other older girl to wallow in her confusion and loss for a while, her attention now going to the quiet bespectacled girl. The farmer decided (after cleaning her shoulder) to get up and pull the nerd out of her chair and into the living room, away from the noise.

Twilight did not resist even as she was gently placed down on the velvet cushions. Her mind went over what she had seen and replayed the words uttered by her friend over and over again. Her brows knitted with a frown etched in her expression, “she…dating…they’re…dating.” The apple farmer rubbed the back of her neck as she surveyed her friend’s state.

The laughter of the two authority figures and Sunset’s mixed in between provided a bittersweet feeling in the pit of the young genius’ belly. She honestly should be feeling happy for both her friends. She should not even have the right to be angry…or jealous. She should…but she couldn’t.

“I’m…really sorry, Sugarcube.” Applejack’s pitying voice brought Twilight’s focus to the farmer’s worried green eyes staring into teary amethyst ones. Twilight blinked as she placed a hand to her eyes and wondered when she started crying.

Applejack continued to rub the back of her neck, not exactly knowing what to do. On one hand, she can honestly say to her friend that maybe it wasn’t meant to be (even if a certain fashion designer will disagree and might even smack her head for that) or she can lie, say something about everything might get better and Sunset might change her mind but again, that would be a lie. Hearts aren’t that easy to control and right now, as she stared at her shy friend and her school’s former bully laughing and smiling to each other, Twilight would just have to find the time to heal because Sunset’s heart is in the hands of another.

As AJ turned back to her distraught friend, she opened her mouth to begin until the words died instantly as pink arms wrapped around her neck and brought her to bend down, ears now ringing due to Pinkie’s loud proclamation of, “PARTY IN SUNSET’S ROOM!” before the party planner disappeared…along with all of Luna’s cookies.

Taking a moment to recover, the apple farmer stood with a confused and annoyed expression before RD clasped a hand on her shoulder, “We’re going to move the food to Sunset’s room coz the P and VP’s friends will be showing up and we ain’t allowed for their adult party yet.”

Seeing the usual expression of Rainbow Dash when her fun’s been cut off, she could agree that it was a good call. She once heard from Sunset how her family’s friends were ‘not the most ideal type of adults that teenagers should be witnessing’ and left it at that.

Nodding to the athlete, Applejack made a move to call Twilight but belatedly noticed she disappeared from her spot on the couch. “Uh, where’d Twi go?” AJ asked as Rainbow led her to the flight of stairs with Sunset and Fluttershy behind.

“Bathroom, Rarity followed after for ‘girly girl things’ so they might be in there for a while,” Rainbow gestured towards the hallway leading to the apparent lavatory before making a face as a sudden realization hit her, “Wait, they’re not talking about ‘girly girl things’ are they?” She glanced at the farmer for confirmation, frowning at the head shake she got.

Rainbow discreetly shot a glance over her shoulder and immediately turned back, “Okay, now I’m torn.” She got a wry chuckle in response followed by a quiet, “You’re not the only one, RD.”

“Twilight, please just breathe. Breathe.”

Rarity held out a placating hand but was lightly batted away. She can only helplessly watch Twilight pace about from her seat at the edge of the porcelain bath tub.

“I can’t Rarity! Like how can I go to school with them both knowing that they’re officially dating?! Now I’m beating myself over it because that sounded bad out loud! But honestly, how long were they even going out? How? When? Why?! Argh!!!” Twilight gripped her head as she keeled over, sitting on the closed toilet seat cover.

“I have no right to be jealous! I mean they’re even perfect for each other! Really, Fluttershy’s nice, sweet, and smart and Sunset’s nice too, a bit short tempered and snarky but she can been kind, funny, smart and-

“GAH!” Twilight threw her hands up, her back leaning against the tank, “Bad Twilight! Bad! Not allowed to think of a taken girl like that! Bad!”

Rarity bit her lip, unsure of the course of action to take as she can only watch as the nerdy girl berate herself for even thinking about their now unavailable friend in a manner, even it is harmless and more of describing than fantasizing.

Pinkie Pie popped up from the drain of the bath tub, unfazed at nearly giving Rarity a heart attack as she slid out and hugged the bespectacled girl. “Oh silly Twi Twi! This isn’t Sunset’s room, why’re you’re in here being a Frownie Brownie when you could be in Fun Land!?” Confetti shot down from the ceiling at Pinkie’s words but they seemed to be magically sucked back into the pink girl’s hair at Twilight’s detached words of, “Not now Pinkie.”

The party girl blinked before teleporting to the fashion designer’s side, “I think Twi’s upset,” she harshly whispered as she observed the girl.

With her hair in a fritz due to the girl’s sudden entrance, Rarity let out a deadpanned, “You don’t say,” before she turned to face Twilight with knitted brows, “Darling, it’s not going to get any better if you hide here all night.”

“Yeah and it’ll be awkward because what if someone else’s gonna use the bathroom if they got to go, you know?”

Rarity resisted the urge to mind that one. Placing a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, she drove the point home, “and I know how it is to face someone you are attracted to and could do nothing about it. It will get awkward yes…heartbreaking even and sometimes you will feel this uncontrollable burst of anger when they walked past you, oblivious to your feelings and going about their day like everything’s fine, like everything’s ‘right and dandy’ and don’t get me even started on-

“Uh, I think she gets it Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said before nibbling at a cookie.

“Right, ahem. What I mean to say is,” the fashion designer’s eye softened at these words, “You’re not alone in this. We’ll be here to help but we can’t do so when you shut us out.” Pinkie nodded beside her with an encouraging grin. The two waited for the other to respond but after a long moment of silence and tense shuffling, they decided to leave the girl to ponder their words with a hug and a few pats.

Closing the bathroom door, Rarity sighed as she hoped that Twilight can finally come to a decision. For now, they would simply have to wait and hope for the best for their comrade. Right now, she has questions that needed answering. She turned and barely repressed a dignified shriek (because a lady do not scream) as she faced a serious looking Pinkie inches from her. “She’ll be fine, right Rarity?” the pink haired girl asked the older one.

Calming her beating heart, Rarity let out a small smile grace her haggard features before patting her friend’s head, “Not to worry, Miss Pie. Twilight’s strong. I have full confidence that she’ll get past this.” Pinkie was not convinced so the Key tar player decided to divert the attention away, “Now, where is Sunset’s room again. I still have room for Luna’s delightful confectioneries.” At the mention of the legendary sweets, Pinkie’s grin appeared once more as she all but left cloud dusts in her shape.

Rarity shook her head at her friend but she decided to follow after the girl. Casting one last glance at the bathroom door, Rarity made her way to the room filled with the sounds of laughter.

She has work to do.

Author's Note

Hi.