A Moment in Autumnby wishcometrueChaptersPrologue - And It All Keeps on Falling1. Sunrise2. Morning3. Noon4. AfternoonEpilogue - Maybe In Another Life5. SunsetPrologue - And It All Keeps on FallingTrixie walked down the sidewalk towards the second-rate coffee shop. Going there had started as a weekly ritual after Sunset had left for that tour with her band and had become a daily one as the air grew colder. She reached up to adjust her scarf, but frowned as her hands only touched air before quickly folding her arms across her chest. She sighed as she remembered that she didn’t account for the wind. Entering the coffee shop, she nonchalantly put her hands back in her pockets as she walked to the counter and ordered coffee in rote. A better coffee shop would have memorized her order by now, but she was already at the limits of her daily budget here. As she waited, her eyes drifted, first tracing the swirls in the wood of the counter, then gazing at the pastries she refused to eat for fear of getting fat, before tracing along the wall and settling on a bulletin board. She had, of course, seen this bulletin board before. The tracing movements of her eyes were just another rote aspect of her daily visit, but today she saw something much more colorful than the usual fare of muted neutral tones. Walking closer, she saw that the poster which more resembled something a rainbow had barfed out than anything approaching actual art was for a Rainbooms concert in Canterlot City in two days. She sighed; this was, of course, the first time she’d heard about it. Nevermind the fact that she was the girlfriend of one of the guitarists, no, she had to find out about it at a second rate coffee shop and she should just- Before her internal ranting could reach a fever pitch, “Latte for Trixie?” Not even bothering to respond to the barista, she grabbed her drink and stomped off to a corner booth with shoulders tensed and eyes narrowed. She sat down forcefully for good measure which unfortunately led to her banging her knee on the table. Hissing, she rubbed the newly forming bruise and attempted to subtly look around to make sure no one noticed. Luckily for her, no one seemed to care. Sipping her latte and feeling that familiar jittery calm settle in, she pulled out her phone and hesitantly texted her girlfriend. Sunset I heard you would be back in Canterlot for the weekend Trixie has a magic show tomorrow, and I would love if you came. And before she could even take another sip of coffee: im sorry trix i wont be able to make it. love you Trixie sighed, deflating and sliding down the booth’s couch. She started putting her phone back in her pocket, but she hesitated. She was better than that. She tapped her phone’s screen carefully, putting all of her effort into composing three simple words. Okay Love you Slipping her phone back into her jacket, she let her head lightly thunk onto the table, rolling it until she was looking at the bulletin board again. Glaring one last time at that nauseatingly colorful poster, she grabbed her coffee and slunk out the door, ignoring the tinkling of the bell and the forced customer service pleasantry from behind the counter. She looked up at the setting sun between the branches of a tree with leaves in a mirror of reds and golds. A leaf began to fall, and while she logically knew it couldn’t have been the first of the season to fall, it felt like it to her. As it settled gently on the sidewalk, she slammed her boot down onto it. 1. SunriseSunset groaned against the sunlight beginning to seep in through her too thin eyelids. She hesitantly opened her eyes and wanted to scream when she saw that the sun was barely even visible over the horizon, let alone the nearby buildings. Clenching her eyes shut, she grumbled internally about worlds without magic being intrinsic to all processes of life--including evolution--being stupid. Refusing to face the world just yet, she pulled the warm body she was curled around even closer. She buried her face in that hair that, no matter how long it had been since she had done a show, always smelled like a mixture of gunpowder and flowers. She loved to tease Trixie about it, but sometimes she liked to tell her that it reminded her of simpler times: of festivals in Equestria and tea in the gardens with Princess Celestia. Unfortunately, all of this movement caused Trixie to stir too. "Ungh, Sunset? Trixie demands to know what time it is." Sunset stubbornly refused to look at the clock or acknowledge the world outside of her bed, and instead grumbled and pressed her face even deeper into Trixie’s tangled locks. "Who cares, let's just stay like this for a little longer." "I would love to, but I have a show later that I need to prepare for, and you have to leave with your little band soon." Sunset refused to concede defeat that easily. "Oh, come on, it can't be early enough for that." As if to prove her wrong, she heard a horn honked outside. "Yeah, okay, I should’ve seen that one coming." Groaning, the two young women disentangled themselves. Sunset groaned and swayed as she sat up in bed a little too quickly. With legs hanging over the bed, one arm gripped the mattress for balance and the other rubbed at her eyes until the world was slightly less blurry. Finally confident that she wouldn't fall over immediately after standing up, she stretched her limbs and back before stumbling down her stairs to make some coffee. "I still don't understand how you haven't broken your neck on those deathtraps you call stairs." "Lots of practice." After watching a few dark drops fall into the glass pot, Sunset stumbled into the bathroom to start other parts of her morning rituals. She leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on her face in a process that was both refreshing and uncomfortable. She looked in the mirror and took stock of her appearance. There were some bags under her eyes, but with a blush and a glance at some red marks on her neck, she decided a little sleep deprivation was worth it. She grimaced when she saw how tangled her hair was. Picking up her brush, she began the awful task of brushing out her bed head. As she tried to pull her brush free from a particularly stubborn tangle, she heard pounding on her apartment door that abruptly stopped with the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a muffled, "Hey!" Groaning, she stomped to the door and swung it open, glaring at Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "I am not stepping a foot outside of this apartment before I have some coffee, so calm down before you wake my neighbors up," she hissed. “Ah tried to tell her to be more quiet.” She shrugged and sighed before glaring at Dash. “Key word is tried.” Rainbow Dash shrunk in on herself under the glares of both Sunset and Applejack. As her eyes drifted up though, she went from looking cowed to snerking. "Digging the new look Sunset!" Applejack spared a glance at Sunset and quickly sucked in her lips to hold back a chuckle. "C'mon Rainbow, let's get out of her hair." A chuckle slipped through. "She doesn't need anything else getting stuck in there." Sunset just stared at them deadpan at this point. "Ha ha. Great, awesome, I'll be out in ten, okay?" Not even waiting for a response, she closed the door as forcefully as she could while trying to be quiet. She sighed, dragging her hand across her face. She slumped and stumbled back towards the coffee maker as a second wave of exhaustion began to set in. Trixie handed her a coffee mug that she greedily drank from. It was perfect, with the barest splash of milk and a sprinkle of sugar, just enough to balance the flavors. She kissed Trixie's cheek as thanks before sipping it more calmly. Trixie smirked before glancing towards the door. "I’m still not sure how you can put up with them." Sunset glared at her, but it had no heat behind it. Trixie had a habit of belittling her friends, but she figured it was a joke and never bothered complaining about it. Sunset could handle a few really annoying jokes as long as she got to be with Trixie. "All I'm saying is that they can be… grating," she finished as diplomatically as she could--which is to say, not very. Sunset rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Oh, yeah, like you never have been yourself." Giggling a little at Trixie's grumbling, she quickly finished her coffee and gave Trixie a peck on her cheek. “Thanks for the coffee, hon. You made it just the way I like it.” “Hmph, was there ever any doubt?” Trixie attempted to smirk again, but Sunset knew a genuine smile when she saw one. She began pulling her brush through her unruly hair again, watching as Trixie pulled out a purple notebook from her backpack and began detailing plans for upcoming shows. She would never tell her, but Sunset thought the stage magic stuff was kind of silly. She appreciated the dedication Trixie had for it, though. Finally satisfied her hair wasn’t too bad, she grabbed a duffel bag and began throwing some clothes in. She then grabbed her backpack, already carrying her wallet and cell phone as well as the journal, and her guitar. “Alright, I really shouldn’t keep them waiting much longer, so I’m gonna go now. Love you, Trix.” “I love you too, Sunset.” She gave Trixie one final kiss, and walked out the door. 2. MorningAs the gentle thrum of chords dying out sounded, the girl’s feet reconnected with the stage floor, pony ears and tails--and wings, for two--faded away as well. Even after all these shows, “Friendship Through the Ages” still made Sunset a little teary eyed, and she quickly embraced the other girls, and was embraced in turn. As the hug ended, Sunset could clearly hear only polite applause. The manager who had booked them was waiting as they walked backstage. "That was a decent show, girls. Here's your pay." Check handed over, she walked off before any of them could respond. The tacit ‘don’t overstay your welcome’ was clear even to the more dense of the group, and whatever good vibes left from their finale quickly dissipated. Glancing at the check, Sunset winced. It was barely enough to cover their current hotel stay and the gas to their next show. She passed the check over to Rainbow Dash, who groaned and slammed her fist into the wall after reading it, wincing and shaking her hand afterwards, glaring at the wall. "Decent show? We totally killed it out there! This place just couldn't handle all of our concentrated awesome," Rainbow fumed. "Ugh, I know. Whose bright idea was it to book a show at a retirement home?" Rainbow Dash side-eyed her. "It was yours, Sunset." "Oh. Right." Sunset sighed, head drooping. She slid down the wall into a crouch before burying her head in her hands. “Sorry, I’ve just been distracted.” Rainbow glanced at her friends and quickly moved to Sunset’s side, awkwardly wrapping an arm around her. “Don’t worry about it, stuff like this happens. I booked our next show, so it’ll obviously be a hundred percent awesome, and I know whatever show you book for us next will be about fifty percent more,” she reassured. Sunset glanced over, slight smirk betrayed by eyes still weary. “What happened to your obsession with twenty percent, Dash?” "Pfft, twenty isn't even close to enough for this situation." "Just this one?" Rainbow Dash punched her shoulder and they both started laughing. "Hate to break up your little moment there but we really oughta head out." "Yeah, yeah, we already know that AJ." Rainbow Dash waved her hand at her. "Well then, Dash, why aren't you helpin' us packin’ up?" Sweating bullets under Applejack's glare, Rainbow Dash sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. She quickly stood up and dashed at geode speeds to the stage to begin packing up her guitar. Applejack turned to Sunset with a much softer gaze. She helped Sunset stand up before putting her hand on her shoulder. "So, what had ya so distracted girl?" Sunset sighed. "I just really miss Trixie. It feels weird to be apart from her for so long and texts and calls just can't replace actually being there, you know?" "Sorry Sunset, I really don't. I mean, don't get me wrong, it seems tough, but...” she trailed off, putting her hands in her pockets. “I know, I know. Rarity is in the band, so you don’t have to worry about this kind of thing.” Applejack looked at her with furrowed brows. “Sunset, that’s no—” Her words were cut off by Sunset’s hand pressed over her mouth. Sunset sighed morosely. “Let’s just pack up and get out of here.” She walked away before Applejack could finish her thought. Sunset sat at the back of the bus, staring out the window as endless fields stretched behind them. Being in Canterlot City was so strange because, despite being so different than the one she spent so many formative years in, it still felt familiar in a way. There were the poor areas, the rich areas, the in-between areas. There were so many cultures converging, and yet they both managed to feel bland and less than the sum of their parts. Out here though, passing seemingly endless expanses of fields, it just felt wrong. All she could think about was how much greener it was in Equestria, how much cleaner it was and more real it felt. She could hear Rainbow Dash saying something to Twilight a couple rows up, and, judging by their tones, it was probably Rainbow Dash begging her for help with some assignment. She shook her head and chuckled. She didn't really get what they saw in each other, and she especially couldn't get how Twilight hadn't gone full Midnight on Dash yet, but she saw how happy they were together, and that was what really mattered to her. Her phone started ringing, "Awesome As I Wanna Be" playing. She pointedly ignored the smug grin Dash was giving her—just because it was a catchy song didn't mean she was going to do even more to add to Dash's ego—and picked up the call. "Hello?" "Sunset? Why do you sound so... fuzzy?" "Oh, hey Trix. Yeah, we're out in the Whinnesota countryside, so the connection isn't great." Rainbow Dash, seeing that her ego wasn’t going to be stroked further, rolled her eyes and turned to bug Twilight again. "Ah, that would explain it. Trixie just wanted to say that she is sure things are going adequately there, but she also knows things would be better if she was there." Sunset laughed, rolling her eyes and pushing her fingernails into her thigh while pushing down nagging thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I'd love if you could be here too, Trix. I miss you." "I miss you too, and I... I just wanted to say I love you." "I love you too Trix, talk to you soon." Sunset looked down at the red marks across her thigh as she put her phone away. The girls morosely walked off stage, walking slowly back to the green room. Sunset barely noticed any of this, her gaze downcast. She knew she’d messed this one up, and she wasn’t ready to face the music, not this time. She turned her sluggish gait towards a different hall, hoping to escape before the girls noticed. Rainbow Dash, unfortunately, did notice. With a quick “Hey!” she ran up to Sunset and punched her. Sunset winced and rubbed her arm. She knew Dash was holding back, but it still felt tender. “What the hell Sunset, this show was even worse than the last one! I handed you good venues on a gilded platter,” Twilight looked like she was about to interrupt to correct Dash, but she kept plowing on, “How did you fuck this up!” Sunset awkwardly smiled in an attempt to diffuse the growing tension. “Well, that was more of a statement than a question.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “No shit, Sunset. I need to hear an answer, but I don’t really want to.” Sunset grimaced. Dash didn’t get serious like this unless she was really upset. “Well, I emailed all of the places, but I guess I just kind of… forgot to respond to the follow up emails?” Rainbow Dash groaned, executing a perfect double facepalm. “Sunset, I just…” She struggled with her words for a moment, but Twilight put her hand on Dash’s shoulder. After a deep breath, she soldiered on. “You can’t book any more shows, at least for right now.” Sunset gasped, but noticed that no one else did. “What? B-but it’s supposed to be a team effort.” Dash glanced back at Twilight, who nervously rubbed her geode before responding, “Look, Sunset, we can’t keep doing shows like this. You’ve broken all of our trust and you need to earn it back.” Sunset glared at the others. “And you all agree with them.” When there was no response beyond some nods and awkward glances at the floor, Sunset had her answer. Growling, Sunset’s glare intensified and flames began to lick at her fingers, but they slowly faded. She grimaced, clenching her eyes so that the forming tears wouldn’t spill out. “I get it, I just…” She sighed and the flames went out. Without another glance at her friends, she walked back to the bus, guitar case in hand, not bothering to finish her thought. -- ugh today sucked What happened, Sunset? i messed up bad booked a shit show again I know a thing or two about booking shows. I could have helped you. yeah and trixie also wont be able to help me now rest of the girls decided i cant be trusted to do this rn cant really blame them That hardly seems fair, Sunset. idk trix idk “I don’t really see the point of this, Dash.” Rainbow growled, gripping her guitar tight enough for her knuckles to pale. “You don’t see the point of one on one practice between the guitar players when you still can’t get this part?” Sunset growled right back, anger flaring up. “And I’m telling you I’ll get it in one of our group practices, and I don’t need you to patronize me.” “Is that really what you think this is, Sunset? Newsflash! We’ve been practicing this song for two weeks for a big show, ya know, the one we’re playing tonight? We don’t have time for this anymore! You either learn the part, or you’re only doing rhythm on this song.” “Oh, that’s just great Dash, well, you know what I think? I-” Her tirade was cut off as her phone started buzzing. She awkwardly pulled it out, quickly reading the text. Trixie’s car got stolen Sunset All of my magic materials are in there and I’ve got a show tonight. I don’t know what to do. Biting her lip, Sunset swallowed her pride. “Alright, fine, the sooner we finish with this, the better.” -- “Sunset, would you please put your phone away? Dash might have said you got the part down, but now… well...” Brow furrowing, Sunset fumed. Typical Rarity, not having the guts to say something, and somehow making it seem worse because of it. Sunset’s only response was a grunt; she never stopped writing her text. Rainbow Dash shook her head and put her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Rarity’s right. C’mon Sunset, you need to focus! This show will either make us, or it’ll break us.” “I know, Dash, just… Trixie is going through some stuff right now, and I need to be there for her.” “And that sucks, like, it's totally lame. But she isn’t here, and we are. So what's it gonna be, Sunset? Some more comforting texts? Or getting your head in the game and actually doing something.” Sunset sighed. Realizing she wasn’t actually being given a choice she put her phone away, leaving a consolatory text incomplete and unsent. 3. NoonDear Sunset Shimmer, I was looking in my journal this morning, and I couldn’t believe it's been a few moons since we last talked. Things have been kind of crazy over here, but when are they not, really? I shouldn't use that as an excuse for neglecting my friends. I'm so, so sorry for not writing sooner, Sunset. How are you and the girls doing? Is there anything exciting happening over there? Or just anything you’d like to talk about? I miss talking to you Sunset, and I hope to hear from you soon. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle Sunset awoke in a daze. “No, Princess Celestia, don’t take my cake…” As her mind slowly started making sense, she realized she wasn’t actually in Equestria having her cakes stolen by her former teacher. Instead she was on a bus, and someone was shaking her awake. Sunset grumbled and attempted to swat at whoever it was. "Sunset, as much as I love hearing myself sing, I'm trying to sleep. We're all trying to sleep, so could you do something about your phone? And whatever you do, just... keep it down." Rubbing bleary eyes, she watched as Rainbow walked away. Her phone didn’t take long to ring again, and Sunset quickly rejected the call and checked the number. Trixie, as she thought. Groaning, she quickly wrote a text to send her to make sure she didn't call again. A few seconds later, Sorry Sunset. Trixie just misses the sound of your voice. i miss your voice too trixie but you cant keep calling me like this if you really want to talk, text me first, ok? Okay we can talk some other time im trying to sleep Sunset walked back to the green room, fuming. She could hear grumbling from the girls behind her which just set her off further. As she passed whatever chump hired them she couldn't help but smirk at the sight of his smile morphing into confusion and apprehension as he saw the mood of the group. As she walked into the green room, she didn't bother to hold the door for any of the others, and she almost laughed when she heard Rarity's grumbling following a thump. Rarity stormed in, rubbing her forehead. "Sunset, I can't believe you missed your entrance on 'Shine Like Rainbows'!" Sunset just rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's rich coming from the girl who played the wrong chord twice on it." Rarity sputtered, "Wh—I did no such thing!" Fluttershy looked back from putting her violin in its case. "Actually, um, you kind of did." Rarity huffed indignantly. "Oh, I see how it is. Well, if we're playing this game, I couldn't help but notice you didn't rosin your bow before your big solo, which is especially surprising since you wrote that song." Pinkie rubbed her hands together and awkwardly chuckled. "Hey, c'mon guys, the show wasn't so bad. I mean, it wasn't great, but that's no reason to fight, is it?" Sunset growled. "Yes it is, and I have a lot more to say." "Oh this should be rich. Ah can't wait to hear what you have to say, Ah really, really mean it,” Applejack replied, rolling her eyes and mouth puckering as if she was eating a lemon. Pinkie's eyes darted around the room. Her smile spread to uncomfortable proportions as she bounced around anxiously. Finally her eyes settled on Sunset and she sped over to her and tightly hugged her. "Please calm down Sunset, things can't really be bad enough for this, they just can’t." Sunset stood stock still for a minute, shocked. The heat in the room intensified as she growled, pushing Pinkie off of her hard enough that she landed on the floor. "Don't touch me!" The others gasped as Sunset snarled like a feral beast. Pinkie looked up at her with shock and fear; she scooted away from her, whimpering and hair deflating with tears in her eyes. Fluttershy quickly pulled Pinkie up and walked her to a corner to soothe and comfort her, but not before shooting a glare that was more hurt than angry at Sunset. "What is wrong with you girl?" "Sunset?" "What the hell is your problem!" Picking one voice out of all of them, Sunset stomped up to Dash, pulling her close. Flames in the shape of pony ears shot up from the top of her head. "You want to know my problem, Dash? It's that nopony here is good enough, and I'm wasting my feathering time with you all!" She pushed Rainbow, who awkwardly stumbled before Applejack caught her. Sunset looked around, noticing the hurt and anger and fear in her friends' eyes, but it wasn't enough. Sunset closed her eyes and roared, flames erupting and engulfing her whole form. When she opened her eyes, she blinked a couple times to try to clear the flickering orange haze from her vision. When that didn't work, she frowned and looked at her arms. Her jaw dropped at the sight and the flames promptly extinguished as rationality reasserted itself. She looked at her friends' fearful gazes and clenched her eyes shut, unable to face what she saw in them. "I- I didn't-" She shook her head, sighing. She grabbed her guitar and headed out the door. "I'll be in the bus." Dear Sunset Shimmer, I'm sorry that things have been so tense between you and the girls, but I really think you need to talk to them about this. I'd hate to see your friendships end because you're all letting minor things get to you without saying anything (reminds me a bit of the Battle of the Bands, honestly). Also, that's really exciting that you're dating Trixie. I never would've seen that coming, but crazier things have happened to both of us, so I can't be too surprised at this point, now can I? And I haven't always seen eye to eye with Trixie, but I know she's a good pony, and I bet she's a good person as well. Speaking of Trixie and dating, do you remember Starlight Glimmer? I know she went through the mirror that one time, but I don't know if you've kept in touch. Anyways, it's kind of funny, because she's dating this world's Trixie! Two ponies who I helped find redemption are dating Trixie; the multiverse is truly a strange place. Things are going pretty great between them, they just got back from a little tour of Equestria doing magic shows. I hope to talk to you again soon, Sunset. Princess Celestia misses you and hopes you can come back to Equestria soon. We’re both very proud of you. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle Sunset closed the journal and sighed. She knew Twilight was right, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating or nerve wracking. “Hey Sunset, why don’t you have your guitar out? You should be tuning that thing, girl!” Taking a few deep breaths before replying. “I was thinking, Dash… Maybe we should call off the practice today?” Closing her eyes to avoid the incredulous look Dash was giving her, she kept going. “We’ve practiced all these songs a ton, so maybe we could just talk or something? I feel like we haven’t done enough of that lately.” She sighed, and under her breath, “No thanks to me.” The other girls exchanged glances before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" Sunset looked around at the awkward and uncomfortable gazes her friends were directing at anything other than her and realized she would have to break the silent tension. She began, "Pinkie, I'm so sorry for getting so mad at you the other day. I just let all of these negative feelings build up, and I thought I was controlling them, but I guess I was letting them control me." Pinkie pronked over, wrapping Sunset in a hug that was quickly returned. "Aw, it's okay Sunset. I forgive you. I know I can be a little silly sometimes and I was really scared I ruined things between us by being stupid instead of silly." Sunset pushed Pinkie back slightly so she could look her in the eye. "Pinkie, you aren't stupid. You're such a wonderful person and I hope you never change." "Never change, you say? Well in that case," she trailed off and pronked over to the platter of cookies and shoved one in her mouth without biting it. Noticing the looks the others have her, she quickly chewed and swallowed. "Whaaaaat, emotional moments make me hungry!" The other girls all giggled, visibly relaxing. Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash turned to Sunset. "So what was the deal with those flames, anyways? That wasn't the first time you've done that on this trip, but it wasn’t that bad before." "Back in Equestria, I was an expert pyromancer. I mean, I was an expert in a lot of magical fields, but I had an affinity with pyromancy. I guess that ability is finally breaking through my human form." She idly rubbed her geode. "This isn't the first time the magic in this world has changed, and I guess it's changing even more for me, maybe because I'm technically a unicorn in a human body?" She waved her hand in a circle. "Or something like that. I don't know for sure." "Was it so out of control in Equestria?" Fluttershy asked. "At first, yeah. But I was the personal student of Princess Celestia, the best pyromancer around. Pyromancy is a passionate magic; it feeds off the emotions of the caster, but there are ways to make sure it doesn’t take over.” She spread her fingers and looked at them. “But that’s in Equestria; I'm on my own here. She wouldn't have the slightest clue how that magic would translate to a human body." “Have you asked Twilight for help?” “No, and I really don’t want to.” She sighed. “I love Princess Twilight, she’s like the sister I never had, but she’s clueless about how magic works here too. Besides, I can’t go to her for everything.” Fluttershy hummed, hugging her knees closer. “You said it feeds on emotions, right?” When Sunset nodded, she continued, "I could teach you some relaxation techniques if you'd like. That might help you control this in the short term at least." Sunset smiled at her. "You know what? I think I'd like that, Shy." She groaned when her phone chimed, and she knew what had woken her up. Unlocking the screen as quickly as her bleary eyes would let her, she glanced over at the other bed. No stirring, just the gentle rise and fall of Fluttershy's chest and the sprawled out form of Pinkie Pie next to her. She sighed with relief, and turned her gaze back to her phone. Sunset? Are you awake? Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to take deep breaths. yeah whats up Trixie just got a phone call I’m going to be competing in a magician's competition! Sunset looked at the three geodes in the room, all resting on the central nightstand, and rolled her eyes, grimacing. wow thats so cool congrats The contest also happens to be taking place near your show next week, if you want to grab lunch or something? Sunset fought through the sleepy haze, remembering that that show was at a small bar, the kind where the clientele probably wouldn't be able to notice if she was having an off night, let alone not being there. Dash had booked that one as kind of a bonus show, just to get some extra cash, so she would probably be alright with not performing at full strength. no sorry ill be really busy that show is rly important Oh That's fine. Trixie loves you Eye twitching at the latest bit of third person, Sunset sent her last text before putting her phone back on the nightstand and throwing herself down into her pillows. love you too Sunset chugged her root beer, completely focused on her competition, eyes closed, in the zone. As soon as the last of it was down, she spiked her bottle to the floor. When she opened her eyes, she joined the cheering for herself when she saw Dash was just finishing up. Rainbow Dash coughed a few times, rubbing her throat. "Dang, Sunset! How'd you get so good at that?" "Lots of practice," she said, smirking. When she didn't continue that thought, Pinkie Pie filled in the void of conversation. "This was a really great show, Sunset!" Applejack chuckled, "Heh, yeah. When I heard we were doin’ a house show I was a bit nervous, especially with your bookin’ track record." She blinked for a moment as if to process what she had just said. With a fresh blush she continued, "Uh, no offense." Sunset chuckled a little at that. "None taken. Really, I should be apologizing to you girls. I was letting minor things distract me from what’s really important." Rainbow Dash clapped her friend on the back. "Hey, we're all just glad you're back with us now, right girls?" The rest of the girls answered in the affirmative, before Pinkie brought out a microphone. "C'mon girls, it's karaoke time!" "Pinkie, we just got done singing." "Well, yeah, duh, but that's band singing. This is karaoke singing, which is totally different. Besides, it's karaoke time!" She pulled out a clock that only had karaoke written on it. "You can't argue with science like this!" The girls all chuckled. “Well, can’t argue with that,” Sunset said. Party still in full swing, Sunset felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that Trixie had texted her. Sunset Are you available for a call? Trixie misses you. Sunset furrowed her brow, looking from her phone to the ongoing party. Applejack and Rarity were currently trying to keep Pinkie Pie away from any more of the sweets, Fluttershy was beginning to snooze in one of the corners, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were singing a duet in karaoke and trying not to laugh at how corny it was. She moved her other hand towards her phone, thumb hovering over the keyboard, and hesitated. Biting her lip, she pressed the lock button with her index finger and walked back over to the others. Dear Sunset Shimmer, I’m glad things are better between you and the girls now. I know they’re not the same as my friends here, just extremely similar, but I figured things would work out okay. Also, it’s pretty incredible that The Rainbooms are popular enough for your tour to be so successful! Not incredible in a sarcastic way, I mean that genuinely, ~~which you probably already figured out and I’m rambling again how am I rambling again I planned this letter out why~~ As a side note, thank you for that tidbit about your Rainbow Dash, I’ll have to see if my Dashie shares that appreciation for romance novels, that would be great teasing material. ~~Also, how did Pinkie even~~… nope, not going there, Twilights questioning Pinkies only ends badly. Also, something incredible happened recently: Starlight and Trixie got engaged! Even though Trixie and I still sometimes butt heads, those two are so cute together, and you can tell they’re good for each other, too. It made me curious though, how are things between you and your world’s Trixie working out? I think I’ve been spending too much time with Cadance, I’m so curious about the love lives of other creatures. ~~At least I limit it to people that are important to me though.~~ I wish you safe travels through the rest of your tour, and give my love to the girls as well. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle 4. AfternoonSunset pulled out her acoustic guitar—the amplifiers were in Dash’s room and she didn’t feel like grabbing one—and leaned back against the bed, aimlessly strumming chords. Pinkie Pie noticed and hummed along, tapping her thighs as she gave life to a rhythm. Just as Sunset started getting pulled in by Pinkie’s beat, her phone began to beep. She frowned and her playing picked up speed. Pinkie took the increasingly chaotic playing in stride, effortlessly changing her beat to account for both it and the beeping. Sunset heard some shifting, and looked over to the desk. Fluttershy had spun her chair around and was staring at Sunset, pen still in hand. "Shouldn't you check your phone, Sunset?" "I'm in the zone. I'll look at it later." Fluttershy put her hands on her hips and glared, the added height of her sitting position making her intimidating. "I really think you should look at it now, Sunset." Sunset grumbled but she pulled her phone out with no further argument. She ignored Fluttershy's hum of satisfaction. She fought the urge to roll her eyes when she saw it was a text from Trixie. Sunset Can we talk? Did I do something wrong? im busy trixie we can talk later Satisfied that it was dealt with, she locked her phone. It beeped again. Sunset growled and the heat in the room started rising. "Ahem." She looked over at Fluttershy, who just raised an eyebrow. Sighing, she took deep breaths and unlocked her phone. And when is later going to be? i dont know! just later, ok? Sunset wanted to throw her phone at the wall so badly. She could practically hear the satisfying crunch of drywall and glass fighting, and practically wasn’t good enough. Fluttershy cleared her throat and she remembered to breathe, the heat in the room decreasing. Deciding that repair costs weren’t worth momentary catharsis, she instead tossed it onto the carpet and stood up. She looked between her two friends briefly before walking to the bathroom and pretending she didn’t see the fear and disappointment in their eyes. She stared into the mirror and splashed away the emptiness in hers with cold water. "It's just two more weeks, Sunset. Two more weeks." Pinkie tapped on her thighs, humming. She started nodding along and decided this wasn’t enough, so pulled out her drumsticks and started playing the most awesome drum solo ever! Except, you know, without the actual drums, but where’s the fun in technicalities? Ending her solo with a flourish on the base of a lamp, she threw her hands in the air. When the applause she was waiting for didn’t come, she just shrugged and rewarded herself by guzzling her deliciously sugary soda. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sunset looking at something on her phone with furrowed brows. Pinkie tilted her head. She and the other girls figured something must’ve been happening with her and Trixie for her to be so grumpy, but no one felt like rocking the boat by asking her about it now that she wasn’t going all flame woman on them. Still, she couldn’t help but be curious... but she pushed that curiosity back down with the magic—not actual magic, in this case—of rhythm. No matter how much she wanted to know what was going on and help her friend, she still remembered Sunset glaring down at her as if she was a worthless insect. "Hey, Sunset? Dash is having some trouble finding somewhere to park the bus, and Ah'd appreciate it if you could come help." "Oh, sure." Sunset placed her phone down and quickly followed AJ out the door. Pinkie continued tapping out her new beat before she noticed a glow from Sunset's phone being cast on the wall, accompanied by a faint buzzing. Without Sunset there, Pinkie no longer felt the fear that was helping stop her curiosity. She walked to the phone, glancing around the room, but all of the other girls were off doing other things that she hadn’t really paid attention to. She leaned over and saw it was Trixie that was calling. When it stopped ringing, Pinkie was surprised to see Sunset had left her phone unlocked. She bit her lip and looked at the door, before deciding it was probably fine to look. She left it unlocked, didn't she? It was probably fine. It was on a messaging app and there were tons of texts from Trixie without a single one from Sunset. She scrolled up without looking close enough to read any of them—even her curiosity didn't extend that far—and it was an unnerving number of unanswered messages. Glancing up, she saw the pull-down notification thingy with a missed call icon. She hesitantly pulled it down before gaping at the number of missed calls. Twenty! One or two is a mistake, but twenty... Pinkie heard some footsteps in the hall and quickly put everything back to how it was and went back to her seat. None of the others would know what she’d seen, and Sunset wouldn’t know that she’d seen. Sunset was nice and fun and mostly calm again, and she didn't want to risk losing that. She bit her lip and started tapping on her thighs again. Sunset stared out at the road as she drove along. As fun as the tour had been, she was glad there was only one more show until they were back in Canterlot City. She wanted to just hop in her bed and spend some time away from the world before taking care of anything. ♫First you see me riding on a sonic boom♫ She clenched her teeth, glaring out at the road. Making checklists always helped Princess Twilight calm down, maybe that's what she needed here. She considering what she needed to do first, idly watching another billboard warning about drunk driving pass. ♫I’m so good that you cant defeat me♫ Breath quickening, she decided top priority would be to pick up Ray and make sure the shelter had treated him right while she was gone. Oh, and she should thank Fluttershy for convincing them to take care of him while they were gone. Yeah, that was definitely the most important thing. ♫Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be♫ Clenching the steering wheel hard enough that if her geode had granted her freakish strength like Applejack it would have split in half, she continued to ponder. Next on the list would probably be making sure her place hadn't been broken into. As the temperature in the bus rose, the girls' conversations and activities faded away in a haze of sweat. “Could one of you go ask Sunset to turn down the heat? I love a sauna as much as the next girl, but there is a time and place for it, and that place is a spa and that time is not now,” Rarity said, fanning herself. Fluttershy held up her hand, placing it beneath one of the vents. “Um, Rarity? The AC is still on.” Exchanging nervous glances, leaving the only sounds they could hear the familiar clunking and droning of their fixer-upper bus and the tinny Rainbow Dash playing from a cell phone speaker. As the leader—or second-in-command, depending on the situation—of the group, Rainbow Dash decided it was upon her to go up first. "Hey, Sunset, you, uh, look a little tense," she said, rubbing the back of her neck as the heat, and obviously only the heat, started getting to her. She heard groans behind her and tried a different tack, "So, uh, maybe you should check your phone? You know, it might be someone or something important, like school, or Trixie!" Rainbow Dash could've sworn it got even hotter as she said that, but there was no missing Sunset’s growl. A glance back confirmed the other girls had heard that, too. "I'll deal with it later." Rainbow Dash frowned, anxiously looking back at the others with wide eyes. "Are you sure about that, I mean-" "I said I'll deal with it later, Rainbow Dash!" Sunset roared, flames beginning to form on her tensed shoulders, the cheap padding of the steering wheel beginning to distort and sizzle around her clenched hands. Rainbow Dash sputtered and stammered, struggling to think of something to say that wouldn’t make things worse. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. When she saw it was Fluttershy, she sighed and lost some tension. The two old friends looked into each other's eyes for a moment before they both nodded. Rainbow Dash slunk back to the benches, idly rubbing her geode. Fluttershy took a deep breath before she sternly said, “Sunset Shimmer! I don’t know what’s going on between you and Trixie, but you can not take it out on your friends.” Sunset sputtered, the flames shrinking somewhat, but not fading. “Wh— Bu— I am not taking it out on you guys!” “Then why are you letting your flames go out of control again?” As if noticing them for the first time, Sunset stared wide-eyed at the flames and the damage they were causing, quickly willing them out. “Sorry, I just…” she trailed off, sniffling. Fluttershy sighed and placed a gentle hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Sunset. Just breath, like I taught you.” When Sunset had calmed down, she continued, “You need to deal with this though, it’ll only get worse the longer you put it off.” Her grip tightened and her tone grew stern again. “But we aren’t your moms, and we aren’t going to hold your hand through this. You can come to us to talk because we’re your friends, and we want to help you if you want to be helped,” Her tone turned threatening, “But if you blow up at us like that again…” “I get it.” “Good.” Sunset stared out the windshield as Fluttershy walked away, humming. The Rainbooms walked down the street from the venue to Sugarcube Cafe, laughing and hugging. Sunset trailed a bit behind, looking at her phone. I’ll be in Mistmane Park for the next hour if you decide to talk. She looked between her phone and her friends. Pinkie Pie was holding the door open to Sugarcube Cafe, yelling for her to hurry up. She made her choice. “Great show tonight, everyone! I know that the tour had some rough patches—” “You can say that again!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, looking at the other girls to see if they’d interject as well, before continuing, “—but we made it through them, and that’s what matters.” She held up her milkshake. “Here’s to an awesome tour, and even better friends!” Their cheers finished, Sunset quickly lost herself in idle conversations and the familiar warmth of friendship. They were on their third milkshakes—except for Pinkie, who was on her seventh—when Sunset felt her phone vibrate. Rolling her eyes, she pulled it out and looked. And looked. And she kept looking as her face went from shock to disbelief to pure rage. Throwing her milkshake against the wall, barely noticing the shatter and splatter from the impact, she stormed out the door. The rest of the girls could only watch her leave in disbelief, before they collectively glanced at the phone left behind. On the screen were three simple words. We’re over, Sunset. Epilogue - Maybe In Another LifeDear Sunset Shimmer, I know you haven’t written back yet, but I just wanted to let you know that the wedding is in two months, and you’re invited (Trixie is too, of course). Hope to see you then! Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, You haven’t written back yet, so I just wanted to check in with you. Is the journal acting funny? Is it not doing the glowy vibrating thing anymore? Some other problem? Whatever it is, let me know and I’ll look into it. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, Is everything okay over there? Is there some magical creature or artifact that’s been awakened or uncovered? One that needs my help to take care of? Are you in danger? Do you need me to come through the mirror? Your concerned friend, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, ~~Did I do something wrong? Something to upset you? Please talk to me Sunset I’m so worried but I’m too busy to go through the mirror unless you give me a reason and I just want you to be ok and~~ The wedding is in a week. Hopefully I see you there. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Princess Twilight, I’m sorry for going silent on you like that. You’d think I’d have written back a bit sooner after I messed things up already by not talking about things, but I guess learning and acting on that knowledge are two different things. Please tell Starlight that I’m sorry I missed her wedding, but that I would really like to talk to her. Through the journal, ideally. I don’t think I have it in me to face her in person right now. Your remorseful friend, Sunset Shimmer -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, I’m just glad you’re okay. I’d like to hear about whatever happened at some point, but I won’t pressure you. I’m passing the journal to Starlight now, and she will cast a geas on me before she gives it back so that I don’t read your messages. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, Twilight told me you wanted to talk to me? -Starlight Glimmer -- Dear Starlight Glimmer, I had this whole letter planned out in my head, exactly what I was going to say to you, down to every period. And now… Well, I suppose at this point I should just come out and say it. Trixie and I broke up. I just didn’t put the effort in and it all fell apart. How did you and your Trixie make things work? Reading what Twilight had to say about you two, I was pretty jealous. Still am, really. I don’t really know what else to say at this point. I just… Need to hear from someone who didn’t mess things up, you know? Hopefully still your friend, Sunset Shimmer -- Dear Sunset Shimmer Reading what you and Twilight wrote previously, I kind of figured that was what you would want to talk about. Sunset, you know Twilight, she always puts a positive spin on her letters. Bad habit she picked up as Celestia’s student, and if we’re going to be honest, one you picked up as well. Despite what it might’ve seemed from those letters, Trixie and I don’t have a perfect relationship. We’ve had fights, we still have fights, and we will in the future too. There are things she does that make me want to throttle her, and there are things I do that make her want to push me out of her wagon while its moving (her words). But we love each other in spite of those things, and our fights always bring us closer together, because we talk. Something I learned is that friendship and love really aren’t so different. They’re both built around trust, respect, and communication. And even though I know that, I still struggle with it, and that's ok. And of course you’re still my friend, Sunset. -Starlight Glimmer Dear Starlight Glimmer, Do you think Trixie and I ever stood a chance? Like, maybe in another life where I didn’t make so many bad decisions? Your friend, Sunset Shimmer Dear Sunset Shimmer, Maybe, maybe not. Don’t let what-if’s consume, though. Learn from the past, but don’t live in it. -Starlight Glimmer 5. SunsetSunset stomped into Mistmane Park, fading leaves falling all around her. In her rage, she almost didn’t notice the flames starting to form around her hands. Almost. She clenched her hands into fists to extinguish the flames, but when she saw Trixie just standing calmly on the bridge, the flames came back with force. As she approached the bridge, she shouted, "A text? Seriously, Trixie? This isn't some teen movie, you can't do this!" When Trixie glanced back at her, the flames extinguished. Trixie looked so defeated and broken, and it was like a bucket of cold water was splashed on her face. Trixie turned back towards the pond, staring at the koi as they swam around. She sighed out, barely more than a whisper, "And what would you have me do? Trixie has tried to talk to you for weeks, but you always have an excuse, and if you don't you just don't respond.” She turned around and continued, louder, “You can't treat me like that and expect anything else." Sunset stumbled backwards at the accusations. “I… But… That isn’t fair, Trixie! I really was busy all those times. Do you know how hard it is to find time for anything when you’re on tour?” Trixie began crying, forcing the words out in a growl, “But you never tried. Do you think you are the only busy one? But I would have worked to find time if you asked. I would have traveled across the country if you wanted to spend time together but couldn’t visit. I would have called you but you didn’t answer when I did, and you never called me.” Her crying had turned to sobbing now. “Trixie tried, she tried so hard, Sunset. Why didn’t you?” Sunset tried to get closer, to hold Trixie close, to offer some sort of comfort, some sweet nothings and hasty excuses. Because now that her head was sobered of the anger, she realized that's what anything she could say would be. As her hand nearly reached Trixie, it was slapped away. Wiping her tears away and sniffling a few times, Trixie glared at Sunset. “Don’t touch me, Sunset. If you get near me right now I… Trixie will do something she regrets.” As they stared silently at each other, leaves continued to drift down from trees, fluttering in the breeze, never quite settling, even on the ground. Trixie’s hair blew in front of her face and, as if a spell had been broken, she turned and walked away, her shadow stretching in front of her as if it was leaving a sunset as well. Watching her go, Sunset called out, one last time, “So this is it, then?” And Trixie kept walking, not turning back, not giving Sunset the satisfaction of some response and the dignity she had been denied for weeks or the cliché confrontation Sunset still yearned for as if it would make everything mean anything. She’d made her choice, and they both knew it. A leaf crunched underfoot as she went.
Prologue - And It All Keeps on FallingTrixie walked down the sidewalk towards the second-rate coffee shop. Going there had started as a weekly ritual after Sunset had left for that tour with her band and had become a daily one as the air grew colder. She reached up to adjust her scarf, but frowned as her hands only touched air before quickly folding her arms across her chest. She sighed as she remembered that she didn’t account for the wind. Entering the coffee shop, she nonchalantly put her hands back in her pockets as she walked to the counter and ordered coffee in rote. A better coffee shop would have memorized her order by now, but she was already at the limits of her daily budget here. As she waited, her eyes drifted, first tracing the swirls in the wood of the counter, then gazing at the pastries she refused to eat for fear of getting fat, before tracing along the wall and settling on a bulletin board. She had, of course, seen this bulletin board before. The tracing movements of her eyes were just another rote aspect of her daily visit, but today she saw something much more colorful than the usual fare of muted neutral tones. Walking closer, she saw that the poster which more resembled something a rainbow had barfed out than anything approaching actual art was for a Rainbooms concert in Canterlot City in two days. She sighed; this was, of course, the first time she’d heard about it. Nevermind the fact that she was the girlfriend of one of the guitarists, no, she had to find out about it at a second rate coffee shop and she should just- Before her internal ranting could reach a fever pitch, “Latte for Trixie?” Not even bothering to respond to the barista, she grabbed her drink and stomped off to a corner booth with shoulders tensed and eyes narrowed. She sat down forcefully for good measure which unfortunately led to her banging her knee on the table. Hissing, she rubbed the newly forming bruise and attempted to subtly look around to make sure no one noticed. Luckily for her, no one seemed to care. Sipping her latte and feeling that familiar jittery calm settle in, she pulled out her phone and hesitantly texted her girlfriend. Sunset I heard you would be back in Canterlot for the weekend Trixie has a magic show tomorrow, and I would love if you came. And before she could even take another sip of coffee: im sorry trix i wont be able to make it. love you Trixie sighed, deflating and sliding down the booth’s couch. She started putting her phone back in her pocket, but she hesitated. She was better than that. She tapped her phone’s screen carefully, putting all of her effort into composing three simple words. Okay Love you Slipping her phone back into her jacket, she let her head lightly thunk onto the table, rolling it until she was looking at the bulletin board again. Glaring one last time at that nauseatingly colorful poster, she grabbed her coffee and slunk out the door, ignoring the tinkling of the bell and the forced customer service pleasantry from behind the counter. She looked up at the setting sun between the branches of a tree with leaves in a mirror of reds and golds. A leaf began to fall, and while she logically knew it couldn’t have been the first of the season to fall, it felt like it to her. As it settled gently on the sidewalk, she slammed her boot down onto it.
1. SunriseSunset groaned against the sunlight beginning to seep in through her too thin eyelids. She hesitantly opened her eyes and wanted to scream when she saw that the sun was barely even visible over the horizon, let alone the nearby buildings. Clenching her eyes shut, she grumbled internally about worlds without magic being intrinsic to all processes of life--including evolution--being stupid. Refusing to face the world just yet, she pulled the warm body she was curled around even closer. She buried her face in that hair that, no matter how long it had been since she had done a show, always smelled like a mixture of gunpowder and flowers. She loved to tease Trixie about it, but sometimes she liked to tell her that it reminded her of simpler times: of festivals in Equestria and tea in the gardens with Princess Celestia. Unfortunately, all of this movement caused Trixie to stir too. "Ungh, Sunset? Trixie demands to know what time it is." Sunset stubbornly refused to look at the clock or acknowledge the world outside of her bed, and instead grumbled and pressed her face even deeper into Trixie’s tangled locks. "Who cares, let's just stay like this for a little longer." "I would love to, but I have a show later that I need to prepare for, and you have to leave with your little band soon." Sunset refused to concede defeat that easily. "Oh, come on, it can't be early enough for that." As if to prove her wrong, she heard a horn honked outside. "Yeah, okay, I should’ve seen that one coming." Groaning, the two young women disentangled themselves. Sunset groaned and swayed as she sat up in bed a little too quickly. With legs hanging over the bed, one arm gripped the mattress for balance and the other rubbed at her eyes until the world was slightly less blurry. Finally confident that she wouldn't fall over immediately after standing up, she stretched her limbs and back before stumbling down her stairs to make some coffee. "I still don't understand how you haven't broken your neck on those deathtraps you call stairs." "Lots of practice." After watching a few dark drops fall into the glass pot, Sunset stumbled into the bathroom to start other parts of her morning rituals. She leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on her face in a process that was both refreshing and uncomfortable. She looked in the mirror and took stock of her appearance. There were some bags under her eyes, but with a blush and a glance at some red marks on her neck, she decided a little sleep deprivation was worth it. She grimaced when she saw how tangled her hair was. Picking up her brush, she began the awful task of brushing out her bed head. As she tried to pull her brush free from a particularly stubborn tangle, she heard pounding on her apartment door that abruptly stopped with the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a muffled, "Hey!" Groaning, she stomped to the door and swung it open, glaring at Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "I am not stepping a foot outside of this apartment before I have some coffee, so calm down before you wake my neighbors up," she hissed. “Ah tried to tell her to be more quiet.” She shrugged and sighed before glaring at Dash. “Key word is tried.” Rainbow Dash shrunk in on herself under the glares of both Sunset and Applejack. As her eyes drifted up though, she went from looking cowed to snerking. "Digging the new look Sunset!" Applejack spared a glance at Sunset and quickly sucked in her lips to hold back a chuckle. "C'mon Rainbow, let's get out of her hair." A chuckle slipped through. "She doesn't need anything else getting stuck in there." Sunset just stared at them deadpan at this point. "Ha ha. Great, awesome, I'll be out in ten, okay?" Not even waiting for a response, she closed the door as forcefully as she could while trying to be quiet. She sighed, dragging her hand across her face. She slumped and stumbled back towards the coffee maker as a second wave of exhaustion began to set in. Trixie handed her a coffee mug that she greedily drank from. It was perfect, with the barest splash of milk and a sprinkle of sugar, just enough to balance the flavors. She kissed Trixie's cheek as thanks before sipping it more calmly. Trixie smirked before glancing towards the door. "I’m still not sure how you can put up with them." Sunset glared at her, but it had no heat behind it. Trixie had a habit of belittling her friends, but she figured it was a joke and never bothered complaining about it. Sunset could handle a few really annoying jokes as long as she got to be with Trixie. "All I'm saying is that they can be… grating," she finished as diplomatically as she could--which is to say, not very. Sunset rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Oh, yeah, like you never have been yourself." Giggling a little at Trixie's grumbling, she quickly finished her coffee and gave Trixie a peck on her cheek. “Thanks for the coffee, hon. You made it just the way I like it.” “Hmph, was there ever any doubt?” Trixie attempted to smirk again, but Sunset knew a genuine smile when she saw one. She began pulling her brush through her unruly hair again, watching as Trixie pulled out a purple notebook from her backpack and began detailing plans for upcoming shows. She would never tell her, but Sunset thought the stage magic stuff was kind of silly. She appreciated the dedication Trixie had for it, though. Finally satisfied her hair wasn’t too bad, she grabbed a duffel bag and began throwing some clothes in. She then grabbed her backpack, already carrying her wallet and cell phone as well as the journal, and her guitar. “Alright, I really shouldn’t keep them waiting much longer, so I’m gonna go now. Love you, Trix.” “I love you too, Sunset.” She gave Trixie one final kiss, and walked out the door.
2. MorningAs the gentle thrum of chords dying out sounded, the girl’s feet reconnected with the stage floor, pony ears and tails--and wings, for two--faded away as well. Even after all these shows, “Friendship Through the Ages” still made Sunset a little teary eyed, and she quickly embraced the other girls, and was embraced in turn. As the hug ended, Sunset could clearly hear only polite applause. The manager who had booked them was waiting as they walked backstage. "That was a decent show, girls. Here's your pay." Check handed over, she walked off before any of them could respond. The tacit ‘don’t overstay your welcome’ was clear even to the more dense of the group, and whatever good vibes left from their finale quickly dissipated. Glancing at the check, Sunset winced. It was barely enough to cover their current hotel stay and the gas to their next show. She passed the check over to Rainbow Dash, who groaned and slammed her fist into the wall after reading it, wincing and shaking her hand afterwards, glaring at the wall. "Decent show? We totally killed it out there! This place just couldn't handle all of our concentrated awesome," Rainbow fumed. "Ugh, I know. Whose bright idea was it to book a show at a retirement home?" Rainbow Dash side-eyed her. "It was yours, Sunset." "Oh. Right." Sunset sighed, head drooping. She slid down the wall into a crouch before burying her head in her hands. “Sorry, I’ve just been distracted.” Rainbow glanced at her friends and quickly moved to Sunset’s side, awkwardly wrapping an arm around her. “Don’t worry about it, stuff like this happens. I booked our next show, so it’ll obviously be a hundred percent awesome, and I know whatever show you book for us next will be about fifty percent more,” she reassured. Sunset glanced over, slight smirk betrayed by eyes still weary. “What happened to your obsession with twenty percent, Dash?” "Pfft, twenty isn't even close to enough for this situation." "Just this one?" Rainbow Dash punched her shoulder and they both started laughing. "Hate to break up your little moment there but we really oughta head out." "Yeah, yeah, we already know that AJ." Rainbow Dash waved her hand at her. "Well then, Dash, why aren't you helpin' us packin’ up?" Sweating bullets under Applejack's glare, Rainbow Dash sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. She quickly stood up and dashed at geode speeds to the stage to begin packing up her guitar. Applejack turned to Sunset with a much softer gaze. She helped Sunset stand up before putting her hand on her shoulder. "So, what had ya so distracted girl?" Sunset sighed. "I just really miss Trixie. It feels weird to be apart from her for so long and texts and calls just can't replace actually being there, you know?" "Sorry Sunset, I really don't. I mean, don't get me wrong, it seems tough, but...” she trailed off, putting her hands in her pockets. “I know, I know. Rarity is in the band, so you don’t have to worry about this kind of thing.” Applejack looked at her with furrowed brows. “Sunset, that’s no—” Her words were cut off by Sunset’s hand pressed over her mouth. Sunset sighed morosely. “Let’s just pack up and get out of here.” She walked away before Applejack could finish her thought. Sunset sat at the back of the bus, staring out the window as endless fields stretched behind them. Being in Canterlot City was so strange because, despite being so different than the one she spent so many formative years in, it still felt familiar in a way. There were the poor areas, the rich areas, the in-between areas. There were so many cultures converging, and yet they both managed to feel bland and less than the sum of their parts. Out here though, passing seemingly endless expanses of fields, it just felt wrong. All she could think about was how much greener it was in Equestria, how much cleaner it was and more real it felt. She could hear Rainbow Dash saying something to Twilight a couple rows up, and, judging by their tones, it was probably Rainbow Dash begging her for help with some assignment. She shook her head and chuckled. She didn't really get what they saw in each other, and she especially couldn't get how Twilight hadn't gone full Midnight on Dash yet, but she saw how happy they were together, and that was what really mattered to her. Her phone started ringing, "Awesome As I Wanna Be" playing. She pointedly ignored the smug grin Dash was giving her—just because it was a catchy song didn't mean she was going to do even more to add to Dash's ego—and picked up the call. "Hello?" "Sunset? Why do you sound so... fuzzy?" "Oh, hey Trix. Yeah, we're out in the Whinnesota countryside, so the connection isn't great." Rainbow Dash, seeing that her ego wasn’t going to be stroked further, rolled her eyes and turned to bug Twilight again. "Ah, that would explain it. Trixie just wanted to say that she is sure things are going adequately there, but she also knows things would be better if she was there." Sunset laughed, rolling her eyes and pushing her fingernails into her thigh while pushing down nagging thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I'd love if you could be here too, Trix. I miss you." "I miss you too, and I... I just wanted to say I love you." "I love you too Trix, talk to you soon." Sunset looked down at the red marks across her thigh as she put her phone away. The girls morosely walked off stage, walking slowly back to the green room. Sunset barely noticed any of this, her gaze downcast. She knew she’d messed this one up, and she wasn’t ready to face the music, not this time. She turned her sluggish gait towards a different hall, hoping to escape before the girls noticed. Rainbow Dash, unfortunately, did notice. With a quick “Hey!” she ran up to Sunset and punched her. Sunset winced and rubbed her arm. She knew Dash was holding back, but it still felt tender. “What the hell Sunset, this show was even worse than the last one! I handed you good venues on a gilded platter,” Twilight looked like she was about to interrupt to correct Dash, but she kept plowing on, “How did you fuck this up!” Sunset awkwardly smiled in an attempt to diffuse the growing tension. “Well, that was more of a statement than a question.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “No shit, Sunset. I need to hear an answer, but I don’t really want to.” Sunset grimaced. Dash didn’t get serious like this unless she was really upset. “Well, I emailed all of the places, but I guess I just kind of… forgot to respond to the follow up emails?” Rainbow Dash groaned, executing a perfect double facepalm. “Sunset, I just…” She struggled with her words for a moment, but Twilight put her hand on Dash’s shoulder. After a deep breath, she soldiered on. “You can’t book any more shows, at least for right now.” Sunset gasped, but noticed that no one else did. “What? B-but it’s supposed to be a team effort.” Dash glanced back at Twilight, who nervously rubbed her geode before responding, “Look, Sunset, we can’t keep doing shows like this. You’ve broken all of our trust and you need to earn it back.” Sunset glared at the others. “And you all agree with them.” When there was no response beyond some nods and awkward glances at the floor, Sunset had her answer. Growling, Sunset’s glare intensified and flames began to lick at her fingers, but they slowly faded. She grimaced, clenching her eyes so that the forming tears wouldn’t spill out. “I get it, I just…” She sighed and the flames went out. Without another glance at her friends, she walked back to the bus, guitar case in hand, not bothering to finish her thought. -- ugh today sucked What happened, Sunset? i messed up bad booked a shit show again I know a thing or two about booking shows. I could have helped you. yeah and trixie also wont be able to help me now rest of the girls decided i cant be trusted to do this rn cant really blame them That hardly seems fair, Sunset. idk trix idk “I don’t really see the point of this, Dash.” Rainbow growled, gripping her guitar tight enough for her knuckles to pale. “You don’t see the point of one on one practice between the guitar players when you still can’t get this part?” Sunset growled right back, anger flaring up. “And I’m telling you I’ll get it in one of our group practices, and I don’t need you to patronize me.” “Is that really what you think this is, Sunset? Newsflash! We’ve been practicing this song for two weeks for a big show, ya know, the one we’re playing tonight? We don’t have time for this anymore! You either learn the part, or you’re only doing rhythm on this song.” “Oh, that’s just great Dash, well, you know what I think? I-” Her tirade was cut off as her phone started buzzing. She awkwardly pulled it out, quickly reading the text. Trixie’s car got stolen Sunset All of my magic materials are in there and I’ve got a show tonight. I don’t know what to do. Biting her lip, Sunset swallowed her pride. “Alright, fine, the sooner we finish with this, the better.” -- “Sunset, would you please put your phone away? Dash might have said you got the part down, but now… well...” Brow furrowing, Sunset fumed. Typical Rarity, not having the guts to say something, and somehow making it seem worse because of it. Sunset’s only response was a grunt; she never stopped writing her text. Rainbow Dash shook her head and put her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Rarity’s right. C’mon Sunset, you need to focus! This show will either make us, or it’ll break us.” “I know, Dash, just… Trixie is going through some stuff right now, and I need to be there for her.” “And that sucks, like, it's totally lame. But she isn’t here, and we are. So what's it gonna be, Sunset? Some more comforting texts? Or getting your head in the game and actually doing something.” Sunset sighed. Realizing she wasn’t actually being given a choice she put her phone away, leaving a consolatory text incomplete and unsent.
3. NoonDear Sunset Shimmer, I was looking in my journal this morning, and I couldn’t believe it's been a few moons since we last talked. Things have been kind of crazy over here, but when are they not, really? I shouldn't use that as an excuse for neglecting my friends. I'm so, so sorry for not writing sooner, Sunset. How are you and the girls doing? Is there anything exciting happening over there? Or just anything you’d like to talk about? I miss talking to you Sunset, and I hope to hear from you soon. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle Sunset awoke in a daze. “No, Princess Celestia, don’t take my cake…” As her mind slowly started making sense, she realized she wasn’t actually in Equestria having her cakes stolen by her former teacher. Instead she was on a bus, and someone was shaking her awake. Sunset grumbled and attempted to swat at whoever it was. "Sunset, as much as I love hearing myself sing, I'm trying to sleep. We're all trying to sleep, so could you do something about your phone? And whatever you do, just... keep it down." Rubbing bleary eyes, she watched as Rainbow walked away. Her phone didn’t take long to ring again, and Sunset quickly rejected the call and checked the number. Trixie, as she thought. Groaning, she quickly wrote a text to send her to make sure she didn't call again. A few seconds later, Sorry Sunset. Trixie just misses the sound of your voice. i miss your voice too trixie but you cant keep calling me like this if you really want to talk, text me first, ok? Okay we can talk some other time im trying to sleep Sunset walked back to the green room, fuming. She could hear grumbling from the girls behind her which just set her off further. As she passed whatever chump hired them she couldn't help but smirk at the sight of his smile morphing into confusion and apprehension as he saw the mood of the group. As she walked into the green room, she didn't bother to hold the door for any of the others, and she almost laughed when she heard Rarity's grumbling following a thump. Rarity stormed in, rubbing her forehead. "Sunset, I can't believe you missed your entrance on 'Shine Like Rainbows'!" Sunset just rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's rich coming from the girl who played the wrong chord twice on it." Rarity sputtered, "Wh—I did no such thing!" Fluttershy looked back from putting her violin in its case. "Actually, um, you kind of did." Rarity huffed indignantly. "Oh, I see how it is. Well, if we're playing this game, I couldn't help but notice you didn't rosin your bow before your big solo, which is especially surprising since you wrote that song." Pinkie rubbed her hands together and awkwardly chuckled. "Hey, c'mon guys, the show wasn't so bad. I mean, it wasn't great, but that's no reason to fight, is it?" Sunset growled. "Yes it is, and I have a lot more to say." "Oh this should be rich. Ah can't wait to hear what you have to say, Ah really, really mean it,” Applejack replied, rolling her eyes and mouth puckering as if she was eating a lemon. Pinkie's eyes darted around the room. Her smile spread to uncomfortable proportions as she bounced around anxiously. Finally her eyes settled on Sunset and she sped over to her and tightly hugged her. "Please calm down Sunset, things can't really be bad enough for this, they just can’t." Sunset stood stock still for a minute, shocked. The heat in the room intensified as she growled, pushing Pinkie off of her hard enough that she landed on the floor. "Don't touch me!" The others gasped as Sunset snarled like a feral beast. Pinkie looked up at her with shock and fear; she scooted away from her, whimpering and hair deflating with tears in her eyes. Fluttershy quickly pulled Pinkie up and walked her to a corner to soothe and comfort her, but not before shooting a glare that was more hurt than angry at Sunset. "What is wrong with you girl?" "Sunset?" "What the hell is your problem!" Picking one voice out of all of them, Sunset stomped up to Dash, pulling her close. Flames in the shape of pony ears shot up from the top of her head. "You want to know my problem, Dash? It's that nopony here is good enough, and I'm wasting my feathering time with you all!" She pushed Rainbow, who awkwardly stumbled before Applejack caught her. Sunset looked around, noticing the hurt and anger and fear in her friends' eyes, but it wasn't enough. Sunset closed her eyes and roared, flames erupting and engulfing her whole form. When she opened her eyes, she blinked a couple times to try to clear the flickering orange haze from her vision. When that didn't work, she frowned and looked at her arms. Her jaw dropped at the sight and the flames promptly extinguished as rationality reasserted itself. She looked at her friends' fearful gazes and clenched her eyes shut, unable to face what she saw in them. "I- I didn't-" She shook her head, sighing. She grabbed her guitar and headed out the door. "I'll be in the bus." Dear Sunset Shimmer, I'm sorry that things have been so tense between you and the girls, but I really think you need to talk to them about this. I'd hate to see your friendships end because you're all letting minor things get to you without saying anything (reminds me a bit of the Battle of the Bands, honestly). Also, that's really exciting that you're dating Trixie. I never would've seen that coming, but crazier things have happened to both of us, so I can't be too surprised at this point, now can I? And I haven't always seen eye to eye with Trixie, but I know she's a good pony, and I bet she's a good person as well. Speaking of Trixie and dating, do you remember Starlight Glimmer? I know she went through the mirror that one time, but I don't know if you've kept in touch. Anyways, it's kind of funny, because she's dating this world's Trixie! Two ponies who I helped find redemption are dating Trixie; the multiverse is truly a strange place. Things are going pretty great between them, they just got back from a little tour of Equestria doing magic shows. I hope to talk to you again soon, Sunset. Princess Celestia misses you and hopes you can come back to Equestria soon. We’re both very proud of you. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle Sunset closed the journal and sighed. She knew Twilight was right, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating or nerve wracking. “Hey Sunset, why don’t you have your guitar out? You should be tuning that thing, girl!” Taking a few deep breaths before replying. “I was thinking, Dash… Maybe we should call off the practice today?” Closing her eyes to avoid the incredulous look Dash was giving her, she kept going. “We’ve practiced all these songs a ton, so maybe we could just talk or something? I feel like we haven’t done enough of that lately.” She sighed, and under her breath, “No thanks to me.” The other girls exchanged glances before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" Sunset looked around at the awkward and uncomfortable gazes her friends were directing at anything other than her and realized she would have to break the silent tension. She began, "Pinkie, I'm so sorry for getting so mad at you the other day. I just let all of these negative feelings build up, and I thought I was controlling them, but I guess I was letting them control me." Pinkie pronked over, wrapping Sunset in a hug that was quickly returned. "Aw, it's okay Sunset. I forgive you. I know I can be a little silly sometimes and I was really scared I ruined things between us by being stupid instead of silly." Sunset pushed Pinkie back slightly so she could look her in the eye. "Pinkie, you aren't stupid. You're such a wonderful person and I hope you never change." "Never change, you say? Well in that case," she trailed off and pronked over to the platter of cookies and shoved one in her mouth without biting it. Noticing the looks the others have her, she quickly chewed and swallowed. "Whaaaaat, emotional moments make me hungry!" The other girls all giggled, visibly relaxing. Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash turned to Sunset. "So what was the deal with those flames, anyways? That wasn't the first time you've done that on this trip, but it wasn’t that bad before." "Back in Equestria, I was an expert pyromancer. I mean, I was an expert in a lot of magical fields, but I had an affinity with pyromancy. I guess that ability is finally breaking through my human form." She idly rubbed her geode. "This isn't the first time the magic in this world has changed, and I guess it's changing even more for me, maybe because I'm technically a unicorn in a human body?" She waved her hand in a circle. "Or something like that. I don't know for sure." "Was it so out of control in Equestria?" Fluttershy asked. "At first, yeah. But I was the personal student of Princess Celestia, the best pyromancer around. Pyromancy is a passionate magic; it feeds off the emotions of the caster, but there are ways to make sure it doesn’t take over.” She spread her fingers and looked at them. “But that’s in Equestria; I'm on my own here. She wouldn't have the slightest clue how that magic would translate to a human body." “Have you asked Twilight for help?” “No, and I really don’t want to.” She sighed. “I love Princess Twilight, she’s like the sister I never had, but she’s clueless about how magic works here too. Besides, I can’t go to her for everything.” Fluttershy hummed, hugging her knees closer. “You said it feeds on emotions, right?” When Sunset nodded, she continued, "I could teach you some relaxation techniques if you'd like. That might help you control this in the short term at least." Sunset smiled at her. "You know what? I think I'd like that, Shy." She groaned when her phone chimed, and she knew what had woken her up. Unlocking the screen as quickly as her bleary eyes would let her, she glanced over at the other bed. No stirring, just the gentle rise and fall of Fluttershy's chest and the sprawled out form of Pinkie Pie next to her. She sighed with relief, and turned her gaze back to her phone. Sunset? Are you awake? Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to take deep breaths. yeah whats up Trixie just got a phone call I’m going to be competing in a magician's competition! Sunset looked at the three geodes in the room, all resting on the central nightstand, and rolled her eyes, grimacing. wow thats so cool congrats The contest also happens to be taking place near your show next week, if you want to grab lunch or something? Sunset fought through the sleepy haze, remembering that that show was at a small bar, the kind where the clientele probably wouldn't be able to notice if she was having an off night, let alone not being there. Dash had booked that one as kind of a bonus show, just to get some extra cash, so she would probably be alright with not performing at full strength. no sorry ill be really busy that show is rly important Oh That's fine. Trixie loves you Eye twitching at the latest bit of third person, Sunset sent her last text before putting her phone back on the nightstand and throwing herself down into her pillows. love you too Sunset chugged her root beer, completely focused on her competition, eyes closed, in the zone. As soon as the last of it was down, she spiked her bottle to the floor. When she opened her eyes, she joined the cheering for herself when she saw Dash was just finishing up. Rainbow Dash coughed a few times, rubbing her throat. "Dang, Sunset! How'd you get so good at that?" "Lots of practice," she said, smirking. When she didn't continue that thought, Pinkie Pie filled in the void of conversation. "This was a really great show, Sunset!" Applejack chuckled, "Heh, yeah. When I heard we were doin’ a house show I was a bit nervous, especially with your bookin’ track record." She blinked for a moment as if to process what she had just said. With a fresh blush she continued, "Uh, no offense." Sunset chuckled a little at that. "None taken. Really, I should be apologizing to you girls. I was letting minor things distract me from what’s really important." Rainbow Dash clapped her friend on the back. "Hey, we're all just glad you're back with us now, right girls?" The rest of the girls answered in the affirmative, before Pinkie brought out a microphone. "C'mon girls, it's karaoke time!" "Pinkie, we just got done singing." "Well, yeah, duh, but that's band singing. This is karaoke singing, which is totally different. Besides, it's karaoke time!" She pulled out a clock that only had karaoke written on it. "You can't argue with science like this!" The girls all chuckled. “Well, can’t argue with that,” Sunset said. Party still in full swing, Sunset felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that Trixie had texted her. Sunset Are you available for a call? Trixie misses you. Sunset furrowed her brow, looking from her phone to the ongoing party. Applejack and Rarity were currently trying to keep Pinkie Pie away from any more of the sweets, Fluttershy was beginning to snooze in one of the corners, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were singing a duet in karaoke and trying not to laugh at how corny it was. She moved her other hand towards her phone, thumb hovering over the keyboard, and hesitated. Biting her lip, she pressed the lock button with her index finger and walked back over to the others. Dear Sunset Shimmer, I’m glad things are better between you and the girls now. I know they’re not the same as my friends here, just extremely similar, but I figured things would work out okay. Also, it’s pretty incredible that The Rainbooms are popular enough for your tour to be so successful! Not incredible in a sarcastic way, I mean that genuinely, ~~which you probably already figured out and I’m rambling again how am I rambling again I planned this letter out why~~ As a side note, thank you for that tidbit about your Rainbow Dash, I’ll have to see if my Dashie shares that appreciation for romance novels, that would be great teasing material. ~~Also, how did Pinkie even~~… nope, not going there, Twilights questioning Pinkies only ends badly. Also, something incredible happened recently: Starlight and Trixie got engaged! Even though Trixie and I still sometimes butt heads, those two are so cute together, and you can tell they’re good for each other, too. It made me curious though, how are things between you and your world’s Trixie working out? I think I’ve been spending too much time with Cadance, I’m so curious about the love lives of other creatures. ~~At least I limit it to people that are important to me though.~~ I wish you safe travels through the rest of your tour, and give my love to the girls as well. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle
4. AfternoonSunset pulled out her acoustic guitar—the amplifiers were in Dash’s room and she didn’t feel like grabbing one—and leaned back against the bed, aimlessly strumming chords. Pinkie Pie noticed and hummed along, tapping her thighs as she gave life to a rhythm. Just as Sunset started getting pulled in by Pinkie’s beat, her phone began to beep. She frowned and her playing picked up speed. Pinkie took the increasingly chaotic playing in stride, effortlessly changing her beat to account for both it and the beeping. Sunset heard some shifting, and looked over to the desk. Fluttershy had spun her chair around and was staring at Sunset, pen still in hand. "Shouldn't you check your phone, Sunset?" "I'm in the zone. I'll look at it later." Fluttershy put her hands on her hips and glared, the added height of her sitting position making her intimidating. "I really think you should look at it now, Sunset." Sunset grumbled but she pulled her phone out with no further argument. She ignored Fluttershy's hum of satisfaction. She fought the urge to roll her eyes when she saw it was a text from Trixie. Sunset Can we talk? Did I do something wrong? im busy trixie we can talk later Satisfied that it was dealt with, she locked her phone. It beeped again. Sunset growled and the heat in the room started rising. "Ahem." She looked over at Fluttershy, who just raised an eyebrow. Sighing, she took deep breaths and unlocked her phone. And when is later going to be? i dont know! just later, ok? Sunset wanted to throw her phone at the wall so badly. She could practically hear the satisfying crunch of drywall and glass fighting, and practically wasn’t good enough. Fluttershy cleared her throat and she remembered to breathe, the heat in the room decreasing. Deciding that repair costs weren’t worth momentary catharsis, she instead tossed it onto the carpet and stood up. She looked between her two friends briefly before walking to the bathroom and pretending she didn’t see the fear and disappointment in their eyes. She stared into the mirror and splashed away the emptiness in hers with cold water. "It's just two more weeks, Sunset. Two more weeks." Pinkie tapped on her thighs, humming. She started nodding along and decided this wasn’t enough, so pulled out her drumsticks and started playing the most awesome drum solo ever! Except, you know, without the actual drums, but where’s the fun in technicalities? Ending her solo with a flourish on the base of a lamp, she threw her hands in the air. When the applause she was waiting for didn’t come, she just shrugged and rewarded herself by guzzling her deliciously sugary soda. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sunset looking at something on her phone with furrowed brows. Pinkie tilted her head. She and the other girls figured something must’ve been happening with her and Trixie for her to be so grumpy, but no one felt like rocking the boat by asking her about it now that she wasn’t going all flame woman on them. Still, she couldn’t help but be curious... but she pushed that curiosity back down with the magic—not actual magic, in this case—of rhythm. No matter how much she wanted to know what was going on and help her friend, she still remembered Sunset glaring down at her as if she was a worthless insect. "Hey, Sunset? Dash is having some trouble finding somewhere to park the bus, and Ah'd appreciate it if you could come help." "Oh, sure." Sunset placed her phone down and quickly followed AJ out the door. Pinkie continued tapping out her new beat before she noticed a glow from Sunset's phone being cast on the wall, accompanied by a faint buzzing. Without Sunset there, Pinkie no longer felt the fear that was helping stop her curiosity. She walked to the phone, glancing around the room, but all of the other girls were off doing other things that she hadn’t really paid attention to. She leaned over and saw it was Trixie that was calling. When it stopped ringing, Pinkie was surprised to see Sunset had left her phone unlocked. She bit her lip and looked at the door, before deciding it was probably fine to look. She left it unlocked, didn't she? It was probably fine. It was on a messaging app and there were tons of texts from Trixie without a single one from Sunset. She scrolled up without looking close enough to read any of them—even her curiosity didn't extend that far—and it was an unnerving number of unanswered messages. Glancing up, she saw the pull-down notification thingy with a missed call icon. She hesitantly pulled it down before gaping at the number of missed calls. Twenty! One or two is a mistake, but twenty... Pinkie heard some footsteps in the hall and quickly put everything back to how it was and went back to her seat. None of the others would know what she’d seen, and Sunset wouldn’t know that she’d seen. Sunset was nice and fun and mostly calm again, and she didn't want to risk losing that. She bit her lip and started tapping on her thighs again. Sunset stared out at the road as she drove along. As fun as the tour had been, she was glad there was only one more show until they were back in Canterlot City. She wanted to just hop in her bed and spend some time away from the world before taking care of anything. ♫First you see me riding on a sonic boom♫ She clenched her teeth, glaring out at the road. Making checklists always helped Princess Twilight calm down, maybe that's what she needed here. She considering what she needed to do first, idly watching another billboard warning about drunk driving pass. ♫I’m so good that you cant defeat me♫ Breath quickening, she decided top priority would be to pick up Ray and make sure the shelter had treated him right while she was gone. Oh, and she should thank Fluttershy for convincing them to take care of him while they were gone. Yeah, that was definitely the most important thing. ♫Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be♫ Clenching the steering wheel hard enough that if her geode had granted her freakish strength like Applejack it would have split in half, she continued to ponder. Next on the list would probably be making sure her place hadn't been broken into. As the temperature in the bus rose, the girls' conversations and activities faded away in a haze of sweat. “Could one of you go ask Sunset to turn down the heat? I love a sauna as much as the next girl, but there is a time and place for it, and that place is a spa and that time is not now,” Rarity said, fanning herself. Fluttershy held up her hand, placing it beneath one of the vents. “Um, Rarity? The AC is still on.” Exchanging nervous glances, leaving the only sounds they could hear the familiar clunking and droning of their fixer-upper bus and the tinny Rainbow Dash playing from a cell phone speaker. As the leader—or second-in-command, depending on the situation—of the group, Rainbow Dash decided it was upon her to go up first. "Hey, Sunset, you, uh, look a little tense," she said, rubbing the back of her neck as the heat, and obviously only the heat, started getting to her. She heard groans behind her and tried a different tack, "So, uh, maybe you should check your phone? You know, it might be someone or something important, like school, or Trixie!" Rainbow Dash could've sworn it got even hotter as she said that, but there was no missing Sunset’s growl. A glance back confirmed the other girls had heard that, too. "I'll deal with it later." Rainbow Dash frowned, anxiously looking back at the others with wide eyes. "Are you sure about that, I mean-" "I said I'll deal with it later, Rainbow Dash!" Sunset roared, flames beginning to form on her tensed shoulders, the cheap padding of the steering wheel beginning to distort and sizzle around her clenched hands. Rainbow Dash sputtered and stammered, struggling to think of something to say that wouldn’t make things worse. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. When she saw it was Fluttershy, she sighed and lost some tension. The two old friends looked into each other's eyes for a moment before they both nodded. Rainbow Dash slunk back to the benches, idly rubbing her geode. Fluttershy took a deep breath before she sternly said, “Sunset Shimmer! I don’t know what’s going on between you and Trixie, but you can not take it out on your friends.” Sunset sputtered, the flames shrinking somewhat, but not fading. “Wh— Bu— I am not taking it out on you guys!” “Then why are you letting your flames go out of control again?” As if noticing them for the first time, Sunset stared wide-eyed at the flames and the damage they were causing, quickly willing them out. “Sorry, I just…” she trailed off, sniffling. Fluttershy sighed and placed a gentle hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Sunset. Just breath, like I taught you.” When Sunset had calmed down, she continued, “You need to deal with this though, it’ll only get worse the longer you put it off.” Her grip tightened and her tone grew stern again. “But we aren’t your moms, and we aren’t going to hold your hand through this. You can come to us to talk because we’re your friends, and we want to help you if you want to be helped,” Her tone turned threatening, “But if you blow up at us like that again…” “I get it.” “Good.” Sunset stared out the windshield as Fluttershy walked away, humming. The Rainbooms walked down the street from the venue to Sugarcube Cafe, laughing and hugging. Sunset trailed a bit behind, looking at her phone. I’ll be in Mistmane Park for the next hour if you decide to talk. She looked between her phone and her friends. Pinkie Pie was holding the door open to Sugarcube Cafe, yelling for her to hurry up. She made her choice. “Great show tonight, everyone! I know that the tour had some rough patches—” “You can say that again!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, looking at the other girls to see if they’d interject as well, before continuing, “—but we made it through them, and that’s what matters.” She held up her milkshake. “Here’s to an awesome tour, and even better friends!” Their cheers finished, Sunset quickly lost herself in idle conversations and the familiar warmth of friendship. They were on their third milkshakes—except for Pinkie, who was on her seventh—when Sunset felt her phone vibrate. Rolling her eyes, she pulled it out and looked. And looked. And she kept looking as her face went from shock to disbelief to pure rage. Throwing her milkshake against the wall, barely noticing the shatter and splatter from the impact, she stormed out the door. The rest of the girls could only watch her leave in disbelief, before they collectively glanced at the phone left behind. On the screen were three simple words. We’re over, Sunset.
Epilogue - Maybe In Another LifeDear Sunset Shimmer, I know you haven’t written back yet, but I just wanted to let you know that the wedding is in two months, and you’re invited (Trixie is too, of course). Hope to see you then! Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, You haven’t written back yet, so I just wanted to check in with you. Is the journal acting funny? Is it not doing the glowy vibrating thing anymore? Some other problem? Whatever it is, let me know and I’ll look into it. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, Is everything okay over there? Is there some magical creature or artifact that’s been awakened or uncovered? One that needs my help to take care of? Are you in danger? Do you need me to come through the mirror? Your concerned friend, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, ~~Did I do something wrong? Something to upset you? Please talk to me Sunset I’m so worried but I’m too busy to go through the mirror unless you give me a reason and I just want you to be ok and~~ The wedding is in a week. Hopefully I see you there. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Princess Twilight, I’m sorry for going silent on you like that. You’d think I’d have written back a bit sooner after I messed things up already by not talking about things, but I guess learning and acting on that knowledge are two different things. Please tell Starlight that I’m sorry I missed her wedding, but that I would really like to talk to her. Through the journal, ideally. I don’t think I have it in me to face her in person right now. Your remorseful friend, Sunset Shimmer -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, I’m just glad you’re okay. I’d like to hear about whatever happened at some point, but I won’t pressure you. I’m passing the journal to Starlight now, and she will cast a geas on me before she gives it back so that I don’t read your messages. Your friend always, Twilight Sparkle -- Dear Sunset Shimmer, Twilight told me you wanted to talk to me? -Starlight Glimmer -- Dear Starlight Glimmer, I had this whole letter planned out in my head, exactly what I was going to say to you, down to every period. And now… Well, I suppose at this point I should just come out and say it. Trixie and I broke up. I just didn’t put the effort in and it all fell apart. How did you and your Trixie make things work? Reading what Twilight had to say about you two, I was pretty jealous. Still am, really. I don’t really know what else to say at this point. I just… Need to hear from someone who didn’t mess things up, you know? Hopefully still your friend, Sunset Shimmer -- Dear Sunset Shimmer Reading what you and Twilight wrote previously, I kind of figured that was what you would want to talk about. Sunset, you know Twilight, she always puts a positive spin on her letters. Bad habit she picked up as Celestia’s student, and if we’re going to be honest, one you picked up as well. Despite what it might’ve seemed from those letters, Trixie and I don’t have a perfect relationship. We’ve had fights, we still have fights, and we will in the future too. There are things she does that make me want to throttle her, and there are things I do that make her want to push me out of her wagon while its moving (her words). But we love each other in spite of those things, and our fights always bring us closer together, because we talk. Something I learned is that friendship and love really aren’t so different. They’re both built around trust, respect, and communication. And even though I know that, I still struggle with it, and that's ok. And of course you’re still my friend, Sunset. -Starlight Glimmer Dear Starlight Glimmer, Do you think Trixie and I ever stood a chance? Like, maybe in another life where I didn’t make so many bad decisions? Your friend, Sunset Shimmer Dear Sunset Shimmer, Maybe, maybe not. Don’t let what-if’s consume, though. Learn from the past, but don’t live in it. -Starlight Glimmer
5. SunsetSunset stomped into Mistmane Park, fading leaves falling all around her. In her rage, she almost didn’t notice the flames starting to form around her hands. Almost. She clenched her hands into fists to extinguish the flames, but when she saw Trixie just standing calmly on the bridge, the flames came back with force. As she approached the bridge, she shouted, "A text? Seriously, Trixie? This isn't some teen movie, you can't do this!" When Trixie glanced back at her, the flames extinguished. Trixie looked so defeated and broken, and it was like a bucket of cold water was splashed on her face. Trixie turned back towards the pond, staring at the koi as they swam around. She sighed out, barely more than a whisper, "And what would you have me do? Trixie has tried to talk to you for weeks, but you always have an excuse, and if you don't you just don't respond.” She turned around and continued, louder, “You can't treat me like that and expect anything else." Sunset stumbled backwards at the accusations. “I… But… That isn’t fair, Trixie! I really was busy all those times. Do you know how hard it is to find time for anything when you’re on tour?” Trixie began crying, forcing the words out in a growl, “But you never tried. Do you think you are the only busy one? But I would have worked to find time if you asked. I would have traveled across the country if you wanted to spend time together but couldn’t visit. I would have called you but you didn’t answer when I did, and you never called me.” Her crying had turned to sobbing now. “Trixie tried, she tried so hard, Sunset. Why didn’t you?” Sunset tried to get closer, to hold Trixie close, to offer some sort of comfort, some sweet nothings and hasty excuses. Because now that her head was sobered of the anger, she realized that's what anything she could say would be. As her hand nearly reached Trixie, it was slapped away. Wiping her tears away and sniffling a few times, Trixie glared at Sunset. “Don’t touch me, Sunset. If you get near me right now I… Trixie will do something she regrets.” As they stared silently at each other, leaves continued to drift down from trees, fluttering in the breeze, never quite settling, even on the ground. Trixie’s hair blew in front of her face and, as if a spell had been broken, she turned and walked away, her shadow stretching in front of her as if it was leaving a sunset as well. Watching her go, Sunset called out, one last time, “So this is it, then?” And Trixie kept walking, not turning back, not giving Sunset the satisfaction of some response and the dignity she had been denied for weeks or the cliché confrontation Sunset still yearned for as if it would make everything mean anything. She’d made her choice, and they both knew it. A leaf crunched underfoot as she went.
