Sunset pushed the front door to the house, a gust of warm air bringing the scent of soup to her nose. “Mrs. Velvet?” she called as she stepped in, doing a careful balancing act with a plastic grocery bag, a container of tarts, her overnight bag, and her keys, all while dodging Spike, who was yipping and whining and tugging at her pants leg insistently. She was more than a little worried after the text conversation that morning, and the dog's anxious herding behavior wasn't doing anything to settle her nerves.

Sunset’s phone had buzzed insistently when she was on her way to math. Slipping it free of the inner pocket in her leather jacket, she flicked her eyed down to see the notification, assuming it was one of her friends, or even her girlfriend, since Twilight sometimes messaged her during the day with affectionate comments or seeking reassurance about something. However, when it was Velvet’s contact name that popped up on the screen, she felt the blood drain from her face with dread. The only reason she could think of for the woman to interrupt her school day was if something was wrong with a member of the family, and her first thought was of Twilight.

The redhead darted through the halls, heading for her library retreat in a half panic. She wasn’t sure how she got there or if she was more aggressive than usual in the process, but she was locking the door behind her in record time. Trembling hands punched the passcode for her unlock screen and brought up the message, heart in her throat and stomach sitting like a lead weight on her boots.

-Good morning, Sunset. Hope your day is going well and that you’ve managed to avoid this bug that the rest of us have caught. I don’t mean to interrupt your school day, but I know you usually stop over at that bakery on your way here, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to pick up a loaf or two of their fresh bread. With everyone but Twily sick, we’ve been eating a lot of soup this week, and we’ve run out.-

Relief took her legs out from under her, and she fell into a beanbag chair, shaking with relief, and trying to calm her racing heart. It took a few minutes before she could effectively answer.

-Sure, Mrs. Velvet. I can do that. Did you need anything else? I can stop and get it for you.-

-No, but thank you for asking, sweetheart,- came the response a minute later. -I have a grocery order being delivered tomorrow to stock up on the necessities until I can shake off this virus.-

It had taken Sunset another ten minutes after that to calm herself to the point where her legs would work again and she didn’t feel like she was about to puke…though she didn’t look any better when she showed up late to math. Her math professor had forgone chastising her for being tardy and skipped right to asking if she wanted to go to the nurse.

Velvet appeared in the kitchen doorway with a tired smile, her coloring paler than normal and looking no better than she had Wednesday morning. “Spike, let her come inside please. How are you feeling, Sunset? I hope you don’t end up sick with whatever it is we’ve caught.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I got the bread you asked for, and a few other things too. Are you feeling any better at all?” Carefully, she extended her senses, probing the woman with what she dared of her magic. The raw wound on her psyche from the dark magic was better, but still present. Had it been a physical injury she would have said it looked red and angry.

She got a soft sigh in return. “Marginally, but this bout of flu is proving particularly virulent.”

The former unicorn pulled her senses back, and started for the kitchen. “Maybe I can help a little. I…knew you guys weren’t feeling well, so I…had my friend Pinkie Pie help me make something that I thought might…help a little? And I got a tin of tea that's good for soothing stomachs. It was…” Something the princess used to make for her when she was in pain after her surges and struggles to control her magic. “…a staple when I was little and wasn’t feeling well.” It might not do anything other than provide creature comfort, but it was worth a try in her mind, since all the herbs used were common to both Equestria and the human world.

The older woman blinked, her voice faltering a moment. “Oh, Sunset, thank you—you didn’t have to do all that, but it is so kind of you to think of us…” The smile was a little stronger now. “Let me just put some water on…” She moved past the redheaded girl, and in the brighter lighting of the kitchen, Sunset could see the way her girlfriend’s mother was still so horribly affected by the dark magic—far worse than even she had been—and she wondered if her nature as a unicorn gave her added resiliency, or if the Elements had been far kinder than she’d ever realized. Twilight Velvet’s steps were uneven and a bit unsteady, and the sweater she was wearing hung looser than Sunset remembered, as if she’d lost weight in just a mere handful of days.

She reached out in concern and gently grasped her arm to stop her. “Let me,” she offered. “I can stir the soup, and put water on if you tell me where you keep your kettle. You just…sit for a minute. You look exhausted.” She needed to convince Velvet to eat one of the tarts as soon as possible.

For a moment, it looked like Velvet might protest, but then she sighed. "Are you sure?” At Sunset’s nod and raised eyebrow, Velvet nodded in acquiescence. “That would be lovely if you were willing, sweetheart. This flu seems to make everything feel ten times harder than normal."

Sunset guided Velvet over to sit at the dining table, blue-green eyes scanning the kitchen and finding little signs scattered about that spoke volumes about just how unwell both of the adults must have been feeling since she’d been here last. The sink, normally empty and clean, was stacked with dirty bowls and forgotten mugs, and there was an odor in the air that told her the kitchen trash had started to get a little ripe. The normally clean floor had muddy shoe prints that Sunset would have bet a sackful of diamonds belonged to her normally conscientious and fairly neat bookworm, along with muddy paw prints that were from Spike. There was a forlorn pair of laundry baskets by the door to the laundry room piled up high with bedsheets and blankets, as if Velvet or Night had intended to get it started and had just run out of energy and will to finish the task.

Time to get to work, Shimmer, she told herself, setting her bags down on the table and cracking her knuckles. The first order of business was to fetch one of the smaller blankets from the living room couch and wrap it around Velvet’s shoulders, wishing she could just channel the warm, good feeling magics into her.

That earned her a brief hug of gratitude and a whisper of thanks, before she pulled herself away to the tasks at hand. The large and small pots of soup on the stove both got stirred, the sight of the smaller pot of Velvet’s rice and veggie soup that she loved so much made special for her, despite how poor the woman clearly felt, making her heart ache. A quick look through the cupboards located a small but serviceable teakettle, not unlike her own at home, and that went on the stove as well to heat the water for tea.

Next came that pile of dishes. Sunset tossed her leather coat onto the chair with her bag, rolled up the sleeves on her CHS sweatshirt—spirit days were a lot of fun when a person actually got along with their peers, she’d learned—and got to work on scrubbing and rinsing.

At that, the woman at the table made a sound of protest. “Sunset, you don’t have to do all that…you aren’t over here to be our maid…I’ll get to it when I’m feeling better…”

The former unicorn stacked several plates in the dishwasher’s rack neatly. “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Velvet. You…you guys do so much for me…not just when I wasn’t feeling good, but just…all the time…” The words stuck funny around a lump in her throat. “…I…I want to do something to help you when you need it…and right now…this is all I can really do. I don’t have a magic spell to just make things better…but…I can wash a few plates so you don’t have to worry about them and make some tea and a few pastries…” She glanced over at her girlfriend’s mother, unable to put her feelings into words that make sense, making her stumble over her speech and her hands shake under the hot water.

She also did her best to avoid noticing or acknowledging what might have been tears in the older woman’s eyes, or the way Velvet had to clear her throat before she spoke. “Alright, sweetheart…and thank you. Cleaning up is something that would be a big help to me right now…”

Sunset smiled at her before turning her attention on the smelly bag of trash, trying not to breathe too deeply. Part of her wondered where in the name of Nightmare Moon’s overblown ego Twilight was, and just why, if her girlfriend was in good health, she hadn't done some of this in the last few days. It was extremely unlike her girlfriend to behave so callously, and she was starting to wonder if she needed to scan her for more of the dark magic when she did see her. As she dumped the bag in the outside can, she glanced towards Twilight’s lab, seeing the lights on and the ventilation system doing its thing. So she was home, but she was likely off in ‘The Twilight Nerd Zone.’ Sunset shook her head, and ducked back inside.

Humming lightly while she worked to wrestle dirty bed sheets into the washer, Sunset let her magic rise up as much as she dared without risking a Pony-Up. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, especially if Twilight had equipment in the lab meant to go off in response to thaumic based energies, but she weighed the options and decided that at the moment, helping the family was more important. The magic felt good, a solid core of energy that she let trickle out of her into the house, trying to impress that power into the very stone and wood of the building. It was no protection spell or ward, but she focused on her want to protect Twilight, to protect all of them, she could feel those emotions flavoring the energy and hoped it would be enough for now, against whatever foul, thrice cursed monster was targeting the people that lived there.

The familiar whistle brought her back to the kitchen and she poured the steaming water into Velvet’s favorite mug, then made a command decision to grab a plate and a fork. A minute later, she placed the teacup and a small plate with a sun shaped pastry on it in front of Twilight Velvet.

Pale hands wrapped around the cup, a gesture that allowed Velvet to soak up the warmth emanating from it. “Oh…this is just what I needed…” She took a slow sip, some of the tension draining out of her. “You’ll have to tell me where you bought this blend—I could see myself enjoying a cup of this regularly.”

Then she noticed the plate, and her face twitched with a surprised little smile as she took in the sight of the baked treat. “You said you and your friend made these?”

Sunset nodded, feeling a little nervous about the tarts all of a sudden, shifting from foot to foot uneasily. “She did the really hard parts, like the swirly topping, but I made the filling, and helped cut out the shapes.” She gave a hesitant, lopsided smile, before trying to explain, “I…wanted to make something…special…I guess…and Pinkie was talking about putting feelings into food when you make it…so I thought maybe if…I helped make it, that maybe it would help you feel better?”

Velvet's smile took on that soft look again, and she reached up with one arm to draw Sunset into a hug. "…Sunset…you went to all that trouble for us?” Her voice trembled a little and so did her arm when Sunset nodded in affirmation. “Just knowing that you thought of us makes me feel better already. Thank you, sweetheart…” She let the redheaded teen go, smiling as she picked up the fork. “It looks and smells absolutely delicious—so delicious that I rather think dessert should come before dinner tonight, don’t you?” Giving Sunset a wink, she cut a bite off the pastry and popped it in her mouth.

The former unicorn opened her senses again, trying to not look like she was watching as intently as she really was. She needed to see the magic’s effects in action, to know it was more than a show or a placebo. As the woman chewed, Sunset detected the faint pulse of energy transference and the raw unpleasant sense of the dark magic damage eased, just a little. Velvet made a small sound—the same one, Sunset thought with a giggle, that Twilight made when she first bit into a double fudge brownie—and then helped herself to another, larger bite.

“This is amazing, Sunset,” Velvet told her with a tired chuckle. “You really must have worked some kind of magic in your baking,” she teased, oblivious to how true her words really were. “Either that or there’s something in this that I’ve been craving without realizing it.”

It was both, Sunset knew, feeling the magic in the tart transfer to Velvet with every bite. Humans affected by magic needed it to heal that damage, it seemed, which was not too dissimilar from native Equestrian creatures. Higher magic to absorb meant faster recovery. She grabbed the broom to start sweeping, offering a nervous sounding reply, “…I mostly just focused on putting my feelings about wanting you all to feel better into it. Pinkie acted like it was a kind of magic though.” And it was magic that was working, she noted, as the woman slowly worked her way through the small treat, her color already much improved and her face looking less drawn and tired.

Velvet set down her fork a few minutes later, seeming a little surprised herself when she realized the tart was gone. A small smile tugged at her lips. “Well…I’m a firm believer in the idea that love and family are a type of magic all on their own…and I have to say, you more than succeeded here, Sunset. That was probably the most I’ve been able to eat in one sitting in two days. And the fruit filling—I couldn’t place what berries you used, but that was delicious. My compliments to the chefs...and you have my permission to work this kind of ‘magic’ on us at any time.”

Sunset felt her cheeks burn at the praise, and she ducked her head, focusing on sweeping a bit of stubborn leaf up that had been tracked in by either Twilight or Spike. “I’m glad. I…wasn't sure if they’d be too much, since Twilight said it was a stomach bug, but…” she trailed off to let her fill in the blanks, relief creeping up on her that her theory had worked. Now to just get the tarts into the rest of the family. “You said everyone but Twilight was sick…does that mean Cadence and Shining too?”

“Yes…Shining has it so bad that his boss sent him home early Wednesday and he stayed home yesterday. Cadence told me this morning he went in today, because he had to, but that he didn't seem much better today either.” She sipped her tea, looking worried for her son. “They were staying home tonight, but maybe I can have Cady stop by for some of the soup and a few of these tarts. They could use a little TLC themselves, I suspect.”

That tracked with what Sunset suspected—that the origin point of the dark magic was Shining Armor and something he had been in contact with. “So…are…detectives not allowed a lot of sick leave or is he just involved in some important case?” she asked casually, hoping she could get some useful scrap of information.

“Nothing like that, I suspect,” Velvet responded softly, her tone shifting enough that Sunset looked up from her sweeping. “It’s…more that Shining tends to…throw himself into work when he has a lot on his mind. He…gets that from me, I’m afraid. Both my children do.”

Horseapples. Sunset winced. “..I’m sorry…I didn’t—”

“Sunset, sweetie, please look at me,” Velvet coaxed gently, reaching out to catch her arm.

When unicorn-turned-teen finally managed to meet her eyes, trying to hide apprehension and guilt behind her careful mask, it was with worry about what she might see on the woman’s face. There was pain in ice blue eyes, coupled with compassion that reminded Sunset a great deal of Fluttershy, and also a few emotions that Sunset wasn’t ready to analyze too deeply. “What happened earlier this week was not your fault in any way, Sunset. No family is perfect and we fight from time to time, and sometimes, we say things in anger that we don’t really mean that hurt each other’s feelings. It’s just something that happens, and it does not mean that we stop loving each other or being a family.” She squeezed Sunset’s arm lightly. “Shining just needs to spend some time sorting out his own feelings before he and I can have a proper conversation—just like Twilight does. That's why she’s been out in the garage the last few days so much.”

Velvet paused, glancing over Sunset’s shoulder, and the redhead suspected Night Light had entered the kitchen. It was confirmed when his exhausted sounding voice joined the conversation. “More than that, I suspect he will want to talk to you at some point too, Sunset, to make sure you know he’s not angry at you, or holding what happened against you…but Velvet is right. He has to take time to analyze his own feelings and sort through his personal reactions first before he can try any form of healthy discussion with others.”

“Oh…um…okay…” she responded, biting her lip. It was a lot more complicated than the adults realized but she had no way to explain right now when all she had were vague feelings and suspicions about the situation. When she had something she could present that they’d believe, she would, but all she could do right now was gather information and try to help heal the damage the dark magic had already done. Sunset turned and got her first real look at her girlfriend’s father since earlier that week.

Night Light looked absolutely haggard, his normal blue coloring so pale and washed out that it was closer in shade to Twilight’s lavender than its normal evening blue hues. His eyes were bloodshot, and it was hard to tell if he was leaning on the wall for comfort or if it was the only thing holding him upright. His wife beckoned to him. “Lighty, come sit down…before you fall over,” Velvet said.

He shuffled to the table, pinching the bridge of his nose and setting his glasses on the wooden surface. Sunset moved to pour him a cup of tea and get him one of the tarts—a quick scan like what she done with Twilight Velvet revealed the same kind of painful wound from the dark magic. As she set the cup and plate on the table, she caught a whiff of a coppery tang that stuck in her throat and made her nostrils flare. Thinking quickly, Sunset grabbed a wad of napkins from the basket they were kept in, and offered them to him. “Um…your nose is bleeding…” she pointed out awkwardly.

Surprise crossed his face as he realized she was right, and he hurried to use the offered napkins to staunch the trickle of blood. Velvet rubbed his neck soothingly. “Must be the dry winter air. Used to happen a lot when we were in college,” she told Sunset.

The former unicorn nodded, accepting the statement at face value despite her own knowledge to the contrary, and returned to the task she’d taken on. She kept one ear on the low murmur of conversation between the adults, smiling in satisfaction when Velvet coaxed her husband into trying the tart, and the man’s reaction was just as favorable as hers had been. Two down, three to go.

A flick of her eyes to the clock made her realize how long she’d been there without hearing from her girlfriend. Frowning, Sunset sent her a quick message after putting a new bag in the kitchen trash can.

-Hey, nerd. I hate to interrupt scientific progress, but do I get to see you tonight? I’ve been in here chatting with your folks for half an hour.- Sunset teased. -I’ve gotten more kisses from your dog than you so far.-

She didn’t have to wait too long to get a response, though the initial text made her frown and wonder if Twilight was feeling just as crummy as her parents.

-Interruptions are a problem for me right now. I have a great deal of work to get done on my project and distractions are putting me behind.-

There was a little hurt that Sunset was nursing when she composed her reply. -I didn’t realize I was a distraction now. I guess that means you don’t want the dessert I brought with me? Or the kisses I’ve been saving up special for you since Wednesday morning?-

She turned back to the stove, stirring the soup slowly, staring into the swirling broth with its mix of colorful vegetables as if it could ease the sting of what felt like dismissal from her best friend who had always had time for her before. Was it the same after effects of dark magic her family was suffering from? Or were Velvet and Night right in their comments about Twilight and her brother being prone to retreating to analyze their thoughts? Or was it some other reason? A part of Sunset was afraid it was that last one.

Her phone buzzed again, and she looked to see what the message said. -I’m sorry, Sunny…I didn't mean it that way. I’ve been fighting a headache all day, and I didn’t have a good day at school either.-

Brows pinching, Sunset considered that. -Then you need a break, Sparky, even just to destress and get rid of the headache. Find a stopping place and come inside for dinner, and after, we can have a cuddle session in your room. Maybe while enjoying these tarts my friend and I made…if we can get to them before your mom eats then all—she keeps trying to steal bites off your dad’s plate.-

-I’ll be right in. I can be at a good stopping point in just two minutes once I finish soldering these pieces.-

-If you’re not here in three, I’m coming out to kiss you until you forget your name.- Counting off the time as she wiped down the countertops and drained the dirty water from the sink, Sunset felt her lips tug upwards. As worried as she was about the family, she was looking forward to having her nerd in her arms for the evening, and just having some quiet time that was just them. Just being with Twilight did wonders to help clear her head.

By Sunset’s fairly accurate count, it was roughly two minutes and forty two seconds later that the door opened and Twilight trudged in, wearing her lab coat and her hair pulled back in a somewhat frazzled bun. There were several pencils stuck in her hair and behind her ear, and the white of the lab coat was stained with several different types of grease as well as suffering a few scorch marks. Still, purple eyes lit up behind her glasses as they landed on Sunset. “Hi, Sunny…”

“Hey, nerd. Where’s my hug?” Sunset grinned impishly at her.

Twilight crossed the kitchen to squeeze her in a hug that smelled of electronics, grease, and hot metal, and Sunset plucked an errant pencil from her hair. “You know, most people just keep a plastic cup full of marbles on the desk for these.”

The younger girl took it from her and shoved it in her pocket. “I forget that they’re there,” she admitted. Then she poked her girlfriend in the shoulder. “You said something about dessert? I paid the best friend hug tax, now where’s the sweets, Sunset Shimmer?”

Laughing, Sunset drew her attention to the container of tarts. “Right here. I know they aren’t chocolate, but my friend Pinkie helped me make them…they’re kind of my first real foray into baking, so…be gentle?”

A lavender nose twitched at the smell of the pastries hitting her nose, and Twilight skipped the plate Sunset offered entirely to pick up a star shaped one and bite eagerly into it. The dark haired teen let out a low moan in the back of her throat. “They might not have chocolate in them, but these are so good they should be illegal, Sunny…you can bake for me anytime if it means things like this.” In only a few bites, she’d eaten the whole thing and was reaching for another.

From behind the girls, Night cleared his throat and commented, “Maybe you should consider baking for a fun Saturday activity sometime.” His voice was stronger and closer to normal than the near slurred, exhausted tone he’d used earlier—the pastries were working better than expected, something Sunset filed away for later.

Velvet laughed softly. “If you planned in advance what you wanted to bake, I’d be happy to add the ingredients to the grocery list, girls.”

Sunset was treated to a rather comical moment as her girlfriend nearly inhaled a bite of her second tart with a startled squeak, her eyes going impossibly wide and panicked behind her glasses. The expression she shot Sunset needed no real translation for the taller girl to know that Twilight had completely missed the presence of her parents in the kitchen, and that the humming chemistry between them had not been particularly well hidden during that last, flirty comment. Holding back a laugh and taking pity on her girlfriend, Sunset turned her smile on the adults. “That sounds like it could be a lot of fun, but I wouldn’t even know where to start! I’m not exactly an experienced baker—I mostly cook by throwing things in a pan and hoping it doesn’t poison me or taste like the bottom of my boots.” She nudged Twilight with an elbow. “That’s why my stir fry and my omelettes are what I make when you come over. They’re at least edible.”

Twilight shot her a grateful look before patting her arm. “Don’t feel bad, Sunset…I’m afraid I inherited Dad’s cooking skills, not Mom’s. I can make instant oatmeal, sandwiches, and reheat leftovers.”

That earned another soft laugh from Velvet, an expression of sudden comprehension and then sympathy crossing her face, making Sunset’s guts squirm in her own form of discomfort. “Well, if you’d ever like to learn, Sunset, I would be happy to teach you how to cook some of your favorites.”

The former unicorn forced down her instinctive gut reaction to snap back that she didn't need pity. Let it go, Shimmer—she doesn't pity you. She cares, really cares, just like you care about them. It's not the same thing. It was hard—looks like that had always, always been followed by condescension and thinly veiled insults and disparaging remarks that dug into the most sensitive parts of her heart and mind. Nobles at court, members of the palace staff, teachers at CSGU, and of course, the other foals she’d encountered at CSGU…they’d all done it, inevitably getting digs in at the one thing about herself she had no control over and couldn’t change…but Velvet wasn't like that. Sunset straightened, hiding the quick blinking back of tears at the corners of her by running a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “Yeah…” she started. “I’d like that, Mrs. Velvet…but only once you’re feeling better. I don’t want to make it worse…”

Her girlfriend gave her a scrutinizing look, but offered a small smile, before glancing back at her parents with a modicum of worry. “Are you guys still feeling really sick? I would have thought you’d be feeling better already. Maybe you should go to the doctor?”

“It’s just a flu virus, sweetheart, and I am feeling better, now,” Velvet assured her daughter. “I’m just glad you seemed to have managed to avoid it.”

Which in and of itself was strange, Sunset noted absently, taking a moment to open her senses and compare Twilight to her parents. What dark magic had touched her had left a much lesser mark than on her parents, and she could feel the faint hum of the extra magic from the infused pastries she’d scarfed down still radiating faintly from Twilight’s body…

Why was that the case, when Twilight was the target in her vision? Just what in the name of Tartarus was going on?

Author's Note

Hope everyone enjoys the soft fluffiness and intrigue of the chapter. Bruhahahah.