Sunset ran a hand through her windblown curls as she opened the enchanted door to the magic research room, taking solace from the powerful protective enchantments guarding the room. It soothed the restless, wild screaming from her instincts alerting her to danger that was barreling down on her with the speed of a diving roc, allowing her to slump into her cushioned chair and tear into her third overstuffed breakfast burrito of the morning, mechanically chewing and swallowing each bite without particularly tasting any of it.

Footsteps alerted her to Rarity’s entrance, followed by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They all looked like she felt. “Morning, girls,” she said with a weak smile.

“Good morning, Sunset,” Rarity said with a much warmer and genuine expression. “You look…better. And you're eating.”

The former unicorn shrugged. “Not from hunger, honestly. I’m eating because I suspect I’ll need the energy later for magic. At least I got some sleep though…” Not that sleep had been pleasant. Sunset hadn't dealt with nightmares, per se, but they weren't good dreams either. They were a chaotic mess of broken scenes and irrational cobbled together snippets of people and events in her life, including several intimate moments with Twilight…one of which had been interrupted by her demon side asking for a turn, and that had led to her falling from a great height into darkness and flame while Princess Celestia told her just what she really thought of Sunset…

A shiver made her hands shake. “Point is, I’m here. Still no message in the journal, and I checked the portal this morning. It's still messed up and going to nothing…but I’m trying to put that out of my mind until we deal with today. Once we deal with the dark magic here, we can worry about the portal and Equestria.”

Fluttershy took the extra chair next to her and offered a sideways hug. “I’m glad you're here, Sunset, and that you slept better.”

Dash grinned and mimed tugging on her shirt. “And that shirt looks great on you, ‘Captain.’”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset kicked halfheartedly at Dash’s shin. “I still can't believe you all elected me Team Captain for the Games themselves. Isn't that more your thing, Dash?”

“Nah. Not this time, Shimmer. You earned this one…and it makes sense, ya know? I might lead the band and the soccer team, but you lead us. You know magic and you can do that thing where you read people and know who is gonna be good at what thing and how to get the most from them.” The rainbow haired athlete shrugged. “And we need that today, cuz even if we don't have to kick magical ass today, we’re up against our rivals at Crystal Prep—you're the best chance we have for making them eat dirt!”

“What about dirtcake? Can we make them eat dirtcake instead? With little gummy worms? We did that once for Maud’s birthday, and it was the best party she ever had! I’ve never seen Maud so happy!” Pinkie bounced into Sunset’s line of sight, as effervescent as ever.

She shook her head, finger-combing her mane into some semblance of order. “Let’s…wait and see how the day goes, Pinkie. If you want to have dirtcake after the games are over and we survive whatever magical mess is going to be made today, then we can do that.”

Her friend beamed so brightly she was almost glowing. “Oh I can’t wait! It’s going to be such a stupendous super awesome ‘New Friends and Reconciliation Party!’” She hopped over to her drums to tap out a beat on one of them.

Rarity blinked, watching her for a moment. “Right. Antics aside…Rainbow Dash’s points are valid, darling. We look to you for guidance with our magic, and we are accustomed now to following your directions in stressful situations.” A brush appeared and she took over the job of reining in flyaway strands of red and gold. “You have more than earned our trust and our loyalty.”

She smiled crookedly. “…that…means a lot to hear from you…any of you. I’ll do my best…” A pause as she did a headcount. “…where’s Applejack?”

“Ah’m here!” puffed the farmer as she staggered through the door. “Gotta get dressed, but didn’t wanna ruin mah team shirt with all the manure flying this morning.”

Quite frankly, she stank—Sunset could smell manure, all right, the fairly familiar and unpleasant odor of an Equestrian bathroom that was in need of a good cleaning after a whole herd of young stallions made use of it after a feast. “What in the name of Celestia’s golden hoof shoes happened to you? You look like you rolled a mile downhill through a Canterlot sewer!”

Green eyes flick to her, set against a face smudged with mud and more, her hair dripping. “Storm’s rollin’ in, and it's a doozy, plus all the animals were acting crazier than a shoeshiner in a shit storm. Winona knocked me into the compost, half the chickens got loose, and ol’ Marigold kicked me so hard in the ass mah teeth are still rattling.”

It was Rarity to the rescue. “Good heavens, dearest,” she tutted, and produced towels from somewhere. “Fluttershy, be a dear and close the door for us? Pinkie, I need a bucket of hot, soapy water, and a trash bag for her clothes. Sunset, darling, check the big cabinet for a green duffle. I made sure to bring extra changes of everything in everyone’s sizes for emergencies. Applejack, love, strip down. Everything goes. There's clean for you.”

Thunder rumbled ominously in the background as they all stared at Rarity. “Well?” she asked sternly. “What are you all standing there for? Quickly now!”

The next few minutes was a flurry of activity under Rarity’s instruction, and soon Applejack was cleaned up, wearing fresh clothes, and smelling faintly of green apple and watermelon. She cast a look back at her partner from the chair she’d been pushed into so Rarity could brush her blonde hair and tie it back out of her face. “…do Ah wanna know just why you had all this ready, Rares?”

“Applejack, darling, you should know by now that I plan for every eventuality.”

Sunset couldn't help but laugh from the sidelines. “I’m almost afraid to ask what you planned for that necessitated several pounds of leather soap.”

Blue eyes met hers and one eyebrow arched. “Given that Applejack wears her hat into every situation imaginable and that you, Sunset, are more attached to your leather ensemble than a child is to a security blanket, leather soap was the first thing I thought to obtain.” She leaned closet to her partner, smiling happily as she combed through pale golden strands, deft fingers working on a neat, tight braid. “Including making sure your hair is out of your face today, Applejack. In the event you have to engage in fisticuffs with an enemy, this way you’ll be able to see properly.”

“Mighty kind of ya, Rares. Thanks.” Tanned fingers tapped the freshly cleaned hat with fond affection. “This ol’ hat aint looked so good since mah Daddy got it as a young’un.”

Rainbow groaned. “Enough about clothes already! Are we ready for today?”

The former unicorn got up and tossed the last of her breakfast trash in a can. “I think we’re as ready as we are going to be—we don't have any Equestrian backup, but…with the portal being…at least temporarily inaccessible, it means that a lot of the energy an enemy might want isn’t easily available to them. They’ll have to try and get it from us…and we’re prepared to fight.”

A throat clearing sound from Fluttershy stopped her. “Um…I don't know if it matters, but my animals and the ones at the shelter last night were acting upset too,” she informed them. “Is that because of magic, or is it because they know something is going to happen?”

Sunset cribbed on her thumb. “I…don't know, because I don't have the magic for talking to them. I’m a unicorn, not an earth pony, and that kind of thing is usually an earth pony talent. What I can tell you is that in Equestria, certain species of creature can be more or less sensitive to large amounts of ambient magic, and they can react to that. It's…not impossible for that to also be true here, just for much smaller fluctuations. Things like what keeps happening here may be overloading any sensory abilities?” She shrugged. “I know that something in the air…a mix of magic and…something else has got my own instincts screaming at me that a predator is coming.”

Dash squinted at her. “Izzat a horse thing, Shimmer, because I don't hear any screaming.”

“Phrasing aside, I must concur with Rainbow Dash, darling,” Rarity admitted. “I’m concerned about what the day will bring, but despite the magic I have learned to feel, I cannot detect any kind of instinctual anxiety or fear.”

She shrugged. “How should I know? I don't really have much in the way of human instincts. If this body came with any, my pony ones have overwritten most of them. But…given what I know about the apparent insanity in your species, it wouldn't surprise me. Or maybe it's just the aggression? Yeti aren't known for their fear responses either, and they are the closest Equestrian species to humans as far as I know.”

Snorting, Dash made an aggressive gesture with her fist. “Something comes at me, I don't really think of running. I think of dodging and then punching it back until it fucks off.” She glanced at Fluttershy. “Like that thing you showed me about sharks. They come at a swimmer and you punch them in the face, and they decide you are too much trouble to be dinner.”

“That's not really what…” Fluttershy started to say, but trailed off in the middle when Dash didn't seem to hear her.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You're not doing anything to refute my belief that your entire species is completely crazy,” she pointed out, “and entirely lacking in instincts of self preservation.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie chirped, “but we’re the good kinda crazy! After all, it was the kinda crazy that made us get magic in the first place by standing up to a scary demon that had taken over future friend Sunset and made you go all ‘Rheeeeeeeee!’” The last was an awful shrieking sound like someone trying to imitate nails on a chalkboard.

What could she say to that? “That’s technically true,” she conceded.

“And its the same kinda crazy that made us make friends with you, aaaaand it’s the same kind of crazy that means we’re going to fight super evil magic today while also trying to finally beat our rival school in a contest we always lose!” Pinkie punctuated the whole thing by biting into a large cookie. “Mmmm…sprinkles…”

The rest of the group sort of stared at Pinkie Pie for a long minute or so. “Right…” AJ said with a head shake. “Ah guess she’s got a point. Pretty crazy, going toe ta toe with magical monsters and villains. Most folk’d call that brave or stupid.”

“I would prefer to see it as bravery, darling, but I suppose that’s just me.” Rarity finished Applejack’s braid with a hair tie at the bottom, and returned the stetson to her head. “All done.”

The unicorn in their midst cleared her throat to get their attention. “It is brave. Standing against dark magic and powerful monsters is something only the most courageous of ponies can do. Most are more inclined to run away, to hide until it gives up. Foals are taught from an early age to run, then hide, with the understanding that if you have to fight, you're probably already lunch.” She could feel her magic, bubbling and twisting, wanting out, and she let a trickle of it surface, willing it into her voice so her friends could feel her sincerity. “You girls are the bravest beings I have ever known, and you have more heart than any pony. Maybe you're insane, maybe you're foolish, but…I don't care. You are here. You've stood up to be counted among those few who can wield the Elements of Harmony, and you have coaxed more from Harmonic magic than anypony in both recorded history and even ancient legends.”

She spread her hands and made a sweeping gesture that included all of them. “You have already shown you can handle what's out there. Ancient Equestrian evils, a demon super charged by the Element of Magic itself…you never broke or panicked, you never gave up. You won…you beat me, you beat the Sirens…”

“We beat the Sirens,” Rarity corrected. “You were there with us, and you were a deciding factor in that victory, Sunset.”

Nodding, she responded, “I know, but even that comes down to you girls. You are something else—you weren't just strong enough to take a stand against darkness…you were strong enough to make a change. You girls could have done anything at all after the formal and no one would have blamed you…but what you did was become my friends. After everything I did, after everything I put each of you through, all the lies and deceit…” Her magic was a roaring bonfire now, her body infused with a crimson glow that swirled with fiery phantasms in the air around her, around them, and she could feel the magic within her friends reaching back. “…and you chose to show me kindness…generosity…honesty…loyalty…”

“Ooo! Ooo! Dont forget laughter!” Pinkie bounced in the air waving both hands. “That’s meeeee!”

Sunset smiled fondly at the zaniest of her friends. “Yes, laughter too…and all of those things…they gave me hope. They showed me that it could be different. That I could be different.”

The air was full of light and color…it was full of magic, in every breath they exhaled and every one they drew in, motes and mist and crystalline refractions from every direction. “I know that no matter what happens today, or any day in the future, we can beat it,” Sunset affirmed with absolute conviction, “because you have proven to me that there really is no stronger magic than friendship.”

She knew it was coming, and braced herself for the impact just in time. Five bodies slammed into her in rapid succession, a fierce group hug that brought their magic to the surface in a rush. The Rainbow of Light flooded the room with its brilliance, causing the crystal lights to ring with bell tones, notes that sounded like the opening bars to Shine Like Rainbows to ears that were now on top of her head.

“We got this!” Rainbow cheered. “There’s nothing we can't do if we do it as a team!”

The group broke apart, giggling and giddy from the magic, wings and horns and pony ears on full display, and the faint echo of Harmonic magic passing through the school beyond. It soothed the ache still present in Sunset’s heart, and gave her a sense that they would keep everyone safe today, no matter what happened. “I feel so much better already,” Fluttershy whispered quietly. “Thank you, Sunset…I was nervous before, but now I know we can take on anything, as long as we work together.”

“Darn right,” AJ agreed. “We’re gonna be the best Friendship Games Team this school ever had, an’ we’ll give any magical varmints the what for!”

“Bark! Bark!” chimed in a voice from the other side of the door.

Everyone froze. “Did…did anyone else hear a dog barking just now?” Dash asked. “Fluttershy, I thought you were leaving your pets home today to keep them safe.”

“I did. Maybe someone else brought a dog?”

“Bark! Bark bark BARK!!” The dog was right outside the room, barking like crazy…and even crazier, Sunset knew that bark.

Pinkie bounced over and pulled the door open, and a purple blur shot in, howling and barking, and then threw itself at Sunset, jumping up at her.

“SPIKE?!” came a chorus of voices.

“But…why's he barking instead of talking?” Applejack asked. “And does this mean the portal is fixed?”

Sunset squatted down, and picked up the dog, dimly realizing he was wearing his service vest. “Because this isn't the one from Equestria,” she said quietly, her stomach sinking. Her eyes looked fearfully towards the door, half expecting Twilight herself to come charging through, ready for round two of ‘The Fight.’

Instead, she got a bit of a reprieve, as Cadence stepped through. “Spike!” she chastised. “I’m so sorry—he's usually much better beha—Sunset?”

The former unicorn cringed back, knowing that there was no way to ignore what Cadence was seeing. All of them were still Ponied-Up, and there was no hiding the six inch spiral in the center of her forehead…or Rainbow’s ten-foot wingspan as she hovered several feet in the air. “Of course,” she sighed. “Dear Sunset Shimmer…I still hate you. Sincerely, the universe.” She looked down at Spike who was whining and pawing at her. “If I didn't know how much she loves you, I might be angry,” she complained, her heart aching again.

“Wait…you two know each other?” Dash looked confused. “…and that's…the other Spike. The one…ya know?”

“Yes, yes, and yes. What I don't get is why she’s here.” Blue-green eyes went to Cadence. “Why are you here, Cady? Is something wrong? Did something happen? Why do you have Spike?” The questions came out in a rush as Sunset attempted to curb her sudden urge to leave panic. “Is everyone okay?”

Cadence was staring…but not freaking out, so that was a good sign. “Everyone at home is okay. Shining and Dad had to go to work, but Mom is at home…and Twily…is supposed to be at school.” She frowned. “Key words: supposed to be.”

“She’s not?” Sunset said, amazed that her stomach could go lower than her shoes. It was currently hanging out in the basement boiler room of the school, having a party with a hundred generations of cobwebs and bugs.

Miss Luna stepped up behind Cadence, placing a hand on the pink skinned woman’s shoulder. “That…is what we are waiting to determine, Miss Shimmer. Cadence realized that Abacus always fields her top academics and top athletes for the team….”

Her eyes went wide. “And that means Twilight would be on the team!” She made a face. “…but she never said anything…not to me, at least…”

“She never said anything to any of us,” Cadence assured her. “So either she kept it from us…or she wasn't told anything about it. And I think we’ve established that Abacus Cinch is shady and underhanded when she wants something her way.” She took Spike from Sunset. “Which is why I’m here. If Twily is at the Games and on the team…Mom and Dad have her. Taking her from school without any kind of parental consent form is tantamount to kidnapping.”

Rage boiled in Sunset, raw, unadulterated fury that made her magic react, her hands lit up with scarlet fire and her ears pinned flat to her skull before she even registered it. How dare Cinch assume she had any form of right or authority to make a grab for Twilight? Sparky was hers, and she refused to allow that loathsome, festering boil masquerading as an educator put so much as one greasy fingernail on her unchallenged. “She will regret it if she does,” Sunset seethed before she could stop herself, or even remember that she and Twilight were existing in a state of uncertainty. “She wants to play with her delusions of being a god over her paltry little domain, I’ll show her just how unprepared she is to face someone who grew up in a real goddess’ shadow.”

Arms immediately grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back from a suddenly anxious looking Cadence. “Whoa there! Simmer down, sally! Don't want you setting off the smoke alarms again.”

In front of her, Cadence took a slow breath, putting a hand to her chest and exhaling in a gesture so achingly familiar that Sunset’s rage guttered out instantly, dissipated by pain in her heart that made her breath catch in her throat. The flames that had been licking their way up her arms were snuffed out as quickly as they had appeared, and she sagged into Applejack’s hold—she needed it to remain upright.

“Right,” Cadence began. “Am I correct that all of…this…” She gestured towards the group, and the redhead assumed she meant the distinctly non-human aspects of their transformations. “…was somehow part of the discussion intended for last week? The one that needed the…ah…princess…on standby?”

Miserably, Sunset could only nod at her. Thankfully, Dash had no such issue. “If you're part of her Twilight’s family, yeah. This was all gonna be talked about.”

“It was?” Fluttershy sounded so confused. “Wait…her Twilight? Is that why there's another Spike here and why he likes Sunset?” And then to Cadence she said, “Is that why you were asking questions the other day about the Fall Formal photos? Because of Sunset?”

The former unicorn fumbled, trying to explain without having to go into detail for an hour. She mostly just managed unintelligent syllables until Rainbow, once again, stepped up. “TL;DR: Sunset’s hot for the human Twilight and friendly with her folks, and she wanted to let them know about everything before it got more serious. Shit happened, and by the way, her Twilight is the CPA friend she ran out to help a few weeks ago.” She bumped Sunset’s shoulder with a fist, murmuring, “Don't worry, I got you, Shimmer.”

Applejack snorted in her ear. “Well, ain't that just a surprise that makes everything make sense. Ah was just figurin’ videos finally got leaked ta the radio.”

Cady blinked, taking in the eclectic group of girls all wearing nearly identical Friendship Games Team shirts, and something seemed to click. Sunset could see her slip easily into her more cheerful public face. “You must be the friends Sunset has talked so much about,” she said, smiling happily at all of them. “The ones who are so very supportive of her.”

Then she considered something else. “Though…what do you mean by ‘human’ Twilight?”

Sunset found her voice. “…that's one of those things…Sparky needs to hear first,” she responded, feeling stiff and awkward, “…what I don't understand is why you're not…really reacting to…” One hand swept the room in a sort of all encompassing arc. “…well, everything.”

Letting her eyes follow the gesture, Cadence sighed. “Lu gave me a crash course yesterday when I came to ask to be here in case Twily is brought along. Magic is real, Cinch is evil, Crystal Prep is a Hellmouth, some of her students have superpowers, and my sister is in over her head.” She set Spike down, now that he had calmed enough to not pull his leash from her grip, and reached out to touch Sunset on the shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, Sunset. I’m not going to start any witch hunts, or think of you any differently knowing that you end up with adorable fuzzy horse ears when you use magic. And I know that when you tell Mom and Dad, they will say the same thing.”

Said ears twitched, a nervous, uncertain motion that reflected her internal state, and Sunset was very glad that humans didn't quite grasp the most subtle of tells from her Equestrian body language, despite their sometimes uncanny knack for noticing what her ears did. She had gotten out of the habit of controlling her ears in her time as a human, and they would have given away exactly what she was feeling to another pony.

Miss Luna interrupted. “Part of the reason we were headed this way, Miss Shimmer, is because we are expecting the buses from Crystal Prep to arrive shortly, and the students will be gathering in the gym—”

“Uh…VP?” Dash said from the window. “Not shortly. They’re here.”

Author's Note

Sunset can give her own version of a friendship speech, it seems.

Also...yes. Thank you Rainbow, for summing that up nicely.

Cady likely has more questions, and Sunset more concerns, but they both recognize that now is not the time. More important shit is going down.

Sidenote: another Chapter of Cassandra's Cry is going up sometime tonight or tomorrow. For those who haven't looked at it, its a companion piece to Arc 2 of Rubicon from Spike the Dog's perspective.