Equestria Girls - The Tale of Two Sunsets

At the Castle of Friendship, Spike and Starlight Glimmer were chatting with the rest of their friends, ready to add the last-minute additions to Twilight's memory scrapbook, just in time for her coronation. The duo had already put in a ton of time and effort into making this project look amazing, whilst also keeping it a surprise for Twilight on her big day. However, Starlight felt the need to make everything seem 'perfect', especially after being this far in with the project, which prompted her to ask around for a few more standout memories, before putting the whole scrapbook together.

"Okay, Celestia and Luna came up with some last-minute 'Princess Etiquette' for Twilight to learn, but we don't have much time." Starlight explained to the rest of her friends.

"I thought you were nearly finished with your book of memories." Rarity recalled.

"We were, but then we put in our own memories of Twilight, and wanted to give all of you the chance to do the same." Starlight proposed, prompting everypony in the room to brainstorm some further ideas on past memories, which would fit such a scenario.

"Oooh!" Pinkie raised her hoof. "Like how she's always prepared for everything ever?"

"Or how much she loves books?" Applejack suggested.

"Or how she freaks out all the time?" Rainbow reflected, as they began to share some last-minute, various memories.

Once the memories had been retold, Starlight realized that she had finally filled up the last pages of the scrapbook. She had finally reached the point in believing that now was the perfect time to stop, and she was ready to add the finishing touches.

"Okay! That is it!" Starlight grinned with satisfaction. "I am 100% certain we have everything we need."

"And I am 100% certain Twilight is going to love it." Rarity added.

"She sure is!" Applejack agreed.

"Love, darling!" Rarity reiterated.

"Absolutely-tootly!" Pinkie shouted, jovially.

"Oh, definitely!" Fluttershy joined in on the encouragement.

"Of course!" Rainbow spread the final ounce of positivity.

"Let's meet back here in the morning, and give her the present before everypony leaves for the coronation." Spike proposed, as the five other ponies cheered on, in approval.

Just then, everyone in the room began to hear a familiar voice in the distance, prompting them to look toward the castle's front door, as they realized that Twilight was stopping by.

"Hello?" Twilight shouted from a distance. "Anypony here? Starlight? If you're here, Spike and I would like to talk to you about something, real quick."

"Don't you worry, Twilight." Spike assured from outside. "I know I saw Starlight here in the castle, earlier."

"Wait, what now?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Do my ears deceive me, or has Spike always had a twin brother?"

"Uhhh, yeah." Rainbow added, rather confused. "How is Spike outside the castle with Twilight, if he's standing right next to you, Starlight?"

"Oh, no need to worry about that, actually." Spike assured, as he began explaining what was going on outside. "Just a duplication spell, so that I could not only keep Twilight busy back in Canterlot, but also help Starlight gather all these vital memories for the scrapbook."

"Pretty much, it's the first time in a while since I've had to use that particular spell, though." Starlight nodded. "But... it sounds like your duplicate copy already spilled the beans to Twilight, and let her know that we're all here."

"Well, you know what they say about copies not being as sharp as the real deal." Pinkie reminded. "After all, don't you all remember what happened that one time I went into the Mirror Pool?"

"More than I'd like to." Rarity shuttered. "I still get occasional nightmares of having a Pinkie hurricane rage through my shop."

"Well, at the very least, having controlled clones feels more manageable, but it sounds like his time's up, now that we've got everything we need." Spike shrugged. "That hunky little dragon fulfilled his purpose at being a distraction, even if he gave us away at the last minute."

"Hello, anypony home...?" Twilight knocked on the castle's front doors.

"Alright, I've got a plan." Starlight looked back and forth. "Spike, you hide for a bit, and I'll keep Twilight distracted for a while, since it sounds like she primarily wants to see me for something important. The last thing we need is for her to become suspicious of what we're planning, especially after coming this far."

"Yeah, she'll definitely know something's up if she sees that there's two of me." Spike replied. "Wait, what about that scrapbook?"

"You're going to have to take it with you, and put it in my mailbox, back at the School of Friendship." Starlight handed the scrapbook to him. "I'll have to put the final touches on it, sometime tonight. Oh, and if Twilight notices you leaving with it, just tell her you're reorganizing a few books here."

"Roger." Spike ran off and hid in a nearby room with the book, while Starlight went over to the front doors and opened them, ready to greet the princess.

"Hey there, Twilight!" Starlight greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure, the day before your coronation?"

"Starlight, there you are!" Twilight made her way inside. "Well, I've been having something else on my mind lately, but I'm also admittedly curious as to why... I haven't really seen you all week?"

"Well you know, I've had my own things to prepare for the big day, and all." Starlight recalled what she had done to send out invitations. "Oh, and the rest of your friends are also here, if you'd like to say 'hi' to them, real quick?"

"Oh, perfect, I've had something on my mind to discuss with them, so I guess I'll do that, right now." Twilight trotted over to the meeting room with Spike, before Starlight pulled Spike over to the side.

"Err, you go on ahead, Twilight." Starlight assured. "I just need to borrow 'Spike' for a second, here."

"Alright, I'll wait in the meeting room." Twilight looked back at the duo. "But don't take too long, okay?"

Starlight then dragged the Spike clone into the room, before using her magic to combine both Spikes back into one entity, now that the scrapbook was practically already finished. With there no longer being any potential confliction from having a doppelganger dragon, Spike grabbed the scrapbook, and as he had agreed to before, was ready to deliver it back to Starlight's mailbox, back at the School of Friendship. But just as the duo had prepared to leave, Twilight had already come back, looking more confused, than anything else.

"Oh Twilight, back so soon already?" Spike looked up at the princess.

"Did you at least get a chance to mingle with your friends?" Starlight asked.

"Well, I mostly got to greet them, since they mentioned that tomorrow would be an extra-busy day for them all." Twilight sighed. "I really thought for a second that we could've spent a few minutes catching up as friends, but they were really in a hurry to leave. I guess it really means a lot to them, to make my coronation day as special and ambitious as they've been letting on."

"I hear you, and it's certainly a good thing that you've already spent some quality time with your friends these past few days, right?" Spike asked, rhetorically, before being nudged by Starlight, as a desperate reminder for the dragon to not spoil the surprise yet.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Twilight reflected. "Though, I can't help but feel like I've been neglecting all of you, just by preparing for the coronation, and vice versa. I mean, I've only just realized earlier, that I'll soon be leaving behind the castle here, since I'll be ruling in Canterlot. And because of that... maybe my friends could take that into consideration, rather than focusing too hard on making the coronation... perfect."

"Well, Twilight, I'm sure that they just want to give you the best send-off they can, since they know how important of a day this'll be for you." Starlight assured. "I can tell you now that I'm just as excited for you, as well as whatever the future holds for Equestria."

"I'd certainly imagine that Equestria's going to be in good hooves." Spike added. "After all, this is the same pony who single-hoofedly took down Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Queen Chrysalis, all in one swift attack."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Spike." Twilight giggled. "But I'm sure ruling Equestria will be much more serious than that, especially since... even Celestia herself had no other choice, than to deal with threats that just came out of nowhere for over 1,000 years. I'm sure she'll have plenty of stories to tell, once she's fully in retirement. And... speaking of stories, what's that book you're holding right now, Spike?"

"Oh, well it's a scrap-" Spike began, but was nudged by Starlight again, as a reminder to not give their secret project away. "I mean... a collection of scrap papers from our students, back at the School of Friendship. I was just reorganizing a few books here, and I'll need to bring this back to the school, since there's a few graded essays in here."

With that said, the dragon ran off to the School of Friendship, ready to deliver on his word in keeping the scrapbook present a surprise. However, since Spike brought up how he'd been reorganizing the Castle of Friendship's books, it gave Twilight a potential idea that this was what she was what she had omitted from her checklist.

"Alright Spike, I guess I'll see you at the school, soon!" Twilight waved goodbye to her dragon, as she turned back to Starlight Glimmer. "Hmm, there was definitely still something else that I must've omitted to do for the coronation, but I feel like Spike just reminded me. I must've forgotten to add to my checklist, that I needed to reorganize all these old books in this castle, and deciding which ones we should bring to Canterlot, once we move over."

"Hmm, I don't think that's it, Twilight." Starlight shook her head. "Knowing you, your list would more likely have items that you'd prefer to have completed, well BEFORE the coronation. After all, moving items from here to Canterlot? That's something you can do whenever you want, even after the big event."

"Well, I suppose you're right." Twilight did her best to shake this persistently bothersome feeling. "Maybe I'm just getting overwhelmed with everything, especially since I'll be completely in charge of Equestria, very soon. Still though, I know for a fact that there's something else important, which I haven't done yet. I can feel it in the back of my mind, and it's suggesting that... it might have something to do with the guest list. You helped send out invitations, right?"

"Mostly to everypony and creature outside of our main friend group, yes." Starlight nodded. "So that includes the hippogriffs, dragons, changelings, yaks, and griffins, as well as their respective leaders. I also sent out invitations to the various towns that I remember you being on good terms with. The only town that I didn't bother inviting at all, was Mustangia. Last time we had a meeting with their sheriff, she made it particularly clear that she didn't want anything to do with us, after all."

"I remember, and I'm not entirely sure why we got such a reception." Twilight reflected. "My best guess is, the residents of Mustangia simply dislike foreigners, particularly anypony who wasn't born and raised there. Hopefully we can find a way to strengthen our friendship with them, now that we've brought everypony and almost every creature in Equestria together."

"Same here." Starlight agreed. "On hindsight, sometimes the best way to overcome prejudices, is to show them that we can all get along. Maybe inviting a few representatives from Mustangia would've been a good start, but... it's too late for that, now, since the coronation's already tomorrow."

"Hmm, and that's actually what I'm afraid of." Twilight kept thinking. "I just don't know why, but my mind keeps telling me that I must've forgotten to invite... somepony. Considering how you've already invited everyone else we could think of, who exactly could I have forgotten to put on the guest list...?"

"Well, if it's something really important, I'm sure you'll remember it soon, Twilight." Starlight replied. "Like, I'm definitely assuming everypony else close to you is already invited. That'd include your parents, Cadance and Shining Armor, Flurrie Heart, Moondancer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkle Shine, Sunset Shimmer, the list goes on."

"Yes, I've definitely sent out invitations to my family, as well as my old classmates back at the School For Gifted Unicorns, except..." Twilight's eyes widened upon being reminded of one last pony, whom she had finally realized, she had neglected to invite. "OH! Now I remember who I hadn't given an invitation to! I completely forgot to invite Sunset Shimmer to my coronation!"

"Wait, are you sure?" Starlight tried to calm the princess down. "But I thought you and Sunset were particularly close, and that you regularly communicated with her through that journal?"

"Well yes, but not as of lately." Twilight recalled. "In fact, I only realized earlier that she hadn't written to me in a while, likely because she's busy with her own life, back in the Human World. You know what I'm talking about, that other world where you two got acquainted with one another, and then you ended up staying there for a couple more days, under my permission?"

"It was quite the enlightening experience, that's one way of putting it." Starlight reflected. "I wasn't the only one who awkwardly walked on all fours at first, was I?"

"You and me both, I'll never forget that." Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement. "Well anyways, what did you think of Sunset when you first met her? Did she make the Human World an enjoyable experience for you?"

"I've always related with Sunset pretty well, as far as having a pretty troubled past that I don't look too fondly back on." Starlight recalled meeting Sunset for the first time. "From what I've seen of her, she's grown into a true leader, and quite charismatic with her friends. She's also incredibly thoughtful and caring, especially when she did everything she could, to save us all from that magical mirror."

"I can certainly see that Sunset's had a lot of growth, since I've left her with her Human Friends." Twilight smiled. "She's become such an amazing pony in a human's body, and I'd hate for her to feel left out on such a momentous occasion as this coronation. Problem is, it seems a little last-minute to send her an invitation, now of all times."

"Well, I know it's a bit unconventional, but what if you just sent her a message through the magical friendship journal?" Starlight suggested. "It's a quick way to get a message to her, and she'd definitely appreciate the gesture."

"I suppose so, though it's actually been a while since I've really touched that journal." Twilight reflected. "Sunset hasn't even written to me in a while either, so it's anypony's guess on how busy she could be right now. But if I remember correctly, that journal should be... here at the Castle of Friendship? I seem to remember that last time Sunset and I had a conversation through there, I was warning her about the Time Twirler."

"Well, let's hope that since then, Sunset hasn't gotten into any other time-related trouble." Starlight giggled. "But in all seriousness, if you're really curious on what Sunset's been up to, maybe it's worth checking the library. The journal's most likely still in the last place you left it at."

Starlight and Twilight made their way into the Castle of Friendship's grand library, ready to reconnect with their unicorn-human friend. The hushed whispers of ancient Equestria had filled the air, a gentle reminder of the countless stories and knowledge contained within the towering shelves. Twilight's eyes scanned the rows of books, a hint of focus in her gaze, as she searched around for the magical friendship journal she had distinctly remembered leaving there. It was nearly a whole year since she had written to Sunset about the Time Twirler, but the princess hoped that their friendship had grown even stronger since then, despite the seemingly long absence, and the distance between their worlds.

As the two mares approached the spot where Twilight had last seen the journal, it remained untouched, nestled between two dust-free books. Twilight's heart raced as she pulled it out, feeling the leather cover beneath her hooves. As she opened it up to the last page she had written on, her messages detailing the urgent matter of the time-traveling artifact were still there. Before Twilight could even begin writing a new entry to her friend across dimensions, she had suddenly noticed that there was a faint glow on the next page, which definitely wasn't there before. This either meant that Sunset had some further news, following the Time Twirler incident, or she had finally written back on something else going on in her life.

"Starlight, look at this!" Twilight exclaimed, pointing to the glowing page with a tremble in her voice. "It seems Sunset actually left me a message today, judging by how fresh the shimmering glow is!"

"Sounds like our unicorn-human friend didn't forget us, after all." Starlight leaned toward the journal's glowing page. "What did she say?"

The two mares read Sunset's journal entry together, which gave them both a solid idea on what had been going on in the Human World. They read on to learn about graduation at CHS coming up, and Sunset contemplating the idea of coming back to Equestria for a more extended period, now that she had a free week off. Given how Sunset also hadn't experienced any recent encounters with magical artifacts, it gave both Twilight and Starlight the impression that Sunset definitely didn't have any outside circumstances, that would otherwise force her to stay in the Human World for a prolonged period.

"Wow, Sunset's been busy with her school life, it seems." Twilight commented, as she finished reading Sunset's entry. "It's so great to know that she's been doing well for herself, and I'm happy to hear that she's actually thinking of possibly coming back to Equestria for a week! But... why do you suppose she hasn't written back to me, only up until now? It's been nearly a whole year since we've talked with one another."

"I can't say for certain, but it's not uncommon for friends to get caught up in their own lives, especially when they're in different worlds." Starlight deduced. "Who knows, maybe she just needed a bit of a nudge to remember that she has friends here, whom she hasn't seen in a while. But anyways, it sounds like to me that if Sunset's willing to take some time off to come back to Equestria for a bit, we should definitely give her a warm welcome. That should definitely include inviting her to your upcoming coronation, don't you think?"

"Absolutely, I couldn't agree more!" Twilight's eyes lit up with excitement. "But we've got to make this right, a simple invitation just won't do, especially since the coronation's already tomorrow. We need to make it special, something that'll truly show her how much she means to us all. Starlight, do you have a little extra time today? I know you're now the headmare at the School of Friendship, so I can understand if you're busy."

"Of course, Twilight." Starlight nodded. "This is your coronation, and Sunset's like family to me. Besides, it's not every day we get to see a friend from another dimension, so yeah, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I've mostly been inspired to do this, after seeing another friend come visit me himself back in Canterlot." Twilight alluded to what Sunny Skies had done. "I think that you and I should go visit Sunset together in the Human World, and personally invite her to the coronation. I'm sure it'll be an extra special surprise for her, especially since she hasn't seen either of us in a very long time?"

"Funnily enough, I don't think the three of us have ever met up together, actually." Starlight recalled. "Yeah, when I met her for the first time, you weren't around, and instead, there was a human version of yourself amongst Sunset's friends. She looks just like you, but wears some big glasses. Have you met her before?"

"Technically, yes." Twilight replied. "I've actually encountered her in both Equestria and the Human World, but as far as actually KNOWING her... that's a different story. That said, I've heard so much about her from Sunset, and all the adventures they've both had together. I suppose it'd also be nice to invite her to my coronation as well, but... I think I'm leaning more toward only inviting Sunset. After all, Sunset did mention that the 'Other Me', had a habit of freaking out when she turned into a pony in this world."

"Fair point, Twilight." Starlight replied. "It'd be a good opportunity to reconnect with Sunset without any distractions, especially if you don't even know the Human Twilight too well, so it'd be kinda left field to invite her along, as well. As for going to the Human World to invite Sunset ourselves, I'd be down for that. The portal's still open, even right now, is that correct? I remember Sunset mentioning that before, this portal had an issue of locking every 30 moons, or something like that?"

"That's right, but it's no longer an issue now, thanks to the machine, as well as Princess Celestia's old journal." Twilight replied. "Pretty convenient how I somehow found a way to keep that portal open, whenever I want. Yet ironically, I myself never really took full advantage of that, since I mostly only used that portal once, to help Sunset deal with the sirens in her world. Then again, when a princess has her plate full of royal duties, she can't always find time to check out another world, can she?"

"The balance between everyday duties and our friendships can be tricky, but we find a way to make it work." Starlight said, as she trotted over to the magical mirror, located in the corner of the library. "So this is it, right? It's been a while since I've seen the portal to the Human World, but I believe it was this mirror here?"

"That's correct, let's both go in right now, and see if we can find Sunset." Twilight replied. "And preferably, we should find her as quickly as possible, before she has to go back to her own world's responsibilities. I can only imagine what kind of directions she might choose with her life, after graduating from CHS..."

After having that conversation about future career paths in the CHS cafeteria, Sunset had finally caught up with the rest of her friends, who were all hanging out at Sugarcube Corner. She knew that sooner or later, she'd absolutely have to bring up the possibility of going back to Equestria for good, but knew that the timing was a bit awkward, especially after learning that none of her friends were planning on moving away after graduation. For the time being, Sunset decided that it would've been better to simply lounge around and spend what little time she had left with her friends, before making the next big step. As Sunset entered Sugarcube Corner, she realized that she had dwelled on everything for a bit too long, as her friends had already gotten bored of the café, and were preparing to leave.

"Sunset, there you are." Rainbow acknowledged from the couch. "Glad of you to finally join us, but I'm afraid that we've already satisfied our cravings for sweets here."

"Yes, and we were already thinking of heading over to Applejack's place, mostly to discuss our performance during graduation." Rarity reminded. "After all, Principal Celestia personally chose us to give a proper send-off to the rest of the school, so it'll be a nice way to finish everything with how we all started off, as a group of bandmates."

"Oh, right." Sunset recalled that they were given this honor over a month ago, and had constantly been debating what song they should pick for the big event. "I certainly remember we had a pretty heated debate as to which song we should perform during graduation. Have we come up with a decision, yet?"

"Well, we've been throwing around some ideas, but we haven't quite settled on one." Fluttershy replied. "I've been practicing a few songs that might be nice, but I don't know if they're... good enough."

"I suppose that for old time's sake, if we can't come up with anything new and original, we could settle for 'Shake Your Tail', just like we did, back during the Battle of the Bands." Applejack suggested. "Though, as a group, we all unanimously agreed that since you're the band's leader, you should get to decide what we perform, Sunset. What do you propose?"

"Hmm, well in that case..." Sunset gave this some further thought. "Since we're all going to be graduating and moving on to different things, maybe we should perform something that encapsulates our growth and friendship? Perhaps something that shows how we've supported each other through thick and thin, and we incorporate it into our own new song? Something unique to us, a melody that speaks to our hearts, and tells the story of our time in Canterlot High? I personally wouldn't want to just reuse an old song, since we've proven how incredible we've grown as a band, over the years."

"That's a beautiful idea, Sunset." Twilight nodded. "It's like we're leaving our mark on the school, not just as students, but as friends and musicians who've shared so much together. I'd be down to help you all come up with the lyrics."

"Count me in too, Sunset!" Rainbow exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I've got some fire beats in mind that could really make our song epic. Let's rock the school's socks off, and show everyone at CHS what we're made of!"

"I'd love to sing something that brings everyone together." Fluttershy added. "Something that makes everyone feel happy and hopeful for the future."

"I've always felt that music has a way of weaving together the threads of our lives, much like a fine tapestry." Rarity elaborated. "Each note and lyric is a thread, contributing to the picture of who we are, and what we stand for. Perhaps our song could be a tapestry of sorts, with each of us bringing our unique threads to create a harmonious pattern that represents our friendship and growth. We could each write a verse about our own journey, and then weave them together with a powerful chorus that encapsulates our unity and strength as the Rainbooms."

"Well, ain't that just the sweetest notion, Rarity?" Applejack agreed. "It's like we're all addin' a piece of ourselves to the school's memory quilt. I reckon I could whip up a verse 'bout stickin' together through the good and bad times, especially with y'all helping me out with the finer details of life itself. But let's not forget, we've got to keep it fun and catchy, so everyone's engaged with our performance. Why don't we all head on over to my home, so we can work everything out even further?"

"That's a fantastic idea, Applejack!" Twilight said with enthusiasm. "I've been studying various musical compositions, and their psychological effects on audiences. I'm certain that with our diverse backgrounds and experiences, we can create a song that resonates not only with us, but with everyone at Canterlot High. I'll start working on the lyrics for my part, right away!"

"Looks like Sunset's always been the best leader for our group!" Rainbow finished off what was left of her milkshake. "All right, let's head on over to AJ's, we've got a lot of work to do!"

"I'm glad to hear that you've all got that motivation in you, now!" Sunset cheered, proudly. "But uhh, you girls go on ahead, I'm actually still a bit peckish from all that walking. I think I'll just grab something quick to eat here, and then I'll meet you all at Applejack's place?"

"Of course, Sunset, can't write a song on an empty stomach." Rarity said, understandingly. "Remember, we're all in this together, and your contribution is as vital as any of ours. Just don't keep us waiting too long, darling, we've got a masterpiece to compose!"

The entire group shared a laugh before they began to file out, leaving Twilight to cast one last lingering look at Sunset, who remained at the counter. Twilight stood there for a few more moments, concerned with why her friend had a sudden and unusual habit of isolating herself from the rest of the group. However, Twilight didn't have much time to give this some heavy thought, as she walked off with the rest of the Rainbooms, while Sunset continued thinking of their upcoming graduation performance, as well as her impending choice on potentially going back to Equestria for good.

As Sunset continued waiting behind the counter, expecting Mrs. Cake to show up soon, she was eventually surprised by the presence of a new girl, whom she hadn't seen before. However, Sunset had a vague idea on why Mrs. Cake wasn't here, since she recalled hearing that the café's owner needed new employees, especially after Mrs. Cake had recently given birth to twins. Due to this, Pinkie mentioned a few weeks ago, that Sugarcube Corner was expected to have new staff running the front counters, and that this was most likely going to be a temporary absence for the Cakes. With that mystery solved, Sunset turned her attention to the girl, who gave her a warm welcome.

"Hi there." The girl smiled at Sunset, who was patiently waiting for service. "Mrs. Cake had to stay at home today, but she left me in charge. What can I get for you?"

"Hey there, could I just get one regular coffee, and two red-velvet cupcakes, please?" Sunset requested.

"Coming right up, ma'am!" The girl said in a soft tone, as she went to the cupcake rack to bag the requested items.

Once the girl had retrieved Sunset's order, she brought them over to the front in a paper bag, then ran a nearby bell, letting Sunset know that her order was ready. Sunset then realized that the bell was new, since she hadn't ever recalled Mrs. Cake using one, especially after being a regular at this café for several years now.

"Hmm, that's new." Sunset looked at the bell. "I don't think there was a bell on the counter before. I'm guessing Mrs. Cake's made plenty of changes, now that there's new employment here at Sugarcube Corner?"

"That's right, thanks for taking notice." The girl giggled, before introducing herself. "Bells help speed up business, and they're also part of my name too. My name's Sugar Belle.

"Nice to meet you, Sugar Belle, that's a pretty sweet name." Sunset replied. "My name's Sunset Shimmer.

"Oh, you're Sunset Shimmer!" Sugar Belle smiled. "I've heard so much about you from your friends earlier, and even Mrs. Cake. She says you're one of the most reliable customers she's ever had, so it's certainly a pleasure to serve you today."

"What can I say, I've always loved her baking, and I'm sure you're going to do a great job here." Sunset encouraged the new girl. "Hmm, come to think of it... I don't think I've seen you around Canterlot City before, so I'm guessing you're new in town? At the very least, I've never seen you at CHS."

"Oh yes, I've actually just moved here from a small town nearby, looking for new opportunities." Sugar Belle explained. "I've always had a passion for baking, so when I heard that Mrs. Cake needed help running the shop, I knew this was the perfect place for me. I've heard so much about Canterlot High and all the amazing things that happen there, though it's unfortunately too late for me to experience that, myself. I've already graduated from high school, about a year ago."

"Well, welcome to Canterlot City, and the one and only Sugarcube Corner." Sunset crossed her arms and grinned. "It's a pretty special place, especially with all the friends I've made here. I've got to say, I'm going to miss this place once we're all out of school, it's where we've had so many good times together, over the years. Graduation at CHS is coming up in about a week, and it's definitely both a happy and sad experience for some of us. The journey may be coming to an end for our general education, but the same could be said for our friendships, as well."

"I hear you there, Sunset." Sugar Belle nodded. "I've always felt like I've missed out on a lot, being from a small town, and all. We all knew each other pretty well, but here, there's so much more diversity and potential for growth. I'm really looking forward to working here and getting to know everyone better. Speaking of school, are you and your friends preparing for something big? I think while I was in the back preparing doughnuts, I overheard something about a big performance during graduation?"

"Oh yes, we're actually getting ready to perform as the Rainbooms for the graduation ceremony." Sunset replied. "It's a pretty big deal for us, since we've come a long way from our first gig at the Battle of the Bands. We're trying to decide on a new song that represents us and our journey together."

"Mmm, I can see that you and your friends have that type of charisma and confidence when you're all together." Sugar Belle commended. "Before you came in, however, your friend Applejack made a pretty interesting comment about how I reminded her of you, somehow."

"Really, how so?" Sunset questioned. "I'm admittedly a little confused as to why she'd think that, especially if she doesn't know you that well."

"Well actually, I believe Applejack knows me, because I've met her big brother, Big McIntosh." Sugar Belle began. "Anyways, while I was getting their orders earlier, I could've sworn that I overheard her mention that... something about the way I talk, it reminded her of you, Sunset. I didn't quite understand what she meant by that, but nevertheless, I suppose it's an amusing thought."

"Hmm, I know from experience that Applejack's pretty observant, and she's not one to make random comparisons like that." Sunset scratched her head, before picking up her bag of cupcakes. "I'm... definitely not sure what she means by that either, I'd have to ask her."

"What's funny is, this isn't the first time I've been compared to somebody else." Sugar Belle shrugged. "In fact, back in my old hometown, one of my neighbors claimed that I somehow reminded her of my childhood friend, Night Glider. All I know is that Night Glider and I had the same babysitter growing up, but I never really understood why my neighbor made that comparison."

"Well, that's certainly unusual, but I'm sure there must've been a deeper meaning behind that kind of comparison, that you just didn't understand at the time." Sunset deduced. "Oh, so um... how much do I owe you for the cupcakes and coffee?"

"Oh, that's right, your coffee!" Sugar Belle immediately turned her attention toward the expresso machine to get Sunset's order. "Sorry, I've been so caught up talking with you, that I neglected to get your coffee. I'll get that for you right away, and your total will be $8.47, please."

"Not a problem, I'm always happy to have some company." Sunset smiled, before reaching into her pocket, and handing Sugar Belle a $10 bill. "Keep the change, and thanks for sharing your story with me, it's always interesting to meet new people like yourself."

"Glad to have you here!" Sugar Belle grinned, as she finally handed Sunset her coffee. "Have a good rest of your day, and if you happen to run into Big McIntosh, umm... please tell him that I'd like to have dinner with him and his family, this weekend. He... actually asked me that himself earlier, but then ran off before I could give him a solid answer. I suppose he would've been crushed, had I refused his offer."

"I'll be sure to pass that along, then." Sunset nodded. "I'm sure Applejack's family would love to have you over, I've met them all before, and they're pretty amazing people. Take care!"

Sunset then took a sip of her coffee, the refreshment of it spreading through her, as she stepped out of the café, and into the warm summer air. It was time to regroup with the rest of the Rainbooms and discuss their performance during graduation, but even then, that comparison with Sugar Belle continued to stick within Sunset's mind.

"I can't quite place my finger on it, what exactly does that new girl and I have in common...?" Sunset muttered, as she went about her way to Applejack's house, ready to potentially get an answer from Applejack herself.