It Had Worked Like Magicby MagLocalChaptersA Fair ExchangeHandled With CareTake a BackseatDubito, Ergo SumAnother SunriseA Fair ExchangeAn assault of dusty pages, messy whiteboards, magical hypotheses, and a flurry of brainstorming hands and words rained on Sunset's mind. In an office of wheeled desks and chairs, university freshmen tossed up half-baked business proposals. They'd managed to be the first start-up to notify the considerably older Sunset of the college’s business fair, then promised her good pay to sit in as their consultant from Equestria. They asked her many questions, how Equestrian magic operated—the types, the sources, the spells, the studies—but she told them that their initial ideas were just "magic plus x." Magic plus computer or phone or ridesharing—Sunset had once bemoaned their lack of "thinking magically." Yet they'd still kept her. She sat back down an hour later, tuning out of their arguments. Her friends' social feed kept her occupied—Fluttershy protesting for animal rights on a foreign estate, Rarity showing off her latest fashion line in Manehattan. ~~~ The next focus group discussion guest they'd invited from the other side would surprise her, they said. Past the unicorn mages with free time over the holidays, chosen to share their inputs on Earth's growing magic scene, Sunset spotted a familiar muzzle nursing some cocoa. "Starlight?" And Starlight puther mug down. "Oh, wow! Hey, guys, you didn't tell me Sunset would be here!" The start-up's "president," Spectral, answered yes, but then coffee was served, he cleared his throat, his recorder was turned on, and questions began. Everyone jotted down notes. ~~~ Lunch break was at a local café, a cozy refuge from the chilly noon, shrouded in bricks. Coffee swept Sunset away in small talk about foreign relations between the two universes. The names of her colleagues flitted in and out. The one that cracked flat jokes and just smiled, Cream Waffle; the president so confident that the venture would work out, Spectral; the geeky nerd that gushed over everything Equestrian, Cosmic Dust. Sunset checked her phone. Across the nation, living on the other coast, Pinkie was hanging out with her own band. In a domestic league across the sea, Rainbow had shared one of her own highlights, netting the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Twilight's update online was an advertisement for her university's inaugural magical studies course, which she was a part of as one of its junior professors. The clinking of mugs snapped her attention away; she chewed on another donut. Cosmic rambled on about flavor-enhancing potions, with Everfree plants as a base, or alchemy methods that can transform aluminum into rarer metals to produce much cheaper yet more reliable electronics. ~~~ Her home was in sight, the same old brick row house from a decade ago. She slowed her car down, but against the blinding white of the cold, a pink blotch stood out on the door's steps. "Starlight?" The unicorn sat on the little stairs, covered with scarves. "Yeah! Saw you were, uh, part of that company? I didn't know they had innovative ideas like using the Stream of Silence to create noise-canceling headphones! Now, actually collecting samples from the Stream of Silence... that's another matter." "Tell me about it." Sunset cracked a smile. "But it's good you're here. Wanna come inside?" Soon, the smell of coffee wafted through the living room. She turned on the television; more news blared against darkening clouds. "How are things?" asked Sunset as she placed a hand on Starlight's hoof. "Oh. You're not just tired from the focus group, no?" "Of course, you take the easy way out," Starlight said in jest and with a chuckle, gently pushing the empathy-magic hand away. "But yeah... after Hearth's Warming and New Year's, Trixie tried to squeeze in some short tours for a month, Sunburst's at Sire's Hollow with the folks, and Maud's with Pinkie for the Pie family reunion. That first one leaves the guidance counselor office vacant, so I've done double the work for the past few weeks, too." "You have Twilight's friends—" "Yeah, they get me, but they don't get get me, you get me?" "That's... understandable. At least I'm here, though. And we've got journals." "Yeah, I abandoned that after, you know... after we could just go back and forth through the portals." She gave a nod. "So, what made you agree to talk with their start-up?" "Winter break from my principal work. Wasn't doing much, save for a surprise for the students when school starts again." She rotated her cup around, letting it float. "I mean, Earth is still an amazing place to learn about. It's clear they've got a lot to learn about magic, though. But it’s nice that you're helping them a lot." "Can't help that much. Blame it on being a Celestia's School drop-out. Saving the world doesn't require tons of top-level equations and alchemy. Add in artifacts doing all the work for you—" "But you still went to Celestia's, and I didn't. They must've lots of trust in me as a reliable expert on magic despite my history." "Hm. Time-traveling's a swell thing to have on your resume, for one." "Come on! But seriously—" Starlight nursed her half-full mug "—I haven't let that bog me down for the longest time. And I'm sure you haven't let your own history bog you down." "Definitely haven't. Got a couple headhunters saying that 'your villainous ambitions implied boundless determination and initiative.'" Starlight choked on her coffee. "Hah! At least you're taking it in stride!" "Okay... fair. I mean, what's not to love about it? You’ve got literally the unicorn with the most experience of this world, evil past or not. I've got a unique position when it comes to helping them in all things magic. It’s something I can leverage." And in the warmth of home, they toasted each other with coffee. "That is true, Sunset." Handled With CareAlone in bed, Starlight lay. Her kite hung beside Trixie's spare cape and coat, soaking in the twilight through the window. Groggy, she trudged to her desk and the journal that lay on top, alongside a box of old toys, fresh plants, and DIY instructions. According to Sunset via journal, there'd be a little get-together with Earth's Applejack later in the week. At the end of the latest page, Oh yeah, Starlight, don't forget, you've got another focus thing you agreed to this Thursday. Hoping to see you again soon! ~~~ While her fellow pony interviewees went out to sightsee the city for lunch break, Starlight sat inside the office, enjoying the vista of icy streets and the cars that danced around. The intense smell of mocha drifted to her nose; she breathed in. "We haven't talked much, have we, Starlight?" Starlight turned around to meet the young student/researcher/entreprenuer-in-the-making Cosmic Dust, barely an adult. "Hiya! What's up?" "A lot!" He laughed, though his eyes searched everywhere. "We've got a lot of promises and a lot of competition, but we're getting by. How about you? I did my research... headmare of the School of Friendship, with a tendency to grow a cult of personality?" "Heh-heh, yes to the headmare part, though I'm on break. And yes to that cult part, but I've changed a lot since then, like channeling my passion for understanding magic in more benevolent ways." She glowed her horn, much to Cosmic's delight. "Glad to have you on board. Between you and Sunset..." He took a set and leaned in close. "Are your pasts… let’s put it this way… taboo?" "Oh, no! Not at all. Battling a princess in a battle of time and destiny made me realize how much friendship can change the world... or two." After a pause, Starlight tilted her head. "I take it that Sunset's been good to you?" "Been good to us? It's charity at this point! She knows her stuff, she's got her connections... ah, she's not exactly a party person, but she's great to hang out with, too." But Cosmic was called by Spectral to someplace else, leaving Starlight to sip on colder mocha. ~~~ "Apologies for the hectic talks today," Sunset muttered as Starlight fumbled into the passenger seat. "Especially when everyone's ogling at me like I'm the only unicorn left," Starlight said as she put on her seatbelt in Sunset's car. "Still, I was the center of attention!" Sunset giggled as she drove out of parking, back to wet, cold streets. "That's not true; I also was the center of attention back there, more so than most." "Because everyone would love to have an Equestrian on their team." Starlight poked her on the arm. "But more importantly, you're an Equestrian with hands-on human experience." "Heh, lucky for them... but also just living and breathing magic compared to the rest of Earth." "Yeah, you've got me, the two Twilights—" Her car skidded to a halt. The red light glared from above. Starlight gripped the door handle. "Sunset, what in the world—?!" "Oh, sorry, just... triggered some memories. Haven't really seen her in a long time, you know." She checked the car behind her. "Both of them." "Yeah, go figure; Twilight's been stuck with more paper work over the past few weeks. Hmm, speaking of Twilight, I'd imagine Twilight here must've been pretty stoked to see Earth's top scientists collaborating with our own here." The light turned green. "True. I swear, she would've loved to be here when it all went down." ~~~ Sunset's house set the stage for another round of coffee. Instead of the news, cheesy Yuletide pop songs played on the TV. Sunset took a sip. "Twilight wrote to me that you focused too much on purely magical solutions when you were still her apprentice." Starlight sighed. "Yeah, I've moved on from it, but she's not wrong. Even now, friendship is sometimes... not as in-depth or as interesting as Severed Nape's Treatises, for example. It's a passing feeling, but maybe it's... indicative of something deeper?" "Most likely," said Sunset, about to hold her hoof before stopping herself. "You feel it more when you're alone, I assume?" Starlight tapped her chin. "That’s… close, yes. When, say, Fluttershy or Pinkie come along... even Octavia, once in a while, when she's free to help with guidance counseling... I don't think about it as much. I like their presence. But unicorn magic isn't exactly their forte, and my bookshelves at the school are pretty much, well, that." Then Sunset tapped on her mug. "It's a start, at least. You also got Twilight and me to write to. And I'm sure Twilight's old Canterlot friends would appreciate a new pen pals. I'll tell Twilight to give them a heads-up, actually..." ~~~ Another round of coffee later, Starlight sat on the car ride to the portal hub. "There should be some good offers here in a few years, should you want to pass the headmare's office to somepony else early on," Sunset finished as she parallel-parked into the one free spot on the sidewalk. "The field of computing bears a lot of similarities with spellcasting." Saying her goodbyes, Starlight got out of the car, finding herself cozy in the crowd of latecomers heading home past rows of guards and cameras. Sunset's car burned rubber as the unicorn waved. She could not see a hand waving back at her. Take a BackseatSunset multitasked between phone and steering wheel. "Really, Applejack? You're leaving, too?" "C'mon, sugarcube, when the Pears call after so long, Ah don't wanna snub 'em. They got problems tryna' come over to visit us for Yuletide, so it's high time we got back together. Ah won't be long; it'll be a week, okay?" The call ended, and a few swipes deleted coffee time with Applejack from the calendar app. Sunset turned up Saddlefy, scrolling for Pinkie's band to stream. The sheer shrill of metal shreds and the quakes of rapid-fire drums blasted out of her speakers. The bells of her ringtone had her hand slip, almost drifting the car into a pole but she righted herself enough to take the call. "Ah, uh, hello, Spectral?" "Hi. This is sudden, but what're the plants we're getting again? I think one of us lost the notes on—" "Soleynds, native to the Hayseed Swamp, possess some of said swamp's inherent magic which keeps its soil remarkably solid in wet conditions. Get a couple potions or some non-magic method to process both the leaves and soil—or look into its roots—and you could turn dirt into something very malleable, resembling Earth pony magic. Think bendable concrete. Lots of potential for construction, preferably business-to-business." "Ah, nice! Thanks for it." ~~~ "Oh, hey, what's that?" asked Cosmic. In her office seat, Sunset put her pen and note to Starlight aside. "Mm, nothing much." "Nothing much?" He inspected the journal's cover. "Wait, isn't this one of those... like a paper phone?" After Sunset frowned, "Come on! You know this!" "Really, Cosmic, it's not too much to get hyped about." "'Not too much to get hyped about?' There's a lot of places out there without electricity, and it's expensive to set up the infrastructure for the whole system! If we could have an alternative way to send information around, like a stopgap to transition into full-on electricity, and interface that magic with modern-day phones or the bigger Internet of Things—" She stood up, closed her notebook; her jacket and beanie had been hung nearby. "Uh, Sunset? Where're you going?" "Just realized it's twelve. I'll go get everyone lunch and coffee." ~~~ Another red light that shone against the dark blue of dusk. Past the café, Sunset rolled, though she bit her lip when a car honked from behind, blinding her through the rearview mirror. At home, from the dark confines of a dusty cabinet, old video game consoles were taken out for the TV. She stashed the extra controllers back inside, alongside a dusty kite hanging in the cabinet. Her phone lit up as the last wire and plug were fixed. "Oh, hi, Waffle! What's up?" "Heya! I know it's your off-hours, but what do you have to say about these names I found online? There's Lavender Breeze—" "You can trust her. She was a classmate of mine back in Celestia's school. Pursuing post-graduate studies in Bales, right? Worked with a lot of pegasi, figuring out how to replicate their weather magic. You can bring her in for the next FGD." "That's great! Now, what about Simple Pure from the—?" "Handled a pyramid scheme back in Equestria. Thought she could get over on Earth without changing her name and fool everyone, huh?" "Oh, thanks for the heads-up. So... Doctor Boolean Warp?" "That doesn't sound like the right name for a doctor. Maybe you should look for a Mage or Wizard title or degree? If that fails, check their info with Spectral; he might know." "Sure! That'll be all. Thanks again, and have a good night!" ~~~ Dinner was homemade mac and cheese, instant ramen over black coffee. On MyStable, Rainbow posted today's results of her game abroad. A hat trick had been her highlight. There was a text, then a call. "Hey, uh, sorry, Shims, but we're almost back from the away game." "Oh, yeah, Trottingham's scary talented, right? So—" "Yeah, Sunset, but we really need to recover from that loss. Coach gave us a hammering at the lockers. Thanks for the encouragement in the DMs, though!" ~~~ She sat down on the metal cold of her chair. Earlier than usual, freezing from bed, Sunset could see the brightening sky. She put her hand against the frosty window, her fingers going frigid. A hot shower, a hot breakfast, then a hasty walk to her car, bag and all, before clearing up its pile of snow. Her bag vibrated at the intersection, the tinkling of magic emanating from inside. She rummaged for the journal, stopping by the intersection. No other car in sight but hers; those lonely headlights would automatically turn off at the break of dawn. Hiya, Sunset! read the words. Long time no see, even though that was just days ago. It's nice to see you're being proactive with them! Enchanting local moss as an energy source can be the start of a breakthrough, I can assure you. I'm sorry for the late reply, though. School will be back on soon, and I will have to resume my headmare duties in full. Talking a couple students through a friendship problem before the semester starts has been refreshing, albeit exhausting. But still! Instead of me coming over to you, like you originally asked, I can help you over here in Equestria. Since your friends need some exotic Everfree specimen, why not just take me along for your "business trip"? I'm sure Zecora would like to meet you again, too. See you soon! ~ Starlight Glimmer Dubito, Ergo SumDank-smelling plants flooded the forest, creeping alive under looming shadows. The dense evergreen above did not yield to the pegasi’s snow, yet the two unicorns each wore a single scarf as they traversed the Everfree. "And here's some riginra," said Starlight as she pulled a wagon of boxes. She plucked a little flower out of its stem then watched it instantly grow back the missing petals. "You should tell them that it's still dependent on magic for its rather limited regeneration, but if you can transfer that property to conventional materials, that'll prove more than useful." Affirming her, Sunset then levitated a hoofful of the flowers into her backpack. The sizzling of a cauldron made her look. "Ah, and Zecora's here, just as expected." ~~~ In her hut, Zecora had been testy about getting a lot of offers from Earth, but at least she could do something for her friend, so she said; the bits, she'd rather give to someone else. "Actually, Sunset," Starlight began as Zecora mixed a batch, "this box here is that surprise I've been preparing for the school. It was Trixie's surprise, too, but... tours." With her magic, she opened it up. "The plan is to package Ponyville's Trivia Trot into something more appropriate for the students." Sunset could only chuckle as she poked her head in. "Seriously? Your surprise is to give your students more quizzes?" "In the spirit of fun! I grill them on last semester's subjects, and those who've maintained that knowledge the best get prizes. Consider it a very late Hearth's Warming gift." Out of her box floated a variety of trinkets that Starlight enchanted right away: exotic hybrid plants, one-of-a-kind from the Everfree; toys and puzzles thaumaturgically empowered to change its own rules and behavior; ingredients for potions of all kinds, restricted to benign and cosmetic effects. Even a replica of the Staff of Sameness had been custom-made for her perusal ("No, there's literally no magic in here; Trixie just said it'd look cool.") Sunset sat on a stool, beholding the magic tinkling on and off for each of the items: the buttons, the magic glow, the sound of them, the feel of the unique auras and lines and signatures that each spell or relic or artifact could muster, inhaling once more the herbs and spices that seeped into every nook of Zecora's home. The zebra herself walked up to Sunset after half an hour of playtime, ready to finalize the deal with her start-up. ~~~ "Thanks for the help, Starlight." Both unicorns had taken on the task of pulling a spare wagon of rare magic supplies, dodging thorns and briars. "No problem!" Quicksand was coming up; Starlight helped turn all wheels to the left. "So, what do you plan to do after the fair?" "At least hang out more with Applejack. I mean, there was an attempt before the Pears got to her, but outside of Yuletide, it's been months. Busy with her farm work, with family... our schedules barely align. Not like before, not even during college, even if it meant picking apples with her from time to time." "Speaking of schedules and college," Starlight cut in, "what were you doing before? Like, before the whole start-up consulting thing?" Wheels halted in the wet evergreen grass. "Got back to making sushi then went to manage the people making sushi for a few months. I then tried to get Earthbound jobs with companies that were very open to using magic, but I technically dropped out of my magical education, and that's never a good look. I did graduate from colleg, of course, with Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack... most of them." "What about the others? Outside your main circle?" "I still talk with Flash, if that’s what you mean, but he's also moved. Okay, did I ever tell you that he moved to the same city Twilight's in?" "Hah. Moved on, huh? Still, what's everyone else doing? Juniper's finally gotten up in the world, I've heard—" "Wallflower's got her own flower shop up on the other side of the state, and Vignette... got off lightly, for sure. Last I heard, she was trying to negotiate some exclusivity deal for 'Equestrian hashtags'. Tourism industry, probably." "The sirens?" "Semi-famous. Humans flock to them precisely because they've got dark and edgy backstories." "Makes sense. What about more of your high school friends? Except for Applejack, they can't have all just left the city..." Sunset's muzzle stayed frozen. Starlight took off her harness, detached her friend from hers. "Alright, what's going on?" Sunset lifted her head; a nearby creek babbled, and birds she couldn't see chirped. "Introducing magic to Earth was a big thing, much more so when the princesses just said, 'Hey, Earth, you've got some magic problems, so here we are. We come in peace and friendship.' I thought, Earth was lacking. It had all these weird sci-fi gizmos, but there was no magic. It felt empty, and I thought they should all embrace the magic like my friends did. Then, Princess Twilight came over, and she helped open it all. You start feeling the magic come back to you..." Her hooves twiddled, her breathing quickened. "I had a stupid grin on my face the whole time. I wanted to help. A lot. I didn't know much, certainly not as skilled as you, but I had connections to big names, access to restricted sections, Princess Celestia's acquaintanceship..." She cracked a grin. "I just... I guess I caught up in the whirlwind, huh? The friends I made had lots of magic, but now they're off..." Starlight floated one of the boxes down from the wagon. Under the shadow of the tree, she opened one up, mindlessly turning a self-glowing leaf around. "What do you say to that, Miss Principal?" "Hmph. Witty even in contemplation, aren't you?" She gripped Sunset tight, pulling her in, wrapping precious pink forelegs around her. A pat on her back, her mane falling onto her withers—in her mind and her veins, her heart exploded. Parties and feasts, coming and going back in Yuletide. Before Starlight, Twilight had been in front of her, hands not hooves. Then two hands had become four, then six, then eight, then many more in the fading light of home. A bastion against the heartless winter just starting, of a torrent of holiday music killing her ears and mountains of gift boxes assaulting her eyes. "Sunset... maybe I've got a plan. But that's not what you need now, right?" So in a warmth that could melt a blizzard and all of winter, Sunset hugged her friend back, her own eyes blindingly hot, burning her cheeks then jaw then hooves by one unbreakable stream. Another Sunrise"Can't believe it: she's late!" Waffle blurted out, tapping her chin. "Should we text her?" The rest of the start-up crew stood outside Spectral's row house, with copious amounts of beanies and scarves and gloves on top of stuffy business suits, as leather shoes scrunched against the snow. "Like I said, we could just take my car," said Spectral, already walking to his third-hand car. But headlights flashed their way. Sunset's car rolled into view; her car window lowered, and a beaming Sunset shouted, "Hiya! Ready for the convention?" "You seem readier than us!" Cosmic replied, then looked past to the passenger seat. "Starlight?" "Yup!" And she splayed her forelegs forward. "I'll be your moral support! And some last-minute insights if you need them!" At the convention center's cafeteria, Sunset and Starlight munched on snacks. Guests kept chatting with them during the break, especially the unicorn among them. Theorems were tossed here and there; a news reporter rolled in with camera and microphone shoved onto her muzzle, politely asking for her thoughts on Earth's magic-fueled future. "You think this'll work out?" Starlight finally asked Sunset after a minute of peace and quiet. "I don't think so." Sunset eyed the booth across them. It boasted of a crystal-powered home security system, divided into easily packable modules. "Hey, those guys are pretty much advertising portable magic shields." "It's just an area of effect, though," Starlight said. "A weak one at that. They still need cameras, alarms... but I guess everyone really wants to save on bills?" "While importing expensive resources from the Crystal Empire?" Sunset said. "How will you recoup the taxes? I should've consulted, like, half the participants here!" Their laughter rang past several tables. Some looked their way, ties and fancy watches stopping to pay attention to the pair as they calmed down. "Whether they get the grant or not, though, Sunset, it's nice that you'll still take them out for coffee." "Yeah." She took her hands off her food. "I have to admit, they won't be the same. Twilight and her friends carried me through a difficult stage of my life, a forged-in-fire sort of friendship. Not to lambast the whole process—I'm sure it's difficult for college students—but this feels... mundane. In comparison. It's not like we're saving the world." Starlight then placed a hoof on her hand. "But at least they'll be here when your old friends can't be. And who knows?" She lifted Sunset's hand and attention toward their start-up; they had foregone break time, now tuning their prototype and adjusting their pitch. "You've helped them a lot, and you'll do wonderfully with them if you stick with their project... but they'll be blown away by just having somepony with them once in a while. Perhaps a friend that can change their worlds, hmm?" Sunset snorted. "You're sounding more like Twilight every day." "Hah! Tell me about it. But I'm not wrong, am I?" ~~~ At the café, coffee flowed like a river, paired with sweet rolls and buttered biscuits. To the toast's clinks of steaming hot cups, they laughed. "...maybe we really should've explained the costs of transportation and logistics more," Cosmic continued much later on, holding onto his pastry. "They want to scale it up, but making factories in the Everfree is a PR disaster waiting to happen." "Hey, at least they know us now," Spectral said, waving his coffee around. "We've sown interest in what we can do. All we need is action. Just one of them putting in the funds is enough progress! Don't you think, Sunset?" Sunset tapped her cup. "Yeah, I do. Plus, really, you'd be going in circles, Cosmic, if you dwell on that for too long. I used to know someone who got... nervous a lot, sometimes. On things like magic." Cosmic blushed. "Heh. Thanks for the reminder, Sunset." "And thanks for the coffee and free waffles!" Waffle said, raising her forkful of food. "Thanks to you, too," said Starlight. "Being an entrepreneur isn't exactly a safe bet, high risk and high reward and all that. And it's not over, right?" "Not by a long shot!" replied a pleasant Spectral. "We still got a lot of help from the accelerator, and if people don't want this prototype, we hide a bit, brainstorm, then find something else they want. Failure's not the end of the world." "Unlike the real thing once you get out of college," Sunset said before taking in a healthy sip. "I can see it in their eyes. Those investors and your college went easy on you. For every successful rags-to-riches college dropout story you get, you get ten more who couldn't make the cut. Can you be ready to stomach that?" He bit his lip. "We'll think about it. But we've got a good thing going, got some momentum. If that fails, we can partner up with a couple others from back in the convention." "Mm-hmm. You’ve got boundless determination, I can tell you that." Then, Sunset pushed her coffee aside. "With or without me, I know you can turn that good thing into something wonderful." "But Equestria's talked a lot about friendship,” Waffle cut in. “Having a friend from the other side's a big boon that way, don't you think?" But she leaned in, inches away from her. "But really, you're so sweet! I don't wanna move on from you. We all don't." Sunset shot finger guns at her. "That makes two of us. I still don't wanna move on from you. All of you." Before the other two could ask, "I live here anyway, so we can hang out for more coffee, talk things out, business or no. I know a couple of other ponies I can bring over." "Yeah, but Starlight's pretty cool already," Cosmic said, nudging the mare on the withers. "She knows a lot about advanced magic like time travel." "We're not having that as an icebreaker." But a pair of brows went up for Sunset. "If the people want it, Starlight, you have to give it to them." "Then can we also talk about demons and your ill-advised plan to conquer Equestria with teenaged zombies? Sounds very interesting to me." And they all laughed, prompting the whole café to look their way. A few more smiles popped up, as easygoing jazz music seemed to grow louder and cozier. Finally, a few boxes floated onto the table. "Oh," Sunset began, "by the way, this was Starlight's idea! The idea of two friends, actually. We've got a few presents. Consider them our belated Yuletide gifts to you all..."
A Fair ExchangeAn assault of dusty pages, messy whiteboards, magical hypotheses, and a flurry of brainstorming hands and words rained on Sunset's mind. In an office of wheeled desks and chairs, university freshmen tossed up half-baked business proposals. They'd managed to be the first start-up to notify the considerably older Sunset of the college’s business fair, then promised her good pay to sit in as their consultant from Equestria. They asked her many questions, how Equestrian magic operated—the types, the sources, the spells, the studies—but she told them that their initial ideas were just "magic plus x." Magic plus computer or phone or ridesharing—Sunset had once bemoaned their lack of "thinking magically." Yet they'd still kept her. She sat back down an hour later, tuning out of their arguments. Her friends' social feed kept her occupied—Fluttershy protesting for animal rights on a foreign estate, Rarity showing off her latest fashion line in Manehattan. ~~~ The next focus group discussion guest they'd invited from the other side would surprise her, they said. Past the unicorn mages with free time over the holidays, chosen to share their inputs on Earth's growing magic scene, Sunset spotted a familiar muzzle nursing some cocoa. "Starlight?" And Starlight puther mug down. "Oh, wow! Hey, guys, you didn't tell me Sunset would be here!" The start-up's "president," Spectral, answered yes, but then coffee was served, he cleared his throat, his recorder was turned on, and questions began. Everyone jotted down notes. ~~~ Lunch break was at a local café, a cozy refuge from the chilly noon, shrouded in bricks. Coffee swept Sunset away in small talk about foreign relations between the two universes. The names of her colleagues flitted in and out. The one that cracked flat jokes and just smiled, Cream Waffle; the president so confident that the venture would work out, Spectral; the geeky nerd that gushed over everything Equestrian, Cosmic Dust. Sunset checked her phone. Across the nation, living on the other coast, Pinkie was hanging out with her own band. In a domestic league across the sea, Rainbow had shared one of her own highlights, netting the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Twilight's update online was an advertisement for her university's inaugural magical studies course, which she was a part of as one of its junior professors. The clinking of mugs snapped her attention away; she chewed on another donut. Cosmic rambled on about flavor-enhancing potions, with Everfree plants as a base, or alchemy methods that can transform aluminum into rarer metals to produce much cheaper yet more reliable electronics. ~~~ Her home was in sight, the same old brick row house from a decade ago. She slowed her car down, but against the blinding white of the cold, a pink blotch stood out on the door's steps. "Starlight?" The unicorn sat on the little stairs, covered with scarves. "Yeah! Saw you were, uh, part of that company? I didn't know they had innovative ideas like using the Stream of Silence to create noise-canceling headphones! Now, actually collecting samples from the Stream of Silence... that's another matter." "Tell me about it." Sunset cracked a smile. "But it's good you're here. Wanna come inside?" Soon, the smell of coffee wafted through the living room. She turned on the television; more news blared against darkening clouds. "How are things?" asked Sunset as she placed a hand on Starlight's hoof. "Oh. You're not just tired from the focus group, no?" "Of course, you take the easy way out," Starlight said in jest and with a chuckle, gently pushing the empathy-magic hand away. "But yeah... after Hearth's Warming and New Year's, Trixie tried to squeeze in some short tours for a month, Sunburst's at Sire's Hollow with the folks, and Maud's with Pinkie for the Pie family reunion. That first one leaves the guidance counselor office vacant, so I've done double the work for the past few weeks, too." "You have Twilight's friends—" "Yeah, they get me, but they don't get get me, you get me?" "That's... understandable. At least I'm here, though. And we've got journals." "Yeah, I abandoned that after, you know... after we could just go back and forth through the portals." She gave a nod. "So, what made you agree to talk with their start-up?" "Winter break from my principal work. Wasn't doing much, save for a surprise for the students when school starts again." She rotated her cup around, letting it float. "I mean, Earth is still an amazing place to learn about. It's clear they've got a lot to learn about magic, though. But it’s nice that you're helping them a lot." "Can't help that much. Blame it on being a Celestia's School drop-out. Saving the world doesn't require tons of top-level equations and alchemy. Add in artifacts doing all the work for you—" "But you still went to Celestia's, and I didn't. They must've lots of trust in me as a reliable expert on magic despite my history." "Hm. Time-traveling's a swell thing to have on your resume, for one." "Come on! But seriously—" Starlight nursed her half-full mug "—I haven't let that bog me down for the longest time. And I'm sure you haven't let your own history bog you down." "Definitely haven't. Got a couple headhunters saying that 'your villainous ambitions implied boundless determination and initiative.'" Starlight choked on her coffee. "Hah! At least you're taking it in stride!" "Okay... fair. I mean, what's not to love about it? You’ve got literally the unicorn with the most experience of this world, evil past or not. I've got a unique position when it comes to helping them in all things magic. It’s something I can leverage." And in the warmth of home, they toasted each other with coffee. "That is true, Sunset."
Handled With CareAlone in bed, Starlight lay. Her kite hung beside Trixie's spare cape and coat, soaking in the twilight through the window. Groggy, she trudged to her desk and the journal that lay on top, alongside a box of old toys, fresh plants, and DIY instructions. According to Sunset via journal, there'd be a little get-together with Earth's Applejack later in the week. At the end of the latest page, Oh yeah, Starlight, don't forget, you've got another focus thing you agreed to this Thursday. Hoping to see you again soon! ~~~ While her fellow pony interviewees went out to sightsee the city for lunch break, Starlight sat inside the office, enjoying the vista of icy streets and the cars that danced around. The intense smell of mocha drifted to her nose; she breathed in. "We haven't talked much, have we, Starlight?" Starlight turned around to meet the young student/researcher/entreprenuer-in-the-making Cosmic Dust, barely an adult. "Hiya! What's up?" "A lot!" He laughed, though his eyes searched everywhere. "We've got a lot of promises and a lot of competition, but we're getting by. How about you? I did my research... headmare of the School of Friendship, with a tendency to grow a cult of personality?" "Heh-heh, yes to the headmare part, though I'm on break. And yes to that cult part, but I've changed a lot since then, like channeling my passion for understanding magic in more benevolent ways." She glowed her horn, much to Cosmic's delight. "Glad to have you on board. Between you and Sunset..." He took a set and leaned in close. "Are your pasts… let’s put it this way… taboo?" "Oh, no! Not at all. Battling a princess in a battle of time and destiny made me realize how much friendship can change the world... or two." After a pause, Starlight tilted her head. "I take it that Sunset's been good to you?" "Been good to us? It's charity at this point! She knows her stuff, she's got her connections... ah, she's not exactly a party person, but she's great to hang out with, too." But Cosmic was called by Spectral to someplace else, leaving Starlight to sip on colder mocha. ~~~ "Apologies for the hectic talks today," Sunset muttered as Starlight fumbled into the passenger seat. "Especially when everyone's ogling at me like I'm the only unicorn left," Starlight said as she put on her seatbelt in Sunset's car. "Still, I was the center of attention!" Sunset giggled as she drove out of parking, back to wet, cold streets. "That's not true; I also was the center of attention back there, more so than most." "Because everyone would love to have an Equestrian on their team." Starlight poked her on the arm. "But more importantly, you're an Equestrian with hands-on human experience." "Heh, lucky for them... but also just living and breathing magic compared to the rest of Earth." "Yeah, you've got me, the two Twilights—" Her car skidded to a halt. The red light glared from above. Starlight gripped the door handle. "Sunset, what in the world—?!" "Oh, sorry, just... triggered some memories. Haven't really seen her in a long time, you know." She checked the car behind her. "Both of them." "Yeah, go figure; Twilight's been stuck with more paper work over the past few weeks. Hmm, speaking of Twilight, I'd imagine Twilight here must've been pretty stoked to see Earth's top scientists collaborating with our own here." The light turned green. "True. I swear, she would've loved to be here when it all went down." ~~~ Sunset's house set the stage for another round of coffee. Instead of the news, cheesy Yuletide pop songs played on the TV. Sunset took a sip. "Twilight wrote to me that you focused too much on purely magical solutions when you were still her apprentice." Starlight sighed. "Yeah, I've moved on from it, but she's not wrong. Even now, friendship is sometimes... not as in-depth or as interesting as Severed Nape's Treatises, for example. It's a passing feeling, but maybe it's... indicative of something deeper?" "Most likely," said Sunset, about to hold her hoof before stopping herself. "You feel it more when you're alone, I assume?" Starlight tapped her chin. "That’s… close, yes. When, say, Fluttershy or Pinkie come along... even Octavia, once in a while, when she's free to help with guidance counseling... I don't think about it as much. I like their presence. But unicorn magic isn't exactly their forte, and my bookshelves at the school are pretty much, well, that." Then Sunset tapped on her mug. "It's a start, at least. You also got Twilight and me to write to. And I'm sure Twilight's old Canterlot friends would appreciate a new pen pals. I'll tell Twilight to give them a heads-up, actually..." ~~~ Another round of coffee later, Starlight sat on the car ride to the portal hub. "There should be some good offers here in a few years, should you want to pass the headmare's office to somepony else early on," Sunset finished as she parallel-parked into the one free spot on the sidewalk. "The field of computing bears a lot of similarities with spellcasting." Saying her goodbyes, Starlight got out of the car, finding herself cozy in the crowd of latecomers heading home past rows of guards and cameras. Sunset's car burned rubber as the unicorn waved. She could not see a hand waving back at her.
Take a BackseatSunset multitasked between phone and steering wheel. "Really, Applejack? You're leaving, too?" "C'mon, sugarcube, when the Pears call after so long, Ah don't wanna snub 'em. They got problems tryna' come over to visit us for Yuletide, so it's high time we got back together. Ah won't be long; it'll be a week, okay?" The call ended, and a few swipes deleted coffee time with Applejack from the calendar app. Sunset turned up Saddlefy, scrolling for Pinkie's band to stream. The sheer shrill of metal shreds and the quakes of rapid-fire drums blasted out of her speakers. The bells of her ringtone had her hand slip, almost drifting the car into a pole but she righted herself enough to take the call. "Ah, uh, hello, Spectral?" "Hi. This is sudden, but what're the plants we're getting again? I think one of us lost the notes on—" "Soleynds, native to the Hayseed Swamp, possess some of said swamp's inherent magic which keeps its soil remarkably solid in wet conditions. Get a couple potions or some non-magic method to process both the leaves and soil—or look into its roots—and you could turn dirt into something very malleable, resembling Earth pony magic. Think bendable concrete. Lots of potential for construction, preferably business-to-business." "Ah, nice! Thanks for it." ~~~ "Oh, hey, what's that?" asked Cosmic. In her office seat, Sunset put her pen and note to Starlight aside. "Mm, nothing much." "Nothing much?" He inspected the journal's cover. "Wait, isn't this one of those... like a paper phone?" After Sunset frowned, "Come on! You know this!" "Really, Cosmic, it's not too much to get hyped about." "'Not too much to get hyped about?' There's a lot of places out there without electricity, and it's expensive to set up the infrastructure for the whole system! If we could have an alternative way to send information around, like a stopgap to transition into full-on electricity, and interface that magic with modern-day phones or the bigger Internet of Things—" She stood up, closed her notebook; her jacket and beanie had been hung nearby. "Uh, Sunset? Where're you going?" "Just realized it's twelve. I'll go get everyone lunch and coffee." ~~~ Another red light that shone against the dark blue of dusk. Past the café, Sunset rolled, though she bit her lip when a car honked from behind, blinding her through the rearview mirror. At home, from the dark confines of a dusty cabinet, old video game consoles were taken out for the TV. She stashed the extra controllers back inside, alongside a dusty kite hanging in the cabinet. Her phone lit up as the last wire and plug were fixed. "Oh, hi, Waffle! What's up?" "Heya! I know it's your off-hours, but what do you have to say about these names I found online? There's Lavender Breeze—" "You can trust her. She was a classmate of mine back in Celestia's school. Pursuing post-graduate studies in Bales, right? Worked with a lot of pegasi, figuring out how to replicate their weather magic. You can bring her in for the next FGD." "That's great! Now, what about Simple Pure from the—?" "Handled a pyramid scheme back in Equestria. Thought she could get over on Earth without changing her name and fool everyone, huh?" "Oh, thanks for the heads-up. So... Doctor Boolean Warp?" "That doesn't sound like the right name for a doctor. Maybe you should look for a Mage or Wizard title or degree? If that fails, check their info with Spectral; he might know." "Sure! That'll be all. Thanks again, and have a good night!" ~~~ Dinner was homemade mac and cheese, instant ramen over black coffee. On MyStable, Rainbow posted today's results of her game abroad. A hat trick had been her highlight. There was a text, then a call. "Hey, uh, sorry, Shims, but we're almost back from the away game." "Oh, yeah, Trottingham's scary talented, right? So—" "Yeah, Sunset, but we really need to recover from that loss. Coach gave us a hammering at the lockers. Thanks for the encouragement in the DMs, though!" ~~~ She sat down on the metal cold of her chair. Earlier than usual, freezing from bed, Sunset could see the brightening sky. She put her hand against the frosty window, her fingers going frigid. A hot shower, a hot breakfast, then a hasty walk to her car, bag and all, before clearing up its pile of snow. Her bag vibrated at the intersection, the tinkling of magic emanating from inside. She rummaged for the journal, stopping by the intersection. No other car in sight but hers; those lonely headlights would automatically turn off at the break of dawn. Hiya, Sunset! read the words. Long time no see, even though that was just days ago. It's nice to see you're being proactive with them! Enchanting local moss as an energy source can be the start of a breakthrough, I can assure you. I'm sorry for the late reply, though. School will be back on soon, and I will have to resume my headmare duties in full. Talking a couple students through a friendship problem before the semester starts has been refreshing, albeit exhausting. But still! Instead of me coming over to you, like you originally asked, I can help you over here in Equestria. Since your friends need some exotic Everfree specimen, why not just take me along for your "business trip"? I'm sure Zecora would like to meet you again, too. See you soon! ~ Starlight Glimmer
Dubito, Ergo SumDank-smelling plants flooded the forest, creeping alive under looming shadows. The dense evergreen above did not yield to the pegasi’s snow, yet the two unicorns each wore a single scarf as they traversed the Everfree. "And here's some riginra," said Starlight as she pulled a wagon of boxes. She plucked a little flower out of its stem then watched it instantly grow back the missing petals. "You should tell them that it's still dependent on magic for its rather limited regeneration, but if you can transfer that property to conventional materials, that'll prove more than useful." Affirming her, Sunset then levitated a hoofful of the flowers into her backpack. The sizzling of a cauldron made her look. "Ah, and Zecora's here, just as expected." ~~~ In her hut, Zecora had been testy about getting a lot of offers from Earth, but at least she could do something for her friend, so she said; the bits, she'd rather give to someone else. "Actually, Sunset," Starlight began as Zecora mixed a batch, "this box here is that surprise I've been preparing for the school. It was Trixie's surprise, too, but... tours." With her magic, she opened it up. "The plan is to package Ponyville's Trivia Trot into something more appropriate for the students." Sunset could only chuckle as she poked her head in. "Seriously? Your surprise is to give your students more quizzes?" "In the spirit of fun! I grill them on last semester's subjects, and those who've maintained that knowledge the best get prizes. Consider it a very late Hearth's Warming gift." Out of her box floated a variety of trinkets that Starlight enchanted right away: exotic hybrid plants, one-of-a-kind from the Everfree; toys and puzzles thaumaturgically empowered to change its own rules and behavior; ingredients for potions of all kinds, restricted to benign and cosmetic effects. Even a replica of the Staff of Sameness had been custom-made for her perusal ("No, there's literally no magic in here; Trixie just said it'd look cool.") Sunset sat on a stool, beholding the magic tinkling on and off for each of the items: the buttons, the magic glow, the sound of them, the feel of the unique auras and lines and signatures that each spell or relic or artifact could muster, inhaling once more the herbs and spices that seeped into every nook of Zecora's home. The zebra herself walked up to Sunset after half an hour of playtime, ready to finalize the deal with her start-up. ~~~ "Thanks for the help, Starlight." Both unicorns had taken on the task of pulling a spare wagon of rare magic supplies, dodging thorns and briars. "No problem!" Quicksand was coming up; Starlight helped turn all wheels to the left. "So, what do you plan to do after the fair?" "At least hang out more with Applejack. I mean, there was an attempt before the Pears got to her, but outside of Yuletide, it's been months. Busy with her farm work, with family... our schedules barely align. Not like before, not even during college, even if it meant picking apples with her from time to time." "Speaking of schedules and college," Starlight cut in, "what were you doing before? Like, before the whole start-up consulting thing?" Wheels halted in the wet evergreen grass. "Got back to making sushi then went to manage the people making sushi for a few months. I then tried to get Earthbound jobs with companies that were very open to using magic, but I technically dropped out of my magical education, and that's never a good look. I did graduate from colleg, of course, with Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack... most of them." "What about the others? Outside your main circle?" "I still talk with Flash, if that’s what you mean, but he's also moved. Okay, did I ever tell you that he moved to the same city Twilight's in?" "Hah. Moved on, huh? Still, what's everyone else doing? Juniper's finally gotten up in the world, I've heard—" "Wallflower's got her own flower shop up on the other side of the state, and Vignette... got off lightly, for sure. Last I heard, she was trying to negotiate some exclusivity deal for 'Equestrian hashtags'. Tourism industry, probably." "The sirens?" "Semi-famous. Humans flock to them precisely because they've got dark and edgy backstories." "Makes sense. What about more of your high school friends? Except for Applejack, they can't have all just left the city..." Sunset's muzzle stayed frozen. Starlight took off her harness, detached her friend from hers. "Alright, what's going on?" Sunset lifted her head; a nearby creek babbled, and birds she couldn't see chirped. "Introducing magic to Earth was a big thing, much more so when the princesses just said, 'Hey, Earth, you've got some magic problems, so here we are. We come in peace and friendship.' I thought, Earth was lacking. It had all these weird sci-fi gizmos, but there was no magic. It felt empty, and I thought they should all embrace the magic like my friends did. Then, Princess Twilight came over, and she helped open it all. You start feeling the magic come back to you..." Her hooves twiddled, her breathing quickened. "I had a stupid grin on my face the whole time. I wanted to help. A lot. I didn't know much, certainly not as skilled as you, but I had connections to big names, access to restricted sections, Princess Celestia's acquaintanceship..." She cracked a grin. "I just... I guess I caught up in the whirlwind, huh? The friends I made had lots of magic, but now they're off..." Starlight floated one of the boxes down from the wagon. Under the shadow of the tree, she opened one up, mindlessly turning a self-glowing leaf around. "What do you say to that, Miss Principal?" "Hmph. Witty even in contemplation, aren't you?" She gripped Sunset tight, pulling her in, wrapping precious pink forelegs around her. A pat on her back, her mane falling onto her withers—in her mind and her veins, her heart exploded. Parties and feasts, coming and going back in Yuletide. Before Starlight, Twilight had been in front of her, hands not hooves. Then two hands had become four, then six, then eight, then many more in the fading light of home. A bastion against the heartless winter just starting, of a torrent of holiday music killing her ears and mountains of gift boxes assaulting her eyes. "Sunset... maybe I've got a plan. But that's not what you need now, right?" So in a warmth that could melt a blizzard and all of winter, Sunset hugged her friend back, her own eyes blindingly hot, burning her cheeks then jaw then hooves by one unbreakable stream.
Another Sunrise"Can't believe it: she's late!" Waffle blurted out, tapping her chin. "Should we text her?" The rest of the start-up crew stood outside Spectral's row house, with copious amounts of beanies and scarves and gloves on top of stuffy business suits, as leather shoes scrunched against the snow. "Like I said, we could just take my car," said Spectral, already walking to his third-hand car. But headlights flashed their way. Sunset's car rolled into view; her car window lowered, and a beaming Sunset shouted, "Hiya! Ready for the convention?" "You seem readier than us!" Cosmic replied, then looked past to the passenger seat. "Starlight?" "Yup!" And she splayed her forelegs forward. "I'll be your moral support! And some last-minute insights if you need them!" At the convention center's cafeteria, Sunset and Starlight munched on snacks. Guests kept chatting with them during the break, especially the unicorn among them. Theorems were tossed here and there; a news reporter rolled in with camera and microphone shoved onto her muzzle, politely asking for her thoughts on Earth's magic-fueled future. "You think this'll work out?" Starlight finally asked Sunset after a minute of peace and quiet. "I don't think so." Sunset eyed the booth across them. It boasted of a crystal-powered home security system, divided into easily packable modules. "Hey, those guys are pretty much advertising portable magic shields." "It's just an area of effect, though," Starlight said. "A weak one at that. They still need cameras, alarms... but I guess everyone really wants to save on bills?" "While importing expensive resources from the Crystal Empire?" Sunset said. "How will you recoup the taxes? I should've consulted, like, half the participants here!" Their laughter rang past several tables. Some looked their way, ties and fancy watches stopping to pay attention to the pair as they calmed down. "Whether they get the grant or not, though, Sunset, it's nice that you'll still take them out for coffee." "Yeah." She took her hands off her food. "I have to admit, they won't be the same. Twilight and her friends carried me through a difficult stage of my life, a forged-in-fire sort of friendship. Not to lambast the whole process—I'm sure it's difficult for college students—but this feels... mundane. In comparison. It's not like we're saving the world." Starlight then placed a hoof on her hand. "But at least they'll be here when your old friends can't be. And who knows?" She lifted Sunset's hand and attention toward their start-up; they had foregone break time, now tuning their prototype and adjusting their pitch. "You've helped them a lot, and you'll do wonderfully with them if you stick with their project... but they'll be blown away by just having somepony with them once in a while. Perhaps a friend that can change their worlds, hmm?" Sunset snorted. "You're sounding more like Twilight every day." "Hah! Tell me about it. But I'm not wrong, am I?" ~~~ At the café, coffee flowed like a river, paired with sweet rolls and buttered biscuits. To the toast's clinks of steaming hot cups, they laughed. "...maybe we really should've explained the costs of transportation and logistics more," Cosmic continued much later on, holding onto his pastry. "They want to scale it up, but making factories in the Everfree is a PR disaster waiting to happen." "Hey, at least they know us now," Spectral said, waving his coffee around. "We've sown interest in what we can do. All we need is action. Just one of them putting in the funds is enough progress! Don't you think, Sunset?" Sunset tapped her cup. "Yeah, I do. Plus, really, you'd be going in circles, Cosmic, if you dwell on that for too long. I used to know someone who got... nervous a lot, sometimes. On things like magic." Cosmic blushed. "Heh. Thanks for the reminder, Sunset." "And thanks for the coffee and free waffles!" Waffle said, raising her forkful of food. "Thanks to you, too," said Starlight. "Being an entrepreneur isn't exactly a safe bet, high risk and high reward and all that. And it's not over, right?" "Not by a long shot!" replied a pleasant Spectral. "We still got a lot of help from the accelerator, and if people don't want this prototype, we hide a bit, brainstorm, then find something else they want. Failure's not the end of the world." "Unlike the real thing once you get out of college," Sunset said before taking in a healthy sip. "I can see it in their eyes. Those investors and your college went easy on you. For every successful rags-to-riches college dropout story you get, you get ten more who couldn't make the cut. Can you be ready to stomach that?" He bit his lip. "We'll think about it. But we've got a good thing going, got some momentum. If that fails, we can partner up with a couple others from back in the convention." "Mm-hmm. You’ve got boundless determination, I can tell you that." Then, Sunset pushed her coffee aside. "With or without me, I know you can turn that good thing into something wonderful." "But Equestria's talked a lot about friendship,” Waffle cut in. “Having a friend from the other side's a big boon that way, don't you think?" But she leaned in, inches away from her. "But really, you're so sweet! I don't wanna move on from you. We all don't." Sunset shot finger guns at her. "That makes two of us. I still don't wanna move on from you. All of you." Before the other two could ask, "I live here anyway, so we can hang out for more coffee, talk things out, business or no. I know a couple of other ponies I can bring over." "Yeah, but Starlight's pretty cool already," Cosmic said, nudging the mare on the withers. "She knows a lot about advanced magic like time travel." "We're not having that as an icebreaker." But a pair of brows went up for Sunset. "If the people want it, Starlight, you have to give it to them." "Then can we also talk about demons and your ill-advised plan to conquer Equestria with teenaged zombies? Sounds very interesting to me." And they all laughed, prompting the whole café to look their way. A few more smiles popped up, as easygoing jazz music seemed to grow louder and cozier. Finally, a few boxes floated onto the table. "Oh," Sunset began, "by the way, this was Starlight's idea! The idea of two friends, actually. We've got a few presents. Consider them our belated Yuletide gifts to you all..."
