When Celestia told them that she’d talked with the headmaster of a school called Everton, Twilight had squealed in delight. When she said that the headmaster was interested in their research, Twilight had started vibrating. And when Celestia informed them that the headmaster wanted to see their invention in person, Twilight had almost fainted due to hyperventilation.

But as soon as Celestia said that the headmaster would arrive —with Twilight’s parents’ permission— in two weeks, Twilight had recovered and dragged Sunset to the garage to start working on their presentation.

Sunset, of course, made the mistake of asking what the deal was even about.

“The Everton Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation, or just Everton, is the single most prestigious science-centered university in the entire world,” Twilight explained with a scary manic look in her eyes. “The greatest minds have studied there since its foundation five hundred years ago, greatly contributing to all scientific fields. Its many research departments continuously work to develop better technologies for the betterment of humanity. And the headmaster himself is going to see our Enchanter! Don’t you see, Sunset? If we impress him, we might convince him to invest in it! In us! He could even personally invite us to study in Everton! We’ll practically have our whole careers set for life!”

Sunset felt a strange twinge of pain in her chest at those last words. She tried to hide it, but Twilight definitely saw her reaction since her excitement evaporated almost instantly.

“I…” Twilight said, and Sunset could almost see her dimming out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s ok,” Sunset said with a sigh. “I may not know what I want to do with my life right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to pretend you don’t either.” She gave Twilight a small smile. “Besides, having a goal to work towards, even a temporary one, sounds like something I need.”

Twilight smiled, and that was enough for Sunset’s to become genuine. “Alright. Then, let’s get to work. We only have two weeks to prepare.”

“Don’t you have finals?”

Sunset smacked her hands to her mouth as soon as the words left her, but it was too late. Twilight’s eyes widened, her pupils dilated, her arms shook, and the unmistakingly beat of a Harmonic Resonance filled the room as she started singing. Sunset let out a defeated sigh. Hopefully, Twilight’d be done before dinner.

~~~~~~~~

To say that the following two weeks were mayhem was an understatement. Sunset knew that Twilight took her studies very seriously, even more than Sunset had ever done when she was a student back in Equestria. The fact she had final exams for middle school added another layer to her bizarre panic. And coupled with the imminent visit by Everton’s headmaster, it all just sent her into a frenzy no one was prepared to deal with.

Twilight had Sunset write an index of all the books she’d brought with her from Equestria and underline those that were even remotely relevant to the Enchanter. She then detailed a very specific schedule for them to read the different titles, review them, and summarize the most important information. Meanwhile, both of them would be working on a draft for their paper. Sunset had it easy, but Twilight also kept studying for her exams all week long.

When the weekend arrived and Sunset got to Twilight’s house, she was surprised to find Twilight in a state of utter exhaustion. Her hair was shooting out in every direction, and her bloodshot eyes sat upon heavy bags. Her skin was pale and her gaze unfocused. But the thing that made her look creepy was the grin upon her face.

“Sunset! I did it! I finished with finals! They are done! Finito! I can now focus on our paper! Speaking of which, I have several questions about my latest draft. Did you read it? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you did! I’m not really sure I properly explained the way mana interacts with the Harmonic Veil. Could you point me in the right direction? Also—”

“Twilight. Sit,” Sunset said, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders and pushing her down on the couch. “How much did you sleep last night?”

“Four hours and thirty-two minutes,” Twilight replied instantly. “Which is the most efficient—”

Sunset placed a finger on Twilight’s mouth. “Twilight, listen to me. Finals are over, and you aced them all. We still have a week before Everton’s headmaster comes, and we have everything we need in your garage. But we won’t get anywhere if you’re sleep deprived. Do you understand that much?” Twilight nodded slowly, and Sunset brought back her hand. “Now, go wash your face. We’ll take it easy today, and tonight you’ll sleep eight hours minimum. Go.”

Twilight moved begrudgingly, deliberately taking her time to walk towards the bathroom. Sunset shook her head, amused at her antics. When Twilight was out of sight and no one else was around, Sunset looked down at her hand, at the finger she’d placed upon Twilight’s lips. She could still feel the warmth in the tip. Sunset blushed as an idea popped in her head, and before she could start getting cold hooves, she pressed her finger against her own lips.

She sighed, suddenly feeling stupid. When did she get so cheesy?

Putting that in the back of her mind, Sunset made her way to the garage. Despite her frazzled state and tendency to panic, Twilight was as organized as ever, and it showed in the way she kept the garage easy to navigate. The books were organized in neat, labeled piles of ‘read’ and ‘unread’, and notebooks on their own piles, though their labels spoke of the level of summarization she’d done of the books.

Sunset picked the last notebook Twilight had been working on and started reading it. She got a few pages in when Twilight returned. She had not only cleaned her face, but also combed her hair and tied it into a neat bun. Sunset preferred how she looked with a ponytail, but this look wasn’t bad either.

Just like Sunset had said, they took it easy, simply comparing their notes with each other’s and cross-referencing them with the books. Sunset already knew everything by experience alone, but even she knew the importance of proper language when writing an academic paper. And since they were going to conceal the existence of Equestria, they needed to get all the facts straight without mentioning the books, even by mistake.

When night fell, Sunset made Twilight turn off her alarms before going to sleep. She was surprised to find four different alarm clocks, plus a smartphone, all set to wake her up at five in the morning. Twilight didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed, and instead grumbled something about wasting time. But, of course, she was a lot less cranky in the morning after a good ten hours of sleep.

The rest of the week happened without issues, though Sunset was surprised when Twilight asked her parents permission for Sunset to stay the whole week. She argued that school was practically over, and the final week would only serve for teachers to give out grades, and even if she tried getting extra credit, none of them ever wanted to accept her projects and instead played some random documentaries until classes were over. She could use that down time at school to review her notes, then come straight back home and continue working with Sunset.

Of course, she made special emphasis on the fact that their meeting with Everton’s headmaster was a once in a lifetime opportunity and they needed to be prepared, and since her parents had already agreed to that, surely they understood that much.

When she finally stopped to take a breath, her mom said she had no issues, since she could stay home and look after them. And so Sunset spent the week there, which honestly wasn’t all that different from the extended holidays she’d been with them.

It was a bit weird, though, spending her free time in Twilight’s garage instead of her own room. She felt a strange fuzziness in her chest whenever she accompanied Twilight to the door in the mornings and greeted her home in the afternoons. And she quickly realized she didn’t dislike that feeling, though she couldn’t exactly say why.

Friday arrived with frightening speed, and even Sunset started feeling the pressure. The moment Twilight got home from her last day of school, they focused all their attention into putting together the paper, working relentlessly to finish as soon as possible without sacrificing quality. By the time they finished, Sunset could see sunlight streaming through the garage’s windows.

“Well, Twilight, we did it,” Sunset said. Or she thought that’s what she said. She could barely see straight. “Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

Twilight gave her a goofy smile and giggled. “Your hair’s on fire.”

Sunset had a hard time not laughing at that.

They woke up late in the afternoon. Though it was more accurate to say that Twilight woke up panicking about missing the deadline, then woke Sunset up by tripping on her stomach and face planting into the wall. Sunset fought an inner battle between anger and amusement the rest of the day at Twilight’s adorably reddened nose.

They did one last checkup on their paper, making sure it was flawless, then printed a few copies. And before they knew it, it was Sunday.

“Is it askew?” Twilight asked as she fiddled with her necktie for the millionth time. “It’s askew, isn’t it?”

“It will be if you keep touching it,” Sunset replied. They were in the living room, having finished breakfast an hour ago, waiting for Celestia to bring Everton’s headmaster. Sunset wanted to keep herself busy with a book, but Twilight was making it impossible.

“Why are you so nonchalant about this?” Twilight said, placing her hands on her hips. “In fact, why aren’t you dressed up? You can’t meet the headmaster wearing jeans! First impressions are important!”

Sunset flipped a page. “I don’t have formal clothes, Twilight.” That was a lie. Celestia had actually gotten her something slightly formal, but she was saving it for Twilight’s graduation ceremony.

“I can lend you something. I have a lot of formal shirts and skirts! Surely we can find something that’ll fit you.”

Sunset tried, and failed, not to blush at the thought of wearing Twilight’s clothes. “No. If he’s the headmaster of a prestigious science university, then he’ll care more about our paper than our appearance. If he pays more attention to what we’re wearing, then he’s not someone I want to deal with.”

Twilight opened her mouth to retort but paused. “I… I guess that’s true…”

“Now, please sit down and try to relax. Panicking will get you nowhere.”

Sunset looked up from the book to watch Twilight sit down on the couch with her back as straight as possible. She had let her hair down, though a pair of tresses appeared from behind her ears and circled her head neatly. Her pink necktie sat perfectly aligned with her light blue blouse, whose sleeves ended stiffly around her wrists. Her straight violet skirt, which was decorated with her Cutie Mark on the left side, ended just above her knees. And her dark gray short-heeled shoes hugged her feet and raised her to Sunset’s height when standing. And of course, her thick glasses sat primly atop her nose.

Apparently, that was the exact same outfit she planned on wearing for her graduation. Sunset would be lying if she said she didn’t like how Twilight looked, but a part of her still preferred her usual attires.

The doorbell rang loudly, and Twilight flinched so hard she actually stood up. Sunset giggled and joined her, looking at the living room’s entrance. Twilight’s mom answered the door, and after a few muffled words, she returned. Celestia was next, and behind her, the unknown man that was obviously Everton’s headmaster.

Sunset raised both eyebrows as she looked upon the man.

Her first impression was that he was really tall, standing a full head above Celestia, who was already taller than Shining Armor. Her second impression was that he looked like a statue in almost every sense of the word. His whole body was full of straight lines; an almost perfect triangle for a nose, a squared jawline, straight shoulders, and a polished black suit that was free of any wrinkles. His dark gray skin contrasted with his black hair, which was neatly combed backwards, not a single hair out of place. Even his briefcase was of sleek, shining black leather. His eyes, a red as deep as rubies, were the only thing giving him some color.

“Girls,” Celestia said, giving a single step to the side. “This is Sombra, headmaster of Everton Institute. Sombra, these are Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight reacted first, nervously stepping forward and raising a hand. “M-My name is Twilight Sparkle. I-It’s a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Sombra.”

Sombra’s lips proved that he was indeed not a statue when they formed a small smile. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Twilight,” he said, giving her hand a firm shake. He turned his eyes towards Sunset with a fluid motion and extended his hand towards her. “You too, Miss Sunset.”

As Sunset shook his hand, she couldn’t stop thinking that he looked like the definition of elegance. His every move, the intonation of every word, and even the shape of his eyes felt deliberate. Rehearsed. Nothing was accidental or disturbed by personal inclination so that the emotions he conveyed were exactly the ones he wanted to convey.

This was a man that was in full control of himself and of how others regarded him. Sunset wondered if the respect she felt for him was because that’s what he wanted her to feel, or because she was aware of it.

“Celestia told me you girls are working on a very interesting project,” Sombra said as soon as he finished his handshake with Sunset. “She refused to elaborate, however. No doubt knowing I wouldn’t be able to contain my curiosity.” Celestia simply smiled at him. “Well, I am here now. Shall we?”

Twilight snapped out of whatever trance she was in. “R-Right!”

They led Sombra into the garage, where they had already set up chairs and a curtain to hide the Enchanter. Sunset had also covered her chests with a blanket. She doubted Sombra would ask to open them out of the blue, but she thought it was better to be overly cautious. Shining Armor and Cadence hadn’t been able to attend, so it was only Twilight’s parents who sat next to Sombra, with Celestia to his other side. Twilight Velvet carried Spike onto her lap as he growled at Sombra.

Without changing his pleasant expression, Sombra rubbed the underside of the pup’s chin, and that was all it took for Spike to wiggle his tail.

Twilight took deep breaths for a few seconds. Her hands trembling, sweat already dripping down her neck. Still, she looked ahead with a determined expression and grabbed a stack of papers from the table.

“Before we begin, I’ll pass copies of our paper to each of you,” she said, barely managing to keep her voice steady. “You may read them during the presentation, but please hold your questions until the end.”

Sombra accepted his stack of copies and immediately quirked an eyebrow upon reading the title. Sunset and Twilight had written over a hundred different drafts until they were satisfied with the wording. and Sunset had committed it to memory.

The Harmonic Veil: Its physical properties and influence over the world.

Theorized and proven by way of Harmonic Resonances and direct interaction through experimental technology

by

Sunset Shimmer

and

Twilight Sparkle

A Research Thesis on Theory and Practice

Submitted in person to the Headmaster of Everton Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation

Sunset and Twilight took turns explaining in detail everything they could about the Harmonic Veil. How it enveloped the world like any other field such as the electron one. How it behaved like fabric, folding and rippling. And how it resonated with people’s emotions, triggering a Harmonic Resonance.

Of course, proving the relation between the Veil and the Resonances was difficult simply because there was no basis within human science. Sunset was sure it sounded like she was just making up an entire physical phenomenon in a desperate attempt to explain another one. However, that was only one part of the paper. The second part was the practical demonstration, and she was betting everything on that.

“And so, after two years of experimentation, we’ve built a device capable of interacting with the Harmonic Veil,” Twilight said, pulling the curtain open. “We have dubbed this device the ‘Enchanter’.”

Sunset cleared her throat. This was when they couldn’t keep beating around the bush. “The Enchanter operates under a primary source of energy we’ve dubbed ‘mana’. There’s a detailed description of mana in pages fifty-two through fifty-four. The short version is that mana is energy that is born within a spiritual core inside living beings. Now, it may be the only way to directly interact with the Harmonic Veil, but unfortunately, the laptop does require electrical power, so that’s technically a secondary energy source for the Enchanter.”

“Before we continue explaining the exact workings of this device,” Twilight said. “We will provide a demonstration. Headmaster Sombra, I believe Miss Celestia requested you to bring a fresh fruit?”

Sombra didn’t flinch at being called, not even his eyes quivered. Instead, acting like he had foreseen the exact moment he’d be addressed, he picked up his suitcase and produced a sealed plastic bag with a bright green pear inside. Without a word, but with the smallest of smiles, he handed it to Twilight.

Twilight took the pear out of the bag and gave it to Sunset, who placed it inside the Enchanter’s glass box. Sunset swiftly made her way to her laptop and made the Interpreter start sending the signals to build a circuitry for a combined spell she’d created for this specific presentation. She could feel the pulsations in the air as the Enchanter hummed to life.

Since this particular enchantment required about four minutes to finish, Sunset started explaining exactly what was going on. How their mana was being sent in carefully organized pulses into the Harmonic Veil around the pear, slowly but surely building a circuitry that would create the desired effect. By the time she finished —she had timed it pretty well— the pear started glowing. Unlike the regular illumination spell they’d been casting so far, however, this one modulated its intensity in waves around the pear, moving with fluid motions across its surface.

“This,” Sunset announced as she held the pear so that everyone could see it, “is one of the many spells the Enchanter can produce.” She handed the pear back to Sombra, who looked at it with his mostly inexpressive eyes. Honestly, his equanimity was so solid that he could easily best Princess Celestia.

Twilight straightened up, ready to begin explaining how the Enchanter was built and its many parts, and why it was set up in the way it was. However, she fell silent when Sombra stood up, gracefully, but with an air of finality. Twilight paled as he grabbed his suitcase.

“I believe I have seen enough,” he stated, his voice so even there wasn’t a trace of his real thoughts. “I apologize for my abrupt departure, but I have business to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting you both, Miss Twilight, Miss Sunset.” And with that, he walked towards the door.

Sunset was stunned. She had known that there was a big chance that he wouldn’t believe them, but she had thought he’d at least stay for the full presentation. Before she could react, however, Celestia stood up, fast enough that she knocked over her chair.

“Sombra, wait,” she said. Sombra stopped walking, then looked up for a moment before turning to face Celestia. “At least give them a chance to finish their presentation.”

“For what purpose?” Sombra said. There was just a tiny bit of exasperation in his tone, though he hid it well. “Celestia, when you told me this project was something I’d be interested in, I trusted you, so I agreed to your request to come here and to even bring this pear.” He held the glowing fruit aloft. “But I haven’t the time for parlor tricks.”

Anger flared up inside Sunset. She could understand people not believing in magic —she had done so for years, but she absolutely refused to let him compare her spells to simple tricks. She opened her mouth, but was beaten by Twilight.

“Headmaster Sombra,” she said with a serious expression, though her trembling voice and fiddling fingers betrayed her nervousness. “We assure you these are not mere tricks. In fact, that pear was enchanted with a second spell.”

Sombra looked at her but remained silent.

Twilight gulped and began to deflate, having spent all her courage. Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder and took it from there. “We were going to finish our presentation with the reveal of that second spell,” she told him, staring straight into his deep red eyes. “But since you’ve chosen to end it here, then I’ll at least request that you keep that pear for a month. Put it in your pantry or next to the oven, it doesn’t matter. After a month, you’ll see the effect of the second spell, and you’ll know that this is real.”

Sombra glared at her in silence. Sunset knew he was trying to break her composure with the intensity of his gaze, but she didn’t give in. She’d been on the receiving end of Princess Celestia’s fury —though only briefly— so he wouldn’t be able to intimidate her anytime soon.

Before the tension could grow denser, however, Celestia stepped in between them and spun on her heels to look up at Sombra. “I didn’t bring you for entertainment, Sombra,” she said. “And I know even you realize that this,” she grabbed his wrist and lifted it, forcing him to look at the pear, “is not a parlor trick. These girls are on the verge of changing the world, and I want someone I can trust to support them. I’m not asking you to blindly believe in them, but I am asking you to keep this pear for a month and observe it like they asked.”

Sombra looked at the pear for a second, then at Celestia for several more. His eyes rapidly darted from side to side in the first show of emotion since he’d gotten there, though Sunset couldn’t tell which emotion it was. He lowered his hand and stepped back.

“Only one month?” he asked.

“Only one month,” Celestia replied.

He huffed through his nose, then turned to look at Sunset and Twilight. “Alright then. What am I supposed to expect?”

Sunset held back a sigh of relief. “The glow will disappear by tomorrow morning,” she replied. “As for the second spell…” An idea popped in her head. She allowed herself to grin. “You’ll start noticing its effect in a week.”

That got a raised eyebrow out of him. “Shouldn’t you disclose it so that I know what to look for?”

“I would have, if you’d bothered to stay until the end.”

“Sunset!” Twilight hissed.

“I see,” Sombra replied. He looked at Twilight’s parents. “It was a pleasure meeting you as well, and I thank you for your hospitality. For now, I must be going.” He turned to address Celestia. “May I have a word with you?”

“Yes,” Celestia replied with a frown. “I also want to have a word with you.”

The adults led Sombra out, leaving Sunset and Twilight alone, though Spike pawed at Twilight’s legs until she picked him up.

“I can’t believe you talked to him like that,” Twilight said. She looked down with a frown, idly scratching Spike behind the ear. “Now there’s no way he’ll ever consider supporting us.”

Sunset was about to retort, but something in Twilight’s voice gave her pause. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she absolutely didn’t like it. Not one bit. She scratched the back of her neck and looked away. “Sorry, I just… He made me really mad.”

“I know. I got angry, too,” Twilight said, hugging Spike closer to herself. “But… His reaction was actually pretty tame. I expected him to laugh at us, or ridicule us. This is magic we’re talking about. Instead he simply wanted to walk away. Miss Celestia convinced him to give us a chance anyway, and then you…”

The way Twilight trailed off made Sunset cringe. “I…” What could she say?

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. Two weeks ago we weren’t expecting this opportunity. Even if he ultimately decides not to back us, we’ll just go back to working as usual. The thesis doesn’t mention how to transfer mana into the Enchanter, nor that some of its parts are gemstones, or even the specific arrays, so we’re not at risk of him stealing the project from us.”

Sunset nodded.

“Just…” Twilight said as she looked at Sunset, still frowning. “Promise me you won’t antagonize future possible backers?”

“I promise,” Sunset replied.

Twilight smiled, and Sunset’s tension washed away with relief. Sunset decided that having Twilight angry at her was something she didn’t want to experience again. So, this time, she vowed to keep her promise.

Author's Note

And Sombra enters the scene! As I was reaching this chapter in the writing process, I still didn't know who the headmaster would be. Eventually I thought of Sombra, and suddenly everything seemed to click. He's really fun to write, considering I have to pay special attention to how he talks and behaves.

If you liked it, please leave a comment! They truly make my day!