The blustery wind carried rhapsodic cheers expelled by the stadium crowd. Thick clouds hung over Canterlot on this dreary Monday morning. But the gloomy weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Wondercolts.
School had concluded, but students, parents, and teachers filled the entire stadium, cheering for their soccer team. Today was the first league match against the Appaloosa Settlers.
“Woohoo! Go, Dashie!” Pinkie cheered, shaking a pair of pink pom-poms. “You can do it, Wondercolts, Whooo!” Her upbeat cheers were almost drowned out by—
“Come on, Dash!” Sunset screamed, leaning on the guard rail. “Don’t let her push you around like that! Yeah, that’s it, show her who’s boss!” However, Sunset’s encouraging cheers paled in comparison to—
“Let’s go, Rainbow Dash! Make those Settlers settle for second place!” Fluttershy bellowed the loudest of all, having scared Sunset out of her skin when the game first began. It was the loudest Sunset had ever heard the girl, compounded with the fiercest look she had ever donned. “What? Ref, are you blind? That was a foul!”
Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack sat in the bleachers behind the screaming trio. “They’re certainly passionate, aren’t they?” Twilight asked.
Applejack grinned in satisfaction. “Yep. That’s the spirit of competition for ya.” She jumped up and twirled her hat, cheering with everyone else as Rainbow brought home another goal, turning the score to 5-1 in the Wondercolts’ favor.
Sunset took a seat next to Twilight. “I’m glad we’re winning, but this is a pretty one-sided game.”
“Agreed. I feel bad for the other team.”
“As do I,” Rarity said. “I mean, brown uniforms? What on earth is their coach thinking?”
Twilight adjusted her glasses. “That’s not quite what I meant.”
Rarity clicked her tongue. “You’d be surprised at how much an outfit can help or hinder your performance.”
“I just wish they’d put up more of a fight,” Sunset said. “They’re letting us walk all over them.” The crowd erupted in cheers once more, as Cloud Kicker scored another goal. “Dear Maker, now they’re just giving up.”
“That’s right, Settlers! You don’t have anything on us! Go, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy screamed, jumping up and down, her hair a wild mess.
Twilight looked in her direction. “Is that normal?”
Sunset raised her shoulders. “I don’t know, this is new for me too.”
“Likewise,” Rarity said.
Applejack stretched her arms behind her head and leaned back. “It’s nice to see her come out her shell once in awhile.”
They watched Pinkie and Fluttershy cheer Rainbow and the team on as they dominated the match. When it was over, the Wondercolts had won 8-2. The girls waited outside the locker room along with other parents and friends eager to congratulate the soccer team on their first victory.
Rainbow emerged first, looking like a triumphant hero coming home from war. Her bangs still stuck to her sweaty forehead, and she had a towel draped over her shoulders. She met the rest of the Spectacular Seven, giving Applejack a high-five, and Sunset a fistbump.
“Four goals scored in one game,” Applejack said. “Someone was on fire today.”
Rainbow grinned. “Yeah, I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I? Too bad they weren’t more of a challenge. But hey, if we keep playing like this, no one can beat us!”
“All right there, champ,” a deep, jovial voice said. Out of the crowd came Rainbow’s dad. He was tall and toned without being overly muscular. Sunset could see where Rainbow had gotten her hair from, as her dad also had messy multi-chromatic hair. “Don’t get overconfident just because you beat one team.”
“I know, I know. Still, did you see me out there?”
Rainbow Blaze ruffled her hair. “Yeah I did. You brought your A game like always.” He smiled at the girls. “I also saw all of you cheering for her. Especially you, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy blushed and brushed her boot against the sidewalk. “I just…” She winced at the gravelines in her throat, cleared it, and tried again. “I just wanted to show my support.” She was still a little hoarse.
Rainbow pulled her into a half-armed, sweaty hug, making Fluttershy blush harder. “You’re the best, ‘Shy.”
The girls gave Rainbow another round of congratulations before going their separate ways. Night had nearly settled upon them, allowing the brighter stars to twinkle in the violet sky. Twilight followed Sunset to the parking lot, where Sunset’s black motorcycle sat. It carried a few pink scuff marks and scratches from the time it had been vandalised, but it remained Sunset’s pride and joy.
Lifting the seat up, Sunset pulled out her red helmet and Twilight’s purple one. They hopped on, Twilight scooting as close to Sunset as she could, locking her arms around Sunset’s waist.
“Good to go, Sparky?” Sunset said from underneath her helmet.
“Uh-huh,” Twilight responded, her voice shaking. Her grip around Sunset tightened when the motorcycle lurched forward, letting out proud roar as it rolled onto the street. Twilight always said she liked riding Sunset’s bike, yet acted like she was going to die every time she got on it. Sunset supposed it was how she got her adrenaline rush.
Unfortunately for Sunset, suburban speeding laws kept her from burning rubber and giving Twilight a real rush. Thirty mph was probably enough for her anyway. Sunset enjoyed the peace-shattering din her bike produced, the rumble she felt each time she turn the throttle. To the houses she sped past, it was a noise-complaint waiting to happen, to her, it was sweet music.
The ten minute ride to Twilight’s house flew by. Both girls disembarked, stowing their helmets back under the seat. Sunset could already hear Spike barking at the door. He had learned that the rumble of a motorcycle meant his master had come home.
Twilight opened the door and there he was, jumping at her leg. She picked him up and carried him inside, scratching his belly all the while. “I’m home!”
Mrs. Velvet came out from the dining room, still dressed in her nurse scrubs. “Hi, sweetheart, hi, Sunset. How was the game?”
“We pulverized them,” Sunset said, taking off her boots. “A bit of a let down, really.”
“Rainbow made four goals though,” Twilight added.
A whistle came from the living room couch. Sunset looked over to find Shining lounging across it, reading a comic book. “Four goals in soccer? Either she’s really good, or they’re really, really bad.”
“A little of both,” Sunset said.
“So, what are you two up to tonight?” Velvet asked.
“We’re going upstairs to practice violin and do some homework,” Twilight said.
Shining looked up from his comic. “Why can’t you do that down here?”
Sunset gave him a toothy grin. “Because then, we can’t make out.” She grabbed Twilight by the wrist and ran upstairs before Shining could retort.
“Leave the door open!” Velvet called.
Twilight’s room sat at the end of the hall, square with violet walls and lavender carpet. What wasn’t taken up by the bed, desk, dresser, and closet was used as space for bookshelves. All of them were completely full, leaving some books to be stacked in neat piles on the floor. From the ceiling hung a model of the solar system. On Twilight’s desk was her laptop and a picture of her and Moondancer. Sunset tried not to let her eyes linger on it too long.
They sat on Twilight’s bed, and she pulled out her violin case from beneath. Sunset held her breath in anticipation, watching as Twilight delicately took her instrument out and tuned it. She tucked the maple brown body under her chin and gave the strings a few test strokes with her bow.
The moment she began playing in earnest was the moment Sunset breathed again, closing her eyes in bliss. Every note, perfect, every stroke, wholeheartedly delivered, even her occasional mistake added to the heavenly delivery of Twilight’s performance.
Twilight would never admit it, but she was a master of the violin. If Twilight asked, Sunset would gladly give up her day plans to listen to her play.
The piece was short and left Sunset wanting more. Twilight giggled at the euphoric look stuck on Sunset’s face. “I’m guessing you liked it?”
“‘Like’ would be a severe understatement.”
She giggled again and scooted closer, handing off the violin. Sunset gently gripped it, letting Twilight make all the necessary adjustments. Ever since they had started dating, Twilight had been giving Sunset violin lessons. Like her old guitar lessons with Flash, Sunset didn’t think she was making any progress, despite Twilight’s reassurances. Sunset just liked to have an excuse to sit close to her.
She had one arm around Sunset’s shoulder, fixing the curl of her fingers around the bow. “There, how’s that?” she asked, her voice dancing in Sunset’s ear.
Sunset nodded. “That’s good.” Her mouth was dry. She played a few notes, creating a scratchy wail that made them both cringe before she made the instrument produce something closer to music. She practiced her scales as per Twilight’s instructions, then played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’. She got some of the notes mixed up, but she had prevented it from making anymore wails.
“You’ve gotten a lot better,” Twilight said, still hovering over Sunset’s shoulder.
Sunset tilted her head toward her. “I have a really good teacher.” Their eyes met, and Twilight leaned in, pressing her lips against Sunset’s.
Like always, it started out gentle. They broke away, smiling and giggling before coming back. Sunset carefully set aside Twilight’s violin and brought a hand up to cup her face, running a thumb across her cheek. Something warm pressed against Sunset’s teeth, and she parted them to let Twilight’s tongue explore the inside of her mouth. Sunset moaned in delight, playfully pushing back, and twisting her whole body toward Twilight.
Twilight ran her fingers through Sunset’s hair and leaned forward, showing a surprising amount of force. It wasn’t anything Sunset couldn’t match though. She leaned against Twilight, pressing their breasts together.
“I’m not hearing violin!” Shining shouted from downstairs.
It was enough to make both of them jump back, but whereas Twilight fell back against her bed, Sunset fell onto the floor with a thud.
“Sunset, are you okay?” Twilight asked, leaning over the edge.
“Yep,” Sunset said tonelessly. “Peachy.”
*******
‘Holy crap, guys! You’re not gonna believe this! You have to come to the music room at lunch! It’s gonna blow your minds! Twilight, don’t bring Moonlancer.’
Sunset looked over the group text Rainbow had sent them, keeping a straight face at Rainbow’s typo as she walked with Twilight to the music room. They had all gotten it just before school started, and Sunset would be lying if she said it hadn’t kept her curious all day.
“Do you think Rainbow is still mad about Moondancer calling her a boy?” Twilight asked.
“Probably. She knows how to hold a grudge.”
Canterlot High’s music room was one of the school’s more up to date features, and thus, quite popular for the creative students. Trying to book time for it proved to be a hassle on occasion. Treble clefs and half notes hung on the beige walls, and three soundproof windows in the back gave the room excellent lighting. A grand piano sat against one of the walls with a small bandstand set up across from it. Next to it was the storage room that contained rental instruments, of which the school had a generous amount.
Rainbow stood at the top of the bandstand, a blue, electric guitar in her hands. She bounced with excitement, making a very good impersonation of Pinkie. “Oh my gosh, guys! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you are not going to believe this!” she said when everyone had gathered. “Rarity, close the curtains.”
Rarity exchanged questioning looks with the others, but complied to Rainbow’s wish. She closed all three curtains, leaving the room lit only by the florescent lights.
“Okay, okay!” Rainbow took a controlled breath. “No one bother sitting down, ‘cause you’re all just gonna jump right up when you see this.” She tested the chords on her guitar, then began passionately strumming and breaking into song.
“Awesome as I wanna be!
“First you see me riding on a sonic boom,
“Got my guitar shreddin’ up my latest tune!
“There is nothin’ you can do to beat me,
“I’m so good that you can’t defeat me!”
The girls stared in shock and awe, with Sunset giving into the urge to facepalm. Had Rainbow really dragged them here so they could hear her brag about herself?
“Mah God,” Applejack said, “Ah can feel her ego in this.”
“I can taste her ego in this!” Sunset said.
“I’m awesome, take caution!
“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be!
“I’m awesome, take caution!
“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be!”
Rainbow broke into, what Sunset guessed would have been a guitar solo if Rainbow had a full ensemble. She bounced up and down on her toes and began performing tricks like flipping her guitar in the air and playing it behind her back.
“Is there a point to all this?” Applejack shouted over the echoing acoustics.
“Wait for it!” Rainbow said, grinning ear-to-ear. Sure enough, after several more seconds of guitar shredding, a blue aura appeared around Rainbow, growing more intense as she continued to play. She rose into the air, and in a flash of light, blue wings sprouted from her back, her ears elongated into equine shaped ones, and her hair extended into a ponytail.
She played one last chord, then looked down at her friends. “So, what do you think?”
Stunned silence and open mouths were the general consensus. Sunset gaped like a fish, her brain replaying the transformation in her head several times, then locking onto Rainbow floating near the ceiling. “I… how… what… why?”
Twilight had a similar response, only with additional finger pointing and hyperventilating. “She—she—how—that—music—floating—wings—magic!” She started laughing hysterically. “That’s magic! She has wings! Wings that came out of nowhere! That’s not scientifically possible! Hahahaha! You’re not scientifically possible!”
Sunset grabbed Twilight’s shoulders. “Sparky, breathe. Nice and easy.”
Twilight nodded and took in large gasps of air, bringing her hand in toward her chest and back out with every inhale and exhale. “Okay,” she said after a full minute. “Okay, I think I’m good.”
Sunset let go of her shoulders. “Good, because I’m not.” She turned back to Rainbow. “What in Celestia's left teat is going on?” she shouted.
“What?” Twilight said quietly.
Rainbow floated over, giving her wings a gentle flap. “Okay, so last night, after I got home and took a shower, I was still feeling pretty pumped about our awesome win at the game! So I decided to practice my guitar and get ready for the showcase.” She played a few chords. “I don’t know what happened, but one second, I’m on the ground, and the next, I’m floating in the air with these babies on my back again! It’s so awesome!”
Pinkie squealed. “Yeah it is! I want to be a pony magical girl again, too! It was so much fun floating around and shooting a giant friendship rainbow to stop Sunset’s demon form.” She blinked and looked over to Sunset. “No offense.”
“Offense taken.”
“I don’t understand,” Rarity said, “I thought Princess Twilight took all the magic back with her to Equestria.”
Applejack lifted her hat and scratched her head. “Apparently not. Question is, why is Rainbow… ponying up now?” Hers and five other pairs of eyes looked toward Sunset.
Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “What?”
“You’re the one from magic land,” Rainbow said. “Don’t you have some idea of how this happened?”
“Not really, hence my outburst from earlier.” Sunset put a hand to her chin and paced the floor. She didn’t have a theory yet, but her mind already raced to find one. Rarity was right, when Princess Twilight took the crown back through the portal, the magic should have gone with it.
Then again, that’s not necessarily true, she reasoned. The magic released could have just as easily stayed to fill the vacuum of this world having such a low amount of magic. But, did we really release enough to create any lasting effects? She stopped pacing, aware all her friends were watching her.
“Okay, well, my first theory is some of the magic lingered because this world has almost none of its own. As for why Dash ‘ponied up’...” she paused and thought for another moment. “You five did come in contact with the Elements of Harmony, one of the most powerful forces from my world. It’s possible that that magic just stuck with you. You do represent five of the virtues that make it up.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “But why only Rainbow? And why music?”
“Yeah, for that, I have no idea.”
Twilight gasped and squeed, holding her hands under her chin while she bounced from one foot to the other. “We should run some experiments! Test out why and how this phenomenon is occurring!”
Fluttershy stepped back. “You aren’t going to cut us open, are you?”
“Of course not! We’ll start with basic tests, like seeing if the same reaction happens to the others with the same stimuli! Then we can change up the catalyst and see if the effects are different! We can monitor brain waves and heart patterns, and—”
“Glad to see you’re taking this in stride, Sparky,” Sunset said.
Some of the excitement left Twilight’s face. “It’s how I cope with the fact that one of my friends has wings and pony ears and is floating over my head!”
“Fair enough.”
Rainbow finally came down to the floor. “Well, as long as she doesn’t go Area 51 on us, I’m for it.” She fluttered her wings. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if we got superpowers from this?”
Sunset crossed her arms. “I’m pretty sure the only ‘superpower’ you guys get is that stupid rainbow cannon.”
“Well, it proved pretty effective at the Fall Formal,” Rarity said. “Er, no offense, dear.”
Sunset bit her tongue and growled. She didn’t want to use vulgar language on Rarity.
Twilight clapped her hands. “So it’s decided then! We’ll study magic for the sake of science! This is going to be so exciting! Groundbreaking!” She flashed her hopeful eyes at Sunset. “You’re going to help, right?”
“Umm…” Sunset shifted her weight between legs. “I will… help you take notes from a good distance away.”
Twilight frowned. “Why, what’s wrong?”
Sunset sighed and looked at the ground. Guess it’s time to pull this cat out of the bag. “I’m… scared.”
“Scared of what?”
Sunset clenched her fists. “Scared of magic, scared of myself.” She loosened her hands and let her shoulders fall. “As you all kindly keep reminding me, the last time I messed with higher powers didn’t end well for me. So I’d like to avoid coming in contact with anything magically related if I can. Especially anything with the Elements of Harmony.”
Warm fingers curled around Sunset’s hand, and Twilight smiled reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry then. You can be my number one assistant.”
Rainbow held a finger to her open mouth and pretended to gag.
“Thanks, Twilight,” Sunset said, thoroughly ignoring Rainbow. She looked to the others. “Well, first things first, you’re all going to need an instrument to play.”
Rarity put her hand on the piano. “Well, I’m a little rusty, but I can play this after a few practices.”
Pinkie waved her hand in the air. “I can play just about anything!” She hummed in thought. “Maybe I’ll try the sousaphone? Or the electric triangle! Oh, oh, I’ll play the theremin!”
“How about the drums?” Twilight offered.
Pinkie smacked herself in the head. “Duh! I rock at the drums!”
“Ah can play the banjo,” Applejack said.
Sunset gave her a half-lidded stare.
“What? ...What?”
Turning to Fluttershy, Sunset asked, “What about you, ‘Shy? Do you play anything?”
Fluttershy wrung her hands. “Um, no, not really.”
“Well, can you sing?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror. “S-sing? In front of all of you? I-I…”
Rainbow put a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Relax, Fluttershy, it’s just us.”
“Uh-uh.” Fluttershy resolutely shook her head. “I’ll… I’ll find an instrument to play, but I’m not singing.”
Twilight wrote down everyone’s names and instruments on a piece of paper. “Okay then. Fluttershy, think about what you’re going to play. Everyone else, start practicing with yours. Tomorrow after school, we’ll meet in here and start experimenting!”
While Rarity sat down at the piano, and Pinkie and Fluttershy dug through the rental equipment, Sunset stood in the corner. What would happen if all five of them ponied up? Would they form another rainbow beam? And would it home in on Sunset in an attempt to eradicate the evilest force it could find?
Sunset shook her head. You’re being paranoid. Besides, they need all six parts of the Elements of Harmony to launch the rainbow. Right? An uneasy tingle crawled down Sunset’s spine. She, once the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, was now surrounded by magic wielders while she could do none herself. She looked down at her hands. Not without turning into a monster again, or some other dark repercussions.
She couldn’t feel her demonic claws hiding beneath her skin, but she knew they were there. She had pushed her dark half down, deep down beneath her newfound love and acceptance of friendship, and refused to give it any chance to resurface. She refused to give the Elements any reason to hit her again. If the price to pay was no more magic, then so be it.
“I’m not going back,” Sunset whispered. She balled her hands into fists. “I’m never going back.”
This updated—
OH SHIT YES. OH SHIT YES.
Yes! More Spectacular Seven!
Updates for the win...
love this series so much
Why don't I have the feeling this is going to backfire for Sunset?
Why can't I upvote this more than once!?!?!?
is this a dragon age reference?
Yay, more Spec7!
Nice Buckball Season reference there. (And shouldn't it be Appleloosa, or are you de-ponifying canon locations in this series? I ask because I honestly forget, even though Paris was mentioned by name in the last update.)
Loudshy is best Shy.
Comma splice.
I think autocorrect happened to you there. Perhaps "scratchiness" instead?
letting out a proud roar
They should totally play him with EXCESSIVELY LOUD FAKE ESCALATION.
'Nother comma splice.
complied with
Oh, Twilight. Never change.
*DIES* Oh god. That's gonna give the girls all pause, because of Principal--
Yes. This exactly. This is exactly what I'm talking about.
"Of course not! But some probing will very likely be involved..."
Poor Sunset. She's justified in her paranoia, but really...
Weeee, that was great!! :D
Yep, we're definitely getting into Rainbow Rocks territory now! the story is still getting off slow and steady, and I feel my favorite part was just reading everyone spending time with each other. Sunset's enthusiastic cheers, little references like the marks on her bike, spending time with Twilight, Shining's overprotection...leading up to Rainbow's transformation.
A lot naturally parallels with the movie, with the big exception being Sunset's different character. Rather than being guilt-driven, she's scared that she might still be bad enough that her friends might unwillingly attack her. Heck, maybe willingly if her fears and anxieties get the best of her. A fear that may well be a very big part of this story. Part of her is already jealous and nervous if Moondancer might ridiculously be a better fit for Twilight than her. If her friends start fighting amongst each other because of the Dazzling's manipulation, Sunset might start thinking it's her fault again. Even if they don't and it stays closer to the movie, I can see a lot of potential for ALOT of trouble for Sunset if she, or certain villains, give her a "push in the wrong direction". When the school starts fighting and if she believes it's her fault again. Her friends potentially fighting amongst herself. Her fear of magic. Moondancer in the mix. Not to mention being afraid of herself.
It could very well be that, by the end of it, Sunset's song "You're never gonna bring me down" applies as much to the demon she's afraid of inside of her, as much as the Dazzlings.
Your work has naturally gone a darker, more mature way than the movies for a lot of reasons; the movies needing to maintain a kid-friendly tone being one, of course. So I'm really excited for the extra depth that someone like Adagio ends up having, and what the characters end up going through. That all being said, I'm happy for the peace they're having right now. Sunset also openly and honestly admitting that she's afraid also speaks tremendous volumes about her growth and relationship with her friends. Remember, this is a girl who couldn't bring herself to admit she was having fun at the Halloween party, not to mention everything that happened beforehand. It took a great deal to get Sunset in her comfort zone and explain her history to Twilight that one time. So admitting openly that she's afraid actually says A LOT about where she is right now and her relationship with her friends ^^.
It makes me wonder something that I'd love to be clarified, since it's possible it might not even come up within the story. How much do the girls know about what happened in the first one? I'm assuming they know she's living with Trixie's family now, so they know about 'that night'. Do they also know about the penace? I was a little surprised that there was never an implication of any kind of conversation between all of them in the final chapters of the last one, now that I think about it. It felt like a weird thread that was missing. I'm assuming everybody's aware of the whole truth now, but I'd love some more clarification on that :).
Only mistake I could find was an extra space between "Mrs" and "Velvet" ^__^.
Well done! and good timing with today being the OFFICIAL release date of LoE! :)
7609846 I am de-ponifying locations, but I thought Appaloosa was the only spelling for that. Also, that reference was totally unintentional. I wrote this before the episode.
And godamnit typos!
Buck you Sunset, the banjo is awesome. Doesn't belong in a rock group, but awesome. Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" FTW.
7609925 The in-show location is Appleloosa, but since you're deponifying, it's a moot point.
TASTE THE RAINBOW, MOTHERF*****!!!!!
7609952 Have you been binge-watching Lightning Bliss's YouTube channel?
You are stronger then you think sunny and im not missing this ride
Some very nice writing here, setting up (at least) the broad strokes of Rainbow Rocks for your continuity. Most importantly, why Sunset would be sitting on the sidelines when she's already close friends with the whole group. I have a few speculations in mind for where you might be doing some zigging where the movie zagged as well. Looks like it will be interesting.
Thank you.
7610077
Noooooooooo.
But really, no. I don't even know who that is.
7610180 One of the MLP reviewers on YouTube. Her OCs teleport has that phrase as a sound effect.
Careful, Sunset, you're beginning to channel your inner Littlepip.
...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Yep. Still in awe of this. As you can probably tell from my incessant and vaguely obsessive screaming.
7610196 I thought the same thing
Just once, I wanted her to say this in Rainbow Rocks.
Also... I just realized... Sirens... Sunset... screwing up. How'd I not see this sooner? Albino, I SWEAR TO GAEA IF YOU DO THIS...!
EDIT: wait, what am I thinking? Sunset was blasted by the Elements. Elemental influence= Siren power immunity.
This chapter was awesome! Great character interactions and in the reveal of magic and how Sci-Twi and Sunset reacted. I can't wait to see how Sunset will continue to act as they explore the magic.
7610434 Yeah, Sunset will be protected from the Sirens, I'm sure. But Sci-Twi may not be. A Siren influenced Sci-Twi may think that Sunset is messing up, like what happened to Flash with Princess Twilight in the movie.
embrace the magic sunset...you mustn't be afraid! You...are not...a monster!
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/9/28/1260672__safe_solo_equestria+girls_screencap_sunset+shimmer_my+past+is+not+today_sunset+phoenix.png
Considering Sunset's last encounter with the Elements of Harmony left her with a very annoying geas, I don't blame her for being... wary. Well, at least Princess Twilight is far, far away so no rainbow laser. Ha, LRtF Sunset is so funny with that "Offense taken" line. With magic back, the reminders are only going to get worse.
I'm curious who will have a nervous breakdown from trying to analyze the new magic, Sunset or human Twilight. Yeah, this is not going to be a good week for Sunset, from magic coming back to new rival. Overprotective big brother probably doesn't help either.
Yeah.
Interesting.
I like him.
Never cared for motorcycles, myself.
HEH!
Killjoy.
Yep.
OK?
And it's great. Also, Vegeta, what does the scouter say about her ego level?
She's lost it.
Indeed.
Worked on you didn't it?
No comment.
7610275 you know whats funny is that i was listening to Dark Side of the Moon while reading the story and browsing the comments. and right as i passed yours, the vocal solo from great gig in the sky came on!
The solo starts at 1:08
7612617
First of all, you have excellent taste in music, and you are my hero for reading this story while listening to this song. Truly. I'm going to have it stuck in my head for quite some time thanks to you.
Second of all, even Pink Floyd are in awe of this fic. It's no coincidence. (*philosophical voice*) There is no such thing as coincidence in this world.
Surprise twist: the rainbow beam immediately targets Moondancer instead.
(But yeah, I'd be worried too. The Elements of Harmony are not to be trusted in the LRtF-verse.)
7612631 glad you appreciate it! pink floyd is probably the best ear worm to ever exist. also, what if i told you that i had been listening to it on its original vinyl?
Shit I was totally gonna use that in a fic I'm writing.
7609948 Actually, I saw Applejack as more of an acoustic guitar kinda girl.
7613878 Not enough dobro players in fiction. But it's more of a Sunset instrument. And the banjo's Rainbow's speed, pun intended. Applejack would be the bull fiddle in a bluegrass band. Think Rarity would want the autoharp?
7613878 Hey, Twilight already plays the fiddle. We're already one-third ways toward bluegrass.
7613973 Now now, Twilight plays the violin, same instrument (mostly), vastly different playing style.
Still, I like where you going
Nice way to bring this into the canon of Rainbow Rocks.
Well, as much as aligning canon goes in a story that's fundamentally different from the canon itself
But hey, Sunset openly admitted she's scared of what magic can do to her. That's a step in the right direction.
Also, Twilight wanting to experiment for science. Well, duh. Never change!
7612874
Then I must kindly request you send the vinyl to me free of charge.
7614589 sry man. not for sale and/or trade
Ah yes, the thaumology begins. And if it goes anything like it did in that one short, "incolnclusive" will be the most polite thing one will be able to say about it. Still, given how Dash apparently violated the conservation of energy by playing guitar, I'd say Twilight's handling it well. Ans Sunset's handling it about as well as she can at this juncture. She even opened up about her concerns a little. This definitely looks more positive than not... for now. There are sirens on the horizon, Moondancer at the gates, and Shining glowering over Sunset's shoulder. Still, at least she has her friends. If only they could stop bringing up the Fall Formal every few minutes.
All caught up! Life is good~
Thank you thank you thank you for FINALLY having Sunset say "Offense taken"!!!
Then there's the other Fluttershy. She's a little horse.
Man the whole ponying up while playing music thing is still so silly. Makes sense that it'd be Rainbow Dash to figure it out first though.
7614003 I feel like breaking away from the rigoured structure of Classical might be a good thing for SciTwi. At the level that she's probably at, she probably knows the notes and scales instinctually, which means that improvisation is just a matter of being willing to experiment a little.
7618003 Agreed, some free-form playing could be good for Sci-Twi. And since there are rock bands that include a violin (Within Temptation, Genesis, Abney Park, etc.), she could fit in just fine with the others. Rainbow might take some convincing though.
Why is Sunset Shimmer a good person? Because what she became at the Fall Formal is really that horrifying to her.
Fuck you, you white bastard.
As this alt-univ fic veers back closer towards EQG canon, I can't help but feel that this Sunset isn't close enough to canon Sunset. It's just a feeling atm, so it's hard for me to criticize for sure.
I like Sunset for many things. What I list below is what I enjoy seeing in canon Sunset, that I feel this Sunset does not have, or seems to be drifting away from:
(1) She is ambitious, driven, and adventurous. There's an undercurrent of that in her, throughout all the EQG movies.
(2) She's a natural leader, not a loner. She does not shy away from ppl, organizations, and institutions. Even when she was bad.
(3) She loves magic.
(4) She is still searching.
(5) Being indomitable, she is good at what she likes. This means magic, but also field smarts and social maneuvering. Like Robin Hood and 007, she is at home in both the alleyways and in the pillar'd courts.
The deleted duet scene in FG may have been deleted, but it captures her character very well. I wish some crazy fan would animate it.
This story's Sunset feels like she's taking too much from the traditional shonen manga template of the gruff gold-hearted rebel. That's similar to what canon Sunset is, but not exactly. And that subtle difference can make her lose her lustre to me.
You just couldn't resist, could you?
God Shining is annoying in this
... the graveliness? I understand what you're going for, but feel like neither of us are spelling it right. You might want to just rewrite this sentence to describe Fluttershy's abused vocal chords.
Not this pun again.
Well, it is a giant vibrator right between her legs ...
Semi-colon, not a comma.
OK, I know Cadence likes to watch, but her parents too?
Then put some headphones on!
Does it taste like snozzberries?
I do wonder how their science explains the random, technicolor skin and hair.
"Every proper scientist knows you don't vivisect until after you have an appropriate control group for comparison!"
Well, there goes that relationship. Oh well, sorry to see the sunlight fade away.
No! It would home in on Sunset as the closest evil force it could find.