//------------------------------//
// Picnics are Magic 
// Story: Mirage Shimmer 
// by RedPegasus 
//------------------------------//

Saturday.

We found the six friends in the park preparing their picnic.

While Applejack and Rainbow take out the plates and napkins, Rarity ensures that the blanket is perfectly extended.

Pinkie puts her basket on the floor and when the deck is removed, the balloons tied to it rise and take it flying causing a laugh to the already cheerful girl.

Fluttershy and Sunset order the places of each.

"Oh, this will be fun." Says the animal lover.

"Sure, it's a day between friends."

"Where is Sun?" Asks the dressmaker at her friend Equestre.

"She said that she had to bring her guitar to be tuned in. She will come at some point."

With everything prepared, the party girl noticed someone approaching.

"Uh! Uh! Look! It's Twilight! The one who is not a pony princess of a magical world."

"Yeah Pinkie we know Twilight is." Rainbow answers.

Twilight comes to them. Carry a brown wallet on his shoulder.

Sunset smiles welcoming him. "Twilight, thanks for coming."

"Just because I want to continue my research, I hope this is worth it."

Pinkie appears in her back "Of course!"

"GYAH!"

"This will be fun! Spending time with your friends is always super fun!"

"... Yes ... whatever, let's start with this."

With that said the girl takes some things out of her wallet, the other presents observe how she assembles a tripod and places on it a video camera, likewise a weapon a kind of support on which places a laptop, after reviewing the focus of the Camera is placed in front of the laptop and observes the girls, there is a brief silence that is broken by the sportswoman of the group.

"What do you do?"

"I prepare my equip to document what happens, proceed with theirs."

They all look a little confused but shrug their shoulders and sit on the blanket to start their picnic.

Applejack sees the scientist. "Twi, are not you coming?"

"No, I have to stay here to be able to record the changes."

Pinkie chuckles. "You silly! how will you enjoy the picnic from there?!"

"I don't come here to enjoy, I come to investigate."

Sunset laughs a little at his attitude. "Twilight doesn't work like thar, if you want to see how our magic works, you should be here with us."

"I can see them and analyze them perfectly from here."

"It's not something you should analyze, you should feel it."

"Feel it? What logic does it have?"

"Believe me, it's very logical once you feel it yourself ... I know it very well."

Her friends smile at the equine and she returns the smile, Rarity with elegance and precision begins to distribute some sandwiches to all, Sunset takes her plate and looks at the scientist with a smile, this one returns the look and the first makes her a Gesture with the hand so that it approaches, rolling the eyes and with an expression of annoyance Twilight fulfills the order and sits next to them gaining the smile of all, Rarity extends a plate to him and with that they all begin to eat.


***Mirage***


For the next half hour, Twilight sits there, taking a bite of her sandwich from time to time while watching the six girls, ... doing nothing, just chatting and laughing at banal everyday things.

"What do you think Twilight, Chimicherry or Cherrychanga? Chimicherry Cherrychanga! Chimicherry or Cherrychanga"

"Ugh, what's the point of all this ?!"

"It's just dun Twi, relax." Sunset responds with a smile.

"I didn't come to have fun, I came to study the Equimia, you said that if I came I could see it firsthand, because I still don't see anything."

"Well, you see ... how do I explain?"

"It's the Twilight Friendship Magic!" Responds excited the party girl. "Being all together having fun makes it magical!"

Twilight seems to be frustrated. "... I am serious, I'm aware that the Equimia increases when you are together but you have not seen anything like Equimia until now, where does all this take?!"

Sun speaks to her standing right behind her. "That depends on you, Miss."

To the surprise the girl lets out a scream and rises backwards.

"Where did you come from?!"

"Of a passionate and unbridled night of romance, but that's history for another day, hola chicas."

The six friends greet the traveler cheerfully.

"Sorry for the delay, it's so hard to find someone to fit my child like I like."

"Sunny! What do you think sounds better, Chimicherry or Cherrychanga? Chimicherry Cherrychanga! Chimicherry or Cherrychanga!"

"Um, and what's up, chimicherrychanga?"

"You, are, a genius!!"

At this point Twilight was gritting his teeth and shaking with rage as he watched the nonsense of them all.

"ENOUGH! I got sick of this! I demand that you show me how the Equimia works! NOW!"

A faint silence covers them all.

A while. Rainbow is the one who breaks it.

"... you know, the four eyes are right."

They all watch the female athlete check in a bag and stand with a soccer ball in their hands.

"Who's ready for the real action?!"

With a strong kick he sends the ball into the air.


***Mirage***


The ball falls, Applejack stops it with her chest and runs, a clear space of the park serves the girls as a field of play, placing baskets and bags as goal limits, Rainbow is not wasting time and stands in front of Applejack obstructing her Step, the farmer tries to surround it but fails so that it accedes to plan B, kicks the ball and this one is caught by Sunset, from the goal Fluttershy equipped with a helmet and shoulder pads of American football watches with some fear, Sunset sends the ball towards The goal, Fluttershy to see this gives a drowned cry and turns covering, the ball ends up crashing against his back causing another scream.

"Very well done Shy!" Congratulates her chromatic friend.

The shy girl watches the ball at her feet and takes it and then smiles a little.

"Yay."

The game continues with Rainbow receiving the ball and starting to run. From nearby Rarity and Sun watch them play.

"Don't you play Sun?"

"Neh, I'm bad at foot sports, I'm better off using my hands."

Twilight stands in the field with a look of annoyance.

"This is stupid, why am I here?"

Applejack stands in the path of Rainbow and this being unable to advance kicks the ball into the air, both girls jump to reach it and it is the farmer who manages to reach it with a strong blow with her head.

"Twilight attentive!"

The girl with glasses looks up just to see the ball crashing against her head and throwing it to the ground, Rarity blows the whistle that hangs on her neck and raises the hand approaching.

"Foul, free kick for Rainbow's team."

Sunset helps Twilight get up "are you alright Twilight?"

Twilight rubs her face. "Auh, yes ... my glasses?"

Sunset looks at the floor and sees the girl's glasses, after reviewing them and cleaning them a little with her blouse gives her, Twilight puts them on and blinks a few times to clear their eyes.

"The good thing is that I reinforced it."

Rainbow smiles. "Well, if you're okay you can make the shot and score a point for the champions."

Twilight only whines annoying. "Please, this is so absurd."

"C'mon Twi, is fun."

"I'm sorry to differ in that statement, as far as I am concerned this is a great waste of time, you follow your," fun ", I will do my job my way."

With that the scientist begins to move away, a look is shared by all present, Sunset puts a worried expression but it changes it immediately when an idea comes to his mind.

"Well, if you want you can go, after all, it's not like you could do it."

The phrase causes the girl with glasses to stop and turn her head with narrowed eyes and frown.

"What do you say?"

"Well, you'll be good at all of science, but obviously there are things you can not do."

Twilight turns around and crosses her arms "oh, do you think so?"

"Of course, you cann't expect yourself to be a prodigy."

The scientist looks at the ex-equine with a gesture of annoyance while the other keeps a mocking smile, the other girls look confused by the strange conversation, except for Sun who smiles with some grace.

"... with which you think I can't do it."

"Correction, I know you can't, you're not that good."

"You know, that since I was born I have been seen as an intellect far superior to the rest, and thanks to that I can achieve whatever I set out to do, there is nothing that I cann't do."

They both look at each other for a moment until finally Sunset grins her smile and speaks.

"Prove it."


***Mirage***


Twilight looks ahead as Sunset keeps her stance on the goal, looks down at the ball at her feet and adjusting her lenses begins to make calculations in her head.

"lens distance, focus range, wind resistance, lens diameter, responsiveness."

A series of imaginary numbers and equations fill her head as she keeps her gaze fixed on Sunset and the goal.

The others look attentive and somewhat curious.

"um ... do we think we should ... stop them?" ask Fluttershy.

"Maybe, I think they're overdoing it." Says Applejack.

Sun smile at they "quiet, Sunsie knows what she does."

The five friends look at their partner and then turn back to the field.

"what's up? Are you afraid of failing?" Comments Sunset in defiant tone.

"We'll see who fails."

Remembering her work, Rarity takes the whistle and with an aspiration blows it, just to hear the sound Twilight advances towards the ball in a gentle race and with a final mental calculation it is a kick on this one, the ball advances in a straight line towards the goal and Sunset prepares to catch it, but in a moment this makes a slight turn and changes its direction towards the left, Sunset to notice this tries to turn but it does not manage to catch the ball and this happens.

Rarity blows the whistle "annotation, point for the Rainbow team."

"Oh yeah! That's Twi!"

"yay."

Sunset looks surprised but smiling the ball stop a few meters behind her and then turns to hear the celebration of the scientist.

"JA! What did you think of that, huh ?! Oh yeah! you saw it?! There is nothing I can't do."

"hehe, good job Twi."

While the scientist continues to congratulate herself, the athlete approaches her and slaps her on the back to congratulate her, which causes the girl to breathe.

"Good job Twi, I knew that brain yours had to be of some use."

"ugh ... I think you fractured my scapula."

Applejack approaches and looks at all with challenge. "enjoy it, that's all you can do."

"oh yeah? Let's go team!"

With that order she takes the girl with glasses and the shy one and takes them to their positions.

Sun approaches to her counterpart and smiles.

"How did you know it would work?"

"Well, Princess Twilight and I have some things in common, among them is, that if someone told me that I'm not able to do something, I would show him wrong."

"And how she is her counterpart in this world, you assumed it would be the same."

"Well, something like that."

"very clever little sis" she palm her back "good work."

"auh ... I think you broke me something."

"some things in common, no doubt."


***Mirage***


The game finally ends with the victory of the team of Rainbow, after that they sit again to celebrate with a cake of three layers brought by Pinkie, how she could put it in the picnic basket is a mystery that no attempt to question, except the researcher Who desisted from that at the suggestion of all.

"for the victory!" Rainbow yells and takes a big bite out of his slice.

"Rainbow, those manners." He scolded Rarity

"Relax Rar, it's a picnic" speaks Applejack and gives a bite to her cake.

"It's no excuse to miss the manners." Cut a piece of cake with her spoon and eat it.

Sunset smiles at her friends and then looks at the guest of the day. "How's the Cake Twi?"

"Huh ... it's fine, I guess."

"Is it a good way to celebrate the victory, eh girl?" Says Sun with her own slice.

"If you say so."

"Oh, come on!" Sun wraps her arm around Twilight's shoulders. "You sure are happy to have won that game."

"Please, it's just a silly game."

Rainbow laughs almost mockingly. "Says the girl who jumped across the field to score that point."

Twilight blushes with embarrassment. "That's ... It was a hormonal reflex, nothing more"

Sun patted her back. "Of course, although it was a good job"

"Ugh, have you proposed to fracture my vertebrae or what?!"

Pinkie stands with the rest of the cake in her hands "who wants more cake?!"

She prepares to advance, but when she takes a step she slides and the cake falls on Rainbow's face. They all look at the athlete in silence until Pinkie's laugh breaks the silence.

"JA JA JA JA! You are Rainbow Cake! JA JA JA!"

Rainbow looks at the pink girl with annoyance. "Oh with that much laughter"

She takes some of the cake on the floor and throws it into the face of the smiling girl who, when struck, is silent for a moment.

Somehow the pink girl pulls a cake in each hand "CAKE WAR!!!"

The scream serves as a trigger for everyone to start taking pieces of cake and throw them into a lively and sugary battle, even Rarity joins them after Applejack will smear her face with a little meringue, Twilight stays in place seeing in a way Despise them all until her patience ends.

"Enough! All stop!

With that shout they all stop, Pinkie who was in the middle of a jump defies the gravity being suspended in the air a few seconds before falling face down to the ground.

"You're acting like little girls."

Pinkie It's incorporated "but it's fun!"

"yeah sure, filling your face with baked glucose is so stimulating."

Sunset smiles at the girl. "Come on Twi, join the game."

"I would never participate in such a childish and ridiculous activity."

Sunset approaches with a piece of cake in her hand and a mischievous smile. "ooooooooooh, really?"

"Don't, you, dare."

They keep looking at each other for a moment, Sunset makes a gesture of throwing the cake so Twilight covers herself with her arms, Sunset turns and looks as if she looks at something else, Twilight looks at her suspiciously, Sunset pretends to throw the cake and Twilight squats to dodge it, Sunset stands with an innocent smile but Twilight looks at it with contempt.

"Who would have put a piano there?"

The comment causes Twilight to flip and when she returns Sunset takes off her glasses to fill her face cake and put them back, while she starts to laugh, Twilight cleans their eyes and they are full of fury, Sunset continues to laugh until That on her face is crushed a piece of cake, when she opens the eyes she sees Twilight looking at her with a smile of superiority, and with that the cake war is resumed with great encouragement.


***Mirage***


The battle extends to the point where they begin to run from each other through the park gaining some curious glances from passers-by, although no one pays them too much attention and they do not care about them either.

Sunset runs and laughs being followed by Twilight.

"ha ha! You have bad aim Sparkle, you wouldn't give an elephant asleep!"

"oh yeah? Well now you will see!"

The scientist throws a piece of cake that Sunset gets to dodge, but by doing, the cake ends up hitting the shoulder of a girl standing nearby, both watch what happened with nerves, and those of Twilight increase when noticing who hit, the girl in question watches her spotted shoulder and then turns towards the origin of the projectile, to see Twilight raises an eyebrow with intrigue.

"Sparkle?"

"... um... h-hi... Sugar Coat...

The girl who responds to the name Sugar Coat watches for a moment the researcher noting how her whole body is covered with bitumen and cream cake.

"I-I am..."

"... is this one of your rare experiments?"

"n-no I just-

"Or, is it now that you throw food at normal people?"

"... I ...

"I cann't say I'm surprised, about you."

Twilight lowers her head and looks away with an expression of regret and pity, Sunset to see it watches Sugar Coat with a little annoyance.

Sugar Coat takes a handkerchief out of her pocket. "This is what you've been doing. I knew the flu story was a cheap tale."

"n-no! I really felt bad and... well ..."

Sugar Coat use the handkerchief to clean her shoulder. "please, everyone knows you just wanted to skip classes, but hey, it's not that someone really cares."

Twilight's gaze gets wet as he looks down.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to follow your foolishness," she wraps her handkerchief in a wastebasket, "and by the way, the next time you want to blow your classes, just do it, don't make up an excuse, No one cares if you do not go.

"hey! Leave her alone."

Both Sugar and Twilight watch Sunset with their arms folded and a look of annoyance directed at the first.

"I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Sunset Shimmer."

"Shimmer ... no, I'm afraid I've never heard your name."

"I know, I don't attend your school, but I don't like the way you talk to my friend."

"Your... friend? You talk about..." she looks at Twilight and then Sunset "you're kidding, right?"

"Of course not, why would I joke?"

Sugar Coat is silent while looking in detail at Sunset noting how it is also covered with traces of cake.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing particular, I just assume that between rare ones are understood."

Without saying more, Sugar Coat turns and walks away, Sunset lets out a snort as she watches her leave.

"how unfriendly."

She turns to see Twilight, and she looks at her in surprise.

"Are you ok Twi?"

"... you... why...?"

"uh? What's up?"

"Why did you say... we're friends?"

Sunset is somewhat puzzled for a moment but then smiles and laughs.

"because we are!"

"... I... we... are we?"

"of course!"

The girl with glasses is surprised and unconsciously grabs her chest feeling a warmth in her body.

Sunset hold her hand. "Come on, let's go back to the others."

With that they both walk back to the picnic spot, where all the others are waiting.

Time passes until they decide to end their picnic, each one keeps their things and with a soft but warm farewell they separate.

Twilight is the last to retire and when she loses sight of all, ahe takes her wallet and retires.


***Mirage***


The puppy Spike greets his owner when she enters the house, the girl caresses her puppy and then goes to the kitchen where she sighs.

She puts her purse on the table and pulls out the camera, opening the screen plays the video and is surprised to see herself laughing.

"... I don't like the way you talk to my friend"

"... because we are!"

"... friends..."

Shaking her head, she shuts the camera and saves it again, but by doing so she feels inside the wallet, letting the camera take the object between his fingers and takes it out, a digital memory.

"... this... is not mine... where did it come from...?"