Greetings were rapidly exchanged in a flurry of teenaged energy that Sunset just was not in the mood for. Normally in this situation, she’d quickly put herself in between the newcomer and her more enthusiastic comrades, but quickly as she tried to chug the coffee, it just wasn’t clearing her haze fast enough. Drawing aggro for all the aggravation like a sponge might mean a melt-down in this case and losing her cool would make her look like the bad guy. Sunset knew this both from pushing many rivals over the edge and falling off it herself from time to time. Now was not the time to force taking charge of the situation. Especially when Chrysi had given no indication that she was anything other than a dressed up young-adult out for a bit of coffee. Better to play it cool, observe… See if Chrysi could handle being bombarded by the friendship brigade.
After all, it was moments of extreme stress like this that reveal the true measure of a person, or something… Damnit! There’s got to be a stupid quote from someone famous, a movie, or a song or SOMETHING that covers this! Stupid caffeine. WORK FASTER!
“Ohmygosh! Hi! Hieeeeeee,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she rapidly grabbed Chrysi’s right hand with both hands and began vigorously shaking it as she stared up at the taller girl. “My name is Pinkie Pie and it’s so great to meet you in person! You look even better in 3D and not the kind of person who captures people and puts them in pods at all!”
Princess Twilight made an audible squawk that sounded like a terrified protest, but it was rapidly overshadowed by all the fluffy, happy friendship going on.
Sunset wasn’t nearly caffeinated enough for this.
“Uh, yes, hello! And thank you?!” Chrysi replied, somehow getting a blush onto that ash-colored face. “Erm, Chrysi,” she said while clearly being somewhat overwhelmed by the pink party person...
Or APPEARING to be overwhelmed, Sunset mused as she took another huge sip from her drink.
“Do you need a new friend?!” Pinkie continued. She motioned to everyone around as if showing off a new car in a game show. “Do you need seven new friends?!”
“Err…” Chrysi did her best to shrink away slightly and look diminutive, which was exceedingly difficult given Chrysi’s natural height boosted by platform boots. Still, Sunset couldn’t help but admire just how well the girl pulled it off.
“Pinkie, dearest. You’re hounding the poor girl,” Rarity said as she gently placed a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. “Remember, personal space. Now then…” The fashionista then not-so-gently moved Pinkie away from Chrysi and took her spot. “Chrysi, where do you get these delightful outfits from?!” She asked as she began feeling the material of Chrysi’s frilly dress, invading the heck out of the girl’s personal space. “I simply must know!”
Sunset tilted her head slightly as Chrysi began to discuss clothes and fashion with Rarity. Despite Rarity being every bit as close, and nearly as touchy-feely as Pinkie; somehow Chrysi seemed much more at ease as she happily chatted away on fashion.
“Ugh… boring!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “I mean, it looks pretty and all, but what are you going to do about your pretty frilly clothes if you someone grabs you for an impromptu soccer game?”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Rainbow Dash, darling, not everyone gets asked to—”
“Strip naked,” Chrysi answered without a hint of hesitation or embarrassment. She frowned slightly. “I mean… I do hope I’m playing skins, otherwise I’m screwed.”
There was a beat of silence before most the girls broke into a fit of surprised laughter, even Sunset couldn’t help but join in.
I gotta admit, the girl’s certainly not a wallflower. Sunset mused as Applejack slapped a chipper hand between Chrysi’s shoulder blades and guffawed “Yer alright!”
And then Chrysi caught sight of Fluttershy, and for a few moments the diminutive Chrysi was back as the two girls exchanged quiet greetings.
Oh, she is good! Sunset thought as she absentmindedly began to rotate her large coffee cup in her hands. Watching Chrysi work the group was pure poetry in motion. I could even learn a thing or two, here…
Only the two Twilights hung back. This planet’s Twilight still showed the fact that she was a friendship novice by fidgeting pensively outside the circle that had formed around Chrysi.
Sunset felt her forehead tighten instinctively as she once again focused on Princess Twilight. That Twilight somehow looked even more completely not-okay with what was going on than she did a few moments ago, almost as if she had taken all the apprehension that had initially existed from the surprise visit unto herself as Chrysi seemingly effortlessly slotted herself into the gaggle of friends as if she had been part of it for years.
Speaking of which, Chrysi took notice of the two purple skinned girls and offered a hand. “Hi! I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your names!”
“Yes, I’m intentionally being rude,” Sunset blurted out before anyone could call her out on her inaction. “Watching you squirm as all my friends try to absorb you into their amorphous blob of friendship is the most fun I’ve had all morning,” Sunset said, punctuating her statement with a sip of her drink. Sometimes bluntly stating the truth was the best way to catch someone off guard and, oddly enough, defer suspicion from the whole truth. Also, important here was phrasing. Had I mentioned Chrysi kept me up last night or we woke up on the couch together, it’d have been ‘game over, man!’ and all the girls would be hounding ME!
Sunset received a loud raspberry from Chrysi for her troubles, something that greatly amused most of her friends present. Okay, now I KNOW she’s putting on something of an act. She would have flipped me off if she wasn’t playing it safe.
Quickly moving on from Sunset’s declaration, Chrysi refocused her attention to the twin purple people present and offered a hand to whomever would take it first. “I’m Chrysi, Sunset’s new roommate!”
“Uh… Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight greeted as she took Chrysi’s hand and shook it. “I’m, erm… kinda new to the group, too.”
Chrysi chuckled. “How about your sister there?” she asked as she retracted her hand and offered it to the other Twilight as she nodded in her direction.
Princess Twilight glared down at the offered hand as if someone had offered her an open bear trap to press flesh against. Meanwhile, the bespectacled Twilight’s expression changed so quickly that Sunset thought she felt her own mouth go dry.
“Uh… right! Erm… My sister…Er… TWIN sister named… ummm…”
Sunset forced an eye roll, which wasn’t hard at all as that was practically her normal state, “Dusk Shine, stop being such a grump just because you got dragged out of the school to help track me down.”
Princess Twilight winced as she shifted her attention to Sunset.
“Er, Dusk Shine! Right!” Twilight said. “It’s totally that and not something else!”
Potentially taking advantage of the situation, because that’s how Sunset would do it, Chrysi raised her outstretched hand up to her mouth and used it to not-really-stifle a laugh. “Let me guess, your parents wanted a boy and a girl but couldn’t think of another name when you both popped out?”
“Uh… No? Er… Wait… Yes? Maybe?” Twilight looked between her Princess counterpart and Sunset. “Which answer makes this conversation the least awkward?”
‘Dusk Shine’ suddenly stormed up to Sunset, “Sunset, a moment alone, please?”
Giving Princess Twilight a ‘cool-as-a-cucumber’ smile, Sunset just shrugged and stood up. “Sure, Dusky. You and I can just grab a booth and pretend no one can see us in the busy café!”
Twilight let out a frustrated groan as she marched past Sunset and spotted an empty booth at the not-all-that-far corner of the café.
“Alright Friendship Brigade,” Sunset began, “Den Mother Dusky and I have to have a chat,” Sunset pointed at Applejack, “Applejack’s in charge while we’re away!”
Applejack grinned widely and saluted. “10-4, good buddy!”
“Hey, wait a minute!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Why does AJ get to be in charge?!”
Sunset smirked. “Because let’s ditch school, rent BMX bikes, and go to the skatepark instead!”
“Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!” Rainbow Dash replied. “That sounds like the best idea ever!” she cried as Fluttershy emphatically shook her head ‘no’.
“That’s why,” Sunset said as Rainbow Dash gave her friend a sour look and the conversation resumed.
Sunset and Twilight retreated the short distance to the booth. Sunset took the seat that had her facing toward the café's entrance and Twilight took the end that allowed her to best direct her judgmental stare.
“I don’t trust this ‘Chrysi’,” Twilight said bluntly. “Not one bit.”
“Talking to me alone means we’re leaving all our friends alone with my new roomy, but okay!”
Princess Twilight cringed for a moment and looked back at her friends, all busy socializing with the new arrival. Sunset could practically see the gears behind Princess Twilight’s eyes begin to work overtime as she quickly found herself at a river with a boat, a wolf, a sheep, and a sack of grain scenario, mentally speaking.
“Oh, relax,” Sunset said. “We’re right here… What’s she going to do? Toss a giant net over everyone and abscond with them? Reveal all the other patrons here are secretly members of her drug trafficking ring and kidnap the whole lot of us?”
Rather than relax Princess Twilight, the comment seemed to only further aggravate the pony-temp-turned-human and she began to scan the café as if she had just expanded her potential threat pool.
Sunset just sighed and smiled slightly as she shook her head. “You’re welcome by the way.”
“I’m welcome?!” Twilight exclaimed as she whipped her head around. “I’m welcome for what?!”
“You’re welcome that I bailed you out of that awkward situation of being the only person not eager to make a new friend, Miss Princess of Friendship!”
Twilight narrowed her eyes and began to whisper. “You don’t see it, do you?!” Twilight hissed out in a whisper as she motioned behind her in Chrysi’s general direction. “She’s a villain.”
Sunset chuckled. “Good one, Samwise.”
Somewhat stern look on her face, Twilight nodded. “Thanks, but seriously. She’s evil.”
Sunset leaned her head past Princess Twilight to look at Chrysi as Sunset’s roommate thrust a wad of money into Pinkie Pie’s hand and the girls began shouting drink and food orders after the bubbly teen as she happily bounded to the front counter. “I mean… I’m sure she’s someone’s-no-many people’s villain, but to us as a whole? She’s an afterschool bad-influence at best.” Sunset frowned. “I mean… so long as the more confident, level-headed of us keep on our toes. I’ll grant you she’d probably eat some of the girls alive if given half a chance.”
“Ah-hah!” Twilight said triumphantly. “So you do see it!”
“Uh…” Sunset shrugged. “I see that Chrysi is putting on a bit of an act right now, but I don’t know for sure if there’s anything all that nefarious going on aside from the fact that she kinda likes to screw with people. Probably me in particular.”
“Please tell me you think there’s more to this than that!”
Sunset shrugged. “Again, I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep our eyes on her, because who knows what shenanigans she’d drag some of the girls into if given the chance! She could get them to inject the the devil’s lettuce or even smoke ‘E’!” Sunset let out a massive fake gasp. “What if she encourages the girls to try this ‘sexting’ I’ve heard so much about!”
Out of the unamused expressions Twilight had shared with Sunset Shimmer, this one was clearly amongst the top 10. “Could you at least try to take this seriously?”
Sunset looked down at her drink. “I would, but annoying you is somehow invigorating me while I wait for the caffeine to kick in.” Sunset looked back up to Twilight longingly. “You’re the Sunset Shimmer to my Chrysi, Twilight.”
“Ugggh… And you’re clearly in a very ‘Sunset Shimmer’ mood. Sounds like you’ve been spending too much time with the Dazzlings.”
“Hah!” Sunset said. “Also known as anytime whatsoever. Speaking of which, those three have already done plenty of damage to this group as far as getting us all to do almost all the things adults think we’re not ready for.” Sunset took a sip of her drink. “Except risk our lives fighting monsters from another world. That’s all you.”
Twilight folded her arms across her chest. “And you.”
Sunset pursed her lips at that. “Alright, you got me there. It’s actually probably more my fault than yours. Still, Chrysi and I already addressed the giant sexy elephant wearing a tiny two-piece in the room.”
Twilight groaned and raised a hand to her face. “Thanks for that image.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” Sunset replied. “As strange as she might be, she’s likely not going to kidnap and sell any of us to the sexmarket!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “‘Likely’?”
Sunset shrugged. “As I said, I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep an eye on her. But she at least ruled me out given I clearly have a lot of friends who’d start looking for me if I disappeared.”
Twilight leaned across the table slightly. “Okay, but what if it’s worse than uh… sexmarkets?”
It was Sunset’s forehead’s turn to crinkle like foil being added to a large ball of more foil. “Twilight, I’m not sure what you’re imagining, but unless the girl is really into the Saw franchise and—” Sunset cringed “—she probably is… but unless she feels like the movies are recipes for a good time—and she might; but at least it’s not the Human Centipede movies which Chrysi might ALSO like and I’m going to stop talking now because I’m making myself scared and angry.”
Twilight frowned. “Are these more things we should watch together?”
“Absolutely not,” Sunset said.
“Oh, well… Mainly I was concerned about something else you said, the part about Chrysi eating some of the girls alive.”
Sunset groaned as she looked down and brought fingertips up to her forehead. “I was being figurative!”
“So was I, well… Quasi-figurative, at least!”
Sunset looked up and glared at Twilight. “You’re being purposely obtuse right now as payback, aren’t you?”
“Uh, no?” Twilight replied.
“Oh…” Sunset said. Her glare tightened. “That’s somehow worse.”
Twilight glanced behind her and noted all her friends and Chrysi were now quite enjoying a bevy of beverages. She leaned in and motioned Sunset to come closer.
Sunset complied.
“What if Chrysi is from Equestria?”
Sunset felt her forehead tighten once more as she took a glance at Chrysi. “What like… another one of Star Swirl’s problems he dumped on this planet so, of course, we get to deal with it?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, something else… Something no less ancient but having been in Equestria until recently, maybe…”
Sunset could get the unnecessary mystery around the conversation start to increase her blood pressure. “Such as?”
“Queen Chrysalis.”
Sunset went quiet for a moment as Twilight’s words hung ominously in the air somehow made more worrying as the sounds of merriment continued from the front of the café. “The… the Changeling Queen…” she replied dryly. “You think Chrysi is the Changeling Queen.”
Twilight shook her head. “You have to have suspected it! I mean Chrysi looks just like her…” Twilight’s eyes widened in fear. “Unless…”
Sunset sighed. “Twilight, I’m not a changeling-and put that finger down, yes! I know that’s exactly what a changeling would say!” Sunset closed her eyes briefly as she took in a breath of air. “Ask yourself if a changeling would know how to annoy you so well, Dusky.”
Twilight’s entire body shivered, a mixture of relief and annoyance. “Right, I’ve been meaning to bring that up. ‘Dusk Shine?!’ Really?!”
Sunset smiled and took one more big sip of her coffee. “Hey! Next time you can come up with your own fake name for when you’re standing right next to your non-Equestrian double!” Sunset flipped out a hand matter-of-factually. “Speaking of which, have you simply considered that’s who Chrysi is? I mean… if she is that Chrysalis, she’s not going to great lengths to hide it with that name. Yes! Yes! ‘Unless that’s what she wants us to think!’” Sunset let out a long sullen sigh and turned to face a direction other than Twilights. “Now you’ve got me all paranoid.”
Twilight smiled slightly. “So, you see it then?”
Sunset groaned. “Only that you’ve told me enough about Queen Chrysalis that I believe she’s capable of this trickery… I mean, there’s still the possibility that Chrysi has nothing to do with her and is just a completely random girl who happens to be named ‘Chrysi’.”
“Are you kidding, I already said she looks just like her!”
Sunset shot Twilight a bemused look.
“Er… She looks just like a Queen Chrysalis turned human, that is!”
“Well, how would I know that?!” Sunset exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air. “I’ve never seen Queen Chrysalis.”
“Oh… uh…” Twilight looked around and grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser. “Do you have a pen?”
Doing her best to hide a knowing smile, Sunset reached into her leather jacket and produced a ballpoint pen and handed it to Twilight.
Twilight took the pen in her right hand, clicked the top with her thumb, and then placed the pen in her mouth and began scrawling on the napkin.
Sunset couldn’t help but smile wider and wider as it was clear Twilight was becoming increasingly frustrated at her complete inability to draw in this state.
After around 30 seconds, Twilight spat out the pen in disgust, folded her arms across her chest, and glared angrily at somewhere outside the booth she occupied with Sunset.
Sunset reached across the table and took the napkin in her hand. “Sooo… Queen Chrysalis is a scary looking black block of cheese holding a jagged knife… that’s also black?” she asked her lips clearly fighting a losing battle against a smile.
“That’s a horn, Sunset!” Twilight snapped.
“Pffft-Ye-yes! How-Hahaha-How silly of me!”
“Do I have to remind you just how serious this might be?”
“HeHEEHEHEhe…” Sunset closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she let it out and opened her eyes, her expression was grimly serious. “No… I mean… As much as I want Chrysi to be just a regular potentially psychotic element in my life and not a magical one, there’s been some hints she’s more than what she seems…” Sunset frowned. “Of course, again, she just might want me to think that because screwing with me gives her some form of sustenance…”
“Hint?” Twilight said, clearly perking up. “Hints like what?”
Sunset shrugged. “Aversion to the word ‘bug’ when used as a pejorative. Interest in where I went to school before Canterlot High…”
A dark look came over Twilight’s face. “That certainly suggests she’s the real Queen Chrysalis.”
“Again, or she’s clearly just weird in general. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she just started prying into my past as payback for me doing a little checking up on her of my own!”
“Alright, well what did you find out with you checked into her past?”
Sunset sighed and pointed at the group as Rarity and Pinkie vied for Chrysi’s attention, Rainbow Dash clearly getting annoyed that not enough focus was being given to her as she’d try to change the subject and Applejack continued to play social referee all the while Fluttershy and Twilight quietly observed. “I found out that she’s exactly the person she’s acting like right now. Of course, when I got alone with her, I figured out THAT was something of an act…” Sunset frowned. “Or uh… maybe she just acts differently in public and some aspects of how she’s with me are a different act to keep me on my toes and-damnit now all the caffeine has hit at once and I’m paranoid!”
Twilight reached over and placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you, Sunset?”
Sunset smiled. “Huh… X-files… I love it.”
Twilight retracted her hand. “Uh, Sunset? I erm… haven’t seen any uh… non-Equestrian adult material, if that’s what you think.”
“Never mind! That’ll go on the pile of things to watch.”
A luminescent blush appeared on Twilight’s cheeks. “Uh… Non-Equestria adult material? I-er-I certainly guess that would have scientific merit at least…”
“What? No! The X-files!” Sunset clarified. A thoughtful look crossed her face. “I mean… okay… maybe after a few drinks we can…”
“Sunset, let’s focus.”
Sunset let out an annoyed grunt. “Sorry. Now I’m over caffeinated and all over the place!”
“It’s fine,” Twilight assured, “If I can deal with Pinkie… Look, you didn’t tell her about us, right?”
Sunset frowned. “Wait… Are you and I dating?! Why wasn’t I informed?!”
Twilight shot Sunset an annoyed glance. “No! I mean… Did you tell her about Equestria?”
Sunset quickly put on a cheerful smile and extended a hand. “Hello! My name is Sunset Shimmer! Nice to meet you! So, as you may have heard, I’m actually a magical unicorn from another dimension!”
Twilight’s look simply became more irritated. “A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed!”
“Oh, but it’s so much less fun!” Sunset retracted her hand and chuckled. “No, I haven’t told her anything, but it’s not like magical meltdowns at or outside the school have a tendency to happen quietly. I mean… this isn’t Sunnydale, Twilight. The things that come out of our little Hellmouth don’t tend to keep a low-profile when they’re unleashed intentionally or otherwise. I mean, if Chrysi really is who you think she is, and I really hope she’s not, she’d be the first to be smart enough to gather some real intel before she moves forward with her master plan… and that’s worrisome.”
Twilight’s vexed look melted somewhat into one of bemusement. “I have no context for a lot of what you just said to me.”
“Right, right,” Sunset nodded, “another show on ‘pile’.”
“Later,” Twilight said with a dismissive wave, “I know you don’t want to hear it, but we need a plan.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to hear that?” Sunset inquired. “What’s wrong with plans? I like plans!”
“Oh!” Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry, I just thought you were more of a ‘think on her hooves’ sort of mare.”
“Sure, more so than you!” Sunset stated. “But that’s a pretty low bar. I mean… I made a plan to take your crown and try to win in the Fall Formal! Of course, that all blew up in my face, but that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly adverse to all plans.”
“Okay, gotcha… So… first off, we need to get Chrysi away from our friends for a little bit.”
Sunset nodded. “While we do a little recon.”
Twilight smiled widely and clenched her fist, giving them a small victory shake in front of her chest. “I was just about to say that!”
Sunset matched Twilight’s smile. “Okay, so I’m thinking—”
Before Sunset could get another word out, the phrase “Hurray! Slumber party!” could be heard over the din of the café in an unmistakable bubbly, high-pitched tone of one Pinkie Pie. Normally the phrase would be cause for celebration, but this time the words lingered in the air hauntingly, somehow echoing in a deep, foreboding tone as both Sunset and Twilight imagined them escape from Pinkie’s lips in slow motion. And before either of the Equestrian’s could react…
“Well, shoot!” Applejack exclaimed as she swung a fist in front of her chest. “Ah figure a slumber party at yours and Sunset’s new place would be a great way to getta know ya better and throw a housewarming party for Sunset!”
Amongst Pinkie Pie’s over-the-top celebration complete with confetti, Rainbow Dash’s “Yeah, whatever” that she tried to make sound cool and detached but was betrayed by her smile, Rarity’s giddy titter, Fluttershy’s soft “Yay.”, and even the bespectacled Twilight’s little grin that showed she was simply happy to be included, Sunset couldn’t help but notice Chrysi standing at the center of it all.
And that’s when Sunset noticed it… Under those heart-shaped glasses and beaming smile was a look… Something beyond the simplicity of the joy in the moment. It was a look Sunset understood quite well…
It was subtle… something in Chrysi’s lips perhaps, but ‘game recognizes game’ as they say, and Sunset new the slight tells in body language that came with successfully pulling off a scheme.
But Sunset also knew the look… the twinkle that came when someone began to feel those first few moments of real acceptance.
And Chrysi, the obfuscating mess of mixed signals she was, was displaying signs of both.
Thinking quickly, Sunset finished up her thought to Twilight, “I’m thinking we throw the whole plan out the window because our friends are friendship-craving saps and really, we should have seen this coming and somewhat only have ourselves to blame!”
Twilight groaned and slumped until she was able to bury her head in her arms.
“It’s fine! If anyone can wing this, it’s us!”
“Ugggghhhh!”
Sunset leaned forward and whispered. “That’s an alicorn pun!”
“I said ‘Uuggghhhh!’ Alright?!”