As soon as Flash opens the doors of Canterlot High, a cold gust of wind rushes out to greet him. He pulls his jacket tighter around him and walks inside.
"Ugh, is it even colder in here, or is it just me?" the young man thinks.
Although the hall is full of students, the corridors are completely silent. There are no animated talks, no laughter. They were like silent ghosts in an empty school.
Flash almost felt the sadness of everyone there, as if their despair were a disease. He felt himself slipping into a depression.
So focused is he on watching everyone, he is not watching where he’s going and bumps into someone. "Oh, sorry!"
The girl he bumped into straightens her shades. Vinyl Scratch, the "official DJ" of the school.
"Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention," the boy says again.
Vinyl only gives him a smile and waves off his mistake, then walks away.
Flash observes her leaving, but he notes something curious about her.
Vinyl did not look downcast or sad. She walked with a firm step, her head raised. She did not have that depressing aura that almost everyone else seemed to have. It was as if the cold and dead environment had no effect on her.
His thoughts are interrupted when he sees the DJ approaching a dark grey, black-haired girl.
Octavia Melody, on the other hand, shares the same expression as the rest of the school. Vinyl approaches her and gently strokes her back in support. Octavia leans into Vinyl’s hand, letting herself be pampered.
Finally, Vinyl wraps her arm around her friend's shoulders and walks her away.
"At least I'm not the only living soul around," Flash thinks.
*S*A*S*
At lunch, Vinyl sits at her usual table with her companions Octavia, Lyra, and Bon Bon,
but like everyone else in school, the three girls are too discouraged and downcast to do anything but mope.
Wanting to lift the mood, the DJ uses her cutlery to tap out a rhythm on her lunch tray. But none of her friends pay attention. Lyra absently stirs her food, Bon Bon eats slowly and mechanically, and Octavia does not even touch her tray.
Vinyl looks at each of them, then sighs through her nose and decides to take a bite of her food.
The table is silent. Vinyl does nothing but look at her companions, and though her glasses do not reveal her gaze, she is deeply worried.
Deciding to do something about it, Vinyl scoops some of Octavia’s food and brings the spoon to the cellist’s mouth. Octavia looks at Vinyl, surprised, but Vinyl just smiles encouragingly and puts the spoon to Octavia’s lips.
But Octavia looks away. "Vinyl... you were right..."
The DJ raises an eyebrow.
"It wasn’t Sunset... I... I should’ve..." Octavia does not finish her sentence.
Bon Bon rests her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling a little, and Lyra rubs Bon Bon’s shoulder, trying to soothe her.
Vinyl sighs, watching her best friends tear themselves up.
Internally, she almost wished she had been wrong...
*S*A*S*
The hours passed, and the school just seemed more depressing with each minute.
The atmosphere was cold, heavy, depressing. Each student looked discouraged, each class was silent. With every silent hour that passed, Flash felt himself falling further into depression. The thoughts of Sunset, Twilight, and the school were beginning to torment him.
"Muffin?" a voice says next to him.
Flash nearly jumps out of his skin, so focused is he on his thoughts. Clutching his rapidly beating chest, he turns to look at the speaker.
Recognizing the girl was not difficult: Ditzy Doo, also called Derpy Feet, though that was more derogatory. She was a pretty, happy, young woman, a little quiet but, true to the nickname given to her, very clumsy.
Her most memorable feature—and debatably the reason for her clumsiness—was her cocked eyes, which never looked in the same direction, giving her a somewhat silly appearance, although many, including Flash himself, thought that made her adorable.
Despite some of the students’ teasing, she always seemed optimistic, and she was overall a very well-liked girl at school for being kind, friendly, and quite funny.
Ditzy smiles at the boy while holding a muffin in her hand.
Flash is still confused, but Ditzy’s friendly smile is contagious. He takes the muffin, finding that it’s still warm, and smiles at her, "Thanks, Ditzy."
The blonde's smile widens, and she turns away from the boy and approaches a small group of students. That’s when Flash notices that the girl is carrying a plastic box full of muffins, covered to preserve the heat.
The group rejects the muffins that Ditzy offers, and Flash can see her shoulders drop slightly. She approaches another student, who also rejects the offer.
Flash watches her make her way down the hall, sadly respecting every rejection but beaming radiantly at every acceptance.
Flash cannot help smiling himself. He looks at the small baked good warming his fingers, the sweet aroma tickling his nose. Wasting no more time, he takes a bite, closing his eyes and savoring the flavor. Cinnamon.
The warm muffin, though small, manages to warm his whole body and bring a smile to his face.
*S*A*S*
The clouds had regained ground in the sky by the time our well-known trio leaves Crystal Prep for the day.
Sonata suddenly asks, "Do you two wanna come to my place? It's Taco Wednesday!"
"… Taco Wednesday?" Sunset questions.
"Yup! It's the day we eat the leftovers from Taco Tuesday!"
The smile of the siren is so... innocent. It almost infects the former equine. Almost.
"Thanks, but after all that practice, I'm exhausted. I just want to go home and rest."
"Awwww. Okay. What about you, Twi-Twi? Are you coming?"
The girl in question does not answer. She just looks at the ground with a pensive expression.
"Twi-Twi?"
Sunset, confused by Twilight’s attitude, snaps her fingers, saying, "Twi. Hey, Twilight!"
"Ah?!" Twilight finally reacts. "What happened?"
Both former Equestrians look with doubt at their companion. "Are you okay, Twi-Twi? You look weird."
"Something happen, Twilight?"
"No! No, I-I'm fine."
The answer does not seem to convince them, but Sonata drops it and repeats, "Um, well, do you want to come to my house?"
"Huh? Today?" asks Twilight, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I have to do... a project… for class! I'm a little behind, so I'd better go home and finish it."
"Oh, well, more tacos for me, then! Yay!"
Sunset raises an eyebrow at Twilight's attitude but says nothing.
The three say goodbye after that. Twilight is the first to separate, walking quickly away from the others.
Sunset is still curious. "Hey, Sonata."
"Yeah?"
"You think Twilight was acting a bit weird, today?"
They look at each other for a moment. Finally, Sonata gives a smile. "Well, duh! But Twi-Twi’s always a bit weird! That's why she's with us!"
"... I’m not sure how to take that."
The conversation goes nowhere after that, leaving Sunset unsatisfied and Sonata cheerful, oblivious to the former’s thoughts.
*S*A*S*
Twilight walks hastily down the street. With every step, her pace accelerates, eventually increasing to a jog, then finally to a run.
Despite her poor physique, she manages to run until she gets home. She quickly locks the front door behind her and rushes straight to her room.
She barges into her room, startling Spike. Twilight doesn’t notice his shock as she yanks open a drawer of her desk and pulls out a tape recorder.
"Wednesday. Date, doesn’t matter. Time, uh... around five or six, I don’t know! I have to hurry to record this."
The little dog gets up from his bed and approaches his mistress curiously.
Twilight, on the other hand, keeps recording. "Today, there was a breakthrough in Project BANDA. Lemon Zest brought musical instruments to practice, which she and Sunset Shimmer practiced as Sonata Dusk sang. Unfortunately, there was no indication of sources or manifestations of energy. Stunningly, though, I played the piano perfectly somehow. I can't explain it: My hands moved by themselves. No, it's not like that... I moved them, but somehow, I knew the notes and I knew exactly which key to play, when to play it, and how to do it. This... I can't explain it. I need to run some tests to analyze it in more detail. "
Twilight slumps in her desk chair, pensive but tired.
"I have no doubt that Sunset Shimmer has a connection to the anomalies, and I can't rule out that Sonata Dusk is also involved."
She turns off the recorder. She sighs, and looks at her puppy next to her chair, looking at her with concern. She pats him on the head, which seems to calm him down.
Twilight relaxes. "Now that I'm calm, I'll proceed with the regular investigation."
Leaving the tape recorder to the side, she sinks down into the chair, her puppy looking at her.
"I'm close, Spike, but there's still a lot to figure out."
*S*A*S*
By the end of the day, the icy clouds had returned to take over the sky, making the atmosphere darker than it should be.
Sunset sighs, tired.
It had been a long day. Among the new internet stalker, those encounters with Sunny Flare, Lemon Zest, the beginning of two weeks of band practice, not to mention the surprise of Twilight’s musical gift, Sunset dealt with far too much for a single day.
Sunset trudges up the stairs to her apartment door, when she notices someone in front of her door.
"And to end the day... her."
Dressed in winter pants as white as snow and a thick magenta coat is Princess Twilight.
Sunset stands still, staring at the princess. Twilight does not notice her presence as she stares at the foot of the door. Sunset purses her lips, thinking about what action to take.
A gust of cold air makes her decision for her.
With a slow pace, she approaches. The princess finally hears her footsteps and snaps her head in Sunset’s direction. Almost fearfully, she takes a few steps backwards.
"S-... Sunset..."
"… Princess."
There is silence. Twilight looks down, her body tense. Sunset remains impassive, waiting for what the princess has to say.
The wind blows with a little more force, dropping the temperature.
Sunset tires of waiting for a reaction. "What do you want?" she asks, not rudely but certainly not kindly
Twilight stays silent for a while longer. Sunset looks away and sighs through her nose, trying to be patient.
Finally, the princess speaks. "... I need your help."
*S*A*S*
"You want to get a job?" Sunset asks, somewhat confused.
The former villain looks at the princess sitting on her sofa, who keeps her gaze down, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. Sunset, still in her uniform, stands near the sofa, watching the princess, who keeps her eyes away from Sunset’s.
"You'll have to explain it a little better," Sunset speaks again. Her voice does not hold any kindness, but neither is it aggressive.
Twilight is again silent for a moment. "I want to get a job. Something... so I can make money."
"And that's because...?"
Twilight almost seems embarrassed as she speaks. "... Since I came... I've been staying with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna."
Sunset raises an eyebrow, surprised, though thinking it through, she probably shouldn’t be. “I suppose she would attach herself to Celestia’s counterpart,” she thinks.
After their last meeting, she had not thought about the princess again or what had become of her. Sunset had hoped that Flash would take care of the matter. He was probably the one who drove her there.
"I really have to do something good for that boy," Sunset continues mentally.
She did not let it show, but knowing that the princess was in a safe place and that she had someone to care for her relieved Sunset and warmed her a little inside.
Oblivious to the thoughts of her dimensional companion, Twilight continues, "They’ve both been really nice to me. They let me stay in their house and provide me with a bed, food, medicine... Vice Principal Luna even bought me these clothes so I can stay warm."
Sunset looks at the clothes out of the corner of her eyes. They certainly did look comfortable.
"They’ve taken such good care of me these days... I-I want... I don't feel good..." She pauses, and Sunset waits patiently for her to continue. "They’ve helped me a lot, but... I don't feel good accepting their help... I don’t want them to keep buying food or clothes for me. I want to be able to pay for my own things."
"... And for that, you need money," Sunset says simply, understanding the situation.
The princess closes her eyes with some regret and nods softly.
Sunset drinks some of her own chocolate before saying, "Well, I can imagine where I came into this matter."
"... Sunset, how can I get a job?"
And there’s the question Sunset was waiting for. Sunset takes a sip of air, then one of chocolate, and releases the first. Sunset walks a few steps with her back to the princess and thinks about how to phrase what she wants to say. "It's complicated. In Equestria, generally, when you get your cutie mark, you know what you're good at, so you just look for jobs in that vein, but in this world, things are different."
Twilight shrinks slightly in the sofa, taking a sip of chocolate as she keeps her eyes on the back of the fire-haired girl.
After a short pause, Sunset continues, "Humans... They don't have cutie marks or anything else that can easily tell others or themselves what they can do." She pauses, looking closely at her own hand, deep in thought.
Twilight, understanding the information, follows Sunset’s lead, looking at her own fingers surrounding the mug of chocolate.
"For that, humans need... 'artificial' evidence," continues Sunset. "Written documentation, licenses, resumes, and a bit of word of mouth are almost always required for a job."
The princess's face lifts as a bit of her former, knowledge-loving self shines through.
"Humans, in general, spend all of their formative years learning the skills to start a career, getting diplomas and licenses on their quest. In the meantime, many get smaller jobs, something to get themselves some money to support themselves while they’re in school. However, even these smaller jobs require government documentation."
Sunset sighs. "It's not like Equestria. This world, this species, has a social system even outside of nobility. It’s strict. I... I'd almost call it cruel..."
Memories come to Sunset's mind, dark memories from a distant time yet still firmly etched in her mind.
An uncomfortable silence surrounds them. In time, Twilight starts to worry. "S-Sunset?"
Sunset shakes her head gently, downing her chocolate before continuing, "Unless you have proof that you are a legal member of society, it's very hard to get a legal job."
Twilight looks down, becoming silent as she processes the information. "... You... have a job, right?"
Sunset grimaces. "Hm, yes. It’s an online job, but that takes time to learn, and... you won’t be here long enough for that to be feasible for you."
"… What do you do?"
The situation becomes uncomfortable for Sunset. "... You don't need to know the details. Suffice to say, I had to work on a lot of different things before I could afford this apartment and my own things."
"Then... how can I...?" Twilight's question remains unfinished.
The former villain turns around, unsure of how to answer. "… It's complicated," she finally answers. "First of all, you need papers. As I said, human society is very strict. You need a government document basically proving that you exist and that you are who you say you are. If you don't have that, well... it’ll cost you. Jobs, schools, hospitals... Everything depends on that document. "
"How can I get it?" questions the princess, eager to achieve what she needs.
Sunset looks away, biting her lip and becoming silent.
Twilight understands the answer. "It’s complicated..." she says for Sunset.
"Yeah..." Sunset responds simply in an almost hurt voice.
"... But... I want to work. I don’t want to be dependent on—"
"I know, I know," interrupts Sunset softly. "I understand. Look, it's a difficult issue, and... I'm not in the mood to deal with it right now."
Twilight hears some discomfort in Sunset's voice but gets Sunset’s meaning. "I understand..." She leaves her mug half-empty on the coffee table.
A chill runs through Twilight’s body. It feels as if the room suddenly cooled twenty degrees.
She stands up and bows to Sunset. "Thanks for your time…"
The princess starts to walk to the door, but suddenly, her vision becomes blurry, her legs weaken, and she feels herself stumble and start to fall, but to her surprise, she does not feel the crash against the ground.
Sunset had moved quickly and managed to catch the princess before she fell. "Are you okay?" she asked. It was slight, but there was something like worry in her voice.
"I'm fine," the princess replies, looking away. "Only a little dizziness..."
Sunset helps her up and places a hand on her forehead. "Your fever went up again."
"It's just a chill..."
"It doesn't matter. You should have stayed in bed and come talk to me when you were well."
Twilight looks tired. "Maybe... I'll go back to Celestia's house and... if it's okay... we'll talk another day..." She turns away and walks to the door.
At each step, she feels her feet get heavier. Her head starts to throb.
She reaches the door and opens it gently, only to be surprised when it slams closed. Looking up, she sees the former villain bracing the door closed with her hand.
"It's cold, and it'll get even colder when it gets dark. You can’t go out now."
"I'll be fine, it's not—" She does not finish her sentence as a coughing fit overtakes her.
Sunset gets between the princess and the door and crosses her arms. "Sit. Back. Down."
*S*A*S*
There was a faint knock at the door, and Sunset does not take long to answer it. "Principal Celestia, good evening."
"Good evening, Sunset," the woman greets in a calm voice, but her gaze is somewhat nervous. "Thank you for calling."
"It's no problem." She stands aside, allowing the woman to enter before, quickly closing the door to cut off the cold. "Can I offer you something hot?"
"Thank you, but I'm fine," she rejects politely. "I think it's better that we get to the heart of the matter."
Sunset nods and walks to her room. When she opens the door, she sees the Equestrian princess sitting on the bed, a small blanket on her legs.
"Princess." Twilight raises her head at the call. "Celestia came to pick you up."
The announcement causes the purple-haired girl to sigh, remove the blanket from her legs, and stand up. Sunset accompanies her to the living room, where Celestia waits.
When Celestia sees Twilight, she hurries and wraps her in a soft hug. "Twilight, I was so worried. Why did you leave without saying anything?"
"I'm sorry. I wanted... to fix something."
"You could have warned me."
"Sorry," she mumbled, taking refuge in the hug. "I wanted to do it by myself..."
"Please, let’s wait until you’re well. Sunset, thank you for taking care of her."
"Yeah, yeah," Sunset responds coldly.
Although Sunset didn’t outright say it, Twilight knew that Sunset was not comfortable with her present.
The thought depressed her.
Sunset leads them to the door and stands aside to let them both leave.
Twilight leaves first, but Celestia hangs back a bit. "Are you okay, Sunset?"
The question takes the girl by surprise. "Hm? Sure, why wouldn’t I be?"
"Just... Well, you’ve been in a whole new school for a few weeks. Do you… feel better?" Celestia asks, somewhat uncomfortable.
Sunset looks at her, hesitating a moment before answering, "I'm fine. I'm taking my classes, I’m passing my tests. The uniform bothers me, but I'm getting used to it."
"I see. That's good." Celestia smiles, but it seems forced. "And, do you have any friends?" she asks worriedly.
"Hmm..." Sunset doubts it, honestly. "Maybe," she answers, shrugging.
Celestia smiles a genuine smile this time at the news.
"Thanks for your concern," Sunset says. "I'm fine. I’m getting used to school, and... I think the school’s getting used to me."
Celestia's smile remains. Her voice becomes almost maternal. "That’s very reassuring, Sunset. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay? You already have my number."
The woman laughs a little at the comment, though Sunset doesn’t follow suit.
She only had the number because she had asked Twilight for it, and Twilight only knew because she was using Luna’s phone.
"Yeah... I guess I got it."
The principal smiles once more and leaves the apartment. "Good night, Sunset. Thanks again."
"... Thanks, Sunset," the princess says softly. "And good night."
"Good night, Principal, Princess."
With that, Sunset closes the door, and both visitors leave.
*S*A*S*
“Finally home.”
Flash enters his room, dropping his things and plopping himself on the bed. He rubs his face with his palms and lets out a moan, exhausted.
After what Twilight had said to the school, after the truth of Anon-A-Miss had come to light, the school only seemed to have darkened more.
Throughout the day, he could only watch as the students immersed themselves in their sorrow, some more than others, and although it seemed that some were not so affected, in general, the whole school was now a nest of cries and lamentations.
They seemed to feel sad, hurt… and alone...
"Just as Sunset felt," he thought. “Now the whole school knows how she felt.”
He thought about Sunset, remembering their last meetings. Sunset was so hurt and angry with the whole thing.
“What would she think if she knew how the school is now?”
Sunset was always a somewhat difficult girl, and she had quite the temper. Anyone who met her would likely think she’d take pleasure in the school’s suffering.
But Flash knew her, and he knew that, despite Sunset’s temperament, she was very sweet, very helpful, very... warm...
Flash looks to the sides, as if looking for some furtive spy. Of course, there is no such thing; he's alone in his room. He leans over and opens the drawer of his night table halfway, sticking his fingers into the little gap on the right side.
Hidden in that small space, between the drawer and the furniture, there is a photograph.
Flash pulls it out and stares at it. It is an image of himself with Sunset Shimmer at his side. Both are noticeably younger, showing that it was taken a few years ago.
It brought to mind a memory of a somewhat distant time, that time when both began to know each other.
Flash never knew what it was, but something in Sunset attracted him almost from the first day.
Maybe it was that closed, almost shy attitude or her slight clumsiness; for some reason, Sunset was not really good with her fingers. Maybe it was just her face so naturally pretty without need for makeup or arrangements to look good, which was good, because Sunset had no idea how makeup worked and didn’t care to learn.
Whatever it was, he had approached her and offered her his hand to help her. At first, she rejected it, but eventually, she opened up to him, and soon, they became friends.
Time passed, their friendship grew, and eventually, it became... well, what it had become. But then, everything fell apart.
*S*A*S*
The principal's white car almost got lost in the snow that had started to fall.
Inside the vehicle, the woman observes her companion, who keeps her eyes on her lap, her face deeply sorrowful.
"Twilight, what’s wrong?"
There is no immediate response, but eventually, Twilight mumbles, "She... She just called me... 'Princess'..."
The answer confuses Celestia, but she says nothing. Twilight leans her head onto the closed window, looking at the passing scenery, but she does not seem to really focus on anything.
Somehow, her body feels even colder.
*S*A*S*
Flash sighs.
He did not remember that day well; he hated remembering it, so the memory had partially erased itself from his mind. That day, he had lost not just a girlfriend but a friend.
For a time, that photo was the only thing that remained of that good time, and he kept it, hoping that one day, the Sunset he knew would come back.
And she did.
Sunset returned to the kind, affectionate, friendly girl she used to be... a friend.
Unfortunately, he was afraid to approach her and ask if they could be friends again.
Whenever he thought about it, he felt guilty. Maybe, if he had talked to her before, calmly, without having this mess in the middle, he could have rekindled their friendship much earlier and made it much stronger.
*S*A*S*
Sunset, changed into more casual clothes, leans back in her chair and looks at her phone. Now, there are two numbers registered.
-Flash-
-Pr. Celestia-
She meditates on the new name. The principal had helped her a lot, even on very short notice. She already had a lot to thank Celestia for.
Both Celestias…
Sunset sighs. It had been a while since she thought of her former teacher. She closes her eyes, forcing her mind not to go deeper into her memory.
*S*A*S*
Flash sighs, shaking his head.
He was thinking about it too much.
He takes one last look at the photograph and puts it back in its hiding place.
Sunset was not a friend. At least, she did not seem to see it like that.
She did not hate him—at least, he thought not—but it was clear that she did not feel comfortable calling him a friend or anything of the sort.
Not that he could blame her.
Even so, he considered her a friend and wanted to help her in whatever way possible, and maybe, just maybe, one day, they could be like before. Maybe, one day, he would see that happy, beautiful, lovable girl there next to him.
Friends, couple, companions, whatever it was, it did not matter to him. Just... having her close... That would be enough for him to be happy.
Maybe one day. Maybe…
*S*A*S*
When Sunset opens her eyes, she sees the first name on her contact list again.
Flash had helped her too much in too short a time. But… it’s strange. Despite spending so much time away from each other, somehow, she felt good being with him. Did that guy also have some kind of ‘magic’? Or was he just a charismatic goofball?
Whatever it was, she was grateful to have him around, to know that he was there for her.
A thought comes to her head.
She purses her lips a bit in an uncertain expression. Then, she presses a button on the phone and puts it next to her ear.
*S*A*S*
Flash hears his phone starts to vibrate, followed by his ring tone. When he picks it up, he is both surprised and elated at the name on the screen. He quickly accepts the call and says, "Hello?"
"Hey, Flash," Sunset says calmly, but Flash can hear the subtle relief or excitement in her voice.
Hearing the girl's voice on the phone fills him with energy. "H-Hey, Sunset! Uh, hi, how are you?"
"Oh, I’m surviving. You?"
"Uh, well, I'm fine. Totally." Flash pauses. "Well, my band had a bit of a falling out," he admits, quickly adding, "but it's just a bad streak. It happens to the best, right?"
There was no reason for her to know what was happening at school, and she probably wouldn’t care, anyway, so he kept the details to himself.
*S*A*S*
Listening to that somehow brought back memories of her own band... with them.
Sunset quickly shakes her head, dispelling those thoughts. "Sure, you'll get better."
"Heh, yeah. So, um... why did you call? Not that I don't want you to call me! I love when you do! I mean, I like... talking to you..."
The girl bites her lip to stifle her laughter at the boy's nervous attitude.
*S*A*S*
He gave himself a mental slap. Way to make himself look bad...
Although, this was a phone... she couldn’t see him look bad, so way to make himself sound bad?
He shook his head away from such silly thoughts and returned to the call. "I mean... wh-what’s up?"
*S*A*S*
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something." Sunset pauses, as if thinking about how to ask. "Are you doing anything this Friday?"
*S*A*S*
… His heart stopped.