"SO I WAS RIGHT!"
Sunset seemed happy for the first time in a long time. Being home, sitting at the dinner table with her folks, talking like no time had passed...it was nice. And seeing her father smile like this only made it better, then again, when you prove without a shadow of a doubt his lifelong theory of the multiverse, he's bound to be ecstatic.
"I mean, the quantum theory of magic had always pointed towards the idea of multiple parallel universi, but this is undeniable proof! the Multiverse exists! It was right under our noses the entire time!"
Sunset chuckled, her father had been going on about this for an hour, and yet she didn't mind. She was just glad to be home.
Looking to her mother on the other end of the table, she saw a mare who was off her game. Dawning Light had always been fascinated by Blaze's crazy theories, but one being proven with solid evidence had her a caught off guard.
"Hey mom, you okay?"
"Huh? Oh yes, I'm just...trying to process this. It's a little bit too much for me at the moment honey."
Sunset took her mother's hoof. If there was one lesson Princess Twilight had taught in the ways of Friendship, it was how to console someone who was out of their comfort zone.
"Hey, I know. This is all a bit weird, and I had to get used to it. If it makes this any better, I did make a lot of friends in the other world."
This made Dawn smile. She had always pushed Sunset to make friends, as it was something her daughter always struggled with. Save for Spitfire and Fuji, Sunset had always seen other ponies as "gross" or "not worth her time", something Dawn had always chalked up to Sunset being anti-social.
"What are they like?"
"Well, they''re all pretty great, I mean, Rarity is-"
It was then Sunset spotted the clock on the wall. 7:25. She had promised Spitfire she'd meet her at the Garden at 8.
"Ummm...can we hold this conversation for later? I promised someone I'd meet them at 8."
Her parents gave Sunset a crooked look at this.
"Who are ya meeting?" Her father added, having finally come down from the high of ranting endlessly about his science fetish.
"Spitfire. I ran into her back at Joe's when me and Fuji stopped for a slice. She wanted me to meet her outside the Garden"
Both her mother and father went silent, smiling. Sunset almost felt unnerved...then she remembered. The last time Spits and her hung out was at the Garden. It was that big wrestling show...
"Look Shine, I hooked us up with these wicked ticket in the front row. We'll be right next to the action!"
"I dunno Spits...This whole...wrestling thing. Isn't it fake?"
"Yo...predetermined, but it's not about who wins or loses, it's about the Experience Shine, plus, hey, I wanna hang out with you before you go away for the summer in Hoity Toity land."
"Spits...it's not for the summer..."
She remembered the heartbreak from that night. She could only curse whatever cosmic entity had set this whole thing up.
"Sunset...go. Go spend time with Spitfire. You and her used to be such good friends. Go get that back." Dawning Light gleamed towards her daughter. Dawn had always seen the connection between those two, always pushing Sunset to spend more time with the golden pegasus.
Sunset looked to her father, as if searching for an excuse to bail on this. Sunset was a master at finding ways out of uncofortable situations, but this time..it was on deaf ears.
"Don't look at me. I'm with your mother. Go hang out with Spits."
Sunset hung her head. While she had promised to meet Spits there...this new revelation haunted her, something Sunset never seemed to be able to escape the feeling of. Something was always creeping up on her from her past. And of course, she always defaulted to her response to avoid it as best possible...it was here she didn't have a choice. She'd have to face this head on, and to say this made Sunset uncomfortable, was an understatement.
Not only did Sunset hate endings, she hated conflict. Seeing people argue, especially her friends, made Sunset's anxiety skyrocket. So she tended to avoid situations like that at all possible. But this...this wasn't a situation she was ready for. While she knew Spits wouldn't argue...she knew Spits well enough to know there would be some yelling. But...she had to face it either way.
Best get this headache out of her mane.
Catching yet another cab, Sunset stepped off and onto the sidewalk in front of The Garden, Manehatten's largest indoor stadium/music hall, though it did have a state of the art retractable roof which made it perfect for air show viewings, and the yearly fireworks show around Solstice time. It also happened to be the home to some of Sunset and Spitfire's greatest blunders.
Sunset couldn't help but smile at the site of this giant building, something she seemed to be finding herself doing a lot lately. This old building...it held a lot of memories. She watched as the doors opened up to the building, a sea of ponies pouring out of the building. Looks like she just missed the show.
"Hey! Sunshine!" Sunset heard call out from the crowd, a team of security ponies seeming to rush to get fans from barraging the pony speaking as she pushed through them.
"Hey...Spitfire...."
Spitfire, finally making her way to the sidewalk where Sunset stood, seemed to be only half dressed in her Wonderbolt formal wear, still having the jump suit mostly on still, even still covered in sweat from the show "So like...wanna come back stage? I wanted to introduce you to the gang!"
The crowd of onlookers seemed dumbstruck at this. A random mare, who they had never seen before being ushered backstage by Spitfire herself? The pressponies could only try to formulate what was happening in their heads, meanwhile...Sunset just rolled her eyes. Same ole Spitfire. Throwing caution, and her reputation to the wind on the chance to do something stupid with her best friend.
"Sure, let's go." Sunset said with a grin.
Pushing back through the crowd, Sunset couldn't help but laugh at all the chaos. All the anxiety, all the nervousness...all seemed to melt away at the sight of her and Spits trying to push through a crowd of bewildered press and fans, Spitfire joining in on the giggling as they made it back into the building.
"That was stupid and you know it." Sunset exclaimed, regaining her composure.
"Yeah, well we've done stupider in the past....so how's it hanging?" Spitfire asked, catching her breath.
"Eh, I've been better. certainly didn't expect this."
"What did you expect?"
Sunset went silent for a second, trying, and failing to figure out what other extravagant ways Spitfire could have made her entrance. "fair point, anyways...so you're a Bolt now eh?"
"Damn right Cadet. I'm the top of the pecking order round these parts." Spitfire spoke, slipping into a terrible Apploosan accent. "Wanna meet the crew?"
Rolling her eyes, Sunset relented to Spitfire's snark. That was always the one category Spits had her beat in "Alright. Let's go. I am interested in what kind of ponies you work with I guess"
Walking to the backstage area, Sunset saw a door marked "Locker room" and Sunset immediately felt a ting go down her spine as memories of Canterlot High ran through her head "Uhhhh...Spitfire, are you sure it's a good idea for me to go in there?"
Spitfire could not help but tilt her head at this "Uhhh...why won't it?"
It was then that Sunset remembered...Ponies don't usually wear clothes.
"oh...right...nevermind."
"What?"
"It's just...humans...have certain...delicate features that we hide with our clothes...locker rooms have a bit of a.."
"Sunset...You've seen my-"
"SHUT UP! Let's just...get this over with. I made it awkward, now don't make it more awkward by mentioning THAT!"
"Hey, you seemed to enjoy it back then"
Spitfire then felt her front legs being magically pulled from under her, making her fall on her face. "Ow....really Sunny?"
"We. Do. Not. Talk. About. That. Spitfire." Sunset said, with the most strained face she had ever seen.
Picking herself up, Spitfire smirked at her friend, "You'd make a good drill instructor Sunset."
"Enough chit chat, let's just meet your fucking friends"
Laughing, Spitfire led them into the Bolts Locker room, all of the bolts looking at them like they had murdered someone
Soarin, who Sunset recognized from earlier, shot Spitfire a death stare "Spitfire, I thought bringing civilians into the locker room was forbidden."
"it is. For you. Besides, this ain't no civilian, it's Celestia's Protege-"
"Former" Sunset interrupted, having a nervous smile on her face
"'Scuse me?" Spitfire asked
"I...long story there. I'm actually training under Princess Twilight now."
"Ah, well, same thing different princess. Anyways...." Spitfire stopped to think, talking to herself "Don't know where I was going with this actually..."
"Pleathe explain to me why the's allowed in here Spitthire." A mare with a sleek arctic blue coat spoke up, having a notable lisp.
"Look Fleet, that rule I set up under the assumption that this mare was dead, so-"
"You thought I was dead?" Sunset once again interrupted her
"I mean...what was I supposed to think? You go away to Canterlot to train with Celestia then just...disappear off the face of Equestria. What was I supposed to think?"
This of course, send Sunset's anxiety into the stratosphere, but she didn't have time to worry about that.
"Look Spitfire, we're just saying if you're gonna make rules, you have to follow them too." A pink mare with a bright blue mane spoke up. Sunset actually recognized this one. She was Firefly, one of the Wonderbolts from days past. Spitfire's idol.
Spitfire sighed, they were right, still...this didn't deter her "Look, I just wanna introduce you guys to Sunset. I haven't seen her in like...10 years, and I am understandably excited about it. So just lemme have this okay?"
The team reluctantly grumbled. Sunset could tell this wasn't the first time Spitfire had pulled something like this...but she was also the boss, so she probably got away with it more often than not.
"Uhhhh, Hi I guess, I'm Sunset Shimmer, Spitfire's-"
"Yeah, we know who you are. Spitfire only mentioned you every few months when she gets drunk." Another Wonderbolt lamented from the back of the room, a golden maned stallion this time
"Oh shut it Blaze! Like I haven't heard the story about your mom a thousand times while you were stumbling all over the base!"
As the other bolts argued, Sunset slowly slipped out of the room, feeling incredibly unwelcome, a feeling she had grown far too familiar with for her liking in the past.
After a few minutes of arguing, Spitfire finally noticed the disappearance of her friend "Oh gods dammit"
Searching the building, Spitfire began to panic. She had only just gotten her best friend back, and she didn't want to lose her so soon. If she had only been more careful she could have...No. She can't think that way yet. She has to earn that.
Running all over the complex, she ended up in the stadium itself, finally spotting Sunset sitting in the front row, Spitfire desperately flying over to meet her "Sunset you scared the shit out of me! You can't just run off like that!"
"Why not?" Sunset said, staring at the stadium field in front of her "Never stopped me before. Never stopped you."
Spitfire sat down next to the unicorn. She hadn't seen her like this since...oh no
"You know...You never apologized for that night. All the things you said..."
Spitfire was at a loss. She expected her reunion with Sunset to be all happy and smiles. She was prepared for frowns and...this...
"Sunset...I just..."
"I know, you're really bad at apologies. You always have been." Sunset chuckled slightly, "Remember when you tried to apologize to me for stealing my lunchbox accidentally after school?"
"Didn't you end up punching me in the face?"
"I did" Sunset sighed, looking to Spitfire with a smirk "Spits...Can we...start over? Like, not from scratch, but like...just, from where we left off? Forget the Wrestling show, forgot all that nonsense you said, just...let's start from before I left. okay?"
Spitfire didn't know what to say. I mean...This was a great chance, but at the same time, deep down, she didn't regret those words. She meant them. Sunset was a egotistical asshole who took herself way too seriously back then. But...she wanted this to work. She wanted her old friend back. "Alright. Ummmm....so like...how are we doing this? Hoofshake?"
"Spitfire...let's just go get some pizza."
"....sounds like a plan!"
There was an awkward silence between the two as they ate their pizzas, Spitfire trying, and failing to come up with something to talk about, and Sunset perfectly content with leaving Spitfire to stumble over her words. This was a first for the two. Usually it was Spitfire in control of the situation, but now the tables were turned.
"I....uh....ummm..."
"Yes Spitfire?"
"Oh come on! Just, say something to me!"
"Spitfire...what do you know about me?"
"I know you like Apricots on your pizza. Heathen."
Sunset took a bite of her Apricot pizza. "But why do I like Apricots on my pizza?"
Spitfire paused, trying to remember. She...couldn't. She had always assumed that Sunset was just...a weirdo.
"I...don't know."
Sunset scoffed "My mom used to give me apricots as a reward for being a good girl. If you knew me, you'd remember that." Sunset said, giving Spitfire's snout a tap before getting up "Spitfire, if we're gonna start over, you need to put some effort into this friendship." she said, before walking out of the pizzeria, leaving Spitfire in her dust.
"I....what just happened...Who is this mare?"
Sunset walked down the dark streets of Manehatten. Doing that to her old friend hurt, but she knew it had to be done. The old Sunset was dead. She was no longer the egotistical asshole who buried herself in her studies was no more, and any assumption of the opposite needed to be buried along with it. She was a new mare. A new...
Sunset felt a shiver go down her spine. While it was not yet winter, fall had set into the city, and the air was starting to get cool.
Sunset didn't see any taxis running about...
This may have been a mistake.
Turning back to the pizzeria, she started back, only to be stopped by a pair of thugs in ski masks. While, usually she would be able to take these guys no problem...she was tired, hungry, and not used to her magic again...
This was absolutely a mistake.
Sunset closed her eyes, but in an instant, she heard the rush of the wind as it brushed past her face.
Hearing the sounds of struggle, Sunset opened her eyes to see Spitfire standing in front of her, dusting herself off.
"You know, I leave you alone for five minutes..."
"....thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, let's get you home."
".....actually...can we go to the park?"
"Sure."
The two mares lay under a large, and old tree in Celestial Park, gazing at the stars above them.
"So...what was all that about at Joe's?" Spitfire asked, her eyebrow firmly raised at her friend.
"I...needed to make a statement. Spits, I'm not the same mare I was back in Middle school. I've grown a LOT as a pony, and as a person...You can't see me as just "Sunny" anymore."
"And you proved that point by...acting like a dick?"
"Learned it from the best." Sunset said with a smirk.
"...touche..."
The two shared a moment of silence, as the sounds of crickets, midnight snack runs, and homeless ponies filled the air.
"So like...how long have you been a Wonderbolt?"
"Eh, 5-6 years on the main team. Got Captain my 3rd year. It's a pretty sweet gig."
"You're still hoping you get to fight a dragon one day, aren't you?"
Spitfire paused, remembering the absolute curbstomping they got handed by that dragon in Ponyville "Yeah..."
"So like...do you have any signature moves?"
Spitfire smirked, "Yeah...you wanna see one?"
Sunset sat up straight, confusing Spitfire as she crossed her legs in a very human fashion, "Go for it"
Never one to turn down the chance to show off, Spitfire took to the sky, preparing herself for her Sonic Fireball.
Sunset watched, Spitfire flying higher and higher before taking a huge dive, building up a ton of speed "What is doing? A Sonic Rainboom? that's just a legend."
As Spitfire went faster and faster, she felt the Rainboom energy building up in her, but she had other plans in mind. As soon as she hit rainboom velocity, she slammed her wings shut, storing all the energy inside of her, as her body ignited into a rainbow fireball, shooting straight at Sunset.
"Ummmm...Spitfire....."
Sunset slowly backed away in fear, Spitfire with the biggest grin on her face as she opened her wings to pitch up, going at Mach 10 as she dipped back up into the sky, letting off a huge ring of fire from her, as she flew skyward, Sunset, for a brief moment, feeling like a kid again.
Seeing Spitfire perform like this...reminded her of days gone by...but also...days to come.
Sunset couldn't help but blush at the thought.
Did she....like Spitfire?