Spectacular Seven

by Albi

Volume III: Limitless Love—1. The Calm

Sunset Shimmer pulled herself onto the top of the boulder, taking a knee to catch her breath. She wiped the dust off on her jeans then stood and admired the view. To her left, the Unicorn Range fanned out below her. Hills colored in every shade of green rolled on for miles, a turquoise river snaking in between them. On the horizon, she could see a floating metropolis made of the fluffiest white clouds with a rainbow cascading off the side.

But Sunset’s destination lay further ahead of her. Up the rocky slopes of the mountain. She was almost there now. 

The purple spires and gold accents of Canterlot were radiant in the afternoon sun. Sunset could reach out and almost touch them, feel the warm, polished stones. It wouldn’t be long now.

Sunset jumped off the boulder and landed on the mountain road. She broke into a run, following the zig zagging path. At this speed, she would be home by sundown.

“You’re really leaving, aren’t you?”

Sunset skidded to a halt and whirled around. Twilight stood in the middle of the road, wearing her prom dress. The stars on her skirt glowed with an ethereal light that made Sunset’s eyes water.

“Twilight, I…” Sunset looked at her girlfriend, then at her home city.

“It’s okay,” Twilight said softly. She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. “I… I always suspected you would want to go home.”

Sunset took a step forward, squinting her eyes as the stars on Twilight’s dress grew brighter. “You could come with me. I could show you all of Equestria. You could see all the magic you want!”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I’m human and you’re not. This is where you belong.”

“That’s not—” But the light had become too intense now. Sunset raised an arm to block the intense glow. “Twilight?”

When the light faded, Twilight was gone.

Sunset ran to the spot where Twilight had stood. Nothing remained, not even the scent of lavender Twilight always wore.

Sunset awoke with her right arm numb from being crushed under her side. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Dreams about Equestria didn’t visit her often, but every time they did, she seemed to get a little closer to home. 

Home.

Sunset sat up in bed. Morning light peeked through the curtains of the window across from her. Spot was still curled up at the foot of her bed, ears up and alert. Resting against the headboard, Sunset took a look around what had become her room.

A long string of multicolored lights hung around the otherwise bare blue walls. Unlike most other teenage girls, Sunset didn’t have posters of bands or television shows to put up. However, on the nightstand next to her was a framed photo of her and her friends. Before, it had been them adorned in their dresses from the Winter Ball. Now, everyone was dressed in their cap and gowns, diplomas in hand. Even Trixie and Flash were included.

On Sunset’s desk was her laptop and another framed photo, this one of just her and Twilight. Sunset stood behind her, arms wrapped around Twilight’s shoulder. Their cheeks were smooshed together, upsetting Twilight’s glasses. Twilight, grinning from ear-to-ear, didn’t seem to mind.

Across from the desk was Sunset’s dresser. A potted plant and a pink unicorn plushie sat on top. Sunset hadn’t talked to the stuffed toy in a while. The dresser, once containing a random assortment of clothes, either too small or never worn by anyone in the Lulamoon family, now contained clothes that were decisively Sunset’s. Some of those clothes were even scattered on the carpet.

Yes, this had become her room. The Lulamoon house had become her home. Artemis doted on her, Selena made sure she was fed and had done her homework, Trixie was… Trixie. As loud and obnoxious as she was, Sunset considered her something akin to a sister. They had become as close to family as Sunset had ever had in this world.

Sunset slouched, her head almost touching her pillow again. She loved not living in a derelict old factory anymore. But living with the Lulamoons reminded her she had a family back in Equestria. A mom and dad who probably thought she was dead by now, if they weren’t dead themselves.

Her insides turned to ice. That was a possibility she hadn’t considered before. She could count on Celestia being there when she returned to Equestria. But if her parents had passed on during the time Sunset had been gone…. She tried to not think about it, but such an ugly thought wedged itself firmly at the center of her mind. All the time she missed out on with them. What had they thought of her disappearance? Had they moved on?

 And what if they were alive? Could Sunset really just knock on the door of her childhood home and be embraced by loving hooves? Or would the door be slammed in her face?

Another reason to go home, Sunset thought. There were so many loose ends she needed to tie up. But, she had less than two years remaining before the portal opened again. When that time came, Sunset was going to have to make a choice. Stay here with the friends and pseudo-family she had made, or go home to the land of magic and ponies. 

Of course, this world had magic now, too. Sunset had magic.

She lifted a hand over her head and slowly rolled her wrist. She had stolen magic, abused it, and paid the price. After that, when she found out this world had magic, she had wanted nothing to do with it. Magic meant power, and power was something she had desired. 

Seeing her friends gain magical abilities only reinforced that fear, that uncertainty. If this hybrid magic of earth and Equestria brought out their best features, then it would only bring out Sunset’s worst: the demon from the Fall Formal. 

Now, it held no terror for her. No longer was it a warped and twisted version of herself, lying in the shadows of her heart, eager for her to tap into it and lose control. It no longer hid behind veils of self-doubt and uncertainty. It had taken staring down Sirens, Moondancer, and her own demon for Sunset to accept the fact that she was good. Inside and outside, she had changed for the better. At last, she had come to accept her past actions. Yes, she still felt guilty over what she had done in pursuit of revenge and power, but it no longer crippled her. She had learned her lessons, done her best to make up for them, and would strive to be better every chance she got.

Sunset lowered her arm but rose into a sitting position. She had magic again. The defining piece of herself lost when she had crossed worlds. It took on a new form now, a little more limited than her unicorn powers. But she still had it. She could pony up like the rest of her friends, and at prom, she had tapped into something even greater. Rainbow kept referring to it as ‘Super Sayian’ which irked Sunset to no end. Everyone else affectionately called it ‘Phoenix Drive.’ Whether she could do it again was still a mystery.

The idea had run through her head and heart plenty of times over the weeks since prom, but between finals, graduation, and the newest Lulamoon house guest, Lamia, Sunset never had time to really dwell on the ideas of magic. Sitting in bed, it settled over her like a cool wave. She had magic again! She no longer feared losing control! She even felt excited to see what she could do!

Closing her eyes, Sunset concentrated with all her might to pony up. All her friends had gained additional powers with their pony forms, maybe Sunset had too! Or maybe she’d jump straight to her Phoenix Drive. 

Bzzt bzzt!

Her phone on her bedside table broke her concentration. Sighing, Sunset looked over and read the message on the screen, her heart giving a little flutter.  

‘Hey, would you like to hang out before we see the girls?’

Sunset picked her phone up, simply staring at the message as her dream played in her head again. She had tried to go home, and Twilight had vanished, even as Sunset begged her to come along.

Yes, both worlds had some form of magic now, eliminating one of the variables Sunset had to consider deciding between. But it still left the hardest deciding factor of her staying or going. She loved her friends, she loved the Lulamoons, and she would hate to say goodbye to any of them.

But she loved Twilight Sparkle. 

A different Sunset Shimmer would have balked at the fantastical romance this Sunset had for Twilight. They hadn’t been together a whole year! But it was Twilight who drove Sunset to become a better person. It was Twilight who wanted to be Sunset’s friend without any interference from a certain princess. 

It was Twilight’s love that helped Sunset pull herself out of the Soul Lock.

The idea she had found her soulmate felt like a fairytale. But it was real to Sunset. And she was sure it was real for Twilight as well. Sunset had no idea if it would last. Twilight was college-bound, and after that, something even greater, world-changing probably. Sunset refused to get in the way of that. Even if they had to become just friends, Sunset would be happy having Twilight in her life. So that was always the deciding factor.

Could Sunset live in a world without Twilight?

She wanted to say ‘no’, but had a feeling that was her heart being overdramatic. She blamed Rarity. Sunset had a life before Twilight, and she was sure she would have one after. Sure, it would be dull, gray, uninspiring, and lacking terrible puns, but she would have one.

Sunset clapped her hands over her eyes and groaned. “Why does this have to be so hard?”

She texted back a quick ‘sure, be over soon’, and put her phone down. Her final decision could wait. She still had two years after all.

Rising out of bed woke Spot up. He stood and stretched himself out before walking to the edge of the mattress, tail wagging as he watched Sunset shamble over to her dresser to pick out clothes to wear for the day. 

Today marked the official beginning of summer vacation. Pinkie demanded a group get-together to mark the occasion, though it wasn’t as if any of the Spectacular Seven were going to say no.

Once her clothes were picked out, Sunset showered Spot with affection, petting him and letting him lick her face. She took the unicorn toy from atop her dresser and tossed it around for him, cheering whenever he gave it a hard shake.

When Spot was satisfied with his playtime, Sunset picked up her clothes and stepped into the hall. On the far end were two other bedrooms. The one with it’s door open a crack belonged to Trixie. The other, completely shut, was the spare bedroom Lamia now took residence in. She mostly kept to herself, a relief for Selena who glared anytime Lamia walked into the same room as her. 

Sunset couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive though. Lamia didn’t eat with them (another relief for Selena), and any time she did come out, there were thick bags under her eyes.

With all their previous interactions, Sunset had expected Lamia to be, well, more of a nuisance; snarking whenever possible and seeing how many buttons she could push on everyone before they snapped. Sunset postulated that her talk about Scarlet’s actions not being any fault of Lamia’s had not fully convinced the thief.

Sunset made a mental note to try and check up on her later in the day. She moved on to the bathroom, showered, and got dressed. It was a rare morning when Trixie didn’t bang on the bathroom door to coax Sunset to move faster.

Grabbing her phone and slipping her jacket and favorite necklace on, Sunset headed downstairs to the kitchen, finding Selena and Artemis sitting at the island table, speaking in hushed tones. They cut their conversation and straightened up when Sunset walked in.

“Good morning, Sunny!” Artemis said jovially. “What are you up to today?”

“I was heading to Twilight’s for a bit, then going to hang out with the girls,” Sunset said, reaching into the pantry for a granola bar while eyeing the two adults. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Artemis gave her a smile that stretched from ear-to-ear. He smiled so often, Sunset couldn’t tell if this one was forced. “Just boring spouse talk. You’ll understand when you and Twilight get married.”

Sunset froze, her heart hammering in her chest. “I-I mean, th-that’s making a lot of assumptions, isn’t it?”

Selena gave her a rare smirk. “Is it though?”

Pushing away the cozy thoughts of sharing a house and bed with Twilight, Sunset backed out of the kitchen. “See you guys later.”

When she shut the front door behind her, Sunset realized she had played into their ploy to get rid of her. She shrugged it off. If whatever they were talking about was important, they would tell her in time.

She mounted her motorcycle and started the ignition, revving the engine a few times just to hear her baby roar. Giving it a gentle pat, she pulled out of the driveway and onto the suburban streets. 

Canterlot was awash with color under the late morning sun. Trees boasting their fully grown emerald leaves stood on either side of Sunset as she raced past them. She caught blurs of red roses and marigolds in gardens, and children wearing vibrant clothes played in front lawns. The sky above was clear and painted a forget-me-not blue. Sunset was tempted to take off her helmet to feel the wind rush against her face and truly appreciate the late spring air.

She parked in front of Twilight’s house, the fountain burbling merrily in the front lawn. Two steps up the porch, the front door swung open, revealing a beaming Twilight.

“I heard your motorcycle from all the way down the street!” Her bright mood was complemented by her bright outfit. She wore a purple skirt decorated with pink starbursts and two little pockets on the front, and a blue and purple striped shirt with a pink ribbon tied into a bow around the collar.

“Someone looks cuter than normal,” Sunset said, nodding in approval. She stepped forward and kissed Twilight on the nose.

Twilight gave a giddy giggle and pulled her inside. “New summer clothes. Mom bought them for me yesterday.”

“You know you’re going to have to shop for yourself eventually, right?”

Twilight looked back at her. “What, you think I can’t pick out my own clothes?”

“Well, every time we’ve gone to the mall, either someone bought something for you, or Rarity had to beat your fashion choices out of your hand.”

“That’s… true… dang it.”

As they crossed through the living room, Sunset noticed the number of boxes stacked in the corners and around the couch. Her stomach squirmed. “You’re not… packing already, are you?”

“Hmm? Oh, no! Those are Shining’s. He and Cadence are moving into a new apartment together after the wedding.”

Sunset let out a discrete sigh of relief. “Right, of course.” She had almost forgotten about the wedding. Cadence had handed her an invitation in January. Now, it was a month away.

Twilight turned to face Sunset, clasping her hands behind her back, and rocking back and forth on her toes. “Umm, I wanted to ask you a long time ago… but, you know… I wasn’t sure if we’d still be…”

“Together?” Sunset finished.

“Yeah…” Twilight rubbed her arm. “Is that wrong? I never doubted our relationship! I just didn’t want to plan something so far in advance when we’d only been dating a couple months! It’s like the whole ‘I love you’ thing! I didn’t want to say anything in case it was too soon, or you didn’t feel as strong, or—”

“Sparky, sweetie, you’re cute when you’re babbling, but you’re babbling.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Right. Um, I just wanted to ask if you were still coming to the wedding… with me… as my date?”

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. She could have been snarky, but the hopeful light in Twilight’s eyes was too pure to crush, even with playful barbs. “Yes, Twilight, I’m going to the wedding with you.”

“Oh, yay!” It wasn’t Twilight who spoke, but Cadence, coming downstairs. “I was hoping you would come! You and Twilight will be the cutest couple there! Next to me and Shining, of course.”

“Hey, Cadence,” Sunset said with a wave. “How’s the wedding planning going?”

A tired shadow fell over Cadence’s heart-shaped face. “It’s been more work than I expected, and Shining can’t help too much because he’s been taking extra shifts to make sure we can pay for everything, so I’ve had to meet the florist and the photographer and two bands because the first one cancelled on me last month, all by myself; and I can’t even eat my Double-Fudgey Chocolate Chip ice cream to relax because I need to make sure I fit in my wedding dress! Do I look like I’m gaining weight?”

Landmine. 

Sunset gave Cadence—who had grown more frantic the more she spoke and now looked like she could break into tears at any moment—a calming smile. “Cadence, you look great. I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”

Cadence took a deep breath, regaining some composure. “You’re right. It’s just a lot to deal with. But, it’s almost over. In fact, I need to call Shining about the seating arrangement. You two have fun!” She hurried into the kitchen before Twilight or Sunset could say anything.

“I’ve been helping when I can,” Twilight said. “I did research into some of the best florists and caterers in town, managed their budget, created their wedding website, but Cadence has been doing most of the work, on top of her job and handling hecklers who want her to marry them instead.”

“Yikes, sounds like a lot.” Sunset wondered if getting married was worth that much undue stress. Sunset made a mental note to discuss eloping with Twilight if they ever made it that far.

Her brain conjured up Twilight in a wedding dress at the top of an altar. Sunset had lived out that fantasy while trapped in the Soul Lock. Yes, it had been a lie, but it had been a lie based on Sunset’s deepest desire. 

Maybe a wedding wouldn’t be so bad.

Twilight waved a hand over Sunset’s face. “Sunnykins?”

“Huh? Sorry, just, uh, lost in thought. Did you say something?”

“I was asking if you wanted to come to the lab with me.”

“You mean the garage?”

“Lab!” Twilight stomped her foot against the carpet. “I wanted your help on the inventions I’m making for my scholarships. We can be lab partners!”

“Garage partners.” Sunset laughed as Twilight balled her fists and tried to look angry. “Twilight, break just started. Can’t you just relax for a minute?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nope! I need to get as many scholarships as I can to offset the cost of school. Plus, there are so many ideas I have to work on, and now, I have the time to do it!”

Sunset rolled her neck and sighed. “Sparky, normally, I would share your enthusiasm, but with everything I’ve been through, I just want to enjoy my summer.” Though she still had ideas of testing her magic.

Twilight clapped her hands together and fixed Sunset with wide, sparkling eyes. “Come on, Sunnykins, it’ll be fun! I’ll even do most of the work!”

“Twilight…”

“I do my best work when I’m with you. School may be out, but we still have great chemistry together.”

Sunset gave her an blank stare. She then plucked Twilight’s glasses off and stowed them in her pocket. “You can have these back when you behave.”

“Sunset!”

“Nope!”

Twilight squinted at her. “Seriously, I need those.”

“And I need to not hear bad puns.”

“Sunset, give them back!”

“Mmm, nah.” Sunset started to walk toward the garage.

Twilight put her arms out and felt the air in front of her. “Sunset!”

“Over here.”

“Sunset, please!”

“No.”

“I need those!”

“That’s nice.”

“You’re a jerk!”

“And you’re cute when you’re floundering.”

“Sunset!”

Sunset returned Twilight’s glasses, and to make it up to her, agreed to help with her projects. They spent an hour in the lab, Twilight explaining her first idea of a ‘selfie gyrocopter’ while Sunset, with her slightly better artistic skills, drew up a rough schematic.

Twilight rummaged through her boxes of spare parts to see what she had to work with so far. Her haul wasn't too bad. She found a decent base for the gyrocopter’s body, and a few propellers.

“I’ll write up a list of supplies for Dad to get me from the university labs,” Twilight said as they walked out front. The girls were due to meet at Sugarcube Corner in ten minutes.

“Babe, not that it won't be amazing, but why are you building a selfie gyrocopter?” As narcissistic as Sunset had once been, she found the concept of selfies utterly dumb.

Twilight paused, looking lost in thought. “Well, no one else has made one. Besides…” She toed a crack in the sidewalk, looking abashed. “I like selfies.”

“Of course you do.” Sunset pulled her extra helmet from under her motorcycle seat and handed it over.

With Twilight clinging on for dear life, Sunset rode over to the sweet shop. They found many of their fellow Canterlot alumni inside, and were greeted with smiles and waves. The rest of the Spectacular Seven waited for the couple in their favorite corner, milkshakes already on the table.

Sunset and Twilight slid into the booth and took hold of their milkshakes, strawberry for Sunset and mint chocolate chip for Twilight.

“Told you they’d come together,” Rainbow said, reclined in her seat.

“Great job,” Applejack said, “Ah suppose next you’ll tell me it’s sunny outside.”

Pinkie pulled a gavel from under the table and banged it on the surface. “Now that we are all gathered, I declare the first summer meeting of the Spectacular Seven to come to order! The first item on the docket…” Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she turned her head to Sunset. “What are we going to do for your birthday?”

Sunset inhaled sharply and snorted, feeling a rush of cold, frosty beverage shoot up her nose. She coughed and sputtered while Twilight patted her back. “Wh-what? H-how did you…. When did you—”

Dark glare never faltering, Pinkie said, “I know every birthday of every student in CHS.” Her face lit up like the sun, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “And did you really think we weren’t gonna celebrate your eighteenth birthday? Plus, your first birthday celebrated with us!”

Sunset could have told Pinkie that it wasn’t technically her eighteenth birthday, but decided it was a moot point. She had hoped they could have snuck past her birthday without any fanfare, but leave it to Pinkie to know anyhow.

“When exactly is your birthday, Sunset?” Rarity asked.

“It’s—”

“June 22nd!” Pinkie shouted, beating out Sunset.

It was Twilight’s turn to choke on her milkshake. Sunset hit her hard on the back, getting her to dribble some of her mint chocolate chip shake from her nose. “It is? But, that’s the wedding!”

“Wait a sec,” Rainbow said, “you two have been dating this long, and you didn’t know when Sunset’s birthday was?”

Napkin pressed over over her face, Twilight stammered, “I-it never… she always… I thought…”

“I kinda made it a point not to tell her,” Sunset said, sparing her girlfriend further humiliation. “Honestly, yes, I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday. I…” 

Nostalgia washed over her as her mind drifted back to Equestria. Small cakes. A card from her parents. Maybe an extra hour with them before bed if they weren’t too tired. Then, there were the years with Celestia. Hours together in the garden. Extravagant cakes. New books and clothes. Sunset’s stomach turned, nostalgia evolving into longing and sadness.

“My birthdays were never great. And the ones that were… hurt to think about.” She turned in toward Twilight. “I was going to tell you eventually. But, you gave me the invitation to the wedding and I saw what day it was on. That’s Cadence and Shining’s day.”

“But it’s your day, too!” Twilight said, bordering on hysterics. “Now I have less than a month to find a present for you!”

Sunset squeezed Twilight’s hand. “No you don’t. You don’t have to get me anything.” She looked at the rest of her friends. “That goes for all of you. Really, my birthday isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Nothin’ doin’, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a smirk. “Once Pinkie declares you’re gettin’ a party, you’re gettin’ a party. Besides, you’re our best friend. And for everythin’ you’ve done for us, it’s the least we could do.”

“I haven’t done anything to warrant a party,” Sunset said, half exasperated, half bemused. “Everything I did, I did because you all helped me.”

“And we helped you because you mean the world to us,” Rarity said with a leisurely smile. “So, yes, I believe some kind of celebration is warranted.”

Sunset opened her mouth to protest, but one glare from Pinkie shut her up. She knew when she was beat. She wasn’t sure why she tried to argue in the first place. “Fine. But seriously, you girls don’t have to get me anything. Your company is all I need.”

“And she calls us sappy,” Pinkie said with a playful roll of her eyes. “All right, I’ll take care of everything.”

Twilight leaned into Sunset. “I’m going to get you a gift, whether you like it or not,” she whispered.

“Out of everyone here, you’re the last one who needs to get me a gift. And the last one I know I can convince otherwise.”

“As long as you know.”

Pinkie pulled a list from under the table and ticked off a box. “Okay, next on our docket…” A frown pulled at her face. “Should we be doing something about Tempest and Tirek?”

Sunset felt Twilight flinch, despite Pinkie leaving out Moondancer’s name. Her friends’ eyes fell onto her, and Sunset set her milkshake down. 

“I think Artemis and Selena are planning something, but I’ve been told not to worry about it right now. I mean, without the Rainbow of Light, there isn’t much we can do, right? We have no idea where Tempest is.”

“Then let’s go find her and lay a smackdown,” Rainbow said, punching a fist into her open palm. “Or Moondancer. I’m not pick—ow!”

Applejack shook her hand out. “While Ah don’t like the idea of sittin’ on our haunches, that might be for the best. Let’s not go lookin’ for trouble we might not be able to handle.”

“But we have superpowers!” Rainbow said with a whine. “Seriously, who could really beat us?”

“The woman with the soul stealing amulet,” Sunset said dryly. “Just because we have magic doesn’t mean we should flaunt it. We’re strong, not invincible.”

Rainbow slumped and crossed her arms. “Killjoys.”

“Look, our presence alone might act as a deterrent. Tempest knows we have magic; that should keep her from trying to do anything drastic. Artemis and Selena can use that time to form a plan.” Sunset leaned back in her seat. “Maybe we can do a little magic practice or something, but honestly, between the Sirens, finals, and having my own soul ripped out, I’m ready for a break.”

Rainbow sat up, looking sheepish. “Yeah, right. You’ve more than earned a little rest.”

“We all have,” Rarity said. She raised her milkshake. “We all deserve a vacation! And it's the last time we’ll all be together before college! So, let’s forget about our troubles for a little bit and enjoy each other's company!”

“And if trouble rears its head…” Sunset allowed herself a cocky smirk. “We’ll hit ‘em with a rainbow.”

The girls cheered and clinked their glasses together: the promise of a summer to remember.