//------------------------------// // V // Story: Experiment C-13 // by Botched Lobotomy //------------------------------// They had pancakes and tea for breakfast, both of them drizzled generously in apple syrup, and Sunset couldn’t remember ever seeing Granny Smith so cheerful before. She stayed for a couple of hours to lend a quick hand, and watched incredulously as Fluttershy stomped through the mud like she was born to do it. After lunch they bid her farewell, and Sunset left the farm with a full stomach and aching arms, with her pockets full of apples at Granny’s insistence. Ponyville always seemed strangely small these days when she visited, the sort of small you never noticed until you’d lived in the city. It made her sad, the quaintness of what had once been so huge, and so she didn’t linger. She had one last stop before Canterlot. Pinkie stayed the furthest out, and though she called, was the friend Sunset saw least. Sure, it was only four hours by train, but that pretty much meant a two-day trip at minimum, and hey, the tickets weren’t cheap either. But every once in a while she made the journey (or, more usually, Pinkie made the journey) and somehow it never felt like long since they’d talked. “Sunset!” Pinkie squealed as she stepped blearily off the train. “...Pinkie?” It was always an adventure when she met Pinkie again after a while, but this was especially different. The girl’s hair was cut short – really short – and sprang up in a miniature quiff at the front. A dark purple jacket hung over her red hoodie in a sort of flesh-coloured urban get-up. “You like the new look?” “It’s...interesting, all right.” Pinkie grinned. “Oh yeah it is. Gotta move with the times.” “It’s good to see you, Pinkie,” smiled Sunset. “Aww,” Pinkie wrapped her in a tight hug long enough for Sunset to need to gasp when she let go. “So,” the girl said, when Sunset's breath had returned, “what’s wrong, tell me everything.” “What?” Sunset asked, startled. “Why would something be wrong?” “Caause you got the train halfway across the country to see me at almost no notice, you’ve been making rounds of the old gang, and apparently you’ve not been home for two days. Did I miss anything?” “No,” it was impossible not to smile around Pinkie, she was simply too infectious. “That pretty much covers it.” “Never underestimate my detecting powers,” said Pinkie wisely. “So, what’s up?” Sunset sighed. “It’s a whole thing. Um, why don’t we go somewhere not the middle of the street?” “I know just the place.” ‘Just the place’ turned out to be a small Turkish takeaway with one extremely small camping table and two extremely friendly Turks. After a whispered exchange between Pinkie and the owner, they were led to a square open-air deck somehow squeezed between four buildings and accessible only through the takeaway. A high-rise office formed one wall, and the other two appeared to be squat blocks of flats. Weeds were clearly trying to grow through the stone floors, but were being kept back with what looked like shears, from the severed stems poking through. The sun, sinking behind the horizon, already out of sight, cast a warm orange glow over the rooftops, lighting up the top of the square like a crown, the shadows slowly changing as they watched. “I can only get in this place Mondays,” Pinkie said, as if this in any way explained the situation. “Ah.” Pinkie sat down on one of the two plastic chairs and crossed her arms. “Now, spill.” Slowly, Sunset sat down opposite her. She felt incredibly silly, sitting in a lawn chair behind a takeaway at half five in the afternoon – that, she realised, was probably why Pinkie had picked this spot. “Okay,” she said, and, feeling not a little foolish, told Pinkie about Twilight, and her, and how she felt oddly estranged, though they were fine, really, probably. And after listening intently for all that, Pinkie leaned back and tapped her chin. “Right.” “Right?” Pinkie nodded confidently. “Right.” “I’m glad that’s all cleared up.” “Yup.” Pinkie frowned. “You need to talk to Twilight.” Sunset sighed. “I know, I’m going straight home tomorrow—” “No, you need to talk to Twilight today.” “...I do?” “Mmm-hmm.” Sunset took a deep breath. “And, uh, what do I say?” Pinkie looked down, as if searching for answers in her folded hands. “I think you’ve got to work that one out, Sunset.” Sunset stared at her. “Sure, but, like, were you going to give me a general outline, or...?” Pinkie shook her head firmly, and looked back up at Sunset with wide eyes. “I’m pretty sure you already know.” “I do?” Pinkie nodded. “Yep. Now, we need to get you back on that train!” “You’re acting a little weird here, Pinkie.” Pinkie looked surprised. “Really?” Sunset nodded. “Totally.” “Oh, well, that’s okay. Weird is good.” “Well, sure, but...” “Come on!” Pinkie stood sharply, and marched off back through the shop. “Sorry Kiral, we’ve got to run!” she called to the owner, and Sunset struggled out after her. “What are you doing?” she hissed, stumbling to keep up, “Surely I could wait till tomorrow!” “Nope!” cried Pinkie cheerfully, “Fraid not.” “But I’ve barely got to talk to you,” Sunset protested, “I don’t know when I’ll be back next!” “Sorry Sunset,” Pinkie was unmoved. “This is between you and Twilight.” “Well, yeah, but...” Sunset paused. “You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just go back to Twilight and say ‘hey, maybe we should try date nights or something’, and that’ll be great.” “Go for it,” Pinkie replied. “I’ll, I’ll, go up to her and say I’m sorry for not being around that much, and ask her to spend more time with me.” “Sunset,” Pinkie stopped, turned round, and closed the gap between them. She took both Sunset’s hands in her own and looked very seriously into her eyes. “You already know what you have to do.” Sunset blinked, trying to focus on her friend. “You keep saying that, but what if it’s worse after? What if I feel the same, but I don’t have her there any more either?” Pinkie drew her into a hug, holding her gently, like she was afraid Sunset might break in her arms. Or maybe that was just what Sunset felt like. “It’s already happened,” she said softly. “You’ve tried persevering, but it’s just too much. Embrace it. Hug it tight and flow with it, cause you can’t go back.” Sunset felt tears threatening to spill, felt months of vague dissatisfaction bubbling up inside her, a pressure she couldn’t ignore. And finally, as she hugged Pinkie back, it burst, and tears flowed freely down her face. “Okay,” she tried to say, but it was difficult to choke out, so instead she said, “I’m getting your jacket wet, I’m sorry.” Pinkie smiled, not that Sunset could see it, and said simply, “That’s what it’s there for.”