Sunset Shimmer's hands rifled through her bookbag with reckless abandon.
Science essays? No.
The History of Centrifugal Forces? No!
A package that had her salad lunch! No!
Pinkie Pie's grinning face resting sideways over the open bag? No-
“-whoa!” Sunset Shimmer flailed back from her open bookbag, a tangle of red-yellow locks and suntanned limbs. Staring at the scene before her, Pinkie Pie drew up her knees until she was standing, bouncing on the tips of her neon shoes.
“Hiya!” she chirped to Sunset. “Are you looking for me?”
If you know the way to Nurse Redheart’s office, Sunset didn’t say. “N-no, Pinkie. It’s good to see you.”
“Oh boy!” Pinkie leaped into the air, her bobbing pink hair flying as she offered a hand to Sunset. “Because Fluttershy said the same thing too when I met her after woodshop, but that was only after I got her birdhouse out of the ceiling, and then Applejack said it too when I had helped her bring in the water barrels for today’s game, and the-”
“Take a breath, Pinkie.” Sunset didn’t know how well a human heart could handle the boundless energy she’d seen Pinkie exert on two planets, but she wasn’t going to risk it here. “You can tell me all about it later. Right now, I’ve got to look for something.”
“Okiedokielokie! Gotta say, though Sunny…” Pinkie stepped back as Sunset continued disemboweling her satchel, papers and pens flying around them. “It’s a good thing you stayed after those wacky Sirens got walloped! The school’s so much brighter now!”
Sunset couldn’t help but giggle at the pun, much as the memory of how the school had treated her still causing goosebumps. She’d known parts of Yakyakistan warmer than Canterlot High then. And if her search for that thing she’d forgotten here was fruitless, she might end up just walking into a meatlocker for the relative comfort! Rarity would never forgive her fo-no! Sunset had to find the book.
Ever since the Battle of the Bands, Sunset had been getting back to this new normal, this new harmony in a words where every one walked on two legs. Seemingly, they also thought on them, and their impressions of her were often set in stone. It had taken massive effort on her part to overcome that first impression she'd laid on the school, and that book she'd lost had catalogued her every step of that journey. One part in particular, that held untold power over her even now.
So she'd vowed that she would never let that artifact out of her sight. A vow that she stood risk of losing now. Now if she could only get Pinkie out of the way to find it!
“It’s fine, Pinkie!” Sunset, realizing the thing she was looking for wasn’t in the bag, collected herself. The scattered assignments and books were next to be collected, haphazardly shoved in her bag. Quickly, she stood and raced for the hallway. She was late to Chemistry class again, and had nothing to show for it.
“Well then, I think I can help! It’ll be easy as sunshine and lollipops and - oooh, rainbows!” Pinkie’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
Sunset didn’t stop her run. “Again, Pinkie, we can talk about this-”
Suddenly, the pink-haired Rainboom was in front of Sunset again. Before she could yelp, Pinkie’s coral-colered hand was over her mouth. “Nononono! I mean Rainbows! You and Rainbow Dash were together in gym last period! Maaaaybe... she knows where your keepsake is?” Pinkie offered a sheepish smile.
Sunset stared, realization slowly dawning upon her.
"Pardon the pun!" Sunset drew back again at Pinkie's outburst, perfectly aligned with her thought. Seriously, how did Pinkie do that?
“You’re right! A-about where I was before.” Clasping Pinkie’s hands in her own, Sunshine shook them gratefully. “Thank you, Pinkie! I’ll be right back!” After chem lab, of course. She wasn’t going to give Mr. Hooves another reason to get mad at her.
Then a wild thought struck.
“Wait, Pinkie…. Dash and I were the only ones in the Gym that period? How did you know I was-”
But her verbal inquiry only met a vacuum, Pinkie Pie gone from the hallway in a Flash.
~~~ One Period Later ~~~
“... and I’m really happy to help, but are you sure you didn’t leave it at home?”
“Positive, Rainbow!”
Rainbow’s knees buckled a bit further as Sunset’s gaze swept above the rafters. Her legs were tightly wound around Rainbow’s collar. “S-sure you can’t check there right now?” sputtered the athlete.
“Dash, I know how important a thing like this is!” Sunset grumbled. “I can’t leave it out of my sight!” And yet you did, her mind taunted her. Sunset’s face reddened at the vision and she peered further around the ceiling of the gym. “It's as important to me as your guitar is to you!”
“Sure wish I had that on my back right now- hold up!” Dash’s eyes widened, and it wasn’t just from the stress she was undertaking holding Sunset up on the bleachers. “Is it that diary of yours? Did you lose that?”
“No-well, yes!” Dash was half right, Sunset had to admit. But it was better that she did not know why. “It’s gotta be somewhere around here.”
“A-are you sure I can’t check, darling?”
The airy tone of Rarity tinkled into Sunset’s eardrums. Bending down for a minute to take in the fashionista’s features, and definitely not how generous she’d been with her time with her, Sunset shuddered. “No, Rarity. It was my fault for going up there to get down the ball from the soccer match Dash and I had, I’ll do this.”
“Oh, I insist, Sunset!” Rarity was up those stairs in several light leaps and bounds. Certainly Rarity was a friend Sunset hoped would be come something more. How often had she thought of how friendships formed? Fighting down a lump in her throat, Sunset resolved to let Rarity know just what effect she had on her later.
After she’d shown herself to not be a treasure-losing bumbler.
“If it’s about the… upcoming Student Body elections… you’re wasting your breath… Rarity..” Dash puffed out as she braced her arms tighter around Sunset’s hips. Ignoring Dash, Rarity held up the fiery-haired girl and lessened Dash’s load. “Spoiled Rich… is just gonna pick someone else… and they’ll win.”
“Oh pish-tosh, Dash! Honestly!” Rarity threw back a lock of hair as she renewed her upward push, Sunset’s eyes returning to the tops of the boards. “I cannot think of a better way to ensure a more glamorous way forward for Canterlot! Don’t you agree, Sunset my dear?”
Sunset did have to admit, Rarity's selfless sense would get her far in a position such as Treasurer. But she wasn’t sure, even now, if supporting her would be the best option. Even with the Battle of the Bands over, the pain of the times before could wear on the students’ minds, like the loss of that book was wearing on hers.
Still, she had to be there for the Rainbooms. They’d done that and more for her. “I.. think you’ll make a fine politician, Rarity.”
“Eh, there's better complements to Rarity's skills, I'm-ah!-sure...” Dash pulled up further, bringing Sunset’s body up as she let out a slight gasp.
“Don’t listen to Dash, darling, she’s just playing hard-to-get.” Rarity’s smile to the straining Dash, however, softened the blow of her words. “And thank you for the vote in waiting. Do you see the book?”
Sunset craned her head to look at her billowing blue eyes again. “No. This is useless - I’m looking on the other side.” With a more harried air than Sunset had before Rarity’s hand had traveled across her leg, she swung both of them around Rainbow Dash.
The reposition, however, caused Dash to wobble dangerously. Instinctually, Sunsets’ thighs clamped around her blue neck. And to make the situation worse, as her face turned a shade bluer. “Sunset, wait! You’re too heavy, we’re gonna-”
~~~ One Hurricanrana Later ~~~
“Now, none of that, Sunset! It was an accident and we all know it!”
Applejack’s indignant huff over the girl kneeling at Dash’s cot-side drew a slight hmph! from Rarity. For Nurse Redheart, however, attending to the head-bandaged athlete was her top priority. “Now hold still, Dash - and be lucky I don’t have to sew anything shut today!”
“Ye-ah! Not so tight, doc!” Rainbow gasped as the last of the gauze was wound around her rainbow locks, the few remaining unbound strands settling over her left eye. “I’ve gotta look good for the tryouts tomorrow, Spitfire’ll be there!”
“Dunno, Redheart, ah think Dash’s mouth might need that string if you’ve got it!” chortled Applejack.
“You wish you could tie down this much awesome, A.J.!” Rainbow stuck her tongue out at Applejack, painted the same color as her hair. Was it always like that? Sunset wondered. Well, if her confidence in her awareness wasn’t already taking a pounding today, this would cinch it. She really couldn’t tell the gathered girls why she needed her diary back now.
Of course, Applejack was all too happy to jab back and forth with Dash instead. Even with Sunset between them.
“Oh c’mon, sugarcube; every other word you’ve said was about her!”
“Jealous much, A.J?”
“Nah, just concerned she’ll slip and injure her leg on your drool soon!”
“Or maybe her jaw’ll be hitting the ground from her seeing my amazing progress here!”
“Only mouth that move that fast an’ far enough’s yours, Dash!” Yet they both smiled anyway, glad to see the others were alright.
“Um, Applejack?” The blonde turned to face Sunset while Dash pumped her fist in victory. “Sorry to interrupt. But I… did remember you were in my first class with Professor Davenport. Did you see… my diary there?”
“Nah, I don’t think I did. Tell you what though, Ah only wish we weren’t meetin’ like this. Swear, Pinkie’s gonna get me crippled one of these days, that scamp!” Even with her left foot slung in a brace, her boundless grin showed Sunset that she was far from incapacitated now. It was a level of self-confidence that she’d always envied.
Okay then!” Then it was my fault it was lost. That was the only other class she’d had today with that diary. If Applejack hadn’t seen it, then she really was in trouble - with them and the Princess she was supposed to be writing about in it. ”I’ll ask around later.”
“No problem, Sunset. Are ya still doing okay with the others?” Applejack’s look darkened. “I know how much guff you took earlier; if they're still on that after…”
Sunset’s fiery hair shook wildly. “Not at all! I can handle myself, Applejack. You worry about you.”
“S’nice to hear from ya, Sunset.” Applejack chuckled. “Man, if only Fluttershy could see you now, so timid an’ all!”
As if summoned by the blonde’s words, the door to Redheart’s clinic opened with a bang. “Happy surprise ‘Sorry for Squishing your Stirrup holding leg’ Party, Applejack!”
“I-it was her idea, Applejack,” meeped out a thin silhouette of pink curls and amber skin behind the boisterous Pinkie.
“Yes, Fluttershy we figure-wait, is that your party cannon! How did you even get that in here!” Indeed, the cannon Rarity was gaping at was almost twice the width of the door Pinkie had pulled it through.
“Ooh! I can show you! Flutter, you have the gel, right?” Pinking back over the barrel to ask the meek Fluttershy, Pinkie’s left hip bumped over the switch on the cannon, blinding light swelling up from its center.
Sunset, Rainbow and Redheart turned as white as its glow. “WAIT, PINKIE, THE CANNON-!”
~~~ One Misfire Later~~~
A small pink book finally slapped its way into Sunset's hand. The slightly dinged-up girl looked back at the person who’d given it to her. “Trixie? Where did you find this?” Sunset stammered.
Only a snort was returned to her from the magician. “You told Trixie to hold this before you went to P.E. A stunt she would not take such issue with if you hadn’t spent five periods after playing hide and seek. Allow her to dazzle you all next!”
Her voice went to the gathering crowd as she walked the aisle to center stage, and Sunset clutched the diary to her like it was oxygen.
Opening the book, Sunset and the mane five next to her marveled at the endless pages of neat scrawls, detailing their victory against the Sirens. It was only after this that Sunset turned the page to another section, the blank pages there bookmarked by a square piece of shiny paper.
That slip was the true precious thing, she’d been looking for; a photo of the seven of them, smiling after the event.
Don’t forget, Sunset! Here or in Equestria, the sun never rises alone!
To harmony, and all it brings,
Princess Twilight Sparkle
As the group gathered to see Trixie’s newest magic trick in the open air in the school’s auditorium. - something about a Dizzitron, so the haughty Trixie had called it - Sunset brought the photo to her face.
Nestled around her in the crimson velvet seats, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were chatting about the tryouts, a pair of crutches next to Applejack’s side. Fluttershy and Pinkie were munching on butter-dripping popcorn, the former girl looking much more relaxed than she had in weeks.
And Rarity, well, she was softly biting her lip at seeing Flash clamber into the wheel-like contraption of Trixie’s on the stage. So was Sunset Shimmer, and not just because Flash had been the one to take that photo clutched to her bosom. “I do appreciate you being here, Sunset. I daresay I still have never gotten the appeal of these tricks of her trade!”
“I’m… happy to be here too, Rarity.” Sunset settled into the fashionista’s shoulder. She’d tell her about her affection for her tomorrow.
After all, it wasn’t often people like her got a second chance to make a first impression.