//------------------------------// // 42 - Rehabilitation - Sunset and the Babysitters Club // Story: Sunset Shimmer - Six Friends One Heart // by Babroniedad //------------------------------// Sunset and the Babysitters Club Author’s note: Trixie’s theme song is ‘Your Place’ by ‘Zero7’. Look it up! (She especially enjoys the bridge at 1:50 and plays it at all her shows.) Luna knocked on Sunset’s door. Sunset looked up from her desk and smiled. “What’s up?” Luna smiled back and sat on the sofa. “Sunset, how would you like a chance to earn a little money, and meet the neighbors?” “Sure, I guess? They pay people to meet them? That seems a bit strange…” Sunset mused. Luna laughed. “No. No no, nothing like that! They’re going out. They need someone to babysit their children. They asked Celestia and I if we knew anyone, and we thought of you and your friends.” “Ohhh. Okay! Yeah, that makes more sense,” Sunset nodded. “Sure! My friends? Okay, what does that mean?” “Well, the kids can be a handful. And with the pool out back, there’s always the danger someone will fall in and need to be pulled out. I’m sure there’s nothing you can’t handle but… probably better to have someone that can literally dive into the pool and pull them out. I’m sorry to put it so bluntly, Sunset.” Luna frowned. “I guess that makes sense. I can deal with that. Hmmm.” Sunset mused. “I think I have an idea. Yeah, let me call and see if they can come over and help out. When’s this happening?” “This Friday. The kids will be dropped off here after they’re picked up from school, so about 2:00. They will be here for the rest of the afternoon and evening, until their parents pick them up probably late after dinner. I’ll let them know you’re available. Thanks Sunset!” Luna got up to leave. Walking out the door, Luna added. “Let me know what your friends say, and anything you need for the evening!” “Thanks Aunty Luna! I will!” called out Sunset, already scrolling through her contacts. “Trixie, what are you doing this Friday…” she mused. She placed the call. Trixie was hesitant. But when Sunset promised she could put on a Magic Show, volunteering to be her assistant, Trixie relented. Trixie wanted to include Starlight, which Sunset agreed to wholeheartedly. “Thank you Trixie!” Mr. and Mrs. Caring knocked at the door. Their children, Joyfully and Brightly, bounced in excitement. “Is there going to be a party?” enthused Brightly, the youngest. He was full of energy and couldn't wait to make friends with his new babysitter, Sunset Shimmer. “No Bright! Remember, Mom said it was a Magic Show!” corrected his older sister Joyfully. “She is going to have a real Magician doing real magic!” She squealed happily. “Yay! Magic!” bounced Bright. Mrs. Caring looked at her husband and grinned. The door opened, Sunset greeted them. “Hello! You must be my neighbors. I’m delighted to meet you! I’m Sunset Shimmer!” She leaned down to the children. “And you two must be the adorable kids I’ve heard about. I can’t wait to spend the afternoon with you both!” She booped them both on their noses. “Please, everyone come in!” She rolled back to let them by, then led them to the dining room table. Bright and Joy were drawn immediately to the snacks Sunset had placed on the table. The Caring’s sat. They shared their contact information, where they would be, and the best ways to reach them in an emergency, other contacts to try if they were unavailable, and rules for the children's behaviour. Sunset took notes on everything, then shared the basic safety rules they were following and her contact information, as well as Celestia’s and Luna’s. Satisfied, the Carings bid the children goodbye, with a final admonition to behave while they were gone. They left while Sunset led the children to their first activity. “Joy, Bright, this is Starlight. She is going to play a game with you while I help our Magician friend setup her show. I’ll be right back to get you all when it’s ready. Okay?” Sunset asked the pair. “Yay! Games!” Bright shouted enthusiastically, racing across the room to grab the beanbags for the bag toss game. “I get to go first!” Joy laughed and joined him. “I’ll help you aim!” “I’m big, I can do it! Don’t need no helping!” grumped Bright. He turned around and tossed the bags, laughing and dancing. Starlight turned to Sunset. “Wow! They have a lot of energy, don’t they! What did you feed them?” She grinned. “Caught!” laughed Sunset. “I turned them loose on the snacks. And… they both had some of Pinkie's cupcakes, so yeah, they should be rocket fueled for a while.” “I’ll get you back for this Sunset!” snarked Starlight. Laughing, she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper. “Thank you so much for this! It really means the world to Trixie that you invited her here to do a magic show for the kids.” Turning to Starlight, Sunset grinned. “Anything for the Great and Powerful Trixie! Besides, what are friends for?” Starlight and Sunset shared a hug. Starlight joined the kids. “Okay, practice time is over! Who wants to play for real? Here are the rules..” Sunset wheeled away to find Trixie. “Trixie, how’s it going!” she called out when she got to the patio. Trixie was bent over a chest, her waist and legs hanging over the edge. “I’m fine! Trixie is fine!” called out the chest. The chest bumped and jostled as Trixies legs kicked while the thumping continued. “Ah ha! Trixie has it!” With a flourish, Trixe rolled back out of the trunk and held up a large magicians hat. “Behold! Trixie's magical hat of wonder! What magical feats shall be seen when the Great and Powerful Trixie enchants this Magical Hat of Wonder!” Smiling ear to ear, she danced, black cape bouncing behind her, over to the table where her tricks were laid out. She placed the hat on the table with them. “Wow Trixie! You're really getting into this! You go girl!” laughed Sunset. Trixied laughed, performing an elaborate bow. “The Great and Powerful Trixie always ‘gets into it’ Sunset Shimmer!” she grinned. She went back to the trunk and pulled out a sparkling gold outfit with a pair of shimmering gold rabbit ears. Prancing over to Sunset, she held them out. “Ta da! Trixie even brought an outfit for her great and powerful assistant! You like it?” Sunset took the outfit, holding it out at arms length. “Wow Trixie! This is great!” Holding it up a little higher, she observed “Not much to it though, is there… Trixie, I think I have swimsuits that cover more than this…” “It matches the outfit of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Standard show fare. You get used to it,” nodded Trixie. “Okayyyy… Well I guess I’ll wear it then. Thanks Trixie!” smiled Sunset. “Need any help with anything else?” “Trixie does need to go over some of the tricks with you,” nodded Trixie. Taking Sunset’s hand, she led her over to the ‘stage’ and taught her some of the tricks they would be performing. A few games and snacks later, Sunset rolled into the playroom, glittering in her golden outfit. Two golder bunny ears flopped on her head as she shook it side to side. “You like?” she snarked to Starlight. Laughing, Starlight answered. “Better you than me girl!” Sunset turned to the children, still tossing the bean bags. “Who’s ready for a magic show!” she called out. “Yay! Magic!” they cried, running over to her. “Wow Ms. Shimmer. You look really pretty!” stated Bright. “Thank you Bright! You’re quite the sweetheart!” laughed Sunset. Starlight rolled her eyes, taking the kids by the hand. “Alright everyone! Follow me to the Great and Powerful Trixie’s Show of Magic and Wonder!” Sunset followed them to the patio where Trixie was waiting. Starlight and Sunset got everyone seated. Sunset rolled up to the table Trixie was using as her stage. She placed herself next to Trixie. Trixie stood straight in her black cape, head bowed, magical hat on her head. “Prrrresenting! The Great! And Powerful! Trixxxxxieeeeee!” called out Sunset, flourishing her arms towards Trixie. Smiling, Trixie raised her head and threw her arms out, revealing her glittering silver outfit, a match to the one Sunset was wearing, minus the adorable bunny ears. “Greetings my wonderful audience! Welcome to the Great and Powerful Trixie’s Show of Magic and Wonder!” Trixie called out. Taking a bow, she walked to the side of the table opposite Sunset. The children cheered and clapped, and the show began. Trixie started with card tricks. Sunset had them pick a card from an oversized deck while Trixie turned away. Putting the card back in the deck, Sunset handed the deck to Trixie. Trixie then shuffled the deck, ending with a bridge where the cards arched over her head. She placed the cards down on the table, asking them to think of the card they had chosen. With a flourish of her wand she tapped the deck. Nothing happened. She tapped the deck again, still nothing stirred. Trixie took off her hat and scratched her head. “Where could that card have gone? Hmmm.” Reaching into the hat, she exclaimed “Ah Ha! Ta da! Here it is!” With a sweep of her arm she whipped the card from her hat. The kids screamed in excitement while Trixie bowed. She moved onto illusions, including one that thrilled Joy. She showed them the hat was completely empty, and placed it on the table. She asked Joy what her favorite color was (it was teal - Sunset grinned happily). Trixie tapped her wand on the edge of the hat, and exclaimed “Presto Magico!” She reached into the hat, and pulled out a paper bouquet of teal flowers, which she handed to Joy to keep. Joy was overjoyed with the gift and clutched it tightly. Several tricks later, Trixie was ready for her last and greatest feat of magic. She called her assistant forward. “For her last trick, Trixie will cause her beautiful assistant to vanish, and appear in this magical chest. Sunset please, prepare yourself for this magical journey!” Sunset wheeled into position next to the oversized chest, which had been extended high enough to hold a standing person. Trixie placed a black and white checkered curtain around Sunset, and asked if she was ready. “Ready!” exclaimed Sunset, poking her head out from the curtain, golden bunny ears bouncing. “Trixie's beautiful assistant is ready! Back in the curtain please, beautiful assistant.” Trixie waved her arms over the curtain. With a smile and a final nod, Sunset pulled her head back and shut the curtain. “And now, if you would all please concentrate! We will send my beautiful assistant Sunset your kindest thoughts, and she will begin her journey through the Realm of Magic! Abra Cadabra!!” Trixie tapped the curtain three times with her wand. The curtain fell to the ground. Sunset was gone! The children gasped in shock. “Where did she go!?” Yelled Bright. “Fear not, beloved audience! Trixie has only sent her assistant on a journey through the realm of magic. She will return to us shortly…” There was a bump from the oversized chest. Trixie turned to the chest. “Behold, the now Enchanted Sunset! She has traveled through the Magical realms and returned to us, filled with the Magic of the cosmos!” Trixie tapped the chest three times with her wand, and the sides all fell away. There, sitting in the middle of the chest in her chair, was Sunset. Eating popcorn. She looked up to Trixie with a smile. “What? It was a long trip, I stopped for popcorn! I got hungry.” Starlight burst out laughing, while Trixie shook her head, hand on her forehead. “Sunset, that’s not how it’s supposed to go… Popcorn is not the Magic of the Cosmos!” she laughed. The children ran up to Sunset, thrilled. Trixie took her final bow, laughing with them. Begging a few minutes to clean up, the kids were sent off with Starlight while Sunset and Trixie changed out of their costumes. When everything was put away into the now normally sized trunk, Trixie and Sunset joined them at the dining room table. Sunset had ordered pizza and pasta for dinner. The kids were served, then the girls served themselves. Everyone enthused over the show while they ate, to Trixie’s absolute delight. When they finished, Sunset cleaned up while Trixie and Starlight took Joy and Bright to Sunset’s room, where they’d prepared a movie for them. Leftovers put away and trash stowed, Sunset joined them. Towards the end of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Caring arrived. They joined them in watching the ending. When it was over, they thanked Sunset and the girls for watching the children, and took them home. Sunset high fived them both on the fantastic job they had done. “You guys ROCK!” gushed Sunset. “Trixie, your magic show was fantastic! And Starlight, you were awesome, keeping the kids busy and out of trouble. I couldn't have done it without you both!” “Thank you for having us over! This was fun,” said Starlight, leaning over to hug Sunset. “Thank you so much! They were the best audience Trixie has had in ages!” Trixie bounced happily, hugging Sunset as well. The three sat and talked happily for a while until it was time for Trixie and Starlight to head home. With a final hug goodbye, Starlight and Trixie left. Sunset went back inside. “Best day ever!” she smiled.