Sunset wakes up, sits up on her bed, exhaustion preventing her from opening her eyes. With a soft moan she sits on the edge of her bed and stands up… Actually, Sunset ends up falling almost a meter and crashes to the ground.
“Ouch!”
Complaining about the hard hit her body took from hitting the ground, Sunset rolls onto her back and sits rubbing her head to make sure she hasn’t taken any damage. She looks to where her bed should be; she sees it… but floating in the air, surrounded by a purple glow.
Sunset had no idea what to think, though the shock did take away any trace of sleep she might have. As if that wasn’t enough, not only her bed, but every object in the tent was floating, including her purple friend’s bed.
“Twilight?!”
Almost with a jump Sunset gets up shocked by everything she sees.
Twilight, by her side, hearing Sunset’s scream waking her up sits on the bed and rubs a little sleep from her eyes. She holds out her hand, seems to search for the nightstand, but couldn’t find it; Twilight decides to stand up, which ends in – you've guessed - her falling.
She lets out a scream, luckily Sunset reacts quickly and manages to catch her before she crashes.
“Sunset? Is that you?”
“Yeah…Twi…what…” Sunset wasn’t sure what to say. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. But what happened?” Asks the girl with purple hair. “Did I fall into a hole next to my bed, or what?”
Without her glasses, Twilight can’t make out anything around her. Sunset, still cannot finding her voice, out of the corner of her eye sees the girl’s glasses floating. She, with some caution, takes the item and gives them to their owner.
“Twi, please don’t panic…”
“Huh?” Twilight feels her glasses in her hand but she is intrigued. “Panic? Why?”
Her response only takes as long as it takes for her to put on her glasses, instantly her eyes widen. She would have screamed in fear if not because Sunset covered her mouth.
They look at each other, neither able to understand what they are seeing. When her mouth is released, the scientist resumes speaking.
“Sunset! What’s going on?!”
“I have no idea. I woke up and fell out of bed and now…”
None can assimilate what they see.
Meanwhile, without anyone noticing, the little dog that shares the tent with them also wakes up; he stretches a bit and then jumps off his bed causing himself to fall onto the floor.
The sight and the little puppy ‘scream’ that exhales when hits the ground scares both girls, especially its owner who immediately exclaims his name and runs to help him.
Carrying him in her arms, Twilight watches with deep concern.
“Spike, are you okay?”
The little dog seems dizzy, but looks at her owner before answering. “… Oww… I think so.”
The puppy looks at his owner and she at him, they both smile. Until…
“AAAH!!” Twilight screams in fear.
“AAAH!!” Spike yells back.
Startled, Twilight almost knocks her dog to the ground and runs up behind Sunset.
Spike shakes off the shock and looks at his owner in confusion.
“Twilight, why did you do that?”
Instead of answering him, the scientist looks almost terrified at her dog and talks to her friend.
“S-Sunset… Spike is…”
“Spike… are you talking?” Sunset almost unconsciously finishes her friend’s question.
Sunset was just as confused as Twilight, but instead of freaking out, her surprise made her freeze in place. Her eyes wide.
Spike looks at himself for a moment, raising his little paw slightly, and then answers. “I think so.”
There is a moment of silence, both the scientist and the exequine cannot process what is happening.
When Twilight gets over her initial shock, her ‘maternal instinct’ makes her reach out and lean over to see and pick up her dog.
“Spike, are you okay? What happened? How are you talking?!”
The puppy licks Twilight’s nose causing her to drop him and wipe her face with her doll.
“Hey, calm down, this is new to me too.” Spike says with a bit of confusion.
“What happened to you Spike?” Sunset finally asks more calmly after getting over her own conmotion.
“Well, I don’t know.” Start the puppy. “I only know that last night we went to find Sunset, then we came back, I went to sleep and now I woke up and I’m talking. I honestly don’t know why I couldn’t earlier. It’s easy.”
Unlike the two teenagers, Spike’s puppy mentality didn’t see this as something strange, so he doesn’t seem concerned about it.
Before either of the girls could think about anything else on the matter, a sharp scream is heard from outside, alerting the three of them.
Twilight and Sunset recognize the voice.
“Was that Sunny Flare?” Twilight asks to be sure.
Sunset doesn’t reply and instead runs for the exit, Twilight and Spike right behind her.
As they leaves the tent they can see several other campers, just visibly awake, also coming out to see what’s going on.
No problem figuring out the source of the ruckus, one of the local tents was exhaling deep black smoke. There were also small flames on top.
A terrified Sunny Flare runs out of that tent. Sugarcoat is also seen running after her, although her gaze only shows her already characteristic neutral expression.
Sunny falls to the ground and turns around to see the tent she was sleeping in start to burn.
All the campers come to see the situation, including Sunset and Twilight, who instantly go to her friend to see what happened. Timber makes his way through the campers, bringing a fire extinguisher with him.
“Step aside! Please move!” He doesn’t hesitate for a second to open it and spray its contents on the tent trying to put out the flames.
Gloriosa arrives shortly after, terrified and worried, first aid kit in hand.
“Don’t panic! What happened?! Is someone hurt?!” The woman’s voice reflects the same concern as her eyes.
It is also then that Indigo Zap, entangled in her sheets, is seen leaving her tent.
“What’s happening?! Is everyone al-Ooof!!” Indigo groans as she trips over the sheet and falls to the floor.
Lightning Dust can’t help but laugh with a certain mockery at the mishap of her partner.
“Haha! Beaten by a sheet, this is epic.”
With her phone, she takes a picture of Indigo on the floor, who is still trying to get the sheet off of her. But no matter how much she moves and kicks, the sheet seems to be stuck to the girl.
“Cut the nonsense and help me with this damn thing!” The other athlete demands.
As the whole situation unfolds, Timber had already managed to extinguish the fire.
Sunset looks at Sunny Flare and holds out a hand.
“Sunny Flare, are you okay?”
“Yes, I think I’m fine…”
Sunny shakes hands with Sunset and she gives a little yank to get her up, but the equestrian almost instantly lets out a scream and drops of Sunny, causing her to fall back to her starting position.
“OUCH!” Sunny yells as she hits the ground. “Sunset, what are you doing?!”
Sunset looks at her hand and sees it redden slightly. “I-I’m sorry! It’s just… you’re hot…”
“My, thank you Sunset.” Sunny says a little embarrassed. “And I still haven’t put on makeup yet.”
Sunset shakes her head and seems to blush a little. “No, no… not like that. I mean, you literally almost burned my hand.”
Confusion covers Sunny’s face. Hearing that, Gloriosa walks over, and after glancing at Sunset’s hand she instantly pulls out a moisturizer from her medicine cabinet.
The moment leaves everyone baffled, but especially Sunset and her friends.
~Shadows Among Everfree~
Later, when things at camp calmed down, Sunset and the others gathered at the Sapphire Tent, where everything had been thrown into disarray by the floating object event.
Sunset and Twilight had to explain to the others what had happened to their tent, and doubts immediately began to arise.
Indigo is the one who gets thoughtful. “Hmm… Things floating, a tent that catches fire. Should we worry?”
Peering a bit at her feet, Indigo notices how some socks and a t-shirt had stuck to her leg. She takes the clothes in her hands to take them off, but to her surprise they stick to her hands.
“What’s in this, glue?!”
Sunny walks over and grabs her clothes, ‘stripping’ them off her.
“There’s nothing, it’s just clothes.” Sunny comments.
However, as Sunny holds the garments in her hand, they begin to emit smoke. And suddenly, flames appear.
This, of course, alarms everyone. Sunny lets go of the clothing in horror, and reflexively, Indigo begins to step on it to extinguish the flames.
Sunny Flare looks at her hands with fear. “What… What’s happening to me?...”
“Sunny! Are you okay?”
Sunset walks over and tries to take Sunny Flare’s hands. But she pushes her away.
“NO! Sunset…don’t touch me. You said I burned your hands and now…”
Sunny looks at the burnt clothes, then her palms.
“… I think… that what I touch is… burned…”
“Sunny! Sunny, calm down…” Asks Sunset when she sees her friend’s fear.
Indigo growls quite frustrated. “Something strange is happening. The cave last night, things floating around, Sunny almost caught fire, are there any other weird things we should know about?”
Spike seems to think about it for a moment. “Umm, no, I guess that’s it.”
Everyone turns to see the canine. There is a deep silence…
“… What?”
Sunny only gets more scared and reflexively grabs Sunset’s shoulders. “The dog spoke!!”
Sunset begins to feel burning in her shoulders. “Burn! Burn!! BURN!!!”
Sunny sees what’s going on and immediately backs off. “GAAH!! Sorry!”
The shoulders of Sunset’s shirt turned black, burned.
With a slight cry of pain, Sunset takes off her shirt, leaving only her black bra, and fans her hands in an attempt to calm the burning.
Twilight, hurried and worried, goes to her bag and pulls out a bottle of mineral water. She opens it and spills it on the fiery haired girl’s shoulders, she manages to relieve her.
“Ahh… thanks.”
“Sunset, forgive me! I didn’t want to-“
“Don’t worry Sunny, it wasn’t your fault.” SAys Sunset mean
Shortly after, having calmed down a bit and after putting a little order in the tent, Sunset had put on another camp shirt and all those gathered continue thinking about the event.
Sunny in particular, sitting on Sunset’s bed, keeps looking down at her palms with deep concern.
Indigo, sitting in Twilight’s, thinks with a hand on her chin.
“Okay. Things that float, Sunny incendiaris, a talking dog.” She glances slightly at Spike who was scratching himself, but stops when they see him.
“And all in the same morning.” Lemon says looking quite cheerful. “This camp got crazy…I love it.”
Twilight takes the floor. “Let’s focus, there must be an explanation for all this that is happening.”
Sonata answers in an obvious tone. “DUH! That’s simple! Is Magic!”
Everyone looks curiously at the blue-haired girl.
“A few months ago I would have say you were crazy,” Indigo replies. “Which is still true, but after this months with you and Sunset, I can’t say it’s anything else.”
“Normally I’d like to find a logical explanation,” admits Twilight. “But you’re right. Magic is, ironically, the most logical answer.”
Lemon approaches Sunset surprising her. “Sooooo… Sun Shim! You’re magical, what’s going on?”
Her question is too direct, but Sunset doesn’t seem to notice, although she does earn everyone’s gaze waiting for an answer.
“… I don’t know.”
The answer makes everyone hang their heads and sigh. Sunset for her part seems to still be thinking.
“But… I think it may have to do with…” She stops her sentence, the others wait with some anxiety for what she wants to say.
Unfortunately, they sees Lightning Dust slightly penetrating the interior of the tent.
“Hey Zap! Whatever you’re doing, drop it. People are waiting for you to follow up on the dock, and Sugarcoat is getting impatient… I guess; it’s hard to tell by the look on her face. Anyways, come now.”
Without another word, Lighting leaves the tent. The SunSix look at each other for a moment.
Sunset rubs her face and speaks. “Alright. Listen girls, weird things are happening but we are camping, we should try to enjoy it.”
“And what are we supposed to do?” Indigo asks standing up, noting how the sheet is stuck to her butt. She instantly removes it and waves her hand to detach it as well.
“Let’s try to continue as if nothing had happened. We have to finish the dock and enjoy the ride.” Sunset Shimmer answers. “Also, let’s not freak out the others. Everyone wants to have a good time.”
“That’s fine, but…” Twilight looks very hesitant.
“Look girls, I’ll try to see what happens,” Sunset tells her friends. “Until then, just try to take it easy, okay?”
Neither seems convinced.
“Trust me.” Sunset smiles confidently.
After what seems like an internal thought on the part of the group, they agree and begin to leave the store. Except for Sunny, who stands up and keeps looking at her palms.
“How am I supposed to enjoy camp if I can’t touch anything?”
It’s a good question, and makes Sunset think again. Luckily, Twilight seems to have something on her mind. The girl with glasses goes through Sunset’s bag and takes the sunscreen out of it.
“Maybe with this.”
Sunset raises an eyebrow. “Sunscreen?”
“What do you want me to do? Tan me?” Sunny asks sarcastically.
“Sunscreen prevents the skin from being damaged by the sun,” explains the scientist. “Maybe it works the other way around…”
Twilight comments even though doesn’t seem too sure. Still, the girl with glasses moves forward, and Sunny lets her put some lotion on her hands.
Sunny rubs her palms together, orders a second dose, and rubs her fingers together. She makes sure that her hands are completely covered by the blocker.
Then the three look at the hands of the lilac-haired girl. Sunset looks around, finding the shirt that was already burned. She decides to use it to test the theory and gives it to Sunny.
Sunny Flare holds the shirt in her hands, but it doesn’t light up or get hot.
“It works!” Twilight exclaims animated.
Sunny sets the shirt aside and looks down at her hands, lightly rubbing her fingers together.
“Ugh…hands full of sunscreen, not a feeling I enjoy. Well, I guess as long as I don’t set anything on fire…again.”
Sunset puts her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll find out what’s going on and help you.”
“Thank you Sunset, I know I can trust you.”
Sunset smiles. “Well, go have fun. I’ll take a look at the problem and see how to solve it.”
Neither Sunny nor Twilight is convinced, but they heed the cue and leave the store.
“Don’t worry! I’ll figure it out, I assure you!” Sunset smiles as she watches them go. Being alone, the fiery haired girl erases her smile and sits on her bed with a groan.
“Aurgh… Why do these things happen to me?”
Spike, still standing there, sees her and walks over and rubs against her leg a bit.
“Cheer up, you can solve it.”
“I hope so, Spike. I hope so…” Sunset speaks and pets the puppy, who is pleased with the gesture.
~Shadows Among Everfree~
Due to the accidente from the day before, the dock had to be dismantled of the most part in order to be repaired again. Among some campers they began to remove, by force, several wooden boards that had been broken.
Sugarcoat was checking on the progress, as if she was the project’s foreman.
At one point she walks up to Indigo Zap, who is using a power drill to put a couple of holes in some boards.
“Neat! New wood, ready to work.” The young woman with googles announces looking satisfied.
Sugarcoat, for her part, looks at the tool in the hands of her partner and then speaks to Indigo.
“Excuse me, Indigo Zap.”
“Yes, Sug?”
Sugar doesn’t respond, but grabs the drill cable and lifts it up a bit to show that it’s not connected.
Indigo is somewhat stunned. She picks up the drill, presses the button, and it turns on. There is silence as they both watch this rare occurrence.
It is Indigo who finally speaks up in surprise. “Wow! I didn’t know this thing had batteries!”
Indigo smiles at such an apparent discovery. Sugar, for her part, just raises an eyebrow; despite her stoic face she seems to hesitate.
Meanwhile, Sonata and Lemon walk and talk on the shore of the lake, picking up very small pieces of wood, leftovers from the previous day’s accident that had fallen into the water.
“So Flarie burns things and TwiTwi floats things.” Sonata comments, looking thoughtful.
“And the dog says things.” Completes Lemon, who seems to be cheerful. “This camp is having a great time.”
Sonata looks shocked. “Should we worry?”
Lemon doesn’t seem to mind the matter. “Why? I mean, sure, Sunny started a little fire, but no one was hurt.”
“It still looks dangerous. I just hope she’s okay.”
Lemon looks at her partner curiously. “You’re weird, Duskie.”
Sonata looks perplexed at the rocker. “Weird?”
“You’re very…” Lemon thinks for a moment what word to use. “Serious. You don’t look like yourself.”
Sonata takes a moment to reply. “I’m worried about the others.”
“Come on! Sunset said she would take care of it.” Lemon says in the same spirit. “Now that I mention it, I wonder if I can do something like that.”
“Something like that?”
“Some strange magical thing! If Sunny’s hands are hot, maybe I’m cold!”
Without asking or saying anything, she puts her hands on Sonata’s cheeks and squeezes them a bit.
“You feel cold?”
The blue Siren just shakes her head at her, so Lemon lets her go.
“Hmm… maybe I can turn invisible.”
With that thought, the green-haired girl straightened up and trembled a bit as if she was straining to do something.
“Do you still see me?”
“Eeyup.”
Lemon thinks about it for a moment longer.
“Oh! Maybe laser vision!”
Lemon widens her eyes intensely looking in some direction. But again nothing happens.
Sonata just looks at her friend. Although she sighs, the Siren still looks worried.
Not far away, Sunny is still looking down at her hands, constantly rubbing her fingers together with a look of doubt and some distaste.
Twilight walks over to her to talk to her.
“Hi Sunny Flare. Are you okay?”
Sunny gives a small sigh. “Yes, I’m okay. I can’t help but feel worried. I don’t want to burn more things…”
Twilight tries to smile in order to cheer her up. “Don’t worry, Sunset will be able to fix it. She knows a lot about these magical things.”
“I know, I know. I don’t distrust Sunset…” Sunny thinks about her words for a moment. “I was hoping this would be a smooth ride, you know?”
Twilight wipes the smile from her, it looks like she’s about to speak until Timber walks up holding a lantern from the dock.
“Hi Twilight. Excuse me, could you help me?”
Twilight turns her attention away from Sunny to see the young camp manager.
“What’s wrong, Timber?”
“I was testing the lamps, but this one won’t turn on,” Timber explains. “I think it has battery problems. I tried to fix it but it doesn’t work."
“Let me see it.”
They both sit at a nearby table. Twilight takes a screwdriver that Timber had brought and uses it to take the object apart a bit.
Sunny puts the problem with her hands aside for a moment and watches them attentively, noticing how Timber gets quite close to the scientist.
After a few minutes, Twilight connects a couple of wires and the lamp lights up, though it flickers a few times.
“Have you fixed it?” Timber Spruce asks.
“I think so,” Twilight replies. “But it needs to charge a bit more to check.”
“I’ll put it where there’s sun so it can charge.” Timber says and then smiles at Twilight. “Thank you Twilight. I’m surprised you knew how to fix it.”
“Oh, I’ve always worked with computers and machines like that,” our bespectacled girl says almost casually. “And I often had to repair them. I’m a quick learner.”
They both look at each other smiling, a small blush covers the scientist. Timber smiles and seems to want to talk, but Sunny Flare walks over and hands him the lamp, almost giving Timber a shove.
“Yes, our Twilight is amazing, we all know that. Now, you’d better get on with your work; the dock should be ready before we leave.”
Sunny says this quickly and nearly pushes the green-haired man off the table, much to Timber and Twilight’s bewilderment.
“Um… very well. I think I’ll see you later, Twilight.”
“Yeah, okay…”
With that, the camp manager leaves. They both see it, suddenly Twilight stands up and looks somewhat annoyed at the lilac-haired girl.
“Sunny Flare! What are you doing?!” Twilight recriminates. “That was rude.”
“I protect my friend! That’s what I do!” Sunny responds angrily. “Seriously Twilight, how am I supposed to tell you to stay away from that guy?!”
“He wanted me to help him with that lamp!”
“Yeah, and then he took the opportunity to flirt with you.” Sunny accuses.
Twilight’s face turns red, but unlike before, it’s clear that she is upset and not ashamed.
“And if he’s flirting with me, WHAT’S THE MATTER?!” Twilight asks very upset. “He seems to like me! And you know what? I like him too!”
The frustration is too clear in the violet hair, to the point she shows no doubt or shame in that sentence.
“He’s cute, he’s kind, he’s also smart and very nice! I don’t understand what’s wrong with you!” The scientist crosses her arms in annoyance.
Sunny rolls her eyes and mimics the gesture as well, crossing her arms. “Twilight, no offense honey, but you have no experience with boys. You don’t know what they’re like.”
Twilight clenches her arms in frustration, but she calms down and speaks. “Yeah, right, I forgot you were the expert. And you don’t even have a boyfriend.”
Twilight said the last thing in a low voice and looking away. Still, Sunny listens to her and frowns, but she tries to control herself and continues talking.
“Twilight, I tell you this because I care for you. Don’t go near Timber, he’s dangerous.”
“Why do you say that?! You don’t even know him!” Twilight accuses and drops her arms to clench her fists in frustration. “You haven’t talked to him since we got here, you just called him a bad person for no reason!”
“I don’t need to talk to him! I can tell just by looking at it.” Sunny fights back. “A young man in his twenties, pretending to a high school girl. I would stick my neck out that he does it every year with every school that comes here.”
Twilight is shocked to hear that, then gets even angrier.
“Sunny Flare! How dare you say something like that?! Timber Sprunce is a good person! Not just with me, but with everyone in the camp!”
“That’s what he wants you to believe, but he doesn’t fool me. I know how to distinguish a liar.”
Twilight grows increasingly frustrated.
“Yeah, sure,” Twilight says, getting the sarcasm back from her. “After all, you are an expert in that field.”
“Beg your pardon?!”
“You accuse Timber of lying about who he is, but you are no better at taking advantage of others and wanting the best for yourself.”
“Taking advantage of others?! If wanting to have a good influence and a promising future is a crime, then I plead guilty!” Sunny is really mad now. “Of course I look for the best, it is what we all do for our own good.”
“You know what? I’m starting to think you’re jealous.”
“Jealous?! ME?! From what exactly?”
“From the fact Timber has noticed me, instead of you!”
“Please! I didn’t think someone as smart as you could say something as stupid as that!”
“Of course! It’s the same as with Sunset, you want to take her away from me!”
“EXCUSE ME?!!!”
“You’ve always been jealous that Sunset likes me more! Ever since you met her you’ve been after her! You want to steal it from me!”
“Sunset Shimmer is not yours!”
“She is MY best friend! And you want to be even more to separate her from me!”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE! You’ve lost your mind!”
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE RIGHT AS NOW! You are a lying traitor!”
Sunny grits her teeth and there is a growl in her throat. But she tries to calm you down. “Twilight, I’ve tried to protect you because we’re friends-“
“I DON’T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME!” Twilight interrupts her. “And if this is how you treat a friend, THEN I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!”
“FINE!! Go away! Do whatever you want with that guy! But don’t come crying to me later!”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do it!!”
Twilight turns and walks off with an annoyed stride without looking at Sunny. On her part, Sunny snorts in frustration, and holding back a groan, she crosses her arms.
“One tries to protect her friends and that’s how they repay me. Friendship is Magic, rubbish!!”
With that comment, Sunny decides to go her own way.
There is no one left around to witness the movement of the waters, the white reflection that moves on them, and the soft frost that remains on the shore.