Saturday, September 6, 2:00 PM Canterlot time. Sunday, September 7, 6:00 AM Tokyo time.
The girls went to bed early Saturday night. They wanted to be up and ready to go first thing Sunday morning, as they had the entire day planned for all the amazing fun they’d have with their friends. No lazing about on this Sunday morning.
They woke to the alarm at 6 AM, did their ablutions, then quickly changed into their clothes for the day. Sunset had picked her favorite outfit, including her old leather jacket and boots, while Twilight had selected a purple jumper she had bought just for the occasion. Dressed and ready to go, they grabbed their daypacks and teleported to Twilight’s lab.
Sunset rolled into the kitchen with Twilight, where unsurprisingly they found Applejack and Pinkie already there helping Velvet set out the fixings for an early dinner.
“Ah, you guys didn’t have to do that,” smiled Sunset. “Thank you Ms. Velvet for setting this up for us. This beats the heck out of the pizza I was just going to order.”
“Think nothing of it, dear,” clucked Velvet. “I just want to help. And with everyone meeting here, it only made sense that I offer something to eat before we all leave.” She smiled at Pinkie and AJ. “And your friends agree with me, as it seems they had the same idea!”
“Guilty as charged, partner!” laughed Applejack. “I brought over some baked goods to share before we left, but when I saw Ms. Velvet was laying out a full spread, I had to offer to help!”
“And I figured what kind of party would it be without cupcakes!?” grinned Pinkie. “So I had to help too!”
“Thank you, girls! I really appreciate that!” She gave them a quick hug.
Sunset turned to Mrs. Velvet. “How can I help?” she asked. The doorbell rang.
“There’s your answer, sugarcube. Can you get that?” grinned Applejack.
With a nod, Sunset rolled out to answer the door, while Twilight stayed in the kitchen helping her mom with the roast coming out of the oven.
Sunset opened the door, greeting her mom and aunt.
“Sunbeam!” her mom called out happily, bending down and pulling her daughter into a tight hug. “I missed you, Sunny bunny! How’s life in the big city?” she asked Sunset happily while Luna looked on with a grin.
Hugging her mom back, Sunset smiled. “I’ve missed you too, mom.” She looked over to her aunt. “I’m so glad you both could make it, it’s so good to see you both!”
Luna laughed, ruffling Sunset's hair. “It’s good to see you too, niece!”
From down the hall, Applejack called out, “Come on in and take a seat Ms. Celestia and Ms. Luna! Dinner will be ready in jus’ a bit!”
Sunset rolled back to let them pass, then happily followed them into the dining room.
“Look who I found!” Sunset announced to everyone in the room as they entered.
“Hi Velvet! Nice spread, way nicer than I was expecting,” teased Celestia. “Knowing my daughter I figured we’d be snacking on several boxes of delivered pizza!”
“Mom! Sheesh!” laughed Sunset.
“Nailed you, didn’t she?” laughed Luna.
“Uh…. yeah,” laughed Sunset. “But it would have been really good pizza, honest!” Celestia wandered into the kitchen to help Velvet with Luna and the girls following.
Luna laughed. “I’m sure it would have.” She sat down next to Sunset.
Celestia turned to her daughter from her place at the stove with Velvet. “So how’s Tokyo? Speaking like a native yet?” she teased.
“Oh, har de har har! At least they don’t just look confused when I try to say something anymore. I’m not the quickest study but I’m getting there. Unlike some people…” she shot a grin at Twilight who was still working on cutting up the roast.
“What?” said Twilight, not looking away from her work. “I just take it more seriously than you, that’s all.” She smiled. “And you get distracted!”
“Hey, I can’t help it!” Sunset snarked. “You make the cutest faces when you're trying to concentrate.” Twilight rolled her eyes, grinning as everyone laughed.
“Seriously though,” Sunset said, turning back to her aunt. “All the classes are taught in Japanese, so we’ve been working hard to get our proficiency up. I may not be able to say everything I want to say, but I will darn well be sure I can understand everything I need to hear. We’ve been working hard at that.”
“It’s you two. I’m sure you’ll have it down in no time,” smiled Luna, squeezing her niece's hand. “So how about your classes? Anything interesting?”
“It’s all so interesting!” agreed Sunset.
“You can say that again,” agreed Twilight from her roost at the roast.
“They have a system they use to enhance psychic abilities, called The Curriculum. Some of the things they do would never be allowed back where I grew up, but many of the techniques and methods they use I can see applying directly to the way magic is taught in Equestria. I’m interested in trying them out, and seeing them work for magical abilities as well,” explained Sunset.
“And their testing methodologies are much more advanced than many we’ve been using. I’ve already incorporated some of their insights into upgrades to our magical scanner, increasing its efficiency and resolution by more than 1000%,” Twilight added, bringing a serving tray of roast over to the table.
The doorbell rang again. Excusing herself to get it, Sunset rolled to the door, opening it to find a smiling Lyra and Bon Bon.
“Hi, girls!” Sunset greeted happily, rolling out of the way and welcoming them in. “Wow, Lyra! Actually early?” Sunset teased. She smirked, winking at Bonnie. “I bet we know who to thank for that.”
Bonnie grinned as Lyra rolled her eyes then bent over to hug her friend. “We’ve missed you at the cafe! Mr. Namori-san says Hi by the way!”
As Sunset led them into the dining room, Lyra continued. “He was so jelly that his new employee got to go back to Tokyo for the day! He made me promise to take lots of pictures and have a great time!”
Twilight brought over a tray of drinks then sat down beside Sunset, who laughed. “Sorry girls. Large group of friends. Probably going to be doing the introductions over a few times.” She turned to Lyra. “So Lyra, you probably know the sites better than we do, as much as you visited growing up. What are you looking forward to seeing?”
“I always loved the bay and the parks,” nodded Lyra, “But my best memories are from our trips to Mon-Naka. We would visit the Fukagawa Fududo temple to watch the fire ceremony, then get tsukudani from the shops nearby afterward.” She smiled at the memory. “I hear it's a hipster hangout now. I wonder if the old shops are still there?”
“I guess we’ll find out,” smiled Bonnie, taking Lyra’s hand.
Twilight took Sunset’s hand. “Yeah, I guess we will,” she turned to Sunset, smiling.
Sunset smiled back. “Looking forward to it, Sparky.”
Celestia leaned over and put her arm around her sister as both smiled, watching their girls.
The doorbell rang once more. “I got it!” Sunset volunteered, rolling to the door.
Opening the door, she saw it was Doctors Sombra and Turner. “Hope we’re not too early?” smiled the Doctor Turner.
“No worries, Doctor, you’re always right on time,” grinned Sunset as she waved them in. “We’re getting ready to eat in the dining room, come join us,” she welcomed.
As Sunset was about to shut the door, a horn honked. Looking out to the street, she saw Rarity’s car pull into the driveway. It had barely stopped moving when the passenger door swung open and Rainbow Dash hopped out, sprinting for the door. “Wait up! We’re coming!” Rainbow urged.
Sunset laughed. “Dash! Wassup?” she called out to her friend.
Dash moved quickly through the door. “We’re not too late, are we? So sorry about that!” She looked around frantically.
Sunset laughed, seeing Fluttershy and Rarity emerging from her car snickering madly. She turned to Dash. “Dashie, do you know what time it is?” she asked with a smirk.
“Look, don’t be like that!” said Dash, looking hangdog. “I said I was sorry! I didn’t mean to make everyone late, my alarm didn’t go off. I’m really sorry!”
Sunset smirked then broke down laughing. From behind her, Dash could hear her friends joining in as well. “Wait, what’s so funny?” Dash asked.
“Dash, you have a phone, right?” asked Sunset, still chuckling.
“Yeah. Why? Should I have called? Ah Man, why didn’t I think of that? I should have called…” Dash pulled her phone out.
Sunset, face in her hands, shook with laughter. “Good one girls!” she called out.
“Wait, what?!” Dash asked. She looked at her phone, confused. She put it back in her pocket, then stopped, pulling it back to her face. “Really!?” she called out.
The girls lost it. “You tricked me! Darn it Rarity! You told me it was almost 4 and they were leaving without us!” Dash fumed.
Sunset put a hand out for a high five, which Rarity happily provided. “And… you never actually thought to check your phone when I said that?” asked Rarity with a smirk.
“You were so angry! I never even thought to check! Besides, I didn’t get back to my own bed until almost 10 this morning,” groaned Dash.
“I hate to say it Dashie, but if Rarity didn’t do something like that, you would still be groaning and laying in your bed,” grinned Fluttershy. “Her little trick got us here on time.”
Dash groaned. “Yeah yeah yeah.” She grinned at Rarity. “Good one Rare’s. I owe you one.”
“Oh Darling, I’m sure you owe me much more than one,” grinned Rarity, passing them by with another high five to Sunset as she headed into the dining room, Fluttershy in tow, “But one would be a very good start.” She smirked, tossing her hair and laughing as they entered the dining room joining the others.
“Come on, Dashie!” grinned Sunset, pulling her into a hug. “Let’s go get some dinner and get this party going.” She led her sheepish friend into the dining room to join the rest of the guests, all chatting happily.
Grace said, the food was served. Everyone enjoyed the unexpected feast, spiced by the excitement they felt for the day ahead. As they finished, Velvet packed up the leftovers, which Twilight bagged up and took with them for anyone wanting to snack later. Sunset and Applejack cleaned up the dishes while everyone else took care of any last-minute business. With everything ready, Sunset spoke up.
“Does everyone have their papers? You all brought your IDs?” she asked, greeted with nods all around. “Great. Okay, we’re almost ready to go. We’ll be going in groups of three, then when we all get to the apartment, we’ll give you a tour of our crib, show off a little, and hang for a bit while everyone gets processed. There’ll be a customs agent there to help with anything you need to get settled. When they’re done, we’ll break into two groups to take our tours.” Smiling, she turned to her aunt. “Aunt Luna and mom have volunteered to lead the tour of the cultural sites. Twilight and I will be leading a more low-key tour of some of the more popular sites. After that, we’ll all meet up at the apartment for dinner together, then we have a surprise event planned that’s really not to be missed!
“After that, we’ll head back to the apartment, have a little snack, then we’ll bring you all back home where you all get to sleep it off Sunday while Twilight and I get a few hours sleep before our classes Monday morning.”
“Ah, poor baby!” teased Dash. Sunset stuck her tongue out at her, setting them both into laughter.
“So there it is! Figure out who you want to tour with, and let’s get this show started!” Sunset announced with a single clap. She rolled into the garage and over to the TACIT base. Goggles all on, Twilight entered with her mom, dad, and Applejack, where they disappeared in a magenta flash.
The truth was, they weren’t really using the base, but figured it would be easier to present it as teleportation, which everyone already knew about, rather than visibly use their magic and have to stop and explain what it was, why it was the same, how it worked, etc. to their more curious and not completely initiated guests. It was a harmless bit of subterfuge they used to keep the day on track.
Twilight returned, taking Celestia, Luna, and Pinkie on this trip. Following them were the Drs. with Dash, then Rarity, Fluttershy.
Everyone else gone, Sunset turned to Lyra and Bonnie, waving towards the TACIT receiver. “Ready to pass through the looking glass, girls?” she smiled, rolling back into the booth. Both girls joined her. There was a teal flash, and they appeared in the apartment, everyone else already sitting around waiting for them while being processed by two very polite customs agents.
“Have a seat girls!” Sunset kindly instructed, waving them over to the kitchen table.
Sunset rolled over to Twilight, who was packing up light snacks into everyone’s daypacks. “How’re we doing Sparky?” Sunset asked, giving her a quick side hug while she worked.
“Almost done! Just packing up some quick energy and drinks for everyone while we are out, then I think we’re good to go,” Twilight answered.
“When’s mom and aunty Luna’s ride showing up?” Sunset asked.
“Concierge said they’ll be here in about 20 minutes, right about the time the customs officers said they’d be finished,” said Twilight.
“Man, you really have to hand it to this place. They have efficiency down to a science,” smiled Sunset.
“True that,” agreed Twilight.
Daypacks packed, Sunset and Twilight passed them out to their friends and guests. Unsurprisingly the girls were joining them for the less high-brow tour of the city. Once Lyra and Bonnie found they were visiting the temple, they joined the low-brow tour too.
Finished with their tasks, the customs officers thanked everyone, wishing them a pleasant day in their city. Sunset showed them out, thanking them profusely for coming out to make life easier for their guest. The concierge emerged from the elevator, bowing to the officers in greeting. They returned her bow.
“Ms. Shimmer, Ms. Sparkle, your guests’ ride is here and ready for them downstairs. I’ll be happy to take them to her when they are ready,” she informed them with a bow.
The girls bowed back. “Arigato!” They thanked her, inviting her into the apartment.
“Mom, Aunt Luna, and everyone taking the tour with them, your limo is downstairs and ready to take you. Please follow our concierge out and she will take you to them,” announced Sunset.
With a quick hug for her mom and aunt, they bid them farewell, watching them crowd into the elevator, laughing like schoolchildren on an outing.
“Okay girls! Just us left. Holler when you’re ready!” called out Sunset.
Twilight, Sunset, and the girls piled out of the elevator and moved as a herd to the concierge.
“Ohayō!” greeted Sunset, bowing to the concierge as they overtook her station. The girls bowed, following her lead.
“Ohayōgozaimasu,” greeted the concierge. Turning to the gathered girls, she bowed. “Are you ready to begin your touring adventure?”
“Hai! Arigatōgozaimasu!” replied Sunset happily.
“Very well then! I will inform your ride that you are ready to be taken to your first destination.” She spoke into her headset briefly, then turned back to the girls. “Follow me! Your ride awaits you.” She walked across the lobby then out into the cutaway where a limo was waiting for the girls, the driver by the door with the ramp extended.
Cheering, the girls bowed to the driver then piled into the limo, all decorum abandoned in their glee. Sunset facepalmed and laughed. “Shazai itashimasu,” she smiled at the driver with a bow. “It’s their first visit. Please forgive them for acting like a group of tourist school girls,” she snarked as she rolled up the ramp into the limo.
“Indeed!” grinned the driver. “One would almost believe them to be just that!” She laughed as the ramp drew up into the limo’s underside, and shut the door.
“So Sugarcube, where’re we headed to first?” asked Applejack.
“Well, first we’re going to hit a place dear to a good friend's heart,” Sunset smiled, turning to Lyra. “I bet it’s been a while since you’ve seen a fire ceremony.”
Lyra fist-pumped. “Yes! We're going to Mon-Naka! To the Fukagawa Fududo temple! And I’m going to get some tsukudani!” she grinned.
“Yup! First on the list!” Sunset agreed. The girls cheered and laughed as they passed through the city.
They arrived near the temple. As the girls exited the limo, they could hear the drums from the ritual.
“Ah, man! We’re too late!” complained Dash.
“No. We’re fine! They have the ritual every two hours. We just have to wait a bit for the next one,” Lyra assured. “We can just go get some tsukundani while we wait!”
“What’s that?” asked Fluttershy, brushing back some of her long pink hair behind her left ear to see Lyra better.
“It’s a type of pickled treat. Come try some, you'll like it!” Lyra promised, leading the girls towards one of the alleys. She guided them into an old shop several stores into the alley. Going up to the counter, she called out to the old lady working behind the counter.
“Tomodachi ni tsukundani o itadakemasu ka?” she asked.
“Tashika ni shin'ainaru! Torē o motte kimasu!” the lady replied smiling, bringing over a tray of the delicacies.
“Whooie Sugarcube! Just what the hay are these things anyhow?” asked Applejack while staring at the tray with confusion, pushing up the tip of her cowboy hat with her thumb.
“These are a treat I loved growing up here, called tsukundani. They’re made by soaking seafood in soy sauce and sugar. I think you’ll like them,” replied Lyra. She picked out two pieces for herself, then stood aside to let the girls have a turn.
“Don’t worry. I’m buying!” called out Sunset. “Get whatever you want, my treat!”
Applejack picked out two pieces made from tuna and seaweed. Dashie was feeling more adventurous, going with squid and sea anemone. The rest of the girls stuck with the basic seaweed and tuna, while Sunset and Twilight opted for the sea anemone, also feeling adventurous. Sunset paid and everyone else went back outside to enjoy their treats.
Lyra grinned ear to ear. “See Bonnie, I told you they were good!” she laughed. Bonnie made funny faces as she ate hers, laughing the whole time.
Applejack was a little leary of hers at first, taking tiny nibbles off the edge, but was soon enjoying them like everyone else. “Tastes like sweet jerky!” she commented.
“That’s pretty much what it is,” agreed Lyra. “It’s seafood pickled in soy sauce and sugar. Makes the seafood taste like a dessert!” She scarfed down her last one.
“I bet these things would be great energy snacks!” said Dash, finishing off hers. “Protein and sugar!”
“Sugar is always good!” Pinkie cried out cheerfully.
Sunset facepalmed, laughing while Twilight grinned. “Yes, Pinkie! Sugar is always good.”
After the snack they went back to visit the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, where they wandered around the temple admiring the statues and gardens while Lyra explained the temple's history and ties to modern sumo.
“That’s interesting, considering what we are doing tonight,” observed Twilight.
Sunset rolled her eyes and smacked her arm. “Nice, Sparky. It’s a surprise,” she whispered before anyone could ask. Despite their insistent questions, that’s all she would say.
Eventually it was time for the Fire Ceremony. They wandered over to the temple as Lyra gave them all instructions. “Okay, only Buddhists are allowed into the ceremony. So for today, you are all honorary Buddhists. Do as you see me doing. If you don’t ‘know the words’ just copy my actions and say nothing. As long as you are reverent and respectful, there won’t be any issues. Any questions?”
“What exactly is a Buddhist?” asked Rainbow.
“Any other questions?” asked Lyra. “Sorry Dashie, not dissin your question, but if I try to answer that we’ll miss the ceremony.”
“Ah, that’s cool, I’ll ask again later then,” agreed Dash.
Entering, the girls removed their shoes. Sunset was initially denied entry, her chair being considered unclean, but the girls overcame that obstacle with Twilight and Dash carrying Sunset between them. They sat together towards the back of the temple.
The ceremony began, and the girls followed Lyra up in the procession to make offerings to the gods. Sunset, for obvious reasons, was allowed to sit this out, remaining seated.
As the girls processed up with the other people in the ceremony Sunset felt a familiar tingle coursing through her body.
“That’s weird. I wouldn’t have expected Magic to be here of all places,” Sunset thought.
The girls returned and the ceremony continued, but Sunset continued to feel Magical power coursing through her.
“Oh crab nuggets,” Sunset whispered under her breath.
Twilight was sitting right next to her. She turned to her with a whisper. “What’s wrong, Sunny?”
“I can’t stop it, here it comes,” whispered Sunset as she started to glow. Twilight quickly threw her coat over her friend.
“Sunny, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, slightly panicked, casting a spell to mask the glowing horn sprouting from her BFFs forehead and the angelic wings folded behind her back.
Sunset sat shaking. “Sorry! So sorry, Sparky, I can’t stop it,” she whispered frantically. Twilight held her close, keeping up the illusion to mask her changes. It seemed no one else had noticed, including the girls sitting one row up from them. “Thank you, Sparky!” Sunset whispered to her friend, holding her tightly.
The ceremony was beautiful, continuing for over an hour. And the entire time, Sunset sat there, glowing with power in her angelic form, the only thing keeping everyone there from noticing was Twilight’s glamor illusion, which she kept up the entire time, masking the changes.
When the ceremony ended, Sunset returned to her normal state, and Twilight retrieved her coat. Dash and Twilight helped Sunset back out of the temple and into her chair.
“Thank you so much for taking us here!” gushed Lyra. “I haven’t been to the temple since I was a little girl! It’s just as beautiful as I remember!”
Sunset smiled. “We thought you might appreciate it. I’m glad we made the time to visit.”
After the ritual the girls went to the park with the great Kanto earthquake memorial. They discussed what they had just experienced.
“I gotta say there Lyra, I was a might hesitant to join yall in there. I don’t want ta do anything that might displease the Maker, so I was a bit fearful joining ya’ll in any worship,” reflected Applejack.
Lyra nodded. “I could understand that. Thank you for showing respect for my beliefs, Applejack.”
“Sure thing, Sugarcube,” Applejack nodded with a grin. “Your belief itself is an honor to the Maker.”
Sunset smiled. “AJ, you don’t have to worry about disrespecting the Maker by honoring another’s beliefs. Anywhere worship is with reverence, respect, and goodwill, the Maker is honored. She loves all her children, and rejoices in all forms of their worship. Yeah, She’s jealous for the love of all her children, but merciful and loving to them too. The god worshiped in the ceremony we just took part in is also her child, and worships her as well. So any love for the god shown by her children reflects to her, the Maker.”
“You know, the god of that temple is Fudōmyō-ō, the god of justice,” noted Lyra. “The ritual is supposed to burn away negative energies, thoughts, and desires, and replenish the power of the god to burn away all things that get in the way of his follower’s path to enlightenment.”
Sunset blanched, and mumbled, “You mean goddess of justice” under her breath.
Twilight noticed and whispered to her friend. “What’s wrong Sunny?”
“I think I just visited my own temple!” whispered Sunset back quietly. “That’s just all sorts of weird!”
Twilight facepalmed. “Of course!” she said, shaking her head. “By the Maker Sunny, only you could manage something like that!” They both laughed.
In the astral realm, two dear friends were falling out of their seats from laughter.
“She did what?” gasped Faust, briefly catching her breath.
“She went right into her own temple and took part in worship with her friends,” chuckled Chang’e. “Oblivious the entire time! Even when she powered up in the middle of the ceremony, she thought it was just because there was residual magic. So she threw a coat and hood over herself, for all the good that did her. Her friend, the near goddess, hid her with magic when the power did not fade. Neither of them ever took the hint.” She shook her head, laughing. “Your great-granddaughter is one humble goddess.”
“One of her most endearing qualities,” agreed Faust, settling down. “Oh by my stars I wish I had seen that! It must have been quite precious!”
“Oh heavens, yes. Yes, it was!” agreed Chang’e, still laughing.
In his new realm, the old god Mars smiled, watching the antics of his successor. “Oh child, you are so delightfully innocent!” he smiled.
The girls decided to head for the Ginza Antique Mall next. Twilight called their limo, which picked them up outside the park. They rode the 10 for part of the route, then switched off to take two other parkways. The driver let them off just past a FamilyMart near the Mall entrance. They walked the remaining distance to the Antique Mall, then paired up to get some shopping done. Everyone was looking for gifts to bring back to their families from Japan, except of course Twilight and Sunset, as their parents were undoubtedly doing that for themselves.
The girls purchased a few cute figurines for the apartment, after which Twilight pushed Sunset over to a nearby bookstore, Dashie and Fluttershy tagging along. Sunset promptly drifted towards the Manga with the girls, while Twilight pursued more scholarly tomes, and a few romantic fiction short stories she was starting to develop a taste for. After ninety minutes of shopping, they all booked it back to the Mall, meeting up with the rest of the girls for their next adventure.
“Lunch is next! For fun, we’re heading to restaurant row in Academy City, so you can experience what we typically eat.” Sunset explained as they gathered. Twilight called the limo, which came and picked up the girls, heading back into Academy City.
During the brief drive back to Academy City’s Restaurant Row, the girls shared what they had bought. Rarity had purchased a pearl hair comb for Sweety Bell, and a cookbook for her parents Hondo and Cookie. Applejack also bought a cookbook of cherry recipes for Granny, which got her teased. Dash and Fluttershy both picked up figures from one of the manga they both followed, as well as several mangas from the bookstore. Sunset and Twilight had their books, and of course the figurines they purchased to decorate their apartment.
After showing their identification at the entrance to Academy City, a short ride later they drove past the girls’ dorms then down the street to Restaurant Row. One out of the limo, the girls perused their choices.
“Oh! Oh, oh, oh! Macronall Hamburger! Let’s go there!” Pinkie bounced excitedly. “I want to get a milkshake!”
Sunset facepalmed. “Pinkie, really? We could go somewhere else and get something sweet.”
“Ah come on Sunny Bunny! Let’s go to Macronall’s!” Pinkie begged. Laughing, the other girls joined in.
“Alright, fine, why not,” Sunset relented. “Macronall’s it is!” she said, rolling into the restaurant, which looked almost identical to the Macronall’s by their old school. “Macronall’s… halfway around the world for Macronall’s…” Sunset groused under her breath.
The girls stood in line, ordered their food, then picked out a table they could all sit at. Sunset paid for everyone’s meals, just ordering a strawberry milkshake for herself. When their orders were ready, she, Twilight, and Applejack carried the trays over to the table.
“Arigatō!” said Lyra for everyone as they passed out the food. Taking their seats, the girls bowed their heads, thanked the Maker for their food and friendships, then dug in.
“I can’t believe we’re eating at Macronall’s,” grumbled Sunset, sipping her milkshake.
“Ah lighten up, Sunny! We’re having an adventure, and it’s all for fun!” said Pinkie, bouncing happily in her seat with her milkshake, cookies, soda, soft serve, and flurry.
Sunset laughed and shook her head. “You’re right, Pinkie. I’m glad you’re having fun!”
“Yupper duppers! This is the funnest!” Pinkie smiled.
After everyone finished eating, Sunset led them outside. “Any other places you want to try while we’re here?” she snarked.
“Well darling, it’s clear you really want us to get a taste of the local cuisine. Where would you suggest?” asked Rarity.
“If you’re interested, there is a noodle shop we’ve been to a few times. It's really good, we can go there,” Sunset suggested.
“Alright then, let’s go!” Dash agreed. Lyra and Bonnie watched their friends, laughing at their antics.
“Okay, noodle shop it is! Let’s go!” laughed Sunset, rolling ahead of the group, leading the charge to the noodle shop.
“Do they have pastries there?” asked Pinkie.
“I’m sure they have something sweet, Pinkie. We’ll ask them when we order. I’ll try whatever you find too,” suggested Sunset.
At the noodle shop they pretty much took over the back of the restaurant. The old man running the shop came over to take their orders. Pinkie asked her question, and indeed the man had a dish made of sweet noodles. Pinkie and Sunset both placed an order for the sweet dish. Miso soup and rice noodles with toppings were ordered for everyone. Lyra and Bon Bon placed an order for a shared noodle plate, taking a nearby table to sit by themselves.
While the food was prepared the girls talked about life. The shopkeep brought out the servings of Miso soup for everyone to enjoy while they waited for their food.
“So how’s school going?” asked Applejack. “Ya’ll been going for over a week now. Ya settled into your schedule and classes?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, and our internships. We attend classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Tuesday and Thursday we work at the Life Sciences Institute as interns. On school days we also have after-school work with Judgment, where we work with our Academy friends, Kuroko, Rioko, Mikoto, and Kazari. Sadly, they couldn’t make it today or they would have joined us.”
“What the hay is a Judgment?” asked Applejack.
“Your Academy friends? Are they cool? Can they do cool stuff like we do?” asked Dash.
“Definitely cool. And no, not like us they have their own powers,” answered Sunset to Dash. To Applejack, she added, “Judgment is one of the groups responsible for monitoring and policing Academy City and its residents. Basically, we find missing people and things and keep people from breaking the rules. Police type stuff.”
“So basically like security guards or junior policemen?” asked Applejack.
“Yup!” Sunset agreed.
“What powers? What can they do?” asked Dash.
“Well, Mikoto can launch game tokens like missiles. I’ve heard she can take out a building with one of them.” Sunset smiled. “And her roommate Kuroko can teleport and knows how to use that as a weapon,” answered Sunset. “Their powers are psychic, not magical like ours. Same idea but a different source.”
“Awesome!” exclaimed Dash. Fluttershy smiled.
“Yes, they are,” agreed Sunset, smiling. “They’re a hoot.”
“Well I’d love to meet them! Too bad they weren’t able to join us,” commented Rarity. Pinkie nodded emphatically.
“We’ll definitely have to set up a get together then. And with Index and Toma, too. They’re quite the handful. Or at least Index is… she sure keeps Toma busy,” said Sunset.
“Sounds like fun, sugarcube. What about all the fun you’ve been havin with NASA? They doing anything yet?” asked Applejack.
Twilight answered that one. “Yes, they are! They already have a base on the moon, and one on Titan. And they’re working on a base on Mars too, but it’s not ready yet. They’re waiting until they can move the Boring equipment from the moon to Mars.”
“Wow, you’ll have neighbors!” laughed Dash.
“Literally!” Sunset agreed. “They will only be a few klicks away from us. And they promised me a Kaijū robot I can ride around in. I am so going to break that in when we get it!” she laughed.
“You mean we,” Twilight corrected with a smile. “I’m pretty sure it’s a two-seater, and there’s no way I'm missing out on that fun!”
“Then we it is!” agreed Sunset. “We’re so gonna break that bad boy in.”
“I’m officially jealous,” said Dash. “I want one.”
“Well, miss Avitar of the Moon goddess. Why don’t you just ask them for access to one of the ones on the moon? I’m sure your sponsor would be more than happy to arrange that for you,” commented Sunset.
“Hey, yeah!” exclaimed Dash. “You're right! I will ask them. But wait, how will I get to the moon?”
“If you ever want to get to the moon, just call Sparky or I,” said Sunset. “We can get you there. Or just call NASA. I’m sure they can arrange something.”
“I will, thanks!” agreed Dash.
“If NASA is okay with it, I’ll just give her a teleportation fob, like the one I made for Index,” noted Twilight.
“Good call Sparky!” Sunset agreed as Dash nodded emphatically.
Bonnie spoke up. “Is there any chance we can get to the moon? I’d love to see it.”
“Sure, in fact, I think we should set up an outing for all of us, just like this one. I’ll talk to NASA and see when they can get us in,” said Sunset. “Good idea, Bonnie!”
Bonnie blushed. “Thank you!”
The sweet noodles arrived first, so Sunset passed her plate around, giving everyone a chance to try them. Pinkie drilled through hers in moments, immediately requesting seconds. The old man turned to Sunset, who nodded. “Coming right up!” he told Pinkie.
“These are surprisingly good,” noted Applejack while the girls nodded in agreement.
Sunset waved to the man, calling out when she had his attention. “Another plate of sweet noodles for this table too, please. In fact, just keep them coming.” Turning to Lyra and Bon Bon, she asked, “Would you girls like some too?”
“Yes please!” Lyra agreed.
“Keep them coming to their table too, please!” Sunset amended to the shopkeeper. “Arigatō!” The old man smiled and nodded.
After a brief wait their food arrived. Everyone had already devoured their miso soup and were ready for the main course. In addition to the noodles, trays of fried meats were placed on the center of the table for the girls to enjoy, as well as different sauces. Sunset asked, and a tray of meat samples was delivered to Lyra and Bon Bon’s table as well. Sunset led everyone in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Maker, then the girls laid into the food before them.
A bit over an hour later, quite full and content, the girls left the shop to continue their adventure.
“Who’s up for a trip to the tallest tower in the world? The Tokyo Skytree is almost four-tenths of a mile tall! We can see all of Tokyo from up there,” commented Sunset.
The limo drove up, and the girls piled in with Sunset rolling up the ramp last.
It was about a 20 minute trip from Academy City to the Skytree. The girls chatted and gawked at the sites as they drove. The limo dropped them off at the Tokyo Skytree. Sunset wheeled ahead, greeting a tour guide who came out to meet them.
“Kon'nichiwa!” said the tour guide. “Your hostess has paid for each of you to take our grand tour. I will be your guide today. Please, follow me.”
He led them into a high-speed elevator, which took them quickly to the top of the tower, almost a half-mile up in the air. From the observation deck all of Tokyo was laid out like some futuristic circuit board. The wall surrounding Academy City was clearly visible too.
Their guide continued the entire time, telling them the history of the tower, and how it was currently used as a broadcasting tower by many of the major Tokyo stations. The site was spectacular. The girls stayed for several hours, gazing out over Tokyo, admiring the view and listening to the history of the city below them. By the time they were finished with the tour, they had a little over an hour before it was time to meet the adults for dinner and the evening’s entertainment.
Sunset instructed the driver to take them to Sumida Park, where they could enjoy the cherry blossoms. It was a twelve-minute ride from the Skytree, passing over the Sumida River. When there, they bought coffees from the nearby coffee shops then roamed the park, enjoying the cherry blossoms and peaceful surroundings.
An hour later, Sunset rounded everyone up to return to the apartment for dinner. The concierge met them at the door.
“Your other guests have already returned. I escorted them up to your apartment and let them in. We’ve already placed everything out for your ichiju-sansai,” she informed them as she led them through the lobby to the elevators.
“Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu,” said Sunset, bowing. “We really appreciate all the work you’ve put into making this outing and evening a success.”
“Dōitashimashite,” she said, bowing in return. “I will see you later when the limo returns for your evening's entertainment.”
The girls piled into the elevator car, Sunset rolling into the front. Twilight keyed her code into the keypad and the elevator rose to the penthouse suites.
Last in and first out, Sunset rolled from the elevator over to the apartment, keying in her code. The door opened and Sunset and the girls entered, finding, as the concierge had promised, the traditional ichiju-sansai dinner placed on the table, ready to serve. The adults were all seated around the table, waiting for the girls before beginning the dinner. Luna called out to the girls. “Wash up, ladies, then take a seat and we’ll begin.”
The girls washed up in the bathroom then crowded around the table, ready to enjoy the traditional three-course Japanese dinner. Luna passed around servings of spicy Miso soup, rice, nori, and tsukemono. All the servings were laid out on the plates as blossoms or cartoon characters from the girls’ favorite anime shows. Everyone then bowed their heads while Celestia led them all in Harmonic Grace.
They enjoyed their first course of spicy miso soup and nori and tsukemono. When they finished the first course, grilled tuna filet with wasabi and edamame was passed around. The wasabi was a bit much for some of the guests, but the green tea was more than up to the job of putting out any culinary flames.
Next came Japanese Beef Wasabi noodles, another spicy offering. Following that was Chicken Teriyaki with Rice. For the vegetarian guests, there were appropriate alternatives, which Sunset took advantage of. When they finished with the last course, servings of green tea ice cream were removed from the freezer then passed to everyone.
“That was some feast girls! Woo-Eee am I stuffed as a pig on a platter!” smiled Applejack, leaning back from the table. Dash grinned and rolled her eyes.
“That was marvelous darlings!” complemented Rarity. “Thank you so much.”
“We’re glad you liked it,” smiled Twilight. “Sunny and I picked it out from our favorite foods so far.”
“Everyone, take a few moments to relax and wash up if you need. In about half an hour we’ll be leaving for the evening’s entertainment, so please be ready to go by then,” added Sunset.
The girls and adults got ready, then relaxed and talked while they waited.
“So sugarcube, what's the entertainment for the evening?” asked Applejack.
“Sorry. No spoilers. It’s a surprise,” answered Sunset.
“Ah come on, not even a hint?” complained Dash.
“One hint I think. You already visited the place it started from earlier today,” smirked Sunset.
“Oh! Is it one of the TV stations that use that tower we visited as a transmitter antenna? That’s it, right?” guessed Dash.
“That’s actually a really good guess, Dash, but no. I’m not answering,” replied Sunset.
“Wait. No as in no, that’s not it? Or no, as in I’m not telling? Which is it?” asked Dash, confused.
“No. I’m not answering,” said Sunset.
“Ah come on! At least answer that! Which is it?” Dash pressed.
Sunset facepalmed. Twilight chimed in. “Dash, she can’t answer that. If she said yes or no, that would be giving another hint. You got one hint, and that was it.”
“What, the first one? Or the not answering one?” asked Dash, confused.
Applejack laughed. “Don’t ever change, Dashie!” she chuckled.
Dash crossed her arms and sulked. The girls all chuckled.
Sunset had mercy on her sulking friend. “The first one Dashie. I’m not answering any more questions on it because I don't want to spoil the surprise,” smiled Sunset. “Trust me, it’s awesome.”
Dash smiled, somewhat mollified. “Okay. I trust you, Sunset.”
“Did it have something to do with what happened at the temple?” asked Lyra.
“What happened at the temple?” asked Celestia.
“It was nothing, mom. Don’t worry about it,” said Sunset quickly, blushing.
“She looked like an angel for a moment,” answered Lyra. “It happened really quickly then she went back to normal.”
“I know, right? It was the weirdest thing,” added Pinkie. “She was just like bam! Then she put on Twilight’s coat, then Twilight held her, and boom! She was back to normal.”
“I can’t believe you all noticed that,” said Sunset, mortified. “Did everyone see that?”
“Pretty much, sugarcube. I was half expectin’ we’d all go pony too when I saw that, but you switched back so quick I figured it wasn’t nothin' to worry about,” said Applejack.
“It was pretty awesome!” agreed Dash.
Twilight was laughing quietly, while Sunset looked completely mortified.
“So my little sunbeam, care to tell us what happened?” asked her mom.
“It was nothing, mom. Twilight, help me out. Can we please just drop it?” Sunset begged.
“Oh no. No way we’re dropping this. Spill niece. What happened at the temple,” smirked her aunt.
“Et tu, Luna?” sighed Sunset. “Fine, whatever.”
Twilight smirked, walking behind Sunset and pulling her into a hug. “It’s okay Sunny. I got this.” She grinned. “Sunny accidentally walked into her own temple and got a magical overload, and turned into a goddess,” snarked Twilight, hugging her roommate tightly.
“Sparky! You traitor!” groused Sunset, caught tightly in her friend's grasp.
“Wait what?!” exclaimed Dash.
“Magical overload?” exclaimed her mom.
“You're a goddess!?” exclaimed Rarity.
“Gah! Way to out me, Sparky!” growled Sunset.
“It’s not like it was going to stay a secret forever. All of our friends should know, not just our Academy friends. Your mom and aunt should definitely know,” smiled Twilight, still hugging her friend. She kissed her cheek. “And I’m happy you are, because I want to spend the next eternity with my BFF.”
“Duh-ahh,” gushed Rarity, stars in her eyes. “That’s so romantic!”
“Just friends, Rarity. Best friends. Soulmates forever. Love her eternally. But Just. Friends!” corrected Sunset, blushing crimson from all the attention.
Sunset then noticed Lyra prostrate on the floor, kneeling and bowing completely with her head touching the floor.
“Uh, Lyra, what are you doing?” Sunset asked.
“I’m so sorry goddess! I didn’t know. Please forgive me! I beg your mercy!” quaked Lyra.
“Really?” deadpanned Sunset. “Really really?! Lyra Heartstrings, get up right now,” Sunset commanded.
Lyra jumped up, still trembling. She kept her head bowed, staring down at the floor.
“Lyra, do you know who I am?” asked Sunset.
“Fudōmyō-ō, the goddess of justice?” quaked Lyra, shaking.
“Try Sunset Shimmer, your close friend, who loves you dearly,” corrected Sunset. “Look at me, Lyra.”
Lyra looked up timidly, her shaking subsiding.
“Lyra, come here,” said Sunset gently, holding out her arms.
Lyra came over to Sunset, who pulled her in, hugging her tightly.
“Lyra, whatever else you may think I am. Whatever else I am, I am always and forever your friend. I love you dearly, Lyra, and I never want you to be afraid of me or think you need to fear me or be reverential or whatever the buck that was to me. I. Am. Your. Friend. Always. Got it?” she said to Lyra gently.
Lyra cried. “Yes,” she whispered softly. Sunset gave her a kind squeeze and kissed her forehead.
“Good! Does anyone else need a hug or a good smiting?” snarked Sunset.
Applejack laughed. “Nah, think we’re good here, sugarcube.”
Celestia had sat back down in her seat, flabbergasted. “Our daughter is a goddess?” she mused dazedly. Her sister laughed, and gently smacked the back of her head.
“Where have you been, Tia? It’s been pretty clear for a while now. Glad she finally came out.” Luna teased.
“Came out? You make it sound so gay,” said Celestia, still in shock.
“Well it is kind of gay, isn’t it? Think about it…” snarked Luna.
Sunset turned to her aunt. “We’re not gay Aunty Luna. We’re. Just. Friends!” she stated emphatically.
“And I think you protest too much, regardless,” grinned her Aunt. “But whatever. Yes, you're outed Sunny. Anything else to say?”
“Fiiiiiine,” groaned Sunset. “Yes, I ascended and am now the goddess of justice, the Maker’s Hand. Please keep it a secret. I really am still just me, Sunset Shimmer.”
“And the Goddess of War, and Mars,” snarked Dash.
“And the goddess of Mars,” Sunset agreed. “Co-goddess of Mars. Twilight is my saint, and will soon be a goddess too. She’ll be joining me as a servant of the Maker.” Turning to her friend who was still draped over the back of her neck, she stuck out her tongue. “Hah Sparky, now you’re outed too!”
Twilight laughed. “Yup! You got me!”
“Forever,” agreed her friend, pulling her close.
“Duh-ahhhh!” gushed Rarity.
“Just. Friends! Rarity. Sheesh!” said Sunset, shooting her friend a dirty look.
“Sure darling! Whatever you say,” Rarity grinned back.
Sunset turned to the rest of the guests at their party. “I’m asking you all please to keep this to yourselves. I’m not ready to be outed as a goddess yet. I have a great deal of work I need to do as just plain old me, and this would only complicate it. So, please don’t spread around what you learned about Twilight and I. Please!?”
Their guests all nodded, still gobsmacked.
“Thank you!” said Sunset. “So how about that dinner! Really good, am I right?”
“Nice,” snarked Twilight into her ear. “Artfully deflected.” She laughed.
“Shuddup you,” grinned Sunset. “Like you do any better.”
“Whatever!” Twilight grinned.
“So, who’s ready for our surprise outing?” asked Sunset.
Twilight dialed the concierge on her cell phone as everyone accented happily. Sunset led the charge to the elevator and down to the lobby. They found their ride ready for them as the concierge led them through the lobby and into the waiting limo.
Once everyone was seated, the limo sped off.
The stadium at Ryogoku Kokugikan stood before them. Lyra fist-pumped. “YES!” she shouted.
“So we have one happy camper who figured it out,” teased Sunset. “Anyone else care to take a guess?”
“No idea, sugarplum,” mused Applejack. “Looks sporty.”
“And…?” prompted Sunset.
“Ohh! Oh Oh Oh! I get it!” exclaimed Dash excitedly. “It’s that sports thing, right?”
“A little more specific, Dash?” snarked Sunset as she lifted her hand, her thumb near her index finger.
“The diaper wrestling thing! With the big guys!” Dash guessed.
Sunset facepalmed. The lights went on in faces all through the limo. “You mean Sumo?!” said Celestia.
“Got it in one, Tia!” snarked Luna. “No ogling the half-naked men!” She teased her sister.
“As if!” shot her sister back. “It’s you we have to watch!”
“As if you could find time to watch me while you stare at all those half-naked sumo wrestlers!” shot Luna right back, laughing. Celestia grinned and punched her sister in the arm.
“You are a wretched brat!” laughed Celestia. “Why do I put up with you?”
Luna hugged her. “Because you love your little sister dearly,” she said, smiling.
“That I do,” smiled Celestia, hugging her back.
“Okay, I have your tickets. Stay close to me, and let’s get this show on the road,” called out Twilight, leading them out of the limo and towards the stadium. They followed her, Sunset bringing up the rear.
“So, Sunset, are you going to like, power up again?” asked Dash.
“Why would you think that Dash?” asked Sunset, rolling up to be beside her as she rolled towards the stadium.
“Well, you powered up the last time we went into some religious thing, and I remember, when we were in the shrine, that they said that modern Sumo was a direct descendant of the sumo worship of the god at that shrine. So this is kinda like worship, sorta. And I was wondering if it was gonna happen again,” explained Dash.
“Good point, but this is the worship of the god Yahata, or Hachiman, the god of archery and war. So, maybe? But Twilight and I will be looking out for it, so no one should notice this time,” she noted.
“That’s good!” smiled Dash. “Seeing how uncomfortable you were with even us knowing, I can imagine having a whole stadium of people figuring it out would not be a good thing.”
“No, not good at all,” agreed Sunset.
They arrived at the gate. Twilight briefly spoke with the attendant, who then personally escorted them into the area. From there, they were escorted to seats right in front of the fighting pagoda. Sunset sat on the end, with Twilight right next to her.
The ceremony began, but before she could even glow, Twilight preemptively covered her BFF with an illusion so the match could continue without any embarrassing interruptions. Sunset nodded to her BFF in thanks. “What would I do without you, Sparky!” she smiled.
“Let’s never find out!” teased her friend, smiling back. Holding hands, they watched the match together.
When the exhibition was over, everyone was led back to the waiting limo. They chatted excitedly about the matches they had just watched on the return trip. A short drive later they were back at the apartments, dropped off for the night.
The concierge met them. They thanked her again for arranging the evening for them, then all went back up to the apartment. Everyone sat around in the living area while Sunset prepared and served snacks.
Twilight spoke up. “That’s it for the evening! I hope everyone had a wonderful time! We’ll be taking you back two or three at a time to the lab, where you can ride home and enjoy the rest of your weekend. It’s just about midnight here so it will be 6-ish AM Sunday Morning when you get back. Rest, or just play though, whatever works best for you, and please enjoy the rest of your weekend!”
The adults placed their goggles on, gathering around Twilight to return first, so she took her mom, dad, and Celestia on her first trip. There was a magenta flash, and the four of them disappeared. A minute later Twilight reappeared, smiling. “Who’s next?” she asked. Luna, and Drs. Sombra and Turner approached. Taking their hands, they too disappeared in a magenta flash with Twilight returning shortly.
After the adults, Lyra, Bonnie, and Trixie said their farewells, joining Twilight for their return. Then it was Pinkie, Dash, and Applejack. Last was Fluttershy and Rarity.
Twilight returned, dropping onto the couch. “I’m beat! I could use a few hours rest,” she sighed.
There was a knock at the door. Looking at the giant monitor in the living room, Twilight called out “Who is it?”
The screen on the monitor came on, showing the face of one of the research assistants at the lab where Twilight and Sunset interned.
“I’m sorry for the late visit, but an emergency has come up. Twilight Sparkle, may I come in? I need to speak with you about something that has occurred at the lab and your internship,” she explained, leaning into the monitor by the door.
Sunset rolled over to her BFF. “Sounds important, Sparky. Why don’t you take care of it while I clean up for a bit, then we can both get some rest before school in a few hours.”
“Okay, thanks Sunny,” said Twilight, hugging Sunset. “I’ll make it quick so I can help out then we can both get some sleep.”
Twilight walked to the door and commanded, “Enter please.” The door opened, allowing the assistant to enter. With Twilight, she walked into the living room and sat down. While they sat, Sunset rolled into the kitchen area and started rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher.
“So what’s this about? What’s happening that’s so important that we need to speak at this hour?” asked Twilight.
“We have a situation,” replied the assistant. “We’ve found out that there are ascended beings here in Academy City, and they could pose a threat to our research.”
“Really?” nodded Twilight, feeling cautious. “What makes you say that?”
The research assistant reached into her purse. “Here, let me show you,” she stated, leaning close to Twilight, who leaned over to see.
The assistant whipped a ceremonial dagger from her purse, glowing red with power, plunging straight towards Twilight’s heart. It happened so quickly Twilight was unable to even breathe in surprise.
“NO!”
A teal flash enveloped the researcher and she disappeared. The ceremonial knife fell to the floor, clattered, then dimmed as the glow faded from it.
Twilight looked up in shock. Sunset was sobbing as she rolled over to her BFF as fast as her arms would go. She swept her up in a hug, crying and holding her tight.
“Sunset, what just happened? Where did she go? What was that?” asked Twilight, holding tightly to Sunset, still shocked and very confused. “Did she just try to kill me?”
“I sent her somewhere lethal,” gasped Sunset, catching her breath through her tears.
“Wait, what? You killed her?” asked Twilight, incredulous.
“Twilight, I had to!” Sunset cried. “She was going to kill you! I had to stop her.” She hung her head.
“No, you’re right,” said Twilight softly, holding her tight. “I know you’re right, you had to do it. Thank you! I’m glad you did it. I’m sorry Sunny, it’s just a shock.” Twilight dried Sunset’s tears with her palm, looking into her eyes. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Sunset sighed, her breath catching. “I’ll be fine. Just, give me a minute.” Still holding Twilight tightly, she sat slumped in her chair, crying softly and breathing, thinking about what had almost just happened.
Somewhere over the Martian desert, there was a flash of teal light. A body fell several dozen meters down to the desert below. Overhead, a drone flew swiftly away.
The person pushed themselves up, grasping their throat. A red glow surrounded their hands, then slowly faded as they fell back into the Martian sands. With a final twitch, the glow faded completely as they laid perfectly still, eyes staring up into the Martian sky.
Rightly ordered brings joy; let your thoughts and actions be led by Harmony and Her principles, and joy will overflow within you - The Celestial Teachings