Twilight felt a bit nervous, being in a bar was a bit out of her element, of course, but it was also the matter that she'd decided to wear her stage outfit. Thankfully none of the patrons of the bar seemed to recognize her. It was late in the evening so it was likely because they were either passed out or drunk... as she glanced around the room she amended that both was also a distinct possibility.
As she got up next to the bar she waved over the bartender, an older woman with yellow skin and pink hair tied up in a ponytail.
"Hmm, can't say I expected to see one of the Rainbooms here," she said in a gruff voice.
Twilight froze. "Oh, um," she rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't expect anyone to recognize me."
The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Kinda hard not to with that kind of get-up. Speaking of which, if you're here looking for a job then our stage will gladly take your group."
"Ah, no, sorry. I'm just here to see a friend, long fiery hair?"
The bartender nodded and gestured towards one of the booths in the back. A look of realisation passed over her features.
"That was Sunset Shimmer, wasn't it, your rhythm guitarist?"
Twilight chuckled awkwardly. "Something like that," she quickly said as she hurriedly headed off to where Sunset's booth was.
She let out a sigh as she sat down in the seat opposite to Sunset. The other woman was once again wearing a biker's leather jacket, this time idly wiggling a glass filled with some liquor.
"I'm surprised you wanted to meet again, especially so soon."
Sunset gave a curt nod. "Same, if I'm being honest. My friend convinced me get in touch sooner rather than later."
Twilight smiled. "Friends have a tendency to do that."
Sunset returned her smile before taking a sip of her drink.
"...So?" Twilight asked.
"So," Sunset began as she placed her glass on the table and leaned back in her seat, her arms resting on the back of the couch. Twilight could feel her eyes sizing her up.
Sunset idly pointed with her hand towards Twilight. "So that's just a thing, huh?"
"Huh?"
It took a moment before Twilight caught on that she was talking about her pony ears. "Oh, no, it's just a stage prop."
Sunset hummed. "I thought you said all the fancy stuff was real."
Twilight nodded. "It is, but after we blew up a bit on social media Rarity thought it good to make some actual stage props, things we could wear before or after a show. You know, to not raise suspicion?"
Sunset just stared at her for a few moment before sighing. "I suppose that makes sense."
"I uh..." Twilight gulped. "The bartender probably thinks you're my Sunset now," she admitted.
Sunset just rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I wasn't planning on coming back here again anyway," her eyes travelling to the other tables. "Not really my type of bar," Sunset took another swipe of her drink.
It was at this point that Twilight realised that she'd completely forgotten to order a drink in her haste to avoid an awkward conversation. She wasn't much of a drinker, but it felt a bit like bad manners to not have anything when your company was drinking; even if you didn't opt for anything with alcohol yourself.
As Twilight glanced towards the bar again she could hear Sunset chuckle.
"Don't worry about it, you're not the only company I keep that isn't much of a drinker."
Twilight turned her gaze back towards Sunset as she shrunk down in her seat.
"No, seriously," Sunset put her glass back on the table and leaned forwards, meeting Twilight's eyes. "Don't worry about it."
Twilight nodded slowly.
Sunset flashed her a small smile and leaned back in her seat. "You really are quite similar..."
Twilight blinked. "Similar...? To who?"
Sunset just chuckled, her smile growing slightly wider. "Don't worry about that, besides, didn't you have a few questions about me?"
She frowned, now she was really curious as to who Sunset was comparing her too. She was right though, there were a lot of questions she wanted to ask that she never got the opportunity to do last time; she'd even said as much online after the fact.
"Well... I guess the big thing is: Why did it take you so long to look into us? My Sunset hasn't exactly kept a low profile."
Sunset expression slowly morphed into a frown as she turned her eyes to the window. For a moment Twilight was worried she might not get an answer.
"I've known about... her, for five or so years now."
Twilight's eyes widened. "That long?"
Sunset sighed. "Yeah... To be honest I wasn't sure I even wanted to know the full story but," Sunset turned back to face Twilight, flashing her a smile. "Your band hardly keeps a low profile, and I've been getting questions."
Twilight smile sheepishly. "Sorry."
Sunset shrugged lightly. "Don't worry about it, I just say she's my twin sister and most leave me alone," Sunset lifted her glass and took a sip.
She ran the numbers through her head, if they had known about her Sunset for five years or longer then... that meant they'd known about her for longer than Twilight herself did, though not by too much.
"I can see the question burning, so I'll go ahead and answer," Sunset smirked and leaned back. "I was trainhopping to Canterlot, I had scouted the place out in advance. I was looking for a place to settle down, and Canterlot seemed to hit most of the sweet spots. I also knew from research that CHS's principal was a bleeding heart, something which would help with enrolling."
Sunset sighed. "It all seemed like such a good plan in my head. But then I get there and..."
"And you meet an alternate version of yourself," Twilight finished.
Sunset chuckled. "Something like that, but we're getting ahead of ourselves," she downed the rest of her drink. "See, just after getting into town I noticed a lot of kids around my age started giving me looks. I'm used to just blending in and not sticking out, so it was already weird that everyone was eyeing me up."
"Why would they-"
"See, that's the thing, the other me had something of a reputation," Sunset chuckled. "I guess that shouldn't surprise me."
It took Twilight a moment to figure out what Sunset meant, after all, she'd never meet her Sunset until after she'd turned over a new leaf. Everything about her past was just hear-say, and was frankly hard to believe at times.
"But anyway, I made my way to CHS and just barged in. Getting to and into the principal's office was cake. What followed wasn't, I pleaded my case and asked to enrol... only for her to give me a stink eye and tell me that she didn't have time for whatever it was I was up to."
Twilight gasped, usually Celestia was really good about hearing students out, no matter the issue.
Sunset sighed. "After that I staked out the town for a few days trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn't long till I saw her. The way she carried herself was hardly surprising, never been an angel myself, but it was incredibly destructive, even to herself."
"So what did you do?" Twilight asked, she could feel a shiver up her spine.
Sunset shrugged. "I ditched town on the next train I could catch. Everything about seeing her deeply unnerved me, which hardly made me want to stick around. But it was for practical reasons too, her being here would make it very hard for me to establish myself."
There was something missing though, Twilight figured. Sunset's story made sense except...
"What about your parents?"
Sunset smirked. "Never had any, been on my own ever since the orphanage kicked me out."
Twilight let out a gasp, Sunset was an orphan? Wait, was her Sunset also one? She'd never really considered it; Sunset being from another reality easily explained why she had no relatives around. Though now when she thought about it, it was a bit weird how she never went home for any of the holidays.
"I'm surprised you're telling her that much," a new voice chimed in. "Took you years before you told me that tidbit."
Twilight turned her gaze to the new arrival: A tan girl with red and purple hair. Their eyes sporting glasses that were similarly large compared to her own.
"Moondancer?" She blurted out, recognizing the girl from photos she'd looked up online.
The new arrival smirked lightly as she took her seat, Sunset scooting over to give more room. "Got it in one, I'm a bit surprised you remember me."
Twilight could feel her cheeks flush. Truth be told, she hadn't remembered Moondancer, not until very recently. It'd come up in a discussion if Twilight had any other friends, and well, she did, a long time ago. So she'd asked her parents about it and gotten a few names.
It was actually looking up her old friends online that led her to finding out Sunset's human counterpart was just one town over. The notion of finding out her best friend had a alternate version of herself was hardly surprising, but it absolutely got the gears turning and she had to look into it.
"Here," Moondancer said as she slid one of the three bottles she'd brought over the table.
Her nerves started to pick up before she lifted the bottle and noticed it was just soda. Sure, it was some cheap brand, but it wasn't alcohol.
"Thanks," she flashed a smile.
Sunset chuckled. "It was quite a surprise, you know? Learning from one of my best friends that you and her apparently used to know one and another."
"Life is funny like that sometimes..."
"It is," Moondancer said before taking a drink out of her own soda bottle.
"Lightweights," Sunset smirked, lifting her own bottle that was decidedly not soda. From the looks of it it was probably beer, at least that was Twilight's guess.
"It's nice seeing you again Twilight," Moondancer smiled, a relaxed expression resting on her face.
Twilight nodded. "Likewise... I know I probably wasn't the best friend to you back all those years ago... but I'd like to be one now, if you'll have me?"
Moondancer hummed. "Yeah, it was quite heartbreaking back then for me, you were the only one who really understood me... at least that's what I thought. And then you just kind of stopped showing up or even answering my calls."
Twilight flinched.
"Don't worry about it, I'm not upset about it anymore Twilight. It lead to me meeting some better friends anyway. The other girls you and me used to hang around with weren't really there for me either. My new friends?" She leaned over and nudged Sunset. "They stick by me and stick up for me, no matter what."
If Twilight didn't know better she could have sworn Sunset was blushing. "I'm glad things worked out for you."
Moondancer laughed lightly. "Same for you Twilight, it seems we both went and picked up a Sunset."
She hadn't even considered that parallel until this moment, granted, she hadn't known Moondancer and Sunset were friends until the former walked in on them now; Just that they went to the same school before graduating. All she could do was chuckle lightly at the realisation.
Moondancer leaned out over the table. "But hey, I think the sun on the horizon goes really well with all the stargazing the two of us used to do."
She even had the audacity to wink at Twilight while saying it.