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// Well-Off 
// Story: Rich In Dollars, Poor In Sanity 
// by SilverNotes 
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Sunset Shimmer had grown up playing a simple game, nearly every day, first with her parents and then, when she'd been taken on as an apprentice, with Princess Celestia. It'd been impressed upon her as something essential for a filly with a growing mind, especially one who was growing as fast as Sunset had been.

That game was called "What Did I Learn?"

No matter what had gone on that day, whether she'd had a shining success in her studies or an abysmal failure, she would have to succinctly explain one thing she had learned. The first of those days had been her being taught, and then reciting, what "succinct" meant, and then until the moment that she raced through the mirror, it had been the daily ritual.

Once she'd met, and got to really talk to, Princess Twilight Sparkle, she'd found out that the tradition had been continued to the next of Celestia's students, at least until the pressure had gotten to her and resulted in some kind of enchanted doll riot. Sunset had never gotten clarification of whether it was a riot over an enchanted doll or a riot made up of enchanted dolls, because when it came to the neurotic alicorn, either seemed equally likely.

Upon befriending this world's Twilight Sparkle, Sunset had slowly come to realize that she saw her not just as a friend, but also a student of her own. She'd been the one to pull Twilight out of the same dark place she herself had once fallen into, and for Sunset, that meant taking her under her wing and looking out for her from then on.

She loved all of her friends, but she felt like Twilight was her responsibility.

That's why, when she was jolted out of her late night movie watching by the sound of an explosion, after confirming that everyone was okay, she had to physically restrain herself from following up the relieved sighing with, "And what did you learn?"

She had a feeling that, if she had, the response would have been how much Filthy Rich's mansion cost.





"So..." Twilight sighed as she clicked the send transfer button, leaving the number on the computer screen with significantly fewer digits than there used to be. "After paying for the damages, I still have a little left over to set aside for my 'new book' fund until the next round of cheques come in..."

"Pinkie and Rarity did say they'd chip in for that," Sunset commented as she leaned against Twilight's computer desk.

"On a part-time baker and apprentice seamstress's salaries. I told them they didn't have to worry about it." She laughed a little. "It's almost a relief having a big chunk of it gone, even if that's..." The laughter turned to a grimace. "...Not reaaaaaally how I would've wanted to get rid of it. You know, of the two of them, you'd really expect Pinkie to be the one to accidentally set off an explosion."

Sunset shrugged. "Rarity can be pretty scary when she's mad, and nobody knew that Jet Set and Upper Crust were going to be there. At least Mr. Rich was pretty chill about it, all things considered." She offered a weak smile. "At least it gives you some time to figure out how you're going to manage the money coming in from now on. Aaaand it definitely helped distract everyone from the 'hotshot roboticist' thing."

"Didn't really want us to get a reputation for destroying buildings but..." Twilight winced. "I guess it was already too late for that, given that Mr. Rich said he 'should have expected this outcome.'"

"Yeaaaaah..." Sunset rubbed the back of her neck, then gently laid her hand on Twilight's shoulder. "So... we're good, no more hyperventilating and crawling under furniture?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, we're good. It's clear to me now that nothing's really going to change if I don't want it to." Her eyes brightened as her voice picked up pitch and speed. "Besides, I think I know what I'm going to spend some of it on!"

"Oh? New project?" Sunset asked, with the sort of voice someone tended to use when encountering a friend who had recently checked out several books on bear-taming.

Said tone was entirely lost on Twilight. "Yes! It was something you said, before this all got started, about magic and clockwork." She gestured at the white and orange device innocently laying near her chair. "My drone was pure tech, but I think it's about time I started really seeing how magic and technology can be blended to-- Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sunset looked over at the bed, where Spike and a purple sock puppet with glasses were eagerly reading their way through an issue of Power Ponies, then back at Twilight, all the while smiling the endeared-yet-exasperated smile she reserved for only her closest friends.

"Nothing. Just... you're right, I don't think anything's going to be changing any time soon."