Sunset Shimmer was practically glowing at the end of her driver’s test, the warm rays of her namesake bathing her in a light that was, well, shimmering with glee. She took a little twirl on the asphalt of the parking lot of the DMV, such a nice spring day that it made such a normally gray place almost look inviting, before fist pumping like she would after an epic guitar solo. Thanks to advice from her good friends Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity, she had managed to fix a flat tire that nearly canceled her whole test (“thanks to an APPLEjack”, she chuckled at her own pun), remember all the safety procedures before hitting the road (“Fluttershy’s rhymes were annoying at first, but they kinda grow on you”, she mused, nodding her head a little to one), and even parallel park (“Mr. Doodle was speechless! I bet I’m one of the best students he’s had!”)!
Speaking of Mr. Doodle, first name Cranky, he was still marking off the final parts of her test and ensuring everything was up to scratch. The scritch scratch of his pen was only slightly louder than the cricks in his back. He wasn’t getting any younger, half a century on this realm and looking it and feeling it.
Suddenly, his usual cynical grumble was followed by a very light chuckle. ‘If Matilda could hear me now, she’d say I’m just ripening.’. It distracted him for only 3 seconds, but it felt like an eternity these days. ‘Well, Sunset, against all odds, you have somehow managed to succeed where everyone fails, and aced your re-test. Congratulations, I suppose, are in order.’
Taking out a noisemaker, Cranky blew it so unenthusiastically, it would become the image for Oxymoron when you look it up in the dictionary. ‘Woo.’, he lifted his arms, if you can call that lifting, then turned around back to the DMV, pacing slowly and methodically, Sunset practically skipping behind him, giddily stimming with her hands. ‘Oh, this is amazing! I was so sure I would fail!’
‘Likewise.’
‘Normally, I’d find the whole grind to be frustrating, which… I did at first, guilty as charged!’, Sunset poked fun at herself, remembering her doubts and frustrations from when she was tasked with the redo. ‘But honestly, it kinda makes the fact that I succeeded even better! Like when you beat the boss on a Cuphead level after 5 days!’
‘What’s a cuphead?’, Cranky asked, before remembering it was easier not to care. ‘Look, you got the license, let me just print it so we can both go home.’, he grumbled, turning back to his pad and pen, scratching away.
‘Oh, yeah.’, Sunset sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, awkwardly grimacing. After everything she’s been through, in a way it was nice that she could have such a normal interaction. Being told off for talking too much was better than being told off for being, well, evil.
Well, evil might be a bit of a leap. It was a little more complicated than that.
But she had been a toxic, mean, selfish bully who enjoyed emotionally hurting others and then she nearly turned into a frikin' she-demon, so that didn’t help.
But it had been a long time since then, a whole year in fact, and she had taken so many leaps and bounds forwards! She had learned how to be a true friend, to others and to herself, she had helped out a fellow struggler (who she may or may not have had the tiniest crush on), she had even managed to gain super magical empathy powers so she could be an even better friend!
Yeah, her life was weird. Like, all the time.
But she didn’t regret any moment of its phoenix born ember.
“I do regret not having my paints with me. This place looks more dead than a shower at a discord convention.”, Sunset pointed out, taking a seat in Cranky’s little office inside the DMV. The place was as bland as Sunset described it: Grey and beige colored walls and floor, a water cooler with only Room Temperature as an option, a tiny desk fan that reminded Sunset far too much of FNAF, and only one teeny tiny wallet fitting picture that stood face down next to the PC and printer, Cranky standing next to them getting the license prepared.
“Dull tones are known to be useful in instilling productive reasoning. And I painted this all by myself, so simmer down, Shimmer.”, Cranky grunted, and Sunset cursed herself for forgetting to not speak her thoughts. “Sorry, Mr. Doodle, I didn’t mean to be rude…’, Sunset started, but Cranky waved her off. “I’ll forgive you if you just let me take your picture for the license.”
They quickly did just that (the flash nearly blinding Sunset, who stumbled around blindly), and Cranky added the finishing touches. Even through the dizziness Sunset could see how delicate and precise he was, even if he seemed totally stone faced. Blowing on it, Cranky silently nodded at his good work, humbly proud of it.
“Well, Ms. Shimmer, I suppose you are fit for the road. This is not just a certificate. This is a promise. Honor it, and the road will honor you back.”, he stated dryly, handing it over to the still dizzy girl.
“Um… Sure…”, Sunset replied, ears ringing.
“Okay, I guess I can let you go no… Hold the phone.”, Cranky suddenly uttered, taking a careful look at the documents on his PC. Eyes coursing carefully, he caught the flagrant error and shook his head, tutting. ‘Oh, no, no, no, that will not do.’
‘Did you say something?’, Sunset asked, wondering why she was so dizzy. Maybe her powers were acting up?
‘Someone forgot to run this by your parents and or lawful law guardians. The state won’t let you have a license without their approval. This will have to be taken to them.’
Sunset wasn’t sure she heard any of that either, but the risk of embarrassment from asking again was too great so she simply nodded and hoped everything would be okay. ‘So can I go home now?’
‘Absolutely. I’ll drive.’, Cranky replied, whipping his extensive keychain, looking like it belonged to the empire state building more than a DMV employee/math teacher.
Sunset, who after all was still missing the context, stammered in confusion and hesitation at the idea of her teacher driving her home. ‘Wait, um, that won’t be necessary, right? It’s just a small detail, I can… I can literally fly there. With my wings.’
‘Please don’t, I have high blood pressure and low tolerance for insanity.’, Cranky retorted dryly, opening the door.
Sunset moved in front of Cranky, blocking his path. ‘Counter point:...’
‘...Yes?’, Cranky asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘...I can’t speak English?’
Cranky rolled his eyes and moved past Sunset. ‘It’s nearing evening. You’re 16. Get in the car.’
Sunset turned around, feeling her anger rise up like water in a boiling kettle. Taking a deep breath to stop the red invasion on her face, she allowed the thoughts to process through her head, flowing like a raging rapid, then a wispy wave. ‘Not a fan of this… At all… But he’s not wrong. Just let this happen. How long will it take?’
A little proud of herself for managing to guide herself through a near gamer rage moment, Sunset calmly strode outside the DMV, heading towards Mr. Doodle’s car.
What she was greeted with was a strange sort of sight: Probably the oldest car Sunset had ever seen, colored, like all things in Cranky’s life, in gray and beige, with no stickers or dashboard doohickeys.
But it sparkled like a new car. It smelt like one too. Sunset had heard that there was nothing like a new car smell, and if this was what one smelt like, she would have to hold herself back from just getting into one and driving off.
‘Yeesh. That sounds like old me. Should I be worried about that?’, Sunset wondered, biting her lip. Regardless, she let out an appreciative whistle.
‘Admiring my vehicle, Ms. Shimmer?’, Cranky asked, as he carefully selected the right key, bronze, yet with hints of silver, like it had rusted over the years. Sunset couldn’t help but wonder why the key wasn’t as well taken care of as the car. ‘Oh, well, um, for an old car it looks, well, brand new! How did you do it?’, Sunset asked, looking into the mirror and seeing herself and Cranky. She smiled in a friendly way, but he simply frowned and looked away. ‘Like all things, Ms. Shimmer. Honest work and dedicated vigilance. Take good care of something and it will last…’, he trailed off, before exhaling a smoky cough and muttering the rest. ‘...More or less.’
Sunset nodded, mulling over the message. ‘I know what you mean. It took me a long time to turn over a new leaf and show everyone I did. I do my best to be a good friend now, but I wouldn’t say it’s as clear as the shine on your car.’
Cranky didn’t say a word, but he did let out the tiniest hum, Sunset unsure of how to interpret it. Opening the driver door, he grunted out ‘The backseat can be a mite…’
‘SHOTGUN!!!’, Sunset whooped, sliding through the open window and onto the eponymous seat, finger gunning herself for her smooth entrance. Giggling, she stared at an unamused Cranky and slowly lowered the finger guns. ‘Ahem. That is, if that’s okay with you.’, she mumbled sheepishly, embarrassed. She did this with her friends too, and they didn’t seem to mind. Did they?
Cranky seemed to consider the notion of Sunset sitting in front. After what felt like an eternity (but was actually just 22 seconds), Cranky sighed and nodded. ‘On one condition: No feet on the dashboard, no playing with the window, no snacks, drinks, ruffling with any form of paper or plastic, gum chewing, bodily functions, sudden political discussions, or car games.’
Sunset tried not to gawk at the extensive rule list. It seemed… Excessive. But she wanted to be respectful, so she chose to understand. ‘It IS his car after all.’, Sunset thought, and so, she nodded in obedience.
‘Good. This should proceed smoothly then.’, Cranky assessed, turning on the ignition, the car sounding as healthy as it looked.
In Sunset’s line of sight, the GPS seemed to turn on, though it was mostly covered by a newspaper clipping showing off a car crash (‘Mr. Doodle takes this safety thing real seriously, huh?’), and next to it was the knob for…
‘Radio? Don’t mind if I do!’, Sunset enthused with glee, glad she could comfort her brain and soul with some soothing tunes. Humming her earlier rhyme “What’s the first thing on the go, turn on the ra-di-o!”, her already air strumming fingers reached towards the knob…
Whack! Cranky very gently slapped her hand away. ‘No music either.’
‘No music??’, Sunset asked, flabbergasted. She knew Mr. Doodle was notoriously boring and safe, but even HE danced to music on occasion. ‘Don’t tell me you hate music too now!’
‘I do not hate music. Your little embarrassing knowledge of my, um, colorful dance gear, came from the relative security of a well-managed school. You can dance at a school once you’ve minimized the potential life-threatening dangers. But boogying in a car…’, he emphasized, almost scolding. ‘THAT is another matter entirely.’
Sunset groaned, pouting and crossing her arms. ‘Sorry if I’m being a jerk for saying this, Mr. Doodle, but that really kinda sucks.’
‘Dying sucks more.’, Cranky replied simply, finally driving off the lot. Slowly maneuvering their way through the place, making such precise calculations and angling on the bounce that Sunset couldn’t help but be impressed again, Cranky added ‘Besides, don’t you have headphones? Not that I have an affinity for those distraction causing disasters.’
‘You would, wouldn’t you?’, Sunset muttered, glazed look in her eyes. Sighing, she turned onto her side, head buried into her elbows and the shiny charcoal black seat. It was oddly comfy, and Sunset wondered if she could sink into it. ‘I didn’t bring my headphones. I kind of thought this would be a quick in and out, wham bam thank you ma’am and I’d zoom back home.’
‘Well, life doesn’t always go the way you think.’, Cranky annoyingly “informed”. ‘Tell me about it.’, Sunset, annoyed, muttered.
‘Well, what about your phone? Again, not that I normally sponsor that.’, Cranky proposed, but Sunset rolled her eyes. ‘Out of charge.’
Suddenly, the car stopped, so out of nowhere Sunset almost felt herself jerk forwards, saved by her seatbelt.
Turning her face towards the cause of the stoppage, Sunset was quite taken back by Cranky’s look of utter disbelief. ‘YOU CAME WITH AN UNCHARGED PHONE?’, he shouted, face palming.
‘I mean… I forgot to charge it, I only noticed now it’s…’, Sunset started, but Cranky shook his head in dismay. ‘Ms. Shimmer, what if you got lost, or heaven forbid, kidnapped? You wouldn’t be able to tell anyone!’
Sunset had to admit he had a point, though she had to bite her tongue and not talk about how she could just use her magic. Still, he wasn’t totally wrong. ‘Okay, I’ll make sure not to do that again.’
‘Here, use my charger!’, Cranky commanded, unplugging his phone. Sunset thought she heard a low battery warning coming from his device but thought better of it. It would be super hypocritical of him to do such a thing, and a little mean and petty of her to ask about it. She plugged her phone, agreeing with the principal of the matter. ‘Sorry.’, she added, feeling oddly ashamed.
Cranky, noticing her slight flinch at how angry he had gotten, sighed and softened his tone a smidge. ‘Just… Be more responsible, Ms. Shimmer.’
‘I’m trying.’, Sunset whispered, feeling guilty again. A lot more today than usual. Perhaps because of the unusual circumstance, or a lack of her friends around her. ‘I better write to Princess Twilight later. If that wouldn’t be selfish.’, she trailed off, her eyelids fluttering at the passing clouds of Canterlot City, the afternoon sun still just about shining as it began its slowly shift into evening…
BEEP! BEEP BEEP! HONK! BEEEEEEEEEP!!!!
Sunset woke up with a start, hair frazzled, drool dripping from her cheek, sputtering and stammering sleepily “I DON’T HAVE A CRUSH ON SCI-TWI!!!’
Slowly, her vision returned, reminding her she was in a car.
With her math teacher.
Blushing furiously, she turned to look at him, but he didn’t seem to be looking at her, simply side eyeing her a little bit. ‘I’d recommend going back to sleep. We’re stuck.’
‘Stuck??’, Sunset voiced, looking outside the window. The reason became clear. ‘Oh no!! Not a traffic jam!!!’
Indeed, there were dozens of cars, in front and behind them, all beeping, honking, blaring. A few drivers were giving… Interesting gestures. Sunset tried to hold back any of hers. Sinking into her seat and crossing her arms again, she grunted in annoyance. ‘This isn’t exactly how I imagined driving was gonna be.’
‘Get used to it. It’s tedious.’, Cranky said, directing the A.C towards Sunset, who was visibly heating up, from sweat, anger, stress, etc.
‘But why does it have to…’, Sunset started, frustrated, but she once again took a deep breath and let the heat simmer and settle inside her. No. She would deal with this in a BETTER way. She was BETTER now. ‘Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe this is fate telling us to get to know each other better.’
‘Hmm?’, Cranky asked, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion, so high Sunset thought it could fly off his forehead.
‘Well, like, you know… For someone who I see every single day, I don’t know that much about you! I… Never thought to ask.’, Sunset trailed off a little, feeling a tad guilty, but she adopted a friendly and kind tone. ‘This could be the start of a beautiful friendship!’
‘I know you and your friends can’t stop yapping about the magic of friendship, whatever that is, but I really don’t think it’s gonna fit here. Besides, I’m your math teacher, not your “friend”.’
‘Ah, but you’re also my driving instructor!’, Sunset snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue, smirking sweetly.
‘For another half hour or so.’, Cranky reminded. ‘We have nothing in common.’
‘See, this is what I’m talking about! You think we have nothing in common, I think we have nothing in common! You’re yellow, I’m yellow! You hate traffic jams, I hate traffic jams!’, Sunset half joked, chuckling, but she was really trying here. Showing two of her fingers and having them touch tips in the middle, she proclaimed ‘We’re bonding already!’
‘No we’re not.’
‘We are fusing, the pieces, they are fusing, schwoop! Together!’
‘Pieces can’t move by themselves.’
‘Magnetic pieces!’
Cranky groaned while Sunset let out a hearty chuckle. ‘We are NOT bonding. You are some… Rock N Roll magical gamer cool girl that everyone likes, and I’m a boring old math teacher no one gives two shakes of a lamb’s tail for!’, he stated in annoyance, returning to his driving.
Sunset bit her lip, surprised by the outburst. ‘...I doubt no one likes you…’, she tried, but Cranky huffed, suffering from the heat, contributing to his grumpiness. ‘It’s as clear as your frustratingly shiny teeth! I am not someone to “bond” with, okay? Last time…’, Cranky suddenly stopped himself, taking a deep breath, lowering his voice to his usual monotone. ‘...Watch the car. I need to… Stand up a minute.’
Opening the door, Cranky got out and surveyed the jam, but mainly just allowed his circulation to flow and his lungs to fill. Sunset, still startled, and a little worried, stared in concern at her teacher. His behavior matched hers quite a bit. ‘Does he have anger issues too?’, she wondered, pity spreading on her face. Sunset was MUCH happier these days, kinder too. But she still had a tendency to set off when things didn’t work, or people did bad, selfish things. She knew how terrible it felt, to set on fire like that, to feel so… Trapped. Like your progress was minimal, always about to arson itself into oblivion from this time bomb in your noggin.
‘Poor Mr. Doodle.’, Sunset thought, offering him more sympathy than herself. Lulling into boredom again, she decided to look at the one interesting feature of the car: The GPS.
Suddenly, her keen eyes and sharp mind birthed a solution to their predicament.
‘Mr. Doodle!!’, she cried out, as Cranky stretched his aching back muscles outside. Harrumphing, he turned around. ‘What?’
Sunset motioned exaggeratedly for him to come.
‘And they say she’s the normal one in their group. God forbid I meet the pink one.’, Cranky thought, mumbling as he trudged back towards the car, leaning in through the open door. ‘What is it, Ms. Shimmer?’
‘I noticed your GPS…’
‘Yeah, I turn it off. Statistically speaking, GPS has a 0.22% mistake rate, and besides, I know Canterlot City like the back of my hand, which I know very well thanks to frequent doctor trips to fix the joints from overwork.’, Cranky informed, finger pointed up in the air.
‘From… Grading papers?’, Sunset asked, confused.
‘...That’s beside the point. What is it you are trying to say?’, Cranky changed the subject, staring at the GPS.
Sunset pointed at the slightly visible screen, trying not to move the clipping just in case Cranky would take offense to that. ‘Well, see, GPS can also tell you why there’s a traffic jam, so I turned it on and it says there was a car crash! It could take hours to clear it up because of the other traffic jam!’
‘This city gets jampacked around this time of spring.’, Cranky thought, as Sunset unbuckled and opened her car door. ‘Well, we better get ready for the long haul here. You better go to sleep again. Here, imagine you’re in one of my classes.’
Sunset wasn’t sure if that was a joke, but she offered a smile at that line regardless. ‘No need, Mr. Doodle! I REALLY don’t wanna waste the rest of my day here, and I don’t want you to either!’
‘Actually, this is the most exciting it’s been for months.’, Cranky corrected, but Sunset didn’t relent. Remembering the route in her head and making a quick calculation, she grabbed the gemstone around her neck and…
‘Pony up!’, she cried, grinning.
Sparkles and color bursts surrounded her, shimmering and shining so hard she was like a living breathing sun. Growing magical pony ears, a tail of sorts, and a cool red dress/outfit, she was in her self-nicknamed “superhero/band form”. Making a V sign, she posed, winking, then giggled giddy. She loved using her powers. ‘This NEVER gets old! So cool!’
Cranky stared blankly at her, remembering she was in a band that did concerts in such forms. ‘...I knew I didn’t like modern music.’
Sunset chuckled, turning around, hands on her hips, posing all laid back and cool. ‘For now. You’re gonna find this real useful when I find the car crash and get them to clear up the jam.’
‘Wait, what, I never agreed to that!’, Cranky suddenly shouted, looking alarmed. ‘You don’t know who’s there…’
‘Don’t worry! Helping out is my after-school club! Well, that and fencing!’, Sunset reassured, setting off into the sky and flying into the horizon, towards the start of the traffic jam, actual glitter falling from her airborne form.
Cranky, covered in glitter now, grunted, massaging his temples, breathing like a bull. ‘Don’t follow. It will only lead to trouble. Don’t follow.’
That lasted about 10 seconds.
‘...Yeah, I know, Matilda. I won’t sleep well if I don’t.’
Measuring himself, he lightly jogged to where she went.
‘Not that I ever sleep well, but you know what I mean.’
Despite being slow and quite behind, Cranky did just manage to see Sunset land in front of the scene of the crash, as he took deep breaths while leaning on a street sign. One car, a gray family sized SUV, was mostly okay, actually. It was the ford focus that looked worse for wear, a pretty badly damaged fender steaming up in the afternoon sun.
Cranky immediately felt his skin heat up. The scene was not one he ever wanted to see, and he had a right mind to walk up to the drivers and tell them what for. But his blood pressure couldn’t handle too much anger, and before he could lecture the two men about what banes to society they were, Sunset was swooping down.
The two drivers, one a chubby little man with a taxi cabbie cap, the other a long, lean, big nosed snooty man, argued with each other quite loudly and, um, colorfully, until they noticed the winged teenager above them. Startled, they both shrank a little as she landed, gazing at both of them in scolding and intrigue. ‘Is everyone okay? Are any of you hurt? Do you need help?’, Sunset asked immediately.
‘Oh, boy, is that Sunset Shimmer of the Rainbooms? I love your songs!’, the tall man complimented, missing the point. ‘My wife loves them too!’, The capped man added. ‘Find your own compliment!’, the tall man said angrily, and the capped man flipped him off.
‘Woah, woah, okay, let’s all just take a deep breath, can we do that?’, Sunset suggested, stepping in between the two men, despite how threatening they looked. Cranky was quite impressed, but he couldn’t help but interject. ‘Don’t, the car fumes will make you cough quite a bit.’
‘Ms. Shimmer, please understand! I was just driving at a normal, law-abiding speed, minding my own business, when this MANIAC clattered into me!!’, the tall man pointed at the capped man, but missed and prodded Sunset in the nose. She stared, unamused.
‘Ms. Shimmer, i-it’s not like that! I was sp-peeding a bit, sure, but not as much as him, I bet!’, the capped man defended himself, though he sounded a little hesitant as he stammered and gulped. Cranky, staring at all this in resigned curiosity (‘What am I gonna do, get in there and tell her to stop? I’m not her father”), wondered how Sunset would solve this. Unless a traffic camera caught it (and how would she find one), what could she possibly do?
‘I have a camera for crashes in my car! You’ll see he sped!’, the tall man insisted, dragging Sunset towards his car. Cranky wanted to call out the man for the dragging action but decided against it again. So many parts of him wanted to stop this, but one small part wanted to see how Sunset would handle it. He had heard the things about her, after all. And while he never participated in idle gossip, he knew how different the heartfelt girl in front of him was from the shallow and selfish one he had taught just one year ago. In a way, it was almost a test of character.
When Sunset and the men came back, it seemed pretty clear. ‘You are clearly speeding in the footage, sir. It’s as clear as daylight.’, Sunset pointed out, probably not noticing her pun, though she seemed to catch it later and chuckle a bit.
Cranky wouldn’t note that he found it sort of endearing.
After that, though, she gave the man quite the scolding look. ‘I suggest you hurry up and make up for this. You’ve not just hurt his car, but inconvenienced everyone else here, including me and my driving instructor! I know I’m still technically a student driver, but you could have really hurt someone!’, Sunset’s voice was full of resentful frustration, almost as if she were talking to herself. She just couldn’t stand selfish assholes. It was one thing to make a mistake, but to be this reckless for no reason? It reminded her of who she used to be.
And it made her soul boil.
‘But… But I… Oh, man.’, the capped man stammered and sputtered, looking very small. Very guilty. Cranky crossed his arms and nodded like the teacher he was. ‘Seems settled then. I’ll call the cops from here, Ms. Shimmer. Let’s head back to the car now.’. He had to admit, it was nice of her to go and help, but didn’t see what the point was. The cops could do it. She could have made things worse.
Sunset, however, looked at the capped man with sympathy, losing her rage, as the tall man continued to curse him out. Cranky could see this look in her eyes, one bathed in, what was it?
Compassion.
As if she knew how it felt to lose control…
Sunset suddenly perked up, having a clear eureka moment live in front of Cranky. Lunging to the capped man like it was life or death (maybe it was, in a way. Maybe everything is.), Sunset grabbed his hand and concentrated, eyes lighting up as white discs of power. It startled all 3 men, as she seemed to stand there, underneath a trance, until she finally woke up, shaking her head, revealing tear beads hanging off her eyelids like bats off the wall of a cave.
‘You weren’t speeding just because!’
‘Sun… Ms. Shimmer, look, you’ve done all you could. There is NO excuse for speeding…’, Cranky started, huffing and pointing his nose up. He was VERY passionate about such an event.
‘No, see, he was speeding because his wife was in labor!’
Cranky froze.
Being corrected like this, in this context, it made him unable to speak. He opened his mouth, but no words left. All he could do was stare as Sunset comforted the impassioned man, now ranting in panic and despair.
‘I never ignore a text message, but it was so hectic at work today that I put it off! But it was my wife, her waters broke! Our neighbor had to help her, oh god, I… I have to be there for her! I have to, or… Or I’ll already fail as a father! I guess I… I just panicked, lost my head.’, The man admitted, looking very upset.
The taller man now seemed a tad more understanding, if still annoyed. ‘It… It doesn’t make it that much better. This will really set me back.’
‘I have a friend who can help me fix this for almost nothing, sir. We’ll take care of it.’, Sunset calmed down the man, instantly making him feel better. Cranky could barely believe the responsibility, kindness and reassurance evident in every shape of her words.
Then she turned to the capped man.
‘I know what it’s like to lose your head. I’m… Still working on it. If you want, I could direct you to my anger management class. We could walk together and you could tell me about the baby.’, Sunset offered, looking a little excited at the prospect. ‘Sorry, babies are just… Really adorable.’
The man was speechless. He could just nod.
‘But how am I gonna get there in time?’
Sunset grinned, and flapped her wings, swooping him up into the air. ‘Air Sunset Shimmer, at your service!’
Waving at Cranky, she said ‘I’ll be back in just a bit! Keep the car boring for me when I get back, okay?’, she winked, flying off with the man, who seemed positively giddy at flying.
Cranky choked on his words and waved back.
He thought of how she, the notoriously angry and broken Sunset Shimmer, who guilted herself even now, took care of that situation with two total strangers.
He thought of how he would have, especially considering it was a car safety issue.
And his heart broke just a little bit more.
‘...Hrn.’, he grunted, thinking of all that could have been, head drooping down as ever, the sunlight casting him over.
It took about 10 minutes for Sunset to come back, landing right in front of Cranky and turning off her geode powers, while the aforementioned grump stared off into space, looking at some gathering clouds. ‘Sorry that took so long, Mr. Doodle. But now everyone can get back home!’
Cranky didn’t say anything. At first.
When he turned his face finally to look at Sunset, she bit her lip, a little worried. ‘Oh no. Was I kinda bossy back there? You know, taking charge and all that. Sometimes I steam ahead to do something good but it doesn’t always end well, you know? Should we have talked it out, maybe? Was I trying too hard, rushing?’, she rambled, drowning in anxiety and resentment. It was rare these days, but it still happened. She knew she still had much to learn about friendship and after the incident with Wallflower, she was always ready to learn and improve.
Celestia, she just wanted to be good.
Cranky still didn’t say anything. He just stared at her in a melancholic awe.
‘...Mr. Doodle? Did I do anything wrong?’, Sunset asked again, desperate to find out.
Cranky opened his mouth, taking a deep breath.
‘...You handled it like I would never have. So… I suppose not, Ms. Shimmer.’
Turning away, he tried to hide his face.
But Sunset spotted the small, seemingly proud smile on his face.
And she beamed like her namesake.
‘I suppose I’ll take that dub, then.’
‘Please, no teen slang.’
‘Aye aye, captain.’, Sunset dabbed, laughing at her dated reference.
‘Even I know that’s dead, come on!’, Cranky complained, as he entered the car.
Sunset simply chuckled to herself as she slid into her seat, flashing him another grateful smile.
Cranky didn’t smile back, but he didn’t not smile back either.
Sunset’s apartment was supposed to only be half an hour away, but on what was supposed to have been minute 20 but was rapidly dragging into an hour, Sunset shook awake again as the car skidded to a halt.
‘5 BURNT NIGIRI’S, 18 SASHIMI’S WITH TERIYAKI DIPPING SAUCE, 69 MAKI’S BATHED IN OLIVE OIL AND 420 URAMAKI’S ALL BALANCED ON TOP OF HEAD, WILL THAT BE CASH OR CREDIT?!’, Sunset screamed out, breathing heavily. Cranky, startled by the sudden noise, accidentally pushed forwards, making the alarm blare out loudly, hurting his and Sunset’s ears.
‘What in tarnation was THAT all about?’, Cranky asked in a huff of disapproval as he tried to shake the ringing out of his ears. Sunset, eyes puffy and voice groggy from waking up a second time, apologetically explained. ‘Sorry, Mr. Doodle. I guess I’m just a little overworked recently.’
‘A little? If that order was real, you must be working to the bone!’, Cranky replied, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t know you had an afterschool job. No wonder your assignments look a little rushed recently.’
‘They weren’t before I got the second job.’, Sunset informed, and Cranky looked even more startled. ‘Two? What do you need two for?’
‘The comic book store pays a little better than the Sushi restaurant. I gotta make ends meet, after all, and I can’t rely on my, um, benefactors forever.’, Sunset explained, making a mental note to thank Celestia and Luna again for their kind generosity. She wouldn’t be able to live in this world she calls home after all without their monthly paychecks. It covered the rent, but Sunset had been adamant about paying for all other expenses, doing honest work, as Applejack would say.
‘Plus, I like comics, so there’s that!’, she added cheerfully. That was DEFINITELY a perk worth the sleepiness.
Cranky seemed pissed, however. ‘What kinda parents make a young one work this much? She’s clearly exhausted! No wonder she keeps falling asleep in the car. I’ll give them a piece of my mind once this is done.’
Unfortunately, there was one significant roadblock to getting there.
‘Say, why did we stop?’, Sunset asked, looking around at the more suburban looking district. This wasn’t her street.
‘Just my luck. Outta fuel.’, Cranky grumbled, removing a small notebook and quickly jotting down the unnecessary expense with righteous despondency. ‘Wasn’t supposed to pay for gas for the next two days. That changes the whole budget plan for this week!’
Sunset snuck a look. For such a supposedly important budget, it seemed rather lightweight on items. ‘Does this guy really survive on bread, water and nose sighs alone?’, she mused, opening her door and walking over with Cranky to the back of the car, as he quickly checked to see if anything else was wrong.
‘Nope. Just a fuel issue, thank goodness. Better drag this girl over to the gas station. It’s right over there, so not a long walk.’
Sunset, eager to help (and get this over with), brushed him off and cracked her knuckles. ‘No need, Mr. Doodle! I’ll just fly us over to my house!’
Leaning down with her knees, she placed her hands underneath the car and began to lift.
‘Ms. Shimmer?’
Sunset huffed and huffed, struggling. ‘Ooh, she’s a… Real chonker, your car.’, She tried to lift it again, grunting hard, but her knees buckled.
‘Ms. Shimmer?’
Stopping for a moment, Sunset psyched herself up with a small power dance, then leant down and lifted again. She almost seemed to have it, but then she got tired and placed the car down, kicking up some dust into Cranky’s face. ‘You know, maybe if we made the car a little wet, or had a trampoline, we could calculate the way over there with…’, Sunset began, magic science brain thinking, only for Cranky to shout.
‘MS. SHIMMER!!!’
‘Yes?’, Sunset asked, surprised by the sudden outburst. ‘What’s up?’
‘Your head in the clouds, apparently! Even if you could lift the car with me in it, and flew to your house, how would I get back home??’, Cranky burst out, grabbing his hair.
‘Oh, easy, I would just fly you back and get you to a gas station!’, Sunset explained, shaking her head. ‘No offense, but it’s kinda obvious, Mr. Doodle. Not nearly as hard as your pop quizzes.’
‘Here’s one for you then: Who’s gonna take YOU home?’, Cranky pointed accusingly at the ginger and blonde-haired girl.
‘...Oh yeah.’, Sunset sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. ‘I suppose that’s a D-?’
‘There isn’t a letter grade insulting enough for that. But Z will do.’, Cranky insulted, as Sunset looked quite embarrassed. ‘Enough chit chat. Help me push her there.’
And so, the two pushed the car all the way to the gas station, just about making it happen with their combined strength (which wasn’t much, at all. Sunset and Cranky were getting Z’s at Gym class too). It took 10 minutes, just to add to the fun.
‘Huh… Not… As fit… As I thought I was…’, Cranky bent over, collecting his breath, which thanks to being in a gas station, wasn’t exactly ideal.
‘Thank goodness… Applejack Isn’t… Here…’, Sunset exhaled, imagining how amused the farm girl would be at her display of “strength”.
Looking at the car, she suddenly noticed the license plate. ‘Hey, it says this is a custom plate, but the numbers look as random as any other plate.’
‘The original plate’s numbers were too random, so I made a custom one that was just the right amount of random.’, Cranky explained, heading off to a self-service booth to pick a nozzle for the car.
Sunset blinked twice, no, three times, as she looked at the plate then back at Cranky. ‘...What.’
‘The numbers were too random.’, Cranky replied again, like it was normal.
‘...Yeah, I’m going into the convenience store.’, Sunset replied. ‘The fumes must be getting to me.’
‘A combo too random could be very distracting! Plus, who needs that much excitement in their life? Come on, I’m being very reasonable here.’, Cranky replied, but Sunset shook her head as she walked away. ‘Nope. That’s crazy.’
‘It really isn’t…’
‘Dude, if I told you I asked for a new I.D because the numbers weren’t random enough, what would you say?’
‘Well, of course that’s absurd, any combo of numbers is random…’
Cranky froze as he began filling up the car.
‘...Fuck.’
‘Right? Here, I’ll get you something nice for being so open to sanity.’, Sunset joked, coolly strutting towards the store.
Cranky, despite himself, shook his head almost affectionately. ‘No wonder Vice Principal Luna won’t stop talking about her. She’s something, all right.’
Soon, the car was back to work, and after a quick calculation to make sure he had the right amount of money (‘Rather high for WA state price averages in the 2020’s’, he thought), Cranky made his way into the store, wondering what Sunset was up to.
‘Huh. I never do that. Don’t know if I like that.’, he muttered, opening the door.
The store was about as typical as you’d expect, though the amount of signs on the wall stating the same rules multiple times over, stuck on coupons and even food packaging was quite peculiar. The walls were painted gray, which Cranky liked, but the roof was a blinding yellow, and he needed to look away from it or else he’d feel blinded. Not to mention deaf. Whoever thought putting on “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd at full blast deserved to have wet socks and an itch they just can’t about scratch for the rest of their life.
One person didn’t seem to mind it, however.
‘Oh, Mr. Doodle, I love this song! The bass and drums mix in so well, the way they used synthwave to make it feel both old and new at the same time, ugh, it’s timeless! And the lyrics! Honestly, don’t we all need someone to remind us the stress is all worth it?’, Sunset voiced, having been in the snack section, holding two canisters of Pringles, sour cream and onion for Cranky, smoky barbecue for herself. Placing them on top of a shelf, she began to dance, pumping her fists and shaking her whole body in perfect rhythm.
(Can't include the lyrics but everyone knows this song so just imagine Sunset singing the first two verses)
Sunset head banged to the ‘oh oh oh oh oh’ part, before sliding towards Cranky and the middle of the store, leaping into the air, playing air guitar and laughing joyfully as she sang the rest, as she lived more than Cranky had ever seen anyone live in that moment. And she shared it with him, she tried to bring out that same joy in HIM.
At that moment, no amount of misery, miserliness and melancholy could hide the major warmth radiating from Cranky. Both from seeing Sunset so happy, and her trying to make him so happy.
He didn’t know what he did, but for once in his life, he enjoyed being blinded by a light.
However, the fun didn’t last long. As the song winded down and Sunset recovered from her high, hands stimming a little bit as she did, she noticed a small row of video games. ‘Oooh! "Tirek’s Revenge 2: The Redundancy"! Time to teach him what that means!’, Sunset grinned, then smirked, as she reached to see the price…
WHOOP! WHOOP!
An alarm went off, startling both Sunset and Cranky. ‘What does the owner have against ears?’, Cranky voiced aloud, holding his protectively.
‘When they belong to a CRIMINAL!’, the owner suddenly came out of nowhere and said, grabbing Sunset’s arm and removing the game. ‘What do you think you are doing, ma’am?’
‘What, me? I… I was just looking at the price!’, Sunset defended herself, struggling against the grip. ’Ow! You’re hurting me!’
‘Hey, let’s just…’, Cranky started, trying to seize control of the situation, but the owner didn’t relent. ‘I have cameras all over this place! I’m sure they’d love to deal with a delinquent such as yourself! Stealing kids, what is this city coming to?’
Sunset gasped, eyes darting around in panic, chest rising up and down. ‘What? No, I would never… I’m not like that anymore! I’m different now, honest!’
Cranky heard the panic in her voice, the utter fear and desperation. Sunset was nearly crying as the grip tightened. She could just see it. ‘Everyone will think I did that on purpose! Heck, maybe I did! Maybe subconsciously I just can’t handle temptation when handed on such a silver platter! Oh, what have I done? I thought I was better now!’, Sunset cried out, as the owner dragged her to the cash register, still hurting her.
Cranky heard all that, and looked at Sunset with confusion, worry, even pity. Sunset’s whole shine dampened, her light dimmed, her head drooped. ‘I just can’t run away from myself, huh?’, she muttered, feeling her depression laugh at her, stabbing her over and over in the soul. She would never leave her guilt behind, she would never…
‘NOW JUST ONE MINUTE, SIR!!!’
The owner turned around, startled by the sudden interruption, as was Sunset. In a way, she didn’t expect anyone to do that for her.
Cranky, looking VERY awkward and nervous, as he wasn’t used to bringing this much attention to himself, even in front of only two people, tried to defend Sunset, looking around the store for any ideas of what the hell to say. ‘Now, just one second there Mr… I don’t know your name and I don’t care.’
‘Yo, burn!’, Sunset couldn’t help but cry, then resumed her regularly scheduled depression hours.
‘What? What do you want, Mr. Hates names? The girl here was clearly trying to steal that game!’, The owner lied through his teeth, still gripping onto Sunset’s arm, which was turning a little red. Cranky had to hold himself back. ‘First of all… Let her go. Or I’ll call the cops on you.’
That statement of utter authority sent the owner reeling, and he let Sunset go. Sunset, gripping her aching skin, looked with awe at Cranky.
He stepped closer, looking around him, using his senses. Yes, that would explain a lot, if his hunch was true. ‘First of all, I can see the price on that game is 3 times what it would be on GameStop. Especially odd considering it’s almost certainly a bootleg, what with the discolored PEGI logo and the disturbingly ajar cover photo.’
Sunset sneaked a look from behind her. ‘Wow, nice catch!’, she thought, impressed.
‘Furthermore…’, Cranky added, as he saw the expiration dates on the food. ‘You haven’t done a professional job of adding new “better” dates to your products. There are left over old sticker marks all over these things, plus the font of the marker is far brighter than a regular price tag in Canterlot City. It’s barely dried!’
The owner was really backing off now, looking around for a distraction. ‘Um, hey, want some paint?’
Cranky smirked smugly, anime shine across the plastic sunglasses he grabbed. He had him. ‘I had a feeling. Lead paint is highly toxic and those walls are alligatoring like a plague. That’s why all the coverings!’
Sunset went over and lifted one of the coverings. ‘Yep, he’s right! That’s really dangerous, we learned about that in Art Class ages ago!’, she gave the owner a disappointed and disapproving stare. Half of her was annoyed at the false accusation that needlessly kickstarted her guilt tripping, the other half at the potential danger people going to this place had been in.
‘Look, let’s deal with this nicely, okay? I won’t… I just thought…’, The owner stammered, now shrinking into his sproingy dirty seat with holes in the upholstery.
‘You wanted to bully a teenaged girl, sir. That’s what it is. Unfortunately for you, I was there. Come on, Ms. Shimmer. Let’s take our precious time and waste it somewhere else.’, Cranky placed the fake glasses back where they belonged as neatly as possible, kind of ruining his dramatic exit, while Sunset quickly followed, still starstruck.
‘Wow, Mr. Doodle! That was… Wow, I don’t know why you did that for me. I mean, after all, I’m sure you’ve heard of all the things I once did… I wouldn’t have blamed you for sussing me.’, Sunset admitted, gripping her arm and staring away, ashamed.
Cranky didn’t let her. He stopped in place and stared into her eyes, insistent. ‘Ms. Shimmer, I’m not one to exalt in school gossip and idle chit chat. All I can tell you is what I happen to overhear in my class and around the school halls because no one ever pays me any attention and say whatever is on their mind. I suppose, in a way, that’s a gift, since I get to know what people truly think.’
‘And? What are you trying to say?’, Sunset asked, confused, raising an eyebrow. ‘Last year, everyone (rightfully) mistrusted me.’
‘That was last year.’, Cranky replied, turning away towards his car. ‘All I hear anymore is “Sunset really helped me with my painting this week” and “Sunset showed everyone how to follow the lab instructions” and “Sunset volunteered to help me at the animal shelter, I really needed a helping hand”, “Sunset is so cool”, “Sunset is so nice”, “Sunset isn’t anything like she used to be”.’
Cranky turned his head back just a little, allowing himself the tiniest of smiles. ‘Rule of democracy, Ms. Shimmer. And if I may cast my vote, I would have to agree with the majority for once. Your troublesome friends get on my nerves sometimes, but I can tell how happy they are that you are their friend.’
Sunset stared back, agape. Glittering tears beaded on the edges of her eyes, and she wiped them, feeling a massive weight lift off her heart. Sometimes, you just needed a little confirmation. ‘I… Wow. Um… Thanks. I’m just… Trying my best.’
‘I can tell.’, Cranky replied warmly, and he opened her car door for her.
He didn’t even say anything when she yelled shotgun this time.
‘So, if you take a left on Avery Avenue, then park not in the parking lot but next to the dingy hairdressers in the corner, barely perceptible but there, you’ll save a whole 7 minutes, get to work 15 minutes early, and not panic while preparing for that afternoon rush. You should definitely ask around for volunteers who want some after school. You shouldn’t be handling all this on your own.’
Sunset listened attentively, jotting everything down in her now charged phone (Cranky had relented to her using his charger, despite his worries of a low battery), while Cranky showed her the route to her sushi job on his paper map. Satisfied that she understood all that, she pointed to her noggin and smirked confidently. ‘All filed away, captain.’
Cranky didn’t know what to do, so he saluted in an incredibly dry and awkward manner. Sunset, lip quivering, burst into laughter. ‘I didn’t mean it literally, dude!’.
Cranky bit his lip, shifting away. Laughter. ‘Been a while since I heard that.’, he thought, the melodious sound filling the usually silent car.
Today had been the most different day of his life since… Well, since his life froze.
And yet, he didn’t feel trapped.
He felt free.
And it scared him.
Soon, however, another sound filled the car. The growling of a hungry teenager’s stomach.
‘Oh, fuck. Sorry, guess I had a light lunch.’, Sunset apologized, a tad embarrassed, crimson now tinging her cheeks, lighter than her angry swirls when she was in a bad mood. She was quite the snacker among her friends (really only beaten by Pinkie Pie), but being hungry next to her friends was a whole mirror universe apart from being hungry next to your teacher.
Cranky shrugged, seemingly not perturbed. ‘We’re nearing your house. Are you sure you can’t wait?’
‘Oh, I don’t want to be a load!’, Sunset backed down, willing to wait, even if admittedly she was REALLY feeling the pangs right now. Her insides were demanding sustenance. ‘Honestly, might be part of why I’ve been battling my guilt demons today. Running on empty.’, she considered, introspective. ‘Something to tell Princess Twilight?’, she tapped her chin, writing a mental note to write to her friend later about a potential catalyst for her guilt attacks.
‘I didn’t mean like…’, Cranky started, hating to hear that self-resentment again. What was up with that? He wasn’t exactly known as a nurturing, affectionate teacher, but he wasn’t one to see a suffering student and just strut along (well, usually. He did struggle with that sort of thing). He’d at least tell someone more qualified.
But there was no one more qualified right now, just him.
‘I skip lunch all the time and I’m fine, so, you’re probably fine, no?’, Cranky asked hesitantly, not quite self-aware of how bad that sounded. He looked at the horizon. They really weren’t that far off, just another 15 minutes or so.
Sunset nodded, but uncertainty painted all over her face. She was wise and mature beyond her years in many ways, but at the end of the day she was a kid, and a hungry kid hides about as well as a chaperone parent with a tacky shirt in a school dance.
‘...Oh, consarnit, don’t you have food at home?’, Cranky beseeched, frustrated at the pangs of guilt from her pangs of hunger. Sunset shook her head, she needed to make a grocery run the next day.
Cranky stared around, but he didn’t need to. There was only one option, and he knew it by heart.
‘Gosh sake, this day just keeps getting better.’, Cranky muttered, shaking his head. Car skidding to a halt, Sunset suddenly noticed where they were, and she struggled to hide her eager and giddy grin. ‘“Hey, Burger”? I didn’t know you’d take us here, it’s my favorite place!’
‘Of course it is.’, Cranky mumbled, eyes staring at his fingers like the wisps of a memory were stringing them together in a knot. Sighing in resignation, he turned off the car and prepared himself for the sleepless night counting how much money he had lost. ‘Admittedly, their salad is a little thin, but I’m sure that and an order of fries would be enough…’
‘Oh, I don’t ever order the salad. Double Bacon Cheeseburger is my favorite! Though I DO like their Benedict one, you know, eggs benedict, hollandaise sauce, bacon strips… Gosh, now that I think about, maybe Sci Twi calls me Bacon Horse for more than one reason.’, Sunset giggled, twirling a hair strand in her finger and dreamily imagining that greasy, yummy burger in her hands.
When she gazed at Cranky, however, his eyes were as wide as, well, a far too frequent customer at Hey, Burger. ‘I… Um… I…’
‘What?’, Sunset asked, startled by all the stuttering.
Cranky rubbed the back of his neck, hating how forwards he had to be here. ‘...I mean, Principal Celestia told me a few things. Like, well, you being a magical princess unicorn horse from another dimension.’
‘...I don’t follow.’, Sunset replied, confused. She tilted her head to illustrate this feeling, hair covering one of her eyes.
Cranky nearly dropped his head onto the wheel, wishing he could create an alarm blare so high he’d never hear again. ‘...Well, I thought you were… You being a horse, technically… You wouldn’t eat other animals?’
A loud groan emitted, louder than what the alarm blare would have been. ‘Everyone asks that!!!’
‘To be fair… It’s an understandable question.’, Cranky defended his quarry, cringing.
Sunset massaged her temples, wrestling away the annoyance, and answered in a low and bored tone. ‘First off, not all ponies (pony, not horse) followed that rule. It depended a lot on if the animal could talk to you, to be honest. And last I checked, all my burgers used to say was Moo.’
‘True…’
‘Plus, you guys are VERY selective about what can be eaten and not. I’m not saying I would eat any of those, but you guys don’t eat dogs, cats or hamsters.’
‘Well, yeah, but we keep those as pets!’, Cranky objected, fighting a losing battle.
‘Are farm animals pets? Applejack tells me all the time about the cows and chickens she has, and she sure makes a mean scrambled eggs.’, Sunset retorted, crossing her arms.
‘All right, fine, but those aren’t REALLY pets. And I bet you can’t find a pet that…’
‘Fish.’, Sunset said blankly, raising an eyebrow.
Cranky stared at her for a minute, then stared away, mulling it over.
‘...Fuck.’
‘Exactly. Now, let’s gooooo!’, Sunset whooped, as she left the car and walked over towards the place.
Cranky looked up at the sky. ‘...Forgive me.’, was all he could utter, as he walked towards Sunset, towards the unknown sky she resided in.
‘One Double Bacon Cheeseburger, sweet potato fries and a coke for the lovely lass…’, the waiter said, lowering the plate in front of Sunset, who seemed to almost glow from its presence. ‘Thank you very much!’, she exclaimed politely, winking at the young waiter, who blushed and tried to ignore her. Sunset blushed a bit too, but while he was easy on the eyes, someone else was easier (kind of ironic, considering she wore glasses).
‘...And a napkin for the sir?’, the waiter asked, still trying to figure that one out.
‘I have to calculate the heinous murder I’ve just committed to my weekly budget.’, Cranky explained, crunching numbers instantly on the white napkin.
‘Um, okay, sir. I mean, I could just tell you when you get your bill.’, The waiter tried to help, but Cranky lifted a hand as if he were teaching. ‘Ap, ap, ap! Don’t make me laugh, son, ulcer.’
Sunset stifled a chuckle as the waiter awkwardly tried to walk away. ‘Um, okay, sir. Enjoy your food.’, he said to Sunset.
‘You too.’, Cranky replied without thinking, only to realize what he did. Face palming, his cheeks heated up, while the waiter, also dying of awkward, ran off to the kitchen, tripping over air and falling through the doors.
Sunset, unable to hold it back anymore, burst into laughter again, almost rolling in her couch, holding her hurting stomach.
Cranky, embarrassed further, stared away like a pouting child, pursing his lips. ‘Okay, laugh it up, laugh it up. At least I wasn’t flirting with him.’
Sunset, wiping a tear, shook her head. ‘Oh, am I supposed to find that insulting? I may have a lot of things I feel guilty about, but I got over my old romantic stupidity. Flash and I patched things up, and thanks to Rarity and Applejack not noticing what everyone else does, I’ve slowly learned how to flirt and act in a relationship.’
‘Hmm.’, Cranky hummed, oddly thoughtful. Tapping his chin, he frowned. ‘How come you aren’t dating Twilight yet?’
Sunset hadn’t taken a bite of her burger yet, but she would have choked on it if she had. Sitting on a large red American diner couch, underneath dark red walls, her face was somehow the reddest. Taking a sweet potato fry, she slowly placed it on her upper lip. ‘Who is this Twilight you speak of?’
‘Don’t play with your food.’, Cranky said automatically.
Sunset sighed and yeeted the fry into her mouth, enjoying the crinkly thing. ‘Oh, fine. I guess I might as well tell you.’
Biting her lip, she averted her glance, almost hiding. ‘I’m… I’m nervous. And a little scared.’
‘How come? Again, I don’t partake in school gossip, but everyone knows how close you two are. Plus, you call her that silly nickname. That’s a pet name if I’ve ever heard one.’, Cranky pointed out, confused at Sunset’s behavior.
‘I mean, she’s one of my best friends, and she’s smart, and pretty, and she’s so shy but she gets so excited about color coded binders, like, binders, man! And despite everything that’s happened to her, she’s so kind and sweet. I don’t know how she does it.’, Sunset ranted, a loving look in her eyes, before reverting to her resentful side.
‘Yes you do.’, Cranky replied without blinking.
‘No, I… You make it sound so easy!’, Sunset protested, flabbergasted. She felt like a teenager now more than ever, and Cranky couldn’t help but wonder…
No. Not now.
‘It is, for someone like you. You are confident, smart, caring, and beautiful. She probably talks to her dog about you.’, Cranky stated matter of factly.
Sunset could have died on the spot.
Was it…
Was she…
Was she so changed that people just thought that?
Was it possible…
…That she really was getting better?
Smiling gratefully, she shyly gazed back at him. ‘I doubt she talks to her dog though.’, she corrected, breathless from hearing that.
Meanwhile…
‘SO SHE TEXTED ME THAT SHE GOT HER DRIVING LICENSE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?? SUNSET. IN A CAR. DRIVING PLACES. POTENTIALLY WITH ME. THAT IS A WHOLE NEW LIST OF PROBLEMS! DO I SIT NEXT TO HER, SHOTGUN? IT’S SO FORWARDS! NO, NO, I MUST SIT IN THE BACK! BUT THEN, IF SHE LOOKS BACK AT ME, AND SEES HOW MUCH I’M DYING FROM GAY, SHE MIGHT GET CONCERNED AND CRASH THE CAR! NO, NO, SIT NEXT TO HER I MUST! BUT HOW DO I TALK TO HER WHILE SHE DRIVES? WE COULD PLAY MY FAVORITE CAR GAME, LICENSE NUMBER EQUATIONS, AND FIND PRIME NUMBERS AND SQUARE ROOTS! HMM, SHE MIGHT PREFER I SPY. BUT THEN, ALL I’LL SPY IS HER, AND I ONLY KNOW SO MANY ADJECTIVES FOR HER THAT AREN’T CRUSHY! AND SPOILER ALERT, THAT’S ABOUT 99.858388% OF THEM!! SPIKE, SPIKE, WHAT DO I DO?? WHAT DO I DO???’, Sci Twi ranted to her dog who was trying to nap in his bed.
Spike growled, frustrated. ‘And I thought Applejack and Rarity were bad.’
Back at the Hey, Burger…
Sunset, shaking her blush off, finally took a bite of her burger, and let out the happiest hum-squeak Cranky had ever heard. Beef, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and cheese all danced on her taste buds, a waltz of wow in her cakehole.
‘Oh, sweet Celestia, this is the stuff!’, she elated, a sigh of satisfaction emitting from her. Taking another bite, her feet tapped away like a step dancer, positively overloading with happiness from her meal.
Cranky adopted another tiniest ever smile, pleased even with the horrible cost of the meal. When Sunset looked up, she saw him stare at the food, and smirked, wiping her mouth with a napkin. ‘You know, I’m willing to share a bite or two. Real money saver, I bet.’
‘Oh, I’m fine, I… I don’t like to eat too much.’, Cranky blurted out, shocked at his sign of such open neediness, feeling guilty over his desire. He looked away, but his lying was horrible. Sunset rolled her eyes, affectionately. ‘Dude, just take a bite, I won’t call the cops.’
‘I really, really shouldn’t.’, Cranky tried, but he was struggling.
Sunset then did it, she flashed him that angelic smile. ‘Why not?’, she said, like it wasn’t the whole world, like it wasn’t insane that someone like her could show someone like him so much generosity, that he could ever earn…
‘...Forgive me again.’, Cranky whispered, then took a fork. ‘...I wasn’t gonna hold on much longer, to be honest.’, Cranky admitted shamefully. ‘My lying isn’t up to par with my other skills.’, he slowly cut a small modest piece from her burger, placing it in his maw.
Sunset grinned, taking a few fries. ‘Yeah, to be a good liar, you can’t be boring.’, Sunset joked, before getting worried. Was that too mean? It was meant as good natured banter, but she could go too far sometimes. She was just about to apologize when…
‘Heh.’, Cranky let out now the world’s tiniest laugh to go along with the smile.
‘...No way, did you just… Doth my ears deceive me? Mr. Doodle himself, laughing?’, Sunset couldn’t hold back her proud smile.
Cranky rolled his eyes, affectionately. ‘Add it to your college resume.’
‘Oh, I will.’, Sunset sassed, and the two shared a small laugh again.
‘...You’re gonna want to order one too, right?’, Sunset asked, wiggling an eyebrow.
‘...If you could do it for me, while I hide in the bathroom.’, Cranky admitted, already standing up.
‘Of course, my guy.’, Sunset said in a friendly manner. ‘Told you it was good!’, she added, as she took a really big bite, sinking into pleasure.
‘...Tell me something I don’t know.’, Cranky added, looking on sadly, out of hearing range.
‘So then I decided to use some gouache to really add a blurry and effervescent vibe to the group, makes them feel abstract almost, larger than life.’, Sunset described, showing off her drawing of the Power People (Power Ponies human counterparts) to Cranky, who nodded, wearing a surprisingly analytical face.
The drawing WAS quite remarkable, wearing a colorful and striking design style that made it seem almost like a coloring book in the best way. Sunset’s angling and paneling was also quite proficient. ‘You could try and use a little oil painting for backgrounds, to make them stand out more and not blend into the rest of the style.’, Cranky offered helpfully.
Sunset, who liked to use oil paints for art class, like her series on sunflowers, nodded, before narrowing her eyes. ‘Wait, do you paint?’
‘It’s a hobby. How do you think I knew about the alligatoring with the lead paint?’, Cranky explained matter of factly, steering them closer towards the setting sun, bathing them in a grand orange light.
Sunset “ooh’d”, remembering. ‘That DOES explain that!’. She cheerfully added ‘Maybe you could give me some lessons, then! My composition can be a little static.’
Cranky gulped, looking away. ‘I… I don’t know.’
‘No need if you don’t feel like it, it’s cool.’, Sunset reassured, but Cranky still seemed off. The sun must have been getting to him. Yeah. Not the one next to him.
‘Out of curiosity…’, Cranky started, unable to hold himself back. ‘How come Mane-iac is there?’
‘You know her?’
‘I like comic books too, well, liked, okay? We don’t need to act so surprised that I have a personality.’, Cranky retorted, making Sunset chuckle in response. ‘Look, just tell me what’s up with that. She’s not exactly, well, a hero. Unless I missed some recent developments, it has been a while.’
Sunset seemed a little flushed now, and she rubbed the back of her neck, sheepish. ‘Well, I wouldn’t say she hasn’t had ANY development. There’s been some subtle stuff recently, plus some character depth attempts, like in the solo game that came out last year.’
‘Huh. Didn’t know that. You like her?’, Cranky inquired, intrigued. So close to her house… Maybe he could hold on…
Sunset looked even more flustered now. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ‘Well, um… Long story, but at one point my friends had to dress up as the characters for a mystery we were solving on a movie set…’
‘As one does.’, Cranky sarcastically commented.
‘Yeah, I know.’, Sunset replied, missing the sarcasm. ‘Point is, I ended up with the Mane-iac costume, so I checked on her, and while I love reading the stories, I felt bad about her. About how I ended up dressed as her, but also, well, that she seemed to actually have some redeeming features. Idk, I guess… I guess I think people are more complicated than that. So I took what we know and tried to write her more nuanced. I guess… I guess I saw a part of myself in her. Good and bad.’
Sunset’s voice had grown lower and lower, into a whisper. Cranky side eyed her worriedly. Was she gonna have another moment…
But suddenly, her eyes perked up, her voice grew steely, her spirit resolved. That phoenix fire ignited in her eyes, and her heart soared like the eponymous bird. ‘But she can be good. I know. I’ve been through it too, after all. And I’m still standing.’
Cranky didn’t even try to suppress his smile this time. ‘That’s good to hear, Ms. Shimmer.’
‘Thanks!’, Sunset beamed, feeling a lot better now. Then, almost matter of factly herself, she added ‘Oh, and she has some bad parents canonically, which I can relate too, so there’s that! Forgot to mention!’
Cranky’s eyes widened, before narrowing suspiciously. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, you know. Neglectful, demanding. Threatening you to use your talents to help them and if you fail to hone them they’ll kick you out. Emotionally abusing you. Saying only they will ever love you and not see you as a monster. That I’d be just like them. Which I was last year, but I can safely say I ain’t like that anymore. You know, the works.’, Sunset explained, so normally it was terrifying, no, blood curdling.
Cranky didn’t stop the car.
He actually drove faster.
‘Woah! Everything okay?’, Sunset asked, startled, pushed back into her seat. Cranky grunted. ‘Peachy.’
‘Oh, good!’, Sunset replied, again missing the sarcasm.
‘I’ll give them a piece of my mind.’, Cranky steamed, as he drove towards the sunset. He was determined now to tell those people off for what they did to this wonderful girl. Nothing would stop him.
Nothing but crashing back down to earth.
‘You know, that’s a big part why I’ve struggled with both my Celestia’s. It’s been a lot easier with you today, to be honest! You’re really quite nice once one gets to know you!’, Sunset complimented, trying to make the guy feel good. ‘I bet you’d be a great dad if you ever got a child!’
And THAT was what stopped the car.
Skidding to a halt, the car kicked up a ton of sand, and Sunset could barely see.
When she did, she gasped.
Sunset had never seen Cranky this emotional and raw in her entire life. Veins throbbed on his neck, his eyes were bloodshot, his face redder than the blood. He breathed heavily, breathlessly, like it was a sin.
‘Mr. Doodle?? Are you okay??? Should I call an ambulance????’, Sunset asked, worried and panicky. Reaching towards a phone, Cranky suddenly shouted ‘I WOULD NOT BE A GREAT DAD!’
Sunset looked quite puzzled, her hand frozen in the air as it held her phone. ‘...What are you talking abo…’
‘Stop! Stop this… Stop hating yourself and treating me like I’m anything more than your boring math teacher and driving instructor! Why, why on earth are you so nice and kind?? TO ME OF ALL PEOPLE??? I’M MISERLY OLD CRANKY DOODLE, I’M BORING AND GRUMPY AND NO ONE EVER PAYS ME ANY ATTENTION, YET YOU, THIS LITERAL MAGICAL HORSE GIRL WHO SPROUTS ACTUAL ANGEL WINGS AND SAVES PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU DARE COME HERE AND TELL ME I’M GOOD?! DON’T, PLEASE, DON’T BEFRIEND ME, DON’T GET CLOSE TO ME!! YOU’LL JUST DIE, LIKE THEY DID!!!!!!’, Cranky screamed, ranting and raving, losing control of his banal mask. When he finished, he looked like he was about to cry, but instead he seemed to almost melt his anger, replaced by emptiness and pain. ‘Oh, what’s the use of getting emotional about it? I dried out of tears 16 years ago.’
‘...I… I don’t… I don’t understand…’, Sunset mumbled, terrified and concerned. What was that about? What the hell was that about?
‘Forget it.’, Cranky tried to start the car again.
‘No, this is important! You are important!’, Sunset insisted, trying desperately to get him to stop.
‘No, I am not! You should know!’, Cranky retorted, but Sunset shook her head. ‘Thanks to what I’ve learned, I know that EVERYONE is important. That includes you, Mr. Doodle!’
Cranky had had enough. Shoving his hand in front of her, he demanded she learn the truth. ‘Fine, then! Do that… That weird magic eye thing you do, like you did to the car crash driver, and you’ll see that I’m right and you’re wrong!’
Sunset seemed unsure, and she bit her lip. ‘Are… Are you sure?’
‘Do it or I’ll fail you in math!’
Sunset grabbed the hand in a nanosecond.
Focusing her geode, her eyes flashed, and…
She gasped.
She sniffled.
She clutched her heart, overcome with emotions.
And tears gushed down her like a river rapid, overpowering, pulsating, filling her with 16 years of a broken heart.
Cranky didn’t say a single word or emote a single time.
He just stared off into the horizon, at the final rays of sunlight.
He was used to it.
‘...I… I didn’t know…’, Sunset started, wiping her tears with her sleeve.
‘...Her name was Matilda.’, Cranky started, as if the act of simply sharing it silently was enough to crack the door open, let out the verbal parts. ‘She was everything I wasn’t. Maybe that’s why I fell in love with her.’
Cranky spoke in a low, peaceful tone. Like he had told this story to himself 100,000 times. But this was the first time he ever shared it, and every so often, a word, a sound, got caught in his monotone and revealed the cracks of his mask. ‘Before her, I was what I am now. I taught math. I looked 10 times before crossing the street. It took me forever to do anything, I had to double, triple, quarter check everything, over and over and over. Nothing was ever good enough, safe enough. I was adequately fed and healthy, but just about. Then she showed up, and…’
Cranky’s voice took on a warm timber, perhaps the first time Sunset had ever heard his tone turn so loving. ‘Food tasted good. Flowers smelt good. No one was out to get me and no thing was gonna kill me. The street sang with my feet and the dawn gave me a shadow I knew to be taller. She would… She would do the craziest things.’, he laughed, remembering, allowing himself to remember. ‘She… She would take us to Hey, Burger, so we could see who could complete the kid maze fastest. She encouraged me to follow my passion of drawing, and she would read all the latest comics to know how to talk to me about it, even though she cared very little for it. She would take me out at night to the street, even though I was scared out of my mind, and…’
A ray of sunshine, almost the last one, illuminated his face, showing the passage of time, of heartbreak, present in his skin. ‘She made the moon appear like a disco ball, illuminating us. The streets were a stage for us to dance. The sounds that usually stressed me out in the city became violins. And I knew, in those moments, that everything had changed. I knew I must have been alive and happy, since I had never felt this way before.’
Cranky caressed the radio he had been hiding, then the clipping. ‘Music used to fill this car, music, laughter, games. She made it feel like another home, not just a death trap I had to fix. I thought all I could do was maintain things, keep them the way they are, as static as I was. But Matilda, she taught me to be brave and create. And so we did.’
He looked down, gripping the clipping, eyes darkening. ‘Her name would have been Dawn.’
‘...Would?’, was all Sunset could muster without breaking down.
Cranky again almost sounded at peace while Sunset wept and wept. ‘...I checked the traffic, I checked the car. I checked and checked and checked that day, trying to see what I could have missed. I never missed anything before. But I must have. Maybe I was distracted. Maybe I looked at her in that blanket too much. But it was her first day. I was… Excited.’
Cranky removed the clipping and gave it to Sunset. Sunset now understood it.
‘...So don’t cry for me, Ms. Shimmer. Don’t pretend I could ever be worthy of your otherworldly kindness. I let my guard down once and… They died. But I didn’t. At least, on the outside.’
A long silence stretched on, before Sunset found the power to speak. Her mind had been flooded with a familiar feeling when holding his hand, and she wasn’t about to let it go.
‘...You couldn’t have known.’
Cranky snapped at her immediately. ‘Don’t you even dare. Don’t you even dare. I was lax, I was irresponsible. I let my standards down.’
‘I saw the memory, Mr. Doodle.’, Sunset turned to him, eyes narrowing. ‘Every single detail. My powers don’t hide anything.’
Cranky seemed unaffected. ‘So? You just got to see how bad it was, I guess.’
‘No. You looked away for one second. Just one second.’
Cranky averted his glance like a toddler having a tantrum. ‘One second too many.’
‘You’re not some precog, Mr. Doodle! It was a mistake, it’s not like you did it on purpose!’, Sunset protested, trying to reach him.
‘I could have looked at more traffic reports. I could have waited until we got home. I could have asked anyone else to drive them, we could have taken an ambulance. I could have turned off that song she loves so much, but I didn’t, because I loved her too much to keep her!’, Cranky ranted, spiraling.
Sunset grabbed his shoulder, and he turned to her, taken aback by the compassion shimmering in her eyes.
‘...I didn’t know that the magic crown would take out the darkest parts of me. I take responsibility for it. I didn’t know how to act towards others, and I hurt them. I take responsibility for it. But what my parents did to me, that is not my fault. Some things you can’t control. You can’t control what parents you get, and you can’t control what other people do. You didn’t drive badly. The other car did. You did what you could. No one can be 100% all the time.’
‘...No, no, stop… Stop trying to…’, Cranky tried.
Sunset urged on. ‘It’s not your fault, Mr. Doodle. It’s not your fault.’
‘It is… It is… I was such a freak… Why did she love me?’, Cranky began to break down, shivering, shaking. ‘All I can do is teach others to drive better and calculate carefully. I can’t actually… Engage with them. I’ll lose them again, I know it. You… You will get hurt, Ms. Shimmer. I just know it.’
‘No I won’t.’, Sunset shook her head. ‘Accidents happen. Things CAN work out. Look at me! Flash and I, we’ll probably never be the same again. But I have Twilight, and Sci Twi, and Pinkie, and Rarity, and Applejack, and Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, and countless others! And they’re still here, and they’re still alive, and they still love me. It’s okay. We both can do more than destroy.’
The scar on Sunset’s back, from the blast that had stopped her evil spiral, was just about visible in Cranky’s point of view. He looked down at her. ‘...Why? Why would you want to be friends with me? I’ll just… I’ll just fail you too. Why?’
Sunset’s smile was as warm as the sun. ‘Because everyone deserves a second chance. Because everyone can find a way to love. Because why not, Cranky?’
Suddenly, Cranky felt like the sun was shining all over him, despite it having set.
As if under a trance, he turned on the radio.
“Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington feat. Bill Withers began to play.
‘It was her favorite song.’, he choked out, as Sunset embraced him.
‘It’s a good song.’, Sunset whispered, holding him tight.
‘...I haven’t heard it in 16 years.’, Cranky added, lips trembling.
‘We don’t have to.’, Sunset reassured.
Cranky shook his head, and opened his eyes, feeling a million different things, scary things…
And he smiled.
‘No. But I want to.’
And a single tear shed from his eyes.
‘Thank you… Sunset.’
Later, they finally arrived at her apartment.
‘Well, that took longer than I expected. I’m sorry if it was inconvenient, Sunset.’, Cranky apologized, opening the door.
Sunset, opening hers, shook her head and grinned. ‘Nah. It was actually quite great.’
‘...It was, wasn’t it?’, Cranky smiled back, and the two headed towards her building.
‘What floor?’, Cranky asked, searching for the button.
‘B-I’, Sunset explained, loving that the roman numeral made it seem like it said Bi. Because she was. Hell yeah.
‘Haven’t taken an elevator in a long time too. Today’s a real landmark day.’, Cranky joked, as the two entered.
‘Oh, we can take the stairs…’, Sunset started, but Cranky interrupted her. ‘Because it’s always stuck in my building. Was just a little joke.’
‘Heh.’, Sunset hummed at him.
‘Hrrn.’, he hummed back, smiling.
They arrived at her door, and Cranky knocked on it.
Sunset, chuckling, suddenly remembered. ‘You know what’s the funniest shit? I don’t actually remember why we had to go back to my place.’
‘Oh, well, your parents didn’t sign their approval for you getting a license. I will get it, then use some colorful words about their treatment of you. You can put some headphones if you like.’, Cranky said without any frustration directed towards her for not knowing, happy to help.
Sunset, however, gulped. ‘Oh.’
Cranky was quick to reassure. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t let them hurt you.’
‘No, I mean… They can’t.’, Sunset tried to explain, feeling VERY sheepish.
‘How… Come?’, Cranky asked, as he knocked again and again. ‘Where ARE they?’
Sunset took out her keys suddenly and opened the door.
The room was clearly Sunset’s room. There were drawings, video games, snacks, a guitar, a clothes closet, and cool music playing. Plus her pet leopard gecko, Ray.
But no one was in sight.
‘Huh. Kind of… Smaller than I expected for a family of three…’, Cranky trailed off, only to see Sunset burn red. She shrugged. ‘Surprise! I have no parents, they’re from the pony world! I live alone! Ta da?’, she did jazz hands but it wasn’t working.
‘...So you live here… Alone?’, Cranky asked, trying to contain his shock and dismay, but he was already backing off into a wall, nearly fainting.
‘Yeah. But don’t worry, because see, I have this generous fund from MY Celestia and Luna, seriously, I need to thank them again, plus I have my two afterschool jobs, and Rarity’s family helped me with this so it’s not like I’m struggling, I mean, maybe I am a little, it’s not that no one wanted to take me in but there was just no way to do it without potentially arousing suspicion, at least at first, Idk if that’s changed or if we need someone more knowledgeable to fix it, but I’m kind of in a strange place legally when it comes to not being from here and Principal Celestia and VP Luna don’t even know, I was sleeping in the school at first XD but then we decided I should have my own space, honestly I’m doing fine, I just scare anyone bad off with some magic and…’
As Sunset went on and on and on, ranting about her situation, trying to make it seem okay, Cranky slowly looked at her, at this incredible girl, who had given him everything in just one day…
And he wondered if he could give something back.
He wondered and he wondered and he wondered for a week on end.
And even though a part of it scared him and made him want to cry and shiver and die…
The other part of him felt more alive than ever.
Maybe that’s why, despite everything, when he went to Celestia and Luna at their office in the school, he felt his fear melt away, replaced with joyful excitement…
‘I think Sunset needs a lawful guardian until she’s old enough to actually live on her own. I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Anyone know an adoption agency?’
‘Cranky!’, Celestia said in surprise, while Luna had the wildest grin on her face. ‘I’m not against it at all, but… What brought this on you?’
Cranky smiled so warmly, he felt like he was on fire.
And he loved it.
‘I guess you could say I spent some time in the sun.’