//------------------------------// // December 21: At the Closing of the Year // Story: Seven Days in Sunny June, Book I // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// The stereo pounded out some mushroom jazz on a snowy Saturday afternoon as the custom-pink Subaru BRZ sliced its way through the wintery weather on the way to its destination. Inside the car, its two occupants were just enjoying the music and the nice chat. Well, one of them was enjoying the music. If Sunset could say anything negative about Cadance, it was that the woman’s preference for house and downtempo was not anything they particularly shared. But since Sunset liked the older girl and was trying to be a better person, she thought she’d just listen along…though she still couldn’t figure out why a jazz-inflected house track was named “Bossa Nova.” Finally, as they got off the westbound State Highway 299 and turned right into the small town of Everfree Glades, Sunset shifted in her chair slightly and commented, “You know, I always wondered why the local forest was called the Everfree.” Especially since it seems that I’ve no idea why the forest back on Equestria is called that either. Cadance chuckled. “Yeah, to be honest, I didn’t really get it either until a grade school field trip to the National Park portion of the forest. If I remember correctly, the park ranger said that it’s a corruption of an old Indian word – maybe northern Yana – meaning ‘forest of darkness’, because at one time the forest used to be wall-to-wall sequoias that blocked out all the light.” “Like the Amazon or the Black Forest in Germany?” “Something like that. Anyway, eventually settlers came into the area during the Gold Rush, and a huge swath of the Everfree was cut down for both timber and mining. The settlers originally named the town Poverty Flats, but after the railroad barons complained, the townsfolk named the city Camelot after the old British stories. Then horse ranching became big in the area after the turn of the century and the town changed its name to Canterlot, just to be funny, and even though the ranches moved eastwards out to Ponyville over the next few decades, Canterlot’s kept its name since.” She grinned, adding, “And that’s your pointless lesson of the day; certainly better than reading it out of textbook.” “Hey, I don’t mind reading,” she said. And that much was true. Now that she was focusing on her grades once more, she’d rediscovered the love of learning that she’d had as a unicorn – though she still couldn’t hold a candle to Twilight’s academic focus. I wonder if the Princess is like that, too. “Well, I’m not going to pick on you about your grades, but….” Cadance gave her a sisterly look. “Heard you’re going to have to spend some time in summer school unless you pick up the pace,” she gently scolded. Sunset groaned. “Yeah, I know, I need to keep hitting the books.” She sighed; previously, she didn’t care about all this stuff and it didn’t seem to faze her, but now that she did, it was constantly biting her in the ass. “And speaking of books,” she said, deliberately changing the subject, “are you sure that getting Twily books is a good Christmas gift?” Cadance nodded. “Look, there’s books and then there’s books. You’ve been in her room – she’s got a pretty sizable old book collection that some libraries and museums would drool over.” The teen grinned. “Yeah, kinda weird hobby for a girl her age.” “Well, I’ve known Twily and Tavi since they were toddlers, and in Twily’s case, she gets bored in classes easily since she’s got some weird Asperger’s-like skill for learning. I do know the only reasons her parents haven’t sent her straight to college despite her MENSA superbrain is because she needs to be around kids her age. If it wasn’t for Tavi, Twily would probably have much worse socialization skills than she already does,” Cadance said. “But anyway, I promise she’ll absolutely love it if you get her an old book. She loves reading any- and everything under the sun and it’ll get much more use than, say, a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.” “Okay, if you’re sure,” Sunset replied as Cadance pulled up in front of an old brownstone building just past the intersection of Equestria County Parkway and Main Street. “Well, here we are: Books & Sewing Machines,” Cadance announced. Sunset blinked at the store’s name: “Books…and Sewing Machines?” “Yeah,” Cadance confirmed as they got out of her car. “Originally, this used to be just an antique book dealer, but Mr. Bookbinder’s wife started a side business selling antique sewing machines, since people tend to use them as display pieces in their homes, she said. Besides, if you ask me, I think they both like the pure absurdity of the name.” With that, the pair went in, and standing at a counter by the front door was a man in a tweed jacket and looking not unlike something out of a 1950s sitcom about an avuncular father figure. The old man also wore a pair of round glasses, an out-of-fashion tie, and an unlit smoking pipe in his mouth. “Oh, hello, Mr. Bookbinder,” Cadance greeted. “Well, hello to you, Ms. Cadenza,” he said with a smile. “Here to shop for Twilight? Oh, and who is this young miss?” “This is Sunset Shimmer – she’s staying with Twilight’s family.” Bookbinder grinned, his graying mustache twisting up slightly to accommodate the rictus. “Ah, such a beautiful young miss – you would have been a diva amongst divas in the Renaissance, I believe. Well, should you find anything that you like, please let me know!” “Do you still have that first edition of Wuthering Heights?” Cadance asked the gentleman. “I’m sorry, but that sold last week. I do, however, have a newly-arrived first edition copy of Northanger Abbey, if you care to see it,” he told her, leading her back to a nearby counter. As the two talked, Sunset slipped into the rows of musty, aged tomes, walking amongst dozens and dozens of books and the occasional century-old sewing machine. The building turned out to be much larger than expected, the façade having been merely a building whose back had been knocked out and extended to fit the sizeable one behind it. After moving through countless shelves of books, stopping to look at several here and there, she eventually came across a row of ornately bound and beautiful books, their leather covers indicating that they were very old. In comparison to modern books, these looked more like they’d have been at home in the Royal Canterlot Library back in Equestria, and even though it wasn’t a true feel of the past, Sunset couldn’t help but smile at the long ago, happier time. Finally, one with a black cover and silver and gold ink caught her attention and after slipping on the latex gloves that were required as per an adjacent sign, she removed it from the shelf, perusing its cover: “La Tragedia di Baldassare di Cavalcanti: A History of Italy’s Dark Sorcerer,” she said, reading it aloud. Hmmm…I wonder what it’s about? Carefully opening the book, she read the introduction, which was a summary on the subject’s life: A 16th Century Italian mystic, Baldassare di Cavalcanti, was a contemporary of the famed English occultist and alchemist John Dee and was thought to have known Giordano Bruno, an infamous Italian heretical priest. Baldassare claimed to have learned his skills of alchemy, hermeticism, occultism and sorcery from a black unicorn that came to him through his bedroom mirror. While he earned riches and prestige serving under the Medici family during the eras of the Florentine Republic and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, eventually he was found guilty by the Catholic Inquisition of witchcraft, heresy, and the murder of his first wife, Crisalide, back in 1551; he was put to death in 1603. “Oh, that book,” a voice filled with disdain said behind her and startled her nearly to the point that she almost dropped the aged tome. She turned to see Bookbinder standing there, adjusting his glasses with a slight scowl on his face. “Forgive me, miss; you might not be aware. That book is a mimic – it’s a term amongst bibliophiles for a book that’s a fraudulent copy of a genuine one.” Slipping on the gloves, he took the copy in hand and said, “See the slightly white pages and how crisp the page edging is? A true book printed in 1890 would have yellowed pages with ragged edges, both because of age and how they were bound back then. The only reason we keep this book around is because it is an authentic translation of the original 1868 Italian book – which we do have, if you’re interested.” “Well, I’m not,” Sunset told him, “but Twilight might be.” The old man’s face scrunched in thought. “And Ms. Sparkle is a very good customer of mine. Tell you what, miss – I’ll offer you both books for $200. Normally I’d charge $400 alone for the original Italian, but you’re likely just a high school student and unless times have changed, you probably don’t have much means. Besides,” he said with a grateful grin, “you’d be taking a mimic off my hands – in this business, having one around can be disastrous for one’s reputation.” “Really?” Sunset asked. When the bookstore nodded, she squeed in joy. “In that case – sold!” The girls were at the Canterlot International Airport’s Terminal Four, embracing Pinkie as she was ready to head off to her flight out to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. “So!” the cotton-candy-haired tornado said, “It’s a quick flight from CJV to BOI and then from there to XNA! I’ll be ETA at XNA, PDQ!” “Twily, please tell me you can translate that into English!” Rainbow pled. Twilight laughed. “Sorry, Rainbow, I may be well-learned, but I’m not a miracle maker.” As the girls embraced their friend one by one, they all gave her the Christmas gifts they’d gotten her; she’d already given them theirs as well. Finally, Sunset approached Pinkie and hugged her. “You know, I’m going to miss you.” “Awww, but Sunny, I’ll only be gone for just a week!” Pinkie insisted. “Yeah, I know.” She then gave her the gift she got for Pinkie: it was a cute pair of balloon earrings that she and Rarity had seen over at the mall the other day. Rarity thought they were perfect for the bouncy teen, and Sunset agreed, grabbing them immediately to get for her friend. “Now you can’t open this until Christmas.” “Awww….” “But you can open this,” she said, handing her a second box. “Oh, goodie!” Pinkie opened immediately and her eyes went wide as saucers. Hugging Sunset, she chirped with glee, “This should keep me busy during the flight.” Applejack spied what was in the bouncy girl’s hand and she said aloud with despair, “Oh, Sunny, you did not just….” “Oh, my….” Rarity said, catching sight of the box as well. The other girls did then and the reactions were varied responses. A muffled voice echoed through the terminal and Pinkie suddenly said, “Well, that’s me! Gotta go!” Pausing just to give her friends kisses on the cheeks, she then went to hug her aunt and uncle – who were also there, though they hadn’t seen what Sunset had bought Pinkie – and then grabbing her bag, made her way to the security checkpoint, pausing every ten steps to wave goodbye to her friends and family. Twilight looked at Sunset with disappointment. “Really, Sunny?” Octavia just facepalmed. “I cannot believe you actually bought her a huge box of Mildbon Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs!” The candy was known for its huge triple-chocolate coated goodness and each piece was at least a hundred calories, not to mention the pure sugar shock they caused. Sunset grinned. “Aww, c’mon, girls – you should know better than that! It’s both science and psychology, wrapped in a pink-haired package!” Cup didn’t know whether to be irritated or amused by Sunset’s logic. “You just put my hyperactive niece in a tin can with dozens of innocents, Sunset. I hope you’re prepared for the aftermath.” “Sure I am – she’ll eat the whole thing the minute she sits down, and the pure sugar shock should burn through her system before she even gets up to cruising altitude. By the time the sugar crash sets in, she should be asleep during the whole flight to Boise. Plus, even Pinkie has a limit to how much sugar she ingests, which means that from Boise to North Arkansas, she’ll likely just abstain from anything on the flight!” A thoughtful look came onto Carrot’s face, and then he gave his employee a smile. “Guess I’ll have to give you a Christmas bonus, won’t I?” “Well, I guess we’d better get back before the traffic gets too heavy,” Fluttershy suggested. “Besides, we’ll all be here tomorrow for Tavi’s flight, right?” At that, the girls sighed; with Pinkie in Arkansas and Octavia visiting her grandparents in West Egg, up in the Hamptons, they would be down two of the “Eightmazing Eight”, as Pinkie tended to call their group, for the week. Still, as the majority of them were spending the Christmas holiday with their families, there would likely be minimal interaction with their group this week, though with the exception of Pinkie, who would still be at her parents’ place, they all agreed that attending the New Year’s Eve Teen Bash, being sponsored by the County, was a must-attend event. The ride back home was strangely subdued that night, with Sunset being the quietest amongst them. While Fluttershy and Rarity chatted breezily about a show they were watching on TV and Rainbow and Applejack, in the driver’s and passenger’s seats, respectively, were arguing about what to listen to on the radio for the trip back, Sunset, Octavia and Twilight were commiserating. “I really do not want to go tomorrow, but my parents are insisting,” Octavia huffed. “And I already know what it’s going to be like: a week of my grandparents showing us around the ultra-rich Hamptons, wondering why we’re ‘slumming it’ in San Palomino while Mom and Dad are always on the road instead of playing for an elite symphony like the New York Philharmonic like my aunt Chanson does, or running a major classical record company like my aunt Rondeau does in Nashville. And then the conversation will eventually turn to me, and why I’m not as ‘gifted’ as my cousins Octavia Philharmonica or Octavia Van Clef.” Sunset looked at Octavia oddly. “Three of you with the same name?” The dark hair girl nodded. “Yes – it started when Aunt Rondeau bet her sisters that the first to have a daughter got the rights to the name ‘Octavia’, which has been in my family for generations. So imagine their surprise when all three of them got pregnant at the same time and all three of us cousins were born within minutes of each other; by the time they found out who was firstborn, we all had the name on our birth certificates.” “But how do they tell you apart?” Rarity, who’d overheard, asked. The look on Fluttershy’s face was also one of interest. “Mostly by insults and slights,” Octavia replied sadly. “It gets worse when you realize that we all look very similar, though we play different instruments. Octavia – she insists by going just by ‘Octavia’ – plays the cello, while my other cousin plays both the violin and fiddle and picked up the nickname ‘Fiddlesticks’ somewhere along the way.” But it’s hell when my grandmother claims she can’t tell us apart yet somehow crows about the achievements of one in front of the other – I think she’s trying to start a rivalry between us like she did between Mom, Aunt Chanson and Aunt Rondeau. But while Octavia may care about bragging rights, thankfully Fiddlesticks and I get along well.” “Remind me not to attend one of the family reunions on your mother’s side sometime,” Twilight said. “Well, we try to stay only as long as we have to, which is usually just a week before Mom, her sisters, and my grandmother start arguing – by the time the drunken shouting starts, Dad’s already packing our bags.” The look on Fluttershy’s face was sympathetic. “Um…happy holidays?” “Merry Christmas!” Sitting around in the room as the family passed the gifts to one another, Sunset felt a warm fuzziness form in her heart. Admittedly, she’d nearly wiped out her bank account getting the gifts, but to her it was more than worth it for the people she’d grown to love. Seeing Spike go ga-ga over the PS4 she’d bought him made the boy almost tolerable for the whole day. For Shining, she’d bought a special military-grade web belt; he’d been complaining that the service-issue belt he had wasn’t sitting well, which would play havoc with his equipment. For Night, she got a new office chair, as he’d been complaining that the air compression cylinder on his kept deflating. Velvet’s gift was an engraved WORLD’S GREATEST FOSTER MOM pen-and-pencil set with wood trim and gold piping; though Sunset felt slightly guilty because she didn’t know what to get her, Twily had insisted that her mother would love it – and indeed, she did. Seated underneath the tree still were Octavia’s gift, as she insisted that it would make her happy opening it when she got back since she’d need something to relax with; and Cadance’s, as her family went off on a week-long trip to a cabin in the Rockies somewhere in Colorado. As for her friends, they’d already traded gifts the day before and while Twilight and Sunset had yet to open the gifts from their friends, they already knew they’d be something to cherish. The look on Twilight’s face when she opened her gift was nothing less than utter surprise. “Wow, Sunny! This must’ve set you back a pretty penny! Really, you didn’t have to,” she said. Then as she realized a second book was there, she added, “And a translation? I…I don’t know what to say!” The look on her face showed that the teen was genuinely touched. “Sunny…you really didn’t have to.” “We’re family, right?” Sunset said as she embraced her foster sister. “You don’t have to say anything at all, Twily.” “Well, you have to at least open what I got you!” Twilight insisted, stepping out of the hug in order to hand a package to Sunset. Sunset unwrapped the gift and her eyes opened wide as she squeed. “Ohmi…. The Discord Limited Edition CD Box Set?” Sunset cried, fangirl mode now completely engaging. “Oh, wow – it even has Tricksy Ways and The Center of the Labyrinth! The first one’s his demo album and the second one’s a limited edition EP he only sold at his 1997 world tour! They’re impossible to get!” The ex-unicorn glomped Twily, cooing, “Thank you! I really, really love this – and I know Rainbow’s going to freak when she finds out I have it!” “Hey, anything for you, Sunny,” Twily said, the two holding each other closely. Seated on the sofa and loveseat, Shining watched as his sister and foster sister squeed around like two typical teens, without a care in the world. “You know, Mom, Dad, I look at her and think that she’s the best arrest I never made,” he said, taking a sip of his egg nog. “I think about Sunset the day I ran into her in the Industrial and what she’s like now and it’s almost like two different girls.” “I believe in miracles, Shiny,” Velvet said as she leaned into her husband’s side. “Tia and I have been talking and we think she’s doing well enough that we’re dropping our weekly meeting down to just monthly. Besides, now that we’ve started planning for your wedding, if something comes up about Sunny then we’ll talk at that point. But as of now, she’s just a normal, average girl.” “Sunset, could you run this over to table two, please?” Cup Cake asked Sunset two days later while at the Sugarcube Corner Café. With Pinkie gone for the week, Sunset had picked up all her friend’s hours, as it was a good way for her to make some extra cash while the school was in winter break. And given that all the other students were out of school as well, the café was absolutely bouncing. “You got it, Mrs. C.,” Sunset said, taking both plates and walking towards the table on the far side of the restaurant. But as she approached, she saw two girls there, one comforting the other; the comfortee, a girl with striped lime-and-fuchsia hair in a bobbed hairstyle, looked completely torn emotionally; while the other girl, a blonde with her hair tied in a ponytail, looked like she was planning to bruise someone in the near future. “It’s okay. You’re better off without him, girl. Trust me on that,” the latter said to the former. “But he said he loved me….” the first girl sobbed, her eyes stained red with tears. “Blossom, we’ll get this squared away, I promise.” Sunset set the plates onto the table. “Okay, who had the pesto chicken focaccia and who had the tuna club?” “I had the pes—” the blonde began. “It’s not fair, dammit!” the girl with the two-tone hair suddenly snapped. “He said he loved me and look what he did!” “Hey, Blossom, calm down, girl. I promise you he won’t get away with this.” “Is…everything okay?” Sunset asked as she set the pesto chicken in front of the blonde and the other one in front of the agitated girl. “Yeah,” the blonde said, trying to be polite even though her body posture and tone indicated that wasn’t on her mind. “Just…my friend got dumped by her boyfriend on Christmas Day an—” “Kicky, I’m damaged goods now,” the girl named “Blossom” said, looking as though her world had ended. “No one’s going to love me once they find out that I’m…you know,” she said, as if too embarrassed to complete her sentence. “You are not, so stop saying that!” “Kicky” told her. Sunset turned to look briefly at her boss and Mrs. Cake gave a subtle nod. And I was wondering why she didn’t just bring the things over herself. Smart move, Mrs. C., she thought to herself as she sat down. “Sounds like everything’s not okay.” “Ya think?” the short-haired girl snarled. “I was with my boyfriend for two years, and I finally decide that it’s time that we take that next step—” I can see where this is going, Sunset thought to herself. She remembered the one time she’d had sex with Flash without any protection and while he’d panicked, she hadn’t been worried at the time because she thought that the spell that changed her only on the outside. But now that she knew she was effectively completely human while on Earth…. She forced herself from shuddering; the other girl didn’t need that right now. “Look, Miss,” Sunset said carefully, “you thought you loved him enough to share a special moment with him – probably the most special moment a mar…a woman will ever share with the person she loves. And he hurt you afterwards, no doubt on that. But that is in no way your fault.” “See? And that’s what I’ve been trying to tell her!” Kicky said. A second later, she said, “Yeah, well, my manners are shit – I’m Cloud Kicker and this is my best friend Blossomforth. We go to County High,” she said, offering a hand. “Sunset Shimmer. I go to Canterlot High. Nice to meet you two.” “Thanks,” Blossomforth said, still looking very fragile. “Look, maybe it’s none of my business,” Sunset said, “but you’re a pretty girl, and you have a whole future ahead of you. Don’t let one guy dictate who you are or who you can be, because once you do that, you’ll start going down a path you don’t want to go. Trust me on that, Blossomforth; it’s not worth it.” “You sound like someone who’s been there,” she asked. “Yeah, more times than I’d care to admit,” she replied sadly. “Far, far more.” Hours later, Sunset sat in the biting cold of the outside, as the snow fell. She spent the time outdoors looking through a telescope that the family had; many of the stars in the constellations and asterisms above looked familiar and yet at the same time radically different. There’s Ursa Minor, but in Equestria that’s an animal, not a constellation; likewise, the Pegasus Archer’s one of our most familiar constellations, but I don’t see anything even remotely like that in the sky above. Is this really another dimension, or is the mirror like some kind of giant teleportation field? Is Equestria in another universe, or is it on another world? Could one of those stars out there be Equestria’s sun? And if that’s the case…she can get me at any time. I’m not safe at all. A shudder ran through Sunset’s body as the realization poured ice through her mind and the realization that the princess could just reach out from beyond the black veil of the starscape to end her life made her more terrified than she could ever say. And no matter what, I deserve whatever I get. I may have changed, but you have to “do the time for the crime,” as they say here. “Sunny?” Sunset turned around to see Twilight out there, with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate; the former unicorn could pick up the aroma from where her foster sister stood. “What are you doing out here?” “I…I just needed to be alone for a bit,” she said, brushing the snow off herself, then the spot on the bench next to her. Twilight sat down and Sunset asked, “Twily…am I a monster?” “No, why woul—” “I know you talked with the girls; they had to have told you the kind of person I was before the Homecoming Dance,” she said. “I was a bitch, Twily! I was an absolute fucking monster! I pissed all over Rarity’s chances to be chosen as Homecoming Queen; I bullied Flutters because she couldn’t stand up for herself; I repeatedly stole Pinkie’s lunch just because I could; I belittled AJ because of her accent and because Rainbow’s Hispanic I…I made a lot of racial slurs. And these are the girls that eventually forgave me and became my friends!” She sat there, silent as the snow fell on her, melting against her skin and blending – and maybe hiding – tear trails. “And I’ve done so much worse, Twily. “Derpy Hooves? Nice girl, part of the technology club, cute as a button…but she’s got strabismus. Guess what I picked on her for? Vinyl Scratch – I know she comes from a broken home, and I just fucked with her mercilessly because her parents had a very vociferous and nasty divorce, the kind that anyone in town hears about. Bon-Bon and Lyra? Do you know how much I insulted them because they’re a lesbian couple? Didn’t even matter to me – still doesn’t – but I did it just because I could. Trixie Lulamoon? I know that her bragging hides a very insecure personality – she’s probably seeing a therapist because of what I did.” Sunset went on and, through dozens of names and people Twilight didn’t know, a horrific litany of Sunset’s crimes. “And for almost four years, I enjoyed every fucking moment of it; a Grand Guignol for my own entertainment, because I didn’t care. Bullying Daisy Flowerwishes because I thought she was a histrionic cunt? Did it; had no idea, nor did I care that she was going through problems at home. Made fun of Starbright because she wanted to be model-thin? Happily did so, without giving a damn that she probably has anorexia issues. I could go on and on, but you get the point.” Sunset looked at Twilight, her turquoise eyes wondering if she’d finally hit her foster sister’s revulsion point; that Twilight would just pour the hot chocolate on her and never have anything to do with her again. “Here,” Twilight said, shoving one of the mugs into Sunset’s hands. “You’ll freeze your butt off otherwise.” She then looked at Sunset and asked, “What brought this on?” “I met a girl today. She’d been with her boyfriend for two years, and finally decided to sleep with him. He dumped her on Christmas Day. Got her friend all riled up and worried sick – this first girl, I was almost afraid was approaching suicidal. And watching her go through the hell that she went through while her friend and I tried to convince her that he wasn’t worth all that pain…it made me wonder exactly how much pain I’d put others through. Even my closest friends, who have forgiven me…they may have, but I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.” “And why are you telling me this?” “Because I….” Sunset took a drink of the hot cocoa, feeling its warmth slide down her gullet, giving her the boost for what she was about to say. “My friends…they’re wonderful. But you and Tavi, your parents and your brothers? Cady? You’re all… you’re the family I’ve never had. And if I’ve treated my friends like shit, I’m horrified that I may turn on you all someday, because that’s what monsters do.” “I see,” Twilight said, falling silent as the two sat there in the snow. The pair was quiet for a few more minutes, before Twilight spoke again. “Sunny…you’re no monster.” “Twily, I—” The purple-haired girl held a hand up. “Please, let me finish. You’re not a monster. Maybe you were in the past. Nothing can be done about what came before – all we can do is just keep moving on. I was a lot more insecure and awkward before I met you and the others, but you’ve all helped me to get through that. I’m not the same girl I was a couple of months ago…and neither are you. “You keep trying to push us away and keep us at a certain distance, Sunny; don’t think that we haven’t noticed. But none of us think that you’re doing it because you don’t care; actually, if you ask me, I think you’re doing it because you do. It’s the hedgehog’s dilemma: You want to become closer, but you’re afraid to do so because you’re afraid that you’ll hurt the ones you love.” Sunset shook her head. “I’ve done it before, Twily. I had a mother figure years ago. A wonderful ma…mentor and teacher who I think wanted to adopt me. And I threw everything in her face. She loved me so much…and I loved her as well…and all I could do was to just throw everything she ever taught me in her face and run away. I haven’t stopped running since.” Twilight nodded in response before asking, “Do you remember that fight we had last month?” “I’d rather forget it, truth be told.” Twilight shook her head as she said, “Not me. You cared enough to fight with me, Sunny. Not to belittle me or bully me or anything like that, but because you care about me enough to realize that however angry I might be with your opinion – and I still think you’re off-base on that – I’m not angry with you. Because we’re family – sisters – and that’s how family is.” “You keep saying that, but how…how can you just think of me like that?” A soft grin came onto Twilight’s face. “Because it’s just natural when it comes to you – it’s like we’re two sides of the same coin. Tavi and I…we grew up together, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely of different minds; same thing with Shiny, Spike and even Cady. But with you?” She chuckled softly. “Mom said that she and her sister, my aunt Twilight Glitter, are sisters not just because of blood, but because they’re naturally two sides of a coin. It’s like you and I were born to be a counterpoint to one another. “I don’t know – and I don’t care – what was in your past, Sunny. I didn’t know that Sunset Shimmer, and frankly, I don’t want to. But the Sunset Shimmer I know now would probably do any and everything in her power to make sure that I was never hurt. I know that, I can feel that in my bones. And I’m putting that trust in you, because we’re family. Because maybe fate decided that Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were meant to be linked – heck, even our names basically mean the same thing.” “Really? I never noticed.” Of course, the Princess pointed that out as well, but I didn’t give a shit back then. “Yes you did; you just didn’t really want to, because you were afraid – hedgehog’s dilemma, once again.” “You keep bringing that up a lot.” “Well of course; I’m an academic.” Sunset grinned. “You know, you’re not the only one with a brain in the house, Twily. For the record, I do read quite a bit.” “Okay, then why are your grades so abysmal?” “Because I really didn’t give a shit – or have anyone to give a shit for me. But between you and everyone in the family, what choice do I have? Besides, I really don’t want to embarrass Mom or Da—” Twilight crossed her arms. “Did you just call my parents ‘Mom and Dad’?” When Sunset’s eyes went wide, Twilight pointed at her in victory. “Ah ha! Toldja that you care!” Shades of red creeped onto Sunset’s cheeks. “Figure of speech?” “Oh, wait until I tell my parents – they’ll go ‘awwww’ and you’ll never hear the end of it,” Twilight teased. Sunset merely rolled her eyes. “Well, I think we’ve wasted enough time out here.” Twilight stood up and offered her foster sister a hand. “So, going to sit out here and continue to sulk, or do we want to waste some time on Netflix?” Sunset smiled. “Netflix sounds good.” The first thing Twilight Velvet and Night Light noticed when they went downstairs the following morning was that unfortunately, it did not snow enough for work to be cancelled and the plows had cleared the streets and poured de-icing salts. The second thing they noticed was that it was a nice enough day that most people would likely call in sick or be late that they had enough time to head to a diner and have a nice breakfast together. The third thing they noticed was the scent of food wafting upstairs, which was weird, because Spike wouldn’t fix himself anything to save his life, Twilight tended not to get up early on the days that she didn’t have to go to school…and Sunset was a notoriously late sleeper. Not to mention that all three kids weren’t that great in the kitchen; while Spike had picked up a few tricks, neither Twilight nor Sunset were inclined towards cooking in the slightest. “Is that brie I smell?” Night asked. “Spinach and mushroom, too,” Velvet added. “Should we be worried about someone having broken into the house?” “What kind of burglar cooks breakfast?” Night replied as both walked into the kitchen. There, they were surprised to see Sunset placing down two plates of what looked like an omelet and hashbrowns, alongside toast, coffee and orange juice. Seeing that it was Sunset – Sunset! – up before eleven in the morning, both of them looked at her with surprise. “Morning!” Sunset said, happily, spooning what looked like a hollandaise sauce onto the omelets. “Hope you have time for breakfast before you went out the door!” She paused, giving kisses on the cheeks to both Velvet and Night and then said, “Go ahead and start; I’m going to go wake Twily and Spike up and see if they want to eat right now; if not—” she shrugged, “—I’m sure I can make something for them later.” Both Velvet and Night blinked. Twice. Thrice. And as they watched Sunset head up the stairs, Velvet asked in an utterly perplexed voice, “Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone?” “I’m willing to guess LSD trip, personally,” Night answered, equally stunned, “but I never did drugs in my life.” “Can I keep this?” one boy asked another as he held up the phone. The second boy grinned. “Yeah, it’s why I gave it to you, dude.” A third boy looked at the image on the phone. “Wow, and I always thought she was kinda mousy – no idea she looked like a porn star. You sure this is legit and not some Photoshop bullshit?” The second boy looked at the first. “Join The Club and find out.” The second boy pressed a button on his phone and brought up another image. “Now I’m sure this image looks familiar.” “Holy fuck, is that…?” the first guy asked. “Fuck yes, it is! But how the fuck did you get that?” the third boy asked. “Connections,” the second one said as he turned off the phone. “When you join The Club, membership has its privileges,” he said, affecting a faux-British voice. “But the deal is that we trade. But we’ve got some good ones, and from all over the place – not just Canterlot High.” “How good we talking?” the first boy inquired. To answer that, the second boy tapped a couple more responses into his phone and brought up a new picture. “Fleur Dis Lee: eighteen, senior at Zacherle, is already doing modelling – that enough for you?” A fourth guy spoke up. “This has got to be bullshit. For one, I know that girl and she wouldn’t do anything like that. Secondly, her boyfriend – Fancy…something or other – he’s student council vice president over at Muenchinger, and you really think that he’d—” “Let’s just say we got it through…other means,” a fifth boy spoke. “And let’s also say we have a few…choice others. Interested?” “Wow, they really decorated the place!” Twilight said with glee as she stepped into the community center. “You got that right, sugarcube,” Applejack added. Meanwhile, behind them was Sunset, practically dancing in and not caring who was watching. Wearing her headphones, she knew she looked ridiculous, but for the moment, she really didn’t give a damn. It was New Year’s Eve, and the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation sponsored a New Year’s Eve Teen Bash for all the schools in the area: it was a chance for Sunset and her friends to dance together and have fun, maybe mingle with a few of the students from the other public and private schools in the county…except, of course, for those attending The Blanks. As she slipped off her jacket, she handed it off to Twilight, who was trying not to laugh. Behind her, however, were Rarity and Octavia, who did. “It’s a shame Pinkie’s not here to see this,” the fashionista said between titters, “as I’m sure she’d absolutely enjoy this.” “C’mon, Rarity, just let her be,” the raven-haired musician replied. “It’s good to see her smile.” “Oh, absolutely,” Fluttershy said as she walked in. She’d borrowed a dress from her mother, and looked utterly sultry in it…if it wasn’t for the perpetually innocent look on her face. Lastly came in Rainbow, who took one look at Sunset as she grabbed Octavia’s hand and started dancing to the non-existent music; the rainbow-haired athlete collapsed on the ground, laughing her ass off. Finally, Octavia stopped and pulled the earbuds from her friend’s ears. “Hey, would you mind leaving the interplanetary good-vibe zone for a second?” Sunset blushed. “Okay, okay, you were right – I like the song. Happy?” “Ecstatic. I told you some of Aunt Velvet’s CD collection is worth listening to if you just find the right gems.” “Well, darlings,” Rarity said, looking at her friends, “shall we start mingling?” “Hey, let’s wait until some more people show up, Rares,” Sunset said. “We don’t want to look like we’re the only girls in here besides the deejay,” she said, pointing to Vinyl Scratch, who was setting up. “Oh, hey, Vinyl, need some help?” Vinyl turned around to see Flash Sentry standing there. Somehow she wasn’t surprised; she’d heard some rumors that since he and Sunset Shimmer had broken up earlier in the year that he was on the tail trail. While she wasn’t sure of that, she did know that he’d become somewhat of an asshole as of late, denting his earlier saintly image. It was ironic, considering that “Mr. Nice Guy” had lost his halo right around the time that his former girlfriend, the now-deposed queen bee of the school, had reputedly found hers. “Naaah, I got it, thanks,” she said politely, and he nodded. Maybe I’m wrong about— “Hey, anyone ever tell you that you’re cute?” he asked. Well, that didn’t take long, she thought, rolling her eyes behind the safety of her shades. Lifting them so their eyes could meet, she said, “Look, Flash, I’ll make it clear: I’m into girls. I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all, but sorry, not interested.” “My bad,” he said, shrugging. “But my statement still stands, and so does my offer to help.” “Well, okay then!” she said, dropping her shades back in place. “In that case, can you move my disc crates over here underneath the deck?” “Yeah, sure thing.” As he went over to the crates, he noticed the cardboard sleeves. “Wow, you still use old-fashioned albums?” She nodded. “Hell yeah! Electronic scratching just sounds fake to me. And while I’m not entirely analog, I make sure I’ve got my breaks, beats and scratches entirely from the decks. Sampling and stuff, yeah, can’t avoid a computer, but anyone who can rock a turntable and prefers to use a digital control surface? Sad, just sad.” She gave him a knowing smile. “In the end, I just like my scratches to be natural, y’know?” “Hey, you’re the expert at this stuff; I’m just a guitar kind of guy.” He spent a few more minutes helping her get set up before his eyes started wandering, watching as his ex-girlfriend came in. He and Sunset had some times together – couldn’t exactly call them “fun” or “good”, per se – but she had a cute body and he was more than willing, so they matched. Unfortunately, she turned out to be a high-maintenance bitch, so luckily he was glad to be rid of her. As for her friends, well…he was surprised she had any; he’d have thought she’d somehow magically pissed off the entire school. But then there was the two that were with them that did not look familiar at all. And the girl with the purple hair? There was something definitely familiar about her, though he could not put his finger on exactly what it was…. “Hey, Vinyl? You know who those two are? The ones who came in with Sunset?” “Sure, that’s Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. As for the others, not a clue, but they’re kinda cute. Whydja ask?” “The girl with the straight purple hair – I swear I’ve seen her somewhere before. I’m wracking my brain trying to remember, but it’s not coming to mind. But she does seem really familiar for some reason.” “Well, I might not have a clue, but you might want to ask Sweet Scoops. She’s on the school newspaper, so she knows practically everyone at school – and more than a few outside as well.” “Yeah, will do, thanks,” he said as he departed. “No problem!” Vinyl called back before adding, “Oh, hey, and if that girl with the black hair swings my way, get her number for me, okay? She’s got a real cute ass!” Scoops brushed a lock of her magenta-and-orange hair out of her face. “Wait…they’re here with your ex and you don’t know who they are? Really?” Flash sighed. “Look, Sunset and I didn’t exactly have a ‘conversational’ kind of relationship, if you catch my drift.” “Gotcha. Fortunately for you, I do know who she is.” “Really?” “Yeah, but the answer’s probably going to slap you in the face,” she told him, a slight smile coming onto her countenance. He rolled her eyes. “Don’t leave me hanging, Scoops.” “Well, Mac and I have been dating for years, and Mac’s sister AJ is friends with Sunset. And if I heard AJ right, that purple-haired girl is Sunset’s sister, Twilight Sparkle, and the other one’s their cousin, Octavia Melody. They both attend Zacherle, if I recall.” He blinked. “Wait – Sunset’s got a sister? She told me she was an only child!” “Well, they don’t look alike, so maybe one of them is adopted?” Scoops asked, shrugging. “Either way, it’s not my issue. Why’d you ask?” An all-too-readable look came over his face. “Well, I’m thinking tha—” She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, stop right there, Sentry. I don’t want to be involved with this. If you have to tell someone, I suggest you tell Orange Box; her father owns a funeral parlor and can get you a discount on a coffin – because I guarantee if you’re going to try something with your ex-girlfriend’s sister, you’re as good as dead.” “Hey, I think I have a chance,” he told her. “She goes to Zacherle, and her sister – your ex-girlfriend, in case you somehow managed to forget – is a currently dormant volcano that will likely explode all over your exposed posterior once she finds out. What part of ‘do not mess with this’ did you not understand? The quotation marks?” “Thanks for the confidence vote,” he muttered. “Hey, it’s your funeral. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I probably should go say hi to my boyfriend and his sister. Don’t worry – I’ll keep your suicidal plan a secret.” “I see your luck with the ladies is as sterling as always, Flash,” a voice told him. Flash turned to see a boy slightly older than him, who could be best described as “refugee from a bishonen anime”: fair, androgynous face, slight build, eyes as blue as the summer sky and flowing blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a white blazer, pale gray sweater, shirt, black tie, pale gray slacks and black shoes, all of which looked to be ludicrously expensive and likely from an overpriced Italian designer. “Well, hello, Blue,” Flash said, looking at the newcomer. “Actually bothered to mingle with the great unwashed?” Blueblood gave a smile. “Well, normally I wouldn’t, but, dear cousin, seeing as that you and I are on friendly terms, I would say your presence bumps up the quality of the room to, shall we say, hoi polloi-level?” he laughed. “Yeah, maybe. But seriously, why are you here?” Blueblood grunted. “Decided to get away from my usual New Year’s Eve entertainments and the so-called ‘girlfriend.’” He made a sucking sound, stating, “That noise you heard was the drain Suri Polomare’s been doing on my wallet every time we go somewhere. I can afford it, admittedly, but since she’s all tease and no play, I thought I’d come see if there were any, ahem, ‘diamonds in the rough’ that could keep me entertained.” Something caught his eye. “Like the girl with the royal purple waves. She looks as though she has some class, albeit likely in that My Fair Lady sort of manner.” “Yeah, a friend said her name is Rarity, by the way,” Flash said, a sound of relief in his voice. “Whew. For a moment, I thought you were talking about the same girl I was looking at: long purple hair, magenta and violet shocks?” “She is cute, now that you mention it – but seeing as you had your eye on her I’ll stay clear. Do you know who she is?” “Yeah. She’s apparently Sunset’s sister. Her name’s Twilight Sparkle.” An interested look came onto Blueblood’s face. “Interesting. Considering her for The Club, or personal vendetta?” “I wasn’t thinking of revenge against my ex,” Flash replied, looking at the girl named Twilight with interest, “but I’d say it’d be a fitting revanchism considering how she treated me. As for The Club, I think I’d be willing to make a sacrifice for our friends. Besides, considering she’s hanging out with the girl you’re looking at, I don’t doubt they know each other.” “Well, we shall simply wait until Sunset steps away, and then introdu….” He swore under his breath. “Great, that witch is there.” “Witch?” Blueblood nodded, the look on his face akin to distaste. “You see that girl over there with the raven-colored hair? That’s Octavia Melody. She’s a tease if you ever met one – promised me something ‘special’, but backed out once I was ready. Rather gauche, considering I took the time to drive her all the way out to Makeout Point outside Horseshoe Bay.” Flash thought. “Hrm. Maybe this calls for a little bit of coordinated effort,” he said. “How would you feel about expanding the ranks a bit?” “Oh, great – what’s he doing here?” Octavia said under her breath. Sunset heard her; unfortunately, the other girls were having such a fun time dancing, they hadn't heard. “Something wrong, Tavi?” “Yeah, I thought I just saw that guy I told you I went on a date with. Mr. Grabbyhands?” “Hey, you’re with friends. No way in hell is he touching you or starting anything,” Sunset told her. “Yeah, I know…. Sorry, just…bad memories,” she explained. “Well, don’t worry; you’re safe with us,” Sunset promised. But as she looked at Octavia, out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw Flash. And knowing her irritating ex-boyfriend, that meant something was up, and chances were it wasn’t good. Well, as long as it doesn’t affect me, no skin off my teeth. Problem is, with my luck…. Sunset shook her head. It was going to be a new year in an hour, a new chance at a different future, one Sunset was determined to be a part of with her family. Sunny, just relax – how bad can it get? “Can I take the blindfold off?” Vinyl Scratch asked Flash two days later. “Because if this is some stupid-ass roofie thing, I swear I’m—” “No trick, Vinyl,” Flash assured her. “Trust me, this is actually for your benefit.” He then removed the blindfold. “And here we are. Welcome to The Club.” She found herself in a very nicely decorated cottage. Looking out the window, she saw a larger home, a mansion; likely this was the guest cottage. Seated around the room, with tablets, laptops and phones, were a bunch of boys, many of which she knew: Star Gazer, Noteworthy and Caramel, from Canterlot High; Flax, Tempeh and Scallywag from County High. She also recognized a few other guys from other high schools in the area: San Palomino, Horseshoe Bay, Forest Edge, Muenchinger, and even one or two from The Blanks. The fact that there were dozens of guys in the room and she was the only girl made her worried slightly. “Heh, so, you brought us live entertainment this time?” a scruffy, ugly knuckledragger of a boy she knew as Rover, asked. He’d been at Canterlot High for freshman year before being expelled; he’d since continued his education at The Blanks – assuming he did so at all. “Don’t be so gauche,” a college-preppy looking guy said; she might have chased him if her inclinations went in that direction. Either way, something said he was in charge, so she thought she’d take a listen. “She’s here to be our first female member. After all, we are an, ahem, ‘egalitarian’ group, are we not?” “Yeah, you tell, ‘em, Blueblood!” a boy she recognized as Silversteel – his dad was a recruiter for the Army if she remembered correctly; likewise, Silversteel was one of those “legacy” kind of guys and thus was in the school’s JROTC. “Okay, what’s going on?” Vinyl asked. “We have…a slight problem we need to be taken care of,” Flash said. “We need a more…delicate touch,” he told her. Meanwhile, Blueblood went over to a cabinet, revealing a decent supply of alcohol. “Care for a drink?” “You do know we’re all underage, right?” she asked him. Blueblood rolled his eyes. “My parents couldn’t care less; otherwise I wouldn’t be living here in the guest cottage. Besides, this is San Palomino – any issue can go away if you know which palms to grease and which policeman’s ‘charities’ to fund.” “In that case, Vodka and OJ,” she said with a grin. “So what’s the plan of yours?” Flash explained in vivid detail. Vinyl couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but at the same time, to call it intriguing was an understatement: it was a virtual guarantee that anyone doing so would definitely get some action at the very least. “And you’re serious about this?” she asked the moment he was finished. “We’ll give you everything you need, and it’s guaranteed to work,” Blueblood said, handing her the drink. “You told Flash you thought she was your style; care to find out?” Vinyl looked at the drink that the senior had just poured her. If it worked that well…what proof was there that her drink hadn’t been spiked? “I think I’ll take a Coke,” she said, passing it back to the older teen. “Sealed, if you don’t mind.” “Smart girl,” Blueblood said, drinking the cocktail himself to prove there had been nothing wrong with it. “Still interested?” She sat down on the couch, and as she did, Thunderlane passed her a Coke – one of the old glass bottles. “Tell me more,” she said, an intrigued look coming onto her face as she removed her shades and pulled a bottle opener out of her pocket.