"And I have to wear a leash, why?" Spike asked.
Twilight answered with a sheepish look. "Well, the canines in this world have to wear them for the safety of themselves and other humans in the area," she said. "Those motorized carriages could really hurt you if you run out into the street without a harness."
Sunset coughed. "They're cars, Twilight," she corrected.
Spike chuckled. "The terminology for this world is very different. They look like carriages," Twilight mentioned.
"Well, the humans here did have carriages, but the technology and science that was left to imagination became reality so they called them cars. It's also for the sake of shortening the word," Sunset said.
Twilight began to mouth cars and carriages to make sense of the terms. Spike sighed as he looked at the leash in Sunset's hand. "Can I not wear it? It looks humiliating."
"Sorry Spike. You may be a dragon back in Equestria, but you're a dog here and even dogs have to respect the laws," Sunset said with a smirk on her face.
Spike gave an unamused look as he ran up to the air conditioner and jumped onto the window sill. He gestured outside to see a man giving his German Sheppard some room to conduct his business on the grass. Sunset grimaced as Twilight gasped. "That's so unsanitary! That cannot be right at all! Aren't there bathrooms for dogs here?"
Sunset nodded. "Yes, and it's called 'whatever-patch-of-grass-I-happen-to-see'. Dogs don't care, and that guy" Sunset made a gagging sound. "He never cleans up. The managers have a no pets policy because that guy doesn't do anything."
Sunset returned her gaze to the man and his dog as they walked away, leaving the brown mess for everyone to see. A red pickup truck drove by and Sunset waved at the driver. Twilight got a closer look to see it was Applejack, and in the bed of her truck was a box filled with Macintosh apples.
Applejack grabbed the box and disappeared into the apartment building. Before Twilight could ask, Sunset was already at the door counting the coins in her hand. Sunset sighed as she picked out the golden bits from actual dollar coins that were in mint. Twilight chuckled at Sunset's mix up.
Sunset opened the door and there was Applejack with the box. Inside was a six pack of fresh apple cider along with the apples. "Here ya go Sunset. Brand new batch from just this mornin'," she said.
"Thanks Applejack. You wanna come in for a little bit?" she asked as they traded the money for the crate.
"Ah wanna, but ah can't. Granny Smith needs some new tools fer the farm and Big Mac is off fer some reason," AJ said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "'Sides, ain't today yer little--"
Sunset clamped a hand over Applejack's mouth. Twilight and Spike stood by with confused looks on their faces. The ruby-haired girl leaned close for a whisper. "I told you it isn't like that," she said.
Applejack smiled as she removed Sunset's hand from her mouth. "Ya know ah'm teasin', right?"
Sunset chuckled. "Y'all have fun and ah'll see ya on Monday."
"Alright, later AJ." The door closed. Sunset turned with the crate in her hands to meet Twilight and Spike's curious looks. "What?"
Spike was close to a snicker. "What isn't like that?" he asked.
Sunset chuckled as she put the crate in the kitchen. "Oh it's just a little joke between the girls about me. I think it has something to do with the fact I haven't had a date since I broke up with Flash," she said.
Twilight narrowed her eyes. Not the whole truth, but it's something, she thought. "How is that a joke?"
Sunset shrugged. "It doesn't even matter. Yeah I haven't been on a date in about two years but who cares? It's my choice about whether or not I should go out on dates."
Twilight laughed. "You sound like me back in Equestria. When I came back the first time, the girls pestered me for weeks about that new guard in the Crystal Empire. I know that feeling," she said.
Spike chuckled. "You know how long it took them to forget the whole thing? Twilight was about to use a memory spell on them."
"SPIKE!"
"I mean, yeah it was getting annoying that they were asking me, but you should've seen what our Rarity was about to do. She almost booked a dinner reservation for Twilight and Flash in Manehattan. Would've worked too if Fluttershy didn't freak out and drop the brochures in front of the library," he said.
Sunset was close to laughter while Twilight scolded the little puppy. "Coming from the dragon who continues to pine after a certain somepony who has gone about 2 years without even mentioning a date," she said.
The puppy-dragon shrugged. "You should've seen her on Hearts and Hooves Day. Why, Scootaloo grabbed ahold of the love poison and--"
"SPIKE!"
Spike ran off before Twilight could catch him. He ran into Sunset's bedroom and nudged the door closed. Twilight ran to the door, leaving Sunset in the living room laughing. "Spike, c'mon and open the door!"
Silence from the bedroom. "Spike, we're going to leave for the museum so c'mon. It'll be fun," Twilight said.
"'Fun' and 'Museum' usually never go together in the same sentence," he retorted.
He's got a point, Sunset said.
"Spike!" Twilight called out. "Spike c'mon and get out here!"
"Look, I'm not feeling well and I doubt you'd want to hear me whining throughout the entire trip," he said. "Besides, you're more interested in learning about humans than I am."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Just come on out and we'll discuss it like we always do. Remember the Maretoma Museum in Canterlot? You weren't interested in that at all, but just a few minutes into the trip and you didn't want to leave."
"That was different!"
Sunset chucked. All of a sudden, her phone started ringing. "Hey Rarity."
A loud bang erupted from the bedroom door. Twilight ran to open the door to help Spike. "What do you mean you can't? You sounded so sure in class today."
Twilight came back rubbing Spike's head. The dragon-turned-puppy whimpered softly as he accepting Twilight's help. "No, no, it won't be a problem...well I could look into it since I'm heading over there now with Twilight and Spike...no it isn't like that!"
Spike chuckled. "Oh, and Spike says hi...okay Rare, if you say so. See ya later." Sunset hung up. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"
Spike nodded. "Just hit my head on the door. I'll be fine."
Sunset inspected Spike up close. "That was a really loud bang. Can you see very well? Do you feel dizzy?"
It took Spike a moment. "Uhh, yeah a little bit."
Sunset nodded. "Okay. I think Fluttershy would pummel me if I took you with us in your condition. If you're unsure about going, I can ask if Fluttershy can look after you. If you guys are going to be here for the weekend, then there shouldn't be a problem."
Spike sighed. "I guess, if that's alright with you girls. Sorry about that."
Sunset smiled and pet Spike's head.
An hour and a half later (and a call to Domino's), Sunset and Twilight left Spike and Fluttershy at the apartment. The two were cruising through downtown while listening to Vinyl's newest track on her Canterlot High radio show.
Sunset had no choice but laugh as Twilight continued to wonder how Vinyl was inside the tiny black box. After explaining how Vinyl was broadcasting from the school, the fun in seeing Twilight confused had ended.
And in other news, another magical threat had been subdued. King K. was apprehended last night after tangling with our magical protectors in a daring effort to keep the April Fools Day Parade from crumbling. City officials have little to go on, however King K., alter alias Free Shipping from the Equis Postal Service, had disappeared according to Missing Persons two weeks ago. We will stay on this story. Vinyl?
A yawn from the DJ erupted from the radio. Anyhoo, happy Friday little Wondercolts! This weekend there some radical parties going on, one hosted by yours truly! Head on over to the Cloudsdale Center Park for an awesome night of fun and awesome music!
The other host cautiously agreed. Thank you Vinyl. The co-host cleared her throat. The Ponyville Museum of Natural History is hosting a special two-for-one event the whole weekend. Come join me as we are introduced to America: Rising Against the World Empire. See spectacular artifacts dating back to the War of 1775 all the way to its involvement against the Third Reich in 1941. Admission is $15 per person.
Twilight smiled. "That's what we're going to, right?"
Sunset nodded. "I've read a bit ahead so I'll give you some insight once we get there."
A few minutes later, the two arrived to the museum to find the entrance packed. The two Equestrians shrugged and continued on with very little to keep them at bay.
As the tours went on, it became a learning experience for both Twilight and Sunset as they walked through the history of the country beyond Equis' borders. Twilight lagged behind the tour group to catch one painting that she found interesting: Washington Crossing the Delaware. Sunset stopped and attempted to pull Twilight along.
"Wait, who is that?" Twilight asked.
"That" Sunset responded "is George Washington, the first-"
"King? Emperor? Dictator?" Twilight interjected.
Sunset laughed. "President. He was a general during the American Revolutionary War. Never told a lie, legend has it. He became our first president at a time when the country was just getting its feet. He was elected president by his peers and served 8 years with his country. If it wasn't for his work during the war, the mainland would still be under English control."
Twilight eyed the painting again. "A general? Wow."
Sunset smiled. "The war was between the mainland colonies and the British Empire under King George III. He instilled heavy taxes on the colonists to pay for a past war and forced many horrible laws upon them."
"Tha-that's terrible. A true ruler would never instill such grievances on their own population like that! What did he do anyway? Burn crops? Instilled a harsh winter during harvest? Make them eat meat?"
"Well, no. Remember that humans don't have control over the weather like in Equestria," Sunset advised. "King George put taxes on paper and tea as well as completely close down ports. He put soldiers in the homes of his people to spy on them and everything. It was all because he had to pay for a war he couldn't pay on his own."
Twilight looked up at the painting. "One day, the people had enough and some demanded revolution. Great names like Thomas Jefferson, James Addams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock came together and planned probably the greatest fu--"
"Excuse me?"
Sunset and Twilight looked up to see the tour guide stopped in front of her. "If you wouldn't mind, there are children here, and the use of foul language while glossing over the history of the Patriots is prohibited," she said.
The ruby-haired girl chuckled. "Sorry."
The tour guide smiled as she turned to her group. "As I was saying, it all came to a rest in the year 1775 when..."
Sunset leaned in for a whisper. "They fight and nearly lose."
Twilight smiled as the continued with the tour group. As the eras changed, so did the tone of the tour. Twilight noticed that the tour guide spoke carefully about the Civil War of 1861, especially around the children. The information was transferred from the tour guide's mouth to Twilight's notebook as she continued to jot down her knowledge of human history.
Midway through the tour, the fun kicked off. As the group closed in on the bust of 1929, a woman with jet-black hair passed by them with a very familiar talisman around her neck. As the woman approached one of the photos of the Empire State Building in New York, Sunset got a ping of magical energy in the room. The woman made a move to the photo and placed a hand on it.
Sunset, unfortunately, reacted too late. The woman pressed her hand on the photo, and Sunset felt the sensation of falling. The museum suddenly disappeared as the whole tour group began falling hundreds of stories from the top of the famous New York landmark.
As the girls fell, the screams of the men, women and children immediately filled their hearts. The woman in black was also falling, but she had the photo still in her contact as she did. She wasn't screaming like the others.
Twilight analyzed the situation she was in. The human opened a window in time by using a piece of frozen time--the photo---recreating the moment. She figured out the spell that was used and immediately reached into Sunset's jacket.
The ruby-haired girl screeched as Twilight's hand groped for the device she studied briefly. The device human Twilight created was used mainly by Sunset to capture magic from humans using it for harm or personal gain. With an understanding look from her friend, Twilight opened the device and the magic the dark-haired woman had was slowly being drained from her body.
Sunset looked down to see the asphalt getting closer. Bracing for impact, Sunset squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to Luna it was just a dream.
Well, if it was a dream, it would be worse.
Finally, Sunset made impact, but she wasn't dead. She opened her eyes to see her former lab partner on top of her in a dazed state. She pushed him off of her to inspect the damage. Twilight was standing over the dark-haired woman as she struggled to get to her feet. "Twilight, what was that?"
Twilight tossed the device to her friend. "The Gray Window Spell, created in the year 155 by Princess Celestia, creates a sort of bubble of time energy that allows the caster the ability to travel through time. The spell only works if there is a physical artifact to be used as a beacon, like an old hat or a photograph," she said as she brushed her now wind-blown hair back. "It's very interesting how it works."
Sunset inspected the device. "A-and the magic?"
"Safely locked away. The talisman will be going back with me since it continues to generate magic. It's best that its off the streets before something happens like this again." Twilight safely took the necklace off of the woman. "This is unusual. Apart from the spell, I don't recognize this magic."
Sunset stole a look at the talisman. The pedant was circular in shape with a light green color. A giant 8-pointed star floated above the center of the pendant. Twilight pocketed the necklace before returning to the rest of the group. While she checked on the humans who were unfortunate enough to be caught in the magical whirlwind, Sunset scanned the area around her.
Aside from the humans who had their cellphones out, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The girl wasn't even a part of the group. As her eyes scanned the room, her eyes set on one human who had their back turned to her. The human was on their cellphone, and what caught her attention was the fact that the human had no interest in what was going on.
Sunset was about to confront the human when Twilight stepped in her field of view. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern in her voice.
The ruby-haired girl nodded. "A little shaken up but I'm alright." She paused. "That was some serious quick thinking there."
Twilight smiled. "When it comes to preventing the end of Equestria, one tends to hone in on various survival skills," she said. "Gotta be ready for anything."
Sunset flashed a grin. "Whether its friendship or war, you seem to be the master. You've got to be kidding me."
The lavender princess cracked a smile. "Well, war is something I'd not like to be a master of. I almost started a war with Yakyakistan," she said.
Sunny laughed. "Welcome to the club. Let me tell you: yaks don't like to be milked."
The girls shared in their laughter as everyone got back on their feet. Dusting themselves off, the group resumed their tour. As they neared the end of the hallway, Sunset's eyes found the human ignoring them now giving her his full attention. The man spoke into his phone as he walked away, giving Sunset one clear thought:
Someone is interested in us.
"...and then it stopped. Two cities were decimated and ended the war for the Americans," Twilight recited proudly to Spike and Fluttershy.
Spike whistled. "Humans have that power to split atoms? Geez Twilight, looks like you got some competition," he remarked.
Fluttershy sighed. "I really wish they didn't do that. I would've just talked to them instead," she whispered. "Those poor people."
A noise from the kitchen startled the girls. "Flutters, are you sure you can't stay?"
"Oh I'm positive. Someone has to lull the animals at shelter to sleep for the night, and Flash really isn't a model animal helper," she said. "He says 'hi' by the way."
Spike chuckled, earning a glare from Twilight. Sunset walked out of the kitchen with a Tupperware container with food. "Well, at least take this for dinner tonight. It's the least I could do since I asked you to watch Spike."
Fluttershy accepted the container. "Oh, and by the way, I fixed your KD."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "My-my what?"
"You know. That KD thing in your game. I fixed it," she said.
Sunset ran to her living room TV and turned on her Xbox One. With a few clicks, she was staring at her Kill/Death ratio in Call of Duty. The numbers were higher than any she had gotten before, even to the point where she was given several clan invites. She turned to Fluttershy, whom was busy brushing Spike's head.
Sunset and Twilight exchanged looks before staring back onto her screen. "Yo-you got a 4.00 K/D across the board in 5 matches and top kills?? Ho-how di-did you do that?!"
Fluttershy shrugged. "Rainbow teaches me how to play, but I'm never that good at it."
Sunset facepalmed. "I-I uh, oh wow. Yeah Rainbow plays, but you do too? That's incredible!"
Twilight looked over Sunset's shoulder to eye the screen. "What is that?"
"It's just a game I play when I get bored sometimes. It's a first person shooter game that "mimics" warfare on a simple level. It's pretty fun if you like being yelled at by kids and being accused of being a fake gamer."
Twilight nodded slowly. Fluttershy cleared her throat and slowly got to her feet. "Well, I gotta get going. I'll see you on Monday Sunset," she said.
The ruby-haired girl only nodded. "Right, and I'll get that paper sent to you by tonight. Are you sure you're good?"
Fluttershy smiled. "Our project on animal breeding rituals may be unorthodox, but it could be worse."
Twilight's face immediately burned a bright shade of red. "I mean, humans have it pretty simple since all they have to do is..."
"Okay, I think that's enough with that," shouted a near-flustered Twilight. "While I'm sure the paper is a fascinating read, I've already had the Talk ever since I moved up in Celestia's School and I don't want to relive that moment at all."
Fluttershy turned red. "O-oh ri-right I uh, that's right I forgot that yo-your also a pony." She chuckled nervously. She grabbed the contained and made a bee-line to the door. "Bye girls!"
The door slammed shut as Fluttershy booked it for her car. Twilight and Spike slowly turned to an embarrassed Sunset turning off her game. She chuckled nervously before gaining the courage to speak. "You guys hungry?"