In Sunset's apartment, Twilight and Spike were talking about the encounter with Tangled Minds while Sunset was in the shower. Besides the fact they came back right after facing certain death, school life seemed pretty normal for the Rainbooms. The news hit them hard when President Platinum called them the Guardians of Harmony, however deep down, they were only a band.
As time went on, Twilight made more regular trips to and from Equestria to ensure everything was in order. She even wanted to confirm that Tangled was back in his prison, however, she was restricted from entering the prison. After some time, Twilight managed to finally relax. The magic that was released during the Fall Formal had found a good place to rest, and that was in the company of the Rainbooms. Now all she had to do was make sure Sunset's birthday would be a hit.
May had come and gone, and now summer vacation was upon them. Thanks to some careful planning, the girls were finally able to book a stay at the great Camp Everfree. While the news of the booking excited the original Rainbooms, Sunset was left wondering about the prestigious camp just north of the capital city. Twilight, however, could not attend with the girls due to royal princess duties, giving Sunset a chance to spend time in Equestria instead. Of course, she made her decision to stay on Earth until the opportune time had presented itself.
The former Equestrian sighed as she allowed the hot water to encase her entire body. Her body was still sore from being shot at and the events that lead up to that moment. She still didn't understand a lot of things regarding Tangled, but now that he was where he belonged, she didn't care in the slightest way. She was alive and he was...gone.
Not dead, just gone, she thought to herself. She applied the conditioner to her hair as her mind began to wander.
Sunset smiled. Her mind did wander as she realized something very important: at the end of every major event in her time in the human world, something usually happened to her. While she didn't want to, she thought back to the night when she considered taking her own life. She would've succeeded had Rainbow Dash not intervened.
She didn't like that memory; it was a time when her life was at a low point with no way out. She was blessed, however, when Rainbow came into her unlocked apartment to see Sunset about ready to jump from her balcony. Without much of a warning, she was bombarded with the memory of that fateful night. She remembered the smell of her own tears as she wrote her makeshift will and the fear of turning to her ex for a last minute talk.
SUNSET, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! the past Rainbow Dash screamed.
Go away Dash! Let me do this so you don't have to keep your damn promise to Twilight! her past self countered.
She remembered being grabbed by the waist and yanked into her apartment. She remembered having to wrestle Rainbow Dash, kicking and punching the cyan girl just so she could complete what she wanted. She remembered cursing and the crashing of her body into several bits of furniture. She remembered screaming and damning Rainbow for interfering.
Sunset began to shake in the shower. The warm water now turning cold as ice as the memory flooded her mind. She remembered finally being pinned by the cyan girl with said girl with tears in her eyes. Her voice cracked as she cursed at Sunset. Don't you dare do this, Shimmer! Don't you damn do this to me...to all of us! I'm not allowing you to do this! Not you too!
Sunset reached for the faucet handle, shutting off the water. Rainbow's story regarding a loved one's similar brush with destiny continued to rage in her head as she fought back collapsing onto the bathroom floor. The stinging feeling of Rainbow's hand coming across her own face began to creep up on her. She hesitantly touched her cheeks, finding that she had not been slapped.
Just listen to me Sunset: you're going to find someone to make you happy. When you walk out of here tomorrow morning, you're going to change for the better, alright? You're going to be the best you can be and no one is going to make you think any different!
The former Equestrian sighed. She never liked playing that memory, but now that she did, she knew Rainbow's pain and the reason she became who she was today. A knock at the door startled her as she realized she was clenching onto a bottle of body soap. The liquid had been squeezed out and drooled all over the floor. "Sunset, are you okay?" Twilight's voice echoed.
Sunset looked around. She wasn't in a broken living room; she was safe and in her bathroom. "Uh yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, kinda dozed off for a little bit," she responded.
"Well hurry up! Your birthday present awaits you!"
Sunset smiled. "Unless you got A.K. Yearling behind that door, I think I'll take my time," she said through a chuckle.
Silence. She inched toward the door and pressed her ear against it. She heard Twilight mumbling. "So much for that surprise," she muttered.
Spike, who was also in the living room with Twilight, chuckled. "Wait until she sees who'll be at the party later," he said.
Sunset smiled. "I know, I can't believe we got Sapphire Shores to do this. I swear, Rarity has everypony on her contact list," Twilight said.
"YOU GOT SAPPHIRE SHORES TO BE AT MY PARTY?!" Sunset half cheered.
The two Equestrians laughed. "Quit eavesdropping and hurry up!"
Sunset rolled her eyes as she began drying herself off. She stretched and began dressing herself, but now before finding an itch in the middle of her back that demanded attention. Reaching behind her, she began scratching before her fingers grazed something cold.
It was cold and metal-like, and the more she touched it, the more curious she got. She wiped away her bathroom mirror and inspected herself. In the middle of her back, well in several areas on her back, were splotches of metal. The metal appeared as though she was hit with a paintball. She picked at one of the bits of metal, loosing it from its spot.
The metal clanked onto the floor. Sunset bent down and inspected the metal. Her thoughts trained back to when she got gunned down protecting Twilight. Five splotches of metal. I wonder... "Hey Twilight, do you remember how many times you heard gunfire when we entered the mayor's office?"
"Uhh, I think five times. Why?" she responded.
"No reason." She began picking at the remaining bits of metal until she held in her hand five melted bullets. She stashed them into her sink drawer before hooking her bra and blouse. She poked her head out to see Twilight sitting at her desk with her computer on. Twilight was facing Sunset with a giant blush on her face.
The former Equestrian chuckled. "So, what do you think about the Internet?" she asked.
Twilight said nothing for a moment. Finally, she mustered up the courage to speak. "Humans are disgusting," she said.
Welcome to the age of the Internet, where kids worship memes and ogres, she thought to herself. She had to admit: humans were disgusting and very disturbed. The amount of porn accessible on the Internet alone gave her more of a reason to look down on them. Then again, they were informative in how the human body worked...and how it responded to sensual images.
She didn't like talking about it.
She returned to her room to don her boots and jacket. "So, where are we going?" she called from her room.
"It's a surprise," Spike responded. "Hurry up or we'll be late."
"Yes mom," she muttered.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Twilight declared.
Sunset froze. Ever since they created a stronger bond as friends, Sunset Shimmer asked for the biggest favor in the history of favors: find her parents. In the weeks that she had been searching, Twilight had hit dead end after dead end, even with assistance from Princess Celestia. "I got a lead on your parents. There's a small village just north of the Macintosh Hills. I remember that place since I had to solve a diplomatic dispute between the dragons and the pony settlers there. The village has been known to house ponies who had been searching for an off-the-grid living environment. It is worth a look," she said.
Sunset found herself walking to the living room as she processed the information. "S-so you mean..."
"Your parents could very well be living somewhere in the south. Even if they aren't there anymore, somepony would've heard about where they would be going. Princess Celestia is helping me on this as well as somepony Starlight is looking for. I will have some more concrete information as soon as I get back."
Sunset smiled as she fought back tears. "Th-thank you Twilight. I-I really can't..."
Twilight placed her hands on Sunset. The former Equestrian was suddenly enveloped in Twilight's eyes. "You don't have to say anything. I was hoping I'd have a more solid lead on them in time for your party, but I..."
Sunset didn't give her a reason to continue as she wrapped her in a great and warm hug. She buried her head into Twilight's shoulder, earning a sympathetic reaction. She returned the hug, urging Spike to do the same. The former dragon nuzzled onto Sunset's leg in his way to comfort "Happy 25th birthday Sunset. Well, 25 at home and...how old here again?"
"17. Technically, if I made an ID here that said I'm 25, it'd be correct," she said through a chuckle.
"Please don't," Twilight said through a warming smile.
Sunset stuck her tongue out, earning a laugh from Twilight. Spike sighed. "Wait til I get back to Equestria before you two start f-"
"SPIKE!" Sunset and Twilight screamed. Both faces were burning red.
Spike chuckled. "Well, would you look at the time, let's get going. Applejack will drive us to that...place," he said.
"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Twilight asked.
"Nah, besides someone has to organize the party. Amethyst already agreed to help with the planning with Pinkie and Minuette. I'll see you tomorrow, so don't get locked in a room or anything," he joked.
The girls laughed. A knock came from her front door in the form of a jingle. "Come in!' Twilight chimed.
Applejack walked into the room with a pointed party hat custom made with a unicorn horn coming out of the base. The girls burst into laughter seeing the hat. Instead of sporting her usual white and green top with skirt, Applejack wore a red flannel shirt and vest with dark blue jeans. "Y'all ready?" she asked.
Sunset nodded. "So, where are we going anyway?" she asked.
Applejack and Twilight both eyed each other and smiled. Sunset sensed a joke between them, and before she could ask, they presented her with the first bit of her birthday present. Sunset began laughing before realizing that it was meant for her.
Ponyfeathers...
Sunset was able to see up until they dropped Spike off at the mirror, then she had no choice but to don the blindfold. Along the way, they picked up Sci-Twi and her Spike before continuing onward. While both Twilights talked in the back seat and with herself in the front with Applejack, Sunset began daydreaming. Her random daydreaming brought about a startling truth: this was her first birthday party in years.
The former Equestrian smiled. Her love for her friends was always strong through the thick and thin throughout the past year. She started the year as Canterlot's Queen Bee, but now she was a part of the system with the very people she used to torment AND held a renewed relationship with the princesses back in Equestria.
If she could measure her year in currency, Sunset Shimmer was the wealthiest girl in the world with her friends all together. None of the years of tormenting the girls compared to how she felt. She was truly blessed.
All thanks to Twilight, she thought.
Sunset hoped no one was looking at her, because she felt herself blush. She didn't dive further into her thoughts because Applejack slammed hard on the breaks. "Aw hell. Hey, Twi, how long until it starts?" Applejack called out.
A moment of silence in the back. "We still got time. What happened here; someone get a flat tire?" one Twilight asked.
"How can their tires be flat?" another, presumably the Equestrian Twilight, asked.
"They're made of rubber and filled with pressurized air. If something happened to a car's tire, they can literally blow up," Sci-Twi explained.
Twilight exclaimed in understanding. The humans in the truck (Sunset included) all laughed. Applejack sighed as she cursed under her breath. She navigated through the traffic in front of them to reach their destination, all while the two Twilights talked in the back. Not wanting to listen in on their plans of building a teleportation device, Applejack switched on her radio and hummed along with the music.
Eventually, the truck came to a sudden stop. The sound of seatbelts unbuckling (with some cursing from Twilight since she still had not gotten used to the buckle), confirming they had arrived. "Y'all keep that there blindfold on ya, alrigh'?"
Sunset nodded. Sunset was suddenly hit with a palm on her back. "You're one lucky pony girl, you know that?"
The former Equestrian chuckled. "Why RD, is my present cooler than you?"
"Actually, yeah it is," Rainbow responded.
Sunset chuckled. "Alrighty then, on three. One..."
"THREE!" Pinkie shouted as she ripped the blindfold from Sunset's head. She was suddenly blasted by the light from the Sun, and as her eyesight began to adapt, Rarity had already began scolding the party planner. Meanwhile, Rainbow was laughing and exclaiming in pain. The pain being caused by Fluttershy, who held Sci-Twi's Spike in her bag.
Finally, Sunset was able to see. She immediately recognized that she was at a movie theater in the downtown area. The water fountain played host to many teenagers whom had decided to spend their day there as well. Raven from White Tail City was there with her mom, and even waved at the fashionista upon recognizing her. Her mom, on the other hand, simply scolded her.
Sunset's eyes finally grabbed focus of what was playing. Her heart skipped a beat as she spun around to her friends, who were all wearing the custom unicorn party hats. Rainbow's hand was nearly pressed into her face, and in the clutches of her cyan grip were two tickets for the new Daring Do movie.
"I-I can't believe it! You seriously got tickets for the Daring Do movie?!" she exclaimed.
"We all have tickets too darling," Rarity said as everyone flashed her their own tickets for the movie. "Call it a favor from Madam President Platinum for today."
Sunset's heart dropped. Someone already used their Presidential Seal. Scanning her group of friends, however, revealed none of them had used it. "Ya won't believe it, but she done and helped us with this on the house. We ain't even gotta use our own President papers or nothin'," Applejack said. "Perfect timin' too since it was sold out today."
Sunset was still frozen for a moment. With speed of lightning, she lunged for the extra ticket in Rainbow's hand and began giggling much not like herself. For a moment, Twilight thought she heard her whinny. "The Daring Do movie?! I can't believe it. I heard A.K. Yearling personally supervised the filming for authenticity," Sunset said as she tried to suppress her giggles.
"Ya got that right champ!" Rainbow burst out. "A.K. Yearling proudly presents, not just another movie copied from a book, but a brand new Daring Do adventure never been read before! She's got a whole new series following Daring Do's newest adventures with more kick butt and more treasure hunting with almost no love interest."
"Personally I would think adding a love interest into the series would make the entire plot more spicy and appeal to other readers, but that's just me," Rarity quirked.
"It is only ya," Applejack mumbled.
Pinkie was jumping in her place. "Aw come on, come on! The movie's about to start!" she exclaimed.
"Um, Pinkie, the previews are only about to start. The actual movie doesn't start for another few more minutes," Fluttershy said.
Pinkie sighed before rounding up all the girls and began pushing. "Less talking, more MOVING!" she shrieked as they were all pushed past the ticket collector and security. They moved past the snack bar and immediately into the room where the movie was being played. With the girls all in the room, Pinkie halted her action before waving a small baggie of coins at them before disappearing. Checking their pockets, the girls all realized that Pinkie picked them clean.
Fluttershy was right about the previews, but that hardly mattered once the lights dimmed down. Pinkie had returned with everyone's food and drink as they all settled down. In the order of seating, there were:
Rarity.
Applejack.
Sci-Twi (Spike in the bag on her lap)
Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash (being a fan girl and wearing a safari hat worn by the character)
Pinkie Pie (with boxes filled with popcorn being passed out to everyone in the aisle)
Sunset Shimmer.
Twilight Sparkle.
Sunset smiled as she placed the box of popcorn in between herself and Twilight. As the movie progressed and laughs and cheers exchanged by everyone in the theater, Sunset couldn't help but smile throughout the movie. Her friends were all there to help her celebrate her birthday, she was close to having her parents back, and she was about to return to Equestria for a pony Pinkie Pie style party.
She reached for some popcorn in her box. Instead of grabbing the buttery treat, her hand grazed another. Looking up, her eyes locked with Twilight's, and in the dark room, they could see each other's blush. Sunset retracted her hand slightly before finding her intended target and popping the treat into her mouth. She prayed to whatever god was listening that no one else saw that.
On the opposite side of the aisle, Rarity smiled as her attention shifted from Sunset's predicament to the movie. She was going to have a chat with her later.
A chat that could bear more fruit than the last one.