7TH AVENUE, HUMANEHATTAN - 8:35 PM, SUNDAY NIGHT
Dusk had flowered down on a spring night of HuManehattan, the city, more crowded than ever before due to the change of weather. More tourists were present, and people had more reasons to enjoy the warmer climate. I wore a swell gray hoodie as I walked along the side street of Seventh Avenue, approaching near Sugarcube Corner. I'm about fifteen minutes earlier than the desired scheduled time with my meeting with Twilight. As I drew near the entrance of Sugarcube Corner, a different chime had sounded than usual as I made my entrance. Mrs. Cake looked up to the sound of the new chime, then graciously smiled at me while placing a tray-filled of spring seasonal baking goods behind the pastry glass; Mini Cassata Cakes. They were round sponge cakes, moistened with fruit juices or liqueur, layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel, chocolate or vanilla filling similar to cannoli cream, and topped with a sweet cherry.
"Why, hello there Sunset. You're looking quite glum tonight, sweetie." Mrs. Cake's smile gradually turned into a frown, as she clapped the remnants of flour off from her hands.
"Oh... It's just one of those nights." I approached towards behind the pastry glass, and marveled at the pretty looking mini cakes.
"Well, Sunset, whatever's on your mind, I'm sure you'll figure something out, you always do."
I delayed a reply, as I still gazed at the goodies. I altered the subject slightly, "You've been quite busy yourself, Mrs. Cake. These look marvelous." I looked up and smiled at her behind the counter.
"Yes! It was my family's recipe, would you like to try one?"
"I'll perhaps order two of those, and two hot green teas."
Mrs. Cake paused to grab the first mini cake from behind the pastry glass, then looked at me with puzzlement, "Two?"
"Yeah.. Twilight is coming."
"Ohhh! Okay! How magnificent, you girls came at the right time for these cakes, and they're fresh too!" Mrs. Cake continued gathering up the two cakes, setting one of each on separate paper plates, then placed both on a tray. I followed along when Mrs. Cake took the tray with her to the front register, calculating the payment total of: $0.00.
"Mrs. Cake, no, you must charge me, I feel bad enough coming here almost all the time with Lyra and Pinkie getting stuff for free."
"Shall needn't worry, you girls are my family, I'm grateful to see that you and Twilight are talking again, and I know there's hope that the rest of your other remaining friends are coming too!"
"Mrs. Cake... It's more complicated than you think.."
"Not complicated when you have Twilight with you... I am sure everything will be alright, don't stress it." Mrs. Cake sat the tray down in front of me, then turned to grab two empty mugs from a sliding cup rack behind her, and poured the corresponding mugs with freshly brewed green tea from the stainless steel air-pot. She had slowly set both hot teas on the corner edges of the tray.
"Careful, it's hot.." Mrs. Cake in a low tone.
"Thank You again, Mrs. Cake, you've been like a mother to us." I remarked with a grin.
"Oh honey, thanks for the compliment, and you girls are like daughters to me." Mrs. Cake balanced back with words. "Well, I gotta check on the set of raw bread dough in the back.. Are you going to be ok here alone for a bit?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Okay." Mrs. Cake smiled, and turned to the back kitchen.
With my big purse on my right shoulder, I slowly picked up the tray without a quiver, then carefully walked towards to our usual table ensuring that I don't spill the hot teas. I comfortably sat on the chair as I placed the full tray down on the tabletop. I rummaged through my big purse, unveiling my cell phone to check on the current time: 8:55 pm. I peered through the window outside to inspect if Twilight had arrived, which she hasn't. She still has five minutes. I stressed for her to come at nine sharp, and tardiness is not an excuse. This night was a good time to meet up with Twilight because Pinkie had an event she had to partake with Vinyl, and won't be home until eleven. Lyra had a teacher conference with other music teachers at HuManehattan Library, and won't be home until eleven as well. So time is of the essence to get down with our detailed discussion about the curses. After having gazed through the window outside, I turned to the sound of a feather flap just on my left, then appeared Twilight right before my eyes, she carried a book. I jumped in state of surprise.
"Dear mother of Celestia!" I said shockingly, "You gotta warn me next time you do that..."
"Sorry..." Twilight gave me a faint grin, and her eyes had widened to the mini cakes on the table, "Oh my... Can't get these kind of delicious treats back in Equestria..." Twilight comfortably sat on the chair the opposite of me, she laid her book on her lap, then casually dragged the plate of cake, and sliced a small piece with her plastic fork.
"How are you, Sunset.." She coaxed the piece of her cake from her fork, and ate it.
"I'm ok... We gotta make this fast, because I gotta be home at eleven."
"Why?" As Twilight appreciated the sweetness of the cake on her taste buds.
I let out a sigh, "Why do you need to know?"
"Nothing, I was just asking... My.. This cake is delicious." Twilight took a second piece of her cake and ate it.
I gazed at her for a second, then to my own plate of cake. I dragged my plate from the tray close to me, and coaxed a piece with my fork, and ate it. Twilight is indeed right. It wasn't anything I've tasted before. It was delectably divine. I took a second bite, then a third, and when I came to realize, I devoured the whole cake.
"Wow Sunset, you really can put it away." Twilight followed by a giggle.
For some odd reason, my registered sullen feelings for her, had faded away after hearing her giggles. Knowing that she's presently here with me, my old friendship of feelings came rushing in.
"It really is tasty..." I took some napkins and wiped the remnants of cream from my mouth, and took a sip of my hot green tea.
Twilight held up a thick book that entitled, 'Thirteen' on the front cover, and placed it on the table top in front of her, I let out a haunting expression due to the thickness of the book, then Twilight calmly reassured me with words, "Sunset... I assure you that we don't need to know the history of the curse, lets jump right to the possible cure." She opened the book, and turned to the penultimate chapter page, and skimmed through the center of it.
"There's a labyrinth passage here that took me a couple of days to find..." Twilight, who was still engrossed at the passage.
I leaned towards her to gander at the passage, "What does it say?"
"Hmmmm, well I'm not certain of what we need to do, so perhaps I need your assistance with this... It reads: One and only panacea to an affected bronco of this blasphemed damnation, is to treasure his or her endowment from heart and soul to never ending salvation. Only then the bronco's curse be dismantled."
I sloped back to my seat with bewilderment, resting my palm under my cheek, "...... Whaatt?... "
Twilight closed the book, and reached her hand out to mine, "Sunset... We're going to find a way to restore everything, we've always had, remember?"
I looked at her with another puzzled expression, "Ok? But what do you have in mind?... I got nothing..."
"I don't know Sunset, but what I do know is that there will be an opportune moment... A moment that you'll truly find the answer to.."
I faintly shook my head, "Twilight... I don't know where to start..."
"It's ok, just follow your heart, it will lead you to your first step of everything. When you're ready, only then the curse can be lifted, which would also restore your friendship with our other remaining friends..." Twilight took a sip of her hot green tea.
"...I'll try Twilight..." I was still at a downcast state.
Twilight ascended from her seat, walked towards near me, and held my chin up, "Hey... You're a strong filly, Sunset. You're still an equestrian. Why else would Princess Celestia choose you as her pupil from the beginning? It's because she believes in you... Even after you chose the wrong path years ago, she still held on to her faith because she knows that you have a powerful magic of love and friendship that is yet to be unleashed.... It's not all based on today, but only at the right time. Keep your hopes up, have faith, and be strong like I've always remembered you back in the days of your youth."
Twilight's words had caused my eyes to become glossy, then a teardrop rolled down my face. Twilight wiped it with her thumb, and lowered herself to be attuned with my sitting height to bestow a hug. I cried on Twilight's inner shoulder. After all these years, I finally understand why Twilight and I haven't communicated through all these years. She was testing me if I could handle the life of my own without her help. But I've failed. My friends had parted ways, and it was all myself to blame for, and the curse. That is now why Twilight, thirteen years later, finally came to visit when things are now going haywire.
We withdrew ourselves from the hug, I grabbed a couple of napkins from the napkin holder, and wiped my tears.
"Sunset, it's ok to cry... Crying is not a sign of weakness all the time, but also are signs of strength."
I sniffled with a nasally voice, "...What if I don't succeed?"
Twilight gave me a thoughtful look, and replied in confidence of words, "Then it's the risk that you have to take. You have to make it count.... No one else can do this, but you."
I nodded, and continued wiping the tears off my face. It's only a matter of time when the curse will come haunt me again, and I know what's expected of me. I'll continue to protect Lyra and Pinkie. Then through time, I'll be able to find the hole through this curse.
"Thanks Twilight..." I said in a low voice.
"Alright Sunset, so do you understand the circumstances of your mission?"
"Yes Princess Twilight.."
She held up my chin again, "...Just continue calling me Twilight..." Followed by a grin.
I faintly smiled back at her with arms folded, "Alright Twilight."
Twilight giggled back in words, "I gotta head back to Equestria, I'm being summoned to help out with the winter-wrap up in Baltimare. Spike is already over there stalling for my absence."
"Awww how's Spike doing?"
"He's still the same, hasn't aged one bit, still the same baby dragon." Twilight chuckled.
"Ah ok, well, I know you're a busy pony, but you can always visit me again."
"Will do... I will leave this book here for you when times you'll be needing it, and don't you worry. This book itself does not contain any sort of dark magic, if you're thinking of it..."
"Not at all." I replied in a standardized tone.
"I'll see you again, Sunset, love ya."
"Love ya too."
Twilight disappeared in an instant, that left remnants of magical sparks from where she stood, which dissipated at a short time. I gazed at the book of the curse that's placed on the table-top in front of me. I casually grabbed it, and flipped through the pages. There were pages that were ripped apart purposely. I'm uncertain if the pages were that important; But nevertheless, that's not going to stop me from achieving my goal. I unzipped my big purse, and hid the book. I drank the lukewarm tea to the last drop, and shouted out in the back of the kitchen, "Mrs. Cake! I'll be going now!"
Mrs. Cake appeared from the back kitchen, with her face blemished in flour, "Oh, but Twilight never came.."
"She was here, but she was awfully in a hurry that she didn't get to say hi to you, but she'll be back again soon."
"Oh ok, no problem then, well you have a good night, and be careful."
"I will."
I zipped my bag closed, flipped on my hoodie, then walked towards the exit.
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MAIN LOBBY, GRANDE COURT APARTMENTS - 10:30 PM, SAME NIGHT
As entering my apartment complex that leads to the main lobby, I hastily walked towards the elevator while rummaging through my purse to get a hold of my cell phone to check on the current time, 10:31 pm. There were no missed calls either, so I guess that was good. I pushed the button for the elevator, going up, then entered as the elevator doors opened. The doors came to a close as I pushed the second floor button. I was in a bit of a hurry because I have yet to cook a little something for Lyra and Pinkie for when they get home. As the elevator doors opened to the second floor, I ran through the apartment walking hall, towards my apartment room. As I finally approached in front of my apartment door, I took my keys out of my purse, then unlocked it. I entered my apartment room, closing the door behind me, and switched the lights on. Pinkie Pie appeared sitting on a stool by the counter-table, with a look of dismay towards me.
Pinkie folded her arms, and looked at me with lowered eyebrows, she initiated a question, "Where were you?..."
I was shocked to Pinkie's presence. She wasn't supposed to be home until eleven, my heart was beating fast, trying to think of words of response, "I was at Sugarcube corner..."
"By yourself?" Pinkie raised one of her eyebrow then continued, "Vinyl and I left early. I got here at around twenty after nine...." She looked at my purse, noticing that it's more bulkier than usual, she asked, "What do you have in your purse?"
I tried not to stammer in words, "They're a bunch of paperwork that I decided to bring with me from work..." I headed towards my bedroom, but Pinkie stood up from her stool seat, and blocked my way.
".... Fine... Can I take a look at them?"
"No."
"Why not, there just a bunch of papers anyway..."
"It's all confidential information, if I showed you, it would be violating laws of HIPAA..." I asserted.
"You've already violated the law by bringing the documents with you... I'm not that stupid, Sunset..." Pinkie disputed.
"...I said no, and that's final... Okay?!"
"Sunset, you're obviously hiding something... That ain't going to work on me." Pinkie with an increased tone.
"What do you want from me?!"
Short silence filled between Pinkie and I, then she sat back down on the stool. She gathered her intellect, and apologized, "You're right... I am sorry.. I shouldn't have asked... It's your stuff and I must respect it.. I totally know how you feel... I'd react the same way if someone tried to invade my privacy."
"As long as you understand.." With my standard tone.
Two of my books had fallen from my unzipped purse, as I quivered to gain my balance from tipping over my own scattered flip flops. Pinkie looked at the books that fell on the floor right between her and I, then picked them and examined them.
"...Your book that you use to message Twilight from the other world with... Ummm, and this other book? what is this one for?"
I chose not to answer. There was no sense at this point to hide the truth. Pinkie placed the book of the curse on the counter-top, and decided to first look through my book that I use to communicate with Twilight. She turned to the last page written, then turned a couple of pages back to read what Twilight and I have been conversing about. When she was finally done reading, she was bewildered by what she just read, and let out an expression of distress.
"Sunset... Why are you hiding this from us?..."
"I... Didn't know how to tell you girls, and I didn't want you girls to be worried."
Pinkie's tears began to drip down from her eyes, "And you met Twilight?"
"I did what I had to do, Pinkie... This curse is something we have to fix."
"You went behind our backs... Lyra and I will NEVER do that to you!"
"Pinkie, what was I gon' say?..."
"You could've just told us straight up instead of hiding it for two weeks!" She recklessly tossed the book on the counter-top, next to the book of the curse, then sneered at me, "I can't believe you, we've always trusted you because you are our only friend, but ya' know what, I'm having second thoughts... Lyra and I shouldn't have agreed moving in with you, if I knew you're that kind of person."
"Pinkie... I am still your friend, I was going to tell you at the right moment, and I didn't know how to tell you girls..."
Pinkie Pie shook her head, "What's keeping you from telling us, is it because were weak and useless without our elements of harmony and you decided to fix this on your own? Or is it because you finally found your true friend from another universe and you're thinking of abandoning me and Lyra..."
"No! That's not true, Pinkie... Please let me explain... Twilight and I met up to find ways on how me, you, and Lyra, even possibly Vinyl, to lift my curse."
"No... You do that yourself, you're on your own..." Pinkie concluded in a low voice.
Lyra casually entered the apartment room and interrupted in a worrying-low voice, "Hey girls... What's going on?... I heard you talking loudly just outside..."
Pinkie turned around and grabbed Lyra by her arm, and exited the apartment, "Let's go Lyra, Sunset is nothing but a backstabbing person." The apartment door shut in powerful force as they both stormed out of my apartment room. I followed after the girls, seeing Pinkie holding Lyra's hands as they walked rapidly towards the elevator.
"Pinkie, Lyra!" I said in a loud voice, "You can't leave, where you girls going?"
"Anywhere, but here." Pinkie replied back in an assertive tone.
When grabbing Pinkie's arm as I drew in closer to both girls, she suddenly delivered a slap to my right cheek which caused me to yelp. Lyra gawked at Pinkie, "Pinkie, what's wrong with you?!" Lyra quickly approached me and began massaging my cheek that appeared redness in color, Lyra continued in a low voice to me, "Are you ok, Sunset?"
"Yeah... I'm fine..." I said in a low voice, sniffling with teardrops.
Lyra asserted to both Pinkie and I in an increased tone, "You girls better stop this nonsense fight... I mean it.. You girls are soooo frickin' stubborn, you know that?! We have only each other... Don't you girls get that?!"
Pinkie, in a standardized tone, "Lyra, she lied to us..."
"Ok, she may have lied, but she lied for the right reasons. Not because she wanted to back stab us, I know Sunset well enough for her to do anything like that. On the other hand, our other friends, who have left us dry, that's a different story. Now doesn't that count for something? C'mon... You oughta know by now."
Silence filled between us three in the hall, Pinkie sighed heavily, and reinitialized in a calm tone, "I need fresh air..." Pinkie turned around and continued walking towards the elevator.
"Leave her be, she needs some time alone to recuperate..." Lyra had said, then took a gazing look at me, "And you, you're gon' tell me later exactly what had happened..."
With my palm still on my right cheek, I replied, "... Okay.."
"Good..." Lyra with a straight face, she held on to my arm, and we slowly walked back to our apartment room.