//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Please Point out on This Doll Where the Last Chapter Touched You // Story: Sunset Shimmer is MAD about EVERYTHING // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Please Point Out On this Doll Where the Last Chapter Touched You Starlight Glimmer stared out the train window with a worried, borderline panicking expression on her face. While the chugged onwards to the Crystal Empire in the distance, passed snow-dusted fields dotted with massive, almost cylindrical-shaped crystals that jutted up from the ground, and snow-covered mountain tops in the distance, her thoughts were far away from what was around her and more concerned about where she was going. Or rather, her thoughts focused on who she was traveling to, namely her childhood friend Sunburst. While she had been busy with her crusade against cutie marks, Sunburst had no doubt established himself as a skilled magic user and was busy inventing new spells or creating new magical items… You know… wizard stuff... ‘SLAM!’ Startled from her thoughts, Starlight turned to face the train car door which had just been opened rather violently as Sunset Shimmer stormed into the passenger car. Pinkie followed Sunset in, her head hung low with a dejected look on her face as she started at the vibrant green carpet with a swirling design of lighter shades of green. “Ooooo!”  Pinkie uttered as her expression brightened. “Piece of candy!” she said as she pulled a sticky, half-melted piece of candy off the train car floor and stuck in her mouth. Sunset let out a disgusted grunt as she jumped onto one of the beige bench seats behind Starlight and Twilight, throwing her back against the shared translucent, green divider of soft swirling glass. Next to Starlight, Twilight seemingly took no notice of the noise from the door, Sunset’s appearance, or Pinkie’s willingness to eat unwrapped candy from the floor. Twilight simply continued to look at a book with a picture of a baby bottle on the front which she floated in front of her with a purple glow. Also within the train car with its wood grain walls and baby-blue ceiling, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy had turned to stare at the new arrivals to the train car from the other side of the walkway. Rarity and Fluttershy shared a bench seat as Applejack sat next to an item about the size of a pony which was under a sheet topped with a red bow. Napping on the other side of a green divider from Applejack, one of Rainbow Dash’s ears simply twitched. “Two hours!” Sunset cried as she glared at Pinkie who trotted past Sunset’s seat. “Two hours! Pinkie, if I ever hear another song about trains again, it’ll be too soon!” Her sad and dejected look returning, Pinkie flopped down on the seat across from Starlight and Twilight and across the walkway from Rarity and Fluttershy. “But I still had 87 songs about trains to sing!” She bemoaned. Sunset let out a groan as she closed her eyes and massaged her right temple with a forehoof. “Pinkie, not everypony wants to spend their entire train trip singing about being on a train!” Pinkie’s eyes widened fearfully. “No, Sunset Shimmer! I’m not ready to live in a world where that’s true! PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME LIVE IN THAT WORLD!” she cried shrilly as she grabbed a blue gift box wrapped with a yellow bow on the seat by her and hugged it tightly. Rainbow Dash sat up and let out a yawn as she stretched. Sunset sighed, shook her head, and glanced out the window. “Well, looks like we’ll be there soon. Save the next 87 for the return trip,” she turned to glare out at the other ponies in the train. “And somepony else can be on Pinkie duty for when she starts irritating and terrifying the other passengers by singing songs non-stop while firing a cannon inside a train car!” Sunset sighed and swatted at her right ear. “I swear if I go deaf because of this trip, I’m going to come back every Sunday to Equestria just to talk angrily with no volume or pitch control at all of you.” Pinkie let out a defeated sigh and turned to slump over the division between her seat and the empty seat behind her. Rainbow Dash turned to look at the large item next to Applejack. “Um… Applejack? What is that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she pointed at the item. “What, really?” Sunset interjected. “You just now noticed that? It’s as big as a pony! How could you not see it when we got on the train?” Rainbow Dash turned towards Sunset. “Twilight was talking about how stupid the population was in the Crystal Empire or something—” Sunset closed her eyes hard and pressed a forehoof against her forehead. “Population density… She was talking about population density…” “Right, how dense the ponies of the Crystal Empire are,” Rainbow Dash said with a nod. Sunset’s head began to twitch in frustration as her eyes crossed. “That’s not what-sigh- never mind!” “Anyways, I feel asleep mid-dive onto the seat here, so there you go.” “Fine, whatever…” Sunset uttered irritably as she folded her forelegs “So AJ,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned back towards Applejack, “what’s under the sheet?” Applejack smiled. “Oh, just a little somethin’ for the young’un.” She grasped the blanket in her teeth and removed it, revealing wooden crib on rockers adorned with an apple design. Rarity and Fluttershy looked at the crib with interest as Applejack continued, “Made from genuine Sweet Apple Acres apple trees. We make ‘em for all the Apples, and anypony related to Twilight is practically family.” Applejack smiled warmly at Twilight who had set down her book and was smiling warmly back. “Yeah, it’s okay…” Rainbow Dash said as she hoovered into the walkway. “But it’s no Cloudsdale mobile!” Rainbow Dash reached down and held up a mobile of clouds, rainbows, and lightning bolts. “Ooooooo!” Pinkie Pie and Rarity said in unison. Sunset looked down at the floor and then back up at Rainbow Dash. “Do you all just… leave stuff on the floor in the hopes that it’ll come up in conversation later? That’s the second time today somepony, or dragon, had something prepared to show everypony that was completely out of sight! And why did you just leave it on the ground without putting it in a box or wrapping it or anything?!” “What?! I put it under a seat!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Why wasn’t it your seat?!” “Uh… reasons?!” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. Before Sunset could get another word in edgewise, Pinkie touched one of the arms of the mobile. “Pretty!” she said as she knocked an arm loose. It clattered as it hit the floor. Pinkie gave Rainbow Dash a sheepish smile as the pegasus lowered her eyelids and frowned at Pinkie. Sunset simply glared at Rainbow Dash, silently fuming. Smiling, Applejack said, “Well a mobile is real nice… as long as you have somethin’ to lay in so you can look at it.” With an azure glow, the apple quilt in the crib was removed as Rarity replaced it with a blanket with a purple horseshoes pattern. “Aaaand a fetching blanket to keep you warm.” Sunset shook her head. “Did everypony bring something thematically appropriate to themselves?” Pinkie smiled wide as she grabbed her blue gift box. “I brought the baby a tiny party cannon! Babies love cannons!” “Well, that won’t end well…” Sunset muttered. She turned towards Fluttershy who held a stuffed bunny that looked very much like angel. “Considering the types of gifts I’m seeing, I’m surprised you didn’t bring the baby a real live animal, Fluttershy.” “Oh, erm… I was, but Twilight said it was a bad idea to give the baby a fully-grown anaconda.” Twilight winced. “Actually, I screamed, ‘Snake! Giant snake!’ At the top of my lungs and jumped on top of your fridge, but that was the gist of my message.” “What?!” Sunset cried as she stared at Fluttershy. “You thought it was a good idea to get the baby a pet that might mistake it for food?!” “Well, ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ is awfully good at hugs, but…“ Fluttershy put on a ponderous expression for a moment. “I suppose I could have picked something smaller like a king cobra with a pretty hood or… Oh! Babies like rattles, right?” The other ponies in the train car cringed. “A stuffed bunny is a great gift!” Sunset said with a worried smile. “I think you should just stick with that for the time being!” Twilight shook her head. “I’m sure Shining Armor and Cadence will love all our gifts!” Twilight said happily as Starlight looked at Twilight with a small smile. “But I think they’re more happy we’ll be attending the baby’s Crystalling.’’ “Thanks, Twilight!” Sunset said, turning with a sarcastic smile. “I’m sure glad you’re here to drown us all with warm fuzzy feelings while repeating things over and over again to us that we already know!” Twilight turned around her seat to glare at Sunset. “Really, are you done?” “I don’t know. Are you done reminding us all of what we know we’re already doing?!” Twilight clenched down on her teeth as she placed her face inches away from Sunset’s, the two mare’s horns practically touching as they glared intensely at each other. Once again, Starlight Glimmer stared at the two mares fearfully as if sensing she could easily get caught in the crossfire of these two exchanging a heated verbal exchange… or violent magic exchange. She silently wondered if she should excuse herself to go use the bathroom… if she could find it. “HEY!” Pinkie’s thrust her head down between Twilight and Sunset as the mare gripped onto the train ceiling with suction cups. Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight all leaned back in surprise at the unexpected sight of the pink mare who wasted no time saying what was on top, or currently on the bottom, of her mind. “‘You know what I can’t wait for?!’ she asked, hoping to defuse the situation before the two alicorns in the train start yelling or shooting magic at each other and maybe get every pony here hurt,” Pinkie said with a wide, knowing smile. Sunset let out a long exhale through her nose as her expression softened and she went back to staring out the window. Starlight let out a relieved sigh, and Twilight smiled at Pinkie. Pinkie’s suction cups gave out as she fell in between Twilight and Starlight, who again recoiled away slightly in surprise. Both the mares and Sunset looked on with concern as Pinkie fell off the seat and onto to the ground with a bouncy ‘Thump!’ The train car went silent as the group collectively stared at Pinkie who laid motionless on the ground save for a single twitching back leg. Pinkie suddenly bolted upright. “I’m up!” she announced. Turning back towards Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight she smiled, “Ooh! I can't wait to see all that light and love make the Crystal Heart even more sparkly and shiny!” Twilight smiled once more. "Actually, Pinkie, the Crystal Heart is an ancient and powerful relic. Without its magic, the Crystal Empire would be lost to the Frozen North." Sunset immediately leaned over the divider, placing her head in between Twilight and Starlight’s as she glared narrowed her eyes at Twilight. “Twilight, when was it that you forgot to disseminate information to ponies without sounding like a bad infomercial where you’re reading from a cue card?!” “Welp! I tried!” Pinkie said happily before she turned and dove under her seat. “Hit the deck everypony!” she said cheerfully. Starlight let out a whimper as Fluttershy also hid under her and Rarity’s seat. Meanwhile, Rarity watched the two alicorns in concern as Applejack let out an exasperated sigh.  Applejack shook her head at the two alicorns as Rainbow Dash watched them both with a gleeful intensity. Twilight looked around the train car.  She took stock of the expressions as her eyebrows lowered and her brow furrowed, framing her eyes in anger as she turned to glare at Sunset once more. “What?!” Sunset protested as she extended a forehoof upwards. “You’ve been talking like a weird pamphlet on the Crystal Empire and whatever is going on today since this morning!  Aside from the fact that Pinkie mentioned the Crystal Heart, there’s basically no logical bridge between what she said and your response! You either decided Pinkie’s comment shows she thinks the Crystal Heart is just some pretty bauble that sits in the middle of the Empire despite the fact she helped everypony save the Empire when it came back and should know exactly what it is…” Pinkie poked her head up from under the train seat, leering at Twilight with narrowed eyes and her lips pursed into an accusatory expression. Twilight avoided Pinkie’s stare away with a slightly embarrassed expression. Sunset continued, “…Or, and possibly in addition, you heard the word ‘Crystal Heart’ and decided this was yet another opportunity to sprinkle in tidbits of the Crystal Empire into our conversations. It’s like you just read a book on a new subject and every time anypony so much as whispers anything remotely related, you use it as an opportunity to steer the conversation back to the topic so everypony knows how smart you are!” Twilight’s cheeks went from pink to red as she elected to share a very angry expression with the floor. Sunset dropped her eyelids slightly as she smirked. “I just hit the nail right on the head, didn’t I?” “… Maybe…” Twilight uttered in a soft, annoyed tone. The other ponies present all let out a series of short giggles and chuckles. Smiling, Sunset shook her head. “Twilight, we all know you’re smart… but I mean... I'm not sure what good it does me to know what the Empire's biggest export is... surprise, crystals!  But I suppose I got that going for me.” Twilight narrows her eyes as she continued to stare at the floor. "Crystals and Crystal goods!" she said indignantly. "And their largest import by volume is wheat and wheat by-products," she said with a dejected look on her face. Still smiling, Sunset rolled her eyes as everypony let out a few more chuckles and giggles. “I’ll be sure to write that down for the test, Ms. Sparkle. Thanks.” Twilight mumbled something incoherent about flash cards and bubble sheets as she sullenly raised her book back in front of her face. Sunset and Starlight also elected to look out their windows. “Aw, man!” Rainbow Dash said in a disappointed tone. “I wanted to watch an epic alicorn smackdown!” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You do realize if that happens, we’re all in the same train car, right?” “Well, yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “Front row seats!” Applejack sighed and shook her head. Rarity leaned down and peaked at Fluttershy who was still cowering. “Fluttershy, darling? I think you can come out now.” Fluttershy removed her forelegs from her eyes. “Erm, I think maybe I’ll just stay here until we’re at the Crystal Empire, thanks.” “Oh, hey,” Sunset piped up. “It stopped storming outside… In fact it looks like the snow is melting… “She looked towards Twilight, “Huh… I thought you wrote me that the storm was right outside the empire’s crystal borders when you fought Sombra.” Twilight set down her book, looking at Sunset as her face lit up. “Well actually Sunset—” Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re about to go all encyclopedia purple on me and tell me the Crystal Heart barrier has increased in size due to the love and light the Crystal Ponies have poured into it since Cadance became their princess, or something like that right?” Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “Er… Yes… That’s actually a spot-on hypothesis… How did you know?” Sunset sighed and turned towards Pinkie. “Pinkie, can you give me one of your long, drawn out ‘Well, d’uh’s?” Beaming smile on her face, Pinkie poked out her head from under her seat. “Well, d’uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!” Sunset nodded. “Thanks, Pinkie,” she turned back towards Twilight. “I just accused you of this very thing not a minute ago.” Twilight stared at Sunset with a fuming expression on her face. “I meant how did you know about the Crystal Heart energy?!” she cried irately. Fluttershy let out a distressed squeak as she covered her eyes with her forelegs, shaking as she continued to hide under her seat. Rainbow Dash’s smile increased as she stared at the two alicorns. Rarity and Applejack exchanged glances, then looked the empty space below a few seats as if wordlessly asking each other if maybe Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had the right idea. “Oh… oops,” Sunset said as she looked at Twilight sheepishly. “I’m sorry, my bad… Er… it just made logical sense from what I was seeing.” “Aww, dis!” Rainbow Dash uttered. Twilight relaxed her neck, causing her head to tilt downwards as she let out a calming sigh. Allowing her expression to soften, she looked back up at Sunset. “But did you know—” “Huh…” Sunset uttered as she turned to look out the window again. “That means the Crystalling also doubles as a way to expand the borders of the Empire because the population increased.” Starlight turned to Sunset with a look of interest. “That makes a lot of sense because the ritual is done after a pony is born in the empire!  Wow… that’s actually really clever if it was done by design!” Sunset nodded. “I know, right?” She turned to Twilight. “I’m sorry, Twilight… I didn’t mean to interrupt. You were about to tell me something?” Twilight held her sets of teeth clenched together hard. Her lips seemingly caught up in a war between a smile and angry sneer as she stared at Sunset with eyes framed by twitching eyelids. “No… never mind…” she said in a slightly strained voice. Starlight looked at Twilight in concern and cleared her throat. “You know, this Crystalling sounds pretty important…” Twilight turned towards Starlight, her smile having suddenly found the strength to conquer her sneer. Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked towards Starlight with a slightly betrayed expression. “Et tu, Starlight?!” she cried as she held her forehooves up dramatically in front of her. Starlight turned to mouth a quick ‘Sorry’ towards Sunset and turned back towards Twilight, looking at her with a hopefully expression on her face. “Er… I’d understand if you wanted to… you know… wait to do a different friendship lesson when we get back.” Sunset’s ears perked up and her eyes widened. A mischievous smile spread across her face with the speed of spilled molasses. “Are you kidding?!” Twilight replied to Starlight with a beaming smile. “This trip is perfect! Not only do I get to see the baby and take part in the ceremony that helps maintain the magic of the Crystal Empire”— Sunset’s left eye twitched but she maintained her smile as Twilight wrapped a forehoof around the back of Starlight’s neck to rest it on her shoulder. Starlight’s smile wilted slightly. —“but I’m starting my new pupil off with the most amazing friendship lesson ever!” Twilight pulled Starlight close to her. “I can’t wait!” Starlight used a forehoof to push Twilight away as she leaned away from Twilight. “Riiiiight..” she said with a smile. “Me either…” she said with a worried look as Twilight raised her book back in front of her face. Starlight turned to Spike, who was sitting across from Starlight and Twilight. Spike narrowed his eyes and motioned to Twilight with both claws before folding his arms across his chest. Sunset’s smile disappeared as she practically fell across the seat’s division and leveled a forehoof at Spike. “Where the heck did you come from?!” Twilight lowered her book and stared at Sunset, raising an eyebrow as she followed Sunset’s forehoof to who she was pointing at. “Uh… that’s Spike… He’s a baby dragon?” Twilight said in a perplexed tone. “You and Starlight were holding him as the three of you sobbed hysterically just earlier today?” “I know who it is, Twilight!” Sunset cried. “But that seat was completely occupied by Pinkie and her gift just a little bit ago!” Spike shrugged. “I just walked in and sat down while Twilight and Starlight were talking.” “Then why didn’t I notice that?!” Sunset uttered. Her eyes widened in fear as she raised her forehooves to the sides of her head. “Oh… oh no… Did that firework explosion give me a concussion?!” Starlight turned and looked at Sunset in concern. “Twilight, Sunset might be really hurt here. Maybe I should take her to a doctor when we get to the Crystal Empire.” Starlight turned towards Twilight her worried yet hopeful smile having returned. “You know… do a different friendship lesson this time around. Take care of a friend.” Twilight looked over her book, a slight pout on her face as she cast a worried glance at Sunset. “Well...” Sunset flashed Starlight a devilish grin before erasing it like an etch-a-sketch with the shake of her head. “No, it’s okay!” Sunset said. “I’d hate to be the reason you don’t reconnect with your friend, Starlight.” Starlight cringed and shot Sunset a betrayed look. Sunset continued. “Twilight’s idea is really good! I think you should talk to Sunburst.” Twilight’s face lit up. “You… you really think so?!” she asked as she turned towards Sunset. Sunset nodded as she turned towards Twilight with an earnest smile. “Sure! Starlight really should face this aspect of her past. Make amends… or force her friend to make amends.” Twilight chuckled. “Well, I’m not sure about that last part, but I’m happy you like the idea!” Twilight said as she raised her book up and continued to read. Starlight pit at her lower lip and turned towards Spike again. Spike once again wordlessly narrowed his eyes and pointed at Twilight. Starlight let out a heavy sigh. “Actually, Twilight, I am a little worried about meeting Sunburst.” Spike nodded in approval as Sunset gave Starlight an approving smirk. “Oh, trust me,” Twilight said as she scanned a few more lines from her book. “I know what it’s like to see old friends.” “Oh, Moondancer, right?” Sunset asked. Twilight lowered her book and gave Sunset an embarrassed grin. “Yep… I’ve got plenty of experience here that should help!” Sunset turned towards Starlight. “See, Starlight! Nothing to worry about! Twilight has actual life experience to help you out! Plus I’ll be there!” “Me, too!” Spike said cheerfully. Sunset smiled at Starlight who grinned sheepishly back. “There you go,” Sunset said. “We’ll all be there to help you in your time of need and also pressure your friend into behaving… with violence if necessary!”   Twilight cringed as she smiled nervously. Sunset frowned slightly. “Oh geez… I kinda wish I brought my phone or something I could play a DMX song with while we do this.”  “Uhmmm..” Twilight uttered. “I’m sure we can do this lesson without resorting to violence.” Sunset let out a disappointed sigh as she flopped dramatically in her seat. “Blerg…” she uttered as a coy smile came onto her face. Twilight produced a large scroll that unraveled down onto the floor, past Spike’s seat and past Fluttershy and Rarity’s seat. “See! I’ve broken the whole lesson down into a few easy steps to ensure this reunion goes off without a hitch!” Sunset’s eyes shot open wide as fast as she got up to her haunches. Her smile widened so fast that it almost looked like it cracked. “I stand corrected regarding one or two things I just said!” she said as she forced a jovial tone into her statement. Her smile soon shattered as any hint of mirth, forced or otherwise, went with it. “AND WHERE DID THAT SCROLL COME FROM AND WHERE DID TWILIGHT’S BOOK GO?! ALSO, WHERE THE HELL IS PINKIE PIE?!” Pinkie’s muffled voice replied. “There’s free candy in between the train cushions!” “I’M SORRY I ASKED THAT LAST QUESTION!” Sunset cried. “BUT STILL ANGRY ABOUT LOTS OF OTHER STUFF! SO, VERY, VERY, ANGRY!” Sunset’s shot directionless glare overflowing with rage into the train car. Starlight turned towards Sunset, her eyes full of concern as Sunset clenched her teeth together tightly and her chest heaved up and down. “Uh… Sunset?” Starlight began. “Could you maybe help me find the bathroom?” Sunset’s glare suddenly curled up into a smirk as her breathing slowed to something a bit more normal. “This train has six cars total, and it’s a train so your option on directions are pretty limited, but okay, sure.” Starlight’s face flushed slightly as the other occupants giggled and chuckled. Sunset leaped of her seat and walked past the ponies, some on seats, some under them, before opening the door to the train car. She stepped out into a snack car full of empty wooden shelves with a window on either wall providing light from outside and a door that led to the outside back of the train. Starlight followed and closed the door from the passenger car behind her. Starlight shot Sunset a frustrated look and began to speak in a hushed tone to match her expression. “What the hay was that all about?!” “I know, right!” Sunset said. “That train car must have weird dimensional aspects related to ponies and objects or something because…” “Not that!” Starlight said as her eyes narrowed. “Oh…” Sunset said taking note of Starlight’s expression. “Is this because I teased you because of the bathroom thing? I mean… I assumed you actually wanted to talk, otherwise I would have taken you to the bathroom instead of the empty snack car Pinkie cleared out.” Sunset rubbed her chin thoughtfully with the back of a forehoof. “Gee, now we need to figure out some excuse as to why we hung out in the snack car when there’s clearly no bathroom here…” “No! I mean… fair enough… I probably could have come up with a better excuse.” Sunset nodded. “Totally!” “But I saw that look, you knew I was trying to avoid talking to Sunburst and you just threw me back to the purple timber wolf with the extraordinary long list on how to talk to my childhood friend!” “I didn’t know about the list!” Sunset cried. “Twilight just produced that massive scroll out of nowhere!” Sunset closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smirked. “Also, as tickled as I am about that mental image, you’re mad at me because I wouldn’t let you use me as a prop for your escape plan?” Starlight cringed and looked away from Sunset. “I… I’m sorry!” “No, don’t be!” Sunset said with a smile. “I was actually really happy to see some pony try to scheme to get what they wanted!” Starlight turned towards Sunset. “You… you were?” Sunset nodded. “Yeah! If you succeed...” Sunset smiled wryly. “Which you won’t because you’re now up against me and I’m the master at this sort of thing… you’re not really hurting anyone except maybe yourself. Also, it reminds me of how much fun I used to have doing that sort of stuff,” Sunset frowned. “You know… before I decided to go all high school mob princess on everyone back where I live now. I kinda miss seeing that skill used harmlessly or for good, you know?” >-~oooooo~-< Celestia let out a heavy sigh as she trotted down a luxurious hallway with a lush red carpet and vermilion walls covered with ornate gold-framed pictures all of a white unicorn mare with flowing black hair and golden, jewel-encrusted rings around her horn. Why is everypony on the school board such a miser?! Celestia shook her head. It’s bad enough that school funding is far short of what it should be, but I can barely get any of these stuck-up ponies to donate a few bits. I think a bake sale would be more effective at this point. Stopping to shoot an irritated glance at a painting of the unicorn mare which was larger than herself, Celestia narrowed her eyes at it. And all these ponies surround themselves with such expensive frivolities on top of that! Especially Silk Stocking! She’s even been the worst regarding chipping in to help the school… Oh I wish I just knew where all that money had gone! “Mommy, mommy!” Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted as an excited-looking orange unicorn filly with fiery red and yellow hair and a matching sun cutie mark on her flank bounded up to her from down the long hallway. Sunset Shimmer’s horn glowed turquoise as a leather-bound notebook floated behind her. Celestia’s lips curled upwards slightly. “Hello, my little shimmering sunshine. Sorry that took so long.” Celestia’s smile only grew as the young unicorn rubbed her head affectionately against her legs. Celestia lowered her head almost down to the ground and nuzzled the filly. Lifting her head, she shook it. “Silk Stocking was being very…” Celesta pursed her lips and glanced upwards, as if she were checking her eyelids for the proper word to use. “… evasive. The other school board members were difficult enough, but Silk Stocking was being… strangely indirect with me.” Little Sunset Shimmer smiled up at Celestia as she floated the notebook up to Celestia’s eye level. “Well, I think I know something that will make you feel better.” Celestia took the notebook in a yellow glow. “Oh, have you been drawing, Sunset?” she asked sweetly. “No!” Sunset said cheerily. “I found where all the missing money went!” “Oh, that’s nice, Su-WHAT?!” Celestia quickly opened the notebook in front of her, her eyes poring over the contents. Sunset began to recount her recent exploits chatterbox style. “See, first I thought, ‘Gee! Silk Stocking sure has a bigger house and shinier stuff than the other unicorns we’ve met,’ and then I wondered why that was! I started looking around for her accounting information and stuff! So when I found that, I started looking at her books, but they didn’t quite add up!” “Uh-huh…” Celestia answered as she turned another page in the notebook in front of her. Red veins, the shape of lightning bolts, began to appear on her eyes as she continued to look over the pages in front of her. “So I saw this big ol’ combination safe and I wondered if there were more books in there that would help me! So I used ‘Slippery Slopes Spell of Safe Sapping’, which doesn’t really sap safes since safes don’t really have energy or anything, but I think Slippery Slopes couldn’t figure out a good ‘s’ word for ‘opening’ or ‘cracking’ and just picked something he thought was close enough! When I opened the safe—” Celestia lifted the notebook upwards and looked down at Sunset. “You broke into a locked safe?” Sunset’s smile dropped slightly as she looked at the red carpet and dragged a hoof over it a couple times. “Well… it was only locked before I used the spell and I didn’t actually break anything, so…” Celestia raised the notebook back in front of her face. “You shouldn’t just use magic to unlock stuff because you’re curious, my little shimmering sunshine,” Celestia said with all the sternness of a soaking wet towel. Celestia turned the page. “Now, you said you figured out where all the money went. Is it all accounted for here?” “Yep!” Sunset said happily. “Pages 5, 12, 31, 34, and 42!” Celestia turned a few pages and then closed the book. Sunset continued. “So that’s why Silk Stocking could afford a bigger house and all these pictures of her-Ooff…” Sunset suddenly found herself next to Celestia’s face as she was nuzzled vigorously while white feathers surrounded her. “Hehe… I knew this would make you happy!” Celestia gently put Sunset back on the ground with her magic and smiled sweetly at her. “Yes, my little shimmering sunshine. You’ve made me very happy.” She looked down the hallway, her smile giving away to a roiling ocean of pure unadulterated rage. “However, Silk Stocking has made me angry. So very, very angry.” She glanced at Sunset. “Maybe you should find another room to play in or go read while I—” “Oh, Celestia~!” A feminine voice sang out cheerfully as Silk Stocking galloped up to Celestia in Sunset. “I just decided I could spare a few hundred more bits! That should… should…” Silk Stockings face went from cheerful, to worried, to near-panic stricken drenched in glistening sweat as she caught the expression on Celestia’s face and took notice of the notebook held aloft in Celestia’s magic. “Uh… where did…” “Sunset Shimmer found this because she was curious about your accounts,” Celestia said in an even tone. “What?!” Silk Stocking said in an irate tone. “How dare she snoop through my private…” “I WOULDN'T CARE IF THIS MAGICALLY FELL OUT OF MY DAUGHTER’S FLANK!” Celestia roared as she shook the notebook angrily, her magic suddenly shifting into a brilliant orange sunstone color rather than the soft yellow it usually was. Sunset giggled. “IF IT’S TRUE, AND I REALLY DON’T SEE HOW IT CAN’T BE, I NEED TO HAVE THE PONIES WHO MAKE THE DICTIONARIES COPY ONE OF THESE RIDICULOUSLY SHOWY PORTRAITS OF YOURSELF SO THEY CAN USE A SMALL VERSION NEXT TO THE ENTRY FOR ‘IN TROUBLE’!”   Silk Stockings ears wilted as she lowered her head. Keeping her eyes on the towering alicorn in front of her, she took a few steps back. “But… but… Princess… I can… I can explain.” “Oh, good!” Celestina said with a faux smile that did nothing to hide the anger she wore like a blazing supernova on her face. “I was worried there’d be no clarification around why a new addition to your house or more portraits of yourself was worth STEALING FROM CHILDREN!” “But… but… I mean… due process and… the… the law…” “DO YOU HAVE ANY CLUE WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO RIGHT NOW?! I AM THE LAW!” Sunset smiled proudly up at her mother. Silk Stocking swallowed. “I’m going to the dungeon, aren’t I?” Celestia smiled darkly. “Oh, only until we fix our little budget issue by liquefying your assets and after you make a generous donation of most your entire estate to my school…” Sunset piped up. “And I liked some of the books I saw in your library! I want to take them home!” “And my daughter would like a few books from your library!” Silk Stocking was now on laying at her stomach, staring up at Celestia as her emerald eyes drowned in fear. She managed to glance at Sunset. “Ta… take them! They’re yours!” “Sweeeeet…” Sunset said as a grin spread across her face and she galloped off. <-~oooooo~-> “Uh… Sunset?” Starlight asked in a concerned tone. “Sunset Shimmer?” Sunset blinked a few times and shook her head as if she suddenly was coming out of a trance. She glanced upwards and rubbed her chin with the back of a forehoof. “I think I know where some of my old power tripping issues stemmed from…”   Starlight let out a sigh of relief. Sunset looked at her, her lips pursed and her brow tight. “Shoot, how long was I out for this time?” “About three minutes…” “… Whoops... Uh… Where was I?” “Something about being a mob princess and using the power of scheming for good.” “Oh, right! That’s kind of what I’m doing now!” Sunset said. She grinned mischievously at Starlight. “Or rather, I’m counter-scheming for good!” “Uh… You really think forcing me to talk to Sunburst is good?” “Of course I do! As stupid as Twilight’s method for coming up with friendship lessons may be and how stupider her method for executing is, she did come up with something I think would be a good growth experience for you after all the unspeakable evil you committed either through good, if twisted intentions, or accidently while just seeking vengeance.” Starlight winced. “You… you don’t pull your back-kicks, do you…?” Sunset shook her head. “Sorry! But I’ve sort of been where you’re standing now and I think you really should just meet this stuff head on! If you really aren’t ready to talk to Sunburst, you at least need to come clean with Twilight!” Starlight sighed heavily and looked at the floor. “But I can’t disappoint Twilight like that… Oh… I wish you understood what it’s like—” Starlight stopped her sentence dead in its tracks and stared up at Sunset with an apology already spelled out in her eyes. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to…” Sunset gave Starlight a blank look. “Were you about to remind me I had no friends growing up?” Starlight winced and looked at the ground sadly. “I wasn’t trying to!” ‘Creeeeak…’ The girls turned as Spike walked into the snack car, closing the door. “There’s my favorite PMSers.” Sunset winced with an embarrassed smile. “Hey, Spike.” Starlight just smiled. “Hi, Spike!” “So if you two don’t mind me asking, what are you doing in here?” Spike asked. He motioned towards Starlight with a claw. “I mean… even if only Starlight walked in, I’m pretty sure she’d have figured out there’s no bathroom here in the snack car, which is also the last car on the train, so…” “Sorry, Spike,” Sunset said with a smile. “Girl tal—” “We were making out!” Starlight blurted. Spike paused for a moment and started at the two mares. “Neat! Can I watch?” Sunset turned and narrowed her eyelids at Starlight. “Really? Making out?! Okay, props for coming up with an excuse on the fly that nopony is going to question the validity of, but ‘girl talk’ pretty much shuts down any males right away and then we’re not asked embarrassing questions like, ‘Are you two dating?’ or ‘Can I watch?’!” “Sorry! I panicked!” Starlight cried. Sunset sighed. “I really need to sit you down and teach you the nuances of explaining your way out of a potentially embarrassing situation instead of running headlong into one.” Spike folded his arms across his chest and smirked. “Okay… assuming this is not some elaborate way to make me believe you two weren’t making out in the empty snack car that’s also devoid of snacks, what are you two doing?” Sunset sighed as her ears flopped down around her head. She looked at Spike hopefully. “I don’t suppose you’d believe ‘girl talk’?” Spike shook her head. “Not after you just explained to Starlight that’s what she should have said!” “Dang!” Sunset exclaimed. Starlight sighed. “Sunset’s sort of forcing my hoof with the inevitability of having at least one awkward conversation today… Excluding the one we just had.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Starlight was about to remind me I grew up a friendless orphan that nopony loved.” “What?!” Starlight exclaimed. “I mean… I wasn’t… I mean… I didn’t… It sounds so mean when you put it like that!” Spike looked between the two mares as he once again wracked his brain to figure out what he should address first out of the information imparted on to him. “Uhhhh…” Sunset smiled at Starlight. “Relax, I was just teasing.” Starlight took a deep breath and the worried expression on her face lessened. “Teasing?” Spike said inquisitively. “Is that what you’re doing to Twilight?” “Huh? Oh, no. Not at all.” Sunset gave Spike a slightly shadowy smile. “I’m straight up antagonizing Sparkle because I’m kind of peeved with her and she keeps talking like she thinks everypony around her has the memory of a guppy.” “Yeah…” Spike uttered as he rubbed his head fin with a claw. “She is being a bookier book horse than usual today.” Sunset nodded. “I know, right? I mean… I want to be nicer to the girl, but every time she opens her mouth it to talk, I have this uncontrollable urge to get Twilight to shut up by using my mouth aaaaand… That came out wrong!” Spike raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you two weren’t making out in here?” Starlight’s face flushed as Sunset rolled her eyes. “No! We weren’t making out!” Sunset insisted. “Look… we’re getting off topic…” She turned towards Starlight. “You really should suck it up and talk to Sunburst or suck it up and tell Twilight you’re not ready to talk to Sunburst. I suggest the former.” “Oh, so that’s what this is all about,” Spike said. He turned towards Starlight. “I think Sunset’s right, Starlight. At the very least you’re going to need to be a lot clearer with Twilight… I don’t think she’s going to pick up just how worried you are about talking to Sunburst the way you’re going about it.” Starlight’s ears and expression wilted as she stared down at the ground. “But you saw how happy she was about this trip! I can’t just wreck things for her! She’s giving me so much!” “Then don’t disappoint her!” Sunset said. “Again, you’re going to be able to talk to Sunburst with like… a posse of friends at your side.” Starlight lifted her head slightly as she smiled at Sunset. “You… you really consider me a friend?” Sunset sighed. “Spike, Pinkie isn’t here… Could you?” Spike chuckled. “Well, d’uuuuuuuuuh!” Sunset gave Starlight a warm smile. “Of course we’re friends Starlight! We’ve both done the whole ‘no parents thing’ and did the whole dark side, Vader shtick before he turned back to the light side thing!” Starlight stared at Sunset with a slightly confused look. “So… Vader… is like… That someone you fought and—” “Right, sorry!” Sunset said as she shook her head. She glanced upwards. “Man, I need to get you guys over for like… a movie night or something.” Spike’s face let up. “Oh man, that would be off the chain!”Spike as he a pumped a fist in front of him. “Movies are awesome!” “They sure are,” Sunset agreed. She turned back to Starlight. “The point is we have a lot in common. Starlight, and I’ve been where you are now!  I know it can be hard to make amends, but believe me when I say you can’t just ignore this stuff and hope it just fixes itself! You’ve got to buckle down and face your past, and it sounds like Sunburst was a pretty big, pretty dark turning point for you.” Starlight let out another sigh and looked away. “Sunset… I’m… I’m glad we’re friends… And I wish I felt this was as easy as you make it out to be but—” Starlight slammed a hoof down in frustration. “Ooooh…” Spike’s eyes shot open as he smiled widely. Sunset rolled her eyes. “She said ‘make it out’, Spike.” “Aww… Man…” Sunset shook her head and smiled warmly at Starlight again. “It’s okay, Starlight. Just say what you’re thinking…” Starlight glanced up with an unsure expression. “You won’t… erm…” Sunset raised a forehoof in her best attempt to do a ‘scout’s honour’ sign without fingers. “I won’t cry! Promise!” “Er… I was going to say ‘get mad’.” “Oh, right… I won’t do that either.” “Okay… well… I guess I wish you knew somepony from your past you needed to uh… make amends with? I mean… just so you could better understand…” “That’s it!” Sunset exclaimed. Spike smiled as words began to spill from his word hole, “You’re going to work with Starlight to go back in time, find some random pony then harass them so you have a pony who you need to make amends with, then come back to the present to make up with them!” “Yep! That’s exactly it!” Sunset said as she turned to Spike with a smile. “Really?!” Spike asked excitedly. “No! Everything you just said was insane!” “Ah, man…” Spike uttered as he kicked at the floor. “Guess I’m one for one on the guessing game today.” Sunset looked up at Starlight. “I don’t have a crazy plan involving time travel. But I do have some pony I need to make amends with! Princess—” “Oh, right!” Spike said. “Princess Cel—” “RIGHT SPIKE!” Sunset quickly interrupted as her smile became nervous. “Princess Cadance!” Spike frowned. “That wasn’t—” “Princess Cadance is who I should talk to and no other princess! I’m surprised it took me so long to think about that with Twilight saying her name half a dozen times.” Starlight looked at Sunset in surprise. “You… you knew Princess Cadance?” “Knew her?  We sort of grew up together for a bit!” “Uh… Really?” Starlight replied. “And you… you need to make amends with her?” “Hahaha…” Sunset shook her head. >-ooooooo-< Sunset Shimmer sat at a table in a massive library, quietly reading a heavy bound book as a teenaged Cadance trotted over to her. “Hey, Sunset!” Cadance greeted cheerfully. “Whatcha rea—” Sunset lowered her book and shot a death glare at Cadance. “MOM LOVES ME MORE THAN YOU!” she cried before raising the book in front of her face. Cadance’s eyes widened in surprise as a hurt expression made its way onto her face. “Oh… okay…” “Happy birthday, by the way,” Sunset said dryly as she continued to glower into the book she was reading. With a turquoise glow, a red box with a yellow ribbon floated onto the table in front of Cadance. “Here,” Sunset added in an icy tone. Cadance looked at the box skeptically. “Uh… Thanks? Er… do you want me to…” “Oh sweet mother of me, just open it!” Cadance leaned back and pursed her lips as she stared somewhat frightfully at Sunset who held her book in front of her and then the box. With a sky blue glow, she undid the ribbon. Putting a foreleg in front of her face as the box unfolded. For a second, Cadance just stood with her foreleg in place. Slowly, she lowered it and glanced at her gift, a neatly folded pile of black cloth. With a quizzical expression on her face, Cadance used her magic to inspect the pile, revealing it to be a black body suit apparently tailed to her unusually large and thin dimensions for a pony. “It’s a black… Catsuit? Like… for a spy? Uh… Thanks!” Cadance said with a smile. “But why—” Sunset lowered her book and shot eyes set to ‘murder with my heat vision that I hope becomes a thing in the next second or two’ at Cadance. “IT’S SO LOOKING AT YOU IS EASIER ON MY EYES AND YOU CAN BETTER COMMIT YOUR CRIMES AGAINST ME, YOU LIFE-THIEVING, PINK-COATED, PASTEL PAINT STORE DISASTER!” <-ooooooo-> Starlight and Spike stared at Sunset, their jaws hanging open. “Yikes…” Spike said. “Just ‘yikes’.” “Yep!” Sunset said with a smile. “The worst part is Cadance was also an orphan… I mean… I think she was raised by earth ponies or something, but still… No parents.” Sunset frowned. “I really should know more about this considering we sort of shared a castle and are adopted family…” She looked up at Spike and Starlight. “If I owe anypony an apology for years of being horrible to them, it’s Cadance!” “Wow, okay…” Starlight said. “But who was your mo…” Starlight’s eyes shot open as realization hit her. “No!” she exclaimed. “You mean you were adopted by Princess Cel—” “SO!” Sunset interrupted with a nervous smile. “I’ll talk to Cadance and then you’ll talk to Sunburst and we can then both put our sordid pasts behind us forever with no lingering hangups to speak of at all!” she said with a smile that quickly turned devilish. “Or are you ready to disappoint both Twilight and me?” Starlight narrowed her eyes. “Oh… you are good.” Sunset’s mouth opened into a massive Cheshire cat grin. “The best.” “Wow, Sunset!” Spike said. “Great idea! You two are going to have some sort of double reunion, old friend meetup time, or rather single adoptive cousin meetup and single old friend meetup time… thing!” Sunset nodded. “And both reunions will probably be just as awkward as that sentence!” she said happily. “Yay…” Starlight said unenthusiastically with an expression to match. She looked at Sunset and Spike with an embarrassed smile. “Now… er… could one of you please help me find the bathroom?”