The Misadventures of Sunset Shimmers

by Yukito

XXIII - Sunset Shimmer's Birthday Suprise!

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Sunset Shimmer watched with bemused gazes as they watched Pinkie Pie bouncing around the table they were sitting at, squeaking and giggling as she clutched something in her hands close to her chest.

Fluttershy bit into her lettuce sandwich and shifted quickly to the left and Pinkie Pie landed besides her on the bench. "Hey guys, check it out!" she shouted as she revealed the object in her hands – a phone.

"A phone," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "That's what you're so excited about?"

"It's a new phone! I got it because my folks struck oil under our rock farm and sold it for MILLIONS!"

"I heard about that," Rarity said, "But I didn't know it was worth that much…"

Pinkie Pie sat down and twirled a lock of her hair. "Welllll, maybe not millions, but a lot! Dad got us all new phones, and we're going on vacation – my vote is for Disney World 'cause it's the 'happiest place in the world' and that's totally me, but it's a family decision so we'll see – and we're also gonna get work done on the house and-" Pinkie Pie gasped as she flicked through the apps on her phone. "GUYS! I can connect to my Facebook account during school!"

"So ya like the new phone, then?" Applejack asked with a grin.

"Yuh-huh! It's got everything! I can see my emails – so I can see who RSVPs to my parties – I can play games, it's got a calculator, a camera, it can play music and videos, I can browse the internet, I can-"

"Okay, we get it," Sunset said, almost crushing her juicebox in her grip. 'Brag about it, why don't you?'

"It's got a Gameloft app, but, nobody's perfect, I guess. Except for Weird Al. He's pretty perfect. I'd like to meet him someday. It's also got a calendar that reminds me of important birthdays coming up. Which of course is all of them!" Pinkie Pie tapped the screen to open the calendar and scrolled through it. She tilted her head as she skimmed through the months. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Rarity asked.

"I can't find Sunset's birthday on here. I thought this thing synched with my Facebook account."

"She probably jus' made it private," Applejack said with a sideways gaze towards Sunset. "Like every other detail she has on there."

Sunset sighed as she put down her drink and picked up her tomato sandwich. "If you must know, it's May the Fourth." Sunset took a bite into her sandwich, before becoming the victim to an ear-piercing shriek from the pink girl across the table from her.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!" Pinkie Pie screamed, grabbing Sunset by the shoulders and shaking her violently. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I only have one week to throw you the bestest ever surprise part-" Pinkie Pie gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. "No! Forget what I just said!"

Sunset gulped. 'Why did I open my big mouth?' "Look, I don't need a surprise party."

"Right! Why is exactly why you're not getting one!" Pinkie Pie winked to her friends, and Sunset sighed.

"I mean it…"

"So do I! Now come on, gang! We've gotta plan… something entirely unrelated!" Pinkie Pie grabbed Applejack and Rarity by their arms and pulled them over the table.

Rainbow Dash jumped up with an excited grin and followed after them. "Cool! We get to cut class!"

Fluttershy diligently packed away everybody's bags and gathered them all up. "Um, sorry, but I have to go with them. You don't mind eating alone, do you?"

Sunset waved a hand dismissively. "I'll manage," she said in a sarcastic tone. "Go waste your time with your friends."

Fluttershy bowed and then followed after her friends, leaving the cafeteria. Two minutes later, Principal Celestia approached Sunset's desk and asked, "I just saw your friends leave school in a hurry. Is something wrong?"

"They're planning me a surprise party for my birthday."

Celestia folded her arms and nodded her head. "I see… I wasn't aware that you had a birthday coming up."

"You didn't need to know. So, you alright with them just leaving like that?"

"Stopping a Pinkie Pie party has… proven to only cause 'issues' in the past. I'll just write off their absences as sick days."

"How much trouble could that hyperactive goofball cause?"

"You have no idea…" Celestia left, leaving Sunset Shimmer to her lunch.

Sunset Shimmer bit into her sandwich, before feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket. She checked it to find that it was a text from Pinkie Pie.

'Totally not related to what we're doing, but how old will you be?'

Sunset grumbled and locked her phone, but then it vibrated again.

'I have unlimited texts so I can just keep texting you until you answer~ <3''

Sunset groaned and texted her reply.

'So hypothetically, if I was going to make you a cake, would you prefer me to be subtle with the candles?'

Sunset turned her phone off and crammed it into her bag with a roar. She continued to eat her sandwich before a thought dawned on her, and she froze. "… Great. Now I'm thinking about the fact that I'll be twenty-five…"

Suddenly losing her appetite, Sunset packed away her lunch and rose from her seat, trudging out of the cafeteria as she felt her face for wrinkles. "… Maybe that spa Rarity goes to has some rejuvenative treatments…"

---

Five days passed, and the party was just about complete. The cake had been prepared and delivered to Pinkie Pie's house, the games had been picked and set up at Pinkie Pie's house, the invitations had been sent out telling the guests to go to Pinkie Pie's house, and the decorations – streamers, banners, confetti and all – had been set up… at Pinkie Pie's house.

All was good to go as Pinkie Pie completed her checklist and prepared to leave for school. "Pinkie," her father called out as she opened the door. "I've got some bad news."

"What is it?" Pinkie asked. "Are you not gonna be able to come to the party today?"

"It's not that. Well, it is… I'm afraid you can't have your friend's party here after all."

Pinkie Pie dropped her backpack and simply stared at her father.

---

"What?!" Rarity asked. "We have to move the party from your house to somewhere else… today?!"

"Sssh!" Pinkie Pie hushed as she looked around. "I'm sorry!" she whispered. "Dad said there's a problem with the boiler and we don't have any heating for a few days. We're all gonna be staying at a hotel until then."

"Well, we got space down on the farm," Applejack said. "Ah guess we could have it down there."

"But how're we gonna move everything in time?" Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly growing very excited. "Are we getting' another day off school?!"

"That'd look suspicious, though," Pinkie Pie said, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Well, we're not in all of the same classes," Fluttershy pointed out. "Maybe we could leave early and Sunset wouldn't notice?"

Everybody quickly pulled out their timetables and compared them together. "Okay, so it looks like we're all in the same class together for fourth period," Rarity noted.

"But then only Pinkie an' Sunset are together for home economics," Applejack finished. "So if the rest of us leave, we can make it by the time Pinkie brings Sunset t' the farm."

"How're you plannin' to do that, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I have my methods," Pinkie Pie replied with a wink.

"Uh, don't think I wanna know, actually…"

"Right, so we have a plan!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed. "Let's synchronise watches!" Pinkie Pie pulled out a phone. "Just so happens I have a new app for that! Teehee!"

"How will we transport everything, though?" Rarity asked. "None of us can drive."

"Sunset can," Pinkie Pie replied. Everybody gave her a silent look for several seconds. "… Oh."

"Well, I can drive," Rainbow Dash said. "Just… not legally, is all."

"Ah guess ah could ask Granny Smith ta drive us, but that would depend…"

"On what?" Rainbow asked.

"On whether or not she found her glasses this mornin'. Oh! Big Macintosh!"

"He can drive!" Rarity chimed. "Oh, but we'd be cutting into his classes…"

"Ah it's fine. Big lug's smarter than he pretends, an' ain't planning on goin' to college anyhow."

"Well, if you're sure it's alright…"

"Now, his first class is… He's with Miss Cheerilee. Ah'll go see if he's already linin' up."

---

Sunset Shimmer stared at her timer as it ticked slowly. Her cakes were almost completed; she simply needed to play the waiting game and she would be good to go.

"Keep watching for me. I'm gonna go grab some icing," Sunset said to her partner, Pinkie Pie.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie cast her full attention onto the oven, licking her lips at the delicious baked good rising inside. She felt her phone vibrating inside her pocket and gasped, ducking beneath the counter as she pulled out the device, making sure to keep it out of sight of her strict teacher.

'Disaster! We hit a flat! Keep her busy longer!'

Pinkie Pie bit her lip and looked up at the clock. It was almost time to leave, and the only way to keep Sunset from leaving was to do something drastic… Something unspeakable!

"Forgive me, delicious baked goods." Pinkie Pie turned up the oven to its maximum setting, holding back her sobs as the treats inside screamed and begged for mercy. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning the oven back down as the timer rang out.

Sunset Shimmer returned with the icing and opened the oven. "Right, let's finish this up and- Wait, what happened?!"

"Oh, hey!" Pinkie screamed, feigning surprise as the charred mess of confectionary was placed onto the counter. "How did that happen?"

"Looks to me like you had the temperature set too high," Cranky said as he looked down over the students' work. "Which means you'll have to start again…"

"But I had it on the right setting! I'm sure of it!" Sunset protested. "Besides, it's almost time to leave."

"Don't matter. My wife isn't going to be home until later tonight, so I have allllll the time in the world."

Sunset deadpanned. "You're not serious."

"Did I stutter, young lady?" Cranky turned the pages of the girls' recipe book back to the first step and pointed to emphasise his point.

With a reluctant sigh, Sunset moved the spoiled goods aside and reached for her mixing bowl. "Let's just get this over with… again."

"I'll go grab some more sugar!" Pinkie skipped along to the trolley at the front of the class, smiling a proud and devious smile at a job-well-done. She took out her phone and texted her friends the good news."

---

"Well, we should be able to make it at this rate," Applejack said as she closed her phone and glanced through her window. "Good thing we keep a spare in the back of the car."

"Good thing Big Mac was able to get out of classes," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Yes, but, are you sure that you're teachers are okay with this?"

Big Mac gulped and nodded as sweat dripped down his head. "E-Eeyup."

Applejack leaned across to Big Mac and whispered, "Ah can't believe y'all are hooked up with Miss Cheerilee."

"R-Remember, you promised not ta tell anyone if ah drove y'all, and the party goods, t' the farm."

"Ah know, ah know. Next time, try keepin' it off of school grounds. Ah don't want Apple Bloom's big becomin' a news story sensation, ya hear?"

Suddenly, the car jumped, and everybody gasped. Big Mac hit the brakes and skidded to a halt. "Everybody alright?!"

"We're fine!" Rarity reported through her breath. "I hope the cakes are okay…"

"Ah'll check, y'all wait here," Applejack said as she unfastened her belt. She climbed out of the car and walked over to the boot, spying a large pothole down the road that was clearly the cause of the jump.

"Ah'll put in a word to the mayor tomorrow," Big Mac said, startling his sister.

"Ah said ah'll check!"

"Ah know, but us Apples stick together."

Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Don't be so corny an' jus' open the boot already."

Big Macintosh opened the boot of the car, frowning as he looked inside. "… What now?"

---

Pinkie Pie bit her nails as she read Applejack's latest text.

'Cakes are ruined. Going to SCC to get more. Stall longer.'

"How?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"How what?" Sunset asked.

"HOW… much sugar do we need?" Pinkie Pie asked as she quickly put her phone away.

"Just a couple of spoonfuls," Sunset said, raising her eyebrow. "You're a baker."

"Eheh, yeeeeeeah. Just testin' ya!" Pinkie Pie grabbed the bag of sugar and brought it over to the bowl. When Sunset wasn't looking, she poured the bag's contents into the bowl. "Whoops! I'm so clumsy!"

Sunset and Cranky turned to the pink girl standing sheepishly over the ruined mess of the cake mixture. Cranky sighed. "Start again."

Sunset clenched her fist and bit her lower lip as tears started to form. "I'll put the ingredients into the bowl this time."

"Okay!" Pinkie grinned. 'My job is done anyhow!'

---

One-and-a-half hours later, Cranky looked over the completed cupcakes and nodded. "Well, they're a little messy…"

"Sorry, sir," Sunset said through gritted teeth, "But after some sugar spillages and some 'accidental' fires, I was in a bit of a hurry."

"You get a pass with these, so you can go on home. I can't hold you for much longer, anyway."

Sunset sighed and grabbed her bag with haste. "Good. I'm so gone."

"Head home safe now," Cranky said as he left the room with his briefcase.

"Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed as she also picked up her bag. "You got any plans today? I mean, besides brooding and studying quietly in your dark room."

Sunset narrowed her eyes as Pinkie shovelled some of their cupcakes into her mouth. "Is that how you see me?"

"Uh, sometimes."

"… Well, yes. Unfortunately, I don't have any big plans for tonight."

"Well, I'm headin' over to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack with some chores! It's harvest time soon and she's offered some of her family's famous cider for our help! Wanna come?"

"That sounds boring, and stupid. I'm good, thanks."

Sunset grabbed one of the cupcakes and bit into it as she walked towards the room's exit. Pinkie called out, "She's also paying well!"

Sunset stopped. "… How much?"

---

For reasons beyond her comprehension, Sunset was asked to wear a blindfold whilst Pinkie Pie escorted her towards the farmhouse. For reasons even more beyond her comprehension, Sunset agreed to it. Maybe it was just to save herself the grief of hearing the pink girl's ramblings, or maybe it was simply to avoid having to see her never-faltering smile for just a few minutes.

Regardless, she was starting to regret going along with Pinkie's games as she found the knot holding the blindfold firmly pressed to her eyes impossible to unfasten with just her left hand, her right on held firmly by Pinkie Pie as she was led down the farm's road.

"Okay, we're here!" Pinkie Pie sang.

"Does that mean I can remove this blindfold now?" Sunset asked, pulling her right hand free and reaching up before Pinkie Pie could even respond. She unfastened the knot and removed the clothe, and was assaulted by an array of bright colours that caused her to squint her eyes.

Suddenly, explosions and confetti filled the air. Sunset jumped, and her vision returned just in time for everybody gathered to shout, in unison, "SURPRISE!"

Sunset Shimmer blushed and narrowed her eyes. "I thought I said that I didn't want a party."

"Everyone should be allowed to celebrate their birthday!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking the liberty of outfitting Sunset Shimmer with a party hat.

"Besides, darling, the guests have all taken the time to be here," Rarity added, gesturing over the group that had shown up. There were Pinkie Pie's sisters, the Cakes and their twins, the Canterlot Mercenary Club, and of course, the five invasive girls themselves, her 'posse'.

"That's not my-"

"Happy Birthday, Sunset," Mrs. Cake said as she approached.

"Thank you," Sunset said quickly, before turning back to the girls. "I don't-"

"We got you a present," Mr. Cake added, handing the girl a thick, brick-like object wrapped in orange paper with stars over it. "To thank you for all your hard work, and to celebrate you turning… what was it, again?"

"Uh, eighteen," Sunset lied, grabbing the present and opening it. Her eyes widened as she saw the new Tomb Raider game inside. The game was newly-released and out of her price range, what with her other recent 'investments'. It was something that she'd been interested in playing through someday, if she ever got the chance before returning to Equestria. "T-This is… Uh, thank you," she said, sincerely, as she looked down at the twins trying to reach out towards her.

"The twins made you something, too." Mrs. Cake nudged her husband, and he gave Sunset a piece of paper with several coloured blobs filling the page. "They painted it themselves."

Sunset wanted to cringe at the sappy family before her, but the way that the twins were smiling as she accepted the painting forced her to keep her face straight. "T-Thanks…"

Applejack took liberty of Sunset's presents and said, "I'll jus' set these down with the others." She gestured to a table where many wrapped presents sat. "Fer now, how 'bout a few games t' get things started?"

Sunset narrowed her eyes once more. "I told you, I'm not-"

"Unless you're chicken," Rainbow Dash butted in, holding some darts in her hands as she grinned smugly at the other girl.

"… I know that you're trying to play me for a fool… but fine. I'll wipe that grin off your face and then I'm gone!" Sunset grabbed her set of darts and the two made their ways over to the board hanging off of a tree.

Rainbow Dash threw her three darts and scored one hundred and thirty point. "Is that all?" Sunset laughed as she stepped forwards, aiming carefully and then throwing her first dart, then her second, and then her third. One hundred and forty points.

"Is that all?" Applejack asked, stepping up with her own grin and taking possession of Rainbow's darts. "Why don't y'all try this on fer size?" Applejack threw her darts, striking a perfect one hundred and eighty points.

Sunset Shimmer stood wide-eyed, unable to grasp such accuracy. She wiped the surprise from her face and tried to return the grin. "N-No problem. I can do that." Sunset held up her first dart and aimed. Sweat ran down her brow as she realised that she couldn't make such a shot at a whim. She channelled some magic into the dart and threw it. It missed, just hitting the border of the regular twenty zone. "H-How?!"

"Looks like y'all jus' need a lil' more practice," Applejack teased. "It's all in good fun though, right?"

Sunset Shimmer absolutely refused to be outdone by the simple farmer, but she knew that she could not win through darts. So she tried another game instead, one which she was much more experienced at.

The karaoke machine that Pinkie Pie had rented proved to be her friend. She hit every note with precision, getting a perfect score, whereas Applejack struggled to keep up with the pace and pitch of her own song. Sunset enjoyed being at the top once more… that is, until Rarity stepped in and challenged her rule.

The two sang many songs, neither one letting up or showing any mercy as they hit perfect score after perfect score. Sunset didn't know when it had happened, but at some point, she was smiling. She was smiling, even though she had not yet won. She wiped the smile off of her face and pulled out her phone to check the time, when Pinkie Pie blew into a blowing horn to draw everybody's attentions.

"It's time for presents! Everybody gather round the birthday girl!"

Rarity set down her microphone and looked at Sunset expectantly. Sunset realised that all eyes were now on her and she sighed. "Hey now, least you could do is see what everyone got ya," Applejack said as she noticed the solemn look in Sunset's eyes. "C'mon now. Ya might find somethin' ya like."

'Unless it's a ticket home, I'm not interested,' Sunset thought, but she approached the table anyway.

"You know, everybody went through a lot of effort to set things up for you," Fluttershy whispered as she walked alongside Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I said you didn't have to."

"But we wanted to," Fluttershy replied.

"Why?"

"Because it's your birthday, and we wanted you to have fun."

Sunset stopped, though Fluttershy didn't seem to notice as she kept walking on.

"Sunset, dear?" Mrs. Cake called out, drawing the girl's attention. She could see Mr. Cake and the twins off in the distance. "I'm terribly sorry, but we're going to have to leave early. I want to get the twins settled in for an early naptime."

Sunset waved her off. "It's fine. You didn't have to go through the trouble of showing up, anyway."

"Oh, don't be silly. What sort of friend would I be if I hadn't shown up?"

"Friend?"

Mrs. Cake covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, unless you feel uncomfortable around an old gal like me?"

Sunset almost failed to hold in her chortle. "Uh, no. It's not that. Just didn't know you considered me one, is all."

"… You didn't deny me being old."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

Mrs. Cake laughed and, to Sunset's dismay, so did she. Mrs. Cake waved goodbye to everybody and then followed after her husband.

"Sunseeeeeet! Preseeeeeeents!"

"Pinkie Pie, please calm down!" Rarity scolded.

"But I'm so excited! I want her to see what I got her!"

Sunset Shimmer turned to the pink girl, and then approached the table with all of the presents sitting in a pile. She reached for one that was decorated with patterns of a balloons and fireworks, with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. She noticed Pinkie Pie beaming in the corner of her eye, and shifted her target to the one beside it.

Pinkie Pie's face dropped as Sunset opened the present, finding out from the label that it was from Applejack, and she found a book inside. "That there is all the family recipes that've been passed down the Apple family through the generations. A copy, o'course, but we make it a point not t' hand out our secrets lightly." Applejack winked, and added, "Use it well."

Sunset had to admit that the Apple family's treats were quite delectable, but there was a matter that confused her. "I'm not part of the Apple family, though."

"Well, us Apples have a pretty loose definition of what counts as 'family'. Ah'd say y'all qualify!"

"Well… thanks, I guess," she said, placing the book down. It was a nice present, but she wasn't supposed to enjoy it. She moved back to the pink-ribboned present, and caught Pinkie Pie beaming again. She swiftly moved towards the smaller one atop it, and Pinkie Pie bit her lip and screamed inwardly.

Sunset opened the present from Rainbow Dash and found a CD inside from one of her favourite foreign bands. "T-This is rare in this country."

"Well, my old man visits a lot of places," Rainbow Dash explained. "It wasn't cheap though! It cost a whole thousand yen!"

"That's roughly nine dollars," Susnet deadpanned.

Rainbow Dash huffed. "Why do you know exchange rates when you don't even have a passport?"

Sunset smiled at the CD, eager to listen to it later. "Thanks," she said automatically as she place it atop Applejack's book. She continued her ritual of teasing Pinkie Pie's present, before moving onto the one from Rarity, and then the others.

Rarity had made Sunset a new dress. One that showed her elegance and her intellect, but also suggested a fiery determination and a strong will. At least, that was how Rarity had described it. To Sunset, it was soft and looked lovely. Almost too lovely to wear casually.

Fluttershy's present was a trilogy of books that Sunset had expressed interest in before, and the Canterlot Mercenary Club had prepared a song for her, as well as a cape to initiate her into their club.

After the song was over, and the hazardous stage that they had performed upon collapsed under the collective weight of all of their stage props, Sunset opened Maud's present. Rock candy.

"Not sure what else I expected," Sunset muttered, everybody else nodding in agreement.

"Well then, I guess that leaves…" Pinkie Pie was practically jumping in excitement as Sunset eyed the only present left on the table. "The cake."

Pinkie Pie screamed and collapsed to her knees, Fluttershy holding her shoulders gently.

"C'mon, Sunset," Applejack said with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, okay," Sunset laughed as she approached the final present, opening it up to reveal a storm of confetti that obscured her vision. When it had vanished, Sunset was greeted to an assorted array of baked goods, with various toppings, shaped like everyone from the group.

"I made them myself!" Pinkie Pie boasted. "D'ya like them? Do ya, do ya?!"

Sunset pushed the pink girl out of her personal space. "Yes, yes, now calm down!"

Pinkie Pie was elated and jumped high into the air in celebration. Whilst she was still airborne, Maud took the liberty of rolling out the birthday cake, topped with candles in the shape of an algebraic 'x'.

Pinkie Pie landed and pulled out a box of matches to light them all. Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Yeah, I get it," she said as she shook her head.

The girls to her side all snickered at the inside joke. "Well, make a wish!" Applejack said.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, not believing in that silly superstition. But that cake did look good, so she blew out the candles anyway, if only so that she could cut into that baked good sooner.

Everybody clapped and Pinkie Pie began to cut the cake, giving the first slice to Sunset Shimmer. As she watched the other slices be handed out, she had to admit that she was impressed by how much thought had gone into this party. She bit into her slice of the cake, and then gasped silently. It was good. So good that she didn't even realise how quickly she devoured the rest of her slice.

"Well then, shall we resume where we had left off?" Rarity asked, motioning with her head towards the karaoke machine.

Sunset Shimmer scoffed. "Right. I still had to beat you, didn't I?"

After several more songs and draws between the two, the group had decided to settle this match with alternative means of competition. Charades, Nerf battles, Drawful… When it was time for the Canterlot Mercenary Club to leave for their respective curfews, things stepped up a notch.

"I never really understood blank, until I found blank," Rainbow Dash said, watching everybody with an excited and eager stare.

Rarity cringed at the severe vulgarity of her cards, whilst Sunset Shimmer questioned her morality as she picked two of her own.

The girls played until the first signs of sunset showed over the horizon. Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie offered to help Sunset carry her presents home, as they were going in the same direction anyway.

Upon arriving, Sunset took the presents from the two and thanked them for their help. "I'm glad you liked it! I think it was my bestest party yet!"

"You say that about all of them," Maud pointed out.

"It was certainly surprising," Sunset said.

"Well duh! That's the point of a surprise party!" Pinkie Pie replied.

Sunset laughed, and waved goodbye as she turned to step inside. 'That's not quite what I meant. I can't even remember the last time I've had such fun… or that anyone's gone to such efforts for me…'

---

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she closed her bedroom door behind herself, chuckling as she dropped her presents onto her bed and flicked on her laptop. "No new emails? Guess I'll have to keep poking around for a bit."

Sunset's phone buzzed, and she reached into her pocket to pull it out. It was a text from Pinkie Pie.

'BTW, sorry 4 home ec. today! I was just trying to stall u so we could get the prty rdy, hope u rn't mad :('

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and typed her reply.

'No moreso than your butchery of the English language. Really, it's fine. I had a lot of fun and'

Sunset Shimmer stopped, and read over her text. Suddenly, her smile faded. "… I can't honestly be having fun with them…"

'No moreso than your butchery of the English language.'

Sunset stared at her text for several moments, humming in thought and adjusting her seated position. "But, it was nice of them… I haven't felt like that since before I came to this world. I thought they were just trying for Twilight's sake, but they really care about me…"

'No moreso than your butchery over the English language. Thank you.'

Sunset bit her lip. "N-No… They're nice people, not like Celestia at all! I can't… I shouldn't involve them like this…" Sunset Shimmer leaned down and held her forehead, her breathing picking up. "It was wrong of me to try to use them like that, I know that now. But what if they think I was just using them again? What if they try to stop me and get hurt?"

Sunset's laptop played a sound, indicating that she had received new mail. It was from Snips.

'Hey Sunset! that compass you gave us started glowing today! wanna meet up tomorrow at Granny's Diner?'

Looking back to her phone, Sunset deleted the text-in-progress and switched off the device. She set it down on her desk and stared at it for a full minute. "… I have to pick up the pace. The longer I stay here, the more attached I'm going to get."

Hitting the button to compose a new message, Sunset typed out an email to 'DD'.

'I'll need that shipment now. Leave the goods inside the storage unit as soon as possible and then get back to me. I will wire your payment in advanced – don't screw this up.'

After sending the message, Sunset shut her laptop immediately and froze. "There's no turning back, now," she told herself, turning around and reaching under her bed. She pulled out a small box containing two gloves. She took her magic-conducting glove and put it on, grimacing as she felt the shards of glass inside dig into her skin.

She took the second glove, lined with mirror shards on the outside, and cast her gloved hand over it. Green energy coursed over the second glove, and she then swapped the two around.

Looking across the room, Sunset tested her new glove by attempting to cast a spell on the light switch. Her hand glowed, and the switch flicked off, shutting off the room's lights. She turned them back on and chuckled.

"A success! So long as the glove contains magic-conductive material, I can enchant it to connect to the wearer indirectly. Now, I only need one more object…"

Sunset put the gloves away and flicked the lights off once more, settling herself into her bed and closing her eyes. "This world, I'll soon be leaving it behind… and returning to Equestria."

Comments

[MythrilMoth]

Dad got us all new phones, and we have a new family

Wow, that must've been SOME gusher if they could afford an entire new family! (But what was wrong with the old one...?)

Why is exactly why

Which is

"Dad said there's a problem with the boiler and we don't have any heating for a few days. We're all gonna be staying at a hotel until then."

...

"If you must know, it's May the Fourth."

I uhh...I think you MIGHT need to come up with a different excuse for why they can't have the party at Pinkie's house.

"I'll go grab some more sugar!" Pinkie skipped along to the trolley at the front of the class, smiling a proud and devious smile at a job-well-done. She took out her phone and texted her friends the good news."

Stray quote mark there.

Ah don't want Apple Bloom's big becomin' a news story sensation

You MIGHT need to add a word there

When it was time for the Canterlot Mercenary Club to leave for their respective curfews, things stepped up a notch.

"I never really understood blank, until I found blank," Rainbow Dash said, watching everybody with an excited and eager stare.

OH GAWD It liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiives

"This world, I'll soon be leaving it behind… and returning to Equestria."

Oh, Sunset...

Great chapter.

[Yukito]

6869842

I have no clue where I was going with the 'new family' line ^_^;;

[Seraph_Of_Snow]

Returning to Equestria? Ha! She's going to find that she's not quite as detached as she likes to be from her friends whether she likes to call them that or not.

[jhosmer1]

6871728
Maybe you meant a new family plan for their cell phones?

[Jakomi of the Rose]

"If you must know, it's May the Fourth."

Huh... she shares my li'l brother's birthday.

[Emperor]

May the Fourth and not a single Star Wars joke that I could see? Blasphemy!

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

"It's got a Gameloft app, but, nobody's perfect, I guess. Except for Weird Al. He's pretty perfect. I'd like to meet him someday. It's also got a calendar that reminds me of important birthdays coming up. Which of course is all of them!" Pinkie Pie tapped the screen to open the calendar and scrolled through it. She tilted her head as she skimmed through the months. "Huh."

Yes, he is perfect. Have you all heard of our Lord and Savior, Weird Al?

[Enderstorm]

Except for Weird Al. He's pretty perfect. I'd like to meet him someday.

You even get to have his kids in an alternate dimension.