• Published 10th Apr 2014
  • 9,002 Views, 549 Comments

Seven Days in Sunny June, Book I - Shinzakura



A tale in the Berylverse. Meanwhile, a reality away, Sunset Shimmer's life has changed since she met Princess Twilight...and it's about to change even more, whether she likes it or not.

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January 10: Love is the Drug

“I just can’t do this,” Vinyl moaned, hunched over her gear.

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t do this?” another person at a set of turntables asked. “We’re getting paid big bucks to play this gig, girl – can’t walk out on me now!”

“Oh, sorry, Decks. I had my mind on something else,” the deejay lied. “I…have a date tomorrow night, and it’s with a real classy girl. I’m…I’m just nervous.”

“Hey, I can dig,” the man said. “Know how you told me that your mom harshes on you liking girls, so totally understandable. But if you think you ‘can’t do this’ because you’re walking out on her – only life you’re ruining is your own, Vinyl.”

“No, it’s not that,” she replied, almost as though she wanted to confess.

“Well, then what is it?”

“I….” She forced composure onto herself. “I guess I just have butterflies about the whole thing. I’ve gone out with other girls before, but I’ve never done it publicly. If Mom finds out, I’m doomed.”

“Yes, I got faith in you, girl. If there’s any gal that can win her heart’s desire, it’s you, Vinyl Scratch!”

“Hey, I’m working right now,” Vinyl said, sliding on her headphones. “Work titles, Decks…or should I say, Wax Stax?”

He grinned as he slipped his own headset on. “You got it, DJ P0N-3!”

“How do I look?” Twilight asked. She was wearing a simple lavender blouse, with a purple skirt that had a white-and-magenta star on it, surrounded by smaller white stars.

“Twily? What is it about you and poodle skirts?” Octavia asked. She herself had on a soft gray turtleneck blouse, with a charcoal skirt.

“Hey, at least I don’t look like a living blur. Trying to look like a pile of ash?”

“Girls, stop fighting,” Ballad said, trying not to laugh too much.

“Sorry, Mom,” Octavia replied. “Just…I know you and Dad are worried about this.”

Ballad waved the issue off with her hand. “Your father’s just remembering when he and I first met. Your grandfather did not take well to him dating me.”

“Oh? I didn’t know that, Aunt Ballad,” Twilight voiced, curious.

“Yeah,” Ballad giggled. “Dad spent half of mine and Evening’s first date trying to convince him that he should date Rondeau because they both play the violin!”

“Really?” Octavia did not know this episode of her parents’ earlier years.

“Yes, and your aunt was seriously thinking about it. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed – and by that I mean I threatened my sister – and Evening and I went off on our first date. The rest, obviously, is the spotty history of my family. So let that be a lesson for you girls: If either of your fathers tries to set you up with someone else, just…don’t let it happen.”

“Hey, I’m nervous enough about my date as is,” Twilight replied.

“You’ll be fine, Twily,” Ballad told her. “So, find everything you girls need for your dates tomorrow? Don’t need to stop anywhere else?”

“No, I think we’re fine,” Twilight said, and her cousin nodded in agreement.

“Well, there is the Treasured Moments store down at the other end of the mall—”

“MOM!” Octavia said, horrified as she turned a shade of crimson.

“AUNT BALLAD!” Twilight let loose at the same time, equally mortified by her aunt’s teasing.

“Girls, I’m shocked, really. You’re old enough to….” As Ballad saw the completely abashed look on the teens’ faces, she smiled. “Honestly, I’m glad. Too many kids your age are doing things they regret, and I’m glad you two aren’t. C’mon, go ahead and change back, then we’ll go pay for these and then go get some dinner. Red Robin’s okay with you two?”

“Works for me,” Twilight replied. “But Aunt Ballad? Thanks for taking me shopping today.”

“You’re welcome as always, Twily. Besides, it’s bad enough I don’t spend enough time with Tavi; I spend even less around you, dear. And your mother did want to come tonight, but unfortunately she had a last-minute meeting, so I was more than happy to fill in, especially since Evening and I have a flight to catch early tomorrow. Of course, it also means we won’t be here for your special moments, girls.”

“That’s okay, Mom,” Octavia replied. “I’ll just call you with the results on Sunday. I’ll have to spill the beans with Sunny anyway. Speaking of which, I wonder why no one’s asked her out this week.”

“Actually, she told me she’s glad no one’s asked her out as of late,” Twilight replied. “She said she had she was helping a friend with a school project for the next few days and is too busy for anything else. She didn’t even get home until after midnight last night. Mom and Dad weren’t happy about that, but apparently she got that straightened out with them, though I don’t know what it’s about.”

“Yeah, no kidding – weird of her to keep secrets like that,” Octavia mused.

“I’m not worried. I trust Sunny totally. Besides, you know her – if it was really important, she’d tell us. Although,” Twilight wondered, “I am curious as to what’s got her attention as of late.”

“This is stupid!” Sunset shouted, poring over various yearbooks.

“Do you have a better idea?” Luna asked testily, setting aside another yearbook and opening up one from Mountain View HS.

“This is stupid!” Sunset repeated with emphasis, wondering if it had been the right thing to go to the teachers about her concerns. What it had led to was an agreement to work with Vice Principal Luna over the next few days on trying figure out who the boys were – which in turn seemed to involve corralling every yearbook for the past four years from the local high schools.

Luna looked at her. “No, it’s not. When I was your age I did some stupid things: stuff I’m not proud of, and that I’ve pretty much avoided telling my family because…well, let’s just say that when my sister broke my arm and I lived in utter fear of Tia for a week? It wasn’t entirely undeserved.”

Sunset did a double-take. “Principal Celestia broke your arm?”


Celestia came in with pizza and sodas; she wanted a beer, but the three of them were in her office – and it was already going to be problematic enough with Sunset here after hours; thankfully Velvet had agreed to Sunset’s “evening project” this week. “Could we not fixate on that, Lulu? I’ve already apologized for it more than enough times,” Celestia said as she set the pizzas down. “Here we go: one large Hawaiian, one Supreme Meat Special, and one Veggie Delite.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, reaching for a slice of the meat-encrusted pizza. As both of them looked at her oddly, she said, “I hope you didn’t order the Veggie for me.”

“Well, actually it was for me,” Celestia said, “but…isn’t your species based on horses?”

“Yeah, but when I came here, my body basically transformed into a completely human form…well, mostly. Plus I’ve been here for four years now – it’s really hard to avoid meat for that long, regardless of what vegans claim. Yeah, the princess was able to do so when she came over, but she was here for what, three days?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not relive that whole experience. I had to file a lot of paperwork to explain the ‘exchange student’ that was here for a few days – that seems to be the part that a lot of people remember, even if they don’t recall her name or face.”

“I’m glad, too,” Sunset said just before she took a bite of the slice. “Living with Twily now…she’s very different than Princess Twilight was, and I’d really not rather my sister go through that.” At Sunset’s mention of “sister”, Luna gave her own sibling a brief raised eyebrow, but Celestia merely nodded slightly in response, saying everything without voicing anything.

“I see. Well, how much progress have we made?” Celestia asked, focusing everything back on topic.

Luna, having taken a bite of her own slice, muttered, “Not much. Frankly, I’d feel much more comfortable if we handed this off to the authorities. It’s not like we’re some sort of all-powerful rulers who can do anything; we’re just school administrators. This is something that’s gone way above our paygrade.”

“If we don’t find a link soon, we may just have to,” Celestia replied, reaching into a desk drawer and pulling out what looked like minutes from a conference. “I had a meeting earlier today with Superintendent Waddle and several principals from the other high schools and junior highs in the area. They’re already aware of the situation, and right now it’s contained, but they’re worried that it’s only a matter of time before this blows up in the press.” Celestia paused for a second before adding, “Luna, do you know Principal Thunderhooves?”

“Yeah, he’s in charge over at Mountain View, right? Won some kind of award from the Native American Society for being an inspiration for success in education?”

“Yeah, well, his daughter Strongheart’s a freshman there. And according to him, she was involved in the whole… ‘event’. He was in tears, because his daughter’s in another video that these people made – a very graphic video. He’s pushing to hand the issue over to the police. I don’t blame him at all, but as a teacher I feel it’s our duty to correct things with our students if we can.”

“And if we can’t?” Luna asked.

“But you did,” Sunset stated, interjecting before the sisters argued. “Look at me: I was a bitch, a monster and – even if for a little while – a literal demon. And afterwards, you could have come up with any number of excuses to send me to The Blanks or worse. Neither of you had any trust in me; I’m not sure why you trust me even now. But you didn’t give up on me, and that tells me that you two know what you’re doing…even if I think you’re out of your minds in doing all this the hard way.”

“You have a better idea?” Luna asked.

“You know she does, Lulu, and I’m glad she was the one who suggested it.” Celestia looked at the student in her office. “This probably is the wrong time to bring this up, Sunset, but I was wrong about you. You are essentially good, and you’ve shown that in the past few months.”

“Thanks, Princess,” Sunset said, blushing. Then she realized what she said and kept her face sober before she completely blanched from embarrassment.

“I deserved that sarcastic comment,” Celestia replied.

“But I—”

“No, you’re right: I have been lording things over you for too long. Velvet trusts you completely and utterly and that should be a sign to me that I can believe in you as well. So I’m going to go out on a limb and ask for your help, Sunset – the kind of help only you can provide, if you understand my meaning.”

“You mean you need me to poke around in a preternatural sort of way?” Sunset asked.

Luna gave a humorless smirk. “You could say that.”


Sunset sat there for a few minutes, before saying, “I see.” After a few more seconds, she set down the pizza and asked, “How hard would it be to lock down the gymnasium?”

“It shouldn’t be too hard: Coach Biceps and Mr. Will usually stay around in the weight room and do some lifting for a while after school hours,” Luna answered, “but then again, it’s a Friday and I know the male staff members usually hit that bar and grill down the road.”

“Berry Punch’s B&G?” Celestia asked. “Personally, I think they go there because Iron’s got a thing for the owner and Bulk’s just playing wingman and I….” She trailed off as she remembered there was a student in the room, instead stating, “But they should have left by now.” She then got up and went to the window, which showed the only cars in the parking lot as hers and Luna’s. “We should be the only ones in the building,” Celestia told them both. “But why do you need the gym?”

“Because I’m going to need the room for this spell,” Sunset said, matter-of-factly, “and unless you want people to start freaking out about the cyan glowing girl in the middle of the parking lot, then we’ll have to use the gym. Besides, it’s January – I do not want to freeze my butt off outside!”

“Please,” Blossomforth told her ex-boyfriend. “You have to take me back!”

He laughed while tuning his guitar. “And why do I need to do that?”

“Because….” she said, trailing off as she got towards the end of her sentence.

“Blossom,” he sighed. “Look, we had some fun times together. And you’re cute – really cute. But you and I?” he said, pointing to her and then himself, “we’re just…we’re just not right for each other. And I don’t want to string you on making you think that everything’s sunshine and daffodils when it’s not.” He reached over, taking her hands in his. “I want us to remember the good times and depart as friends.”

“But I—”

“Cloud Kicker put you up to this, didn’t she? I know she doesn’t like me, but I can’t hold you to blame for what your best friend says about me.” He looked at her, shaking his head. “Don’t be like her: she’s petty, and you’re better than that, Blossom. And just because it didn’t work out for us doesn’t mean I don’t want to be your friend.”

“But—”

“Look, my band has to get ready for our gig soon, so I’ve got to get up there and rehearse. But…just think about what I said, okay?” Without waiting for her answer, he went back up to the stage to get ready.

“But…but Flash…I….” A tear slid down her cheek.

“Listen, sweet cheeks: he doesn’t want you,” a girl behind Blossomforth snarled. “Guy like him? He can get any girl he wants. So do yourself a favor and stick to your own class.”

A second girl joined in: “Don’t try to fly with the eagles if you can’t even keep up with the ducks.” She looked Blossomforth up and down before adding, “Oh, and drop the beret and Little Miss Cutesy look and get some real clothes!”

Blossomforth, her courage spent, turned and ran.


“Hey, wasn’t that Blossomforth?” Noteworthy asked as he slung his bass guitar over his shoulder.

“Yeah. You want her, man? Had my fun and now I’m all done with her,” Flash answered. “Besides, after tomorrow, I’ll have somebody new.”

“Dude, you’d better be careful. Bad enough you were dating her and Sunset Shimmer at the same time. Now you’re chasing that high-class girl from Zacherle? Skating on thin ice, bro.”

“Hey, I got all the advantage I need,” he said, patting the pocket of his leather jacket. “With this, you can bet little Twilight Sparkle will be mine.”

Noteworthy sighed. “Yeah, that’s kinda what I was afraid of,” the azure-haired teen said under his breath.

Despite their relatively lax attitudes, both Celestia and Luna were firm believers in education. Both of them had risen through the teaching ranks of the Greater Equestria County Unified School District in their respective subjects – Celestia in English and social studies, Luna in astronomy and geology – and had since become senior faculty. Even now, Celestia’s name had been brought up as a potential replacement for vice superintendent once Jade Singer retired; and Luna’s name had been submitted to take over the position of Principal of San Palomino High as the principal there was leaving at the end of the year. Both women were highly accomplished, competent and dedicated to their professions.

So as they watched the girl in the center of the gymnasium, glowing like a star and floating nearly a foot above the wooden boards of the basketball court, both women felt like they were witness to something they’d never seen in their lives before. And considering they’d already seen Sunset Shimmer turn into a demon, mind-enslave the entire student body, and then get beaten by a fellow alien who inexplicably took the shape of their childhood friend’s daughter…this was something entirely new.

“Merda,” Celestia swore, her eyes agape.

“No shit,” Luna agreed.

Held in Sunset’s hand, Minuette’s phone spewed frames of the video, each frame floating around Sunset like a tarot card encased in eldritch power. Each magical window glowed slightly as a person was checked, and cross-referenced against other images on her phone, images on Sunset’s own phone and Sunset’s iPad, conveniently floating in front of her face.

“Have you—” Celestia hazarded.

“Don’t!” Sunset shouted, straining. “This is literally taking up almost all my concentratio—there!” She reached out towards the image, somehow grasping it from the air and shoving it into her own phone. Then her aura died out and she fell, painfully, to the floor, crashing against the wood. While she protected both her phone and Minuette’s, her iPad was not so lucky, the screen shattering as it impacted.

“Fuck…” Sunset groaned, turning onto her back in the hopes that the pain would go away. Agony ripped through her and as she’d drained all her magic, she felt as though she’d been through ten rounds with the Boxing Club – as the punching bag.

Celestia was at her side at a second. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Sunset replied. She then looked at the broken iPad, and groaned again. “Fuck. Mom’s going to kill me….”

Celestia, despite the situation, smiled. “You’re calling Vel ‘Mom’ now?”

Having misheard her, the flame-haired girl answered, “Yeah…she and Dad thought I needed a new one because the old one I had got crushed in the….” She blinked as she realized what she was saying. Her further “statement” on that was a huge blush.

“So you don’t call them that, I take it?”

“No, but sometimes I wonder if I should. I mean, yeah, they’re only my foster parents, but…it’s nice having a mother and a father. The mother figure I ran away from so long ago? She was kinda like you…a little.”

“I really doubt that,” Luna said, laughing.

“Seriously. Anyway, I wasn’t the daughter I should have been with her. And now it’s too late to say anything,” Sunset said, riding through the pain while she talked with Principal Celestia. “And don’t say I can go back: The truth is, I know I have a death sentence hanging over me when I return.”

“I’m not sure that’s the case. The princess that came over from your world seemed very benevolent. I know this sounds…odd…but if I had a daughter, I think she’d have been kind of like the way that princess was.”

Oh you have no idea. “Maybe. But even still, I’m a marked mare. Woman. Whatever. I can’t go back. And all I can do is just hope that I make the best of my life here, and be…well, maybe be the daughter for someone that I wasn’t before.”

“Speaking as Velvet’s best friend, Sunset, I can honestly say that I’m very glad to hear you say that.”

“So am I. Look, I’m going to head out for a bit: Fry’s closes in an hour and someone’s got to replace your iPad,” Luna replied.

“But I was the one who dropped it, Ms. L—”

“Let her,” Celestia said warmly as she watched her sister depart. “She absolutely adores Velvet and would do anything for her or her family – both of us would, actually. And, though you shouldn’t take this as any indicator that we’re going to go easy on you during school hours, I think you can count yourself on that list as well.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, gingerly sitting up. “Now let’s see who the lucky contestant is, shall we?” She unlocked her phone, brought up the gallery and then brought up the picture. “This guy,” she said, pointing to a rather handsome blonde boy with long hair, tied in the back. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and unlike many of the other guys, seemed more content to watch than participate. “He’s the only one whose face wasn’t censored in the video, and only that because the image was for only a couple of frames and he’s so far back that he can’t be identified by normal methods – not that magic is going to be admissible in court. Do you know him?”

“I do,” she said, feeling abhorrent. “His name is Blueblood. He’s the son of Senator Quorum Call – I met his father when several members of Congress came to the District last summer as part of a research trip on how various school districts are handling the President’s education initiative. Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with him directly; he struck me as the kind of man who thinks that because he has power he has control over peoples’ lives. But if his son is involved….”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Sunset groaned, getting back to her feet with the principal’s help. “He might have stumbled onto something that he’s afraid to talk about because it could affect his dad’s career.”

“You think so?”

“Not really, but let’s just say that I’m learning why it’s a good idea to give people the benefit of the doubt.” As she struggled to make it to the bench, she asked, “Can you call my mother for me? I’m – yawn – exhausted….”

“Sure thing.” As Sunset passed out on the bench, Celestia pulled out her phone and speed-dialed a well-used number. “Vel? Tia here.”

“Hey, you done making Sunny do your dirty work?”

What are you talking about?”

There was laughter on the other end. “Just kidding, Tia. I’m just leaving my office now – meeting ran way over schedule – but I’ll be there to take my daughter off your hands.”

“Your daughter?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, I know that I might be getting a little too attached…but Night and I really love her. Honestly, the whole family does and we can’t picture our lives without her now.”

“Well, that’s why you’re a mother and Lulu and I aren’t.”

“You’re going to die alone and unloved someday, Tia,” Velvet joked.

“Not me. With my luck, I’ll probably live forever.”

Blueblood set the phone in the cradle. Good. Limousine will pick up Ms. Rarity at her home and bring her to the restaurant. We’ll have dinner, some sparkling apple cider that’s been selectively spiked and once the drug does its work, all I need to do is have my limousine drive us from the restaurant to the nice vacation cabin one of Father’s supporters was kind enough to lend me. Too bad for him he thinks he’s lending it to Father’s reelection campaign, but what the fool doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

“Hey, are you coming back to bed?” a woozy, tripped-out girl’s voice said. A young woman with long violet, curly tresses came up to him, wearing only a bedsheet.

“Yes, I’ll be there shortly, Suri,” he told her curtly. You have no idea how glad I’ll be to get rid of you tomorrow. The only time you’re ever affectionate is when you’re dosed up. “Just meet me there and….” His words trailed off as there was a knock on the door. “Head back to bed,” he said in a firm tone.

“I’ll head back to bed,” she slurred as she walked back towards the bedroom. The sheet fell off her as she did, giving Blueblood a full view, but he hardly cared at this point. I’ve had my fill of her by now. He instead went to the front door of his cottage where he was surprised to see someone he hadn’t expected. “Well, hello, Father.”

“Hello, son.” Senator Quorum Call stood there, looking not-at-all senatorial. He wore a slate polo and stone-gray slacks, his gray-and-green hair and mustache tracing with the white hairs of age within. “I got an interesting call from your girlfriend’s mother on the main line. She says Suri hasn’t come home in two days. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Suri? Easy to find her,” Blueblood said. “Just follow the trail of destruction left by her overuse of credit cards. You know, same thing as your current wife – or your mistress.”

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer, son. Look, I loved your mother, and I wish she hadn’t died when you were younger. And I know you don’t care for your stepmother – and the rumors about me and the manager of my local office here are not true.”

“Father, save the lies for the press. You did teach me everything I know, after all.”

“Yes, but that’s hardly enough to quell whatever ambitions you have, son. You are not ready for primetime yet, Blueblood. You’ve still got several years to go before you can make a run for a seat in the House – years you can screw up any chance you have of being elected. So then, are you going to tell me where Suri is?”

“Fine. If you must know, she’s in the bedroom. She’s been keeping me busy the past few nights.”

“Odd – she never struck me as the gold digger type, just the kind who wanted to be a trophy wife.”

“Let’s just say she’s decided she wants to stake her claim well ahead of time. Fortunately for all of us, you taught me enough to know that an underage pregnancy can be a career killer. She’ll just have to wait at least a decade.”

“You sound as though you’ve already made your decision when it comes to her.”

“Let’s just say I’m sowing my wild oats while I still can – and before people start paying attention to me during the college years, just as you taught me.”

“Well then,” Quorum said, “I’ll let you get back to what you were up to, son. Just…I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the Canterlot Press Club regarding my upcoming reelection campaign. Don’t screw things up for me.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that; I’m too smart. Besides, Father, you have a vested interest in making sure the press doesn’t look at the skeletons in my closet, because that’s a short step towards looking in yours.”

“Rarity, c’mon! You promised to fix my skirt!” Sweetie Belle moaned.

“Sweetie, can’t you ask Mother to do it?” Rarity asked, safe from her sister as she was on the other side of Rarity’s bedroom door.

“No, Mom says she’s working on a new article for Redbook and she doesn’t have the time!”

“Well, I don’t either, Sweetie! Besides, you should really learn how to do it yourself!” Rarity tried not to facepalm, not while she was wearing her mud facial. If I screw that up, I won’t look my best for my secret admirer tomorrow! She reached over and picked up the note, a wide smile coming onto her face as she looked at the flowers – a virtual ton of roses! – sitting on her dresser, along with the note:

Rarity went weak in the knees when she read the note once again. Such a gentleman! she sighed. This “B” must be a refined and upstanding man of taste and sophistication. Tomorrow will be absolutely worth every bit of my preparation!

Ignoring her sister, Rarity decided to turn in early for the evening. When she had only one chance for a first impression for a man who could turn out to be her Prince Charming, nothing less than her absolute finest appearance would do.

Seated at her window, Cloud Kicker smoked a joint as she watched the gentle snowfall, illuminated by the night. She was alone tonight. She didn’t want to be, but the kind of company she longed for at the moment was not of the carnal kind.

Vinyl…why are you doing this? It had taken days for her to figure out her ex-girlfriend’s edge, but watching a cop show a few hours ago had cinched it for her. She couldn’t go ask Vinyl herself; the snow was expected to fall heavily tonight and besides, Vinyl had a gig this evening; she’d likely go home straight from there.

The blonde stared at the phone sitting on her desk. All it would take it just to make a simple call. Just a call to Vinyl and berate her for what Cloud Kicker now suspected that her sometime-paramour was up to. That’s all it would take. I can surely do that, right?

Yet her hand never moved towards the phone. Somehow, the fear of accusing Vinyl of something she might not actually be guilty of was too much. Perhaps it was the overall fear that saying anything to Vinyl could cost Cloud Kicker more than just the sexual relationship she had with the cerulean-haired girl…it could sunder their friendship as well.

All it takes is a few ounces of strength to dial her number. But…I’m not that strong. She hated herself for that. Damn me, but I’m not that strong.

Setting down the joint, Cloud Kicker took off her clothes and crawled into bed. Maybe a miracle would occur and she’d have a playmate join her soon. But right now, instead of that, she wanted something else.

And that hurt most of all.

“Well, you don’t have a fever, dear,” Twilight Velvet said as she checked her foster daughter’s temperature. “But I really think you should stay in bed today.”

“I’ve never been sick before,” Sunset said, and it was true to a degree; despite being almost entirely human, she’d never caught a bug, cold or virus. But then again, I’ve never worn my magic down to the point of exhaustion before, either.

“There’s always a first time, Sunny,” Velvet said with an air of authority, “and honestly, if you managed to avoid being sick while at the warehouse, then it was only a matter of time before you got sick here.”

“But,” Sunset said, “I have to work today, and—”

“It’s okay; I took the time to call Mr. and Mrs. Cake and apprise them of your condition. They were just as surprised as I that you were ill, and hope you’ll be okay soon. Pinkie said she’ll just switch your days on the calendar.”

“But what about Twily and Tavi?” Sunset said. She knew both of them were going out on dates tonight, but given what she knew now, she was more than a bit concerned. Admittedly, she had no proof that either of them was in danger, but they were her family – she felt she had more than enough justification to do so.

“Feeling a little jealous?” Velvet teased, a playful smile on her lips. “Weren’t you the one who had a boyfriend before?”

“No, it’s not that….” Sunset decided to drop the subject before she dug herself into a worse hole. “I just…I don’t feel sick. Really.”

“Oh, don’t be so fussy. Besides, when was the last time you were spoiled rotten in bed?”

“Two months ago when I got a knife inserted in my sides. You had me stay in bed for a few days.”

“This is different.” The look on Velvet’s face was serious. “I want you to stay in bed. You had me worried last night.”

“I did?”

“You must’ve been worse than I thought: I practically had to carry you to the car.”

Sunset blushed; she’d never been carried by anyone – or anypony – save for Princess Celestia (via magic, of course) and the EMS personnel that placed her in the ambulance (but that was their job). “I….” She didn’t know what to say. Finally, as so not to feel awkward, she said, “Thanks.”

“Hey, anything for m—” Velvet trailed off, as if leaving something out. That caught Sunset’s attention, and she had to wonder what the woman was going to say. Finally, Velvet said, “Oh, and apparently in all the commotion yesterday, Luna said she accidentally dropped your iPad. She went and got you a new one, so it’s charging on the dresser there if you need it. Obviously, you’ll have to configure it.”

“I see,” Sunset said, a slight touch of sadness in her voice. Sunset wondered why she suddenly felt so sad. Maybe, because this is all just ephemeral – legally they only have to take care of me until I’m “eighteen”, and then I’m on my own. And even then, they can just get rid of me at any time. I know…I know they don’t want me gone now, but maybe Principal Celestia’s right when she says they’ve “tamed” me.

I keep calling them my family, but do they really want to be that, or is it just to keep me out of trouble?


The ring of the doorbell sounded. “Wonder who that could be? Anyway, just sleep and rest for the day, and I’ll be by later to check on you to see if you’ll want anything or lunch.”

“Sure thing,” Sunset said, crawling back into the sheets. Maybe she could use a little bit of sleep, she thought, as she closed her eyes and drifted back off to slumber.

“Twily, I really don’t like this,” Shining told his younger sister. “You know how far this is from home, right?”

“Yes, it’s 153 miles one-way from San Palomino, specifically 152.7 miles between Chez Crabbé and home, as per Google Maps.” The girl held up her phone, which showed the difference.

“Twily, I’m being serious, here.”

“Shiny, I’m sixteen. I’m old enough to take care of myself, big brother. Also, I’ve got enough for bus fare in case of trouble, and weren’t you and Cady having dinner in Eureka just in case? Plus, since you insisted, I have the non-emergency number for the Horseshoe Bay Police Department and the Klamath County Sheriff’s Department – and I can always dial 911, obviously.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, “but you’re my little sister. I should be looking out for you, or Tavi or Sunny.”

“I’ll be okay,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I promise.”

“You’d better,” he mock-warned her.

“I will, I promise. Now, go have fun on your date, and let me have fun on mine, okay?”

As she walked away from Shining’s car, Cadance gave her fiancé an understanding smile. “Hard watching her grow up, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. But that’s not what I’m worried about, Cady.”

“Shiny, she knows about it. And just to make sure, I went to the store and made sure she’s carrying some of those detector strawlets. Friend of mine at the crime lab says they’re almost completely fool-proof. And we’re only going to be just up the road in Eureka just in case something goes wrong.” She walked over to him, and kissed him. “Let her grow up, Shiny – it’s going to happen regardless.”

“Yeah,” he said, giving her a soft smile, opening his door as Cadance walked back towards the passenger side.


Twilight stepped into the restaurant, taking off her coat. “Hello!” she said to the maître d’hôtel. “I’m meeting someone here for dinner?”

“That would be me, Ms. Sparkle.” She turned to see a young man standing there, cute, smiling at her. He had a spiky haircut, tan skin and wore a suit that he looked somewhat out of place in. “Flash Sentry. It’s nice to meet you.”

The maître d’, meanwhile, took two menus and led them towards their table. Flash, ever the gentleman, helped twilight to her seat before sitting down in his own. “You look absolutely beautiful,” he said as he picked up the menu.

She blushed furiously. “Th-thank you,” she stammered, not sure of what else to say. Looking at the water flute that had already been sitting there, she reached into her pocket, pulling out one of the detection straws that Cadance had insisted she use. Placing one in, she explained, “Um, it’s medicine for an illness I recently got over.” A second later, as the straw dissolved into nothingness without changing color, she sighed in relief; the water was safe to drink. “So, um, h-how did you learn…about me?”

“Actually, I recall seeing you at the New Year’s Eve Dance,” he said, his eyes briefly flicking to her water glass. Smart girl, but too bad for you that the guy working in the back pouring the drinks is part of The Club. “And I just knew that I had to meet you. I got your info from a friend of yours – Rarity? I go to school with her.”

“Really?” Twilight said, relaxing. Well, if Rarity knows him, I should be fine.

“And thankfully, she was more than willing to help me get a hold of you with an additional friend she knew at Zacherle. So I consider myself really lucky to meet you, Ms. Sparkle.”

“Call me Twily,” she said, smiling.

Well, Tavi, just keep calm and relax. I doubt anything’s going to happen, she thought to herself as she walked out of the subway and to the restaurant, seeing the lines for the Boombox already waiting outdoors; the thumping of the bass could be heard from as far as she was already. Ugh. I know it’s popular music, but does it have to be ear-shattering as well?

Her phone rang and she answered it. “Hello, this is Tavi.”

“Tavi, I just want to remind you that your aunt and I are having dinner at La Casa de Olé in case you need us.” Octavia felt both comforted and relieved by that; she knew her own parents would have insisted on having dinner at the same restaurant as she, even if somewhat distant; thankfully her aunt and uncle trusted her far more.

“I’ll be fine, Uncle Night,” she told him. “If anything, you and Aunt Velvet need to worry about yourselves – I remember the last time we ate there and it gave everyone gas.”

“Funny girl. Well, I’m sure your date will appreciate your sense of humor.”

“I hope so. I’ll call if anything goes wrong; otherwise, I’ll be home by midnight. Love you guys. Bye.” Clicking off her phone and putting it in her pocket, she found herself standing in front of the Glazed Carrot, a British-style pub restaurant. Well, here goes nothing; I hope he’s really handsome.

Walking into the restaurant, she walked up to the hostess. “Hi, I’m here to meet someone for dinner.”

“Would you be Ms. Octavia Melody?” the woman asked. When Octavia nodded, the waitress said, “Right this way. And may I say, you two look absolutely great together.”

Octavia smiled; that had to be a good sign, right? Maybe the guy in question was Dreamy Eyes – he was a junior at Muenchinger and a male model, too! Twily had met him once and said that he was a well-spoken individual. Oh, please let this be my lucky day!

“And here we are, miss,” the hostess said as she brought her to the table. Standing there was a beautiful young woman with blue-and-electric-blue hair slicked back in a short ponytail, while she wore frameless eyeglasses. She also wore a white blazer and matching pants, with a soft blue t-shirt underneath.

A girl? Octavia thought, completely floored at her date. But-but I….huh? It wasn’t that she had anything against same-sex couples; on the contrary, her cousin Fiddlesticks had confessed that she was a lesbian and Octavia had offered whatever advice and support she could. But Octavia herself was not.

“Have a great evening, you two!” the hostess chirped as she departed. As she walked away, Octavia heard the woman say, “Such a cute couple; I’m kinda jealous!” to a colleague.

“So…I’m guessing this is a surprise,” the girl told her. Octavia said nothing, not wanting to insult her date; the girl had taken a big chance, after all, and both her parents and her aunt and uncle had raised her to at least be polite if nothing else.

“Look,” the girl continued, “I guess this is just a mistake. I’m so—”

“Don’t be,” Octavia said. “You took a huge gamble, and I think that’s brave of you. And even though I’m not interested, it’s always good to meet a friend.”

The girl in front of her seemed to both deflate from defeat and relax at the same time. “Good. I was worried that….”

“Don’t be, please. Well, you know who I am, but I don’t….” A thought suddenly came to Octavia’s mind. “You’re Vinyl Scratch, right? I remember you deejaying the New Year’s Eve Dance.”

“Well, actually, we met about a year ago. The Teen Musician Charity for the Homeless? I was the one who played ‘Danza Española No. 5’ on the guitar.”

Octavia’s eyes lit up. “That was you? Wow – that was some amazing guitarwork!”

Vinyl blushed. “Thanks. Um, shall we sit down?”

“Sure!” Octavia said, relieved. After all, even though Vinyl was a girl like herself, Octavia now could relax from having to both impress her date – making a new friend was much easier, anyway – and worry about that drug that Shining had warned her about. Though if I tell the others about this, they’re never going to let me live it down!

Relaxing, Octavia reached for the glass of water sitting at the table.

Rarity stepped out of the limousine as she noticed La Fantaisie was dimmed. “It seems to be closed, sir,” she told the driver.

“Not really miss; the young sir’s family owns this restaurant, so he was able to reserve the whole establishment for the evening,” the chauffeur informed her.

Rarity gave him a smile while inwardly she was freaking out. He owns the place? She was strongly tempted to pull her phone out of her purse and do a quick Google search or two, but that would have been incredibly gauche. Besides, she would meet him soon enough.

“Right this way, miss,” the chauffeur said as he escorted her inside. As she walked past the frosted glass doors, she checked herself one last time in its reflection to make sure she looked dressed for success: her hair was in her standard waves, but she’d added a slight glittering effect to it via a spray she’d bought during the shopping trip with Fluttershy and Sunset; it gave an elegant, ethereal impression when the light hit it just right. Her dress she’d spent quite a bit on: a white silk version of a Chinese cheongsam dress in the Shanghai style – commonly, if vulgarly, referred to as a Suzywong – with tiny markings of pale blue diamonds, a design she’d always found fascinating. A pair of matching and stylish slippers went with it, and it was all topped off by a small purse borrowed from her mother.

She was traded off to a hostess who escorted her the remainder of the way to the table. And as Rarity entered the restaurant proper, it did not disappoint: the tables were mostly gone, giving the place an empty, cavernous look; all the more for her to appreciate the ambiance of the place. At the back was an artificial waterfall, surrounded by several exotic ferns and other plants designed to add to the incredible look. If anything, it reminded her of a scene she saw in an anime once, and while that one had ended in a fight between giant steampunk robots, she was sure that this was going to be a much better experience…

…Especially when she saw the young man sitting at the table. She recognized him in a heartbeat as he stood up. Ohmigod that’s Blueblood! The son of a senator, he was well-known in social circles to be a prize catch. But a gentleman such as he should surely be spoken for, right? Unless…. Rarity tamped down a rising hope in her heart; the only reason he would have asked for a date was if his last relationship ended badly. This could be my chance! she mentally shouted in triumph as he approached her.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady,” he said, pausing before her and, taking her hand in his, kissed it gallantly. She tried not to swoon – not too much, in any case.

“I….” Rarity faltered, her well-rehearsed lines suddenly failing her.

He gave her a smile, looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes. “Nervous, miss? No need to be. I assure you, you are in quite good hands,” he told her as he escorted her to her chair.

With a start, Sunset suddenly woke up. The room was dark, the noontime sun having slid beneath the horizon and the moon starting its climb towards the apex. Hadn’t intended to sleep this long, she thought to herself. Well, I should go downstairs and have dinner and let Mo...Mrs. V. know that I’m okay. Sunset smiled to herself as she added, though I’m glad she worries about me.

As she got out of bed, she went to grab her phone, only to note a sticky note on it:

Well, that’s good, she thought to herself. Spike would probably insist I order a pizza or something, and I’m really not in the mood, nor do I want to walk the half-mile to the nearest Burger Shack. Tapping her phone, she noticed she had a message on it. Cueing up the voicemail, she heard a call from Minuette:

“Hey, Sunny, it’s Minnie. I know you still have my phone, but can you do me a favor and check the voicemail? I told Wai that my phone is elsewhere but she may have forgotten and I want to make sure that I didn’t miss any calls from her. I…I need to say something to her. Oh! And great news! The doctors took a look at my arms and said that they’re going to heal far better than they expected. There’s still going to be a little bit of scarring, but I’m not going to even need plastic surgery! Anyway, I’ll be back at school on Monday and I can get my phone back from you then. And I know I haven’t said it before, but thanks for being a friend – you really aren’t the same Sunset Shimmer you used to be. Anyway, talk to you later. Bye!”

Reaching into the drawer on the nightstand, Sunset pulled out Minuette’s phone. Good thing I remembered to charge it last night, she thought, or else I’d be screwed. Dialing in Minuette’s unlock code, she brought up the voicemail, punching in the code and putting the phone to her ear as the phone started playing the message.

“YOU HAVE FOUR NEW MESSAGES. FIRST MESSAGE.”

She didn’t expect to hear a boy’s voice on the phone.

“Minuette? This is…you don’t…fuck, I can’t do this anymore! Look, it’s Noteworthy. I’ve had a crush on you since Fifth Grade, and I’m calling because you’re in serious trouble. I know you didn’t sleep with Stylin’ on purpose. The reason I know is because…I’m the one who made the video at that, um, ‘event’. But I didn’t do anything, honest! I wanted to, especially with you, but…I like you and I want you without the drug.

“Yeah, I said ‘the drug’. A bunch of guys at school and at other schools got together and got our hands on a drug called ‘The Vibe’ – it makes roofies seem like water. Stylin’ tested it on you because eventually he wanted a three-way between you, he and Waterfire. But it’s…after that party, I started feeling guilty about it and after Blueblood gave me some so I could eventually hook up with you, I started feeling guilty and…no more. I just…I like you for who you are, and I hope you like me for who I am.

“Look: I need you to get a hold of three girls, because they’re in real danger. One of them’s Rarity – Blueblood herself is going after her; he’s dumping his current girlfriend and has his eyes on her. The other two are two girls from Zacherle, I don’t know how you’re going to get a hold of them, but I talked to Flash Sentry, and he says that one of the girls is named, I dunno, Starlight or Sparkle or something like that. The other girl – I don’t know who she’s going with, but her name is Musica, or Octave or something weird like tha—”

Sunset dropped the phone, her eyes widening in fear. “NO!” she screamed, getting out of bed, the sheets exploding into a blossom of tossed linens. Picking up Minuette’s phone, she immediately brought up the phone function and dialed the last received number.

“Yeah, this is Noteworthy – what’s u—”

“Noteworthy, this is Sunset Shimmer,” the ex-unicorn said, warmth draining from her voice as the anger and rage she once felt months ago returned to the surface – but now it had a different reason for its being. “My address is 482 Golden Oaks Drive – and your ass better be here in five minutes, got that?”

“How do you have Minue—”

“MY LITTLE SISTER, MY COUSIN AND MY BEST FRIEND ARE IN FUCKING DANGER BECAUSE OF YOU ASSHOLES,” Sunset roared, “AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THEM I WILL FUCKING BREAK YOU LIKE GODDAMN MATCHSTICKS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! NOW YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME RESCUE THEM OR YOU ASS WILL BE GRASS AND I WILL BE THE LAWNMOWER OF THE GODS!”

“I, uh, I—”

“Four minutes, thirty seconds. The clock is fucking ticking.” Sunset’s eyes burned with cyan fire. Rarity, Tavi and Twily were in danger, she knew as she went to the closet to throw on some clothing.

No. Nothing’s going to happen to them, she vowed to herself. Nothing’s going to stop me from saving them. Ever!