"Good for you, now shut up." Spike grumbled from a basket in the corner.
"Buh?" Sunset spun around, spotting the dragon curled up under a blanket. "Sp-Spike, uh, what are you doing in a random spare room?"
"This isn't a spare room, this is Twilight's room, well, and my room, and I'm trying to sleep! I was up all night supervising the changelings and I lost all my spare gems in the process," Spike groused as he drew himself further beneath the covers. "Changeling jerks, I bet they cheated."
"Twilight's room?!" Sunset gasped, taking a better look around and realizing she was surrounded by over stuffed book shelves and scientific paraphernalia, all clustered around a messy bedspread topped with a few well-used stuffed animals. "So...so she...sleeps, right there, in that bed there?" Sunset asked breathlessly, inching closer and closer to it.
"Sunset...get out."
"Eeep!" Sunset shot back out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
With a long sigh, Spike rolled over and clamped his eyes shut. "Impossible to sleep in this stupid place..." He grumbled as he drifted off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took Sunset another few minutes to settle her nerves and to find her way back to the sitting room, but once she did, she could hear Twilight clearly as she approached.
"She invited you there? Tomorrow night? Oh jeez, that place is really fancy, we'll probably all need dresses just for them to let us in. Wait how in Equestria does a only slightly reformed villain have the connections to get into a restaurant like that?" Twilight asked, her brows narrowing suspiciously.
Celestia just shrugged, still distracted by the swirl of confusion, self-doubt, and girly giddiness that she had thought she left behind with her awkward teen years.
As Sunset walked as casually as she could back into the room, Twilight glanced up and broke from her dark expression, immediately returning to a cheery smile. "Oh there you are Sunset! Come on over, we were just wrapping up the plans for the date," she explained with a tint of excitement to her voice. "I'm going to send a letter ahead to Canterlot and see if we can get a second table that's near Celestia and Chrysalis', that way we can be nearby for support...well and keep an eye on Chrysalis...without interrupting their date. I don't really like using my title but hopefully a Princess can get a table as easily as an evil Queen."
"Wow, you really have this all thought out already huh?" Sunset mused, rather impressed, not to mention holding down some extra shouts of victory after the revelation that she'd really have Twilight to herself.
"Well...you were sorta gone for awhile, and I think Celestia is still a bit lost in her own head at the moment. Not much else to do besides plan and organize." Twilight admited with a light giggle.
"Oh heh...I got lost for a bit." Sunset mumbled awkwardly.
"Ugh, I know exactly what you mean, I get lost in this place almost weekly!" Twilight rolled her eyes dramatically. "I can't even find my own room half the time! At my old treehouse all I had to do was go upstairs."
Sunset struggled as she felt her face begin to heat up. "Right, yeah, your room...I'm sure I probably couldn't find it even if I was trying..."
Lucky for Sunset, Twilight was still in the middle of explaining plans while thinking up further ones, and as such didn't notice her sudden awkwardness. "Anyways, as I just mentioned to Celestia, we are gonna need dresses if we want to get in to the restaurant. Problem is, I have nothing that will fit her, or anything that won't clash with your coat...and I keep growing out of all of my own clothes," she admitted with just a tinge of annoyance, "which means we need a dressmaker, and need one now. Lucky for us, I know just the mare for the job...and weirdly so do you!"
"I do?" Sunset asked, surprised. As far as she was aware, the only ponies she knew these days were either in this room, the donut shop, or in Canterlot Castle.
Instead of answering her, Twilight made her way over to a nearby window, cracked it open slightly, then took a deep breath before shouting in as theatrical a tone as she could muster. "OH YES, THIS TWO PIECE DENIM OUTFIT IS JUST PERFECT FOR MY HOT HOT DATE TOMORROW NIGHT...A DATE...WITH A MARE! THINK OF THE DRAMA!!!"
For as much wide-eyed staring as Sunset had been doing lately, she was quite surprised that she still had the capacity to do so even harder. "Twilight...what are you doing..."
"Shhhhh!" Twilight whispered, holding a hoof to her lips. "3...2...1..."
Right on cue, the resounding sound of shattering glass could be heard from a lower section of the castle, followed by yet more shouting. "TWILIGHT SPARKLE YOU SHOW YOURSELF THIS VERY INSTANT!" came a familiar, cultured, infuriated sounding voice echoing through the halls.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Sunset gave Twilight a goofy grin as soon as she realized what was happening. "That's pretty convenient, though remind me to tell you about cell phones later."
Twilight just laughed at seeing Sunset's reaction. "I'd better go find her before she starts rage-redecorating, you stay here with Celestia, I'll be right back!"
Sunset gave her a nod, tried her best not to watch too closely as Twilight left, then looked over to Celestia. "How ya doin there champ?"
"Hmmm?" Celestia looked up, snapping out of her own thoughts. "Oh, well for one thing, I'm trying to figure out why I thought asking my two teenage students for help with a date seemed like a good idea," she admitted with a sigh.
Sunset raised a brow at hearing that. "You know we're both actually in our mid-twenties right?"
"You are?" Celestia asked with a start. "I guess you both always did look a bit more...developed...than your classmates, I just assumed you were both lucky. Why would you want to masquerade as high school students?"
"You see, that, that right there! It's saying stuff like that that causes the cradle robbing rumors." Sunset said teasingly, bumping a hoof into Celestia's shoulder and receiving a glare in return. "I'm kidding...mostly. Anyways, to answer your question, do you have any idea how hard it is to live as an adult in your world without things like a social security number? Oh and before you ask, because I know you will, yes I occasionally buy my friends alcohol when I can find stores that believe me to be my actual age...well except for Pinkie...she can't be trusted..."
Celestia just rolled her eyes. "Even after giving up your old attitude, you still manage to spread delinquency around my school."
At hearing that, Sunset couldn't help but frown a bit, but she recovered quickly. "I'm gonna take that one on the nose but only because I just called you a cradle robber again and you didn't punch me."
Celestia sighed. "I'm sorry, that was a bit mean. I know as much as anyone how hard you've been trying since the formal, and I may not be good at showing it but I really owe you and Twilight a lot. I think I'd probably have been thrown in some bizarre pony asylum by now if it weren't for you two."
Sunset smiled softly and wrapped a hoof around Celestia's withers. "Hey now, no need to get mushy, trading jabs is way more fun. Now why don't you tell me how this date thing happened so I can make fun of you and Chrysalis properly," she asked with an impish grin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So let me get this straight," Rarity drawled as Twilight's magic plucked a shard of glass from her mane and flew it over to join the others by the smashed window, "the other world's Celestia is here, which you didn't tell any of us about by the way, and she somehow has a date with Chrysalis of all ponies...er...changelings...and you decided that you should accompany her with Sunset Shimmer for "support"?"
"That's the jist of it yes," Twilight said with a nod as she cast a simple spell to rebind the glass and place it back in the pane, "and as such all three of us need dresses for tomorrow. I know it's a lot to ask but I'd really owe you if you could help us out."
"Oh you know it's no trouble dear, but I have to ask, this is the same Sunset Shimmer that you haven't stopped talking about since you met her yes?" Rarity asked with a snake-like expression.
"Yessssss, although I'm not sure what you're getting at..."
"The same Sunset Shimmer who you keep sneaking off to visit without telling anypony?"
"I tell Spike. Rarity, where are you going with this?"
"The very same Sunset Shimmer who you started writing to twice as frequently ever since you met this world's Flash Sentry and then never talked to him again?"
"I don't see how either of those things are at all connected, and I'm really starting to resent whatever it is you're attempting to imply."
"Twilight."
"I'm serious Rarity, whatever you think is going on just tell me so I can deny it and we can move on."
"Twilight."
"FINE!"
Twilight's face was bright pink by now and she was looking characteristically manic. "Is it that obvious?" she squeaked, giving Rarity a desperate look.
"Of course it is dear." Rarity nodded with a smug smile. "Though why you ever thought you could hide it from me is the real mystery. Even if you had Applejack's poker face I'd still know. I can smell romance from miles away, you know that darling. So when do I get to meet this dashing Ms. Shimmer?"
"You mean so you can pretty much tell her in a way that only you think is crafty?" Twilight deadpanned. "Rarity, you may be good at finding secrets but you and I both know you are the worst at keeping them."
"Only by choice," Rarity tittered, "but fine, I'm sure I'll get to meet her tomorrow afternoon when I come back to fit the dresses. Anyways, you know the deal. One anti-sleeping potion and three bottles of that wonderful shampoo you and Zecora like to brew together."
"Of course." Twilight nodded seriously, acquiescing immediately to her friend's demands. "You know where the potion cabinet is, avoid the shampoo bottles with the red sticker, Apple Bloom...helped...with those."
"Thank you dear!" Rarity practically squealed, throwing her forelegs around Twilight's neck for an exaggerated hug. "I'll see you tomorrow as soon as I'm ready for the fitting. I'll make sure you absolutely wow her! Oh and wear that orchid petal perfume I gave you for your birthday two years ago, I was assured it was a hit with the mares," she added with a wink as she began trotting off down the nearest hall towards Twilight's alchemy stash.
Twilight heaved a sigh of relief before smiling to herself. "Well that went better than expected, kinda nice having at least one of them know..." she said to herself before trailing off as a thought struck her and she stared down the hall that Rarity was rapidly disappearing down.
"WAIT! HOW DID YOU KNOW I LIKED MARES TWO YEARS AGO! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW!!!"
Because Pretty Pink Pony Princess also talks...and enjoy dirty jokes.
Ha! That ending
It's 3 in the morning, I really should go to sleep, but I'd like to ask this. If that perfume was given 2 years ago, didn't it get destroyed with the library?
Also, found at least 2 typos, might come back to point them out tomorrow
6873163 Yeah I was going a bit fast and saw a bunch right after I published, tried to get them as folks were reading but you guys are fast. Hopefully I got the ones you found but if not I always appreciate the help
Also yeah I did think of that with the prefume thing, but I couldn't think of a good way to write around it lol, hoping folks can suspend their disbelief haha
love it, love it,love it what a fine and fun story! one of the best! this is getting so good ! well done to you!
6873181 You could always say it was thrown clear in the explosion. Then somehow landed safety. Or Pinkie Pie hides orchid petal perfumes all over ponyville in case of orchid petal perfume emergencies.
If I were to nitpick, I would mention that it looks like Spike has his own room (at last), based on the Tanks for the Memories episode, but the gag was funny, so I don't mind (and more sad Spike lost the card game). Poor Sunset, in Twilight's room but Spike is already there as guard-dragon. Otherwise...
Yay, new chapter! And glad its apparently confirmed Twilight knows about her own crush but is still shy about it. Huh, so Sunset's human form does match her pony age, she just hides out in high school due to no official ID and all. Was curious which theory this fic goes with (though then there's the question of Sunset and Twilight's age in comparison to each other, but I'll just chalk that up to different dimension time or something). Ooh, can't wait to see their date. Love Twilight's way of summoning Rarity, and curious to see how quickly Sunset will get along with the pony versions of her friends.
um....this is slowly turning into a story about Twilight and Sunset and not Principle Celestia....am I the only one to notice this?
6873232 I haven't had much to do with her lately honestly, though she is gonna take center stage again shortly, with the impending date chaos ahead
Well that and while the plot gimmick revolves around her, the three of them were always supposed to share the lead
6873256 ah I see, just noticed two interlude in a row and now this chapter being all about sunset and Twilight so was a bit concerned with the deviation from the plot that brought me here.
also for the record I don't mind the Sunset and Twilight sub-plot just wasn't what drew me to this story is all.
I like the way that you summon Rarity. :)
And I'm also fun of all the Sunlight going on. :)
LOL dat ending tho
Also The way she gets Rarity's attention is just pricecless.
I just love this story so much... *cough* Sunlight ftw *cough* *Shot*
ahem
But the problem is if principal Celestia wants to stay back in Equestria for some hot changeling chick ha eh, how will sunset and twilight go about in explaining this to their friends, more, importantly AP Luna.
Now I'm wondering what Rarity is going to do with an anti-sleep potion and shampoo...
This story went from principal celestia in pony land to shipping fic supreme why?
6873810
Pull an all-nighter to get the dresses made and then have high quality shampoo because Rarity likes high quality hair care products. The anti-sleep potion (coffee, as it's known on Earth) is to help her get the job done and the shampoo is payment.
I came for the unique premise of Principal Celestia in Equestria.
Not sure where that story went...
The Romance tag seems to have overshadowed everything else.
And in a very sudden, awkward, and complete way.
You may have planned this to be a Romcom... but this is devolving into softcore skinemax.
There is no plot development here. There is no character development. There is no comedy.
This, like the previous chapter is entirely clop setup.
Like several others who have pointed this out:
I came for a Plot,
Which was traded for clop.
So with no plot to this clop,
This story I'll stop.
What had she done?
And what will the shampoo do?
And would I even want to know?
I like this a lot!
Indeed.
What are you doing?
Like a pro.
Yes, I don't want to see HER drunk.
In a nutshell.
What are you insinuating?
She's good at this.
Seriously, Twilight? Rarity would have to have been blind or completely brain-damaged not to have noticed the way you were following Applejack and Rainbow Dash around like a little lost puppy!
I just thought of something... How DID Rarity know Twiligt 2 years ago? Aparently seasons 1-3 took place in around a year... And I doubt seasons 4-5 lasted over a year...
Maybe Rarity met Twilight, somewhat, during a trip in Canterlot?
6874742 Well the way I look at it, season 1 starts with the summer solstice, then the episode Winter Wrap Up takes place before Fall Weather friends, so that's like already a year and a half halfway through season 1, and then there's two separate Hearthswarming episodes after that up through season 5, so it's been at least 3.5-4 years by my count. Then again, trying to time map a children's cartoon isn't exactly science
Awesome chapter and a even better ending, good work.
Shimmy, stop being creepy.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
Thank you for coming back.
This story is a lot shorter than what I am used to dealing with, even so it manages to really pack a lot into 2,000 words. So well done on that count.
I hope that we'll get to see Luna again, she is so awesome in this story, you just got a talent for writing in general, but Sunset and Luna are done brilliantly.
I would give you a like, but I did that on the last chapter already.
Moar please
Rage-Decorating... Hahaha! Still my favourite part of this chapter!
Great update, looking forward to seeing how the date goes!
And, as usual, everypony is gay. Except Spike, and only because he's a dragon pimp.
mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw380_small.jpg
6874127 You're not alone. The tone shifted gears quite abruptly and because a VERY stereotypical lesbian romance for two chapters in a row.
It has become one of those movies on Lifetime, in which an awkward, implausible romance is always thrust into every story because it's believed the perceived audience demands such affairs.
6875780
Oh don't worry, she should be showing up anytime now
6876861
Heh if you think the shipping has anything to do with the audience and is not a direct result of my own set of shipping goggles, you may want to take a peruse through my favorited stories and get a feel for the author
6876927
If you think the actual shipping is the issue you aren't even reading critical comments.
You bait and switched this story... or you just got bored of waiting for the payoff.
It was a comedy with a unique premise and a plausible romance...
In 2 chapters you flipped this into Sunset the pantysniffer, and Celestia the slut in denial.
Sunset is at least awkwardly plausible...
However Celestia suddenly enamored with a eldrich insectoid she didn't even know existed a week prior?
No creeping relationship there, just a "Hello you're Hot, lets bang!" with ham handed fiat waving.
6877058 I'm sorry you don't like it I guess, and you're not wrong about it being kind of a bait and switch, I gotta work on the description so that stops happening as I do know the frustration of getting halfway into a story and finding it's not what you signed up for.
That being said I wrote it this way because I enjoy it this way and it makes me laugh. 90% of the characterization so far has been for the sake of doofy jokes and weird, chuckle-worthy situations more than actual character development. While I'd rather you keep reading and enjoying it, if you're not, you probably will continue to feel that way.
6873603
Ha ha, take that yo-
Buck, I missed? *reloads*
6877219
I'm still alive but barely breathing so thanks alot. But that's where healing magic comes from e u e .
*Throws your rifle into a lake*
No violence plz
Cause Twi has an horrible poker face?
The whole "actually older" thing doesn't seem like it should work, if only because Twilight and Sunset should probably be taller. I suppose some of that can be laid on the generic Flash models, but still, the portal distorting their physical ages seems like a better explanation than "They were twenty-something all along."
Also, you're really warping a few of the characters, especially Sunset. It feels like you're falling into the "love completely overwrites personality" trap a lot of shipfics fall into. There's still some good stuff in here, especially the Rite of Rarity, but there are also some very worrisome choices on your part.
This story never ceases to send me into hysterics. I just love how you introduced Rarity into the story. Romance? WHERE!?!
6876927 It's never a good idea to allow a fanon OTP to interrupt the core flow of your story to that extent.
Far better to subtly weave it in from the start. Then it doesn't feel as through another story has been oddly grafted into one of a completely different plot.
Didn't even realize that there was another chapter after I posted that last Comment.
Almost like when your eating oreos and you get to the end of row 2, then peel back that last bit of plastic and u got a whole new row... That's all my brain thought of during that little situation. the crazy thing is I'm not even fat I just love cookies lol
Also just in case u might be wondering if a single chapter would completely destroy my opinion of the rest.
It has not I'm still loving all the things lol
6874742
Some people take season 1 ep 1 to 4 ep 1&2 as one year, but the episodes has to be arranged to make it fit.
Some people goes with 1 season = 1 year.
Depends on who you ask.
Ooooooo, a Poker II. I only recently got a mechanical keyboard and now I want to make one.
6874742 There's not really much of an indicator of time in the show. Princess Twilight Sparkle is sometimes thought of taking place exactly one year after Friendship is Magic based off Celestia's comment about it being the first Summer Sun Celebration with her sister. However, Nightmare Moon says in Cutie Re-Mark that it's been 'years' with a plural since she banished her sister to the moon, and since the alternate timelines are chronologically the same amount of time from the (failed) Sonic Rainboom it would imply many more times than a single year between Friendship is Magic and Cutie is Remark (you wouldn't typically refer to a period of two years as 'years' either, more like four or five years at a minimum).
I personally go with a minimum of two years between FiM and PTS, assuming that Luna simply didn't come out for a couple of Summer Sun Celebrations until she was more comfortable in public. That, and it beggars disbelief that Twilight goes from a total shut-in to becoming Princess of Friendship in a year.
6937419
Sorry, but I have to disagree. We are never given any kind of detailed time frame regarding when Twilight arrives in the alternate timelines. She could have arrived at the exact same time that's taking place in her own timeline, or she could be arriving decades into the future. What evidence is there in any of these timelines suggesting that Twilight is arriving at the exact same point in time save for fan speculation? Because claiming that what we see in each timeline is chronologically occurring at the exact same amount of time after the Sonic Rainboom is a pretty huge assumption unless it has some serious evidence to back it up, considering the rather hefty evidence throughout the series suggesting that it takes place over a much shorter time frame.
In addition to the Summer Sun Celebration, we have seen exactly two of each of the major events and celebrations in the series. Two Grand Galloping Galas, two Nightmare Nights, two Sisterhooves Socials, two Summer Sun Celebrations, and so on and so forth. And all of these celebrations occur in the same order that they did the first time when we see them again. Then we have Rainbow's rather damning statement in Tanks for the Memories that this is her first winter with Tank, who she met back in season one. And it's not plausible to argue "Well, maybe she's just been busy the other winters." She is completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that tortoises hibernate, and has no clue why Tank is acting the way he does, meaning that her being "too busy" would indicate that she was so completely preoccupied for an entire winter season that she took absolutely no notice of his altered behavior.
Even the attempt to justify the Summer Sun Celebration comment falls horribly flat under examination. She didn't say that she was excited to be performing it with her sister, or to be sharing it with her. She said that it was nice to finally be looking forward to it again in general. That's a pretty specific statement to make, especially given how strange it would be for her to need to tell Twilight this, considering that thus far Twilight has attended every other Summer Sun Celebration in the series (and has in fact been directly involved in planning and taking part in the two that have been shown since she arrived in Ponyville).
So...yeah. There actually are quite a few indicators of time in the show. Multiple character statements, almost completely universal consistency with events that are real world analogues and entirely MLP-specific celebrations, consistent depictions of different seasons, etc. There must be some pretty darn solid evidence indicating that the alternate timelines we're shown are all taking place at the exact same point in time if we're going to override repeated instances where the series has implied this isn't likely to be the case.
Best pony showing up just needs a cracked window a low utterance about denim.
The Element of Honesty with a poker face? The mare who cannot convincingly lie to anypony but herself? I'm sure I saw her try a poker face in "Party of One" when Pinks tried to get in the barn after chasing Dash there. Even as new to poker as I am, I think I could clean house against AJ...
7240940 I think he meant her deadpan
Twilight casts Summon Rarity!
Does that count as a Lesser Planer Ally, or what? Somebody with D&D knowledge help me out here.
Hahahaha