Looking for Work in All the Right Places

“Me and my big mouth.”

Those words escaped Sunset Shimmer’s lips as she considered her current predicament, and suddenly wished that she hadn’t said anything about the matter to Principal Celestia. It suddenly occurred to her that this world’s Celestia probably had an impish sense of humor akin to her counterpart. Why else would she point her here?

She sighed. This is what she got for realizing that she needed to get a job.

Before her was a corner storefront, the awning decorated with the legend “Ndani ya Mchaji”. Sunset didn’t know what it meant, but the words reminded her of what little she’d heard of one of the dominant Zebrican languages. The shop itself had a whispered reputation at Canterlot High, with the Eco Kids occasionally mentioning having visited for one reason or another but most avoiding it. She herself had never frequented it, but then again, she never thought much of something that the Eco Kids would visit.

But here she was, looking at the shop like a frightened child in front of a dentist’s office. She was dressed in her best formal attire, a cyan dress and jacket with matching shoes with a plain white blouse. The whole outfit was something that Rarity had helped put together for her, meant to look more benevolent than her normal bad girl attire and bring focus to her eyes. Her long crimson and yellow hair was tied back in a professional-looking bun, and she couldn’t help but think that all she needed was a pair of glasses and she’d look like a librarian. A very attractive librarian, but still, a librarian. Despite her professional dress, she felt nervous; the place wasn’t too far from CHS, and the proprietors no doubt knew about her reputation, given students did frequent it.

She turned around uneasily and caught the familiar sight of Maud Pie’s grey sedan, the stoic girl seated in the driver’s seat and maintaining a neutral expression. With her in the car were Rarity and Pinkie Pie, both offering encouraging smiles while the latter gave an enthusiastic double thumbs-up. The sight prompted a smile, and Sunset turned about, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the shop.

She stepped inside to find, protected by tinted windows from the sunlight outside, were a number of shelves and displays bearing a wide selection of books and assorted other merchandise. Sunset recognized some of the objects as assorted crystals and artifacts related to local alternative religions, and though none of the titles of the books caught her memory, all of them were related to similar subjects, chief among them magic. All the sort of thing she’d have given a derisive snort towards not too long ago, for obvious reasons – she knew what real magic was, and it didn’t involve calling out to deities or fancy rituals or voodoo dolls.

“…And we miss out on it. I mean yeah, not a bad thing, but…”

It was that second that Sunset realized she wasn’t alone in the shop, and her gaze turned to find two familiar girls standing near the counter. She went pale as she recognized them from school, both clearly recognizing her in turn. One she didn’t know the name of, her bright blue eyes regarding her with suspicion and standing in stark contrast to her deep blue and fuchsia hair. The other she could identify by name, her golden eyes and pale cyan and white hair instantly bringing to mind her counterpart in Equestria. Unlike her associate, her expression was more of surprise than anything as she turned about. “Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset gave an awkward smile and waved quietly. “Hi, Lyra. What are you doing here?”

“We work here.” Lyra’s friend crossed her arms and kept her eyes locked on Sunset as she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Be at ease, my dear. There’s no need to fear.” The new voice had a unique accent that instantly reminded Sunset of the few zebras she’d met back in Equestria. She turned as the woman emerged from a doorway behind the counter and continued, “Unless my eyes do doth deceive, you are Sunset Shimmer I believe?”

The woman standing before her had light gray skin, her white hair hanging loosely to either side of her face and her cyan eyes, shaded darker than Sunset’s own, had a wise and friendly twinkle to them. She was dressed modestly in a long dress, mostly dominated by black and grey stripes but with a tribal pattern adorning one shoulder. She wore plain black shoes on her feet, with a pair of earrings and a set of bracelets around her left wrist. Between the use of verse and the general description, there was only one person she could be. “Yes, Miss Zecora. I’m told I was expected.”

Zecora nodded and gestured for Sunset to follow, and the teen followed the woman into a small office behind the counter, feeling the eyes of Lyra and her friend following her as she went. A nervous smile on her face, the minty green girl admitted, “Well, this is going to be interesting.”

Zecora closed the door behind Sunset, and gestured for her to take a seat. “Much of you my ears do know, but tell me truth in words your own.”

Sunset gave a nervous smile as she took a seat in a wooden chair. Before her was a large desk, assorted paper and office supplies on one side and a tablet PC on the other, and with a chair opposite hers that Zecora quickly claimed. “I’ll admit that I don’t exactly have the best of reputations. It’s not a surprise, given everything I’ve done. But believe me, I am trying to turn my life around and be a better person, and that includes earning an honest paycheck. And you were recommended.”

“A chance for you I may just give, but your past you must outlive. Now I have one thing to request.” The older woman turned the PC about to reveal the screen. “Lend me your sight, and tell me the rest.”

Sunset picked it up and, after a quick glance and affirmative nod from Zecora, shifted the keyboard so that she could carry the PC about like a tablet. On the screen was the basic design for an online store, a menu of options near the top. She prodded the touchscreen carefully and reasoned, “You’re starting up an online store.”

“That is one course of action for my shop indeed, but I am taking options before I proceed.”

Sunset had never engaged in online shopping since her arrival in the human world, for a number of obvious reasons. She hadn’t had a computer to call her own until midway through her first summer there, what was in retrospect no doubt a gift from Celestia, and her funds had never been enough to justify any sort of frivolous purchase online. Despite that, she’d learned more than her fair share about modern technology, both software and hardware. As much as she wasn’t proud to admit it, she’d been the one to edit together the ‘campaign video’ from the footage Snips and Snails had gathered, not just providing audio. Her eidetic memory and plenty of practice had helped to sharpen those skills.

She prodded the screen with a fingertip, checking over the catalog and searching through its contents as well as various other parts of the dummy site. “Well, it’s easy to navigate. That’s always a plus for a retailer. But putting together an online store is a big job. You’d need dedicated servers, for starters, and people on staff to maintain it. Also, the site design might be easy to navigate, but it’s bare-bones, fairly plain and not really all that attractive.” She wasn’t Rarity, but Sunset wouldn’t deny that an appealing look helped to attract attention. “Selling products online isn’t a bad idea, but unless you can sink a lot of time and money into it, you’re better off working through a third party like e-Hay or Amazing.com. They’ll charge you fees, but with enough business, that’ll be covered easily enough.” She looked up from the screen and gently handed it back. “At least, that’s my opinion.”

Zecora’s gaze didn’t move from the girl’s face, even as she quietly retrieved her computer. “Your advice for online sales is indeed quite sound. But to manage them, I would need someone around.” At Sunset’s surprised expression, she produced a small packet of papers. “The job is yours, if you do so desire. If not, then elsewhere you can inquire.”

Sunset picked up the papers and looked through them, going over their contents with a practiced eye. Spelled out were details for her employment, among them a code of conduct, a rough summary of her expected pay and benefits as well as when she was expected to work. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to help her along if she needed it, and the money would help her pad out her expenses a bit. If nothing else, she could start filling those bookshelves in her new apartment. She smiled and asked, “Where do I sign?”

“Do you think she’s okay?” Pinkie’s eyes were glued to the shop’s door as she asked, “It’s taking her a long time to come out.”

“Well, it is a job interview, dear. I don’t know how long the Cakes interviewed you for, but it was several minutes before I had any word one way or another about my employment at Carousel Boutique.” Rarity smiled proudly as she noted, “I’ll say this right now, Ms. Ensemble made a very wise decision to take me on.” She looked to the shop and noted, “I just hope that whoever runs this spooky place is similarly wise enough to take Sunset on as an employee. I’d hate for her to be forced to take a job at a fast food place.” She shivered. “Just the thought of being in one makes me want to go on a diet.”

“They aren’t so bad!”

“I know, and some are better than others in terms of health value, but still…” She noticed the shop’s door open and exclaimed, “Ah, here she is!” Sunset approached, opened the back door to the car and sat down beside her in the backseat, and Rarity politely asked, “Well? How did things go?”

Sunset took a breath as she closed the car door, freed her hair from its bun, and smiled triumphantly. “I’ve got the job.”

“Whoo-hoo!”

“Well done, darling!”

“Congratulations.”

Sunset laughed as she buckled up. “It’s not much. I’m just helping run their online sales and such, but I’m making the same amount as the rest of the part-timers.” She sighed and admitted, “Trouble is, both of them are CHS students, Lyra and that girl she’s always hanging out with.”

“Sweetie Drops?”

A shrug. “I never really got her name. I only remember Lyra’s because her counterpart started attending the School for Gifted Unicorns a little bit before I left Equestria. Anyway, she wasn’t too happy to see me.” She sighed and admitted, “Not that I can blame her.”

“Aww! Don’t let her get you down, Shimmy!” Pinkie beamed happily. “I bet ol’ Sweetie Drops just acts like a big grumpy-grump! Underneath it all, she’s probably got a big gooey center!” She then turned thoughtful and admitted, “Then again, she was kinda mean to Applejack back in freshman year. But maybe she’s just putting up some kind of emotional front to keep others away, and Lyra’s the first to manage to find a method to help her out of her shell?”

“It’s not impossible,” Maud droned.

“Well, regardless darling, you have gainful employment.” Rarity beamed and noted encouragingly, “So far as I’m concerned, that’s a step in the right direction.”

“Thanks, Rarity.” Sunset laughed. “So, what now?”

“What else, dear? We celebrate! To Sugar Cube Corner!”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself! Let’s party!”

“She’s working here now?!” Sweetie Drops was anything but pleased at the news from her employer. “Zecora, are you nuts?! That’s Sunset Shimmer! She’s been sinking her talons into the CHS hierarchy since the eighth grade! She’s made everyone’s lives miserable! She turned herself into a raging she-demon at the Fall Formal, for crying out loud!” She turned to her best friend and pleaded, “Lyra, help me out here!”

The minty green girl shrugged and noted, “Well, yeah, that’s all true, but maybe she’s changed?” At her friend’s shocked expression, she amended, “Maybe, Bon Bon! Maybe! Look, has she caused any trouble in school since her suspension ended? No! And she’s been hanging out with the same group of girls that she tore apart last year just to keep her crown. What does that tell you?”

The blue-and-pink haired girl sighed; even the use of her affectionate nickname only did so much to ease her mood. “Either that she’s up to something with them, or that they’ve taken pity on her. And right now, I’m inclined to believe the former.”

“However you may perceive, I doubt she acts to deceive.” Zecora held up an old book with an unassuming brown cover. “It may not be clear as day to you, but I do believe her words are true.”

Both girls eyed the book anxiously, and Sweetie Drops asked in a worried tone, “Is that book from your private library?” At her employer’s nod, she asked, “And you really think that she’s on the level because of that?”

Zecora opened the book to one prominent set of illustrations. “Take a look and please, tell me true. Does this look familiar to you?”

The two girls leaned in close and gazed upon the illustration of six gemstones, five identically cut and with differing colors arrayed in a circle around the sixth, which resembled a six-pointed star and was colored purple. “That looks like part of the Fall Formal crown.” Lyra pulled out her phone and quickly went through the pictures on it, getting to the one she’d taken of the portrait of Twilight Sparkle that now hung in the school’s foyer. “Everyone said that Sunset Shimmer transformed when she put the crown on, and that Twilight Sparkle and the other girls all changed too.” She looked to the illustration and asked, “You’re not saying she got her hands on some real magic?”

“That indeed is how it would appear. And to my knowledge, her reform’s sincere.”

Sweetie Drops grimaced as she considered this new information. “Well, however she got it, it’s out of her reach now, right?” At Zecora’s nod, she noted, “Still, can we really take the chance that this won’t happen again? We need to protect ourselves.”

The older woman smiled. “Once burned, twice shy, are words to live by. I’ll see what I can do, to help the two of you.”

“But for the time being, maybe we should try giving her a chance?”

Sweetie Drops rolled her eyes and grinned. “You’re just hoping she knows something about Equestria, aren’t you? That she’s actually seen the ponies there.” She laughed. “Come on, Lyra. What are the chances she actually knows anything about them?”

“Hey, I can dream, can’t I?” She smiled as all-too-familiar thoughts went through her mind. “I mean come on! Magical talking ponies! How is that not the most awesomely adorable thing ever?”

Her best friend laughed. “Never change, Lyra.” Sweetie Drops then turned to Zecora and asked, “But we are going to keep her out of the private library, right?”

A solemn nod. “For the time being, it seems we must. After all, it takes time to build up trust.”

“Okay, moment of truth.” A spoonful of sauce was raised to her lips, and Sunset tasted it experimentally. She considered the flavor for a moment, and then sighed in defeat. “Nuts.” Hours had passed since her successful job interview, and the former unicorn found herself alone in her loft apartment, cooking herself dinner in her own private celebration.

At least, initially, as a knock sounded from her door. It creaked open as she went to answer it, and she smiled with relief as she looked upon her visitor. “Hello Principal Celestia.”

“You don’t need to call me by my title off school grounds, Sunset.” Celestia smiled warmly in turn, then looked a bit disappointed. “I suppose it was a little too much to hope that you’d still be dressed formally.”

The girl shrugged and glanced down at her current attire. She’d changed from the formal business dress to loose slacks and a T-shirt, both covered by an apron adorned with her cutie mark and slippers on her feet. “It looked nice, but I needed to get out of it to feel comfortable. Anyway, I got the job. Thanks for the referral, but you could have just called to see how it went.”

“Believe it or not, I do have a vested interest in seeing you succeed in life.” She gave the small kitchen area a brief glance and asked, “Did I interrupt your cooking?”

“No, I was just about to serve myself.” She tilted her head towards the stove and explained, “I’m trying to recreate my mother’s sauce recipe from back home. So far, no luck, but it should still be edible. I wouldn’t mind if you…”

“Thanks but no thanks. I may be your legal guardian and you may be living in an apartment I own, but there’s still just a little too much impropriety here. Besides, I’ve already eaten.” She smiled and amended, “But I do appreciate the offer.”

A shrug. “Just trying to be hospitable.” She then gave the principal a knowing grin. “You know, it seemed a little convenient that you pointed me towards her for work.”

“Does it?”

“Almost like one old friend was helping another to look after someone.”

Celestia grinned. “That’s one way to look at things. Enjoy your dinner, Sunset Shimmer. Good night.”

“Good night”. Her principal left, and Sunset returned to her meal, glad that the day had gone so well. Granted, Lyra and Sweetie Drops were a surprise, but she was getting used to them lately. With any luck, however, things would turn around, and who knows, maybe she’d actually, in a roundabout way, make good on the pony Lyra’s desire for friendship?

She laughed. A girl could always dream.

Author's Note:

Yay, a new and very short Sunset Shimmer story! Admittedly, it's not much of a story, but I'm pleased with it.

First off, the name of Zecora's shop is a Google Translation of "Into the Mystic", the name of the shop owned and operated by the London Clan of gargoyles from, well, "Gargoyles". I'm a fan of that series and like making nods to it when possible.

While Zecora does have a doll released as part of the "Equestria Girls" line, I decided to give my version of her a slightly different look, albeit inspired by real-world traditional attire for Swahili-speaking women and Zecora's two differing appearances in the series - the earrings and bracelets come from her accessories in the show, her black shoes are inspired by her hooves, and the long-haired look comes from her Nightmare Night costume. As for Sunset's looks in this story...well, I'm kinda hoping I see an illustration of hot librarian Sunset someday.

Sunset's familiarity with technology is equal parts my own suppositions and some influence from "Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine". Rarity's dialogue about her employment includes a small nod to ConningOfficer's "Sunset Shimmer: Element Bearer" and DJLowrider's "Taking Another Career Option". I know the former doesn't mind the nod, but I hope the latter's okay with one too. If you haven't read them yet, do so - the former is an epic and a smashing good story, while the latter is sheer taco-related fun.

Now, as for the reveal at the end...well, you readers are smart! Give me your theories on that!

Oh, and a belated thanks to pachirisugirl15 for their help and suggestions involving Zecora's dialogue.

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