• Published 15th Apr 2017
  • 9,036 Views, 678 Comments

The Worst of All Possible Worlds - TheTimeSword



Sunset Shimmer returns to Equestria only to find Twilight Sparkle battling a strange pony named Starlight Glimmer. Unbeknownst to Sunset, Starlight has altered the past, forcing Sunset to deal with reigniting her friendships all over again.

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World 1: Chapter 2

Ponies pushed and shoved to get off the cramped train while Sunset took a moment to stretch her limbs. The overnight trip aboard the mildly uncomfortable benches left her wanting more sleep. Rest had been a come and go experience—what with the snores of other passengers, the common noise of the train, and her own anxiety of what they would soon face. Regardless of their sleeping arrangements, both Sunset and Applejack were wide awake, eager to find the next Element of Harmony. Manehattan, however, did not welcome the unfamiliar mares.

Just exiting onto the train platform gave them an idea of what they would be dealing with. Skyscrapers, large bridges, bustling traffic of pony-drawn carriages, and shouts and shrieks in every direction. To Sunset, it was like being downtown from CHS, though much less muggy without the diesel cars and trucks. Ponyville's tallest building was the town hall; a pony could scale it with ease. To climb any of these buildings would mean a lot of planning, patience, and luck. Of course, falling from these giants would be less worrying since pegasi littered the sky more so than clouds or birds.

“Where do we even attempt to start?” Applejack asked, to which Sunset could not answer. Her hastily drawn map left much to be desired. As they trotted off the train platform, they came across a tourist board marked with destinations for travelers. Though worn around the edges, its directions pointed with faded arrows at outdated attractions. Applejack raised a hoof and pointed to one of the names. “Manehattan City Hall.”

“If Rarity is here to help the war effort, then maybe Fluttershy is here helping in her own way too. Heading to city hall might be our best option. Maybe they'll have records on ponies staying here.” Sunset studied the street names for a moment to find the best route. “Alright, let’s see if somepony can help us there. If not—” She motioned to the docks on the east side of town “—I’m sure the bay will have ponies shipping all sorts of supplies out of Manehattan. Maybe somepony there might know them.” Applejack agreed with Sunset's reasoning and the two took off.

They traipsed down the city’s streets, which was a lot more dangerous on hoof. Every crosswalk had a pony waiting for the signal to cross, only for their time to come and the hasty carts would ignore the walkers right of way. Some ponies would walk without care, and that ended with a cart screeching to a halt and some vulgar language tossed about. It’s definitely like downtown, Sunset thought after the fourth encounter. One small difference between her urban city and Manehattan stood out. Downtown, people smiled at each other as they passed on the sidewalk, but in Manehattan, nopony smiled. Whenever she looked directly at Applejack, she noticed how out of place the earth pony was. Aside from her country personality, Applejack smiled, and often. It was a cheerfulness that Manehattan lacked. Sunset wondered if it had always been this way, even before King Sombra’s return.

Once they reached city hall, Applejack compared how undamaged it was to Ponyville’s. Large sets of marble steps led up to the beige building. Six columns of decorative purpose stood in front of the open doorway, though most ponies used them as cover from the wind. Sunset pushed through the opening to a set of mahogany doors with Applejack on her tail. An endless flood of ponies entering and exiting the foyer of the city hall reminded her of the train station. The main room was tall and wide, with a welcome desk opposite the door. The circular shape of the interior echoed the hoofsteps as loudly as the chatter. Flags hung down from above—a sun being one of them. Two sets of doors were on both sides of the room where even more ponies filtered through.

Cameras flashed and voices echoed from the center as Sunset and Applejack entered. “Mayor! Mayor!” a male reporter called out as he slammed past Sunset. He didn’t apologize nor break his stride. Instead, like all the other reporters, he crowded around a pony that stood in the center of the congregating press.

“Please, I am not answering any questions today,” the mayor said. “You may save them for the press conference tomorrow morning.”

As the mayor pressed through the crowd of paparazzi, Sunset and Applejack stood in her path. “Mayor?” Applejack greeted the grey-haired pony from Ponyville.

For a moment, the mayor appeared to recognize her. But the memory faded from her eyes. She quickly asked, “Do I know you? If you’re looking for a story, please wait until tomorrow’s conference.”

Applejack shook her head. “It’s me Mayor, Applejack! From Ponyville?” Reporters soon swarmed the three with questions of who they were and how they knew Mayor Mare, all itching for a scandal or secret details.

It must've clicked for Mayor Mare upon the mentioning of Ponyville as she abruptly called for them to follow her past the large reception desk where the reporters couldn’t enter. Sunset and Applejack trailed behind her down two separate halls, both smaller than the last. City officials chatted around water coolers but broke apart as soon as they saw the mayor coming. A unicorn secretary quickly opened a decorative auburn door with frosted glass window, to which the mayor led them both through. The same unicorn then closed the door, and left them undisturbed by the rest of the offices.

“You have no idea how good it is to see somepony from Ponyville,” Mayor Mare said as she wrapped her forelegs around the fellow earth pony. “Manehattan is a growing nightmare compared to that rundown town. Oh. No offense.”

Applejack patted the mayor’s back before breaking off from the embrace. “Yeah, it certainly looks like a hoofful. You got your own office though, that’s a step up from Ponyville.”

“Yes, well, the town hall in Ponyville pretty much was my whole office. And it didn’t come with the numerous difficulties this one has,” she replied before motioning to the desk piled with paperwork. She trotted around her desk, which seemed too big for the small office, and sat down in a chair that creaked with age. After pushing the piles aside, she made room to see the two. “So, what can I do for Ponyville’s finest farmer and—” Her eyes drifted to Sunset. “Who are you?”

“This here is Sunset Shimmer,” Applejack introduced with a nod and smile. “She’s uh—she's got a real good plan for helpin’ defeat King Sombra.”

The mayor’s desk moved as she suddenly pushed against it. “Shhhush!” she hollered, waving her forelegs at them. “Don’t mention his name around here or you’ll start a panic! I don’t need more worried ponies on the steps!”

“Why would that start a panic?” asked Sunset. "It’s not like they don’t know about the war."

Mayor Mare sat back in her chair and turned away to face the only window of the room. “The whole war has the city in panic. Everyone expected Princess Celestia to have won by now—but every day we hear more tales of her forward operating base being pushed back by King Sombra’s forces. Everypony knows that if they get overwhelmed, Manehattan will be the first to see the consequences of her loss.”

“That’s why we’re here. We’re looking for two ponies that will help us defeat him and put this timeline back on track,” Sunset pleaded.

“Timeline?” Mayor Mare spun her chair back around.

Applejack quickly covered Sunset’s mouth, and held her in a tight grip. “S-sorry ‘bout that. My friend here is just a little tired from the trip. But she's right—we’re looking for two ponies that are somewhere in the city. A pegasus named Fluttershy is one, the other is Rarity. She also used to live in Ponyville. That fancy-shmancy dressmaker gal.”

“Rarity… Rarity…” The mayor tapped her desk as she pondered the name. She got up from her chair, still repeating the name, and pulled open one of the drawers from the desk. Applejack let go of Sunset who took a few moments to breathe as Mayor Mare plopped a file on the desk. “Here we are. Yes, she runs a clothing charity over on the east side of the city, near the bay. I believe they give out clothing to homeless foals while also creating padding for Celestia’s troops. You can find her between Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue. I don’t have the name of her charity on this file for some reason.” She closed the folder. “As for this Flutterguy, I don’t have anything on that fellow. Sorry.”

“That’s alright. It’s more than enough help. Thank you, Mayor,” Applejack replied.

“I’m glad I could be of some service to somepony lately. Especially you, Applejack. You’ve more than earned it after all the times you and your family helped Ponyville.” Her smile faltered. “It’s a shame that you and I couldn’t have saved the town completely. Though I suppose neither of us are to blame for that.” She sighed. “Regardless, I’m sure you two can see yourselves out. It was good to meet you Sunset Shimmer, and pleasure seeing you again, Applejack. If you’re ever back in the city, let me know. We could do lunch.”

They said their goodbyes to the mayor and made their way out of the city hall. The reporters had long since vanished, which made it easy to head back out into Manehattan. “Alright, Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue,” Sunset repeated the mayor’s directions. “That was surprisingly lucky that we ran into someone you know.”

“Yeah—but she’s right,” replied Applejack as she lifted her necklace to look at it. “A lot of ponies are unknowingly countin’ on you being right about this. Uniting the six Elements—bringing us together. If we don’t, or if we fail, a lot of ponies are gonna be in trouble.”

Sunset kept her smile from Applejack’s view and didn’t bother to answer. The Elements hadn’t failed before in the alternate timeline she came from. They wouldn’t fail here. Not if she could help it. “It’s this way. Here’s Horseshoe Avenue.” Dirt streets like those in Ponyville seemed odd for the overly populated Manehattan. But they were near the outskirts of the concrete city. Fillies and colts played in these roads by kicking a ball up and down the sides. No carriages traversed this part of the city. Only wagons filled to the brim with supplies meant for the north.

“Is that it?” Applejack asked, pointing to a shop without a sign.

“No, this isn’t Ninth. This is Seventh Street. Should be three more.”

“You mean two more,” corrected Applejack.

They traveled two more blocks, passing Eighth Street, then Main Street. “No, I meant three,” she replied as they cruised past Main and reached Ninth Street. She couldn't hide her coy smile as she peered back at Applejack.

“Show off,” Applejack grumbled. “Well, then that’s gotta be it.”

On the corner of Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue, just like Mayor Mare had said, sat a door with a white and purple sign over it. “Rarity’s Charity,” Sunset mouthed. The two-story, brick and mortar building was a lot less dazzling than Sunset would've imagined for the designer. Even the sign left something to be desired—the paint had chipped and the wood warped from the rain and sun.

“Before we head in, I’ve got a tiny question that’s been with me since we left city hall,” Applejack said. “Rarity’s the—what’s it—generous Element? If she’s doing a charity to give out to ponies, shouldn’t she already have her fancy necklace? Shouldn’t she already know that she’s needed for somethin’?”

Sunset shrugged. She didn’t have an answer for the earth pony, and she didn’t need one. The answer was either waiting for them inside or it wasn’t.

The bell over the door rung out as Sunset pushed it open, only to have it overshadowed by the dozens of sewing machines working all at the same time. Clothes were sewn together and then tossed in piles, left for another worker to pick up and prepare for travel. Brown and blue were the only colors—the brown for shirts, while the blue was used for pants. There weren't any other colors that Sunset could spot as they waltzed through the loud building.

At the furthest row of seamstresses sat a white unicorn. Her purple mane didn’t move under the amethyst colored bow as she stood up. The unicorn trotted to a door on the wall opposite from where they entered. She entered and closed it behind her. “That’s Rarity,” Applejack whispered to Sunset. At least, she assumed that's what Applejack said. She couldn't hear much over the sewing machines but acted as if she did. None of the workers looked up from their fabrics as Sunset and Applejack passed by. Not even a suspicious glance from one of the least tired of the group.

Sunset knocked on the door and didn’t hear anything. She knocked again before pushing it open.

“What is it Tape Length?” the purple haired unicorn called out, not bothering to look at the opening door. “Did you receive word from that cynical sheep groomer yet?”

“Rarity?” Sunset greeted while Applejack shut the door behind them.

The unicorn turned after realizing the voice wasn’t that of her co-worker. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was expecting somepony else. What can I do for you two?” she asked, still levitating a pencil and clipboard.

“Well, shoot. That sure is Rarity, though the clothes are a bit off.” Applejack stepped forward and waved to the dark amethyst-colored uniform the unicorn wore.

“Um, do I know you two?” she asked boorishly, and squinted down her muzzle at them both.

Applejack gave a nod and said, “You know me at the very least. You used to live back in Ponyville. I’m Applejack, one of the Apple family at Sweet Apple Acres.”

Rarity seemed to shift from side to side as she stared at Applejack—as if to judge the mare on the truth and the look of her. “Uh huh,” she said in response, her accent more posh compared to Mayor Mare’s. She didn’t say anything more, though her eyes looked as though they were discerning something.

“We’re here because you’re one of the six legendary Elements of Harmony,” Sunset added, hoping this would be easier than dealing with Applejack or Mayor Mare.

With a raised eyebrow this time, Rarity repeated herself, “Uh huh.”

Sunset looked worriedly at Applejack, her hopes slowly fleeting with every silent second and curt reply. “And, well—we’re going to go defeat King Sombra with these Elements after we gather the full six bearers.” She pointed to Applejack’s necklace as though that would prove their claim. “See?”

Rarity closed her mouth and swallowed, then took a moment before she decided to speak. “Listen, this is a donations office for the war effort. We’re not looking to be part of any weirdo cult at the moment, so I must ask you to please leave.”

Of course it won’t be easy, Sunset mused as she slapped her hoof against her forehead. “I know how it sounds, but you’ve got to believe us. You’re the Element of Generosity. We can’t hope to end the war without your help.” Or get me home.

“As nice as your friend’s necklace looks—nothing is going to convince me to leave my charity on some halfwit adventure. I’m not a soldier. I’m a seamstress with emphasis on stress. So, again, I must ask you to please leave my establishment before I have to call the city guards.”

“Rarity, please. I know this is going to sound strange, but I’m from another world where we aren’t at war with King Sombra. The Crystal Empire is a free city full of happy ponies. You, Applejack, and four others helped in his defeat. You helped in defeating several villains. There’s got to be something we can do to convince you to help us. Anything,” Sunset pleaded as she inched herself forward till she came nose to nose with the other unicorn.

The annoyed look Rarity held didn't change even with Sunset’s words. “Another world? That sounds like a cult to me, darling.”

Applejack slapped herself across the forehead. “There’s a reason I held you back at Mayor’s office, Sunset. You barely got me convinced that you’re from another time, and that didn’t happen till we went to the Tree of Harmony. Shoutin’ it to everypony we meet is gonna lead to some jail time or livin’ in an insane asylum.”

She hadn’t thought of it like that. Sunset had assumed that everyone would just believe her word as truth, but that wasn’t the case. Then, a brilliant, magnificent idea popped into her head. “That’s it! We’ll have to do something extremely generous for you, Rarity. Then you’ll be convinced by the necklace appearing right in front of your very eyes!”

“I get my own necklace for this cult? How exciting,” Rarity huffed. “Really now. If you could convince that stubborn Fluttershy to generously donate the wool she promised us, then I might believe you.”

The name sent a spark into Sunset. “Fluttershy!? Absolutely! You tell us where she is and we’ll get that wool for you!” Sunset stomped her hooves in a delighted dance.

The sudden excitement radiating from Sunset caused Rarity to drop her clipboard and pencil. “Really? Well, she’s on the further outskirts of town. To the east and north of the docks. Most of it is orchards out there, but there’s a sheep farm too,” she answered before levitating the fallen objects off the floor. “If you did this for me I’d certainly be grateful. I’d be able to mark a few things off my list if I had that wool.”

“A farm shouldn’t be difficult for me to find,” Applejack commended herself as she trotted over to the door.

“Awesome!” Out of force of habit, Sunset gave a quick hug to Rarity before rushing off behind Applejack. She didn’t get to see Rarity’s reaction for more than a split second, but the disheveled confusion on the unicorn’s face was certainly there. And that only added to Sunset's giddiness. After the two exited the charity and stepped out onto the dirt road, Sunset said, “Well, that didn’t go as planned, but we know where Fluttershy is. We might be able to, uh—smack two apple trees with one buck?”

Applejack gave a snort and let out a long, single hoot. “That sounds about right.”

One down—now they needed to find the other. Convincing them both would be hard, Sunset knew, but she believed in herself. She had convinced the stubbornest pony she knew, after all.

They followed the road north and eventually reached the outskirts of town where buildings were spread apart by acres and fences. Sunset’s smile stayed the entire walk. She had forgotten how fun it was just to spend time doing things with friends. Even though they weren't from CHS, there was excitement in regaining their friendship. For a moment, Sunset wondered if something forced her to be here so she could spend more time with the ones she cared about. Not that she minded if it were the reasoning, but the words ‘time’ and ‘help’ still burned in the back of her brain.

The barns and country houses seemed smaller compared to that of Sweet Apple Acres, and the orchards much different than the crops on the Apple’s farmland. There were no apple trees. Instead, pecans and oranges were the highlight of Manehattan’s produce, presumably meant for the sailors and soldiers of the north. The smell of freshly trimmed grass permeated the air of the farmland, with working ponies still out and about finishing their chores before dark.

Once they passed the orchards and a vineyard, they trotted into the farm animal territory. Pigs oinked while cows ignored them, too focused on the fodder of the field they stood in. A flood of sheep suddenly came bolting across the street, and stopped Sunset and Applejack dead in their tracks. This herd of sheep filtered into a large, long metal barn that looked repurposed from something else. “Looks like we found sheep,” Applejack stated the obvious.

Sunset asked, “Yeah, but do you notice anything odd?”

Applejack glanced over the sheep as they passed. They had floppy ears, happy smiles, and white woolly coats. “Uh,” Applejack started. She took another, harder look at the seemingly perfect sheep. “No?”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset then pointed to a passing sheep’s fleece coat. “They all have their wool. Unshorn sheep. Rarity was complaining about the lack of wool she was receiving.”

“Oh, yeah! Maybe they’re goin’ into that there building to be sheered?”

The last few sheep crossed the road and filtered into the metal barn. They pushed and shoved against each other as the steel doors began to close behind them. Just before the doors could shut, Sunset and Applejack pushed through the opening. Dim lights overhead provided the only illumination now that they were shut in, and made the white woolly sheep a bit greyer in color. The musky scent of sheep and hay wafted through the enclosed space. It was a tight barn, and the sheep were just a tad smaller than Sunset and Applejack. Seven or eight sheep could line from wall to wall at most, and there were at least a hundred down the length.

“Hurrk,” was the sound Sunset made before she pressed a hoof to her muzzle—blocking her nostrils.

Applejack looked at her and chuckled. “Guess you don’t live on a farm in your fancy other world. This place smells like home.” Applejack then took a big whiff of the barn’s scent, which caused Sunset’s stomach to churn.

“Let’s just find out why these sheep haven’t been shaved yet,” Sunset said as she straddled a wall.

“Winter is coming,” a sheep said, startling Sunset away from the wall. “It’ll be too cold for us,” another stated. “Yeah! We’re keeping our wool. Fluttershy said so! She’s so kind.” Many of the sheep began repeating Fluttershy’s name, bleating incoherently.

So that’s the reasoning. Rarity was already generous, and Fluttershy was already kind. This might be a lot harder than I thought, Sunset concluded as the sheep slowly simmered their cheering.

A voice then rose their happy cries back from the silence. “What’s got you all so excited?” the voice questioned, and echoed from the far end of the metal barn. Sunset could barely make out the pink of the pony’s head.

They pushed by the gentle livestock with ease. As they drew closer, the grey wool played contrast to the yellow and pink of the pegasus. The voice called out again, “Don’t worry little ones, you’ll be safe in here tonight, and then tomorrow you can go back into the yard.” The pegasus didn't notice Sunset or Applejack creeping up behind her. The dim light worked against her just as it had for them.

The pegasus busily moved hay bales around and brushed off the coats of the closest sheep. As she set down a bucket near the herd, her eyes drifted up to some movement that stood higher than the rest of the livestock. That’s when she finally noticed them with faces hidden in the shadowy lights. Her scream resonated within the metallic walls of the building. Sunset and Applejack were forced to cover their ears.

“Fluttershy!” Sunset called out over the screaming. After pushing through the sheep, Sunset reached out and closed shut Fluttershy’s muzzle. “Enough!” she commanded in a deep, angry voice.

“Is it safe?” Applejack yelled, while still covering her ears. Some of the sheep looked up at her with squinting eyes and brief looks, and others snickered and murmured.

Fluttershy pushed away the hoof and asked, “W-who are you? What d-do you want?”

“Relax, relax. We’re friends.” Sunset hadn’t thought of what she could say to the pegasus to get her on her side. According to Applejack, any mention of the different timelines was out of the question. “My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she greeted. “We have been looking for you. Rarity told us we could find you here.”

“R-Ra-Rarity?” the pegasus stuttered and wiped the sweat from her brow. “You’re not h-here to collect the wo-wool are you?”

“The wool, Rarity, and you, actually.”

Her answer seemed puzzling for the pegasus. “Please! Don’t tell anyone about the sheep! I beg of you!” Fluttershy dropped to the ground in her pleading with Sunset. Hay and dirt clung to her tears and stuck to her face in the process.

Sunset stared down at the teary-eyed pegasus. It had been a long while since she made her timid friend cry. A flood of memories poured into Sunset's mind. Yelling, slamming lockers, blocking paths. There were a lot of things Sunset had done to the shyest of her high school friends, all of which she still regretted—regardless of being forgiven. Now, staring down at the sullen pegasus, Sunset wondered if she’d ever get to see that introverted friend again. To share a day at the animal shelter or a picnic with her friendly animals.

She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and said, “We won’t tell, Fluttershy.”

The downpour of tears didn't stop as she looked up at Sunset. “Yo-you won’t?”

“It wouldn’t be very kind of us, would it?” Applejack emphasized her question with a wink as she walked over and stood next to Sunset.

Fluttershy looked unsure of the two but was quick to regain her composure. “Oh, well, t-thank you.” She trotted past Sunset to slump down next to the sheep and wrap her forelegs around one of them. “I don’t want to think of these poor creatures being cold for the winter. It’d be just awful for them. I can’t even bring myself to pick up a razor.”

“We did promise to bring Rarity back their wool,” Applejack whispered to Sunset. “How’re we gonna do that now? We can’t really promise one thing and then do the other.”

The Element of Honesty was just as honest as Sunset had known her to be. And she was more often right about things than Sunset would want to admit—this being one of those times. Sunset watched as Fluttershy opened the metal door of the barn and trotted outside, the song in her step returned to what it had been prior to the screaming.

Once she took a moment to breathe, Sunset levitated down her zipper and pulled the journal from the backpack. “What’re you doin’?” Applejack asked as Sunset flipped through the pages.

“I-I’m not the greatest when it comes to friends,” she admitted. “I’d like to say I’m pretty knowledgeable about it, but it’s only recently that I’ve truly understood what friendship means. This book isn’t just history of what’s happened in my timeline. It's advice. Mostly for trying to make new friends, and keep old ones.” She eventually came to a page where she had asked about Fluttershy, to which Princess Twilight retold the tale of the Breezies. “Fluttershy was once forced to be unkind to some small creatures, which goes against her Element, but she did it so that they would be able to go home. Essentially, being unkind was the greatest kindness she could give.”

Applejack ran a hoof through her flowing mane and down the back of her neck. Blonde strands of hair moved gently around her dirty hoof. She remained silent for a moment, clearly contemplating a reply. “So, we’re gonna roughhouse some sheep?” she finally asked.

“What? No. No!” Sunset scoffed and shook her head. “I’m going to convince her to come with us and give up the wool.” She trotted out of the barn and headed for Fluttershy, becoming less confident with every step. “H-hey, Fluttershy. Can I talk to you? About King Sombra?”

The pegasus froze. She had turned to face Sunset with a smile but it dissipated at the very mention of the name. “Ki-Ki-King Sombra!?”

“Yes. You see, when I told you I was here for you, I should have told you that I’m not from this world. I’m from an alternate world, in a different time, where we don’t have a war with King Sombra. We live peacefully. When the Crystal Empire returned, King Sombra was defeated. Many villains were defeated, actually. One of them being myself.” She smiled at the thought of her demonized form. “But in every instance, you and five others had a hoof in the victory. And I think I’m here to help you six win in this timeline too.”

The pegasus remained frozen. She was either blindsided by the amount of exposition or still traumatized by the mention of King Sombra, Sunset couldn’t tell which. Her throat moved to swallow before she finally spoke up. “O-oh,” was all she replied.

Sunset stood still, unsure of how to respond to such a simplistic answer. She could feel her cheeks burn as she realized that ponies really didn’t believe her. She now knew Applejack was right to say she’d be in an insane asylum if she continued telling everypony of her alternate world. Before she could say anything to prove she wasn’t crazy, a mocking laugh cut her off.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Applejack apologized as she wiped a tear from her eye, and her cackle continued. “I can’t help but laugh at awkward situations.” She trotted closer and swung one hoof around Sunset's neck. “I know how it must sound, Fluttershy. I didn’t rightly believe it at first. But Sunset is definitely a time-travelin', universe-hoppin’ pony from a different world. I wouldn’t have left my farm and family back in Ponyville if I didn’t believe her.” Giving a tap to Sunset’s chest, she added, “Apparently we’re all friends in her world, and I can’t help but get a good feelin’ from you, Fluttershy. So, when she says we can defeat King Sombra, I’m more than inclined to believe her.”

“I-I’ve never really had any friends before. B-besides the sheep, of course,” Fluttershy nervously replied as she rubbed one foreleg with the other, all while hiding behind a few strands of hair.

“Well, it’s never too late to have more. I’m living proof of that.” Sunset placed a hoof around the pegasus with Applejack joining in on the opposite side. “Though being friends means we shouldn’t lie to each other. I’m sorry to say, but we really do need the wool from these sheep.” She watched as Fluttershy’s head sunk. “But I don’t think it’d be too much to ask if Rarity made them coats as well.”

The pegasus removed the brown bandana from her head. It was short and matted in places—Sunset assumed she had cut it herself. “O-okay. I suppose if you really want me to, I can start sheering.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sunset cheered.

Nothing more was said by the pegasus as she went to work sheering the sheep. Her smile faded as the razor buzzed in her hooves. Wool fell to the ground, which she quickly swept into a basket. She then froze at the sight of Sunset and Applejack who had begun helping with her work. “Y-you’re helping me?”

Sunset threw a look over her shoulder, and noted the disbelief in the pegasus’s eyes. “Of course. You didn’t think we’d force you to do it all yourself? What type of friends would we be if we were so self-centered?”

“Baaaaad friends,” Applejack replied, still focused on the sheering process. It took a few seconds for her to notice the silence, to which she turned to see the unamused faces of Sunset, Fluttershy, and even a few sheep. “Oh come on now. Someone was bound to make the pun eventually!” she argued before returning to the chore.

A smile pursed Sunset’s lips, hidden by her focus on the sheep. “I suppose helpful friends come with bad jokes in every universe.” She shut off the razor and turned back to Fluttershy. “Isn’t that right Fl—” Her mouth ceased to move as she saw the glowing eyes of the pegasus.

They almost missed it, too focused on the sheep, razors, and bad jokes. A necklace grew from white light. It wrapped around Fluttershy’s throat, the gold hem shining against her yellow fur. Once her hooves touched the ground, the two rushed up to greet her. To greet the Element of Kindness. “Oh, my,” Fluttershy whimpered as she opened her eyes and held her head. “W-what just happened?”

“You did it! You unlocked the Element of Kindness! How’d you do it?” Sunset tapped the pink butterfly that sat contained within the necklace.

Fluttershy rubbed her temple as she stared down at the piece of magical jewelry. “Uhm—I, well—it was when I saw how kind you two were. Helping me and all.” Her eyes met Sunset’s. “I thought you were just saying those things to get to the wool, but when you started sheering the sheep with me—well, it just sort of clicked.”

Applejack snorted and said, “Hah! Told you that’s what it was like!”

With a roll of her eyes, Sunset focused on Fluttershy. “This is an Element of Harmony, Fluttershy. With this—with six of these—we can defeat King Sombra, and I can return home. Will you help us? Will you come with us to the Crystal Empire?”

The shy pony hid behind a few strands of her short mane for a moment before popping out her smiling face. “I couldn’t say no to somepony who has that much faith in me. Especially not somepony who’s a friend.”

Sunset wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus and squeezed. “Then I guess that’s two down, four to go. Maybe three if we can convince Rarity,” Applejack said. As Sunset and Fluttershy went back to their spots and picked up their razors, Applejack began tapping the ground with a hoof. “It used to be that smiles were come and go. Friends were something that I used to know,” she began to sing.

But just by being near you has helped me grow,” Fluttershy picked up where Applejack left off. “I feel it in me, that something that I used to know.”

“Are you two seriously singing right now?” Sunset asked, interrupting their lyrical tirade. Fluttershy and Applejack both sang their answer, to which Sunset gave a smile and joined in. She couldn’t stop herself. Her friends were happy, and that alone made her happy. It all seemed to wash away. The war, her troubles, everything. For a moment, this was what Sunset needed.

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