Sunset in Ponyville

by Fangren

First Impressions - Moving Day

So. There I was, walking down Main Street in Ponyville wishing everypony but Twilight would just go away. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if I'd even wanted Spike to leave us alone back then – it's unfair, I know, but he wasn't the mare I wanted to be with. He's kind of a third wheel.

I shouldn't say that. He's done so much for Twilight and I, and he really is my friend. He's just not good at realizing when he needs to give us some alone time. Sorry.

But anyway. There we were, walking down the street...

---

Sunset stayed quiet as she walked in the back of the group, attention divided between keeping her luggage aloft with magic and eavesdropping on Twilight and her new friends. All they were talking about was what had happened during Twilight's absence, which sounded like exactly the sort of business-as-usual events that Sunset had no interest in. A few references to a lack of monster attacks, as though such things were considered the norm here, were made as well; but since Twilight had already recounted tales of her Sunset-less Ponyville experiences to her already, Sunset thought nothing of them. The fact that Twilight had any enthusiasm for the others' smalltalk at all struck Sunset as strange and almost disheartening, but she quickly banished any thoughts that her best friend had changed.

Idly, she let her focus drift from the other mares to the world around her, glancing side to side down the street. Several open-air shops and stalls selling the freshest batch of the summer harvest dominated the area; the smell of flowers and fruits and vegetables wafting through the air and mixing with the aroma of the dirt road below her hooves was certainly novel, but Sunset wasn't certain she actually liked it. It was just too different from the cobblestones and neatly-sequestered storefronts of Canterlot.

The ponies were different, too. Throngs of them walked every which way among the stores and stalls, just dense enough to be called busy without hindering the progress of the group Sunset was reluctantly attached to. Ponies displaying any outward sense of fashion were few and far between, in contrast to Canterlot where you could rarely go five minutes without seeing some member of the nobility sporting the latest designs as a way of showing off. The ponies of Ponyville (which was a pretty uninspired name for a town as far as Sunset was concerned) seemed content to just go about their lives.

A few years ago, Sunset would've had no problem throwing her weight around until ponies were attending to her every need. Nowadays she had cut back on those bad habits at Twilight's behest, and she was content to just let them all go about their business without interference. But all that left for Sunset was a town filled with uninteresting ponies leading uninteresting lives. She began to sorely hope she wouldn't regret agreeing to the move.

At least, she reminded herself as she passed a particular building with a number of interesting old objects in its windows, Ponyville had a big antiquing scene. Sunset admittedly wasn't much of a history buff; to her it had just been another subject to excel at in school. But many times, more often than most ponies realized, some ancient relic or such with interesting magical properties would make its way to an antique store under the guise of attic junk or a long-forgotten heirloom. For a pony with a keen eye for magic and an interest in magical artifacts, antique stores were a veritable treasure trove.

Sunset made a note to visit the one she'd seen once she'd gotten settled in. But any chance of getting settled or relaxing seemed far-off to her right then.

---

“There it is! The Golden Oak Library!” Twilight announced cheerily, having fallen to the back of the group to nudge Sunset in the shoulder and point out the fairly unmissable tree.

“Home sweet home,” Spike said, positioning himself so he could see the place despite the stack of luggage he still carried.

“Wow,” Sunset said, craning her neck to get as much of a view of the towering building in front of her as she could. “I know you said you lived in a tree, but I never imagined you meant something like this.”

The Golden Oak was hardly golden – Sunset presumed it had been named after its founder, or something like that – but the fact that it was an oak was indisputable. So too was the fact that it had been shaped by magic; everything from the well-carved openings for the door and windows, to the green and flowering roofs of the entrance and jetties, to the very fact that the tree was still alive supported that notion. It was impossible to tell just by looking at it whether it had been an existing tree molded into a habitable building or grown specifically for its current purpose, even for a unicorn as talented and keen-eyed as Sunset, and that was enough to leave her impressed.

“I know, it's great isn't it?” Twilight told her, radiating smiles. “Just wait 'til you see the inside.”

“Yeah, I can't wait to see it!” Sunset said, the most genuinely excited she'd felt in hours, if not longer. The group began to head for the entrance, and Twilight's friends stepped aside to let the library's residents take the first steps inside.

Had Sunset not known Pinkie Pie for such a short amount of time she would have been more alarmed by the mare's wide grin and giddy vibrations. But she didn't, and so stepped straight into her trap.

An explosion of confetti, streamers, and party horns startled her into letting out a loud cry like “Gah!”, stumbling backwards until she crashed into Twilight and Spike, and losing control of the bags she'd been levitating so that they all came crashing down on the three.

Once she extricated herself from the pile of luggage, she and Twilight and Spike were pulled inside by Pinkie Pie who had somehow gotten in front of them.

“WELCOME HOME!” she cried, loud and jubilant and pulling a cord that resulted in more streamers and confetti and party horns. She pulled the three into a massive hug which was soon joined by the rest of Twilight's friends.

“Girls, thank you so much!” Twilight said, snuggling with the others while Sunset tried to escape the unwanted closeness.

Fortunately for her the group hug soon ended, giving Sunset enough room to breathe and actually look at the library's first floor. The first thing she noticed were the party decorations; a long banner reading 'WELCOME HOME TWILIGHT & SPIKE' complete with cartoonish renditions of their faces flanking the words was hanging from the ceiling along with a few balloons and such, and on a table in the center of the room was a large cake that she recognized as having elements of both Twilight and Spike's favorites. The cake was where Twilight and Pinkie and Spike were headed, and Sunset allowed herself to be ushered there as well by Twilight's other friends while taking the time to look around in awe.

Decorations aside, the first thing that Sunset truly sensed about the circular room was how big it was – definitely bigger than the outside implied, even for a large tree. By her estimation it was about five to ten percent larger, which made sense given the building's purpose. It was no secret that books had a certain power to them, and enough books – especially magical books – in one place tended to warp space a little. It was a harmless magical side effect and a useful one at that, and even on such a small scale it gave the Golden Oak a certain familiar feel to it for a mare like her who'd spent so much of her life in libraries and archives.

The next thing she noticed were the books themselves, sitting as orderly as they could in the 'artistically' uneven shelves that had been carved into the very walls of the room. The shelves themselves covered floor to ceiling, taking up the vast majority of the available space with the remainder allotted to other assorted storage space and a few artistic etchings. A crude ladder was resting off to the side, and just looking at it made Sunset glad she never needed to use such a deceptively difficult device.

“Come on, Sunset, try a piece!” Twilight said, just before pulling her over and levitating a piece of cake on a plate in front of her muzzle.

“Thanks,” Sunset replied, taking the whole set in her magic and idly noting that both dish and fork had been purchased in Ponyville. She took a bite, and just like she'd expected it was Twilight's favorite raspberry swirl. And while it wasn't exactly Sunset's own favorite, it was still surprisingly delicious. “Mmm, who made this?” she asked after savoring the first bite.

“I did, of course!” Pinkie answered immediately, leapfrogging over Rarity and landing in front of Sunset. “Do you like it? I know it's probably not your favorite flavor, but that's because you haven't told me yet, and anyway I baked it before I even knew you existed!”

Sunset let her ramble a bit, seeing no reason she couldn't enjoy the cake even if she wasn't fond of its creator. She casually flicked a few of the decorative gems that were embedded in the frosting over to Spike with her magic, then waited for an opportunity to present itself.

“Yeah, I like it,” she told Pinkie when the mare finally stopped for breath.

She grinned. “Yes! I knew you'd like it!” she cheered, bouncing into the air. She landed on her haunches, and immediately adopted a more thoughtful expression. “I mean, I didn't know know you'd like it, but I had a feeling you would. Sort of a... fuzzy-wuzzy-jittery feeling, y'know?”

Sunset awkwardly looked around at the others to see if they had any idea what the answer was supposed to be, but only received a mixture of amused smiles and shrugs. Therefore, Sunset hesitantly ventured a “No?”

“Ehh, you had to be there,” Pinkie immediately replied with a dismissive hoof-wave. “Aaaaanyway,” she said, stretching out both syllable and body as she rolled her head in a high arc that ended with her muzzle-to-muzzle with Sunset. “You never really told me any of your favorite party things!”

“Uhh...,” Sunset stalled, thinking up the best way to break it to her that she wasn't interested in sharing right now.

“I need to know them if I wanna throw you the best 'Welcome to Ponyville' party ever!” Pinkie continued, unabated.

“You didn't ask Spike and I what our favorite party things were when we first arrived,” Twilight said, pouting.

“Yeah, sorry,” Pinkie told her with a sad shrug. “We were both pretty busy that day, so I never really had the time.”

Twilight gave her a soft smile. “I understand. And it worked out pretty well in the end anyway.”

“I'll say,” Pinkie said. Then, before Sunset could take the opportunity to slip away or divert the conversation, she whipped her head back around and asked “So, what'll it be? It's okay if you can't decide, though.” She giggled. “I have loads of things for you to try, it'll be fun!”

“Uhh, thanks, but-” Sunset tried to say, but Pinkie cut her off again.

“Though you should prooooobably decide on a time right now so I know when tonight to have everything ready by. Can't have a party without the party supplies!”

Sunset cringed. “Yyyyeah, thing is, I don't really know if I want a party tonight... sorry...” She wasn't, not really, but she wasn't going to say so in front of Twilight. Or, probably, ever.

Pinkie's smile dropped away. “But... how can you have a 'Welcome to Ponyville Party' if it's not the day we welcomed you?”

“We could just... have it some other day,” Sunset replied, silently hoping the day would never arrive.

“Hmmm...,” Pinkie murmured, crossing her forelegs and tapping her chin as she stared at Sunset through narrow eyes. “So you're saying we have some sort of 'Day After We Welcomed You to Ponyville Party', eh?”

Sunset's eyes darted around again, and she hesitantly answered “...yes?” For a moment she considered suggesting a 'Two Days After We Welcomed You to Ponyville Party', or even 'Three', but decided that might be pushing her luck a little.

“Hmmmm...,” Pinkie repeated, leaning in closer to Sunset. “I like your style, Sunset Shimmer.” She perked back up with an almost alarming abruptness. “The party is on for tomorrow!” she said, pounding one hoof against the other. She nodded to herself, then started to head for the door at a happy bounce. “Time to go start planning it. Let me know if you've figured out your favorite stuff yet!”

“Uhh, ain't we still got the 'Welcome Home' party goin' on?” Applejack spoke up. Possibly for the first time since arriving, Sunset wasn't certain.

Pinkie, who had started humming happily, paused mid-bounce when she heard the comment. Her eyes popped open, and she fell backwards in a way that almost made it seem like she had reversed time. But then she turned around, and faced her friends with an oblivious cheer. “My mistake! It's really time to get this 'Welcome Home' party started!”

---

The party was unlike any that Sunset had been to before. Partly this was because it was being thrown by seven mares and a baby dragon in a hollowed-out oak tree, but that was hardly the end of it. The very feel of the party was different: warm, energetic, and just a little bit juvenile. Despite repeatedly telling the others she wasn't interested Sunset found herself roped into dancing far more – and far harder – than she ever had in her life; the dancing itself wasn't anything spectacular, though again it was just energetic enough to wrap her up in it. Afterward she would regret not using the opportunity to glean more about Twilight's friends from who they danced with and how, though she was beyond glad to have witnessed first-hoof the uncoordinated, flailing disaster Twilight Sparkle called dancing. She nearly kicked herself for not dragging her to a gala or something years ago.

The refreshments, though limited to the cake, a few apple-based sweets, and a mystery fruit punch, were nonetheless as delicious as the raspberry swirl.

Then there were the games. To her best recollection Sunset hadn't played a game at a party since she was a foal, and even then only before she'd been taken on as Princess Celestia's student. Watching grown mares, least of all Twilight, partake in such attractions as 'Pin the Tail on the Pony' was almost surreal. Though 'Guess the Book', which Pinkie had apparently invented specifically for the occasion, was surprisingly fun for Twilight and Sunset both.

Just about the only thing Sunset was used to doing at parties was talking to other ponies, notably those she thought could be able to further her studies and interests. But here there was nopony Sunset truly wanted to talk to, aside from Twilight, and surprisingly almost as few who wanted to spend the party chatting at all. The only exception was Rarity.

“Having fun, Ms Shimmer?” she asked Sunset, joining her on the sidelines with a glass of punch in her magic. The others were having a blast dancing around the room to the music of an artist Sunset was surprised Twilight had heard of, and Sunset had been content to simply watch.

“Yeah,” Sunset answered, surprised by the grain of truth in the word. Even more surprising were the words that followed. “Not gonna lie, though, a big part of me wishes it had waited until after I'd gotten unpacked...” As she trailed off, Sunset sent a wistful look towards the luggage that was still sitting near the door.

Rarity glanced that way as well. “Ah, yes, perfectly understandable,” she said as the two mares looked back at each other. “I'm sure you've had quite the stressful day, getting yourself moved. But never you worry,” she held her head high and gave her mane a small flip before looking back at Sunset, “I assure you this party will be over before nightfall. You'll have plenty of time to unpack and get settled.”

All Sunset could think to say, in the face of several more hours trapped at a party with ponies she didn't particularly care for, was “Good to know.” Fortunately she had managed to keep her expression neutral.

“But anyway, Sunset – do you mind if I call you Sunset?” Rarity swiftly continued, barely giving Sunset a chance to answer.

“Uhh, sure?”

“Excellent,” Rarity said with the short little nod of a would-be up-and-comer self-satisfied at having successfully schmoozed their way into being on first-name basis with a Very Important Pony. “Anyway Sunset, as I was saying, you simply must tell me more about life in Canterlot. I can only imagine how divine their parties must be...”

Sunset chuckled, and silently hoped Rarity didn't pick up on the awkwardness of it. “Well, I don't know if I'd call them divine, exactly. But they're certainly different than, uh...” She paused as the two mares watched the others walk past in an improptu conga line. “This.”

“Oh certainly!” Rarity said, nodding knowingly despite her ignorance. “Pinkie's parties are quite informal, but I find that gives them a certain charm, you know? Just let yourself get into the swing of things, and before you know it you'll be having the time of your life! Ohp!” The startled cry was the result of the conga line coming around for another pass, Pinkie grabbing Rarity and pulling her to the tail end – and Rarity following suit by pulling in Sunset.

“See what I mean?” she told the mare with her forelegs on her back. “Just lose yourself in the fun, darling!” She raised a hoof in cheer, and appeared to do just that.

Sunset, to her surprise, gave it a try.

---

All in all, Sunset's first Ponyville party was quite a different experience from the galas and garden parties of the Canterlot elite. But, she decided, that didn't mean they had no similarities. Both went on far longer than she would have liked, for instance. And, as of course, both guest lists were populated primarily by ponies she didn't particularly want to get to know. The Ponyville party was admittedly more 'fun' in some sense, but the Canterlot parties tended to present better opportunities for advancement, so overall Sunset decided the two types were equally tedious.

Fortunately, Rarity hadn't been wrong when she'd said the party would be over before it got dark out. Granted, it wasn't that much longer before the sun was lowered that the others finally left, but still. Sunset was willing to give Rarity at least some credit for the prediction.

Ignoring the pit in her stomach left behind by Pinkie Pie's assurances that tomorrow's party would be even better, Sunset forced a breath of relief through her lungs and waited for Twilight and Spike to finish their goodbyes. Twilight's friends had, surprisingly enough, helped clean up the mess left behind by the party, giving Sunset her first view of the ground floor in it's normal state. It wasn't actually much different, but it was nice to see the large horse-head bust without any streamers draped around it. How the stump it was attached to had grown out of the center of the room was a mystery even to Sunset.

At least the painting of Princess Celestia's cutie mark that took up the whole ceiling was understandable.

The front door finally closed, and Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “It sure is nice to be home, huh Spike?” she asked her faithful assistant as the two turned around and ambled back into the room.

Sunset took that as her cue to walk forward and start levitating luggage.

“Yup,” Spike chuckled. “Man I love this place. Don't you, Sunset?”

“I'm... still getting used to it,” Sunset answered, looking up at the ceiling again but putting on a smile.

Twilight giggled, she and Spike picking up the remains of the bags. “Yeah, I know how you feel. It took me a little while to get used to things here too. In a few days, I'm sure you'll love it!”

“I hope so,” Sunset replied, and thankfully Twilight didn't pick up on the doubt in her voice.

With all the bags accounted for the three headed towards the staircase jutting into the room. “The bedroom's upstairs,” Twilight helpfully supplied, “and the kitchen's just through there.” She pointed towards a doorway just beyond the foot of the staircase. “That's also where the stairs to the lab are, which is in the basement.”

“Just like back home,” Sunset joked, the other two adding their laughter. A thought occurred to Sunset, though, and she paused. “Hold on, I should probably double-check all my things first. Don't wanna put anything away where it doesn't belong!”

“Oh! Good point!” Twilight said, stopping as well – Spike following suit moments later. “I suppose it has been a few hours since we arrived.” She studied the bags she was holding, then set two down on the floor and pulled two others from the stack Spike was carrying. “There,” she said with a satisfied nod. “I'll take my things up to the room while you get sorted, Sunset,” she told her friend. “Spike, you stay here and help.”

“You got it, Twilight!” Spike replied with an eager salute as Twilight happily trotted up the stairs.

A salute which caused the stack of luggage he was carrying to start to sway, in turn causing Sunset to gasp, drop the bags she was carrying as gently as she could on the floor, and catching the rest with her magic. “Be careful!” she chided, floating the bags away and setting them down. “Some of these have breakables in them!”

“Sorry, Sunset,” Spike said glumly.

Years ago Sunset would have chewed him out for his carelessness, especially since he'd helped pack some of the bags and thus should know very well what was in them. But she'd changed since then, so she just took a deep breath and said “It's fine. Just... let me figure out what needs to go where.”

“You got it!” Spike repeated, beginning to salute out of habit but catching himself in the middle of it. He offered Sunset a sheepish smile, and stepped aside laughing awkwardly.

Sunset barely even needed three minutes to sort out all her bags, cases, and crates. “These are for the bedroom,” she said first, magically pushing one of the piles she'd made towards Spike. “These stay down here,” she pushed a second pile to the side, “and the rest go down to the lab. Some of those I'll have to handle myself.”

“Right,” Spike said as he began picking up the luggage destined for the bedroom. Every few seconds his eyes darted towards the largest of the three piles by far, and Sunset waited silently for the question she knew was coming.

“You, uh, sure do got a lot of things for the lab, though...”

Okay, maybe not a question exactly, but it was close enough as far as Sunset was concerned. “What can I say, I'm a researcher,” she said with a shrug, grabbing the rest of the bedroom bags in her magic. “I have a lot of notes, tools, instruments... Even a few of the artifacts I've been studying.”

Spike gulped, suddenly even more nervous and for plainly obvious reasons. “Not the, uh, more dangerous ones... right?”

“Of course not, don't be ridiculous,” Sunset replied, deliberately not looking at him as she walked past. Then, once she felt he'd had time to calm down a bit, she added “I'm having those shipped separately. They'll arrive tomorrow.” She allowed herself a smirk at the sound of Spike's uneasy groan, followed by his hectic attempts to keep his stack balanced.

Technically, what she's said wasn't entirely true. While she was indeed bringing all the artifacts she was currently researching to Ponyville, the more dangerous ones would have to wait until the right high-level wards had been set up in the lab by a sufficiently skilled unicorn with the proper licenses. Of course, as Sunset happened to be a sufficiently-skilled and properly-licensed unicorn, she didn't expect it to take very long to get all the right wards set up. They might not be done tomorrow thanks to the parties she hadn't accounted for, but Spike didn't need to know that.

Especially because technically, he should have already known that part of the plan. She and Twilight had discussed it in front of him, after all. Sunset hoped it would help him realize he needed to pay more attention when plans were being made.

But she soon turned her mind to other things, as she'd reached the top of the stairway and at long last gotten to see the room she'd be sleeping in for the foreseeable future.

It was about what she'd expected – filled with books, with a few decorative flower pots thrown in for fun. She found Twilight in a closet, the door of which was another bookcase, storing away some of the items she'd brought from her old apartment. Sunset dropped her own luggage in the center of the room away from the rest of Twilight's, and started looking around more closely. Spike arrived shortly after.

“It's pretty... cozy,” she said finally, attracting the attention of Twilight who turned her head to silently look at Sunset. “Are you sure there's enough room for me?” She'd meant it as a joke, but regretted it immediately when she saw worry flash across Twilight's muzzle – and into the back of her own mind.

“It's not too small, is it?” Twilight asked, looking around. “I know there's not enough room in the loft for both our beds, but I'm totally fine moving my bed down here!”

Sunset's eyes widened in alarm. “Whoa! You don't need to do that, I'm totally fine sleeping down here,” she said, hurrying over and cutting her off from the stairs to the loft. “I meant more in terms of storage space.” She donned a playful smirk, and added “I have a lot of books too, y'know.”

“Oh! Right! Yes. You do, don't you?” Twilight said, flushing with embarrassment that she quickly tried to laugh off. She then looked around at her extensive personal library, adding “I suppose we will have to get more bookshelves...”

“And space to put the bookshelves,” Sunset noted, looking around as well.

“That too.”

---

Fortunately, books aside, Sunset hadn't brought anything that couldn't fit in the upper level's existing closets and dressers – though it did force Twilight to consolidate some of her own belongings to give Sunset's some privacy. A few articles of formal wear that she'd liked enough to keep around just in case; familiar towels and sheets and blankets; various other sentimental trinkets and doodads she'd accumulated over the years; all of them were tucked away neatly in the corners Sunset had been given to make her own.

She'd have to settle for a sleeping bag for her bed tonight, as she still needed to purchase a proper mattress and such, but Sunset was fine with that. At the very least she'd brought a pillow with her for something familiar as she slept.

But those wouldn't be needed for a few hours yet. After getting the bedroom sorted out (aside from the piles of Sunset's books that couldn't yet be shelved), the three moved to the kitchen and made short work out of putting away the handful of dishes, appliances, and food that Sunset had brought with her. It was there that a very important question was raised by Spike.

“So, uh, not that I don't wanna keep unpacking or anything,” he said, “but are we gonna get a break to have dinner anytime soon? It's about that time of day, and we didn't have that much to eat at the party...”

Sunset and Twilight shared a look. “I'm fine with dinner,” Sunset said. “What kinda places to eat at are there around here?”

“Hmm... well...,” Twilight said, tilting her head uncertainly. “There's several good restaurants, but not many of them offer take-out. Usually Spike and I eat in, but... it is a special occasion after all,” she smiled, “so I'm totally okay with us going out to eat.”

Sunset scrunched her muzzle up with mild distaste as she thought it over. “Well... I don't know. Going out to get food is one thing, staying out to eat is another. I don't know how comfortable I am leaving my research material out in the open up here,” she said, casting a worried look towards the main room where a sizable pile of her luggage still waited.

Twilight and Spike shared a look that Sunset didn't immediately understand; even less so when they laughed. “There's nothing to worry about, Sunset! Nopony's gonna break into the library and steal your things...,” Twilight told her, rolling her eyes and smiling incredulously.

“Yeah!” Spike chimed in. “This is Ponyville, stuff like that just doesn't happen here!”

Sunset wasn't entirely convinced, even seeing how sincere they were. As far as she was concerned they were being naïve; just because something hadn't happened to them didn't mean it couldn't. And while Sunset didn't know the local crime statistics off the top of her hoof – not for lack of trying; the data just hadn't been accessible on short notice before the move – she did know that traveling thieves were out there. A library might not present too attractive a target to one unless they were after rare books, but a stack of unattended bags seen through an unlocked window was a different story altogether.

It wasn't a risk Sunset wanted to take. Not with how rare, valuable, or otherwise irreplaceable most of her as-of-yet unstored possessions were. And yet, she didn't want to completely spoil Twilight's mood when she was so set on things being fine, so Sunset made use of a lesson the Princess had taught her years ago and opted for a compromise.

“Well... okay,” she said after making a show of thinking, even pawing at the wooden floor. “I'll go out to eat with you two, but only after the rest of my things are in the lab. We don't have to unpack them right now, I just think I'll feel better if they're out of sight you know?”

“If you say so!” Twilight replied, a moment's hesitation quickly fading into a happy smile. “Come on, Spike, let's help out,” she told her assistant, already walking out of the kitchen. Spike scampered after her, and Sunset smiled as she took up the rear.

When she got to the main room Twilight was already levitating two of her bags, and Sunset noticed Spike looking anxiously between the rest.

“Err, Sunset?” he asked hesitantly, fidgeting with his claws.

“Here, you can take these ones,” Sunset answered before he could even ask, calmly levitating a trio of bags she knew to contain nothing but research notes into his waiting arms.

The unexpected weight as she let go of the bags nearly toppled him, but he stood firm. “Awesome! Thanks, Sunset!” he told her with a cheery smile once he'd gotten a good hold on his burden.

“Thank you for carrying them,” she replied, seeing no reason not to be polite. He scurried off as fast as he could – which wasn't all that fast at the moment – and Sunset decided to pause before picking up her share of the luggage. There was still enough left that multiple trips would surely be needed, and Sunset didn't want Spike to have to wait around for her to tell him what to carry. So, after quickly reconfirming what each bag contained, Sunset separated the ones which Spike would be comfortable carrying (and which she would be comfortable with Spike carrying) and pushed them noticeably closer to the basement stairs. Then she picked up a few of the remaining bags, and headed off to follow her friends.

---

Down she descended, through the tree and its root-ball to a short hallway with distinctly earthen walls. The hallway ended at a simple wooden door being held open by a wedge-shaped stone, and lead to a raised walkway that circled a quarter of the way around a large, open room. A few alcoves carved into the walled side of the walkway held a variety of books and flasks and phials, as well as the lanterns that lit the room, but they paled in interest to the vast array of instruments and machinery that filled what Sunset could only assume to be the lab.

She wasn't too proud to admit to gaping as she headed across the walkway and down the stairs to the bottom level, particularly at the monstrous thing that took up over a third of the wallspace. It wasn't quite like anything she'd ever seen, looking like somepony had decided to build several different instruments all into one massive device and tacked on a variety of cryptic lights and tubes of unknown purpose that led up into the mess of roots and down through the wooden floor.

Sunset didn't see Twilight at first, but it didn't take long to figure out where she was – she spotted Spike hurrying across the cluttered room to an open doorway, and Sunset followed him into the next room. Based on its size, shape, and positioning, Sunset guessed it was directly below the kitchen and bath on the level above, as well as the library's quiet study room. It was populated mostly by dust thick enough to make Sunset cough the moment she stepped inside, with a few cobwebs and several shelving units taking up the actual space. Four of those units were loaded top to bottom with the type of boxes used to store documents but the rest were empty; it was at one of those units that Twilight stood, setting Sunset's bags down on a recently-dusted shelf.

“What is this place?” Sunset asked, looking around. There were only three dingy windows near the ceiling along one wall; the bulk of the light came from a single magic lantern hanging in the center of the room.

“It's the library's storage room,” Twilight answered, helping her assistant unload his share of the bags. “Or it used to be, anyway. The previous owner mostly kept her own things in here since the library's records didn't take up much space-” she nodded at the dusty boxes on the other shelves- “and they didn't have so many books that they needed to keep some down here. Since Spike and I haven't found a use for it yet, I figured it would be perfect for your new lab! With some cleaning, anyway,” she finished with a sheepish smile.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Sunset said, looking around and trying not to sneeze. “Looks like I know where I'll be keeping my books, too.”

With the first round of lab luggage unloaded, the three began heading back towards the stairs. “Hey, Spike!” Sunset called ahead before the dragon in question could get too far, causing him to stop and look back over his shoulder with a questioning look. “The pile closest to the door is all safe for you to carry,” she told him. “Just don't go overboard.”

He smiled. “Got it. Thanks, Sunset!”

“You're welcome,” she replied, smiling as he scurried off.

The two unicorns weren't in nearly as much of a rush, to the point that when they re-entered Twilight's part of the lab Sunset took the opportunity to ask a question that had been on her mind for minutes.

“So, what is that thing anyway?” she asked, nodding at the massive device that took up so much of the wall. “All I can tell from looking at it is that it's old, and that's surprising coming from me. Where did you even get it?”

Twilight laughed a little. “It came with the library, believe it or not. Apparently it was meant to be some kind of prototype computing engine, but it was never finished. The previous owner couldn't figure out how it worked, but couldn't get it out of the basement, either. So she just had it converted into a furnace.”

“Wait, seriously?” Sunset replied, brimming with incredulity. She looked at the so-called furnace, then back at Twilight. “How does it work?” she asked, quickly catching up with her friend.

Twilight shrugged. “I don't know, to be honest. I've been too busy with other things to study it yet, and since it seems to be a perfectly functional furnace I haven't had reason to prioritize it on my to-do list.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. The Twilight of two months ago would have absolutely had her interest piqued by a mysterious computing-engine-turned-furnace, she thought. Twilight must have set a record for being in that 'zone' of hers if all she'd been focusing on for the past month was learning about friendship.

But, Sunset decided after another look at the device, perhaps it was for the better. Artifacts were Sunset's domain, after all, and while that monster of a furnace wasn't exactly ancient and probably hadn't been enchanted, figuring out how it worked was a task best left to her.

She smiled at the prospect of having yet another pet project to tinker with in her spare time. It would have to take a backseat to her artifacts, especially the mirror, but Sunset was confident she'd have it figured out before the year was up.

But for now, she had luggage to move.

---

It only took two more trips for Sunset, Twilight, and Spike to finish carrying everything down to Sunset's new lab, but by the time they were done all three were famished. Without even bothering to decide where they were headed, they locked up their home and headed out into the midsummer evening.

To Sunset's mild surprise, though she wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting, the streets were still fairly populated. Not nearly as busy as they had been that afternoon, of course, but there were still plenty of ponies out and about in the last scraps of daylight. Some seemed to be heading home from work alone or with friends, others were clearly families having a pleasant night out on the town. Even a few groups of foals were running and laughing and playing.

And, of course, there were the couples. Couples walking side by side, couples leaning against each other, couples gazing deep into each other's eyes over food or drink on the patios of every café and eatery along the street...

Sunset glanced at Twilight out of the corner of her eye, but saw her looking away as she greeted yet another passerby – how strange it was to see her best friend being so sociable with ponies that were clearly no more than casual acquaintances. A frown on her muzzle, Sunset moved her gaze back forward and tried to ignore the feeling of longing that was welling up in her.

She forced herself to think, instead, of how different it was from Canterlot. No sound of hoofsteps on cobblestone roads, no smell of crisp mountain air. Only the murmurs of talking and the soft patter of hooves across dirt and grass; and a warm, heavy blanket of air filled with the aroma of fruits and sweets. Part of her could understand why Twilight and Spike loved the small town so much after spending so little time in it; the other part of her stubbornly insisted that it would never be as good as Canterlot and all the nights they'd spent there together.

But that too was a line of thought Sunset forced herself away from once she realized where it would lead, a dark and lonely path of regret and second thoughts. She wanted to be with Twilight, with the one mortal pony who could challenge her and interest her and make her want to spend precious time together. Ponyville was different, almost irritatingly so, but she knew she'd adapt to it eventually. She was Sunset Shimmer, after all.

“So, how about here?” Twilight suddenly suggested, saving Sunset the trouble of thinking up another topic. They had stopped in front of what looked to Sunset like just another Ponyville eatery, a barely-defined space outside a small restaurant where ponies stood at tables on the bare grass. This one was called Hay Licker's if the wooden signboard over the building's entrance was any tell; it was busy enough that just a single waiter milling about was enough to cover all the patrons, and Sunset couldn't help but wonder what that meant about the quality of the food.

“Sounds good to me,” Spike answered, sliding off Twilight's back.

Sunset looked around a bit, then said “Yeah, sure. Anything special about this place?”

Twilight gave a lighthearted shrug. “Not really. The menu isn't too different from the other restaurants in town, but that makes it a good example of Ponyville cuisine. Plus,” she hastily added as the waiter walked past levitating a tray of water glasses and gave her a critical look, “the food is delicious! We should totally sit down and order now.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sunset said with a smile and chuckle, shaking her head as Twilight watched the waiter leave with a nervous grin.

The three practically had their pick of the tables, and Sunset allowed Twilight to choose one near the entrance. The two mares sat next to each other facing the street, with Spike on Twilight's other side, and for a moment silence passed over them as they waited for the waiter to finish his current task. Sunset soon noticed Twilight gazing up at something, and it didn't take her long to figure out what.

“Remember the day we first met?” Twilight said as they watched the sun set over the thatched rooftops of Ponyville. “Princess Celestia took us out on the balcony and lowered the sun right in front of us.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, transfixed by the changing sky. “It was... an unforgettable end to an unforgettable day.”

Spike laughed. “I'll say. You two sure have come a long way since then.”

Sunset looked away from her namesake, casting her gaze at her hooves resting on the table. “Yeah...”

She saw a purple hoof reach over and rest on hers, and looked up to see Twilight smiling at her. She resisted the warm feeling that threatened to flood her cheeks, and the urge to look away. “Even though it was a rough beginning,” Twilight told her, “it led to a wonderful friendship in the end. And I just know that today is gonna be another day we look back on fondly.”

Sunset finally smiled back. “The start of a new chapter in our lives, huh?”

Twilight giggled. “Something like that, anyway. I don't know what it'll bring, but I'm glad that you'll be with me for it, Sunset.”

“And I'm glad to be here, Sparkle,” Sunset replied. And, in that moment at least, she knew beyond a doubt that she was.

---

To be honest, I barely recall what we ate that night or what we talked about. You'd think that my first night in Ponyville would be more memorable, but I guess the tail end of it just kinda... blended in with all the other nights we ate out, and all the other conversations we've had over the past year. Oh well. I'm pretty sure after we had dinner, we just went back home and finished unpacking. Or, no, actually – I think I decided that I wanted to wait until everything was dusted before I set up my lab, so we didn't finish unpacking that night. I guess we must've just sat around and talked until it was time to go to bed.

If I ever remember exactly what we talked about or whatever, I'll be sure to let you know, diary.

I do know that I barely slept at all that first night, at least. For one thing, lying in a sleeping bag in the middle of an unfamiliar room is just strange when you're used to a proper bed. Especially when there's only a couple folded-up blankets between you and the bare wooden floor. But there's more to it than that.

All of the thoughts I'd pushed out of my head that day, all the little wonders and nagging doubts, flooded back into my mind as I laid there.

'Was this a mistake? Should I have stayed in Canterlot?'

'I have no idea what I'm doing here. What am I even gonna do all day besides research?'

'Hmm... I'm gonna need to do some work before the basement is ready to be warded. I wonder what Twilight already set up, it was hard to tell down there.'

'What's the deal with that furnace thing, anyway? I wonder if I can take it apart...'

'Has Twilight changed? Does she still want me around, or does she just not want to admit she's moved on?'

'What does she see in those 'friends' of hers? Is this all because of the Elements of Harmony, or is it somehow something 'real'? What if this is just another temporary interest that she'll just move on from eventually?'

'Uggh, why do I have to go to another party tomorrow night... Doesn't that pony understand how to space things out? There's gotta be some way to get out of it...'

'But what if that makes Twilight decide she doesn't want me around after all? What if she kicks me out?'

'How am I possibly gonna stand being nice to all those ponies when they're practically stealing Twilight away from me?'

'Does it even matter? Should I really stay here just so that I'm around Twilight? What do even I want from her?'

Do I 'Do I even deserve to be here?' Do I even deserve to be anywhere?

Well, you get the idea. I'm not proud of a lot of those thoughts, but I know they were mine. But amongst all the worries I'd built up over the day, a single new thought rose up to the top once the weight of what I'd done finally settled in:

'I can't believe I live here now.'

I remember looking up at the loft and seeing Twilight's sleeping form by the moonlight shining through the window. Was she restless that night? Probably. But it was my first time sleeping in the same building as her, much less room, so I had no idea how she normally slept and I remember feeling... something. Something about if she was feeling the same way, or maybe that she was clearly calm enough to sleep so she must not have. Maybe both. I guess I don't really remember after all.

But... I do remember, I'm certain of it, that I looked up at the Mare-less moon after watching Twilight. It was only in the first quarter, but it was still enough for me to recall how empty it really was. It hadn't even been two months since a part of the night sky had left forever, a fixture that had been present since long before foalhood for everypony but onetwo, and yet we'd all already gotten used to how the moon now looked. I had barely even noticed it in the week leading up to that night.

And it occurred to me that if I could get used to the moon changing, I could get used to a new town and new ponies. I would figure everything out, no problem. I was Sunset Shimmer, after all.

I still don't know if those thoughts came to me because of something Princess Luna did, or if they were something that came to me on my own. But I do know they gave me enough comfort to finally fall asleep.

Obviously, a lot of those questions and doubts I had that night have since been cleared up. I mean, I have been living in Ponyville for nearly a year now. But like I said before, it's been an eventful year and I have a lot to tell you over the next few... days? Weeks? I guess it depends on how much time I have to write down everything that's happened. Who knows what could happen to me tomorrow...

But, well, that's all I have time to say tonight. I'll try to write the next entry tomorrow.

- Sunset Shimmer

Comments

[Fedairkid]

Can't wait for the romance to unfold

[Rixec]

Very excellent progression for Sunset, showing her feelings on Ponyville and the Mane 6 are still set in her first judgments, but showing that she is easing into her new experiences. It's definitely intriguing to see where things such as the antique store and the furnace will lead in the future. And seeing how Sunset relates to Twilight in being the one mortal pony she can relate to, it'll be something to see how her feelings go with Twilight's ascension. So much setup for great fun to come. Looking forward to it all.

[Javarod]

8638968
Heh, I had forgotten that you'd said that, my bad. That said, even when something is settled, sometimes it's not, you know? The wedding is just such a perfect setting for bringing the issue to the forefront, since it fits the message so well. That and it gives Luna the opportunity to be snarky, and I love when Luna like that.

[BabySkittleMonster]

What an excellent way to start the new year. 10/10 will recommend.

[Fangren]

8639105
And I can't wait to do the unfolding!

8639533
Oh yes, so much delicious setup, especially regarding Sunset's feelings about various things! So much I'm looking forward to writing and showing off, even if it's still a bit far in the future right now. I'm also glad you're interested in the antique store and the furnace! They're both (basically) canon things, and they just fit so well into this story I couldn't resist including them.

8639707
No problem! And yeah, I'll admit that not everything is set in stone right now. And I'll keep your thoughts about Luna in mind.

8642514
Haha. Well, I know I'm a couple days late, but Happy New Year!

[A.P.O.N.I.]

L-space! Yay!

[avidreader07]

But anyway. There we were, walking down the street...

"Singing doo-wah-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-doo."

Sorry, but that was the first thing that came to mind.

[LegionCenturionMaster]

9409744

Hey, I know that song! Glad to see another person who likes classic rock!