Frozen Hearth

by Enza Ren

Chapter 10 - Shining Armor can be trusted with any secret, unless it's about a secret vault

Twilight Sparkle hated being left out of the loop. Whether it was learning about her brother’s marriage from a wedding invitation; Discord and her friends having an awesome weekend of fun without her; or basically any of Princess Celestia’s intentionally cryptic assignments, she always hated being left out of the loop.

Now, was she upset that Sunset and Cadance were sisters? Of course not! Why would you ask that!? She was the Princess of Friendship after all! What kind of Princess of Friendship would get j-upset over something like that!

Sure, it may have been a bit…surprising to learn that Sunset and Cadance had a closer relationship with each other than Twilight had with either of them, but it’s not a contest!

…And even if it was a contest, it’s not like Twilight had been completely blown out of the water! After all, she had known Cadance since she was a foal! She was Cadance’s sister-in-law! And she alone had known that something was afoul at Cadance’s wedding!

Now...admittedly, the wedding thing had been less the result of Twilight suspecting that Cadance had been replaced by a changeling, and more the result of her thinking that her former foalsitter had somehow turned evil. Aaaand Twilight probably could have communicated her concerns about the bride-to-be in a less crazy way.

BUT BY CELESTIA, SHE HAD SAVED THAT WEDDING!

As for Sunset... well, Twilight hadn’t known Sunset nearly as long. But what their relationship lacked in longevity it made up for with quality! The two of them had loads in common! They were both students of Princess Celestia; they both loved learning, and they were both exceptionally skilled with magic.
They also got along really well! They had faced the sirens together, written to each other so often that the journal was nearly full and, of course, it had been Twilight who had turned Sunset’s life around by introducing her to the magic of friendship!

Now… it’s only fair to note that said “introduction” was administered via an uncharacteristically brutal rainbow blast to the face, which had left Sunset sobbing in a crater and significantly more injured than the Elements usually leave whomever they’re used on. Aaaand, Twilight may have then proceeded to leave Sunset’s friendship education to her human friends, instead of taking responsibility for that task herself and bringing the injured unicorn back through the magical portal to her homeland which only opened once every two and a half years. BUT COME ON! Twilight had been jammed into a hormonal teenage body that just wanted to dance with a nice, cute, slightly generic boy.

SHE WASN’T THINKING CLEARLY!

The point is, Twilight had excellent relationships with both Cadance and Sunset. And those relationships were not devalued by the fact that Sunset and Cadance were sisters.

Twilight was not jeal upset!

However! Twilight was annoyed. After all, this relationship had existed for years and nopony had ever thought to bring it up to her before now. Not even her BBBFF, who, apparently, had known about it the whole time and was obviously far better at keeping secrets than she had ever thought possible. EXCEPT OF COURSE WHEN IT CAME TO HER SECRET VAULT, WHICH SHE LEARNED HE HAPPILY INVITED THORAX TO VISIT! BRINGING THE GRAND TOTAL OF CREATURES WHO KNEW ABOUT SAID SECRET VAULT UP TO NINE! BUT WHO’S COUNTING!?

“Twilight?”

“Ah!”

The sound of her name, coupled with a firm poke in the flank, jerked Twilight out of her thoughts. Suddenly, she was back amongst the hustle and bustle of the Canterlot Commercial District, looking at the amused expressions of her friend and sister-in-law.

Twilight’s face burned as she realized that she must have zoned out while leading them to their first objective. ‘Uh-oh! How long have I been out? What did I miss? Did they ask me any questions? Is there any chance I can play this off?’ A single look at Sunset’s smirking face told Twilight that she had been caught red-hoofed. Sunset opened her mouth and Twilight braced for the incoming teasing.

“So, what are these errands we have to run, Twilight? You never told me what we were going to be doing.”

Twilight gave an inward sigh of relief. Either Sunset had somehow missed her spacing out or she was mercifully letting it pass. “Well, I’m glad you brought that up, Sunset. You see, we’re going t—OOF!” Twilight’s explanation was cut short when she rounded a corner and walked right into a pony who was standing at the end of a very long line. With a quick apology to the pony she had bumped into, Twilight turned her attention to the line itself, which was heading directly into Canterlot Carousel.

Twilight’s eye twitched. ‘Because, of course it is.’

“Whoa, that place sure is popular,” Sunset observed. “I guess we’re really in the holiday shopping season, huh?”

‘What now? I can’t very well say ‘Surprise Sunset, we’re standing in this line!’ No pony likes standing in a line. What if this experience sours Sunset’s feelings towards the gift? What if that feeling extends to the exhibit tonight? Sunset wouldn’t be able to enjoy herself at all because she’d be wearing a dress that her mind associates with the feeling of having to wait in a line!! What if that association even taints Sunset’s feelings towards spending time with Cadance!? UGH! What is going on!? This day has been CRAZY!!’

Twilight firmly shook her head. Ever since Cadance had boarded the train this morning with an unconscious Sunset slung across her back—giving Twilight a panic attack in the process— it had been just one thing after another from this day. Well no more! Twilight was not going to let this line ruin Sunset’s surprise, the exhibit, the holiday, or her reunion with Cadance! The young alicorn’s eyes darted up and down the street. ‘I got to think of something! Think, think, think, think, Twilight, THINK! AH-HA! I GOT IT!’

“FOOD!” she shouted, causing both Sunset and Cadance to jump.

“W-what about food?” A bewildered Sunset asked.

Twilight cleared her throat and gave a show of lightly smacking herself in the face with a hoof. “I’m terribly sorry Sunset, I completely forgot to make plans for lunch. It’s been nearly six hours since we had breakfast; you must be starving.” She threw her wing around Sunset and gave the mare an overenthusiastic smile. “How about we forget these errands for now and go get something to eat?”

‘A perfectly reasonable misdirection,’ the princess thought proudly. ‘A+ work, Twilight!’

Sunset hesitated. “Uh, it’s okay Twilight, really. I had a large and pretty much perfect Cinnamon Roll back at the Crystal Empire. So, I’m still good.”

‘No! What about my A+?’

“Uh, actually Sunset,” Cadance interjected. “I wouldn’t mind getting something to eat, myself. In all the excitement this morning I kinda missed breakfast.”

‘Yes!! Still got my A+!’

“Great!” Twilight exclaimed, taking control of the situation before something else came up. “I know the perfect place!” She turned and practically dragged them across the street.

---

The outer walls of the diner were a pinkish, off-white color, decorated with a number of diamonds and sparks; the windows were thin, tall, and had golden frames; the entryway was a peach-colored arch located at the front right corner of the building, and there was a large golden overhang that supported the diner’s most distinguishing feature: a massive pink donut.

“Here we are!” Twilight announced brightly as they came to a stop.

Cadance and Sunset blinked in surprise, glanced at each other, and quickly looked away. “So…Twilight,” Sunset began, keeping her voice even. “We’re eating…here?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s right. It may not look like much, but this is my favorite donut shop in all of Equestria! I used to get take-out all the time when I was Princess Celestia’s student! No matter how late I’d be up doing an assignment, this place was always open. Back then I was probably in here at least every other night.”

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Sunset’s mouth. “Wow, so you’re like… a regular here?”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed grin. “Well, probably a step above that. You see, I came in so often that I got to know Joe pretty well and, I don't mean to brag, but I became one of his favorite customers," she proudly told them.

“I guess it pays to be friends with a princess, huh," Sunset said, giving Twilight a playful bump. "You’re really well connected.”

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes, lightly pushing Sunset away. “Alright, alright, let’s go inside.”

‘This is perfect’, Twilight thought, missing the mischievous grin that spread across Sunset’s face. ‘Joe’s is just across the street from Canterlot Carousel. With a window seat, I’ll be able to keep an eye on that crazy line of ponies waiting for their fittings and take Sunset over as soon as it's gone! Game, Set, Twilight. Take that, day! What else you got?’

* BAM! *

For the second time in five minutes, Twilight found herself suddenly ripped from her thoughts as Sunset walked up to the front door and roughly kicked it open.

“JOE! I need donuts!” The unicorn bellowed, striding inside as if she owned the place. Mortified, Twilight darted in after her, calmly followed by a snickering Cadance.

The inside of the diner was packed with ponies and every single one of them had turned to stare at the crazy mare who had just entered. “Sunset!” Twilight hissed. “What’s gotten into y-!?”

*BAM! *

The sound of the kitchen door bursting open caused Twilight to nearly jump out of her wings. Spinning around, she saw a large stallion with a faded blonde coat, caramel mane, and green eyes angrily stomping towards them.

For her part, Sunset remained completely calm, even as a pair of hooves picked her up by the barrel and effortlessly hoisted her into the air as if she were light as a foal.

“SUNSET SHIMMER!?

“IS THAT YOU!?

“BACK HERE!?

“IN MY DINER!?”

Twilight began to panic as her mind took note of the precarious position her friend was in. Joe was holding Sunset so high up that her mane was nearly touching the ceiling! If he wanted, he could easily throw her through a window, or spike her into the ground, or slam her down onto a table!!

‘Okay, okay, calm down,’ Twilight told herself. ‘That’s not going to happen. Everything will be fine! I don’t know what Sunset has done to make Joe so angry, but she survived on her own in the human world for years! Sure, she can be snarky, over-confident, prone to angry outbursts, and arrogant at times, but she’s not stupid!’

“Joe,” Sunset yelled. “You would not believe what I have been through these past few years. Suffice it to say, it has been a time. So, make with the donuts!”

Twilight’s mouth dropped open with a silent scream.

“Make with the donuts? MAKE WITH THE DONUTS!? YOU DISAPPEAR WITHOUT A WORD FOR SIX YEARS, THEN WALTZ BACK IN HERE, KICK OPEN MY DOOR, SCARE MY CUSTOMERS, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS ‘MAKE WITH THE DONUTS’!?”

‘Sunset! Apologize!’

“I want coffee, also!”

Twilight felt her heart stop.

Joe’s eyes widened as he gave Sunset an incredulous glare. To Twilight’s terror, he clenched his jaw and began shaking with barely contained rage. ‘I’ve to do something,’ Twilight panicked, upon realizing that Sunset had clearly lost all sense of self-preservation. However, before she could act to defuse the situation, Joe exploded.

“PAH-HA-HA-HA! YEAH, THAT’S YOU ALRIGHT!” All traces of anger vanished from the baker’s face as he roared with laughter. “Okay, come on you little brat. Let’s see if we can’t scrounge something up for ya.” Joe put Sunset down and beckoned her back towards the kitchen. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve made some changes since the last time you were in and I think you’ll like ‘em.”

“Changes?” Sunset tilted her head and trotted after him. “Wait! Are you telling me that you finally got rid of that old relic?”

“Hey! There was nothing wrong with the ‘ol CS-850!”

“Joe! That oven was literally over a hundred years old. It couldn’t even regulate its own temperature.”

“I see you still got no respect for the classics. Well, you will be delighted to hear it finally did give up the ghost last year. So, I went ahead and got something a bit more modern.”

Sunset scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.”

They entered the kitchen and the door swung shut behind them. Leaving most of the ponies in the diner, frozen in place, still completely unsure about what just happened. Even Twilight's mind could only muster two words.

‘…what even?’

With titanic effort, Twilight shook off the shock and turned her head to look at Cadance. But instead of seeing a bewildered expression, her sister-in-law was averting her gaze, had her hoof pressed firmly against her mouth, and was shaking like a maraca.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was not so amused. With a dark scowl, she turned away from Cadance and stomped back towards the kitchen.

---

“This is modern to you?” Sunset asked, gesturing at the large, iron device that took up most of the room. “Joe, this oven is seventy-five years old!”

“I believe I said, ‘more modern’,” the stallion clarified. “Besides, you’re missing the point, as always. Behold!” He gestured grandly to a small dial on the side of the oven. “This baby has a thermostat.”

Sunset leaned in, looking unimpressed. “Joe,” she deadpanned, “this ‘thermostat’ only has three settings: low, medium, and high.”

“Yeah? That’s three more settings than the 850 had.”

Sunset shot the baker a glare. “How are you supposed to cook with any consistency when you only have relative terms to go by!? You need an oven that can tell you the actual temperature…with numbers!”

Joe just shook his head. “Tch, that is something you never understood. Baking is more art than science. You don’t use numbers; you feel each dish with your gut.”

“Oh, I’m sure lots of ponies are going to be feeling your donuts with their guts if you keep using this thing.”

The two of them continued their bickering, completely oblivious to the irritated princess standing in the doorway, whose patience for being left out of the loop had finally reached its breaking point.

“SUNSET! JUST HOW MANY PONIES DO YOU KNOW!?”

Author's Note:

Oh come on, surely you didn't think we were going to create this lovely reunion for Cadance and Sunset and not examine Twilight's reaction, did you?

While short, this was a fun chapter, though I feel a bit bad for how much grief I put Twilight through.

But, after all the drama and tears of the reunion, I felt we were due a more comedy centric chapter.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Comments

[Secundum]

Poor Twiggles. =D

[Teraunce]

“SUNSET! JUST HOW MANY PONIES DO YOU KNOW!?”

Way more than you expected Twilight. L

[Wolf_Claire]

Oh. My. Celestia.
This chapter was so perfect.
Also, poor Twilight

[jarjaxle]

Newest chapter so early? *small voice* Yay....

Lol Twilly lol

[Revel Montaro]

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Beautiful.

[Talipedsnake780]

I Am loving this, the dialog is hilarious and I always enjoy seeing the different ways people imagine sunsets past relationships with others.

There is one thing bugging me though, and I apologize, but the ocd part of my brain won't shut up. Starlight glimmer and flurryheart weren't included into the story until after the events of the friendship games, so my brain is screaming "not canonical possible".

Other than that I am enjoying every part of this story, and I'm looking forward to reading more!

[Enza Ren]

10513907
Thank you so much for reading! I'm really glad that you're liking the dialogue, I work hard on that, and sometimes it's difficult to remember if something reads well after two dozen edits

I do apologize for things being a bit out of order. I really wanted to include Starlight so I nudged the timelines just a bit out of alignment and used the season 6 Equestria (minus the season finale).

Aaand I've just realized how ironic it is to do that in order to include Starlight Glimmer

[Talipedsnake780]

10514228
All good, hope you keep up the good work. I know I'm looking forward to it.

[DanaO]

Eh, Twilight leaving Sunset in the hands of her recent victims was probably a smart move in retrospect. For them. Make the cast human teenagers, make them all finally friends at once, and you get half a dozen kinds of crazy all bundled together which somehow synergize and start randomly sparking magic. The school could have been ashes within the week.

To be fair about the secret vault, all evidence suggests her somewhat self-aware castle (the reason I'm dubious the Fidelius charm would work here, or be at all a good idea even if it did) is just fine with everypony else knowing about the vault part. After all, it's not showing them all the secret levers/slide/ball pit/trapdoor.