Chapter #4 - Shimmer Tales: A Magical Land
Apple Bloom
Sweet Apple Acres Horse Barn, afternoon on the next day.
Washin' the horses in our farm wasn't too hard for me to do. Ya'll can thank regular practice and Granny Smith's teachin's for that. Ah suppose that was one of the reasons why Ah enjoyed it so much. That, and the horses were mighty cooperative and sweet, even though some of them would sometimes try to munch on my pink bow. Those critters could be mischievous sometimes, Ah tells ya'. On this day, Ah was givin' one of the horses, Ol' Marigold, a good washin' with a double-sided rubber squeegee, clean water in a bucket, and a bottle of her favorite shampoo. She was a fully grown adult with a lovely black mane, a long matchin' tail, and a healthy chestnut coat. Ah hadn't caught her covered in mud earlier, but it had been a good while since her last bath. As Ah was doin' my work, Ah did with her what Ah always did when tendin' to the farm animals: Ah shot the breeze with 'em!
"How's your day been so far, Marigold? Ah can tell ya've been eatin' well.", Ah said with a relaxed voice while givin' her barrel a good washin'. She kept as still as a statue while Ah kept on workin' and talkin';
"My day's been fine. It's the weekend and my homework's all done, so Ah just got my chores and crusadin' work to worry about."
She snorted while standin' in place, to which Ah responded with an honest chuckle;
"Ah yeah, Ah haven't told ya' about that last bit yet!"
Ah placed the squeegee down to get the rinsin' spray as I started explainin';
"Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Ah are tryin' to redeem ourselves, ya' see..."
Holdin' the spray with both hands, Ah noticed the memories of the previous Winter flowin' through my head. Normally, they would have made me freeze up like an ice cube in the snow. But, the horse cleanin' was givin' me a mighty helpful distraction from the old emotional pain those memories had always flared up. So, Ah went right to work on sprayin' the soapy shampoo clean off of Marigold's coat. It was a dern good thing she loved her baths, or Ah would have needed help with keepin' her steady! Once the rinsin' was done, Ah turned off the spray, dropped it, grabbed a nearby clean bath towel, and started dryin' her up while continuin' my explanation;
"It didn't take long for us to be challenged by our shared duty and Ah don't mind that one bit."
Ah laughed a little more before addin'
"Comes with bein' an Apple, Ah guess."
Ah made sure to get those hard to reach wet spots on Marigold's coat while Ah noted with pride in my voice;
"Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained, am Ah right?"
She whinyed in response. Ah took that as her agreein' with me. At that moment, Ah heard a familiar voice come from the slightly opened barn doors;
"On that, I agree!"
Ah stopped my work to see that it was Sunset Shimmer who was talkin' to me. Oh, Nelly, was Ah happy to see her! With a hearty laugh, Ah called out to the lady;
"Good to see ya', sugarcube! Ah would hug ya', but Ah still smell of horse."
The two of us had a good laugh before Ah went back to finishin' my chore. Ol' Marigold just needed some rubbin' in a few spots. Once Ah got done, Ah figured introductions were in order. Ah motioned to Sunset to come closer to the horse as Ah spoke;
"Sunset Shimmer, say hello to Ol' Marigold."
Ah was mighty excited to see how they would interact with each other. Sunset walked over to Marigold's head and was about to pet her when Ah stopped her in her tracks;
"Hold on, now!"
She stopped her hand half-way and listened to the advice Ah had learned from Granny years ago;
"Mari 'ere is a sweetie, but she don't trust new folks right away. Ya' can reach out, but let her come to ya' if she wants to."
With a nod and a smile, Sunset tried reaching again, but this time, she purposely kept her hand at the half-way point while waiting for the horse to make her move. The ol' girl lowered her nose, sniffed her hand twice, and held still for a good five seconds of silence. After that, she moved her head to hold it next to Sunset's hand, which she saw as her cue to pet her gently. Aw, that was just the sweetest sight Ah ever did see! That lady was beaming with friendliness as she told the horse softly;
"I appreciate you giving me a chance. I won't let you do-."
And then Marigold moved her mouth up to her face and licked it before she could react. Ah was hootin' and holierin' with laughter when Ah saw that happen! Well-meanin' laughter, mind ya'. After calmin' down, Ah declared with mirth;
"She likes ya, Phoenix Friend!"
Sunset, by this point, was laughin' too, clearly findin' humor in being greeted horse-style. As if on cue, Marigold turned her head in my direction as far as she reasonably could. All of my instincts told me to keep my bow away from that critter's mouth as Ah covered it with both hands while tellin' her with narrow eyes aimed at her teeth;
"Don't ya' even think about it, ya' hear?"
She snorted again, probably out of slight annoyance. Takin' a few steps away from the horse's head, Ah took this moment to give Sunset a fair warnin' while Ah still kept my bow protected with my hands;
"Don't let your headwear anywhere near a horse's mouth if it can be chomped on. Poor Applejack nearly lost the top of her Stetson. Twice."
We laughed some more as we walked out of the horse barn together, my chore there done good and proper.
The CMCs' Clubhouse, a few minutes later.
Scoots and Sweets were already relaxin' in the clubhouse when Sunset and Ah joined them (Ah got all cleaned up first, of course). They had visited Sweet Apple Acres earlier that day when Ah was doin' chores. So, after helpin' me out for a spell, they went to the clubhouse and waited for me there. After they gave the two of us friendly greetin's, we sat at the table and started talkin'. Scootaloo spoke up first;
"So, how was your day, Sunset?", she asked her with an excited smile. Our jacket-rockin' pal responded with a relaxed smirk;
"It's been a quiet day for me, actually."
Sweetie Belle, with one of her brighter smiles, told her in response;
"I'm glad to hear that. These quiet days have been good for us all, honestly."
We all nodded our heads in agreement before reclining in our chairs to sit in silence. Peaceful, relaxin' silence. Not a bad thing to enjoy after a hard day's work. It was durin' that silence that Ah decided to tackle an issue that was buggin' me for a while. Ah looked over at Sunset and told her calmly;
"Ya' know, sugarcube, Ah noticed somethin' soon after we became friends."
"Oh? What could that be?", she asked me. After takin' a second to think, Ah answered;
"Sweetie, Scoots, and Ah don't know much about ya'."
A layer of old regret was added to my voice when Ah admitted;
"Ah wish we had gotten to know ya' much sooner."
Sunset showed me that wonderful beamin' smile of hers as she said;
"Well then, better late than never."
The three of us locked eyes on her as she explained;
"You can ask me questions about myself if you like. Just know that I reserve the right to withhold any of my answers."
Oh. My. Stars! Excited could not begin to describe how Ah was feelin'! We were gonna learn more about the repentant, respectable, and righteous Sunset Shimmer herself! Land's sake, my pals and Ah were peltin' her with questions at a mile a minute! We were bein' impolite, Ah know. But, we were too thrilled to think straight! Instead of gettin' all frustrated though, the amber-colored lady with the rockin' hairstyle laughed while tellin' us loudly enough to get our attention;
"One question at a time, kids!"
Feelin' mighty sheepish, we backed off to give her some quiet time. After a few seconds to almost a minute, Ah started things off politely;
"Now, we know ya' live in that apartment. But, we don't really know where ya' come from. Shoot, there's a lot of mysteries surroundin' ya, now that Ah think about it."
Sweetie Belle took that moment to note in a playfully dramatic fashion, her many hand poses reminding me of her big sister goin' ham on fashion topics like they were soap operas;
"Where did Sunset Shimmer come from?! Why did she enroll into CHS? How does she make her hair so beautiful?"
Ah could barely hold back the urge to laugh when Sunset herself responded with a smirk;
"I thought I said one question at a time."
Sweetie stopped the act while lookin' a tad nervous and apologetic. Scootaloo stepped in before any of us could blab any further;
"How about we start with where you come from?", she asked Sunset, anticipation sparklin' from her eyes. Sweets and Ah nodded at our guyest before givin' her happy smiles. She held her chin with her right hand, ponderin' in silence, until she spoke again;
"Before I answer that question, let me check something to make sure I know what I'm dealing with..."
She glared at each of us before askin';
"What do you know about Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
It was interestin' that Sunset asked us about her at that moment. Thinkin' it best to play along, Ah answered;
"Let's see... She came to CHS a couple of days before the Fall Formal..."
Sweetie Belle added with a squeak;
"We didn't pay her much mind at first, since we had other stuff to deal with at the time, like posting our song on HoofTube!"
Ah chuckled softly as the memory of that dern song played in my noggin. We really should have let Sweets be the lead singer for that one! Scootaloo chimed in excitedly;
"Then, she managed to bring our sisters and their friends back together, cleanly win the Fall Formal crown, and..."
Our smiles dropped into frowns. Sadness filled our minds and hearts as we looked at the floor beneath us. An old, terrible, nightmarish memory echoed in my mind. Oh, Ma' and Pa, Ah could never forget the terror, the lack of control, the fire!
"She needs to be dealt with!"
Ah couldn't bare to look Sunset in the eye. Not without help, at least. Our Phoenix Friend gave me that help. With gentleness and absolute sweetness, she told us;
"Girls..."
We looked up at her, expectin' sadness and regret to be coverin' her face like a dirtied up blanket. Instead, we saw friendliness in her eyes and encouragement in that sideways smirk of hers. Just the sight of all of that silenced my memory of the vile... thing she used to be. As much as Ah wanted to talk with her about that moment in history, Ah knew better than to poke that demonic bear carelessly. With a voice full of goodwill, she told us;
"It's okay. You can continue when you're ready."
She was bein' so patient with us, more than Ah felt we deserved. My pals and Ah took several long deep breaths to resettle ourselves while Sunset waited quietly. After a minute, Ah finished our answer with a somber voice;
"Ya' were defeated so badly, ya' wanted to change for the better."
She nodded while respondin' with a calm certain voice;
"I'm glad I did change."
Her confident smirk came back for another round as she asked us another question;
"Is that all you know of the Princess? Besides the Battle of the Bands, mind you."
We racked our heads for an answer, but all we could come up with was what Scootaloo told our friend while showin' some confusion on her face;
"When she finished helping you and the girls, she left for... home? I think? I'm not sure where she lives, actually."
Hearin' that caused Sunset to chuckle before pulling her smartphone out from her pants pocket. After tappin' and swipin' the screen with her right thumb for a bit, she explained while givin' us a look of subtle anticipation;
"Very recently, it was agreed upon by myself and my friends that we tell you a little more about Princess Twilight and where she comes from."
She then turned the smartphone around to show the three of us the screen. On it was a whole line of text messages written by Sunset and who we figured were her buddies. The most recent message, placed at the bottom of the line, was what got my attention. It was sent to Sunset by Applejack and it read;
"We're all in agreement then: We can tell the CMCs about Princess Twilight Sparkle and her home. We don't mind ya' gettin' first crack at this, just handle it with care, ya' hear?"
Our shared response to this 'ere development was a resoundin' unified;
"Wooaaah!"
Scootaloo was the first to put our reaction to words out of pure excitement while givin' everyone else in the room glares full of happiness;
"This is huge! The truth about the Princess is a major school secret! It's believed that only the Sonic Rainbooms, a select few other students, the Principal, and the Vice-Principal know the truth!"
Sweetie Belle was just as excited when she spoke up while bouncin' in her seat a little;
"Yeah, and now we get to learn about that secret!"
Honestly, we didn't even ask around about that mystery beforehand. We were mighty curious, but it just didn't feel right to pry about that without gettin' anyone's blessin's first, know what Ah mean? Well, we had certainly gotten them blessin's on that day! Giant dopey smiles formed on our faces when we realized the magnitude of this moment, of what Sunset was allowed to do. We looked over at her and told her with gratitude fillin' every word;
"We won't spread this around, club's honor!"
We then saluted in perfect unison to seal the deal. Sunset couldn't help but let that wonderful smile hers grow big and bright before noddin'. Seriously, Ah'll never get tired of seein' it! She took a moment to think quietly, which gave me time to wonder: what did the Princess's home have to do with Sunset? Once she was done with her thinkin', she told us in a softer tone of voice while leanin' towards us;
"That statue in front of the school..."
The girl made us wait a few seconds for dramatic effect as we leaned towards her as well. Anticipation swelled within me when she spoke again, her voice gettin' lower in volume over time;
"There's more to it than what most people know..."
She then looked to the left and right all shifty-like, but she was probably havin' a little fun when goin' by her grin. Ah wondered what kind of secret that ol' statue was hidin'.
A secret passage into a high-tech nation that was hidden from the outside world?
A way to travel to the distant future where Princesses ruled the land?
A peaceful world ripped right out of a colorful cartoon show for kids?
I couldn't help but think of one possibility after another. Sunset, with a whisper that only we could hear, made sure that Ah wondered no more;
"On the side of the statue's base that faces the school... is a magical portal."
It was all Ah could do to hold back my excitement-induced giggles! Same for Scoots and Sweets. We tried to cover our laughter under our hands to make sure we weren't too loud. Yeah, our clubhouse was in the middle of a forest, far away from pryin' ears. But, it was the principle of the matter! Sunset went on once we calmed down;
"On the other side of that portal is the world that Twilight Sparkle calls home, and..."
There went my first guess, at the very least. Another dramatic pause came before another, even bigger bombshell;
"It's where I come from too."
It was amazin' that we could keep our giggles reigned in. Ah mean, of all the places for Sunset to call home! The mere idea of her and Twilight comin' from some other world that had a magical backdoor to it at our school was wilder than a free horse gallopin' on roarin' hills to me! As bizarre as her claim sounded, Ah was sure that she was tellin' the truth. She asked us after we collected ourselves;
"Would you like to learn about it?"
We nodded our heads while feelin' as happy as Winona durin' one of her baths. Ah exclaimed to her with a big smile;
"That's just fine with me, sugarcube! Ah mean, if we're gonna learn more about ya', we might as well start with where ya' were born!"
She closed her eyes for about five seconds or so, as if she were gatherin' her thoughts with great care, before openin' them back up. She then looked out the nearby window in our clubhouse, the one behind her specifically, with a hint of nostalgia on her face. After turnin' back around to face us again, with the voice of a lady lookin' back on fonder things, she began to tell us of her land. Her world;
"In our world, magic is not only real, but also a permanent fixture in the lives of all who dwell there..."
Our world is called Equis. A beautiful world filled with nations big and small, landscapes that you have to see to believe, creatures that you Humans have imagined through your myths, and more besides. One such nation is the one where Twilight and I hail from: the magical land of Equestria. A country ruled and populated by ponies.
The farmer in me was stunned by that detail to say the least! Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were fairin' no better than Ah. Our mouths were gapin' and our eyes were wide with shock. Ah was the first one to speak up as Sunset was clearly waitin' for our reactions with a smirk that just screamed of self-enjoyment;
"Ponies?", Ah said slowly. She nodded her head in silence. My disbelief was in full strength, so I had to ask a little more clearly;
"Four-legged equine critters that are smaller than horses?"
"That's right.", she said simply. It was mighty hard to for me imagine such an animal runnin' a city, let alone a gosh dern nation! Not from a lack of tryin', mind ya'. Now, Ah knew Sunset was tellin' the truth, but...
"Ah have many questions.", Ah told her in an almost deadpanned tone that got her to laugh for a bit before calmin' down. It was a well-meanin' laugh, don't ya' worry none. After shakin' my head to recover from my shock, Ah told her politely;
"Please continue, Ah wanna learn more about this."
Could ya' blame me? A magical land ruled and maintained by ponies? That, Ah had to hear!
"Me too!", exclaimed Scoots and Sweets. With that settled, Sunset went back to tellin' her tale;
Ponies in Equis have a strong connection to magic that is expressed by their actions, their identities, their cultures, their way of living. How they go about using magic is different for each pony tribe. Unicorns, with their horns, can directly harness the magic around and within them. Thus, they use this innate ability to better the lives of everypony in all sorts of ways. Pegasai, the winged ponies, fly through the sky with effortless ease and use their magical control over clouds to regulate the weather. Earth Ponies, at first glance, seem like they got the short end of the magical stick. But, don't be fooled, my friends! While Earth Ponies don't have horns to use or wings to flap, they more than make up for this with mighty physical strength and durability that no Unicorn or Pegasus can hope to match on their own. Not only that, but they also hold within themselves a deeply rooted bond to things that grow. That's not to say that all ponies are forced to do specific jobs all their lives. In fact, it is not hard to find ponies from every tribe doing all sorts of things, be they fun, practical, challenging, or entirely unexpected. For no matter the kind of magic they have on hoof, the strength of their bodies, or the knowledge in their minds, each and everypony finds their own ways to learn, grow, and thrive.
That girl had us captivated like a dern good movie in a theater, ya'll! It felt, to me, like Ah was listenin' to one of Granny Smith's stories. Ah could almost smell the hot cocoa Ah'd always drink durin' those cold Winter nights when she would tell a tale or two in front of the fireplace. Such a cozy feelin', Ah tells ya'. Don't think Ah wasn't imaginin' how useful regulated weather patterns could be to my family, now! Before Ah could really think on the details on how that would work, Sunset kept on talkin';
With Unicorns, Pegasai, and Earth Ponies being so different from each other and living in the same nation, one would think they'd butt heads! I'm sure something like that has happened from time to time. After all, nopony is perfect and issues can crop up. But, from what I know of Equestria's history, I can reasonably say that ponies, more often than not, will form and maintain long-lasting bonds instead of breaking them. Friendship and harmony, after all, serve as the tenets upon which Equestria was founded.
"And may nopony ever forget them...", Sunset said with a more somber tone, her eyes and face locked on the window behind her once again. Ah didn't like how sad she sounded one bit. So, with a warm smile, Ah told her truthfully to raise her spirits a smidge;
"Equestria sounds like a fine country to live in, Ah reckon!"
She turned to look right at me. For a brief moment when we locked eyes, she showed terrible regret on her face, only for it to be replaced by a big bright smile of her own. Now, Ah was a youngin', but even Ah could tell that her smile was both honest and a tad forced. For her sake though, Ah decided to let it be. That smile of hers grew a little bigger as she claimed;
"You might like this part then, Apple Bloom."
Ah kept my mouth shut along with my friends to give Sunset room to talk some more, which she did so while allowin' her grin to not look so forced;
Equestria holds numerous villages, towns, and cities within its borders, including the sprawling metropolis of Manehatten, the rugged western town of Appleloosa, and the humble village of Ponyville. But, my hometown is the capital of Equestria itself: Canterlot!
Three of those names Ah recognized as the ones given to the cities in our own world, the last one bein' the one that really got my attention. Before I could cheer over the fact that there were two Canterlots, however, Sweetie Belle beat me to the punch;
"Equestria has its own Canterlot City and you lived there?! I bet it's a beautiful place!", she exclaimed with glee.
"I wonder if the ponies got cars in Mane...", Scootaloo tried to comment before a realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. That same revelation had hit Sweetie Belle and me half-a-second later. Dangnabit, Ah really should have figured that one out earlier on in the story! We gasped, gave a smirkin' Sunset a shared look with sparkling eyes, and told her with honest joy and amazin'ly well restrained volume;
"You're a pony too!"
"Guilty as charged.", was her simple reply. Without skippin' a beat, she added with a wink;
"Before you ask: I'm a Unicorn."
We laughed out loud while hoppin' out of our seats and bouncin' in place out of pure glee. Somehow, Sunset Shimmer just became more wonderful in our young minds! Our Phoenix Friend was both a repentant bad girl turned good and a gosh dern magical Unicorn from a world that was chock full of ponies! Once we simmered down and returned to our seats, she started talkin' about her hometown;
Equestria's Canterlot, unlike your Canterlot City, is a regal city built on the side of a mountain! So, ponies have to use trains, hot-air balloons, winged-based flight if they're Pegasai, or Pegasus-powered flying chariots to go to and from the city. It helps that Canterlot is a breathtaking looker with beautiful architecture that echos your world's Medieval Age. Thanks to its status as the nation's capital, the rich and those looking to strike it rich flock to the city to conduct business and make names for themselves. It also attracts Ponies from numerous walks of life who seek to make an honest living. All the while, the royals who take part in politics do what they do best: be as snobby and stuck up as possible while doing their jobs!
Sunset snickered her butt off over that last part. My friends and Ah, who were laughin' right along with her, had seen enough films to have an idea on what an uptight royal was like. Once we calmed down, Ah refocused my attention on our storyteller, who had just picked the tale back up;
Ah, but even the most snobby royal in Canterlot has somepony to answer to, for Canterlot has the honor of being the home of the nation's beloved leaders: the Royal Sisters of Equestria! From their castle, they lead Equestria with gentle hooves, sharp minds, and strong hearts, always caring for the little ponies under their watch. They can't be everywhere at once, but you better believe that they do their best to help their subjects and nation when able.
That nation's leaders, when goin' by Sunset's words, reminded me of CHS's own pair of leaders. That's when a thought came up in my head, one that Ah brought up before Ah could use my head first;
"Where in Canterlot did ya' live in before comin' 'ere?"
Before Ah asked her that question, Sunset was smilin'. After the fact, however, her smile turned into a regretful frown, which Ah saw for a second before she turned away, as if she was feelin' terribly ashamed of herself. Oh no, Ah had gone and poked at a stingin' wound by accident! Clearly, she wasn't gonna answer that question, so Ah told her with concern for her in my words;
"Ah'm mighty sorry for upsettin' ya', sugarcube."
Ah looked down at the floor, not willin' to look our friend in the eye. Just then, Ah felt a gentle hand rest on my right shoulder, which got me to look back up to see Sunset givin' me that wonderful bright smile once again. As it chased away my sadness like Winona scarin' raccoons away, the former bully told me with all the sweetness of a friend;
"All you did was ask a question, There's nothing wrong with that."
Ah could find no deception on her smilin' face, no sign of trouble. Oh, it was such a huge relief to not have to worry about dealin' with stuff like that from her anymore! After givin' her a grateful nod, she explained further, her smile losin' some of its brightness;
"Much of my personal history with Equestria, I do want to talk about. With the band and with you three. But..."
She looked off to the side while her smile all but vanished before finishin' with a more somber tone;
"Not now... not yet."
Like Ah said before: my friends and Ah did not like it when Sunset Shimmer was sad!
Immediately, we gave her a gentle group hug as our way of lettin' her know that she wasn't doin' anythin' wrong either. She could talk about her history anytime she wanted, dangnabbit! Pushin' and proddin' her when she was sayin' no would not have been fair to her. It took about five seconds of us huggin' her for Sunset start laughin'. It sounded like a soft sly chuckle, the kind that came from someone who knew what was comin' and liked it a lot. Once we broke up the hug and looked at her, she told us with her confident sideways smirk on full display;
"There are some things about my past that I can tell you about right now though..."
Hearin' that got Scootaloo to ask;
"Such as?"
Somehow, Sunset's smirk grew wider as she answered;
"What I could do with my Unicorn magic."
She had us at 'Unicorn magic', ya'll!
Soon enough, she started sharin' with us many of the amazin' things she could do with her magic and oh my stars, Sunset could cast a ton of spells! Ah'm talkin' teleportation, levitation, repairin' stuff, healin' creatures, illusions, and so much more! She tried her best to stay humble, but Ah could tell she was really enjoyin' tootin' her own horn in a friendly way for a change. Scootaloo couldn't wait to brag about how cool our friend was as a pony;
"You're telling me that you could turn a cup into a Venus Flytrap if you wanted to?! That's awesome!", she exclaimed about midway through Sunset's explanation. After chucklin' a bit over our pal's excitement, she clarified;
"Yeah, I could. But, transfiguration magic is really difficult to get right, so I didn't use it wildly. I have to know the exact components of what I'm transforming and what I'm transforming it into."
She suddenly leaned towards us with the speed of a rocket and, with narrowed eyes, added seriously;
"Right down to their basic natural ingredients."
Ah grimaced at the thought of all the ways turnin' somethin' into somethin' else through magic could go horribly wrong. Yeah, Ah didn't think Ah would have been able to pull that off without accidentally turnin' myself into a potted plant, even if Ah was a Unicorn. Sunset chuckled softly before sayin' to us;
"You know? There was this one time when I was a filly that I caught sight of some uptight rich Earth Pony while trotting down the street. She was being mean to this other Earth Pony mare, the owner of the nearby flower shop, if I recall correctly."
It didn't take long for the three of us to focus our attention on the story as she continued;
"I managed to get in just close enough to hear the rich pony insult the shop owner's flowers by calling them 'utterly hideous and an affront to her station'. I looked at the flowers that were on the flower shop's windowsill and, frankly, they were lovely."
She snorted while allowing an angry expression to form on her face, her eyes narrowing as she added;
"That stuck up snob wouldn't have known what beauty looked like if it hit her in the head."
Ah didn't like that snob either, so Ah asked;
"What did ya' do about that lady?"
Her anger got sent away by her jovial chucklin' as she explained;
"I walked right up to the flower shop pony and complimented her flowers. That took the snob by surprise, but she quickly recovered and told me out of frustration..."
She paused for a moment before doin' an hilarious hammy take on a self-absorbed rich person;
"I say, miss! How dare you interrupt my critique of this mare's subpar work!"
My friends and Ah giggled over Sunset's performance. She then brought her normal voice back to continue the tale;
"I responded by ignoring her completely while making conversation with the clearly relieved flower pony."
She started gigglin' to herself before addin' with shifty eyes and a gleeful grin;
"What that snob didn't notice was that I had sneakily cast a funny little spell on the contents of her saddlebag when I had walked up to the flower pony. I could hear them jingling in the bag when I walked, so I knew exactly what was inside and what to do with them."
Of course, the snob was carryin' more money than sense! But, that apparently gave little filly Sunset a bright idea! Scootaloo asked her excitedly;
"What did you do to that stuff?"
Sunset's grin became a manure-eatin' one as she explained;
"Well, I knew that the spell I had cast would work because, at some point, she would open up her bag to grab her money for one reason or another. Turns out, she decided to offer me a deal that I could tell from the arrogance in her voice that she was sure would work in her favor..."
She brought out the rich snob impression again, ham and all;
"Perhaps a little filly like you can use five-hundred bits? Leave me be and they are yours!"
Oh, that made me mighty mad at the rich pony! Ah didn't know for sure what 'bits' were, but they sounded like money to me, so Ah was able to connect the dots easily enough;
"That slimeball was tryin' to bribe ya with money, just so she could harass that nice flower pony some more!", Ah yelled out of righteous indignation. Sweetie Belle sounded really sad when she exclaimed;
"That was mean of her!"
Ah looked over at Scootaloo, who was smirkin' like Rainbow Dash when she was about to get the game winnin' goal. She said with confidence in every word;
"Yeah, but you totally didn't fall for that lameness!"
Ah checked on Sunset, who was lookin' more than a little smug. Like how Granny Smith would get whenever we got the better of them Flim-Flam Brothers, the dirty schemin' varmints. Ah knew what she was gonna say before she said it, but it was plum satisfyin' to hear it;
"I was too proud to even consider taking the bribe. Besides, I had already left for her my little surprise. So, I was more focused on comforting the flower pony than on that jerk's wounded ego. Once the rich pony was sure I wasn't going to respond to her demands, she left in a huff. As I kept talking to the nice mare, I listened closely in case the bully decided to count her bits. Sure enough, she did..."
She snickered like a sneaky troublemaker before declarin';
"Well, she tried to, only to find that her bits just kept bouncing off of her hooves every time she tried to pick one up!"
We all laughed our butts off over a snob gettin' their just desserts. For many an Apple, myself included, seein' or hearin' about stuff like that never got old. Once we calmed down, Sunset quickly clarified;
"To be clear: that item bounce spell was set to deactivate itself after two minutes, so no harm was done."
Ah gave her a mighty sweet smile as I told her;
"Ya' were a little trickster back then, but ya' did what was right that day."
Just then a thought came up in my head that threatened to turn my smile into a frown, although Ah still kept it goin' strong regardless. This thought was a question, one that Ah had considered more than a few times before then. It helped that Sunset was smilin' back at us, but Ah could tell that her smile looked a tad forced again. Right then and there, Granny Smith gave me a much-needed distraction by callin' out from outside the clubhouse;
"Youngin's! Ah'm about to start makin' us some grub! Wanna help out?!"
She had us at 'grub';
"Yes, please!", all four of us yelled out in unison before high-tailin' it out of the clubhouse, our smiles more real than they were a moment ago. Even as Ah looked forward to the delciousness of home-cooked food, Ah couldn't help but ask myself the question that was as old as Sunset Shimmer's reign of terror;
"Oh, sugarcube, why were ya' so dern mean to people?"
Ah knew in my Apple heart that Ah'd get my answer one day. The problem, for me, was whether or not Ah could wait long enough to get it properly! Ah was driven to let Sunset bring up her past when she wanted to. But, Ah was also too impatient to be patient. Ah silently hoped and prayed that Ma' and Pa' were givin' me strength as Ah walked back to the house with my friends.
The CMCs have learned some things about the world beyond the statue and got a fun tale that starred filly Sunset as a bonus. Yet, they still have much more to learn about Equestria and the girl they call their friend. Here's hoping that Apple Bloom finds the self-control needed to be patient with Sunset. 
Next up: The kids have a memorable encounter with a certain great and powerful performer. 
Crusade Bio #7 - Sunset Shimmer
Full Name: Sunset Shimmer
Nickname(s): Shimmer, Bad Girl, Phoenix Friend (only the CMCs call her this), Queen Bee (dropped), Raging She-Demon (dropped), and Bacon Girl (very rarely used).
Student Status: Enrolled
School: Canterlot High School
Grade Level: Sophomore
Closest Relatives: Unknown
Friends: The Sonic Rainbooms (all of them), Flash Sentry, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Snips, Snails, Apple Bloom Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, etc...
Description: From Queen Bee to Raging She-Demon. From feared to hated. From reviled to respected. From enemy to friend.
That's the path that Sunset Shimmer has walked through her life in the eyes of her peers in Canterlot High. Even after she earned the respect of the entire school, there is much about her past that is cloaked behind secrets that have been revealed to only a few. What is largely known about her in CHS, among other things, is her drive to help folks in need, her creative talent, her stubborn streak, and her unending desire to be a good friend to the people around her. She is also well known for the last holdover from her time as a bully: her temper. It is not as short as it was during her reign of terror, but it is still just as fierce, and woe betide those who dare to endanger her school and her friends.
In a Post-Battle of the Bands CHS, she is riding high on her successful redemption in the eyes of her peers. She gladly enjoys the beautiful friendship between herself and the five girls who she once tore apart. They now play together as the Sonic Rainbooms, with Sunset serving as the band's rhythm guitarist and back-up vocalist.
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11798597
Yes, Derpy is a treasure in both worlds. I can see why the fandom fell so much in love with her.
well." Ah*
Awww.
do-"*
Sunset?" She*
be?" She*
from?" She
our guest*
smile of hers grow*
"Ponies?" Ah*
right," she*
questions," Ah*
too!" Exclaimed*
them..." Sunset*
place!" She*
Mane..." Scootaloo*
charged," was*
gosh darn*
You probably shouldn't tell anyone Scootaloo. For cautious reasons.
awesome!" She*
They are.
more!" Ah*
Lmao!!!
Yep.
please!" All*
That's a story, for another time AB.
Bloom, Scootaloo,*