"I want you to have this."
Spring cleaning had arrived.
As Sunset Shimmer made her way downstairs to the closet, she could hear Thunderbass's snoring coming from their bedroom. Morningdew, the couple's daughter, was presumably strumming a guitar somewhere. This was her usual habit, even though the sun had barely touched the horizon.
If I can get a head start on spring cleaning, it'll benefit all of us, Sunset thought. And besides, this gives me time to myself so I can think.
Sunset knelt down right in front of the closet. Carefully, she removed the several boxes on the floor. She blew the dust off of their tops.
These are new, she thought. Then again, Thunderbass was in charge of cleaning the basement. I'll bet he's never touched this closet.
Sunset opened up the first box to take note of its contents. Seemingly hundreds of papers met her gaze!
Sunset smiled as she sifted through them. Each one held a poorly-drawn crayon drawing on it, artifacts from Morningdew's childhood days.
Sunset giggled when she spotted a special drawing. Decorated in rainbow glitter, this one depicted a red stick figure chasing a yellow fish, a blue fish, and a purple fish.
Still smiling, Sunset set the box aside and reached for the next one. A yearbook dated 23 years prior sat on top. Sunset brushed the dust off it and flipped through a couple pages. Her power-hungry expression seemed to be everywhere.
Most likely to be a party pooper. Most likely to let power go to her head... literally.
Sunset shut the book and rolled her eyes at the yearbook "Most Likely" titles, like she did every time she saw it.
Once more, Sunset looked in the box. Her breath caught in her throat.
"It's been so long since I've seen this," Sunset whispered. She gingerly picked up the leather jacket that lay in front of her.
The leathery texture of her jacket felt comforting, almost as if Sunset had never out-grown it and left it behind. Sunset smiled as she recalled the events this jacket had been through. Heck, it had survived a giant rainbow-laser explosion!
What do I do with this? Sunset wondered, gazing at the garment. The answer came to her almost immediately.
Nimble fingers plucked at guitar strings. Turquoise eyes stared out at the horizon. As Morningdew played her acoustic guitar, the sun began to peak over the mountains in the distance.
"One touch in the perfect moment, take a look back before you run-" Morningdew stopped suddenly. "Mom?"
She turned around to see her mom standing behind her.
"I still wonder how you do that," Sunset commented.
"What?"
"You know, how you're just able to tell someone's approaching you from behind?" Sunset took a seat next to Morningdew. Morningdew shrugged.
"I can just tell, I guess," she responded.
Sunset chuckled lightly.
"So, what's up?" Morningdew asked, setting her guitar down next to her. "Need help with Spring Cleaning?"
"Nope, I'm good with that," Sunset replied.
"So, what is it?" Morningdew restated her question. She tucked a lock of yellow hair behind her ear.
"I just have something to give to you," Sunset explained. "Close your eyes."
Morningdew complied and shut her eyes. After a few moments, she heard her mother's voice tell her, "You can open them now!"
The first thing she saw was a dark grey jacket, right in front of her face.
"A jacket!" Morningdew observed. "Thanks, Mom!"
"It was mine when I was your age!" Sunset's voice was saturated with joy. "And I want you to have it!"
Morningdew gently took the jacket. She slipped it over her yellow t-shirt.
"It's great, Mom, thanks!" she exclaimed.
"Hopefully it will ward off all evil forces." Sunset giggled like a young child. "You know, 'cause this is what I wore when I became a demon?"
Morningdew rolled her eyes.
"Enough with the bedtime stories, Mom."
"It's true, honey," Sunset responded. "I mean, I'm not proud of it, but, well, it's true."
An awkward silence fell between them.
What do I say? Morningdew thought, staring at her hands. It's obviously not true. But why would Mom keep insisting it's true if it's not true? You're a terrible daugther, Morningdew, not believing Mom after she just gave you her old jacket!
"Mom? Can you tell me the story about the sirens?" Morningdew asked. Sunset's eyebrows jumped in surprise.
"Why, certainly. After my, um, incident, three girls came to the school. There was something suspicious about them. No sooner had I showed them around then they sang an enchanting song, one powerful enough to turn the whole school against each other!"
"Dad's band, too, right?"
"Yup, them too!" Sunset confirmed. "Everyone was fighting and feuding. My friends and I were protected by magic, so it didn't affect us as much. We contacted our friend Twilight Sparkle, from the same Equestria I'm from. She knew how to write a counterspell. So our band, the Rainblooms- Rainbooms," she corrected herself, "set out to defeat them. It wasn't easy. The sirens were powerful when we finally faced off. The microphone was knocked out of Twilight's hands—"
"—and landed right at your feet!" Morningdew finished. Sunset nodded.
"I was so glad I was able to help my friends! We defeated the sirens, and they became three harmless girls."
"They have kids that go to my school," Morningdew told her.
Sunset nodded again. "Right, I almost forgot about them."
With the story ended, silence fell again.
"Believe me, Morningdew. There's magic in this world; you just have to look for it." Sunset's voice was soft as she stared out at the rising sun. Morningdew nodded, but words caught in her throat.
After a few more moments, Sunset stood up.
"I'd better go wake up your father," she remarked, "or he'll sleep all day."
As Sunset retreated to the door, Morningdew turned around.
"Mom!" she called suddenly.
Sunset turned around. "Yes?" she asked.
Morningdew hesitated for a moment, then she replied, "I'll think about it."
Sunset smiled. "Thanks, 'Dew." Morningdew smiled back, then Sunset walked back downstairs.
Morningdew turned back to the sunrise. Picking up her guitar, she began to sing again.
"You're never gonna bring me down..."