Flump
Sunset Shimmer flopped down on the raggedy couch. It had taken all of her energy to get the bags from Canterlot High to her small apartment. The place was cozy, with only four rooms including the bathroom. It had cost exactly the amount of money Sunset had originally brought with her to Equestria, which prompted a mad dash to a last-minute half-emptying of her Equestrian bank account before the portal closed.
Heh. Good memories.
She had just returned from Equestria, where she had spent the summer. There was now one week left before school started up again, and Sunset had to get all this stuff put away. But first, relaxation.
Sunset Shimmer opened the tote bag and rummaged through it. She pulled out a dress from Rarity's boutique that had sort of made itself human-shaped. Sort of. Sunset made a mental note to ask the human Rarity to alter it. Then, she allowed herself a few minutes to reflect on the thing she'd noticed about Equestria.
Equestrians didn't have hobbies.
Well, they did, but usually the thing a pony most liked to do was its job. Applejack, farmwork. Rarity, dressmaking. Pinkie Pie, party planning. The list went on and on, and there were very few ponies who didn't have a job encompassed in their cutie mark. So Sunset Shimmer had taken it upon herself to teach each of Twilight's friends a hobby that Sunset liked.
Fluttershy had an interest in sewing, so Sunset taught her how to knit. It was hard to figure out how to hold the needles at first, since Fluttershy didn't have magic, but Fluttershy eventually held the needles in her sensitive wing feathers and knitted with them. The first attempts had been horrible. Sunset remembered the failed Angel sweater that turned out to have seven legs. But after a couple days, Fluttershy got crazy good. So good that she started incorporating designs into her work.
Sunset Shimmer pulled a pair of purple socks patterned with bears out of the tote bag and put them on. They were sooooo comfy. Fluttershy had used a special wool from a mountain sheep, and the result was really warm. She'd had insisted on making a pair for everyone, including Sunset, and each was modeled after an animal. The others all got their special pet, but since Sunset didn't have one she got to pick. She chose Harry, the bear, since he'd been the one that stood out in her brain the most. (Watching Fluttershy give him a deep tissue massage even gave Sunset the shivers.)
Sunset also pulled a thick book out of the tote bag. She'd gotten Rarity interested in fiction writing. The unicorn turned out to have a natural talent. After a few poems, she'd written a full-on novel in the space of a month. The 700-page tome was also one of the best books Sunset had ever read. It was about two pegasi who killed monsters for a living, and had this thing that meant they couldn't fall in love. Naturally, they did, and the book was about their struggles to keep their relationship a secret. It was a really, really good book. Already she loved the two main characters, Emerald Heart and Black Jewel. (Rarity wasn't that creative when it came to names, but after looking around her shop a bit she got inspired.)
As for Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer hadn't known what to teach her. Finally she tested something she'd learned at a camp, herbal medicine making. It was using herbs and beeswax to make things like lotion, cream, and lip balm. Originally, she'd been skeptical about the usefulness of these things on pony fur, but Pinkie loved it so much Sunset couldn't stop her. The party pony had ended up with a giant bag of useless human stuff. Inside the tote was a magically enchanted purse that held all of Pinkie's items, which Sunset was planning to give to Rarity to sell.
After consulting the spa workers, Pinkie Pie had figured out how to make pony products. She'd made a small care package for each of her friends, including Sunset, with hoof cream, chapstick, and green eyeshadow, among other things. Sunset had used them all, but she'd kept the bottles, as they were inscribed with little messages Pinkie had written. For instance, on the eyeshadow was written To give you a 'natural' beauty! Don't use when you have an eye infection. And don't use when it clashes with your outfit. (That one had been edited by Rarity.)
Applejack had been even tougher. Sunset had tried many things with her, from tennis to flower growing to musical theater, but none of them clicked. Finally, she had settled on yoga. It was great for the farm pony to relax after a long day of chores, and it was one thing Aloe and Lotus didn't teach at the spa. AJ had had trouble in some of the more upside-down positions, but mostly she took to it like a fish in water. (Cliched, yes, but it was one of Sunset's favorites.)
She took a similar turn for Rainbow Dash, this time with acrobatics. Rainbow had hated it at first. But then Sunset showed her some more advanced/risky/downright dangerous tricks and Rainbow got into it. It had been absolutely hilarious to see her twisting around and landing on her head a few times, but then she got the hang of it. She still wasn't good at it. But she liked it, and that was enough.
Sunset finished unpacking her bag and then came to a sudden realization. "Crap... I didn't teach Twilight anything!" She grabbed the magic journal from her bedside table, about to write to her, and then stopped when she saw a message from the princess already there. "Huh.."
Dear Sunset,
That was super cool, teaching everyone about your hobbies! Maybe you should teach more ponies them, too! Next time you come to Equestria, we'll talk.
Anyway, I noticed you forgot to teach me one. That's ok, because I figured it out by myself! You left your diary on my bed...did you know ours look alike? I'm sorry to say that I read it, and I found my best hobby of all.
SHIPPING!
Oh my gosh, Sunset, it is the coolest thing EVER. I can't believe you didn't tell me before! I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I suspect I'll find out more in the future!
Love,
Twi
Sunset stared at the page for a moment. Scrabbling for her diary, she opened it to see that it was not her handwriting, but rather Twilight's messy scrawl. She usually had Spike write for her because her handwriting was so bad, but Sunset knew that she preferred to keep her diary private. An eye for an eye, though, and Sunset knew it was going to be a good read.