Halfway through the Friendship Games, Twilight realizes exactly how powerful her pendant is and enlists a more magic-experienced person to be her co-scientist.
Twilight Sparkle always preferred to work alone. She looked at group projects with disdain and co-presentations with disgust. They were excuses for others to shove off their workload on her.
But Twilight Sparkle was also smart. And smart people knew when they had to overcome their personal feelings for the greater good of the world. Which meant that she had to ask Sunset Shimmer - the girl who had yelled at her and made her cry yesterday after the Tri-Cross Relay - for help figuring out how to use her thice-damned Amulet, lest she lose control of it and the inadvertently make the entire world explode in a spectacular burst of lava.
Okay, maybe she was overreacting a bit. And Sunset probably wasn't that bad of a person. That said, she would still have to share her Noble Prizes and recognition.
But it didn't really matter, because she wouldn't be around Sunset Shimmer around for long anyway. Just a few experiments here and there. Give it a couple of weeks and their partnership would be over. Right? --
Sunset and SciTwi start out trying to figure out how the Amulet works and win a couple of Nobel Prizes, but they end up discovering a whole lot about themselves on the way there.
alternate tag added because a lot of freaky shit is gonna go down
Twilight Sparkle was not dumb. In fact, many people said she was smart-- and by many people I mean everyone. At the tender age of sixteen, she had won several dozen awards, and was aiming for the prestigious Nobel prize before 40-- and was working very hard, every day for hours to get there. Yes, Twilight Sparkle is indeed a fine example of intelligence.
That said, she currently had no bucking idea what had happened less than 24 hours prior, during the Tri-Cross Relay in the (not-very-aptly-named) Friendship Games.
A week ago, if someone told her that all these events would be happening, she would’ve very calmly and slowly backed away before turning on her heel and running back home. Once she was sure that the lunatic was no longer following her, she would’ve called the Insane Asylum.
But it wasn’t a week ago. It was now, and she had just witnessed completely imposs-- insane things happening! Holes torn through dimensions! Pony ears and wings somehow magically appearing on humans! And an entire high school that apparently did not even give a damn about all the crazy shit that was happening!
Twilight shuddered. So many things happening right under her nose! And from what she had heard from her snooping observation of the ‘Rainbooms’ conversations, there was more.
Apparently, she had a clone (who was apparently the Royal Queen of Oats from Horselandia or whatever) who had previously come to CHS and won the affection of the entire school - and some blue-haired rocker idiot - by somehow reforming a bacon-haired she-demon with rainbow laser beams.
And that wasn’t even the end of it: this ‘she-demon’ was actually Sunset Shimmer, (whom Twilight remembered as the girl who had yelled at her) who was in turn actually a cartoonish pony with a tattooed butt also from Horselandia.
What. The. Buck.
All the possible explanations for this flew out the window. #1, which had been ‘I am crazy and am hallucinating’ had been refuted by the fact that the entirety of Canterlot High AND Crystal Prep agreed that they witnessed the ‘magic’ as well. #2 had been ‘they are crazy’, but that theory was flushed down the toilet by the fact that Spike was now living proof that something weird was going on.
Twilight supposed that there could be a hallucinogen in the air that they were all breathing but that was less than probable.
But the worst thing in this entire mess wasn’t the fact that Principal Cinch was holding her Everton application over her head, or that pretty much everyone hated or at least mildly disliked her now, save for Bass Sleazy-- Ass Pantry-- whatever, he didn’t count anyway. No, the worst thing was that it was partly her fault.
Even kindergartners could see she was at least part of the problem. She came in, with her fancy Amulet around her neck, and suddenly she starts … draining energy from people, whether she wanted to or not. And since she started this, she would be the one to figure out how to contain it.
(After all, Twilight would hate to destroy it. Think of all the scientific discoveries and recognition she would have! They would all regret laughing in her face, whispered the tiny malicious voice in her head. Soon, the only thing Crystal Prep would be known for was “the place Twilight Sparkle went to for a while”! She cackled maniacally at that thought. So much for Cinch’s precious “legacy”!)
Usually when solving problems, Twilight went at it alone. Other people just bogged up the mood and screwed up her concentration. But this time was different. This time she would have to enlist someone else to help her, someone more familiar with the subject-- magic. For this unique problem, she would need a unique solution.
And the solution was called Sunset Shimmer.
--
Twilight adjusted her glasses, leaned back in the small booth and took a sip of her tall drink. (Peach-mango-avocado with crushed oats and walnuts). Earlier that day, she had approached Sunset after the Rainbooms’ band practice to ask if they could have a moment to … talk. Sunset had flushed, seemingly remembering the spiteful words she had spewed at Twilight after the Relay, and quickly agreed.
Twilight supposed that maybe Sunset was planning on them going into an empty classroom and having an awkward, clunky conversation-- but she saw no reason why it had to be so. She knew they both didn’t have any more classes, so she borrowed Shining’s car to bring them to Sugarcube Corner.
All of this had been carefully planned. Sugarcube Corner was a familiar place for Sunset, so hopefully she would be less on guard. The smoothie she bought for Sunset created a subconscious want to repay the debt somehow. And she had made sure that nobody would be interrupting their conversation-- all the rest of the Rainbooms were “hanging” somewhere else and she highly doubted the Shadowbolts would go there.
Twilight somewhat stiffly made small talk with Sunset for a while: “How are you doing today?” “The weather is nice, isn’t it?” “You play the guitar quite well.” (That last one was actually true. Sunset was rather talented.)
Once she felt they were deep enough into their conversation, Twilight made a move.
“So, Sunset… about the Friendship Games--”
But before she had a chance to continue, Sunset let out a sort of embarrassed yelp. “Oh Celestia, I can’t believe I didn’t-- I’m sorry,” the leather-clad girl said, her cheeks flushed pink.
Celestia? wondered Twilight. Wasn’t that the name of the Principal? What an odd phrase.
“I’m really, really sorry for what I said,” continued Sunset. “I mean- I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, since I know the most about magic-- they’re all counting on me, and you just popped in and started making things go wrong and I’m not blaming you, I swear--”
“Apology accepted,” said Twilight rushedly. Now she was blushing as well-- the nerd wasn’t used to apologies, much less apologies this profound. “I actually wasn’t talking about that though-- I was talking about-- well, magic. I have really no idea what’s happening, except that my Amulet is part of it. I really want to fix this. I really do. But I’ll need your help.”
“...What kind of help?”
“I kind-of-sort-of-totally need you to be my test subject… and co-scientist of course,” said Twilight, cheeks really heating up.
Nobody said anything for a moment, and then:
"Are you kidding me?" Asked Sunset, completely bewildered, though the sinking feeling in her gut told her that probably wasn't the case.
"On the contrary," said Twilight, pushing up her ever-slipping glasses, "I am completely serious. As much as it pains me to say this, I have no idea whatsoever what my amulet is doing and why it's opening up inter-dimensional rifts. I only meant for it to track magic, not for it to suck it out of people like a scientific Dementor! And I never thought it would be able to punch a hole through spacetime!" At the end of her rant, Twilight was red in the face, breathing heavily, and had to push up her glasses yet again.
After a moment, Twilight said, looking down, "Look Sunset-- I don't know what could happen. I could do something wrong, or accidentally summon an Sharknado or trigger the apocalypse! I don't know enough about magic, heck I don't know anything about magic! I need help, Sunset. I need to know things that only you know. Frankly, I need you! And I know I’m asking a lot but will you please help me?"
When she looked up again, Sunset could see it in her eyes that Sparkle was, in fact, terrified of what could happen. The girl looked so vulnerable right then in that moment that Sunset decided, right then and there, that if Princess Twilight offered her a hand in her time of need, she could to the same with Sparkle. She could stand a little poking and prodding if it helped other people. Besides, she would get some scientific recognition too! An image of herself, propped up in a velvet chair, ordering her assistants around in a lab flashed through her mind. Her diabolical side, whom she had named Sundown, laughed evilly.
"Alright," said Sunset, after a long pause. "But you have to promise that you won't tell anyone else about certain things I'm going to tell you without my express permission, okay?" Twilight barely hesitated before nodding her head wildly, her eyes wide and eager for knowledge. Sunset chuckled. It was kind of adorable.
“Oh, and also.”
“Yes?!” asked Twilight enthusiastically.
“I get half the Noble Prizes.”
At that, both girls collapsed into fits of laughter.
After the giggling was over, Sunset held out a hand across the table to Twilight.
"Partners?" "Partners."
--
Later on that day, late into the evening, Twilight Sparkle was almost asleep, Spike cuddled up and drooling next to her. Stray thoughts floated aimlessly through her mind.
Sunset… Science… Together?
Together.
As she fell into the sweet embrace of sleep, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips.
Maybe having a partner wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Chapter Two: Blood Tests, Needles, and Peculiar Feelings
or
In Which Sunset Worries For Her Safety
Sunset Shimmer did not scare easily. In fact, until recently, she was the one who scared a lot of other people - usually wide-eyed and hopeful Freshmen who were practically begging to be mocked and have their lunch money taken. But somehow, right now, she was afraid-- and by a door of all things.
Okay, it wasn’t technically the door that she was afraid of, it was what it represented: it was a choice, a fork in the road of her life. Should she knock on the door to Sparkle’s house, and probably be subjected to hours and hours of painful experimentation? Or should she leave, metaphorical tail between her legs? Sunset knew she promised Sparkle that she would help her, but now backing out seemed like such a good idea, she could barely resist--
WHAM!
One moment Sunset was in front of the door, the next she was lying crumpled on the cold steps leading up to the Sparkle residence. She could faintly hear a voice - Sparkle? - say, “Okay, enough is enough! I have been watching you standing outside the door for fifteen minutes! And during those fifteen minutes you have turned around - presumably to leave - no less than nine times! I can’t belie…”
But that was all Sunset heard before her entire world succumbed to darkness.
“...unset? Sunset Shimmer? Oh no, she’s not waking up, shit what did I do? Now I won’t be able to publish my findings, she was crucial to the plan, ugh where am I supposed to find another citizen of Horselandia?”
Huh? Sparkle? The moments following her awakening, Sunset realized several things:
-She was not in her room, because her room didn’t smell like dog fur and lavender shampoo.
-She was most likely on a - Sparkle’s? The thought made her blush - bed, as she could feel her neck being propped up at an awkward angle with pillows.
-Sparkle was worried about her physical condition from the ice pack on the throbbing side of her head,
and
-Sparkle was worried about her physical condition for less-than-touching reasons.
Suddenly, Sunset’s right eyelid was pulled up with a set of light purple latex gloves, and a small light was being shone glaringly into her eye. Alarmed, the flame-haired teenager turned her neck and pushed Sparkle away.
“Yah!” squealed Sparkle after being shoved back into her desk. “Sunset, you’re … not in a coma! And not unconscious! Okay, maybe the project is salvageable--” Somehow, Twilight immediately bounced back and shoved two fingers into Sunset’s face. “How many fingers am I holding?”
“Three,” responded the pony-turned-human dryly.
Sparkle gasped so loud she rivaled Pinkie, and then muttered, “Oh no, oh no!” She grabbed her phone from her desk and started punching in the number for the ambulance.
“Woah there, cool your jets Sparkle, I’m fine,” said Sunset hurriedly. “I was just kidding.” She really didn’t need to be rushed off to the hospital, where the doctors would question where her (non-existent) parents and (forged) records were.
Just as she was about to dial 911, Sparkle turned around slowly to Sunset, glaring all the while. “I thought you were seriously hurt!” she snapped. “Actually, you might still be…” she glanced down at her phone.
“NO!” shouted Sunset.
Sparkle sighed. “Fine. But you have to tell me why.”
“Well, I don’t really have any records; as far as they’re concerned, Sunset Shimmer is dead.”
“Eh?!” Twilight’s eyes were wide as saucers.
“I looked her up… the other Sunset, I mean. And she died in a car crash with her parents way back… ten years ago I think.” Sunset shifted uncomfortably. This was getting into sensitive territory.
But apparently either Sparkle didn’t know or didn’t care, since she kept on probing further. “So where do you live? How did you even get into school?”
Sunset glared at the floor. “What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?” She snapped. Sparkle reeled back, as if struck.
“Sorry,” Sunset said. “I don’t like talking about it.” The truth was, she lived in an abandoned factory and used the gems and sack of gold coins she had brought from Equestria to buy false documents. Still, she didn’t want anyone looking at them closely. Sunset used the rest of her funds to buy her baby (her precious black Harley-Davidson), food, and other amenities.
Twilight nodded wordlessly.
“Well,” she coughed, “um, why do you keep calling me Sparkle? I call you Sunset, and I think since we’re… colleagues we should be on first name basis.”
Sunset paused. She referred to Twilight as Sparkle because she wanted to separate her from Princess Twilight, but since the Princess was in Equestria and probably would still be there for a long time, there was really no reason why not. That said, bringing Princess Twilight up with Spa- Twilight probably wasn’t a good
“...no reason,” said Sunset casually. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question it.
“So… we should get started,” said Twilight, breaking the awkward silence. “We should,” agreed Sunset, and for the first time she looked around where she was.
It was a relatively cramped place--Sunset could barely stand to her full height without hitting the ceiling-- and sort of suffocating.
Various knick-knacks were scattered around the place: the squeaky twin mattress that Sunset had been laying on, a bookshelf filled with tomes of different size and colors, a storage closet, red paper cups thrown haphazardly toward an overflowing waste bin filled with crumpled sheets of paper, a light bulb screwed onto the ceiling that was the sole source of light for the wood-paneled room.
Twilight’s desk itself was squashed next to the wall, and it was decorated with empty candy wrappers, a variety of papers, and a worn grey pony plush that was honestly kinda creepy.
Twilight saw Sunset’s roaming gaze and blushed. “It isn’t usually this messy…”
Sunset shrugged. Considering the state of her own room, she wasn’t exactly one to judge. “Wait… this isn’t your room, is it?”
“No no no!” said Twilight. “This is my lab-- it’s in the basement. The mattress is only there because sometimes I get too tired and collapse on the nearest thing. My parents preferred that the nearest thing be a bed, so.”
Sunset paused. “Where are your parents, anyway? Are they okay with this?”
Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “They… don’t exactly know the extent to which I am experimenting… but you don’t have to worry about them walking in on us, they won’t be here until seven, and it’s only--” Twilight checked her digital clock and her eyes widened comically. “6:15?!”
She immediately rushed toward the storage closet and stuck her head in. After a minute of clanging and banging, Twilight poked her head out again, proudly brandishing a needle and holder.
Sunset gulped.
“I’m just gonna take a quick blood sample, okay?” Twilight ushered Sunset into a chair and positioned the flame-haired girl’s arm on a cushion on her desk. Sunset looked down nervously. Sensing her anxiety, Twilight said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” “Mhm,” muttered Sunset but she wasn’t entirely convinced.
After quickly cleaning the needle and attaching it to the holder, Twilight quickly swabbed Sunset’s forearm and picked a vein. “Ready?” Asked the lavender-colored girl, adjusting her glasses. Sunset nodded.
It was actually surprisingly painless but after the second tube Sunset was starting to feel slightly lightheaded. She made conversation with Twilight to take her mind off it.
“So… am I supposed to feel dizzy?” questioned Sunset in a cheery tone of voice with a hint of concern. Twilight frowned.
“You’ve never taken a blood sample before? What about the blood drives?”
“Er… I always skipped them,” answered Sunset sheepishly. At Twilight’s scowl, she quickly continued. “Besides, I doubt anyone would have use for my blood… I’m pretty sure I have blood type K. Horse blood.” Twilight nodded in understanding.
“Well, we’ll know tomorrow,” said the purple-haired girl, extracting the needle from Sunset’s arm, pressing a cotton ball to the puncture site, and taping it down. Twilight got up.
“You’d best rub your arm, or else it’ll be sore.”
“I will. Thanks for the advice.”
The two stared at each other, silently wondering the same thing: ‘Who is she really?’
Finally, the tension was broken. Twilight held out her hand toward Sunset and said, “It has been a pleasure working with you. See you on Monday at 5?”
Sunset clasped Twilight’s hand and shivered. Her hand was cold. “Y-yeah,” said Sunset, looking away slightly. “See you on Monday.”
She climbed up the stairs, through the house, and out the door. Twilight watched her through the window as the flame-haired girl rode into the sunset, a peculiar feeling in her chest.
It would only be later that she was able to put the feeling into words : For some reason, she sort of - maybe - somehow - hadn't wanted Sunset to leave.
