Prologue
It was one o'clock in the morning when I heard the text message alert on my phone go off. Normally, I would've been awake cuddling with Twi at this time of night but with graduation scheduled for ten in the morning later that day, I had gone to sleep so I wouldn't look like a total zombie. Not to mention my parents and sister were visiting from Equestria so everyone was pretty tired anyway.
After a sleepy groan, I carefully got off the sleeper sofa so that I wouldn't wake Dawn up. I shouldn't have been surprised at who sent out the group text, but for some reason, I was.
You guys will never guess what came in the mail while I was at work.
She better have a great reason for waking us up, I thought angrily.
Y'all know some of us are trying to sleep.
Applejack's text gave me a slight chuckle as she said (well texted) what I was thinking. But as opinionated as I am, I couldn't resist adding my two bits to the group message.
Applejack's right. Just bring whatever got you horned up with you to graduation and show us then. Okay?
I locked my phone, put it in the desk drawer and quietly crept back to bed after that. After I laid back down, my sister snuggled up to me and, although she was in human form, let out a soft whinny.
I'll have to remember to ask Twi if I still do that sometimes, I thought as I gave Dawn a small kiss on the crown of her head, pulled her in tight and went back to sleep.
My parents came down out of the loft a few hours later as I was cooking a microwavable breakfast with Dawn. I could tell they were still adjusting to their bipedal bodies by the rhythm of their footsteps on the stairs.
“Morning, mom. Morning, dad,” I called from the microwave.
“Good morning, Sunny,” Mom replied. Dad just groaned.
“How did you guys sleep?”
“Honestly, Sunset, I don't know how you manage to get a good night's sleep on a bed that uncomfortable,” Dad complained.
“Well, the resources are a little more limited here than in Equestria. Most mattresses have springs in them that kind of make them… lumpy. For lack of a better word,” I explained.
“You'd think as technologically advanced as this world is, they would've learned how comfortable straw is,” Dad quipped.
“Um, Shimmy? Since the bed has springs in it, is it ok to jump on?” Dawn asked quietly.
I looked at Mom shaking her head at the question and replied with a smile, “Go ahead for five minutes. Be careful though.”
“Don't encourage her,” Mom scolded playfully. “We already have a hard time keeping her from jumping on her own bed.”
“Mom, me and Twi have been doing more than just jumping in my bed,” I teased.
“TMI, Sunset,” Dad said as a squeaking sound came from the loft.
I gave them each a peck on the cheek as I removed the last two breakfasts from the microwave and then retreated to the bathroom for a shower. As I passed the desk, I pulled my phone out of the drawer to see if anyone else had taken part in the conversation.
Aside from the others voicing similar complaints to me and Applejack, Rainbow had responded with a picture. That was the last thing I remember seeing before passing out.
”Shimmy?”
”Sunset? Say something.”
I could hear Dawn and Dad calling my name as Mom was panicking in the background.
“Wha-what happened?” I asked groggily as I opened my eyes.
“You tell us. You looked at your telephone thing and then you suddenly collapsed,” Dad explained, brushing my hair from my face.
“Are you okay? You hit the corner of the desk pretty hard, Sunny,” Mom said, pointing to my forehead.
“I'll be fine. How long was I out for?”
“Going by the clock on your telephone, almost fifteen minutes,” Dad replied.
“So much for a shower then,” I grumbled.
“Why can't you get a shower?” Dawn asked. “It doesn't take that long.”
“The shower in this apartment literally takes five minutes to get to the right temperature. Then there's the amount of time for my hair to dry. Those fifteen minutes that I was unconscious were valuable for me get ready,” I said somberly.
“Can't you just wash up in the sink?” Mom asked.
After thinking about her suggestion, I reluctantly agreed that it would have to do. I really wanted to have my hair washed for graduation but I needed to make do with what I could.
So after grabbing some clean underwear, a bra and the dress that Rarity made for me to wear under my gown, I headed to the bathroom for a quick bird bath.
“What do you think?” I asked when I emerged from the bathroom. “My friend Rarity made especially for me.”
“Wait! You know theRarity?” Mom gasped.
“Not the same Rarity, Mom,” I told her. “None of you answered my question though. How do I look?”
“While I'm not the best judge with this new body, you look pretty good,” Dad said.
“Sweetheart, you look absolutely beautiful,” Mom replied.
Dawn didn't answer verbally. Instead, she ran up and threw her arms around my neck.
“Ack… Dawnie… can't… breathe…”
Dawn quickly released me and apologized as I coughed to get my breath back.
“Heres your phone,” Dad said as he handed me the source of the lump that was forming on my head.
I thanked him and took my phone before Mom asked me about the picture that Rainbow had sent to everyone.
“It has to do with a contest that Rainbow Dash entered our band in a few months ago. We hadn't heard anything about it at all until now,” I explained.
“Well, are you going to tell us what it says or leave us in suspense?” Dad asked eagerly.
After a short giggle, I began to read the letter on the picture.