A Shimmering Friendship
It was only a few days after the events with the changeling and Sunset Shimmer had been getting used to her new wings. She had some help from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity watched from the ground to provide moral support.
“You can do it, Sunset!” Applejack called from below.
“We’re here for you darling!” Rarity added.
Sunset smiled. It was great to spend the day with a group of ponies who reminded her of her human friends back in the other world. It was hard for her not to think of them though, as she let her mind wander a lot.
Rainbow waved her hoof in front of Sunset, who had just landed on a cloud. “Sunset?”
“Oh, hi Rainbow!”
“Are you alright Sunset?” Fluttershy asked, landing on the cloud next to her. “You don’t seem very focused.”
“I’m fine. We really should get back to flying.”
Rainbow nodded as Sunset hovered only a few inches above the cloud, flapping a little to fast.
“You should probably flap a little slower.” Rainbow said.
Sunset nodded and did what the blue pegasus told her. She then got an idea.
“Let me try something!”
“You go, Sunny!” Pinkie called as Sunset attempted a few stunts. Luckily there was a lot of air space.
“Woohoo!” Sunset said, right before she suddenly started to get air sick. She covered her mouth and started hurtling toward the ground. “Oh crud,”
“Slow down, Sunset!” Fluttershy called, unfortunately not in time though. Sunset collided with the dirt.
Sunset stood up on all-fours and regained her balance.
“You alright Sunset?” Applejack asked.
“I’m pretty sure I am, AJ. Strong earth pony bone structure and all.”
“Oh, thank Celestia you’re alright!” Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew down to join them. “It’s weird that you still get air sick. Pegasi and alicorns aren’t supposed to. Maybe you should put off flying for now.” Rainbow suggested.
“I guess you’re right.” Sunset said. “I guess that’s something I should clarify,”-Sunset looked at her dirty coat and mane and chuckled- “Right after I have a shower though.”
About half an hour later, Sunset Shimmer was on her way to the castle library. Maybe she could find what’s causing her air sickness, but was sidetracked when she saw Twilight Sparkle setting the table in the dining room.
“Hey Twilight, what’s the occasion?”
“Celestia and Luna are coming for a visit tonight,” Twilight replied. “I guess they want to see how things are going since you moved back to Equestria.”
“Then why are you setting six places? Surely this dinner would just be between the four of us.”
“That’s because I’d like you to make a friend,”
“I have five amazing friends already, plus you, Starlight, Flash and Spike. I’d have too many friends to choose between.”
“A new friend,” Twilight corrected herself.
“Okay, so who’s the other seat for?”
“Flash,”
Sunset hid a snicker. “Should’ve known you would’ve tried to shoehorn your fiancé into this somehow,”
“Shoehorn? Why would I do a thing like that?” Twilight asked, in a kind of nervous tone. Sunset could easily tell she was lying.
“Anyway... why not Starlight? It’s not often I see her and surely she’d be back from her map quest by now,”
“They have finished the quest. Starlight just decided to spend some time with Sunburst. She’s completely unaware that you’re here. I’d like to keep if a surprise, for you know when she comes back in a few days.”
Sunset stopped listening after she heard Sunburst’s name. That name was very, very familiar but it took a moment for Sunset to remember.
“Sunburst...”
“You know him?”
“Yeah. That’s because... he’s my brother.”
Twilight stared back at the alicorn blankly. “I mean of course he’s your brother. Sunset, Sunburst, and not to mention your similar colour palettes, I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together before!”
“Yeah Twi,” Sunset noticed a long to-do list draped along the floor and hid a slight giggle. Same old Twilight... “Wow that’s a lot of stuff that you have to do!”
“That’s just for today,”
“Woah. You sure you can get all that done?”
“Yeah, it’s much easier that Spike’s offered to take care of the few errands in town,”
“And how much would that be?”
“A quarter of the list. Besides, with Flash and Lightning’s help, he’ll get those things done three times as fast.”
“That would mean that you still have three quarters of things on that list to do. Are you sure that you’ve got this?”
“Oh, look at the time! If I want all this done, then maybe I should stop procrastinating and you better get out there and make friends!” she said, levitating Sunset out of the room.
“Okay, Twi. I’ll let you be,” She then turned around to see a small purple dragon hovering above the ground. “Gah! Oh, it’s just you Spike. How long have you been back?”
“About five minutes,” Spike replied. “So I’m guessing Twilight’s busy?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty certain she is now. Why do you need to see Twilight? You can talk about it with me if you like.”
“Okay, well we’ve done the few things we needed to do in town and I’d like to know what to do next.”
A bright pink spark startled them. “Well, you can start by preparing the food for tonight. And I assume that Flash and Lightning are waiting for their things to get here?” Twilight asked
“Mmm hmm!” Spike nodded as Twilight ticked several things on her list. “Great!”
“Although I would’ve preferred their stuff to arrive on a different day, since there’s already so much to do. Ahh well.” Twilight said under her breath and sighed. “Get to it Spike! This is royalty that’s gonna eat your cooking. If you’re gonna cook, you may as well do it well!”
“Yes ma’am!” Spike saluted right before he left.
“Are you sure you don’t need help, Twilight? There’s still a lot that needs to get done.” Sunset asked.
“I guess you’re right. I was hoping to impress the sisters by showing how much you’ve learned about friendship by making sure you bring a friend. But I guess that isn’t really important.”
“You think? I mean, showing the princesses that I’ve learned a lot about friendship is important, but I’m sure we’ve already done that. Remember the memory stone incident?”
“Yeah, I do. I know you probably believe I need help since I have so much to do, but at least most of that is curriculum stuff for my school that I need to get done by tomorrow, since the semester starts by then. That’s something I have to do myself, being a principal and all.”
“That’s why you don’t procrastinate.” Sunset lectured with a facehoof.
“Oh my Celestia, you’re right! I’m procrastinating right now!” A bright pink spark later, she was gone.
“Uhh... you’re welcome?”
Several minutes later, Sunset found herself in the great hall of the castle. She trotted down the stairs to see Lightning Dust attempting to push a huge box.
“Let me help you with that,”
“Thanks Sunset Shimmer,” Lightning replied.
“I assume this is the last of it?” she asked, walking toward the pegasus.
“Yep,”
Sunset tried to lift the box with her telekinesis. “What’s even in this? Do you like bowling or something?”
“Nah, it’s a video game console.”
Sunset was grunting too much to hear. “Repeat that?” she asked, gently letting go of the box.
“It’s a video game console.”
“A video game console?” Sunset clarified.
“Yep,”
“Oh my Celestia! This is amazing! How long have video game consoles existed in Equestria?”
“For the last few years,” Lightning replied. “Fun fact: my pal Micro Chips invented it. “
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Sunset asked herself before she remembered who that was. “I mean, that’s amazing. Always knew he had a potential to invent. Well, I think we should get this into your room. What wing is it in?”
“Same as Starlight. With your earth pony strength plus my own, we should get this there.”
It took a while, but the mares managed to get the box to Lightning’s room.
“Thanks for your help Sunset Shimmer,” Lightning said. “Now I need to go through all that.”
She pointed at the boxes that scattered her room.
“Well if you need help, I wouldn’t mind. And just Sunset is fine,”
“Well Sunset, lets do this.”
“Had no idea that you read Daring Do books,” Sunset put the series on the shelf. “Two of my friends really love those mov- books.”
“Yeah, Princess Twilight and my pal Dash love em’ too.”
“That would make a lot of sense,”
She watched Lightning put up several posters. “Who’s that?”
“That, my friend, is Flash Magnus. He’s a living legend, plus ancestor of mine. Huge fan.”
“I will admit that he does look pretty cool. He does looks kinda like this knight from a long time ago that my friend from the other world is a fan of. She wasn’t as crazy about him as you seem to be, as she didn’t have posters. You and Rainbow Dash have a lot in common.”
“Yes we do...” Lightning trailed off as she realised something. “So your friend from the other world... you just implied that is Rainbow Dash, but I’m confused. You’re basically saying that there’s two. How is that possible?”
Sunset teleported her special locket in front of her that she got after her most recent visit. She opened it to see a photo of her human friends. Lightning looked at it too.
“It’s an alternate universe. A lot of things are similar to Equestria, like how the people there are just like the ponies here, except they’re human.”
“I think I understand now. And you’re lucky that you have ponies and a dragon here that remind you of them,”
“Thanks Lightning,”
“I have a of question, though. Is there a version of me there? Is she awesome?”
“Yes, but I didn’t really know that version of you that well anyway.I think she had training sessions every time I came over. Though I’m sure she’s just as awesome as you.”
“And why had you been coming over?”
Sunset paused. “Never mind about that. It’s something I’d been trying to forget about, as if I applied those feelings in this world, things would get a little weird and confusing.”
Lightning stared back with her jaw dropped. “You still like-“
Sunset shut her up with her hoof. “That wasn’t vague enough was it?”
“Mmm hmm,” Lightning nodded.
“Darn it. Now whatever you do, don’t tell any pony, okay?”
“I won’t... if you help me finish this room, set up the console and play some Maripony Cart. I want real competition for once.”
“Deal,”
It took a while, but they finished the room and set up the game console. It was very different to the consoles in the other world, like how it was 8-bit and how it was made for ponies, but Sunset didn’t mind, since it didn’t take long for her to adapt to the controls.
It didn’t feel like it, but a few hours had passed since they started playing video games. Twilight stopped by the room.
“Flash said you girls were in here. Sunset, I’d like you to get ready. Celestia and Luna will be here in half an hour.”
“Yeah Twi,” Sunset put down the controller as Twilight looked at the room in shock.
“Great! And gosh, it’s nice in here. Lightning’s room had always looked like an asteroid hit it.” Twilight started to walk off.
“Twilight!” Sunset called.
“Yeah?”
“Earlier, you said I could bring a friend to the dinner (even though you changed your mind). Does Lightning count? I’ve basically just met her, and she’s awesome!”
“Of course, Sunset!”
Lightning spat out her drink. “Wait what?”
“I’ll see you two in the dining room by six,” Twilight said before she left to go to her own room.
“Okay, Twi!”
“Me... having dinner with the princesses?! I think I’m about to freak out!”
“Don’t worry about it, Lightning. I know for a fact that that the princesses are just like every pony else. Not just Twilight.”
Lightning slowly breathed in and out. “I guess you’re right, Sunset.”
“I think we should get ready.”
“Yeah. It’ll only take five minutes anyway. We’ll spend the rest of the time playing Maripony Cart. You like?” Lightning spun a controller on her hoof.
“You’re on!”
Half an hour later, Celestia and Luna arrived and Spike escorted them to the dining room. Twilight and Flash Sentry were already there, as Twilight preferred to be ten minutes early.
Every two seconds, Twilight looked at the clock. Faster than the clock ticked, her heart raced. She sweat like a pig as she waited for Sunset and Lightning.
“Twi, it’s fine. I’m sure they’ll be here on time.” Flash tried to assure her.
“On time?! It’s one past six!”
“I think that’s them coming now,” Flash said as he heard hoof steps.
Twilight saw the end of a blue flowing mane through the door. “That’s Celestia and Luna,” she said in a soft deadpanned tone. “Excuse me for a moment. I find, you stall.”
There was a large pink spark, and she was gone.
“Wait what?”
In the hallway upstairs, Twilight appeared. She teleported Lightning and Sunset in front of her.
“What gives?” Lightning asked.
“At this very moment, the royal princesses of Equestria are downstairs at the table, with perfectly placed exquisite tableware!”
“Chill, Princess. Stop overreacting. It’s only two past six and we were on our way now.” Lighting said, annoyed.
Twilight summoned a comb and fixed up their slightly frizzed manes.
“And this is why you don’t procrastinate. It leads to a lot of stress. I know, since I’ve been there.” Sunset said.
“You’re right, Sunset, I guess I am overreacting a little.”
“A little?” Lightning asked.
“Alright, a lot. And I realise that I should do things sooner, instead of leaving it until the last minute. And it really didn’t help that I was brainwashed by a renegade changeling for a few days. That really messed up my schedule.”
“So now what?” Lightning asked.
“Crud! Celestia and Luna are still waiting!” Twilight started to stress again.
“Breathe, Twilight. I’m sure they’re fine.” Sunset said.
“I hope you’re right,” Twilight teleported herself, Sunset and Lightning to their seats.
“Please tell me there’s nothing I should stress over!” Twilight asked Flash, stressing again.
“There’s nothing you should worry about.” Flash replied. “Princess Luna just wanted to hear about what happened with the changeling after she warned me about it. That’s all.”
“Phew. For a moment I thought something bad had happened,”
“You did?” Flash rose an eyebrow.
“I guess I’m just stressing a lot. That’s what procrastination does. I do hope nothing else goes goes wrong, since everything’s gone okay so far.”
“Please don’t jinx it, Twilight. No one likes it when you go berserk.”
“Haha very funny...”
“Dinner’s...served...” Spike grunted, hovering above the ground with all six dishes. He wobbled a lot, trying to balance all the food.
“Spike! One at a time before-“
SPLAT!
“And... you jinxed it. Good job, Twi.”
Twilight facehoofed.