Via words. By: Twilight Sparkle of the Human Dimension.
She shouldn’t have taken that bet. Seventy-six percent of problems usually came from bets and this was one of them. She was a fool to think that she could make the most confident and self-assured person she knew flustered by fricking pick-up lines of all things?
“Don’t look,” Twilight mentally reminded herself as she bit her lip. She fought to focus solely on the tiny weights she had on her hand, looking at it, then to her other companion Rarity, then to Fluttershy, before finding her gaze unwittingly back to the grunts coming from two members of their group by the weight benches.
One, came from the apple farmer who was staring at the heavy weights with a determined glint reminiscent of when she did her chores as lines of sweat poured down her forehead and faint muscles convulsing with strain. The other grunt came from beside the hardworking blonde, a similar sweaty and muscle strained Sunset let out another grunt as she decided doing her last five reps and oblivious to the amethyst orbs looking her way.
“Darn it, you looked,” Twilight thought but she couldn’t maintain the disappointment in her tone as she blushed at the sight before her, ignorant of the whispered giggles that went unheard.
“There she goes again,” Fluttershy commented with a giggle, wiping her face with a towel as she sat beside the fashion designer.
“Agreed,” Rarity stated after taking a drink of her bottle of water, before thoughtfully adding, “though it does make me sound like a hypocrite.” Half-lidded azure eyes stared appreciatively at the duo, more zeroed-in at the blonde than the redhead, before Rarity continued, “All things considered, she’s not wrong. The view is something to behold.”
Fluttershy giggled once again. “Um, I guess but I don’t think it warrants drooling, don’t you think?” She paired this statement off with a pointed finger.
Rarity followed and giggled once again. Taking a moment to finish her drink, she stood up and briefly bopped the gaping girl’s head with her magazine.
“Simply close your mouth, dear. You aren’t a codfish, last I checked.”
Twilight froze, eyes wide as she gaped at her friend. She stammered for a reply or an explanation for a behavior, getting incoherent strings of ‘anti-objectification’, but Rarity interjected.
“I mean not to hinder you, darling, but do keep in mind that we are still in a public place,” she stared at the spazzing girl with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “so do try to keep your urges under control.”
When the bespectacled blushed redder, Rarity tittered as she placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Jesting, dear. I’m merely joking.” Her half-lidded azure eyes returned.
“Mostly.”
Adjusting her frames, Twilight shook her head to focus and replied with an even. “T-That was mean.” Yet she smiled tiredly at the fashion designer.
Fluttershy came over, sitting on Twilight’s side, and patted a soothing hand. “For what it’s worth Twilight, I don’t think you’re the only one who’s been…admiring the view.” She casted a playful glance at an offended Rarity, before offering another smile, “and we all know you wouldn’t do something bad.”
“Right, right,” Rarity said with a wavy hand, “that’s what I was trying to say. Thank you.”
“Right,” Twilight echoed, still with a heavy blush at being found ogling her friend.
A loud exasperated cry of “Oh come on!” broke through the gym, making the three girls sitting on the bench look around and spotted the source.
Rainbow Dash still laid down on the matted ground, glaring angrily at the ceiling while Pinkie Pie continued to laugh as she backwards ran on the treadmill, smiling victoriously.
Rarity smirked as they sauntered over the distraught girl. “Should have known not to try and race Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy smiled comfortingly, offering a hand to pull up the athlete.
“Whatever, she’s just lucky I didn’t use my geode,” RD muttered, blowing a raspberry back at the pink girl when she shot her tongue out. The prismatic girl sighed, shook her head, before pointing a finger at Twilight. “I blame you though.”
“What, me?” Twilight asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
“Yeah you, and the bacon horse’s weird sexual tension going on,” Rainbow aptly explained with a scrunch of her nose. “Seriously, it got so strong that it threw me off!”
Blushing and at loss of words, Rarity defended Twilight. “Really, Rainbow Dash. It’s one thing to be a sore loser and another to go blaming others for your shortcomings.”
“Hah, you said it,” Rainbow snorted, “’Shortcomings.’ At this rate, I doubt she’ll be coming at all.” She said this with a snicker, relishing in the other’s eyeroll and scoff, before turning back to egghead 1. “But seriously, can’t you just do her already?”
“Dashie!”
“Rainbow Dash!”
“What?” Rainbow raised her hands in defense, “someone’s gotta say it.”
Twilight sputtered, words still remaining lost over the mental images her friend’s words induced. At this point, Pinkie Pie joined in. She jumped on the speechless Twilight’s back, giggling.
“Guess you broke her, Rainbow Dash.” The party planner lightly knocked on the purple girl’s noggin. “Hel~lo, anyone in there?”
Rarity lightly tugged Pinkie away. “Dear, don’t do that.” She then turned to the unimpressed athlete. Rarity pointed a finger. “You, fix this.”
Rolling her eyes, Rainbow acquiesced and then snapped a finger in front of the dumbstruck girl’s face. When that didn’t work, she rolled her eyes again and leaned forward to whisper, “Hey, Sunset’s shirtless and she’s asking if you’ll give her yours.”
All present raised amused brows when Twilight jolted awake, scrambling and turning around with her hands shakily holding at the hem of her shirt. When there was an apparent lack of a redhead lacking a shirt, Twilight turned and finally glared at the athlete.
Rainbow Dash didn’t give her time to nag as she cut in, “Alright I think I have an idea to fix your virgin problem.” She continued, not giving Twilight time to defend herself in her ‘choice of remaining chaste’ and held up a finger, “we can do this using the age-old teenagers’ method.” She grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes.
“A bet.”
“What?” Twilight said, but to her horror the remaining girls plus the newly arrived Applejack seemed to nod in agreement. “How is a bet going to solve this?”
“Well, bets are known for being the driving force of almost all potential relationships,” Rarity answered with a tap of her chin.
Pinkie nodded as she shook the sweat off her skin with a vigorous vibration, and then taking out a juice box out from her hair, “it’s what starts multiple angst stories too!” She then distributed a tray of juice boxes to her friends.
Applejack accepted the offered drink before turning to the gaping girl. “I can’t help but agree with them, granted I just jumped in but assuming that Sunset’s still over there doing her push ups and we’re here talking over in hushed tones, I can get that we’re talking about her.”
“And Twilight,” Fluttershy cheekily added, sipping on her own juice box.
“Basically, we’re trying to get those two to finally hook up through a bet,” Rainbow summarized for her friend and then turning back to Twilight who was staring at them all with a look of disbelief. “Look, we’re only doing this because we love you both.”
“Also, because it could be hilarious,” Pinkie popped in from behind the athlete.
Rainbow Dash nodded before hastily assuring, “but mostly because we love you both.”
Twilight eyed all her friends, taking in their serious expression, before she sighed. “Alright, I’m listening.”
Rainbow Dash grinned, before slinging a sticky arm around the egghead, ignoring the grimace, and grinned. “Don’t worry, it’s simple really. Look, I’ve been saving up and decided this could be worth it so hear me out.” She raised a finger. “You win this bet, and I’m buying all of us tickets to that boring movie you wanted us to desperately watch.”
“The Documentary of the Historical Origins of Documentaries?!” Twilight stated with a squeal.
Everyone, sans Twilight and the oblivious Sunset, shuddered before Rainbow Dash nodded for them. “Yeah, that.” She waited for the girl to nod before she continued, “so on to the bet. It’s simple. Like, you couldn’t possibly mess this up even.”
“You gotta fluster the girl of your wet dreams-
“Rainbow Dash!” four girls scolded in unison.
-using pick-up lines or one-liners.”
Twilight blinked until her brain finally deduced the words and formed a loud beep signaling ‘nope!’ back.
“You want me, to use cheesy pick-up lines on Sunset, who’s the most confident person I know even, and make her flustered.”
“Or use one-liners, also known as compliments in cased that escaped you.”
Twilight huffed. “Really, just why?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I’m been reading this fanfiction and that’s the last thing I read. I haven’t seen how it ends though, but this is more entertaining.” She waved a hand. “You’ll be fine.”
“Are you all seriously agreeing with this?” Twilight asked the rest of them.
They all nodded, causing the egghead to sigh before turning to the grinning athlete. “Okay, but if I lose?”
At this, Rainbow shrugged. “Then we’ll suffocate through this tension and die slowly as failed shippers.” Again, the others seemed to nod in agreement.
Twilight turned to the unsuspecting member of their group who was still doing an impressive set of pushups before turning back with a glint of determination. She always wanted to have her friends watch that documentary and she just knew they’re going to enjoy it if they gave it a chance. Besides, she tried to assure herself as she shook hands with the athlete, she might just have a chance too with the girl she’s crushing on if Rainbow’s plan succeeded.
“Alright, so when do I start?”
She didn’t like how simultaneously they all glanced among themselves. She didn’t get a chance to ask as she was unceremoniously shoved towards the redhead. She luckily bit back a disgruntled cry. She didn’t alert the other of her presence yet. She looked over her shoulder to glare at her friends, but they were all giving her assuring looks and confident thumbs-ups. The support did ebb the hint of annoyance in her before she turned back to the grunting redhead.
What to say exactly? She didn’t know what to do! She wrung her hands until she started standing there awkwardly. Harsh whispers behind her urged her to look back and saw that her friends were making shooing motions, and in Rainbow’s case, mouthing ‘do something’ as quietly as she could shout.
So, she decided to say the first thing that came to mind.
“Nice ass,” Twilight tried to say as smoothly as she good with her knees buckled in and finger gun pointing finger shaking like a disaster bisexual that was also the owner of said disaster bisexual of a finger gun’s finger.
Sunset removed her ear pods, turning to the girl with a raised brow. “What?”
“I said, NICE LASS!” Twilight shouted with a blush. “B-Because y-you are so nice a-and you’re a lass. Girl. Female. X chromosome!”
Sunset blinked before she smiled. “Aww, thanks Twi.” She then placed the ear pods back in, continuing her push-ups.
Twilight still fought to calm her racing heart before shooting a fierce glare at the laughing athlete and party planner.
“How is this going to work again?” Twilight asked for the nth time as she wrung her hands. She was of course asking this rhetorically since she was known to possess a good memory, but Rarity nonetheless answered the nerd’s query.
“It’s an oldie but a goodie, Twilight dear. Simply walk up to her and say, “How’s the prettiest girl in the world doing?” and then lo and behold! She’s yours for the taking.” The fashion designer did a few more tugs and backed away with a pleased smile, glad to be rid of any wrinkles on the bespectacled girl’s outfit. Granted it was Twilight’s usual wardrobe, but Rarity somehow got it in her mind that the daily wear will be crucial and support the casual greeting Twilight will use.
Both girls were outside the school’s courtyard. It was a slow school day for them today and once free period came and Rarity volunteered to assist Twilight after the debacle at the gym yesterday, they tracked down the redhead who was rarely choosing that time for herself to sit on one of the courtyard’s benches and playing on her phone a few feet away from them.
“I don’t think it’s that easy,” Twilight admitted, staring at the relaxed redhead with a hint of longing. “You really think that’s going to make her blush? I mean, she’s so into her game! I doubt anything’s going to attract her interest right now.”
Rarity waved a hand. “Pish-posh, don’t be so cynical. Simply being you is enough for her to take interest,” she smiled at the girl’s blush before continuing,” but while your looks can get you so far, confidence is the sole determinant here.” She made a fist with her hand and stared determinedly at the startled girl. “You must exude a level of poise, courage!” Azure eyes were sparkling now. “You must show to her that you want her, and you will not. Take. No. For. An. Answer!”
Twilight meekly nodded, back lightly aching from her arched position as she tried to lean away from the fashion designer looming over her. When Rarity straightened back, Twilight exhaled, closed her eyes, then opened them again before marching towards the redhead sitting by one of the tables and seemingly emerged in her game.
That little detail made Twilight falter, abruptly stopping her a few paces away from the lounging teen. Surely, she didn’t want to interrupt the girl. Sunset looks more beautiful when’s she’s smiling, and I don’t want to take that away.
“Twilight!” Rarity screeched, practically in Twilight’s ear. The bespectacled girl squeaked and then jumped before turning to the fashionista who had both hands on her hips and wearing a disapproving frown. “I know it must be difficult focusing when you happen to be in the presence of the object of your affections but, and I say this with love but with also a hint of frustration as a shipper,” she gripped the girl’s shoulders and lightly shook Twilight, “You. Must. Calm. Thyself. Thou. Useless. Bisexual!”
None of the CHS students that passed by paid mind to the two girls as they went about their day.
When the world stopped blurring, Twilight groaned before gripping the other’s hand with a disgruntled, “I get it!”
Rarity murmured an apology, once again fixing Twilight’s outfit, and offered another apology.
“It’s…fine. Just, how long have you all been holding this in?” The purple girl honestly couldn’t blame her friend even if she wanted to, she could plainly see now how this was affecting Rarity, and by extension the rest of the Rainbooms. She tried not to blush when it occurred to her that she was being more obvious than she liked since it got bad enough that her friends could detect the aforementioned ‘sexual tension’ but if such a thing was true then surely Sunset would also be responsible for producing said tension, which in conclusion meant that she also likes Twilight in a more-than-friends kind of way?
Twilight had a giddy smile on her face at the thought, before Rarity’s groan of “Gosh darn it why are you two so cute and hopelessly adorable?!” put her mind back into focus.
The purple girl blushed. “S-Sorry, I was just thinking-
“Please spare me the details, darling, if only to lessen my frustration when this agonizing situation between you two extends after this bet,” Rarity interjected with a stressed wave of her hand before sighing, “and to answer your question, dear, I would say it started the moment you saw us at the music room.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “T-That far?”
Rarity shrugged before idly fixing the ruffles on the other’s outfit once again. “Well, we did see the small smile when Sunset’s eyes fell on you, but we always chalked it up to her thinking that you were your counterpart at the time.”
“Oh…” Twilight said, eyes now downcast at the fashionista’s words.
“But,” Rarity added, taking time to pull the girl’s chin up, “it was when she defeated Midnight Sparkle at the friendship games that we began to see that she saw you as someone more than being the human version of the princess.” She then shrugged. “Then came Camp Everfree, well…suffice to say it was heart wrenching when we saw you with Timber.”
Twilight looked down, biting her lip before offering an awkward chuckle. “Yeah, I honestly liked him, no doubt about that, and I’m glad we still ended on good terms but I kinda figured out why I liked him in the first place. The only reason why I liked him, to be more specific.”
“Oh, do tell?”
“Well, it’s a theory anyway,” Twilight started, “and I was busy freaking out over Midnight Sparkle controlling me but I guess she did, in a way, because she…” she mumbled the rest of the words, which made it inaudible to Rarity.
“What?”
“She…likeshisfanny!”
Rarity blinked but being well-versed in Pinkie’s bouts of rapid firing words, she giggled when she processed them. “So, this Midnight Sparkle half in you adored Mr. Spruce’s…rear-end, enough that she must have subtly pushed you into dating him.” She shook her head in disbelief. “First your attempt of a compliment yesterday, and now this? If I did not know any better Twilight, I say that you’re what could be considered, and pardon the crudeness, an ‘ass man’.” She smiled when Twilight giggle-snorted.
“I-I guess I could be called that but, with Sunset, I don’t know. I just find her attractive beyond her…butt.” Twilight looked down once again with a heavy blush. “I’m…never going to win this bet at this rate.”
Rarity wasted no time in gripping Twilight’s shoulders again, an admonishing yet encouraging glance took form. “Now, now. I told you that you have no need to be cynical. You simply need to be confident, in yourself rather! Just don’t think about the bet. Try to see this as an opportunity to go to the girl of your dreams and compliment her,” she threw a hand towards the redhead who was still in her spot, “and if she happened to blush then that’s only a bonus!”
“I believe so, and with the magic of friendship at your side, I doubt anything can stop you from conquering that ass!”
Twilight winced.
Rarity winced, as well. “Er, too far?”
The bespectacled girl lightly nodded. “A bit but I see your point.” She huffed. “Okay, I’m going to do it.”
“Excellent!” Rarity then lightly shoved the girl towards the direction of the redhead.
Twilight took another deep breath, letting it out before trudging forward with a determined glint. She was now standing at arm’s length from Sunset. She lightly cleared her throat.
Sunset for a moment did not say anything but she lightly nodded, signalling that she acknowledged Twilight’s presence.
Twilight took a moment to calm herself, her beating heart, and her nerves. She took solace in the fact that Rarity was watching with an encouraging smile and she knew she couldn’t let her friend down too.
“S-So,” Twilight winced at the tremor in her voice before she tried to control it, “how’s the p-prettiest girl in the world doing?” She smiled, leaning with her right hand on the table beside where Sunset was using it as a chair.
“I don't know,” Sunset started absentmindedly, eyes not looking away from her game, “how are you?”
OOF.
Blushing red and recoiling with a beating heart in full speed, Twilight stammered out a “F-Fine.” Breathing was slowly becoming something hard to do now.
Sunset smiled, still not looking away, and nodded. “She’s fine.”
DOUBLE OOF.
Rarity took a moment to shoot a pitying glance at the passed-out girl and a confused Sunset standing over said passed-out girl in concern, before she shook her head and sighed.
Four pairs of eyes watched as Applejack took her seat at their table in the sushi restaurant inside Canterlot Mall before finally asking what’s on their minds ever since they received the farmer's text regarding a plan of hers.
“So, how's the egghead?” Rainbow Dash began absentmindedly, half-paying attention as she thumbed through her phone.
Rarity continued this with knitted brows when she saw no sign of the girl in question. “You did help her, did you not? Not by letting her simply take notes while you did your chores.”
At that, AJ couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the fashion designer. “You break my heart thinking I’d go back on my word. I promised I’d do something bout her fritz bizz, and I’m one to keep a promise. Especially to my friends.”
“I mean not to offend, Applejack,” Rarity quickly defended, “it’s just from what I’ve heard lately is that this season’s a difficult one, especially on your family’s farm.”
Pursing her lips, the apple farmer nodded to show her appreciation on her friend’s concern before shaking her head. “Don’t worry bout none. We’re tough and we’ll get by the same way each year.” She leaned against the red cushions that made up the restaurant’s chairs with a laid-back sigh. “Sides, I could have used a break from stressing out on the less produce we produce and what better way than helping out a friend?”
The doors to the restaurant opened.
“And speak of the devil, here she is now.”
The hostess took a moment to look at the newcomer before discretely leading her to the table where the Rainbooms were waiting. She left with a polite smile and a quick swipe of the bill given to her by a certain fashion designer, pocketing the money as she went back to her station.
"Howdy y'all!" Twilight greeted, lifting her hat a bit
The rainbooms, sans a noticeably proud AJ, who finally took the time to look at her, stared in unbridled shock.
"Egghead? What happened to you?!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You look like another AJ!" Fluttershy nodded beside her, at a loss for words.
Rarity on the other hand turned to the apple farmer with an admonishing frown. "You were supposed to help her be more confident! Not dress her up like she's about to go to a shindig!"
"Hey now. Don't go getting your britches in a pinch," Twilight stated, proving to be the opposite of what Rarity feared that happened as she sat down with a little clang of her boots' spurs before Twilight leaned casually against the red cushions.
AJ added while slinging a hand around the bespectacled cowgirl like a proud relative. "Shoot, ain't she just the bee's knees?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head at them before uttering "Great. There's two of them now."
Fluttershy giggled at this before scooting over to make room for Twilight, effectively hiding her from view of a redhead for a while.
Pinkie Pie eyed the two similarly dressed cowgirls critically before shrugging with an announced, "these spot the difference games get harder by the year." She went back to her chair and munched on her appetizers.
Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose. "Applejack, how do you suppose this can fluster our redheaded friend? Of course, she'll turn red, but I thought Twilight wanted to do so without getting laughed at."
At said girl's sudden slumped shoulders and Applejack's glare, Rarity quickly amended. "Not that there's anything funny with the outfit,” all teens eyed the oblivious redhead working a few tables from them, “but seeing as Sunset rarely saw you in this get-up and will now hear you speaking like our dear apple farmer, she might not take this as seriously as you wanted."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ain't got nothing to worry about, Rares. Sides, I taught her some of my pick- up lines too." She emphasized this with a casual smile directed at the fashion designer.
"Howdy."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while Fluttershy and Pinkie giggled when Rarity started sputtering with a blush.
AJ smirked at Twilight who was staring at her with a look of amazement. "Works every darn time."
Grinning, Twilight nodded enthusiastically (her hat threatening to fall off) before she praised, "I knew listening to you insert apples once in every sentence was worth it."
AJ nodded sagely at that, ignoring the rest of their friends’ snickering, before she spotted the redheaded waitress waving a hand, signaling that she’s almost done with her current table before taking their orders. The farmer nodded at Sunset before turning to the hidden Twilight. “Okay, Sunset’s about to come over. It’s your chance. Remember everything I taught you.”
Twilight nodded determinedly, her mind racing with the multiple apple-related pickup lines and even country-inspired compliments that Applejack took the time to teach Twilight for five hours. “Right.”
The Rainbooms waited with bated breath as Sunset made her way over to their table.
“Hey, sorry for the wait.” Sunset adjusted her headpiece before taking out her notepad and pen. “So, what’ll it be?”
As planned, Pinkie began her order first to avoid Sunset noticing Twilight yet. The pink haired girl enthusiastically started rapid-firing questions regarding the amount of teriyaki sauce used or how much one roll of sushi would weigh when it was catapulted to the moon.
“You ready?” Fluttershy asked the slightly nervous girl beside her, her voice so low that it went unnoticed by the redhead, who surprisingly generated a good amount of answers to Pinkie’s questions.
“I’m scared,” Twilight whispered back, her shoulders hunched while she stared at her goddess-er-friend. Her friend…who looks like a goddess with the light shining behind her while her lips moved to make mouth words-
“Twilight, breathe,” Fluttershy stated, rubbing the hyperventilating girl’s back. "Goodness, everything seems so exciting right now." She thought as she eyed the oblivious Sunset and the blushing Twilight. "The set up feels like one scene from my favorite show!" An unconscious blush formed on the animal caretaker's cheeks when she realized what happened after that particular scene. "Oh my, I hope they wouldn't go that far though...but then again, Sunset seems like the type who would."
Rarity briefly eyed the now blushing lyricist and found herself wondering what happened.
The girls were taken out from their thoughts as Pinkie Pie praised, “Welp, that’s all I can think of on the top of my head. You’re a really knowledgeable waitress, Sunset.” The party planner then shrugged and took a sip of her iced tea. “I’ll just have the Tataki Shiro Maguro please!”
Sunset grinned, nodding and then getting the rest of the girl’s orders, who all opted to make sure that Twilight would be the last one Sunset will see. So far so good, they all thought with a mental, well-deserved pat on their backs.
The redhead was about to glance at the last member of their group before a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
All the Rainbooms (sans Rainbow who started reading something on her phone again) stared at the similarly uniformed girl who sweetly grinned at Sunset before taking the redhead’s notepad. “Sunset-chan, Sensei wanted me to switch places with you for now. She has a problem that you can only solve.”
Raising a brow but sensing the direness of the statement from her co-worker, Sunset nodded and excused herself before leaving the table.
The teens who saw the exchange watched her go, with Twilight forcing herself not to look longer than necessary. Once the redhead completely disappeared behind the employees only doors, the bespectacled sighed and turned to the new waitress to give her order but to their shock, the newcomer simply grinned before leaning closely to the surprised bespectacled girl.
“Love Rival,” she hissed at Twilight before walking away without taking said rival’s order.
Everyone, sans Rainbow, blinked in disbelief.
“W-What just happened?” Applejack was the first to say. She honestly couldn’t believe her plan didn’t work. Granted, her friend didn't get the chance to woo the girl but still!
Twilight didn’t know how to answer that if she was being honest. All she seemed to process was that all her preparation, all those notes she took, all those painful milliseconds hearing about apples in almost every single sentence during her learning time…wasted. The purple girl bowed down in defeat.
Rainbow Dash started laughing suddenly, causing the rest of them to glare at the athlete. When she noticed the looks, she raised both hands in defense as she explained. “Sorry, I was just reading this story I told you about. I finally got to the part where the main character got lover-blocked by a random third party.” She snickered, oblivious to the glare and deadpanned looks sent her way, as she continued, “called the main character ‘love rival’ and everything!” She wheezed as she wiped a tear away. “Man, she’s really not getting any anytime soon.”
Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose, before whacking the surprised athlete’s head with a pair of chopsticks and uttered a deadpanned, “Baka.”
Twilight trudged through the barren halls of the school. Barren because of the students still being in class.
She didn’t cut classes, mind you, but more of she simply finished all the tasks earlier than expected but when she usually just stayed inside the classroom and work on her next set of assignments, Twilight decided to use that time to fulfill her mission.
It was really sad once Twilight processed it all but this time, she wasn’t using pick-up lines or any one liner anymore.
After a lengthy research session and vague one-sided conversation with her sister-in-law, Twilight Sparkle decided to just grab the bull by its horns…or horn of the unicorn? Twilight shook her head. Nevertheless, she was planning to just go and outright ask Sunset Shimmer out.
The seventh repeat of that idea didn’t cause her to flare up and blush this time, making her mentally thank AJ for those confidence sessions. At least she managed to still apply them following that random love rival incident.
Looking down to check on her metaphorically shield and sword – flowers and box of chocolates – Twilight believed she was ready for anything. She spotted the opened doors to the music room, knowing that the smart redhead usually used her free time to hang out there while waiting for the rest of their friends. There was a small burst of nervousness before Twilight squashed it down.
She cricked her neck from side to side, a determined glint in her eye as she walked forward.
“Unleash the magic, unleash the magic,” a voice began, immediately halting Twilight in her tracks with her eyes wide open, “if we lose then it’s a crime.”
“But we can win it, if you begin it, so it’s up to you to not fail this time.”
“N-No way! She’s really singing that song? Really?!” Twilight gulped before hurriedly making her presence known, box and flowers forgotten, just as Sunset got to “...unleash the magic, free the magic now - Oh hey Twi.”
Red faced Twilight tried to get it together but the sight of the redhead lounging on the steps of the band room with an easy smile brought all words to a halt.
Sunset furrowed her brows before letting out a wince. “Ah, you heard me singing that song, right? Sorry, it was surprisingly catchy for a song about peer pressure. I’ll stop now.”
“Don’t!” screamed Twilight, surprising them both.
Hurriedly recovering, tried to fix her mistake with a cough and continued, “stop, I mean. Don’t stop.”
Raising a brow, Sunset frowned. “Are you sure? Because you look bothered when you came in.”
Poor sweet oblivious Sunset didn’t seem to know that it was another different kind of bothered, but Twilight’s brain was already a jumbled mess thanks to the redhead’s angelic voice short-circuiting her already hinged senses to say that aloud. She took a moment to respond with a forced smile. “I-I was just surprised that’s all.”
Still suspicious, Sunset shrugged before strumming her guitar, but she stopped once again and turned to the purple nerd. “How about another song instead?”
“S-Sure,” Twilight breathed but her dreamy expression morphed into confusion when Sunset gestured for Twilight to sit on the piano. It took an embarrassingly whole minute for the girl to understand and another so for the bespectacled girl to process what Sunset said.
“Y-You want me to sing?” Already she could feel her heart rapidly beating, immediately going to dangerous heart attack levels when Sunset offered a smile directed at her.
“Yeah, you sing all the time so why not?”
“Because I want to hear you sing, all alone by the way.” She tried not to voice that out as she smiled nervously. “H-How about a duet instead? I’ve never sung all by myself before.”
“At least, in front of anyone I know.” She mentally added.
Cyan eyes stared at amethyst for a minute before Sunset shrugged again. “Alright, but you start though. I can’t think of anything right now.”
“You and me both,” Twilight thought despairingly before she shook her head and focused. Sunset began idly strumming.
“W-What should I sing about?” Twilight asked as she nervously sat on top of the piano.
From her position seated on the steps, Sunset shrugged for the third time around (not that Twilight counted or anything) and said, “Anything, just sing what comes to mind.”
Twilight took a deep breath, letting the calm tune wash over her. She glanced outside, not looking in front of the girl as a sudden wave of self-consciousness possessed her. Odd, since it wasn’t the first time she sang but maybe it was because she was alone with her oblivious crush?
Shaking her head, Twilight steeled her nerves.
“I've walked through all these halls before,” she started, glad her voice was steady enough. “I've been in and out of every door, oh-whoa-oh.” Here she closed her eyes, realizing she was singing the words she thought of in CPA before.
“There's nothin' in this school that I don't know. In every class, my grade's the best,” She bit her lip, hoping she didn’t come off as boasting, “the highest score on every test.” She opened an eye, spotting the encouraging smile of the redhead, urging her to continue. “I think that means it's time for me to go…”
Twilight sighed, not really meaning the last one.
“I know there's more that's out there and I just haven't found it yet,” she was looking at Sunset. “I know there's more that's out there, another me I haven't met.” She then glanced down, blushing.
Sunset Shimmer didn’t seem to notice as she glanced towards the closed doors of the music room.
“Everyone here likes who I am,” Twilight tried not to melt from the angelic voice, “and it's not from a magic spell's command, oh-whoa-oh.”
A small smile graced the redhead’s features. “My friends look past the things I've done before,” the she then looked down with a contemplative look, “but still I miss those quests; the mythic creatures, magic tests.”
“High school's great, sure,” Sunset shrugged, “but who am I anymore?”
Twilight bit her lip, wanting to comfort the girl. Was…was Sunset planning to go back? The continued strumming of the guitar forced Twilight back to focus, singing, “It's not that I'm ungrateful or trying to succeed,” she stared at the redhead.
“But there's something left still missing, something that I need.”
She hoped just a little bit that the other girl got the hint.
“I know there's more that's out there, maybe folks that need my help.”
She didn’t. Twilight tried not to sigh exasperatedly.
Sunset bit her lip. “I know there's more that's out there, because I've seen it for myself.”
“There's only so much this town can offer and I'm not saying that's so bad, but I know there's more that's out there,” Sunset looked out the window, towards the direction of the portal, “cause it's a life that I once had.”
Twilight wanted so badly to reach out to her friend, never mind her feelings for the time being when Sunset was clearly upset, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject. It didn’t seem Sunset would like to talk about it now, so Twilight decided to wait as she continued.
“Beyond these rooms, beyond these walls,” here there was a hint of truth in what she sang, Twilight found herself looking back ever since coming to CHS. “So much to learn, I can't see it all.”
“This town is home, this school is safe,” Sunset sang back, looking up at the ceiling with a frown, “but how can I be home and still feel out of place?”
“Don’t hug her yet.” Twilight mentally reminded herself. Curse this long song! “And I know there's more that's out there, another world to explore.”
“And I know there's more that's out there, am I wrong for wanting more?”
“No, you’re not.” Twilight bit her lip in frustration but when she started again, she nearly faltered when Sunset’s voice joined with hers, making her forget her momentary dissatisfaction. “AndIcan'twaitforittohappen, butwhatitisIcannotsay.”
Sunset had her eyes closed; a fact Twilight was thankful for since a heavy blush coated her face. She didn’t know how to explain that to the girl yet.
Both girls now had their eyes closed, letting the silent promise echo throughout the band room.
“I'llfindoutsomeday...”
The last of the notes faded, blanketing the two in the silence before Sunset broke it with a light giggle. “Sorry it got emotional there, wasn’t expecting that to happen.”
“I-It’s…okay.” Twilight bit her lip before staring at the subdued redhead. “Do you really miss it? Equestria?”
Sunset took a moment to answer before she slung off her guitar and laid back with her hands behind her. “I guess? I mean, I’m not one to get homesick but from time to time, I find myself thinking…what if?” She turned. “You know?”
Twilight smiled sadly, looking away briefly and towards the hallway where a certain box of chocolates and flowers lay forgotten. “Yeah…I know.”
Sunset returned the smile, causing Twilight’s chest to constrict before she focused and said, “You should go back.” At the surprised look, the purple girl repeated, “you should go back.” Purple hands clenched into fists beside her. “It’s your home, it’s your birthplace, you belong there.”
Twilight jumped in surprise when Sunset was immediately in front of her. Piercing cyan orbs pinned her to her seat on the piano as the redhead held up a hand and tugged at one of the loose purple strands framing Twilight’s face.
Blushing tomato a.k.a. Twilight Sparkle merely gaped but Sunset didn’t seem to notice as she bore a serious frown directed at her. “I’m not planning to leave this dimension, you know?” Amber arms crossed, but Twilight force her gaze back and not at the muscles hidden behind the leather jacket. “I can’t believe you’d think I’d leave you girls behind like that.”
Twilight swallowed. “B-But I thought-
“I’m not mad, Twi. It’s just, I thought I made it clear how much I value you all.” Sunset softened her features. “I found friendship, and I’ll be stupid if I randomly decided to give it up.”
“S-Sorry,” Twilight squeaked, more out of being the other kind of bothered than actually feeling guilty.
Sunset smiled, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “No worries. Come to think of it, I would be thinking like you do too if I heard any of my friends sing that. I’m sorry too.”
“N-No problem.” Twilight was glad she could still reply. With the combination of Sunset’s warm hand on her shoulder, the piercing stare from before, and coupled with the still remaining feelings from earlier, Twilight didn’t know how she refrained from kissing Sunset there and there.
Shaking her head, Twilight slowly pulled away and smoothed out her skirt. All her plans immediately discarded but what she could expect when it came to Sunset Shimmer?
“Okay, I should…go back now.”
“Sure -oh, but Twi?” Twilight turned, heart beating erratically when the girl was once more in front of her. How did she move so fast?!
“You should think about doing something with these,” Sunset said with a playful tug at the loose strands framing Twilight’s red face before her expression morphed into concern. “Are you feeling alright?”
“FINE!” Twilight said in a high-pitched voice before she coughed and asked, “W-what’s wrong with them?”
Sunset blinked and she let go, moving the same hand to rub behind her neck with a giggle. “Sorry, there’s nothing wrong. For some reason though, I just find them distracting lately.” The statement brought hope to bloom inside Twilight’s chest. Could it be?
Sunset frowned. “Odd really, but I’m sure it’s nothing.” She waved a hand in dismissal.
Nope, never mind. Twilight tried not to sigh and sob at the same time, choosing instead to let out a bitter, “I can wear it how I want.”
The redhead lightly recoiled at that, but Twilight walked away before Sunset could say anything else.
Sunset scratched her head in confusion while she stared at the retreating girl. “Was it something I said?”
Inside the classrooms, five members of the Rainbooms slapped their foreheads but they didn’t know why.
Twilight nodded with her head still buried in her hands. She was currently slumped against her locker, sitting dejectedly on the floor.
“Then that means she’s slowly working around her feelings for you!” Pinkie Pie, ever the optimist, stated as she hugged the girl, “Twilight, this is great!”
“No, it’s not. I feel like I’m taking advantage of her.”
Fluttershy raised a brow from her locker beside Twilight’s, “Umm…how exactly?”
“I,” Twilight began before she groaned, “I don’t know! But it doesn’t stop me from feeling that way. I don’t think she’s ready for a relationship, and you did tell me her only experience was with Flash Sentry and it didn’t even last that long.”
“Well duh, she didn’t feel anything for him,” Rainbow said as she crossed her arms, the soccer ball she had been playing with lay forgotten, “but we’re totes sure she so has the hots for you!”
The purple teenager shook her head.
“How can you tell? I mean, what’s stopping us from thinking that maybe all of this is just some meaningless show of affection that stays in the boundary of friendship and we’re all just reading into too much of this?”
The athlete stared at her with a deadpanned, “Okay, you’re totally being too meta for my taste.”
“And may I remind you, darling,” Rarity added as she finished gathering her things from her locker, “that we are registered and certified shippers? We know these kinds of things.”
“We got the paper and everything!” Pinkie exclaimed as she showed the certificate and approved seal and then she gasped, pointing to the approaching redhead. “and there she is! You’re on Sparklebutt!”
“W-Wha-
“Quick, act natural!”
Before long, the rest of the girls busied themselves while Sunset approached. Twilight may have been disappointed, but she still found her heart beating erratically whenever she was in the redhead’s presence.
The former bully of CHS cleared her throat as she offered a white tulip to the surprised egghead. “So, uh, after a talk, I got how I must have sounded the last time we parted ways.” She rubbed her head, where a faint bump given by an exasperated fashion designer reminded her what she needed to say next. “With that, I’d also like to make it up to you. Meet me at Gustav’s at 5, oh, and wear something nice.” She grinned at the still gaping Twilight, “Semi-formal.”
Cyan eyes nervously glanced at sharp azure eyes before an alabaster hand subtly raised in a thumb’s up, signaling it was adequate, making the redhead sigh in relief before she bid her friends goodbye to prepare.
“What just happened?” Applejack was the first to recover. Pinkie proudly closed the gaping scientist’s mouth as she giggled before exchanging high fives with Rarity. At the questioning eyes from her friends, the keytar player grinned. “I may have talked some sense into that girl, and we might see progress yet.”
“Y-You what?” Rainbow Dash asked but there was a large grin plastered on her face. Fluttershy followed up with a giddy “Oh my!”
Rarity nodded to their praises before turning to the girl who may have lost brain functioning for the mean time. “Twilight, I have opened the doors to you now, but the rest is still up to you.” She gripped Twilight’s shoulders. “Are you going to take that step or are you going to walk out that door and live your life regretting this chance!”
Squeaking, Twilight could only manage a high pitched “…eugh.”
Five girls stared at her in pity.
“Welp, let’s give her time to reboot then focus on the next part of our plan!” Pinkie declared before she wrung her hands together in a diabolical motion.
In the hallway, the rest of the students paid them no mind. It was simply another Thursday after all.
So here Twilight found herself now. At a secluded table in a restaurant that served high-quality dishes but still have marginally and reasonably prices with the object of her affections. Twilight tried not to let her eyes wander once again, but she couldn’t help it! She was weak! Weak to plain white long-sleeved blouses and form fitting black slacks! Honestly, how could clothes so plain make their wearer still look like a goddess?
“You okay there Twi?” Sunset asked with a chuckle, one hand holding a glass raised to her lips while the ever-present cyan orbs pierced Twilight’s very core.
“Y-yep, but uh, would you excuse me please? I-I need to use the ladies’ room.”
Sunset barely got a nod in before Twilight rushed out of her seat. Away from the redhead’s gaze, and a few tables away, five teenagers hid their faces behind tall menus. When Twilight approached, Rarity chanced a look and raised a brow. “Dear, what are you doing? It’s inappropriate to leave your date waiting.”
Twilight’s gaze fleeted towards the redhead before back to her, “I-I think this is more of an apology dinner than anything.”
“A what now?” Applejack asked beside the fashionista.
Through gritted teeth, Twilight repeated. “An. Apology. Dinner. She said as much, she’s beating herself over because she thought she offended me about these,” she gripped the twin strands framing her face while avoiding messing with her bun. She sighed to calm herself. She knew she was getting worked up, but everything, simply from the girl’s eyes, seemed to make every inch of her feel like she’s short-circuiting. She toyed with her gold dress with red trimmings.
“Maybe I should give up,” she said with a moan but immediately the girls began reassuring not to worry and because they have a contingency plan. With a subtle motion of her hand, Rarity appeared to be signaling someone behind the bespectacled girl, causing Twilight to turn in curiosity before her breath hitched in her throat.
A totally identical, down to the glasses up to the hair and outfit, girl like her walked towards the table where Sunset was waiting, said something totally inaudible before they both laughed in unison. When their food arrived, they dug in but still traded smiles and conversation.
Twilight’s glasses slowly started falling off her face before she mutely raised a hand to push them in place.
“Twilight, you remember Princess Twilight, correct?”
The human girl blinked as an unforgettable memory came up.
“Whip it out, we’re comparing,” Sci Twi growled to a grinning princess, who did not falter at the tone. Princess Twilight shot the human a competitive smirk before producing the longest list she’d ever written.
Twilight scoffed but internally she was panicking at the length as it unrolled. It did not seem to stop, even going as far as taking up the space of her generously spacious living room.
“Mine. Is. Longer.” Said the Princess of Friendship who stood triumphantly at the human with rare pride oozing out of her smile. She wasn’t one to boast after all but with competing with a human version of herself about lists, she would make an exception.
Staring down at her own list, a good short of 50 meters compared to the pony counterpart’s, Twilight sighed before she conceded defeat with a bitter, “whatever.”
Princess Twilight smirked once again before booping the human on the nose. “And that’s why fillies still can’t play with the big mares.”
Twilight scowled.
Twilight scowled, much to the confusion of the Rainbooms.
They immediately turned when they saw Sunset stand up and offer her arm to the princess.
“Where are they going?” Twilight asked.
The girls eyed one another before Applejack answer, “They’ll be taking a nice stroll at the park near the school now.”
“What?!” Twilight hissed, much to her friend’s surprise, “how is bringing my pony counterpart to this help me fluster Sunset?”
Pinkie smiled, all too pleased to explain their collective idea. She reached down and now held up two dolls, one of purple pony, and another of a purple human. “I have a Sci Twi,” she began in a singsong voice that brought collective cringes, “I have a Princess.” She smashed the two together. “Uh, Princess Sci Twi.”
All girls raised their eyebrows.
Pinkie pulled another doll, this time of a redheaded human. “I have a Shimmer.” She then raised the smushed dolls. “I have a Princess Sci Twi.” She waited a bit before she grinned slyly and smashed them together again.
“Uh, Princess Sci Twi Shimmer.”
She raised her eyebrows suggestively before she pouted when her friends, sans the athlete, couldn’t follow. Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash who seemed to be the only one who managed to understand.
“Translation?” asked the purple human.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Bacon horse might get flustered when she gets twice of much purple girls competing for her attention.” Another beat before she hesitatingly added, “that or the night might end in a threesome. I’m not really sure, that part of the Pinkienese is still a mystery to me.” Behind the prismatic haired girl, Pinkie Pie enthusiastically nodded.
Rarity shook her head alongside the apple farmer. Fluttershy simply chose to nod with blush on her face.
Twilight didn’t even turn red as she gritted her teeth. “I-I refuse to associate with that, that, mumpsimus.”
Immediately Rarity wagged a finger. “Twilight, language! …I think?” She turned to the rest. “Is that a word? I can’t say I’m familiar with it.”
“Nope.”
“Uh...”
“Maybe?”
“Yeah, it’s a word.”
Rarity nodded before she turned back to the crossed armed young girl. “Twilight, whatever qualms you have with the princess, surely it could be set aside for now? She is helping you win the girl.”
The rest of the girls glanced among themselves unsurely.
When Princess Twilight received a letter stating it was from Canterlot High, she thought for a second the portal was breached but opening and getting blasted by confetti, she should have known it was simply a case of Pinkie.
She managed to read and understand the gist of the letter through blinking away the small pieces of colored paper stuck to her eyes (ow, by the way) she realized that it was simply a plight to help with a plan to get her human counterpart and Sunset together.
Princess Twilight smiled a mischievous grin.
Now, strolling through a park on a nice breezy night, clinging to the redhead in a disguise brought a sense of mischief she rarely felt. True, she wasn’t one to initiate pranks but something about her human counterpart brought a competitive side to come out and not in the rivalry kind she had going on with a certain stage magician.
No, this one was more fun, less draining, and more importantly, less of a headache.
Subtlety looking over her shoulder, Princess smirked at the other girl hidden behind a tree, relishing the glare and scowl aimed her way before turning back to the redhead as she finished her tale.
“Wow, you really did that, huh?” she said with a mix look of awe and a hint of exaggeration, but she wasn’t really lying when she said she was impressed. She could multitask, thank you very much.
Rubbing her head, Sunset looked on, embarrassed but with an easygoing smile. “Yeah, though looking back I guess it’s not that impressive anymore when it’s used for evil.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s…completely evil,” Princess Twilight said, playfully twirling a lock of her hair with a coy grin. Honestly, if her barn door did swing that way, she would have kissed the redhead there and then with how much cute and dopey she looked.
Sigh, C’est la vie.
By the tree they were hiding behind, Twilight grumbled. “’Oh, I WOulDn’t sAy it’s coMpLEtly eViL,’” She mockingly repeated with a roll of her eyes before she scoffed.
“Tone down the green eyes, will ya?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising a brow. “Keep in mind that the princess is not into Sunbutt over there. Remember that she’s taken? Blue eyes, blue hair, dopey guitarist shtick?”
Twilight blinked. “Who?”
Pinkie Pie, from the other tree, let out an emphatic “Ouch.”
“She’s just distracted y’all, Twi’s focusing on more important things right now.”
“Double ouch,” said the party planner, making the farmer roll her eyes.
Rarity came up beside the pinkette, powdering her face while she struggled to look for a suitable light source. “We mean no ill will to Mr. Sentry, so hush with your ‘ouches.’” A beat before she turned, “and is he alright with the fact that Princess Twilight went out on a date-
“Apology dinner,” Twilight corrected.
-apology dinner, with Sunset?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “That’s exactly why we won’t tell him. I mean, I still have some resemblance of respect for him.”
Fluttershy nodded before she added, “and that includes not making him think the two girls he liked turned gay together.”
The rest nodded affirmatively before they turned back to the two Equestrians by the pond who were giggling at a joke that Sunset seemed to have told.
“Okay, I’m going to give the signal which would then have the princess step on Sunset’s feet, using that as a distraction for you two to switch places. And then after you guys kiss, you and the princess will surprise her.”
“Right,” Twilight said, before she blinked. “Why would you have her step on Sunset’s feet?”
Four pair of eyes stared at the fashion designer who was just done reapplying her makeup. Without batting an eye, she answered as she smacked her lips. “Well, Sunset must learn the hard way to never. ever. tell a girl how she should dress up in order to not be ‘distracting’.” She ended with air quotes before she rolled her eyes. “Really, I thought I taught her better than that.”
Applejack gazed at the other with an amused grin. “Shoot, you ain’t her mother last I checked.”
Through half-lidded eyes, Rarity responded, “Well if I was, would that make you the father?”
Pinkie Pie snickered, while Fluttershy blushed with a giggle. Rainbow Dash only let out a groan of “Ugh, gag me.”
While the two flirted, Twilight could not tear her gaze away from the other two. Something nasty burned within her chest, something…bad but before she could fully internalize those feelings, Pinkie shot up and enthusiastically gave the signal.
“Well, there it is,” Princess Twilight thought with a mental chuckle. As much as she was having fun messing with her counterpart, messing with her friend’s feelings (however half-baked, from what she gathered tonight) was a serious No in her friendship book.
And she checked, it really wasn’t alright. Friendly and even scathing half-meant insults from your interdimensional twin was fine…but kissing said interdimensional twin’s crush?
It’s a definite buck no.
She was about to fulfill her part of the plan but the sudden hands on her shoulders surprised her, nearly causing her to lose balance before strong amber arms kept her steady.
“Whoa, she’s surprisingly strong!” Twilight thought, impressed. Briefly, she could feel the piercing glare behind her and that forced her to hurriedly try and wrap things up. “Sorry Other me, I’m not doing this on purpose though!”
She met the other’s gaze, trying not to flinch as Sunset’s face was inches in front of her. The princess of friendship blinked. “Okay, what’s wrong?” she asked, she didn’t know why she was sweating or why the intense look seemed to cause a bit of …totally intrusive but totally not unsolicited feelings to swell up.
Sunset did not answer as she lifted a hand and placed it on the girl’s cheek.
“What’s she doing?!” five voices hissed in panic while Twilight broke cover and proceeded to march towards them while her mental voice roared with a continued, “Nope! Nope! Nope!”
“I’m straight! I’m straight! I’m straight!” Princess Twilight mentally chanted, her eyes widening in fear, confusion, and turmoil all at once. She closed her eyes as Sunset leaned in. She mentally went over the list of things and possessions she’ll need to give to Spike in her will once her counterpart inevitably kills her.
When she felt no pressure on her lips, since she thought that was the way it seemed it would go, she cracked open one eye to see an amused Sunset.
And her fake glasses lifted in front of her to see.
“What are you doing, Princess?” the redhead earnestly asked as she backed away.
The alicorn-turned-human blinked, mouth open in confusion. “H-How…when did you figure it out?”
Sunset shrugged. “Before we left the restaurant, I kinda wondered why you came and not Twilight but when I saw how you dressed like her, it finally clicked.” She then turned to the rest of their friends behind the tree, where the human Twilight stopped to stare a few paces in front of them. “That goes for the rest of you girls.”
Slowly, one by one they sheepishly emerged and stood in front of the two Equestrians, with the bespectacled girl lagging. Her mind went back to the statement, where Sunset said ‘it finally clicked’ but she knew not to expect anything when it came to Sunset. Still, there’s nothing wrong with hoping, right?
Sunset crossed her arms, oblivious to the two pairs of amethyst eyes that zeroed in on the action before they glared identically at one another. None paid the silent rivals any mind as they waited for Sunset to finish her thought.
“I know why you decided to switch places with the princess, Twilight,” she began as she made eye contact with the bespectacled girl. “I get it. Really, I do.”
“Do you?” Applejack asked, skeptical, but consecutive elbow diggings silenced her suspicions.
Still, Sunset nodded. “I know, Twilight and I’m not upset.” She once again pierced the girl with her cyan orbs and Twilight fought not to swoon in front of her crush and her rival.
The redhead took the purple girl by her hands. “I’m honestly still guilty, I mean, I know now to never. ever. tell a girl how she should dress just because I’m the one who’s got a problem with finding her distracting. You should wear it how you want.” The redhead ended her statement off with another tug of the hairs framing a sad yet resigned expression.
The others blinked before they groaned, much to Sunset’s great confusion.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow cried as she gripped her hair, “you can tell which Twilight was which, but you can’t-ugh!” She simply sat down.
Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t expect something like this to happen. Applejack rolled her eyes at the dramatics around her, yet a hint of frustration was evident once she huffed. Fluttershy merely shook her head in pity while Pinkie collapsed in a laughing fit.
Above the hysterical party planner, Princess Twilight shot her fellow Equestrian a deadpanned, “Really?”
Sunset rubbed her head self-consciously, “Yeah, I am horrible, but I swear I changed that mindset when Rarity none too gently explained it to me.” She remained confused when the princess just shook her head again.
Turning back, Sunset scrunched her face into a pout which succeeded in ebbing away Twilight’s annoyance on her ever-present oblivious crush. Twilight gently patted her hand with a murmured, “just don’t think about it too much.”
Princess Twilight, on the other hand, decided to mess with her twin one last time before she left since the plan was an obvious bust.
Stepping forward, she pinched the surprised redhead’s cheeks, grinned sweetly at her glaring counterpart, and said “Oh you sweet little pony, remind me to give you a book about the ‘Cats and the Coconuts’,” the princess let go while Sunset blushed (much to the befuddlement of a certain human scientist), “because knowing Celestia, she didn’t give you a proper crash course. Lucky for me, I’m thorough when it comes to research.”
She turned, heading towards the portal and leaving behind a confused group of teenagers, before deciding one last time to look over her shoulder and shoot the enraged Twilight a competitive grin. “Can’t say the same for my twin though.”
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie glanced at the red-faced redhead and then to a fuming Twilight before uttering a collective, “Triple ouch.”
It was a normal day for the Rainbooms and by normal, the narrator meant handling the occasional craziness that was rogue magic. This time, the victim of this uncontrollable plot device turned out to be a washed-out employee of the ‘Darks and Bleaks’ shop inside Canterlot mall.
The previously sad state transformed into some kind of ghoulish punk rocker with his own glowing guitar. His white and black painted face morphed into a maniacal grin as he proceeded to shred, guitar echoing with a song of despair and electricity.
The mall goers shrieked and ran away, but he wasn’t going to let normies get away without a listen to his masterpiece. Another riff and with one final strum, few people were encased by a red bind. A moment later, smoke erupted from various individuals and when it disappeared, the victims themselves were now wearing ripped jeans, shirts varying of all edginess and bleakness, and odd hairstyles that simply screamed ‘Get bent’ without a care for authority. The victims then proceeded to trash the mall.
Seven teenagers stood to the side, having watched everything happened so far.
“Alright girls,” Rainbow began as she punched her fist into her open palm. “You ready to save the day again?”
Sunset nodded first, crossing her arms as this baddie made a mockery of her tenth favorite store. Rebellion should only look and sound good, not actually try and pull through with it via property damage and public terrorism.
The villain seemed to have heard the athlete’s typically loud voice. He grinned with a sordid lick of his lips. “Wowza, six babes to join my army. Ain’t this my lucky day.”
Twilight blinked before she counted around. “Uh, don’t you mean seven?”
Punk’d Z, as he now called himself, stared at the nerd in confusion. “You will be spared. You’re a model of purity; plain, wholesome, and untempting.”
“Hey!” Twilight shouted, actually offended.
“Yeah, she could be tempting when she wants to be you friggin jerk!” Sunset shouted beside the purple girl who now blushed as she stared at her crush before promptly frowning again when the redhead added, “and anyone who’s not majorly tempted is too dumb or too oblivious!”
Six girls stared at her, unimpressed.
Punk’d Z blinked again as he tried to process what she said. “So…are you trying to pimp her off or something? Coz dude, that’s so messed up.”
“Maybe I am!”
Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose while Applejack simply smacked her forehead, Rainbow Dash followed suit while both pinkettes shook their heads in pity.
Twilight, blushing mode on, gripped Sunset’s shoulder as the previously running crowd stopped to take in the not so quiet words. “Sunset, I don’t think you fully know what pimping me off means!”
The redhead leaned back, whispering, “True but he doesn’t need to know that. This is just some kind of powerplay thing we’re doing, which I’m dominating, by the way. Trust me.”
“I don’t think I could with this, I mean, this potentially ended up spreading on social media if people managed to remember this entirely absurd and inappropriate conversation!”
The punk rocker themed villain grew tired of the chatter. “Enough, I won’t stand by while you yapping normies distract me from spreading the truth!” He rotated his arm with a flare before striking his guitar strings. A sonicboom erupted and started heading towards the direction of the girls. “The man can stick it! Yeaaahhh!”
Rarity thought fast and immediately conjured a diamond wall but to their horror, it didn’t reach Twilight and Sunset on time.
The redhead moved before thinking herself, pushing the bespectacled girl a good distance away as she took the full brunt of the attack.
Once the dust settled, standing over the gaping purple girl was a grinning girl dressed in a black skull tanktop and ripped jeans, her hair in a disheveled state and two black lines of ink trailing down her eyes…ending with a spiked choker.
Twilight choked on her spit.
“Oh come on! Is now really the time to be a disaster?” Rainbow asked, exasperatedly face palming.
Sunset grinned with a saucy lick of her lips, leering down on her easy prey but a burst of rainbow blur took hold of Twilight.
The athlete set her friend down in the safety of Rarity’s shield while Pinkie bounced over and shook the gay mess awake but to no avail. She sheepishly turned towards the others while Rarity conjured up another dome of crystals they were using to hide behind in as the baddie tried to break through. “I think she’s down for the count folks.”
Applejack sighed while the redhead a few paces in front of them laughed evilly, wrecking the trashcans and flipping over tables as the villain insanely cackles.
“YeaAAHHHAHAHAHHA!” He let out along with a manic smile, continuing his riffs while more and more of the watching crowd turned into his personal hot topic army. One beam made contact with a running Vice Principal Luna, much to the CHS students and the Principal’s horror. When the smoke cleared, maniacal cackling came and standing before them was a woman that was both hot and scary.
“I am so bothered on so many levels right now!” one student shouted, their friends nodding the same.
Tears flowed freely down Principal Celestia’s face alongside a pained cry of “My baby sister!”
“Damn,” Rainbow Crass exclaimed with a low whistle before Applejack thumped the athlete on the head.
“Land’s sakes that’s our vice principal for crying out loud!” She turned to the fashion designer. “Rares back me- oh for the love of-
Pinkie cut in, raising a fist in the air. “Whoo! Rocking that choker, V.P.!”
The woman grinned as she made the rock sign with her two hands before running up to a vending machine and proceeded to destroy it alongside her fellow victimized rockers.
“We have to do something!” Fluttershy cried out with tears. “Vice Principal Luna should be a good example to impressionable minds!”
Off to the side, Celestia ran away crying “oh the horror!” over and over again.
“She made an impression alright,” Rainbow nodded dumbly, still gazing at the older woman who was now flipping over the rest of the unturned tables alongside their redheaded friend. “Is it weird if I started looking forward to detentions?”
Appejack thumped the athlete once again. “We can talk about your sudden teacher kink later, right now we got a mall full of crazy people wrecking everything in their sights!” She turned to look down at the still passed out Twilight. “Shoot, with Twi and Sunset out how are we gonna do the friendship laser bit?”
Pinkie Pie scratched her head before a lightbulb lit up, only to frown when a stray shoe collided with it, destroying the idea.
Fluttershy turned to the side before raising a finger. “I got it. If this was the old Sunset Shimmer, then what is the one thing she always hated?”
The rest of the Rainbooms wracked their brain before Rarity, with a bit of blood gently dripping down her nose, answered. “Someone who is ordering her around?”
Fluttershy grinned.
Pinkie Pie giggled before cupping her hands around her mouth in order to shout, “Hey Sunset!”
The wrecking ball of angst and anger stopped mid-slam on a poor ice cream stand and turned to scowl at the pinkette.
“What do you want dork?” Sunset sneered before bobbing her head from the guitar riffs made by the villain. Yelling and cheers from her fellow brainwashed rockers sounded around her.
“We just want you to know, we’re very supportive of your attempt of expressing yourself through rebellion of authority and enablement of property destruction!” Pinkie began.
“But we find it counterproductive when you’re following through with the notions of an insane failed metal rocker who forced you into agreeing with his own sense of rebellion,” Fluttershy finished.
They all could see clearly how Sunset seemed to take in the words before her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. With a snarl reminiscent of her old ways, she whipped her head to the oblivious headbanger and glared. She pointed a finger at him with a growled out, “Hey! You’re telling me what to do!” She followed this off with a running start, taking a discarded potted plant and throwing it at the unsuspecting villain. It contacted with his head and the pot shattered upon impact. The previously floating person fell with a dull thud.
More cheers erupted, more so at the destruction than anything, before they resumed to breaking property.
Sunset raised both fists in the air as she cheered before grinning down viciously at the unconscious man, stepping on his back in triumphant satisfaction. “Heh, no one tells me what to do.”
“Except the magic of friendship!” Pinkie popped in, startling the redhead, before she took hold of the guitar. “Yoink!”
“Hey!” Sunset shouted, turning to the assembled Rainbooms. “Not cool, that’s mine dammit!”
Rarity gasped. “Sunset Shimmer! Mind your language!”
Sunset smirked before making the rock sign. “Heh, you ain’t my mom. Deal with it!”
Applejack simply shook her head in disappointment while Fluttershy giggled, much to the rest’s confusion. Pinkie Pie began tinkering with the guitar and cooing as it hummed but Rainbow Dash immediately took hold of the instrument and raised it high in the air. When fresh out of rainbow lasers, destroy the magical artifact instead.
“Sorry, Sunbutt but we prefer you as a good girl now and even though I’m so gonna regret changing our now controversially hot vice-principal back to normal, there’s still a ship we’re waiting to set sail.” Rainbow Dash brought the guitar down, smashing it effectively into smithereens.
The force pushed the athlete away, groaning from the pain until AJ and Pinkie helped her up. After a quick look around, she was glad the victims were slowly going back to normal at least.
One by one, the startled and confused people disappeared and returned to their loved ones. Off to the side, Vice principal Luna was tackled into a bone-crushing hug before she started prying away the comically sobbing Principal.
The Rainbooms turned to their friend, who groaned from her place on the floor. Once Sunset regained her bearings, she glanced up at her friends with a questioning frown. “Why do I feel like I just experienced my rebel phase all over again?”
The girls didn’t answer, choosing to tackle the redhead into a hug instead.
Off to the side, completely abandoned, Twilight continued to drool in a daze while her hormone driven mind reeled from the shock on unexpectedly seeing the form fitting outfit on her crush.
It was a nice day in Canterlot High School. The sun was up, the skies were clear, and there’s a war brewing inside the institution.
In the main foyer, crowds of students stood on opposite ends with nothing but the entrance doors serving as their invisible line.
A confused Twilight was the first to spot the odd sight before her, puzzlement further fueled when she assessed the shirts and different paraphernalia showing different faces. Faces that were hers, Sunset’s, and the princess’.
“W-what’s going on?”
Pinkie Pie appeared and hurried to explain with a nervous chuckle. “Okay, so don’t be mad.”
Twilight glared. “How can I not be when you started it off with that!”
The other girl winced. “Uh, good point. Well, okay, so I super duper really super thought everyone knows about your problem with flustering the girl so I started recruiting people for maybe a live orchestra or musical number for you professing your love and ending it with a cute pick-up line but the thing is, people started returning the pamphlets I handed out, and I worked hard on it to be super duper organized like you Twilight!, and then they started saying they thought Sunset was getting together with the other Twilight so that got me itsy bitsy mad but wait! I didn’t blow up…until Trixie made a comment how SunLight’s seemed great and powerful, but I lost my nerve and it got out of hand! But as a shipper Twilight, you must do. anything. to. protect. thy. ship!”
Twilight impressively processed the words said without a second to spare. She crossed her arms and glared at the girl.
Pinkie’s hair deflated at that while a student from the back of the opposite side laughed and cried out, “Ha, even with one of your supposed ‘perfect’ pair, she’s against you!”
The scientist whirled around, prepared to glare at the other. So what if she was being too grumpy in the morning, mornings should always be calm, not stressful due to a spontaneous ship war!
But before Twilight could deliver, for the first time in forever Pinkie scowled at the occupant on the other side as she said, “You are fools.”
Twilight tried to get in a comment again, but one student took offense and gasped. “How dare you! It was obvious by the first glance Sunset and the other Twilight were in love! Classic enemies-to-lovers trope!” More students came closer to the thin metaphorical wall they’ve divided themselves in when they heard the declaration and they began to offer and say their own piece too.
Beside the dumbstruck scientist, arrived one Flash Sentry who then took one look at his surroundings and shook his head in exasperation before he groaned out, “Is no one going to mention the fact that I’m currently dating the princess you’re shipping my ex with?”
“Nope!” came the collective response from both sides of the war.
The blue haired boy sighed. “Figures.”
Twilight turned to him with a raised brow. “Aren’t you supposed to be Mr. popular? I'm pretty sure they would have at least listened to you.”
“I was, I guess? but I haven’t been doing much here lately...or spending time here, specifically. You never noticed the times I disappear to visit the pony land?”
“You did?”
Another sigh before Flash responded, “Never mind.” He then straightened up when the arguments didn’t seem to settle down. “What are you going to do now? Do you have a plan to stop this or something?”
Amethyst gaze at the crowd before offering a contemplative, “…maybe until things slowly settle down.” She jumped when Pinkie Pie moved forward, took a flag, and planted the suction cup end on it on the ground.
“Team SciSet!” She cried out with her assembled students shouting in agreement behind her.
The CMCs, the apparent ring leaders of the other ship, responded with a louder, “Team SunLight!” The followers echoed the shout while Trixie proudly presented their own team’s flag as she lodged it opposite to the enemy’s.
Applejack entered the school doors just in time to see the two factions have raised their own mini flags depicting the chibi faces of their respective pairings. “Uh, anyone mind telling me why I walked into the middle of a shipping war?”
“Because we’re in a shipping war!!!” Derpy cried out, waving her flag frantically but with a smile.
“Ahh…okay then.” Applejack then moved to stand next to the onlooking Twilight and Flash Sentry before raising a brow when she spotted her sister. “Applebloom, you on in this too?”
“It’s for true love sis!”
Rainbow Dash entered last, letting out a “Whoa, the heck?” before turning and spotting her honorary sister getting into a shouting match with the party planner. “Scoots, what are you doing?!”
“Not now Rainbow Dash, I’m trying to protect my OTP!” was the shouted reply by the younger as she clutched at her fan-art. “This ship is pure, wholesome, and healthy!”
Before Pinkie could retaliate further, Snips came forward with his own fan-art and shout-responding, “Well this ship has more chemistry, a higher possibility of coming true, and adorkable!”
Four students stared off to the side with a hint of sweat pouring down their foreheads. A minute in looking at the people with too much free time in their hands yelling and arguing, Twilight finally spoke up, “Why aren’t the teachers doing anything?”
Principal Celestia, coming from the sea of human shippers wearing a SciSet shirt, raised both fists in the air along with a shrill “I want pure human grandkids!” that immediately caused Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Flash Sentry’s jaws to drop. Ms. Cheerilee backed up the principal’s claim with a cry of agreement, her face covered in face paint.
Mr. Cranky and Vice-Principal Luna, clad in their own SunLight shirt, came forward while the latter met the glare of her sister with her own as she defended, “Let the two ponies find their happy ever after!” A minute passed before she turned to the blue haired guitarist, “No offense, of course, Mr. Sentry.”
Flash shrugged with a ‘None-taken’ wave.
While they continued to wonder if classes did get cancelled due to a ship war, the four not arguing students slowly proceeded to move out of the way when the feuding mass seemed to get closer to each other.
“Uh, guess it’s a good thing Sunset’s running late with Fluttershy for Rarity’s sudden ‘inspiration manifestation’ thing,” Rainbow Dash commented first before rubbing her head. “Still, don’t know why this is happening…or why I can’t look away.”
“You said it,” Applejack agreed while Twilight finally shook her head before face palming.
“This is ridiculous,” Twilight declared once she removed her hand. “I came here to learn, even if some of the contents are things I know already, and not be an onlooker for some pointless war over something that’s clearly my own business!”
The farmer and athlete hollered in encouragement, proud of their comrade, while Flash chuckled before excusing himself.
Twilight barely paid the three any mind as she rolled both her sleeves up and marched toward the instigator which she was certain was the pink haired girl. “Pinkie Pie, what are you doing? You can’t just start arguments and ships wars!”
Pinkie huffed, another uncommon trait, before she started waving her flag wildly in the air. “I can’t stop now, Twilight! I won’t and willnever stop until they know mine is the superior ship!”
Another student scoffed, both directing his gaze to the party planner and unimpressed scientist as he approached. “No, SunLight’s superior!”
“SciSet!” came the shout from the other side, nearing them while holding a plushie. Twilight didn’t even know where they got it from.
“SunLight!” another cried.
“SciSet!” said the other.
“SunLight!” screamed three.
One even growled as he ripped off his shirt to showcase his tattoo. “SciSet, yeaaahhh!”
At that, Principal Celestia came over with a scolding wag of her finger. “Mr. Bulk Biceps! While I do admire your enthusiasm for our cause, we are still in an institution. Squabbling will get us nowhere.”
Twilight looked at the taller woman. “Finally! Thanks Principal Celestia. Now that you’re back-
“And that is why we must use water guns to settle this once and for all. Out in the back will be our battlefield.”
-to your senses, we can go back to class- wait what?!”
A joyous collective cry echoed throughout the hall before students hurriedly ran out. Twilight stared, index finger still pointed up before it slowly sagged as she let out an incredulous “Seriously?!”
Off to the side, farmer and athlete stared at one another as if in silent debate before Rainbow Dash voiced out, “So…water guns?”
“Yep.”
“No classes?”
“Yep.”
“Hitting other students with high-pressured torrents of water with no consequences?”
“…yep.”
The two followed after the crowd.
Twilight stood there, looking at their retreating backs in disbelief. When she still remained where she was, the doors opened and walked in the three remaining members of the Rainbooms.
Rarity took one long look at the stunned girl, mess of red and purple colored streamers, and discarded plushies of the pairings before turning to the animal caretaker. “I didn’t take that long, did I?”
While Rarity continued to unnecessarily defend herself, stating she got lost when inspired by a design, Sunset raised a brow as she approached the speechless Twilight.
“You okay?”
I am now, now that you’re here.
“Yeah,” Twilight replied with one hand pinching the bridge of her nose while the other absentmindedly and unknowingly waved away the italicized words of opportunity above. “It’s just…when I enrolled here, I didn’t expect to witness a lot of crazy things.”
Sunset grinned at that, pocketing her hands with a shrug. “Really? I thought that’s part of CHS’s charm. You should wait and see what they do for nutrition month.”
“What?”
“Uh, never mind.” Sunset rubbed her head sheepishly before knitting her brows at the other’s tense posture. “You want to get out of here? From the looks of things, I’d say you need it. Morning classes suck, huh?”
Twilight opened her mouth, ready to correct her but subtle urging from the fashion designer and animal caretaker stopped the words while her mind finally processed what’s happening. A small giddy feeling bloomed inside her chest before she pushed it down. A crush has still a risk of crushing you, and Twilight vowed to at least make an effort of resisting the butterflies in her stomach.
“Y-Yeah, that sounds nice and I heard they cancelled the rest of the classes anyway.”
The redhead chuckled. “Heh, lucky for us then.” She then blinked before stopping in her tracks to look at the two gushing girls. “You two want to come?” Behind the oblivious human, Twilight sighed and stared at the heavens, silently asking what she did wrong.
Rarity impressively quelled a frustrated eye twitch and tittered, “Thank you darling but I wish to, uh, focus on outlining the finishing touches of Le Inconsiente. I heard it’s going to be a trend for the time being.”
“Bummer,” said Sunset while Twilight continued to mouth “Just why, seriously, which one of you up there hates me?” as the former pony turned to the shy girl. “What about you, Fluttershy?”
A stare was the only response alongside a stern, “I’m good, thank you Sunset.” Rarity and Twilight’s bodies tensed at that while Sunset blinked and wondered why there was a sudden chilliness in the air.
“Okay then,” Sunset replied with a smile before walking out the door, unmindful of the various caricatures of her and the two Twilights, and holding it open for the head-shaking Twilight. The doors closed, the red and purple humans disappearing from the remaining two’s sight.
The ship war ended at five pm when everyone slowly started feeling prune-y. A truce was made and cookies were shared and because, at the end of the day, the Magic of Friendship will always be stronger than the Magic of Shipping.
Twilight hurried to wipe the blood off her nose just as Sunset grinned at her friends from their cafeteria table. “Well, what did you guys think?”
Applejack was the first to recover. “That was…mighty inspiring of you Sunset.”
The redhead looked pleased with herself before she gestured for the others to continue. The rest seemed to be speechless one that Sunset didn’t mind if it meant that the music video she created was that good, but she was honestly expecting for the rest of them to confirm it verbally.
Fluttershy blinked before she blushed, dumbly giggling. Rarity, sitting beside her, followed the action with a hearty wave of her hands. The fashion designer took a minute to fan herself before turning to the eager redhead. “If not for the fact you’re already spoken for I would have pounced on you here and now.”
The statement confused Sunset. “Uh, thanks?”
Rarity just shook her head, but her blush remained. Pinkie Pie replayed the video, whistling a “Really Sunset, couldn’t you have been straighter?” She laughed at her joke, making Sunset confused once again but before she could ask the party planner to elaborate the athlete finally stood up and proclaimed, “Dude, you’re so gay.”
The redhead crossed her arms. “Okay I have enough of this. How is this gay?”
Rainbow Dash countered, “Sunbutt, you practically radiated the top me gay energy!” Pinkie nodded beside her. “And it’s not only because of the vibe you got going but the whole time in the music video you’ve been nothing but rocking that wet look!”
Cyan eyes blinked. “I’m…I’m not following,” she muttered but the rest of the girls expected that as much before Rainbow put it as bluntly as she could. “The music video could turn straight girls, gay, there. Get it now?”
Six pairs of eyes stared intently at the oblivious girl before Sunset let out an “Oh” before she chuckled.
Rubbing her head in embarrassment, the former pony nodded her head. “Yeah okay, I get it now.”
Applejack raised her legendary eyebrow. “Do you really?”
“Yeah, I kinda do? You’re saying that my music video makes people happy, duh.” Sunset nodded, with the rest groaning in agony. She paid them no mind as she looked pleased with herself. “I guess it’s a success then.”
“You. Are. Hopeless,” was all Rarity could say while pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Hey, I wouldn’t let the fame give me a big head if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Pinkie Pie let out an exasperated chuckle before patting the redhead’s shoulder. “Sure, sure. We just want to make sure you stay humble at least,” said the party planner, opting to humor the other for the time being.
Fluttershy decided to turn her attention to the music video again, replaying it. “Well, for what it’s worth, the song is very catchy, and I like how you try to be inspiring to those going through a hard time.”
Sunset snapped her fingers before pointing a finger gun at the animal caretaker. “Exactly, thanks Shy!” Said shy girl merely blushed but shook her head.
Rainbow Dash groaned. “You’re such an idiot.”
“True,” Sunset conceded, “but I’m also an idiot with a great music video!”
“Dude, tone down the ego, will you?” said the athlete with no trace of irony. “We get it already. You’re still dense but you attract a lot of people regardless.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Twilight, finally managing to get over the overstimulation of Sunset’s attractiveness herself, saw an opportunity and said, “Well it’s not raining right now but you sure have no problem making me wet.”
Sunset stared, as did the others, but Twilight fought to not even flinch as she waited for the other to respond. It was a shot in the dark, it was random, and it was really unplanned but what else could she do?! She wanted to win so bad dammit!
“Twilight, you’re weird.”
Five girls groaned in despair under their breath.
The purple girl sighed. “Yeah, I figured as much.”
Sunset giggled at the reply before going over and hugging the girl. “Still, thanks for the compliment… I think. Still like you though,” she leaned closer, forcing Twilight to lock up, “and I like it when you’re weird.”
Twilight froze, not believing what she heard. Did-did she, w-was that right? Was this real-oh wait no, just her imagination. Amethyst blinked back into reality just to see Sunset and Rainbow Dash still arguing.
“W-What happened?” she whispered to a still blushing shy girl.
Fluttershy paused the music video for the nth time as she faced the other. “Well, um…you sort of passed out halfway during watching and umm…we kind of left you alone to reboot. At least, that’s what Pinkie suggested.” Her embarrassed expression morphed into light teasing as Fluttershy added, “You had a nice dream at least?”
Twilight groaned in response, rubbing a hand to her face before noticing the small trail of blood dripping down her nose, forcing her to groan louder.
Fluttershy giggled before offering the other some tissues.
“I told you, you’re so gay you make me look like a conservative nun!” cried the athlete.
“And I keep telling you, I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
Right, Twilight thanked whatever universe out there that at least in this reality, Sunset’s somewhat aware she’s capable of turning heads, regardless of gender or otherwise. Still, a great conundrum remained on why and how Sunset couldn’t understand the basic fact that Twilight took a liking to her and was trying to pick her up!
“Dude, you do that on purpose admit it! You’re taking all the game all to yourself!”
Rarity hesitatingly interjected. “I would prefer if you refrain from calling potential lovers as ‘game’ thank you very much.” At the athlete’s incredulous look, Rarity turned her nose in the air as she defended, “I did not raise you both as hooligans.”
Applejack shook her head, as the two said hooligans promptly ignored the mom friend, before crossing her arms at the fashion designer who was offended due to being ignored. “Don’t bother momming those two while they’re at it. Saves you a lot of headache, trust me.” She then spotted the now conscious scientist. “Oh, you’re back. How are you feeling Twi?”
“Frustrated and wet.”
“Uh, wow, that was, err, blunt of you to answer but I, uh, at least you were honest. Need me to help you to the bathroom to change?”
“No, I prefer to soak in my bubbling anger of self-loathing and exasperation.”
“Shoot, okay…uh, noted.”
Pinkie took the unoccupied chair next to the now grouchy girl, giggling hysterically. “Oh don’t be a sad and frowny pouty Twily! Cheer up! This isn’t real!”
“How can I be when it finally sunk in that Sunset could have potentially attracted most, if not the majority, of the female population.” Twilight waved her hands frantically at the rest of her shipper friends who seemed to mimic the girl’s panic when realization set in. “I can’t compete with all the females in Canterlot!”
“I hate to say it but it may seem more than just Canterlot, Darling,” Rarity said as she took the tablet that was playing the music video and checked the number of views. “I’d say practically every person in the world who had watched the video may be potential rivals.”
Fluttershy gasped while Pinkie yawned (odd) while Applejack whirled at the fashion designer in shock and stated, “W-What? But that’s crazy talk!”
Twilight opted to answer, voice barely audible from her head buried in her hands. “No, you all saw the video. Maybe it was one thing with Dance Magic since it featured all of us but look!” She raised her head and then gestured to the tablet. When it was given, she clicked on the girl’s TubeTube channel. “Her music video accumulated practically hundreds of times more compared to her other videos now. I’m doomed.”
An ominous silence befallen them, with the two girls still arguing in the background and unaware of the tension that took the rest of their friends.
“No,” Fluttershy was the one to say. When the gazes fell on her, sans the two, the animal caretaker repeated as she pierced Twilight with her intense look. “No. Twilight, I’m sorry, but even with seemingly all of the world now taking an interest in Sunset, I doubt she would reciprocate their feelings.”
She took hold of purple shoulders. “First and let’s be honest, Sunset’s dense.” Behind Twilight, three of the rainbooms nodded understandingly and begrudgingly. “If you, her closest friend, are already having a hard time getting her to see how interested you are, then what more by complete strangers?” She then smiled. “Second, there’s something that you have, an edge, that others don’t.”
Twilight smiled. “My friendship.” She nodded but then blinked when Flutteshy shook her head.
At the confused look of the egghead, a determined glint seemed to shine through the shy girl’s eyes. “Yes, there’s that but the one and only edge you have against them,” Twilight didn’t notice but when she did, she wondered when did every student in CHS and faculty stand behind Fluttershy.
The latter simply grinned, making the rest of the people standing behind her follow suit. “Is that you have an army of protective shippers.”
Mysterious deaths of random citizens all over continued to happen yet no obvious pattern was found. Some researchers claimed that the only lead they uncovered was those commenters of this #1 video on TubeTube claiming a desire to marry the singer, but multiple accounts debunked the theory. In other news, conspiracy theorists found a groundbreaking discovery of a-
Twilight turned off the T.V. showcasing the midnight news as she hesitantly turned to the casual looking shippers. Sunset continued to snore peacefully on Twilight’s lap, a controller in her hand forgotten as she apparently fell asleep after beating the game. The purple girl absentmindedly ran her fingers through the redhead’s locks before harshly whispering to the others, “Please tell me you actually didn’t.”
The rest continued to smile, bordering on creepy, while Pinkie giggled with a toss of her head. Once the party planner settled down, she smirked. The ground seemed to shake from that simple action.
“W-What’s happening?!” screamed Twilight before noticing the wide smile from the pinkette.
“Wake up, Twilight. Now.”
Twilight jolted awake, sitting up straight in her desk chair. Trying to see past her blurry vision, she scrambled to adjust her glasses. She blinked. “W-wait, I’m in my room?” She eyed her phone and, as she slowly remembered buying, the half-empty newly released unicorn milkshake from Sugarcube Corner next to it. She checked out the window, seeing the night sky.
Purple hands took the phone and opened it to the private chat with Sunset. The final piece of the puzzle settling in place when she reread the conversation.
You can call me rain because I'm getting you wet tonight. Sent 2:43pm Saturday
Received 3:00pm Saturday Lol, last I checked you can’t control the weather Twi. But interestingly enough, did you know Pegasi in my world-
Twilight turned off her phone. She stared at nothing.
She groaned.
“Great. Note to self, try not to drown my frustrations in a certified Pinkie original unicorn milkshake again.”
The door to her room opened and walked in Spike carrying a tray of dinner in his mouth. Setting it down on the floor, he glared at his friend. “Twilight, you had me worried sick! You always told me no treats before eating dinner but there you go, drinking one!’
Twilight looked guilty, wringing her hands before glancing down. “I know Spike. I’m ashamed of it too. I’m sorry.”
The dog took a long minute to scrutinize her before shaking his head. He bent down and picked up the tray before walking towards her. Twilight gratefully took it and smiled in relief when he decided to show his forgiving her by settling on her lap. Twilight scratched him by the ears.
“Okay, apology accepted,” Spike playfully conceded when the ear scratching was more passionate than usual before his expression turned serious. “Though, is there something bothering you? You never break the rules unless it was something big.”
“It’s…it’s nothing Spike.” Twilight bit her lip, glancing at the direction of her phone before turning back to concerned puppy eyes. Her dream that, no doubt, symbolized her subconscious fears brought a pang of apprehension to appear before Twilight hurried to push it down.
Spike took in the other before shrugging. “Fine, guess I can tell you seem shaken up from whatever weird drink made you dream, and I won’t pry…for now.” He then placed his paws on the girl’s shoulders. “But tell me the first thing you’re ready to talk, and I’ll listen or bite the hand of whoever or whatever made you sad, okay?”
Twilight managed a small smile, nodding with a giggle. “Yes Spike. Thank you.”
Spike grinned before snuggling close. “Good, because I don’t want my mom to be a sugarholic. Do you know how high the statistical ramifications this will have in my development?” He joked before laughing when Twilight mock scowled and tickled him with a ‘Come here you little reader you’ and proceeded to attack his sides.
Laughter from the two echoed throughout the room, while making the happy occupants unaware of the phone that rang with a message.
Received 8:13pm Also, I invited the Princess to our group outing tomorrow. We’re heading to a science museum for my pick!
“Yes?” Two voices said in unison before the princess and the human girl glared at each other.
The driver winced, rubbing his head in embarrassment as he gave a quick side glance. “Sorry. Must be confusing to use the same name so uh, what if I call the human Twilight ‘Twi’ and the pony one ‘Twilight’?”
Twilight grinned at her boyfriend while Twi looked at the guitarist in disbelief. “Why does she get to be Twilight?”
Furrowing his brows at the girl through the rearview mirror, Flash shrugged and conceded, “Okay, then how about I call my Twilight ‘Princess’ while you get to be Twilight?”
Princess grinned before kissing her boyfriend’s cheek. “’My Twilight’? Feeling a bit possessive, Mr. Sentry?”
The driver chuckled, leaning into the kiss. “Well, someone’s gotta know you’re mine.”
Behind the giggling two teens, Twilight grumbled and rolled her eyes.
Ever since she received a text that Flash and the Princess offered to give her a ride to the museum, she had been regretting the chance of replying with an adamant no.
But here’s the thing about crushes, they make you dumb and make your body act against you.
Your crush smiled at you? Words, gone.
Your crush lent you her leather jacket because of the cold? You sat still in rigid posture with a silent heart attack.
Your crush held your hands? Well, goodbye brain functioning for that whole duration!
The point was, Twilight couldn’t say no and now she was paying for it. She glanced out the window, spotted the tall building deeper into the city, and sighed in relief. At least, through the sheer power of her grumbling and eyerolling, she managed to survive the FlashPrincess car ride.
She immediately opened the car door once it rolled into the parking lot, breathing in deeply the fresh air not ridden by hormones.
The princess, who saw her counterpart’s actions, rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She kissed her boyfriend one last time before getting out the car to join her twin.
“Could you be any more dramatic?” Princess asked, raising a brow.
The human in turn crossed her arms with a humph. Perhaps she was being too on edge around the other her but what can be expected from someone with a bit unacknowledged jealousy?
“I wouldn’t have to be if somepony didn’t decide to slobber all over her guy.”
A familiar rush of competitiveness bloomed once again as the pony-turned-human flipped her hair in the way she once saw a stuck-up noble did and countered the tease with mock-haughtiness. “It’s called a kiss, silly filly. Heard of it?”
Princess walked away, leaving behind an annoyed and flabbergasted Twilight who groaned before following with a grumble. She just knew the day was not starting out okay and this was further fueled when she reached her counterpart just in time as the elderly woman handed two tickets.
She smiled when she saw Twilight. “My, isn’t this a surprise. Twilight, you never told me you had a twin sister!”
Twilight fought a grimace when the pony princess grinned mischievously. She honestly wasn’t expecting to run into someone she knew just yet and worst of all, someone she can’t lie to. Oh how Twilight tried, once, when she tried to deny that she happened to visit the museum the same time a… ‘totally not a redhead leather jacket-wearing good girl who would often volunteer to be a tour guide for preschoolers on weekends’ would be there, but it proved futile when the elder had offhandedly mentioned that said ‘not a redhead leather jacket-wearing good girl who would often volunteer to be a tour guide for preschoolers on weekends’ enjoyed the museum’s cafeteria’s sun shaped cookies.
Lying and denying were useless to that elder’s observational skills.
Shaking her head to break from the thoughts, the glasses-wearing girl grinned nervously. “Uh, yes. Sorry I didn’t tell you Mrs. Wicket, because, uh.” Panicking! Brain! Lie! Can’t! “Because. Because-
“Because I just got back from abroad,” Princess interjected as she moved forward with a hand outstretched, “I’m Princess Sparkle, and forgive my sister. She just doesn’t like me.”
Twilight turned red but this time out of indignation at her counterpart.
Mrs. Wicket turned to the visitor. “Oh? That’s new, I thought for sure a darling like you would get along splendidly with Twily here. You seem like the science type too, pardon the stereotype.”
Princess smiled serenely. “No worries, I get that a lot. It’s the outfit, isn’t it?”
Mrs. Wicket shook her head with a light giggle. “Well, there’s that but I could tell by the eyes.” Wise gray stared into surprised Amethysts. “And a lot could be told from the eyes, you know?”
Twilight squeaked before lightly pushing her surprised twin. “W-Well, nice talking to you Mrs. Wicket but we should head in now! Can’t miss out on all the science, inventions, and new exhibits! Because we love science so much ha ha ha.”
“You said science twice,” Princess mumbled absentmindedly as she was pulled away. The gaze of the elder seemed to be following the two until they hid inside the bathroom. Always a reliable sanctuary from omniscient-like ticket sellers, that bathroom.
Twilight stopped pulling and then looked around for any sign of another person before sagging in relief. “Okay, I think we’re alone.”
“Good,” Princess nodded dumbly before shaking her head as if in a trance. “Whoa, what was that all about?”
“Mrs. Wicket,” Twilight droned with a fond yet exasperated shake of her head. “She knows things, specifically anything to do with love or something. Cadence has that too, but she doesn’t practice it as much with being the new principal and all.” Twilight shivered as she recalled, “Mrs. Wicket was actually the one who pointed out how I didn’t actually like-like Timber in the first place. At first, I thought she didn’t like him and did some kind of subliminal messaging, but the more I spent time with him, the more I realized that maybe she was right?”
Twilight had to smile at the memory, even if said memory contained feelings of internalized panic and paranoia. She turned back to her counterpart before concerned expression morphed into glaring when she saw the far-off look. “Hey, are you even listening to me?”
Princess blinked again before nodding her head, giggling nervously. “Sorry. Lost in thought.” She sauntered forward, trying not to make eye contact as she looked around the plain walls of the restroom. “So…she just, looks at you and knows who you like?”
The bespectacled girl adjusted her glasses, eyeing the other oddly before shrugging. “I think so, but it’s more complicated than that. She told me it’s like a sixth sense. She just…she just knows?” She scratched her head with a hint of frustration. “She’s actually second in my list to uncover. As soon as I managed to unlock Pinkie Pie.”
“Don’t bother,” was the warning the pony princess left before she aptly went over to the sink to wash her face.
Twilight pursed her lips, but upon staring at her counterpart, she allowed the counterargument against the warning given to die. She knew she couldn’t ignore the obvious signs of distress any longer, either it was uncannily identical to her signs of distress or the fact that she was willing to put aside their differences for now. “Hey, everything okay? Because if you have trouble in paradise-
“We don’t.” The human was caught off guard by the terse response. Well, let no one say she didn’t try to be civil.
The princess, when she saw the human’s expression, softened her gaze. She groaned and slapped a hand to her face. “Sorry.” Twilight wordlessly acknowledged the apology as the pony-human continued, “I’m not, I’m fine with Flash. Everything’s perfect with Flash. He’s perfect.”
“Well I wouldn’t put it that way for me but sure. You do you.”
Princess eyed the other. “We’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
Twilight raised her hands in defense. “Alright, I get it. You are perfect princess Twilight who loves her perfect dorky boyfriend.” She looked to the side as she said it, frowning with deep-seated…something.
“Good,” Princess said.
“Great.”
An awkward silence permitted the restroom.
Princess coughed into her hand. “So…we’re still on with our silent rivalry, right? Because by all accounts, this should qualify as a friendship heart-to-heart.”
“…depends, will you still be annoyingly perfect?”
“…I don’t know, will you still be hopelessly pining?”
“Hey sorry we’re late, hope you two didn’t get bored that much?” Applejack began as she spotted the two by the benches before raising a brow at their identical postures. “Something wrong?”
“No, we just agreed on a mutually beneficial rivalry,” they said in unison before glaring at one another.
“Ah…okay then.” The farmer then turned to the straggling duo and sighed. “See, this is why you don’t take sugar eating contests in the morning.”
Pinkie and Sunset groaned before the Twilights made room for them in the bench.
Twilight stared in concern. “What sugar eating contest? Do you need to rest? Maybe we should reschedule.”
Princess nodded beside her, opting to agree with her rival/acquaintance. “You both don’t look so good. Are you going to throw up?”
Pinkie’s face turned green at the question just as Twilight glared at her counterpart. “You don’t say stuff like that to a person going to vomit!” Sunset’s face turned green too.
Both girls ran out to look for the restroom.
Princess raised a brow, unimpressed. “But you could?” She turned away from an incredulous human to gaze at the apple farmer. “Where are the rest of the girls?”
“Fluttershy and RD are back at Rarity’s place since it was the closest, looking for a new set of clothes.”
“Ah.”
Twilight bit her lip, eyes practically glowing with worry. “Maybe we should reschedule. I don’t think Sunset could make two steps without turning green.”
“Don’t you mean Sunset and Pinkie Pie?” Princess corrected before frowning at the retching sounds coming from the direction of the restroom. “Okay, that’s…that’s concerning.”
Applejack sighed, pulling her sleeves up. “I’ll check up on those two.” She stopped before looking over her shoulder. “Twi, could you text the rest to bring in two more clothes for the dynamic duo?”
Twilight nodded and watched as the farmer disappeared behind the doors. Her eyes practically radiated with worry as more retching sounds could be heard that no doubt came from her redheaded goddess before it was followed by a farmer’s cursing.
“She’ll be okay.” Twilight muttered to herself as she wrung her hands before forcing them to stead so she could type out a text.
Once the dynamic duo’s stomachs settled down and Sunset’s adamant declaration of not rescheduling, the Rainbooms, now complete, decided to check out the exhibits.
They broke out into pairs and groups and while Twilight chose that opportunity to pair off with Sunset, she should have known her damning pony counterpart would saddle along as well even if said counterpart just wanted to “hang out with her fellow Equestrian” and defended that the others might not offer an explanation to the human world’s version of science that would satisfy the princess’ curiosity.
Psh, yeah right. Twilight was greatly offended that her twin would think she’d fall for that excuse. Her annoyance increased tenfold due to the amount of times she also lost to the pony princess in the various brain tests and interactive quizzes in the museum. Of -freaking- course the perfect little pony princess would score a higher point than her, even just by a margin or two. Not only that but the embarrassment of getting her butt handed to her by the princess in front of her crush was just simply the icing on the cake.
It was scientifically impossible for her counterpart to beat her! Really, the tests were somehow rigged against her, she just knew it!
As they passed by a giggling duo of white- and black-haired janitors, the trio entered the chemistry section. At this, the pony princess allowed her curiosity to overtake her desire to annoy the heck out of the human. She wasn’t going to totally milk every opportunity she could to play a prank with the other her, thank you very much.
On the other hand, a simmering Twilight finally used that time to strike up a conversation with the object of her affections. Even if she didn’t get to show off her knowledge in front of the redhead, perhaps the environment of academe could provide her with inspiration of a pick-up line.
Subtly, or as subtly as she could managed, Twilight approached the redhead who was idly gazing at the princess vigorously zipping across each diorama and interactive display like a kid at a candy store.
“Is it me or is there just chemistry around us?” Twilight commented with a smile, but it dropped soon after it was made when Sunset let out a distracted “Huh, what were you saying?” as she tore her gaze from the excitable princess gawking at every machinery.
Twilight sighed. “Never mind.”
“Sunset, look! It’s making bubbles!” cried the princess in overwhelmingly earnest glee. “There’s nothing like that in Equestria! I didn’t even know you could make that using just these two ingredients.”
Sunset chuckled. “Yeah, blew my mind too.” She then side eyed her companion who was grumbling now. “Huh, thought for sure this wouldn’t bore you. I assumed you’d be as ecstatic like the princess over there.”
“Don’t compare me to her. I am nothing like her.” And the sad part of that seemed to ring with truth before Twilight hurried to squash the onslaught of insecurity down, to no avail. After the 118th test that she came out second to her interdimensional twin, it would be understandable for anyone to feel a little loss on the self-esteem department.
The redhead raised a brow at the terse response. “Sheesh, alright. I didn’t mean to. Maybe we should stop by the food court next. I’m getting hungry…and maybe you too.”
A grumble was the response. Sunset scratched her head before putting an arm around the grumpy girl. She always noted that that seemed to ease her friend and today proved no exception when the girl froze before begrudgingly leaning into the hug.
Sunset smiled before she called out to the princess just as she missed the heavy blush of the bespectacled girl in her arm. “Hey Princess, maybe we could come back later. Food’s starting to sound like a priority right now.”
“You know Sunset, I’d rather I eat-
The next word of that sentence remained lodged in Twilight’s throat. By the stars, she couldn’t actually say that to Sunset. In her dreams was one thing, something slightly similarly lewd in a text as another, but actually saying it out loud to the girl of her dreams who she now had her full attention?
Twilight blushed, looking down at the floor. ‘You.’ All she had to say was that last word and maybe Sunset would be blushing now like her, but she didn’t.
Because she was a coward.
As Twilight continued to wallow in her bubbling frustrations and embarrassment, Sunset merely tilted her head to the side. “You’d rather eat…outside?” All the redhead got was a meek shake of Twilight’s head.
From the other end of the room, the pony turned human glanced away from the apparatus at Sunset’s call and was keenly aware of the failed attempt of her counterpart. Finding a hint of pity, Princess decided that she might as well help and be a good sport. She was the princess of Friendship after all, so why not help a friend out even if said friend didn’t see her as such.
She smiled when she went over to the two but Twilight, when she looked up, saw the other’s grin as more of a sinister smirk.
And she didn’t like the other her’s smirk.
The none glasses-wearing purple girl clasped her hands behind her back. “That’s a great idea, Sunset. Why don’t you two go on ahead to the cafeteria and I’ll just catch up.”
Twilight had to raise her brow. What was her counterpart playing at?
Sunset waved a hand. “Okay then. You have your emergency phone with you?”
The princess playfully rolled her eyes before waving the two of them away. “Yes, I know. I quadruple checked and it’s with me. You two have fun.”
Seriously, what was she playing at? Twilight started becoming uneasy. So much that she dug her feet on the ground that stopped her and the redhead in their tracks. Before she could glance at the confused expression, she hurried to pull away from the inviting warmth that was the redhead’s strong arms and took a step back.
“On second thought, I think I’ll stay behind too and maybe you could text me when you managed to find a table for us. It could get crowded.”
Again, Sunset raised a brow. “Twi, there’s literally thirteen people in the whole building. Not counting the staff.”
Twilight waved a hand with a nervous giggle. “Still, better safe than sorry.” She then turned and marched towards her counterpart who didn’t seem to hear or notice the exchange.
Sunset stared before shrugging and walked away.
Twilight breathed a sigh in relief before her gaze shifted into annoyance. She headed towards her twin who was inspecting the icebreaker contraption showcasing freezing water.
“What. Are. You. Doing.”
Princess squeaked, not expecting to hear the growl, and then tilted her head in confusion once she saw Twilight. “Wait, didn’t you go with Sunset?”
Twilight crossed her arms with a huff. “I don’t trust you. I don’t know what you’re planning but if you left me alone with Sunset then you must have some agenda.”
“Uh,” Princess raised a brow, matching the other’s posture with a cross of her arms, “I’m helping you?”
The human gritted her teeth. “I don’t need your help.”
“Look, Sunset’s…” the pony princess struggled to find the right term. After a failed profile digging about her predecessor (she was surprised to find little information about her friend) had landed her in a private meeting with the solar princess, along with a vow of secrecy, she managed to learn a little bit about the mysterious mare that stole her crown.
And boy was she shocked with what she learned.
“Emotionally compromised, she’s emotionally compromised.” The visitor settled as she wrung her hands. “I’m just giving you a chance to spend a few moments alone with her. Possibly invite even an opening for a pick-up line.”
Twilight, upon hearing the last bit, groaned. “Ugh, what, did they tell you about the bet too or was it written plainly in my face again?”
“…yes.”
Twilight glared, making the pony counterpart raise both of her hands in defense.
“The point is. I’m not the bad guy this time. I honestly want to see you both happy but for some reason…never mind.”
The human girl scowled. “If you’re going to end with that you might as well say it.”
Reeling from the attitude but not desiring to give her counterpart anymore grief, Princess held up both her hands. “Alright alright. Sheesh. I didn’t know I could sound that bossy. How often do I do that, I wonder?” The pony princess mumbled the last part to herself in curiosity before she shook her head. “Anyway, hear me out… I think you’re purposely setting yourself up for disappointment.”
The confession shocked the human, plain as day.
Princess continued, “Look, I mean no offense. Really, I do but the thing is, I can’t help but find that you’re the only one getting in the way of your happiness.”
“Elaborate,” Twilight commanded through gritted teeth. Pony princess be damned, she was simply too wound up yet her interest to hear the crazy explanation her counterpart managed to come up with was picked.
Princess Twilight scowled, finally having enough of the other’s blatant tone but nonetheless conceded. “Basically, I think Sunset’s not right for you.”
Silence. Nothing but deafening silence filled the chemistry exhibit as Twilight blinked and allowed herself to process the other’s statement. It took longer than necessary but fitting for the human girl. The more she repeated the words inside her head it was like trying to convince herself that two plus two was five and not four.
It simply wasn’t right.
And Twilight couldn’t help it, she doubled over laughing. Roaring with laughter, the human girl cackled with tears spilling down her face while cradling her stomach with both arms. She roared and roared with mirth that echoed throughout the empty exhibit. Previous emotions of annoyance and aggravation melted like butter when she allowed herself to let loose.
All the while, the Princess of Friendship stared at her in concern and confusion.
When Twilight slowly recovered with fading chuckles, she breathed in deeply with a grin. “Man, they should have called you Princess of Jokes instead. Phew.” She giggled, wiping away her tears of joy. “Okay, you got me. If it wasn’t so mean and poorly orchestrated, I’d say we almost had a smidgen of a chance of actually being friends.” She glanced up, expecting the other to look disheartened that she caught in with the prank, but Twilight immediately stopped giggling as she matched her counterpart’s frown.
Princess Twilight scrunched up her brows. “I wasn’t joking.”
“Come on,” Twilight the human said in response as she waved her hands in the air, “don’t tell me you actually believe what you just said. I like like her. I’ve been trying to grab her attention since the start of this stupid bet. I had to be given a confidence boost by AJ for pete’s sake!”
“I don’t know who this Pete is but even that kind of ruler could see that you two are not compatible.” The pony turned human stepped forward. “I like both of you and Sunset, tolerating you at worst when we both start getting competitive, but you appear to be blind to the fact this is nothing more than a shallow crush.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Hey, I could say the same thing with you and Flash. What, you only met like once a month after seeing each other twice prior to the Fall Formal?”
The princess huffed. “That’s different. We got together after a long series of dates and learning more about each other.”
“Is this because of the thing with Mrs. Wicket?”
Reeling from the statement but immediately masking her shock, the pony princess set her jaw. “This has nothing to do with that.”
“No, no I think it does.” Twilight crossed her arms and stepped forward too, decreasing the distance between them. “Don’t think I didn’t catch all the side glances you kept throwing at Sunset and the obvious attempt of showboating. And let’s be honest, this is the only way we could boast about our intellect without sounding like a know-it-all to our friends. The perks of being competitive, I guess.”
Princess Twilight said nothing.
The human Twilight smirked.
“Perfect little pony princess, got a ‘shallow crush’ as you put it?” She shook her head, taking her glasses off and took out the cleaning cloth for them. She idly wiped her spectacles yet even with her blurry vision, she could make out the annoyed expression. “I gotta say, you almost had me there. Thinking you were just trying to be a ‘good friend’ or whatever we are by telling me how I should see how ‘blind’ I am in relation to my crush. But to outwardly say it’s nothing beyond infatuation?” Twilight chuckled, shaking her head.
“Guess now it made sense that Midnight Sparkle exist.”
“I do not have an evil persona.” Princess glared. “I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and a hero of Equestria.”
“Careful there, you’re sounding a bit like our Rainbow Dash.” Twilight teased but there was no amusement in her eyes. Not anymore.
One could cut the tension with a knife right now and yet it would not still be enough without the aid of a hundred more swords and other potentially sharper tools.
As her Rainbow Dash eloquently said in jest to Rarity’s posterior that one time at a Pinkie party, it was that thick.
“There is nothing wrong with broadcasting one’s accomplishments, especially when they’re earned.” Princess countered as she too hardened her gaze. “I earned everything I have right now and while it may sound entitled, does that mean it’s a lie?”
Twilight didn’t answer.
The princess shook her head, expression turning apologetic. “Look, for real, I am sorry for my part in antagonizing you. I get it. No matter what neutral activity that doesn’t involve competition we would do, we still somehow ended up arguing over the rules of the game or questioning the other’s integrity regarding the points or turn taken.
It’s either from some deep psychological fact that we just seem to hate ourselves or that we may have seen something in the other that we could not accept, but right now, it doesn’t matter.” Her expression turned serious and muted. “We can’t keep doing this. We need to reach an impasse before it could potentially get worst.”
Here, the princess smiled a small sad smile. Her eyes were downcast as she hugged herself. It was the first time Twilight saw a vulnerable side to the typically confident pony princess.
And Twilight didn’t like it.
Princess didn’t seem to notice as she said, “I…can’t say for certain but I feel like my feelings for my boyfriend may need more…careful analyzation and reevaluation…along with my feelings for…Sunset.”
And there it was. The confession. Even outrightly hearing the admittance, Twilight had to take a step back from shock as it sunk in.
“Y-You like-
“I’m not going to try anything!” The princess hurried to say. “I know you already…that is to say…” She huffed in frustration. “Look if I wanted to, I could have taken her from the start.”
Twilight scowled.
The princess saw and shot a guilty look at the other before ending with a resigned, “but I didn’t.” Then she mumbled, “Honestly, romance is a totally different concept than friendship. Note to self, do more research.” Otherwise, she remained silent when she was done. She waited for the other to say something now.
Twilight, for her part, chuckled self-deprecatingly. She pinched the bridge of her nose after the brief hilarity died. “We’re now fighting over the same girl we like, is this really happening? Seriously, is this my life now?”
“I never said we had to fight. Were you paying attention?” the princess snapped. She calmed down when the other matched her expression. “Look, this isn’t exactly an…ideal situation for me either but I can’t help what I’m feeling, so we have to settle this now before it gets out of hoof-
“Hand.”
-and potentially ruin not just our oddly mutual and beneficial rivalry but with our friendship with Sunset too.” Princess sighed before holding out her hand. “So, truce for now?”
“…no.”
Shocked, Princess recoiled. “What?”
The other girl simply shook her head with a bitter chuckle, crossing her arms as she paced. The air seemed to have gotten colder all of a sudden.
“No. I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with a truce.” Amethyst orbs glanced at the same pair of colored eyes, yet the latter gleamed with annoyance while the former seemed to convey…something sickly. An ominous chuckle soon followed as Twilight the human’s eyes flashed a neon cyan, ending with a sinister cackle.
Princess Twilight bristled. “I-I don’t understand. A truce would be the most logical course of action to take when faced with-
“No. Basically what you’re suggesting is that I should wait for you to make. up. your. mind.” Hackles rising, Twilight marched out of the Chemistry section with newfound purpose while the princess quickly followed.
“Why did the room suddenly feel off?” Thought the Princess, marching alongside the human and wondering where they were going. The air seemed to radiate with a familiar tingle, but for the life of the pony princess she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. How could she focus though when she was earnestly worried for her counterpart?
“I’m not going to hold it back any longer,” Twilight stated, answering the unspoken question yet her voice seemed to drop to a menacing timbre. The purple girl pushed open the double doors leading to a new exhibit where a crowd had gathered at a corner of the room.
Princess squinted but could faintly make out the tuft of familiar red hair. She silently wondered how the other her knew where Sunset was but then raised a brow when Twilight cracked her knuckles with a determined expression. And since when did her counterpart’s eyes glow a sinister cyan color?
Shaking her head, Princess crossed her arms. “Okay, what are you going to do?” She recalled the other’s previous statement and then raised her brow. “And what do you mean ‘not hold it back any longer’?”
When Twilight turned to look at her, Princess could admit it brought a faint hint of fear in her as those orbs settled with her own. It doubled when Twilight smirked.
“I’m gonna march up to her,” Twilight started, matching her steps as she sauntered closer to the crowd. “Grab her shoulders even if she struggled, and oh how she would struggle.”
Princess shivered before her eyes widened at the declaration. Really, could her counterpart actually do it? It was unthinkable, what the other her was suggesting.
“Then I’ll kiss her on those protesting lips, silencing her screams of defiance!” White teeth glittered as Twilight smiled yet her glowing gaze seemed to burn brighter, effectively consuming amethyst eyes.
“You’ve gone mad!” Princess exclaimed, put off by the sudden boldness. She never even kissed Flash on the lips until their twentieth date! The slightly sheltered pony cowered at the shamelessness presented by the human’s words.
Twilight reveled the fear, such a naïve fool!
The cheers and loud voices of young children behind the crowd took her attention, and once more she could make out the faint head of hair.
Princess strengthened her resolve and hurried to step in front of the bespectacled girl. “I won’t let you go through with this Twilight. What about your chastity?” Another fact came into the pony’s mind as she flailed her arms in alarm, “you’re only seventeen too!”
A purple hand lunged forward and gripped the blue ribbony blouse of Princess who squeaked at the sudden action. “You’re not going to stop me, Princess. Not now…” A grinning Twilight leaned closer with narrowed glowing eyes, “Not this time.” She then dropped the other like a sack of potatoes, ignoring the other’s ‘oof!’ as she broke through the crowd with the focus of a predator.
Princess scrambled and futilely tried to stop Twilight without alerting the prey.
Twilight allowed the other to try, finding it amusing to think the tiny squeamish little pony could stop her, Twilight freaking Sparkle of the Human world, from ravishing the object of her affections like there’s…no…tomorrow?
The passion in her voice and thoughts died as did whatever creature popped up and possessed Twilight due to the creature’s limited gaypacity to take in the sight before her. The sight also stopped the pony princess in her tracks as well.
Two pairs of amethyst widened while their hearts simultaneously started beating erratically.
Blood also dripped out of their noses.
Sunset Shimmer, red flannel missing which left her just wearing a black tank top showcasing her well-toned arms and abs, was doing pull ups using the metal bars inside the Health section of the museum.
A crowd of kids watched in awe while their sitters and guardians couldn’t help but gawk appreciatively at the redhead.
One handedly doing the set now, Sunset raised her free hand in a casual wave to the two purple girls once she spotted them and all the while not stopping her show of athleticism.
The kids eagerly shouted and continued to count. “Ninety-five!”
“A-Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Twilight asked while hyper-focusing on the muscles convulsing with each movement.
“Ninety-six!”
“D-Depends,” Beside Twilight, Princess swallowed before continuing, “are you seeing a tank top wearing Sunset doing pull ups too?”
“Ninety-seven!”
“Yep. Yeppy roo.”
Both were silent as they stared in a trance-like state at the working redhead.
“Ninety-eight!”
Sunset grunted. Two purple girls fought back a moan.
“Ninety-nine!”
The redhead smiled when she pulled herself up, nearly blinding the two apparently dysfunctional bisexuals as they recoiled from the sheer radiance that was the girl’s smile.
“One hundred!”
Sunset let go after doing an impressive backflip by using the momentum on the bars to soar through the air. She landed, earning applause and hollers while two noses dripped more blood. Sunset sighed before nodding humbly to the audience she gathered before walking forward to greet her friends.
“Hey Twilight, Hey Princess.” She tilted her head when they didn’t respond. “Uh, is this because I didn’t text? Because you were right Twi, suddenly the cafeteria in the museum is pack due to some school field trip.” Sunset dug through her pockets and retrieved her phone. “But Pinkie texted me and said she found a decent diner a few blocks from here.” She rubbed her head when there was still no response. “Look, I was planning to get you both as soon as I got it but, well, I got caught up by a dare from one of the preschoolers.”
A snooty child walked forward, previously smug mug scowling now as she crossed her arms. “Well, whatever. You just got lucky.” At the sound of the teacher’s clearing of his throat, the pupil amended, “but I guess you’re right. Exercising could be fun and good for you.”
Sunset grinned as she turned around. She knelt so she was eye level to the kid. “I’m happy you admitted that but know it’s just more than because I love doing dares, it’s also because I wanted you to know that something you never tried before could also be just as fun.”
The teacher chuckled while the chastised child glowered before running towards her friend who started their own attempts on the monkey bars. He turned to the redhead. “Thank you. I thought for sure I would never get their interest in health and fitness. What you did was a wonderful teaching moment.”
“No problem, just happy to help,” said Sunset, making both purple girls swell with pride. Once the teacher left, Sunset turned back to the two and then her brows furrowed in concern once she finally spotted something amiss. “Uh, what happened to your noses?”
Twilight hurried to wipe some away while Princess opted a clipped, “Nosebleed.”
“Oh, here,” Sunset moved before the two teens noticed and had started helping the pony Twilight clean up with her handkerchief. A dumbstruck Sci Twi was next, yet she was frozen for the whole time and blushing red.
“There,” Sunset stated once she was done, grinning before raising a brow when the two wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Did I- oh, one sec.” She turned away, yet unknowingly did not help as much as now the two bothered girls fought not to look at the oblivious girl’s posterior, while Sunset looked around for her red flannel. She was observant enough to know that the not-so-secretly sheltered princess who now adapted the human taboo of nakedness thanks to Flash ‘Vanilla’ Sentry (and she could assume, even the sheltered shut-in nerd human) would find any hints of skin too much for their innocent minds.
Inside the (correcting Sunset’s previous notions about the two) notso innocent minds of one princess and one human nerd, they both silently agreed that Rarity was to be blamed for their situation and the previous animosity between them was forgotten.
Twilight breathed a sigh in relief as she focused on the house of cards she was almost done with. It was finally the weekend and while surprisingly not in the mood for any of her side projects (the horror, she knows) she searched online for something mundane she could do as an activity instead and came up with this.
Granted, not the preferred method of spending her free time but after dealing with the stress these past few days, she decided on something different to break the tension, and what better way than to construct the city of Canterlot out of cards?
Spike, from his position on the bed pushed to the side to make room for the miniature city, stared with a mixed sense of concern and amusement. Stretching and yawning, he blinked before whispering as not to startle his human.
“Uh, Twilight?”
The purple girl nodded, smiled when she finished constructing the mall, before finally turning to her companion. “Yes, Spike?” She toyed with the joker card in her grasp, mulling where to put it without letting her perfectly constructed creation collapse.
“You seem…tense these past few days, and I was wondering if there’s anything I could do to help!” He wagged his tail as he smiled. “Oh, I could fetch some blueprints from your lab!” He smiled wider. “Or get you a book from Mom’s library? I could always do that.”
Twilight’s heart warmed at the gesture. “Thanks Spike, but I don’t think it’ll be that easy.” She gave up on looking where she could place the extra piece in before she trudged towards her bed and laid down. Spike padded forward to nuzzle her.
“Well, what can I do then? Tell me and I’ll do it Twilight!”
“Unless you know how to make Sunset blush using pick-up lines or get me any closer to actually getting her to be my girlfriend, I’m all ears,” Twilight stared at her ceiling, never imagining to be in such a slumped state over some girl, of all things. Granted, she never expected a lot of things to turn out the way they did but this took the cake for her.
Alone with her dog, on a Saturday afternoon, building an impressive replica of the city she’s living in, and looking up dejected at her room’s ceiling, Twilight just thought sad music playing in the background might complete the picture of a hopelessly lovestruck teen.
Spike, for his part, stared at his friend for a good minute before jumping down on the bed and exiting the room. Twilight didn’t mind, as she was used to it by now, alone…alone and sad.
Amethyst eyes rolled before a groan escaped their owner’s mouth. “Gah, I’m hopeless.” She glared at the ceiling once again. “Stupid, sexy Sunset.”
A sound of a collar clinking signaled the return of the canine where he proceeded to jump back on the bed and with a book in his mouth. Raising her brow, Twilight read, “’Dummies Guide for Pick-up lines: Every response for a scenario’ You got me a guidebook?”
Spike shrugged. “You always taught me that when in doubt, pick up a book.” He pointed at the paperback. “It might solve your problem since that’s what’s bothering you, right?”
Twilight stared at the tome once more before she shook her head. “I appreciate it Spike but if I had any chances of succeeding, I would have done so by now!” She waved it in the air. “This isn’t something I can just solve by reading.”
Spike recoiled. “Whoa, she really did a number on you, huh? It usually doesn’t take much to make you doubt books, no, scratch that. You never doubted the help of a good book.”
“Well, I’m starting now,” Twilight huffed as she dropped the tome. “I’ve learned a lot of things these past few days and the summary of it is to not get my hopes up.” She glared dejectedly at the smiling image of the girl in the picture frame beside her nightstand. “We can’t be anything more, period.”
The dog remained silent before padding forward and hugging his human. “I don’t think it’s hopeless. I mean, sure you can’t be mates, but is that really a good reason to be so sad about?”
“Sunset, first of all, has been your friend since the very beginning!” Spike proclaimed, then he held up another paw. “And besides from your number one assistant, she’s the only one who gets you out of the rest of the girls.” At the girl’s raised brow, he rolled his own eyes before he conceded. “Yes, even if I have to choose and hate to admit it, Sunset understands you more than me.”
He added, “Still don’t get why no one can explain the strange smell on you once every month” before he glanced at his friend, who seemed to be contemplating his words. “You don’t have to be sad because Sunset is still your friend. Nothing will change and I don’t think it’s all that bad.”
She had been really worked up ever since this whole thing started, and maybe the bet was indeed stacked against her. She was sure with a little probing and flashing the right kind of pleading eyes she learned from Pinkie, she could get her friends to watch that documentary even without winning. Her gaze then fell to the picture of the seven of them, zeroing in on the redhead.
But stopping now, throwing in the towel, after everything so far? A sense of determination fueled her as she got up, not caring how the cards collapsed from the movement. “But I think it’s bad, Spike.” She turned to the dog. “I just don’t think it’s alright for us to remain exactly where we are, in an endless state between best friends or potential lovers, because...” Amethyst orbs briefly flashed cyan with a sense of confidence, “I want to be more, and I won’t rest until we are.”
“B-but then you’ll just be even more sad!” Spike supplied just as Twilight scanned the pages of the book before getting up to grab her phone. “I don’t like it when you’re sad Twilight.”
Eyes blazing with fire, they died down upon seeing the compassion in canine ones. “Oh Spike, I really love how much you care and you’re right. Being sad sucks on all the scientific ways, but it’s only because I forgot what I’m really after.” She grinned and began texting.
Hi, I know you're busy today, but can you add me to your to-do list?
She allowed her heart to beat erratically but for now, she embraced the adrenaline as she turned with a manic gleam that Spike came to dread from time to time.
“Spike, bring me my coat and my purse,” she thrusted both her hands in the air as she cackled, “and bring me my police officer costume!” Erratic hands swiped and opened drawers until shaky purple fingers lifted a pair of handcuffs, making Twilight's smile turn from manic to devilish.
“Got one, Rarity-made, police officer costume hidden way behind the deep recesses of your lab,” Spike said after plopping down with a grunt.
A slow turning of the girl’s head unnerved the canine but before he could offer brewing her some relaxing herbal tea or calling her brother, Twilight let out a cackle.
The sound of the notification signaling a text message cut her laugh short and Twilight, in mad scientist mode, lifted her phone to read.
Sure, I’m always open to hang out with you Twi, and I could use help with some errands.
The deranged air of confidence fizzled like a balloon as Twilight hurriedly typed, Wait, that’s not what
Another notification ring sounded, and then Sunset’s second message read.
Let’s meet at the mall later, k?
Twilight stared at her phone for a good few minutes before she huffed and rubbed her hands together spazzingly. “No matter, a simple set back for my ingenious plan!” Spike stared, worried, on the side. “Soon, soon my dear heheheh,” Twilight caressed the redhead on the photo, “you will be mine.”
Twilight fought to stare at anything other than the beautiful redhead in front of her. She cursed the universe and even Murphy’s law for being the one responsible for her precarious situation. She should have known all, and she meant all plans regarding any certain former unicorn would meet with endless ramifications.
Like here, her current bane was the lacy black Valencia’s Secrets branded undergarment being held up in front of her by her crush. The redhead’s exemplary obliviousness was border-lining maddening as she gazed at the purple fire hydrant with a hopeful look as she alternative between articles of clothing.
“I mean, black is always great but I was thinking a new color for my wardrobe.” Sunset then held up option number two that also befuddled the senses of one purple scientist. Twilight forced herself to look at the lacy and see through purple delicates next, but her mind couldn’t help but conjure multiple wishful notions that Sunset chose that specific item because it bares a striking similarity to her skin.
And she meant that literally.
When Twilight shakily raised a hand towards the thing, her limb may have not existed at all with how much it blended perfectly but she forced herself to take the item and throw it away. Never mind the surprised look from her crush and annoyed expression from a clerk, Twilight was glad it wasn’t in her line of sight anymore.
With a recovering cough, Twilight aptly pointed to the black lace. “Black,” she swallowed, “black suits you just fine.”
Sunset bit her lip, causing an action that she still did not seem to notice as Twilight hurried to wipe the blood off her nose, “Are you sure you’re fine with helping me? You look sick.”
“I-I just forgot to eat lunch and got a little winded, but I’ll be fine.” Twilight waved a hand in dismissal.
Her brows furrowed into concern, Sunset gazed at her friend before declaring, “Alright but we’re heading to the food court when I'm all done. You need to stop forgetting to eat Twilight.” She entered the changing rooms.
“And you need to stop being ignorant before I die of an aneurysm, but we can’t always get what we want, can we?” Twilight muttered.
Sunset’s voice carried over the sound of clothes shuffling. “What was that?”
“Nothing!” Twilight replied with a cheery smile before it dropped into a sigh. She wasn’t lying when she said she skipped a meal, but she didn’t really notice until she started being snippy. She took a deep breath, remembering the exercises Cady taught her. She managed to reach a level of calm long enough to not shoot the snickering clerk that passed by her a glare.
Twilight huffed before it was replaced with a satisfied smile when the same employee shrieked as the mannequins 'somehow' came alive and smacked her on the head. That annoyance gone, Twilight decided checking the guidebook she brought with her again.
If it did say it had every line for every scenario then she was sure she could find something she could use while in a clothing store. She flipped it open and went to the clothing category, immediately scanning each line.
A moment letter, Sunset emerged wearing a deep red shirt along with the words ‘Caution: Angry Horse’ printed on it. The redhead modeled with a small smile.
“You think this 50% off shirt looks good on me?”
Twilight forced her brain to answer as she took in the beauty before her until she coughed and replied, “Maybe.” Then pulling up her memory files, she knew just the right line to go with it. Doing another attempt of finger guns, she tried to mask her awkwardness with a grin, “But I think it’ll look great on you 100% off.”
The girl waited in anticipation, proud of herself since she didn’t stutter this time.
Sunset frowned, marring her beautiful features. “That’s terrible, Twilight.”
Everyone in the store outlet simultaneously put a finger in their ear to clean it out, while others looked around, as they all swore they heard something that broke like glass.
As Twilight slowly tried to pick up the pieces of what once her heart, Sunset patted the nerd on the head. “So terrible.”
“Yes, I got that already!” Twilight tearfully and mentally shouted while on the outside she feigned a nervous smile.
“Terrible. They’re trying to run a business here,” Sunset continued with a chuckle then playfully tugging at the dark blue strands once again, “they can’t just give these things for free, you know?”
Twilight blinked before she let out a laugh that she hoped didn’t sound too fake. “Right, because this is a clothing store so they have to sell clothes.”
“Right,” said the redhead with a nod before she smirked, “but going by what you said, I can get this shirt has your stamp of approval.”
“Yeah,” screeched Twilight as she frantically waved her hand, the same hand with a rising urge to slap something. Preferably, an oblivious former unicorn. “You look great, you should get it.”
Sunset grinned, wagging a playful finger. “I knew it was worth bringing you along.” She went back to the changing room. “I’ll try not to take that long though, we still need to fill your belly with something to eat.”
“Right, right…”
Attempt number two came in the form of passing by the mall’s security, which in turn, caused her to remember a line from the guidebook. Folding her hands behind her, Twilight slyly leaned forward to the redhead who was looking over the assortment of games.
“I’m going to have to get a security guard,” she announced with a smirk, but before she could say “Because you’re trying to steal my heart”, a real one came over with a concerned, “Yes miss?”
Eyes shrinking into pinpricks, Twilight waved her away with a giggle and then sighed in relief when Sunset didn’t seem to see the embarassing exchange as she paid for her new game.
“Did you know this mall has a movie theater? I just saw a preview of our life together. Looks pretty good!” Twilight started as she saw one of the posters hanging on the walls.
Sunset raised a brow. “I haven’t seen that movie, but it sounds like romance to me.” She shrugged. Twilight just stared, unimpressed. “But sure, we can see it. Might be something the girls will like too.” Sunset lit up when she saw a pretzel stand. “Sweet, let me go get us some then one more stop before the food court.”
They passed by the fountain, causing Twilight to sigh before she said, “I just tossed a penny into the fountain, want to make my wish come true?”
Sunset frowned, rubbing her head while she allowed Twilight to lean against her arm that was holding the shopping bags. “Geez, fine, I guess we can go to the food court now. You really are grumpy when you’re hungry, huh?”
Twilight groaned louder.
Twilight decided the guidebook was useless as she banged her head on the table. Her companion left to go find her something to eat while she stayed with the bags.
“Stupid. Sexy. Redhead.” She said through each thump on the plastic table. She sighed, her frustration now drained for the time being. A moment passed before she rubbed at the spot with a wince.
She decided to might as well focus on another activity, one that might not induce brain impairment, and then began people watching. As she looked around, four college-age girls caught her eye. Amethyst orbs widened immediately before their shouted, “Minuette?! Moon Dancer?!”
At the sound of their names, the aforementioned two stopped as they stared. Twilight then spotted the other two girls behind the first pair, “Lemon Hearts? And Twinkleshine? You all are here?!”
“Twilight Sparkle?” the four girls asked in unison. Before anyone could say something else, the girl with red hair and purple streaks rushed forward and hugged the surprised scientist.
“I can’t believe it! It is you!” She squealed before pulling away with a large grin, “How have you been? Am I right when I told you you’ll eventually find some friends? I mean, I saw the videos and you looked like you’re doing well, and with your own squad too!” Her voice seemed to have snapped the three other girls into focus.
The blue one approached with a larger smile, practically jumping in her place due to excitement. “I can’t believe this! I’ve been dying to ask this for a long time but now you’re here,” she playfully poked the girl as they all took the vacant spots. “You have to tell me how you girls did the effects?”
Twilight managed a blink before she let out a slow, “E-Effects?”
Lemon Hearts, the yellow girl, waved a hand as she supplied, “You know, the ears and tail? I mean, we saw your music video too.”
Twinkleshine added, “and it seemed the usually high-strung students from CPA are settling down, huh?”
“Girls, focus!” Minuette mockingly scolded before leaning towards Twilight. “Tell me, I’ve been trying to incorporate those effects in some of my side projects but for the life of me I just can’t.”
“Settle down, babe,” Moon Dancer said with a light chuckle, side hugging the excitable girl before turning to the still shocked Twilight. “Sorry, this is a lot to take in huh? Even though we never heard from you again, we just thought you forgot all about us or just busy with your friends.”
Twilight swallowed before dumbly nodding. “H-how are you girls here? Last I heard, you were on a bus heading to Everton dormitories.”
Lemon Hearts chuckled, fiddling with her hair. “Y-Yeah, that was kind of a dick move for us, huh? We didn’t realize we left you with the wolves until it was too late.”
Twinkleshine frowned, looking down. “When we tried talking to Principal Cinch about it, she only said it wouldn’t look good if graduates of CPA back out from ‘one of the prestigious colleges that would only cater to the best’ and as alumni, we should take that as the highest honor.”
Moon Dancer continued, “We thought with your smarts you’ll be with us the next year, but we found out from Dean- sorry- Principal Cadence that you decided to transfer to Canterlot High instead.”
“Ooh…”
“We really didn’t mean to leave you, but hey, it all worked out in the end, right?” Minuette supplied as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned her chin on top of her hands, “I don’t think it’s really appropriate for a freshman girl to hang out with seniors anyway.”
“I-I guess not if you say it like that,” Twilight conceded but she still frowned. “A warning would have been nice though. You four were the only people I could call friends at that time.” The annoyed expression morphed into confusion when the four women exchanged glances. “What?”
It was Twinkleshine who spoke up, raising her brows. “Twilight, we left you a note. All of us did.”
“T-That can’t be right, I didn’t get anything.”
They all squeaked when Moon Dancer suddenly slammed a hand on the table, getting startled glances from other customers, but the bespectacled college student paid them no mind. Turning to meet Twilight’s eyes, she scowled. “We gave them to Cinch.” She then shook her head. “No wonder now, she must have thrown them away.”
Lemon Hearts raised a hand. “Hey now, that woman wasn’t the nicest person around, but she wouldn’t actually do that.” Her unsure gaze turned to the others, “Right?”
Twilight looked down at her hands before admitting, “S-She did blackmail me into competing in the Friendship Games…”
“Howdy Sunset, what can I get for ya?” Applejack, decked in her employee uniform, said to a contemplative redhead.
“Hey AJ, and I still don’t know. Can’t really choose for some reason,” answered the girl with a frown, arms crossed as she looked like she was trying to solve a very difficult puzzle.
Raising her brow, the farmer shot her co-worker, Bulk Biceps, a look before he got the message and opened the other register beside the blonde.
When seeing the new line, the person behind the redhead shifted to the largely muscled person. The regulars followed after. They knew the routine by now when they saw this particular redhead, and they thanked the blonde ever since for developing an alternative way for them to get their drinks without waiting for hours for Sunset to make-up her mind.
Applejack shot the bulky man a grateful thanks before turning to her friend with the patience of a saint. Honestly, she didn’t mind the long hour wait to take the girl’s order if it meant a break from the hustle and bustle that came from the daily grind. Still, this time she could sense that vegetarian shakes weren’t on Sunset’s mind right now.
Before she could voice her thoughts out, a loud collective shout of “SHE DID WHAT?!” stopped her, causing her and Sunset to seek out the source until they found Twilight with four other strangers.
A surge of protectiveness suddenly took hold of Sunset but before she could analyze and take notice, her feet were already bringing her to the direction of the bespectacled girl.
Applejack watched her go, confused momentarily taking up her expression before it was replaced with a small smile. “Shoot, there might be hope after all.” She turned to her larger co-worker. “Hold down the fort for a sec, I gotta send a text.”
Bulk Biceps nodded understandingly. He, too, had witnessed the action that could be even considered a miracle in the eyes of the Canterlot High students. They were all painfully aware about the thing going on between certain eggheads, after all.
“Oooh, shush, shush. cute redhead, 12 o clock.” Twinkleshine murmured, effectively stopping Moon Dancer’s tirade of proper professionalism and insistence on tracking down the former principal if only so she can glare at her pink haired friend.
Lemon Hearts turned to look, coyly smiling. “Oh, she is. Nine over ten, I’ll say.”
Minuette rolled her eyes with an amused grin, while Moon Dancer muttered a deadpanned, “Really?” At the two’s seriousness, she groaned. “Can we get back to the Cinch problem here?”
Twilight blinked at that before nervously giggling. She was about to voice out how she didn’t need her old friend to defend her anymore since the former principal was already dealt with, but the arrival of Sunset’s voice stopped her before she could. “Twilight, are they bothering you?”
“Sunset!” Twilight squeaked, turning around in her chair to face her friend before her brain caught up with what the redhead said. She hurriedly waved her hands at the others. “Oh no. These are just my old friends. They used to be seniors at CPA, and my lab partners.”
Sunset blinked, unconscious protective stance that she was presenting now deflating into a friendlier version. “Oh, uh, okay then…" The redhead smiled. "Hi there, I'm Sunset.” When the reply she got was two girls gasping out loud, however, she raised a brow.
“Wait, Sunset? Like Sunset Shimmer?”
Uneasy, cyan eyes found amethyst before they too offered a look of confusion. Sunset turned back to the duo with a hesitant, “Yes? How come you know who I am?”
Lemon Hearts squealed. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. It really is her!”
Twinkleshine provided a more thorough explanation when she saw the confusion on the younger girls, “you’re only, like, the hottest fencer trending right now.”
“Canterlot Fencing Tournament, champion of CHS?” Minuette spoke up, eyes widening in awe with her girlfriend doing the same. “I can’t believe we didn’t recognize you from the video, and to think I replayed it for hours!”
Sunset blushed. “U-Uh…”
“You beat our very own, which was a real shocker because Sunfire is our best, and I mean the best, at Everton.” Lemon Hearts gushed as she stood up with her hands clasped together, taking up the space on Sunset’s left. “So aside from foil, what other swords do you use?”
“Uh,” Sunset stammered but when she looked to the purple girl for helpm all she got was a playful smirk and a ‘go on’ gesture. She turned back to the eager college student. “Sabre and the épée, but I mostly handle the foil.”
Twinkleshine’s eyes shined like her namesake as she stood on the redhead’s right. “Oh my gosh, so you can wield three? That’s amazing! Sunfire does too, but she’s really focused on foil now because of you, huh?”
“I-I guess?” Sunset supplied with a shrug, now uncomfortable at the intense looks. As Minuette joined in with another question, this time regarding the girl’s dance music video, Moon Dancer simply shook her head and took the seat next to the purple scientist.
Seeing the unmistakable gleam in amethyst eyes, one where Moon Dancer knew was the same gleam in her own eyes whenever she looked at Minuette, the older of the two let out another giggle. This was, of course, heard by Twilight who then looked at her, puzzled. “What?”
“Twilight, you never told us you were dating the girl who beat our team.”
The girl froze when Moon Dancer finished her sentence. It was a good thing that the redhead was currently preoccupied with three college age girls asking her questions, but Twilight guessed, with the girl’s track record of not paying attention to anything remotely romantic potential, that it wouldn’t have made a difference.
Still, she was not prepared to have this conversation with her old friend so soon. Fighting down her blush, Twilight snorted with a mix of self-deprecation and nervousness. “N-No, she’s not- we’re not together.”
Moon Dancer blinked. She eyed the stammering redhead overwhelmed with the onslaught of inquiries, then back to the blushing girl. “You sure? Because it looks like-
“I’m at the pining stage,” Twilight cut in with an exasperated wave of her hand, “but Ms. Incognizant over there doesn’t seem to be in the right state of mind yet.” At the other’s incredulous look, Twilight proceeded to tell the other bespectacled girl everything.
Once Twilight finished, Moon Dancer nearly twisted her neck from whiplash. “You serious, girl?”
Amethyst eyes rolled before their owner huffed in response. The college student simply leaned back against her chair, looking like somebody told her she was pregnant via asexual reproduction. Massaging her temples, Moon Dancer let out another, “Really? I mean, I know I’m not one to talk but that, that is a whole kind of level.”
“Which I’m unfortunate enough to crush on hard,” said Twilight, frowning a bit. “Don’t remind me.”
“Are you sure there’s no one else?” Moon Dancer offered, not liking the other's sudden change of mood. “I mean, it’s better than waiting for this one to grow a pair for you. Her brain might not have even graduated to puberty yet.”
Twilight furrowed her brows, sadness changing to protectiveness. “Okay, that was border lining on mean, Moon Dancer. Romantically impaired or not, she’s still my friend.”
Raising her hands in defense, the college redhead conceded, “Fine, fine, but I just worry for you.”
“I appreciate it, really, but aside from teenage frustration, I’ll be okay.” An errant thought came to mind forcing Twilight to wince and groan. “But if I had to use it as a last resort, I might end up just laying naked on a hotel bed for her to really get it.”
“And if she still doesn’t realize how much you want her, give me a call,” Moon Dancer stated with a teasing grin. “I’m not above slapping bitches from time to time.”
“Moon Dancer!” Twilight scolded, drawing a laugh from the older girl.
“What? I mean it. College does that, I’ll tell ya.”
A smile replaced the mock frown she had on, as long forgotten warmth returned. Not being able to stop herself, Twilight surged forward and hug her friend. It was safe to say that out of the four seniors, Moon Dancer was the closest one she could call a best friend at her time in CPA and while distance did grow, she found she could still count on her ‘Spectacle Sister/former Lab partner’ to cheer her up and have her back.
“Thanks, Dance-Dance.”
The older girl chuckled, returning the hug. “No problem, Little Spark.”
