There are several unwritten tenets of friendship that are true, no matter what universe you find yourself in.

Your friends take your side, even when you are clearly wrong.

Friends will visit and comfort you in the event of any of the following, no matter what the hour: heartbreak, work or school related stress, argument with a loved one, or delay in video game release dates.

They will know when something is bothering you, even if you don’t tell them, and they will hound you until they know what it is, so they can make it better.

But above all else, there is one sacred commandment of friendship that will never, ever be broken:

No matter what, a group of friends will find some way to argue about what movie they should watch.

“‘Nightmare Night 2: Nightmare Moon’s Revenge!’” Sour Sweet yelled, holding up the DVD case. Lemon Zest shook her head.

“Nope, no way. I’m not watching that with you again, not after last time. Too scary.”

“Oh, come on,” Sour Sweet said, pushing the DVD case into Lemon Zest’s face. “It’s not that scary. It’s more cheesy than anything.”

“The movie’s not the scary part.”

***One movie night earlier

“Get her! Get her!” Sour Sweet yelled at the TV, then gave a maniacal laugh. “That’s it! Gobble that girl up! Eat her!”

Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, Twilight, Sugarcoat, and Sunny Flare sat on the far side of the couch, cautiously eyeing Sour Sweet as she sat on the bean bag, chomping down on popcorn with a sadistic grin on her face.

“So...let me get this straight,” Twilight said, pushing her glasses up from the ridge of her nose. “When she watches horror movies, she roots for the monsters?”

“So it would appear,” Sunny Flare said, gulping nervously.

“Hey, the film series is NAMED after her,” Sour Sweet said. “Most of the ‘good guys’ don’t make it from one movie to the next, if I didn’t like the bad guy, why would I watch it?”

“Uh...fair point, I suppose,” Sunny Flare said, her voice still sounding unconvinced.

“Does anyone else think the actress playing Nightmare Moon looks really familiar?” Sugarcoat asked.

“It’s a little tough to say,” Indigo Zap said, grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it in her mouth. “I mean, she’s wearing a mask, and all that makeup.”

“Though...now that you mention it…” Sunny Flare said, squinting at the TV, “I do feel like I’ve seen her before…”

“Hmm…” Twilight said, adjusting her glasses and looking closer at the screen. “Now that you mention it, her hair is rather distinctive...it looks almost like…”

“HA!” Sour Sweet yelled as a scream came from the movie. “She got the little brat! HA!” She sighed and leaned back in the beanbag chair. “I love this movie.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t let Sour Sweet pick the movie again,” Twilight said, scooting away nervously. “I’m afraid they’re giving her ideas…”

***

Sour Sweet gave a ‘humph’ and dropped the DVD case onto the table. “You’re all a bunch of wimps, you know that?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Indigo Zap said. “I don’t even know where you keep finding all those weird villain-protagonist movies. Some of them are really obscure. Like that one you made me watch, ‘Mister Books’.”

“That’s a classic!”

“Or, ‘Fragrance’?” Sunny Flare said, then shuddered. “That movie sounded much more lighthearted than it was.”

“Well, I’m not watching whatever boring thing YOU like,” Sour Sweet said, sticking her tongue out at Sunny Flare. “Probably movie adaptations of plays or something?”

“Uh…” Sunny Flare said.

***One week earlier

“Yeah!” Sunny Flare yelled at the TV. On the screen, two men in martial-arts robes rotated around one another, prepared to strike at the first sign of weakness, while throwing back and forth badly-dubbed threats. Suddenly, one jumped up and landed a kick on the other, then sweeped under his legs with a trip and proceeded to punch at his floored opponent. “Kick his but!”

***

“Yeah…” Sunny Flare said, blushing slightly. “Drama club princess and all...sure do love those classics...yup…”

“And I’m guessing all you watch are those college flicks with all the wild parties?” Sour Sweet asked Lemon Zest. Lemon Zest bit her lip and averted her gaze.

***Two months earlier

“And so the wolf fell in love with the sheep…” a soft voice whispered through the dark theater. Lemon Zest sat on the edge of her seat, her eyes watering.

“How...how romantic!” she said, and was summarily hushed by the surrounding audience. Lemon Zest leaned back in her chair and tipped down her hat, trying her best to conceal her rather distinctive green hair, just in case anyone she knew happened to be there. She did have a reputation to maintain, of course.

The screen zoomed out, flying up into the clouds, and the word “Daybreak” appeared on the screen in gold, calligraphic writing.

***

“Uh...yup...college party flicks...that’s...totally what I watch…” Lemon Zest said, her greenish-yellow eyes rapidly darting back and forth, looking for someone to catch her in the lie. “Wh-what about you, Twilight? Do you, like, only watch documentaries or something?”

“Uh...yeah...M-mostly…” Twilight said, scratching the back of her head and blushing.

***Three days ago

“Where’d that giant robot come from?” Sunset Shimmer asked. Her arm was draped over Twilight’s shoulders, and Twilight was cuddled up against her, Sunset Shimmer’s red and yellow hair falling over the rims of Twilight’s glasses.

“Shhh…” Twilight said. “Don’t try to pick it apart. Just enjoy it.”

“But it’s crazy,” Sunset Shimmer said, gesturing to the black-and-white program with her free hand. “We’re supposed to believe this alien is the good guy. But he shuts down all technology on the planet and threatens the entire earth because they may, someday, be a threat to him. Who knows how many people he hurt just to get that point across.”

Twilight shrugged. “He says that he didn’t affect hospitals or in-flight aircraft. I think the point was that he had enough control to make sure no one actually got hurt from the demonstration.”

“There’s no way you could control it with that level of detail,” Sunset Shimmer said. “And even if you could, he’s threatening to blow up the planet if people don’t become more peaceful. These aren’t the actions of a more peaceful society, just one with bigger guns.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be taking it that seriously,” Twilight said, smiling a little at Sunset’s passion for the subject matter, despite herself. “It’s old, cheesy sci-fi. Just let yourself turn your brain off for a few hours, and enjoy it.”

Sunset sighed, but gave Twilight and affectionate smile and leaned back into the couch regardless. “Well, I guess if even you can turn that big brain of yours off every once in a while, I can too.”

Twilight smiled, and gave Sunset a small kiss on the cheek. “Good,” she said. “Because this next part is just awful.”

***

“Yup...mostly documentaries...I’m a dork that way…” Twilight said, laughing nervously. “H-how about you, Sugarcoat?”

“Let me guess,” Sunny Flare said, flicking her wrists and rubbing together her fingers to accentuate her perfectly manicured nails. “Something blunt and to the point. Clear good and evil, not a lot of ambiguity. Maybe those political thrillers that are so popular recently?”

***Two days earlier

“-best friiiieeeends…” the saccharine theme song came over the speakers, echoing off the pink walls as they came to a crescendo. Sugarcoat sat next to Pinkie Pie, instinctively staying in proper posture despite Pinkie’s much more relaxed position on the pile of pillows she had managed to create for them on the bedroom floor.

“This show is aimed at kids,” Sugarcoat said. Pinkie Pie nodded.

“Yyyyup!” she said, smiling happily.

“It’s really over the top with its messaging sometimes.”

“Sure is!”

“And the whole thing is pretty merchandise-driven.”

“Totally.”

“I love it.”

Pinkie Pie jumped up from her seat and gave Sugarcoat a big hug. “Me too!”

There was a loud knocking on the outside of the door, and Limestone yelled from the other side, “I know you’re touching my sister in there! Hands off!”

Sugarcoat rolled her eyes and Pinkie Pie stuck her tongue out at the door. “We’re just watching TV! Calm down out there!”

“She’s never going to like me, is she?” Sugarcoat asked. Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never seen her be this nice to anyone outside my family in my entire life!”

“...that’s concerning.”

***

“I like cartoons,” Sugarcoat said. Sunny Flare shrugged.

“I was pretty close,” Sunny Flare said.

Twilight stood up, trying to conceal her annoyance by brushing a few wrinkles out of her uniform. “I’m going to make us some popcorn. You guys find...something to watch. Or at least figure out what Indigo Zap likes. My guess is action movies.”

“Uh...yeah...that’s it…” Indigo Zap said, blushing a deep red and coughing uncomfortably. “G-good guess…”

Twilight walked into the kitchen, took out the popcorn maker and scooped in a cup of kernels.

“So,” Lemon Zest’s voice came from behind her as soon as she had turned on the popcorn maker, prompting Twilight to jump in surprise. “Want to tell me what we’re doing here?”

“Uh...watching movies?” Twilight said, giving a tiny smile. “Well, trying to watch movies, at any rate.”

“Uh-huh.” An utterly unconvinced expression fell across Lemon Zest’s face. She pointed back to the living room. “I don’t know if the rest of them noticed, and are just playing along, but you were sort of eager to have some company tonight when you gave the invitation. More so than usual. Something’s wrong. Something’s bothering you, and I want you to tell me what it is.” There was a moment of silence, and Lemon Zest crossed her arms, struggling with the next words. “...because that’s what friends do.”

Twilight sighed. Popcorn started to pop behind her, and she took in a breath to build up her courage. “Okay,” she said. “Yeah. I wouldn’t really say something’s, ‘wrong’, but yeah. I’ve...been a little distracted lately.”

“Does it have something to do with you and Sunset Shimmer? Did anything happen there?”

Twilight shook her head vigorously. “No, no, everything’s great with her. I just...I’m not sure she’d understand this, you know? And I don’t want to bother her with it.” Twilight looked back at the popcorn maker, sighed, and anxiously adjusted her glasses. “So...you know how Shining Armor and Dean Cadence are sort of…”

“Dating?” Lemon Zest asked. Twilight nodded. “Yes, Twilight. I know that. Everyone knew that. Everyone but you, apparently.”

Twilight crossed her arms, and gave a dry laugh. “Yeah...I guess I should have picked up on the clues earlier...but, now that I know...I don’t know. I feel...uncomfortable around them. Don’t get me wrong, Shining Armor and Dean Cadence still spend time with me. But I sort of...feel like a third wheel, now? Like, maybe I’m intruding on their dates? Shining Armor asked me if I wanted to join them on a trip into the city tonight, and...well, I wanted to have something else to do tonight, so I could say, ‘no’.”

Lemon Zest nodded. “Makes sense, I guess...you don’t want to be butting in on your brother’s dates. But he invited you along, didn’t he? It’s not like you pressured your way in or anything. And Cadence likes you, completely independent of her relationship with your brother. I think they really wanted you to join them.”

Twilight nodded slightly, her expression still unsure. “Maybe...but even so...I’m...well, worried. For the longest time, it was just me and Shining Armor. He was really the only friend I ever had, before The Friendship Games. We did everything together. He made the monsters go away when I was a kid. He talked me down from anxiety attacks, he taught me how to fly a kite. And now, if he’s getting serious with Cadence…” Twilight sighed and slumped over. “I’m afraid...he’s not going to need me anymore.”

Lemon Zest took a step over to Twilight and placed an arm on her shoulder. “You’re afraid Cadence has replaced you?”

Twilight nodded. “A little bit.”

Lemon Zest tilted her head, gave Twilight an understanding look…

...and then slapped her upside the head.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Twilight Sparkle, you’re a certified genius, but sometimes you’re as dumb as a rock. I’ve seen your brother. He ADORES you. He dotes on you like a little princess...which...you kind of are...in another universe...but that’s not the point. He’s not going to leave you just because he’s got a girlfriend now. And the girl he’s with? ALSO loves you. You hit the big brother-jackpot here, so don’t get stressed out just because he’s seeing someone.”

“Okay, okay!” Twilight said, rubbing the top of her head. “Did you really have to hit me to make that point?”

“Yes. Yes I did.”

“Hey, Twilight!” Indigo Zap yelled. She stuck her head in from the living room and waved a DVD case. “We found something! ‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone’!”

Twilight blinked, then smiled. “Oh, right, I forgot we had that. I haven’t seen it yet. I loved the book though, so the movie’s got to be good!”

***Thirty minutes later

“This is terrible,” Sugarcoat said. There was a general murmur of agreement throughout the living room.

“They’re leaving out critical plot points from the book,” Twilight said, resting her chin on both of her palms.

“The actress who plays ‘Daring Do’ is awful,” Indigo Zap said.

“The special effects make me want to puke,” Sour Sweet said, as she stuck her tongue out.

“It’s an obvious cash grab on a popular book series, with none of the heart of the source material,” Sunny Flare added. There was a pause, which Twilight broke.

“...anyone want to turn it off?”

“Nope.”

“No.”

“Nu-uh.”

“No way.”

“Absolutely not.”

Twilight smiled and leaned back into the sofa. “Yeah. Me either.”

Author's Notes:

Because sometimes friendship is helping your friends through a hard time...and sometimes it's watching terrible movies together

Just something random I felt like writing. I wanted to do something not so shippery (is that a word? I feel like it's a word) that was more about The Shadowbolt's friendship. There's still a little shipping in here, but most of the story is focused on Twilight and The Shadowbolts being friends and having a nice...ish night together

The running gag with each of The Shadowbolts liking a different kind of movie than the others expect of them was originally just meant to be a joke, but I sort of like the statement that people tend to have a lot more depth than we give them credit for.

Anyways, I hope you like it! Thanks for reading!