Rarity glanced down at her open notebook, a small frown crossing her face. Written below her was a selection of lies, half truths, wishful thinking, and deliberate pandering. She bit her lip. Why was this so hard?

"So, how're your new years resolutions coming along, Rares?" Applejack asked from behind her.

Discarding the notebook, Rarity threw her head back with a loud groan. "Dreadful, simply dreadful, Jackie. I was looking over my resolutions for last year, and I barely managed to accomplish any of them! And my plans for this year are no better."

Rarity perched on a chair in Rainbow Dash's basement, surrounded on all sides by her reclining friends. They'd decided to meet up for New Years Eve at a separate location than the farm- not wanting to fall into a rut. Applejack lay in a fluffy beanbag, Rainbow was busy trying (and failing) to win at ping-pong against Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy was playing cards with Sunset.

Sunset looked up from her card game. "I never bothered to try to write up resolutions. I personally never needed to- or I thought I didn't." She frowned down at her cards. "I should've realized that everyone needs improvement- especially those that say they don't." She carefully played one last card, and then passed her turn to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy frowned down at her own cards, then played three in a row that left Sunset gaping. "Yes well- I don't really know how to say this but... I always complete my new years resolutions. It never really seemed that hard." She looked up to find Rarity's violet eyes burrowing into her face.

"Really, darling? How? How could you...." Her voice faltered and died as Fluttershy Stared into her eyes.

Fluttershy eeped. "Ooh! Sorry, Rarity. You startled me." She pushed the now-frozen Rarity to one side, then continued. "Whenever I thought about breaking them, I went and stared at myself in the mirror for a few minutes. That always convinced me to keep to my resolutions."

Three girls stared at Flutterhsy for a few seconds, until a string of curses from the ping-pong table drew their gaze. Rainbow looked across the way at her opponent, who was idly spinning her paddle through the air above her hand. 'How? Pinkie, you never exercise, you never practice, and you haven't played ping-pong in years! How can you beat me?"

Pinkie grinned. "You know where the ball is, and where it needs to go. What more is necessary?" Her grin widening, she turned to look at Sunset. "So, Sunny- wait to play the next round?"

Sunset looked down at her hand, then studied the cards laid out in front of her. "Maybe after Fluttershy beats me. I need to work on this deck a bit."

"While we're waiting, Applejack can answer a question I've been dying to get out." Rarity cocked her head, and continued. "Tell me, darling- just who is your brother dating?"

Dead silence filled the room, as all five of the other girls turned their attention to the freckle-faced farmer. Applejack frowned, then looked across her friends, whose faces were filled with interest. She drew in a deep breath, then said. "Ah don't know."

Four loud "Whats?" echoed through the basement. Within seconds, Rainbow Dash had closed the distance between her and the farmer. "What do you mean you don't know? I thought you guys shared everything with each other?"

Applejack frowned. "He told us a year ago she wanted to keep things quiet. Apparently, she works in a job where bein' less than perfect can get you in hot water- and she's new there. Until she's really proven her worth, she don't feel comfortable sharin' her relationship with everyone, and heavens know the more people know a secret, the harder it is to keep it." She rolled her eyes. "After Anon-A-Miss, I kinda agree with him. Ah don't think Apple Bloom woulda spread who she is to everyone- but if she had, it might have gotten his girlfriend in real trouble."

Sunset frowned. "Wait, wasn't Big Mac meeting up with his girlfriend tonight? For a combination New Years and Christmas thing?" As Applejack nodded, Sunset continued. "If he's meeting his girlfriend alone, why did he take multiple gifts?"

Big Mac stepped out of his truck, advancing towards the small house in the uptown suburbs. Checking the two packages under his arm, he stepped lightly up to the front door of the house, and knocked three times. From inside came a raised voice, and then the door swung open, revealing a blue haired man in a polo shit and slacks.

"Mac! Welcome, come on in!" Shining Armor exclaimed, drawing the large man into a hug. As he released the larger man, he pulled the door shut behind the two of them, moving into the living room. Scattered across the table were several files and romance novels, with a coral-haired woman examining one of the student files in front of her. With a sigh, she snapped the file shut, then stood and gave Mac a kiss on the lips.

"And how's my other favorite man?" Dean Cadance said with a smile. "Everything work out all right with that new sister of yours?" She grinned. "I know it must have been difficult for her, but I'll bet you were able to ease her in a little..."

Mac grinned. "Eeyup. That advice you gave me- about talkin' to her sooner rather than later- turned out just right. Knew Ah needed to do something- and your suggestion was what she needed."

From behind him, Mac heard a clatter from the kitchen. Shining's voice echoed off several appliances. "Yeah, family can be tricky sometimes. Still, when I met her, she seemed like a good kid." He advanced from the kitchen, a set of appetizers laid out on a tray. "She even knew a bit about Twilight- said she's heard of her before."

Big Mac frowned. "Wait- hold up. Twilight? As in, Twilight Sparkle?" At Shining's confused nod, Big Mac's face grew thoughtful. "Ah can't tell you why- but I think Ah know exactly why Sunset's heard of her before- and it ain't the way you think."

Shining opened his mouth to inquire, but Cadance laid a hand on his shoulder. "Family secret, Big Mac?" As Mac nodded, Cadance smiled. "Then we won't pry." She smiled. "We should probably start dinner, anyway."

As Cadance turned back to the kitchen she felt a hand on her shoulder. Mac's voice held a trace of mockery. "As much as Ah love you, darlin', there ain't no way Ah'm lettin' you in the kitchen. One, you need to rest, since that boss of yours has you workin' on New Years. And two, after that disaster with the curry-"

Cadance swatted Mac's forehead. "Alright, alright! I know when I'm beat. I'm usually a fine cook, you know- the recipe just got away from me. Isn't that right, Shiny?"

Shining Armor glanced between his boyfriend and girlfriend, then turned back to the appetizer tray. "Cadance, I love you. So I'm not going to say anything more."

As Mac walked into the kitchen, Cadance humphed. Taking a seat on the couch, she said, "Getting ganged up by both my men. What is the world coming to?"

Shining looked up, a cheeky grin on his face. "I thought you liked it that way, hmm?"

As the sounds of a pillow impacting Shining's face sounded behind him, Mac turned his thoughts towards the enigma of Twilight Sparkle. What little he'd heard of Shining's sister contrasted with the girl described by his sisters. Both had the same name, and apparently a similar appearance, but little else in common. One came form a world of magic, and one from this one of course- but it seemed a reclusive shut-in would have little in common with a friendly princess.

'Cept for their pursuit of the truth. Sunset said she was a scientist of sorts- and that definitely fits with Shining's sister. Ah wonder what they're doin' now- both of them?

Twilight Sparkle turned, trotting down a long hallway. Canterlot Palace was nearly abandoned New Year's eve, as Princess Celestia always gave the majority of the staff the night off. The only individuals left were a scattering of guards and a few cooks- and the Princesses' party guests.

This year, Celestia had declined to hold a massive banquet or attend any of the celebrations going on throughout the city. The solar diarch had instead held a small, private party, and had enjoyed the company of her closest advisers, Twilight and her friends, and her sister. Now, however, the Princess was missing, a mere half-hour before the end of the old year and the beginning of the next.

Walking up towards the Princess' chambers- where she expected to find her mentor- Twilight instead found a door cracked which had been sealed for as long as she could remember. Well, that's not quite true, she thought, trotting forward, wings rustling. It was open once before- after the first time you came back from the human world.

Entering the chambers of Celestia's former student, Twilight found that selfsame Princess gazing down at a small picture next to an open journal. Twilight had lent Celestia the journal, hoping she could write something to her former student. However, Celestia hadn't been able to find the words. Now, surrounded by the detritus left by Sunset, recently cleaned up and restored, Twilight hoped her mentor had found the strength to write to her prodigy.

However, there was no quill held in her mentor's magic, no fresh ink upon the page. Celstia gazed at the picture held instead, looking at the image of the white alicorn cradling a small, red-and-gold unicorn. Celestia glanced up sharply at Twilight, her expression softening as she recognized who had intruded upon her time.

"Twilight- I apologize for disappearing, I just needed a minute to collect my thoughts." Celestia's voice trembled slightly, even as she glanced back at the entry in the journal.

Twilight walked up to her former mentor, and gave her a brief nuzzle. "Don't worry, Celestia. If anyone deserves time alone, it's you."

"Perhaps." the larger alicorn replied. Frowning down at the journal, she waited several moments before she spoke again. "It says here that she has been taken in by the Apple clan in their world."

She paused a moment, in thought, an old melancholy drifting across her face. "I... wish things had been different between us, you know. I wish I could have seen what she needed." She voice was still soft, but gained a hard edge. "I don't know them, Twilight. I can't help her from here. What if-"

"Celestia, talk to her, please." Twilight spoke up. "If you care about her this much, then ask her. I'm sure..."

Celestia shook her head. "I failed her Twilight. I can't..." Her head drooped. "I know I need to set things right, but- I don't want to have to face her." The hard edge returned. "But it's the least I can do to make certain her new family takes better care of her than I did." Celestia turned and left the room, as Twilight watched her, puzzled.

Twilight Sparkle ran her hand through her dog's short fur, Spike curling up on her lap. Looking out the window at the snowy ground, Twilight felt a small spike of annoyance echo through her mind. She'd rather not be here right now- she'd rather be back at her lab, plugging away at the strange data that had started showing up on her spectrogram. Energy transmissions at a frequency unknown to normal science! She was on the cusp of something, she knew it! And yet Crystal Prep was closed for the break, and her parents weren't going to let her go out and do field research tonight of all nights.

Twilight snorted, leaning back in her chair. Shining Armor had tried to tell her about some girl who'd been asking after her, but none of what he'd described had been very interesting- until the school she attended was brought up.

Canterlot High.

Twilight's calculations showed that the majority of the strange energy signatures she'd detected were focused on mid-town Canterlot, and CHS sat in the middle of that area. If she needed to snoop around the school, maybe this- Sunset Shimmer- might be able to help her.

Still, it was unlikely she knew anything about what was going on. What little imagery she'd garnered of the events which had caused the largest spikes in her data were probably photoshopped. They have to be. What little I saw violated the laws of physics in more ways than I care to contemplate.

Still, whatever the energy was, it was fluctuating more and more. As months past, what had been a curiosity had become less anomalous and more routine.

And the worst part of being here tonight is that I can't analyze the data that showed up three weeks ago. Why were there five spikes in rapid succession? They were smaller than the ones before, but after each one, the background levels kept rising. Now the background levels are almost as high as the first spike!

What the heck is going on around Canterlot High?

Sunset watched as Pinkie finally succumbed to sugar crash, falling asleep atop the pile of beanbags and pillows she'd accumulated int he middle of the basement. Midnight had come and gone, and as the hours passed, more and more of her friends had nodded off. She was the last one still awake.

Yawning, Sunset turned and sank into her own sleeping bag, reaching out blindly for her pillow, thrown across the room an hour before, during the last pillow fight of the evening. She frowned as her fingers caught nothing but empty air. She didn't want to move, but she'd have to find her pillow before she could-

A small spike of pain twanged through her skull, and she winced- even as her fingers closed upon the edge of a fluffy red-and-gold object. With a sigh, Sunset dragged her pillow into her grasp and beneath her head, swearing to be more careful with her cider consumption next time. At least I didn't have to get up to find my pillow.

As she drifted off to sleep, Sunset failed to notice the dim red glow around her hand- or the similar glow which rapidly fizzled out around the pillow which had dragged itself across the floor to meet it.

Author's Notes:

Someone commented that when you have a Big Mac, you have to be willing to share. I took that to its logical conclusion.

In other news- cliffhangers! I'm planning on two side stories, at least, before the events of "Friendship Games" will occur. However, I don't know what I want to work on first, and I need a proper name for the universe I'm starting to build. I'm going to be putting up a blog post with some of my ideas soon- I love getting suggestions, even if I'll probably end up subverting half of them. (Mwahaha!)

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed Myriad Thoughts, and will field any questions you might have about my creative process, decision making, and sanity. Looking forward to writing more later!

Yours,
Tale Swapper

P.S. Did anyone catch who Pinkie stole that quote from?