Purple fingers adjusted the last bit of wiring inside the heavy duty casing. “There. That should do it!” She held up the finished product for Wallflower to see. “My prototype detection device for Project Aurora is finished!”

“And it does...what, exactly?” Her friend sounded bored.

Twilight elaborated, too giddy with having finished the device to be offput by the harsh tone. “It’s a mobile variant of the machines in here that detect the frequency of the strange energy that I’m researching for my project, except this one can lead me to the sources of energy by giving me directional input, almost like radar. I am hoping to narrow down an area or a source and perhaps procure samples of either the source or affected mediums to run further tests.” She could barely contain her excitement, bouncing on her toes. “It’ll also help determine if it's one source or multiple different ones! I’m so excited to test it out!”

Wallflower raised her gaze from an ancient looking book on medicinal plants that she’d procured from one website or another. “Great...absolutely fantastic,” she deadpanned. “Practically overcome with emotion, can't you see?” With that, she buried her nose back in her book, pausing only once to add, “Dibs on any mutated plants you find, especially if your pet energy has turned them into ravening meat eating monsters. Could you imagine the look on Suri’s face if we put one in her locker?”

“Why would we do that with a valuable specimen?” Twilight asked, not sure where her friend was going with the strange suggestion.

The green haired girl smiled. “Because maybe it'll bite that perfectly sculpted nose off her perfectly crafted face. I’d love to see her plastic surgeon fix that.” She laughed to herself like it was a hilarious joke.

Seated at her desk, Twilight frowned slightly, not really caring for the joke—at least she thought it was a joke. It was hard enough for her to read most people, but Wallflower was harder to get sometimes, because her voice had even less intonation and inflection than anyone she’d ever met, and that included Moondancer. In this case, there was something in Wallflower’s eyes that she couldn't define...but whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable. She found herself glancing surreptitiously at the clock, eager to have the bell ring and signal the end of the day, because the air in the room now felt too close, too crowded, despite the room being empty but for the two of them.

Twilight felt her stomach squirm a little more, as the silence stretched longer than she knew was considered socially acceptable...but she couldn’t come up with a response that felt right, not without knowing the real intention behind the other girl’s words. Eventually Wallflower sighed, sounding frustrated—an emotion Twilight could place. “It was a joke, Twilight,” she pointed out flatly. “You're supposed to laugh.”

So it had been meant as humor. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I wasn't sure...and...I’m not certain medical insurance covers acts of mutated plant life, at least not in policies I’ve read about. Without coverage, it would be difficult to find a surgeon to fix such injuries at a price her family could afford, since her family does belong to one of the lower income brackets that attends this school.”

Wallflower stared at her, before bursting into laughter. “Oh my god, Twi! Do you know how furious she would be if she knew you called her poor? She would be more purple than you are!” The girl grinned, but it didn't teach her eyes the way Sunset’s smiles did. “Suri Polomare, Princess of the Paupers, Diva of the Destitute. Has a bit of a poetic ring to it, I think.”

“I...that is—I wasn't...” Twilight cringed. That hadn't been what she’d meant, at all. She had been merely espousing some basic facts, not providing a scathing social commentary on the bully’s family status or financial state. “You're reading it—”

She was cut off by the final bell ringing, a shrill sound that always dug painfully into her ears. Wallflower jumped up, shouldering her bag with an ugly curse that made Twilight uncomfortable all over again even as it made her grateful for Sunset’s odd manner of speech and somewhat endearing epithets. She understood that cursing was a part of language, but the unpleasant focus and emphasis that her peers often put on the slurs of a sexual nature was more than a little awkward for a teenager who didn’t conform to heteronormative standards.

“Tell me later, Twilight—I have to go actually buy food since my parents decided to extend their stay in Fiji for another two weeks. And if you do find some kind of man eating plant monster, I call dibs for my garden!”

Then the other girl was gone, leaving Twilight’s brain buzzing and her explanation of her thoughts dying unsaid on her lips. She sighed, and gathered up her bag. She wanted to test this detector out anyway, and the sooner she got started, the sooner she’d have something to show for it.

Twilight stopped outside the music store, baffled. Her detector had led her to the mall first, for reasons she couldn't quite understand. Surely someone in the mall would have seen something strange? She carefully made her way inside the store, watching her scanner as she did a slow circuit of the open space filled with instruments, racks of CDs, and various supplies that she secretly thought about surprising her girlfriend with. The entire room held an echo of the unidentified energy, with its strongest concentration in the section where they kept electric and acoustic guitars.

Glancing around, she saw only one clerk—a bored looking college age boy wearing a grimy band shirt for an old metal band her father liked, and a head full of longish, greasy looking dreads in a virulent shade of green that clashed heavily with neon orange skin. He wasn't looking her way, so she pulled a few of her little sample vials out, and used a pair of tweezers to gather up some loose carpet fibers from the baseboards, and some paint chips from a spot on the wall that was peeling.

She made another circuit, even slower, testing the readings at different heights, but nothing pointed to a definitive source. It was as if whatever had caused the lingering energy signature had simply walked out—or been purchased.

“So are you gonna buy something, or are you gonna stare at your weird Gameboy all day? Like, I don't care but the boss does, so like, you might wanna look like you're gonna buy something.”

The voice of the clerk made her jump. “Oh! Um....” Twilight spotted a set of spare strings for a guitar, and she grabbed it, before pretending to look through some music CDs. Maybe she could get Sunny a little something... Her eyes spotted a CD in the new releases rack that was from a band she knew Sunset loved, and she grabbed it too, wandering towards the counter. Maybe the clerk could tell her something.

“Oh cool, you found something after all!” Bloodshot eyes and the reek of what could only be illicit substances greeted her at the register. “Aw man, I saw this earlier, and I sooo wanna hear the new stuff. You a fan?”

“...My...best friend is. It's a gift for her,” she responded awkwardly, the word ‘girlfriend’ sitting on her tongue. “I've listened to them with her. They have talent.”

“Oh for sure!” His head bobbed in an uncoordinated nod. “So what's with the gizmo? Aliens probing our stock again? Am I gonna glow in the dark? That’d be awesome...”

“Um. Just some strange energy readings, but it's probably nothing...unless something weird happened here? Out of the ordinary weird?” It wasn't much, but maybe?

“...nah, nothing weird ever happens here...unless you count those girls a couple months ago. That was super weird and awesome...” The clerk stared at the wall with a broad smile. “It was totally the weirdest thing ever...they were having this rocking guitar duel, right? And I dunno, maybe the hit I took on my break had something in it, but the music was so out there it was like an explosion! Have you ever heard something that sounded so good you could see it?”

“I...can't say that I have...” she responded, watching him scan the CD.

“It was that good...like the music was making sweet love to my brain. I've never seen colors like that before—and that one girl was so good the music gave her wings to fly, girly. It was the best feeling of my life!”

Or maybe not. Clearly this man was on something particularly potent, and what he was recounting was obviously some kind of hallucination induced by illegal, mind altering substances. Someone flying because of music? Preposterous. And the rest just sounded like the standard signs of a ‘bad trip.’ She forced a smile. “That...does sound...interesting.” So much for a potential lead.

Beep! He scanned the guitar strings. “Your girl play too?” he asked, blinking blearily at her.

Her cheeks felt hot, and her breath caught. Had she given herself away? She had said ‘best friend’, right? Not girlfriend? “My best friend is in a band,” she said evasively, just in case.

“That's awesome! I was in a band once. We called ourselves the Limp Lizzards.” More of that empty eyed smile was directed towards her and she could practically smell his lunch on his breath under the acrid odor of what was probably marijuana. “Didn't last though. That’ll be thirty three seventy eight, girly.” Her stomach lurched as the stink rolled over her and flooded her nostrils.

Twilight peeled a few bills out of her pocket and shoved them at him, beyond ready to get away from him. “That should be forty...”

“Aaand...six thirty in change. Here you go! Enjoy listening to the CD with your girl!”

She gave an internal scream of frustration, and practically ran from the store with her purchases, not bothering to correct either his math error or his assumption.

Twilight stared at the white vehicle in sheer confusion, and double checked her device. The signal indicator did not change, and when she moved around the parked vehicle, the screen changed with her movements to always point at it. Somehow, this car had been in contact with the energy...a good bit of the energy, but how? Why?

Circling the car slowly, she glanced around for anyone to see her, and quickly and quietly used a small tool to scrape a little rubber off one of the tires and some of the metal off the underside of a wheel well, quickly pocketing the tiny vials containing each sample before anyone noticed her doing anything strange. Then she circled the car again, scratching notes down in a notepad: make, model, license plate, and even the VIN which she had to squint to make out. She intended to do a little digital snooping later, to find out more about the vehicle and its history, since it was an odd sporty looking car but not particularly remarkable. The backseat was filled with what looked like sound equipment, including DJ turntables, microphones, and speakers, as well as school supplies. Nothing that stood out as unusual or a likely source for the readings she was getting, which spiked quite a bit higher than the music store had.

She was doing a quick and very rough sketch when a throat cleared behind her, making her whip around to face a girl about her age with ragged blue hair and pale skin. Pink tinted lenses blocked her ability to see the other girl’s eyes, but her lips turned up in a smile and she waved before making a series of hand gestures that she recognized as some form of sign language, though the exact meaning was lost on her. She started to say something, but the girl had already moved on to the car, sliding into the driver’s seat. With another smile and wave, she drove off, leaving a confused Twilight Sparkle coughing in a cloud of exhaust.

Purple eyes glared down at the screen of her device, at the readings that told her she was standing right on top of the greatest concentration of energy. It couldn’t be broken, since it was built off the same measuring devices that had already recorded so much data. That meant it was picking up something, but....

Twilight raised her gaze from the device to look around her. She was standing in the middle of the stage at the local amphitheater, looking out at empty space and surrounded by nothing but an empty stage floor. Even looking up only showed her the thin skin of the stage’s cover, so if there was something up there, it was impossible to access alone and without complex equipment. So why was this spot so high in readings? She started manipulating the scanner’s calibration, trying to see if she could further pinpoint the origin of the reading.

“......feel the wave of sound....”

Her head snapped up at the faint echo of music, and she looked around for its source. “Who’s there?” she called out.

“....let’s battle!” A voice whispered faintly.

The dark haired teen shook her head, and charged towards a darkened corner of the stage. “It's not funny! Come out of wherever you’re hiding!” She could hear more faint whispering, behind a heavy curtain, and she grabbed it, jerking it out of the way, fully expecting to see people.

Only to find nothing. There was no one there. Twilight hugged herself with a shiver. Something wasn't right, and it was making her stomach tie itself in knots. There had to be a logical explanation for this. There had to be a reasonable source for the sounds—someone must be playing a prank of some kind. Other teenagers from the sound of it, which would line up with her experiences; her peers had no respect for scientific progress and those who pursued it.

“...Sunset Shimmer!”

Twilight jolted, whipping around. That sounded like...like her own voice. But when had she ever cried her girlfriend’s name with such desperation?

“....you were filled with...a lust for something...wasn't yours to have...and so We became...Does your soul hunger so badly it bleeds?” A dry voice that bore a faint resemblance to Sunset at her most sarcastic whispered from beside her.

At that faint voice, emotions welled up from somewhere inside her, so strong they felt almost disconnected from her sense of self. Her knees threatened to buckle and she almost dropped her device under the wave of longing need and a desperate, despairing loneliness so profound it brought tears to her eyes. For an indeterminable moment, she was drowning in it, haunted by a single question that almost seemed expressed without words…

Where are You?

Sunset. She needed Sunset. She had to find Sunset.

Before she could stop and think, Twilight was running, leaving the amphitheater far behind, the sound of her footsteps keeping a tempo for the words repeating in her head. Find Sunset.

Twilight leaned against a tree just out of view of the sidewalk, struggling to catch her breath and not get noticed by the occasional student leaving the grounds of CHS. She wasn’t sure how aggressive the rivalry would get if they saw her in her CPA uniform, but she didn’t want to risk it, not with how nasty they’d been to Sunset when she was the target of their ire. She’d run here on some kind of panicked autopilot, only to recover her wits just before she’d entered the parking lot of the school, and ducked out of sight to avoid a group of players from one of the sports teams. She sank to a seat on a stump, trembling from cold and exhaustion, and set the device she had managed to maintain a grip on in her lap so she could retrieve her phone.

It was shaking fingers that punched in a message to Sunset’s contact, a very messy and borderline incoherent string of letters that she hoped would get her girlfriend’s attention.

The response didn’t take long. “Sparky?” came the worried voice when she picked up the phone. “Where are you? I’m on my way. What’s wrong?”

“Behind your school. I…I don’t know. I just…I need you, Sunset. I had to find you…Please…”

“I’m on my way. Stay put. Are you in the parking lot?”

“…no…behind it. In the trees.” She squinted. “…I see your bike.”

It didn’t take more than another minute and she saw a familiar head of red and gold hair heading her way, Sunset pausing at the edge of the woods to see if anyone was nearby, before she plunged into the trees. She came right to Twilight, making the dark haired teen wonder if she was not as well hidden as she would have liked. Twilight had just enough time to get shakily to her feet before she all but collapsed into Sunset’s embrace. “Sunny…” she breathed into an amber skinned neck, feeling her heart rate finally start to slow, and her lungs feel not quite so tight.

“Hey…” the other girl breathed. “I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” A hand rubbed up and down her back soothingly. “Deep breaths for me, okay, Sparky?”

A few minutes of breathing and being held worked a strange kind of magic on Twilight. The painful feeling in her chest eased and the panic that had caused her to flee the amphitheater finally melted away. “…I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened…I was doing some readings for my project, and I thought I was hearing things, but I couldn’t find who was doing it, and one of them sounded like you, and I had the weirdest panic attack I’ve ever had…all I could think of was getting to you, and I ran all the way here, but I didn’t want to get attacked because I know CHS and CPA are rivals and after everything they did to you, I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t just do stuff like that to me for my uniform so I hid and—”

Sunset kissed her into silence, and Twilight went limp in her arms, trusting her partner to not let her fall. She savored the heat of warm lips on hers contrasting with the bitter winter chill, her fingers gripping the leather of Sunset’s jacket collar. The redhead made a sound in her throat, almost like a growl and her grip tightened in a way that made Twilight feel safe rather than confined. It was a relief, after the stress of being dragged around all afternoon for a whole lot of disappointment and agitation.

When they broke apart, Sunset rested her forehead against Twilight’s. “Better?” Her hand cupped Twilight’s cheek gently, wiping away the remnants of tears.

“…yeah…” Twilight leaned into Sunset’s palm, feeling the warmth send a tingle through her.

“Now…can you tell me a little slower, what made you so upset?”

That, she could probably manage. “…I was taking some readings for my project, and I…I got freaked out because I thought some people were playing a prank on me. I couldn’t find them, and it…triggered a panic attack.”

A soft smile crossed Sunset’s face. “…so you came to find me?”

“…I can’t explain it. I needed to find you. I knew you’d make it better.” Twilight smiled. “And you did.”

Sunset chuckled. “Glad I was able to meet your expectations, Sparky.” Then the taller girl bent down to pick up the device that had fallen from Twilight’s lap when she had jumped up. “So what’s this?”

Twilight froze, her principal’s words echoing through her mind about the nature of her research project. “…It's a device I built to give me some readings for my research,” she offered, taking it back from Sunset and checking it for damage…only to realize that it was registering a massive reading in the form of the entirety of CHS’ grounds.

“What kind of readings?” Sunset asked.

Evasively, she waved the device. “Atmospheric conditions, local EMF readings, background radiation scored, that sort of thing.”

Her girlfriend gave her a long look, a frown pulling her lips down. “Twilight...” she responded in a tone that made it clear she didn’t one hundred percent believe the other girl.

Shoulders slumped. Of course Sunset of all people would be able to read her, particularly since she already knew more about Twilight’s fascination with the energy than most people. “I...it is for my project, but I can't really talk about it right now. Can you just think of it like an NDA that I have to try and stick to for the duration?”

“I don't like this, Twilight...you don't know what you're dealing with, not really, and all this? Skulking around behind my school? Lying to me? Blowing up at your parents?” Each word was delivered with gentle concern but struck her like a blow. “This isn't like you, Sparky.”

“I...” She shuffled awkwardly, stomach back to twisting in knots. “...I don't mean to...” she said softly. “...I know there’s something strange going on, with this energy, Sunset. It's not very scientific, but I feel it. This could change the world, and if I’m the one who figures it out...” Even to her girlfriend, her best friend and partner, the words wouldn't form, and she let the sentence hang.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “Alright, nerd...but you can't be around CHS like that. Not with the Friendship Games coming up. Everybody is on edge about them at school, and anyone seeing you in that uniform is going to lose their minds. I don't want you to get hurt or overwhelmed...so here's the deal. We go back to my place, you change into something less conspicuous, and I’ll bring you back to get your readings. By then, most of the school will be clear, and you won't be basically waving a red flag at a bull.” Fingertips brush along her throat. “And maybe while we’re at my place, I can kiss you the way I really want to...”

The husky note in Sunset’s voice made her legs feel like jelly, and the fingertips on her skin left a burning trail that only more if that touch could douse. Twilight swallowed. “Okay,” she breathed. “Let’s go to your place.”

Sunset’s lopsided grin was better than any amount of data collection.

Her back hit the cool surface of the wall, leeching heat from her skin even through Sunset’s old dark gray hoodie. Twilight was almost grateful for it, because the hands pressing to her stomach were so very, very hot....as was the tongue that slid against hers in a passionate kiss. Sunset had pinned her up against the wall aggressively, sending her brain into a complete tailspin of babbled thoughts and secret desires. Oh yes, Sunny, please, some part of her begged. Like that, oh please, more like that! I want it, want you! Can't you see how badly?

And when that mouth pulled back so they could both pant for air, it was Sunset’s body pressing into her that held her up. Her knees wouldn’t have supported her even if she’d wanted them to, not when Sunny’s mouth was on her neck like that, finding the exact spot that drew a long, pleading moan from Twilight’s throat. She arched herself reflexively into that stronger, taller body, feeling the way her girlfriend’s limbs with their deceptive strength kept her trapped, the way those amber skinned fingers slid along the skin of her stomach to her sides, lifting her up just a few inches and putting her entirely at Sunset’s mercy.

Fingers dug into Sunset’s shoulders for purchase and instinct made Twilight wrap her legs around the girl pinning her. “....Sunny....” she moaned again, finding one hand tangling in fiery curls. “....please...”

Whatever else she’d meant to say was swallowed by the mouth that covered hers with a low, almost animalistic growl. It was a growl that went straight through her, making her want nothing more than to surrender to the feelings it roused. She wanted to hear it again, that rough, possessive noise, and she ached with the need to give in completely to the desire calling to her own. Make me yours, Sunny, that corner of her mind pleaded, unable to give the thought true voice.

Yet as badly as she wanted to end up in a tangle of sweaty limbs on Sunset’s bed or couch, she couldn't let it happen. Not without making sure Sunset was really okay with it. Twilight could recall, with clarity, just how shaken Sunset had been the few times they’d pushed the boundaries, how awful her girlfriend seemed to feel after, and she refused to destroy what they had for a few moments of hormone driven release.

This time it was Twilight who ended the kiss, pulling reluctantly away from Sunset’s lips and meeting gleaming eyes with a smile. “We should probably stop,” she murmured, pressing her palm to Sunset’s cheek.

Her best friend let out a breathless, husky laugh. “Yeah...probably. I just...really wanted to kiss you.” Carefully, she lowered Twilight back to her feet, bracing her until the dark haired teen could stand on her own, somewhat wobbly legs. Only then did she pull away, but not without one final, soft kiss filled with affection.

“I...didn't exactly say no,” Twilight giggled, running her fingers along the collar of the leather jacket Sunset had never taken off.

Sunset smirked. “I’m glad you didn’t...because I like kissing you. A lot.” To prove her point, she brushed their lips together, a featherlight touch that sent a tingle up her spine. “See?”

Twilight couldn't help but giggle. “It's a mutual like, Sunny.” She hugged her girlfriend tightly. “...one I’d love to keep indulging in, but I need to get my readings completed.” She toyed with a bit of her hair. “Will you still go with me?”

Another brief kiss made her lips tingle. “I said I would. C’mon. Let’s go get you your readings, nerd.”

CHS was deserted by the time they got back, and the sun had sunk below the trees, leaving long shadows across the grounds. Sunset parked her bike in the lot, and offered Twilight a hand. “So where do you want to take your readings?” She ran a hand through her hair. “The only place I don't recommend is the area near the front doors—there's a camera there that has a view of the whole front steps and sidewalk. I don't want either of us to get in trouble.”

That was quite logical, and Twilight nodded, already looking at her device. “I wouldn't want that either...for now, let me get closer to the building...maybe see if I can narrow down the source further.” She started walking, adjusting the scanner’s sensitivity as she moved. “Are there more cameras back here?”

Sunset bit her lip. “A few, but I know where most of them are.” She pointed out a few points—mostly near the doors, but Twilight could only barely make out small, dark smudges that might be cameras.

Turning in a slow half circle, Twilight determined a nearby concentration of energy. “Can you get me close to your greenhouse? Are there any cameras there?” Perhaps the source was a biological one? Mutations could arise, and plants did handle radiation and energy a lot better than animals did.

Blue-green eyes glanced towards the structure of glass and wood. “...no cameras on the outside, but they lock it at night, so we won't be able to get inside.” The other girl paused, then added, “Unless I pick the lock.”

Twilight stared at her girlfriend, her train of thought entirely derailed. “Can you do that? Pick locks?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Sunset rubbed her arm awkwardly, staring at the ground. “I...sorta. Simple ones. Like a front door or a locker or simple locks like that. It's...not exactly something I’m proud of....I misused the skill a lot when I was a bully to get dirt on people for blackmail. Or to plant evidence. Or so I could use their phones without them knowing.” She kicked a rock into the grass. “It was...pretty handy for all of that.”

It was clear that Sunset was discomfited by the subject, and Twilight gave a quick glance around before standing on her tiptoes and kissing an amber cheek. “No matter how much I want data, I would never ask you to do something that makes you upset, Sunny.”

A crooked smile was sent her way. “Thanks, Sparky. I know you wouldn't, but it is nice to hear it. Now come on, let's get you where you can get your readings.” She laced their fingers together and tugged Twilight towards the greenhouse, picking a route that kept them out of sight of any cameras.

Up close, the green house was intimidatingly large—thirty feet long and probably fifteen wide, its tall sides and sloped glass roof black in the faded light. All around it grew medium sized bushes and vines on trellises. Twilight checked her device, and realized there was a more solid reading around the other side. “Keep watch?” she asked Sunset. “I want to scan the entire perimeter, but you are right about our schools’ rivalry, and I’d rather not put you in a potentially uncomfortable position.”

Amber skinned fingers brushed her cheek. “Alright, nerd. Go do your thing.”

Twilight let herself lean into the touch briefly, turning her head to kiss the tips of those digits. Then she turned her attention back to her device. She needed to focus, and her girlfriend was proving to be extremely distracting just by being in close proximity. The teen started walking around the outside of the greenhouse, watching as the signal got stronger with every step. On the other side, the high point in her readings turned out to be a collection of berry plants growing up a trellis that bore a great deal of resemblance to blackberry brambles...but thornless, and with leaves shaped wrong. What was most unusual was that the bushes were in peak bloom. In January.

Lowering her scanning tool, Twilight studied the plants and their fruit more closely. The leaves were long and blade-like, and the fruit looked like blackberries or raspberries with fewer of the little fruit nodules on each berry. It was hard to tell if they were the purple black of blackberries or if they were another color that only looked black in the low light conditions. The air around them was sweet smelling, fruity and tangy--strangely familiar, too, though she couldn’t place where or why--and even the greenery of the plants smelled pleasant. Twilight retrieved some more sample containers from her bag, using a pair of tweezers to pluck a few leaves and some of the berries—all of which seemed fully ripe, rather than existing in various stages of ripeness and growth like a normal plant might. Something was definitely off.

She’d barely managed to finish sealing her samples when Sunset’s voice called to her. “Sparky, come here!” It wasn't quite a yell. It was more a stage whisper hissed around the side of the greenhouse.

Twilight put the samples in her bag hurriedly and rushed back around to rejoin her girlfriend. “What is it? Is someone coming?”

Sunset was dusting off her jeans, putting something back in her coat pocket. “....no, but I...” One hand pushed the door open to the greenhouse. “Thought you might want to see the inside?” she offered sheepishly.

“You...did you pick the lock?” Twilight was shocked. “I wasn't going to ask you to do that, Sunny...”

A crooked smile is sent her way. “I...I know, but it's just the greenhouse, and we’re not going to touch anything...and I thought maybe...” The redhead rubbed the back of her neck. “I thought maybe you could get better readings inside...and it's pretty in there. They grow all sorts of neat plants and flowers and it smells good and it's soothing to me. I don't come out here much but I always enjoy it when I get the chance.”

Biting her lip, Twilight stepped close to her fiery maned paramour, reaching out to take her hand. “Thank you for doing this, Sunny—I really do appreciate it.” She paused, hugging that arm to her chest. “I just want to make sure that you don't think you need to compromise on what you’re comfortable with to make me happy...”

“I...wasn't...we’re not going to mess with anything or break anything, and I’ll relock it on the way out. I...guess I’m okay with it, just this once because I wanted to show you our greenhouse—it's Principal Celestia’s personal project at CHS—she loves gardening and sometimes she joins in with the horticulture classes on her lunch. It's pretty...and you can take your readings...” Sunset tugged her inside.

There were some low level emergency lights casting the whole greenhouse in a mix of sharp shadows and pale light, but even in the dimness, Twilight was dumbstruck by just how impressive this small space was. Filled with flourishing plants, some with gorgeous flowers despite the time of year, others the kind that would produce fruits or vegetables, and still others that just smelled like springtime, the greenhouse was something else, and it put the one at Crystal Prep to shame. “Oh...” she breathed, staring. “Oh, wow...”

Sunset brought their linked hands up so she could kiss Twilight’s knuckles. “Told you it was pretty...” she murmured against lavender skin, her face half hidden in the shadows of her hair.

“It...it really is,” Twilight agreed, allowing her girlfriend to lead her deeper into the building. “My friend at school—Wallflower? She would go crazy over a greenhouse like this. The one at my school isn't this nice or this big.”

The redheaded girl chuckled. “Well...maybe after all the Friendship Games nonsense dies down, you can bring her over after school, and I can see about getting permission...and a key...to show it to her?”

Smiling, Twilight leaned into the warm body next to her that chased away what chill lingered in the relatively comfortable building from the door being opened. “That might be nice. I...I’ve been thinking about introducing you to Wallflower. She could use more friends since the ones we used to have at school are mostly gone now, and I think she would be happier if she had other people in her life besides me.” She bit her lip. “Her parents are kind of awful.”

“I’m happy to meet your friend, Sparky, however you want to introduce me. If you want, we could plan something at some point, maybe shopping or milkshakes or something?”

Twilight nodded against a leather clad shoulder. “I will have to find time to arrange something. Maybe I can inquire deeper as to her personal tastes and interests, so I can find a mutual activity that all three of us will enjoy. I've known her for several years, but I realize I have not been the best friend to her...and I want to remedy that.”

Her girlfriend chuckled. “There’s always room for improvement, right?”

“Exactly.” The dark haired girl was once again reminded of how nice it was to have someone like Sunset, who just understood what she was trying to say. A happy little smile grew on her face as she started to fiddle with her scanner, preparing to scan the room.

“You know,” Sunset murmured, leaning close to nibble on her earlobe, “there was another reason I wanted to show you the inside of the greenhouse.”

A shiver went down Twilight’s spine at the sound of her best friend’s voice practically purring in her ear. “Y-yeah?” She stumbled over the word when Sunset’s tongue traced the outside edge of her ear.

“Yeah...there’s no camera in here, Sparky...which means I can do this without getting caught...”

Hungry lips claimed hers a moment later, and Twilight let out a little squeak of surprise...though it quickly became a moan as Sunset’s tongue warred with hers. Later, she would dimly recall placing her scanning tool on a table so she could wrap her arms around the redhead and return the tight embrace she found herself in, all thoughts of scientific readings and unusual energy chased from her mind by the sheer intensity of the feelings racing through her body.

Fun chapter.

Limp Lizzards is a Jem reference, to a terrible band that crops up in the show from time to time. Thought it would be amusing.

I'm sure most of you can figure out what locations Twilight is being taken to in her pursuit of readings.

Also, things getting steamy again...and Sunset picks locks. Fairly sure THAT is a common Sunset trait in the fandom.

Things are getting interesting. Twilight seems to be hearing things she can't explain...and something strange is going on. Hmmmm...

Bruhahaha.