Sunset was starting to get used to the concept of a ‘working lunch.’ She was sitting at a cheap card table that Applejack had brought in, enjoying the scent of the steam wafting off the little container of vegetarian lasagna Mrs. Velvet had sent home with her—she’d be eating good for a while, since her girlfriend’s mother had filled her freezer and then some—surrounded by the girls and waiting on the rest of the members of the meeting to arrive. Flash had wandered in a few minutes prior, showing off his most recent math test, and was now deep in discussion with Fluttershy and Rainbow about songwriting. Rarity was reading a book with some very scantily clad humans on the cover in a passionate tangle, and Applejack just looked bored, idly working on a bit of science homework. Pinkie…

Actually, where was Pinkie? Sunset paused with a forkful of lasagna halfway to her mouth. The party planner had been there just a few minutes ago, helping set up the table and putting a container of cookies on it….

“I foooooooound theeeeeem!”

Pinkie bounced in, pulling Bon-Bon and Lyra along like they were a three person length of chain. “They were making out in the library!”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Don't ya think it's a might rude ta interrupt them then?”

“Nope! We have important stuff to talk about! My Pinkie Sense told me that and that it’s suuuuuuper important for them to be here!” Pinkie was all happiness and cheer. “They can kiss later!”

File that under ‘more reasons Sunset was cagey about the girls knowing about her Twilight.’ The last thing she needed was Pinkie casually showing up when she and Twilight were…otherwise occupied. Pinkie had no sense of privacy sometimes. “Right. Sorry to interrupt your private time, girls…but I wanted to make sure information and communication keeps us from tripping over each other’s work.”

Bon-Bon waved it off. “It’s fine. We got distracted. What's the first order of business?” She pulled a chair up to the table and turned it backwards before she sat in it.

“I’m curious as to the status of your efforts, dears,” Rarity addressed Flash and Bon-Bon directly. “Considering I am responsible for Sweetie Belle’s well being, I would appreciate being kept up to date on things she is almost assuredly involved with.”

Pulled from his chat with Dash and Fluttershy, Flash rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve mostly been handling the equipment end. We’ve been sourcing things like Sunset suggested—prank items or regular stuff we can get away with at school….” He pulled out a notebook from his backpack, and began giving an inventory list, along with where the students had been rat-holing the supplies. There was even a map of the school with precise labels added to it.

While he was talking, Sunset studied Lyra—the normally cheery girl was pensive and mostly silent, the first clue that something far more than having a make-out session with her girlfriend interrupted was wrong. There was a shadowed look to her eyes and a measure of obvious tension in her frame, as if she was expecting an enemy to jump out at her at any moment. And she wasn't eating, despite the lunch bag sitting on top of her ever present mound of binders and texts on human world cryptids.

Catching her eyes, Sunset gave her a concerned look and raised an eyebrow. The other teen gave the barest shake of her head, then mouthed ‘after’ at her. She gave a nod of her own before focusing back on the conversation in progress.

“…prepacked an entire five hundred count box of coffee filters with the most noxious spice combos the Home Ec kids could come up with,” Flash was explaining. “Each of the lockers has twenty five. We also stuck boxes of rock salt, baking soda, and bottles of vinegar in them.”

Applejack nodded. “Stink and smoke bombs?”

He made a face. “We managed to get different people to order them: fifteen boxes of ten stink bombs. No smoke bombs though—those are a bit more regulated since the easiest ones are illegal fireworks.”

Sunset tilted her head back and an idea came to her. “Get Trixie involved.”

Where Pinkie found a record player to perform an actual record scratch in that moment was…a question for another time. Everyone stared at her like she had gone mad. “Hear me out,” she told them, gesturing with her fork. “Trixie wants to help defend the school. She has those ‘Magician’s Exit’ smoke-bombs all the time and never seems to run out, and I’m not sure she has a part time job….” Sunset thought back to when they'd talked to Trixie at the farm. “She seems…genuinely concerned about the magic…and there was something about her at the farm…”

Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Actually, I’ve been wondering about that too. How did Trixie know where you live, Applejack?”

Green eyes widened. “…now that's a damned good question…one Ah can’t answer, given we’ve never been friends. Coulda followed us from the hardware store?”

“What if she didn't?” Now all eyes were on Rarity. “Trixie has been a magician since we’ve all known her in school. When she’s not put on the spot, her stage magic is actually quite good…and how many times have any of you seen her do something…unusual?”

Sunset blew air out her nostrils. “I’ve never sensed much from her…but…that doesn't mean she doesn’t know something about magic either.” It was starting to come together in her head. “That’s what's been bugging me. Trixie talks big all the time, right? Always boasting?”

Flash rolled his eyes. “Boy does she. She’s the biggest blowhard in school.”

“Yet she's the only person who hasn't given me a copy of imaginary love spells or a bag of river rocks or asked how to make a magic wand.” Sunset frowned. “Not once has she come forward to school me in her superior knowledge—when by all accounts…that’s exactly what she would do. The only time she's said anything since the Battle of the Bands was at the farm, and for all the bravado…” she looked at her friends, “she was genuinely concerned about your safety under my instruction.”

“Holy cotton candy hot-sauce!” Pinkie’s summer-sky blue eyes were huge…and a great distraction from what abominable culinary item she was using as an expletive. “Are you saying Trixie is a real magician?!”

Sunset winced. “By Equestrian standards, she is—prestidigitation is not exactly high level magic, but it is a respectable focus used by a lot of entertainers.” At the fairly blank looks, she clarified, “Stage magic. For her, I always thought it was sleight of hand, but…maybe it's not just that. If there's a chance she is knowledgeable about magic in this world, we have to look into it. Flash, I hate to ask, but do you think you could bring her in on your end? Ask her for her expertise in recommending more distractions and see if she can point you at where she gets her smoke bombs.”

Her ex gave her a long-suffering look. “If it were anyone else, pony-girl, I’d tell you where to go…but sure. I’ll go talk to Trixie.”

“I’m sorry, Flash—I just think you’re the best person to talk to her. She doesn't see you as competition in any way, so her ego is less likely to be touchy with you.” Sunset offered him an apologetic smile. “Lyra?”

The girl perked up. “Yeah?”

“Once he does, see if you can draw her into your research and sorting. See if her knowledge lines up in any way with what I’ve told you already, and if it does, use her to help you sort through data to weed out useful bits from trash.” Reaching over, the former unicorn tapped the binders. “That’ll help you work through this faster, which may mean the difference in what we do here in the future.”

Bon-Bon looked skeptical. “This is all hinging on a couple of really big ifs,” she pointed out. “If Trixie is willing to help, and if she even knows anything useful.”

“She’s got a point,” Rainbow said with a snort. “I mean, relying on Trixie? We’d probably have better luck with a magic eight ball.”

The former bully set her fork down, arm moving to grip her elbow so she wouldn't crib on her thumb—it was sore from all her worrying in the last week. “…I know Trixie is a difficult person to get along with,” she said softly, “but so was I, once. I had an ego and was loud and arrogant and demanding…”

As blunt as ever, Applejack grunted and pointed with her cider bottle towards Sunset. “Yeah, but ya got knocked off yer high horse, and it turned out there was a person under all that malarky.”

Nodding her agreement, she forged ahead. “That’s…true...but it's also true that…that I did a lot of that to hide my own mess of insecurities and issues. It doesn't make it right, but part of the reason I was a bully and a bitch was to avoid being bullied myself. Control others before they control you, get them before they get you.” Her shoulders hunched, and she folded in on herself in the chair a bit. “…and…I don't know…but I wonder if it's the same idea here. If Trixie puts on a front, an ego, all that bravado and boasting…for other reasons? Because at the farm…something was different. I saw it, for just a minute.” Blue-green eyes lifted to look around the table at her friends. “…you gave me a chance when I didn't even deserve one, when I did a lot worse than Trixie ever has…isn’t it only fair that we give her a chance too?”

Dash looked like she’d bitten into a particular spoiled and sour piece of fruit, but she sagged back into her seat. “I fucking hate you sometimes, Shimmer,” she complained with no real bite to the words. “…especially when you're right about shit I don't want to do.” One hand tossed a french fry at Sunset, but Pinkie caught it out of the air and popped it in her mouth.

“Giving a chance does not mean being blind or foolish,” Rarity commented to Bon-Bon. “Be fair, but if she treads on the opportunity, or proves that her ego is her most important self, then no one will judge it unfair of you to…insist she find her own way.”

The scowl on Bon-Bon’s features eased a fraction. “Fine, but Flash, she’s your responsibility. If I have to interact with her, I’ll deck her the first time she talks about herself in third person.”

It was as good as she was likely to get, so Sunset accepted the small victories. “Speaking of decking people…” she ventured carefully, “how are things on your end?”

Bon-Bon shrugged. “We’ve sorted out who has taken self defense from who hasn't. Dad has an entire new class—two dozen juniors and seniors—and we’re doing a weekend instruction on getting out of holds for the younger crowd. No actual fighting,” she added hurriedly at the looks from Applejack and Rarity. “Just…breaking free of being grabbed in a bunch of ways? And we’re in the process of designating safe zones and lockdown plans—because let's face it, the ones the school has are bullshit, even for normal things, like a shooter. This school is so old it has a lot of places to hide away that are off limits to people now. Like the attic space over A-Hall, and the catwalk areas over the stage…and the crawl spaces under it that connect to where they used to have a pool under the gym…back in like the forties? Fifties? Point is, it's a big empty space that the drama department stores old sets and stuff…but you could hide a hundred people there easily.”

Who knew there were so many undiscovered hiding places in the school? Not that Sunset didn't know a few of her own. “The roof door in the Science hall doesn't lock right,” she offered. “I used putty in the door several years ago and so it looks closed and locked but it doesn't latch. There's a storage space up there that I think used to be by maintenance for like…smoke breaks or lunches. It’s dusty, but it's hidden from sight.” She tilted her head. “If people are outside, the storage shed by the soccer field has a busted window latch. There's a bunch of tools and a lawnmower in there, but…you could get people in there too.”

Flash’s pencil made soft scratching sounds as he wrote that all down. “What about here?” he asked, gesturing to the room they were in. “Ever since you guys made the door weird, it's been different in here.”

Sunset shrugged. “Yeah, this is a defensible spot because the door is warded now, but the problem is that I close it when we aren't here, and only the girls and I can access it unless someone has a special key…which I have yet to figure out how to make work without being able to cast spells. Better to leave this as an ‘only if people are coming to get us’ option.”

“Bummer,” the young man sighed. “Alright, scratch that. Anything else?”

Applejack cleared her throat pointedly and caught Sunset with a green eyed stare. The former unicorn grimaced. “Yeah…I’ve discovered something I can't do much about right now other than make sure everyone stays alert.” She took a swallow of her water. “I’ve picked up dark magic again.”

Everyone in the room was on alert as she finished the sentence. “Where?” Bon-Bon demanded in a tight voice.

“Not a where entirely. Who. I’ve…encountered it on Crystal Prep associated people—students, former students, family members. I’ve done what I can to burn it out without being noticed, but it’s…it’s not good…something about it is…sneaky. I can't feel it until the moment it activates, but it seems to make the victims agitated, angry…warps their emotional state. I have no idea of where or what the source could be, or what it wants…but…” Sunset spread her hands helplessly.

Flash caught on right away. “But we’re hosting the Friendship Games in like a month and a half. Which means a huge chunk of CPA will be here…”

Slamming a fist on the table, Dash contributed her own two cents. “And if they're here, then it's a good chance the magic user will be too, and they’ll want our magic for themselves!”

One hand rubbed her temples tiredly. “That is definitely one possibility.” She gave a half hearted shrug. “But without knowing anything else, I can't say for sure. Which is why I want everyone to keep their eyes and ears open for anything that could help us. Rumors, sightings, people asking too many questions…”

Her friends all exchanged looks. “In short,” Rarity filled in, “keep our eyes and ears open for the one responsible or anything that might lead to them.”

“Yeah…I’m sorry I don't have anything better,” she apologized. “It's not Equestrian style magic either, so I can't even tell you what kind of being could be using it…only that it's probably someone who is naturally human. Or started out that way.”

Fluttershy leaned over to hug her. “It’s okay, Sunset. You're doing the best you can. We all are…and that's all anyone can ask.” She gave a tentative smile. “We’re going to do our best to be ready for whatever happens in the future—we promise.”

It felt like someone had lifted weights off her shoulders, and Sunset couldn't stop herself from blowing air out her nostrils in a heavy sigh. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” the redhead mumbled, squeezing her friend back. “And…thank you, all of you, for helping me—I can't do this all alone, and it was stupid to think I could.”

A blue skinned hand rested on her arm. “We get it, Sunset,” Rainbow said with a grin. “This is the first time you’ve had a team before, instead of flying solo…and that’s going to take some getting used to.” Then she slugged Sunset’s shoulder. “I learned talking horse picture words for you, Shimmer. I wouldn't do that for just anyone.”

That made her roll her eyes. “You learned to read four words, Rainbow. Four. That's barely a complete sentence worth of words.”

“But it's enough to use your scanner thing.” The athlete’s grin widened. “Gonna do that today after practice. You said school, beach, observatory, and downtown, right?”

Sunset nodded. “Add Whitetail out by the farm and a bit north, up near Everton? If it's not too much for you?”

Dash cackled gleefully. “Too much? Are you kidding? I’ll get to practice my magic and fly at the same time! This is great!!” She wrinkled her nose. “Though it gives me a major case of the munchies when I fly a lot.”

“Maybe it's like on TV?” Lyra suggested. “Like how in things like Dragon Ball or Slayers where they need to eat a lot to generate all their energy and power?”

With a strange amount of unspoken coordination, seven sets of eyes turned to Sunset, and she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. “…um…I don't know?” The former unicorn ran a hand through her hair. “It…doesn't work like that in Equestria unless a unicorn burns their reserves of thaumic energy to dangerously low levels, but…there's also a large amount of ambient magical energy that our bodies draw in naturally, in the water, air and general environment just by being there. And any unicorns that burn themselves out like that typically end up receiving medical care to avoid death—we need a bare minimum of magic in our bodies to live. It's why any area in Equestria with a SET rating lower than one is typically an inhospitable waste—almost nothing, plant or animal will survive there.”

Considering it for a moment, she tapped her fork on the container her lunch had been in. “However, I will note that Princess Celestia and Princess Cadenza both were prone to eating a lot more on average than most ponies, without it going right to the flanks.” The former unicorn grimaced. “…something I was more than a little jealous of when I was at CSGU, I’ll admit—I always came out of winter and all those study sessions with a few extra stone packed around my haunches and barrel.” She snorted. “Turns out that turning yourself into a burrito with as many blankets as you can find, having the palace staff bring you your meals, and refusing to come out except to go to class or shower…isn't good for keeping fit.”

Rainbow started snickering. “So…you had junk in your trunk as a pony?”

Sunset stared at her hard, before sighing. “…yes, Rainbow. I don't know if you've noticed, but ponies tend to have large rounded hindquarters. We tend to pack on weight in the winter in the colder climates because unlike humans, most ponies see clothing as optional. I lived in the mountains, at an elevation about two or three times higher than here, which means frigid cold and lots of blizzards. Besides…it's…not quite the same? The truth is, rounded hindquarters are…appreciated by ponies as an attractive feature.” Her ears felt hot, and she tried not to think about how distracting Twilight’s rear was in tight pajama bottoms.

“Soooo…you're saying ponies like big butts and you cannot lie?” Pinkie’s grin was near manic, and it sent Rainbow into riotous laughter, and most of the rest of the group was grinning or snickering behind their hands. Flash caught Sunset’s eyes and gave her a wink that made her face feel like it was on fire—and from the way he was smiling, he knew what she was trying not to think of her girlfriend.

The unicorn turned human took refuge in her old friend Sarcasm. “If you must know, yes, I happen to like rounded haunches on a fetching mare. Like most ponies. I could also detail you the attractiveness in the appropriate ratio of length to thickness of the cannon and gaskin, or how the curve of the crest can turn heads, but it would be as boring to any of you as figuring out the human obsession with teats has been to me.” Granted, she’d discovered one reason for some of that fixation, but…that involved touching. Lots of touching. She and Twilight hadn't gotten much done on Saturday until almost dinner time.

Everyone looked at her now with a whole host of reactions: surprise, confusion, quiet understanding, amusement, and burning curiosity—that last one was mostly Rarity and Lyra. Rarity looked her up and down. “I do suppose we deserve the verbal jibe on that,” she commented wryly. “It certainly never dawned on me just how different physically our two species really are, or how those differences might affect standards of beauty and attraction.”

“I’m not sure those standards are that different for humans,” Bon-Bon joked. “Furries exist, remember?”

The tailor arched her brow with such a look of disappointment and disapproval that Bon-Bon winced. “I am aware, darling, but that is a conversation no one here really wants to have, considering how most of us have partial equine transformation sequences.”

“Sorry…”

She waved a hand. “Forgiven, Bon-Bon, but do be a dear and let's not bring it up again. Some corners of the internet are…best left where they are.” Then blue eyes were fixing on Sunset again, and the redhead squirmed a little in her seat. “Is the human appearance truly so alien to you?”

It took a minute to gather her thoughts, and Sunset offered a wry smile. “…not anymore? I’ve had five and a half years to get used to this body…but you’re so different from ponies that…” How could she word this in a way that made sense and did not come off as insulting? “…that I’d have to do a lot of mental work to find most people enticing in that way…and a lot of the innuendo just…falls flat?” She shrugged loosely, not sure what else to say, though a small corner of her mind prodded her about how she didn't seem to mind that mental gymnastics routine when it came to her Twilight.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Rarity mused, thinking about it. “I likely would feel somewhat similar were our situation reversed and I was in a world of talking horses…as fascinating as I would find them. They do look very different from people—not in a bad way, but I couldn't picture myself wanting to kiss one.”

Fluttershy spoke up, “That doesn't make them ugly either…just different, I think. Horses are beautiful creatures, especially when they run.” She hugged Sunset again. “Next to dogs and cats, horses are some of our oldest friends. No matter how different they look from us, we just see them as friend-shaped, and worth admiring.”

Somehow, Pinkie glommed onto her other side. “You see, Sunset! You’re friend-shaped, no matter what you look like!”

Feeling warm and fuzzy was good, but they were way off topic and lunch was going to be over soon. “Thanks, girls…but we need to focus more on what we’re trying to accomplish and less on how ponies rate each other as ‘Hot or Not’ like one of those trashy gossip rags you see in the checkout.” Sunset rubbed her nose after extricating herself from the hug. “We’ve got the park to clean on Saturday, bright and early. I’ll be getting over there at six to help set up, but the actual start time is eight. That means no regular magic practice, but I was thinking we could do something on Sunday for a few hours? And an extra long band practice tomorrow afternoon? I want to test something with our magic.”

Applejack picked up her hat from her lap and put it back on her head, now that she was done eating. “If yer convinced what yer seeing is setting its sights on Canterlot High, then we can’t be slacking now. We gotta be prepared so no one gets hurt.” Determination radiated from her like an aura. “Ah’m in. Ah’ll tell Granny ta expect me late tomorrow and everyone can eat dinner at the farm Sunday.”

“Nothing’s stopping us from practicing at home either,” Rainbow pointed out. “Even if it's just…you know, turning out Pony-ups on and off.”

“‘S a great idea, Dash,” AJ agreed. “Mebbe Ah’ll just start using mah magic fer morning chores too.”

Frowning slightly, Sunset gestured to the magical cabinet. “If you girls are going to do that, I want you to each take a dozen or so of the Sun Bites that Princess Twilight brought us. In the event you feel woozy from overtaxing your magic, eating one or two of them should help.”

The farmer nodded absently. “Sounds like a plan. Question though…ya talked ta the principals at all about all this new stuff? About it mebbe being something going on at Crystal Prep?” She wrinkled her nose up. “Seems like the kind of thing they’d want ta know ahead of time.”

Sunset sighed, waiting to answer as the warning bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch. “Not yet—I wanted to check in with Princess Twilight first for her thoughts.”

“Fair enough,” AJ said, before cautioning, “but it might be a good idea ta tell them sooner rather than later. Be bad if something happened because we weren’t warning them fast enough.”

Gathering her things, the redheaded teen sighed again. “I know, but I need to get a few answers from her first…or some more books on the subject. We’re talking about highly advanced thaumaturgical theories of dark magic—one of the most restricted subjects in all of Equestria, for a good reason. I’ll write to her this evening—she’s got a lecture at CSGU or something this week, so I’m not sure how available she is going to be. Once I have my answers, I'll be able to give the principals a little more than my feelings and some anecdotes about encounters.”

That seemed to settle her friends, and they filed out of the classroom…all except Lyra, who lingered, looking on edge. Sunset waited until everyone else had gone, before speaking in a quiet voice. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

One hand pushed a bit of pale hair back from her face. “I wanted to warn you, but everything you were saying today makes what happened make more sense…”

“Warn me about what?” Now Sunset was worried and confused.

Lyra took a breath. “CPA knows about you. Or…at least some of the students do. I mean, some of them knew about you from last year because they were my friends…but not like this…”

Confusion melted away, replaced by concern, and part of her wondered if Wallflower had blabbed—Twilight hadn’t messaged her, but that didn't mean anything. Taking a slow and deep breath, she decided to not jump to conclusions. “Why don't you start at the beginning.”

“I…got a call from one of my old classmates. I…she was kind of a friend, but…well.” The girl grimaced. “You’ve heard all the rumors about Crystal Prep, I’m sure. And you've encountered some of the students, so I’m sure you know what I mean when I say she was what passed for a friend at Crystal Prep. There were a few of us, but honestly, I think they just felt sorry for me and let me hang out with them because there was safety in numbers.”

“…I’m familiar with what you mean. Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was very like CPA at times.” Sunset could practically taste sand in her mouth, her voice was so dry. “So your…classmate called you?”

“Yeah. She’s called several times in the last two or three weeks. When she does, all she seems to want is to grill me. Asking about you—not good stuff either. She’s looking for dirt, I think. Like…she wanted to know if you were potentially involved in anything illegal, or if there was any real ugly secrets I knew.” Lyra hugged her notebooks to her chest. “I didn't like the way she sounded, and how every time she calls, she sounds…off. Angry. Worried.”

Swallowing, Sunset cribbed on her thumb. Briefly before discomfort forced her to pull it out of her mouth. “…honest answer? Was she fishing about magic, do you think?”

Lyra’s face screwed up in thought. “Maybe? It's hard to say because her questions have been all over the place. One minute she's asking if I’ve seen you do anything strange, the next she wants to know if you date a lot of people at school, and if they are boys or girls…”

“…I see…” Sunset replied, her concern growing. It could go either way—either Wallflower had run her mouth, or the source of the dark magic had learned of her involvement in purging the dark magic off Twilight’s family. Regardless of which it was, it meant trouble.

Her friend shook her head. “I really can't tell you much more than that. I’m sorry, Sunset. It could be about the magic, or it could be about something else. She keeps asking for more information, and she was pretty upset at first to find out that we’re friends now.” Lyra considered something for a moment. “She was also asking about you and Twilight Sparkle…but I don't know which Twilight she meant.”

Sunset jerked in surprise, and Lyra, seeming to take it for the admission of there being more than Twilight, explained, “There's a Twilight Sparkle that goes to Crystal Prep—nothing like the one who took you on at the formal. She’s…super smart, but she is really not a people person like the other one, you know? I was super confused last fall, but after you explained about the whole world you come from and how there's more versions of people there, it didn't take much to realize she's the pony one, and the one at CPA is from here.”

What should she do? Play ignorant, or damage control before Lyra mentioned Twilight to anyone else? She thought back, to the conversation she and her girlfriend had, about Twilight not being ready to meet a whole gaggle of girls at once, and made a decision. “I…wasn't aware,” she said in a voice that only Lyra could hear, “that you knew about Twilight as well…but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised—I knew you used to go to CPA.”

The other girl blinked in surprise of her own. “You know Twilight?”

Running a hand through her mane, Sunset shrugged nonchalantly. “Ran into her in the park sometime after the formal. We ended up talking.” She chuckled lightly. “You're right about her being different than the princess, though, and it's why I’ve not said anything to the others.”

Brows pinched together, and a moment later Lyra nodded “…yeah…that's kind of why I didn't say anything before.”

“Because she wouldn't handle everyone’s over-enthusiastic stalking and bombarding her with so much friendship all at once with anything short of a ‘full blown, Grade A, Twilight Sparkle panic attack?’” Sunset asked wryly.

“Yeah. That.”

She nodded. “Same…which is why I’m asking you to keep this just between us for now. I’m…trying to work her up to it, slowly, because I think she’d like the girls, but it's a delicate process.”

Lyra smiled brightly. “I can do that! It's just really good to hear that she has someone as a friend who…doesn't go to Crystal Prep. That school is an awful place and the people in it are either jerks or paranoid that other people are.” She made a face. “Like the classmate who has been bugging me about you. She’s a…mutual friend of mine and Twilight, but I’m not really sure she’s the best kind of friend for someone like Twilight. Not that shes a bad person but…” One hand made a loose gesture of uncertainty.

It was starting to make sense now, and Sunset’s concern started to fade. “This…classmate who called you…her name wouldn't happen to be Wallflower, would it?” When Lyra nodded, Sunset groaned. “We’ve met.” Why couldn't Wallflower have turned out to be shy and awkward like Twilight had made her sound? She was starting to feel like the green haired girl was a particularly pernicious garden weed trying to choke out vital parts of her life. “She made it very clear from minute one that she hates me and knows who I used to be. Tried to tell me to stay away from Twilight.” Her eyes hardened. “I told her it wasn't happening—Twilight has become…my best friend, and I’m not giving that up.”

Sunny yellow eyes studied her speculatively. “…part of that might be my fault. I complained a lot in group chat with them last year about you and all the stuff you did to us. …sorry about that.”

“You don't have to apologize. I was a huge bitch to everyone. I’m surprised as many people have forgiven me as they have.” Sunset rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. “It still feels weird, to be in a school where most people tolerate me instead of hate me. Kind of a first.”

“Well…I still need to say it, especially if it's causing problems now. I certainly don't agree with a lot of what Wallflower was saying about you—I wouldn't have even when you were the mean girl. You certainly never tried to sell drugs—you stopped Lightning Dust from trying to push them on the middle schoolers, everyone knows that! Truth is, I’m actually glad you're friends with Twilight; the group she and I were part of…” Lyra hesitated, then took a breath and forged ahead. “There were four of us, and I was the most socially capable one there.”

Sunset winced. “Oh. That's, um…not great.”

Shaking her head, Lyra laughed. “It's definitely not. Twilight you know—shy, socially awkward, and nervous. Wallflower…she puts a whole new meaning to ‘abrasive personality’, and Moondancer? If Twilight is socially awkward, Moondancer might as well be an alien or a robot, because she does not understand how to people at all.”

Sweet sunfire. No wonder Twilight had latched onto being her friend so hard.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Lyra spontaneously hugged her. “You're a good friend, Sunset, and exactly the kind someone like Twilight or me needs, because you don't seem to mind the parts of us that are weird or freakish.”

“Neither of you is weird or freakish,” Sunset countered. “And even if you were…hi. I’m a magical unicorn from another world. Fairly sure that means I don't have room to talk here.” She sighed. “Still…thanks for telling me about Wallflower. She has apparently been giving Twilight a hard time about me, but I didn't know she’d gone that far—I thought she was sticking to insulting me in ways that really upset Twilight.”

Lyra made a face at that. “Probably the same ones she used the other day when she called me again. I know she’s abrasive and tactless but what did she expect anyway? Calling you things like that to me, of all people? I told her if she was going to talk like that she could stuff her bigotry where the sun doesn't shine and light it on fire. She…accused me of being your sycophant and hung up on me.” She rolled her eyes. “Because me not wanting to hear her call you slurs means I’m sucking up to you. Especially when she knows about me and Bonny.”

The former bully felt terrible. “…I’m sorry for that—it's because of me that she said those things to you, and I hate that I’m turning into a catalyst that wrecks other people’s friendships.”

Her friend gave a sharp head shake as they started moving to the door. “It's not your fault she’s a closet homophobe and I’m just now finding out. I know she's dealt with bullies her whole life and her parents suck, but that's no excuse for what she’s doing. It’s certainly not being a good friend to either Twilight or me…and even if she hadn't heard things from before about you, I’m not sure things would have turned out differently. She was always very protective of the group and keeping others out…”

She paused a moment, then squeezed Sunset’s arm. “Don't let her get to you, but…be careful, okay? Wallflower might be abrasive…but if what you were saying is true, then whatever is behind all that evil magic might pay attention to what she’s saying.”

“I’ll do my best,” Sunset promised. “Thanks again for telling me…”

The other girl winked. “Hey, Wondercolts stick together, right? Well, so do those of us flying rainbows.”

Awkwardly, Sunset responded, “I never said—”

“Sunset, please. I went through a horse phase when I was little—most girls do. We know the difference between mares and stallions, colts and fillies.” Lyra arched her brows. “You specified mares earlier, and you told us before that your species has more females than males. It doesn't take a genius to put it together. Sure, you're really a unicorn, but that doesn't mean you don't count.” The girl shook her pale haired head. “We stick up for our own, because if we don't, no one will stick up for us.” Then she was all smiles again. “Oh, and tell Twilight I said hi! She can still message or call me, anytime—I’d love to catch up!”

She swept out of the room, joining the crush of students in the hall and leaving a somewhat stunned Sunset in her wake.

This chapter dropping dead center of Pride Month was more a moment of accidental serendipity than anything, but yeah. Seems theres a bit more to bubbly Lyra than most people think.

She's known the whole time there were two Twilights.

She's also got a few opinions on Wallflower's shenanigans.

Careful Sunset, your two lives are coming closer to colliding catastrophically.

...Principal Cinch is not prepared for the eventuality of a school full of people who know magic is real and are ready to punch it in the face with cold iron and salt. This is going to go fantastically.

*grins evilly* And yes, I did poke fun at some of the weirder parts of the internet. They know what they did. :P Especially my big rainbow colored furry pal who prodded me into writing this story down in the first place and bugs me EVERY TIME I SEE HIM about what I've written this month.

I am never sorry about any of the horrible pop culture references and bad jokes I make. You should know that by now.

Lets see...

If you haven't seen the anime Slayers...Go watch it. Highly recommend. Its absolutely funny fantasy shit that feels like someone's D&D game made into an anime. Complete with all of the horrible jokes. How can you possibly go wrong with a show whose main character is a scrawny, redheaded teen sorceress who's primary source of income is killing bandits and stealing their loot?

Also Lina has the exact same color scheme going on as Sunset usually rocks. Quite funny to me.

Alright, cats and kittens! Take care, have a good weekend, and Happy Pride Month from the Rubicon team! *waves a rainbow flag*