Sunset held the door open for her girlfriend, the other hand holding Twilight’s helmet out to her. “Figured if we have a little time we could hit the used bookstore for a few minutes. If traffic isn't too terrible, that is.” The grateful smile the younger girl flashed her spoke volumes about how nervous she was about this meet-up with Lyra.

“Please be safe,” Velvet said from the front hall. “Traffic can be bad, and this time of year the roads are almost more dangerous than the dead of winter, since the temperature has been so erratic lately.”

Smiling, Sunset quipped, “We’ll be safe, Mrs. Velvet, and I’ll get her home by dinnertime—wouldn't want to miss the best part of her daily schedule. Sparky would never speak to me again if I did that.”

Her girlfriend gave her a mock glare from inside the star marked helmet. “I would not!”

“Sparky, the last time I disrupted your schedule, you were grumpy at me all night.”

Velvet laughed lightly. “She’s not entirely wrong, sweetheart. You are very particular about schedules.” Then she looked at Sunset. “Are you joining us for dinner tonight? I’m making a spin on a breakfast casserole, so it wouldn't be hard to make a small pan and put spinach and zucchini and maybe some bell peppers in it instead of bacon and sausage.”

Sunset brightened. “…that sounds amazing—I’ve been living off take-out and delivery all weekend.”

“Yes, Shining mentioned your weekend had been a little eventful.” Velvet patted her shoulder. “Stay for dinner tonight, and we can hear all about why he had to ask a patrol car to pop over.”

Shaking her head, the former unicorn chuckled. “That wasn't even the weirdest part of the day,” she admitted. “That honor goes to this friend of my friend Fluttershy…I’m still not really sure what she was saying half the time.” She flipped the visor down on her helmet. “We’ll be back for dinner and stories then.”

“Have fun, girls!” the woman called as Sunset swung a leg over her bike and waited for her best friend to climb on behind her.

There was more than a little bit of guilty pleasure in feeling Twilight press close against her leather clad back and snake arms tight around her middle….especially now, when the girl took a brief second to let her hands move higher than strictly necessary. “Sparky…” she teased as they backed slowly out of the drive. “…those aren't handles.”

She felt the helmets tap together, and the two way communicators that they had rigged up using some modified radio transmitters and a pair of bluetooth headsets inside the helmets so they could talk while on the road clicked. “…but Sunny…I feel safer this way…”

“Nerd. You know I can't focus when you do that. In the interest of doing like your mom said and driving safe, those greedy little hands of yours need to be lower.” She paused for effect. “…not much lower, of course…”

Twilight obliged by reluctantly moving her hands down until Sunset felt safe enough to drive. As she turned out of the neighborhood onto the regular roadway, she asked, “You okay? You're pretty tense.”

“…just nervous. What if Lyra’s upset that I stopped talking to her?”

The redhead made a thoughtful sound in her throat. “I…didn’t get that feeling from her. If anything, she seemed…more concerned about how you were doing at Crystal Prep with it just being you and Wallflower these days.” Sunset was proud of herself for not hesitating or putting negativity into how she said Wallflower’s name.

Twilight was quiet for several red lights, processing that. “Oh,” she responded at last, fingers twitching restlessly against Sunset’s stomach. “That's…I didn't realize I’d made her worry.”

How to phrase this without triggering Twilight’s need to defend her school? “She…is pretty aware of the school environment of CPA, and how hostile it was for you,” she began hesitantly. “She said that it…wasn't a setting that encouraged a lot of healthy friendships, and that since your social circle was…small already, losing a good bit of it would leave you open to some pretty unpleasant people who might want to take advantage?” At least, that was the impression Sunset had gotten from reading between the lines in the two conversations they’d had about Twilight and CPA.

“…now I feel even more terrible for never really trying to keep in contact,” Twilight said softly.

Putting as much reassurance as she could into her voice, Sunset responded, “I’d say the more important thing to focus on is that you're making the effort now, Sparky…you can't change what’s already done, but you can decide how to do things differently now—you taught me that, remember?”

Sheepishly, the other girl sighed and answered, “l…you're right, Sunny…on both counts.”

“Look, as far as I can tell, Lyra reached out because she misses you as her friend, and you're willing to meet her in that, even if you are worried about it. If she was upset I dont think she would have been so concerned about what was going on with Wallflower, and she wouldn't have wanted to get together to catch up. I really do think you're going to be okay. And if you want to try and go in best foot forward, maybe you can find her a little something at the bookstore?”

Again, silence other than the roar of the engine and howling of the wind whipping at them persisted for several turns and stop lights, as her girlfriend processed her words and her suggestion. Finally, as she eased into a spot against the curb about halfway between the bookstore and milkshake place, Twilight answered her. “I think that sounds like a great idea, Sunset. She was always a fan of cryptozoology…maybe they’ll have something on that.”

Dropping the kickstand and taking off her helmet to shake her hair out, Sunset chuckled. “They might, Sparky. We can look—we’ve got about fifteen minutes until Lyra’s supposed to be here.”

Once the helmets were stowed in the bike, the couple stepped into the familiar bookstore, waving at Quill behind the counter, and ducked into the stacks. Sunset glanced around, and determining they were alone, reached out and slipped her hand into Twilight’s.

Purple eyes met blue-green, and the younger girl gave Sunset a soft smile, squeezing her hand. “Help me look for a good gift book?” she asked softly.

“Of course I will…” Sunset bumped her shoulder to Twilight’s and they shared a giggle as they began picking through the non-fiction section on everything from space aliens to ESP to werewolves to things like bigfoot. Likely nonsense, most of it, by Sunset’s measure—there were very few hard facts, instead relying on folktale, anecdotes from questionable sources, and religious superstitions to flesh out the texts.

While skimming over Twilight’s shoulder as she flipped through a book on a giant reptile called the ‘Mokele-mbembe,’ Sunset pressed her body briefly against her girlfriend’s back, pressing a light and brief kiss to her ear. “Maybe something a little closer to home?”

Twilight shivered, and set the book back on the shelf. “Like…what?”

Sunset scanned the shelves, and reached out to pull it out. “What about this one?” she asked.

Lavender fingers brushed hers as Twilight took the book, and the pair shared a smile. “Oh! Cryptids of America, a Comprehensive and Historical Encyclopedia! Sunny, this is perfect!”

The former unicorn grinned crookedly. “Glad I could help.” Another kiss was stolen, her lips brushing Twilight’s cheek. “Now c’mon. Let’s pay for this so we’re not late.”

A few minutes later saw them stepping into the little shop that sold sweets, desserts, and beverages (hot and cold) of every descriptor. Sunset was holding their purchases with one hand and holding the door for her girlfriend with the other. They were barely inside when Lyra’s voice called out, “Sunset! Twilight! Over here!”

The bubbly girl was practically bouncing as they wandered over to the booth she had gotten for them. “Hey, Lyra,” Sunset said casually, setting their bag of purchases on the table. “Sorry we’re a little late. We got here early but made the mistake of killing time in the used bookstore.”

“It’s fine! I get it! Bonny and I have the same problem in the games store!” Then she turned her attention to Twilight, and Sunset could practically feel the giddy joy rolling off her in waves. “Omigosh, Twilight! It's been too long, and I’m so glad to see you again!” Bouncing a little in place, she looked a bit uncertain. “…would it be alright if I hugged you?”

Twilight’s face lit up at the words, and Sunset could almost feel the tension drain out of her. “…you remembered,” she said, almost too quiet to hear, before clearing her throat.

Lyra’s smile only grew wider. “Of course I did. We’re friends, even if it's been a few years. It's not like we had a big fight or anything.”

“I would definitely welcome a hug right now, Lyra…” The dark haired girl took a step forward, opening her arms for said hug. “One of your real, proper hugs.”

As Sunset watched, Lyra gleefully gave Twilight a hug that lifted her clear off her feet..something she’d only seen her do before when she greeted Pinkie or Flash. “I’m so glad to see you!” Lyra exclaimed as she set Twilight back on her feet and slid into one side of the booth. “You look great! How have things been going for you….?”

The lavender skinned girl slid into the seat on the opposite side of the table. “It's a mixed bag,” she confessed. “Suri is still making my life miserable at school, and…”

Sunset smiled, and slipped off to the counter to get their milkshakes while the two friends caught up. She watched them while she waited in line, less trying to listen in and more focusing on Twilight’s body language in case her girlfriend needed something. What she observed told her it was actually going well, even when the subject matter was less than pleasant—from the snippets she could hear, it sounded like Twilight was catching her up on the happenings at Crystal Prep. Something that might offer useful insight if she said anything in passing to the former CPA student that she wouldn't think to mention to Sunset.

Speaking of…

It was a bit awkward, extending her senses while waiting in line, but necessary, as she swept them both for any hints of the dark magic that seemed to be originating from CPA. Lyra was clean—but after being exposed two or three times to the Rainbow of Light (Sunset wasn't sure if the impromptu one in their research room during her vision counted or not), Sunset was not surprised by that. Not much she knew of could handle being exposed to the full power of the combined Elements, not even beings like Nightmare Moon or Discord or the worst beings in Equestria stood a chance once the Elements called down the Rainbow. As for Twilight…she seemed free of any malignant magic…but Sunset had learned not to trust it, and as she paid for three milkshakes and a couple slices of chocolate cheesecake, she pushed a probing tendril of magic at both of them.

Her magic passed over Lyra without issue, but when it brushed Twilight, she could feel something ignite and shrivel up, a horrible twisting feeling on her senses. Tirek’s teeth chewing on Grogar’s bells! When she figured out the source, she was going to have the girls shove a rainbow laser up their sun-forsaken backside and—

“Two double chocolate and strawberry, one mint chocolate, and three slices of chocolate cheesecake?” The server offered her a tray that balanced their goodies. “Enjoy, and thanks for choosing Caramel’s Delights.”

Nodding in thanks of her own, Sunset took the tray and headed back to the table, sliding in next to Twilight in the middle of a talk about their other mutual friend…Moonprancer? Moonracer?

“…got a letter from Moondancer a week ago,” Lyra was saying. “She sent some gorgeous sketches of some of the statues in town! There was this one, that was supposed to be…”

Right. Moondancer. Sunset should probably remember that name at some point before the girl came back from her year abroad. It would be a little rude to mess it up since she was one of Twilight’s friends…even if Twilight had very little to ever say about her.

She wordlessly slid her dork of a girlfriend her milkshake and dessert treat, which was accepted with a genuinely happy smile. The smile made the redhead feel even better for encouraging this meeting—it was going a hundred million times better than her first meeting with Wallflower, and ironically, Lyra was someone who had seen her at her absolute worst. It was something Twilight needed, both to reconnect with an old friend, and to see that Wallflower was the exception, not the rule.

So for now, Sunset sipped her milkshake, listened with half an ear—an old skill learned from many years of formal dinners and parties where nobles and dignitaries prattled pedantically about things that would only interest a bureaucrat, not a teenage filly who would much rather be studying magic—or getting a painful and embarrassing medical procedure with no anesthesia—than listen to the inane details of how construction mortar needed the right balance of ingredients to deal with both the rigorous winters of the Luminary Range and the horrendous summer storms that always seemed to target Mount Canter and the terraces of the city specifically. Much of what was being discussed was related to mutual experiences the other girls had had at Crystal Prep, with classes, teachers, or classmates, and she had little to add and almost no frame of reference outside of how much it reminded her of CSGU.

Until Twilight brought up something Sunset did have a vested interest in.

“…so…Sunset mentioned you had talked to Wallflower recently…?” Twilight toyed with the remnants of the cheesecake on her plate.

Lyra rolled her eyes. “If you can call it that,” she complained bitterly. “I’ve barely heard from her outside of email and instant messages all year, and now all of a sudden, she’s calling all the time…but not to talk to me about anything. She’s just trying to dig up dirt, and bad mouthing Sunset.” She sighed and sipped her milkshake. “I know part of that is because I used to complain a lot about how big of a bitch you were, Sunset—no offense—”

Sunset sighed. “None taken,” she managed without grimacing. “It's not a lie, and when you were talking about it, it was the truth. I was a bully and a total bitch to everyone, and I was an awful person. You had every right to complain about my behavior to your friends.”

“Right…but you’ve changed. You're not that person anymore, Sunset. And I’ve told her that…that you realized what you were doing was wrong, and have worked hard to be a better person.”

Twilight made a frustrated sound. “I’ve told her the same thing, but she doesn't want to believe me either.”

Lyra’s expression turned serious. “And she won't likely change that opinion anytime soon, Twilight.” She rubbed her temples. “Wallflower doesn't like change…and she’s always been very standoffish with people outside the friend group. That's just who she is—she isn't the most welcoming person in the world, and she can be abrasive. For whatever reason, she has decided that Sunset is her nemesis in some way.”

Slinging her arm around Twilight’s shoulders, Sunset hugged her girlfriend. “And that's not your job to change her mind, Sparky. She has to make her own choices…just like I did. It’s okay if she doesn't like me—I’m sorry that it didn't work out, having her and I be friends, but we just need to let it go, and realize there will be other opportunities for us to have mutual friends in the future.”

Her brows furrowed, Twilight glanced between the two of them. “…I…know you’re right. I just really wanted it to work with Wallflower.”

“And you tried, Twilight,” Lyra said. “You and Sunset both tried…but friendship is a two way street. Wallflower wasn't wanting to meet you halfway, either of you.” She reached across the table to pat Twilight’s arm. “But it's not the end of the world—I have a lot of friends I’d love to introduce you to, that I think you’d really like, and a lot of them are Sunset’s friends too. Like my girlfriend, Bon-Bon! She’s awesome, but super understanding of even weirdos like me, so I know she’d like you! Oh, or Fluttershy, who is super sweet and nice, and she’ll love talking about Spike! She loves animals, and knows a whole lot about them. Or…”

As the conversation turned to Lyra listing all her various friends and acquaintances that she wanted Twilight to know, Sunset let herself go back to skimming the conversation. She gave Twilight one last shoulder squeeze, before removing her arm back to her own space—too long and it would be entering into ‘more than friends’ territory. It didn't stop Lyra from giving her a not so subtle grin and wink when Twilight had turned her head to look out the window for a moment, thinking about how to answer a question.

Great. She’d probably have to explain it later like she did with Flash.

Thankfully, for Twilight’s nerves and Sunset’s sanity, Lyra didn't say anything. Which was good, because the one thing she wasn't prepared for was Twilight having a panic attack if someone else pushed her into admitting that she and the former unicorn were dating. She may not have witnessed the Wallflower thing first hand for that, but she’d been dealing with the fallout since Twilight had told her, and a part of her really wanted to dig into some of the old Sunset’s tactics to get even and teach the little plant obsessed bi—

Breathe, Shimmer. Just breathe, she told herself firmly. You don't do that anymore, as tempting as it is. Yes, she really has hurt Twilight, but you shouldn’t go Queen Bitch on her. You’ve decided that’s not the way anymore.

Exhaling slowly, Sunset forced those thoughts down and away. She could rant and scream into a pillow at her loft later. Right now she was here to be Twilight’s moral support—not that the younger girl really needed it as she was shyly offering her gift out to Lyra with a sort of apology, her face lighting up in delight when Lyra got super excited over the book. That was okay though. This was the best sequence of events she could have hoped for, and seeing her best friend so obviously happy made every other bit worth it. Sunset smiled and leaned back sipping her drink and just let the world around her flow over her like water…

Until she thought her eyes caught a glimpse of frizzy, ugly colored yellow hair that reminded her of old mustard. Jolting forward, she focused out the window, searching the people on the street…

…to find nothing. No one familiar. Just random people on the street.

She really needed to get more sleep. Her mind was starting to make stuff up. First her own nightmares with the demonic version of herself, now fleeting glimpses of Adagio. What was next? Nightmare Moon’s shadow threatening to cover the world in darkness? …wouldn't that be a real Diamond Dog in the treasury?

Sunset shook herself out of her own thoughts when she heard the opening bars of a rather aggressive song start playing. Lyra gave them both an apologetic smile. “One sec—that’s Bonny.” She answered the phone.

Taking the chance while Lyra was chatting with her girlfriend, Sunset checked up on her own. “How you doing, Sparky?”

Twilight beamed up at her with one of those bright smiles that never ceased to make Sunset feel all warm and satisfied inside. “Really good, actually. I…I needed this. Thank you, Sunny.”

“Anytime, nerd.” Sunset reached out and tweaked her nose. “It's what best friends do, remember?”

That got the laugh she wanted, and a hug. And if they were still a hug tangle when Lyra hung up and apologized again, well, Sunset really couldn't find it in herself to care.

“I’m sorry about that, but I’m going to have to head out—Bonny is picking me up and I’m eating at her house tonight. Mom’s on this super vegan diet kick, and doesn't seem to get that I’m allergic to soy.” Lyra rolled her eyes. “Sunset, you ought to give her pointers sometime about how to eat a restrictive diet and not be a dick to everyone about it. Someone needs to—I’m sooooo tired of the diet fad of the month. I’m seventeen! I like pizza and fast food and eating my weight in sugar at sleepovers with my friends! How is that hard to understand?!”

Sunset frowned. “I’m not sure she’d listen to me, but…Lyra, if it gets bad, and Bon-Bon can’t always let you eat at her place, tell us. If you don't mind regular vegetarian, Twilight’s mom keeps filling my freezer, and I’m happy to share. Or I can float you some extra cash and help you grocery shop on a small budget—there's this local grocer a few blocks from my place that's great for fresh foods and while it's…not my thing, they get their meat sourced from the local butcher. I can introduce you to Mr. Yama and his wife—they own the grocer and they're very sweet people.” Memories of gnawing hunger so consuming that even the smell of cheap hotdogs had made her drool and fishing things out of the trash behind more than one restaurant made Sunset shudder. “I won’t see a friend go hungry, and neither will any of the rest of our friends.”

Lyra had gotten up to leave and she leaned into the booth to hug Sunset tightly. “Thank you, Sunset. I’ll be okay for now—Bonny’s dad loves cooking, and he likes me—but if it's ever an issue…I’ll remember that.” She let Sunset go and looked at Twilight. “Don't let Wallflower’s bad attitude poison you. You could have done a lot worse than Sunset as a best friend, Twilight. I hope you know how lucky you are.”

The redhead couldn't see it, but she could hear the warm affection in Twilight’s voice when she answered her departing friend. “I do…Sunset’s the best friend I ever could have asked for.”

Sunset could do nothing to hide her blush, or the pleased smile tugging at her lips.

One last fluff and fun chapter before some shit goes down.

Bruhahaha.

Sounds like Lyra's got Wallflower's number. And I'm not talking about her phone number.