Sunset slid off the bike, pulling off her helmet and shaking out her hair. Driving had felt good, and had helped to get rid of the last vestiges of her anger. Retrieving her pillow and sleeping bag, she was dumping the helmet in the storage compartment when Rainbow’s voice came from behind her.

“Holy shit, Shimmer…you didn’t tell us you rode a bike…or had such a badass ride.” Rainbow had stepped out of Pinkie’s house and was now practically drooling over her motorcycle, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“…It's nothing too special,” she responded. “…it's mostly cobbled together from parts I got at the junkyard or from auto parts places.”

There was a long pause where Rainbow stared at her. “Are you saying you built it? From junk?”

Nervous laughter bubbled from her. “Um…kinda? I mean, I didn’t really do anything big, like welding the parts or anything, I just put the pieces together the way the diagrams and tutorials showed. I did pay for the paint job, but that was way beyond me.”

“Cool…cool…So. When we head out to AJ’s farm in the morning for practice, can I ride double with you? That’ll mean everyone else can fit in Rarity’s car. Speaking of which, VP posted the schedule, we’re not on until one. Morning rehearsal in the barn since we can set up there.”

The redhead rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dash, you can ride on the bike with me. Only got the one helmet though, so don’t expect me to go too crazy.”

“We can stop by my house and get mine.” At the arched eyebrow, she shrugged. “I do motocross sometimes. I like the speed. It's not something you’re really allowed to do on the streets though.”

“Fine. Now…can we go inside? I’m about to freeze off parts of me I really don't want frozen.”

Seven girls and a dragon-turned-dog sprawled in various areas of Pinkie’s bedroom. Applejack and Rainbow were competing loudly in a video game, while Pinkie lay on the floor, clicking away at her laptop. Princess Twilight, in borrowed PJs, sat on the bed scribbling away at a notebook. Fluttershy was sitting with Spike, while Rarity and Sunset were nearby, talking while Rarity fiddled with her phone’s camera so she could take pictures of the party for herself. All the girls had already swapped over to pajamas, and a small feast in pizza was on its way to the house.

“Status update,” Pinkie chirped cheerfully to no one as she typed. “Okie-dokie-loki.”

Rarity brought Sunset and Fluttershy in close to snap a picture of the three of them, only to scowl and give Spike a glower when she realized he’d photobombed them while holding a milkbone. The creature in the canine body just laughed at them. The sound of a thump, followed by Applejack’s indignation came from the two gaming buddies.

“Hey! Ah was about ta beat ya!”

The athlete scoffed. “I doubt it.” She looked over her shoulder. “So, Twilight, how's that counter-spell coming?”

That caught Sunset’s attention and she flicked her gaze towards the princess. Said princess was making a very anxious face at the notebook, and jolted in surprise at the question directed her way. That…didn’t bode well in Sunset’s mind. Especially when she started flipping pages quickly away from the one she’d been staring at. “…oh, uh…good? Great.” Her eyes turned, finding an opportune distraction in Fluttershy—another warning bell for Sunset in the list of ‘impending Twilight Freakout signs’. “Thanks for letting me use your notebook, Fluttershy.” The princess gave her a smile. “I really like the song you wrote for the Rainbooms.”

Fluttershy hugged Pinkie’s alligator plush. “Thanks.” When Princess Twilight’s attention returned to the book, the animal lover let out a sigh and muttered, “Hopefully one day we’ll get a chance to play it,” her eyes giving an accusatory stare at the back of Rainbow’s head as she played a childish game of keep-away with the console controller. Sunset frowned, and wondered if maybe she should pull Rainbow aside and mention the way she kept walking all over Fluttershy’s desire to play one of her songs…but was it really her place? She was still learning here, trying to understand interpersonal dynamics that had been around in this world for a lot longer than she had. It was one thing to figure out how people ticked to manipulate them for her own gain…trying to navigate the minefield when you cared about the other person’s response was a lot harder.

Rarity flounced onto the bed and put her arm around Princess Twilight’s shoulders. “Twilight, I think I speak for all of us when I say I don’t know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t come back to help us.” The rest of the girls murmured enthusiastic agreements, and while Sunset found herself nodding along, the only thing she could think about was the sweater inside her pillowcase and the girl it belonged to.

I couldn’t do this without your help, Sparky, she thought fervently.

Then the doorbell rang, and her stomach encouraged her to race for the food with everyone else, even though she knew there was no rush. The veggie pizza was just for the two Equestrians—there had been a brief debate where they’d suggested a variety of toppings to the royal, but Sunset, remembering her own surprise interactions with meat and the human proclivity for it on several occasions, had explained the situation firmly to all of them, including their royal guest. Princess Twilight had turned particularly green at the concept and eagerly allowed Sunset Shimmer to choose the toppings for their pizza.

The pressure of another body sliding into the sleeping bag made Sunset snap her eyes open, the scent of honeysuckle teasing her nose. Blinking blearily at the form wriggling into her bedding, she recognized it even in the dim light of the moon streaming through the window. At first, her confused brain wondered why the princess was joining her, but a snore and glance to the bed made her realize that the princess was in her own sleeping arrangement. That meant…

“Sparky?” she mumbled in a breathy whisper.

Lips brushed hers in a hello. “Of course it's me, silly…who else would it be?” Arms slid around her waist as Twilight got comfortable.

Sunset nuzzled the other girl. “What are you doing here? How did you even find me?” The questions didn’t stop her from pulling her girlfriend into the familiar position they both enjoyed, burying her face in that lavender skinned neck, kissing and nipping at the flesh she found there with affectionate little love nibbles.

Twilight let out a happy sigh, fingers finding their way into Sunset’s mane. “…you wanted me here, so I came.”

The redhead smiled against Twilight’s skin. “…mmm…I did need this…” She kissed her way back up her girlfriend’s neck, leaving a trail along her jawline to get to her lips, claiming them far more roughly than she usually did. Twilight let out a surprised squeak, before responding eagerly, lips parting invitingly.

The invitation was answered gladly, and Sunset found herself twisting in the sleeping bag so that she could pin the dark haired girl under her own body, making a sound as close to a nicker as a human throat could manage while she enjoyed the searing kiss that was making her body feel light and tingly. She’d kissed Sparky like this once before, when she was struggling to put her feelings, her fears into words, and it had been just as wonderful then. Desire…hunger….it arc’ed between them like lightning up a jacob’s ladder, back and forth, growing in strength as it passed from one girl to the other and then back again.

“Sunny….” Twilight mewled, panting as the former unicorn kissed the hollow of her throat, hands pushing the pajama shirt up to expose more of that lavender skin to the wandering touch. Fire burned under her skin everywhere they touched, and she could feel it…an aching, primal need rising in them both.
Shirts ended up somewhere—she didn’t really pay too much attention, too eager to press kisses to newly exposed flesh. “….mine…” she heard herself whisper in the dark, the lambent glow from her eyes casting eerie shadows on Twilight’s face as she looked up at the girl she adored. “…you’re mine, Sparky…”

Purple eyes stared at her, the gaze feeling like a bolt of magic to her core. “…all yours, Sunset,” Twilight breathed, the tone of her voice triggering a stronger response than the former unicorn could have ever imagined. She let out a sound that was closer to a growl this time, mouth latching onto her partner’s flesh, teeth and tongue and lips leaving behind more of those love bites, satisfied when the other form writhed under the onslaught.

It was almost too much, feeling and sensation and emotion and hunger blurring into an inferno inside her, demanding release, and she dragged her body against her Twilight’s, wiggling and reaching in the confines of the sleeping bag. There was progress made and she felt pleasantly cooler fingers run over the curve of her hip, causing a shudder to pass over sweaty amber skin. “Sparky….” Sunset panted, begging and telling and demanding all at once…Nothing in her life had ever made her feel like this…She wanted more…She wanted those fingers to move…She wanted…

She wasn’t even sure what it was she wanted…but she still wanted it…

Then the fingers obeyed the plea she never realized had fallen from her lips…and her eyes went wide and she would swear she saw stars…

….Only to be jolted awake by the sound of a door closing.

Sunset sat halfway up in her sleeping bag, heart racing, the blurry remnants of the dream still in the forefront of her mind. Her entire face felt hot, and she knew she was blushing badly. Her skin tingled and her mouth felt dry, and her emotions were in utter chaos, fear and discomfort jarring against the foreign desires left behind by her sleeping mind. She slid out of the bag, hoping that she hadn’t talked in her sleep, and stumbled to her feet.

Bathroom first, to cool her burning face and try and get the lingering mental sensation of lavender fingers from her mind, trying not to wonder what her Twilight was dreaming about right at that moment. Then maybe to the kitchen for a drink and a snack….

There was a light on in the kitchen, Sunset realized a short time later as she wandered that way, intent on getting at least a glass of water. Curiosity got the better of her and she tiptoed on silent feet, hearing a frustrated sounding voice mumbling from within. Recognizing it, she leaned on the door frame a minute, not sure how exactly to start this conversation. This was the first time she’d been left alone with the alicorn princess.

…How would she have spoken to Sparky, once upon a time?

—Not sure that’s a helpful thought. This one isn’t Sparky. Watching her today has made that abundantly clear in so many ways. Face it, horn-head, using Sparky as a metric is not that effective here. Princess Sparkle-Butt might as well be a stranger for all you know about her.—

A total stranger who didn’t seem to like her that much. How was she supposed to go about this then? She barely had a handle on serious conversations with the few people she considered friends, and very little experience getting to know total strangers—and in this case, Stupid Little Voice was right. All day long, she’d been relying heavily on her knowledge of the human girl named Twilight Sparkle to understand and gauge the pony version’s behavior, and time and again, it had proved to be more disorienting than anything, as this Twilight’s reactions and responses to things were so very different. She didn’t know Princess Twilight Sparkle at all; instead, she’d fallen back on old habits and assumed she knew.

“Hey, Twilight. You’re up late.”

—Oh yeah, original and obvious. Your conversational skills are a credit to your species, you know that?—

Sunset resisted the urge to snort aloud. At least it was safe and neutral?

Her presence had been unnoticed until she spoke, that much was obvious from the way Princess Twilight jolted in surprise and snapped the notebook shut, cheeks turning pink with embarrassment at being caught. “Just…looking over the counterspell…” She picked up the notebook and stared at it, exhaustion and worry written on her face. “We only get one shot at this. It has to be perfect.”

Sunset padded into the kitchen. There was a stressor she could understand—the drive for perfection in her work. She’d held herself to those kinds of standards years ago at CSGU. Nothing but the best had been good enough for her, especially from herself. She offered an attempt at a friendly and natural smile, still feeling like it failed as she absently opened the refrigerator. “We really are lucky you’re here,” she found herself saying, squelching the negative emotions that had been eating at her all day so it didn’t leak into her voice. She wasn’t entirely sure who she was saying it for: herself or the princess, or what she was trying to convince either of them to believe.

—Wonderful, horn-head. Really wonderful. What are you going to tell her next? That its a privilege to be allowed to breathe the same air as her? Self-effacement doesn’t suit you.—

She heard the tired sigh behind her as she turned to look in the fridge, her eyes being met with what appeared to be several dozen cans of Reddi-whip. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” Princess Twilight murmured, and she didn’t sound happy about it.

“…Who could possibly need this much whipped cream?” she asked rhetorically, before answering the other pony’s statement. “…must be nice to have everyone always looking to you for answers,” she noted, losing the battle with some of the negativity, more than a hint of bitterness in her words. The redhead grabbed a can of whipped cream and turned around, tilting it to spray some of the sugary product on her thumb. “…Instead of waiting for you to cause a problem…” And wasn’t that the root of most of her problems in the last few months, the source of the emotional roller-coaster she’d been trapped on? Everyone outside of a select few—mostly Sparky and her family—had been holding their breath for the last few months, waiting for Sunset the Tyrant Bitch to make her reappearance. Even Sunset struggled with it, wondering how long it would be before she ruined everything for herself and others. It was one of the reasons she didn’t ask to be in the band, it was why she didn’t fight back against the constant insults, barbs, and hurtful comments, and it's why she was here right now, instead of where her heart desired to be. The Equestrian exile wanted so badly to be better than the monster she had become, but some days it didn’t feel like she was getting anywhere. Today had been one of those days, and all that was keeping her plodding forward with her head down was her promise to the enthralled administrators to free them from their magical enslavement.

Princess Twilight looked down at the pages, shoulders sagging. “Just because everyone expects something from you doesn’t mean it's going to happen.” Purple eyes met hers, and she could see just how battered the other pony was. It was a surprise…she didn’t realize an alicorn could look so…weary. It made her wonder just what was really going on back in Equestria. The words sank in, and she found the answer falling from her lips, the truth helping to relieve some of the boulder that had remained sitting on her chest.

“Well, that doesn’t stop them from expecting it…” she sighed, and was aware of the princess continuing the thought.

“Which only makes things harder because the last thing you want to do is…”

“Let everybody down…” Sunset had intended to pick up where the princess had started to trail off, only to realize that they’d both uttered it at the same time. Startled purple eyes sought out blue-green, the two Equestrian natives staring at each other in surprise—one, the failed student, the runaway, the exile, who’d fallen hard and had been climbing back up against all the stones being cast down upon her head, the other, the prized protege, who had ascended to new heights most could only dream of, with more potential and capability than just about any other pony born in three hundred years…and in that instant…Sunset saw not the weird doppelganger of her adorable nerd, but herself, through the looking glass.

The revelation rocked her reality, shattering her entire perception of the other pony, every assumption, every preconceived notion, every judgmental belief about the mare who had succeeded her as the personal pupil under the Princess of the Sun… Princess Twilight wasn’t this perfect little princess, not the replacement she’d imagined, this powerful goddess like she’d always viewed Celestia, or even some warped reflection of the human girl that Sunset had bonded so deeply with. She was someone completely different than the wayward unicorn had envisioned, her mind constructing this being that was ‘everything-that-Sunset-was-but-better-in-every-possible-way’, the student that Princess Celestia ‘deserved’ instead of one angry little orphan who challenged her at every turn…

The lavender alicorn was, in truth, no different than Sunset was, a pony with expectations and demands heaped upon her, unwilling to give up or admit it was too much, whether from fear or pride, even if it broke her… It was something that Sunset had lived with her whole life, from the time she was old enough to understand that the Princess was not her mother but her guardian and teacher, but in her own twisted up mind, she’d never stopped to consider that it was not a situation entirely unique to her. The strongest unicorn of a generation—or in several generations—powerful enough to earn personal attention from an immortal goddess, always expected to excel, always expected to be the prodigy, always expected to be as calm and contained and knowledgeable as the Princess of the Sun herself, as if spending time with the Solar ruler would make them into something higher than the average mortal pony…

What made it worse was that it was an expectation they even demanded of themselves, despite knowing just how impossible that was to achieve. It also made her wonder if coming here was almost like a vacation of sorts for Princess Twilight, allowing her to get away from so many of the things others demanded.

—You think that’s why she acts like a teenager when she’s here, instead of a grown mare? Or is it just rampaging monkey hormones addling her brain? You know they wrecked you until you got used to them.—

It would explain a great deal of the princess’ behavior, if this was the only place where she wasn’t under constant scrutiny and impossible demands, even with the crisis they were facing. The humans appreciated her, looked up to her…but like with Sunset, it never seemed to occur to them that Princess Twilight was anything other than a teenager just like them—Sunset wasn’t even entirely sure that the Princess herself was aware of the portal’s tendency to shave a number of years off a pony’s age when they crossed over, or that her human friends were all still technically children. Though to be fair, it was something she was still dealing with herself, and she’d been living in the human world for years.

—It also doesn’t help that you spend most of your free time with Sparky. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Sparky was the grown adult, and the princess the awkward adolescent, just by talking to them.—

Sunset didn’t even have to consider whether or not to concede that point. Talking with her girlfriend always felt more like speaking with someone her own age and maturity level, someone who just…got everything she was trying to say, who seemed capable of interpreting her emotions from something as simple as a single word or a change in expression.

She really is nothing like my Twilight, even if they look like twins.

Blue-green eyes studied the princess before her again, her thoughts taking a bemused turn as the realization grew in her mind that she could easily separate the two Twilights in her own thoughts. Princess Twilight Sparkle may have shared certain personality traits and features with the glasses wearing human girl that took Sunset’s breath away, but that was as far as it really went. She was a completely different individual, in so many ways large and small, that even the weird doppelganger-attraction that had been niggling at Sunset all day dissolved away. The more the redhead looked, the more the princess looked just like every other human did to her—all gangly and ugly with flat features and freaky limbs, and even the knowledge of what the alicorn looked like as a pony didn’t provide any kind of appeal.

—It’s not like you have some sort of lust for purple-skinned bipedal apes, you know. Just because she is similar to Sparky doesn’t mean you’re automatically required to want to stick your tongue down her throat.—

Aaaand that was a picture she never wanted in her head. Stupid little voice…
She moved to close the fridge door, trying to scrub that unpleasant mental image away with thoughts of literally anything else possible. When something moved in the darkness, she reared back in instinctive surprise, letting out a startled yell.

Maud Pie, Pinkie’s older sister, stared at her apathetically from the dark, before holding up a rock. “Boulder was hungry.” She reached into a cupboard for some crackers, and wandered off, emotionless and silent as she had appeared, all in less time than it took for Sunset to calm her racing heart.

She backed up against the bar, more than a little jittery, grimacing, before half turning and whispering to Princess Twilight, “I still can’t get over the fact that she’s related to Pinkie Pie.”

“You and me both,” the royal said with a giggle, which Sunset found herself joining with a laugh of her own.

She yawned, exhaustion finally catching up with her—that, and whatever 'moment' that had sparked between them had been lost with the intrusion, and Sunset needed some time to process her epiphany. “I better get some sleep.” She offered what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “Good luck with the counterspell,” she told her, hoping to bolster her spirits. “Not that you’ll need it—this must be nothing compared with the stuff you’re expected to deal with as a princess in Equestria.” She moved towards the doorway, her night now having taken a turn for the better.

“Sunset Shimmer?”

She froze, hand on the door frame. That was a tone she recognized, and had it come from her Twilight instead of this one, it would have triggered the urge to find out what was wrong so she could help in any way possible. As it was, even with her newfound distinction between the two Twilights, it still brought her a sense of worry. That was a Twilight Sparkle who was reaching for help, who needed an ear. It was with that knowledge that she turned around, her own concern clearly written on her face, studying the other and waiting for what she had to say.

Princess Twilight opened her mouth, words on the tip of her tongue, before her expression fell, and she looked away. “Never mind. It's not important.”

Sunset blinked. It was clearly important…but it still wasn’t fully her place to tell the other mare that. They were just starting to be friendly, and she knew that there were still lines she couldn’t cross, things she couldn't—shouldn't—press. She turned to leave again, but offered one more friendly smile as she did, walking slowly on the way out in case Princess Twilight changed her mind. Silence followed her down the hall.

*chortles* This chapter was fun to write, and had a lot of emotions to unpack when I wrote it, despite the bulk of it being scenes from the movie itself. I feel strongly that the kitchen scene is a defining moment in Sunset Shimmer's relationship with Princess Twilight, but it's a sequence where we see only the surface of what's going on in her head, and most of that is in regards to her self-flagellation and crushing self-doubt. At the same time, it does help to reinforce the idea that Sunset Shimmer is a foil to Princess Twilight, a "through the looking glass" or "there but for the grace of god go I," in terms of how similar and yet how different they are. It left me with a lot to work through in terms of Sunset's introspection and I definitely enjoyed it, even if our favorite girl needs to go do some processing on it all. Things that alter your personal paradigm are....not something that can be handled easily or quickly. Probably a good thing she's got that stupid voice, hmm?

Also, saucy dream sequence! Huzzah! Sunset has...feelings...and not the slightest idea on what the heck to do with them. News at 11. (I'm sure it'll all be fiiiiine.)

Some clarification about Sunset's age, since it gets mentioned here. Two things are at work:

First is the time discrepancy between the two worlds. Based on what I've been able to piece together, time in Equestria goes by much faster than time in the human world. (Pony Twi started her schooling with Celestia as a very young filly, but seems to be a young adult in the first episode, and since it seems Equestria's ponies age more like humans (given the fact that the CMC do grow a little, but slowly over the show, despite repeated holidays to indicate the passage of at least a few years), that suggests a number more years passed for Equestria than the humans. (We know from Celestia that sunset ran away "not long" before Twilight became the princess' student, but long enough for Sunset to never have been mentioned to Twilight as far as she can recall.)

Second: Sunset in her backstory comic looks to be a near adult, not a child, and her studies, skill with magic, mannerisms, and vocabulary indicate the same thing. Yet she's been in CHS for a number of years. Now, granted, the high school seems pretty lenient with who they let in, but...I doubt they would believe someone who looks like a college student if they claimed to be a 14 year old freshman. Its also important to note that Princess Twilight, despite being an adult in Equestria (as are all her pony friends), appears in the human world as a teenager.

Ergo, for the purposes of this story, I've decided that a side effect of the portal's transformative magic is that it shaves a few years off a pony's age when they cross over, though I've not got the exact mathematical formula for that part yet. Working on it, given we only have three pony examples to go by.

Long winded explanation short: Sunset's age is screwy as fuck, because portal. I keep track of several different numbers for her age.
-Her physical-mental-emotional maturity as a human.
-How many years she's actually lived through.
-How long its actually been in Equestria since she was born.

And lastly, a little noise of joy because I got to use the word "flounce" in a sentence. Its a fun sounding word, but so particular to the action it describes that its hard to find a chance to use it. Thank you, Rarity.