A Ray of Sunshine…Not

The hallways of Canterlot High were bustling with students on their way to class. Kids were calling out to their friends, scribbling down last-minute answers on their homework, and grabbing their books from their lockers. The first-period bell was just about to ring.

“Howdy, gals!” Applejack called out, bounding over to her friends as they headed to chemistry class. “Ready for the big test?”

“I’m nervous,” admitted Fluttershy, biting her lip.

Rainbow Dash gave her an encouraging smile. “Just remember what we studied together and you’ll do great! It’s all about practice, after all. That’s what counts. We’ve done the drills and we’re ready for the game. Right?”

“That’s right,” agreed Pinkie Pie. “It’s just like cooking. A bit of this, a bit of that, and, boom, cupcakes!” She giggled.

“Slow down, partner,” said Applejack. “We don’t want any explosions if we can help it, but you’ve got the basic idea, that’s true. You throw a lot of things together and all of a sudden you have somethin’ brand-new, just like magic.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath.

“Besides,” said Rarity, reassuringly putting her arm through her friend’s, “if we can make real magic happen when we play music together in our band, how hard can a school test be?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Maybe we can start singing together and pony up during the exam!”

“Whoa!” said Applejack. “That’s only for special occasions. We all know that.”

The girls nodded, suddenly serious. Whenever they played music together in their band, the Sonic Rainbooms, they would grow cute ears, flowing manes, and long, flouncing tails. It had all started when Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, visited their high school from Equestria and left behind a bit of enchantment from the world of magical ponies.

“Time for class! Time for class!” Vice Principal Luna was striding down the hallway, clapping her hands.

“Okay, this is it.” Fluttershy gulped.

Flash Sentry raced past the girls into the chemistry classroom, his face buried in his notes. DJ Pon-3 turned off her music and took off her earphones. Trixie flounced past and took a seat in a front-row desk.

“Hey, where’s Sunset Shimmer?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking around.

“She’s going to be late,” said Applejack.

“There she is!” Rarity pointed down the hallway, where a girl was slipping through the main doors of the school just before they closed. As if she didn’t have a care in the world, Sunset Shimmer strolled to her locker, gave her pretty red-gold hair a quick brush, and grabbed a single sharp pencil. Her friends were all waiting for her outside the classroom.

“We missed you last night at our study session,” said Applejack.

“Are you worried about the test?” whispered Fluttershy to her friend.

“No,” answered Sunset Shimmer honestly. “You just have to memorize the formulas and the reactions and the periodic table and all the elements, and be able to predict reactions, and check your answers, and do all the math without making a mistake. That’s all.”

The girls’ eyes widened. Rarity gulped.

“We did so many practice problems together last night,” said Rainbow Dash reassuringly.

“Chemistry isn’t very hard for me,” apologized Sunset Shimmer when she realized she had scared her friends. “Not after studying magic in Equestria.”

“We made cookies, too, last night!” announced Pinkie Pie, changing the subject. “After all, what’s a study session without a little baking?”

Sunset Shimmer’s face fell. “You made cookies?”

The girls nodded together.

“We saved you some,” said Fluttershy. “Next time you should come. I know you don’t need any help with schoolwork, but we love hanging out with you.”

“And, honestly, we could use a little help,” said Applejack with a wink.

The bell rang, and the last stragglers scurried past the girls to class. The girls slipped into their seats, and Sunset Shimmer took her place in the last row. Rarity noticed that she was frowning.

“Don’t worry about the test,” she said. “You’re so smart. You always do great.”

But it wasn’t chemistry that Sunset Shimmer was worried about. When she’d been invited to the study session, she hadn’t seen any reason to bother going. But she’d only been thinking about herself. She hadn’t realized that maybe she could help the others practice, that maybe they would have fun together in the midst of the studying and she could be part of it. She sighed. Another day as a human girl at Canterlot High was about to begin and already she had made a mistake about friendship.