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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Allies and Aliens
Pinkie Pie blanched. Rarity fainted.
Rainbow Dash just stared. “Whoa, Sunset,” she said, stretching out a hand. “How come you never told us you don’t have a bellybutton?”
Sunset slapped her hand away.
Two months had passed since the Fall Formal. The school had since been repaired and the new group of friends were getting along nicely—well, kinda. Try as she might, Sunset still struggled to find her place among them.That’s why the group had considered it a miracle when they finally convinced Sunset to accompany them to the beach.
But now, as Sunset stood in the middle of Carousel Boutique with her shirt off, any plans the group may have made were forgotten.
“Where’s your bellybutton, Sunny?” Pinkie asked. “Do horses not have bellybuttons?”
“I’m a pony,” Sunset said. She glanced at her smooth stomach. “And I dunno where it is. The portal never gave me one."
“This is so cool!” Rainbow said. “You're a freaky alien!”
Sunset clenched her fists. “I’m not a ‘freaky alien,’ Dash.”
“What happened?” Rarity groaned, standing up. “I just dreamt that Sunset had no bellybutton, like some sort of freakish alien—” She looked at Sunset's stomach again. With a whispery sigh, she collapsed back into the chair.
“Twice in one minute,” Pinkie said, clicking a stopwatch. “That’s a new record!”
“This is why I never told you guys,” Sunset said. “I knew you'd be stupid about it.”
“Can you blame us?” Dash asked. “I mean, are we just supposed to pretend like we don’t notice?”
Sunset took a step forward. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe you could try not treating me like a freak?”
“I didn’t say that you’re a freak,” Rainbow said, matching Sunset’s step. “I said you’re freaky. Big difference.”
Sunset shoved Rainbow to the ground.
“Hey!” Rainbow cried. “You don't have to go all demon on me.” A moment passed before the weight of her words hit her. She rose to her feet. “Sunset, I didn’t mean—”
“Screw you,” Sunset spat, face going red. Eyes low, she threw on her clothes and hurried out of the building.
“What happened...?” Rarity murmured.
“Dashie!” Pinkie cried. “Look at what you did! Sunset’s upset!”
“I didn’t mean to!” Rainbow said. “It just slipped out, y’know?”
“What’s all this ruckus about?” Applejack asked, returning from the bathroom. She glanced around the room. “Where’s Sunset gone off to?”
Rainbow explained the situation, and Applejack glowered. “You’re telling me that you called Sunset a freak right to her face?”
“I didn’t call her a freak!” Rainbow said. “But even if I did, what did you expect me to say? Sunset’s an alien!”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “In case you didn't notice, Dash, we’re all aliens now. So we’ve got bellybuttons and she don’t. Big deal. We’re not better than her, are we?”
“But what are we supposed to do now?” Rarity asked. “I’m not sure I can face her after what’s happened...”
Applejack put her hands on her hips and smiled. “We do what Princess Twilight told us to do: be her friend.”
A week later, Sunset Shimmer trudged into Carousel Boutique. “Hello?” she called. “Anyone here? I this is some sort of stupid prank...”
“Surprise!” everyone shouted as Sunset entered the showroom. Pinkie tugged on a rope and confetti rained down.
“Surprise for what?” Sunset asked. “This is a prank, isn’t it?”
“No!” Rarity cried. “After what happened, we wanted to make things up to you.” Rarity walked to the center of the room, where a mannequin stood covered in a red sheet. “We were brainstorming, and Rainbow Dash came up with a brilliant idea.”
Rainbow blushed. “It was really more of Fluttershy’s idea.” Applejack elbowed her in the side.
Rarity and Fluttershy pulled the sheet away, and Sunset’s eyes widened.
Strapped onto the mannequin was a purple one-piece bathing suit, with Sunset’s cutie mark emblazoned on the chest.
“Holy...” Sunset walked forward and grabbed it, running the fabric between her fingers. “This is so nice, you guys.”
“We made it special!” Pinkie said. “And it’s not a bikini, so your stomach will be covered when you wear it!”
Applejack pulled Sunset into a group hug. “Friends don’t make friends feel ashamed of what they look like. It just ain’t right!”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “Sorry about calling you an alien and all that.”
“It’s okay,” Sunset said, smiling. “Thanks, guys. Really.”
“Now,” Rarity said, “who’s ready to hit the beach?”
Everyone cheered. Sunset grabbed her new swimsuit off of the mannequin and went to change.
Rainbow Dash just stared. “Whoa, Sunset,” she said, stretching out a hand. “How come you never told us you don’t have a bellybutton?”
Sunset slapped her hand away.
Two months had passed since the Fall Formal. The school had since been repaired and the new group of friends were getting along nicely—well, kinda. Try as she might, Sunset still struggled to find her place among them.That’s why the group had considered it a miracle when they finally convinced Sunset to accompany them to the beach.
But now, as Sunset stood in the middle of Carousel Boutique with her shirt off, any plans the group may have made were forgotten.
“Where’s your bellybutton, Sunny?” Pinkie asked. “Do horses not have bellybuttons?”
“I’m a pony,” Sunset said. She glanced at her smooth stomach. “And I dunno where it is. The portal never gave me one."
“This is so cool!” Rainbow said. “You're a freaky alien!”
Sunset clenched her fists. “I’m not a ‘freaky alien,’ Dash.”
“What happened?” Rarity groaned, standing up. “I just dreamt that Sunset had no bellybutton, like some sort of freakish alien—” She looked at Sunset's stomach again. With a whispery sigh, she collapsed back into the chair.
“Twice in one minute,” Pinkie said, clicking a stopwatch. “That’s a new record!”
“This is why I never told you guys,” Sunset said. “I knew you'd be stupid about it.”
“Can you blame us?” Dash asked. “I mean, are we just supposed to pretend like we don’t notice?”
Sunset took a step forward. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe you could try not treating me like a freak?”
“I didn’t say that you’re a freak,” Rainbow said, matching Sunset’s step. “I said you’re freaky. Big difference.”
Sunset shoved Rainbow to the ground.
“Hey!” Rainbow cried. “You don't have to go all demon on me.” A moment passed before the weight of her words hit her. She rose to her feet. “Sunset, I didn’t mean—”
“Screw you,” Sunset spat, face going red. Eyes low, she threw on her clothes and hurried out of the building.
“What happened...?” Rarity murmured.
“Dashie!” Pinkie cried. “Look at what you did! Sunset’s upset!”
“I didn’t mean to!” Rainbow said. “It just slipped out, y’know?”
“What’s all this ruckus about?” Applejack asked, returning from the bathroom. She glanced around the room. “Where’s Sunset gone off to?”
Rainbow explained the situation, and Applejack glowered. “You’re telling me that you called Sunset a freak right to her face?”
“I didn’t call her a freak!” Rainbow said. “But even if I did, what did you expect me to say? Sunset’s an alien!”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “In case you didn't notice, Dash, we’re all aliens now. So we’ve got bellybuttons and she don’t. Big deal. We’re not better than her, are we?”
“But what are we supposed to do now?” Rarity asked. “I’m not sure I can face her after what’s happened...”
Applejack put her hands on her hips and smiled. “We do what Princess Twilight told us to do: be her friend.”
A week later, Sunset Shimmer trudged into Carousel Boutique. “Hello?” she called. “Anyone here? I this is some sort of stupid prank...”
“Surprise!” everyone shouted as Sunset entered the showroom. Pinkie tugged on a rope and confetti rained down.
“Surprise for what?” Sunset asked. “This is a prank, isn’t it?”
“No!” Rarity cried. “After what happened, we wanted to make things up to you.” Rarity walked to the center of the room, where a mannequin stood covered in a red sheet. “We were brainstorming, and Rainbow Dash came up with a brilliant idea.”
Rainbow blushed. “It was really more of Fluttershy’s idea.” Applejack elbowed her in the side.
Rarity and Fluttershy pulled the sheet away, and Sunset’s eyes widened.
Strapped onto the mannequin was a purple one-piece bathing suit, with Sunset’s cutie mark emblazoned on the chest.
“Holy...” Sunset walked forward and grabbed it, running the fabric between her fingers. “This is so nice, you guys.”
“We made it special!” Pinkie said. “And it’s not a bikini, so your stomach will be covered when you wear it!”
Applejack pulled Sunset into a group hug. “Friends don’t make friends feel ashamed of what they look like. It just ain’t right!”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “Sorry about calling you an alien and all that.”
“It’s okay,” Sunset said, smiling. “Thanks, guys. Really.”
“Now,” Rarity said, “who’s ready to hit the beach?”
Everyone cheered. Sunset grabbed her new swimsuit off of the mannequin and went to change.