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Greatest psychologist of her age! “It’s like she knows what I’m thinking. How does she do it?”
Youngest, most decorated doctor to walk the Earth! Read about her 10+ research papers and her awards.
25-year-old hard worker changes the playing field for her profession. Could this be the start of a new generation of understanding?
Doctor Sunset Shimmer’s office was spacious.
Floor-to-ceiling windows, tinted and cleaned, overlooking a bustling city. Her view felt closer to the heavens above than the ground below. She had personally commissioned a large, modern light fixture, the centerpiece of her newly furnished room. From a plush lounge couch and a matching upright chair of dark red hues to a shiny wooden desk carved from the trunk of a 100-year-old tree filled with green and blue resin, imitating the ocean, patients stepping through the glass doors could breathe in the monetary value everything in this room held. Ontop her custom table were her two large monitors, powered by a PC unit built and gifted by an old friend. This allowed her to do virtual calls whenever a client requested it, beforehand, of course.
A large shelf ran behind the couch, filled with her research papers on the brain and its secrets, bound together like a book to fit the scholarly aesthetic she held so dearly. Other special trinkets from all over the world littered the empty spaces in between her and others’ books, ranging from metal art pieces to presentation certificates, coming in from other notable scientists in her field acclaiming her intelligence, or wealthy people thanking her for her service.
Despite having a wall full of items plus luxury accessories and furniture, Doctor Shimmer intentionally left enough vertical space for her patients to comfortably sit and talk without feeling claustrophobic or trapped. Her kindness and patience left a positive mark on all she interacted with, including those without a high status or pockets full of cash. Charity could have been her middle name. Blessed were the ones who could lay their eyes on her; uplifted were the ones who could converse with her. After all her contributions in her field of study, both politically and scientifically, it genuinely seemed like this doctor could do no wrong.
Sunset toyed with her necklace, which could be found in her every picture and photograph. It gleamed and attracted the attention of interviewers, patients, and colleagues, though no one had gotten close enough to her to see the slight pulse of magic it emitted whenever she touched someone.
Although Sunset Shimmer probably could have garnered all her business and discoveries without the aid of her magical pendant, it was thanks to the animate object that she was able to do all she ever wanted to accomplish in a short amount of time. She was smart. Very, very smart. Graduating in four years with her Ph.D., no one could criticize her academic track record. Everyone was oblivious to how her treatments worked, besides knowing they were in very good hands and probably could walk out the door feeling a million times better. Everyone except…
Doctor Sunset Shimmer,
Or should I just say Sunset Shimmer? I know of your necklace. If you don’t send $2000 to the bank account (you know the one) by tomorrow, I will release a press paper with your tricks and magic.
XXXSci
Sunset simply chuckled at the emailed threat, which was a biweekly occurrence. She could tell the sender was a college student, or younger, so why not support a budding mind? The doctor had plenty of money and not enough places to invest in. Young talent was increasing, and Sunset did try her best to look for genuine people who wanted to do good, but it was rare in a sea of greed. Thankfully, her necklace allowed her to see the true intentions of people before she did anything rash; it saved her in times of precarious situations.
Though she couldn’t read the mind of the person via the web, and even after spending quite a bit of her stock market shares to try to track down the sender (whoever was emailing knew their way around the dark web without leaving any digital footprints), she held out faith that these were empty threats and set up a recurring payment system. If she kept up with the funding, nothing bad happened. Plus, Sunset felt a strange connection to the person on the other side of her screen.
It wasn’t long before the stranger behind the emails showed up at her building’s doorsteps.
Sunset’s trusted secretary buzzed her in the middle of a session with an online client. The doctor kindly paused their conversation to answer the unusual interruption.
“Yes, Fluttershy, what is it?”
Over the intercom, the psychologist could hear shifting of clothing and feet.
“I’m sorry, Doctor Shimmer, but I have a girl who insists on meeting with you in person, at this moment. She says there is a—I’m sorry what did you say?” Fluttershy’s muffled voice made Sunset’s ears strain to hear the mysterious figure. “Oh, right, magical necklace that she wants in exchange for not exposing your secret. She says it’s urgent. What should I tell her?”
It’s about time they showed up, Sunset thought to herself. I was getting pretty impatient just sending things into the void.
“Tell her to come upstairs. Can you reschedule the Prime Minister’s call to when he’s available? I’ll let you know if I need to further clear any appointments. Thank you.”
As she explained the situation to the Prime Minister—who was very understanding of the sudden change, Sunset’s blue eyes followed a skinny girl walking up the staircase and pacing the carpets outside her clear walls. The girl’s overcoat nearly swallowed her body whole. Poor thing, was all Sunset could think of at the sight of her.
Bidding goodbye, Sunset left the online call and stood up, straightening her blazer and patting the wrinkles out of her pants. She motioned for the girl to come inside.
“So, XXXSci, right? You sure do know how to cover your tracks,” the doctor said, making her way to her coffee machine and mini fridge. “Would you like a drink? A snack?”
The girl shook her head no, wary of the welcoming attitude. Twilight Sparkle had threatened this psychologist with her entire reputation on the line, and here she was, offering snacks as if the emails never existed.
Sunset’s eyes flicked to the girl who stood uneasily at the edge of her shaggy carpet, her winter boots slightly tapping the ground to shake off any loose snow. Had the ice storm already hit their city? Sunset barely noticed despite the large window behind her.
“Why so tense? Aren’t you the one who wanted to set up the meeting?” Sunset decided to lean on her desk, hand holding a warm mug of coffee. She took a sip, holding the stare between the two.
“I, well, I wanted to see you.” The girl’s voice was soft and alluring.
Sunset smiled. “What’s your name?”
“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
The doctor began her slow walk across the room.
“I–uh–go to the same college you graduated from, Canterlot Institute of Technology? Though, I’m nowhere as profound as you are. Just a simple sophomore trying to survive.”
“Still,” Sunset took another sip, “impressive to get in. What are you trying to study?”
“Astrophysics.”
“Wonderful, we need more people like you in the world. May I?” She held out her still hand.
Twilight gently, nervously, placed her right hand into the open palm. A surge, slight but there, went up her arm and into her head, causing a spark in her eyes.
“Hmm, very interesting.”
“What did you see?” Twilight knew about the magic but how it worked was unknown to her. She anticipated a complex answer but was disappointed.
“Nothing.”
“T-That can’t be right. Can’t you see my true intentions? My deepest desires? What I want to do, what I want you to do?” Twilight cried.
Sunset gestured for the girl to step onto the carpet and take a seat on the couch. The doctor took her usual position on the chair, taking off her blue-light glasses. “You’re right. I can see those when I touch someone. But you… I see a dark blue realm of stars and galaxies. Nothing like the memories I uncover with other people. You’re special. Intriguing. If you wanted my attention, you’ve got it now.”
Twilight didn’t sit down, but she did inch toward the therapist's chair. “That’s all I want, all I ever wanted: your attention.” Was the doctor lying when she said she didn’t see anything?
“Could I ask why?”
“You’re beautiful. You’re mesmerizing. I’ve been looking for you ever since I learned about you in grade school. Your hair,” Twilight’s thin fingers reached out to feel a strand of the iconic fiery red. Sunset let her. “So soft. Your eyes, your nose, your lips, they dictate my life, rewriting my future and fate.”
By this time, Twilight had almost climbed on top of Sunset, forcing the doctor to look up in slight surprise, but mostly amusement. The girl’s left leg dug into the seat cushion, her right leg soon to follow, trapping the psychologist. It was a large chair that could very well fit three people, but never had Sunset felt so small on it. The two sunk into the velvet plush, Twilight’s hands clasping Sunset’s.
“Your hands model my core pillars; they are the reason I do what I do, study what I study. Every day I struggle between wanting to be you and wanting to be with you.” Her dry lips brushed Sunset’s hands, trailing a circle before ending with a kiss on the backside.
Twilight attempted an actual kiss, but Sunset stopped her from advancing.
“I appreciate this confession, but aren’t you a little young for someone like me? You still have much to live for.” She slightly pushed the girl back, not enough for Twilight to fall out of the chair, but a respectable distance between strangers who just met. Sunset saw more of outer space from their physical interaction. Strange.
“I only live to see you, I only breathe to breathe the same air you exhale, see to see the same moon and sun you see, walk to be on the same plane as you.”
“You are very poetic.”
“You don’t understand how long I’ve waited to gather the courage to ask for your presence, and now that I have your undivided attention, I will fight to keep it.”
“Unfortunately,” Sunset cleared her throat and checked her Apple Watch, “I’m going to have to stop your mouth here. My next appointment will arrive soon. It was nice knowing you, though. Twilight Sparkle.”
The doctor rose up from her seated position, forcing the girl to rise as well.
“When can I see you again?” Twilight asked, pining for another minute, another second to be with Sunset Shimmer.
“I’ll see.” Sunset looked around at the area. It didn’t seem too messy, like someone had just tried to make an advancement on the doctor. “Don’t forget anything, and I’ll give you some pocket cash. Is $1000 enough for now? I won’t stop the recurring payment system either; I don’t want you to worry about money.”
“Go on a date with me.” The words hung in the air for a bit before any of the two registered.
“Like I said, I’ll see,” the doctor smiled and politely opened the door for the girl to exit.
Before leaving the office, Twilight gave an ultimatum. “Go on a date with me, or I’ll release the truth to the public.”
Lightly shaking her head at the demand, Sunset laughed.
“You are a very straightforward girl, I wonder how you haven’t been taken yet… But, I can’t let you run your mouth either. Tell my receptionist, Fluttershy, to book a special session with me when you’re free. See you then.” Sunset waved goodbye just as her next client walked towards the door.
Then she was gone, the glass door sealed shut between them. Twilight could hardly walk straight as she tried to book an appointment and go home.
“What an interesting girl,” Sunset muttered, remembering her vision when the two touched. There was something mystical about this Twilight Sparkle. Something that could derail her entire career. But that was something this doctor was willing to try if it meant seeing a whole new world, a whole new dimension. What Sunset saw in Twilight Sparkle was the key to space exploration. Maybe it was time for a change, a new title.
Rubbing two fingers over her pendant, the doctor apologized for the time delay and began her “magical work”.