Chapter Text
How could someone so young already be an assistant professor?
Sunset Shimmer greeted her potential advisor through the laptop screen with a warm smile that extended to her eyes.
“Nice to meet you, Sunset Shimmer,” Dr. Twilight Sparkle replied. “This is a one-on-one discussion to focus on your interest in my lab. You have an impressive CV. Can you walk me through your master’s thesis?”
“Absolutely.” Sunset rambled about her guided research with her previous supervisor and her in-lab experience as a paid research intern. Dr. Sparkle nodded along, intrigued by her methodology. The two discussed back and forth about the incoming PhD student’s interest in academia over industry, as well as why Canterlot University was her choice of school.
Nearing the end of the 30-minute mark, Sunset asked some questions herself.
“I tried to find your lab website, but besides a landing page, there isn’t much else on it. How many other members are in your lab? What is your mentoring style like?”
Dr. Sparkle’s cheeks flushed.
“Ah, well, this is my first semester accepting PhD students. I was able to get enough funding for one mentee, though I will be putting out an email asking for undergraduate students to help out with lab work. I am still… young as a professor. Assistant professor,” she corrected. “If you decide to accept my lab, then we will be learning from each other to be better researchers. So the mentoring style can be tailored to what suits the two of us.”
Sunset Shimmer blinked, taken aback. “You’re so young. How did you do it?”
“A crazy obsession with work with little time for anything else,” Dr. Sparkle said, chuckling. “I only had time for my dog and my research.”
“A dog?”
“Yes, his name is Spike! He’ll be my little lab mascot and support animal.”
“How adorable. Hopefully I’ll be able to meet him.”
“I hope so, too!”
Both sides noticed the pop-up notification warning about the time.
“I appreciate the time you took to meet with me one-on-one, Dr. Sparkle,” Sunset said. She felt good about the interview.
“Thank you for applying to my lab, Sunset. I’ll keep in touch with any updates! Talk to you soon.”
Sunset bid goodbye and clicked “end call”. Wow. She really wanted to be in this lab. Not just because it fit her research so well, but also, well, Dr. Sparkle was really pretty. Sunset held her beating heart, praying that the professor didn’t notice anything strange. She typed up a thank-you email set to send the next day.
The flurries outside drifted lazily onto Sunset’s 4x2 apartment windowsill. It would possibly be up to three weeks for a response; the quickest being a few days to hear back from Canterlot University. She wished she could skip ahead until she already knew of her acceptance. As it was her last interview, she worried about the outcome of her future as a researcher. Funding wasn’t the best at these times. Many professors politely told her in an initial email that they wouldn’t be taking any new students for this round of applications.
A knock on her door snapped her away from a delusional spiral just as her phone buzzed again. Rainbow Dash had waited so patiently for her roommate to be done with her interview. Now was not the time to be slacking off.
“Sunset! Get on the game! Applejack’s waiting, too.”
Grinning, Sunset exited the Zoom application and booted up their new favorite addiction, The Legend of Celestia. Hours passed as Sunset released herself from the burden of polishing her soft skills and rehearsing her CV. When the morning sun crept under her blinds, Sunset’s do-not-disturb turned off. Her phone buzzed.
[Finally done with apps? :3]
[Yess! Free at last]
[Is it time to party??]
Sunset looked at her completely empty schedule, for once.
[What did you have in mind, Pinks?]
[Let’s get littttt]
That’s Pinkie Pie for you. The party animal was always down for a fun time. Sunset asked Pinkie Pie for a plan, and soon, the whole group chat was going out at 7 PM. The infamous bar street was not ready for them.
A few drinks in, and Sunset already felt the booze hit. She stumbled forward. The rest of the group vibed on the dance floor.
“I’m no longer in my golden age, Pinkie,” Sunset complained. “I need some water.”
“Okie! Do you want me to grab you some? Or we can go to the counter together.”
“Let’s go together.”
Sunset and Pinkie awaited their new round of drinks–a glass of water for Sunset and another crazy concoction for Pinkie Pie–when Sunset felt her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket. Checking her messages, Sunset suddenly grabbed onto her friend.
“Pinkie!”
“Huh, what, what?”
“I got in! I got accepted into Canterlot University under the professor I was talking about!”
By this time, the rest of the group had gathered around the bar. Upon hearing the great news, everyone cheered and congratulated the newly accepted PhD student. Fluttershy hugged her friend. Rainbow Dash ordered another round of shots for the group, as Rarity gushed about the university grounds and how wonderful a time Sunset would have. Applejack and Pinkie Pie joked about losing their friend to the big city. Even Cheese Sandwich had a speech to relay.
Sunset beamed at her phone and clasped it near her chest. The quick turnaround time meant good things. Dr. Sparkle must have really liked her experience to fast-track the process. The student stepped away to draft an acceptance email and to check the process to enter as a new PhD student. Tonight marked a very pivotal night.
After months of coordination, Sunset Shimmer had moved into her new dorm and officially had her Canterlot University student badge. It felt good to walk along the shaded cobblestone streets and admire the intricate architecture. The University of Canterlot wasn’t as prestigious a school. Classes wouldn’t start for another week, but Sunset wanted to familiarize herself with Dr. Sparkle’s lab.
Her badge keyed her into the otherwise locked door. The room itself was unimpressive, but it held the necessary equipment to analyze enzymes and proteins. Chemistry, hell yeah. The sound of someone else buzzing into the room startled the student.
“Oh!” Dr. Twilight Sparkle was equally surprised to see Sunset Shimmer. She smiled. “I wasn’t expecting you to be on campus right now.”
A dog burst past Dr. Sparkle’s legs and beelined towards Sunset. Both student and professor barely had time to react before Spike leapt at Sunset, attempting to sniff the newcomer.
“Oh, no, Spike!”
Sunset laughed and bent down to give the dog her palm. “It’s OK, Dr. Sparkle. I love animals. This guy loves head scratches, doesn’t he? What a cute guy.”
Dr. Sparkle walked forward with the leash in hand, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad you find his excitement… exciting. He can be a hassle since I can’t leave him home alone for long hours. I got clearance to have him in my office. He seems to understand what I’m researching, though, in some mystical way.”
Ruffling Spike’s stomach, Sunset looked up at Dr. Sparkle, who was also staring intently back at the student.
“It’s great to finally meet you in person, Professor,” Sunset said.
“Please, Twilight is fine. I fear we aren’t too far apart in age to be addressed so formally.”
“OK, then, Twilight.” It felt nice to say out loud. “When should we have our first meeting?”
Twilight put the leash on her wrist and took out her phone, checking her calendar. “How does your schedule look like this semester? I assume you have a class or two?”
Sunset nodded, taking out her own phone.
“I am free Tuesdays and Thursdays anytime.”
“Great, that works in my schedule. I’ll send you a weekly meeting for 2 PM Thursdays.”
“Perfect.”
The two shared a look of agreement, which then lengthened past a respectable time. Spike took the opportunity to pull forward, sending poor Twilight tumbling straight into Sunset. Thankfully, Sunset caught the professor as she lost her balance. A broken bone so early on was not a good omen.
“Spike! Oh, geez, I’m sorry, Sunset. He’s usually not this rowdy.”
Sunset steadied Twilight back up, letting her hand brush her professor’s leg. On accident or on purpose, Sunset couldn’t answer that. But if Twilight noticed it, she didn’t show it. Sunset stood up herself, dusting off her pants.
“Twilight, what are you doing for dinner tonight?”
The professor thought about her fridge. Leftovers and energy drinks. A night out wouldn’t hurt.
“No plans. Would you like to get some dinner together? My treat.”
“I couldn’t possibly accept.”
“Just think of it like a welcome dinner. As your supervisor, it’s my responsibility.”
Sunset relented and asked about Twilight’s favorite cuisine around here. Her hometown was not far, but she was a fish out of water in this part of the city. The two settled on a classic sushi diner.
“So, why did you decide on Canterlot University?” Sunset asked.
“The funding here was more generous than other schools.”
That was true. Canterlot University had lots of private and government funding funneling into its many STEM programs. Most remarkable was the business program. Sunset almost debated dropping academia to go into industry with her minor in business. Looking at the professor across from her in the small booth area, she was glad she chose this path.
“Plus, I get a lot more freedom,” Twilight whispered. “What other school would let me bring a dog into a wet lab?”
Her cheeks were flushed, not of embarrassment this time, but because of the soju the pair shared. Twilight had little experience with alcohol, something Sunset could tell immediately after one shot. Sunset’s gaze lingered a little too long on Twilight’s lips before flicking back up to meet the almost violet-colored eyes. She poured herself the rest of the bottle.
“I’m glad. Spike will be a fun addition to the lab.”
Twilight slumped downward. “Wow, if I knew how tired I would be, I would’ve offered dinner another day.”
“I’ll call you a cab?”
“Yes, that would be wonderful.”
Sunset stared until the taillights disappeared around a corner. Should she have gone along to make sure Dr. Sp,–Twilight was alright? Surely Twilight was mature enough to handle her own.
Strolling back home to her private dorm, Sunset thought about her conversations with Twilight. She couldn’t get a good grasp on Twilight’s background in relationships. However, she really wanted to be the one to find out.