Peachy Keen held out the vocal sheet for the song they’d written so far, but was keen to notice how Sunset’s focus was less on her and more on who’d vouched for her. For a moment she looked dumbstruck until she forced herself to pay attention to the paper she was handed. Shaking her head, as if to clear a thought or two, Sunset mumbled the lyrics to herself as she took up a point beside Rarity. The two looked between their respective papers, muttering between themselves on how to synch up. With Sunset tapping her foot as a metronome, they soon started bobbing their heads slightly in synchronization.
 
“The one and only thing, that we are here to bring!”
 
Peachy Keen and Fluttershy’s eyes widened in brief surprise when Sunset opened her mouth and started singing. And not just singing, but singing very well. It took a moment to adjust her speed to Rarity’s music, as one would expect for a duo just starting up; but she was settled and locked in by the fifth word. Flash Sentry just shrugged contentedly and leaned back on a chair, closing his eyes as he listened almost nostalgically.
 
“Is muuusic, is the music- Is the music in our soul!”
 
The song, Sunset’s vocals and Rarity’s keystrokes were having an obvious effect. The glowing aura around Rarity was intensifying far more than it had before. Both young women flashed each other a grin.
 
“Gonna break out! Seeet myself free! Let! it! Aaall go, just let it bee-eee!”
 
Rarity squealed as she felt the power surge greater and greater. Eyes in the room lit up as her body flashed with light and a dazzling transformation took place. The aura oscillated in power and intensity. A diamond-shaped emblem seemed to glow around her neck and collar. When the light glowed brighter from that point, her body changed. Now sporting much longer hair, a taller frame, and the trademark pointed ears. Vitalized and grinning, Rarity skillfully took over performing the next section of the keyboard piece with one hand. With her other she held it aloft and pumped magic into it, which radiated through the room in tandem with Sunset’s singing melody. Clearly, the counter spell had an enchantment to it and the transformation worked to bolster Rarity’s own magic. This time when she made a diamond shield, it was easily double her size and wide enough it’s edges could be touched by a giddy Peachy Keen.
 
Sunset Shimmer grinned as she kept singing.
 
“Find the music, the muusiiic in your heart, let the music make you start!”
 
She was peaking for her week so far. Not only for hope this magic trial meant they were one step closer to seeing Twilight again, but the sheer joy she could feel across the room. It was almost like she was feeling what everyone else could. Even more so than the small burst she got when she was comforting Rainbow Dash after her attack. She could feel how thrilled Rarity was as she marveled at her own works and magical prowess, as well as how eager Fluttershy was that both her songwriting was working beautifully and even being potent enough the typically shy woman was wanting to try it herself.
 
And from the other two, she could feel the pride, feel the elation. For different reasons between her first friend and ex alongside her once-former and now-current teacher, but in some ways they both bore a potent impact. The prideful smiles on their faces were infectious.
 
For all the worries, all the strain, all the fretting Sunset had ranging from worrying about Twilight to being confused and fretting over Irys’ group; this… The warmth it washed her in was like the sweetest daydream. She couldn’t resist pumping a cheeky fist and grinning as she finished it off.
 
“To set yourself apaaaaart!”
 
There was a flash of light and jaws dropped. Even with her eyes closed, her ability to feel what others were made Sunset Shimmer instantly aware how they were dumbstruck. Slowly she peeked an eye open and bore witness to their slack-jawed expressions and tilted heads.
 
“Um… hey? What are you…?” she grimaced as she glanced about, trying to not pay attention to the fact she was glowing.
 
Peachy Keen adjusted her fake glasses and steeled herself. It was then Sunset noticed how she, unlike the surprised others, was instead grinning so wide it split her face. Her shrunken teacher tapped at her forehead and then her left ear. Sunset Shimmer blinked and followed along, her eyes instantly contorting to one of confusion upon feeling something both there and not sticking out of her noggin before caressing velvety covered, pointed ears in place of her rounded, human ones. Her eyes slowly traveled down to the blinking glow on her sternum, but wasn’t quite able to pitch her head down enough.
 
“Ahem, allow me darling,” Rarity, regaining her composure, hummed as she tilted the magical diamond over to use it as a sort of mirror.
 
Staring back at Sunset Shimmer was a powered-up, ‘pony’d up’ young woman with a blinking indicator of embodying some sort of element; as the light around her collar was forming the shape of some kind of necklace she didn’t have.
 
“H-How in the?!” Sunset Shimmer stammered, feeling at her head again to confirm.
 
Indeed, the glowing, magically constructed horn sticking out from her forehead wasn’t quite a physical part of her body; but it was plenty tangible and indeed there.
 
“Well, this is new,” Sunset tapped at her magical horn, “Or, rather familiar.”
 
Across the room was a mix of surprise to shock, save for one. Peachy Keen had her hands clasped in front of her face, wearing a grin so wide it seemed ear to ear as she beamed with pride whilst bouncing up and down on her toes so much she was practically vibrating. She knew, she knew what this meant and was keen to voice it.
 
“Sunset Shimmer!” she yelped out in what almost seemed like a higher pitched, voice-cracking, youthful version of the Royal Canterlot voice, “You’re an Element of Harmony! YES YES YES YES YES YES!”