Sunset Shimmer was running behind schedule. Her heart raced as she rushed inside, hands full of powdered pastries, carefully chosen for herself and her date. The bag of treats crinkled in her grasp, but she barely noticed, her mind focused on getting there on time.

She shot a glance at the clock on her phone, the seconds ticking away faster than she'd hoped. The line at the bakery had been endless, and in her rush, she'd completely lost track of time. She hadn’t expected the day to slip through her fingers like this, especially not with her waiting.

Oof!

A drink flew from someone’s hand, splashing all over her blouse. The cold liquid soaked through the fabric, and she let out a frustrated grunt. Her face flushed in annoyance—perfect. She glanced up quickly at the person who'd accidentally bumped into her, trying to keep her cool. "Hey, it’s fine," she reassured them with a forced smile, waving off the apology. She didn’t have time to be mad.

Shaking it off, she hurried to the cafe, her boots clicking against the floor. As she stepped through the door, she spotted the booth where they were meeting and felt a slight pang of guilt—she hated being late.

She slipped into the seat, setting the bag of pastries on the table with a quiet thud. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, exhaling a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “The line was ridiculous, and, uh, time kinda... got away from me.” She smiled sheepishly. “But, I remembered your favorite.” She carefully opened the bag, revealing the pastries inside, hoping they’d make up for her tardiness.

As she relaxed for a moment, feeling the tension leave her shoulders, she finally noticed her jacket was drenched in drink. The sharp chill from the spill made her shiver. Sunset grunted, running a hand through her messy hair in frustration. “Great. Just... great.” She slipped off her jacket, revealing the dark stain on her blouse.