-“Wait, nothing? Are you sure?” Mr. John said in surprise.
“That’s correct.” Dr. McNeal responded in his usual monotone voice.
The two stood outside of a black trailer in the local police precinct’s parking lot. Dr. McNeal wore his white lab coat with civilian attire underneath. That annoyed Mr. John, apparently Drs. didn’t have to follow bureau standards. His hair was a bit long to.
“And what about the protean acid, did that show you anything?”
“Come now, that was the first thing I did; there were no abnormal results. Besides, it only tells us if she’s a mimic or not, and obviously she’s not.” Dr. McNeal was becoming a bit irritated with this.
“So, nothing at all? Did you compare her to any of the other creatures we’ve come across?”
“Her DNA configuration is relevant to that of the average human, it has the double helix pattern, the acid staining was normal, average radiation signature-“
“Radiation signature?” Mr. John cut him off.
“I said it was normal, apparently there was a significant Beta Radiation event within the last week. Nothing dangerous, but samples from the population show trace amounts in just about everyone in town.”
Mr. John scratched his head, could that have something to do with this portal Sunset Shimmer mentioned?
“Could you do me a favor Dr.?” Mr. John asked hesitantly.
“Can you get that cadaver you promised me?” Dr. McNeal was still trying to get ahold of another dead mimic; that was the main reason he had agreed to join the field teams.
“I don’t think top likes how you butcher your specimens… anyways, I need you to pinpoint the epicenter of that event you mentioned.”
“There’s thousands in the freezer… it’s not like there isn’t plenty to go around.” He said in defense “But sure, why not, I’ll send Jacob over to you when I plot a point.”
Mr. John turned around to head back into the building, maybe Mr. Smith was getting some solid leads out of Sunset Shimmer. So far the only information she gave was just another story, fantastical as it was, it was just a story. Perhaps this was just another mass hysteria event.
-“You’re not being very cooperative Ms. Shimmer, you don’t want me to bring Mr. John back in here, do you?” Calmness was Mr. Smith’s gimmick during interrogations, it was a little intimidating at times.
“I-I told you what you wanted to know…” she said nervously, still looking at her hands folded in her lap. Sunset Shimmer glanced at the one way mirror after every time he spoke; they had moved her to a bigger room.
“No, you’re beating around the bush. You told me everything after you came out of the portal, that’s like teasing don’t you think? You can’t just expect me to care about high school drama… I want to know how you got hear and why.”
Mr. Smith wrote something in a notebook and shuffled the papers on the table. He liked to take his own notes, but all she had done was confirm witness statements. In light of this though, there was much more he wanted from her.
Sunset Shimmer gulped. She had no idea what to do or say now. What would they do with the information if she told them everything about Equestria or how the portal worked?
“You’re not from this world… that much you’ve already made clear. Make this easier on yourself and tell me why you’re really here, you don’t really expect me to believe it was some ‘revenge scheme’ do you?” he said mockingly.
“It’s true! I-I thought I had been wronged in my home, but I learned I was wrong.” She admitted.
“Convenient, you just happen to change your mind a day before we came along… admit it, you and your kind, your planning some kind of invasion or something.”
“What?! Of course not!” she said incredulously “Why would you say such a thing?”
“C’mon, the mimic infestation in Australia and their little shape shifters, ‘monsters’ popping up all over the world; they’re all coming from the same place, the same world I think you’re from.” He still kept a calm disposition.
“No -that’s ridiculous- we aren’t planning anything of the sort!” she cried in defense.
“So, you admit that there is a ‘we’ in all this mess. So if you’re not planning to conquer our world what are you trying to do to it?”
“We –they… -I didn’t mean it like- that’s not what I meant! I came here alone.”
Mr. Smith snapped his fingers, “Ah, that’s it, I know what you’re real goal is. You’re trying to kill everyone on earth off so you can have it for yourself, maybe feed us to your little mimic friends?”
“Wha- I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” She seemed genuinely confused now. Maybe she didn’t know, after all, you don’t tell your subordinates every part of you plan.
“A lot of people died in Australia, I’m not going to let that happen again. We have ways of making you talk, even if you’re not human.” He smiled, maybe that was a little to cliché he thought.
She placed her head in her hands and started sobbing.
“I’ll let you think on it.”
As soon as he left the room, two other men in black suits and sunglasses entered. They flanked the door and looked almost identical.
-Mr. John sat in the precinct’s break room sipping coffee, and looking over the map that Jacob kid brought him. Usually the kid was a bit more up-beat, but he didn’t say a single word today. Girlfriend must have dumped him.
Something radiological did occur at that school, that much was obvious, but Mr. John wasn’t prepared to make any claims without evidence.
“Hey pit-bull.” Mr. Smith entered the break room, and took a seat next to Mr. John with his own cup of coffee. “Think I’m going to pull out some sodium pentothal for this one, loosen her up a bit.”
“DNA says she’s human.” Mr. John said off handedly.
Mr. Smith seemed to deflate. “You can’t be serious… well… she did say the portal turned her human, maybe that affected her DNA as well?”
“I don’t know Cook… that’s a big leap.” Mr. John waved his hand. “Whatever, we’ll just keep looking for solid evidence, still waiting for the school to hand over their security footage. Had to call FBI so they could call a judge… bureaucrats...”
Mr. Smith sighed. “Alright, what are some alternative possibilities, some more, down to earth stuff?”
“Well… the Dr. Said there was a minor radiation spike at the time of the incident, what about the Sun cult, they detonate nukes all the time.”
Mr. Smith dismissed it. “No, they never do that in populated areas where people could get hurt, besides, they like things big and flashy.”
“Ok… Night Watch? Maybe they were trying to assassinate this Twilight everyone keeps talking about.”
Mr. Smith rolled his eyes. “Too messy, you know they’re precision masters, half the school was damaged, and there’s a crater in the middle of the front lawn.”
“Right, just going down the list. What about Somber Horizon? They have been known to use advanced chemical agents. Maybe they used some type of hallucinogenic weapon, and turned the kids into zombies with it. They’re all about the terror tactics. ”
Mr. Smith shuddered and rubbed his wrist. “They’re usually a bit more… violent… people end up dead wherever they show up. Don’t forget they have their hand full after they took over Europe anyways.”
“Well, I guess that just leaves Chaos then.”
“Why would it be Chaos?” Smith asked.
“You’re seriously asking what reason chaos would have to attack a school? Do they need a reason?”
“Alright,” Mr. Smith admitted. “But it doesn’t seem like their methods, they attack in assault teams, usually hitting logistics and mass transit. And don’t forget that stupid emblem they spray everywhere.”
“Well, that Pinkie person seems to fit the profile for a chaos hoodie, the way you described her.”
Mr. Smith laughed. “Probably is, but again there’s nothing linking them to any of this.”
Mr. John sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Guess there’s nothing to do know but wait then, get the security footage and hope we see something definitive on it.”
“Meh, who knows, maybe she’s an independent agent or something, trying to throw us off by spreading that story, guess we’ll find out after Jacob drugs her up.”
Mr. John sat forward. “Jacob? I thought he was helping the Dr. today…”
“No, he was over at the medical trailer when I spoke to him. Kids a multitasker, he’ll go far in this organization.”
“So, it says here you’re a pretty quiet student, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself Fluttershy.” The man in the suit said, trying his best to sound polite.
Fluttershy sat at the opposite end of the table in the tiny windowless room.
“Um… I’m sorry, but my dad said I wasn’t supposed to talk to you people without a lawyer... um, what did you say your name was sir?” She said quietly.
“Call me Mr. Smith.” He said, sifting through a stack of papers on the table. “A lawyer hu? That’s right, you are technically still a minor, but you look old enough to me to answer a few questions. After all, you’re not guilty of any crimes, are you?”
“Oh no, I would never!” she gasped.
“Ok then; so tell me, see anyone… strange around town in the last few weeks?”
“Well, yes, she had the cutest little talking doggy!” she stopped. Mr. Smith raised a brow, just as Fluttershy began to blush in embarrassment.
“Talking dog?”
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would believe me. I guess you wouldn’t believe the rest either then, sorry.” She sounded genuinely apologetic.
Mr. Smith grinned and leaned forward to whisper to Fluttershy. “Ms. Shy, I’ve seen far stranger things than a talking dog before, trust me.” He leaned back into his chair and sipped a cup of coffee. “Go ahead, what else about this person?”
“Well, she saved the town, maybe even the world!” Her exclamation was strangely quiet. It was obvious she was a shy and reserved individual. It would be fairly easy to interrogate her.
“Wow she did all that?” he said, faking his surprise. The kid was obviously brainwashed or something. He grinned at the thought, poor girl. This was obviously going to be a waste of time. He leaned back in his chair. “Did she… stop the sun from falling or something?” he said mockingly.
“Oh no, Sunset Shimmer turned into a monster and turned everyone in school into zombies! It turns out she was from another world all along!”
Mr. Smith fell forward. “Wait, what?!”
-“Alright Dash, I don’t have time for this crap!” Mr. John yelled, standing to the side of the table, putting his face in hers and banging his fists on the table. Rainbow Dash sat with her arms folded scowling at the agent.
“Pff, I’m not sayin anything G-man!”
“I got half a school in rubble, police telling me there’s been an attack, and Homeland Security looking for someone to roast for a terrorist attack! If you don’t start talking, you might just find yourself in prison for hiding the truth!” He continued to pound on the table.
“You can’t scare me!” Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out, and mocked the agent, repeating what he said. “meh meh meh your gonna go to prison! Ooh I’m soooo scared… ha! You gotta do better than that, my dad’s a drill sergeant.” She laughed.
“Argh!” he threw his hands up in the air. “Every student in school is pointing at you six, you know something, and I’m gonna find out what!” He turned around to face the door and light a cigarette. “Hmph, didn’t think you’d be a traitor to your own country, some patriot you are.”
Rainbow dash stood suddenly and knocked the chair over in anger. “Don’t you EVER say that about me!” she yelled. “I’m loyal to my country, I’ll do anything for it!”
She paused, then leaned against the wall with her arms folded. “Fine, I guess it doesn’t really matter if I tell you anyways.”
Mr. John sighed in relief and turned back to her. “I knew you’d come around.” He took his seat and shuffled through some papers. Rainbow Dash stared at him, slightly irritated. “Now, tell me in a nutshell what happened, we’ll hammer out the details later.”
“Now you’re probably not gonna believe me, but just listen ok?” she picked up the chair and took her seat. “There was a crown you see, apparently from another world.”
-“Applejack, right? You can call me Mr. Smith.” He smiled, shaking her hand from across the table.
“Sooo, why am I here exactly?” she asked. The teenager seemed fairly confident.
“Well, I’ve been talking with some of your fellow students. I’ve heard some interesting stories, perhaps you could… expand upon them for me.”
“Err, what now?”
“Tell me what happened in the last week.”
Applejack nodded and removed her hat. “Oh… that. Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to tell you. Whadya wanna know?
”Mr. Smith opened a folder with the picture of Sunset Shimmer. “What about this person here, how does she fit into all this?”
“Her… well she was a no good, lousy, low down bully before Twilight came along. Guess she was some kind of evil villain from another world, come along to take over our world.” Applejack smiled. “She aint hurtin no one now though, Twilight took that crown back and she’s been nice as pie ever since.”
“Trying to take over the world hu?” he replied.
“Yup, that crown turned her into some sort of flying demon thing, turned a few other students into them to, and made everyone else zombies! Started throwin fire from her hands!”
“Well, how did this Twilight character save the day?” he asked.
“Um, magic I guess, I don’t really know to be honest. It was real weird, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash grew wings, Rarity grew a horn, and we floated up off the ground and started to glow all funny like.” She paused to think
“And this Twilight person? What was she doing during this?” he asked, growing more and more intrigued.
“Well, I think the power was really coming from her, she made us float in the air, and she shot this beam and took down the monster!” Applejack said excitedly.
-Mr. John flicked the ashes of his cigarette into an ashtray sitting on some papers on the desk. It looked untidy and disorganized. Rarity sat on the opposite side of the table, shaking her leg and biting her lower lip.
“Mhmm… looks like you have a promising future ahead of you kid, It would be a shame if all that came crashing down.”
“Quite.” She said, staring at the mess on the table. Without a thought, she burst forward and started organizing the mess. Mr. John didn’t stop her, only smiled in satisfaction. She sighed in relief as she sat back looking at the tidiness.
“So… why am I here? Regardless, I think you’re goons could have at least been a bit more polite in escorting me.”
“Yah, I’ll remember that next time…” he rolled his eyes. “I’ve been talking to some of your friends, but I still don’t really understand what happened this week. Care to explain?”
“Well now, you’re going to have to be a bit more specific than that.”
“Ok, let’s start with this crown I’ve been hearing about.” He said.
“Ah, yes, the crown. Well, Fluttershy stumbled upon it first, I only saw it later. Beautiful trinket, supposedly it was exceptionally valuable.” She looked as though she were remembering a fond memory.
“How so, was it made of gold or something?”
“Oh, nothing so crass made it valuable, but yes it was made of gold. No, it belonged to Princess Twilight.”
“Princess?”
“That’s right! Royalty, and I met her. Oh what an experience, if only she had stayed long enough to make me famous!”
Mr. John snapped his fingers, “Stay focused kid.”
She scowled at him. “Well, anyway, the crown was a powerful magical element of some sort.”
-“-and then they said I was really good at making cupcakes, who knew! But it didn’t start till I was only ten years old, after I came here with my family from the farm. That was pretty boring but-“
“Ms. Pie…”
“-when I saw it I was completely blown away, I mean a horse? Who would have thought! But that wasn’t even the weirdest part, this one time-“
“Ms. Pie!” Mr. Smith rubbed his hand through his hair.
“-came out of the pool, but I wasn’t even wet! Then we walked through this forest, and ran into another one! I was only there for a few hours before this one with a horn-“
“Ms. Pie please!” Mr. Smith yelled.
“O, right, sorry!” she giggled.
“Alright, I need you to be honest with me. Now, if you say yes, you won’t get in any trouble ok?” he said, trying to sound as polite as possible. She nodded quickly and happily. “Do you do drugs?”
“He he, no of course not silly!” she giggled again.
“Did you have any… sugar or caffeine?”
“O no! That stuff makes me hyper, it’s never good for me!”
“Right then, you wait here while I step out for a moment ok? I’m going to get you some water and a cup, I’ll explain what to do later.” He stepped out of the room and shoved one of the guards wearing a black uniform with a pistol at his hip inside and closed the door.
Mr. John walked down the hallway and greeted Mr. Smith.
Mr. John shook his head, “Christ Cook, I don’t know what to think, they’re all saying the same damn thing.”
Mr. Smith started chuckling, and ran his hands through his hair. “Hey, maybe this is part of the bigger picture. I don’t think the mimics are involved this time though, no hives or missing persons, but I think we’re onto something.”
“So what are we going to tell top?” Mr. John asked.
“Tell them we might have a live x-ray in custody, I think it’s time we talk to this Sunset Shimmer character in person Pit-bull.” Mr. Smith replied.
Mr. John nodded and walked back down the hall. Mr. Smith turned to go back into the room.
“-but it turns out she was a changeling all along, who knew! But of course I’m getting ahead of myself, the princesses-“
“Ms. Pie, you’re free to go.” Mr. Smith said, his guard sat in the chair with his head on the table. “I still want you to do something for me, before you leave make sure you stop at the front desk and tell them you need a U.A.; they’ll know what you mean.”
-“Sunset Shimmer, 453-4985, born August 1st, 1996, right here in this town.” Mr. Smith said, sitting in the chair across the table. Mr. John stood next to Sunset Shimmer, staring at her with his arms folded across his chest.
Mr. Smith continued. “Sais here your parents own a business ‘out of town’ and you live mostly alone. But we all know that’s a lie don’t we?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She stared down at her lap, arms folded.
Mr. John slammed his fist on the desk. “Are you kidding me?! Don’t play stupid monster! Your blood test already came back from the lab, you’re not human!”
“He’s right; that means you don’t have any civil liberties here. That means if you don’t cooperate, we’ll just send you off to get a fun little vivisection for your troubles.” Mr. Smith said smiling.
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know…”
“That was easy. Alright then, why don’t you start by telling me all about where you’re from and how you got here.” Mr. Smith said.
