I rubbed my face and stretched trying not to fall asleep on my way home, the relatively cold night air wasn't helping that. 75 degrees Fahrenheit, yep cold. "Dang it Texas. Well at least it i'n't 451°," I chuckled to the night. Looking up at the barely visible moon I begged, "C'mon Luna, can't it be a a li'l cooler?" I shouldn't complain though my house was only across across the crosswalk-less road, and down the street; I prefer the night anyway. Besides that it had only turned 10:00 minutes ago.
I heard a sound breaking me out of my thoughts, as I passed that restaurant I have never been to nor remembered the name of [I think it is a steak place, but I really don't know even though I live literally across the ally from it. XD] My first thought was, "Fuck, what?" Then followed by the realization of where it was from. Being as I wasn't paying attention I knew only that it was loud, and coming from the ally between my street, and I. "Could just be some idiots having a party, but ah' what the hell it could be some one in danger, in that case I am so in," I huffed running looking for any signs of action. "ugh, air, fucking, shit quality, air," I continued huffing as I slowed to a jog after a pathetic half the ally length. I could now hear dogs barking, letting me know it was definitely someone in the ally and that they were at the place where the ally veers off from being a straight path. Those damn dogs had barked at me enough times when I was coming home all the way through middle school and high school for me to know that much.
Nearing that place I reached for my knife in preparation for a possible fight, I didn't have it. The music in my earbuds at that moment switched over from 'No strings attached' to 'Overkill'. "Fuck, if it is something I'm gonna have to find a way off Mr. Bones wild ride," I panted knowing the next song was the creepy shit from Lavender town. "I have a bout 5 minutes, let's do this," I picked up my pace darting for cover to gain the element of surprise, or avoid embarrassment if it was nothing. I could see the turn now, there were two figures hidden by shadows I couldn't make out, other than that one belonged to a female as the other was just coming around the bend. "Well I guess I am up then, hope I can do this," I second guessed pulling the 1/2 cm thick 6 ft of chain from my left pocket along with the several keys attached to the rings at the end. Then I finally thought to take out my phone and flip it open. 911 I typed in to my phone readying it to call if my conclusions were correct. I darted closer practically hugging the building as I advanced.
Now that I was closer and she had become closer to my position stumbling quickly as she could, I could clearly see her. My heart stopped, and time seemed to freeze at the impossibility of it. Our eyes met, my heart couldn't take seeing the look in her Aqua eyes, filling me with rage at her desperation. cracking my neck I declared, "Sunset, I got this." I hit call, quickly gave our location and handed the active phone to Sunset. "Oi, Who the hell do you think you are!" I yelled to the figure running at us.
"Th' fuck," He stopped to look me over, nearing 6'2'', but only 140 pounds, jeans with a black T-shirt and jacket standing with my right side forward making my left hand invisible to his eyes... or at least I think it was. "ts, mae' wada' hell," He expressed taking a relaxed 'gangster style' fighting stance. I had seen it before, I guess it works for knife fighting or something? Perhaps people think they look intimidating that way, I dunno? But I followed with getting in to my own. Quick bow, snap to forward stance.
"Mierda lo," he scoffed.
"Oh sorry do we have a language barrier? I meant, pelear conmigo puta."
"kh, cagaste," he pulled off his hoodie and lunged at me. I fainted a leg sweep, into an inside crescent kick to his temple, causing him to stumble left. "Maldición guero," he continued to back off.
"Dang your still standing, I must be more out a' shape than ah' thought," I followed through with a dash forward, and to my right to intercept his ungraceful fall with a half punch to his chest where the ribs meet and struck him across the right of his head with my left elbow in a swing that while giving me less power kept my face guarded. He some how had the presence of mind amidst this to swing a knife at my left side, which I stepped back to avoid, and jumped back in to front kick the same point on his chest as the earlier punch, or to put it in layman's terms, it was Sparta. To make sure he would be down long enough I gave him a Zero suit Samus down grab to his back, "Ax kick," I said out of breath as he finally fell completely. "Jeezze, what keeps you going?" I asked rhetorically between shushing the angry mumbles that escaped him, and binding his wrists with the chain after removing my keys from it.
When I finished, I promptly sat my self down and wiped my brow, "heh. Haven't fought that hard in a while. I'm 'bout ready to pass out how 'er yo... oh, ya' are out." Turning my head to look I saw that Sunset had made her way back over to us, "Hey, how a'e ya' holdin' up?" I smiled to her.
"F- fine now. What just happened?"
"Sit," I suggested with a head tilt. When she had I answered, "Musta' caught you by surprise huh? He was't a very good fighter, I am way out of practice though." My mind fell out of focus, staring off into the sky.
"Who are you?" Sunset asked cautiously.
"Eh? Oh right, how I know you. uh...," I stalled, " Um... there was some event in Canterlot where I saw you I think," I half lied referring to when she left Equestria in the comics.
"Oh? You're... from Equestria too?" She relaxed.
"well," I lied down, "I'm not from there, just um... eh, eto... How to put this? I have... no idea how to explain that to you right now. Rain-check?" I struggled to explain.
"Well can you at least tell me where I am?" Sunset asked with a distrustful tone.
"Well you are about as far from Equestria as possible, Milky Way galaxy, Earth, American continent, United States of political agendas, Texas the state that thinks it's a separate country, *****, across the street from my house. Let's wait there actually, it'll be more comfortable, besides I have extra rope for this guy while we wait an hour for the police to get off their asses and get here, I joked knowing that only because of what time it was there actually was a patrol car near by I had seen while taking walks at night.
After a short bit of silence we went between the houses, and across the street to wait out front. He was still out so I had Sunset stay with him while I got Two of my knives just in case he woke up, first giving Sunset his. When I returned I brought a chair for Sunset to sit on since we would both probably need to be present when the blue line was drawn.
"They are going to want to know your name. hmm? If You say Sunset Shimmer they will think your lying and look you up, that would be a problem. Did you, uh, did you say any thing to them on the phone to suggest who you were?"
"Well I said my name was Sunset, , why is that a problem?"
"Well as long as you only said Sunset there isn't one. People here are named by a different system than in Equestria, your real name would sound like an alias to them. Or they might recognize it, which would be worse, probably." I shook my head, "point is things would get complicated, I'll explain later."
"Oh, then, what would a believable name be?"
"Well to keep your initials the same lets go with an 'S' name. Uh, Salina, Sabrina, Sam, uh... How do you like Sabrina? I'm not very good at names, or thinking under pressure, sorry."
"Sabrina, huh alright I'll go by a different name then if it'll help keep things simple," Sunset shrugged.
"Alright Sabrina Sunset it is then, since they already have the 'Sunset' part," I smiled. "Oh, also I am going to say you are my girlfriend as an alibi for you, sorry again, that'll be a little awkward for you," I apologized again.
"what happened to being bad at pressure?" She quipped. "But as I said if it keeps thing simple , great. I would like to know though what your connection to Equestria is, and what you expect me to do now?"
"Bad at pressure, good at telling people in power what they want to hear. For now rest, tomorrow I'll explain my connection, then we figure out how to get to Equestria, and prevent any one else from getting there." I gave the guy a poke, "Still out cold."
After a while someone showed up, and took him in to custody, trading my chain out for cuffs of course. He had woken up by then but still wouldn't give a name.
The officer questioned me about what happened, and how I caught him. He bought my 'Sabrina' story easily enough, as for the fight I didn't go into detail but did tell him where the cuffed guy's injures were, and that he was probably under the influence of a lot of weed given the strong smell of cabanas on him. To which I had to explain how I knew that smell, to which I responded, "Smells like high school, it's really easy to tell who is and isn't smoking it, especially since they can't smell, and cover themselves with too much cologne."
"Oh, alright then. I should mention that to the chief."
"Eehm, ya. make the inspection a surprise to every one if you do though, the teachers won't keep it quiet."
"Sure, g-night then."
The cop left, Sunset, and I went in quietly so we wouldn't wake anyone up or alert them to her presence just yet. I don't know how well the story would have gone with my family given that they know who my friends are and would recognize her. "You take the bed, i'll just I dunno, sleep on the floor or something... I'll sleep under the bed actually, it would still be too difficult to explain a girl sleeping in my room right now, especially with out knowing how you got here, and I want to get to sleep. It won't happen but if someone opens that door at some point and you are awake, keep covered up and lye turned away from the door to hid your, um, well your curves, and only respond with low pitched grunts like, uh, and umhm. That's all I respond with anyway, they will get frustrated and leave. Though you should wake me up as soon as you wake up I guess... whatever sleep time go." I dragged my self in to the space under my bed and fell asleep.
"Hey um, wake up. Honestly how did you even slep under there?" Sunset whispered shaking me awake.
"... huh? Sunset? ... Then that means... oh," I paused to pull myself out and stretch. "No trouble I presume?" I asked noting the door being closed all the way, a skill my mom seems to lack.
"Ya, just woke you up when I did," She responded almost dryly. "Can you explain things now?"
"Um, well," I took a deep breath in through my nose and out my mouth. "Let me get washed up first. This involves transdimend, transdimengan, Transdamindina,Trans-Dimen-ti-on-al temporal fluctuations so it may be dangerous to just go saying things. Also it is clearly too early in the morning for me to do time space altering things," I stated checking the time on my phone.
"So you can't explain the pony dolls in here then?" Sunset asked with filly eyes.
"Well, I will need to know where in your time line you came from before I can," I replied. "I am gonna go check the house make sure we are clear."
After a quick check to be sure no one else was home I thought, "I am alone with sunset shimmer, and we are going to Equestria! I- I can't think of any thing better," before returning to my senses, telling her it was clear, and completing morning routine stuff.
"All right Sunset Now we can get some bre..." I froze. Had I been holding anything I would have dropped it, Sunset Shimmer was sitting on my couch starring at My Little Pony:Friendship Is Magic on Netflix. "oh," was all I could say.
She slowly turned to look at me, and just stared the question into me.
"Temporal dimensional travel, I am assuming is how you got here, weird magicks I don't yet understand are at play, all right. So,... um, I would have to suggest putting the controller down before we implode the universe," I answered. "so, food?" I nervously asked.
After breakfast She picked up the topic I had been trying to avoid. "So I, I was a cartoon to you? I was a character in a cartoon... a children's cartoon... that you are into? Why?"
"Why? well um, OK? That's a brood question?"
"Why did you watch it?" Sunset clarified.
"You," I thoughtlessly blurted out. "... um, I mean because for some reason I grew to care about Equestria even tough as far as I knew it wasn't real." After that was a silence that felt too long relative to it's actual measure.
"Me,... you um you watched a kids show for me? I don't know weather to be creeped out or flattered," She finally said.
"Well you weren't actually in it till the movies, You more added reason for me to care about Equestria then... I really shouldn't talk about this, I'll only make things worse," I sighed. "let's leave it at dimensional temporal shenanigans."
"Hmm, OK," Sunset reluctantly agreed.
"Now as for getting to Equestria, I am assuming you got here through the Mirror portal outside of Canterlot high."
"Yes, I had finally decided to go back to apologize to Celestia, but I ended up here."
"Right well, I'm not waiting another 30 moons so let's go."
"Wh- What? Now?"
"Well I don't want it to start raining, or something before we get there, or worse close."
"What would be so bad about rain? Humans here don't melt in the rain or something right?" Sunset asked sarcastically with a wave of her hand.
"No, nothing like that. But I have seen rain bubble, and boil of the street while it is still raining with strong winds. I'm guessing you don't want to see that."
"Does that happen a lot?" She worried.
"No, I've only seen it once. I just want to go to Equestria. Besides if you were sent here that means something went wrong, and it needs to be fixed," I reasoned.
"And you think you can?" Sunset smirked questioningly at me.
"Yes," I replied quickly.
"How do you know that?"
"Because you need me to... OK that came out wrong."
She stared at me and asked, "You are socially challenged aren't you?"
"Yes," I bluntly answered.
"Oh, sorry?" She blinked back.
"Any way we should get going, after I pack my ba... Saddle bags," I gave a smirk at my correction leaving my giddiness for the trip apparent.
Bags packed, I handed one over to Sunset and grabbed my skateboard and roped it over one shoulder grabbing a staff in my other hand. "Well we are now more than ready," I announced.
"OK, I have so meany questions right now," Sunset blinked at me as I opened the front door to leave.
"Oh, all right I'll leave the staff," I replied answering none of the questions.
"What is in this bag to make it so heavy, for starters?" She began.
"Juice 'n food," I answered vaguely. "All right now we can go?"
"Sure, I guess. Won't people worry about you?"
"I left a note," I locked the door.
"Please tell me it didn't say you were going to Equestria."
"Nope. Just not to worry about me and that they wouldn't be able to find me. I also wrote that it was important no one look in to it."
"Well, if you think that's good enough, but if they think it's fake what happens?"
"In that case," I replied with a pause. "They won't be able to find me until I find them anyway. I would just rather they not worry. I am going to text a friend after we go through if possible."
For the rest of the way to the place from which she had arrived I answered her curiosities withholding nothing if directly asked.
When we arrived we were under a bridge, just down stream of a small dam. The portal wasn't extremely noticeable, just slightly discolored from the stone around it. It did however ripple when I touched it. "Well looks like our trip is happening today after all," I grinned.
We stepped through together, and when we did we met with a dark forest Sunset had to illuminate with her magic. "Where are we?" We asked simultaneously.
"Well," I answered, "by Murphy's law I would assume the Everfree. Yep, this is bad."
"Oh, well let's lighten the mood a little." Sunset nervously trotted into my view clearly apprehensive about where we were. "What's your name now that you are a pony?"
"Grav..." I stopped when I saw my cutie mark. "Oh, or not? That isn't what I expected. It is about the only other thing it could be though," I shrugged, feeling the weight of my new saddle bags on my back. "Name 's Grimoire Dusk, apparently," I stated looking over my light gray coat, and what of my scraggly long almost purple gray mane I could see," feeling for the first time an odd sensation on my forehead I looked up to see a sharp horn adding, "Unicorn," to my introduction.
"Well that's..." Sunset paused, "Foreboding?" What were you originally going to say?"
"Something more so," I shrugged. "This is a much more helpful talent to have I'd imagine."
"So, are you a writer or something?" The amber mare asked.
"Nothing I could get a cutie mark for. I'd imagine it had more to do with reading comprehension, and interest in dark arts." I paused. "Do you perhaps have some sort of compass spell?"
"I could send out a magic ping like sonar, but it might attract the things that live here," she nodded.
"Hmm, well then, I guess we are magic-less... levitate me."
"What?" Sunset stumbled.
"Levitate me above the trees so I can see over," I clarified.
"Um well, I'll try," the mare nearly scoffed.
"Well what did you see?" She asked after bringing me back down.
"It's um dark," I stumbled through my words with worry.
"Well it is night time," She stated matter of factly.
"No Sunset, this isn't just dark. It's way too dark." I stated, which didn't change her expression. "I could be assuming the worst, but I think i's supposed to be day right now."
"Which would mean?" Sunset queried now worried.
"Which would mean that this time line isn't the one we are familiar with."
"Well, before we flip out, what makes you think it should be day?"
"I saw a light in the distance. If I am right, that is Canterlot."
"So this might be a timeline where Twilight lost to Nightmare moon." Sunset fearfully realized.
"It will be alright. As long as we have Canterlot we have the forbidden archives , and as long as we have that there are Grimoires for me to read," I gave Sunset an awkward little smile. "Can you take a scan of the portal's magical signatures before we head out? If we can give that information to Celestia it would be helpful."
"I haven't done that in a while," she smiled back.
"First let me send this text." "Went to Equestria with sunset. In Everfree. Don't send help," I typed on my now gemstone phone and sent to two of my contacts. As an after thought I took a Selfie with Sunset and sent it to them with a, "Tell no one." message added.
After that Sunset took her scan and we moved towards Canterlot.
A few minutes into walking my phone vibrated and displayed, "You ether got real good at photo shop when I wasn't looking , or you're telling the truth. lets not forget you are too much of an ass to lie so yeah. Well keep in touch get Maud's autograph and flip off Rainbow Dash for me. I'm gonna go out lie Kyousuke to your family."
"Well, " I stopped and blinked, "That's unexpected, but makes sense for who it is."
"Why Rainbow Dash?" Sunset asked looking at my rock phone.
"He doesn't like Rainbow, he's strangely OK with human Dash though."
"Uh, OK?" Sunset refocused her attention to the path. "So why would it be so dark? Shouldn't it just be night eternal?"
"Advanced darkness. "When the shadows are devoured by even Darker shadows, the curtain pulls back and reveals, a world without light,"' I stated not knowing how else to respond.
"Well what ever you just said do you have a plan? You seem awfully confidant."
"Do I?" I paused to consider that. "Because no I don't. Well not really," I whispered glancing around in the darkness my eyes having adjusted to the dim light.
"Oh," she sadly whispered back. After that we walked in silence for a ways.
Sunset dimmed her light as we approached what I knew to be the Castle of the Two Sisters, knowledge which I had immediately shared.
"Oh this is not where we want to be... or is it?" I thought aloud considering a reckless plan.
"Um, in what way could this be good?" Sunset appealed in just above a wispier.
"We could walk right up to Nightmare moon, and I could declare that I had gone out near the beginning of her reign to find a way to get to Celestia's heart by her order, and that I had found that in you. Best case we get bed food and a ride to Canterlot. Worst case execution."
"Are you crazy," She whispered in to my big pony ear, "She'll see right through us."
"If we don't, we risk being caught by her guards While moving toward Canterlot, in which case we would be executed for sure."
"Damned if we do damned if we don't huh?" Sunset lamented.
"I say we try it, if we fail, teleport us out as far as you can, then we run," I proposed.
"Wow, let's make camp for a bit to think it over," Sunset suggested.
After a bit of back tracking so we wouldn't be too close, we made a small camp with the blankets from the Saddlebags and a hole Sunset magically dug. We ended up falling asleep in said camp from exhaustion. When next we awoke the moon had risen.
