With a brown backpack on her back, Shimmer stood on the sidewalk, staring at the massive building known as Canterlot High.

"That is actually bigger than I expected. Impressive!" she said to no one in particular, seeing as she was the only person standing there; all the other students were already inside. It was her first day of school and she was already late, but Shimmer was in no rush. "Why did I agree to this in the first place?" she sighed and reluctantly walked toward the school; her determination to go back to high school was so low that she was dragging her feet in hopes that it would somehow get stuck in something, preventing her from entering that dreadful place.

~ ~ ~

"I must have said that a thousand times already: the answer is 'no'!" Shimmer said as she tried to shut the door with her shoulder, but both Nolan and Norman did their best to keep it from closing all the way.

"Holy fuck, this girl is strong." Norman said while using all his strength to push that door.

"This is not a suggestion!" Nolan said. "You have to attend classes in her stead, otherwise her friends will suspect something is amiss."

"Like I give a fuck! Let them find out their friend is dead, that the world is not perfect and that bad shit happens. It will help them grow tougher!"

"You don't understand. Sunset has some powerful friends." Norman tried to explain. "And I don't mean politically or financially, but magically. Also they're stubborn as mules and incredibly nosy."

"First, magic doesn't exist. Second, why should I care?"

"Yeah, remember the aliens? They don't exist either." Nolan pointed out. "That doesn't stop them from secretly invading our planet every few weeks or us from killing them, does it?"

"And I already told you why you should care: they are stubborn as mules and incredibly nosy. If we let them roam free they will eventually reach you, and once they reach you it's just a matter of time until they figure out the whole thing about the room! Do you really want that?"

After a brief moment of silence, Shimmer opened the door; Norman fell on the ground and Nolan fell on top of Norman.

"I'm listening." she said.

~ ~ ~

"I hope you have a good excuse for your tardiness, Sunset Shimmer." the teacher, miss Cheerilee, scolded. "And no, I will not accept 'I helped a senior citizen carry her groceries' as an excuse this time around."

"Whatever..." Shimmer rolled her eyes and sat on a vacant chair next to Nolan and Norman.

"Um, you're supposed to--" Norman tried to whisper to her.

"Fuck off." she interrupted him.

Norman flinched, muttered a "sorry" and focused his attention on the teacher. Meanwhile, five girls with a vacant seat next to them looked at each other, puzzled.

"Maybe she stubbed her toe after getting out of bed!" Pinkie Pie theorized.

"She's lookin' like a bull with a red flag gettin' waved in front of it." Applejack said.

"We'll ask her during lunch time." Rarity suggested.

"Maybe she just has a lot on her mind and needs to cool down." Fluttershy said.

"Then drop a bucket of ice on her, because that girl is fuming!" Rainbow Dash said.

* * *

Shimmer was sitting by herself, eating a ham sandwich. She instantly frowned when she saw a group of girls approaching.

"What's up, Sunse--" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Is that ham?"

"Mm-hm." she said without really focusing her attention on any of them.

"I thought you were vegetarian, darling." Rarity pointed out.

"Changed my mind." she said before swallowing. "Vegetarianism is stupid!"

Fluttershy gasped.

"Now, now, darling, there's no need to be rude. You know Fluttershy is--"

"Whatever." she finished her sandwich before getting up.

"Where are ya goin'? We're talkin' to ya!" Applejack called.

"Exactly. You're talking, not me. I'm not even supposed to be here. I have stuff to do!"

"Maybe we can hel--" Fluttershy tried to speak.

"I just need some me-time, alright? I don't need any of you tagging along during my me-time. And don't follow me!"

"Well, someone must have eaten a rotten apple this mornin'." angry Applejack said with her arms crossed.

"I am worried about her." Rarity said. "If something bothers she usually talks about it with us, but now it's like she's turning back into her former self."

"Fret not, girls!" Pinkie Pie said before putting on a deerstalker cap. "Detective Pie is on it!" as she was about to stalk Shimmer, Applejack grabbed her by the shirt.

"Ah reckon we should just give the gal some space." the farmer suggested. "Once she's feelin' more chatty, we'll try again."

* * *

"You..." Norman poked her on the shoulder with a finger. "...fucked..." he poked again. "...up!" and again.

"Whatthefuckever." Shimmer slapped his hand away. "Now they know that their friend is alive and well, right? I don't need to go back there ever again!"

Nolan facepalmed. "You really don't have a clue..."

"No, it's you guys who don't have a clue!" she interrupted. "I was against that from the beginning, I was basically forced to agree because you said the secrecy of our group could be jeopardized. I don't like school! In fact, I hate school! I don't know how to make that statement any clearer."

"Well, then why don't you try to explain it instead of fucking around? You want us to understand? We are willing, it is you who is not!"

"Fuck off!" Shimmer pushed the duo out of Sunset's house, slammed the door shut and locked it. She pressed her back against the door then sat on the ground. Nolan knocked on the door for a few minutes, but eventually gave up and left with Norman. "It's none of your business... It's no one's business other than my own..."

* * *

Despite still being against it, Shimmer kept going to school pretending to be the late Sunset. The five students still kept trying to approach her, but she just shot them down every time they tried until they eventually stopped trying. At least Shimmer thought they did. The only people she would communicate with in Canterlot High were Nolan, Norman and, occasionally, Flash Sentry. The other students and even some employees thought that was an odd behavior even for the former queen bee.

One day, after school, she saw two girls she wasn't familar with talking to the students leaving the main building. They were showing them what appeared to be a piece of paper, but most of the students either were rude to them or downright ignored them. She tried to do the same, but one of them pointed at her and shouted:

"Hey, you!"

She took a deep breath and walked faster, but they chased her. It was like they wanted to talk to her more than anyone else.

"You're not getting away from me!" the girl with purple and green hair tied up in twin ponytails said. She tackled Shimmer to the ground, straddled her and pinned her arms to the ground.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?" she angrily asked.

"Just what in the name of fuck do you think you're doing, you psycho?" the girl tried to twist Shimmer's arm behind her back, but she felt nothing due to the fact that she was wearing the suit under her clothes.

"Stop screwing around and tell me where she is!"

"Who the fuck are you, what the fuck do you want, who the fuck are you talking about and just who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

"Where's Adagio?"

"What, you're one of her acquaintances or something?"

She tried to twist her arm but, again, with no satisfactory results. "I will fucking end you if you don't stop pretending. I saw you two together, but when I was going to confront her about it she just vanished. Now tell me what you've done to her before I get violent."

Shimmer lost her patience. She got up with the help of the suit and threw the purple-haired girl at some bushes.

"I don't know what you're talking about and, honestly, I really don't care. But if you ever lay a finger on me again the one who is going to get violent is me, capisci?"

The second girl, one with light blue hair tied up in a ponytail, rushed to her aid and helped her up as Shimmer walked away. But before walking away for good she glanced back at them and saw the blue-haired girl on her knees, bawling her eyes out, and the purple-haired girl crouched beside her, rubbing her back.

"Now, now, Sonata, there's no need for that. I know Adagio is ok, she must be just lost somewhere."

"Bu-But Aria, she... She... She..."

"We'll find her, so stop crying, alright?"

Shimmer took a deep breath before looking forward again and walking away.

* * *

Shimmer was the first to be transferred to the room, so she sat on top of the Black Ball with her legs crossed to wait for her colleagues. The first to show up was a new member: an older man with a pencil mustache who appeared to be in his late 50s/early 60s. He was wearing a purple suit, purple platform shoes, a purple hat with an aquamarine feather attached to the black and yellow band with a zebra-like pattern and sunglasses with thick, white frame. He also had plenty of necklaces, rings and a cane that appeared to be made of pure gold. Shimmer smirked.

"Well, this is going to be interesting."

"Hello there, young missy!" he greeted as he looked around. "Care to explain what kind of place is this?"

"In a minute, in a minute. I want to see what kind of people BB is going to bring here tonight. And seeing as how the first was someone like you, I doubt I'm going to be disappointed!"

"Oh, do you know who I am, then?" the man striked a pose while leaning on his golden cane.

"I have no idea who you are, but your clothes give away what you are."

"In that case, the name is Slick Diamonds, but you can..." he furrowed his brow. "What's with the kinky suit?"

"Quiet down, here comes another one!"

Slick Diamonds watched in awe as another person appeared in the room out of nowhere. Starting with bright red hair soon followed by emerald green eyes, the boy was wearing the same kind of suit the girl was wearing.

"First, what in the fuck was that? Second, what's with the weird black suit? Is this a new trend I'm not aware of?"

"You'll get used to it eventually." Nolan said as he crossed his arms and pressed his back to a wall. "If you survive long enough, that is."

Twilight Sparkle was the next to be brought back to the room, only making Slick Diamonds more confused.

"Still alive, eh?" Nolan said.

"Apologies for not making contact sooner, I was... Out of comission." she explained herself. "Moondancer and Hopewell were nursing me back to health. I wasn't at 100%, but..." Twilight stretched her arms. "...the Black Ball appears to have fixed me. Wish I had some fresh blood bags, though; my supplier got arrested for drug dealing and the new receptionist of the blood bank is some cranky old nun."

"Huh, never thought I'd hear you talking like that." Nolan said. "I mean, I wouldn't bat an eye if anyone else said it but, coming from you, it just sounds... Vulgar!"

"That's because I'm fucking THIRSTY!"

"Kids nowadays have strange conversations..." Diamonds muttered.

"Back off, old timer, or I'm turning you into my dinner!" Twilight poked him in the chest while flashing him her fangs. Slick Diamonds reached for his belt, but realized that his gun holster was empty.

Moondancer was next, but she didn't say anything, just sat on the floor next to the closed door containing the motorcycles and Katanas.

"Holy crap, that's a cool-looking suit!" was the first thing Norman said as soon as his mouth was visible.

While Slick Diamonds was distracted, a new woman was brought to the room; she had long, curly red hair wrapped with a yellow headwrap with cherries embroidered on it, a beauty mark under her left pistachio green eye, and wearing a fancy frilly crimson and cream dress. She tried to leave the apartment the moment she laid eyes on Diamonds, who was still talking to Normal Norman - or, rather, being bombarded with questions - but the door was locked like it always is before the mission is over.

The next Hunter was another newcomer, but this one wore a police officer uniform, a bullet proof vest and sunglasses. Like the woman from before, he acted as soon as he saw Slick Diamonds, but instead of running and hiding he tried to draw first; accentuating "tried", since his gun was also missing from his holster. Luckily his handcuffs and baton were still on his belt.

"Slick Diamonds, you are under arrest!" the police officer tried to knock the purple suit man out with his baton, but Slick Diamonds defended himself with his golden cane.

"You think an old man can't fight?" he said while blocking all of the cop's attacks. "I've been doing this shit since before you were even a trainee, boy, I'm not being taken down by someone fresh out of cop school."

Nolan and Norman managed to break up the fight by pulling the two men away from each other; they struggled, but they were unable to overpower the suits.

Flash Sentry was the last to be transferred to the room, but got angry as soon as he saw the man in uniform.

"You!"

The policeman immediately stopped struggling and focused his attention on the blue-haired boy. His anger was also replaced by surprise.

"Flash?"

"You two know each other?" Norman, the one holding the policeman, asked.

Flash Sentry sighed. "This man, he... He's my father."

"Say what?" Nolan raised an eyebrow.

"Ohhhh, so that's why you looked so familar." Norman said.

"Officer Flash Sentry, at your service." the man introduced himself.

"Did you just Flash Sentry?" Shimmer asked. "I thought the boy was Flash Sentry, not the man!"

"Flash Sentry Junior." the younger Sentry said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "The one thing I have in common with this clown, and that's one too many."

"Do I sense some bad blood?" Shimmer grinned.

"Sure, use the B-word when I'm dying of thirst here, why don't you?" Twilight said.

"You're damn right there's some bad blood going on here." Flash said.

"Oh, fuck you!" Twilight cursed.

"Look, I'll be simple and blunt: I. Hate. This. Man."

"Oh, yes!" Shimmer closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if smelling the trouble in the air. "This gonna be good."

Author's Note

Originally, Slick Diamonds was going to be an old war veteran named Carbine Calibre who died in the hospital due to a heart attack. But mere hours before writing this chapter I thought "hey, maybe a guy who is prone to heart attacks wouldn't last as much as I want him to", so I scrapped him! Sorry, One Gramps Army, but this is the alternate timeline in which the Black Ball did not choose you. But let's be real, a veteran fashion pimp is a much more entertaining choice, don't you think?

And the cop guy was just going to be just that: a cop guy. But then I was browsing some random pictures on Derpibooru, found this gem and decided "fuck it, I'll roll with it"!

Pootang Mang, yall!

And you probably noticed the font change in the cover art. I tried to make it similar to the manga, but it just wasn't working. Looks less awful now!