That evening, they all arrived at Crystal Prep Academy in a limousine contracted by Silver Script. None of the group was particularly upset by the fact that Silver had gone ahead to help Cadance and Luna oversee the setup of the event. Well, everyone but Pinkie, Sunset reflected as she reclined in her seat, watching the pink devil fidget over an event she wasn’t helping set up. I swear she’d insist on helping set up her own partying intervention if it didn’t defeat the point of it being a surprise.

Her eyes swept across the inside of the limo, taking in the postures of her friends. They were all clearly on edge about the upcoming battle, but there was no denying that was a good thing; it meant they wouldn’t be caught unawares.

Unsurprisingly, Rarity looked the most uncomfortable, but Sunset wasn’t sure whether it was because she wasn’t wearing her very best outfit—they’d ultimately agreed their attire should be functional rather than showy—or because she was uncomfortable with the idea of fighting for real. Sure, Rarity had it in her to be a one woman army, but could she draw on that ferocity without witnessing Fluttershy’s brutal slaying? Regardless, she kept fussing with the hem of her ‘combat dress’.

Then there was Fluttershy. She had a sort of glazed look to her eyes, as if she experiencing some sort of pre-traumatic stress episode. As long as she kept to the plan and kept the others covered, she probably wasn’t going to have to kill anything; if she did, it’d break her little heart.

Applejack and Rainbow, on the other hand, looked almost eager. Since Silver Script had helped them all tap their magic at will, and Sunset had taught them both some practical spells, the two had been going on like this was all just one big game to them. Surely they’d start taking it seriously once things actually started; they couldn’t possibly try to keep score... right?

The one who worried Sunset the most was Twilight. On top of clear signs of being uneasy about the idea of seeing Principal Cinch once more, there’s what Silver mentioned regarding her being anxious about her magic. Now that Silver had pointed it out, it seemed obvious in retrospect, but there was something else in the way Twilight held herself that she didn’t believe the older woman had noticed: guilt.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” she asked in the softest voice manageable over the sound of the background noise of the limo. “What’s bothering you?”

This comment drew the attention of the others. Everyone’s eyes were locked on the young woman, but Applejack was the first to respond. “Ya know, now that she mentions it, you’ve looked like ya had a bee in your bonnet for some time now, sugar,” she noted, reaching across the gap between them to put her hand on Twilight’s. “We’re yer friends, Twi. Y’all can tell us if’n anything’s botherin’ ya.”

The young woman shut her eyes, looking down at the hand clasped over her own. Her discomfort was obvious enough that none of the girls had to be a changeling or siren to feel the emotion radiating through the enclosed space. For a split second, Sunset swore she was entertaining the idea of fleeing from the moving vehicle.

No such action came, of course. Twilight sucked in a shuddering breath and stared out the window behind Applejack. “It’s just... ever since what happened at the Friendship Games, things have been beyond strange. I’m not talking about the nightmares I’ve been having, or the fact that I’ve been distancing myself from you all because I was afraid my magic might hurt you all,” she said, panic edging into her tone with every word.

With a slump of her shoulders, she heaved a sigh. “I didn’t mention any of this to Silver Script when we spoke, but I feel like something’s been... observing me ever since the games. I’d initially put it off as my discomfort regarding my magic, but then there’s all the unusual happenings,” she continued. “The number of people going missing has been slowly rising since then, and the number of violent incidents has been on the rise as well. The police haven’t been saying anything officially, but even they’re on edge about it all. Then there’s Flash Sentry’s apparent possession.”

Sunset held up her hand in a silencing gesture. “Hold on a minute,” she said, her eyebrows arched. “You’re not implying that—”

“I think that whatever this thing is, I think that I brought it here when I stole your magic.”

~ 11 ~

Remember how I said I wouldn’t know what to do if I ever met anybody I knew from Equestria—from my old social circle? I recall debating whether or not their lives were, on the whole, better without me or some variation therein. After all, this world’s Ice Blossom is still alive, and Aqua Regia is not—at least, not yet—a murderer-slash-rapist.

Funny how life is in that way. It’s like, if I decide not to go down a certain path, life will do anything to ensure that I don’t have any real say in the matter. I can cry and scream all I like, and I can dig my fingers in deep until my nails are torn out as I’m dragged along with the flow. It never seems to change.

Of course I would end up at Crystal Prep, where people I knew and cared about in the other world would be. Even if I never intended it, I’m ending up in their lives again—on the eve of a world-shaking event for them, no less. Doesn’t that make me like some kind of bad luck penny?

“Miss Silver Script, would you mind giving me a hand setting out the refreshments?” Dean Cadance asks, snapping me back to reality. She’s standing a few feet away from the tables I’ve just finished dragging out into the school’s auditorium. “Almost everything else is taken care of, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask you a few questions.”

My body involuntarily freezes at her words, even as my eyes flick to the bags of snacks and beverages held in her arms. I know what a kindhearted person Cadance probably is because of the way her pony counterpart is, lovingly leading the Crystal Empire and all, and having displayed abilities and tools that could really help this world, I imagine that she’s probably planning asking more about magic or something. It’s probably what I’d do in her shoes, after all.

“I’m listening,” I reply, accepting one of the bags. “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s just...” She pauses, fumbling for the proper words. “Twilight said she met another her a few months ago; a pony from your world, right? And when you met with Celestia, Luna, and myself just days ago, you spoke with us all as though you were seeing an old friend, rather than meeting strangers.”

My shoulders relax, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Wondering about pony Cadance, are you?” She nods a bit hesitantly, and I can’t help but smile. “Well, I don’t know much about your role as dean at Crystal Prep, but the Princess Cadance I know is the leader of a beautiful protectorate I call home, on the fringes of Equestria’s northern borders. It’s called the Crystal Empire.”

Her eyes widen at the mention of her being a princess, not that I really blame her. Imagine being told your alternate reality horse-self is royalty and try not to be surprised. It’s nearly enough to make her drop a veggie tray on the ground “Just a princess?” she prods, her voice rich with interest. “Not a queen or empress?”

“Nah,” I reply with a laugh. “I don’t much know the history of the choice of Equestrian royalty to use princess and princes as opposed to queens and kings, but I think I have the gist. When you’ve got tyrants like King Sombra the Shadow Usurper, and Chrysalis the Insatiable Changeling Queen cropping up, trying to enslave crystal ponies or use all of Equestria as food for her emotion-eating brood, the terms kinda become synonymous with evil, y’know?”

There’s barely a reaction when I mention those names, but it’s clear in her eyes that she has her own history with their counterparts in this world. “Does ‘Princess’ Cadance have a, er, special someone?”

“Fishing for answers as to who your mister right is?” I tease, upending a bag of cheese puffs into a large glass dish. “I’d be genuinely shocked if you’re not dating the counterpart of the pony who gave Cadenza two wonderful daughters.” Her cheeks turn this adorable shade of scarlet. “So how long have you been seeing Shining Armor?”

Her cheeks go from scarlet to an almost bruised color. “Oh look, we’re all done here; I better go to the restroom before everything begins.”

Okay, maybe I overdid it, I think to myself as she scampers off out of the auditorium. Forgot how embarrassed she could be about sex, which is still pretty funny considering she’s practically a sex symbol.

With all of the setup work out of the way, I make my way to the wall nearest the DJ booth to recline against it. It’s only 7 p.m. at the moment, so there’s probably a good fifteen minutes to half an hour until Sunset and the crew show up. Given that things don’t really kick into gear until around half-past nine, there’ll be a little time for me to mingle-slash-fuck around if I so choose.

As the young woman who could only be Vinyl Scratch sets up her equipment, I debate striking up a conversation with her to pass the time; I’ve always enjoyed good synthetic music, and while her Equestrian counterpart makes do with what she’s got—and it’s still impressive what ponies can make without a computer—there is just a certain quality of sound you can’t replicate with magic alone. It’s probably better if she’s left undisturbed though. Regardless of whether or not she’s at risk of fudging something because of a distraction and thus damaging her gear, I know from experience how annoying it can be having someone pester you while you’re doing prep-work for a demonstration.

Instead, I’m simply left to watch as students, distinguishable only for the curious looks and gaping from the CHS crowd, filter in through the auditorium doors. At first, I attribute it all to them visiting their rival school for the first time; I’d certainly have been awed to enter this fancy auditorium back in my youth, after all. But the more students file in, the more I find that many of the curious looks are directed at me.

It takes me a moment before it clicks. Flash Sentry, two goons, and Sonata Dusk in a mall hallway. Oh, right. I kinda nutted one of their peers, didn’t I? Then I recall some of the comments on the pictures that have been circulating, and my own cheeks flush pink. If nothing else, I’m pleased in my choice of a modest black dress and a green shoulder cape—easily mistaken for a shawl, but no, definitely not the cloaks people mistakenly call capes when they think of superheroes. Basically, even if I happen to be a MILF, I’m not going to be fueling any fantasies with this getup.

Plus, the cover hides the bandoleer of alchemical flasks that I wore in lieu of my bag. If the cops somehow get involved or the bag is separated from me, it’d cause a lot of questions. That’s not even mentioning the chaos that could be caused with my stores of potions, bombs, and spell essences.

After a few minutes pass and the trickle of students slows, I spot Sunset and the girls as they enter. Almost immediately I can see her looking to make straight for me, but at the same instance she starts to peel away from the group, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and a pale, cunty looking woman enter behind them. Even as the authority figures signal for everyone’s attention, I mouth the word “Later,” to her.

“Okay, everyone, I know you’re all eager to get started, but before Miss Vinyl Scratch starts the music, I want to go over a few basic ground rules,” Cadance says into a microphone, eliciting a near unanimous groan from the crowd of teens. “First of all, please don’t wander the halls; everywhere but the hallway to the foyer and bathrooms, and the areas directly outside the main entrance and marked emergency exits—” She gestures at a few of the doors. “—are out of bounds.

“Next, there’s to be no smoking or drinking on Crystal Prep grounds.” She looks to a specific group among the crowd and raises an eyebrow. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Lemon Zest. Any students caught will be removed from the dance.” Many of the gathered teenagers begin to laugh, the chastened one included.

The microphone is passed off to Luna, who cheerfully adds, “But most of all, remember to mingle and have fun, everybody!” At that, the sound of an electric bass guitar begins to fill the auditorium as the party begins.

~ 11 ~

Early on in the evening, I’m approached by Sunset. In no uncertain terms, she relates that Twilight believes our foe, whatever it is, is drawn to her. Honestly, were it anybody other than Twi, I’d probably call them paranoid and suspect them of narcissism. But this is Twilight fucking Sparkle, goddamnit; if something’s leading one of the brightest, analytical minds out there to believe C’thulhu is after them, it may very well be true.

Our goals haven’t changed tonight, though—just some of the parameters. If our adversary is drawn to Twilight, but not attacking her outright, then we should observe first, prioritizing preventing or minimizing casualties. That said, if the lives of the girls are in danger, I will put their lives above all else, even if it means watching people die. They are all needed if Sunset is to help fix this or at least create a new loop.

“Such a dark look for a beautiful face,” comes a smooth voice from beside me, interrupting my brooding vigil of the dance. “I can tell that I’ve never met you before; one community minded as I am never forgets a chance meeting, yet there is a striking familiarity about you. Do you have any relatives in this area?”

I glance to my left, mentally facepalming as I adjust to account for glasses I’m wearing. Upon seeing the man’s face, my stomach clenches. Skin whiter than the whitest kid you know, and blond hair with blue eyes that’d make Adolf Hitler proud—even without fur or a muzzle, I’m looking at the face of the bastard that is partly to blame for all of the bad shit that happened to me, to say nothing of whatever twisted shit he and his family put his sister through to fuck her up that badly.

Yet, as I look at the man, I can see in his eyes that he is not the same Blueblood the Forty-Second that I remember. While his crisp suit indicates he’s still clearly a self-styled sophisticate and incredibly well-to-do, his face doesn’t hold the same arrogant self-importance of the Blueblood I know. The outstretched hand he’s proffered as way of greeting, although well-manicured bears the calluses of hard work.

It’s... kind of unnerving, as well. The way he’s looking at me, he clearly knows something. Is this a game to him?

“You must be Blueblood the Forty Second,” I say, gingerly taking his hand and giving it a light shake. Let’s see if that puts him off balance. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Though he returns my shake with a firm squeeze, his eyebrow darts upward even as he grins at me. “I’m afraid you have me at quite a disadvantage, knowing not only my name but also my heritage,” he says as he reclines against the wall beside me. “Though I suppose if we’re dispensing with pretenses and showing all our hold cards before we’ve even dealt the flop, I’m very curious about you, miss avenging angel.”

Upon catching my confused look, his grin only broadens. “There’s very little that gets by my little organization of concerned citizens.” Oh, hell; this Blueblood’s some sort of mafioso? “So when a curious woman appears out of the blue, immediately associating herself with the septette of mysteriously magical girls hailing from CHS, and begins defending the downtrodden, of course my organization is going to take interest. That you know my name as well only compounds that curiosity.”

Stiffening, I shift away from him ever so slightly. “Concerned citizens, you say,” I reply in an even tone, even as I start looking around for anybody who might like to shank me. Although I don’t notice anybody on the first pass, I spot a man lurking near the unmistakable dancing figure of Aqua Regia. Tall, ashen skin, shaven almost completely bald except for a silvery goatee... What are the odds that the eyes behind those shades are a vivid blue? “So... what, you police those the police don’t?”

“In a manner of speaking.” From the corner of my eye, I watch as he flags down Aqua Regia’s shadow. “Now, I imagine you’re thinking I’m some kind of film noir mobster, but that’s as far from the truth as you can get. My people merely regulate the criminal elements so that the Canterlot PD has an easier time of things. We are protectors of the people and mete out justice of the social sort. That it is a profitable objective is of little consequence.

“Canterlot was lawless before my organization was formed,” he explains. “Crime ran rampant, and the were police overburdened and near breaking. Almost no public morals to speak of, one might say.”

As the apparent bodyguard joins us, I have time to marvel at just how tall this man is. When I was a young man, way back when, I wasn’t exactly short, but this guy stands at least a head taller than I would have been—compared to me now, he’s easily a head and a half. Really takes me back to when Mother would complain about how short she was.

The man takes notice of me, as well. Even as he gives Blueblood a respectful nod, turning his head in such a way that reveals the earpiece in his ear, I can feel his peripheral gaze on me. The muscles in his neck clench visibly as his jawline tightens, as if he doesn’t like what he sees. Hell, he looks like his 40s, so he’s probably seen some shit.

“Take my associate Silver Script for example.” Blueblood gestures almost indifferently at the tall man. “He grew up in one of the more out-of-control neighborhoods. When he was old enough, he formed a gang of youths that attempted bring some order to the chaos. Of course, as gangs are prone to, someone else had a ‘better’ idea of how things should be run, and the group turned to the same sort of action they’d formed to stop. When he hit adulthood, he erased his identity and became a mercenary of sorts, taking whatever jobs he thought might help clean up the scum.”

“Yeah, yeah, boss,” my apparent counterpart replies in a familiar voice that I never thought I would hear ever again. “I don’t think the little lady wants to hear my tragic backstory or how I went from a murdering vigilante to becoming your chief enforcer. Why don’t we just cut to the fucking chase and ask her what she knows about all the disappearances, the supernatural shit, and why she’s here already.”

I shake my head in amusement, watching my tall doppelganger over the tops of my frames. “We never really were one for bullshit, were we?” I said just loud enough to be heard over the music. The pair shares a confused look that elicits a loud laugh. “Say what needs to be said, bluntly if necessary. Yeah, it’s a pain in the arse to dance around the topic, so let’s cut to the chase.” I gesture to the hallway exit and start making my way out of the auditorium. “My name is also Silver Script, and your lives just got so much more fucking complicated...”

~ 11 ~

The dance continued on for some time before Sunset lost track of Silver. One minute the woman was there, near Vinyl’s equipment setup, and the next she was gone. Where could that blasted pony have gotten to? she mused as she made her way over to the wall with the snack tables. I know she’s an adult and everything, but sometimes she’s more of a teenager than I am.

Unfortunately there was someone at the tables that Sunset really did not want to deal with. Doubly unfortunate for her, that person did have words she wished to have with Sunset. “Miss Shimmer, was it?” Principal Cinch called out, halting the girl in her tracks before she could so much as think of backtracking. “I’m to understand that things of a ... magical nature may be happening tonight?”

The young woman could help but flinch at the disdain in Cinch’s voice, but she reminded herself whose turf this was. “Unfortunately, yes,” she replied in an even tone. “I—”

“I don’t want to know the details,” Cinch interjected, looking sternly down her nose at Sunset. Taking a sip of punch from a paper cup, she turned her eyes out to the students of both schools, dancing in harmony. “Dean Cadance has assured me that this is for the best that you’re here, despite my objections. Given my showing at the Friendship Games, however, I do not believe it wise that I have a say in matters pertaining to your abnormalities.”

At that moment, Vinyl Scratch chose to make an announcement over her speakers. “Hey, everybody, you sound like you’re really enjoying yourselves out there!” she called out, the response to which was a high-energy cheer from the audience. “Now, I’ve got something really special planned for you all tonight. A new friend helped me finish and perfect a new track for tonight, so I decided we’d treat you to its first airing with live vocals instead of something spliced together!”

When the crowd went berserk, Sunset and Cinch momentarily forgot their conversation. A stagelight illuminated one of the open emergency exits and standing there in the doorway was a woman in black motorcycle leathers and a yellow cat-eared helmet that hid the woman’s face. It interested Sunset especially, because this was something new. Whatever was going on, they’d officially gone off script as far as her time loops were concerned.

Silence fell over the auditorium as she timidly made her way through the parting crowd, the light keeping pace with her. Almost imperceptibly, a seemingly glitched synth track began pumping from the DJ’s equipment. It rose in volume and intensity until it gave way to a single, clear melody. A second synth instrument began playing behind it, rising to a quick climax as the biker reached Vinyl’s stage.

“You ready, Sona?” Vinyl called out?

Rather than acknowledge her verbally, the woman began tapping her toe as she gave Vinyl the thumbs up. “In comes the dawn,” came the singer’s voice over the speakers, though she held no mic. “I’ve fallen asleep with my head pressed against your flaws, all my love.”

A laugh escaped Sunset’s throat as it dawned on her who was singing. Indeed, as she looked closer, she caught the glint of a fist-sized gem hanging from the woman’s neck. “She did it,” she whispered in amazement as the crowd began to clap along with the percussion track. Sonata Dusk was singing again, but it was clear that the girl wasn’t using her powers to control the crowd at all; if anything, she was reinforcing the bond between schools with her voice and the power of the lyrics alone. “The crazy mare actually did it!”

“Ahem.” Principal Cinch cleared her throat, to draw Sunset’s attention away from the spectacle of the music. “As I was saying, Cadance assures me you have prioritized student safety above all else. All I ask is that you try to minimize property damage. If this is even a fraction as... hectic as the Friendship Games were, I dare say things will be rough on my school.”

“I can’t speak for our mysterious adversary, but I can promise we’ll do our best.”

With a sigh, Principal Cinch walked away. “That’s all anyone can ask.”

Once the Crystal Prep principal had retreated a fair distance, Sunset poured her own cup of punch and went back to crowd-watching, occasionally directing her gaze up to the ceiling, where the first attacker would come from. She could still see the girders and the inside of the roof—they were safe for now—but that could change in the blink of an eye, and it wasn’t the sort of thing she’d feel coming.

“Hey, Sunny!” Pinkie exclaimed, clapping her on the shoulder. “Why aren’t you out enjoying the party while it lasts? This song is totally amazing!”

The redhead merely laughed and shooed her friend with her free hand. “Go enjoy it for the both of us, Pinkie.” She glanced over to the hallway exit and sighed. “I just can’t enjoy this night after seeing it through so many times.”

That comment caused her friend to deflate a bit, but then she inclined her head in the direction Sunset was looking just as their missing ‘chaperone’ returned accompanied by two men. “At least someone’s making the most of things,” Pinkie noted with a giggle. A wry smile twisted her face and she leaned in and gently nudged Sunset in the side with her elbow. “But I wonder what kind of fun she could be having in the hall with a handsome mobster and the bodyguard who could be her brother? Do you think it was both at the same time?”

The choked laugh and ensuing spray of punch narrowly missed the pink comedian. “Pinkie ew!” Sunset cried, wiping punch from her face with a napkin. “If he looks like he could be her brother, why are you insinuating she... eugh.” She shook her head and glared at Pinkie. “Also, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t swing that way.”

Cocking her head in confusion, Pinkie looked away from Silver Script, her possible worldly-counterpart, and the blond man. “What, you don’t think she could tell jokes to two people at the same time?” Pinkie wrinkled her nose. “Ew, you have a dirty mind, Sunny.”

That was when the screaming started.

Author's Note

... and Sunset Shimmer was immediately acquitted in a court of her peers, for nobody can stand being trolled by the pink menace.

Yeah, I know, late late late. Yada yada games.

Look on the bright side. It's probably NOT going to be five months until the next posting.

Alright, a few things about this chapter for reals this time. I've had 'All I Ask of You [Feat. Penny]' in my head for this chapter since the very beginning, when I'd mentally toy with how scenes would play out. Hell, even before the story was first posted, I knew this song was going to be played at this specific moment in time. A lot has changed about how the scene was approached. In the original mental layout of the event, Sonata wasn't even supposed to be singing this song; Twilight was. Silver was supposed to have been brooding about whether or not she should meet human world Ice Blossom, and the song was supposed to have her almost ready to do so before the record scratch as chaos broke out. Obviously, Blueblood and Human World Silver Script weren't anywhere in the original draft at all.

Those of you who recognize the song that opens the dance probably realize that the chapter title is a reference to another of the Glitch Mob's songs, 'We Can Make the World Stop'. Between some of the BlackGryph0n & Michelle Creber songs, some Persona 3 songs, and various background tracks from anime, Glitch Mob accounts for a fair bit of the background music I like to have going when I'm writing.

Hope you all enjoyed this short return to your regularly unscheduled programming.

... on the next episode of Silver Script Z. You fuckers thought I would forget to reference it, didn't you?