When I first woke up the next morning I thought I was still feeling groggy but once I rubbed my eyes i knew something was off. It was both foggy and muggy inside in my room. At first I thought it was smoke but I didn't smell anything, and the fact I was able to breathe normally told me what I was seeing was actual fog. I got dressed and took the Beretta underneath my pillow.

It was barely dawn upon going outside and the fog appeared to be thicker. Something like this wasn't uncommon but at the same time it didn't sit right with me. I could suddenly see my breath forming as a sudden chill went through me.

The lights along the road to my left started flickering. I slowly started walking in that direction, my hand cautiously hovering over the holster I was carrying. I then stopped, feeling that sensation as if I was being watched. “Who's there…?”

It was hard to tell, but I thought I could see a figure in the fog. “So...we finally meet. It's unfortunate that it's occurring in a dream but I can assure you I'm very real…”

Something about the voice was off...and yet familiar. Too familiar. “Who are you?”

The figure laughed. “You haven't figured it out? I thought Sunset Shimmer was smarter than that.” The figure came out of the fog and suddenly I felt as if I were staring into a mirror. “I am you.”

The girl in front of me looked like me, wore the same clothes as me. But her voice, while it sounded like mine, was slightly distorted. And her eyes...they were a bright unsettling yellow. As if on automatic, I pulled out the pistol. “What the hell is going on?”

“Ooh what's wrong Sunny? Going to shoot me?” the other me taunted. “I suppose you would be familiar with a gun wouldn't you?” Her smirk then faded. “I am a shadow... your shadow. The inner self you try so hard to suppress. Why bother? Are you scared people will find out the truth?”

“Shut up.”

“You try to act like a leader with good intentions but come on you were so much better when you were a complete bitch to everyone.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” Again I was on autopilot as the shot rang out. I was expecting this...thing to be writhing on the ground with a bullet wound but it only frowned at the sudden hole in her jacket.

“Come on did you really think that was going to do me in Sunny?” Other Me asked.

There was only one other option. “Ares!” Even in my dreams my Persona was with me. Ares appeared and attacked using a fire spell and other me was engulfed in flames. To my dismay, she only seemed humored by the whole thing.

“Now that's more like it... although a little lacking on your part. My turn.” She then summoned a Persona of her own. It was Ares but different...more powerful. He then swung his mighty sword down and despite being a so-called dream the pain felt very real. I was on my knees, my strength gone and pain shooting throughout my body.

“As I expected...you're not there yet,” Shadow Sunset said. “Of course, I haven't manifested in the real world either. When we meet then, things will be different.” She then walked up to me and knelt down, putting a hand under my chin to lift up my head. “I'll be looking forward to it...maybe by then you'll be a little more honest with yourself hm?”

“Go to hell…!” I spat.

“We'll see...nice to see some of the old you’s still in there...but why did you shut it away? Oh...I see...that event...perhaps it's time you remembered exactly what happened.”

Was she talking about… “No, please…” But regardless of what I said it was too late as everything was engulfed in white.

I was standing in the middle of a playground. The mist around me was like looking into a foggy lens. Just ahead I could see other people but as I walked up to the scene my heart almost stopped.

There were two people on the ground. One was a police officer and he looked knocked out. Another was a young girl who looked close to ten and somehow familiar. But it was the other two people that was unsettling. It was like watching a movie but with no sound. There was another girl pointing a gun at the other, another adult. But the way she advanced and the look on the woman's face suggested she was a threat.

But the girl...I looked at her when I saw the color of her hair I knew...I remembered. She was me… Was I protecting the other girl? “Don't do it…” I begged her. “Please…” But my words didn't reach her. I heard the sound of the shot in my head and everything disappeared.

“Hmm...that's right,” Shadow Sunset, who didn't sound the slightest bit sympathetic, said. All I could hear was her voice. “The crazy bitch was ready to cut you to bits. The woman was practically insane...somehow she ended up finding you despite the efforts of the police. But why I wonder? Well, you probably did everyone a favor by killing her. But imagine... shooting a complete stranger at the young age of ten.”

“Goddamn you!” I snapped. “I didn't want to remember!” It was like a true nightmare...but was that how it happened?

“That's right, you had to move afterwards,” Shadow Sunset continued, almost ignoring me. “Not that I could blame our parents. Imagine what the kids, the parents, or even the teachers thought. If you ever snapped imagine if you just walked into school with a-”

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I yelled, straining my voice.

There was a long pause. “I suppose I've tortured you enough tonight...but at some point we will meet again. Pleasant dreams me…

I then woke up for real, my heart beating hard in my chest. I sat up and closed my eyes for a moment, massaging my temples gently. “It was just a dream…” But even as I said that I had a hard time believing it.

I looked over at my alarm clock and saw it was just after eight. I went into the shower and stood there for a few minutes, just letting the warm water pour over my skin. My thoughts kept returning to the dream, to what happened all those years ago. I wanted to forget and now something insisted on me remembering it.

After I got out, I got dressed and went downstairs. I still had two hours so I decided to grab my keys and helmet and got my bike. Considering all the repairs I did, my bike shouldn't have any problems for a long time.

It was always relaxing, going for a ride. The wind in your hair, the need for speed, the usual things bikers say. But it also has a status: the type that said, “Don't fuck with this chick.”

There was this popular café downtown that everyone went to. The coffee was good and their baked goods were probably just as good as what you'd get at the Sweet Shoppe. Personally though I wasn't in the mood at the moment to talk to Pinkie, who was probably working there this morning.

I then got a text from Twilight as I was drinking my coffee and eating my croissant. It was a mass-sent message telling us she got our numbers from Rarity so feel free to add her. I had to admit, I kind of admired her. The fact she was willing to stick with this despite the things she saw told me a lot about her character. But now that I thought about it, something about her seemed familiar.

I wasn't sure if she wanted to but I decided to reply back to her.

Then it's official then: welcome to the team. ;)

Somehow it felt stupid to say but I hope she at least got a laugh out of it.

After wasting another hour around town I then headed to Rarity's. What happened when I got there was almost priceless. Apparently my bike was so loud Rarity came out looking like a neighbor threatening to call the police. Upon seeing me she relaxed quickly but looked annoyed.

“Honestly I forgot you drove that dreadful thing,” she said somewhat acidly.

“If you want, you can always go on a ride with me,” I said jokingly.

Rarity's nostrils flared slightly. “I'll pass. Fluttershy and Applejack are here already so we just have to wait for the others. Hopefully Dash will only be about fifteen minutes late…”

We went back inside and joined Fluttershy for tea. I guess for these two it was a regular thing. Rarity told me once they usually go to the spa a couple times a month.

“The raccoon came by again last night,” Fluttershy said somewhat miserably.

Rarity sighed. “Fluttershy dear I don't want to sound mean but if he keeps coming animal control may get involved.”

“I know…” Fluttershy said, sipping her tea. She looked to me. “There's this poor raccoon that's been visiting almost every night for a while now and…well at first he was raiding the trash cans so I gave him scraps and now he just sits there by the window begging for food.”

“And Fluttershy has a hard time saying no,” Rarity said, looking at her nails.

“If I see him tonight I'll have to tell him to leave,” Fluttershy said. “It always ends bad once animal control is called…”

Suddenly I noticed the smell of something cooking. “Who's-?”

“Applejack naturally,” Rarity said. “Not that I mind since Sweetie Belle can't even toast bread, but I wish she'd go easy on the carbs…must be an Apple thing.”

“Ah heard that,” Applejack said, poking her head into the living room. “Howdy Sunset, hope you don't mind an early lunch. Ya know they say ya should eat something every three hours or so.”

“I think I can manage,” I assured her.

“The others not here yet? Pinkie should be here any minute, maybe Twilight too.”

“Rainbow Dash has her fifteen minutes…” Rarity said.

Applejack snorted. “Yeah we'll see...Dash rarely gets up before noon.”

At precisely eleven o'clock, the doorbell rang and both Pinkie and Twilight showed up. “She was almost running from the bus stop,” Pinkie grinned.

“The bus was running late,” Twilight grumbled. “Sorry if we're late.” She then noticed the rest of us were staring at her. “...What?”

It was definitely Twilight, but now instead of her school uniform she was wearing a blue top with a purple skirt and instead of a bun she now had her hair down. “Sorry darling we can't help but admire your...out of school look.”

“What this?” Twilight shrugged but looked slightly embarrassed. “It's nothing really…”

To her credit, Rainbow Dash ended up showing up only ten minutes after eleven. “Well Ah’ll be damned…” Applejack said. “That's a new record.”

Dash chuckled. “Actually I've been up since nine. Hung out with Scootaloo a bit. Did super cool girl stuff.”

“Well Ah hope you're all hungry cause lunch….well call it brunch is ready,” Applejack said. She ended up making omelettes for us but they were probably the best omelettes we've ever eaten.

“Wow, my mom's a really good cook and even you got her beat,” Twilight said who was eating...very rapidly.

“You haven't tried her flapjacks though,” Dash said.

“It's like heaven to your tummy,” Pinkie said dreamily.

“You ate like ten of them,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Soo worth it…”

“Now that Ah think about it, Ah'll have to invite both Sunset and Twilight,” Applejack said. “You may leave in wheelchairs, just forewarning…”

We ate for a few more minutes before Twilight spoke up again. “So uh...now that I'm part of the team...what's the team called?”

The girls looked at each other and now I was regretting the text I sent. “Well obviously we're called Team Rainboom,” Dash said.

“That's the name of your band,” Applejack argued.

“No, the band is The Rainbooms, this is Team Rainboom,” Dash explained. “Totally different.”

“Uh-huh…”

“Personally I must admit it's kind of catchy,” Rarity said.

“I love it!” Pinkie added.

Everyone looked at Fluttershy. “I don't mind it…” she said.

“So...does that make it official?” I asked.

“Hell yeah it does!” Dash said. “Team Rainboom, ready to kick Hell in the balls!”

Everyone else went silent. The tagline could use a little work.

Author's Note

I don't know if that tagline has ever been used for anything but if it hasn't, it really should.