Chapters Sunset at the Midnight Sushi Bar.
Sunset Shimmer couldn't sleep. She usually couldn't.
So she decides to go for a walk. Which was her usual activity when she had trouble sleeping. Not the safest activity for a teen-aged girl, but Canterlot was a safe place, apart from the magical things that happen.
She decided to go in another direction then she usually did this time and ended up wandering through the sleeping city part of Canterlot.
Though it wasn't a big city there was always somebody up and doing something, cities where living things all their own after all, and even while a living thing slept there was still something working inside.
Sunset walked along the empty streets and looked at all the closed shops, but paused as she found one that was still opened. Dim lights came from a curtained door way.
Her curiosities were piqued so she investigated.
The sign above the shop read, The Midnight Sushi bar, it was small, probably only half a dozen people could fit in it, there were 4 stools, in front of a wooden bar which divined the outside world from a small but well stocked kitchen, and a man who was diligently working behind the counter.
"Irasshaimase!" said the lone cook without turning around, "Please take a seat."
Sunset did just that and looked around the small eatery. She recalled walking past this particular spot once or twice during the day, but it was always closed. She began to assume it was just a vacant store front, but here it was, awake and alive as any other kitchen.
The lone cook, a middle aged man by the flecks of gray in his yellow hair, turned to Sunset and smiled. It was a kindly smile. The cook looks to be close to middle aged. Apart from an apron and a bandanna to keep his hair back he didn't look dressed for a kitchen, that probably meant he was the owner of the shop. Owners could get away with this sort of thing.
"So, what will be?" he said equally as kindly.
"Oh, I'll just have water for now."
The man nodded and poured her a glass of water, "So, what's a girl your age doing up at this hour?" The cook asked. "If you don't mind me asking. Someone must be worried about you."
Sunset chuckled at the thought of someone being worried about her but stoped when she saw the confused look on the man's face.
She coughed "Nope, just me."
The chef shrugged "No parents, or aunts and uncles?" A look of genuine concern on his face.
The look made Sunset feel a little bad for laughing.
"Well, I live in town by myself. I moved here a few years ago. Before that... Well it's always been just me honestly."
She thought about he life before high school and decided she was in a sharing mood.
"I lost both my parent's when I was vary young. I think I had a cousin but I've never met them. There was a, well I guess you could say my mentor but," Sunset shook her head, "now It's just me."
The cook nodded knowingly as he poured the glass of water and placed it in front of Sunset. "I'm sorry to hear that. My name's Sunny Roll by the way, owner and proprietor of this fine establishment."
"I was actually meaning to ask, What kind of a place is this?" Said Sunset.
"This, " he said gesturing to the room in general "is the Midnight Sushi Bar, only open between the hours of 10pm and 5am."
"Can't be good for business?"
"Maybe not. I do have some regulars that come in, and what I lack in volume of customers I make up for in the variety of customers. You meet a lot of interesting people in th middle of the night. Like you for instance." Sunny Roll said. "So, what brings you out this late?"
"Couldn't sleep." she said simply.
"Ah, then you should start off with a good miso soup."
Sunset was taken aback "Oh, I don't have any money on me."
The chef offered a jovial shrug "Pay me when you do. Unless you didn't notice, I'm not really in this for the money."
The cook poured her a small bowl of soup and placed it in front of her. Sunset had herd somewhere that it was bad for you to eat this late at night but ans the humans say, 'When you roam, Do a lot of roaming' or something.
"May I ask you a question?" Said Sunny Roll
"You already did." said Sunset.
The man smiled and continued "What's bothering you?"
Sunset gave the chef a look.
"Sorry, it's just, you seem like you could use someone to vent to. You said yourself, there's no one worrying about you at home. You can tell me. Diner/Chef confidentiality."
"Diner/Chef Confidently?" She said with a smirk.
"It's a thing."
Sunset slurped up her soup and considered the question. "I guess..." She sighed " I don't know. It's a lot of things."
The chef nodded in an understanding way, if only he knew the full extent of it.
"I have some friends, and their great, but... I haven't always been, well, the nicest person. Actually up until recently I was a real Bitch with a capital letter. I've been trying to make amends, and everyone around me appreciates it, but I can't shake the feeling that all of it isn't real. That the person I am now is just a me so afraid to be alone that I'm just pretending to be good."
The chef nodded and picked up his knife. "I know exactly the roll for that."
Sunset knitted her eyebrows together "Wait what?"
The chef talked as he worked "Everyone comes in here with some problem or another. Domestic, Romantic, Economic. Once someone came in here swearing up and down aliens had abducted his dog."
"What did you do to him."
"Same thing I did for all of them, I made him some sushi and talked to him till he calmed down." He said.
"I don't eat meat." Said Sunset. Which was true, as most of the meats in this world could have held down a conversation in Equestria
"Fish isn't meat according to the Catholic church." The chef said with a grin. "But never fear, this roll is completely vegetarian anyway." He produced the fruits of his labor.
"Here you are, crunchy California roll. A favorite of young people."
It was vary nice looking. Sunset knew what sushi was, but she'd never had any. Mostly because of the chopsticks.
Try and try as she might she could never get the hang of them, and she had learned to play guitar which in theory was more difficult. Sparing herself of that episode, she elected to eat the little rolls with her fingers.
"How old are you?" The chef asked.
"17." she said between bites. Which wasn't exactly true, but answering honestly would raise some uncomfortable questions.
"17, huh." The man stared off into the distance for a moment then he shook his head. This did not go unnoticed by Sunset Shimmer.
"So, can I ask you some questions now?" Said Sunset.
"You already did."
"What kind of a person opens up a sushi bar that's only open in the dead of night?"
The chef nodded as if he knew exactly what the question was going to be. "Someone who knows what it feels like to be alone."
The chef looked at Sunset, then to a picture hanging on the wall. It was of a young couple and a new born baby. The man in the photo, but for a few gray hairs was the chef himself. Gears started turning in Sunsets head.
"They're gone aren't they?" Sunset asked.
For a moment the chef said nothing. Then he smiled a somewhat sad weary smile.
"She would have been 17 this year." The chef said.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, nobody's fault really. She was born sick, didn't even make it to her first birthday. After that, I tried to make things work with my wife but she couldn't do it anymore. So," the chef shrugged "Just me."
Sunset nodded. And looked at the picture again.
"What was her name? If you don't mind me asking"
"Who? My daughter?"
She nodded.
The chef smiled and signed. "Now there's a story behind that. The first date I went on with my wife we had a picnic in the park. Up on the big hill."
"The park by the amphitheater?"
"That's the one."
"I know that hill. I love that hill." It also happened to be the hill where the Rainbooms defeated the Siren sisters three. It was also the first place she'd ever felt accepted by anyone.
Sunny Roll chuckled. "We sat up there for hours, long after we finished the picnic, just talking and enjoying each others company. I knew then and there that I loved that woman. We kissed just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon.
Sunset smiled at the image. Almost right out of one of those romance novels Fluttershy swore she didn't read.
"When our daughter was born, we wanted to name her after the that. The moment we fell in love."
The chef reached over and picked up the photo. He smiled even as a tear came to his eye.
"Sunset" he said.
"Yes?" said Sunset.
"My daughter's name. Sunset Shimmer."
Sunset Shimmer paused. Then a pit dropped out from under her stomach. She hadn't finished her sushi but suddenly she didn't feel hungry.
"That's..." she said but her words left her. "A nice name for a girl."
The chef nodded, then shrugged and placed the picture back on the wall.
"I wonder if you two would have been classmates?" He asked to no one in particular, then he shook his head and chuckled again "There you go again, with the what if's, Sunny Roll. You know where that leads."
"Sorry," He said now addressing Sunset, "I talk to myself sometimes. Hey are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Sunset had gone pale. In a sense she had seen a ghost, and the ghost was her. Or maybe the ghost was her father, if he even was her father, or rather an parallel version of her father.
She's never known either of her parents, she was too young to remember them, but she did have a photo of them. And looking at this man now, baring the fact that he was a human and her father was a unicorn, and a few gray hairs here and there, they had the same eyes.
"I just, uh," She said "Thank you for the food but, I should get home. I have school tomorrow."
"Say no more, I understand. One of the things you learn quickly about running a place like this is that there is such a thing as over sharing."
Sunset left, possibly quicker then she should have and began to walk home, fast. Then she began to run. When she'd finally made it to her front door she felt like she was about to throw up.
She's often wondered about if she had a counterpart in this world. Who they were, where they were.
What were you supposed to do when you learned that you were dead.
She breathed heavily for a few seconds then composed herself. Now she definitely wouldn't be able to sleep to night.
She finally decided that she would write to Princess Twilight, and talk about it with her friends tomorrow. As for sleep, well she'd drink a shot of cold medicine.
Again.
Author's Note
Hello friends, welcome to my stupid fanfic
Sunset at the Midnight Sushi Bar.
"So he's your dad?" Said Rainbow Dash. The group of friends had met in their usual spot, the music room of Canterlot High School.
Each of the young girls were in varying degrees of disbelief.
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash's eyes were wide, their mouths hung open slightly. Applejack and Rarity, despite their dichotomy both sported reserved yet concerned expressions.
Fluttershy looked like she was on the verge of tears. The only one who's expression was impassible was the most recent addition to the group of friends, Twilight Sparkle, who had been vary quiet ever since Sunset had started her story.
"Eh, not exactly. It's complicated. He's 'Sunset Shimmer's' dad. But it's the Sunset Shimmer of this world, not me." said Sunset. She was needing her temple.
"And you're- I mean, Sunset Shimmer is...dead?" Said Fluttershy, her voice shuttering when she said the word
Sunset nodded. She stared at her shoes.
"Dude, that sucks." said Rainbow.
"You're telling me." Sunset sighed "This is so weird, I have no idea how to process any of this."
Sunset considered the situation "And then there's Sunny Roll, poor guy. He lost everything. All alone in this world." A lot like me, she finished in her head.
Sunset chuckled darkly at that. The she stopped and stood silent for a long moment, deep in contemplation. Eventually the bell rang.
"That'll be 5th period," said Applejack, "Sorry Sunset, but we gotta get to class. We'll talk about it after school, kay?"
"Alright. You girls go ahead."
Sunset nodded and felt a had rest on her shoulder. She turned to see a concerned look on Applejack's face "You gonna be ok?" she asked Sunset.
Was she going to be ok? Is any of this really ok? It was what it was Sunset mused, so she gave Applejack a smile and nodded. "You better get going, I heard you were failing algebra." she said wryly.
"Did you now? Rarity, what did I tell you about gossipin." Applejack shouted.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, oh would you look at that we're going to be late, best be off."
The girls picked up their thing, some faster then others, and made their way to their respective classes leaving Sunset to contemplate herself.
All except one. Twilight was still siting where she was her face still emotionless.
"You were awfully quiet for all this, Twilight?" said Sunset.
"Hum? Oh it's nothing." said Twilight, coming out of whatever thought she was having. She too began to pick up her belongings.
There was a silence as both Sunset and Twilight slowly made there way through the halls of Canterlot High. Both had a look of deep thought.
Sunset thought about her life. Orphaned, no mother, no father, a cousin maybe that she'd never meet. She'd been in school for as far back as she could remember. Part of her always thought that the reason she was so hungry for magical power was that she was trying to find some spell, some book that could make her not feel so alone.
Now she had friends, she was happy. But not to put to fine a point on it, she was and alien, literally, to the human race.
And suddenly she tripped right in to her father. Well an ulternate vertion of her father at the vary least. One who had no one just like her.
Sunset considered the likelihood of this situation. If the multiverse was indeed infinite then a situation like this was bound to happen, that was just logical. It's different when it happens to you though.
"Um?" said Twilight.
"Hm?" said Sunset.
"Can we stop here, I need something from my locker." Twilight pointed to the locker in question.
"Oh, sure."
Sunset leaned against the wall of lockers as Twilight opened her's. She finally turned to the nerdy girl.
"Twilight, do you believe in Fate?"
"As a concept maybe. As an active universal force, no." Twilight responded, in her usual way. "Why?"
Sunset turned to face her more directly "In Equestria Fate is real. It's not just a concept, it's verifiable force that drives us."
"Verifiable?" said Twilight, who was suddenly vary interested "Does that mean Ponies can measure Fate? How? Are there special instruments you need?"
Sunset gave Twilight a 'look'.
"Right. Continue."
Sunset sighed "Twilight, do you think me and Sunny Roll meeting was Fate?"
Twilight considered this, "Well as far as I can tell, in this world Fate is just a concept stemming from a fundamental lack of perspective. But, baring magic actually being involved here, it is one doozy of a coincidence. Why do you ask?"
"It's just, " Sunset paused to collect her thoughts, "Last night I thought about how I have no family and, well neither does Sunny Roll. I was thinking, maybe Fate had brought us together to, I dunno, be Father and Daughter?"
"I don't know if that's such a good idea Sunset."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, like you said, you may be 'A Sunset Shimmer' but you aren't 'his Sunset Shimmer'. His Sunset... well, is dead, and I don't think it's a good idea to..." Twilight paused think about what she was trying to say. "Well think about it like this, I may be Twilight Sparkle, but I'm not Princess Twilight, right?"
"That's true." Sunset considered.
"Right, so if something were to ever happen to me, I wouldn't want Princess Twilight to come here and replace me. And I don't think she would want me to do the same thing for her."
Sunset thought about this "Well if something were to happen to the Princess, I think she might actually want someone to take up her duties as The Princess of Friendship, but I get what you're saying. I don't think this is about pretending to be his daughter."
Sunset sighed. "I don't want to replace his daughter Twilight, I just want to... be his friend."
Twilight nodded at this, "I'm not telling you how to proceed, Sunset, I'm just saying what I think. You might do more harm to him than good if you get involved in his life. " With that Twilight closed her locker, "He lost his family, he might not want a new one."
Twilight left it at that, leaving Sunset alone in the hallway to think about many things. Existence. Mortality. Fate. The Equine Experience... or Human Experience as the case may be.
She contemplated loneliness.
'What kind of a person opens up a shop that only operates in the dead of night?' she asked herself.
'Someone who's been alone so long they don't know how else to be.' she answered herself.
"Someone like me." She said out loud.
"Hello, Is someone in there." Came an authoritative voice from down the hallway.
Rounding the corner reviled the Vice Principal, Luna. "Sunset Shimmer? where are you supposed to be right now?" She said in her famous 'Vice Principal Voice'.
"I'm going, sorry." Sunset said, scrambling to get to class.
Author's Note
The second chapter, probably only doing one more.
Sunset at the Midnight Sushi Bar.
It was a slow night, and that really meant something. Sunny Roll passed the time in his usual way, that is he sharpened his knives. A good sushi chef always kept his knives sharp and Sunny considered himself just that.
He also considered himself a ninja master, but he didn't advertise that on his business card. At least not the one he handed out.
Sunny was brought out of his sharpening zen when the chime signifying a costumer rang.
"Irasshaimase!" he said. "Take a seat I'll be right-" stopped as he looked up. There in the door way was the girl from last night.
"Oh, hey again. Couldn't sleep? Or is my Crunchy California Roll really that good?" he throw in the same jovial smile he wore for all his costumers.
The girl stared Sunny down for a second or two as if she was contemplating something, then she nodded. "Yeah. Also." She produced a few wadded up bank notes from her pocket. "I've come to pay for the food last night."
"You don't really have to. If you're all alone in town, you probably need to hold on to ever dollar you can." He finished sharpening his knife and placed it on the counter, "Besides, you never finished it."
The girl took a seat and Sunny could see uncertainty painted all over her face. Like she was wrestling with a particularity nasty thought
"So what's bothering you?" He asked, genuinely concerned.
She said nothing for a moment or two, which Sun was fine with, sometimes people came in and didn't want to say anything. It wasn't his place to pry, but there was a small part of him that wanted to pry. Wanted to help. After all, this girl was young and all alone in this town, she could use a... friend he guessed.
Finally, she looked him in the eye, and suddenly Sunny Roll was confronted with the most serious look any one had ever given him.
It was as if what ever she was about to say would be the most important thing he'd hear in his life. It honestly gave him the willies.
"I-," the girl began. She paused, trying to find the right words.
"Hey," he said. "Look, I get it. It's hard when you're alone. Believe me, I know. I just want you to know, that you've got those friends of yours. And, hey, you know what, if you ever feel like talking, my doors always open.
The girl looked Sunny right in the eyes then and for a moment he was worried he'd said something wrong. "I-I want you to know you're not alone too." the girl said.
Sunny was a bit taken a back by that but he smiled non the less "I appreciate that." He then poured the girl a glass of water and she sat in silence for a while
When she'd finally finished nursing the glass she put it down and gave Sunny that intense look she'd given before. "I have to tell you something. Something so fantastical and unlikely that I have no idea what could happen by telling you."
Sunny looked up querulously"Ok?"
"I came here tonight because, you do know what it's like to be all alone, and I could use a friend who really understands that. My firends at school..." She shook her head, "They really are the beast friends a girl could ever ask for, but at the end of the day, they go home to people they love and places that accept them, and all I've got it a crappy apartment and a cat that hates me."
"The cat's something." Sunny said trying to be encouraging. "But I get what you're saying."
Sunny roll nodded with a smile, but after a moment the smile faded and he turned to the picture hanging on his wall. "I'm sorry, miss, but I'm too full on baggage to help you out like that. I know my own limits and that where they start."
"I know." She said prompting a raised eye brow from Sunny, "At least I've guessed, just like I could use someone to look after me, I think you could use someone to look after you."
He was vary much taken aback now. "Oh?" He chuckled "I should warn you I'm a handful to look after. That's awfully kind for a complete stranger.
"Well," she said and then she reached in to her hoodie pocket and pulled out a bright red stone. She held up the stone in her hand and Sunny watched as it seemed to glow from within.
"There's more, and it's, well, kind of strange. But if I wanna be your friend I'll have to tell you."
His brow drew down "Tell me what?"
"Something hard to explain and entirely too fantastical for you to believe. So rather, I'm just going to show you."
The girl held out her other hand. Sunny looked down at then back to the girls face. It was resolute. He'd only seen someone this resolute once before. From Morning Glow, the mother of his daughter.
This girl, who ever she was, reminded him a lot of her.
Perhaps it was for that exact reason he took the girls hand.
And suddenly, in the time it would take a bead of sweat to hit the ground, Sunny Roll's mind became a light with images, thoughts feelings, sensations.
History. History from another world. Another time.
A young girl in pain, turning to sadism as an escape.
Literally escaping to another world.
Pain, anger, sadness.
Then a light.
Then more light. Love, power, hope.
All the while, a name flew threw his head.
When it was finally over, only half a second had gone by but it felt like Sunny Roll had just seen years. Which was vary much true.
He looked up at the girl. She was in tears, but underneath them were a wide warm smile.
"Sunset?" Sunny Roll said.
Sunset Shimmer sniffed wiping her eyes. She nodded.
"It's nice to meet you." She said "And I'm sorry."
Sunny Roll saw that she was saying something more, but he didn't hear it. Because at that moment he passed out and hit the counter on the way down.
The last thing he saw before losing consciousnesses was Sunset cover her mouth with her hands and yelp in shock.
"So... you're a... pony?" said Sunny Roll. He had an ice pack to his head. In the other hand he held a bottle of plum wine. He might need another before the night is over.
"Well, I guess you could say that?" said Sunset.
Sunny Roll took another sip of the wine. "And, you're Sunset Shimmer."
Sunset covered he face with one hand "Yeah, I'm sorry. I know this must be really confusing and..."
"Actually not as much as you'd think." Sunny said. Sunset raised a confused brow.
Sunny Roll smiled in his kindly way. "When I was a kid, I was really in to sci-fi." His smile then faded away. " When Suns- When my daughter died, for a while I liked to think that some where out there, there was another dimension where she didn't."
He looked off in to the distance "There was some hypothetical world where Sunset was going to school, and she was happy and surrounded by friends and there was a hypothetical me that got to watch her grow up and be happy." He took a swig of his bottle "I hated that hypothetical me."
"But, I never would have guessed it would be a world of horses."
"...Ponies, actually." Sunset said.
"Sorry." Sunny Roll adjusted the his ice pack. "I guess I was wrong at any rate. There was no hypothetical me who got to watch you grow up. He's gone instead."
He chuckled to himself, "I wonder if we're just really unlucky or are we cursed in every dimension?"
Sunset burst out laughing at that, "I've been wondering the same thing myself."
He decided to join in on the laughter until a realization dawned on him "Oh jeez, I'm sorry. How must it feel to find out that you were dead in another world."
"A little shocking at first. I'm not gonna lie, I almost threw up. But, like you said, there's a bunch of realities so, it's bound to be more likely then you think."
"Point." he said, actually pointing before taking another swig of wine. "By the way would you like some."
Sunset put her hands on her hips "Are you offering alcohol to a minor. That's vary irresponsible."
"Ha, minor my foot. I've seen your thoughts, I know how old you really are."
"Even so, I probably shouldn't, don't want you to lose your license." she said. "If you did, I wouldn't be able to ask you for a job, maybe?"
Sunny Roll raised an eyebrow, "A job?"
"Well, It might allow you to open this place at a reasonable hour if you had someone else working here too. And, I actually need one. Up until now I've just been doing odd jobs around town and for my land lord, but that's really not cutting it anymore."
Then her eyes dipped, "Also, I meant what I said before, I mean, you know I did because you saw my mind, but I think this our chance to... have a family again."
Sunny made a face at that word, which cause Sunset to grit her teeth, worrying that she'd said the wrong thing. That word, family, was a bit of a sore spot for Sunny. He'd told himself it was an old wound, which was true, but some old wounds still cause pain.
He looked again over to the picture hanging on the wall. To his happy family that never was. He scanned the picture for a moment until his eyes fell on the face of new born Sunset. Now that he looked at her, he wondered how he didn't recognize this Sunset Shimmer at all.
He looked at her smile, and thought of how when she was born, he never wanted that smile to go away. And in that smile he knew that if she was here now, she would want the same thing from him.
He turned to Sunset and smiled. "Alright Sunset Shimmer," he held out his hand, "It's a deal. Welcome to The Midnight Sushi Bar. You can start work on Tuesday."
She shook his hand enthusiastically "I can start on Monday, if that's alright." she said.
"Oh no, we're not open on Monday. Never order fish from a restaurant on Monday. It's not fresh on Monday."
"I'll keep that in mind." Sunset said.
"So," Sunny said after another swig of plum wine, "have you ever made sushi before?"
Sunsets's smile faded away and she shook her head.
"Have you ever made Japanese food of any kind?"
"Umm?"
"Do you know how to cook?"
"I can make mac and cheese." Sunset said excitedly. "As long as it's out of a box." She added sheepishly.
The small shop once again became filled with the sound of Sunny Roll's laughter. After a second or too the sound of Sunset's laughter joined in as both rose up in to the late evening sky.
End
Author's Note
This was fun.
I'm definitely doing another fic in this same continuity. Probably going to start on that soon cause I like to keep my hands busy.
Anyway. Thanks for reading. leave a comment, even if you just wanna tell me I'm a mad gaf.
Love you.
