The Shimmer to the Sunby One with the SandChaptersI just wanted some sleepUnderstanding the situationLet the adventure beginI just wanted some sleepWhat an annoyance… I mean, honestly, I was hoping to just have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed, but apparently not. Ugh, let me back up a bit, I don’t think it’d be proper for me to go on about something that there’s no knowledge of, so allow me to start from the beginning. Today was just a normal day in all honesty, nothing new, well other than another tattoo, but that was about it. Get up, put some clothes on, go to the gym, shower, go to school. The routine I had been following for the past few months. I finally got my independence after living with my parents, not that I didn’t love them, I did, but I felt it was time to go off on my own. I now lived with just me, myself, and I for the first time in, well, forever. After finally turning eighteen, I decided to get myself a modest apartment close to the school I went to and the place I worked, for obvious reasons. It just happens it was close to both; rent was decent and the landlord was nice enough so it all worked out. Anyway, after heading home from the tattoo shop after work, I through my keys on the small table in the kitchen and decided to go ahead and put some lotion on the new ink, a pretty decent sized back tattoo that I knew was gonna suck once it started to heal, being all itchy and stuff, but it was one I had wanted to add to my collection and I appreciated what it meant. An eagle, with freedom through strength written along three floating strands of parchment across its wings and talons. One word per piece. Definitely cost me a pretty penny, but I’m pretty good with saving so it didn’t hurt me much. It made my fourth, with the other three making up a shoulder sleeve I planned to turn into a full sleeve eventually. After lathering it up with a decent amount of lotion, I decided to just sit back and relax on my bed with some homework from the day. It was the weekend, Friday to be exact, but if I got it done now, I wouldn’t have to worry later. Just this last year of school before college, or military, whichever I decided on. Then I wouldn’t have time to do just a half hour of work before relaxing, it would be a much more full schedule. I finished my homework and decided to call it a night, so I went on ahead and threw off my clothes, turned the bedside lamp off, and climbed under the sheets. As soon as I started to drift off, something shook me awake. I’m honestly not sure what it was, but it definitely woke me up. Something just seemed off to me. After deciding if I should get up or not, I finally drug myself out of bed to go to the bathroom. I walked down the small hall, flicked on the bathroom lights, and proceeded to relieve myself. When I looked in the mirror, something seemed off. Like it wasn’t actually a mirror, but a pane of glass. It looked like I could see through it, but at the same time I couldn’t. I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to touch it, and that’s when things got a bit strange. As soon as my fingertips grazed the surface, something pulled at me, some force that was definitely stronger than me. Try as I might to pull away from it, it was no use, within a few seconds I found myself being sucked into it, and thrown around in the most mind boggling way imaginable. It was a light show of immense magnitude, all my senses being assaulted in the strangest way possible. When all was said and done, I was ungracefully deposited in a place I had definitely never seen before. My mind, still reeling from the previous experience, tried to catch up with what just happened, but no matter what I tried to think of, I couldn’t figure out what had just happened to me. It was something that no one could, or would for that matter, ever expect to happen to them. The kind of experience that makes you look like you should be thrown into an asylum if you ever spoke about it. And that brings me to my current situation. Sitting in front of what appeared to be a school, if the desks I could see through the windows were any indication, I got on my feet and decided to take a look around. In the process of which I noticed a rather large horse statue right behind me I somehow missed, and I also happened to notice my clothing had changed. No longer was I in just my boxers, but I instead had a whole new getup. A light blue shirt adorned my upper body. Not a polo because it lacked the noticeable collar portion itself, but a long sleeve tee with three buttons descending from the neck. I had a pair of very slightly faded jeans, as well as a pair of tan square toe boots on. In all honestly, I was a fan of the wardrobe. Disregarding the clothing, considering I had bigger fish to fry, I continued my search. I caught sight of a sign beside the road reading Canterlot High School, with various school activities coming up mentioned on the sign. I had never heard of the place before and my confusion rose at the name. Alright Aaron, keep cool and think about your situation, I told myself, you're in an unfamiliar area, at around the same time you got sucked into the mirror. Yeah, that sounds normal… I took another glance around the place and confirmed it was most likely around eleven or twelve at night, if the lack of any life was something to go by, and continued my thoughts. First things first, get your bearings and see if you can't find some directions. With my thoughts flowing to the back of my mind, I started to walk towards the sidewalk that was parallel to the road, and began heading in the direction of what seemed to be a convenience store about a half mile down the road. About halfway through my walk I noticed someone exit and decided to see if I could get some directions. It helped they were heading my way. When I was about fifteen feet away I slowed down and asked my question, “Excuse me, miss, I hate to be a bother, but could I ask you a question real quick?” as the words left my mouth, she looked up and I was actually a little surprised. A girl around my age was staring at me with cyan eyes. Her hair falling behind her back like a crimson wave, yellow stripes flowing gently into the red. Her soft, tan skin accented perfectly by the sky blue jacket she was wearing. Along with the jacket, she had a pair of faded skin tight jeans on, and a pair of black high heel boots with yellow chevrons towards the top adorning her feet. All in all, she could definitely catch a guy’s eye, and probably without trying. After my little once over, she spoke with one eyebrow raised slightly, “You do know how weird it is for some random guy to come up to me at,” she paused to check her phone, “eleven thirty, saying he wants to ask a question, right?” She stopped and looked at me expectantly. “Uh, yeah… yeah, I do, and I'm real sorry about that. Ya see, I'm kinda lost and just trying to get some directions. I'll understand if you don't wanna help me, I'll just go ask the clerk in that store.” I started to pass her, towards the shop, but her voice made me halt in my movement. “No, that's fine, you don't have to, I'll help. Just don't try anything, alright?” I nodded to show I understood. “Alright, good, I'll yell as soon as you make any weird moves, and that store clerk has a pistol in a drawer, I'm sure.” I blanched slightly at the statement, she was definitely making sure I wouldn't do anything. “So, what do you need help with?” “Well, I'm not too sure where I am, honestly, I think my friends must've played some horrible prank on me while I was asleep, and I've got no clue how I got here.” I felt it best to lie to her, so as not to arouse suspicion that I may be crazy, in her eyes anyway. “Easy enough, you're in Canterlot, about a five minute walk from CHS, which is down that way.” she pointed towards the school behind me, in the direction I just came from. “That help any?” I shook my head slowly and started to speak again. “Not really, no. I've never even heard of Canterlot, much less the school. Where are we in regards to Dickson?” Hopefully she'd be able to tell me, the town wasn't large, but big enough for people to know of it. Unfortunately, that was not to be. “I've never heard of that, and I know all the surrounding towns and cities, let me look it up.” She proceeded to search her phone, I would've done the same, but a severe lack of a phone seemed to keep me from doing that. She looked back up at me, “Yeah, there's not even one result for a town with that name, you sure you're lost? Or are you actually gonna try something here?” She started to back away slowly, almost unnoticeable, but I caught the slight shift and decided to just tell her the truth, and see what happened. “Okay, I'm really lost, for real. But it wasn't a prank, and no, I'm not gonna try anything, but just hear me out for second,” I paused and she slowly nodded her ascent, so I told her the events leading up to how I got here, albeit a short synopsis of it. Once I was finished she looked a little startled, so I spoke up to ease her nerves, “Crazy, I know, but that's what I remember and I promi-,” she cut me off, grabbed my hand, and started dragging me down a street between the store and school all at the same time. She started speaking in a hushed voice. “I believe you, and I'll tell you why, but you're gonna have to come with me,” she stopped and looked at me, “it's asking a lot, I know, but you'll be glad you've got a roof over your head for the night when I explain your situation.” I searched her face, looking for any signs of deception, but I couldn't find any, so I spoke up. “Alright, I'll go with you, I didn't jump you, so I hope you'll give me the same courtesy. I'm honestly just wanting to go back to sleep, so I'm not really in a mood to argue.” She actually smiled and gave a small giggle at that. “I understand that, and yeah, I'm not gonna jump you, not like I could do much anyway, you're like two times my size honestly.” I looked at her as we started to walk again, this time side by side, and noticed the height difference for the first time.I was actually about a head taller than her, which would put her at around five feet, six inches. That seemed about right with me being six feet, one inch myself. I followed alongside her slowly, and softly sighed to myself. Man, I just wanted to sleep, and then this happens. I hope this gets figured out soon. The way she dragged me and told me to follow her tells me something's obviosly off, and she's got some answers. Might as well follow her then, and hope I can get back in the sweet embrace of the sandman finally. Author's Note First time I've tried any sort of writing in a long time, bound to have errors and issues of all sorts. Point them out if you would, and offer some feedback. Thanks, and have a nice day! -One with the Sand Understanding the situationWhy am I doing this right now? I couldn't help but let a little groan slip out at my current predicament. Granted, at least she seemed like decent company, but looks can be oh so deceiving. I brought my eyes back up from looking at my swanky new boots, and looked at this girl with a furrowed brow. “Why are you doing this? Surely you don't have to take me…” I trailed off, thinking about what I wanted to ask. “Where are you taking me anyway, and why?” I finally asked, putting extra emphasis on the are to let her know that I was more than a little curious. “To my place, you'll thank me later, I promise. Right now, I just wanna get home and eat this ice cream though, I'll fill you in and tell you why I decided to believe you when we get there.” I glanced down at the bag in her hand I've somehow been missing, and noticed that it did indeed have ice cream in it. No fair, I want ice cream, doesn't help it's my favorite flavor either. I actually rolled my eyes at myself with that thought. Sometimes I let my mind drift too much. It is true though, now that I've been moving around so much I'm not really tired anymore, so a little midnight treat would be awesome. Oh well… “So how far out is your place anyway?” I turned my head slightly to look at her while she pointed to a road running parallel to a small park, and answered me. “It's actually the third building on that road up there, so not too much further now.” Within about a minute of her finishing her sentence, we turned onto said road. As soon as we did so, I peered at the third building on the right side that had the park landscaped behind it, and was mildly surprised by what I saw. A small, two story building sat flanked by a few more of a similar style expanding out on each side from itself. I took notice of the couple of windows on each floor, two on the first and two on the second; all of which were on the front of the building. A small staircase lead up to the entrance to the still yet to be named girl's abode, and some sort of potted plant sat on the railing right beside the door. She turned to look at me fully as we reached the stairs. “Sooo,” she started, “I obviously wasn't expecting to get a visitor at midnight, coming into my home.” When she finished talking, I raised an eyebrow slightly and looked down at her; however, before I could even open my mouth, she continued. “I'm basically telling you the place is a mess, and while usually I'd clean it up if I had company, I can't bring myself to care tonight. It's been a rough day, and I just wanna eat this ice cream and go to sleep. That's not gonna happen very soon though, at least the sleep part, I can tell.” If the sigh she let out was anything to go by, she seemed just as, if not more, weary than me at the moment. As she fumbled with getting the door open I spoke, “You don't have to worry about that, I can go find a hotel or something and you can just do your thing. While I appreciate the help, I should be able to handle this myself.” Also what's the point of you bringing me here in the first place? I knew she told me that I'd get let in on that piece of information when we got in, but I couldn't help but think about it again. I was really curious. I didn't want to intrude on her home though, what with us not even knowing each other's names. “Good luck with that.” she paused and smirked a tiny bit, “It's already been said you have no idea where you are, so how do you expect to find one?” She looked at me, waiting for an answer. I didn't have one to give though. “Alright, I see your point. I'll stay then, but I'm not going into your house without knowing your name. Seems a bit wrong to me. I'm Aaron Wright.” I gave her a small smile, waiting for her response. “Fair enough, I'm Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet ya, even with the weird circumstances.” A short laugh echoed in the quiet night air. A sound I didn't mind hearing in all honestly. It was a bit cute. “Well, come on in, I'll let ya in on what I think is going on.” I stepped with her into her house and glanced around as I followed. What I thought was two stories was actually just a super open building, albeit pretty homey. The only thing that could really be considered a second story was a section in the back right corner. A staircase lead up to a platform with what I assumed was a queen sized bed that had two nightstands on either side of it. The platform it was on actually doubled as a small room itself, and I managed to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a bathroom. The rest of the house was completely open, only a few walls making dividers for the kitchen and dining area on the right as we walked in. A rather large window covered up the majority of the back wall, giving a wonderful view of the lush, green grass of the park that sat illuminated by streetlights behind her home. The left side was pretty much a living area. A small loveseat sat closest to me with a recliner on the back end and a couch sandwiched between the two. All of which were angled to face a tv that was sitting on a stand against the wall. I looked over at the now named Sunset, which complimented her looks, but was still a strange name to me. Parents these days I guess. As I turned to speak, I noticed her grabbing a couple of bowls from a cabinet in the kitchen, along with some spoons which she put on the table, and I decided to wait for her to finish. She grabbed a scoop and filled both bowls up with some delicious mint chocolate chip ice cream, and motioned me to the table while speaking. “I guess I can't just eat this in front of you without offering some. Come on and sit down, and I'll tell you why I just let you come into my house like this.” I nodded a bit and sat down across from her at the table. It was a small rectangular one made from sturdy wood, and could seat six comfortably. “Thanks, Sunset, I wasn't gonna ask obviously, but this is my favorite flavor.” I grabbed the spoon she offered and took a bite, savoring the sweet taste, and continued. “So ya think you could help shed some light on this situation then? It's really getting to me honestly. Something just doesn't feel right.” She looked up and softly spoke, which automatically concerned me. She was trying to keep me calm. “Look, this may shock you, but you're not in your own world anymore.” She took in my admittedly suspicious expression, and spoke even slower. “I know this because it happened to me. I came through that portal too, although it's been closed for some time after a little… mishap.” I stared, an incredulous expression on my face. “So you're telling me I came through a portal?” She nodded, “One that took me to another world, or dimension, or whatever?” Again she nodded, slower this time. A concerned look adorning her features. I continued, “I… suppose that makes sense, doesn't mean I'm gonna believe it anytime soon though. Hell, I could be dreaming for all I know.” I hit myself in the leg, and felt pain. Confirming I was most definitely awake. “Let's say I believe you. Why go through all the trouble to bring me into your home? You don't know me, and I don't know you. I probably woulda just kept on walking past someone if they mentioned they came through a statue. I was honestly expecting you to do just that.” After my little moment, she put her spoon down and gave me her full attention. “Because when I came through that portal, I had absolutely no one. It was the most lonely time of my life; no one to turn to, or talk to, or comfort me, or just be around in general. It hurt. So when you mentioned you came through that statue, I made up my mind to keep that from happening to someone else.” My expression softened, and I understood her a bit more now. The way she spoke told me she meant every word, and I was a little more inclined to believe her now. “I guess I understand what you mean, even though I've never been through anything like that.” I took a deep breathe and slowly let it out. “So what am I supposed to do then? How do I get back?” The look on her face made a feeling of unease settle in my chest. “I'm sorry, but I really don't know right now. That mishap I mentioned closed it, and it hasn't reopened since, not even a friend I have on the other side can get it open again, and she's been trying for months.” She undoubtedly noticed my face drop and body sag with every word, and continued much more softly this time. “That's why I let you come here. The minute you mentioned what happened, I knew you'd probably be stuck here. Unfortunately, it also seems you didn't come from the place the portal connects to normally, if you not hearing about Canterlot is anything to go by. The capital of the country on the other side goes by the same name.” I nodded my head. That was true, I've never heard of any country with a capital named Canterlot What am I supposed to do? If she's right, I'm in a completely different world, although the similarities are uncanny. If she's right, no one I know exists here. If she’s right, just like she said, I'm completely alone. I stopped that line of thought before it continued. I didn't want to end up as a depressed mess. I was brought from my musings by a hand softly resting on my shoulder. I looked up to see Sunset had moved without me noticing, and was now standing beside me. She motioned for me to follow her into the living area, so I finished the last bite I had and stood. We sat down on the couch at opposite ends. I just stared at the blank tv, not willing to break the silence between us. After a minute or two, Sunset finally spoke, and I listened intently to what she had to say. “Aaron, I can't say everything will be fine, I can't say you'll be able to get back in no time at all, and I definitely can't say that I'll even be able to find you a way back. As much as I want to, there's not much I can do to help you. Especially because the portal itself may not be active at all anymore. Doubly so because you came from a completely different world than either the one on this side or the other.” She stopped to take her boots off, and lifted her legs onto the couch, wrapped her arms around them, and faced me. “You're really not pulling any of your punches, huh?” I was about to keep talking but she cut me off. “Sorry, but I don't wanna give you any sort of false hope. Sometimes it's better to realise that what you don't want, is what has become your reality. I'm not saying give up, it may be possible, but what I am saying, is that it's relatively unlikely.” She paused once more, and thinking she was done, I opened my mouth. However, she started up again, so I listened. “I can tell you this though, if I have anything to say about it, you're not gonna go through what I did. I couldn't stand to see someone else go through that. So if you want, you've got a place here until you can get your own. You seem like a nice enough guy, and someone to help out around the house would definitely be appreciated. Plus, it gets kinda lonely here, having a roommate will make it more lively.” I looked at her, studying her face for any sign that she wasn't absolutely certain, and replied. “I'd say no, but I honestly don't have anywhere to go. I suppose I'll stay then, and I'll repay you as soon as I can. On that thought though, if this really is a different world, then how am I supposed to get a job, go to school, anything, ya know, normal? I won't be in any database.” As she softly drummed her fingers on her legs, she put more worries to rest. “You won't have to worry about that at least. Thankfully, whatever magic operates that portal also somehow makes an imprint on this world as if you've been here the entire time.” I raised my eyebrows at that, but given how I got here, I guess I could believe that. “You've got an ancient magic user to thank for that. As for school, I can help with that easy enough. If you're still in high school, anyway.” I answered her almost immediately. “I am. I'm on my last year.” “Okay, well in that case, you can enroll at CHS with me. I'm on my senior year as well. Good thing it's the weekend because that'll give us some time to figure things out. As for a job, you'll most likely be on your own there, the place I work doesn't have any openings unfortunately. I'll ask my friends if they could help though. Anyway, I'll go get some blankets for you, you'll have to take the couch for now. You can go shower if you want.” She pointed at what I'd correctly assumed was the bathroom. “Bathroom’s over there. Towels are in the cabinet under the sink. Don't take too long though, please, cause I gotta take one too.” She stood, walked upstairs, and started rifling through a drawer. Guess I'll shower then. A nice, warm one may help me think things through. I stood as well and headed to the bathroom. After shutting and locking the door, I turned and stripped off my clothes. With the temperature perfect, I stepped in and began to soak, thinking through the events of the day. I don't know what I'm gonna do, this is all so surreal. I like to think I'm pretty level headed, but I don't know if I can be fine knowing I may never see my family and friends again. At least Sunset seems nice enough, and I'm glad fate put her as the one leaving that store; otherwise, I may be sleeping on a bench somewhere. I guess for the time being all I can do is push forward. One day at a time. I finished up in the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. I looked at myself in the mirror as I finished drying, and just stared for a second. I wouldn't say I'm big, but going to the gym almost every day for the past year has definitely put me in some pretty good shape. Good enough that you could just see my abs without me having to flex. I'm definitely gonna have to get some razors. My facial hair was a slight stubble currently, and while I didn't look bad with just stubble, I couldn't grow a decent full beard, leaving me to just shave it instead. My slightly triangular jaw was set into annoyance at the sight, and my dark green eyes seemed heavy and worn out from the day. I combed my light brown hair over to the right with my hand, during which I noticed I'd also need a haircut soon. The fade from the bottom had started to disappear. Finished examining myself, I put my clothes I was deposited with back on, minus the boots and socks which I had taken off earlier before heading to the shower, and stepped out of the bathroom. “Finally, took ya long enough.” I heard Sunset say with a bit of mirth in her tone. “Blanket’s over on the couch, so go ahead and get some rest. I’m sure you need it.” I thanked her and started to walk towards the couch when she stopped me by grabbing my arm. “I really am sorry, Aaron. I wish there was more I could do to help, but there isn't at the moment. If you need anything, just ask, okay?” I looked at her, her soft smile seemed to be infectious, cheering me up slightly right there. I smiled back. “Okay. Thank you, Sunset. You're way too nice, ya know? I appreciate what you're doing, and I hope we can get to be good friends. I guess we'll figure out where to go from here in the morning. Night, Sunset.” She smiled a bit bigger and started back to the bathroom. “I'm just doing the right thing, but thanks. I think you're not the worst friend I could make,” she gave me a little smirk over her shoulder, which I chuckled at slightly, catching the joking tone she had, “Kidding, but we'll definitely figure this out tomorrow. Night, Aaron, sleep well.” And with that, she disappeared into the bathroom. Standing by the couch, I once again took my clothing off, leaving me in only my boxers. Hopefully she won't mind, I'll be under a blanket anyway. I neatly folded them and sat them down by the couch before lying down and getting under the blanket. I closed my eyes, the sound of the shower running the only thing I could hear, and drifted to sleep. I'll get through this, I know it. Author's Note I appreciate the support so far, and I hope this chapter will keep it. Enjoy, and have a good day! - One with the Sand Let the adventure beginAuthor's Note Short chapter, but I hope it'll keep y'all tied over until I get a bigger one up and ready. Enjoy, and have good day! - One with the Sand Let the adventure begin The soft warmth of the sun and it's bright rays roused me from my sleep. I lifted my upper body and stretched, opening my eyes in the process. A slow, thoughtful glance around the room confirmed the events of last night to be, in fact, reality, and a small sigh escaped from my lips. “So I didn't dream that up. I guess I might as well get dressed then. No point in being unproductive cause I'm sad.” The almost inaudible words came from my mouth, and I was a bit surprised by Sunset’s voice coming from the kitchen, followed by her peeking her head around the corner. “Yeah, you better do that, I had an idea after I got out of the shower last night, and I think it'll help you a whole lot.” Guess I wasn't so quiet after all. She pulled her head back and kept talking from the kitchen, “And I've got breakfast almost done, so get in here!” I was happy she was talking to me so normally, like we'd known each other. Having someone around me during this was definitely going to help. I laughed slightly and listened to her, putting the same clothes on I showed up here in, luckily I hadn't been wearing them long, so they were mostly still fresh. After pulling my socks on, leaving the boots off for now, I headed into the kitchen, and sat down at the same table from last night. I noticed Sunset was dressed in a soft red hoodie, and had a pair of jeans on. She was singing a song just quiet enough that I couldn't understand the words, but it sounded familiar and I was curious enough to ask. “What song is that you're singing?” She responded while pulling out two plates for the food. “Cruise, it's by this country band. I know, I know, I don't look like I'd listen to country music, but one of my friends has gotten me to warm up to it and I honestly like quite a bit of it now.” I was a bit shocked, it sounded the same, but I had to be sure. “Is the first line baby you a song?” My eyebrow raised as I questioned her, waiting for an answer. “Yeah! But… how would you know that? That’s a bit strange. What’s the name of the band that plays it?” “Florida Georgia Line, please tell me it’s not the same here.” This was actually pretty ridiculous. “Uh… yeah, actually it is.” She finished setting the plates of food down on the table, and sat across from me. She looked up at me and I began to ask a question, perhaps a bit more harsh than I meant. “You're not just saying that as a joke, are you? If what you said is true, then wouldn't it make sense for both Florida and Georgia to not exist here? I mean, what sense does that make? My town isn't on any searches according to you, granted, I never looked at the sear-” She quickly cut me off. “Look Aaron, I understand what you're getting at, but I promise to you that I'm not lying at all. Why would I do something like that? I'm honestly not sure why that is, and probably won't ever know. But if it'll make you feel better,” she took her phone out of her pocket, typed something in, and turned it to me, “See? Nothing.” Dickson was typed into the search bar, and sure enough, no results. “Okay, you're right. I'm sorry Sunset, I guess this,” I slightly gestured around me, “has made me a bit more… uh, volatile.” I rubbed just below my left eye, a nervous tick I've had since I was young, and continued, “It doesn't help that there's a ridiculous amount of similarities. Anyway, you let me into your home, gave me a place to sleep, and even cooked for me, and I repay you by being snippy. Sorry.” She shook her head and actually chuckled a bit before speaking. “Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. Not like you started yelling and throwing stuff. The fact that was what you did versus an alternative, shows me that you're normally a nice guy, so no hard feelings. Okay?” I nodded, wondering why she was so nice. “For real, why are you being so nice and accommodating? People usually don't go out of their way to this extent.” While I was talking I glanced at my plate, and noticed a simple scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast breakfast waiting to be devoured. I heard Sunset start talking while I began to eat, so I focused on her words. “Well… when I first got here, in this world, I was already at a low point. I just wanted people to notice me, and,” she paused, and seemed hesitant to keep going, “I did some really bad things I'd rather not talk about right now. Thankfully, I was stopped, and those same girls that stopped me ended up becoming my best friends. Even if everyone else has forgiven me by now, those girls are still my only real friends. I guess… I guess it's just kinda my own way of repenting, ya know? If I can be of help in anyway, big or small, then I feel like I'm changing the world, this time for the better.” Even without her telling me what she had done, I could tell the impact was huge. Both for, and on her, and she was truly trying to make amends for what she had done. Apparently, helping people is just one of the ways she wants to do that. “You don't gotta tell me about that. It's obviously a sore subject.” I took another bite, chewing and swallowing before asking another question. “If you're set on helping me, then why not let me in on this little plan of yours, eh?” “We're gonna go into town and get you a job! Well, hopefully anyway. Even if it's only temporary, I get the feeling you're not the kinda guy that's content to sit around and do nothing.” She was hinting at my little monologue this morning I bet, “I've already texted a few of my friends, and they agreed to help. So as soon as we're done eating, we’re,” a fork was pointed at me, and then her, “gonna go meet up with them.” “Well, that was quick. If nothing else, at least I'll be getting my mind away from this stuff. I appreciate it, Sunset. You're a good friend to have.” I smiled at her, and she smiled back and got up. “Thanks Aaron, I get the feeling having a roomie won't be so bad. Let's put these away,” she motioned to the now cleaned off dishes, and I put them in the dishwasher beside the sink, “And we'll head out.” After heading back into the living area to put my, admittedly still swanky, at least to me anyway, boots on, I waited on the couch for Sunset to finish up what she was doing. A short time later she tapped me on the shoulder and I stood from my seat. “Alright, we're meeting at this coffee slash sweet shop my friend works at. It's pretty nice, and it's only about a fifteen minute walk from here. From there, it's to the town for a bit of job hunting mixed with fun! Hope ya like fun!” I laughed at her antics, and followed her out the door. This girl is actually pretty fun to be around. It's like I can't help but smile. I think I can handle some mystery fun today. I was actually pretty interested in what she and her friends had cooked up, both for jobs and whatever else she had planned. The only way to find out was to go along with it, so I happily did so. “Onwards, to fun! And considerably less fun things like looking for work, but, ya know, semantics.” I laughed again. She definitely could keep a person entertained. Well, let's see where this goes!
I just wanted some sleepWhat an annoyance… I mean, honestly, I was hoping to just have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed, but apparently not. Ugh, let me back up a bit, I don’t think it’d be proper for me to go on about something that there’s no knowledge of, so allow me to start from the beginning. Today was just a normal day in all honesty, nothing new, well other than another tattoo, but that was about it. Get up, put some clothes on, go to the gym, shower, go to school. The routine I had been following for the past few months. I finally got my independence after living with my parents, not that I didn’t love them, I did, but I felt it was time to go off on my own. I now lived with just me, myself, and I for the first time in, well, forever. After finally turning eighteen, I decided to get myself a modest apartment close to the school I went to and the place I worked, for obvious reasons. It just happens it was close to both; rent was decent and the landlord was nice enough so it all worked out. Anyway, after heading home from the tattoo shop after work, I through my keys on the small table in the kitchen and decided to go ahead and put some lotion on the new ink, a pretty decent sized back tattoo that I knew was gonna suck once it started to heal, being all itchy and stuff, but it was one I had wanted to add to my collection and I appreciated what it meant. An eagle, with freedom through strength written along three floating strands of parchment across its wings and talons. One word per piece. Definitely cost me a pretty penny, but I’m pretty good with saving so it didn’t hurt me much. It made my fourth, with the other three making up a shoulder sleeve I planned to turn into a full sleeve eventually. After lathering it up with a decent amount of lotion, I decided to just sit back and relax on my bed with some homework from the day. It was the weekend, Friday to be exact, but if I got it done now, I wouldn’t have to worry later. Just this last year of school before college, or military, whichever I decided on. Then I wouldn’t have time to do just a half hour of work before relaxing, it would be a much more full schedule. I finished my homework and decided to call it a night, so I went on ahead and threw off my clothes, turned the bedside lamp off, and climbed under the sheets. As soon as I started to drift off, something shook me awake. I’m honestly not sure what it was, but it definitely woke me up. Something just seemed off to me. After deciding if I should get up or not, I finally drug myself out of bed to go to the bathroom. I walked down the small hall, flicked on the bathroom lights, and proceeded to relieve myself. When I looked in the mirror, something seemed off. Like it wasn’t actually a mirror, but a pane of glass. It looked like I could see through it, but at the same time I couldn’t. I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to touch it, and that’s when things got a bit strange. As soon as my fingertips grazed the surface, something pulled at me, some force that was definitely stronger than me. Try as I might to pull away from it, it was no use, within a few seconds I found myself being sucked into it, and thrown around in the most mind boggling way imaginable. It was a light show of immense magnitude, all my senses being assaulted in the strangest way possible. When all was said and done, I was ungracefully deposited in a place I had definitely never seen before. My mind, still reeling from the previous experience, tried to catch up with what just happened, but no matter what I tried to think of, I couldn’t figure out what had just happened to me. It was something that no one could, or would for that matter, ever expect to happen to them. The kind of experience that makes you look like you should be thrown into an asylum if you ever spoke about it. And that brings me to my current situation. Sitting in front of what appeared to be a school, if the desks I could see through the windows were any indication, I got on my feet and decided to take a look around. In the process of which I noticed a rather large horse statue right behind me I somehow missed, and I also happened to notice my clothing had changed. No longer was I in just my boxers, but I instead had a whole new getup. A light blue shirt adorned my upper body. Not a polo because it lacked the noticeable collar portion itself, but a long sleeve tee with three buttons descending from the neck. I had a pair of very slightly faded jeans, as well as a pair of tan square toe boots on. In all honestly, I was a fan of the wardrobe. Disregarding the clothing, considering I had bigger fish to fry, I continued my search. I caught sight of a sign beside the road reading Canterlot High School, with various school activities coming up mentioned on the sign. I had never heard of the place before and my confusion rose at the name. Alright Aaron, keep cool and think about your situation, I told myself, you're in an unfamiliar area, at around the same time you got sucked into the mirror. Yeah, that sounds normal… I took another glance around the place and confirmed it was most likely around eleven or twelve at night, if the lack of any life was something to go by, and continued my thoughts. First things first, get your bearings and see if you can't find some directions. With my thoughts flowing to the back of my mind, I started to walk towards the sidewalk that was parallel to the road, and began heading in the direction of what seemed to be a convenience store about a half mile down the road. About halfway through my walk I noticed someone exit and decided to see if I could get some directions. It helped they were heading my way. When I was about fifteen feet away I slowed down and asked my question, “Excuse me, miss, I hate to be a bother, but could I ask you a question real quick?” as the words left my mouth, she looked up and I was actually a little surprised. A girl around my age was staring at me with cyan eyes. Her hair falling behind her back like a crimson wave, yellow stripes flowing gently into the red. Her soft, tan skin accented perfectly by the sky blue jacket she was wearing. Along with the jacket, she had a pair of faded skin tight jeans on, and a pair of black high heel boots with yellow chevrons towards the top adorning her feet. All in all, she could definitely catch a guy’s eye, and probably without trying. After my little once over, she spoke with one eyebrow raised slightly, “You do know how weird it is for some random guy to come up to me at,” she paused to check her phone, “eleven thirty, saying he wants to ask a question, right?” She stopped and looked at me expectantly. “Uh, yeah… yeah, I do, and I'm real sorry about that. Ya see, I'm kinda lost and just trying to get some directions. I'll understand if you don't wanna help me, I'll just go ask the clerk in that store.” I started to pass her, towards the shop, but her voice made me halt in my movement. “No, that's fine, you don't have to, I'll help. Just don't try anything, alright?” I nodded to show I understood. “Alright, good, I'll yell as soon as you make any weird moves, and that store clerk has a pistol in a drawer, I'm sure.” I blanched slightly at the statement, she was definitely making sure I wouldn't do anything. “So, what do you need help with?” “Well, I'm not too sure where I am, honestly, I think my friends must've played some horrible prank on me while I was asleep, and I've got no clue how I got here.” I felt it best to lie to her, so as not to arouse suspicion that I may be crazy, in her eyes anyway. “Easy enough, you're in Canterlot, about a five minute walk from CHS, which is down that way.” she pointed towards the school behind me, in the direction I just came from. “That help any?” I shook my head slowly and started to speak again. “Not really, no. I've never even heard of Canterlot, much less the school. Where are we in regards to Dickson?” Hopefully she'd be able to tell me, the town wasn't large, but big enough for people to know of it. Unfortunately, that was not to be. “I've never heard of that, and I know all the surrounding towns and cities, let me look it up.” She proceeded to search her phone, I would've done the same, but a severe lack of a phone seemed to keep me from doing that. She looked back up at me, “Yeah, there's not even one result for a town with that name, you sure you're lost? Or are you actually gonna try something here?” She started to back away slowly, almost unnoticeable, but I caught the slight shift and decided to just tell her the truth, and see what happened. “Okay, I'm really lost, for real. But it wasn't a prank, and no, I'm not gonna try anything, but just hear me out for second,” I paused and she slowly nodded her ascent, so I told her the events leading up to how I got here, albeit a short synopsis of it. Once I was finished she looked a little startled, so I spoke up to ease her nerves, “Crazy, I know, but that's what I remember and I promi-,” she cut me off, grabbed my hand, and started dragging me down a street between the store and school all at the same time. She started speaking in a hushed voice. “I believe you, and I'll tell you why, but you're gonna have to come with me,” she stopped and looked at me, “it's asking a lot, I know, but you'll be glad you've got a roof over your head for the night when I explain your situation.” I searched her face, looking for any signs of deception, but I couldn't find any, so I spoke up. “Alright, I'll go with you, I didn't jump you, so I hope you'll give me the same courtesy. I'm honestly just wanting to go back to sleep, so I'm not really in a mood to argue.” She actually smiled and gave a small giggle at that. “I understand that, and yeah, I'm not gonna jump you, not like I could do much anyway, you're like two times my size honestly.” I looked at her as we started to walk again, this time side by side, and noticed the height difference for the first time.I was actually about a head taller than her, which would put her at around five feet, six inches. That seemed about right with me being six feet, one inch myself. I followed alongside her slowly, and softly sighed to myself. Man, I just wanted to sleep, and then this happens. I hope this gets figured out soon. The way she dragged me and told me to follow her tells me something's obviosly off, and she's got some answers. Might as well follow her then, and hope I can get back in the sweet embrace of the sandman finally. Author's Note First time I've tried any sort of writing in a long time, bound to have errors and issues of all sorts. Point them out if you would, and offer some feedback. Thanks, and have a nice day! -One with the Sand
Understanding the situationWhy am I doing this right now? I couldn't help but let a little groan slip out at my current predicament. Granted, at least she seemed like decent company, but looks can be oh so deceiving. I brought my eyes back up from looking at my swanky new boots, and looked at this girl with a furrowed brow. “Why are you doing this? Surely you don't have to take me…” I trailed off, thinking about what I wanted to ask. “Where are you taking me anyway, and why?” I finally asked, putting extra emphasis on the are to let her know that I was more than a little curious. “To my place, you'll thank me later, I promise. Right now, I just wanna get home and eat this ice cream though, I'll fill you in and tell you why I decided to believe you when we get there.” I glanced down at the bag in her hand I've somehow been missing, and noticed that it did indeed have ice cream in it. No fair, I want ice cream, doesn't help it's my favorite flavor either. I actually rolled my eyes at myself with that thought. Sometimes I let my mind drift too much. It is true though, now that I've been moving around so much I'm not really tired anymore, so a little midnight treat would be awesome. Oh well… “So how far out is your place anyway?” I turned my head slightly to look at her while she pointed to a road running parallel to a small park, and answered me. “It's actually the third building on that road up there, so not too much further now.” Within about a minute of her finishing her sentence, we turned onto said road. As soon as we did so, I peered at the third building on the right side that had the park landscaped behind it, and was mildly surprised by what I saw. A small, two story building sat flanked by a few more of a similar style expanding out on each side from itself. I took notice of the couple of windows on each floor, two on the first and two on the second; all of which were on the front of the building. A small staircase lead up to the entrance to the still yet to be named girl's abode, and some sort of potted plant sat on the railing right beside the door. She turned to look at me fully as we reached the stairs. “Sooo,” she started, “I obviously wasn't expecting to get a visitor at midnight, coming into my home.” When she finished talking, I raised an eyebrow slightly and looked down at her; however, before I could even open my mouth, she continued. “I'm basically telling you the place is a mess, and while usually I'd clean it up if I had company, I can't bring myself to care tonight. It's been a rough day, and I just wanna eat this ice cream and go to sleep. That's not gonna happen very soon though, at least the sleep part, I can tell.” If the sigh she let out was anything to go by, she seemed just as, if not more, weary than me at the moment. As she fumbled with getting the door open I spoke, “You don't have to worry about that, I can go find a hotel or something and you can just do your thing. While I appreciate the help, I should be able to handle this myself.” Also what's the point of you bringing me here in the first place? I knew she told me that I'd get let in on that piece of information when we got in, but I couldn't help but think about it again. I was really curious. I didn't want to intrude on her home though, what with us not even knowing each other's names. “Good luck with that.” she paused and smirked a tiny bit, “It's already been said you have no idea where you are, so how do you expect to find one?” She looked at me, waiting for an answer. I didn't have one to give though. “Alright, I see your point. I'll stay then, but I'm not going into your house without knowing your name. Seems a bit wrong to me. I'm Aaron Wright.” I gave her a small smile, waiting for her response. “Fair enough, I'm Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet ya, even with the weird circumstances.” A short laugh echoed in the quiet night air. A sound I didn't mind hearing in all honestly. It was a bit cute. “Well, come on in, I'll let ya in on what I think is going on.” I stepped with her into her house and glanced around as I followed. What I thought was two stories was actually just a super open building, albeit pretty homey. The only thing that could really be considered a second story was a section in the back right corner. A staircase lead up to a platform with what I assumed was a queen sized bed that had two nightstands on either side of it. The platform it was on actually doubled as a small room itself, and I managed to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a bathroom. The rest of the house was completely open, only a few walls making dividers for the kitchen and dining area on the right as we walked in. A rather large window covered up the majority of the back wall, giving a wonderful view of the lush, green grass of the park that sat illuminated by streetlights behind her home. The left side was pretty much a living area. A small loveseat sat closest to me with a recliner on the back end and a couch sandwiched between the two. All of which were angled to face a tv that was sitting on a stand against the wall. I looked over at the now named Sunset, which complimented her looks, but was still a strange name to me. Parents these days I guess. As I turned to speak, I noticed her grabbing a couple of bowls from a cabinet in the kitchen, along with some spoons which she put on the table, and I decided to wait for her to finish. She grabbed a scoop and filled both bowls up with some delicious mint chocolate chip ice cream, and motioned me to the table while speaking. “I guess I can't just eat this in front of you without offering some. Come on and sit down, and I'll tell you why I just let you come into my house like this.” I nodded a bit and sat down across from her at the table. It was a small rectangular one made from sturdy wood, and could seat six comfortably. “Thanks, Sunset, I wasn't gonna ask obviously, but this is my favorite flavor.” I grabbed the spoon she offered and took a bite, savoring the sweet taste, and continued. “So ya think you could help shed some light on this situation then? It's really getting to me honestly. Something just doesn't feel right.” She looked up and softly spoke, which automatically concerned me. She was trying to keep me calm. “Look, this may shock you, but you're not in your own world anymore.” She took in my admittedly suspicious expression, and spoke even slower. “I know this because it happened to me. I came through that portal too, although it's been closed for some time after a little… mishap.” I stared, an incredulous expression on my face. “So you're telling me I came through a portal?” She nodded, “One that took me to another world, or dimension, or whatever?” Again she nodded, slower this time. A concerned look adorning her features. I continued, “I… suppose that makes sense, doesn't mean I'm gonna believe it anytime soon though. Hell, I could be dreaming for all I know.” I hit myself in the leg, and felt pain. Confirming I was most definitely awake. “Let's say I believe you. Why go through all the trouble to bring me into your home? You don't know me, and I don't know you. I probably woulda just kept on walking past someone if they mentioned they came through a statue. I was honestly expecting you to do just that.” After my little moment, she put her spoon down and gave me her full attention. “Because when I came through that portal, I had absolutely no one. It was the most lonely time of my life; no one to turn to, or talk to, or comfort me, or just be around in general. It hurt. So when you mentioned you came through that statue, I made up my mind to keep that from happening to someone else.” My expression softened, and I understood her a bit more now. The way she spoke told me she meant every word, and I was a little more inclined to believe her now. “I guess I understand what you mean, even though I've never been through anything like that.” I took a deep breathe and slowly let it out. “So what am I supposed to do then? How do I get back?” The look on her face made a feeling of unease settle in my chest. “I'm sorry, but I really don't know right now. That mishap I mentioned closed it, and it hasn't reopened since, not even a friend I have on the other side can get it open again, and she's been trying for months.” She undoubtedly noticed my face drop and body sag with every word, and continued much more softly this time. “That's why I let you come here. The minute you mentioned what happened, I knew you'd probably be stuck here. Unfortunately, it also seems you didn't come from the place the portal connects to normally, if you not hearing about Canterlot is anything to go by. The capital of the country on the other side goes by the same name.” I nodded my head. That was true, I've never heard of any country with a capital named Canterlot What am I supposed to do? If she's right, I'm in a completely different world, although the similarities are uncanny. If she's right, no one I know exists here. If she’s right, just like she said, I'm completely alone. I stopped that line of thought before it continued. I didn't want to end up as a depressed mess. I was brought from my musings by a hand softly resting on my shoulder. I looked up to see Sunset had moved without me noticing, and was now standing beside me. She motioned for me to follow her into the living area, so I finished the last bite I had and stood. We sat down on the couch at opposite ends. I just stared at the blank tv, not willing to break the silence between us. After a minute or two, Sunset finally spoke, and I listened intently to what she had to say. “Aaron, I can't say everything will be fine, I can't say you'll be able to get back in no time at all, and I definitely can't say that I'll even be able to find you a way back. As much as I want to, there's not much I can do to help you. Especially because the portal itself may not be active at all anymore. Doubly so because you came from a completely different world than either the one on this side or the other.” She stopped to take her boots off, and lifted her legs onto the couch, wrapped her arms around them, and faced me. “You're really not pulling any of your punches, huh?” I was about to keep talking but she cut me off. “Sorry, but I don't wanna give you any sort of false hope. Sometimes it's better to realise that what you don't want, is what has become your reality. I'm not saying give up, it may be possible, but what I am saying, is that it's relatively unlikely.” She paused once more, and thinking she was done, I opened my mouth. However, she started up again, so I listened. “I can tell you this though, if I have anything to say about it, you're not gonna go through what I did. I couldn't stand to see someone else go through that. So if you want, you've got a place here until you can get your own. You seem like a nice enough guy, and someone to help out around the house would definitely be appreciated. Plus, it gets kinda lonely here, having a roommate will make it more lively.” I looked at her, studying her face for any sign that she wasn't absolutely certain, and replied. “I'd say no, but I honestly don't have anywhere to go. I suppose I'll stay then, and I'll repay you as soon as I can. On that thought though, if this really is a different world, then how am I supposed to get a job, go to school, anything, ya know, normal? I won't be in any database.” As she softly drummed her fingers on her legs, she put more worries to rest. “You won't have to worry about that at least. Thankfully, whatever magic operates that portal also somehow makes an imprint on this world as if you've been here the entire time.” I raised my eyebrows at that, but given how I got here, I guess I could believe that. “You've got an ancient magic user to thank for that. As for school, I can help with that easy enough. If you're still in high school, anyway.” I answered her almost immediately. “I am. I'm on my last year.” “Okay, well in that case, you can enroll at CHS with me. I'm on my senior year as well. Good thing it's the weekend because that'll give us some time to figure things out. As for a job, you'll most likely be on your own there, the place I work doesn't have any openings unfortunately. I'll ask my friends if they could help though. Anyway, I'll go get some blankets for you, you'll have to take the couch for now. You can go shower if you want.” She pointed at what I'd correctly assumed was the bathroom. “Bathroom’s over there. Towels are in the cabinet under the sink. Don't take too long though, please, cause I gotta take one too.” She stood, walked upstairs, and started rifling through a drawer. Guess I'll shower then. A nice, warm one may help me think things through. I stood as well and headed to the bathroom. After shutting and locking the door, I turned and stripped off my clothes. With the temperature perfect, I stepped in and began to soak, thinking through the events of the day. I don't know what I'm gonna do, this is all so surreal. I like to think I'm pretty level headed, but I don't know if I can be fine knowing I may never see my family and friends again. At least Sunset seems nice enough, and I'm glad fate put her as the one leaving that store; otherwise, I may be sleeping on a bench somewhere. I guess for the time being all I can do is push forward. One day at a time. I finished up in the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. I looked at myself in the mirror as I finished drying, and just stared for a second. I wouldn't say I'm big, but going to the gym almost every day for the past year has definitely put me in some pretty good shape. Good enough that you could just see my abs without me having to flex. I'm definitely gonna have to get some razors. My facial hair was a slight stubble currently, and while I didn't look bad with just stubble, I couldn't grow a decent full beard, leaving me to just shave it instead. My slightly triangular jaw was set into annoyance at the sight, and my dark green eyes seemed heavy and worn out from the day. I combed my light brown hair over to the right with my hand, during which I noticed I'd also need a haircut soon. The fade from the bottom had started to disappear. Finished examining myself, I put my clothes I was deposited with back on, minus the boots and socks which I had taken off earlier before heading to the shower, and stepped out of the bathroom. “Finally, took ya long enough.” I heard Sunset say with a bit of mirth in her tone. “Blanket’s over on the couch, so go ahead and get some rest. I’m sure you need it.” I thanked her and started to walk towards the couch when she stopped me by grabbing my arm. “I really am sorry, Aaron. I wish there was more I could do to help, but there isn't at the moment. If you need anything, just ask, okay?” I looked at her, her soft smile seemed to be infectious, cheering me up slightly right there. I smiled back. “Okay. Thank you, Sunset. You're way too nice, ya know? I appreciate what you're doing, and I hope we can get to be good friends. I guess we'll figure out where to go from here in the morning. Night, Sunset.” She smiled a bit bigger and started back to the bathroom. “I'm just doing the right thing, but thanks. I think you're not the worst friend I could make,” she gave me a little smirk over her shoulder, which I chuckled at slightly, catching the joking tone she had, “Kidding, but we'll definitely figure this out tomorrow. Night, Aaron, sleep well.” And with that, she disappeared into the bathroom. Standing by the couch, I once again took my clothing off, leaving me in only my boxers. Hopefully she won't mind, I'll be under a blanket anyway. I neatly folded them and sat them down by the couch before lying down and getting under the blanket. I closed my eyes, the sound of the shower running the only thing I could hear, and drifted to sleep. I'll get through this, I know it. Author's Note I appreciate the support so far, and I hope this chapter will keep it. Enjoy, and have a good day! - One with the Sand
Let the adventure beginAuthor's Note Short chapter, but I hope it'll keep y'all tied over until I get a bigger one up and ready. Enjoy, and have good day! - One with the Sand Let the adventure begin The soft warmth of the sun and it's bright rays roused me from my sleep. I lifted my upper body and stretched, opening my eyes in the process. A slow, thoughtful glance around the room confirmed the events of last night to be, in fact, reality, and a small sigh escaped from my lips. “So I didn't dream that up. I guess I might as well get dressed then. No point in being unproductive cause I'm sad.” The almost inaudible words came from my mouth, and I was a bit surprised by Sunset’s voice coming from the kitchen, followed by her peeking her head around the corner. “Yeah, you better do that, I had an idea after I got out of the shower last night, and I think it'll help you a whole lot.” Guess I wasn't so quiet after all. She pulled her head back and kept talking from the kitchen, “And I've got breakfast almost done, so get in here!” I was happy she was talking to me so normally, like we'd known each other. Having someone around me during this was definitely going to help. I laughed slightly and listened to her, putting the same clothes on I showed up here in, luckily I hadn't been wearing them long, so they were mostly still fresh. After pulling my socks on, leaving the boots off for now, I headed into the kitchen, and sat down at the same table from last night. I noticed Sunset was dressed in a soft red hoodie, and had a pair of jeans on. She was singing a song just quiet enough that I couldn't understand the words, but it sounded familiar and I was curious enough to ask. “What song is that you're singing?” She responded while pulling out two plates for the food. “Cruise, it's by this country band. I know, I know, I don't look like I'd listen to country music, but one of my friends has gotten me to warm up to it and I honestly like quite a bit of it now.” I was a bit shocked, it sounded the same, but I had to be sure. “Is the first line baby you a song?” My eyebrow raised as I questioned her, waiting for an answer. “Yeah! But… how would you know that? That’s a bit strange. What’s the name of the band that plays it?” “Florida Georgia Line, please tell me it’s not the same here.” This was actually pretty ridiculous. “Uh… yeah, actually it is.” She finished setting the plates of food down on the table, and sat across from me. She looked up at me and I began to ask a question, perhaps a bit more harsh than I meant. “You're not just saying that as a joke, are you? If what you said is true, then wouldn't it make sense for both Florida and Georgia to not exist here? I mean, what sense does that make? My town isn't on any searches according to you, granted, I never looked at the sear-” She quickly cut me off. “Look Aaron, I understand what you're getting at, but I promise to you that I'm not lying at all. Why would I do something like that? I'm honestly not sure why that is, and probably won't ever know. But if it'll make you feel better,” she took her phone out of her pocket, typed something in, and turned it to me, “See? Nothing.” Dickson was typed into the search bar, and sure enough, no results. “Okay, you're right. I'm sorry Sunset, I guess this,” I slightly gestured around me, “has made me a bit more… uh, volatile.” I rubbed just below my left eye, a nervous tick I've had since I was young, and continued, “It doesn't help that there's a ridiculous amount of similarities. Anyway, you let me into your home, gave me a place to sleep, and even cooked for me, and I repay you by being snippy. Sorry.” She shook her head and actually chuckled a bit before speaking. “Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. Not like you started yelling and throwing stuff. The fact that was what you did versus an alternative, shows me that you're normally a nice guy, so no hard feelings. Okay?” I nodded, wondering why she was so nice. “For real, why are you being so nice and accommodating? People usually don't go out of their way to this extent.” While I was talking I glanced at my plate, and noticed a simple scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast breakfast waiting to be devoured. I heard Sunset start talking while I began to eat, so I focused on her words. “Well… when I first got here, in this world, I was already at a low point. I just wanted people to notice me, and,” she paused, and seemed hesitant to keep going, “I did some really bad things I'd rather not talk about right now. Thankfully, I was stopped, and those same girls that stopped me ended up becoming my best friends. Even if everyone else has forgiven me by now, those girls are still my only real friends. I guess… I guess it's just kinda my own way of repenting, ya know? If I can be of help in anyway, big or small, then I feel like I'm changing the world, this time for the better.” Even without her telling me what she had done, I could tell the impact was huge. Both for, and on her, and she was truly trying to make amends for what she had done. Apparently, helping people is just one of the ways she wants to do that. “You don't gotta tell me about that. It's obviously a sore subject.” I took another bite, chewing and swallowing before asking another question. “If you're set on helping me, then why not let me in on this little plan of yours, eh?” “We're gonna go into town and get you a job! Well, hopefully anyway. Even if it's only temporary, I get the feeling you're not the kinda guy that's content to sit around and do nothing.” She was hinting at my little monologue this morning I bet, “I've already texted a few of my friends, and they agreed to help. So as soon as we're done eating, we’re,” a fork was pointed at me, and then her, “gonna go meet up with them.” “Well, that was quick. If nothing else, at least I'll be getting my mind away from this stuff. I appreciate it, Sunset. You're a good friend to have.” I smiled at her, and she smiled back and got up. “Thanks Aaron, I get the feeling having a roomie won't be so bad. Let's put these away,” she motioned to the now cleaned off dishes, and I put them in the dishwasher beside the sink, “And we'll head out.” After heading back into the living area to put my, admittedly still swanky, at least to me anyway, boots on, I waited on the couch for Sunset to finish up what she was doing. A short time later she tapped me on the shoulder and I stood from my seat. “Alright, we're meeting at this coffee slash sweet shop my friend works at. It's pretty nice, and it's only about a fifteen minute walk from here. From there, it's to the town for a bit of job hunting mixed with fun! Hope ya like fun!” I laughed at her antics, and followed her out the door. This girl is actually pretty fun to be around. It's like I can't help but smile. I think I can handle some mystery fun today. I was actually pretty interested in what she and her friends had cooked up, both for jobs and whatever else she had planned. The only way to find out was to go along with it, so I happily did so. “Onwards, to fun! And considerably less fun things like looking for work, but, ya know, semantics.” I laughed again. She definitely could keep a person entertained. Well, let's see where this goes!
