Sunset Shimmer knew many things. She knew that her sub-basement was just a slightly cleaned up nightmare hole. She knew how to repair her bike without needing a mechanic. She also knew that as long as she stayed in her bedroom her fellow apartment-dwellers couldn't hear he no matter how loud she screamed.

"DISCORD FUCK ME WITH A 12-FOOT CANDY CANE!" She threw an empty glass across the room, breaking it into pieces across her floor. "OF COURSE SHE GOES INTO HIDING THE SECOND I FINALLY HAVE ONE OF HER OFFICERS!"

She stormed back and forth, pacing while waving her hands in the air. "AND NOW, THERE'S SOME SOUTH AMERICAN CARTEL TRYING TO GET INTO MY FUCKING CITY! WHAT IN THE GREAT FIELDS OF ELYSIUM DO THEY WANT HERE?!" Sunset fell onto her bed, feeling her body sag into the comfort of her mattress. She took a few deep breaths before the ringing of her phone managed to ruin her quiet moment of meditation. She grabbed it and screamed into the microphone before thinking. "WHAT?!"

She heard Trixie's voice seem to squeak in fear from the other side. "Trixie apologizes. S-she thought this was the number of her friend."

Sunset winced, realizing she forgot to cancel her voice alteration spell, since it was one of the handful of spells that consumed energy at the same rate that this crippled world refilled her reserves. As long as she had drunk the potion the spell lasted until she dropped it. She stuttered a bit, feeling her vocal cords wriggle under her throat, before coughing a few times, trying to clear her throat. "Sorry Trixie, hard day at work. Yeah, it's me."

There was silence on the other side of the line for a moment before a slow breath came from the other end. "Okay, Trixie would like it known that you sound... different when you speak like that. Trixie is not sure if she approves… or disapproves."

Sunset groaned, for the first time she regretted making her chosen voice so seductive. Of course, setting up the spell matrix was almost entirely practical, and couldn't be done here. Her only alternate voice matrix was used in Equestria, and for things that she wouldn't share with her mother. "Yeah yeah. Look, lets just say I slip into bad habits when I have bad nights. What are you doing up anyways, its..." She looked to a clock, before wincing. "6 A.M. How long did I spend out and about?"

She heard a soft giggle from the other side of the line. "Trixie would guess far too long. Either way, Trixie was wondering if you had any plans for today?"

Sunset looked at herself in a mirror, her hair in a knotted and frayed from her mask, and bags under her eyes so deep they seemed to be advancing on her mouth. "No, I was gonna pass out for a while." She spared a glance at her journal, which was softly glowing on her vanity. "And send a letter."

"Well then, the Great and Powerful Trixie was wondering if you wanted to come to help her with a show. She has one tonight." Sunset looked to the phone, surprised by the offer, to say the least. She smiled softly, thinking how she always has at least one friend to fall back on, abandoned or not.

She nodded despite the fact Trixie couldn't see her. "Sure, what time?"

"The show starts at five, but if you want to show up early and help the Great and Powerful Trixie set up, she would be most grateful."

Sunset smiled and grabbed her red bag. "Alright, text me the address and I'll be there about four-ish. I'm gonna shower before I take a catnap."

Trixie let out a victorious whoop. "YES, Trixie was hoping you'd help. She'll be waiting for you by the main entrance of the hospital." With that she hung up, leaving a mildly stunned Sunset standing in her room.

A beep a moment later gave her the address - the children's hospital near the middle of the city. She let curiosity get the better of her, and moved to her bedside table. Opening it up, a series of small tablets were inside its drawer. She looked them over, checking the stickers on the back until finding one with a black envelope printed over the company logo.

She turned it on for the first time in a few months, watching the logo as the tablet booted up. The password screen appeared after a moment, causing Sunset to think for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "Wendigo_3, that was it, right?" She typed it in, and smiled as the tablet began signing her in. She dropped onto her bed, opening the single app saved on the tablet.

A list of names appeared, sorted by how important she felt they were at the time. Principal Celestia was first on the list, followed by Luna. She scrolled down the list until reaching the name she was thinking of, Trixie Lulamoon. She tapped the name once, opening the file on her. With that, a collection of files opened up. The first was a basic background, reading that she lived with her grandfather who ran a magic shop. She spoke French, but only a smidgen, picking up bits from her grandfather's rants when he slipped into his native tongue. The other files were the reason for the specialized tablet. Blackmail.

She looked at the titles, Trixie had always been a bit of a narcissist. Until recently Sunset had only associated with her out of necessity, Trixie frequently pulling tricks that would put her in a more popular position, even if they were foalish compared to Sunset's old schemes. She stopped at the bottom file, titled exploits and weaknesses. She tapped it open, trying to find something that may have made Trixie start pulling shows for a children's hospital. She stared at the lone sentence the file contained. ‘Target pride, send video in file #4 of the failed show. She'll drop out within a week.’ She tossed the tablet on the bed, flinching away from how cold she used to be.

She curled up on the bed, staring at the tablet. She wiped at her eyes, feeling tears form on her cheek. That wasn't her, not anymore, but it still had been at one point. She stared at her hands before practically diving to her phone. She flipped it on, sending a hasty text to Trixie. She dropped the phone on the ground.

She stared at it. "Have I really changed at all?" She pawed at the tablet, shutting it off. "As soon as I get curious about something I dive right back into that mess. Fuck treating people with respect, just dive into what should be private because someone wants to improve themselves." She stood up and ignored the response from Trixie. Instead, she marched into her shower. She had to wash this shit off her. Pausing for a moment she sighed. "Shit, evidence."

She ran to her kitchen, grabbing a hip flask from her fridge. She popped the top, flinching at the bitter smell of the last potion she used after a patrol. Technically the spell didn't cost any magical energy, but it was unpleasant. It used the innate link between any part of her body and herself, forcing all of it back to her. It managed to keep any proof of her from staying in a crime scene. The downside being that it returned to her. She slugged the potion back, wincing at the taste of pure pepper as it spilled down her throat. As soon as she finished the whole thing she felt her body get heavier. She looked down and sighed. She was coated in about seven hours worth of dust, sweat, and tears. She sighed and moved back to her shower. That's what she needed, to try and wash off her sins and sleep.

***

Sunset woke up to a song. "You remind me of the babe. What babe?" She didn't let the song go farther, reaching for her phone and swiping to the right. "Shimmer, who has a death wish?"

A soft laugh was heard on the other end of the line. "Really Sunset, that is how you respond to the Great and Powerful Trixie giving you a wakeup call?"

Sunset glanced at the time, 2:30. Granted, it was fifteen minutes before her alarm, but it gave her time to pretty up. "Fine, you live to see another day, but mostly because I'll be more forgiving by the time I see you again."

There was another laugh. "Are you sure about that?" This was compounded with the soft chime of Sunset's doorbell.

Sunset groaned. "Gimme a minute." She hung up the phone, looking over her modest room. She grabbed the red bag filled with proof of her nightly illegal activities and moved to the main room. Being in the basement meant she didn't have to worry about someone peeking into her home as she opened the hidden door to her hideout and putting her bag away. Quickly moving on, Sunset moved a few things around, preparing for future activities. If Trixie left she would start her next batch of potions soon, replacing her used ones and possibly trying out a few new ones.

With that done, she climbed out of the trap door, moving to the front door, and opened it without any warning. Trixie was in full stage gear, a full dress with her logo imprinted on the lower half. It was coated in glitter, in a soft periwinkle color that accented her skin tone nicely. "What's up Trix?"

Trixie was staring at Sunset, a small blush appearing. Sunset glanced down and noticed the reason why. She was wearing very very little clothing. A pair of panties and a tank top that was a few sizes too small, showing off her midriff and sticking to her skin like latex. She rolled her eyes and moved back to her kitchen. "Yeah yeah, I'm nearly naked. Get over it." She opened her fridge, pulling out an energy drink and leaning back on the counter. She raised it to Trixie, who was trying to shake off the confusion of seeing Sunset in an absolutely un-Christian amount of clothing. "So, you gonna stand in the doorway all evening, or you coming in to join me for a quick bite? I have to make myself a quick meal either way."

Trixie nodded. "Uhm, yeah. Trixie wouldn't mind joining you. She was just... surprised." Sunset shrugged and turned her back as she popped the cap on her drink. Taking a sip, she opened a cabinet, looking over her options. "I've got the stuff for mac and cheese or some fresh salad, what do you want?" There wasn't an answer as she shifted around the groceries she had. She took note that she would have to pick up some more groceries tonight. She opened her spice cabinet, finding it mostly empty. She groaned. "Either way it's gonna be bland, just realized all my spices are out."

There still wasn't an answer, and Sunset turned to see Trixie staring at her couch. On it was a red stain, a leftover from one of her earliest patrols. One before she knew someone to treat injuries. She had been forced to stitch herself up with a sewing kit she bought to fix clothes and fishing line she stole from a neighbor. While she had managed to drink her potion later, the stain was still there. Trixie pointed at it with a trembling hand. "I-is that blood?"

Sunset winced. She should have put a cover on the couch, or at least a strategic pair of pants or something. "Y-yeah. Had a really bad run when I first started. Took a real sharp piece of metal to my thigh, had to patch myself up on that couch."

She ran a finger over the thin line that went round the outside of her thigh in a smooth crescent. She didn't mention the metal was a knife, slung by some poor Diamond Dog before she managed to kick his lights out and limp home. Trixie glanced to her, before looking at the scar with alarm. Sunset suddenly realized she really should have put on more clothes. Although most of her scars were small and easily missed if Trixie really started looking... Trixie spoke up, breaking Sunset from her thoughts. "Mon Dieu, that looks awful..."

Sunset flinched, as Trixie wasn't wrong. Sunset had many 'trophies' from her late night hobbies. Thin scars danced up her legs, and her midriff bore a few more, but the worst by far was a jagged gash near her stomach. One that had required an actual nurse that she was lucky enough to know. She tried to hide that one behind her hands. "Yeah, running isn't exactly safe. I've missed a couple days of school before because I was laid out in bed."

Trixie stared, before rushing forward and moving Sunsets hand from her stomach. "AND HOW IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT’S HOLY DID YOU GET THAT?!"

Sunset flinched again, deciding that court training did not prepare her for this. But a semi-truth would probably work. "A knife. I lived kinda rough when I first got here." Sunset slowly pushed Trixie back. "Look, it's fine. I don't like people knowing about all this. Sooo...?"

Trixie nodded. "Fine, Trixie will keep this quiet." Trixie moved in a flash, a finger waving in front of Sunset's face. "But next time you get hurt you better call Trixie! She can at least cover at you for school or something."

Sunset smiled and raised her hands. "Fine, just don't go spreading it around." She looked back at her cabinet, before smiling. "But seriously, salad or pasta, I haven't eaten since that bag of chips we stole from your Gramps."

Trixie rolled her eyes, looking over the room with a new set of eyes. They rested on the foil, false top still planted on it firmly. "Whichever you prefer. You fence?"

Sunset turned her back to Trixie, before pausing. She realized there were two VERY big things that she didn't want Trixie to see. She turned around again and tried to keep her front to Trixie as she backed up to her room. "Yeah, been doing it since I first found my calling." She reached behind her, turning the door to her room with a soft sigh of relief. "One sec, let me shower and get some clothes on. Make yourself at home."

Sunset practically dived into her room, searching her closet for an outfit. Grabbing a simple T-shirt and jeans she ran into her bathroom. Showering quickly, she threw on her clothes and moved back to the open room, where Trixie was looking in Sunset's fridge. "Uhm, Trixie doesn't mean to be a burden, but what are these drinks?" She held up a sports bottle, with glowing red liquid inside it. A small sharpie picture of a cross on it.

Sunset walked up and glanced at it, looking it over before shaking her head. "Some science experiments, that one won't be ready for a day or two." Sunset put it back inside. "I'd suggest avoiding anything with a sharpie on it, they're all tests and experiments."

Trixie stared at the fridge, then to the foil. "Sunset, just what exactly did you do back home?"

Sunset shrugged and decided that a salad was her style, and began assembling the ingredients. "Well that depends, you know where I'm from right?"

Trixie nodded. "Yes, Trixie remembers the princess mentioning you were from the same place as her."

Sunset nodded, moving an open bowl to the counter and putting all the fresh fruits she had beside her cutting board. "Yep, and I was a student of the highest power in the land." She began chopping the fruits with a knife, the chops both quick and precise. "I focused my studies on court politics and monster hunting. I was shooting to be a magus," She paused, realizing Trixie would have absolutely no idea what that meant. "Which is basically a bounty hunter that works directly for the crown. But with all that I needed to know a lot of things. Fencing was my form of close combat, with the foil acting as my focus." She gestured to the fridge with her knife, before flipping it quickly in her hands and dropping it into the sink. "And a short while after that I got into alchemy, I'm currently trying to figure out how to translate that for this world."

Trixie looked at Sunset for a moment, before laughing. "You were a monster hunter, and now you spend your time either playing mad scientist or wandering around pissing off the cops?" She doubled over laughing, causing Sunset to frown as she tossed all the fruit into her big bowl, gabbing at the salad tossers in the small jar beside her.

"Oh, shut it, Trix, I'm the one feeding you, so I'd be nice if I were you." Trixie didn't even try to stop laughing, still bent over in near hysterics as Sunset grabbed a plate from the shelf above the sink and used a tosser to make her plate.

After a moment Trixie finally regained herself. "Trixie apologizes, but she has seen you in two ways, and neither seems to perfectly fit the idea of Sunset Shimmer, bounty hunter."

Sunset grabbed a fork and placed it on her plate with a clink, she gestured towards the plate as she sat down heavily on her couch. "Well, if you believe me or not isn't my problem. But it's what I did. Chimeras, Manticores, Hydras were my normal contracts." She paused, realizing she left her energy drink in her room. With a groan, she stood up as she continued talking. "And there were a few bigger contracts, but with those my mom normally made me wait until she could sneak away from work for a few hours. She was important enough to make it so I couldn't try to track down Jabberwocky’s and the like alone."

She moved from her bedroom to find Trixie sitting in her reading chair with a plate, an unopened soda beside her. Sunset was mildly annoyed she didn't ask, but she also didn't offer it like she meant to. Mutual rudeness was a hallmark of friends, right? She sat back down and laid her drink on the end table. Trixie raised an eyebrow in response to her earlier comment. "Jabberwocky’s?"

Sunset shrugged. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe my night after I read Lewis Carroll for the first time." She speared an apple slice, smiling softly at the memory. "If you're curious he's surprisingly right on most counts. You need a blade forged from vorpal steel, which does make a snicker-snack noise when you swing it."

Trixie giggled, pointing her fruit to Sunset in an accusing manner. "You are messing with Trixie."

Sunset bit into her meal, her lips tugging up at their easy conversation. "No, seriously. Can't even use fire or the like on 'em. They absorb it like some weird solar panel."

Trixie opened her mouth. "Seriously? What Trixie wouldn't give to see your world." She paused, taking a thoughtful bite of her salad. "And the magic? Can you do it here?"

Sunset smiled. She knew on some base level showing off her spells was stupid. She knew that if Trixie ever saw her in full gear she was almost certainly smart enough to quite possibly piece everything together. But, she also knew the odds of that were slim to none. She smiled wide, before snapping her fingers, a small globe of light in the form of candlelight appearing in her hand. It was a small spell, so small it let her regain some energy even while actively using it. But the look of wonder on Trixie’s face made it all worth it. "What do you think Trix? I may be crippled in terms of spells here, but I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve." She pushed the small light, sending it through the air to Trixie.

Trixie's fork fell to the plate as she watched in wonder. The small orb reached her, and she outstretched a hand. The light rested in her palm before Sunset sent a small effort of will towards it. The light warped, making Trixie flinch away as it began forming a small glowing sentence. There, in the air was a simple sentence. 'Hello world!'. With a swipe of her hand, Sunset canceled the spell. Trixie began looking between the air where the letters rested just moments before and Sunset’s smirking face as she chewed another bite of salad. Trixie's smile morphed into a full jesters grin. "How long?"

Sunset leaned back. "As soon as I got here. Took about a year before I could work even a simple spell. Then another year before I was good enough to use them without making myself bedridden from exhaustion. Now, as long as I keep track of myself I can sling simple spells like a master. Again."

Trixie was visibly restraining herself as she moved her plate to a small table beside her. Sunset silently thanked her for not resting it on the dog-eared book on the corner. As soon as the plate was resting easily Trixie flew across the room. "Take me, take me, take me! I need to see this magic world, please?!"

Sunset winced.

“Any power you may have held here or in Equestria is void. You will remain here, and learn from your mistakes.”

Sunset shook her head, trying to ignore the words of the princess who had effectively banished her from Equestria. After already being betrayed by one, the second one still stung a surprising amount. "Sorry Trix, I'm not really allowed back in Equestria right now. I mean me and Twi are friends and all, but I think I have to wait for her to invite me over if I want to head back."

Trixie winced. "So you really can't go home? At all? Ouch." She paused awkwardly for a moment before looking back to Sunset. "Er, Trixie is sorry. That wasn't a very... uh... polite way to deal with that."

Sunset couldn't smile at the awkward way Trixie apologized. She knew she could probably try and get to her mother, maybe get her to allow her back. But she wasn't about to try and cross that bridge, she wasn’t ready in any way. She might not have burned it like a few others she did before she left, but it was almost certainly singed, maybe a little scorched. And where her mother was concerned, even an ember could start a wildfire. "It's fine. If I get to visit again I'll gladly take you. I just." Sunset had to pause, she could feel the maelstrom of emotions from thinking about going back to her mother swirling in her chest. She beat them down, silencing the whispers of regret and betrayal that haunted every thought. "I just have to cope, and I'm good at that."

She finished off the last of her salad and stood up, making her way to the kitchen nook. "Anyways I've gotta suit up for the ride to the hospital for set-up. What's the deal with that anyway?"

Trixie nodded, moving back to her plate. "It's something one of the charities came up with. A free performance for the kids too sick to go home for the holidays. Something to make their holidays a little better."

Sunset nodded. "Cool, I can dig that." She moved to a coat rack beside the door, grabbing her leather jacket and putting it on. "So it's only about a ten-minute drive, and it's only about three. How are we gonna kill fifty minutes?"

She grabbed her black bag and moved to the fridge, grabbing her go-to mix of potions for going out and about. She had a grab bag of important gear in her bag, but it had to be small. She didn't want a curious police officer asking about why she had a full mask in her bag after all, so a bandanna and hat was her only disguise, and a good-sized knife her only weapon. She filled her bag as Trixie finished her meal. Sunset heard Trixie get up and put her plate up. "Well, Trixie was wondering if you wanted to give her a ride." Sunset paused, looking behind her as Trixie shuffled back and forth. Before she could ask about it, Trixie spoke up again. "Trixie's never ridden a motorcycle, and she's... curious."

Sunset sighed. "Yeah, I have a spare helmet that should fit you. I had it in case..." Sunset paused. She had bought it in case any of the girls wanted to ride with her. It still stung that none of them had asked. They never seemed to ask about anything Sunset did. She pushed the thought out of her head. "I have a spare helmet. Head to my room. It's in the chest at the foot of my bed." As Trixie walked off Sunset called after her. "But don't go foraging in my stuff. I have some sensitive stuff stashed in there."

Sunset frowned as she finished filling her bag. She thought this might be a bad idea. Trixie could be faking her friendship, and intellectually she knew getting a new friend so fast was only a quick path to heartbreak, but living life alone for three years was already a hefty price. She couldn't handle being alone again. Her friends turning her back on her was already a big hit to her already fragile social life, and another full cutoff might lead her to a relapse. She shook her head. Never again. No more cutting ties by day, and patrolling the city by night. She could juggle it. She was Sunset freaking Shimmer, and she could, and would, do it all. She heard a voice call from her bedroom. "Hey Sunset, is this book supposed to be glowing?"

Sunset smacked her face. She could do introspection after the concert. First things first, Twilight needed something. She dropped her bag into her bikes saddlebags and began moving to her bedroom. "Yeah, forgot to do something earlier. Be there in a sec."

Author's Note

Hullo, nothing of note to share besides the fact Dead By daylight is a great game and is horribly distracting.

Edited by Kitkataddel and posted 1/22/19