Author's Note
I want to say just for the record:
The fact that I'm doing this in October is mostly coincidence though I'll gladly say the month inspired me.
I realize this story has many similarities to the before mentioned author, hence why I wanted to make sure this was an inspiration and not an attempt to steal his work, but it also has many differences as well, which you'll find out in due time.
Close Encounters
Tonight should’ve been one of those nights that Sunset Shimmer could just sit in her apartment and do her homework in peace. Tonight however was not one of those nights. Despite it being spring, a warm front had just rolled in, making it more than unbearable and with her A/C unit not able to keep it cool, Sunset had no choice but to open her window.
As she was reading one of her textbooks, she could hear something rustling near the dumpster below her window. She was on the second floor so she didn’t have to deal with the smell but still close enough to hear if anything was going on below. The rustling continued and got louder, making Sunset realize it apparently wasn’t some stray cat or dog.
Sunset tried her hardest to mentally block out the noise but it wasn’t enough as it kept going on and with a frustrated groan she quickly closed her book and went over to the window. She looked out but because it was already nightfall it was hard to see anything. Still, the alleged dumpster diver continued his or her work. “Hey asshole, I don’t know what you’re looking for down there but you’re disturbing the peace and driving me insane so if you don’t get out of here I’m calling the cops!”
For the next few moments it was quiet and Sunset thought either the person froze in place or actually took off. The resumed noise told her otherwise and Sunset felt her eye twitch. The fucker thinks I’m bluffing…well I’ll give him a surprise…
She grabbed her phone and put on some shoes before heading downstairs and going through the back exit. She walked towards where the dumpster was and now she could see someone was standing there, peering inside. “Alright listen dude, I’m giving you three seconds or I’m really gonna call the cops.” The figure seemed to ignore her and while she took a few steps closer, she kept a safe distance. Many people on the streets were either druggies or schizos and if they were armed she’d be in a horrible situation. After a considerable amount of seconds, Sunset could only say “Fuck this…” as she dialed 911.
Immediately, an operator on the other line picked up. “911, what’s your emergency?”
“Hi, there’s someone outside my apartment, rummaging through the dumpster and he…” She suddenly trailed off as she noticed the figure finally seemed to move and was turning towards her.
“Ma’am, are you still there? Is everything alright?”
“I…” Sunset all of a sudden felt rooted to the spot as the figure slowly moved towards her. As it did, she suddenly picked up a sound. It sounded like…growling? As the figure moved closer, the light started to shine on it and she could now see the figure was indeed a male, about two inches taller than her and-
Half of his face was missing skin completely.
At that moment, every signal inside Sunset’s brain told her to run, despite the fact it was trying to process what she was seeing. Surely it couldn’t be real. This has to be a nightmare…
The man suddenly lunged at her but she managed to move out of the way just in time before making a dash for the door. Oh who was she kidding? How could this be unbelievable considering what she’s seen or where she came from? But this wasn’t like the Fall Formal where her classmates fell under her spell. This man had been dead and now he was here, reanimated and ready to rip her throat out.
She closed the door behind her quickly, wishing she had something long enough but she didn’t have time. She only just realized she had dropped her phone outside and calling anyone inside for help would be futile. Locking herself inside her room was probably a bad idea since her door wouldn’t hold out forever. She had to get out of here and hope she can find a policeman or anyone who has a gun.
As Sunset ran down the hallway, the door behind her suddenly swung open as the zombie barreled in and upon seeing her, started giving chase. Okay, he’s not your typical slow zombie but one of those fast berserker ones. This is such bullshit…!
The entrance was just ahead, only having to go through two sets of doors. Perhaps in her moment of pure panic, she hadn’t notice someone was on the other side and as she was about to grab the handle, the door flew open, quick enough to hit her square in the forehead.
Sunset was suddenly dizzy and disoriented but she suddenly heard someone yell, “Get down!” and was able to flop onto the floor. Then, three gunshots rang out and she heard someone fall hard onto the ground. Sunset looked behind her and saw the zombie was on the ground, no longer moving.
“Are you alright?” It took a moment before Sunset realized she was being addressed and looked up, only to realize the person staring back at her was all too familiar.
“V-Vice Principal Luna!?” Sunset almost yelled. She wasn’t sure what was more surprising, that Luna was here in the first place or the fact that she was carrying a gun and just shot whatever had been chasing her.
“Hello Sunset Shimmer,” Luna said calmly. She eyed Sunset closely. “You are unharmed I assume?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Sunset said shakily. She then looked behind her again. “What the hell is that?”
“You and I both know what that is,” Luna said. She paused for a moment. “Strange, I would’ve thought the sound of gunshots would’ve alarmed at least someone here.”
“Half the people here are either out somewhere or blasting their music, whether through speakers or headphones,” Sunset said. “Wait, that’s not even important, what are you doing here?”
“I happened to be in the neighborhood…” Luna said. “Good thing too since you were almost literally dead meat.”
“Oh come on that’s-” Sunset stopped and took a deep breath as she got to her feet. “Thank you, Luna. I appreciate the help but I know you’re not telling me something…”
Luna suddenly had a look of hesitation on her face and Sunset knew she was right. “I really wish you had just stayed in your room…”
“And you think I would’ve just ignored someone getting shot…regardless what state they were in?”
Luna shook her head as she holstered her gun. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get rid of the body.”
“Get rid of it? We need to call the police and-”
“Did you call them?” Luna had suddenly got in her face.
“Well technically I did but I guess I never gave them my address…that and I accidentally dropped my phone outside.”
Luna sighed in irritation. “Then we should be okay. Now go ahead and grab an arm or something, we need to get him out of here.” She pursed her lips. “Can’t get rid of the blood on the floor but it can’t be helped.”
“You have got to be kidding me…” Sunset obliged and grabbed one of this legs, thankful at least the zombie was wearing long sleeves and pants.
The two of them drug the body back outside near the dumpster. “Alright, so why don’t we want the police to know this? To avoid panic or is there some conspiracy going on?”
“Mostly to avoid panic but the populace can’t know what happened here, nor can anyone know you or I was involved.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying, Sunset, that there’s more than just Equestrian magic that poses a threat to our world.”
That managed to silence Sunset long enough before they had the body right in front of the dumpster. “Alright, now what do we do?” She noticed Luna had been carrying a small bag with her as she opened it, she pulled out a plastic bottle of a clear liquid before opening it and started to pour it all over the body. Sunset could smell what was inside right away. “Gasoline? Are you seriously-?”
“Right now it’s our only way of destroying the evidence,” Luna said as she flicked open a lighter and tossed it onto the dead man’s chest, lighting him up instantaneously. “Now we have to go. By the time anyone finds him, he’ll just be ashes.”
“So are you ever going to explain what’s going on here?” Sunset pressed.
“I will, but once we’re out of here and on the road,” Luna said as she made her way back towards the door.
Her response caught Sunset by surprise. “You mean…you’re letting me come with you?”
“Yes, protocol says I have to since unfortunately you witnessed all of this,” Luna said. “Or did you think I was gonna kill you and dispose of you as well?”
Luna’s lack of humor on her face made Sunset gulp. “You know, I’m perfectly fine tagging along actually…”
For all the strange encounters she’s had since coming to this world, tonight would go down as the strangest yet.
Yer a monster hunter, Sunny
Sunset sat in the passenger seat of Luna’s black sedan as they drove through town. It had been quiet for the most part until Luna’s phone went off. She answered it with one hand on the wheel. “It’s me…yes the problem has been taken care of, but we had a slight complication. The target was outside an apartment complex and we had a witness.” She glanced at Sunset for a moment. “Sunset Shimmer…yes she’s with me right now…I know, she wants to know everything herself…Understood, we’ll be there shortly…Love you too sis.” She then hung up. “Well Sunset, you’re in luck. Apparently the chairman of our little organization wants to speak with you.”
“Chairman?” Sunset then noticed something. “Wait, was that Principal Celestia on the phone?”
“Yes it was,” Luna conceded. “You were going to find out sooner or later I’m sure.”
“So…she’s the chairman I take it?”
“Chairman sounds too formal, we’ll just say leader,” Luna said as she made a turn. “We’re meeting at our place. And before you start doing 21 Questions, I’m going to let Tia handle all of that.”
“Okay, if I promise just to ask one question will you answer it?” Sunset asked.
Luna was silent for a moment. “Fine, but one.”
“How long exactly has this been going on?”
Luna smiled slightly. She had been expecting Sunset to ask how she and her sister had gotten involved or how long she had been carrying a gun. “Longer than you and I have been alive, combined. Tia knows more about that than I do, I’m just along for the ride.”
“I’d love to know how you got on board…” Sunset said casually. Luna said nothing and once Sunset realized why she scoffed. “Fine, keep your secrets…”
“Actually, I have a question for you,” Luna said. “If I wasn’t there, what would you have done?”
Sunset was lucky Luna couldn’t see her well in the darkness since she looked kind of embarrassed. “Honestly, I was just trying to get out of there. I really had no way of fighting back and I doubt magic would’ve done anything for me.”
Luna nodded. “Now you understand that everything can’t be solved with magic and friendship…”
“You make it sound like that’s all we use.” Luna stayed silent. “…We really do do that don’t we?”
“It’s not your fault, you’ve never been in a situation like that before and no movie or video game can prepare you for that.” I learned that the hard way, she thought to herself.
“Look, all jokes aside, I really do appreciate you saving me and… if you really want me to keep things quiet-”
Luna suddenly hit the brakes, cutting Sunset off. “I’m going to stop you right there,” she said. “I don’t want to hear any of that until after you hear what Tia has to say.” She then turned off the engine and got out of the car. Sunset followed suit and realized they were at Celestia and Luna’s house. Sunset had never been here before but she was aware the two sisters lived together.
The lights were on inside the house and as Luna grabbed the door knob, she glanced at Sunset. “Just know you’re probably going to recognize some of the people here.” That only made Sunset have more questions but she kept her mouth shut.
The door opened and the first thing she heard was music, smooth jazz to be precise. Time seemed to stop as everyone inside the living room turned and stared at her. Sunset could only stare back as she realized she recognized everyone who was here. “Sunset, I’m sure you’re familiar with most of the faculty staff here,” Luna said.
Cheerilee, Cranky Doodle, Dr. Whooves and- “Granny Smith!?” Sunset almost yelled.
“Howdy there Sunset!” Granny said pleasantly. She then gave Luna a look. “What’s she doing here?”
“As I told you all already, there was a complication and Luna had to bring her in,” Celestia said as she came into the room with a tray of drinks. “Sunset, I’m glad you could come. Please, have a seat. Something to drink?”
“Uh, no I’m fine thank you,” Sunset said as she sat down in one of the wooden chairs. Right now she couldn’t tell what was stranger, the zombie that attacked her or the fact that most of her teachers apparently went around killing them.
“You say complication but you didn’t specify what happened,” Cranky grunted.
Luna sighed as she took a seat as well. “As I explained to my sister, the target was right next to an apartment complex, one apparently Sunset lives in. I was going to take the shot but unfortunately Sunset got involved.”
“You know, ‘get involved’ is kind of a stretch,” Sunset explained. “I thought he was just homeless guy rummaging through the dumpster. And what do you mean take the shot you weren’t even there.”
“Long-distance,” Luna said simply.
“…Oh.”
“Well, now that you’re here Sunset, I suppose it falls on me to explain everything,” Celestia said as she stood up straight. “As you’re well aware, this world has more or less been affected by Equestrian magic and while bizarre, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. What you encountered tonight is something many have experienced for possibly millennia.”
“…Zombies?” Sunset asked.
“Yes, and before you say it, that was not the product of some viral pandemic that’s about to be unleashed on this city. No, what you witnessed was a basic form of necromancy.”
“You do know we have similar practices in Equestrian too.”
“Perhaps, but the population here doesn’t know that and we’re here to make sure it stays that way. Everyone present here has had some close encounter with the undead and that’s how this organization has grown.”
Sunset looked at each of them and upon looking at Granny Smith, she said, “You too?”
Granny smirked. “Deary, I can tell ya stories about how I was about your age and had only a rifle to protect our farm from hellhounds. How do you think Applejack became such a dead eye in the first place?”
“Holy shit…”
“Do we really have to give her all our life stories?” Cheerilee asked.
Cranky snickered. “She doesn’t want to talk about it cause it was so embarrassing…”
“Oh yeah, old man?” Cheerilee snapped. “And what about that time you got outsmarted by a smalltime vampire, Mr. ‘I’ve been to war and I know what to expect.’?”
Cranky grumbled. “Beginner’s luck…”
“Actually I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Celestia said. “However, I want to make sure Sunset is at least interested in joining us.” Everyone then looked at Sunset again and it took her a moment to find the words to say.
"So let me get this straight," Sunset said. "There are forces other than Equestrian magic at play here and you, your sister, and a band of regular adults are fighting some secret war against them?"
"In a nutshell, yes," Celestia said. "I realize you have your own problems to deal with, Sunset, I won't force you into this if you don't-"
"I'm in.”
Celestia blinked. “You are?”
“Are you kidding, what you’re doing sounds amazing!” Sunset said gleefully. “Who wouldn’t want to take down the forces of evil?”
“This isn’t a game, Sunset,” Luna said coldly.
“I know, but I think I can offer you something no one else can, first-hand knowledge of these creatures.”
“I don’t follow,” Cheerilee said.
“When I was a student back in Equestrian, I did a lot of reading on such creatures and believe me, they exist there too to a certain extent. My point is, I know every creature’s weak points and how to kill them.”
Someone then cleared their throat and everyone looked over to see Dr. Whooves up on his feet. “It is true we’ve only seen a fraction of the creatures that show up in certain texts, the truth of the matter is we really don’t know how accurate those texts are. I for one will gladly accept the help of an expert in the paranormal department.”
“I just have one question,” Sunset then said with an innocent smile. “Does this count as an extracurricular activity?”
Soon everyone began talking about their origins into the organization. Cheerilee once dated a guy from Manehattan and while he seemed friendly, something had been off from him, he only liked to meet her at night and apparently he was on a strict diet and didn’t eat very much. It wasn’t until one night he invited her over to his place to what Cheerilee thought would be a Netflix and chill kind of night but…instead he wanted her blood. Thankfully, Celestia had been keeping tabs on the guy for the past three weeks and managed to kick down the door before the vampire’s fangs met her neck. Needless to say she’s decided to stay single for the foreseeable future.
Cranky was a war veteran and while he claimed to have seen bizarre happenings in his army days, his first encounter was with a band of werewolves up north in the mountains. He had a cabin up in the wilderness that he went to several times during the summer months. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize til one night that said werewolves were making their way east to who knows where and thought Cranky would be an easy target. Little did they know Cranky’s cabin was stockpiled full of weapons, some he had carried during the war. Sure, he didn’t have actual silver bullets but he had enough to cause a lot of pain and the werewolves had no choice but to retreat. Now, Cranky wasn’t as maneuverable as his younger days, but his senses were still keen and he knew how to fire, clean, fix, and handle a gun properly more than anyone.
Dr. Whooves was more brains than brawn compared to the others. His strengths were studying subjects and figuring out ways to find and take down potential enemies before they become a threat. “One thing you have to know,” Celestia added. “Just because you’re a vampire or a werewolf doesn’t automatically make you danger. There are some who wish to be left alone in peace and find ways to survive without endangering others. That’s something we always have to consider before we go after them and put a bullet in them.”
As for Granny, her story was a little different. The Apple family through generations were always aware that there were supernatural forces in the world though their main concern was protecting their property. Granny learned at a young age how to use firearms and that hasn’t changed with age. She didn’t go out into the field as much as the others but she always kept her revolver on her just in case.
As for Celestia and Luna, their first encounters were more tragic. Their parents had also been part of this secret order for many years and unfortunately they made an enemy of a very powerful necromancer. The house that Celestia and Luna had grown up in had been utterly destroyed and their parents brutally murdered, though they didn’t go down without a fight. This had happened when Celestia was twenty-two and Luna eighteen. Upon going through their parents’ belongings, the two sisters found a letter from their father, explaining everything they had done when they were alive and the organization that became their new life’s purpose. His only favor was that if something were to happen to them, that their children would take up the mantle and do their family proud.
“There was no hesitation from either of us,” Luna said. “Fortunately, Cadance’s parents, while not directly involved, knew about what our parents did and basically showed us the ropes. And that pretty much leads up to now.”
“So Cadance is one of you as well?” Sunset asked.
“She’s aware but she chose not to get involved,” Celestia said. “At the time, working with a person like Cinch, it’s hard to keep secrets from her and who knows what she would’ve done if she had known. Now that Cadance is the new principal, I’m not sure what she’ll do, but principal of Crystal Prep is a challenge all on it’s own.”
She then looked to the others. “Well, I think it’s time for all of us to call it a night. It is a school night after all.” The others nodded in agreement. “Sunset, if its alright I can take you back to your apartment.”
“Oh, thank you,” Sunset said, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Well in that case I’m taking a shower and going to get some shuteye,” Luna said as she yawned and got up. “After I play some Destiny…”
The ride back was mostly quiet. Celestia couldn’t help but glance over and smile. “Still processing everything?”
“That’s one way to put it,” Sunset replied. “If I had said no, what then?”
“Then life would go on as usual,” Celestia said simply. “I believe you wouldn’t tell anyone about what happened anyway.”
“Not like they’d believe there are actual zombies…” Sunset murmured. “But…just how many of you are there?”
“We don’t know,” Celestia replied. “There are others, but we only know those we’ve encountered. The anonymity keeps the Order safe.”
“Do you even have a name for this Order?”
“I didn’t really think there needed to be one. We’re not some cult or movement group and our parents never mentioned a name. We just have one job and one job only: keeping our city safe.”
They soon reached the outside of Sunset’s apartment and Sunset got out. “You’re still committed to this?” Celestia asked.
“I am, but I’m assuming I can’t tell my friends.”
“I wouldn’t want them getting involved…you don’t want to have any liabilities in this line of work.”
“Yeah…I get that.”
“Just be ready for tomorrow,” Celestia said, giving her a wink. “Consider it initiation.” She then drove off.
Sunset stared after her for a few moments before it finally soaked in. Holy shit…I’m gonna become a monster hunter!
