A bald, dark skinned man stood at the infirmary window, watching their nurse tend to the unconscious, still partially transformed girl on the other side. With an elbow propped up on a crossed arm and a contemplative hand to his mouth, he studied their newest NMH. He saw the reflection of his most trusted subordinate step up next to him.

“We got more than a name yet?” she asked.

“No, but Shining’s got her stuff. We’ll hopefully have something soon” he answered. A moment passed before he let out a heavy sigh, eyes still on the girl.

“Don’t worry Rupert, she’ll make it” the rather young looking blonde woman next to him assured him “She probably won’t even scar, knowing how we heal.”

“It’s not that…” Rupert answered, his concerned scowl reflected in the glass “I’ve never seen an NMC like that before, and it sure as hell didn’t match the descriptions of either EVE.”

“No…” the blonde replied somberly “No, that was something different alright. Even now, there’s… something else. An extra layer. It’s weak, but it’s there.”

“Twilight have any answers?” he asked.

“Not for that. But she’s stable for now. And, well...” she hesitated before continuing “turns out she’s not infected.”

“Not infected? But wait, that would mean... she’s an awakened?” his head snapped to the woman. She simply nodded with a pitying look, her blue eyes still on the patient beyond the window “...Shit.”

“Yeah” the blonde sighed, studying the sleeping girl. She could see Rupert working his jaw in her peripheral “I can tell when you want to say something Rup’...”

“You think she was becoming an EVE?”

“I don’t know.”

“...Is she at risk of it?”

“You know I can’t answer that’’ she answered honestly, and gave a little shrug “I don’t even know if I am.”

He nodded understandingly and turned back to the window. The nurse noticed and shot him a small smile before returning to monitoring her patient’s suppressant intake.

“Shit.” he repeated.

“Yeah…”

Sunset was floating weightless, a dark expanse enshrouding her as her body felt distant and unresponsive. With great effort she contorted and looked down to her hooves, praying she would see them and not a pair of hands. Her hopes were only half answered. Surrounding the sight of her cloven limbs was an almost ghostly overlay of the fingered appendages. She motioned and the fingers closed into a fist, a trail of sparkles left in their wake.

As she stared curiously at the sight, the darkness around her began to brighten with millions, perhaps even billions of tiny lights suddenly flickering to life. They drifted around, about and even through her. It was a curious sensation, as if a warm haze of static followed in their wake. She spun to follow the path of those that moved through her and the whole within the expanse moved with her. Her brow furrowed and she put out a hoof, seeing a small section move with it as well.

Concentration overtook her face and she next stretched out with her magic, her aura extending beyond the hand. Some of the specks embraced it, dancing excitedly with contact. Others avoided it, but stayed at its edges in a close orbit. The rest didn’t react at all.

She stretched out further.

An intense heat abruptly flared within her as many of the sparks burned a deep crimson. The remaining, unchanged lights collapsed upon her, trying to shield her from the heat. They cooled the flames to a tolerable, if still uncomfortable warmth. But it proved only temporary and the fire soon returned again.

A sharp pain pieced her arm and a familiar chill swept through the darkness. The flame was snuffed to embers, the lights grew dim, and Sunset fell back into thoughtlessness.

Something smelled funny. It wasn't entirely bad but it was almost as if the air was too clean, like when she would try to contain a lightning spell. The source of the ozone-like smell was also currently shoved right up her nose. A distant groan echoed as she tried to remove the uncomfortable obstruction, heavy limbs flailing until the annoyance was torn from its home.

An annoying, rapid beeping began not a moment later and a small clatter sounded in response.

“Oh…” A soft voice gave a sigh of relief and a small chuckle. Then, after the briefest of pauses “OH!”

The noise of hurried movement closed on her and a softer, longer tone sang out before the beeping mercifully stopped.

“Hello?” a feminine voice called gingerly “Can you hear me?”

Sunset opened her eyes before immediately slamming them back shut, stinging tears gathering at their squinted edges.

“Slowly now, you’ve been down for quite a while. Take your time.” the voice cooed patiently. A shadow crossed over her and a gentle touch landed on her shoulder. Sunset tried again, lids separating more cautiously to a blurry curtain of pink “There we go…”

Blinking a few times, Sunset’s vision cleared to show a female of her new species smiling down warmly at her. She was stooped over her bed, using her long pink hair to block the light as she studied her with bright opal eyes filled with concern.

‘Still on the other side of the mirror I see’ she thought dully as the female turned away to grab some equipment. She spun back with a stethoscope, pressing it to Sunset’s chest as she started giving simple instructions.

“Deep breath. Good. Lean forward.” the cold disc was moved to her back “Again. Gooood.”

“Where am I?’ Sunset croaked, finding her throat completely dry.

“Shhhh. Someone’s on their way to answer all that. Here, drink this” the nurse handed her a cup of water. Sunset clumsily tried to grab the cup and nearly dropped it. The girl simply hummed and helped her bring it to her lips. With the cup empty, Sunset’s mind began to clear. She looked down to her hands and tried to persuade them to stop shaking “How many fingers?”

“What?” Sunset’s head snapped up “Oh, um… three.” she answered and earned a wider smile from the girl who then wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm. Her mind raced with questions, but before any more escaped the sound of an opening door drew her attention. A young female with purple hair and a tall, bald male stepped through, both studying her intently; one with clear curiosity, the other with a stoic frown.

“Ah, she’s finally awake!” The female smiled brightly before looking to the nurse “How’s she been?”

“Her vitals are good. She’s aware and responsive. There does seem to be some impairment to her motor functions though” the pink haired one answered.

“Hopefully it’s just a bit of atrophy” the first returned and took a seat on the other side of the bed, moving her lab coat out from beneath her and adjusting her glasses before she addressed Sunset directly “Do you know what your name is?”

“Um, Sunset” the former pony answered confusedly, “Sunset Shimmer.”

“Good! Well, at least we know the journal was in fact yours. Looks like we have yet another ‘hippie name’, eh Rupert?” the girl shot a smirk back to the male, who just rolled his eyes in response. She turned back to Sunset and continued “Do you know how old you are?”

“Nineteen” Sunset’s brow furrowed.

“Good. Do you know where you’re from?”

Sunset opened her mouth and hesitated, the truth dawning on her. She answered with a question of her own “Where am I?”

“I assure you Miss Shimmer, we’ll answer all your questions in a moment but please bear with us. We need to get a baseline and to see if there’s any issues. Do you know where you’re from?” the purple haired female repeated as Sunset held her expression steady, fighting against the satisfaction of her correct deduction. They were testing her cognition.

She could use this.

“I’m…” she started and let her expression fall to a surprised concern, making herself look lost “No…”

“Hmmm” the girl hummed with a frown “Can you remember where you were born? If you have a family?”

Sunset looked up, expression distraught as she locked on the girl's purple eyes. She broke the connection and shook her head, casting her vision back down.

“Memory loss, that’s another add to the list...” she muttered with a hint of sadness “Do you remember anything before waking up here?”

Sunset let the question hang a moment, feigning deep thought. Amnesia would be a great cover for her utter lack of knowledge regarding this world. Still, she knew she’d have to give at least a little.

“I remember... being at a school…” she answered solemnly. The lab-coated female shot a look back to the male behind her, who stepped forward to listen even more intently.

“What do you remember from that night?” his deep voice asked calmly.

“I was... walking down the halls when I heard… some kind of droning…” Ironically enough, Sunset actually was struggling to remember now; the event coming back blurred and jumbled from the adrenaline and fear. She focused “I followed it until I realized it was chanting. There was a smell… blood.”

Sunset recounted the tale of her unfortunate first night in this world, obviously leaving out the details of her origin or true self. She just finished telling them about the lanky, uniformed creature when the trio shared a deeply troubled look. The female with the glasses grabbed the strange plastic sheet she had brought in with her and tapped rapidly along its surface. She then flipped it around toward Sunset.

“Did it look like one of these?” The sheet's surface was now illuminated.

‘Maybe there is magic in this world’ Sunset marveled at the device before the images shining upon it sunk in. The first wasn't quite it, but the second struck much closer.

“Yeah, not exactly but it looked a lot like that one” she confirmed before the male cursed quietly and the worry deepened in the younger two.

“Damnit. Here we thought it was just another cult…” he muttered then gestured at her “Please, continue.”

She resumed only for them to stop her again at the mention of the girl in the helmet. She identified another picture, though it was a bigger deviance than the last. She told them of hiding in the room and triaging her wound and…

Sunset’s eyes flew wide as the memory of the night’s end came rushing back. The formally rhythmic beeping from the medical equipment sped up dramatically.

“Miss Shimmer, everything's okay. You need to calm down.” the doctor’s voice sounded distant.

She could feel it. Something was WRONG inside her. The heat, the same heat and alien sensations were still streaming through her veins. The image of her body twisting and growing beneath flames filled her head. She began to hyperventilate.

“It’s okay! You’re safe here!” the nurse tried to soothe her. Sunset recoiled, as if trying to escape from her own body.

“No! No, something’s wrong!” she shouted and twisted away, feeling the presence inside grow agitated at her panic “Something’s inside me!”

“It’s okay! We have it under control! Please, we’ll explain everything. You have to calm down.” the woman delivered but Sunset continued to thrash. The pair of females shot one another a quick glance before lunging forward to take hold of the panicked girl.

A sudden blue light flared and Sunset froze in place, an almost forceful calm gripping her as their hands landed on her. The subtle azure glow now covering the girls’ hands slowly seeped into the former pony and a gentle current began to quiet the growing firestorm within her.

Sunset marveled as the glow receded and stared as the girls removed her hands, transfixed. That wasn’t magic. Not any kind she had ever experienced at least.

“I guess it’s time for those answers then, isn’t it?” The bespectacled woman sighed “Well I suppose some introductions would be a good place to start: I’m Dr. Twilight Sparkle, this is Fluttershy Breeze and, as you may have caught, the grumpy man behind me is Rupert, Rupert Broderick.”

‘Man, what they call a male’ Sunset made the mental note, the logging of facts further relaxing her.

“What was that?” the fiery haired girl finally managed, staring at the pair’s hands.

“Are you familiar with Mitochondria, Miss Shimmer?” Twilight asked.

“It’s… something to do with cells, right?” Biology wasn’t Sunset’s specialty, but she remembered something along those lines from her classes. That level of microscopic study was still a relatively new field at the time though. Twilight nodded.

“They help produce the bioelectric energy for our cells. One could even say they’re the cell’s powerhouse.”

“Okay…” Sunset gave slowly. She had to admit she found it was interesting, especially considering it meant these beings could be significantly more advanced scientifically. She wasn’t making the connection to the monsters and.. her change, however. Twilight continued.

“Well, a little while back, a unique kind of mitochondria was discovered. One that can evolve rapidly, gaining incredible new abilities. In most cases they also forced rapid mutation upon its host; be they animal, human or even plant.” the young doctor explained “We call this new form Neo-Mitochondria. In a select few cases, including the earliest on record, this Neo-Mitochondria could even reach a point of collective sapience: A consciousness that could then exert its will over its host and even force the evolution within others. We call this consciousness EVE, as it identified itself as such in both cases of this emergence.”

“So those monsters were changed… I was changed by one of these Eves?” Sunset asked, a queasy feeling rising to her cheeks. Twilight however, shook her head.

“Within the recent years a new development has arisen among NMCs- sorry, that’s shorthand for Neo-Mitochondrial Creatures, the official identification for the ‘monsters’ you saw. But no, recently they’ve gained the ability to infect others, similar to a virus. While not a uniform trait, it has become common enough to be the main cause of their spread these days. That’s how the people you encountered were changed” the lab-coated girl elaborated.

“So I was infected…” the red and golden haired girl’s head hung low.

“No, you’re actually immune to infection Miss Shimmer” Twilight corrected “A person with mitochondria that has the potential to become Neo-Mitochondria can also have the evolution triggered by a being near a large enough collection of NMCs, or by another person with particularly potent Neo-Mitochondria of their own. We call these people Awakened. They’re very rare. With you included, there are now only six alive in the world. That we’re aware of at least.”

‘Person, people… analogous to pony, ponies’ more mental notes.

“And that’s why I changed? But then why am I better now? ...AM I better now?” Sunset asked, to which Twilight returned an assuring nod.

“It’s possible to have one’s Mitochondria, awakened or infectious, stabilized. Sometimes it occurs naturally, and more recently we’ve developed means of inducing it… even if they can be a bit hit or miss. You were stabilized with suppressants and the personal intervention of one of our hunters, another of the world’s few Awakened. We call someone that has been stabilized a Neo-Mitochondrial Human, or simply NMH for short” Twilight then gave an encouraging smile “So yes Miss Shimmer; You are, in-fact, still human. You’re just…” she searched for the right words “a little more now as well.”

‘Human’

“And that’s why you were able to… use that strange magic. Because you three are NMHs?” Sunset queried.

“I’m not, just these two” Rupert cut in before Twilight answered.

“What you saw was one of the possible abilities Neo-Mitochondria can grant to its hosts, yes. I am also an awakened like yourself Miss Shimmer, and Fluttershy was infected roughly six years ago” Twilight then narrowed her eyes slightly “Though no, while the ability NMCs and Hs can possess may be incredible and not entirely understood yet, it’s not magic. There are rational, scientific explanations for it, even if we don’t quite know all of them yet. There’s no such thing as magic.”

‘There is now’ the former unicorn countered mentally, noting the doctor’s companions roll their eyes with amusement at the unnecessary correction. Rupert then fixed her with a serious stare however.

“It is also important to know Miss Shimmer: none of this is public knowledge. Only the knowledge that the creatures exist at all isn't technically classified. The truth behind them however, still is. What you’re told here and your condition is not to be shared lightly. You’re only being informed because it is, with no exaggeration, your new lot in life” he declared with a well practiced, professional tone.

“Is it really that bad?” Sunset’s worried, almost shakey tone prompted an attempt at an encouraging, though still uneasy half smile from Twilight.

“There are many advantages and perks that come with being an NMH; accelerated healing, enhanced physique, and abilities like and beyond what little you’ve witnessed. You may have also noticed that Fluttershy and I appear a bit young for our positions; Neo-mitochondria values an able host, so it keeps us in our prime pretty much indefinitely. Or in simpler terms: we don’t age. For example; our awakened hunter is in her thirties, yet barely looks a day over twenty.” Twilight offered before her expression dropped to a resigned frown “But yes, there’s also some gravely serious considerations, complications and compromises that can come with those boons. There is also still much that we have little to no understanding of or control over regarding the condition. Further still, there is also always the possibility of destabilization; a danger not only to yourself, but the public as well.”

“So, I could change back into that thing…” Sunset gave in a frightened whisper, eyes distant.

“...Or worse. We won’t lie to you: It is an uncertain life Miss Shimmer, made all the harder by being one of secrets.” Twilight returned honestly before a small smile returned to her face “But, you’re not alone. MIST is here for you.”

“Mist?” Sunset repeated. Twilight opened her mouth to respond but hesitated, head tilting at a thought. A proud smirk graced her face immediately after.

“Are you feeling up for a walk Miss Shimmer?” she asked and glanced back at Rupert “A tour might be in order.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for her to be moving so soon after waking up?” Fluttershy interjected “She was out for so long…”

“Should be. It could actually do her some good. Her mitochondria will respond to the stimulation and further speed up her recovery” the purple haired woman confirmed, pushing her glasses back up “It’ll also give her a distraction until Dash gets back with food.”

A loud lurch rumbled from the former pony’s stomach. She hadn’t even realized how hungry she was until she heard the word. Sunset chuckled, slightly embarrassed. For their part, the trio simply smiled understandingly. With a little help, Sunset untangled herself from the sheets and she swung her legs out. With Fluttershy at her side, she slowly slid to the edge of the bed. Rupert excused himself outside and Twilight closed the infirmary blinds. Sunset furrowed her brow but went with it.

“Try to land both feet together, you’ll be less likely to buckle that way” The pink haired nurse instructed. Sunset followed as best she could and nearly buckled anyway, but the pink haired nurse caught her in surprisingly strong arms and righted her. A brief tingling surged through her, giving her a light head before her legs steadied. Not much, but slightly “Don’t worry, we’ll help you get your footing back… you okay?”

‘Feet, foot’

“Yeah, just weird not feeling alone in my own body anymore” Sunset muttered as she kept trying to learn to walk again… again. Twilight's voice echoed from the inside of a cabinet she was fishing through.

“If it makes you feel any better, even normal mitochondria has different DNA than its host. So technically speaking, you were never alone. That’s also if you don’t count the one to three percent of a person’s weight that’s symbiotic bacteria” she gave and returned to the pair, holding a bundle of folded clothes.

‘Seems clothes are important in this culture. Weird.’ Though she did admit, with her now relatively hairless body and the open backed patient gown, it was a bit drafty. The pair helped her into the simple garments and, with Fluttershy supporting her, made their way to the door. Rupert turned as they exited, gesturing around with a tired smile.

“Welcome to the headquarters of Mitochondria Investigation, Science and Tactics, or simply M.I.S.T. for short” he said and, with a considerate slow pace, led them down the hall “As you can surmise, it’s our job to do whatever we can to keep people safe from the dangers of neo-mitochondria.”

“AND also researching it” Twilight added “So that maybe someday it can be neutralised with methods other than guns.”

“So you’re with the government then?” Sunset asked.

“We’re independent but currently contracted, yes. MIST was originally a division within the FBI with a slightly different name making up the acronym, but-”

“But then they jumped ship” a new voice cut in, a suited man with blue hair and a wide smirk appearing from around the corner ahead of them, a plastic bag hanging from one hand “Taking some of our best agents with them and then tried to go public.”

“Shiny...” Twilight scolded jokingly.

“Miss Shimmer, this is Agent Shining Armor, our liaison with the Bureau.” Rupert informed her.

“Good to see you up and about Miss Shimmer. We were a little worried you weren’t gonna come out of it with how long were you down” the agent offered “When you’re feeling up to it, I’d like you to swing back around. There’s some questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Um, sure” Sunset returned, trying to ignore the nervous knot that formed in her gut “I may not have all that many answers for you though.”

“I’m afraid Sunset has lost a significant bit of her memory after her transformation” Twilight explained but then shot their charge an encouraging smile “However, it is fairly possible it will return in time.”

“Here’s hoping” Sunset smiled back halfheartedly. Shining hummed and gave her a sympathetic look.

“Well in the meantime then, I do have this for you” he lifted the bag, pulling a book out and handing it to Sunset “I’m afraid the rest of your belongings are still being held for examination, but this was cleared for return.”

Sunset looked at the expertly crafted journal in her hands, a large slash gouged across her former mentor’s cutie mark on its cover. She ran her fingers along the mark; it was deep enough to even mar the first few sheets beneath. She opened and flipped through the blank pages. She noted a light scorching along some of its edges but it seemed to be mostly intact other than that. She flipped to the inside of the back cover, finding it completely unmarked save for the ‘Sunset Shimmer’ written along the bottom.

“That’s how we knew your name” Twilight said before asking softly “Triggering any memories?”

Sunset shook her head and closed the book, looking at her own cutie mark on the back. It was triggering memories alright, but none that she wanted to share… or even have herself at the moment.

“To continue the tour then... my lab!” The bespectacled woman beamed and dragged the group ahead.

“Don’t overload her mind when she’s just got it back Twily!” Shining called after them, the young scientist sticking her tongue out at him playfully. He just smirked again and returned to his office.

“Shiny’s also my older brother” Twilight responded to Sunset’s curious look and led them into her workspace.

The former pony’s jaw dropped; The few bits of advanced science she’d seen hadn’t prepared her for this. To most it was just a science lab but to Sunset... The level of organization, the complexity of machines she couldn’t begin to identify, the fully rendered models of DNA strands displayed on multiple, shining plastic screens like the one Twilight carried... and that was at just a glance! The beings of this world were decades ahead of Equestria. At least! And she was the first pony with access to all of it...

“This is where we made the suppressants that helped you keep your humanity and where, with the help of our other labs of course, we will hopefully unlock all the secrets of our condition” the bespectacled doctor presented with arms wide and a spin “But for today, it’s where we’ll run the rest of your tests and maybe perform your psych eval… If Cady will let me do them at the same time that is.”

If the reminder of tests and evaluations didn't bring Sunset back to reality, the name Twilight said certainly did. Her brow furrowed with concern.

“Don’t worry” Fluttershy cooed, misinterpreting the look “They’re mostly blood tests and basic, noninvasive procedures. And our counselor is very patient and comforting. Come on, let’s continue the tour.”

Sunset nodded and followed, only half listening to Rupert explaining how the headquarters used to be one of the city’s police stations. She shook away what was probably just a coincidence and focused. If she was going to have a psychological evaluation, she needed to be ready. She had the feeling that telling them she was actually a dimension hopping magical pony when they didn’t even believe in magic wouldn't go over too well.

'Seems like I'll have to commit to this amnesia bit for a while yet.'

They hit a flight of stairs that proved a challenge, drawing her from her thoughts while they worked to get her down without any falls. An arrhythmic booming reached them as they hit the bottom, which grew louder the closer they moved toward a wide window that overlooked a long room. She recognized it from the guard grounds as a shooting range but the woman wearing a cowboy hat within wasn’t using magic or a crossbow, but instead a long tube letting out bursts of fire with every bang, like a handheld cannon. She tracked moving targets being controlled by another woman with poufy pink hair at a console nearby. The latter shouted something they couldn’t hear through the glass and hit a few switches, a much larger target dropping into view from above.

Sunset then received her next look at the strange, ‘not magic’ powers as the woman with the weapon suddenly radiated with sparkling yellow and gold light. She pumped the weapon and fired, but unlike the previous targets that merely received holes through them, this one was completely obliterated. The pair within shot each other wide grins before Rupert pressed a button at the base of the window.

“Hey!” the pair jumped and looked back, blushes raising on their features “Careful not to blow a hole in the range!”

They both shot sheepish smiles at the boss, the blonde one mouthing what looked like either ‘sorry’ or ‘don’t worry’. The other however spotted Sunset and lit up like a Hearthswarthing Tree, letting out a massive, silent gasp before she bolted out of view.

“HI!” Sunset jumped as a pink poofy mane was suddenly an inch from her face “I’m Pinkie! What’s your name?! I know they said the name in the journal was Sunset Shimmer but I didn’t want to presume. Are you Sunset Shimmer? That’s a really pretty name if it is-”

“Easy there Pinks, the girl’s only jus’ woke up” the one in the cowboy hat caught up and then extended a hand “Name’s Jack, Jacquelyn Apple. But everyone jus’ calls me Applejack. Good ta see ya back on yer feet.”

‘Oh, like a hoofshake. Interesting parallel’ Sunset took a hand away from the journal clutched to her chest but then nearly dropped it. A third hand shot into her fumbling pair and caught the book. Applejack lifted it back into the former pony’s grip “Thanks.”

“Big change left ya all caddywompus huh? Yeah, Ah was worse than a one legged cat on a frozen pond after mine. But don’t worry none there Sugarcube, we’ll get you right as rain soon enough” the cowgirl encouraged, thankfully forgoing the handshake for now. Rupert then stepped up next to Sunset, gesturing toward the green-eyed woman.

“AJ’s one of our hunters, and an NMH like you. And Pinkie here is one of our armory attendants and the assistant range master” he introduced.

“Hunter?” Sunset parroted.

“We hunt down them critters that tried ta make a meal outta ya” Applejack explained “Though, we usually try to get there before it gets anywhere near as bad as it did…”

“So will I get powers like that?” Sunset shifted back to what they just saw. Applejack brightened back up with an unsure expression.

“Well, unless yer gonna become a hunter or one of Twi’s guinea pigs-” she started.

“HEY! I’m not that bad!” the scientist in question objected, earning a few giggles from the gathered girls. She resigned to a begrudging frown before her expression softened and she looked to the fiery haired girl “Most NMHs outside of MIST are on suppressants, limiting their ability to develop their ‘powers’ and lessening the chance of any incidents.”

“Ah… well I guess that settles it then” Sunset perked up with conviction “I’m in.”

Confused looks landed on her from all around.

“You’re in?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, I want to join MIST.” confusion turned to surprise “I’m sure I’ll be of help. I’m very intelligent.”

“Well, she sure didn’ lose her confidence at least!” the cowgirl laughed, followed by Rupert clearing his throat.

“Let’s just take things one step at a time and make sure you’re okay first...” he gave stiffly. Sunset resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had heard too many ‘no without saying no’s to not see through this one. It didn’t matter though, she would find a way to convince them.

A loud honking noise made her and the nurse still supporting her jump. She let out a heavy breath as her heart slowed down.

“That would be Dash” Fluttershy muttered “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

The group came to another large open space, a number of very odd looking carts parked about. One of those parked closest had a girl bent over digging in the rear of the vehicle. A head covered in hair that’d be considered particularly colorful even back home popped out and turned.

“FOOOOD!-oh… wow, you guys must be hungry” a smirk came after the raspy shout. The woman spotted the fiery hair amongst the group and an ‘o’ of comprehension gracing her “Oh cool, she woke up!”

“Miss Shimmer, this Rainbow Dash. She’s our mechanic and, when needed, back up for our hunters” Rupert gave yet another introduction. The girl opened her mouth only to be cut off by a metal churning. Sunset stared wide eyed as one of the strange carts rumbled into the space. She however didn’t have much time to think how it worked as it stopped and a tall, attractive woman with tri-colored hair stepped out “And this would be our counselor, Doctor Cadenza Amore.”

“Most people just call me Cadence” the well-dressed woman walked up and offered her hand. Sunset however was stuck standing stiff, transfixed at the woman.

‘There’s no way…’

“Miss Shimmer?” Sunset snapped out of her tance. She awkwardly grabbed at the fingers and only managed one pump but at least she didn’t drop her book this time. The counselor gave her a warm smile before looking to the bald man “Did you let-”

“Sent her a text” He answered before she even finished “Haven’t heard back but it’s already pretty late there.”

“Good, it’ll be one less worry on her mind.” nodded and turned to Dash “Rainbow, did you happen to get something for Miss Shimmer too?”

“Yeah, I got the text” the woman grabbed a paper bag with a large X from a marker on its side from a pile and handed it over “Didn’t know who it was for so I just got a basic burger meal.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, thank you. Well then Miss Shimmer, are you ready to head to my office?” Cadence cut right to business.

“Sure…” the former pony muttered. Breaking from the group, Cadence and Fluttershy helped her back upstairs and to the woman’s office. Fluttershy then left them to return to the infirmary.

“So,” Cadence began as Sunset got settled and started digging in the bag “Rupert’s text said you’re having some memory loss...”

Cadence stepped through the lab’s door back into the hallway, giving her newest patient a small wave as she passed the window. She walked up to the door of her husband’s office and, finding it slightly ajar, entered to find both Rupert and Shining within.

“So?” the dark skinned man started. Cadence took a seat herself and looked to the agent behind his desk.

“You ate right?” she asked, a slightly admonishing tone beneath her words.

“Cady…” Agent Armor returned with a warning tone of his own “Yes, I did. Now-”

“She’s fine. Sane, responsive, cognizant, and other than the atrophied motor skills, which really isn’t my area, mentally sound” Cadence listed off “Though I would be lying if I said she wasn’t a little unique.”

“In what way?”

“Well for starters, she’s brilliant; maybe not Twilight levels but at the very least she’s bordering on near genius” Cadence explained “She also certainly has a rather notable amount of self-confidence and ambition for someone who just went through what she did.”

“Meaning her memory isn’t as absent as she says?” Rupert asked rhetorically. The counselor’s head tilted, her expression conflicted.

“I did get the impression she remembers more about herself than she says. But it is also clear that she's no longer familiar with the world around her. And while she’s holding herself together better than she really should be, she’s still scared” she looked to her husband “The way she clutched that journal, her only link to her old self… Even if that had been the only sign, which it wasn’t, that alone would’ve made it pretty clear. Not a bad idea giving it to her right away. Good job babe.”

“No longer familiar? In what way?” the bald man asked.

“She doesn’t recognize everyday things, or at least needed clarification for them. For example she called the cars in the garage 'carriages', and I had to explain what I meant by texts and even then I think she may have been too embarrassed to ask what a phone was… Never seen a form of amnesia hit like this, but then I suppose none of this is normal. And before you ask: No, I don’t think she’s faking that. Now as for her past, that’s harder to tell. I thought I caught hints of anger but still nothing nefarious.”

“So not a cultist?” Shining asked.

“I seriously doubt it” she returned with a smirk.

“Or part of Ark Shadow?” Rupert added. Cadence’s head snapped to him, eyes wide “She saw a golem and a woman in a control helmet at the school.”

“Well that’s not good...” Cadence stated bluntly “But no, I certainly didn’t get an undercover spy vibe. Not unless she’s an even better liar than she seems. If I had to guess; I’d say runaway.”

“A nineteen year old runaway with a bag of gold in her backpack?” Shining countered skeptically.

“That I don’t have an answer for” Candance shrugged “She seemed to treat it like it was no different than a normal wallet strangely enough.”

“Everything else in her bag, including her personal journal was of exceptional quality” Rupert commented “Even the pouch the gold was in seemed like artisan work. If she’s a rich kid, it could explain both the gold and the older age. The wealthy ones tend to stick with the family longer. That or she just robbed one.”

“Didn’t get a thief vibe. She’s a little manipulative but if anything she might consider herself above petty theft” she offered before her husband gave a chuckle.

“I’m sensing a pattern of possible arrogance” he said before Rupert gave a scoff of his own.

“Yeah, you should have heard her declare how she ‘was in’ with us” he grumbled.

“Actually, I... wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand” Cadence returned in slowly, smiling at Rupert’s flat look “She’s a young woman with a mysterious condition and nowhere else to go in what is, from her perspective, an entirely new world. For her to latch on to the thing that can help her learn the most about the one part of herself she knows is understandable.”

“So I just make a teenager with no training or identity a part of a monster hunting organization responsible for saving lives because she wants to learn how to use her superpowers?” he asked skeptically.

“I’m not saying make her a hunter, I was just asking you to actually consider her for something” Cadence argued “It’d be easier to keep an eye on her condition if she’s in MIST and with her being an awakened that would be a definite plus; Twilight would certainly appreciate having another one readily available. And if we’re honest, even accounting for the half of us away helping set up the Manhattan office, we’re still a bit short staffed. She’s smart enough to help out somewhere.”

“It would certainly be better, not to mention kinder, than just dumping her somewhere all alone,” Shining added.

“Fine, I’ll consider it...” Rupert relented. Then a small smile graced his lips with another amused scoff “Who knows? Maybe I can finally saddle Aya with an actual partner.”

Author's Note

For point of reference, this story is taking place in the present- as in smart phones, the internet, the works. It's primarily for simplicity's sake. I know the original story takes place right around 2000 but that would make most of the characters possibly too old to be as believable. SO, while everything from the first two games is still canon, it all just got shifted forward in time a decade or two.

Third Birthday is absolutely NOT canon to this story. Because reasons.