Sunset Shimmer and the Cowboyby KittyrinnAikoChaptersCrucibleCrucible part 2Crucible part 3Chapter 2: Sunset's New Hope.Sunset's New Hope. Part 2.CrucibleThe evening was drawing to a close as the Herd Bronco SUV made its way down the lane that would take its driver to a place they could set for a spell. On the back, a bumper sticker that said ‘Cowboy up’ along with another that said Calgary Stampede, and one more proclaiming Frontier Days. Along the way, scattered houses pass by along with the occasional larger building and vacant lots as the city of Canterlot grew closer. The truck was painted vermilion red with a white panel along the sides and a white shell on the back. Snow fell as the sun set. Inside the midsize truck, a man in his late thirties dressed in blue jeans and a heavy tan jacket listens to a song on the radio about trains, pickups, mamma, and the girl that left taking the dog with her. In the back a saddle, tack, a lariat, an old blanket or two, a well-cared-for guitar case, and an old beat-up suitcase. The wiper blades flicked back and forth pushing the accumulated snow clear of the windshield, and up ahead a large steel truss bridge with a draw on one side that could open up and allow commerce along the Avalon river to pass through, approached. The truck slowed as the bridge came nigh. The driver knew the bridge could be dangerous, especially when it snowed, and taking it nice and slow just seemed the right thing to do. After all, he’d no desire to be late to his destination where his first wife’s mother had invited him to stay over for the Winter Holidays. Elsewhere that night in a little cafe known as Sugar Cube corner a girl with long pink hair is clutching a diary with a two-fold sun on it to her chest. She’s made it about halfway to the door. “Damn it Fluttershy, if you go after her we aren’t friends anymore!” shouted a girl with rainbow hair. “Couldn't you see how much she was hurting?” Fluttershy pleaded. “Just another one of her games. It’s all just one game after another with her,” offered a cowgirl. She is sitting at a table with the rainbow-haired girl, a girl with wildly curly pink hair, and a socialite with mulberry violet hair in long curls. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m just going to have to agree with Dash on this.” “I as well, darling,” Offered the socialite. “Well then, I guess we're through then. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy replied, turned, and rushed for the door ignoring the angered calls of her friends. A moment later she was out the door. Out on the Bridge over the Avalon River, a girl with fiery hair stands mid-channel shivering violently. She is just standing there gazing out at the river while snow collects on her head and shoulders, and most importantly, she is on the wrong side of the handrails. If she hears the truck approach she makes no indication. After all, it wouldn't be the first to pass by without a second glance. No one cared. The people she thought she could rely on, the people she thought were her friends had all rejected her. That nickname, Piggly Wiggly, wasn’t her fault, but she had taken those damned photos. No, she wasn't the one who posted them on the Internets, but if she hadn’t taken those damned pictures they couldn't have been stolen from her phone in the first place. The worst part is she hadn’t realized someone could take things from her phone without her knowledge. She hadn’t even bothered to set a strong password on the phone and there was no telling how much info had been stolen. Whoever was behind the My Stable profile Anon-a-Miss wanted her gone and no secret was off-limits. Secrets that she hadn’t even known about were being published. Secrets that needed to be kept secret were being published. Lives had been destroyed, she had been blamed, and there was no going back. Not now. Not ever. The entire school hated her now whereas before it was just a handful of thugs and spoiled brats she’d leveraged to keep their behavior in check. Sunset had been completely unaware of the lariat that had tightened around her torso as she began to lean her body forward. When her momentum stopped she just stood there perplexed as she was no longer capable of rational thought. “Easy now, that a girl,” spoke the calming voice of a man in a big Tom Mix style cowboy hat. That’s the full ten gallons with a sloped front to a peak in the back. His skin tone was golden like her own, a bit of gold and red hair could be seen around the edges of his hat, and his eyes were as blue as a Montana sky. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that voice. “Come on, let’s get you over that rail.” His voice began to kindle a fire deep in Sunset’s soul. “Let me go,” she protested hoarsely, stubbornly, her mind registering that this person had somehow prevented her from dropping to the river below. She’d made up her mind and this man had the gall to say hold on there, little filly. “No can do, little lady. I’ve lost too many to that damned river, and I ain't gonna lose you. Not here. Not now.” He’d been slowly working his way up the line of the lasso until he was up to the railing. “Just let me go. It’ll be better that way. I’m a horrible pony.” “Pony is it? No such thing as a bad pony, just one that’s been mishandled.” “I…” “Friends call me Dusty. Any chance you've got a name?” “It’s Sunset,” Sunset offered as she let her head drop forward. “Sunset, that’s a pretty name. Now let's just get you over that rail…” Sunset could feel the pressure of the rope gripping tighter, part of her wanted to fight, but she found she had no will to resist as she was lifted up and over the rail. She was further dismayed when the line was wrapped around her. From there she was carried to a waiting Herd Bronco, set down on her feet by the passenger door, the door opened, a woolen blanket retrieved, and wrapped around her. A moment later she was loaded into the truck. Sunset’s heart began racing at the sight of what was to her S & M gear in the back of the vehicle as the door shuts. Bound as she is she’s unable to do a thing as the big man walks around the vehicle and gets in. “So, um, where are we going?” “To the hospital. You have hypothermia,” He offered as he cranked up the heat. “Hospital? I can’t. Please, no,” Sunset pleads as the Bronco moves forward. “Maybe I could take you home?” “I … I don’t actually have a home. Not anymore. “Evicted, during Christmas? Or was it your family kicked you out?” “I don’t have any family. I had a foster family, but I moved out to live in my own place. When I got home, there was a padlock on my door.” “Then we go to the hospital because I ain't leaving you out here to die. So, your name was Sunset wasn’t it? Don’t you fall asleep on me!” “I’m sorry,” Sunset replied as she snaps back to alertness. “Yes, I’m Sunset Shimmer. Dare I ask what all that is in the back?” “Sun…” Dusty hazards a quick look away from the road ahead to get a better look at this girl. It was Sunset. The same young woman Granny Smith had told him about when she first showed up in Canterlot. Granny had advised him and kept him up to date on how Sunset was doing. After all, he’d a vested interest in that young woman's welfare. He’d nearly dropped everything to come back home when he’d heard about the gas explosion at the Fall Formal. Such was the life of a drifter that you didn’t always get to do what you wanted. “I’m a cowboy. I ride ponies for a live’n,” he offered to explain the tack in the back. “You what?” “Ride ponies.” “For a living?” “Sure do. In front of big crowds too.” “You do that as a spectator sport?!” Sunset was a gasp. Not only was the man an unabashed gigolo, but he also did IT in front of spectators. Oh dear Celestia, what kind of world was this? “Um, ya. At Rodeos. Surely you’ve heard of rodeos?” he asked as he turned a corner. He’d an idea Sunset had the wrong end of the stick. “Rodeo?” She had to think for a moment. “Oh, like the big event’s Applejack goes to.” Sunset had to breathe a sigh of relief. “You know Brandy?” “Brandy?” “Goes by AJ or Applejack.” “Her real name is Brandy?” Sunset was surprised, and it was just one more proof that AJ had never truly been her friend. “So how do you know her?” “She’s my niece.” “You can stop now.” “No.” Let me out!” Sunset began banging against the door. “Don’t do that, the door might spring open.” “Good! Just let me die!” “No!” Silence save for the sound of rubber hitting the road filled the interior of the truck. “Care to tell me why you dislike my niece so much?” “I don’t dislike her.” “Then what is it about her that would make you want to die?” “Because when I needed her she and every pony else turned their backs on me. That’s why.” Sunset’s words had come out with a pile of emotion and she was crying now. “Sunset, I don’t know what happened, or what you’ve been through, but I swear to everything I hold dear that I will not turn my back on you even if it causes a family feud.” “Please, I don’t want to be the cause of a feud.” “Then we’ll just have to find a way to fix everything.” “I doubt it’s fixable now.” “And that would be because of…?” Sunset saw no other choice but to tell him about Anon-a-Miss, the online profile that was actively destroying lives and Canterlot High School. Sunset was still shivering when they pulled up to the hospital, and if Dusty had an opinion on Anon-a-Miss he kept it to himself. He stopped the Bronco right in front of the Emergency entrance of the hospital, got out, went around, retrieved Sunset, and carried her in. Moments later the hospital staff was asking him why Sunset was tied up. “Because I found her on the Avalon Bridge on the wrong side of the railings. That’s why. Tried to jump out on the way here as well.” His announcement was greeted with dismay as they removed the rope and handed it off to him. “She’s a little out of it too. Talks like she thinks she’s a pony. “I’m going to go park the truck, and I’ll be right back to sign for everything.” “Sir, we need to get in touch with a parent or guardian, um…” “Her name is Sunset and I will be taking full responsibility. She’s my little girl. I’ll be right back,” Dusty offered and headed for the door wasting no time in going. Dusty returned to his truck, tossed the rope into the back, got in, drove it around to the parking area, parked, got out, locked the doors, and went back inside. “Was she really about to jump?” Asked the nurse at the reception desk as he approached. “If I hadn’t have lassoed her she’d be in that damn river,” Dusty offered with a barely hidden tone of anger as a clipboard is handed over to him. “People promised they’d look after her.” He quickly filled out the first page, flipped to the next, filled that out, went on to the next, and when he’d filled out and signed everything he could he handed it back. The nurse looked at it, and then back at him with a confused look. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I haven't seen my daughter since she was six. She was declared dead. Her mother drove off that same bridge presumably with Sunset in the car. It was during a snowstorm just like this. Showed up again about three years back.” He paused a moment. “I’m driving across that bridge when I see someone where they shouldn't be and did what I had to. And no, I have no idea where she’s been living. She’d been in a foster home but decided to move out on her own. Every bit as stubborn as her mother. She had a place but someone had put a padlock on the door. Sunset was rather adamant that she not go to the hospital so I can only wonder what’s been going on in her life other than she seems to have been targeted by Someone called Anon-a-miss. - “How’s she doing?” “We’ve gotten her out of her wet clothing, dried, got some hot liquids in her, and she’s snuggled in a bed with a warmed Intravenous fluid. She was dehydrated, is way too thin for her age, and someone has given her a fairly vicious beating. If you hadn’t have stopped…” “She as likely wouldn't have made it to the river, I’m guessing. She was shaking really hard. Just getting her in the truck helped.” Crucible part 2“Applejack, your uncle Dusty called,” Granny Smith informed AJ from her rocker shortly after AJ had come in. “Uncle Dusty? Is he coming to stay with us over the holidays?” AJ asked. “He was.” “What do you mean he was? Was he or wasn’t he?” “He had to make a stop off at the hospital.” “Hospital? What in tarnation is he doing at the hospital? He didn’t get hurt did he?” “I’d say it’s this Anon-a-miss nonsense going way too far,” Granny informed her with an edge to her voice. “He pulled Sunset off ‘en the Avalon River Bridge.” “What?!” AJ shouted. “What’s she playing at now?” “She tried to jump, AJ. And she’s recovering from hypothermia on account of getting soaked out in that weather.” “Jump?” Applejack’s heart dropped. She knew deep down that Sunset needed help, but she had chosen to ignore that little voice that more often than not, knew what was right. “Feels real good, doesn’t it? Knowing you drove someone to try ‘en take their own life,” Granny scolded. AJ turned white as a ghost on hearing the news. So to did Apple Bloom who’d been listening from the hallway. “I … I don’t understand? It’s a trick, it has to be. Just another one of her stupid mind games.” “Well, it ain’t? Or maybe you can explain why after three years of being so careful none of her shenanigans ever came back to haunt her that she suddenly gets it into her head to create a gossip column that everyone is sure to know it was her? Because I ain’t buying it, I never did, and I never will! What I do know of her bullying ways is that she only targeted a handful of individuals. Not the whole danged school. Heck, there were people who benefited from her activities. She didn’t get elected Fall Formal Queen three times running by blackmailing people; that would require blackmailing far too many. She got elected because the majority of the students actually liked her. Interesting how fast opinions can change, don't cha think?” “What about what she did to me and my friends?” “And that would be?” “It was her fault Rainbow Dash didn’t show up at my bake sale.” “One, how do you know it wasn’t just Dash being Dash? And two, you’re the one who started giving Dash the cold shoulder. If anyone is at fault it’s you. You turned your back on Rainbow just the way you turned your back on Sunset. Shut it! If’n you had stuck by her side you’d have known soon enough one-way tar the nother, and if she had proved herself guilty, you take her phone away and do whatever you have to straighten her out. Just like I’m taking yer phone. Yer grounded until I say otherwise.” “Grounded?” AJ was shocked. “But all those e-mails that were sent to me and my friends?” “You all just decided it was Sunset without any proof. You all are the ones who pinned that target on her back. Not once, but twice. Hell, if she wasn’t such a hot-headed high strung filly it would have looked more like it was you all bullying her.” “She sent the e-mail!” “Prove it. You can’t, can you.” “She spoofed a message from my phone somehow.” “And just how exactly did Sunset do that? Well? She’s not exactly tech-savvy. Just ask Lofty and Holiday. They fostered her the first three years after she showed up out of nowhere. That girl was like a fish out of water in our world. Oh, she’s brilliant, but when it comes to tech she’s more like me. And don’t think I haven't seen her struggling with her phone when no one’s looking. She’s always putting up a front and you never once saw through it. Some friend you turned out to be.” Granny took a breath, “Phone, hand it over.” “But.” “No buts, over, hand, now.” Applejack reluctantly got out her phone and offered it up. Granny took it, and with a few motions was into the phone. “How?” “I may not be tech-savvy but I know people who are. There’s parental monitoring software on your phone.” “What?” Applejack was shocked. “You’ve been spying on me?” “Not spying. I have to have the phone in hand. It keeps records of everything you do with this phone. Calls, internet browser history, instant messages… and there it is.” Granny offered the phone back. For someone who wasn’t tech-savvy, she sure did find that message fast. “Go on, look at it.” Applejack hesitantly took her phone back and looked at the screen. Staring her right in the face was the very offending message from earlier that year that had caused Dash to show up at the wrong time and place. “Care to explain how sunset got a hold of yer phone?” Granny pressed. “No way,” Applejack said softly. “What was that, I didn’t hear you?” “There’s no way she could have gotten to ma phone.” “Ah, now we are getting somewhere. Any idea how that got sent from yer phone?” “I might have gotten hacked. How’d you find it so fast?” “Searched for 'bake sale'. I’d imagine that it’s a possibility that you got hacked. Might even explain those photos showing up online. Ya should have given Sunset a chance but you didn’t.” “Only time my phone is not on me is in phis-ed and here at home,” Applejack admitted. “And it’s in my locker when I’m in phis-ed. There’s no way Sunset or anyone else who ain’t got access to ma things could have…” Applejack trailed off slow like as the realization that Sunset would never have even known about her old nickname if Apple Bloom hadn’t shouted it over the phone when she was at the slumber party. It also meant that if Sunset had been guilty she would have had to set up the account with everyone right there in the room. Surely not something Sunset would risk doing. Not to mention posting so soon after having learned about it. No, sunset would never have done something of the sort. The old Sunset would have been considerably more cautious and more than likely would have just filed it away for future use. Not post it online while gaining nothing in return. That left one person of interest, her own sister, and if Sweetie was involved getting a hold of Sunset’s phone would have been fairly easy. Truth can be a mighty horrible thing. “Apple Bloom,” AJ said softly. “Apple Bloom, get yer carcass out here!” Granny shouted. “It wasn’t me – I can explain – I never meant anyone ta get hurt, I swear,” Apple Bloom pleaded from her hiding place. “Phone! Now!” Granny shouted. “I, I um lost it.” Applejack hit speed dial for her sister to be rewarded with the sound of Apple Bloom’s phone ringing from Bloom’s back pocket. “Lost it, was it?” Applejack asked. “Bloom! Get over here! Now!” Granny Bellowed. Apple Bloom slowly walked over while the phone in her pocket rang. She stood in front of her. “Phone.” Granny’s look gave no room for interpretation. AJ disconnected her call as Bloom retrieved her phone and hesitantly offered it up to Granny with her head hung low. A silence fell on the room as Granny looked over the contents of Bloom’s phone. “So, am I grounded?” Bloom asked. “Getting grounded may be the least of your worries,” Granny scolded. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? How much damage you’ve caused? Do you two, do either of you know who we thought Sunset was when she first showed up? Who she might be? Who she could be? Who Dusty is convinced she is? And to be honest if not for that connection to that other world I'd be in one hundred percent agreement with him. Even then, I still can't rule out the possibility.” “Granny?” Applejack asked cautiously. “Do you even know Dusty’s full name? Not his nickname, his real legal name?” Granny asked and received blank stares as an answer. “Dusk Shimmer. He married Pippin Apple, your father’s little sister. Their daughter was named Sunset. Regardless of where Sunset came from, if she can’t account for her early years the possibility still remains that she is Dusty’s Sunset.” “She’s an Apple?!” Applejack said breathlessly. The two girls were stunned. “Only reason I didn’t take her in was that taking care of the three of you, you and Big Mack after yer Ma and Pa died, was all I could manage.” The two girls hung their heads in shame. “Granny, I need to make a call,” Applejack offered a moment or two later. “Who you calling?” “I need to apologize to Fluttershy. She was the only one who wanted to give Sunset the benefit of the doubt.” “And you put her in a position where she had to choose between friends.” “We did.” “Fine, make that call, but that’s it. I need to call Celestia and let her know who was behind Anon-a-miss. Bloom, go to your room and don’t come out till dinner. And AJ, punishment is for me to decide. Far as I’m concern you’ve both betrayed family even if she is just a double.” Meanwhile out on the streets of Canterlot, Fluttershy is trudging through ever-thickening snow unsure of where to look next. She’d been to Sunset’s meager apartment and likely could bless the storm for the fact she’d had no trouble from the less savory sort who hung out in that part of the city. She’d no idea where to go at this point and was beginning to think that calling for a ride might be a good idea. She almost didn’t hear her phone when it chimed and when she looked at it with trembling hands she almost didn’t answer. “Hello Applejack,” Fluttershy said into the phone. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy listened as Applejack apologized to her while explaining that Sunset was innocent. “I’m so sorry Fluttershy, I should have listened, I know now who is responsible. I just messed up so bad. I think I wanted it to be Sunset because I jus’ couldn't let myself consider the obvious. Did you find Sunset?” “Applejack, there’s a padlock on her door. I can’t find her. I don’t know where to look… she’s where? Oh my gosh. Can you come to get me? I don’t think I have it in me to walk that far. It’s so cold. I’m at Thirty Forth East and Canal Street. It’s on the way to Sunset’s apartment. - She has a loft in a rundown neighborhood.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’m going to keep going. I’m headed west on Canal street, there was an all-night cafe I can warm up in. It’s called Tequila Mockingbird. Alright, I’ll see you when you get… what’s that? Oh, alright, tell Big Mac I’ll meet him at the cafe.” Fluttershy put her phone away and continued on until she’d come to the cafe. She shook herself off and pulled the door open. She’d barely made it inside when she’d found herself being sat down and handed a hot coffee. Following the coffee was a warm jacket placed over her shoulders. “I’m alright, just a little cold. I’ll be alright in a bit,” Fluttershy protested. “Well, what were you doing out in that storm?” “I was looking for a friend. I just got word she’s in the hospital.” “If you’d been out there much longer you’d need to be hospitalized yourself,” Offered a tall dark man in a police uniform. “Hi, I’m Officer Night Light Sparkle.” He had captain’s bars on his collar but experience had taught him not to point things like that out to someone who was in need unless it became necessary to impress. “Oh, well, I’m alright. See I’m not even shaking anymore,” Fluttershy offered sheepishly. “A friend of mine will be around to pick me up.” “Any chance they got four-wheel drive and snow chains? It’s getting mighty deep out there,” Officer sparkle inquired. “I had to let dispatch know that I’m stuck until the plows can make some headway on the snow. And this area tends to get cleared last.” “He’s got a Herd F350 crew cab,” Fluttershy replied with a smile. Author's Note Dusty is inspired by an idea for a male Sunset Shimmer counterpart who is related to the Apple family. Crucible part 3“Sweetie!” Shouted Betty Bouffant Magnum. “What?!” Sweetie responded. She was sitting at the kitchen table working on last-minute assignments. “Don’t ‘what’ me, young lady.” “But you said I could use the table?” Sweetie was honestly dumbfounded as to why her mother could be so upset. The fact that her mom had just been on the phone wasn’t even factoring in. And then Betty upturned Sweetie’s school bag and retrieved the cell phone from within. “Hey!” Sweetie protested as her mother began logging into the phone. “Sit down, and be quiet!” Betty commanded. “Ah, mom, what’s going on?” Rarity asked as she entered the room. “Sweetie’s in a whole lot of trouble, that’s what’s going on.” Growled their mother. “What’d I do?” “Do?!” Betty thrust the phone in sweetie’s face showing that she was now logged into Anon-a-miss. Sweetie’s eyes grew wide as her pupils shrank, her skin going ghostly pale. The latter being quite a feat for the little marshmallow. “Well, Miss Anon a miss, care to explain?” “What?” This time it was Rarity who objected as her gut dropped. How many times had she accused Sunset? How many times had Sunset’s pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears? “But she can’t be, she mustn't be?” Rarity pleaded. “Sweetie, pick up your homework and go to your room. We will be discussing this matter with Principle Celestia in the morning,” Betty ordered. “Can I have my phone?” “You’re phone? What makes you think I’d give you your phone back? Now move! And consider yourself grounded, indefinitely.” Sweetie gathered her things and rushed to her room. The first thing she did in her room was to attempt to send an e-mail to warn her friends on the PC she had in her room for doing assignments only to find her access to the Internet was now no more. Rarity was in a near panic by the time her mother had presented the evidence to her, and unpluged the Internet router. Her own sister. It had been her own sister. Rarity quickly attempted to find Sunset’s number only to realize she’d deleted it. Then she attempted to call Applejack only to get a number not available recording. Calling Pinkie and Dash went to voice mail. “Mother, I need to go out,” Rarity called as she grabbed a jacket. “Not in that storm,” Her mother countered harshly. “But…” “No buts. You are staying put.” “This has got to be the worst thing ever! I have to find Sunset. I have to apologize to her.” Rarity took a deep breath to try to calm herself. “And I need to find Fluttershy.” “Sunset is in the hospital. I’m to understand that her father found her out in the storm and felt the need to take her to the emergency,” Betty offered in a tone a bit softer than before. “Her, father? But she’s… she’s not from around here?” For Rarity the news that Sunset’s father had picked her up was warring with everything she thought she knew about Sunset. The only conclusion she could make was that Sunset had been picked up by this world’s Sunset’s father. “That’s what Principle Celestia told me. Apparently, they are related to the Apples. As for Fluttershy, the odds of finding her in this storm are too great. Have you tried calling her?” “Phone? Phone! I haven't deleted her number.” “Now why would you delete her number?” “We had a disagreement,” Rarity offered as she hits speed dial. “We had a disagreement. - Fluttershy! Darling can you ever forgive me? Oh please please don’t be sorry, don’t say you're sorry, Fluttershy, please? I’m the one who needs to say how terribly sorry I am. Where are you? Are you safe? Are you somewhere warm and dry? Tequila Mockingbird? You’re at Tequila Mockingbird? It’s a Cafe? What kind of a dive calls itself Tequila Mockingbird? That place doesn’t sound very fashionable. Now the Soup Store, that’s fashionable. This has got to be the worst night ever!!” Fluttershy disconnected the call and let out a sigh. “Bad news? Officer Sparkle asked. “That was a friend of mine calling to apologize. Any chance you’ve heard of an online profile called Anon-a-miss?” “Let’s just say we’ve gotten our fair share of complaints. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot the department can do about it. Posting dirty little secrets kind of falls into a gray area. Though I can tell you that a number of those dirty little secrets may well have violated HIPAA and the appropriate enforcement agency has been notified along with a number of complaints being forwarded to the FBI.” “Oh wow,” Fluttershy said softly just as a cold blast of air flooded in as a newcomer pushed the door open. “Fluttershy?” “Big Mac,” Fluttershy responded turning to him as he closes the door behind him. “Come, sit down, and have something to eat,” Offered the waitress. She was a slim woman of pale complexion and white hair that had a vermilion and purple stripe in her hair. “Indeed, best to fortify yourself before going back outside into the storm,” Officer Sparkle suggested. “Oh, I was hoping to see Sunset,” Fluttershy entreated. “If that’s alright? “I doubt it’ll make much of a difference when you get there. It’s past visiting hours,” Officer Sparkle offered. “Have something to eat, and give the snow removal teams time to clear the roads.” “Well, I guess,” Big Mac said in his low drawn-out way of speaking. He went to where Fluttershy was sitting and joined her followed by the waitress handing them both a menu. “This, this is almost like a date,” Fluttershy offered in her quiet demure way of speaking. “E-yup,” big mac responded. He thought about it for a bit, blushed, and hid behind his menu. Big Mac ordered the deluxe burger, and Fluttershy ordered the Portobello mushroom burger and for the most part, they just sat quietly while they waited. “So, how are your classes going over at Canterlot Community College?” Fluttershy asked Big Mac a short time later. “Good,” he offered. They sat quietly for a spell. “I just can’t believe my own flesh and blood could be so heartless.” “Mac?” “Did Applejack not tell you?” “Not actually, no. She kind of talked around it without actually saying it. Same with Rarity. It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it.” “Officer Sparkle to dispatch, you can cancel that, she’s stuck in the same diner I am. … I’ll let her know.” Officer Sparkle looked over to Fluttershy, “Miss Shy if you could, your parents are really worried about you.” “What? Oh my!” Fluttershy exclaimed and dug her phone out of her school bag. “How did I miss all these calls?” “When did they call?” Big Mac asked as Fluttershy hit speed dial for her home. “Several times, all right before Applejack called. - Hello mom… yes I’m fine. I got stranded while looking for Sunset. No, I’m fine. Macintosh came to pick me up. I’ll be fine. No, he’s got a truck. No, I’m sorry, but I need to go check up on Sunset. I’m sorry. She’s in the hospital. I’m fine. I’m sorry. Well, you called when I was out in the storm. I didn’t hear the ringtone. I’m sorry…” Big Mac couldn't help but smile as he watched a flustered Fluttershy talking to her parents on the phone. Flustered Fluttershy was just so dang cute. Scootaloo’s parents were away, which was nothing unusual. Nor did she expect her parents to return anytime soon as they were on an expedition in the Southern Hemisphere with some stuffy old archaeologist named Doctor Caballero. His name being one letter off from the nefarious Doctor Caballeron from the Daring Do series never once registering in her mind. No way was her parents cool. They were just stuffy eggheads that were gone all the time. And that was either spending all their time at the Canterlot Natural History Conservatory and Museum, or off on trips she was never allowed to go on. Principle Celestia had called asking to talk to her parents and she had assured the old battleax that her parents would call just as soon as they got home. Which wouldn't be for some time. And that was going to be the whole winter break. Not like they couldn't stick around and actually spend the holiday with her as normal parents did. “Scootaloo!” If this Scootaloo had been a pony she’d be on the ceiling right now and as addled as the surprise by her Aunt Lofty had made her, she couldn't for the life of her understand why Aunt Lofty was so angry. As is she’d completely missed her aunt letting herself in. Chapter 2: Sunset's New Hope.Sunset woke to find herself in a hospital bed. How she’d gotten there was at that point a blank. Or at best kind of fuzzy. “Hi, how are you?” asked the voice of a man who seemed vaguely familiar. Sunset cast her eyes over to the cowboy in the chair, looked around, the curtains were closed, but the clock showed that it was nearing ten. “Mm, hi.” “By any chance do you remember me?” “I… I… you pulled me off the bridge.” Sunset dropped her gaze down to the bed as the recollection came to her. “For what it’s worth someone named Fluttershy came by. She was worried about you. I gather she finally built up enough courage to tell the others what she thought and went looking for you.” “Fluttershy. Fluttershy would help anyone.” “She was genuinely concerned about you. Went to your apartment.” “Did she?” “Ya. Sometimes it can be hard to go against the people we care for. For what it’s worth the real Anon-a-miss has been identified.” “So why are you still here?” At this point, Sunset really didn’t think it would make any difference. She was also concerned that her lack of any legal papers was going to end her up in even more trouble. “By any chance does the name Dusk Shimmer ring any bells?” Sunset gave him a quick glance and then dropped her eyes back to the bed. “My father. Why?” “Well, that just might also happen to be my name.” “I’m not your daughter.” “So I understand. A double of some sort. From some other world, I gather. The thing is, in this world, I am your father, and you are my daughter. Regardless of where you may or may not come from until proven otherwise. If anything bad happens to you, I’m going to feel really shitty about it.” “You didn’t even know I existed until today.” “Not true. Maggie let me know shortly after you showed up.” “Maggie?” “Granny Smith. You didn’t think her parents named her Granny, did you?” “Now that I think of it, that would be a silly thing to name a baby.” “And I’ve been sending money to Lofty and Holiday. You do have to admit that you haven't exactly been lacking in things you needed.” “Lofty and Holiday helped me with rent when I insisted on moving out. Any chance they’ll let me come back? I kind of lost my part-time job. Not that I really want to, it’s just looking like my only option.” “I think we could come up with something?” “You aren’t going to suggest I move in with you, are you?” “I’m about as homeless as you are at the moment. Perhaps you forgot, I was going to crash at the Apple farm?” “I seem to remember a bad dream about being related to the Apples.” Sunset looked at the window as the idea of jumping flashed through her mind. “I’d imagine Brandy is going to have a similar reaction.” “Brandy?” “Applejack. She hates being called Brandy,” Dusty offered with a grin. A smile crossed Sunset’s face for the first time in what felt like forever. “Oh, you’re awake,” proclaimed a nurse at the door. She was blond with freckles and had the look of an Apple about her. “I’m Nurse Sweet Larks. Any chance you're hungry?” “Yes, I’m starved. But isn’t it after hours?” “We’ve got a number of vending machines in the staff cafeteria, and the docs want you eating.” “I’m vegetarian.” “Strict vegetarian?” Nurse Larks asked. “How do you feel about lunch meat?” “To be honest, I don’t really consider that meat any more than what the school cafeteria serves,” Sunset offered with a grin. “Good call. Let me see what I can dig up.” Nurse Larks turned on her heels and were out the door a moment later. “So um, you weren’t planning on sleeping in that chair all night, were you?” Sunset asked as she turned her attention back to Dusty. “Are you done trying to kill yourself?” "Oh… ya, that.” Sunset’s eyes turned back to the bed. “I, um, I’d given up. … The only people who ever cared about me turned their backs on me.” “Can’t say I can agree with that.” “I needed them and they turned their backs on me. What part of that don't you seem to get?” "The friend part." "They were my friends." “Were they?” He gave that question a moment to sink in. “Because if they were, they sure turned their backs on you mighty fast.” “I suppose they were just giving me another chance because Princess Twilight asked them too.” “Which would mean that they betrayed her too.” “I suppose they did.” “Way I figure it, there’s a lot of water under that bridge, and there’s a lot of immaturity coming to play. They are giving you a second chance, and at the first sign of trouble they push you away rather than thinking critically.” He thought about it for a moment. “Which is kind of out of character for Applejack. As stubborn as that gal is I’d half expect her to stick to you like glue. Especially if she honestly believed you were guilty.” “They should have known I was innocent when Rainbow Dash’s failed assignment got posted online,” Sunset offered. “And you, you want to be my father even though I say there is no way you could possibly be my father?” “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?” “I’m from another dimension.” “In that case, I doubt the universe cares.” “You’re not going to dispute my claim of being from another dimension?” “Kind of immaterial so far as I can see. Heck, I’m a professional Rodeo star. More or less. I’ve got this part-time thing I do; I’ve seen some crazy stuff. And them people living in their big houses in their fancy neighborhoods making them three figured salaries might just as well be in a completely different universe. Hell, I lost my wife when her car went into that damn river all them years ago. We found her body in the vehicle, but never found my Sunset. The way I see it, even if by some strange twist of fate you are my daughter, gone there and back again, we’d still be complete strangers. Except…” “Except?” “We’d have a lot to catch up on. Like the fact that yer ma and I were separated and she’d shacked up with some idjet named Snap Shutter. But never mind about that, tell me about yourself starting with your earliest recollections?” “I was in Canterlot, in that other dimension, and I spent time in an orphanage. I… I… I remember being pulled out of a river!” “Parallel world. No reason to think you wouldn't have experienced the same things as my own daughter up to that point. Maybe you fell in and yer maw went in after you. I can see them putting you in a home if there was no one about to claim you and all you had was a name no one recognized. How about your dad in that other dimension?” “All I really remembered was his name. I didn’t know I had a dad in this one.” “Well, now you do.” “But?” Sunset was now looking at him with desperation in her eyes. “Like I said, the universe doesn’t care. One Sunset goes missing presumed perished in one world, and another one gets rescued in another world. Maybe you're ending up here is just the universe sorting things out.” “It’s not all in my head, I can prove it.” “You mean the book Fluttershy dropped off,” Dusty offered with a smile. “I never said I didn’t believe you and don’t worry, I don’t read other people's diaries.” “It’s more than a diary it’s a two-way communication device.” “You mean like a Cell phone?” “Kind of, only it’s all text and not much of anything else. Kind of a two-way Kindle.” “Does it have spell check?” “Not per se, the Equestrian language has a lot of characters that don’t show up in English. No internet, but I can draw anything I want and it’ll show up at the receiving end.” “So there’s just the two, kind of like a prototype. Can’t contact anyone else?” “Just the two and I can only contact the individual in possession of the other book.” “So it’s like a prototype.” “It was originally for school assignments.” “Ah, yes, that would make lots of sense. Like a workbook, and an exact copy of what you write would appear in the other book. I bet they could do that with a Kindle, and then you wouldn't have to worry about handing in assignments… except, it’d be kind of hard to not do yer work and blame it on the dog.” “And if I told you that it’s magic?” “ ’Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Arthur C. Clarke said that. Or in other words, it’s not magic. You just don’t have the appropriate vocabulary to explain it in terms that line up with what is known in this world right here, right now.” “Um, kay,” Sunset said softly. “Is it a repeatable process with logical explanations and methods?” “Well, yes. I mean we use what we call magic, but it’s just a form of energy native to that other dimension. And not entirely absent here either.” “I’d say that goes without saying.” “How’s that?” “Does the book work? Mind if I have a look?” “Yes, it does, and go ahead. Can’t say I have any deep dark secrets in there.” “Your book is dependent on that specific form of energy is it not?” He asked as he retrieved it from a bag the hospital had provided. “Well, yes, it is.” Sunset wasn’t entirely certain where he was going at first and then it hit her. She’d just assumed there’d been no magic in this world when the truth had been that she simply couldn't access what was there. “This is some pretty amazing stuff in here. These computations are way over my head. And I can see where your teacher has critiqued you.” He flipped through to the entries about the Dazzlings. “Ah, so they were sirens from that other world. Do you know what became of them?” “Not really. I tried looking for them but they seem to have vanished.” “ ’Stay strong, remember who you are, and find your family.’ ” He read out after flipping to the last entry. “I haven't heard from her since,” Sunset offered, the deep sadness evident in her voice. “Mind if I give it a try?” “Knock yourself out.” “Alright then, ‘dear Princess Twilight, the people you left Sunset with are complete idiots. Thanks to them I had to pull Sunset off a bridge.’ Signed, Dusk (Dusty) Shimmer.” “Please tell me you didn’t just write that?” “I did. ‘PS: She’s in the hospital, but don’t try to come right now there is a horrible snowstorm outside.’” “Dad!” Dusty looked back at Sunset with a big smile on his face. “What?!” “You called me Dad.” “Ahhh… I guess I did.” Sunset wasn't entirely sure where that had come from short of this man was certainly acting a good deal like how she remembered her father. “I’m back. Sorry it took so long,” Nurse Larks called as she walked in with a tray full of goodies. There was an egg salad sandwich, a garden salad, a muffin, and half a dozen juice boxes. “I got you juice because you probably don’t want any carbonation right now. Or caffeine.” She walked across the room and placed everything on one of those hospital tables that extend over the bed. “Now, where's yer call button? Yes, of course, hanging up behind the bed where you can’t reach.” “Isn’t that always where they put it?” Dusty teased. “Na, sometimes they hide it under the bed,” Nurse Larks offered. She handed the device over to Sunset and then went to retrieve the table. “Just press the button to raise the back to a sitting position,” she offered as she wheeled the table into position. “Any idea where you are going after Sunset gets discharged in the morning?” Nurse Larks asked a moment later as Sunset made ready to dig in. “They’re going to let me go?” “Don’t see why not?” “We might try contacting Lofty and Holiday?” Dusty offered. “You don’t want to try to patch things up with the Apples?” Sunset asked. “Is there a reason you don’t want to go to Lofty and Holiday?” “It’s going to depend on if Scootaloo is there and how she feels about it. That is to say, I’ll stay with them if that’s going to be my best option.” “There some long-standing issue between you and Scootaloo?” “Goes back to when Dash was hanging with Gilda and her gang,” Sunset offered. “Let’s just say I did some underhanded things to keep her out of that gang. She’s so enamored with Dash she simply couldn't see the danger she was in. She figured out I was the one who did it, we had a huge argument, and our relationship has been strained ever since.” “So, you are saying it might be less awkward at the Apples.” Dusty wanted to just come right out and say that it had been Apple Bloom, but he didn’t want to say it in front of Nurse Larks. “Are you by chance related to the Apple family?” Nurse Larks asked. “Granny Smith is Sunset’s grandmother,” Dusty announced. “I married an Apple.” “Really? Heck, that’d make us kin then.” “Ya don’t say?” “Lots of folks part of the Apple family here a-bouts.” “Sweet Larks!” called an orderly appearing in the doorway. “Word is there’s been a pile-up out on Interstate Eighty. They want everyone with ER experience downstairs. Don’t worry, I can cover all the basic stuff.” “Never rains except when it pours around here,” Nurse Larks stated with an air of resignation. “And Stewart, it turns out they are kin of mine, make sure you take good care of them.” “I’ll be sure to do that,” Stewart offered as Nurse Larks swept out the door. “So, I heard you were going to jump?” “I suppose I kind of came close to it,” Sunset offered just as she was about to take a bite. “Probably not a good subject to be bringing up,” Dusty cautioned. “My parents are up in arms because that Anon-a-Miss told the whole world my little sister had a vaginal fistula.” “And you just told us,” Sunset pointed out. “Oh, ah… I should be more careful.” “I doubt the perpetrator even knows what that is. Hell, I don’t know what that is,” Dusty offered. “I’ll give you a hint, people started calling her Pussy Farts,” Sunset offered. “She’s a good girl. And she’ll probably have to move to another school just because… by any chance did Fluttershy say why I was targeted?” “No, only who started it and a couple of the potential individuals involved.” “Was it that Shimmer girl like people was saying?” Sunset just looked at Stewart with a look of horror at first. And then she started shouting. “I would never have told the world about your sister’s problem and I sure as Tartarus would not have been standing on the wrong side of that rail out on the Avalon bridge if I’d have been so cold and spiteful! Even at my worst I never would have done something so asinine as to set myself up so that every pony – Person would figure out I was doing it!” “I think,” Dusty began in a drawl as he started to stand. “That you have worn out your welcome.” Outside the wind sounded a bit like the man in black himself singing Big Dusk, Big Dusk, and if that wasn’t enough to unnerve Stewart, Dusk stood six foot six and weighed two-forty-five every last bit of it brawn. When that shadow drew across the man’s brow Stewart just knew he’d better run. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” “You sure as hell didn't. Now get!” Dusty ordered all quiet-like. It was the sort of quiet that could shake even the stoutest down to their knees. Stewart gulped, spun around, and fled with his tail between his legs. Dusty sat back down and said nothing. “To think that I wanted an army never knowing that all I needed was my old man,” Sunset offered quietly. She was kind of smiling, but there were tears coming out of her eyes. Dusty got up, took a couple of steps, reached around with one arm, and gave her a hug. Every emotion Sunset had been holding in came flooding out in a torrent as she wept in his embrace. He’d tell her who Anon-a-miss was later. Author's Note Sunset's New Hope. Part 2.Morning in Canterlot, the streets have been cleared and Canterlot High students are on their way to school. Students hoping for a snow day and possibly an early Winter break have been mightily disappointed and trudge in feeling disgruntled. As if things could get any worse at Canterlot High. Dash had spent the majority of the evening playing video games. Dash had had enough of Anon-a-miss and that meant Sunset Shimmer. Not like she was ever fully on board when it came to giving Shimmer a second chance. When she saw Applejack and Rarity each giving Fluttershy a hug in front of the school, she turned away and made a point to avoid them on her way into the school. In doing so Dash completely missed Pinkie Pie also going up to the trio and giving each a hug. “I just can’t believe it,” Rarity was saying. “My own Sister.” “I know,” Applejack offered dejectedly. “Finding out that this world’s Sunset was my cousin only made it worse.” “What?” Pinkie Pie gasped. “First cousin. She is by all practical reasoning my Uncle Dusty’s daughter,” Applejack explained. “She’s is, or a least would be related to us?” Pinkie’s hair flattened out a little more. “Do we know if she’s coming to school?” Rarity asked. “Dusty called this morning and said they are going to bunk over at Miss Holiday’s place. I guess she’s one of Sunset’s legal guardians. They’ll come over later in the week. I gather Sunset is going to need some time.” Applejack explained. “I gather our turning our backs on her hurt her far more than we realized.” “They let me drop off her book at the hospital, but it was well past visiting hours. Sorry,” Fluttershy offered. “Hospital?” Pinkie gasped. “Why did no one tell me? I’d have made her a cupcake!” “In my defense, I’ve been grounded. I can’t call anyone,” Applejack offered. “I’m so sorry,” Rarity offered. “I was so worked up when I found out, I called Fluttershy but didn’t think to call anyone else.” “I’m not seeing Dash, we should probably get inside… hang on?” Applejack was saying just as an unmarked cruiser pulled up and two men got out of the car. They started for the front doors and stopped to turn around as the sound of wheels skidding filled the air. Suddenly there was a black helicopter overhead, black sedans and low-slung black SUVs racing up to the front of the building with men in black combat gear pouring out with people shouting “get down, get down!” Even the two detectives in their business casual dropped to the ground as men swarmed around a girl with moderate aquamarine green hair and pale green skin. A moment later they are forcing her down and taking her green backpack. “Sir, it’s the oh-eight-four!” Called one of the men as a man in a black suit and equally dark sunglasses walked over. Two more rushed over with a black freight container, a gray object about the size and shape of a large potato was removed with tongs, placed in the shipping container which was then lifted into the chopper by a cable. A moment later the chopper was speeding away. Next, the girl was cuffed, loaded into a vehicle, and she was taken away. One by one the black cars all left until one remained with two men. “I demand to know what the ever-loving… this is a school zone. What the actual, Florida!” Shouted one of the local detectives moments after getting up as he walked over to the two remaining men. “Names Phil Coulson, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.” “Detective Steal, Canterlot PD, care to explain?” “That could be a bit of a problem,” Agent Coulson began. “You see, that girl had, well, I can’t actually tell you because, a, I don’t rightly know what it is, b, it’s going to be classified, and c, it’s way above your pay-grade.” “Eh?” “What I can tell you is she had a hand in what’s been going on at this school. We believe she was manipulating certain key students. Can’t say I’m entirely sure what her motivation was other than jealousy and she had the means.” “I see. Can you tell me what her name was? Her parents are bound to want to know what happened to her.” “For what it’s worth, her parents don’t even know they have a daughter. You’ll find records for a Miss Wallflower Blush, but I doubt anyone will even know she existed. She seems to have erased her existence from everyone’s memories.” “Wow.” Offered the second detected. “Detective Lissome.” “So what’s to happen to her?” Detective Steel asked. “Debrief, medical examination, and then we’ll see if we can fix what she’s done as far as her family goes,” Coulson offered. “As for the students here at school, I’ll leave that in your capable hands. Oh, and we’ve already asked the DA to go easy. The DA’s office understands the kids were being manipulated.” “Right. And something tells me that whole circus was for the benefit of the students here at the school.” “On the one hand, people are responsible for their own choices, but on the other hand knowing one’s bad decisions had been influenced does kind of help a person put it behind themselves. Kind of like when you wake up after a party and it’s three days later. It’ll also help to see someone other than Miss Shimmer being hauled off. That said, Miss Blush didn’t force anyone to do anything. As far as we can tell all she did was provide the push.” Agent Coulson offered. “One more thing, everything to do with the online profile Anon-amiss is going to be suppressed. We began scrubbing the internet this morning so the only records will be what you have on backup and hard file. Anyone with a profile who shared, posted, or in any way interacted with the Anon-a-miss account has had their accounts wiped. As in gone. The company operating the My Stable website is getting fined into oblivion. The website itself will likely get sold to another company but right now it’s going to be in limbo. Certain individuals are now on a watch list, and every single person on that little list you’ve got can forget about ever getting a security clearance. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an appointment to keep.” He turned towards the street along with the man accompanying him, they returned to their vehicle, got in, and drove off. “Aww come on!” shouted Rainbow Dash from the doorway of the school moments later. She’d missed everything. Sunset and Dusty were arriving at Sunset’s apartment around the same time all the activity was going on at the school. Dusty took hold of the lock and literally wrenched the hasp free pulling the screws out of the softwood of the cheap door. “Something tells me bringing dates home is going to be really interesting,” Sunset commented dryly. “Let’s gather up your belongings…” Dusty offered as he opened the door. Both froze on seeing the insides of the apartment. The place had been trashed. Things were scattered, broken, books tore up, furniture overturned, graffiti on the walls, and a pile of what looked to be human excrement in the center of her mattress which had been thrown down from the loft. “Change of plans then. We'll see what’s worth saving.” “I think I should change high schools at this point.” “Can’t say I blame you. Listen, I could probably get you into Chrystal Prep. I hear it’s a bit of a shark tank but it’d be a fresh start without actually having to leave the area.” Sunset slowly entered the apartment stepping gingerly to avoid broken glass. “Not like I really had very much to begin with.” Sunset’s pace speed up as she made her way upstairs. “Sunset?” Dusty called and then followed after her. “Ray!” Sunset called. “Ray. Why? Why??” Dusty climbed the stairs to find Sunset kneeling in front of a smashed terrarium near an overturned bookshelf. “Ray?” Dusty asked. “I can’t find him. He’s a little Leopard Gecko." She let out a sigh. "As cold as it is in here… he needs his heating stone.” She gingerly picked up half a heating stone. Under the stone lay a small still object of yellow with black mottled spots. She set down the stone and gingerly picked up her little Ray. The temperature inside the apartment was far too low and it was a wonder the pipes hadn't burst. Perhaps they had and they just weren’t aware of it yet. Sunset cradled Ray close to her and for the second time in less than twelve hours, she wept. 🏚 There was nothing left in the apartment worth salvaging. Even so, being met by police with guns drawn was not what they’d expected. “I live here!” Sunset shouted while still holding her pet. “I paid my rent! I paid my utilities.” Her voice grew small. “And then they trash my home and kill my pet.” “It’s alright officers, they’re alright,” Offered a voice from outside. “I’m agent Coulson. I can verify that she lives here.” Agent Coulson stepped into view of Sunset and Dusty as the two officers put their weapons away. “Phil,” Dusty said, greeting him. “Dusty. They really trashed the place, didn’t they?” “Ya. Nothing much left worth salvaging.” “You hadn’t left?” Asked an old woman who’d dared to venture far enough to look in through the door. “No, Mrs Crump, I hadn’t. I came mighty close to dying being locked out. Not like I could have slept here though.” “A couple of teens came by my office, said you’d trashed the apartment and weren’t coming back.” “And lose the damage deposit?” Sunset asked in astonishment. “Any idea who they were?” Dusty asked. “One had an orange mohawk, sunburned skin, boy, and the other was a rather rough-looking girl with too much make-up on, white hair with the ends dyed violet,” Mrs Crump offered. “Sounds like Gilda and Garble,” One of the officers mused. “I guess destroying my phone and beating me up wasn’t good enough,” Sunset said softly. “You want to press charges?” asked the other officer. “Probably be a waste of time. It’d be my word against theirs,” Sunset said sounding defeated. “I’ve security footage that’ll prove they were here,” Mrs Crump offered. “Be nice if I can at least get that.” “I might be able to dig up some additional footage,” Coulson offered. “If you could file a statement about the when and where we might just be able to find something.” “Mrs Crump, any chance we can get a statement along with a copy of the security footage?” Asked one of the uniformed officers. “Yes, hang on, Sunset, what is that you have there?” “My little Ray. They smashed his terrarium. Even if he had survived the fall there’s no way he could have survived the night. I almost didn’t survive the night.” “I’m so sorry, I should have checked.” “It’s alright, I don’t blame you,” Sunset offered. Her tone clearly indicating that she was still hurting. “Hang on, I’ll be right back,” Mrs Crump offered, spun around, and headed for the apartment in the back. She returned a couple of minutes later and presented Sunset with a miniature coffin. “Here, for your little Ray. What? I have weird tastes.” “Thank you,” Sunset replied as they lay Ray into the velvet-lined casket-shaped box. “Alright then, Sunset? Were you wanting to come back once we get this cleaned up?” “I guess that’s going to depend on dad,” Sunset replied giving Dusty a look. “There’s nothing…” Sunset looks back at the room. “They’ve taken my guitar. It was an old bone-colored Fender. Vintage white is what they said at the pawnshop. Cost me a little over a hundred. Money I earned honestly too.” Sunset let out a sigh. “To be honest, I was buying all my things from second-hand shops save for a few items I got from Rarity. The only thing I have left is what I’ve got on.” “You don’t want to try to run anything through the wash?” “It kind of looks and smells like they peed on everything and there’s a pile of shit in the middle of the floor,” Sunset explained. “Beer bottles everywhere. I doubt anything is going to be salvageable.” “Which means I’m going to have to pull off the carpets and bleach the floor. And you were always such a tidy tenant,” Mrs Crump replied with a fair amount of anger in her tone. “Shit you say? I’m Officer Tacklberry, and this is my partner Mahoney. If we can get a statement we might just be able to talk the department into getting CSI down here. Be worth it to put those two out of commission for a while and that pile might just be the clincher.” “Bound to be an attempted homicide charge in it,” Coulson offered. “Considering she nearly died of exposure. Why don’t you go get that surveillance footage, I need a chance to speak with Miss Shimmer.” “Right then, we’ll be right back,” Officer Mahoney replied followed by the two police officers going with Mrs Crump. 🚓 “Glad to see you made it home on time,” Coulson offered to Dusty once the others were out of earshot. “You two know each other?” Sunset asked. “Let’s just say that he’s one of the people I do part-time work for.” “We know all about what happened at the Fall formal,” Coulson began. “You know; how you threw a tantrum because the other students elected a Chrystal Prep student to be the Fall Formal Princess? And about that gas line blowing up.” He gave her a wink and a sly smile. Sunset had paled considerably. The words Chrystal Prep student wouldn’t register until later. “Imagine our concern when we saw accusations of ‘She Demon’ popping up online. Especially after we went to great lengths to try to make certain uncomfortable bits of information about that night go away.” “Ah?” Sunset uttered confused about what he was getting at. “The uncomfortable truth is that we are not alone in the universe, there is a lot of junk out there, and sometimes things find their way here. You aren’t the only one to get their hands on an artifact. We picked up a Miss Wallflower Blush this morning at the school. I won’t say she was the cause of everything but it’s a fair bet she contributed greatly. Do you know her?” “Not really, no.” “She is in several of your classes and is on the Yearbook Committee with you.” “Never shows?” “Security footage said otherwise, and your not the only one who can’t seem to remember her. Got her hands on something that messes with people’s heads, all she’s got to do is give people a little push and if anyone suspects something isn’t right, make them forget everything.” Coulson pulled a brand new smartphone out of his pocket. “I want you to have this to make up for the one you lost. It’s got all your fair-weather friends in there along with your primary contacts, local contacts, and it’s set up so that it won’t open for anyone unless you allow it even if they somehow figure out your passcode.” “How does it do it?” Sunset asked as she carefully tucked Ray away in a shoulder bag she’d brought with her. “Every individual has a unique electromagnetic biosignature. Let’s just say yours is special.” “What if I should happen to go through, say, a portal? Just hypothetically?” “Portals? OK, not like we don’t know about things of that nature. Take the phone so you can call your old man, the signal should penetrate a short distance, and no, there’s no tracking software on it. In fact, we’ve set it so that you can’t be tracked unless you want to, and you can spoof any location in the world. If there is a portal that you are aware of, you're going through it won’t be noticeable unless you get out of range. It’d look like you were in the vicinity of the portal.” Sunset took the phone, turned it on, a log-in screen popping up. “There are all the contact numbers you need to include one that will get you to me, but don’t use that unless things are getting desperate,” Coulson continued. “Or if you feel you are ready for one of the most challenging jobs you’ll ever get.” “Oh, so that’s it, you want to recruit her,” Dusty accused. “Something tells me she’d be bored out of her mind with an ordinary job,” Coulson offered with a smirk. “She’s probably the second brightens mind in the region. “Second? Never mind,” Sunset wasn’t too sure if maybe she should be a little insulted. “So what’s the log-in?” “ ’From the ashes, I rise'. Replace the oh with a zero the eyes with exclamation marks, the ease with threes.” “Alright, simple enough yet with just the right amount of complexity. I’ll want to change it though- I’ve got a message? ‘A true true friend helps a friend in need, a friend will be there to help them see, a true true friend helps a friend in need to see the light that shines from a true true friend.’ curious it says if I need a true friend just call, and then it says ‘Philomena’. No return number?” If there had been theme music playing it would be telling the audience wait for it, wait for it... “That shouldn't be?” Coulson asked sounding concerned. “The only Philomena I ever knew…” Sunset thought about it for a bit. “It can’t be that easy… can it?” Sunset stuck her fingers in her mouth and let loose a shrill whistle. “♫!” “Ah, Sunset?” Dusty asked. Both men had cringed. “♫.” Sunset’s frown transformed to a broken smile at the sound of an answering whistle. Sunset dared not to believe while hoping still the same it was like hearing the trumpet call in an old western letting the settlers know that the night would end and the sun would rise. This time it was tears of joy as a gold and red bird swooped down out of the sky and crashed right into Sunset’s chest to squirm in her arms. “Ah, Phil?” Dusty asked. “Right offhand I’d say someone is sending me a message,” Agent Coulson said softly. “Several actually. We were tipped off about the artifact, and I got another one saying that the ‘tako in the aegis is rotten’.” “Taco? As in taco Tuesday?” Dusty quipped. “No, tako with a ‘k’ as in Takoyaki. It’s made with octopus.” “That’s not good.” “What’s not good?” Sunset asked looking up from Philomena. “Just a few things future Agent Coulson is likely going to have to deal with.” Agent Coulson offered. “Nothing you need worry about. Just, if you should happen across any more artifacts, if you can deal with them quietly that would be greatly appreciated.” “We’re back… Sunset? Hang on, that bird?” Mrs Crump asked. Sunset had tears streaked down her face. “And what say I see if I can’t find a clean cloth to wipe your face.” “She’s my friend. She’s my pet from when I was little,” Sunset offered with a big grin for the bird snuggled in her embrace. “She came to me.” Mrs Crump interpreted Sunset’s announcement to mean the bird had been flying around loose. As for finding a clean washcloth, that was one thing the vandals hadn’t bothered with. Probably because they were only interested in what they saw as valuable. “Listen, it’s probably going to be easiest if you can come down to the station,” Officer Mahoney stated as Mrs Crump cleaned up Sunset. “That assault you mentioned will take a separate report.” “Alright, sure,” Sunset replied. “And Mrs Crump I’ll come by now and then to check for mail. “Understood. Think I’ll talk to the insurance people and then after I get an assessment we’ll see if anything is salvageable. “You have my renter’s insurance information. If nothing else it’ll help take the bite out of the damages. I don’t even want to deal with it right now.” “Yes, I have all your information. You know, a lot of young people don’t even think far enough ahead to realize they might want renter’s insurance.” “That’s because nothing truly bad ever happens to most young people… like me. It’s just that, the locals like me, I get along with the Niriks, and if it hadn't been for Anon-a-miss that insurance money really would have been wasted money.” “It’s a bit like gambling that something bad will happen, that’s true, but when something bad does happen it’s better to have than not to have it,” Mrs Crump offered. “Now you go out and do whatever it is that needs doing, and let me handle things here.” “Thank you Mrs Crump,” Sunset replied. The cheer was back in her face even if she did look a little care warn. A short time later Sunset and Dusty are back in the Bronco, Dusty turns the key, the radio crackles to life, “good morning, today's forecast calls for blue skies…”
CrucibleThe evening was drawing to a close as the Herd Bronco SUV made its way down the lane that would take its driver to a place they could set for a spell. On the back, a bumper sticker that said ‘Cowboy up’ along with another that said Calgary Stampede, and one more proclaiming Frontier Days. Along the way, scattered houses pass by along with the occasional larger building and vacant lots as the city of Canterlot grew closer. The truck was painted vermilion red with a white panel along the sides and a white shell on the back. Snow fell as the sun set. Inside the midsize truck, a man in his late thirties dressed in blue jeans and a heavy tan jacket listens to a song on the radio about trains, pickups, mamma, and the girl that left taking the dog with her. In the back a saddle, tack, a lariat, an old blanket or two, a well-cared-for guitar case, and an old beat-up suitcase. The wiper blades flicked back and forth pushing the accumulated snow clear of the windshield, and up ahead a large steel truss bridge with a draw on one side that could open up and allow commerce along the Avalon river to pass through, approached. The truck slowed as the bridge came nigh. The driver knew the bridge could be dangerous, especially when it snowed, and taking it nice and slow just seemed the right thing to do. After all, he’d no desire to be late to his destination where his first wife’s mother had invited him to stay over for the Winter Holidays. Elsewhere that night in a little cafe known as Sugar Cube corner a girl with long pink hair is clutching a diary with a two-fold sun on it to her chest. She’s made it about halfway to the door. “Damn it Fluttershy, if you go after her we aren’t friends anymore!” shouted a girl with rainbow hair. “Couldn't you see how much she was hurting?” Fluttershy pleaded. “Just another one of her games. It’s all just one game after another with her,” offered a cowgirl. She is sitting at a table with the rainbow-haired girl, a girl with wildly curly pink hair, and a socialite with mulberry violet hair in long curls. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m just going to have to agree with Dash on this.” “I as well, darling,” Offered the socialite. “Well then, I guess we're through then. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy replied, turned, and rushed for the door ignoring the angered calls of her friends. A moment later she was out the door. Out on the Bridge over the Avalon River, a girl with fiery hair stands mid-channel shivering violently. She is just standing there gazing out at the river while snow collects on her head and shoulders, and most importantly, she is on the wrong side of the handrails. If she hears the truck approach she makes no indication. After all, it wouldn't be the first to pass by without a second glance. No one cared. The people she thought she could rely on, the people she thought were her friends had all rejected her. That nickname, Piggly Wiggly, wasn’t her fault, but she had taken those damned photos. No, she wasn't the one who posted them on the Internets, but if she hadn’t taken those damned pictures they couldn't have been stolen from her phone in the first place. The worst part is she hadn’t realized someone could take things from her phone without her knowledge. She hadn’t even bothered to set a strong password on the phone and there was no telling how much info had been stolen. Whoever was behind the My Stable profile Anon-a-Miss wanted her gone and no secret was off-limits. Secrets that she hadn’t even known about were being published. Secrets that needed to be kept secret were being published. Lives had been destroyed, she had been blamed, and there was no going back. Not now. Not ever. The entire school hated her now whereas before it was just a handful of thugs and spoiled brats she’d leveraged to keep their behavior in check. Sunset had been completely unaware of the lariat that had tightened around her torso as she began to lean her body forward. When her momentum stopped she just stood there perplexed as she was no longer capable of rational thought. “Easy now, that a girl,” spoke the calming voice of a man in a big Tom Mix style cowboy hat. That’s the full ten gallons with a sloped front to a peak in the back. His skin tone was golden like her own, a bit of gold and red hair could be seen around the edges of his hat, and his eyes were as blue as a Montana sky. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that voice. “Come on, let’s get you over that rail.” His voice began to kindle a fire deep in Sunset’s soul. “Let me go,” she protested hoarsely, stubbornly, her mind registering that this person had somehow prevented her from dropping to the river below. She’d made up her mind and this man had the gall to say hold on there, little filly. “No can do, little lady. I’ve lost too many to that damned river, and I ain't gonna lose you. Not here. Not now.” He’d been slowly working his way up the line of the lasso until he was up to the railing. “Just let me go. It’ll be better that way. I’m a horrible pony.” “Pony is it? No such thing as a bad pony, just one that’s been mishandled.” “I…” “Friends call me Dusty. Any chance you've got a name?” “It’s Sunset,” Sunset offered as she let her head drop forward. “Sunset, that’s a pretty name. Now let's just get you over that rail…” Sunset could feel the pressure of the rope gripping tighter, part of her wanted to fight, but she found she had no will to resist as she was lifted up and over the rail. She was further dismayed when the line was wrapped around her. From there she was carried to a waiting Herd Bronco, set down on her feet by the passenger door, the door opened, a woolen blanket retrieved, and wrapped around her. A moment later she was loaded into the truck. Sunset’s heart began racing at the sight of what was to her S & M gear in the back of the vehicle as the door shuts. Bound as she is she’s unable to do a thing as the big man walks around the vehicle and gets in. “So, um, where are we going?” “To the hospital. You have hypothermia,” He offered as he cranked up the heat. “Hospital? I can’t. Please, no,” Sunset pleads as the Bronco moves forward. “Maybe I could take you home?” “I … I don’t actually have a home. Not anymore. “Evicted, during Christmas? Or was it your family kicked you out?” “I don’t have any family. I had a foster family, but I moved out to live in my own place. When I got home, there was a padlock on my door.” “Then we go to the hospital because I ain't leaving you out here to die. So, your name was Sunset wasn’t it? Don’t you fall asleep on me!” “I’m sorry,” Sunset replied as she snaps back to alertness. “Yes, I’m Sunset Shimmer. Dare I ask what all that is in the back?” “Sun…” Dusty hazards a quick look away from the road ahead to get a better look at this girl. It was Sunset. The same young woman Granny Smith had told him about when she first showed up in Canterlot. Granny had advised him and kept him up to date on how Sunset was doing. After all, he’d a vested interest in that young woman's welfare. He’d nearly dropped everything to come back home when he’d heard about the gas explosion at the Fall Formal. Such was the life of a drifter that you didn’t always get to do what you wanted. “I’m a cowboy. I ride ponies for a live’n,” he offered to explain the tack in the back. “You what?” “Ride ponies.” “For a living?” “Sure do. In front of big crowds too.” “You do that as a spectator sport?!” Sunset was a gasp. Not only was the man an unabashed gigolo, but he also did IT in front of spectators. Oh dear Celestia, what kind of world was this? “Um, ya. At Rodeos. Surely you’ve heard of rodeos?” he asked as he turned a corner. He’d an idea Sunset had the wrong end of the stick. “Rodeo?” She had to think for a moment. “Oh, like the big event’s Applejack goes to.” Sunset had to breathe a sigh of relief. “You know Brandy?” “Brandy?” “Goes by AJ or Applejack.” “Her real name is Brandy?” Sunset was surprised, and it was just one more proof that AJ had never truly been her friend. “So how do you know her?” “She’s my niece.” “You can stop now.” “No.” Let me out!” Sunset began banging against the door. “Don’t do that, the door might spring open.” “Good! Just let me die!” “No!” Silence save for the sound of rubber hitting the road filled the interior of the truck. “Care to tell me why you dislike my niece so much?” “I don’t dislike her.” “Then what is it about her that would make you want to die?” “Because when I needed her she and every pony else turned their backs on me. That’s why.” Sunset’s words had come out with a pile of emotion and she was crying now. “Sunset, I don’t know what happened, or what you’ve been through, but I swear to everything I hold dear that I will not turn my back on you even if it causes a family feud.” “Please, I don’t want to be the cause of a feud.” “Then we’ll just have to find a way to fix everything.” “I doubt it’s fixable now.” “And that would be because of…?” Sunset saw no other choice but to tell him about Anon-a-Miss, the online profile that was actively destroying lives and Canterlot High School. Sunset was still shivering when they pulled up to the hospital, and if Dusty had an opinion on Anon-a-Miss he kept it to himself. He stopped the Bronco right in front of the Emergency entrance of the hospital, got out, went around, retrieved Sunset, and carried her in. Moments later the hospital staff was asking him why Sunset was tied up. “Because I found her on the Avalon Bridge on the wrong side of the railings. That’s why. Tried to jump out on the way here as well.” His announcement was greeted with dismay as they removed the rope and handed it off to him. “She’s a little out of it too. Talks like she thinks she’s a pony. “I’m going to go park the truck, and I’ll be right back to sign for everything.” “Sir, we need to get in touch with a parent or guardian, um…” “Her name is Sunset and I will be taking full responsibility. She’s my little girl. I’ll be right back,” Dusty offered and headed for the door wasting no time in going. Dusty returned to his truck, tossed the rope into the back, got in, drove it around to the parking area, parked, got out, locked the doors, and went back inside. “Was she really about to jump?” Asked the nurse at the reception desk as he approached. “If I hadn’t have lassoed her she’d be in that damn river,” Dusty offered with a barely hidden tone of anger as a clipboard is handed over to him. “People promised they’d look after her.” He quickly filled out the first page, flipped to the next, filled that out, went on to the next, and when he’d filled out and signed everything he could he handed it back. The nurse looked at it, and then back at him with a confused look. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I haven't seen my daughter since she was six. She was declared dead. Her mother drove off that same bridge presumably with Sunset in the car. It was during a snowstorm just like this. Showed up again about three years back.” He paused a moment. “I’m driving across that bridge when I see someone where they shouldn't be and did what I had to. And no, I have no idea where she’s been living. She’d been in a foster home but decided to move out on her own. Every bit as stubborn as her mother. She had a place but someone had put a padlock on the door. Sunset was rather adamant that she not go to the hospital so I can only wonder what’s been going on in her life other than she seems to have been targeted by Someone called Anon-a-miss. - “How’s she doing?” “We’ve gotten her out of her wet clothing, dried, got some hot liquids in her, and she’s snuggled in a bed with a warmed Intravenous fluid. She was dehydrated, is way too thin for her age, and someone has given her a fairly vicious beating. If you hadn’t have stopped…” “She as likely wouldn't have made it to the river, I’m guessing. She was shaking really hard. Just getting her in the truck helped.”
Crucible part 2“Applejack, your uncle Dusty called,” Granny Smith informed AJ from her rocker shortly after AJ had come in. “Uncle Dusty? Is he coming to stay with us over the holidays?” AJ asked. “He was.” “What do you mean he was? Was he or wasn’t he?” “He had to make a stop off at the hospital.” “Hospital? What in tarnation is he doing at the hospital? He didn’t get hurt did he?” “I’d say it’s this Anon-a-miss nonsense going way too far,” Granny informed her with an edge to her voice. “He pulled Sunset off ‘en the Avalon River Bridge.” “What?!” AJ shouted. “What’s she playing at now?” “She tried to jump, AJ. And she’s recovering from hypothermia on account of getting soaked out in that weather.” “Jump?” Applejack’s heart dropped. She knew deep down that Sunset needed help, but she had chosen to ignore that little voice that more often than not, knew what was right. “Feels real good, doesn’t it? Knowing you drove someone to try ‘en take their own life,” Granny scolded. AJ turned white as a ghost on hearing the news. So to did Apple Bloom who’d been listening from the hallway. “I … I don’t understand? It’s a trick, it has to be. Just another one of her stupid mind games.” “Well, it ain’t? Or maybe you can explain why after three years of being so careful none of her shenanigans ever came back to haunt her that she suddenly gets it into her head to create a gossip column that everyone is sure to know it was her? Because I ain’t buying it, I never did, and I never will! What I do know of her bullying ways is that she only targeted a handful of individuals. Not the whole danged school. Heck, there were people who benefited from her activities. She didn’t get elected Fall Formal Queen three times running by blackmailing people; that would require blackmailing far too many. She got elected because the majority of the students actually liked her. Interesting how fast opinions can change, don't cha think?” “What about what she did to me and my friends?” “And that would be?” “It was her fault Rainbow Dash didn’t show up at my bake sale.” “One, how do you know it wasn’t just Dash being Dash? And two, you’re the one who started giving Dash the cold shoulder. If anyone is at fault it’s you. You turned your back on Rainbow just the way you turned your back on Sunset. Shut it! If’n you had stuck by her side you’d have known soon enough one-way tar the nother, and if she had proved herself guilty, you take her phone away and do whatever you have to straighten her out. Just like I’m taking yer phone. Yer grounded until I say otherwise.” “Grounded?” AJ was shocked. “But all those e-mails that were sent to me and my friends?” “You all just decided it was Sunset without any proof. You all are the ones who pinned that target on her back. Not once, but twice. Hell, if she wasn’t such a hot-headed high strung filly it would have looked more like it was you all bullying her.” “She sent the e-mail!” “Prove it. You can’t, can you.” “She spoofed a message from my phone somehow.” “And just how exactly did Sunset do that? Well? She’s not exactly tech-savvy. Just ask Lofty and Holiday. They fostered her the first three years after she showed up out of nowhere. That girl was like a fish out of water in our world. Oh, she’s brilliant, but when it comes to tech she’s more like me. And don’t think I haven't seen her struggling with her phone when no one’s looking. She’s always putting up a front and you never once saw through it. Some friend you turned out to be.” Granny took a breath, “Phone, hand it over.” “But.” “No buts, over, hand, now.” Applejack reluctantly got out her phone and offered it up. Granny took it, and with a few motions was into the phone. “How?” “I may not be tech-savvy but I know people who are. There’s parental monitoring software on your phone.” “What?” Applejack was shocked. “You’ve been spying on me?” “Not spying. I have to have the phone in hand. It keeps records of everything you do with this phone. Calls, internet browser history, instant messages… and there it is.” Granny offered the phone back. For someone who wasn’t tech-savvy, she sure did find that message fast. “Go on, look at it.” Applejack hesitantly took her phone back and looked at the screen. Staring her right in the face was the very offending message from earlier that year that had caused Dash to show up at the wrong time and place. “Care to explain how sunset got a hold of yer phone?” Granny pressed. “No way,” Applejack said softly. “What was that, I didn’t hear you?” “There’s no way she could have gotten to ma phone.” “Ah, now we are getting somewhere. Any idea how that got sent from yer phone?” “I might have gotten hacked. How’d you find it so fast?” “Searched for 'bake sale'. I’d imagine that it’s a possibility that you got hacked. Might even explain those photos showing up online. Ya should have given Sunset a chance but you didn’t.” “Only time my phone is not on me is in phis-ed and here at home,” Applejack admitted. “And it’s in my locker when I’m in phis-ed. There’s no way Sunset or anyone else who ain’t got access to ma things could have…” Applejack trailed off slow like as the realization that Sunset would never have even known about her old nickname if Apple Bloom hadn’t shouted it over the phone when she was at the slumber party. It also meant that if Sunset had been guilty she would have had to set up the account with everyone right there in the room. Surely not something Sunset would risk doing. Not to mention posting so soon after having learned about it. No, sunset would never have done something of the sort. The old Sunset would have been considerably more cautious and more than likely would have just filed it away for future use. Not post it online while gaining nothing in return. That left one person of interest, her own sister, and if Sweetie was involved getting a hold of Sunset’s phone would have been fairly easy. Truth can be a mighty horrible thing. “Apple Bloom,” AJ said softly. “Apple Bloom, get yer carcass out here!” Granny shouted. “It wasn’t me – I can explain – I never meant anyone ta get hurt, I swear,” Apple Bloom pleaded from her hiding place. “Phone! Now!” Granny shouted. “I, I um lost it.” Applejack hit speed dial for her sister to be rewarded with the sound of Apple Bloom’s phone ringing from Bloom’s back pocket. “Lost it, was it?” Applejack asked. “Bloom! Get over here! Now!” Granny Bellowed. Apple Bloom slowly walked over while the phone in her pocket rang. She stood in front of her. “Phone.” Granny’s look gave no room for interpretation. AJ disconnected her call as Bloom retrieved her phone and hesitantly offered it up to Granny with her head hung low. A silence fell on the room as Granny looked over the contents of Bloom’s phone. “So, am I grounded?” Bloom asked. “Getting grounded may be the least of your worries,” Granny scolded. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? How much damage you’ve caused? Do you two, do either of you know who we thought Sunset was when she first showed up? Who she might be? Who she could be? Who Dusty is convinced she is? And to be honest if not for that connection to that other world I'd be in one hundred percent agreement with him. Even then, I still can't rule out the possibility.” “Granny?” Applejack asked cautiously. “Do you even know Dusty’s full name? Not his nickname, his real legal name?” Granny asked and received blank stares as an answer. “Dusk Shimmer. He married Pippin Apple, your father’s little sister. Their daughter was named Sunset. Regardless of where Sunset came from, if she can’t account for her early years the possibility still remains that she is Dusty’s Sunset.” “She’s an Apple?!” Applejack said breathlessly. The two girls were stunned. “Only reason I didn’t take her in was that taking care of the three of you, you and Big Mack after yer Ma and Pa died, was all I could manage.” The two girls hung their heads in shame. “Granny, I need to make a call,” Applejack offered a moment or two later. “Who you calling?” “I need to apologize to Fluttershy. She was the only one who wanted to give Sunset the benefit of the doubt.” “And you put her in a position where she had to choose between friends.” “We did.” “Fine, make that call, but that’s it. I need to call Celestia and let her know who was behind Anon-a-miss. Bloom, go to your room and don’t come out till dinner. And AJ, punishment is for me to decide. Far as I’m concern you’ve both betrayed family even if she is just a double.” Meanwhile out on the streets of Canterlot, Fluttershy is trudging through ever-thickening snow unsure of where to look next. She’d been to Sunset’s meager apartment and likely could bless the storm for the fact she’d had no trouble from the less savory sort who hung out in that part of the city. She’d no idea where to go at this point and was beginning to think that calling for a ride might be a good idea. She almost didn’t hear her phone when it chimed and when she looked at it with trembling hands she almost didn’t answer. “Hello Applejack,” Fluttershy said into the phone. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy listened as Applejack apologized to her while explaining that Sunset was innocent. “I’m so sorry Fluttershy, I should have listened, I know now who is responsible. I just messed up so bad. I think I wanted it to be Sunset because I jus’ couldn't let myself consider the obvious. Did you find Sunset?” “Applejack, there’s a padlock on her door. I can’t find her. I don’t know where to look… she’s where? Oh my gosh. Can you come to get me? I don’t think I have it in me to walk that far. It’s so cold. I’m at Thirty Forth East and Canal Street. It’s on the way to Sunset’s apartment. - She has a loft in a rundown neighborhood.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’m going to keep going. I’m headed west on Canal street, there was an all-night cafe I can warm up in. It’s called Tequila Mockingbird. Alright, I’ll see you when you get… what’s that? Oh, alright, tell Big Mac I’ll meet him at the cafe.” Fluttershy put her phone away and continued on until she’d come to the cafe. She shook herself off and pulled the door open. She’d barely made it inside when she’d found herself being sat down and handed a hot coffee. Following the coffee was a warm jacket placed over her shoulders. “I’m alright, just a little cold. I’ll be alright in a bit,” Fluttershy protested. “Well, what were you doing out in that storm?” “I was looking for a friend. I just got word she’s in the hospital.” “If you’d been out there much longer you’d need to be hospitalized yourself,” Offered a tall dark man in a police uniform. “Hi, I’m Officer Night Light Sparkle.” He had captain’s bars on his collar but experience had taught him not to point things like that out to someone who was in need unless it became necessary to impress. “Oh, well, I’m alright. See I’m not even shaking anymore,” Fluttershy offered sheepishly. “A friend of mine will be around to pick me up.” “Any chance they got four-wheel drive and snow chains? It’s getting mighty deep out there,” Officer sparkle inquired. “I had to let dispatch know that I’m stuck until the plows can make some headway on the snow. And this area tends to get cleared last.” “He’s got a Herd F350 crew cab,” Fluttershy replied with a smile. Author's Note Dusty is inspired by an idea for a male Sunset Shimmer counterpart who is related to the Apple family.
Crucible part 3“Sweetie!” Shouted Betty Bouffant Magnum. “What?!” Sweetie responded. She was sitting at the kitchen table working on last-minute assignments. “Don’t ‘what’ me, young lady.” “But you said I could use the table?” Sweetie was honestly dumbfounded as to why her mother could be so upset. The fact that her mom had just been on the phone wasn’t even factoring in. And then Betty upturned Sweetie’s school bag and retrieved the cell phone from within. “Hey!” Sweetie protested as her mother began logging into the phone. “Sit down, and be quiet!” Betty commanded. “Ah, mom, what’s going on?” Rarity asked as she entered the room. “Sweetie’s in a whole lot of trouble, that’s what’s going on.” Growled their mother. “What’d I do?” “Do?!” Betty thrust the phone in sweetie’s face showing that she was now logged into Anon-a-miss. Sweetie’s eyes grew wide as her pupils shrank, her skin going ghostly pale. The latter being quite a feat for the little marshmallow. “Well, Miss Anon a miss, care to explain?” “What?” This time it was Rarity who objected as her gut dropped. How many times had she accused Sunset? How many times had Sunset’s pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears? “But she can’t be, she mustn't be?” Rarity pleaded. “Sweetie, pick up your homework and go to your room. We will be discussing this matter with Principle Celestia in the morning,” Betty ordered. “Can I have my phone?” “You’re phone? What makes you think I’d give you your phone back? Now move! And consider yourself grounded, indefinitely.” Sweetie gathered her things and rushed to her room. The first thing she did in her room was to attempt to send an e-mail to warn her friends on the PC she had in her room for doing assignments only to find her access to the Internet was now no more. Rarity was in a near panic by the time her mother had presented the evidence to her, and unpluged the Internet router. Her own sister. It had been her own sister. Rarity quickly attempted to find Sunset’s number only to realize she’d deleted it. Then she attempted to call Applejack only to get a number not available recording. Calling Pinkie and Dash went to voice mail. “Mother, I need to go out,” Rarity called as she grabbed a jacket. “Not in that storm,” Her mother countered harshly. “But…” “No buts. You are staying put.” “This has got to be the worst thing ever! I have to find Sunset. I have to apologize to her.” Rarity took a deep breath to try to calm herself. “And I need to find Fluttershy.” “Sunset is in the hospital. I’m to understand that her father found her out in the storm and felt the need to take her to the emergency,” Betty offered in a tone a bit softer than before. “Her, father? But she’s… she’s not from around here?” For Rarity the news that Sunset’s father had picked her up was warring with everything she thought she knew about Sunset. The only conclusion she could make was that Sunset had been picked up by this world’s Sunset’s father. “That’s what Principle Celestia told me. Apparently, they are related to the Apples. As for Fluttershy, the odds of finding her in this storm are too great. Have you tried calling her?” “Phone? Phone! I haven't deleted her number.” “Now why would you delete her number?” “We had a disagreement,” Rarity offered as she hits speed dial. “We had a disagreement. - Fluttershy! Darling can you ever forgive me? Oh please please don’t be sorry, don’t say you're sorry, Fluttershy, please? I’m the one who needs to say how terribly sorry I am. Where are you? Are you safe? Are you somewhere warm and dry? Tequila Mockingbird? You’re at Tequila Mockingbird? It’s a Cafe? What kind of a dive calls itself Tequila Mockingbird? That place doesn’t sound very fashionable. Now the Soup Store, that’s fashionable. This has got to be the worst night ever!!” Fluttershy disconnected the call and let out a sigh. “Bad news? Officer Sparkle asked. “That was a friend of mine calling to apologize. Any chance you’ve heard of an online profile called Anon-a-miss?” “Let’s just say we’ve gotten our fair share of complaints. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot the department can do about it. Posting dirty little secrets kind of falls into a gray area. Though I can tell you that a number of those dirty little secrets may well have violated HIPAA and the appropriate enforcement agency has been notified along with a number of complaints being forwarded to the FBI.” “Oh wow,” Fluttershy said softly just as a cold blast of air flooded in as a newcomer pushed the door open. “Fluttershy?” “Big Mac,” Fluttershy responded turning to him as he closes the door behind him. “Come, sit down, and have something to eat,” Offered the waitress. She was a slim woman of pale complexion and white hair that had a vermilion and purple stripe in her hair. “Indeed, best to fortify yourself before going back outside into the storm,” Officer Sparkle suggested. “Oh, I was hoping to see Sunset,” Fluttershy entreated. “If that’s alright? “I doubt it’ll make much of a difference when you get there. It’s past visiting hours,” Officer Sparkle offered. “Have something to eat, and give the snow removal teams time to clear the roads.” “Well, I guess,” Big Mac said in his low drawn-out way of speaking. He went to where Fluttershy was sitting and joined her followed by the waitress handing them both a menu. “This, this is almost like a date,” Fluttershy offered in her quiet demure way of speaking. “E-yup,” big mac responded. He thought about it for a bit, blushed, and hid behind his menu. Big Mac ordered the deluxe burger, and Fluttershy ordered the Portobello mushroom burger and for the most part, they just sat quietly while they waited. “So, how are your classes going over at Canterlot Community College?” Fluttershy asked Big Mac a short time later. “Good,” he offered. They sat quietly for a spell. “I just can’t believe my own flesh and blood could be so heartless.” “Mac?” “Did Applejack not tell you?” “Not actually, no. She kind of talked around it without actually saying it. Same with Rarity. It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it.” “Officer Sparkle to dispatch, you can cancel that, she’s stuck in the same diner I am. … I’ll let her know.” Officer Sparkle looked over to Fluttershy, “Miss Shy if you could, your parents are really worried about you.” “What? Oh my!” Fluttershy exclaimed and dug her phone out of her school bag. “How did I miss all these calls?” “When did they call?” Big Mac asked as Fluttershy hit speed dial for her home. “Several times, all right before Applejack called. - Hello mom… yes I’m fine. I got stranded while looking for Sunset. No, I’m fine. Macintosh came to pick me up. I’ll be fine. No, he’s got a truck. No, I’m sorry, but I need to go check up on Sunset. I’m sorry. She’s in the hospital. I’m fine. I’m sorry. Well, you called when I was out in the storm. I didn’t hear the ringtone. I’m sorry…” Big Mac couldn't help but smile as he watched a flustered Fluttershy talking to her parents on the phone. Flustered Fluttershy was just so dang cute. Scootaloo’s parents were away, which was nothing unusual. Nor did she expect her parents to return anytime soon as they were on an expedition in the Southern Hemisphere with some stuffy old archaeologist named Doctor Caballero. His name being one letter off from the nefarious Doctor Caballeron from the Daring Do series never once registering in her mind. No way was her parents cool. They were just stuffy eggheads that were gone all the time. And that was either spending all their time at the Canterlot Natural History Conservatory and Museum, or off on trips she was never allowed to go on. Principle Celestia had called asking to talk to her parents and she had assured the old battleax that her parents would call just as soon as they got home. Which wouldn't be for some time. And that was going to be the whole winter break. Not like they couldn't stick around and actually spend the holiday with her as normal parents did. “Scootaloo!” If this Scootaloo had been a pony she’d be on the ceiling right now and as addled as the surprise by her Aunt Lofty had made her, she couldn't for the life of her understand why Aunt Lofty was so angry. As is she’d completely missed her aunt letting herself in.
Chapter 2: Sunset's New Hope.Sunset woke to find herself in a hospital bed. How she’d gotten there was at that point a blank. Or at best kind of fuzzy. “Hi, how are you?” asked the voice of a man who seemed vaguely familiar. Sunset cast her eyes over to the cowboy in the chair, looked around, the curtains were closed, but the clock showed that it was nearing ten. “Mm, hi.” “By any chance do you remember me?” “I… I… you pulled me off the bridge.” Sunset dropped her gaze down to the bed as the recollection came to her. “For what it’s worth someone named Fluttershy came by. She was worried about you. I gather she finally built up enough courage to tell the others what she thought and went looking for you.” “Fluttershy. Fluttershy would help anyone.” “She was genuinely concerned about you. Went to your apartment.” “Did she?” “Ya. Sometimes it can be hard to go against the people we care for. For what it’s worth the real Anon-a-miss has been identified.” “So why are you still here?” At this point, Sunset really didn’t think it would make any difference. She was also concerned that her lack of any legal papers was going to end her up in even more trouble. “By any chance does the name Dusk Shimmer ring any bells?” Sunset gave him a quick glance and then dropped her eyes back to the bed. “My father. Why?” “Well, that just might also happen to be my name.” “I’m not your daughter.” “So I understand. A double of some sort. From some other world, I gather. The thing is, in this world, I am your father, and you are my daughter. Regardless of where you may or may not come from until proven otherwise. If anything bad happens to you, I’m going to feel really shitty about it.” “You didn’t even know I existed until today.” “Not true. Maggie let me know shortly after you showed up.” “Maggie?” “Granny Smith. You didn’t think her parents named her Granny, did you?” “Now that I think of it, that would be a silly thing to name a baby.” “And I’ve been sending money to Lofty and Holiday. You do have to admit that you haven't exactly been lacking in things you needed.” “Lofty and Holiday helped me with rent when I insisted on moving out. Any chance they’ll let me come back? I kind of lost my part-time job. Not that I really want to, it’s just looking like my only option.” “I think we could come up with something?” “You aren’t going to suggest I move in with you, are you?” “I’m about as homeless as you are at the moment. Perhaps you forgot, I was going to crash at the Apple farm?” “I seem to remember a bad dream about being related to the Apples.” Sunset looked at the window as the idea of jumping flashed through her mind. “I’d imagine Brandy is going to have a similar reaction.” “Brandy?” “Applejack. She hates being called Brandy,” Dusty offered with a grin. A smile crossed Sunset’s face for the first time in what felt like forever. “Oh, you’re awake,” proclaimed a nurse at the door. She was blond with freckles and had the look of an Apple about her. “I’m Nurse Sweet Larks. Any chance you're hungry?” “Yes, I’m starved. But isn’t it after hours?” “We’ve got a number of vending machines in the staff cafeteria, and the docs want you eating.” “I’m vegetarian.” “Strict vegetarian?” Nurse Larks asked. “How do you feel about lunch meat?” “To be honest, I don’t really consider that meat any more than what the school cafeteria serves,” Sunset offered with a grin. “Good call. Let me see what I can dig up.” Nurse Larks turned on her heels and were out the door a moment later. “So um, you weren’t planning on sleeping in that chair all night, were you?” Sunset asked as she turned her attention back to Dusty. “Are you done trying to kill yourself?” "Oh… ya, that.” Sunset’s eyes turned back to the bed. “I, um, I’d given up. … The only people who ever cared about me turned their backs on me.” “Can’t say I can agree with that.” “I needed them and they turned their backs on me. What part of that don't you seem to get?” "The friend part." "They were my friends." “Were they?” He gave that question a moment to sink in. “Because if they were, they sure turned their backs on you mighty fast.” “I suppose they were just giving me another chance because Princess Twilight asked them too.” “Which would mean that they betrayed her too.” “I suppose they did.” “Way I figure it, there’s a lot of water under that bridge, and there’s a lot of immaturity coming to play. They are giving you a second chance, and at the first sign of trouble they push you away rather than thinking critically.” He thought about it for a moment. “Which is kind of out of character for Applejack. As stubborn as that gal is I’d half expect her to stick to you like glue. Especially if she honestly believed you were guilty.” “They should have known I was innocent when Rainbow Dash’s failed assignment got posted online,” Sunset offered. “And you, you want to be my father even though I say there is no way you could possibly be my father?” “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?” “I’m from another dimension.” “In that case, I doubt the universe cares.” “You’re not going to dispute my claim of being from another dimension?” “Kind of immaterial so far as I can see. Heck, I’m a professional Rodeo star. More or less. I’ve got this part-time thing I do; I’ve seen some crazy stuff. And them people living in their big houses in their fancy neighborhoods making them three figured salaries might just as well be in a completely different universe. Hell, I lost my wife when her car went into that damn river all them years ago. We found her body in the vehicle, but never found my Sunset. The way I see it, even if by some strange twist of fate you are my daughter, gone there and back again, we’d still be complete strangers. Except…” “Except?” “We’d have a lot to catch up on. Like the fact that yer ma and I were separated and she’d shacked up with some idjet named Snap Shutter. But never mind about that, tell me about yourself starting with your earliest recollections?” “I was in Canterlot, in that other dimension, and I spent time in an orphanage. I… I… I remember being pulled out of a river!” “Parallel world. No reason to think you wouldn't have experienced the same things as my own daughter up to that point. Maybe you fell in and yer maw went in after you. I can see them putting you in a home if there was no one about to claim you and all you had was a name no one recognized. How about your dad in that other dimension?” “All I really remembered was his name. I didn’t know I had a dad in this one.” “Well, now you do.” “But?” Sunset was now looking at him with desperation in her eyes. “Like I said, the universe doesn’t care. One Sunset goes missing presumed perished in one world, and another one gets rescued in another world. Maybe you're ending up here is just the universe sorting things out.” “It’s not all in my head, I can prove it.” “You mean the book Fluttershy dropped off,” Dusty offered with a smile. “I never said I didn’t believe you and don’t worry, I don’t read other people's diaries.” “It’s more than a diary it’s a two-way communication device.” “You mean like a Cell phone?” “Kind of, only it’s all text and not much of anything else. Kind of a two-way Kindle.” “Does it have spell check?” “Not per se, the Equestrian language has a lot of characters that don’t show up in English. No internet, but I can draw anything I want and it’ll show up at the receiving end.” “So there’s just the two, kind of like a prototype. Can’t contact anyone else?” “Just the two and I can only contact the individual in possession of the other book.” “So it’s like a prototype.” “It was originally for school assignments.” “Ah, yes, that would make lots of sense. Like a workbook, and an exact copy of what you write would appear in the other book. I bet they could do that with a Kindle, and then you wouldn't have to worry about handing in assignments… except, it’d be kind of hard to not do yer work and blame it on the dog.” “And if I told you that it’s magic?” “ ’Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Arthur C. Clarke said that. Or in other words, it’s not magic. You just don’t have the appropriate vocabulary to explain it in terms that line up with what is known in this world right here, right now.” “Um, kay,” Sunset said softly. “Is it a repeatable process with logical explanations and methods?” “Well, yes. I mean we use what we call magic, but it’s just a form of energy native to that other dimension. And not entirely absent here either.” “I’d say that goes without saying.” “How’s that?” “Does the book work? Mind if I have a look?” “Yes, it does, and go ahead. Can’t say I have any deep dark secrets in there.” “Your book is dependent on that specific form of energy is it not?” He asked as he retrieved it from a bag the hospital had provided. “Well, yes, it is.” Sunset wasn’t entirely certain where he was going at first and then it hit her. She’d just assumed there’d been no magic in this world when the truth had been that she simply couldn't access what was there. “This is some pretty amazing stuff in here. These computations are way over my head. And I can see where your teacher has critiqued you.” He flipped through to the entries about the Dazzlings. “Ah, so they were sirens from that other world. Do you know what became of them?” “Not really. I tried looking for them but they seem to have vanished.” “ ’Stay strong, remember who you are, and find your family.’ ” He read out after flipping to the last entry. “I haven't heard from her since,” Sunset offered, the deep sadness evident in her voice. “Mind if I give it a try?” “Knock yourself out.” “Alright then, ‘dear Princess Twilight, the people you left Sunset with are complete idiots. Thanks to them I had to pull Sunset off a bridge.’ Signed, Dusk (Dusty) Shimmer.” “Please tell me you didn’t just write that?” “I did. ‘PS: She’s in the hospital, but don’t try to come right now there is a horrible snowstorm outside.’” “Dad!” Dusty looked back at Sunset with a big smile on his face. “What?!” “You called me Dad.” “Ahhh… I guess I did.” Sunset wasn't entirely sure where that had come from short of this man was certainly acting a good deal like how she remembered her father. “I’m back. Sorry it took so long,” Nurse Larks called as she walked in with a tray full of goodies. There was an egg salad sandwich, a garden salad, a muffin, and half a dozen juice boxes. “I got you juice because you probably don’t want any carbonation right now. Or caffeine.” She walked across the room and placed everything on one of those hospital tables that extend over the bed. “Now, where's yer call button? Yes, of course, hanging up behind the bed where you can’t reach.” “Isn’t that always where they put it?” Dusty teased. “Na, sometimes they hide it under the bed,” Nurse Larks offered. She handed the device over to Sunset and then went to retrieve the table. “Just press the button to raise the back to a sitting position,” she offered as she wheeled the table into position. “Any idea where you are going after Sunset gets discharged in the morning?” Nurse Larks asked a moment later as Sunset made ready to dig in. “They’re going to let me go?” “Don’t see why not?” “We might try contacting Lofty and Holiday?” Dusty offered. “You don’t want to try to patch things up with the Apples?” Sunset asked. “Is there a reason you don’t want to go to Lofty and Holiday?” “It’s going to depend on if Scootaloo is there and how she feels about it. That is to say, I’ll stay with them if that’s going to be my best option.” “There some long-standing issue between you and Scootaloo?” “Goes back to when Dash was hanging with Gilda and her gang,” Sunset offered. “Let’s just say I did some underhanded things to keep her out of that gang. She’s so enamored with Dash she simply couldn't see the danger she was in. She figured out I was the one who did it, we had a huge argument, and our relationship has been strained ever since.” “So, you are saying it might be less awkward at the Apples.” Dusty wanted to just come right out and say that it had been Apple Bloom, but he didn’t want to say it in front of Nurse Larks. “Are you by chance related to the Apple family?” Nurse Larks asked. “Granny Smith is Sunset’s grandmother,” Dusty announced. “I married an Apple.” “Really? Heck, that’d make us kin then.” “Ya don’t say?” “Lots of folks part of the Apple family here a-bouts.” “Sweet Larks!” called an orderly appearing in the doorway. “Word is there’s been a pile-up out on Interstate Eighty. They want everyone with ER experience downstairs. Don’t worry, I can cover all the basic stuff.” “Never rains except when it pours around here,” Nurse Larks stated with an air of resignation. “And Stewart, it turns out they are kin of mine, make sure you take good care of them.” “I’ll be sure to do that,” Stewart offered as Nurse Larks swept out the door. “So, I heard you were going to jump?” “I suppose I kind of came close to it,” Sunset offered just as she was about to take a bite. “Probably not a good subject to be bringing up,” Dusty cautioned. “My parents are up in arms because that Anon-a-Miss told the whole world my little sister had a vaginal fistula.” “And you just told us,” Sunset pointed out. “Oh, ah… I should be more careful.” “I doubt the perpetrator even knows what that is. Hell, I don’t know what that is,” Dusty offered. “I’ll give you a hint, people started calling her Pussy Farts,” Sunset offered. “She’s a good girl. And she’ll probably have to move to another school just because… by any chance did Fluttershy say why I was targeted?” “No, only who started it and a couple of the potential individuals involved.” “Was it that Shimmer girl like people was saying?” Sunset just looked at Stewart with a look of horror at first. And then she started shouting. “I would never have told the world about your sister’s problem and I sure as Tartarus would not have been standing on the wrong side of that rail out on the Avalon bridge if I’d have been so cold and spiteful! Even at my worst I never would have done something so asinine as to set myself up so that every pony – Person would figure out I was doing it!” “I think,” Dusty began in a drawl as he started to stand. “That you have worn out your welcome.” Outside the wind sounded a bit like the man in black himself singing Big Dusk, Big Dusk, and if that wasn’t enough to unnerve Stewart, Dusk stood six foot six and weighed two-forty-five every last bit of it brawn. When that shadow drew across the man’s brow Stewart just knew he’d better run. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” “You sure as hell didn't. Now get!” Dusty ordered all quiet-like. It was the sort of quiet that could shake even the stoutest down to their knees. Stewart gulped, spun around, and fled with his tail between his legs. Dusty sat back down and said nothing. “To think that I wanted an army never knowing that all I needed was my old man,” Sunset offered quietly. She was kind of smiling, but there were tears coming out of her eyes. Dusty got up, took a couple of steps, reached around with one arm, and gave her a hug. Every emotion Sunset had been holding in came flooding out in a torrent as she wept in his embrace. He’d tell her who Anon-a-miss was later. Author's Note
Sunset's New Hope. Part 2.Morning in Canterlot, the streets have been cleared and Canterlot High students are on their way to school. Students hoping for a snow day and possibly an early Winter break have been mightily disappointed and trudge in feeling disgruntled. As if things could get any worse at Canterlot High. Dash had spent the majority of the evening playing video games. Dash had had enough of Anon-a-miss and that meant Sunset Shimmer. Not like she was ever fully on board when it came to giving Shimmer a second chance. When she saw Applejack and Rarity each giving Fluttershy a hug in front of the school, she turned away and made a point to avoid them on her way into the school. In doing so Dash completely missed Pinkie Pie also going up to the trio and giving each a hug. “I just can’t believe it,” Rarity was saying. “My own Sister.” “I know,” Applejack offered dejectedly. “Finding out that this world’s Sunset was my cousin only made it worse.” “What?” Pinkie Pie gasped. “First cousin. She is by all practical reasoning my Uncle Dusty’s daughter,” Applejack explained. “She’s is, or a least would be related to us?” Pinkie’s hair flattened out a little more. “Do we know if she’s coming to school?” Rarity asked. “Dusty called this morning and said they are going to bunk over at Miss Holiday’s place. I guess she’s one of Sunset’s legal guardians. They’ll come over later in the week. I gather Sunset is going to need some time.” Applejack explained. “I gather our turning our backs on her hurt her far more than we realized.” “They let me drop off her book at the hospital, but it was well past visiting hours. Sorry,” Fluttershy offered. “Hospital?” Pinkie gasped. “Why did no one tell me? I’d have made her a cupcake!” “In my defense, I’ve been grounded. I can’t call anyone,” Applejack offered. “I’m so sorry,” Rarity offered. “I was so worked up when I found out, I called Fluttershy but didn’t think to call anyone else.” “I’m not seeing Dash, we should probably get inside… hang on?” Applejack was saying just as an unmarked cruiser pulled up and two men got out of the car. They started for the front doors and stopped to turn around as the sound of wheels skidding filled the air. Suddenly there was a black helicopter overhead, black sedans and low-slung black SUVs racing up to the front of the building with men in black combat gear pouring out with people shouting “get down, get down!” Even the two detectives in their business casual dropped to the ground as men swarmed around a girl with moderate aquamarine green hair and pale green skin. A moment later they are forcing her down and taking her green backpack. “Sir, it’s the oh-eight-four!” Called one of the men as a man in a black suit and equally dark sunglasses walked over. Two more rushed over with a black freight container, a gray object about the size and shape of a large potato was removed with tongs, placed in the shipping container which was then lifted into the chopper by a cable. A moment later the chopper was speeding away. Next, the girl was cuffed, loaded into a vehicle, and she was taken away. One by one the black cars all left until one remained with two men. “I demand to know what the ever-loving… this is a school zone. What the actual, Florida!” Shouted one of the local detectives moments after getting up as he walked over to the two remaining men. “Names Phil Coulson, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.” “Detective Steal, Canterlot PD, care to explain?” “That could be a bit of a problem,” Agent Coulson began. “You see, that girl had, well, I can’t actually tell you because, a, I don’t rightly know what it is, b, it’s going to be classified, and c, it’s way above your pay-grade.” “Eh?” “What I can tell you is she had a hand in what’s been going on at this school. We believe she was manipulating certain key students. Can’t say I’m entirely sure what her motivation was other than jealousy and she had the means.” “I see. Can you tell me what her name was? Her parents are bound to want to know what happened to her.” “For what it’s worth, her parents don’t even know they have a daughter. You’ll find records for a Miss Wallflower Blush, but I doubt anyone will even know she existed. She seems to have erased her existence from everyone’s memories.” “Wow.” Offered the second detected. “Detective Lissome.” “So what’s to happen to her?” Detective Steel asked. “Debrief, medical examination, and then we’ll see if we can fix what she’s done as far as her family goes,” Coulson offered. “As for the students here at school, I’ll leave that in your capable hands. Oh, and we’ve already asked the DA to go easy. The DA’s office understands the kids were being manipulated.” “Right. And something tells me that whole circus was for the benefit of the students here at the school.” “On the one hand, people are responsible for their own choices, but on the other hand knowing one’s bad decisions had been influenced does kind of help a person put it behind themselves. Kind of like when you wake up after a party and it’s three days later. It’ll also help to see someone other than Miss Shimmer being hauled off. That said, Miss Blush didn’t force anyone to do anything. As far as we can tell all she did was provide the push.” Agent Coulson offered. “One more thing, everything to do with the online profile Anon-amiss is going to be suppressed. We began scrubbing the internet this morning so the only records will be what you have on backup and hard file. Anyone with a profile who shared, posted, or in any way interacted with the Anon-a-miss account has had their accounts wiped. As in gone. The company operating the My Stable website is getting fined into oblivion. The website itself will likely get sold to another company but right now it’s going to be in limbo. Certain individuals are now on a watch list, and every single person on that little list you’ve got can forget about ever getting a security clearance. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an appointment to keep.” He turned towards the street along with the man accompanying him, they returned to their vehicle, got in, and drove off. “Aww come on!” shouted Rainbow Dash from the doorway of the school moments later. She’d missed everything. Sunset and Dusty were arriving at Sunset’s apartment around the same time all the activity was going on at the school. Dusty took hold of the lock and literally wrenched the hasp free pulling the screws out of the softwood of the cheap door. “Something tells me bringing dates home is going to be really interesting,” Sunset commented dryly. “Let’s gather up your belongings…” Dusty offered as he opened the door. Both froze on seeing the insides of the apartment. The place had been trashed. Things were scattered, broken, books tore up, furniture overturned, graffiti on the walls, and a pile of what looked to be human excrement in the center of her mattress which had been thrown down from the loft. “Change of plans then. We'll see what’s worth saving.” “I think I should change high schools at this point.” “Can’t say I blame you. Listen, I could probably get you into Chrystal Prep. I hear it’s a bit of a shark tank but it’d be a fresh start without actually having to leave the area.” Sunset slowly entered the apartment stepping gingerly to avoid broken glass. “Not like I really had very much to begin with.” Sunset’s pace speed up as she made her way upstairs. “Sunset?” Dusty called and then followed after her. “Ray!” Sunset called. “Ray. Why? Why??” Dusty climbed the stairs to find Sunset kneeling in front of a smashed terrarium near an overturned bookshelf. “Ray?” Dusty asked. “I can’t find him. He’s a little Leopard Gecko." She let out a sigh. "As cold as it is in here… he needs his heating stone.” She gingerly picked up half a heating stone. Under the stone lay a small still object of yellow with black mottled spots. She set down the stone and gingerly picked up her little Ray. The temperature inside the apartment was far too low and it was a wonder the pipes hadn't burst. Perhaps they had and they just weren’t aware of it yet. Sunset cradled Ray close to her and for the second time in less than twelve hours, she wept. 🏚 There was nothing left in the apartment worth salvaging. Even so, being met by police with guns drawn was not what they’d expected. “I live here!” Sunset shouted while still holding her pet. “I paid my rent! I paid my utilities.” Her voice grew small. “And then they trash my home and kill my pet.” “It’s alright officers, they’re alright,” Offered a voice from outside. “I’m agent Coulson. I can verify that she lives here.” Agent Coulson stepped into view of Sunset and Dusty as the two officers put their weapons away. “Phil,” Dusty said, greeting him. “Dusty. They really trashed the place, didn’t they?” “Ya. Nothing much left worth salvaging.” “You hadn’t left?” Asked an old woman who’d dared to venture far enough to look in through the door. “No, Mrs Crump, I hadn’t. I came mighty close to dying being locked out. Not like I could have slept here though.” “A couple of teens came by my office, said you’d trashed the apartment and weren’t coming back.” “And lose the damage deposit?” Sunset asked in astonishment. “Any idea who they were?” Dusty asked. “One had an orange mohawk, sunburned skin, boy, and the other was a rather rough-looking girl with too much make-up on, white hair with the ends dyed violet,” Mrs Crump offered. “Sounds like Gilda and Garble,” One of the officers mused. “I guess destroying my phone and beating me up wasn’t good enough,” Sunset said softly. “You want to press charges?” asked the other officer. “Probably be a waste of time. It’d be my word against theirs,” Sunset said sounding defeated. “I’ve security footage that’ll prove they were here,” Mrs Crump offered. “Be nice if I can at least get that.” “I might be able to dig up some additional footage,” Coulson offered. “If you could file a statement about the when and where we might just be able to find something.” “Mrs Crump, any chance we can get a statement along with a copy of the security footage?” Asked one of the uniformed officers. “Yes, hang on, Sunset, what is that you have there?” “My little Ray. They smashed his terrarium. Even if he had survived the fall there’s no way he could have survived the night. I almost didn’t survive the night.” “I’m so sorry, I should have checked.” “It’s alright, I don’t blame you,” Sunset offered. Her tone clearly indicating that she was still hurting. “Hang on, I’ll be right back,” Mrs Crump offered, spun around, and headed for the apartment in the back. She returned a couple of minutes later and presented Sunset with a miniature coffin. “Here, for your little Ray. What? I have weird tastes.” “Thank you,” Sunset replied as they lay Ray into the velvet-lined casket-shaped box. “Alright then, Sunset? Were you wanting to come back once we get this cleaned up?” “I guess that’s going to depend on dad,” Sunset replied giving Dusty a look. “There’s nothing…” Sunset looks back at the room. “They’ve taken my guitar. It was an old bone-colored Fender. Vintage white is what they said at the pawnshop. Cost me a little over a hundred. Money I earned honestly too.” Sunset let out a sigh. “To be honest, I was buying all my things from second-hand shops save for a few items I got from Rarity. The only thing I have left is what I’ve got on.” “You don’t want to try to run anything through the wash?” “It kind of looks and smells like they peed on everything and there’s a pile of shit in the middle of the floor,” Sunset explained. “Beer bottles everywhere. I doubt anything is going to be salvageable.” “Which means I’m going to have to pull off the carpets and bleach the floor. And you were always such a tidy tenant,” Mrs Crump replied with a fair amount of anger in her tone. “Shit you say? I’m Officer Tacklberry, and this is my partner Mahoney. If we can get a statement we might just be able to talk the department into getting CSI down here. Be worth it to put those two out of commission for a while and that pile might just be the clincher.” “Bound to be an attempted homicide charge in it,” Coulson offered. “Considering she nearly died of exposure. Why don’t you go get that surveillance footage, I need a chance to speak with Miss Shimmer.” “Right then, we’ll be right back,” Officer Mahoney replied followed by the two police officers going with Mrs Crump. 🚓 “Glad to see you made it home on time,” Coulson offered to Dusty once the others were out of earshot. “You two know each other?” Sunset asked. “Let’s just say that he’s one of the people I do part-time work for.” “We know all about what happened at the Fall formal,” Coulson began. “You know; how you threw a tantrum because the other students elected a Chrystal Prep student to be the Fall Formal Princess? And about that gas line blowing up.” He gave her a wink and a sly smile. Sunset had paled considerably. The words Chrystal Prep student wouldn’t register until later. “Imagine our concern when we saw accusations of ‘She Demon’ popping up online. Especially after we went to great lengths to try to make certain uncomfortable bits of information about that night go away.” “Ah?” Sunset uttered confused about what he was getting at. “The uncomfortable truth is that we are not alone in the universe, there is a lot of junk out there, and sometimes things find their way here. You aren’t the only one to get their hands on an artifact. We picked up a Miss Wallflower Blush this morning at the school. I won’t say she was the cause of everything but it’s a fair bet she contributed greatly. Do you know her?” “Not really, no.” “She is in several of your classes and is on the Yearbook Committee with you.” “Never shows?” “Security footage said otherwise, and your not the only one who can’t seem to remember her. Got her hands on something that messes with people’s heads, all she’s got to do is give people a little push and if anyone suspects something isn’t right, make them forget everything.” Coulson pulled a brand new smartphone out of his pocket. “I want you to have this to make up for the one you lost. It’s got all your fair-weather friends in there along with your primary contacts, local contacts, and it’s set up so that it won’t open for anyone unless you allow it even if they somehow figure out your passcode.” “How does it do it?” Sunset asked as she carefully tucked Ray away in a shoulder bag she’d brought with her. “Every individual has a unique electromagnetic biosignature. Let’s just say yours is special.” “What if I should happen to go through, say, a portal? Just hypothetically?” “Portals? OK, not like we don’t know about things of that nature. Take the phone so you can call your old man, the signal should penetrate a short distance, and no, there’s no tracking software on it. In fact, we’ve set it so that you can’t be tracked unless you want to, and you can spoof any location in the world. If there is a portal that you are aware of, you're going through it won’t be noticeable unless you get out of range. It’d look like you were in the vicinity of the portal.” Sunset took the phone, turned it on, a log-in screen popping up. “There are all the contact numbers you need to include one that will get you to me, but don’t use that unless things are getting desperate,” Coulson continued. “Or if you feel you are ready for one of the most challenging jobs you’ll ever get.” “Oh, so that’s it, you want to recruit her,” Dusty accused. “Something tells me she’d be bored out of her mind with an ordinary job,” Coulson offered with a smirk. “She’s probably the second brightens mind in the region. “Second? Never mind,” Sunset wasn’t too sure if maybe she should be a little insulted. “So what’s the log-in?” “ ’From the ashes, I rise'. Replace the oh with a zero the eyes with exclamation marks, the ease with threes.” “Alright, simple enough yet with just the right amount of complexity. I’ll want to change it though- I’ve got a message? ‘A true true friend helps a friend in need, a friend will be there to help them see, a true true friend helps a friend in need to see the light that shines from a true true friend.’ curious it says if I need a true friend just call, and then it says ‘Philomena’. No return number?” If there had been theme music playing it would be telling the audience wait for it, wait for it... “That shouldn't be?” Coulson asked sounding concerned. “The only Philomena I ever knew…” Sunset thought about it for a bit. “It can’t be that easy… can it?” Sunset stuck her fingers in her mouth and let loose a shrill whistle. “♫!” “Ah, Sunset?” Dusty asked. Both men had cringed. “♫.” Sunset’s frown transformed to a broken smile at the sound of an answering whistle. Sunset dared not to believe while hoping still the same it was like hearing the trumpet call in an old western letting the settlers know that the night would end and the sun would rise. This time it was tears of joy as a gold and red bird swooped down out of the sky and crashed right into Sunset’s chest to squirm in her arms. “Ah, Phil?” Dusty asked. “Right offhand I’d say someone is sending me a message,” Agent Coulson said softly. “Several actually. We were tipped off about the artifact, and I got another one saying that the ‘tako in the aegis is rotten’.” “Taco? As in taco Tuesday?” Dusty quipped. “No, tako with a ‘k’ as in Takoyaki. It’s made with octopus.” “That’s not good.” “What’s not good?” Sunset asked looking up from Philomena. “Just a few things future Agent Coulson is likely going to have to deal with.” Agent Coulson offered. “Nothing you need worry about. Just, if you should happen across any more artifacts, if you can deal with them quietly that would be greatly appreciated.” “We’re back… Sunset? Hang on, that bird?” Mrs Crump asked. Sunset had tears streaked down her face. “And what say I see if I can’t find a clean cloth to wipe your face.” “She’s my friend. She’s my pet from when I was little,” Sunset offered with a big grin for the bird snuggled in her embrace. “She came to me.” Mrs Crump interpreted Sunset’s announcement to mean the bird had been flying around loose. As for finding a clean washcloth, that was one thing the vandals hadn’t bothered with. Probably because they were only interested in what they saw as valuable. “Listen, it’s probably going to be easiest if you can come down to the station,” Officer Mahoney stated as Mrs Crump cleaned up Sunset. “That assault you mentioned will take a separate report.” “Alright, sure,” Sunset replied. “And Mrs Crump I’ll come by now and then to check for mail. “Understood. Think I’ll talk to the insurance people and then after I get an assessment we’ll see if anything is salvageable. “You have my renter’s insurance information. If nothing else it’ll help take the bite out of the damages. I don’t even want to deal with it right now.” “Yes, I have all your information. You know, a lot of young people don’t even think far enough ahead to realize they might want renter’s insurance.” “That’s because nothing truly bad ever happens to most young people… like me. It’s just that, the locals like me, I get along with the Niriks, and if it hadn't been for Anon-a-miss that insurance money really would have been wasted money.” “It’s a bit like gambling that something bad will happen, that’s true, but when something bad does happen it’s better to have than not to have it,” Mrs Crump offered. “Now you go out and do whatever it is that needs doing, and let me handle things here.” “Thank you Mrs Crump,” Sunset replied. The cheer was back in her face even if she did look a little care warn. A short time later Sunset and Dusty are back in the Bronco, Dusty turns the key, the radio crackles to life, “good morning, today's forecast calls for blue skies…”
