Sunset's human world origin

Minerva’s kitchen
Date: Dec 2nd, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“You’re oddly quiet today.”, Minerva said.

“I’ve been thinking.”, Sunset said.

“About what?”

“How long have you known about my parents’ pasts?”

“The part about Anzhong being in the train was new. The rest I’ve known for years.”

“They’re so sad and angry. It’s not all the time, but when they’re alone with their thoughts, anger and sadness radiates from them. I can feel it from my room.”

“I know. They are both too prideful to let themselves get help. I think they also use their anger and sadness to fuel them in their work.”

“I get how Anzhong is fueled by his sadness, but how is Brigid fueled by it?”

“Do you know what your mother teaches?”

“No”

“She teaches anthropology, which is the study of humans. Her anger fuels her to breed love and understanding of others in her students. She actually uses her experience as an example as to why love and understanding is so important.”

“How hate and bigotry led one half of a family to kill the other.”

“Hmm, you know, you’re smarter than people three times your age.”

Sunset’s room
Date: Dec 4th, time: 7:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Hey Sunset, whatcha doing?”, Emi asked. “I’m trying to figure out what this thing is. One of our neighbors was throwing it out. I asked them if I could take it, and they said yes.”, Sunset answered.

“There’s a word printed on it. Maybe we can look up what the word means to find out.”, Emi said.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s try.”

Sunset and Emi walked over to Sunset’s desk and computer. Sunset typed the word into the search bar.

“A gaming console, what’s that?”, Sunset asked.

“Let’s go ask Mom.”, Emi said.

Brigid’s home office
Date: same day, time: 7:35 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“A gaming console is a device ‘hat allows one ta play video games. Ya plug it inta a TV, connect it ta a controlle’, place a game disc inta it, and ‘hen play it. Where did ya get ‘his?”, Brigid asked. “One of our neighbors was throwing it away, and I asked if I could keep it. They said yes but also said it was broken.”, Sunset answered. “Do ya have the controllers?” “Yep, they are pretty weird looking though.”, Sunset answered. “Do ya plan on fixin’ it?”, Brigid asked. “Yep” To this, Brigid smiled. “Ah’ll go grab da toolbox.”

Sunset’s room
Date: same day, time: 8:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

After opening up the console, Sunset found a lot of dead cockroaches inside. After a short freak-out, and scaring Anzhong, they cleaned out the console. After doing that and checking all the internal connections, Brigid helped Sunset put it back together and plug the console into the TV.

“It appears ta be workin’ now.”, Brigid said.

“Yay!”, Emi exclaimed.

“How’s ‘bout ‘his, ya two research ‘hat times a’ games ya wan’, n’ tomorrah, well see ‘hat we can get ya. Sound good?”, Brigid asked.

“Yes!”, both girls said. The sisters ran off to Sunset’s room to research video games.

Bargain-mart
Date: Dec 5th, time: 5:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

It was the Katons’ weekly shopping trip. However, this week was slightly different. The family made a stop at the electronic section to see what kinds of games they have.

“Okay girls, look fer dat ya would like, but only E rated games.”, Brigid said.

“Why?”, both girls said, not whining but legitimately confused.

Brigid recognized their confusion. “‘E’ stands fer everyone. Games are rated ‘E’, ‘T’, n’ ‘M’. ‘T’ is for teen, n’ ‘M’ is for mature. Neither a’ ya are old enough for ‘T’ or ‘M’ rated games.”

“Okay, got it.”, Emi said.

“Stupid portal.”, Sunset said under her breath. She didn’t like being reminded that she was turned into a kid.

“Oh, almost forgot. Make sure da games ya pick have da same logo as yer console. Games need to be made ta work with da specific console. Get one made fer a different console, n’ ya can’t play it.”

With their mother’s words in mind, the girls went off game searching. “N’ stay where ya c’n see each other!”

“Okay, so the logo on the console is red and starts with an ‘N’.”, Sunset said. “Sunset, look at this one.” Emi was pointing at a game a bit too high up for her to reach. Sunset walked over to Emi and looked at the game. It was a kart racing game with a chubby man in red overalls on the cover. Sunset looked the game over and found all the same markings that were on the console. “This looks good, and I think it will be compatible.” “Le’ me see! Le’ me see!” Sunset handed Emi the game. “Be careful. If we break it, we’ll still have to buy it.” At least that’s how it worked in Equestria. “Ah wanna get this one.” “Sounds good to me. Let’s see if there’s any others we want.”

After some more searching, the girls came back to their mother with six games.

“Well that looks like a good haul. Let me take a look at them.”, Brigid said.

The girls handed her the games, and Brigid laid them out on the counter.

“Wow, games have gotten a lot more expensive than when I played.” Brigid turned to her daughters. “Girls, we’ll only be able to get two games for now. How about you each pick one. Does that sound good?”

“I guess so.”, both girls said, dejected.

“Ah’m sorry girls.”, Brigid said while handing them the games.

Emi made her choice quickly. “I want this one.”, she said, holding the kart racing game.

Sunset took more time to choose. She made her choice when her gaze fell upon a familiar item. A crossbow? It was one of the games Emi put into the pile. Sunset hadn’t really looked at it until now. “I want this one.”, Sunset said, holding up a game that had a humanoid wearing green and holding a crossbow on the cover.

“Those look like excellent choices.” Brigid two the chosen games. “Can ya two put da others back?”

“Okay”, Emi said, picking up one of the games.

Sunset simply nodded, picked up the remaining games, and followed Emi as she ran off. Sunset’s mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about when her mother would give her and her sister lessons on shooting a crossbow. Crossbows, in Equestria, were developed after encounters with griffon archery squadrons. Her mother was a proud wielder of the crossbow in the 6th pegasi forward crossbow company, a unit specializing in blitz aerial attacks. She remembered seeing pictures of her mother, pre-injury, standing strong and proud, wearing sky blue flight armor on and crossbow slug across her back. It would have been something to see her fight back then.

“Okay Mom, they’re all put away.”, Emi said.

“Thank you, girls. Ya know, since ya two were so good ‘bout da situation, Ah’ma get ya each an ice cream. How’s ‘hat sound?”

“Yay!”, Emi cheered.

Sunset smiled and nodded.

Katon family home
Date: same day, time: 6:45 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

Sunset hadn’t spoken much on the drive home or while they were putting groceries away. This worried Brigid. As soon as Sunset got a good grasp of English, she was very talkative. She was always asking questions or just having a conversation with someone. In the last month, she began feeling safe enough to ask people she didn’t know about their jobs, why they do something, or anything else she finds curious about them. Her being quiet had become odd.

“Sunset, are ya okay?”

“Huh, yeah, I’m fine, just thinking.”

“‘Hat are ya thinkin’ about?”

“My birth family.”

“Ah don’t think Ah eve’ asked ya ‘his, but ‘hat happened ta ‘hem?”

“Nothing happened to them, as far as I know. I’ve just been separated from them.”

“Do ya know ‘here ‘hey are?”

“I do, I just won’t be able to get back to them for a long time.”

She’s purposely avoidin’ somethin’. Ah bette’ not push. “Do ya wanna talk about ‘em?”

“Yes”

“Let’s go sit down in da livin’ room fer ‘his.”

The mother daughter pair made their way to the living room, taking seats on the couch.

“So, ‘hat would ya like ta talk ‘bout yer family?”

“I come from a military family. Both of my parents were in the military, until my mom was badly hurt. After that, she wasn’t able to walk properly. I was very young when it happened and don’t remember it, but my older sister would tell me about how she experienced it. She said it was scary to see the woman you idolize struggle to move when a week before, she could outrun a bull. The part I clearly remember is how people treated my parents afterwards. The history behind this is long, but the short version is, soldiers are seen as nothing more than weapons by those in power. Even the nobles that served see the non-nobility soldiers as tools to be used. We have a word for the nobility soldiers, ‘decorative armor’. So when my mom wasn’t able to fight any more, and my dad retired to take care of her, they were discarded like broken weapons. It was especially bad because we lived in the capital, and my parents are a part of a racial group with a strong military history and culture. Being called a weapon used to be a great honor, but now it’s been twisted and warped into something negative.” Sunset was now crying as she finished.

Dat do Ah even say ta dat? Not finding an answer to that, Brigid just pulled Sunset into a hug and stroked her hair as she cried.