Sunset's human world origin

Katon family home
Date: May 18th, time: 5:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Brigid and Anzhong just returned home after picking up Sunset and Emi.

“So girls, guess what started today.”, Brigid said.

“SUMMER VACATION!”, Emi shouted.

“Cool, that means you can stay with us, right?”, Sunset asked.

“Even bette’, we are goin’ on vacation ta Japan.”, Brigid said.

“YES! YES! YES! We’re going to Japan. We’re going to Japan.”, Emi sang.

“When are we going?”, Sunset asked.

“In a week. I need to finish up some work. You have been studying up on your Japanese, right?”, Anzhong said.

“Yes, I have. Will Grandpa be joining us?”, Sunset asked in Japanese.

“Very good, and yes, he will. I’m quite excited for you both to meet your aunt.”, Anzhong said.

“We have another aunt!”, Emi said excitedly.

“Do you not remember me telling you about Ryoko?”, Anzhong asked.

“No”

“He was jus’ telling us about her a week ago.”, Sunset said.

“What? I’m four, and I never met da lady.”

Sunset was about to retort with how she could remember her family at four but then thought about how humans seemed to develop and age differently to ponies. She’s probably around the same mental developmental stage as a one and a half year old. That would be very interesting to research. “Okay, fair.”

“Well, you’ll be able to meet her when we go.”, Anzhong said.

“Why did you and grandpa emigrate to the US?”, Sunset asked.

“Because the work culture in Japan is, as your mother puts it, pants.”

“Why didn’t Ryoko come with you?”

“She has a successful resort in the mountains we grew up in. She has a much better work/life balance than even most Americans.”

“Will we get to visit Grandma?”, Emi asked.

“You do realize Grandma is dead, right?”, Sunset asked.

“Of course I do. I was talkin’ about visitin’ her grave.”

“Oh”

Canterlot Airport
Date: May 25th, time: 6:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Today was the day. They were going to Japan. They had gotten through security with little issue. Emi got a lot of “aww”s and “how cute”s, whenever she tried to declare her body as a weapon. That experience finally proved to Sunset that cuteness could be a weapon. No way it could be lethal, though. Now the family were getting breakfast at one of the cafes, and Sunset was having a mini panic attack about flying. She was watching the planes out the window, not hiding the absolute terror on her face.

“Sunset, Sunset.” The girl in question turned to look at her mother. “Are ya okay?”, Brigid asked.

“No, how can those things fly?”

“Can Ah borrow a pen and pape’?” Sunset grabbed a pen and paper out of backpack and handed it to her mother. “So, it all has ta do with speed and da shape a’ da wing. Da wings are in da shape of an airfoil. ‘Hat means ‘hat it’s flat on da bottom n’ curved on top. ‘His causes ‘here ta be greater air pressure under da wings ‘han ove’. Combine ‘hat with da speeds planes c’n achieve and ya get lift. Does ‘hat help?”

“No”

“Well, Ah’ll be with ya da whole flight, n’ once ya see it’s safe it won’t be so scary.”

Sunset could only whimper.

“Now boarding flight 237 to NYC at gate 12B.” was heard over the speaker system.

“That’s us.”, Jiraiya said.

The family made their way to the gate, Sunset holding her mother’s hand like it was the only thing keeping her alive. The Katon family was given priority boarding due to Anzhong’s disability. They quickly got to their seats and buckled in. Sunset and Brigid were on one side of the small plane, and Emi, Anzhong, and Jiraiya were on the other side. Sunset had the window seat and was crushing her poor stuffed phoenix.

“It’s going ta be okay, Sunset. Air is da safest form a’ travel. Oh, one ‘hin’ y’re gonna wanna do is yawn, like ‘his.” Brigid proceeded to demonstrate. “‘Here’s gonna be a change in air pressure as we ascend and descend. Da yawning will release da air in y’r ears.”

Sunset mimicked the yawning motion.

“Yeah, like ‘hat. So, when ya feel pressure in y’r ears, do ‘hat.”

Sunset tried her best to bury herself into her mother the best she could with the restraints. Brigid draped her arm around Sunset, covering most of the small girl. Sunset discovered that human mammary glands had a second function. They make excellent pillows. Sunset soon fell asleep.

NYC International A gates
Date: same day, time: 10:30 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Sunset, Sunset, wake up.”

Sunset was groggy when she woke up, but one fact immediately hit her. “We’re not dead.”

“A’ course not. Now, come on. We need ta make our connectin’ flight.”, Brigid said.

Shaking her head to chase away the drowsiness, Sunset got up.

“Do ya have all y’r stuff?”

Sunset did a quick check. “Yep”

“Okay ‘hen.”

Brigid handed Sunset her suitcase, and the family made their way off the plane. The first thing Sunset noticed once is that this airport was much bigger than the one in Canterlot. The airport in Canterlot only had 24 gates. The gate they arrived at was gate 37A, and Sunset could see gates going into the 40’s. “Mom, where are we?”

“We’re in New York City.”

“Why didn’t we go straight to Japan?”

“Our airport isn’t big enough ta accommodate planes big enough ta fly ta Japan.”

“Why?”

“Ah’ll be happy to answer all y’r questions as soon as we find a doggy rest stop f’r Ki. Can ya help keep an eye out?”

“Okay” Sunset turned her attention to her newly assigned task. It wasn’t long before she found a sign that couldn’t be for anything else. “I think I found one.”

“Oh, good job, Sunset.”, Anzhong said. “Can you lead me over to it?”

Sunset grabbed onto Ki’s harness to start leading. The rest of the family stayed in sight range.

“Thank you, Sunset. Go ahead with the others. I’ll catch up.”

“Okay, Dad.” Sunset quickly made her way back. “Dad said to go ahead, and he’ll catch up.”

“Okay then, do any of you need to go to the bathroom?”, Jiraiya asked.

“I do! I do!”, Emi said, starting to do the potty dance.

“Okay, ta da jacks ‘hen.”, Brigid said.

“You said ya’d tell me why this airport is so much larger than ours.”, Sunset said.

“Ah did. Mmm, Jiraiya, c’n ya answer Sunset’s questions while Ah take Emi ta da jacks?”

“Of course.”, Jiraiya answered.

Brigid nodded and took Emi to the bathrooms. Sunset moved closer to Jiraiya, and he motioned for Sunset and him to go sit down on some nearby seats.

“Why is this airport so big? Why isn’t our airport so big? Why can only large planes go to Japan?”, Sunset fired off as soon as they sat down.

“Well, this airport’s so big because it’s in a very big city. New York has a population of 8.4 million people. The greater Canterlot metropolitan area only has a population of 200,000 people. We simply don’t need an airport this big. Smaller planes can’t go to Japan from the US because they can’t carry enough fuel to get across the Pacific Ocean.”, Jiraiya explained.

“Oh”

“Okay, we’re back.”, Anzhong said. “Where are Brigid and Emi?”

“The jacks”, Sunset said.

“Correction, we were in da jacks.”, Brigid said.

“So, is everyone ready to go?”, Jiraiya asked.

Responses in the affirmative were given.

NYC International C gates
Date: same day, time: 11:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

The Katon family had finally made it to their gate. For some inexplicable reason, walking around the airport is more tiring than walking around their neighborhood. Sunset theorized that it had to do with the completely flat surface or the hordes of people slowing their pace. Either way, Sunset and Emi were, by then, being carried by Brigid and Jiraiya, respectively, for the last leg of their journey.

“Okay, we have 30 minutes before we start boardin’.”, Brigid said.

“How long is da flight gonna be?”, Emi asked.

“Thirteen hours and forty minutes.”, Anzhong said.

A blank look of terror came across Emi’s face. “I am going to explode.”

“Ya c’n walk ‘round da cabin if ya need ta stretch y’r legs. When Ah say walk, Ah mean walk. No running ‘round da plane.”, Brigid said.

“Okay”, Emi said.

It was around then the plane rolled up.

“That thing is huge.”, Sunset exclaimed.

The plane had two rows of windows on the side Sunset could see, and it was so long, Sunset couldn't get a good estimate of how long it was.

“It does need to carry over four hundred people, and their luggage across the largest ocean in the world.”, Jiraiya said.

Sunset looked back at him with astonishment.

“Should we start getting in line?”, Emi asked.

“We should wait to be called. They need to unload the plane, clean it, and otherwise get it ready for take off again.”, Anzhong said.

“Okay”

Just as Brigid said, after about 30 minutes, boarding was called, and a similar process was repeated. They boarded the upper level, and Sunset was much calmer this time. She was still nervous, but those people survived their flight. Sunset and Emi had window seats again, but this time, Emi, Anzhong, and Jiraiya sat behind Sunset and Brigid. Sunset looked out her window, watching the ground crew work. Her phoenix plush was once again in her arms but not being crushed this time. The sound of a seat belt buckling caught Sunset’s attention. A woman that reminded Sunset, a scary amount, of Pristine sat in the empty aisle seat. She didn’t have the oversized jewelry, but she had the same “I’m better than you” aura and looked just as fake. What surprised Sunset is that the lady actually looked nice, clearly fake but nice. Mom said Pristine paid bottom dollar for her surgeries. Maybe this lady paid top dollar. The woman looked over at Sunset and gave her a face Sunset was all too familiar with. Noble prick. The woman said nothing to Sunset and pushed on the ceiling. Sunset looked up to see that each of them had some sort of control panel with a couple buttons on it. Sunset yanked on her mother’s arm and pointed up at the panel.

“Hmm, oh, ‘hat serves a few functions. This button,” Brigid said while pointing to the button with a semicircle and three lines on it, “turns on and off y’r overhead lights. Ya twist ‘hese ta control y’r air flow.” She said, pointing to some gray nozzles. “Ah’d recommend ya keep ‘hese blowin’. Keeps ‘hem germs away. ‘His last button,” She says while pointing to a button with a humanoid on it, “calls a flight attendant. Ya know, ‘hem people wearing da uniforms with da itty bitty hats n’ ascots.”

As if on cue, a female flight attendant came up to where they were sitting.

“Took you long enough.”, the lady said in a forced sounding posh voice. “I want a glass of wine.”

“Sarry ma’am. We aren't sarvin’ drinks at this time. Ah’ll be happy ta sarve ya same ance we’re in da air.”, the flight attendant said.

“No, I want my wine now.”, the lady demanded.

“Ah’m sarry ma’am, but as Ah said, we aren't sarvin’ drinks at this time. Ah’ll be happy ta sarve ya same ance we’re in da air.”, the flight attendant said in a more firm voice. Before the lady could speak again, the flight attendant walked off.

“How rude.”, the lady said.

Sunset and Brigid gave each other a look that said “this is gonna be a long flight”.

Once the plane was loaded up, they began taxiing to the runway. Sunset was glued to the window the whole process. Sunset’s face was one of wonder as the plane took off.

Flight 407
Date: May 25th, time: 3 hours into the flight

*Sunset’s perspective*

As she said, the flight attendant did start serving the lady her wine. Sunset lost track of how many the lady had, but it was more than a couple, and the lady was not holding it well. The lady was drunkenly swearing at whatever show or movie she was watching.

“And ‘hey say Ah’m a potty mouth.” Sunset saw Brigid mouthing.

Sunset did her best to drown out the lady.

Flight 407
Date: May 25th, time: 5 hours into the flight

*Sunset’s perspective*

Emi had gotten up to stretch her legs. Sunset was surprised that she lasted this long. Sunset was considering joining her, but that would involve getting past the drunk lady. After a bit more contemplating, Sunset decided to brace the drunk lady. The uncomfortable twitching in her legs was starting to drive her mad, and she needed to pee.

“Mom, I need ta potty.”, Sunset said.

“Okay”, Brigid said.

Sunset got up and headed for the aisle. As she tried to get past the drunk lady, the drunk lady became agitated.

“Excuse you!”, the lady shouted drunkenly.

“I need to go to the bathroom.”, Sunset said.

“Go sit back down!”

“Hey, let me daughte’ through.”, Brigid said.

“Your “daughte’” is invading my personal space!”

“We’re in a giant sardine can! Personal space is kinda a mute point. Now, let me daughte' through, or Ah’ll have ‘er pee on ya.”

That seemed to get some sense into her, as she let Sunset through.

When Sunset came back, the lady tried to bar her entry, but a tap on the shoulder and a death glare from Mom made her put her leg down.

Japan International
Date: May 27th, time: 3:10 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Despite how late it was, the family wasn’t too tired. As soon as they got off the plane, Emi began running and jumping around.

“That sucked.”, Emi said.

“Okay, now, we’re gonna take a train ta Nagano then get a rental car and drive da rest a’ da way.”, Brigid said.

“Sounds good.”, Anzhong said.

With that, the family made their way to the baggage claim and then the train station.

Anzhong’s childhood home
Date: same day, time: 5:40 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

The rest of their journey was without incident. The family was now unpacking and settling in.

“Hey Dad, where’s Aunt Ryoko? I thought you said she still lives here.”, Sunset asked.

“She does. She starts work at five. She’ll be back after three.”, Anzhong answered.

“Okay”

Once everyone was settled in, the family was sitting in the living room, planning out their day.

“Ah’d say, since we are all relatively well rested, we should explore da village and ‘hen come back when we start gettin’ tired.”, Brigid said.

“Make sure to visit some of the sweet shops. The majority of the snack foods sold here, you won’t be able to find anywhere else. There are families that have been creating a single special snack for generations.”

“Please, please, please, can we?”, both girls pleaded.

“Fine, if we c’n’t get ‘hem anywhere else.”

Amigata village proper
Date: same day, time: 2:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

After exploring the village and getting a lot of strange snacks, the family headed back home. The area surrounding the village was mostly forests, but there were also some rice fields. The village itself looked almost nothing like the state of the art Tokeyo. There were little bits and pieces that reminded people that they were in the 21st century, but the rest of the village looked like it had barely changed since the 1800’s. Now that they were home, a surprise waited for them.

“Ryoko, you’re home early.”, Jiraiya said in Japanese. They all speak in Japanese until they get back to the states.

“I wanted to see my baby brother and meet my nieces.”, Ryoko said.

Emi looked back and forth between Anzhong and Ryoko. “Who cloned Dad?”

“They both take after their mother, heavily.”, Jiraiya said.

“You must be Emi. I have heard much about you”, Ryoko said. “Can you breathe fire?”, Emi asked. “Um” “Your name is dragon. Can you breathe fire?” “No”, Ryoko said, slightly confused. “aw”, Emi said despondently. “But Dad’s name is so literal. He’s a fire in the darkness. Why aren’t you a fire dragon?”, Emi pondered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been asked why I’m not a dragon before.”

“We named her dragon because we knew she would be strong.”, Jiraiya interjected.

“I’m surprised you remember what their names mean.”, Sunset said.

“Of course I remember what their names mean. I’m just crap at remembering who has which name.”

“You must be Sunset. You certainly do seem interesting.”

“It’s the hair. A lot of people say I have interesting hair.”

“That’s a part of it.”

“Well then, I’m going to take a nap. The rest of you can do whatever.”, Brigid said in unaccented Japanese.

“I think I will go join her.”, Anzhong said.

“What do you like to do?”, Ryoko asked.