Sunset's human world origin

Streets of Brigid’s neighborhood
Date: July 4th, time: 11:00 am

*Striker’s perspective*

Striker drove around Brigid’s neighborhood, looking for her house. She invited him to her Christmas and Thanksgiving parties, but had never gone. Striker was never one for celebrating the holidays. He still had her messages from back then so had her address. He just couldn’t find the damned place.

After what felt like an eternity in limbo, Striker found the place. He pulled up into what he thought was the driveway, but there was no garage. Striker walked through the gate and up to the door. As soon as he knocked, he was greeted by the sound of a barking dog, and Brigid soon opened the door and picked the dog up.

“Oh, hey Striker. Whatcha doin’ ‘ere?”

“I wanted to talk to you about some things. May I come in?”

“Yeah, jus’ take off y’r shoes n’ let me spray ya down. Me youngest is immunocompromised.”

Striker walked inside, took off his shoes, and Brigid sprayed him down. Striker then went into the main area of the house. As soon as he did so, he saw a girl sitting on the counter, digging into a mango. Striker immediately pegged two things about the girl. One, she had fangs, not just long canines, proper fangs. Second, she was one of the girls Striker identified as possibly being the source of the human/alien DNA, Sunset Shimmer.

“Who are you?”, Sunset asked.

“I am Dr. Thunderstrike.”

“He’s one a’ me colleagues.”, Brigid added.

The girl then spoke in a language Striker didn’t know, and Brigid responded in the same language. It kinda sounded like the language Brigid shouts in when she’s pissed, but Striker wasn’t sure.

“Is there a place where we can talk about this privately?”, Striker asked, turning to Brigid.

“Yeah” Brigid led Striker up the stairs and into a guest room/office. “So, whatcha wanna talk ‘bout?”, Brigid said while taking a seat in the chair. She made a motion for him to take a seat on the bed, but Striker elected to remain standing.

“That DNA you wanted me to test.”

“Ah told ya Ah c’n’t tell ya any‘hin’ ‘bout me subjects.”

“But Brigid, if there’s an alien invasion in the works, we need to let the government know, for the safety of humanity.” To Striker’s utter bewilderment, Brigid was laughing. “This is no laughing matter! There are aliens disguised as humans walking among us!”

“Hehehe, Striker, Striker, dere’s no alien invasion. Da aliens y’re so worried ‘bout are an entire race a’ Canadians.”

“You’re just saying that because that girl downstairs is the source of that DNA.”, Striker said accusatorily. Brigid quickly went from laughing to stone cold. She looked at him like she was daring him to go on, and he did. “I’m betting there are thousands of others like her, just waiting to enact their plan, and I’m going to do my civic duty and report everything to the government.” Just as Striker finished that sentence, the sound of someone running down the hall and down the stairs could be heard.

Brigid went from stone cold serious to burning hot rage, bolted up from her chair, grabbed Striker by the shirt, and slammed him into the wall before Striker could blink. “If ya do any‘hin’ ta endanger me daughte’, ya will not be alive long enough ta regret it!”, Brigid roared with the force of the sun.

Daughter? Before Striker could fully process what she said, he was being marched down the stairs and thrown out the front door, his shoes following him shortly. Brigid watched Striker as he got his shoes on, got into his car, and drove away. Striker drove straight back to his house to gather up every bit of proof he had. As soon as the government offices open tomorrow, I’ll give them everything I have. I’ll be a hero.

Katon family home
Date: same day, time: 11:15 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

As soon as Striker’s car was out of sight, Brigid locked the door and the security door and ran to Sunset’s room. At first, Brigid couldn’t find Sunset, but then she climbed up to her loft and looked under her bed, and there she was. It was impressive how she could squeeze herself into such a tight space. She was huddled as far back as she could go and crying.

“Oh Sunset, come ‘ere baby.” Brigid reached out as far as she could, but she was too big.

Sunset looked at her like a scared rabbit. It broke Brigid’s heart to see her like that. Sunset crawled out from under her bed and practically leaped into Brigid’s arms. “I don’t want to be taken away. I don’t want to be experimented on. I don’t want to be killed and dissected.”, Sunset cried.

“No, no, ya won’t be. Ah would let dat happen.”, Brigid said while rubbing Sunset’s back. Brigid spent the next several minutes comforting Sunset. Brigid had been having a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that Sunset had the memories of a twenty-six year old but was, in almost all other ways, a normal twelve year old. She knew and went through things a twelve year old just shouldn’t, and Brigid wasn’t sure if her brain was physically capable of processing everything. That part made Brigid seriously worried for Sunset.

Once Sunset was calmed down enough, Brigid left to go check on the girls, who were obliviously playing in the backyard. Once Brigid knew everyone was safe, she went over to Mierva’s house. Like she always is around this time, Minerva was in her basement office.

“Hey Minerva, c’n ya watch da girls while Ah go run a few errands?”

“Yeah, but what kinds of errands are you running?”

Brigid looked around before answering Minerva. “Is dere any‘hin’ recordin’ in ‘ere?”

“No, why?”

“A couple a’ months ago, Ah asked one a’ me colleagues to test Anzhong’s, Sunset’s, n’ me DNA. It turns out dat da portal transformers ya down ta da genetic level but not completely. Sunset still has some alien DNA, n’ me colleague believes dat Sunset is da precursor ta an invasion. Ah only have tanight ta destroy da evidence.”

“How do you plan on doing it?”

“His house is an arsonist's wet dream.”

“Are you sure he only has his research in his house? You said he works at the university.”

Brigid shook her head. “He’s paranoid. He’d wanna keep every‘hin’ close ta him.”

Minerva got up from her chair and began gathering some things. “Okay, make a list of everything you need and give it to me. Sunset needs you right now.”, Minerva said while putting on her jacket.

“Minerva”

Minerva put a hand up to stop her. “Brigid, I got some birthday shopping to do. I can’t watch the girls right now.”

Brigid smiled once she realized what Minerva was doing. Brigid wrote down everything on a piece of paper and handed it to Minerva. Minerva went straight to her car, and Brigid went home.

As soon as Brigid got home, she went to check on Sunset. Once again, Sunset was hiding under her bed. Brigid went out to the kitchen and a bowl of mango chunks, strawberries, and banana slices. Brigid then got out the pizza stone, some premade pizza crust, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and pineapple. While making the pizza, Brigid made one half plain pepperoni and the other half Hawaiian style. Brigid was never much of a fan of pineapple on pizza but could get why Sunset liked it. Sunset always described it as juicy and sweet and savory, like dipping your chips (French fries) in your milkshake, which Sunset also liked. Once the pizza was in the oven and the timer was set, Brigid brought the bowl of fruit to Sunset.

“Sunset, Ah have some‘hin’ for you.”, Brigid said in her most comforting voice. Brigid placed the bowl on the floor of the loft which resulted in Sunset quickly snatching the bowl away. Brigid laid down on the floor and lifted the skirt of the bed up to see Sunset. Sunset was happily munching away at her bowl of fruits. As soon as she saw her, Sunset gave Brigid a small smile.

“Hey, can ya come out ‘ere?”

“Can I just stay down here?”

“Of course, but Ah do have pizza in da oven, so ya’ll need ta come out when it’s ready.”

“Okay, but what are we going to do about Dr. Thunderstrike?”

“Ah have a plan, n’ we won’t have ta do any‘hin’ ‘bout Striker, jus’ his evidence. Everyone will jus’ think he’s crazy without it.”

“Are ya sure?”

“Ya know how we’re able ta talk about Equestrian stuff openly?” Sunset nodded. “It’s da same sorta thing. People tend ta write off what they c’n’t explain. It’s probably da only way most people c’n keep deir sanity.”

“So, that’s why Dr. Thunderstrike is going nuts.”

“Yeah, some‘hin’ like dat. Now, come on. Da pizza should be ready soon.”

Sunset crawled out from under the bed with the now empty bowl and followed Brigid down the stairs. “It’s interesting how food can make humans feel better.”, Sunset noted.

“It’s because a’ a powerful painkiller dat’s naturally found in our saliva called opiorphin, n’ it’s better absorbed inta da body with food. Dat’s why comfort eatin’ is a thing, n’ why humans suck on deir wounds.”

“So humans have pseudo-venomous saliva that only the human that created it is immune to, naturally produce a potent painkiller, and the ability to mimic sounds. You have a lot of abilities packed into such a small space.”

“Hmhm, dat is true.”

Canterlot Mall
Date: same day, time: 12:15 pm

*Minerva’s perspective*

Minerva meandered through Canterlot’s mall. She had already picked up party supplies for Anura’s birthday and was now heading into a clothing store. Minerva picked up some dark blue jeans, black and dark blue hoodies, black boots, and headbands and beanies. Minerva also grabbed some other articles of clothing to make her other items less suspicious.

As Minerva was walking to check out, she noticed a rack of faux leather jacks. Minerva looked some of them over. There were some that looked like they would fit Sunset and a few sizes up. Minerva knew Brigid was planning on getting Sunset a guitar and thought that she could get something to complete the look. Minerva picked out a jacket that was a size up from what Sunset currently wore so she could grow into it. The jacket was black and had studs lining the collar.

With a basket full of clothes, Minerva got in line at the check out. I should probably move my wheelchair up to the ground floor for a few weeks.

Minerva’s basement
Date: same day, time: 12:45 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

“No, y’re not comin’.”

“I am to coming, and you can’t stop me.”

“Da girls don’t need ta lose both a’ us if dis goes wrong.”

“The chances of this going wrong decreases with both of us going. Think about it. We need to find his computer and phone, grab them, then torch the place. Plus, the police will be looking for two able body people. It’s going to be much harder to connect it to us when one of us is disabled or at least it will make them feel bad about it.”

“Dat’s why ya moved y’r wheelchair to y’r livin’ room.”

“Exactly. Now, how do you want to do this? I vote that we don’t try to hide that it’s arson because arson investigation tends to look for signs of arson instead of looking to see if it’s arson.”

“Ah agree. Ah have some rubbing alcohol ta use as an accelerant.”

“How much rubbing alcohol do you keep around? I swear you have more than the base.”

“Anzhong uses da stuff ta clean da bathrooms ta with in an inch a’ deir lives, n’ ya’ve seen how often we manage ta hurt ourselves.”

“Okay then, what’s our alibi?”

“Ya n’ Anura stayed at our place ta watch da CHS fireworks. Me husband n’ Ah engaged in intercourse da night a’ said incident.”

“That sounds good. Now, for the act itself. We should walk there or our car will be picked up by cameras. I have reflective tape so we’re safe. That will take us a couple of hours, but that might work in our favor. Once we get there, I’ll find the computer and phone; you torch the place. We’ll throw the computer into the ocean tomorrow.”

“Ya’ve really thought about dis.”

“There’s no way I’ll ever let anyone hurt any of you.”

Katon family home
Date: same day, time: 11:00 pm

*Minerva’s perspective*

Brigid and Minerva worked to get ready for their mission. They had briefed everyone one what they were to say to the cops when they inevitably were questioned. They had told them as little as possible about the mission to keep the risk of the truth getting out as little as possible. They had both put their hair up in buns, and Brigid wore a beanie to conceal as much of her hair as possible. They wore brightly colored shirts underneath in case they needed to quickly change their profiles. They both wore dark jeans, hoodies, boots, backpacks, and bandanas. They would wear the hoodies around their waists and the bandanas around their necks until they got close to Striker’s house.

Once they were all suited up, they began their two hour walk to Striker’s. Minerva kept an eye out for cameras as they walked. Once they got to Striker’s neighborhood, they pulled their bandanas up and put their hoodies on. Brigid led them to Striker’s house. They jumped the back fence, and Brigid picked the lock. From what Brigid remembered from the last time she was here, Striker doesn’t have a security system. That proved to be true as no alarms ever went off. Brigid went straight to work covering everything in alcohol, and Minerva went looking for his computer and phone. The place was really small and filled with papers. There was only one bedroom and bathroom and everything else was one big room. Minerva crept into his bedroom. He was sleeping soundly, his phone was on his nightstand, and his computer was on the lower shelf of the nightstand. Minerva grabbed both, crept out into the main area, and signaled to Brigid that she got them. Brigid began pouring a trail back to the back door. As soon as they were outside, Brigid took a lighter from her pocket and lit the trail while Minerva packed the computer and phone into her bag. The fire spread to the papers in a matter of seconds. With their jobs done, they booked it out of there as quickly as Minerva’s prosthetics would allow.

Once they were a far bit away from Striker’s neighborhood, they ducked into a back alley and took a moment to catch their breath. Brigid took the bottles out of her bag and threw them into the dumpster, and then they both took off and stuffed into their bags anything that might raise suspicions.

“That was intense.”, Minerva said. Her heart was pounding in her ears. “Brigid, you okay?”

Brigid had a face on that made Minerva think that she was regretting not murdering Striker. “He had yearbooks. Yearbooks from every middle school in n’ around da city. Yearbooks with little girls’ names highlighted, including Sunset’s!”, Brigid said in escalating volume.

“Shoosh, shoosh, we need ta be quiet, but damn, that’s creepy.”

Brigid covered her face and leaned against the wall for support. She was… crying. Minvera hadn’t seen Brigid cry since she lost her fertility. Minerva went over and hugged the crying woman. Brigid hugged her back with one of her spine crushing hugs. “Ah put her in so much dange’. Ah failed ‘er.”, Brigid said between sobs. Minerva could say nothing, partially because of the blaring sounds of emergency vehicles rushing by, but mainly because Minerva started crying herself. The realization of how easily they could mess up and put the girls in danger hit her like a wave. The two remained in the alley until they could compose themselves. They made their way back home as quickly as they could. They both just wanted to sleep. Just like on their way there, Minerva watched for cameras all the way.

Once they were back, Brigid took Minerva’s bag and hid it in the basement. Minerva walked upstairs to her room. Once in her room, Minerva stashed her boots in the back of the closet, put her phone on the nightstand, and then flopped onto the bed without even taking her legs off.

The next thing Minerva knew, it was morning. She hadn’t even gotten under the covers last night. Minerva looked over to the clock, and it said that it was past eleven. Shit. Minerva jumped out of bed and bolted to Emi’s room. Emi and Anura were both in there which calmed Minerva.

“Hey girls, do you know where Brigid is?”

“Mom’s asleep.”, Emi answered. “She drove Dad to work then went back to bed as soon as she got back.”

“Okay, that’s good.”, Minerva said with a yawn. She was tempted to wake Brigid up and ask her if she took care of the stuff but decided against it. She also decided against going to check if they were still in the basement. Brigid and Anzhong built all kinds of hiding spots into the walls and floors, and Minerva didn’t know where most of them were. Instead, Minerva decided just to go back to her room. Minerva flopped back onto the bed and pulled out her phone. Minerva checked to see if there was any news about what they did but couldn’t find anything. Not surprising. It’s only been ten hours.

Another hour passed before Minerva heard Brigid get up. Minerva hopped up and met Brigid outside her room.

“Hey, did you take care of the stuff?”

“Na, Ah actually wanted ya ta take a look at it first.” Minerva followed Brigid down to the basement, and Brigid pulled the bag out from a cubby under the table. Brigid put the bag on the table and pulled out the computer. “Ah want ya ta hack in n’ delete every‘hin’ from his cloud or whateve’ it’s called.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You can’t ever truly delete something if it’s in the cloud. There are copies upon copies all over the place, and if you know what you’re doing, you can find one of the copies and retrieve the information.”

“Den what do we do?”

“You said he was paranoid enough to not keep anything important anywhere other than his personal computer. That most likely means that he didn’t upload anything to the cloud.”

“Ah really hope y’re right.”

“I do too. Now, we need to toss those things into the ocean. That will destroy the hard drive and insure they’re never found.”

“Alright, Ah’ll do dat when Ah go ta pick up Anzhong.”

“Do you think he survived?”

“Ah honestly hope not.”

Canterlot Hospital
Date: July 5th, time: 1:30 am

*Jiraiya’s perspective*

Jiraiya hates night shifts. Not because he doesn’t like staying up late, he’s actually somewhat nocturnal himself, but because the crazy stuff always happens at night, and it seemingly gets worse the closer it gets to a full moon. Unfortunately, tonight’s a full moon, and the pattern continues with a fire victim, screaming about how all his proof was destroyed, being brought into the ER.

“What is he talking about?”, Jiraiya asked one of the paramedics.

“He says that he had proof that aliens were planning an invasion, and it was all burned in the fire.”

“Sir, sir, we need you to stop screaming. You inhaled a lot of smoke. You need to let your lungs and throat rest.”, Nurse Joy said.

“No, I will not stop! The aliens are here, and they’re going to take over the Earth!”

“Joy, please go get something to sedate him.”, Jiraiya ordered. Nurse Joy nodded then walked away. Until she got back, Jiraiya was going to try talking to the man. That might at least get him to stop screaming. “Sir, what do you mean by aliens?”

“I only know of one, but there has to be others. She’s a little girl, and she’s part alien.” He was talking normally now. That was good.

“What makes you believe that she’s an alien?”

“Her mother asked me to do some DNA testing on her. As I was doing that, I noticed some genes that do not belong to humans or anything else on Earth. They would have given her greatly enhanced senses, including night vision and bioluminescent eyes, and fangs.”

That caused Jiraiya’s hackles to rise. He knew exactly who he was talking about. That also let Jiraiya know what caused the fire, or more precisely, who.

Nurse Joy came back with the sedatives soon after and began administering it to the patient. The patient began to protect, saying that the aliens were trying to silence him, but Joy was able to administer the sedatives.

“Thank you, Joy. You’re one of a kind.”

“You got that right.”, the tan woman smugly replied.

Canterlot Hospital
Date: same day?, time: day time

*Striker’s perspective*

Striker woke up with a groan. The last thing he remembered was talking to an elderly Asian doctor. Striker tried to move but found himself restrained. “Hey! Is there anyone out there?!”, Striker called out. Soon, a nurse came in. “Why the hell am I restrained?! What’s going on?!”

“Sir, please calm down. This is for everyone’s safety. Once we’re sure that you’re not a threat to anyone, we’ll untie you.”

Striker slammed his head on his pillow with a huff. “Fine”

“Thank you. Dr. Katon will be in to see you shortly.”

“Brigid’s here?” Wait a minute. The fire happened after I told her I was taking the evidence to the authorities. Brigid set the fire!

“I don’t know any Brigid. His name is Dr. Jiraiya Katon.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The nurse left, and Striker spent the next several minutes fiddling around with the remote that somebody was kind enough to put where he could reach it. The doctor that came to meet Striker was the same one who he talked to last night.

“Dr. Jiraiya Katon, I presume.”

“You presume correctly. Now then, to get straight to the point, you have burns on your hands and legs, and you’ve also sustained smoke inhalation damage. The latter will clear up with some rest, so will your hands, but you will need skin grafts for your legs, but overall, you got out quite lucky.”

“I see. Say, are you by any way related to a woman named Brigid Katon?”

Dr. Katon closed the door to Striker’s room and then the curtains before answering. “Brigid is my daughter-in-law, and Sunset is my granddaughter. Brigid has called me and told me about you threatening her. I don’t care what you believe about her. I will not allow you to put my granddaughter in danger. Once your wounds are treated, you will be moved to a more appropriate facility to treat your mental disorders.”, Dr. Jiraiya said coldly.

“What?! You can’t do this to me! The aliens are coming, and your granddaughter is a spy for them!” Striker continued to scream and shout, trying to get anyone to hear him. Dr. Katon came closer and began injecting something into Strikers IV. “No! No! You can’t do thaaa-”

Canterlot Hospital
Date: same day, time: 8:00 am

*Jiraiya’s perspective*

Striker hit his pillow with a thud. Jiraiya quickly made notes in the patient’s charts and left the room. With the last of his rounds done, Jiraiya put his lab coat back and made his way back to his car. On his way there, Jiraiya noticed some cops talking to one of the desk nurses. His interest was peaked when one of them asked about the alien screaming lunatic. They were asking if they could talk with him. Wanting to save the nurses the trouble, Jiraiya answered them.

“He’s actually not. I had to give him another dose of sedatives as he began screaming again. We really can’t have him screaming in his condition.”

“Who are you?”, one of the officers asked.

“Doctor Jiraiya Katon, I work in the burn ward.”

“Okay, do you have any idea of when he’ll wake up?”

“It will not likely be for several hours. You can ask one of the nurses to give you a call when he does.”

“Okay, thank you, Doctor.”

Jiraiya exited out to the hospital parking lot. It was a cloudy morning but would clear up by noon. Once Jiraiya got into his car, he checked the back seat and footwell for any potential anyones. It was a habit he developed after leaving his doors unlocked when he went inside a gas station. He was just lucky enough to have noticed the man get into the car. Now, he planned on drilling that habit into the girls when they get old enough to drive. Immediately after, Jiraiya shot off a text to the rest of the family, explaining what happened. He soon got a reply from Anzhong.

Thank you for letting us know. Brigid, Minerva, and Sunset are all unlikely to get this for a while.

Ok

With that done, Jiraiya began his drive to his apartment. The drive back to his apartment was normally just twenty minutes, but the morning rush turned it into a forty-ish drive. Jiraiya’s apartment building wasn’t much to talk about, but it did have a buzzer system so that, unless you had a key, you had to be buzzed in. Jiraiya lived on the fourth floor, and the apartment itself was rather small. It could almost be called a loft, but there was a clear distinction between his room and the rest of the apartment.

Before Jiraiya could change out of his work clothes and make himself some breakfast, someone buzzed for him. “Hello?”

“Hi, Jiraiya.”

“What do you want, Jade?”

“I think I left one of my towels in your apartment. Can you let me in?”

“I recommend that you go see a doctor about your apparent onset of dementia.”

“You’re a doctor.”, Jade said in a sultry voice.

“Jade!”, Jiraiya growled angrily.

“Jiraiya, please?”

Jiraiya buzzed her in and unlocked his door. Jade was in the apartment within a minute. She was of Chinese descent and in her mid fifties. Her green hair was graying, and she had bright pink eyes. She was attractive for a woman her age, but unfortunately, her friendly personality was as skin deep as her looks.

“Now, grab your towel and leave.”

“Actually, I didn’t forget my towel. I just wanted to see you.”

Jade tried to wrap her arms around Jiraiya, but he pushed her back.

“And this is why I broke up with you. Now, leave.”

“Oh, you’re just hung up on Aoi. Give me a chance.”

“I gave you a chance. I gave you multiple, but each time, you proved just how manipulative you really are, and you’re doing it right now.”

“Oh, come o-”

“Out, Jade.”, Jiraiya commanded.

Jade began crying and ran out of Jiraiya’s apartment. Jiraiya locked his door and resumed his morning routine. He knew he would catch flak from his nosier neighbors about being cruel to that woman, but he couldn’t give a rat’s ass about it any more. He was just embarrassed that it took him a full year to boot her out.

Jiraiya flopped into bed and prayed to every Kami even remotely related to sleep that the cops don’t bring him into questioning until after he gets a full 8 hours.

Seaview road
Date: same day, time: 4:00 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid looked over the cliff and down to the crashing waters below. The place was beautiful, if not an acrophob’s worst nightmare. Brigid couldn’t say what the exact height was, but she could say that you wouldn’t survive. Despite the stunning view, this stretch of Seaview was rather desolate. This made it perfect for what Brigid was there to do.

In her arms, she held Striker’s computer and phone. Hopefully, the last remaining shreds of evidence to Sunset’s other worldly nature. Brigid pulled back and flung both into the water. They hit the jagged rocks, broke into a dozen pieces, then were swept away.

Brigid stepped back into her car and drove off. She still had about an hour to kill before she needed to pick up Anzhong. She decided that she would take care of dinner this time and drove to a fish and chips place down the road. It was a small mum and pop’s place, but they were good. They also sold milkshakes and other fried seafood items. Brigid nicknamed the place “heart attack” because absolutely nothing they sold was healthy. Either way, Brigid needed some comfort food.

Brigid pulled up to Seaview Seafood, got out of her car, and placed her order. Once the order was placed, Brigid went back into her car. Despite it being summer, the ocean air was cold. While she waited for her order, Brigid looked over the view of the ocean. The events of the last couple of days have been an emotional roller coaster. She was betrayed by someone she trusted, Sunset was put in danger, and she had to burn down his house. Brigid just hopes that was everything.

Canterlot Hospital
Date: same day, time: 5:00 pm

*Intel’s perspective*

Det. Intel Harvest stood watching as her partner, Det. Spark Plug, questioned Dr. Thunderstrike. Intel excelled in reading body language and picking up on small details, or at least, that’s how she explains it to anyone who asks her to explain. In reality, it was a feeling she would get. Maybe it was her subconscious picking up on these things, but that couldn’t explain everything. It took her a while to learn to trust her gut instincts, but now, it is the most powerful tool in her arsenal.

Spark was asking Dr. Thunderstrike about the fire. As soon as they got there, Dr. Thunderstrike immediately began accusing one Dr. Brigid Katon of setting the fire. He said that he had proof that her daughter was a threat to global security and she burned his house down to get rid of it. As crazy as it sounded, he was right about it being arson, and it was the only lead they had. Intel made a note to have uniforms bring them in and look for a computer in the house. He also told them that another Dr. Katon worked here, the grandfather. Intel made another note to have him brought in too. Spark asked Dr. Thunderstrike about what he remembered from that night.

“I was asleep by the time it started. I remember smelling smoke and hearing the fire alarm. Oh, and the back door was wide open. As I ran outside, my pants caught fire, and I had to roll on the ground and beat it out with my hands. After that, I ran to my neighbor’s house to get help.”

“Did you notice any suspicious characters hanging around the area?”, Spark asked.

“No, but I wasn’t exactly looking.”

“Understandable. Now, you said that a woman named Dr. Brigid Katon burned your house down because her daughter was a threat to global security. What kind of threat, and what makes you think she’s capable of doing that?”

“To answer your second question, look up the Mac Carthaigh clan massacre. Brigid was the only surviving member, and she once almost came to blows with a guard that turned out to be Platinum Wood, the taxidermy killer, because he scared her daughter. When I told her my suspicions, she, quite literally, threw me out of her house. I’m no psychologist, but it’s clear what has happened to her has made her extremely protective of her daughters. Most of my evidence was on my computer. Hopefully, the hard drive is still intact.”

“Okay, we’ll look into this.”

Intel finished her notes, and she and Sparks left Dr. Thunderstike’s room.

“So, whatcha get from the guy?”, Spark asked.

“He believes he’s telling the truth, but you heard what I did. I’ll have some unies bring the Katon family in tomorrow and look for the computer. You look for video surveillance.”

“You just like sticking me with the boring work, don’t ya?”

Katon family home
Date: July 6th, time: 8:00 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

“Sunset, you sound like a bag a’ popcorn.”, Emi proclaimed.

“I do not.”, Sunset said indignantly.

“Yes, you do. With all that popping and cracking your body does, Ah’m surprised you c’n sneak up on any one.”

“And yet, I’m better at stealth than you.”

“That’s as surprising to me as it is to you. On top of the popping, your eyes glow, and the gold in your hair is practically reflective and the rest of it is bright red. Oh, and on top of all that, you’re fat.”

“What?! I am not fat. I’m thicc, and this stuff means I can take more hits and I’m better at turning sisters into tomato paste.”

“Aaaahhhhh”, Emi screamed as Sunset started chasing her, followed by a barking Tomiju. While all this was going on, Brigid sat, drinking her coffee, and Anura wore headphones to drown out the noise.

Suddenly, Sunset and Emi came to a screeching halt, causing Tomiju to crash into them, and all the girls looked towards the front yard. Taking the cue, Brigid looked outside as well. At first, nothing was there, but soon, a police car came rolling up. In order not to tip her hand, Brigid mentally prepared herself to keep her snark in check. Once the officers knocked on the door, Brigid answered it. Into two officers were both Caucasian males. One was gangly and had blue hair and blue eyes. The other was rather muscular and had gray eyes and blond hair.

“C’n Ah help ya office’s?”

“Would you and your family please come down to the stations to answer some questions?”, the blond officer asked.

“Concernin’ what?”

“We are not at liberty to say.”, the blue-haired one said.

“Alright, let me jus’ take me niece back ta me siste’s house.”

“Does your sister live nearby?”, the blue-haired officer asked. Brigid pointed to Minerva’s house. “Ah, okay.”

Brigid closed the door behind her, and the girls had already gotten Anzhong, their stuff together, and Tomiju in her kennel. Anzhong took Anura back over to Minerva’s while Brigid got Sunset and Emi into the car and brought the car around. Once Anura was in her house, Anzhong, Ki, and Kiba hopped in the car, and the Katons and the cops drove to the station.

Canterville police station #4
Date: same day, time: 8:15 am

*Intel’s perspective*

“Hello, Mr. Katon. I am Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. Where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“Having intercourse with my wife.”

The suddenness and directness of his answer caused Spark to choke on his own saliva. “Chm, chm, okay um, what do you know about one Dr. Thunderstrike?”

“I know he works at the university as a genetics researcher, my wife asked him to test our oldest daughter’s DNA, and he recently threatened to report my daughter to the government for being an alien.”

“Excuse me, what do you mean by alien? Do you mean illegal immigrant?”

“No, I mean little green men. As a matter of fact, it was the fourth when he came to our home and began screaming that Sunset was the prelude to an invasion.”

Intel was thankful that Mr. Katon couldn’t see, with the way she and Spark looked at each other.

“Okay then, that will be all for now.”, Spark said. Intel escorted Mr. Katon out and signaled for the next one to come in. Dr. Brigid Katon was the next to come in, and let’s just say that Det. Intel now knows how she was able to literally throw Dr. Thunderstrike out.

“Hello, Dr. Katon. I am Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. Where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“Ah was havin’ intercourse with me husband. Ah c’n go inta detail if ya want?”

“No, no, that would not be necessary.”, Spark said quickly. Intel held her notepad over her face to cover her blush. “Now then, what do you know about Dr. Thunderstrike?”

“Let’s see, we both work in da Canterlot college science building, he tends ta hoard scientific papers n’ books ta da point dere was no place ta sit, his family is Jewish, but he’s an atheist-”

“I’m sorry Doctor. I was hoping you could narrow it down to more recent events.”

“Ya want ta know if Ah set da fire.”

“How did you know about the fire?”

“Me fathe’-in-law works in da burn unit. Now, Ah’m guessin’ me husband already told ya ‘bout his alien ramblings n’ him threatening me daughte’. Ta make it short, Ah asked him ta test me daughte’s DNA. We wanted ta know ‘er ethnicities. Somehow, he got it inta his head dat me daughte’ is an alien ‘ere ta take ove’ da world. If ya wanna ask any more questions ‘bout da DNA or da results, y’ll have ta ask Sunset. Now, me daughte’ is human n’ why would Ah need ta destroy his “evidence” f’r some‘hin’ so ridiculous?”

“I guess you wouldn’t. Dr. Thunderstrike mentioned that you were the only surviving member of an event known as the McCarthy clan massacre. What can you tell me about that?”

“F’r starters, ya spelt da name wrong. It’s M A C space C A R TH A I GH. Da event itself was when me fathe’s family murdered me mum’s family. Ah watched me brothe’ get his brains blown out by me uncle, n’ Ah had ta kill me uncle.”

Intel couldn’t see Spark’s face, but if she had to guess, it was not much different from her own terrified and shocked expression. “Th-that must have been very traumatic. I think that’s all, Doctor.” Dr. Katon got up and exited the interview room. The next one to enter was a little girl with red and gold hair escorted by a lawyer. The girl immediately seemed off to Intel. She sat too straight and looked too calm. She honestly looked like a soldier at attention.

“Hello sweetie, I’m Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. What’s your name?”, Spark asked in a sweet tone.

“Sunset Shimmer, the alien.” Her tone was even and cold.

“You have a different last name?”, Spark asked in his normal tone.

“I’m adopted. I opted to keep my name.”

“And before we get started, I want to make clear that my client is here as a courtesy and is under no obligation to answer any questions.”

“And you are?”

“Buck Withers”

“Okay then, now, Ms. Shimmer, where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“I don’t wanna talk to you. I want to talk to her.”, Sunset said while pointing to Intel. When she looked at Intel, it was like she was looking right through her. Like she knew everything about her in an instant.

“Me?” Sunset nodded. “Okay” Intel took the seat next to Spark. “Ms. Shimmer, where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“Playing video games”

“What were you doing up so late?”, Intel asked confusedly.

“I’m nocturnal, and it’s summer vacation.”

“Okay, did you see either of your parents leave that night?”

“Property or house?”

“Sunset, don’t be a smart ass.”, Mr. Withers said.

“It’s a ligament question.”, Sunset protested in that same cold tone.

“The property”, Intel clarified.

“No”

“Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”

“No”

“Your parents both mentioned that they had your DNA tested. Would you mind telling us what those results were?”

“Japanese, Roman, Greek, and British isles mix, mainly Scottish.”

“Do you believe your parents are capable of committing a crime like arson or murder if it meant protecting you?”

“Don’t answer that.”, Mr. Withers interjected.

“If you ask me, I’d say that idiot burned down his own house. My mother told me about how many paper articles and books he had everywhere when she visited him in the past. Now that sounds like a fire waiting to happen, and he’s so paranoid that he thinks we did it.”

“How much of the situation are you aware of?”

“I was right outside the door when he made those threats to my mother. I got my grandfather’s text telling us what happened. I know everything.”

“I see. Have you ever been in a police interview before?”

“Don’t-”, Mr. Withers tried to say.

“I know what I’m doing.”, Sunset interrupted. The coldness in her voice even surprised Mr. Withers. “Yes, I have. I was there to identify the taxidermy killer. I was witness to his first murder.”

That shocked Intel and Spark, but they both kept their professional masks on. “That’s all for now.”, Spark said.

Intel got up to let Sunset out and let in the younger sister. Mr. Withers stayed.

“Hello sweetie, I’m Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. What’s your name?”, Spark asked in that sweet tone again.

“Emi Katon”, she said to Spark. “Hey, you’re like me.”, she said to Intel.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.”

“No, I mean, what do you mean by I’m like you?”

“Psychic”

“Can we get on with the interview?”, Spark asked.

“Okay”, Emi said in a joyful tone. Her tone was much more like what Intel expected from a kid, if not exact. This made Intel even more curious about Sunset’s behavior.

“What were you doing on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“I was asleep. Although, I might have gone to the bathroom during that time, but I wasn’t exactly looking at the clock. You can run my alibi by my cousin, Anura. She can be woken up by a fart and is a crap liar.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. Did you notice anything strange that night?”

“Oh yeah, there was a ghost in our house.”

“A ghost?”

“Yeah, it was in my parents room. I only heard it as I was going to the bathroom, but there was all kinds of moaning and groaning coming from my parents room.”

Every adult in the room had to stifle their laughter. “Okay, that’s all for now.”, Spark said.

Intel led Emi and Mr. Withers out and let in the last interviewee, Dr. Jiraiya Katon.

“So Dr. Katon, where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“At work, I work in the burn unit in Canterlot hospital, yawn. Sorry, I just got off shift, and this is normally when I go to bed. I received Dr. Thunderstrike as a patient at around one thirty in the morning. When I got him, he was screaming about all his evidence being destroyed and alien invitations. We had to sedate him so we could treat him. Over a couple dozen nurses, janitors, other doctors, and patients can attest that I, nor my car, left the hospital between twelve to eight.”

“What did you do after you left the hospital?”

“I texted my family about who came in and then went straight home.”

“Can you show me the texts?”

“I’m afraid that you would need a warrant for that.”

“Why? If you don’t have anything to hide, it won’t be a problem to let us see it.”

Dr. Katon gave Spark a glare that could melt him. “I am a man of color and an immigrant to this country, and police like to make a mountain out of a molehill. You could take something I said out of context and use it to incriminate me. Your mother should be ashamed that her son is using such deceitful tactics as an officer of the law. Are we done here?”

“No, not quite. Do you believe that your son or daughter-in-law are capable of arson?”

“Anyone can burn down a house.”

“Do you believe they set fire to Dr. Thunderstike’s house?”

“No”

“Do you know where your son was last night?”

“Although I am his father, I have long since stopped being apprised of where he is every hour of every day.”

“Okay, that’s all… for now.”

Intel escorted Dr. Katon out, and she and Spark went over to their desks.

“So, what do you think?”, Spark asked.

“Mr. and Dr. Katon are definitely lying that they were having sex, and so was Emi. They also seemed to be avoiding certain questions. Like when Dr. Brigid Katon said “why would I need to destroy his “evidence” for something so ridiculous”, she never said “no”.”

“True, but that would hinge on the older daughter being an alien.”

“The way Sunset was acting, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever seen a soldier at attention? She was acting like that instead of a kid.”

“That is strange.”

“Dr. Thunderstrike’s sudden decline into madness is also strange. From my interviews with his family and other colleagues, they said he had no prior mental health concerns, other than being a borderline hoarder. What kind of accelerant did you say was used?”

“Rubbing alcohol, not exactly hard to get.”

“Wait, Emi said that her cousin was staying with her.”

“Didn’t the unies say that their niece was with them when they went to pick them up? I’ll go ask them about it, and we might be able to talk to the aunt.”

“Sounds good”

The aunt’s house
Date: same day, time: 9:30 am

*Intel’s perspective*

“They live right across the street from each other. Why not just move in together?”

“Spark, there is a big difference between living together and living near each other.”

“Says the woman whose entire family lives on the same block.”

“It takes a village.”, Intel said while shrugging her shoulders.

“Let’s just go up there.”

Spark and Intel exited the car and walked up the walkway. It was a nice yard, if a bit unkempt. In addition to the step, there was a ramp leading to the porch. Soon after Spark rang the doorbell, a white woman with black and purple hair and green eyes opened the door.

“Can I help you with something?”

“Hello, I’m Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. We would like to ask you a few questions Ms?”

“Minerva Reads. Please, come right on in.”

The house was a bit small. There was a greeting area then the kitchen and dining room to your immediate right and stairs going down past a closet and to the left. The kitchen had an archway leading to the greeting area and the dining room had an archway leading to the living room. There was a straight path from the greeting area to the living room. Once in the living room, you could see a hallway leading to some rooms. The house had some pictures, clay art, and hanging plants scattered about. Minerva led them to the living room and motioned for them to sit down. Harvest’s eye was immediately caught by the folded up wheelchair in the corner.

“If you’re wondering whose that is, it’s mine.”, Minerva said.

“You seemed to be walking just fine.”, Spark commented.

“On some days, I can, on some days, I can’t, and on some days, I just don’t have legs.” Minerva put one of her feet on the coffee table and lifted up her pant leg, revealing it to be prosthetic. Spark and Intel were both left speechless. “I lost them while clearing out a minefield. I ended up stepping on one. I was told that I was sent flying and ended up landing on my head. I still can’t remember the six months preceding that. I had to learn that my legs were gone and relearn that a good chunk of my platoon was dead on the same day. Hell, I thought that I lost my legs in the explosion that killed my platoon.”

“That is… very sad to have happened to you. Where were you on July fourth from one am to two pm?”

“I was staying over at my sister’s house, the one right across the street. We watched the fireworks then went inside to go to bed.”

“So, you were there all night?” Minerva nodded her head. “Did you see your sister or brother-in-law leave after you went inside?” Minerva shook her head. “Okay, um, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you look absolutely nothing like your sister. Was she adopted into your family after her family was killed?”

“It was the reverse actually. There are absolutely no legal documents anywhere that state we are sisters. We’re surrogate sisters. After I came back, I was really messed up, and my parents are drug addicts, and I had no other family. Brigid and I met in college, but we didn’t become close until after I came back. Brigid was the only person to help me, and she brought me into her new family. Now, I have a new father, sister, brother, two wonderful nieces, and my own daughter.”

“I take that to mean that you are very protective of your family. What would you do if someone threatened them?”

“I did not set the fire, and I know that’s what you were saying because I also received Jiraiya’s text.”

“May I see the text?”

“No, and don’t try the “if you don’t got anything to hide” stik. I ain’t new to this.”

“Okay then, may I speak with your daughter?”

“She was long asleep by one am. You won’t get anything out of her you don’t already know.”

“Still”

“Uhg, Anura, can you come out here?”, Minerva called. A little girl that looked almost like Minerva came out of a room and down the hall. She immediately stiffened up upon seeing Spark and Intel. “Anura, these are Det. Harvest and Det. Plug. They want to ask you some questions.”

“Okay”, Anura said hesitantly. She came over and sat on her mother’s lap.

“Where were you on July fourth from one am to two am?”

“I was asleep by then.”

“Were you woken up at any point during the night?”

“If I was, I don’t remember. I rarely remember those times, unless I was up for several minutes.”

“Okay, did you notice anything strange that night?”

“What is considered strange by your definition is extremely different from mine.”

“Okay, what about that night would be considered strange by my definition?”

“My whole family”

“Okay, what about that night would be considered strange by your definition?”

“Nothing, we watched the fireworks, then I went to bed.”

“Okay then, that’s all for now.”, Spark said then he and Intel got up and exited the house. “What’d you think?”

“Neither of them lied about anything, but Minerva did shake her head instead of responding verbally. The body wouldn’t respond if that was a lie, and that was the only time she didn’t verbally respond.”

“So, Anzhong, Brigid, and Minerva are all lying about where they were the night of the fire.”

“That doesn’t mean that they set the fire. All it means is that they were doing something that they don’t want us to know about. They could have been having an orgy for all we know.”

“Seriously, why would you use an orgy as your example?”, Spark questioned, alarmed.

“It’s the least illegal, yet still embarrassing, thing I could think of. Let’s talk with some of the neighbors while we’re here.”

“Yeah, about that, does that house look abandoned to you?”, Spark asked while pointing to the house to the right of the Katon house.

“You’d be surprised what people are willing to live in, but I would ask one of the neighbors before we go over there.”

Spark and Intel walked across the street to the house left of the Katon’s. Spark knocked, and stomping could soon be heard. The man who answered was old and grizzled, and his face was badly scarred. He was about the same height as Spark, but his demeanor made him look bigger.

“What do you want?”, the man asked in a gruff, demanding voice.

“Hello, I’m Det. Plug, and this is Det. Harvest. We would like to ask you some questions Mr?”

“I am Staff Sergeant Buck Mathew Shot, and you will address me as Sergeant Shot.”, Sergeant Shot bellowed. The verbal lashing almost made it seem like Sergeant Shot grew or made Spark shrink.

“Ye-yes sir, Sergeant Shot.”, Spark stammered out.

“Now, what kind of questions?”, Sergeant asked in a slightly less bellowing tone.

“What do you know about the Katons?”

“Honey! There are some people who are asking questions that you’re better equipped to handle!”, Sergeant Shot called into the house.

“Coming”, a female voice called back. The woman who came out was much softer looking and was smiling, unlike her husband. “Hello, how can I help you?”

“What can you tell us about the Katons?”

“Oh, they are a nice bunch. The parents moved in almost a decade ago, fixed up that dilapidated place. It is sad what happened to the previous owner, but life must go on. They had their younger daughter a couple years after they moved in and adopted their older daughter almost three years ago. They used to have these Thanksgiving and Christmas parties but had to stop them once their younger daughter got cancer, poor little girl.”

“Did either of you see anything strange on the night of July fourth?”

“No”, Sergeant Shot said.

“We were in our basement until the fireworks stopped, then went straight to bed.”, Mrs. Shot said.

“Okay, last question. The house on the other side of the Katon’s house, does anyone live there?”

“The place was a meth lab over twenty years ago and has since been condemned. If anyone was living there, they’re not supposed to.”, Sergeant Shot said.

“Okay, that’s all for now.” Spark was turning to leave when Sergeant Shot reached out and grabbed him by the shirt.

“Hold it! Did your mother not teach you any manners, or are you just blatantly disrespecting her?”, Sergeant Shot bellowed.

“Sir, this is ‘assault on an officer’. Release me, or I will arrest you.”, Spark commanded, but Sergeant Shot didn’t waver.

“When someone answers your questions, you’re supposed to say ‘thank you’.”, Sergeant Shot said in a tone that was between a bellow and a growl.

“Unhand me!” Spark began to reach for his gun.

“Dude, just say ‘thank you’! He probably eats bullets for breakfast!”, Intel shouted. The shouting had already earned them some attention with people, including Katons, coming out of their homes, some with guns.

Spark looked between Sergeant Shot and Intel before turning back to Sergeant Shot. “Thank you for your time, Sergeant Shot.”, Spark said. The way he said ‘thank you’, it was almost like it was an alien word.

Sergeant Shot let Spark go and nodded. “That’s better, and you’re welcome.”

Spark straightened his shirt and glared at Sergeant Shot. Sensing the testosterone spillover, Intel grabbed Spark’s arm and yanked him back to the car. As they left, the neighbors that had come out began defensively circling in on the Shots. Once they got to the car, Intel shoved Spark into the passenger side then hopped into the driver side and drove off. They both stayed silent until they were off that street.

“You just about shot a man who just wanted a ‘thank you’.”, Intel said matter-of-factly.

“He was assaulting me.”, Spar said defensively.

“He grabbed your shirt. He never even raised his other hand. You were gabbing for your gun.”

“My point still stands.”

“This is why everyone hates you. You never say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ or ‘please’. What’s up with that?”

“Saying such things is a sign of weakness.”

“You know why small dogs are noisier than big dogs? It’s because they need to make up for their lack of physical strength by being louder. That’s what you’re doing. You’re compensating for your weakness by saying that being polite is a sign of weakness and being a jackass. I’m willing to bet that Sergeant Shot is a very polite man in everyday life.”

“Your analogy is flawed, and he was the one shouting.”

“He’s an ex-drill sergeant. I saw a picture of him in uniform behind him. That’s why he was shouting.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

“I’m going to take you to meet someone.”

Shot’s house
Date: same day, time: 9:45 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid, Anzhong, Sunset, Minerva, and several other neighbors rushed out of their homes with their weapons when they heard shouting. They saw Detectives Harvest and Plug in a face off with the Shots. Once the two walked off, several of them went over to the Shots to check on them. Now, they were all having an impromptu meeting to discuss the situation. Of the people in attendance, Brigid recognized Fiddly Twang, a blue haired woman from Vietnam whose family moved to the US when she was one; Tall Order, another lawyer; Star Hunter, a construction worker; Burning and Juno Heart, married c-list actresses at Canterlot Studios; and Buzz Cut, a new comer to the neighborhood.

Brigid gave everyone a rundown on who they were and why they were here, then the Shots gave a rundown of what happened earlier.

“You grabbed a guy for not saying ‘thank you’.”, Fiddly said.

“People need to be taught discipline and respect.”

Fiddly was about to protest, but was stopped by Tall. “Don’t even bother. He’s more bull-headed than a minotaur and possibly has dementia.” He’s Equestrian counterpart is probably a minotaur.

“I do not have dementia, but you’re right about the bull-headed thing.”

“We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to worry about the cops. If anyone has anything of questionable legality, they should hide it.”, Burning said while looking at Star.

“I’ll have you know that I have permits for all my explosives.”

“So do we, but we’re still hiding everything.”, Anzhong said.

“You have explosives?”, Juno asked Anzhong.

“Blowing stuff up is fun.”, Anzhong said nonchalantly.

“I think everyone gets the idea.”, Minerva said. “We should all go back home before someone ends up revealing that they're a drug dealer.”

A couple people chuckled at that and everyone started filing out.

“Given dat ya two boarder our property, is dere any‘hin’ we c’n help ya with?”

“Thank you, Brigid, but we’re good.”, Rosie answered.

Brigid nodded and left the house with everyone else. As they were leaving, Buzz came up to them.

“Hi, I just wanted to say that if you need something, don’t be afraid to ask me.”

“Oh, thank ya.”, Brigid said.

“Yeah, I do have a question though.”

“Shoot”

“Where did your daughter get that beautiful gold in her hair? I don’t mean to intrude, but um-”, Buzzed stopped, realizing what he was implying.

“The mailman”, Sunset said bluntly.

Embarrassment spread across Buzz’s face before he practically ran off, and Brigid and Anzhong began laughing.

“Hehehe, now, where’d ya learn that?”

“I actually am a bastard child. My parents weren’t even dating when I was conceived, and I was old enough to remember when they got married. Although, that’s not considered a problem in Equestria, unlike here.”

“Oh”, Brigid said.

“Let’s go home. It’s already been a long day.”, Anzhong said.