A Certain Magical Sunset

by Babroniedad

Rating: teen
Tags: Vice-Principal Luna, Thriller, Science Fiction, Suicide / Self Harm, Non-consensual, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Crossover, Sunset Shimmer, Main 7 (EqG), Violence, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Principal Celestia, Death, Human
Length: 188318

Life is Bigger, Wilder, and More Wonderful than They ever Imagined! A Certain Scientific Railgun Crossover.

School over, their friendships stronger then ever in the aftermath of the fiasco that was Anon-a-Miss, the girls get their first real look at their World, and Universe beyond CHS and Canterlot. It's bigger, wilder, and more wonderful then they ever imagined...

The goddesses of creation have found their champions - Two Sisters from another Mister, fresh from the memories of their battles to overcome their own demons, bound by their love for one another, their friends, and their desire to help others overcome their darkness.

This story is a cross-over between the Shimmering Hearts verse from Six Friends One Heart, and the magical wild verse from A Certain Scientific Railgun and it's companion stories. The insane magic in Railgun, psychic and otherwise, along with the intrigue, drama, and friendships in those stories made this a natural fit with Shimmering Hearts.

Please note that it is not necessary to read the prequel to enjoy this story, though it does provide some background for the setting and characters.

Published 2022-08-29 23:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-10-01 20:21:32 UTC

A Certain Magical Sunset - Prologue - 02 - Twilight - Twilight Remembers

Prologue - Mind Blown

Twilight - Twilight Remembers

Twilight sat down at her desk with a sigh. It was one year ago today that her beloved pet and friend Spike had died defending her from yet another magically supercharged psychopathic teen hell-bent on world domination.

She took out her magical journal and began writing.

Sci-Twi: Hey Princess, are you there?

Princess Twilight: What? No Hi other me? What’s wrong, why so serious?

Sci-Twi: I miss Spike. Today’s the anniversary of his death. It was one year ago today he died saving me from yet another monster powered by Equestrian magic.

Princess Twilight: Oh, Twilight! I am so sorry! I can only imagine how you feel. Is there anything I can do?

Sci-Twi: You’re already doing it. I just need a friendly ear to share with. Thanks, Twilight for being my friend.

Princess Twilight: Anytime Twilight. And always! I will always be your friend. Just like Sunset. You know how much she loves you.

Sci-Twi: I know… If it weren’t for Sunset, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it. Spike was my little buddy. He was there for me through everything. When I lost him, I lost a huge part of myself. But Sunset was there for me through that too, just like when I lost myself to Equestrian magic.

Princess Twilight: She never could see anyone suffer without helping. Especially not any of her friends, and most especially you! She has the Makers Heart! Since she turned her life around she’s one of the most sensitive and caring mares I’ve ever known. And, she’s darn lucky to have you.

Sci-Twi: It’s her empathy, she sees people where they are and can’t help but want to help them. She’s such a kind heart! It’s one of the many things I love about her, and I’m darn lucky to have her too! She really is my BFF.

Do you know, after Spike died she stayed with me the entire time I was grieving? Principal Celestia gave me a week off to grieve with my family. Sunset asked for the week off to be with us the whole time. She gave me space when I really needed to be alone, but the moment my thoughts were turning dark or I needed someone to talk with, she was right there by my side. She read me like a book. Knowing her gift, maybe she really did? But however she did it, it was exactly what I needed. Knowing how much she cared helped me let go of Spike and wish him happiness in eternity. She even came to his grave with me every time I went and stayed back so I could have the moments I needed alone in my grief. When I was ready she was right there, her hand on my shoulder, tears in her eyes sharing my pain. Knowing that she knew how much I was suffering and that she was suffering with me, I fell in love with her all over again.

Princess Twilight: Are you ever going to tell her how you feel? You know she loves you too, right?

Sci-Twi: I know. At least I think I know. It’s scary! I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to scare her off. Are you saying she told you she loves me?

Princess Twilight: No. And even if she did, I couldn’t share that. But I don't need to! Anyone who spends even a few moments with the two of you can see how much you love each other.

Sci-Twi: If you say so. I’m still scared. I don’t want to lose her. She really has filled my soul with peace and happiness. I’m sure Spike would approve, he did adore her. I hope I get to see him again! Everyone keeps telling me that animals don’t have immortal souls, but I pray they are all wrong! I still miss my little buddy and want to see him with all my heart.

Princess Twilight: I don’t know about animals and immortal souls, but I can say this. Even if that were true, In my heart of hearts I know Spike was special. I can’t imagine him not waiting for you in Elysium right now, just begging for the chance to tell you everything he’s getting into. You wait, you’ll see him again! I’d bet my life on it.

Sci-Twi: Thanks Twilight! I really hope so, and hearing you say that makes me even more hopeful. You really are a dear friend! Thanks!

Princess Twilight: Always happy to help, other me. Sorry! One of us had to say it, right? ;-P I love you, and tell Sunset I love her too! And tell her you love her yourself! Don’t keep her guessing. I know in my heart she loves you too, you have nothing to fear. Tell her, please?

Sci-Twi: I will. Someday. I’ll know when the time comes. Thanks, Twilight!

Princess Twilight: Anytime! Always here for you, anything you need just ask. Take care Twilight!

Twilight smiled and shut the journal. She felt peace again, it was such a blessing to have such caring friends in her life.

The gates of Elysium, one year ago today

Confused, Spike looked out at the rolling fields, ponies frolicking throughout them. A large alicorn broke off from their play and trotted towards him.

“Is this Equestria?” asked Spike as she approached. “If it is, what am I doing here? The last thing I remember is jumping into a beam of magic headed for Twilight, and then stars and light and now I’m here. I thought when dogs died they just died? I’m still a dog, right?” He looked himself over. Yup, still a dog.

The alicorn laughed and smiled. Her laughter was like the tinkling of a thousand bells, and one of the happiest sounds Spike had ever heard. He wagged his tail in delight. “Yes Spike, you’re still a dog. And regardless of what happens to dogs, you are here.”

In a flash of Teal magic, she switched to her angelic form and bent over to scratch under his chin. His tail thumped madly, his eyes closed in bliss.

“I don’t know who this person is, but I really really like her right now!” he thought happily.

“We’ve never been introduced, but I’ve been watching you with affection your entire life. You, Spike, are the very definition of a good dog!” the angelic lady said. Spike beamed with pride and pleasure. The angel continued, “Welcome to Elysium, Spike! I'm Faust, Sunset’s great-many-times grandmother. And you my dear soul, are what we call soul-touched. When you came into contact with Equestrian magic, it sparked your soul to a level of self and other awareness. That granted you sentience. And that caused your soul to become immortal, the same as any other sentient being. Which, my dear dog is why you are here. You get to stay here for eternity with us, and eventually Twilight and her dear friends. Does that sound good to you, Spike?”

“Does it! Oh boy yeah! Is she here yet? When do I get to see her?” Spike jumped up and down in joy.

“Not yet, my dear Spike. In time, when she is ready, she will appear. In the meantime, I have some important work for you that will help her and her friends. Would you be interested in that?” asked Faust.

Spike jumped up, placing his forepaws on her knees. “Would I! Heck yes! I’ll do anything to help Twilight!”

Faust scooped Spike up into a hug. “You’re such a pure and perfect soul! I know you will. Come! Join the herd, we’ll share this adventure together.” Transforming in a Teal flash of magic back to her alicorn form, she gathered her beloved friend Spike in her forehooves and flew off towards the waiting herd. Setting him down gently they frolicked and played together in the fields of Elysium, waiting for the day when Spike would once again work tirelessly for his beloved Twilight, and be reunited with her once again to his heart’s delight.

Friends remembered and cherished are never truly gone - The Celestial Teachings

A Certain Magical Sunset - Prologue - 03 - Sunset - Mind Blown

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 01 - Sunset - The Truth is Revealed

The First Act - Worlds of Magic

Sunset - The Truth is Revealed

Thursday, August 14 - 12:35 PM Canterlot time

Almost immediately, Sunset got a reply from Rainbow Dash. “It wasn’t Trixie was it? Because if it was, you know that’s not real magic, right?”

Sunset laughed. “No Dash, it wasn't Trixie. And I think I know the difference between her shows and real magic. This was like Equestrian battle magic. Definitely the real deal. We need to meet up,” she texted the group back.

“When you say ‘we’ dear, do you mean us? Or the group you just met?” texted Rarity.

“Actually both,” replied Sunset. “But now, I need to meet with all of you to discuss what I saw. Can you all make it to my place for dinner tonight? Say a potluck, I’ll supply the main dish. Veggie casserole sound good?”

After some back and forth it was agreed. Everyone would meet at the Royal house for dinner and a discussion of what had just happened.

Sunset waited at the dining room table for her friends. She’d prepared the usual collection of snacks and drinks, ready for the girls when they arrived. Celestia and Luna had taken advantage of the chance for an evening out and were off at the movies together, giving Sunset and the girls some time alone.

The doorbell rang. Rolling out to the entryway, Sunset opened the door to find Rarity and Fluttershy waiting. “Come on in! You’re the first ones here,” greeted Sunset as she backed out of the way to let them in. “Snacks and drinks are on the table. Help yourselves!”

They entered, and Fluttershy took Rarity's and her sweaters and hung them on the hooks by the door, then followed Sunset back to the dining room table. Sitting on either side of her, they prepared plates of light snacks while Sunset poured them both glasses of iced tea. “So Darling, quite the interesting development you’ve informed us of. Though we should probably wait for the rest of the girls before speaking about it, I confess though I am absolutely dying of curiosity! So, otherwise, how have you been? Keeping busy? Life has been treating you well?” smiled Rarity.

“Life’s been good! Thanks for asking!” grinned Sunset, “And yes, definitely been keeping busy. I’ve asked Mr. Namori for more shifts now that I don’t have school to keep me occupied. And of course the shelter and orphanage have been happy for the extra attention, so no shortage of ways to keep busy!”

Fluttershy smiled. “The animal shelter’s very happy with the arrangement you made for the pets to visit the orphanage. The children are so good with the animals, and the animals are very happy to have someone to play with. We’re definitely going to make the visits a regular thing. Thank you for setting those up!”

“Happy to do it, Fluttershy! Anything that brings a smile to those kids' faces lights up my day,” answered Sunset, squeezing Fluttershy’s hand. “Thanks for arranging with the shelter to make it happen.”

Fluttershy nodded, smiling shyly. Outside, a car door slammed loudly, followed by loud laughter. “Sounds like the rest of the crew’s here! Be right back,” Sunset said as she rolled back down the hall to answer the door.

The doorbell rang as Sunset opened the door. “Wow, that was fast!” quipped Rainbow Dash. “I didn’t even get my hand off the doorbell and you had it open.”

Sunset laughed. “Seriously Dash, we could hear you from all the way in the back of the house! You may be the fastest girl on the planet, but stealth is definitely not your forte,” she snarked. “Come on in, girls! We’re enjoying some snacks in the dining room.” Sunset started down the hall, Rainbow trailing behind her.

Applejack was about to shut the door when a voice called out. “Wait up! Just a second!” Slightly out of breath and her glasses askance, Twilight got to the door, hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. “I saw you getting out of the car, so ran from the bus stop to catch you. One sec!”

Catching her breath, she put a hand to her chest and took a slow deep breath. “Much better! Okay, coming in. Thanks!” She entered and Applejack shut the door behind her. Together they walked down the hall and joined the rest of the girls at the dining room table.

“Where’s Pinky?” asked Sunset as the girls sat down.

“Right here, silly!” called out Pinkie’s voice from the kitchen.

“What the heck?” said Sunset, wheeling into the kitchen. There was Pinky, placing a tray of cupcakes into the oven. “Pinky! When did you get here? I didn’t see you come in.”

“Hiya Sunny! Just a sec. Need to warm these up a bit before we put them out.” Turning on the oven, Pinky set the timer then turned to Sunset. “I was right behind Rarity and Fluttershy! I had a few trays of snacks to bring in, so I just waited until you were all done, then brought them into the kitchen. Sorry. It's hard to say hi and give hugs with bags in your mouth and trays in your arms.” She laughed as she bent over and gave her friend a hug.

“No worries girl! I’m just glad you made it! ” Sunset hugged her back. “Need a hand with anything?”

“Nope! Got it covered. I’ll bring the tray in for everyone as soon as they’re warmed.”

“Well come on in and have a seat while you wait,” said Sunset, taking Pinkie's hand. “Might as well get started, and I’m sure you’ll hear the bell just fine.”

“Okey dokey lokey!” answered Pinky. She happily skipped in place beside Sunset as they returned to the dining room.

“Look who I found!” Sunset laughed as they entered. “I guess we can get started now.”

Pinky took a seat with the rest of the girls who all looked expectantly to Sunset as she wheeled to her place at the table.

“Okay, first off… yeah. Bombshell revelation, we’re not alone. I ran into another group of magic users while at work. Okay, actually two groups. One group was battling the other, both with magic, which is how they noticed me. I used a magical shield when they accidentally threw something at me, which kind of got me noticed. So, yeah. Apparently magic has actually been a thing for a loooong time, and there are actually warring groups attempting to control it, the world, each other, whatever. I didn’t get much detail from the girl that briefly chatted with me, but that’s the gist of it.” Sunset summarized.

The bell went off in the other room. Hearing it, Pinky left to go get the cupcakes.

“Epic!” grinned Rainbow. “I wish I could have been there! How awesome is that! A magical battle with mages! Man! I can’t WAIT to be part of that!”

Twilight looked a bit less thrilled. “Battle magic? So their magic was fairly powerful, right? Battle level, as in battle mages? Yeah, I really don’t think I would like to be part of that. Thanks.” She shook her head. “I know we’ve been able to take down everything we faced so far, but this sounds like another level entirely. And world domination? Groups of battling mages? Yeah, we’re not even close to that level. Count me out, thanks.”

Rarity took Twilight's hand. “Darling, as daunting as it does indeed sound, I’m sure as long as we stand together, nothing bad will happen to us. Our friendship will overcome anything.”

Applejack pushed her hat back. “I hear ya there Rares, but while ah share your optimism, ah do think Twilight here has a good point. We really don’t have that level of experience with our magic. Ah’d really rather not be in any battle type situations, not without some serious training and practice. Honestly, ah’d rather avoid it all together if ah had the chance.”

Sunset nodded. “I’d have to agree with you there, AJ. There’s no way I’d want to face the level of magic I saw getting tossed around in that fight, and definitely no way I’d want any of you girls in the middle of that, especially at our current level of experience. We’d be sitting like ducks, I think the phrase is.”

The girls all nodded.

“So what is the plan then?” asked Twilight. “Do we have a plan to face any groups looking to cause trouble? You must have given this some thought.”

Sunset looked pensive. “I have. Short answer, we’re going to have to train and get more proficient with our magic now that we know there are other groups of magic users out there. More to the point, now that we know there are other groups out there that now know about us. They may also be bent on stealing magical artifacts and possibly magic from others. It’s really just a matter of time until we need to defend ourselves again and everyone we love.”

“You got that right! No way we’d leave anyone hanging!” agreed Rainbow. The rest of the girls nodded in assent.

“I really don’t know much about the groups that were fighting. I tried searching the internet, but aside from fanciful stories and clearly fictional accounts, there really doesn’t seem to be much of anything out there about them. It seems we’ll just have to wait until the group I spoke with gets back in touch with us, then we can ask all our questions and find out just what we’re up against.” Sunset sighed. “I’ve no way of contacting them though. I would definitely recognize them if I saw them again. That Kaori girl leading them was definitely unique. I guess we just wait for them to make the first move.”

“Dear, I’m sure they won’t wait too long to make contact. They clearly now know about us, so they likely have questions for us, probably as much as we have for them. They’ll likely reach out to you sooner rather than later,” mused Rarity. “Not to mention, as they know the other groups also know of our existence, they’ll surely wish to bring us over before that other group tries to either take us on, or in.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Rarity. I just wish I had a better idea of who we are up against, and when we might have to face another group of hostile magic users,” added Sunset. “I never have been particularly good at the waiting part.”

Applejack laughed. “No, not a bit. But then again, who is? So we wait.”

Sunset smiled and nodded. “So we wait. But in the meantime, let me tell you exactly what happened and what they said, so you have a better idea of what is going on.” She then related exactly what had happened in the alley behind the mall shops.

The girls chatted among themselves while snacking as Twilight followed Sunset back into the kitchen. Sunset loaded the casserole into the oven to start baking, setting the timer on the oven.

“So, any idea how they will contact you? And anything I can do to help you out in the meantime?” asked Twilight.

“No idea, though I’d imagine it would be in person. We didn’t have a chance to swap phone numbers or anything.”

There was a knock at the door. “I wonder who that could be? We’re all here.” Sunset rolled out to the front door with Twilight in tow.

Opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of the Mage she had spoken with from the battle behind the mall. She was still wearing the same jacket and those bizarre pants, with one full pant leg and one cutoff. ‘Must be some kind of uniform or something,’ mused Sunset to herself.

“Oh wow! I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon!” greeted Sunset as she rolled back out of the way. “We were just talking about you. Kaori, right? Come on in!”

“Thank you. I will,” answered the girl as she stepped into the entryway then shut the door behind her. “I figured you’d want to talk as soon as possible, and likely have questions. I know I do. I saw several cars in the driveway, so I assume your friends are here as well?”

“Yup! We’re all talking in the dining room. Follow me,” answered Sunset before rolling down the hall.

Twilight smiled, bowing slightly in greeting, then waved the girl forward. Returning her smile, Kaori bowed and followed Sunset down the hall, Twilight following behind her.

“Hey everyone! I guess we don’t have to wait as long for answers as I thought. I’d like you all to meet Kaori. She was one of the mages I was telling you about. She’s the one I spoke with at work earlier,” announced Sunset as she rolled up to her place at the dining room table.

“Please, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable!” she added to Kaori, smiling.

Taking a seat with the girls, she smiled and nodded in greeting. “Pleased to meet you all. My name is Kaori Kanzaki, and I’m a saint with the Necessarius of the Church of England.” Pouring herself a glass of the iced tea, she continued. “I am sure you all have questions for me. I know I have several for all of you. I’ll do my best to answer all your questions.”

“Thank you dear. That’s most appreciated,” answered Rarity, smiling back. “I’ll start. You mentioned something about being part of a church. So, churches have magic? This is all news to us. We seriously thought we were the only group of magic users, except for a few misplaced brigands that we have had the misfortune to deal with.”

“I’d really like to hear your stories about that.” answered Kaori. “And I really need to get a good read on the level and types of magic you’re all capable of using. It sounds like we might be able to help each other. I think your goals and ours align fairly well.” Taking a sip of her tea, she continued. “About the churches. Not all the churches you know of have magic users. But the major churches do, and for the most part, we work together to keep the world safe. I am with Necessarius, of the Church of England. We work to stop those who would abuse magic by attempting to control or harm others. We also work with other world churches when needed.”

Sunset nodded. “I noticed our magic is different from the magic I saw you using in your battle behind the mall,” noted Sunset. She sighed. “My gut says to trust you, so I’m gonna lay it all out.”

The saint nodded. Still smiling, Sunset continued. “Our magic actually comes from my homeworld.”

Kaori looked confused.

Sunset nodded. “Yes, you heard that correctly. I’m not originally from here. I come from another world that’s filled with sentient creatures other than humans. I was originally a unicorn mage and studied magic under the ruler of our county, the alicorn Princess Celestia. She used her magic to raise and lower the sun and moon every day and night in our world.”

The saint's eyebrows shot up. “So the Beast Realm is real…” she mused.

Looking around at the rest of the girls, they all nodded in confirmation. “So are all of you from this other world?” she asked.

“Oh heavens no darling!” answered Rarity. “Only Sunset’s from Equestria. We got our magic after she brought over the element of magic and used it here.” She looked awkwardly at Sunset. “Though, that’s a story for another time. Moving on… So yes, we got our magic when Sunset brought over the element of magic. It’s an artifact from her world, one of the elements of harmony. It has considerable power, especially when used with the other elements. Our powers are all linked to those elements, and work for Harmony when we ‘pony up’ as we call it.”

Sunset added, “Which is different from what I observed you and the other mages doing during your battle. You were all using incantations and movements to control your magic. The magic from my world works directly from the will, so there generally are no incancations involved. Though we can use artifacts to channel, control, or amplify our magic while casting.”

“So then, you cannot use our type of magic?” asked Kaori.

“Well, about that…'' Sunset answered sheepishly. “I thought the answer would be no. But I practiced some of the spells I watched you and the other mages use during your battle. It seems I was wrong. I’ve been able to use some of the spells, with some practice.”

“Really? Can you show me, please?” asked Kaori.

“Okay. I’ll try a simple one,” replied Sunset. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then breathed slowly out. Breathing in slowly, she opened her eyes. Looking at the saint, she raised her hands and called out “Accelerate!”

A cupcake rose from the table and raced towards the saint. “Obstructionum!” called out Kaori, barely waving her hand. The cupcake splattered in front of her, landing on her plate.

“Ah… what a waste of a perfectly good cupcake!” grumbled Pinky.

“That. Was. AWESOME!” called out Rainbow Dash.

“Interesting,” observed Kaori, picking up some of the smashed cupcake and eating it. Turning to Pinkie, she smiled. “No worries, I’ve no plans to let this perfectly tasty cupcake go to waste.”

“Ah, thank you!” gushed Pinky, smiling happily at the saint.

“So, it would appear our magics are in fact compatible. What other powers do you possess?” asked Kaori.

“My main magic is empathy. I can touch a person, and share in their memories and feelings.”

Sunset pointed towards Rarity. “Rarity can generate magical shields, which can also be used as platforms and as weapons themselves.”

She pointed to Pinky, “Pinky can essentially teleport anywhere she can think of, and has some type of precognition, though she’s had that forever, so that’s likely not magically related. And she can really get a bang out of her cooking”

She pointed to Fluttershy, “Fluttershy can heal, and can communicate with animals and they’ll do what she wishes. She also can force her will onto others in some circumstances.”

She pointed to Dash, “Rainbow Dash grows a pair of ‘pegasus’ wings and can fly, as well as move faster than lightning.” Dash sat up smuggly.

Then she pointed to Applejack, “Applejack possesses magically enhanced strength and endurance, to monstrous levels. For example, she can lift a bus over her head if needed.”

And lastly to Twilight, “And Twilight can teleport, create shields, cast magical assaults, and levitate herself and other objects. She is also insanely intelligent, though again that is not magically related. She’s just that smart.” Twilight blushed at the praise.

“That’s a rather eclectic collection of talents,” observed Kaori. “Is that because of these elements of harmony you mentioned?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” answered Sunset. “My element is empathy. Rarity’s is generosity. Fluttershy’s is kindness. Rainbow Dash’s is loyalty. Pinkie Pie’s is laughter. Applejack’s element is honesty. And Twilight’s element is magic itself.”

“So I take it that these ‘elements of harmony’ work most effectively when used together?” asked Kaori.

“Exactly!” Sunset nodded. “So far nothing has been able to stop us when we work together. The power of friendship has overcome every magical obstacle we’ve had to face.”

“And what obstacles have you had to face so far?” asked Kaori.

“Well, so far, staring from the beginning… myself,” admitted Sunset. Kaori's eyebrows shot up again. “But as I said earlier, that’s a story of its own.”

Kaori nodded, “I see.”

“And after that, myself,” admitted Twilight. Kaori's eyebrows raised even higher.

“You have to understand one thing about harmony magic. It’s power is really best at reforming whomever it is used on. As I can attest to personally,” added Sunset.

“As can I!” added Twilight. She shared a smile with Sunset, who took her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

“Wow, that sounds like a very useful and powerful magic,” observed Kaori.

“Then after that, there were the Sirens,” added Sunset.

“Sirens? Here? I thought they died out ages ago?” asked Kaori.

“These sirens were actually from my world. They were banished through the same portal that I came through. We battled with them, and broke their magic,” answered Sunset.

“Heck yeah! We seriously kicked some siren's flank!” added Dash proudly.

Sunset shot her a look. “Yes, we did. They were broken and lost their magic. And their immortality as well, apparently. We’ve had some contact with them since. They’ve abandoned their quest for magic and are trying to live out their lives the same as everyone else now. I hope at some point they can return to Equestria, and live out the rest of their lives there if they wish, but that’s a work in progress.”

Kaori had a concerned look. “A noble sentiment. I hope you’re able to help them. But one question. Did I hear you right? You said they were banished through the portal from your world? To OUR world? Were there any other banishments we should know about?”

Sunset looked sheepish. “Yeah, you heard that correctly. And yeah, that’s exactly the question to ask. When I found out that the sirens were banished ages ago here from my world, I asked that same question. I was less than pleased to find out that in the past, one of the mages from my old world decided to treat this world as his personal dumping ground and prison for any creature from his world he didn't want to deal with. Believe me, I had some harsh words to say over that! I still don't have a full list of all the ‘nuisances’ he threw through the portal here into my home for humanity to deal with. I assure you, I’ll happily share that information with you as I find it out.”

“So you say your home… So you consider this world your home then?” asked Kaori.

“Yes! This is where my friends are, and where I choose to live. I would happily give my life to protect it, and those I love in it. My friends mean everything to me,” answered Sunset with a smile to the girls. They all smiled and nodded back.

“And you said this mage threw these creatures through the portal in the past? Is that still happening?” asked Kaori.

“Well yes, he did, and no, it’s not,” answered Sunset. “He lived a thousand or so years ago in my world, which is when he put all his ‘nuisances’ through the portal. He's a unicorn, the same as I am. While we do live fairly long lives, it’s certainly nowhere near immortality. Not even close. Apparently he was trapped in a pocket dimension for the last thousand years and was only recently released. Another interesting story for another time.”

“Your old world seems to be full of interesting occurrences,” observed Kaori.

“Yeah, you could say that. But we don’t typically have mage battles occurring behind our storefronts in Equestria. Is that a common thing here?” asked Sunset. “You’d think we would’ve heard about it if that were true, it’s not like you guys were hiding much.”

“It’s not a common occurrence but it happens from time to time. We take great pains to keep any innocent non-combatants from being harmed. I can’t say those we typically battle take the same precautions. That said, it’s not anything likely to hit the evening news,” answered Kaori. “We and those we battle do tend to try to keep a low profile. Still, I would have thought that everyone knew about the existence of magic, with the prevalence of the espers and Academy City.”

“Academy City? Espers? What’s that?” asked Sunset. The saint looked around and saw the same confused looks on all the girls' faces.

“You’re kidding, right? You’re joking?” asked Kaori. When no one responded, she looked to Sunset. “You really don’t know about Academy City?”

“Uh, it’s some school center in Tokyo right? What about it?” asked Sunset.

“Yes. In Tokyo. For children gifted with ESP. Have you heard of ESP?” asked Kaori.

“Yeah sure!” answered Applejack. “It’s a load of hooey though. Psychic powers and stuff. Sci-Fi make-believe.”

Kaori looked around the table as the girls, with the exception of Sunset, all nodded their heads. Sunset just looked confused.

“Wait, psychic powers? So that’s different from magic?” asked Sunset.

Kaori planted her face in her palms, shaking her head. “Look, I know Sunset’s excuse. But seriously girls, what’s yours? You haven’t all been living under rocks or anything. Seriously you haven't heard about Academy City, the esper movement, and the work they’re doing there? Nothing? Not a clue?”

“Hey, not nice!” stated Rainbow. “We’re not stupid. Seriously, We’ve just never heard about this stuff.” The other girls nodded.

Kaori sighed. “Okay. I’ll keep it simple. One, as you clearly already know, magic is real. And no, it didn't just come over from your world. It’s been a part of this world since the dawn of creation.”

She continued, “Two, psychic powers are different from magic. Think of it this way. Magic comes from something outside of yourself. Some other power, force, whatever, is channeled by your will or command and does something at your bidding. Psychic powers are internal. Your will alone is the force and energy that creates the change in the world around you. So two different actions. Generally, individuals who are gifted with psychic abilities have great difficulties using magic, if they can at all. And vise versa, if someone is gifted at magic, they generally will be completely lacking psychic abilities. And if you do use magic while you have psychic powers it will prove painfully damaging. Possibly even fatal.”

Kaori turned to Sunset, “Sunset, if I am understanding you correctly, you would be an exceedingly rare exception, one I don’t understand. Empathic powers are generally a psychic power, and I know for a fact you can also use magic, both from your demonstration tonight and from seeing you use it earlier during the battle you witnessed. Again, sorry for tossing that crate. I really didn't know there was anyone else around.”

“No worries. I forgive you. Don’t even mention it,” responded Sunset. “I wonder if maybe I have access to both powers because of my nature as a unicorn and not as a native human?”

“That’s a distinct possibility. We could examine it further if you would let us,” responded Kaori.

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait…. You research magic? And investigate and experiment? I want to help! Let me help, please? Teach me how to help!” begged Twilight, eyes shining.

“And she’s hooked!” laughed Sunset. Looking at Kaori, she snarked, “Obi Wan, I think you have a padawan!”

Twilight shot Sunset side-eye. “Shut up, really… You know you want to know just as bad as I do. Don’t play all innocent with me, girl!”

Kaori laughed at the interplay and reference. “Yes, the force is strong with this one. Hmmm… We must observe her progress,” she said in a scratchy voice, rubbing her chin.

“Oh hahaha! You too! Seriously!” groused Twilight.

Seeing this the other girls laughed, lightening the mood. “All kidding aside, yes, I’d be happy to get your help and teach you more about magic and psychic powers. I’ll need to get some help with the latter, obviously,” answered Kaori, smiling. “We’ll set something up and move forward.”

“So,” Sunset asked. “What can you tell us about Academy City and these other magic groups?”

“Best if I start from the beginning,” answered the saint. “Get comfortable, it’s a bit of a long story.”

Kaori related to them the different church groups in America, Europe, and Asia, and the battles between each of them. She also told them of the battles against the covens of magic users who were interested only in power and control. She also discussed Academy City and the powers that were battling for ascendance and control among the espers.

Midway through her explanation the bell went off. Sunset left to pull the casserole out of the oven. Returning, Sunset announced “Give it a few minutes to cool, then we can eat. What did I miss?”

“Not much,” answered Kaori. “I was just talking about some of the underground groups at Academy City and the infighting that seems to be going on there. I have some friends caught in the middle of that mess. I’d really like to help them out if I could.”

“You have friends in Academy City?” asked Sunset. “Any chance we’ll get to meet them?”

“Actually, I hope the answer to that is yes. I may want to introduce you to Index and her roommate Tōma,” answered Kaori. “I think you girls and Index would get along famously.”

“Academy City! I’m in! I am so in! Count me in!” stated Twilight. “I’ll go. Just say when.”

Sunset laughed. “Down girl! We haven’t even shown Kaori all our magic yet. What if she decides she doesn’t need us, or we aren’t what they want?”

Twilight looked like a whipped puppy. “What? What do you mean? We’re totally just what they need, right?” She turned to Kaori. “We can totally help, right? We’d love to help. You can send us, right?”

Kaori smiled. “It’s not really up to me. But I'd be happy to test your magic and make a recommendation to the Church. When do you want to get together and try out your magic?”

“I’m free! We can do it right now if you want!” Twilight replied.

Sunset smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. “How about this Saturday? We can meet at the old campground in the Everfree Forest. There shouldn’t be anyone there this time of year, so we can let loose without really damaging anything. Does that work for you, Kaori?”

“That works fine for me. I’ll bring along one of my fellow mages and we’ll watch you girls go through your paces. Then we can show off some of our magic so you can compare our different styles and techniques,” she answered.

“Sounds like a plan! I’ll set it up and text everyone the details. Speaking of which, do you have a cell number or some way we can reach you?” Sunset asked Kaori. “I totally didn’t get a chance to ask you last time since you were hightailing it after those crooks that stole your artifact.”

“Sure. I’ll let you know. We can keep in touch,” answered Kaori.

“Alright everyone! Sounds like a plan. Let’s eat! And Kaori, you are more than welcome to join us!” Sunset led the charge to the kitchen where she served everyone up. They all returned to the table with their food to chat and enjoy the rest of the evening.

It is wisdom to trust an unknown future to our known Maker - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 02 - Sunset - The Everfree Trials Prelude

Sunset - The Everfree Trials (Prelude)

Friday, August 15 - 9:45 PM Canterlot time

Sunset paged everyone, including Kaori, using the contact number she had given her.

Saturday morning 10:00 AM. Everfree campground theater. Cleared with Gloriosa. Just us.

She set the alarm on her phone, packed everything she would need for the following morning, then got ready for bed. Too excited to fall asleep right away, she got out the magical journal and sent Princess Twilight a message.

Sunset: Hey Twilight! Are you still awake?

Twilight: Hi Sunset! Up studying. Shocking right? What’s up?

Sunset: Just a little nervous. And excited. Looking forward to meeting up with the other Magic users of this world, the ones I was telling you about earlier. They want to test us and see how our magic compares to theirs. They possibly might give us some pointers on using magic in this world.

Twilight: That sounds exciting!

Sunset: Yeah, it really does. I hope they decide we aren’t completely useless and we get to help them. I’d love to learn more about magic in this world and be a part of defending it.

Twilight: I am so proud of you Sunset! You’re such an awesome pony and friend! I remember when you didn’t feel that way - but look at you now! You’re the definition of a true friend!

Sunset glowed. Thanks, Twilight! That’s high praise coming from you! I had a good teacher!

Twilight: I had an awesome student! I am so glad to have you as a friend, Sunset. I know you’re going to do fine, and I’m sure they'll be delighted to have the help of one of the friendliest - and most powerful - of Equestrian Mages.

Sunset: I really hope so. I really want to be able to help out. Lol! I am starting to sound like your counterpart. She is totally fan-girling the mages!

Twilight: I can only imagine! I know if our positions were reversed, I’d be doing the same.

Sunset: Their magic is different from Equestrian magic, but the basics are the same. We shape our spells with our thoughts and will, then express them with an act of will. They shape their magic with words and express them with movement, usually with their hands. I’ve tried a few of their simple battle spells like launching an object at a target. The spell matrix feels the same, but they initiate it with a word. “Accelerate” in this case. At that point, it activates with a wave of their hand. The will controls what is projected, and how hard, as well as the target. The activation releases the spell and sets it into motion. The difference is that, as unicorns, we initiate the spell by visualizing the spell matrix, then activate it by will alone. The spell feels the same, but the initiator and activator are unique to their magic.

Sunset: That said, the word isn’t the source of the magic. I tried that to see if it would work and it didn't. It’s more like the word itself is a macro for the spell matrix, and that allows them to trigger it quickly in combat and release it quickly with minimal effort. I have to say it’s an impressive adaptation of magic for battle use. I was wondering if we might benefit from something similar. It could allow less capable mages to form instantaneous spell matrices using more advanced battle magic than they might have been able to use otherwise.

Twilight: Wait. One second. I recall Starswirl having written something about this in his research. I’m digging through his old notes now.

Sunset waited for Twilight to continue.

Twilight: Back. Yes, I found it. Right here. He says - “I have found it is possible to bind more complex spell matrices to simple triggers through repetition, allowing me to bring the spell to life quickly with a simple cue or phrase.” Right on Sunset! And you wouldn’t have to be able to create the spell matrix from scratch if you used your magical sense to replicate the spell from another mage sharing the matrix with you. If you then practiced binding the trigger to that matrix, you could potentially be able to quickly instantiate that spell matrix with just the trigger going forward.

Twilight: Okay! I am going to try some experiments on this with some of the advanced students from the School for Gifted Unicorns. This could be very useful.

Sunset: That’s awesome! I’ll have to share that with Kaori when I see her tomorrow. We’re already learning from each other! Well, we’re learning from them. But it still counts!

Twilight: It totally does! Thanks, Sunset! I’m really looking forward to learning everything you learn.

Sunset: You’re such a nerd Princess!

Twilight: Takes one to know one Sunset!

Sunset: You got me there!

Sunset: Wait, are you calling me a princess?

Sunset: Lol! Okay, I guess I better at least try to get some sleep. Thanks for the chat! It’s always nice to hear from you.

Twilight: Likewise Sunset! Take care. Okay? And let me know how it went when you get back. Good night!

Sunset: Good night Twilight!

Sunset placed the journal back into her backpack, then rolled over to her bedroom mirror to practice her magic and transformations, determined to never leave her friends or herself unprotected again.

Clearing her mind, she concentrated, then ponied up to her Daydream Shimmer form. She held it for a bit, then released it, returning to normal. She cleared her mind again, then ponied up again. Daydream Shimmer. That seemed to be her new default. Something had changed in the past few days. She had an easier time accessing her magic, and her angelic alicorn form seemed to be the new normal. She released her form, returning to normal.

“Darn it. I should have asked Princess Twilight about that. I wonder if she meant something by that comment anyways?” mused Sunset.

Keeping her normal form, she levitated various items around the room, individually and in groups. “Okay, that’s new. It’s almost like I have my unicorn magic back,” she wondered.

She decided to try one more thing. Clearing her mind, she visualized her best friend, then imagined being by her side. In a flash of teal magic, she disappeared.

Blinking her eyes clear, Sunset realized she was in a dark room. Looking around, she quickly realized she knew exactly whose room she was in.

“Oh crap!” she cried out, then clasped her hands over her mouth.

A figure in the bed next to her rolled over. “Sunset, is that you? What are you doing in my bedroom?” sleepily called out Twilight.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Twilight! I didn’t mean to wake you!” called out Sunset in a panic, waving her hands at her friend. “My magic has gone crazy! I was just trying to figure out what I could do, and I thought of teleporting over to you, then it happened. Crazy! I can’t do that! I could only do that when I was a unicorn! I can’t do that here! I don’t know what happened!”

Twilight pulled back her covers and sat up, pulling her friend into an embrace. “Breath Sunset! Deep slow breaths. Look at me,” she instructed, looking into her friend's eyes.

Sunset nodded, breathing slowly and deeply as her friend requested. She held tightly to her friend's hands.

“Okay, that’s better,” Twilight smiled. She reached up and tucked Sunset’s hair behind her ear then cupped her cheek with her hand. “We’ll figure this out, Sunny. You’re not alone. Come here,” Twilight scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to her. Sunset transferred over and sat next to her BFF. Putting her arms around her, Twilight pulled her into a hug. “Okay. Start from the beginning. Tell me what happened,” she requested.

Sunset told her everything she knew. Three days ago, she had dreamt she had been kissed by Faust while in the Realm of Dreams. When she woke up, she found she was able to pony up completely at will, and her new default was her Daydream Shimmer form, which she had only been able to reach once before, during the Friendship Games while she was overpowered by the magic from all the other girls' geodes. Before then and since then, until the dream, she had only been able to pony up to her unicorn form. Also, her magic now came effortlessly to her, not just her empathic magic, but levitation, transformation, and now teleportation apparently.

“Okay. We need to talk to the Princess,” agreed Twilight, still holding her friend in a hug. Rubbing her back, she asked. “Feel up to paying her a visit?”

“Yeah, okay,” Sunset nodded. She transferred back to her chair.

Smiling, Twilight pulled on her bathrobe and sat in her lap, holding tightly. “Okay Sunny. Show me some of that new teleportation magic you’ve got. Take us to the portal.”

“Uh, okay?” agreed Sunset. She closed her eyes and imagined the portal outside the school. With a flash of teal magic, they disappeared.

Sunset blinked the spots from her eyes and realized they were, in fact, in front of the portal at the high school. She reached out and felt the portal. Smooth stone, it was completely closed.

“Well that’s not going to help,” groused Sunset to Twilight, who was still sitting in her lap and holding on. “We can’t get through if she hasn’t opened it. I guess we’ll have to go back to my bedroom and contact the Princess through the Journal.”

“Wait up,” said Twilight. She got up from Sunset’s lap and touched the portal. “I can feel the magic on the other side. I think we could open it from here if we needed. Let’s pony up and try it first.”

With a flash of magenta magic, she ponied up to her alicorn form.

“Wow, that was easy. That’s new, it used to take a lot more concentration than that,” Twilight noted.

Sunset ponied up to her Daydream Shimmer form. “Right!” she agreed. “See, this is my new form now. Every time I pony up I get this! What happened to my old form?”

Taking a deep breath, Twilight put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “I find it helps to take a slow, deep breath sometimes when I get stressed or worried. Cadence taught me that. Don’t worry Sunny. We’ll figure this out. Take a deep breath. Okay, with me?”

Closing their eyes, both girls took a slow deep breath, letting it out slowly. Twilight then continued. “Put your hand on the portal and see if you can feel the magic too.”

Sunset placed her hand on the portal. “I feel it! Yeah, like it’s just down a bit deep and we just need to draw it out. Okay, let’s do it!” she agreed excitedly.

Twilight placed her hand on the portal as well, concentrating. The portal glowed and, moments later, was opened.

“Yes!” shouted Sunset happily. “It worked! Come on Twilight! Let’s go see the Princess!” She rolled forward. Her other hand was still clasped tightly to her friends. Together, the girls entered the portal. It flashed, then disappeared behind them, returning to its normal inaccessible state.

The girls fell in a bundle onto Sunsets chair which rolled out of the mirror and into the middle of the room. Untangling themselves, they took a good look at each other.

“Twilight! You’re an alicorn!” gasped Sunset, looking at her friend. True to her word, Twilight was now the spitting image of her counterpart, just without the crown or trappings. A majestic horn protruded from her forehead and beautiful purple wings graced her back.

“Uh, Sunny, don’t look now but so are you!” gasped Twilight in return, staring at her friend.

“Wait, what?!” shouted Sunset. She spun in place in her chair, realizing she had golden wings protruding from her back. “When the heck did that happen?”

They both stopped when they saw the door open on the far side of the room. A winged purple dragon entered.

“Who’s making all that racket?” he asked sleepily as he entered. Looking up, he stopped in shock. “Twilight?” he asked in confusion.

“Spike!” called out Sunset happily, rolling over to him. “Are we ever glad to see you!” She scooped the little dragon into a hug. Twilight joined them.

“Sunset?” called out Spike. “What are you doing here? And how did you get here in the middle of the night? And I just left Twilight in bed. How is she here with you?” he asked in confusion.

Twilight answered. “Spike, I’m human Twilight. I came over with Sunset.”

“What? But human Twilight is a unicorn. You’re not,” observed Spike, still confused.

“Yeah, about that…” Sunset started to explain.

The door opened again. A purple pony princess sleepily entered. “Spike, where did you go and what’s with all the racket…” She paused in mid-sentence when she noticed who was there. “Sunset! Other … me!? Is that you? How did you get here? I left the portal closed,” she called out, now fully awake. She rushed over to her friends then looked them over and checked the portal to verify that she had indeed left it off and closed.

“Yeah, Princess. Something happened, so we had to come to see you. We were hoping you could help us understand what’s going on,” explained Sunset.

“It started about three days ago,” Sunset went on. “I noticed that I could pony up much more easily than before and that whenever I did, I was in my alicorn form, not my normal pony form. Before then, the only time I ever even had an alicorn form was when I did the Daydream Shimmer during the Friendship Games.”

Princess Twilight turned to look at her counterpart. “I swear, except for the glasses, it’s like looking into a mirror,” she observed. “Uncanny!”

She trotted back to the door, opening it. “Come on. Let’s get some tea or something while we sit down and discuss this. It sounds like this may take a while, so we should get comfortable.” The girls and Spike followed her out and down the hall to the library where they sat around the table while Spike went to fetch hot chocolate, tea, and some snacks.

“So yeah, it started three days ago,” continued Sunset. “I had a dream that Faust kissed my soul in the Realm of Dreams, and Twilight too. Then, when I woke up, I found I could pony up at will, but only into the Daydream Shimmer form. I also found out that I could do magic too! Without even ponying up! I could levitate things, including multiple things at once. I could also sense magic around me. I could transform and conjure objects. It was like I was a unicorn back in Equestria again, but I was still human. And tonight, I found out I could teleport too!”

SciTwi nodded. “I have to add, I had noted that my magic was easier to use the past few days as well, though I have no recollection of any dream. I just wrote it off as more weirdness, maybe coming from the portal. Though the fact that I came through in this form does seem to lend support to Sunset’s story.”

“And we were able to open the portal from our side,” added Sunset. “We ponied up and could feel the magic in the portal, so we reached out together and grabbed it. Once we did, the portal opened up for us so we came through to talk to you, Princess, in the hopes to try and figure out what was going on.”

Princess Twilight nodded while taking notes as the girls explained. Spike passed out hot chocolate to the girls, tea to the princess, and put the snacks out on the table as they talked.

“So you were able to trigger the closed portal to open from this side while you were both on the other side? Wow!” the Princess noted. “And clearly you’re both Alicorns now. That’s new.” She turned to Sunset. “I don’t think you were just dreaming, Sunset, and I don't think you were the only one Faust blessed. I really think you were both Soul Kissed. You’re both clearly ascended. That’s not something that just happens. There is always a trigger for it, a cause. I think you were seeing what actually happened in the Realm of Dreams. I bet if you could talk with Faust right now, she would confirm it. Your destinies have been marked, you’re both Soul Kissed!” She grinned and bowed. “Welcome Princesses!” she snarked.

Sunset grinned, “You’re such a dork, Princess!” They all laughed.

SciTwi smiled at Sunset. “Well, you always did want to be a Princess!”

Sunset grinned back and pulled her BFF into a hug. “Only if I could be a princess with you!” she happily replied.

Princess Twilight watched them with a snarky smile. “Gah, you two are precious! I should get a picture and frame it!” she teased. Spike just shook his head at their antics.

“Okay, you know what comes next, right?” Princess Twilight asked her guests. They looked at each other and grinned, then turned and nodded together.

“Science!” they all shouted out happily.

They adjourned to Princess Twilight’s lab. They decided to test Sunset first. Princess Twilight hooked her up to the magical pathway potentiometer which looked suspiciously like a chair equipped with a colander trailing wires, with a hole for a unicorn's horn cut out in the front.

SciTwi turned to her counterpart with a smirk. “You built all this yourself, didn’t you?”

“I sure did!” enthused Princess Twilight. “I used spare equipment I had laying around to put it together!”

“Including ‘equipment’ from the kitchen I was going to use to make dinner that night,” deadpanned Spike as he helped Twilight place the electrodes on Sunset. “I had to make a special trip back to the market to get a new one.”

“We all make sacrifices for Science, Spike. It’s just what we have to do,” answered Princess Twilight earnestly as she adjusted the sensors on the device.

Sunset stifled a guffaw as Spike grinned and rolled his eyes. “Sure we do, Twilight,” Spike said, resigned.

With a few last-minute adjustments and after loading a fresh scroll into the device to record the test output, Princess Twilight declared they were ready.

“Okay, Sunset! You might feel a slight tingling, but nothing worse than that. I just need you to levitate this ball while I gather some basic readings.” She telekinetically tossed a small ball over to Sunset.

Sunset caught it in her magic and held the ball before her in a teal glow. “So, like what am I supposed to do with it?” she asked, looking at it. “Anything? Just hold it here? What should I do?”

“Just hold it there is fine,” answered Princess Twilight, flipping the switch to start the recording. The scroll started feeding out from the front of the machine. Squiggly lines on it showed the measured potentials. Looking over the output, she nodded happily.

“Perfect! Just a few more moments then I will compare it against our baseline measurements,” happily observed Princess Twilight.

“Uh, what baseline measurements?” asked Sunset, still holding the ball steady in her magic. “I am pretty sure you’ve never measured me before in any contraption like this. How can you have a baseline?”

“I’m the baseline,” answered Princess Twilight as she pulled the scrolled results from the device and spread it out on the table. “I’m comparing it against the measurements I took from myself before. I just need to check your potential against a known alicorn source.”

“That actually makes a fair amount of sense,” agreed SciTwi, at her counterpart’s side, looking over the results.

Princess Twilight pulled another scroll from the cabinet by the table and placed it above the scroll from Sunset. “This is mine from a test I took a month ago. This will be our baseline.”

With a pop and teal flash, Sunset teleported out of the chair and colander and into her wheelchair. She rolled over next to the Twilights to view the scrolls.

SciTwi grinned and snarked. “Not one to be left out, are you Sunny?”

“Shuddup you,” snarked her BFF back with a grin of her own. “Science! No way you’re leaving me out of that! Besides, I really want to see how I stack up against the Princess here!”

“Still got that competitive streak, eh?” teased the princess while giving her friend’s chair a slight hip bump.

“Like you don’t?” teased Sunset back, giving her a slight push back and rolling up to the table. “So, how do we read this?”

Princess Twilight explained, “Each line measures a magical locus in your horn and frontal cortex. As you would expect, the higher the line on the page, the higher the potential. With the calibrations I’m using, a powerful unicorn would measure typically in the bottom third of the page. An alicorn, like myself, measures in the top third of the page. Princess Celestia or Luna would be off the right up at the top of the page.”

They examined the two scrolls. The similarities were striking. Both were clearly in the top third of the page. There were some places where Sunset’s markings were higher, and in others, Princess Twilight’s marks were higher. Sunset pointed that out.

“What does this mean here?” Sunset asked. “See here? My marks are higher here. But here,” she pointed to another section on Princess Twilight’s scroll, “Here your marks are higher. What does that mean?”

“Those are different magical locus points,” explained the Princess. “It just means there are some things you have a higher magical potential for, and some I do. For example, here,” the princess pointed out one of the higher marks in Sunset’s scroll. “This is a locus normally used in teleportation. You are extremely high here, even higher than I am, so that means that you are extremely capable with teleportation.” She then pointed to a section on her scroll that was higher. “And this is for raw battle magic. I am extremely high here. Just shows we have different strengths.”

Both Sunset and SciTwi nodded. “Wow Sunny! I don’t see anything on this that drops below the top third of the page,” noted SciTwi.

“Yup!” noted Princess Twilight, nodding happily. “Sunset, these confirm it. These are alicorn levels. You are a princess, girl! Congratulations! We’ll have to plan your coronation now.”

“Yeah, no rush! Just thrilled to actually be one finally!” grinned Sunset.

SciTwi pulled her BFF into a hug. “Yes! Congratulations, Sunny!” she cheered.

“So, other me, you ready for a spin on my tester?” asked Princess Twilight with a grin.

“Thought you’d never ask!” laughed SciTwi happily. She immediately sat down in the chair and placed the colander over her horn. Princess Twilight trotted over and helped her place the electrodes properly while Sunset rolled over to watch the process. Once they were all securely in place, Sunset rolled over to her machine and loaded a fresh scroll, then tossed the ball to her counterpart which she caught in her magenta aura.

“Okay, the same drill,” instructed Princess Twilight. “Just hold the ball in place while I run the scan, then we can review your results as well.”

They watched as the scroll rolled out from the device. When the test was completed, Princess Twilight pulled the scroll from the device and rolled it out on the table below Sunsets. Extracting herself from the test seat, SciTwi joined them back at the table while adjusting her glasses with her magic.

Looking over the scroll, it was clear most of the marks on it were clearly in the top third of the page. Several, in fact, were higher than either Princess Twilight or Sunset’s markings. There were several others however that were still down in the lower half of the page.

“So, what does that mean?” asked SciTwi, pointing them out. “Why am I so much lower than either of you on these markings? That's bad, right?” worried SciTwi.

“It’s not great, but it’s not bad either,” acknowledged the princess. “These are clearly alicorn-level readings. You’re an alicorn too, other me.” She pointed out the cluster of lower scores. “These are associated with mana reserves. For some reason, while you clearly have mana levels way in excess of any unicorn, gifted or otherwise, they are still lower than I would have expected for an ascended alicorn. I wouldn’t worry too much about that though. It could just be that they are still developing. We would need to run further tests to clear that up and compare them over time. I suspect if we did that, we would see they are still growing, so I don’t think this will be a permanent problem for you. Mind you, I’m just speculating here.”

“But I’m still an alicorn, right?” asked SciTwi with a bit of worry.

“Yes, other me. You are definitely an alicorn,” answered the princess, pulling her other self into a hug. “And we’ll have a coronation for you too, eventually. In fact, I think we’ll do it with Sunset’s. You can do both together. Does that sound okay with you?”

“Heck yeah!” agreed Sunset, hugging her BFF. “Princesses together!”

Turning to the princess, Sunset asked, “So, how’re you going to explain having your twin here having a coronation to the rest of Canterlot? Going to spill the beans on the portal?”

“Nah. I think you have the answer there already,” answered the princess. “My long-lost twin sister and her friend ascended. End of story.”

“Keep it simple,” agreed Sunset. “Works for me.” SciTwi nodded as well.

“There it is then,” agreed the princess. “Welcome to royalty, sister!”

SciTwi laughed. “Thank you, sister!” she grinned.

Princess Twilight turned to Sunset. “Okay, my next question, what’s up with the wheelchair?”

“Don’t be like that!” Sunset growled. “You know darn well what’s up with the wheelchair and how I ended up in it. I know you’re not one of those ableist pricks, so what do you mean by that question?”

“Sorry, Sunset. I wasn’t trying to offend you,” replied the Princess. “I am just curious, as I’m surprised you’re disabled on this side of the portal as well. I would have expected you to come through intact, or at least as intact as you left. Do you mind if I run some tests to see what is going on?”

“Nah, that’s fine,” stated Sunset. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get all indignant on you. Just sick of people telling me I could walk if I really wanted to, or that it’s all in my head, or all my fault.”

“Yeah, I could understand that,” agreed Princess Twilight. “No worries Sunset. I would never think less of you because of your disability. I think you’re amazing, and you've overcome incredible obstacles to get where you are now. Not the least of which was overcoming your old nature and becoming the kind and empathetic mare, er.. girl? Whatever… That you are today. Anyone who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken.”

Princess Twilight pulled out another device from her cabinet. This one was just 16 electrodes, color-coded and numbered. She placed them over Sunset's flanks and withers as well as her lower legs. Hooking up the electrodes to her recording machine, she placed a new scroll into it and ran some quick calibrations.

“Okay, Sunset. Can you try to stand up?” the princess asked.

“No,” replied Sunset cooly, “I’m paralyzed. I can’t.”

“I know,” responded the princess. “I wasn’t expecting you would be able to actually do it. I just need to record you trying. I want to look at the neural pathways while you try so I can examine them for any signs of damage.”

“Oh, okay,” agreed Sunset. “Can you help me out?” she asked.

“I got you,” agreed SciTwi. She held Sunset’s withers in her magic as she balanced on her front hooves.

“Okay, I am trying to stand on all four hooves, but nothing is happening back there,” reported Sunset.

The princess was running the scroll and examining the output as it rolled out from the machine. “Interesting. Can we try something, Sunset? Would you be willing for Twilight to back off holding you and see how you respond?”

“Sure, just don’t drop me,” answered Sunset. “Falls hurt. If you promise I won’t fall, sure I’ll do it.”

“No worries, Sunny. If you start to fall, I’ll just hold you back up,” promised SciTwi.

“Okay, let's do this,” agreed Sunset.

SciTwi slowly let the strength of her aura drop. Sure enough, Sunset’s back legs buckled. As promised, SciTwi caught her with her magic and continued to hold her up.

“You okay, Sunny? Doing alright?” asked SciTwi in concern.

“I'm fine. Thank you for catching me. I was a bit concerned there for a moment,” admitted Sunset with relief.

“Well, this is interesting,” noted the princess, removing the scroll and placing it on the table below the other three scrolls already present.

SciTwi helped her BFF back into her chair. From there, they both joined the princess back at the table.

“So, what do you see?” asked Sunset.

“I don’t see any damage or blockage to your nerves, but at the same time, they are clearly not firing. It’s like they are fine, but just not being used,” noted the princess.

“How can that be?” asked Sunset, puzzled.

“Well, it could be psychosomatic,” answered the princess, “Though I doubt that. Let’s run some more tests.” She went to the cabinet and pulled out a second colander also laced with colored electrodes.

“Before you ask, don’t ask,” said Spike with a shake of his head. Sunset laughed while the princess looked sheepish.

“Go with what you know, I guess,” snarked SciTwi, grinning at her counterpart.

“Whatever,” groused the princess as she directed and assisted Sunset back into the chair, fitting the new test equipment onto her friend. Spike laughed.

When she was done checking all the fittings, she moved over to the recording device and checked the calibrations. Checking that a new scroll was ready for the recording, she turned to her friend. “Okay, Sunset. I want you to try to get out of your chair. If you can’t actually do it, at least visualize it as if you were doing it.”

Sunset nodded, then shut her eyes. Her legs and muscles twitched as if she were trying to get up, but nothing happened. Twilight examined the results on the scroll emerging from the test recorder.

“Okay, that’s good enough. Thanks, Sunset,” the princess acknowledged, removing the scroll and laying it too out on the table. A flash of teal popped behind them and, a moment later, Sunset rolled to the table with them looking over the results as well.

“See these lines?” the princess pointed out. Several lines jumped at different points along the plot. “These are where the loci in your cortex were firing to activate your legs to get up. They are working fine, with no issues with the firing, so this is not psychosomatic. Your brain is telling your legs to get up. They are just not getting the message, despite no sign of damage to the neural pathways. Something else is blocking the signal.”

“So, it’s not all in my head,” nodded Sunset. “I didn’t think it was. Good to know,”

“No, it’s not all in your head, but I have no idea where it is being blocked. We’d have to get more help to figure this one out. Maybe next time,” agreed the Princess. She pulled out her lab notebook then assigned identification numbers to each of the scrolls, inventoried them with a description of their contents and results in the notebook, then returned them to the cabinet with the two colanders and the harness used for the leg tests.

“So, that just leaves the how,” noted the princess, leading them to the now cleared table and pulling up chairs for herself and her counterpart. Sunset rolled her chair up to the table to join them.

“We know it started three days ago, and after my dream,” noted Sunset. Spike brought them both cups of coffee, which Sunset and SciTwi accepted gratefully. “Thank you, Spike!” She sipped the warm coffee with gratitude.

“And you don’t recall having a similar dream?” queried the princess of her counterpart.

“Nope, though I don't always recall my dreams. I can be a heavy sleeper at times,” acknowledged SciTwi.

“Can I try something?” asked Sunset. “Sparky, are you okay with me trying my empathic magic on you? Maybe, with a little help, you might recall any dream you had that night.”

“Sure Sunny. Worth a shot. Go ahead,” agreed SciTwi.

Sunset rolled over in front of her BFF and placed her forehooves on her friend's head. Leaning into her friend, she pressed her muzzle up against her friends. “Okay, ready? Try to relax and we’ll visualize that night together.” Eyes closed, she focused on her friend.

She clearly saw, in her mind's eye, her friend getting ready for bed that night then climbing into bed. A slight blush flushed her cheeks. She pushed that image from her mind, then focused on her friend falling asleep. As her friend drifted off to sleep, she saw the dream forming of her friend floating in the realm of dreams with her.

“Hey, sorry Sunny. I guess you were right,” noted her friend out loud. “I did have that dream, just like you. I guess I forgot it.”

“Yeah. This looks a lot like my dream,” agreed Sunset out loud also. “Almost exactly like my dream,”

“Is there any way I can see what you are seeing?” asked the princess.

“Let’s try. Take my hoove,” Sunset answered, eyes still closed. She felt her left hoove being taken. “Now place it against your forehead,” instructed Sunset.

The princess did as instructed. Sunset visualized the princess, and Princess Twilight appeared beside her in SciTwi’s dream.

“Wow!” gasped the princess. “This is just like when Luna pulled us into a shared dream.”

“Okay, watch this,” instructed Sunset. “Here comes Faust. If this matches my dream, she is about to take us both out of the Realm for a moment and kiss our souls.”

Sure enough, Faust pulled each of them from their place in the realm of dreams and kissed them with a flash of teal magic, and placed them back into their places in the dream realm.

“Okay, that matched exactly what I dreamed. That’s too much to be just coincidence I’m thinking,” noted Sunset.

“And that almost exactly matches what happened to me when I ascended, except it was Celestia for me, and I was in the realm of memories, not dreams,” noted the princess.

“Likely because you were awake, not asleep,” noted Sunset. “Interesting.”

They watched the rest of Twilight’s dream together. When it was over, another dream started. In it, Sunset was beckoning to Twilight to come to sit by her. When Twilight did, Sunset took her face in her hands and kissed her on the forehead.

“Oh no no no!” exclaimed SciTwi blushing madly. “We don’t need to see this one! Party time is over. Everyone out of my head!”

Blushing madly herself, Sunset agreed. “Yup, we’re done here!” She broke the connection. Everyone returned to their own thoughts. Their eyes opened quickly, everypony blushing and grinning madly. “Okay! That happened!” Sunset snarked in acknowledgment.

“Nothing happened! I was just dreaming about spending time with my best friend! Honest!” flushed SciTwi heatedly. Sunset and the princess both laughed.

“Yup! Nothing wrong with that!” agreed Sunset quickly.

“Absolutely not!” agreed the princess, with a smirk. “Dang you two are just too adorable! Is it wrong that I kind of want to see the rest of that dream?”

“Shuddup you!” groused Sunset, “Not helping.”

With a final knowing smirk, the princess relented. “So entertainment value from that last bit aside, that does seem to confirm it. It really looks like you two ascended to become alicorns. I would like to confirm it with Faust herself, but it’s not like we have any way to communicate with her to ask. We can’t just trot over to Elysium and confirm it with her.”

“True that,” agreed Sunset. “The only way I’ve ever been able to talk to her there is to almost die. Not really looking forward to making that trip again.”

“I’ll check with Celestia and Luna. Maybe they know a way to confirm it with her,” proposed the princess.

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sunset.

Princess Twilight looked to her friends. “I think we’ve done all we can here for tonight, and you two have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Let’s call it a night so you can get some rest. I will contact you through the journal when I find out more. Sounds good?”

“Sounds good to me. I could use some sleep after all this excitement,” agreed Sunset.

“I second that,” agreed SciTwi.

“And maybe you’ll have some more interesting dreams,” teased Sunset.

“Shuddup you,” growled SciTwi with a grin.

“Okay, let’s get you girls back home,” agreed the princess.

They returned to the portal, where this time the princess used her journal to open the portal for them to return. Giving Princess Twilight and Spike hugs goodbye, SciTwi pushed her friend through the portal. With that, they returned together.

Emerging out the other side, they were still ponied up. Pulling Twilight into her lap, Sunset teleported to Twilight’s bedroom, where she said goodnight to her friend. She then teleported back to her room, transferred into her bed, then drifted off to sleep.

Our paths are our own; predestined, preordained, and foreknown, but we alone may travel them to our own chosen end - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Misaka Mikoto did not return to her Tokiwadai dorm room that night.

After witnessing the murder of her cloned sister, and then her own fight with Accelerator, she felt lost, completely listless and dispirited. She wandered the city, finally sitting down on a park bench to ponder, where she remained all night.

The next morning, Nunotaba Shinobu, who had previously worked on other sisters' related projects, walked up to her. From her despondent attitude Shinobu quickly deduced she had finally discovered the truth about her clones and the experiments.

“Why?” asked Mikoto, helplessly. “Why is anyone willingly killing other people, taking their lives, all for the sake of these experiments?”

Shinobu explained. “To the researchers, your clones are simply lab animals, required to be sacrificed for a greater good,” she explained. “I also used to think like that. At least I did, until I realized the clones were more than that.” She asked Mikoto. “What do you think of your clones?”

Mikoto thought. “I don’t think of them as human, not really. But I can’t overlook that people are using my DNA for these experiments. So that makes this my problem.”

Shinobu shook her head. “No, Mikoto, you are not being honest with yourself. You are not honestly facing what you truly believe. And if you’re going to take on this as your problem, you should know there are more than 20 facilities involved in the experiment at this point.”

Mikoto nodded, still lost in her nightmarish thoughts. She got up and headed back to her dorm..

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

Discovered Sisters Cut Away Part 2.

I’m not sure I have or can even capture the absolute existential dread of poor Mikoto after the night she has had. To find out that a machine had recommended you be killed 128 times to advance another person as part of a project, then on coming to the conclusion that could never happen, creating 20,000 clones of her and slaughtering them one at a time as part of some zero sum game to advance the unhinged ambitions of another esper. And knowing there is someone so completely above your capabilities, who would happily kill you in a heartbeat if it gave them even a chance at what they wanted. Her world has just crumbled around her, and she is still trying to sort the pieces.
Don’t count her out yet though. She is a resilient and determined young woman.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 03 - Sunset - The Everfree Trials

Sunset - The Everfree Trials

Saturday, August 16 - 9:15 AM Canterlot time

Sunset transferred into the passenger seat of Pinkie’s van. Pinkie placed her chair in the back. “Thanks, Pinkie! You’re a lifesaver!” Sunset smiled gratefully. “We got everything, right? ”

“Yupperunni Sunny! I packed up your chair and brought snacks for everyone! Your backpack is in there too!” replied Pinkie. “Off we go!”

Sunset smiled. “I hope we have good weather. I know the forecast said it would be fine, but they haven’t been as accurate since Japan lost their weather satellite late last month.”

She texted the rest of the girls. “We’re on our way! See you all there! :)”

Pinkie turned on the stereo, selecting a playlist of the girls' greatest hits. Smiling, Sunset sang the songs, Pinkie singing along with Sunset. Laughing and singing together, the trip to the Everfree campground seemed to take no time at all.

Pulling into the campground parking lot, Sunset noted they were the last to arrive. A car she didn't recognize was in the lot. She assumed it belonged to Kaori and her fellow mage. Pinkie parked the van and brought Sunset’s chair around for her.

“Thanks, Pinkie!” said Sunset as she transferred into her chair. She wheeled around to the back of Pinkie’s van and slung her backpack over the chair’s handles. “Want me to take some of these trays?” offered Sunset.

“Nah. Thanks though, Sunny! I got this!” replied Pinkie. She put on her own backpack and picked up the trays. She bumped the doors to the van shut as she turned. “Let’s go say hi!”

“Lead on McDuff!” smiled Sunset, “and damned be she who first cries Hold! Enough!”

Pinkie snorted and laughed. “I love that you’re so random!” She skipped ahead while Sunset trailed behind her.

Ahead in the camp amphitheater clearing they could see the girls chatting with Kaori and another mage they didn't recognize. Twilight was unloading her selfie-bot, preparing it on the table while she talked and listened. Pinkie went over to a table where a cooler was already opened, full of iced cans of soda and tea. She placed the trays on the table, spreading them out so everyone could enjoy the cupcakes she had baked and brought.

Sunset rolled over to the rest of the girls talking to Kaori and her friend. “Hi everyone! Hope you weren’t waiting too long for us!” She greeted them.

“Hey, Sunset! No, it’s fine,” replied Kaori. “We got here early to set up a few things and check the site out. We’ve been chatting with the girls here, answering some of their questions. It still amazes me that none of you heard about magic, Academy City, or the espers. I guess there really are some places with rocks you can hide under,” she snarked.

“Oh hahaha! We weren’t trying to be isolated. I guess we just were looking in the wrong directions,” Sunset snarked back. “So who’s your friend?”

Kaori introduced her fellow mage. “This is Stiyl Magnus. He’s one of the mages with Necessarius, like myself.”

Turning to the mage next to Kaori, Sunset smiled and held out her hand in greeting.

“Hi! I’m Sunset Shimmer! I don’t know how much Kaori told you about us, but we’re magic users who’ve been trying to keep our little slice of heaven from going chaotic from magic. We’ve been mostly successful so far, but as you know, we recently were surprised to learn there’s a bigger world out there than we imagined.” Shaking his hand, she continued. “We’re really hoping you can help us grow stronger with our magic. Also, we would love to help you keep the magical chaos in this world in check.”

The wizard returned her greeting, shaking her hand. “Hi, Sunset. I’m Stiyl Magnus. Technically we’re not just fighting chaos, but magic itself. We use magic to contain magic. If we could, we would eliminate magic altogether. But it doesn’t exactly work that way, so we do what we must.”

“So you end up fighting to contain magic and eliminate chaos. Yeah, I can see how that would work out that way. Well, we’re happy to consider you and your group our allies. Please teach us how we can help.” Sunset shook his hand, smiling back.

Stiyl continued. “Yes. We are wizards with Necessaruis. Our goal is to eliminate the proliferation of magic in our world. Not because we think magic is evil, or you and your friends are evil for having magic, but because many who use magic do so for their own selfish desires or goals. They pay no heed to the harm they are causing others or the world around them. So, even though our Church considers magic a source of great evil and harm, we’ve embraced magic by necessity to fight against those who use magic to harm others.”

Sunset smiled, shaking his hand. “That’s some convoluted thinking! But, I do see where you’re coming from. From what we have seen so far, you're right on the mark.”

“Convoluted thinking seems to be a specialty of magic and its practitioners,” grinned the wizard. “But, keep your heart pure. When your mind is centered on a truly noble purpose, your feet will never stray too far from the necessary path.”

Sunset snorted. “Or your wheels.”

“Or your wheels,” agreed the mage with a grin, rolling his eyes.

Sunset turned back to Kaori, and asked, “So, what’s the plan? Do you want us to go first and demonstrate what we can do?”

“That sounds like a reasonable place to start. Sure, let’s get this going,” nodded Kaori.

Turning to the rest of the girls, Kaori called out. “Everyone! Listen up! Let’s get this started. We’re going to evaluate your magical abilities first. If you would please, can you move to the center of the clearing and show us what your abilities are, and how you use them? We’ll be over here watching. If we have any questions we’ll call them out. Okay, let’s go.”

Kaori and Stiyl moved to the edge of the ring and sat on the benches there. Twilight grabbed her cellphone and launched her selfie-bot skyward to record the event. The girls and Sunset all moved to the rear center of the clearing, huddled up around her chair.

“Okay girls! Let’s give them the razzle dazzle! We’ll all pony up, then show them what we can do one at a time. I’ll go last, after Fluttershy. Dash, you lead off. Ready Freddy?” prompted Sunset.

The girls all smiled and nodded.

“Alright! Acapella ‘Never gonna bring me down!’ on the break, and we roll from there! Break!” Sunset called out.

The girls all got in a line, and Sunset’s voice sang out.

You're never gonna bring me down

You're never gonna break this part of me

My friends are here to bring me 'round

Not singing just for popularity

Twilight joined Sunset.

We're here to let you know

That we won't let it go

And all the girls joined in.

Our music is a bomb and it's about to blow!

Sunset and Twilight sang out again.

And you can try to fight

But we have got the light of

All the girls joined in.

Friendship on our side!

Got the music in our hearts

We're here to blow this thing apart

And together, we will never

Be afraid of the dark

Here to sing our song out loud

Get you dancing with the crowd

As the music of our friendship

Survives! Survives!

Got the music in our hearts!

We're here to blow this thing apart!

And together, we will never

Be afraid of the dark

Here to sing our song out loud!

Get you dancing with the crowd

As the music of our friendship

Survives, survives, survives!

The girls began to shimmer, rising up into the air. Their hair grew longer, cascading down their backs to their feet. Wings appeared on Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Sunset. While that happened, Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity also grew horns of pure light gleaming from their foreheads. All of the girls had a set of pony ears poking through from their magnificent flowing hair.

There was a rainbow flash of light, then the girls were back on the ground in their new forms.

Rainbow Dash flew up into the air, rocketing towards a stray cloud in the sky above the campground. She zipped behind it then pushed it quickly down to the clearing below. Zipping around it in a flash of rainbow light, she compacted it down to a solid ball of water which she zipped over to the seated mages. Hovering behind the floating ball of water, she crossed her arms and grinned.

“Pretty slick! Am I right?” she snarked.

Stiyl reached out to touch it. When he did, the entire ball of water splashed to the ground at their feet. “Amazing!” he called out, with an impressed raised eyebrow.

“Thank you! We aim to please!” grinned Rainbow. She zipped back over to hover by the other girls.

Rarity stepped forward next. She conjured a flat laying shield of diamond shaped glowing magic, then stepped up onto it, floating over to the mages. “Twilight, would you be a dear and help me out? Please conjure up some projectiles and send them against me so I can demonstrate my shields? Thank you darling!” Rarity requested, as her shield carried her over to the waiting mages.

Nodding, Twilight stepped out and raised her arms. “Just let me know when you're ready, Rarity!” she called out.

Nodding to the mages, Rarity placed herself in front of and off to the side of the mages, keeping them out of the line of fire. Remaining balanced on her shield, she called out. “Ready whenever you are, darling!”

Twilight flicked her fingers, and bolts of sizzling magic raced towards Rarity.

Without flinching, Rarity faced the fast-approaching magic. Before anyone could blink, she had manifested several diamond shields, blocking all the bolts. When the last bolt was absorbed by the shields, she disbanded them, saving only the shield she stood on. Nodding to the mages, she floated on her shield back to the waiting girls. With a pop, her last shield disappeared as she hopped gracefully down to stand with her friends.

The mages nodded in appreciation, talking quietly together.

Next, Applejack stepped forward. Stretching, she cracked her back from the left then switched sides to crack it from the right. Walking over to the forest at the edge of the clearing, she squatted and put her arms around a tree that was at least a half-meter thick. With a grunt, she stood up, ripping the tree roots and all from the ground.

Slinging the tree over her shoulder, she walked back to the center of the clearing, carrying the 10 plus meter tree as if it were a broomstick. As she moved to the center of the clearing, the girls all backed up a few steps to stay clear. Once at the center, she held the tree up over her head then spun it as if she were in a circus act. She next proceeded to use the tree as a poleax, doing jabs and feints with it. She spun over the top of it in midswing, then ducked under the bottom on the return swing, performing all manner of acrobatics with it for the next few minutes.

Stopping with the tree held over her head, Applejack rested the tree back on her shoulder and strode to the hole she had made when she tore it from the ground. She dropped the tree back into the hole, sitting lopsided, then rejoined her friends in the back center of the clearing.

Pinkie waved as she declared, “Me next!”.

Wondering what amazing feat the girls would do next, the mages smiled at the girls, waiting for the next display of their magic. After several moments of waiting, Kaori raised her hand and started to speak, but stopped when she realized Pinkie was leaning over her back with her head right beside hers.

“Pretty amazing stuff! Am I right?” grinned Pinkie. “Wanna cupcake?”

Reaching into her hair, she pulled out two warm and delicious-smelling cupcakes. She passed one to each of the mages. “Baked them fresh this morning! Guaranteed to be the tastiest treat you’ve ever tasted!” she smiled. Grinning, Pinkie bounced back to the girls, a trail of sprinkles leaving small explosions trailing behind her. “Oopsies!” she laughed, capping the bottle of sprinkles and putting them back in her pocket, then waved at the mages. They waved back, bemused.

“Seriously! These really are the tastiest treats you’ll ever taste! I promise!” Pinkie said, her head once again right next to Kaori. Kaori whipped her head around to stare at Pinkie, then stared back at the girls. Pinkie was missing. She turned back to Pinkie, but now she was gone. Looking back at the girls, Pinkie was waving to her again.

“Wow! Quick teleport,” was all Kaori had to say.

Fluttershy stepped forward. “Hi,” she said shyly, hidden behind her hair. “I’m Fluttershy.” She waved and smiled at the mages. After that, she went over to the tree Applejack had uprooted. Placing her hands on the tree, she shut her eyes, bowing her head. A pink glow surrounded the tree as it magically straightened, becoming greener and healthier looking. When the glow faded, Fluttershy turned and spoke to squirrels and birds that came out from the other trees. They chirped and cheeped as Fluttershy spoke to them quietly. After the brief exchange, she smiled at them fondly as they fluttered around her then up into the tree she had just healed. The squirrels hugged her legs, then happily scrambled into the tree as well.

Fluttershy skipped over to the mages, smiling the entire way.

“They were really sad because Applejack broke their home. But I healed it and now they’re all happy again!” Fluttershy related softly. She pulled on her hair and twisted her toe on the ground, shyly looking down with a smile.

The mages smiled back. Fluttershy nodded and skipped back to her friends. Sunset gave her a hug. “Great job Flutters! You were fantastic.” Fluttershy blushed and went back to her place next to Rainbow Dash.

Kaori turned to Stiyl. “Druidic magic?” she commented. Stiyl nodded thoughtfully.

Twilight stepped forward. “I think this will work best if I do this with you Sunny. Do you mind?” asked Twilight, turning back toward her friend.

“Nope! I don’t mind at all!” She smiled then rolled out, following Twilight to the center of the clearing. Once they were in place, Twilight gave Sunset a quick hug which Sunset happily returned.

“Thanks, Sunny!” Twilight called out. She turned, and walked about 20 meters away, then turned back to face her friend. “Whenever you’re ready!”.

“All right!” replied Sunset, raising her hands, surrounded by a teal glow. A cloud of storming teal magic appeared over her head. Twilight raised her hands and was surrounded by a magenta glow, encasing her completely.

“Ready or not! Here it comes!” shouted Sunset. Several shots of pure scorching magic flew from her cloud, racing towards Twilight. Twilight didn't flinch from the bolts of magic that flew directly at her. They were all blocked by the magical magenta shield surrounding her.

As the last bolt absorbed into her shield, Twilight whipped her hands outward, sending a hail of magical bullets racing towards her friend.

Sunset laughed as she faced the bullets racing towards her. With a flash of teal the cloud above her head spread out, covering her completely, blocking the speeding bullets. They bounced harmlessly from the shield, disappearing as they hit the ground.

Sunset grinned. “Good one Sparky! But you have to be faster than that if you want to get me!” Sunset teased. Throwing her hands outward, a giant bolt of teal magic lept out from her hands and raced toward Twilight.

Twilight’s wings sprang open, launching her up into the air. The bolt passed harmlessly below her and dissipated as it hit the trees at the edge of the clearing.

Twilight crowed as she hovered above the ground, raven black feathered wings gently flapping. “Hahaha, Sunset! Now who’s too slow!” She hovered over the clearing on her majestic wings.

Sunset laughed in delight. “Oh ho! Now you’ve done it, girl! I am so bringing it!”

A large pair of flame wings spread out from Sunset’s back. With a downward beat, she rose into the air majestically, launching up from her chair. With a grin, she rocketed towards her friend.

Twilight grinned, calling her out. “Bring it, girl! I am SO ready for you!”

The two raced through the air, twisting and turning after each other, magical bolts blasting back and forth between them.

The mage's jaws dropped. Pinkie turned towards Applejack, unable to turn completely away from the sight of her dueling friends. “They’re just playing, right?” asked Pinkie. “They’re not really trying to hurt each other, right?”

Applejack grinned in response, also unable to look away from the duel. “No, Pinks. They’re just playing. They finally got a chance to really let it all loose, so they're just having some fun.”

“Ah. Okey dokie loki! All good then!” grinned Pinkie as she happily bounced in place. “Go Sunset! Go Twilight!” she cheered.

After a few minutes of dazzling magic blasts and high-speed chases, Twilight grabbed Sunset in midair, laughing loudly. “Now I’ve got you! That’s enough of that I think!” She grinned as she spun through the air with her friend in her grasp.

Sunset grabbed her back, spinning happily. “Yup. You got me! And I got you! And, I think I’ll keep you!” she called out.

“Ugh! Way to make it weird!” called out Twilight as she pushed Sunset away. She then grabbed her friend’s hand. “Come on!”

Together they flew back down toward the girls. Sunset landed in her chair. Her wings folded behind her, then disappeared. Twilight settled down to the ground beside her while still holding tightly to her friend's hand.

“That! Was! Amazing!” Dash called out as she zoomed over and tackled both her friends in a hug, knocking them to the ground.

Sunset laughed, her legs straight up in the air as she lay in her flipped over wheelchair. Twilight was still by her side, with Dash’s arms wrapped around them both still squeezing.

“Dang Dash! Love you too, girl!'' Sunset proclaimed with a goofy grin.

Dash let them go as she backed up embarrassed. “Sorry! Sorry sorry. But that was Amazing!” she said as she helped Twilight up. Together, they righted Sunset. “You guys rock!”

“It was pretty amazing,” observed Twilight with a grin as she took Sunset’s hand again.

“Yes, it was,” smiled Sunset up at her friend.

Looking over, they saw that the mages were walking towards them. “So, what do you think?” asked Sunset. “Did we pass? Do we have what it takes to work with you guys?”

Kaori grinned. “I think we can work with you,” she smiled.

“Oh, you didn’t get to see my empathy. Do you want to do that now?” asked Sunset.

Kaori shook her head. “No. Not right now. We do want to see and study your power, but I think Stiyl would agree. We both have secrets we’d like to keep, and if I let you use your empathic read on me, I may not have much choice about that. So a rain-check for now, thanks,” answered Kaori.

“Okay then,” Sunset grinned. “What’s next?”

“Stiyl and I will show off some of our battle spells. After that, perhaps we should take a break for lunch and answer any questions,” answered Kaori.

“Sounds good!” replied Sunset. “Girls!” she called out. “Everyone! Take a seat on the benches! Our new friends are going to show us how it’s done!” Sunset rolled towards the benches, Twilight helping push Sunset’s chair, with girls in tow. When everyone was settled, they turned back to watch Kaori and Stiyl in their mock battle.

Facing one another, Kaori and Stiyl proceeded to use many of the same battle spells that Sunset observed from the battle behind the mall. They took turns rocketing debris back and forth, taking turns redirecting and blocking each attack. They also used curses and magical blasts, both of which were new to Sunset. She noted that Stiyl Magnus used runes heavily in his magic. That was of particular interest to Twilight.

The girls all oohed and aahed as the mages traded attacks. They clapped profusely when it was over. “That was Epic!” gushed Dash.

“Thanks, girls. We’re glad you enjoyed the show,” grinned Kaori as they returned. “Who’s ready for some lunch?”

The girls were still cheering as the group headed over to the table for lunch.

They all laughed and joked together during their shared lunch. “Pinkie ... you outdid yourself again. I’ve never had spicy tuna-filled cupcakes before! It’s like Onigiri but with a cupcake instead of rice! And it’s so good!” Sunset gushed as she devoured the cupcake before her.

“Ah! You’re very welcome Sunny! I knew you would like them!” Pinkie smiled. “Have another! I made a whole tray for you!” she replied as she passed another to Sunset who happily took them.

“Ooh! I’ll try one of those!” smiled Kaori as she reached over to take one from Pinkie.

“Okey Dokey Lokey!” said Pinkie as she passed them over. Stiyl took one as well. His face lit up as he bit into them.

“This is really good!” said Stiyl, happily devouring the snack. Kaori nodded as she smiled while devouring hers.

“Anyone else want to try one?” asked Pinkie. The rest of the girls looked up from their lunches then shook their heads. “Okay. Your loss is their gain!” Pinkie handed the rest of the tray over to the mages and Sunset.

“These apple fritters hit the spot! Thanks, AJ!” grinned Rainbow as she tucked into the plate of fritters before her.

“Don't mention it Sugercube!” answered Applejack while enjoying her own apple turnover. “There’s plenty of apple pie here too Dash! I can serve you up a slice,” she offered.

“Nah. I’m good. Not really a fan of pie. Totally happy with these fritters here,” answered Dash.

“Really? Not a fan of pies? Why’s that?” asked Applejack as she reached for another turnover.

“No reason really. Just not my thing. I’m good. Seriously,” assured Dash.

“Sure you don’t want to try one?” asked Applejack.

“Nope. I’m good. Honest. Happy with this,” replied Dash as she still worked on the plate of fritters before her.

“Okay then, Sugarcube. Just don’t want you missing out is all,” replied AJ. Dash gave her a thumbs up.

Rarity nodded. “These finger sandwiches are just divine! Excellent work Pinkie!”

“Ah shucks! You bet Rares!” grinned Pinkie. “Glad you like them.” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a bucket of popcorn. With it, she sat back and watched her friends eat. “I’m just glad you all enjoy my cooking.” She smiled as she popped another handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Sunset nodded happily. “Between you and Applejack, you spoil us. It’s amazing we aren't 300 pounds each!”

“Pfht! As if,” exclaimed Twilight. “I told you all before how much energy magic burns off. With all the magic we were slinging around this morning, we could eat like a battle regiment and not one of us would have any chance of ‘getting fat’! Magic burns calories like you wouldn’t believe. I have the data to prove it!” She tucked back into her slice of apple pie.

“Good thing too!” grinned Sunset. “I could totally picture you and I as big as horses, Twilight. It’s not a pretty sight!”

“Bite your tongue, Sunset! Don’t you dare jinx us!” Twilight glared at her friend. They both burst into laughter.

“You girls get along really well. I admire your chemistry,” observed Kaori. “That kind of teamwork is really hard to come by. You should cherish that!”

“Oh, we do! We absolutely do! It was hard-won and it’s deeply appreciated!” agreed Sunset. The rest of the girls nodded happily.

Kaori smiled back. “Glad to hear it. Maybe someday you can tell me that story.”

“Sure. Happy to share it,” agreed Sunset. “Definitely a long story though. Probably one for another time. So what’s next?”

Kaori looked at Stiyl who nodded. She smiled and turned back to Sunset and the girls. “Okay. We’ve decided. You’re in. We have to head back and discuss things with the rest of the group, but we’ll figure out some way to get together with you to train you up a bit. And we will definitely hit you up for some support when we have the chance. Thanks, girls!”

“Yay!” shouted Pinkie. The girls all hugged and high-fived each other. Sunset reached out and took Kaori’s hands. “Thanks, Kaori! You won’t regret this. We have your back. Like Rainbow would say… We won’t leave you hanging!”

Rainbow nodded with a smile. “Yup! Got that right!”

Kaori smiled and gave Sunset’s hands a squeeze. “Thank you, girls. We will be in touch. We have to head back now, but I promise it won’t be too long. We will be reaching out to you! Have a great evening!”

With that, Kaori and Stiyl passed the rest of the tray back to Sunset. Afterward they took up their backpacks and turned to leave.

Quickly turning back around, Kaori reached over and took one more cupcake. “Okay, one more for the road.” Sunset grinned as Stiyl turned back and grabbed one too.

“Bye, all! Thanks for meeting with us!” Pinkie waved happily with the rest of the girls adding their farewells. With that, the mages got into their car and drove off.

“Well that went well!” observed Twilight. “That was pretty amazing! We should really do that more often!”

“Yes, we should. Call it a date?” teased Sunset.

“You know I don’t swing that way Sunset!” groused Twilight. “You’re such an awful tease!”

Sunset laughed out loud. “Me either, girlfriend. Though, if it did, I would totally want you to be my filly friend!”

Face turning red, Twilight slapped softly at her friend. “You’re a total brat! Stop putting embarrassing ideas into my mind, you dork! I’m saving myself for my prince!”

“Oh! Can I meet him!” grinned Sunset. “Do I know him? Does he know me? Does he want to know me?” she teased.

“I swear, sometimes I wonder why we’re friends at all!” groused Twilight playfully. “You’re merciless!”

“Ah, Twilight! You know I’d be nothing but merciful to you! My little princess!” teased Sunset.

Dash facepalmed. “Seriously you two! Do you need a room? A moment maybe? Or maybe just to grow up?”

Sunset cackled loudly. “Oh, Dash! Don’t ever change!” She gave her friend a bear hug.

Grinning, Dash joked. “It must be a pony thing. You can be so weird sometimes!”

Sunset leaned back, looking into Dash's face. “What?!” she exclaimed questioningly. “You speciest cad! I’m shocked! And offended! And appalled!” She couldn’t keep up the act past that, dissolving into a fit of giggles with Twilight, shortly joined by the rest of the girls. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself!” she answered between laughs.

Dash pulled her into a headlock and gave her a noogie. “Wiseacre!” she grinned.

Packing up the leftover food, Applejack called out, “It’s my weekend, so dinner and a movie at my place tonight. Show up if you can!”

“I wouldn't miss it! See you there!” laughed Sunset from her place in Dash's headlock.

“Me too!” said Dash as she resumed Sunset’s noogies.

“I’ll be there! Dash, let go of Sunset! I need my friend back,” replied Twilight.

“Ohh. You need your friend, eh?” teased Dash with a playful grin.

“Rainbow, I swear I will pound you,” answered Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, now you want to pound me? You’re moving too fast, girl!” grinned Dash.

“That’s it! You were warned!’ called out Twilight as she stomped towards Dash.

Letting Sunset go and jumping back, Dash called out, “Have to catch me first, slowpoke!” She disappeared in a rainbow flash down the road back towards town.

Twilight shook her head, scowling. “Sometimes you all can be such juveniles!” She turned back to help Pinkie pack up the rest of the food.

Sunset laughed and shook her head. “Ah, Dash! You’re lucky we all love you so much!” She turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie, do you have room for Dash’s bike in the back of the van? At some point, she is going to remember she left it here and it would be rather mean to make her come back for it.”

“Sure Sunny. There’s plenty of room, no problemo,” answered Pinkie.

“I’ll help you get it in,” offered Applejack.

“That’s what she said!” grinned Pinkie.

“Ah please! Don't you start too!” groaned Twilight. The girls all laughed.

The cars were all packed up, Dashes' bike secured in the back of the van, right next to Sunset’s chair. After goodbyes were said, they all headed back into town.

Sunset texted Dash that they were bringing her bike home to her, which Dash responded with a sheepish thanks. Smiling to herself, Sunset reflected on the morning, their meeting with the mages, and what their future might bring. She was definitely pleased with the way things had gone, and looking forward to where things would go from here.

Driving back into town, Kaori smiled. “That went well,” she commented, driving their rental car back to town and their hotel. “I was afraid for a bit it would turn out to be a dud, and we would have to deal with the fallout from that.”

Stiyl nodded in agreement. “I’m still not sure about all of them. But definitely the two friends have potential. I think we should make some introductions, and see how that pans out,” he replied.

“I agree. I think Index would like them. And Toma could use the help,” Kaori noted.

“That blockhead. Yes, he could. And I know just the two girls to give it to him,” Stiyl agreed. “I’m just glad things worked out. I was really afraid we were going to have to clean up the situation. I’m so tired of that work,” he sighed.

“I hear that. One of my least favorite parts of the job,” Kaori agreed. “To be honest, those two may have been a handful if we had to take them. I’m rather glad not to face them head on.”

“I’m sure we would have cleaned their clocks, regardless,” assured Stiyl. “Still though, I would rather fight with them than against them.”

Thinking of the seven shallow graves in the Everfree that did not have to be filled, the two continued their journey in grateful reflection.

Trust the Maker in all things; Faith does not change the changeless Maker, faith changes the faithful - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Having wandered despondently all night, Mikoto finally returned to her dorm room, where she found her roommate Shirai Kuroko frantic with worry.

“Sissy!” called out her roommate, flying into her arms and pulling her into a tight hug. “Where have you been! I was worried sick about you all night! I had to cover for you when you weren’t there for the curfew. Are you okay?”

“No,” admitted Mikoto. “I needed some time to think.” She hugged her roommate back and entered their room.

Back in her room, Mikoto signed into the terminal at her study desk and used her psychic abilities to hack into several databases, looking for any information on the project that was using her sisters as disposable lab animals. With some digging and efforts, she was able to gather the documents for the project, as well as a list of the facilities involved and a map of their locations. She printed it all out, and bundled it together, deciding to hide it in her stuffed bear, Kirugumar.

Selecting the first facility on the list, she left, finding a public terminal to launch a cyberterrorism attack against it and shut it down.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

Did that take a dark turn or what? The girls had no idea they could have died if things didn’t go well. Fate has smiled on them.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 04 - Twilight - Slumber Party

Twilight - Slumber Party

Saturday, August 16 - 3:30 PM Canterlot time

Sitting in the van, Twilight’s cheeks still blushed thinking back on the girls. “Sheesh! They can be such children sometimes!”

Smiling, she thought of Sunset, and of all the fun she and the girls had while meeting and showing off for the other mages. “Still though,” she thought, thinking of the girls, “I really wouldn’t trade them for the world. They really are my best friends!”

The trip back went quickly, Twilight lost in happy thoughts the entire trip. Once she was dropped off back home, she put everything away and went to her room. Taking out the journal her other self had given her, she opened it up and started writing.

SciTwi: Hi me! It’s me!

After a few moments, Princess Twilight responded.

Princess Twi: That never really gets old, does it?

Twilight replied.

SciTwi: Nope! We had an awesome time! The girls and I got to show off for the mages Sunset met. They put on a demonstration for us too! It was fun! Sunset and I got into a mock battle, complete with wings and flinging magic back and forth for like 15 minutes! It was incredible! I am so happy to have such wonderful friends, especially Sunset! I wasn’t expecting her to fly, but she sprouted these flaming wings then took off! It was truly epic!

Princess Twilight: Flaming wings? Wow! Sorry I missed that. That does sound epic!

SciTwi: I recorded it. It was awesome! I’ll get a copy for you. It was a blast. Literally.

Princess Twilight: You definitely have my sense of humor, mini-me!

SciTwi: Hah! You just think you can say that because you're older. Barely.

Princess Twilight: And a princess. So there!

SciTwi: And a princess. Neener neener. So any chance you’re coming over to visit any time soon? I know the girls would love to see you again, and it's always nice to talk to another “egghead”.

Princess Twilight: Please. If you want to talk to an egghead, go talk to the flaming-haired egghead you were just with. She’s as much a nerd as you and I.

SciTwi: Yeah. That’s true. She just makes it look good. :-P

Princess Twilight: I hate to admit it, but it's too true. Sunset makes everything look good. Darn her evil cuteness!

SciTwi: She really does. It’s hard to keep up with her weapons-grade cuteness. She swears you and I are cuties, but we both know - She’s the cute one. It’s just not fair! Lol!

Princess Twilight: True. If she wasn’t such a dear friend I’d totally be jealous. ;-D

SciTwi: Seriously though… We’d all love to see you again! You should come on by sometime when you get the chance. Just let us know and we’ll work something out. Okay?

Princess Twilight: You bet! Yeah, I’d love to see you all again too. I’ll figure something out. Hey wait, before you sign off, I have some news for you and Sunset.

SciTwi: I’m listening. Okay. What did you find out?

Princess Twilight: I spoke with Celestia and Luna. They were able to chat with Faust and confirmed you weren’t just dreaming. All that stuff in the dream realm? She really did that. You two are ascended! Alicorn princesses! Celestia is planning the coronation for you both. She liked my suggestion that you both be crowned together.

SciTwi: Okay! Yay us! I’ll let Sunny know. When is it?

Princess Twilight: It won’t be for a while. It takes some time to get everything set up. Are you in a hurry? If you want it sooner, we could just opt for a private ceremony. Less fuss, no parades, and much less to plan for if you decide that route. Though I am pretty sure Celestia is looking forward to making a big fuss over both of you.

Twilight read that and rolled her eyes.

SciTwi: That figures! Will have to run it by Sunny and see what she thinks.

Princess Twilight: Sounds like a plan. I have to sign off now. Take care mini-me!

SciTwi: Sounds good. Catch you later, other me!

Princess Twilight: Yup! Later tator! Take care of yourself!

SciTwi: You too!

Twilight put the journal back up on the bookshelf on her desk. She headed into the kitchen to put together a snack to share for the movie night. Digging through the pantry, she found a case of sodas.

“Hey, that’ll work! I just need to ice them so they’re cold tonight,” she thought. “Maybe a bag of chips or something too.”

She kept digging through the pantry, the case of soda levitating off the shelf and over to the table. She found a large bag of chips and an unopened bottle of salsa. They floated over to join the case on the table.

“That should do it,” she thought to herself in satisfaction while shutting the pantry back up. Heading back to her room, she took out her backpack and pulled out the supplies she had brought with her to their meeting in the Everfree forest. She levitated them all back away.

Next, she pulled out a change of clothes and some cute warm pajamas for the sleepover after the movie. The chips, salsa, and case of soda floated through the door and into the backpack, followed by the clothes, her journal, and bathroom supplies. There was no way the case of soda should have even been able to fit through the open zipper of the backpack, let alone into it, yet it slid easily into the backpack followed by everything else. When it was all packed, Twilight zipped it shut then laid down on the bed to wait until it was time to leave. She picked up one of the scientific journals laying on her nightstand for some light reading to pass the time.

A few hours later, her phone vibrated, waking her up with a start. Her journal was over her head, drool running down her cheek. “Oh ugh! How ladylike!” she groaned as she wiped the drool off her cheek then put the journal back on the neat and tidy stack. “I guess that magical battle took more out of me than I thought! Still, I can’t wait to try that out with Sunset again!”

She looked at her phone. Rarity had sent her a text. “Hi dear! I’m on my way to Applejack’s! Still want to catch a ride with me? Let me know soon! I’m about to pass your house.”

Twilight texted back. “Yes please and thank you! :)”

“No problem!” Rarity texted back.

A few minutes later her phone buzzed. “I’m here! Come on out!” Twilight rolled out of bed and threw her backpack on.

“Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! I’m off to the sleepover! I’ll see you tomorrow!” she called out as she raced down the hall.

“Bye, dear! Take care! See you tomorrow!” her mom called out.

Twilight shut the door behind her and raced over to Rarity’s car. “Sorry! I hope you didn’t have to wait long?” she said as she entered the car.

“Oh, pish tosh darling! Hardly even a moment! And honestly, you didn’t need to run out. It’s not like I’m going to leave you behind or something! I can wait while you come out at whatever pace you can manage, dear.” Rarity smiled.

Twilight gave her a hug. “Thanks, Rarity. You’ve no idea how much that means to me.”

“It’s nothing dear! For a friend, it’s less than a trifle. Now buckle up, we’re heading out.”

Twilight bucked in then turned to Rarity. “Do you know what the movie is?”

“No idea Darling! But I heard it is Pinkie’s turn to pick, so I‘d imagine it will have plenty of laughs.”

Twilight laughed. “Pinkie’s turn eh? Yeah. That’s a safe bet then. Are you staying for the sleepover afterward?”

“I almost had to miss it, there’s so much work for me to catch up on. However, I was able to shift some things around, so yes,” answered Rarity with a confident nod as she merged into the traffic. “This time I get to join you.”

“No rest for the wicked!” teased Twilight with a grin.

“You mean wickedly good!” laughed Rarity. “My work has been getting noticed! So, my reward is more work!”

“Good for you!” smiled Twilight proudly. “I hope it goes well for you!”

“From your lips to the Maker's ears!” grinned Rarity. “So, how are things going with you and Sunset?”

“Going well, thank you!” Twilight smiled. “I’ve been accepted by all the universities I’ve applied for. We’re just waiting on Sunset. She still hasn’t heard back from all her applications, and frankly, where she goes, I go. That girl has been through the gates of hell and back for me, and I refuse to leave her on her own.”

Rarity turned to Twilight with a smile. “That sounds so romantic!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You know we’re not like that Rarity. Sunset is my dearest, most intimate, closest thing to a soul mate I’ve ever known, friend. Neither one of us ‘swings’ that way. I love her more than a sister, but like a sister. So quit teasing, okay?” Twilight smiled.

“Fiiine! Take all my fun away!” Rarity giggled. “I know that dear, I was just teasing.”

“Thank you!” Twilight smiled.

A short while later they drove through the gate to Applejack’s family's orchard and up to the farmhouse. Rarity parked next to the other girls' cars. Twilight helped Rarity carry in her snacks.

Applejack opened the door for them. “Howdy, Rares! Howdy, Twi! Welcome! Come on in.” She stepped aside, closing the door behind them when they entered. “You can just drop yer snacks in the dining room. Everyone is just hanging out in the living room waiting for the last of the crew.”

“Thank you darling!” replied Rarity as she followed along with Twilight behind Applejack. “So who are we waiting on?”

“Well, it was just you, Twilight, and Sunset. So I guess now we’re jus’ waiting on Sunset.” Applejack replied.

“That’s odd,” mused Twilight. “If everyone else is here, I wonder who she got a ride with?”

“Dunno sugarcube. Good question. Guess we’ll find out when she gets here.” responded Applejack.

Twilight placed Rarity’s snacks down on the dining room table along with the rest of the girls.

“Oh, Twilight! I just noticed we didn’t bring in your snacks! Did I leave them in the car?” asked Rarity.

“Ah, no. Instead, I put them in my backpack,” responded Twilight. “Just a sec. I’ll put them out.” Taking off the backpack, she set it on the table and unzipped it. “Sorry about that. Bad planning on my part. I put them in first so they’re on the bottom. One sec.” Twilight pulled out the journal, her bathroom supplies then finally her cute pajamas which evoked a chuckle from Dash, earning a scowl from Twilight. Following that, Twilight pulled out her change of clothes. The pile beside the bag was already bigger than the bag.

Applejack scratched her head. “What in tarnation?” she mused.

Twilight reached down into the bag again. “Here they are!” she exclaimed. She pulled out the bag of chips which was almost as big as the backpack itself. Applejack's eyebrows rose. Next Twilight pulled out the large jar of salsa and placed it beside the chips.

“Can’t forget the sodas! They were on the bottom.” Twilight continued, reaching in again. The corner of a case of sodas appeared poking out from the zippered bag. Applejack and Rarity’s jaws dropped. “Sorry, this one is a little heavy. Just a sec.” The case glowed with magenta magic, floating out of the bag then onto the table. The case was clearly several times larger than the bag. “Oh right! I need to chill them! Nothing nastier than a warm soda, am I right?” smiled Twilight. She placed her clothes, pajamas, bathroom supplies, and journal back into the bag and zipped it up. After that, she slid it back onto her back. Reaching over to the case of sodas, she flicked them with a finger. In a flash of magenta magic, the entire case was covered with a sheen of frost. “That ought to do it!” smiled Twilight in satisfaction. “Okay. All set now!” She turned back to her friends and noticed their gobsmacked faces.

“Uh, what? You guys okay?” Twilight checked. Neither one of them even blinked. “Rarity! Applejack! Hello? Are you guys alright?”

Twilight felt something brush her cheek. As she turned her head, her face smacked into Pinkie’s. “Hi, Twilight!” greeted Pinkie through smooshed cheeks. “I think you broke our friends.”

Twilight shut her eyes and gently shook her head. “Hi, Pinkie. I really wish you wouldn’t sneak up on me like that. I swear you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”

“No way, Jose! I’d never do anything to hurt a friend! And you’re most certainly my friend!” Pinkie smiled.

“So… uhm. How do you think I broke our friends?” asked Twilight, still staring at the gobsmacked and unmoving pair. “They do seem a bit broken. Clearly on the unresponsive side.”

“I don’t think they’ve ever seen anyone use a hammerspace before,” stated Pinkie casually. “You’d think they’d be used to it being around me all the time. Clearly not the case though.”

“Clearly not,” agreed Twilight.

Applejack blinked. “Hammer what now?” she asked before shaking her head in confusion. Blinking once again, she looked at Twilight and asked. “What was that again? And how did you make that huge box fit into your tiny backpack? Heck, more to tah point, how’d you carry it? Didn’t that hurt with all that weight on your back?”

Rarity blinked, then shook her head as well. “Yes, darling. What she said. How?”

Twilight smiled. “Pinkie called it. It's a hammerspace. I fold up the spacetime of whatever I need to put into my backpack and stretch out the spacetime of the area inside my backpack. On big items, like this case, I have to do both - if I didn't fold the space up before I put it in, it wouldn't even fit through the zipper to get inside. Once it’s inside, it really doesn’t take up any space at all because the fold in space-time inside the bag removes it from space in our universe. This is also why it doesn't really weigh anything while it's loaded, otherwise, yeah. My back would be killing me.”

“Seriously! That’s no lie!” Pinkie nodded. “Could you imagine the neck pains I would have if I had to carry the entire weight of all my fully loaded party cannons on my head at the same time? I would probably break my neck!”

“Please don’t break your neck!” Twilight begged her pink friend. “We would miss you terribly!”

“Dah! Aren't you the sweetest thing!” gushed Pinkie as she pinched Twilight’s cheek.

“Ouch. That hurts!’ complained Twilight.

“Sorry, sweety! All better!” Pinkie kissed Twilight’s cheek.

“Pinkie! Stop messing around!” growled Twilight. Pinkie just laughed.

“So yeah. Hammerspace. It’s a pocket dimension to hold stuff. It’s like a coin purse that can carry buildings.” smiled Pinkie.

“What she said,” agreed Twilight with a nod.

“Ah! Okay. So, like magic then,” nodded Applejack.

“Magic.” nodded Twilight

“Yuppers! Magic!” agreed Pinkie.

“Magic,” mused Rarity. “Hmmm..” She looked up, a faraway look in her eyes.

“Okay… on that note. Come on Rarity! Let’s go join everyone waiting for Sunset.” Twilight took her friend by the elbow and gently led her to the living room.

“Magic…” Rarity continued to muse, still lost in thought as her friend guided her through the halls.

Settling Rarity down on the guest couch next to Fluttershy, Twilight joined Dash and the rest of the crew on the family couch.

“So, if we are all here, who’s bringing Sunset?” asked Twilight as she sat down.

“That’s the question of the hour, right?” agreed Dash. “No one got a text from her? We didn’t drop the ball and leave her hanging?”

“Nope. I double-checked!” answered Rarity, snapping out of her muse to answer the question. Everyone else nodded as well.

“Hmm. Maybe I should give her a call,” decided Twilight. She dialed her phone and placed it on speaker.

“Sunset here! Hey Sparky! Wassup?” answered Sunset.

“Hi Sunny! We’re all here, just waiting for you. No worries. Just… well… were we supposed to pick you up or something?” asked Twilight.

“Ah. Nope, though I can see why you’d be confused. I’m almost there. I’m pulling through the gate now.”

Everyone rushed to the window to look outside. Sure enough, a sporty electric car zoomed up to the house. The driver's door opened, and there was Sunset smiling and waving at them.

“Sweet Celestia! Sunset bought a car!” exclaimed Twilight, her arms dropped to her sides in shock.

Everyone ran down the hall and out the front doors, racing over to Sunset’s new car. Sunset had just pulled her chair out from the seat next to her and was reattaching the wheels. As they watched, Sunset locked the wheels, unfolded the chair, and set it next to the driver's seat. She then lifted her legs out and placed them in front of the chair. One of her hands was on the chair and one on the seat which lifted herself over to the chair, settling herself in. Putting her legs up on the footrests, she turned and slid her backpack onto the back of the chair. Unlocking her wheels, she backed away from the door, then shut and locked the car.

“Ta-da!” she announced with a flourish. The girls laughed and applauded.

“When did this happen?!” yelled Twilight excitedly. “Is that the new Nicola Roadster? When did you get it? And how long have you been able to drive? Did you get the auto-drive package? And seriously, When. Did. This. Happen!?”

Sunset laughed. “Breath girl, deep breaths!” She reached over and took Twilight’s hand. “Yes, it’s the new Roadster. And yes, it has the auto-drive package. Also yes, I used it on the way over here. It’s just as awesome as you think it is!”

Twilight started to shake. A squee quietly started to drift past her lips. Sunset squeezed her hand tighter. “And yes, to your unanswered question, I will totally take you out for a spin in it.” Twilight started to bounce up and down in place with a silly grin plastered on her face as she let out a squee of joy.

“And as for how long, I bought it last month. I’ve been taking the classes for my driver's test since then. Mom pulled some strings to get me in for the test last week, and I passed! It’s been sitting over at Chrysalis' house until I passed my test, but I did and now it’s mine! Freedom!” shouted Sunset.

“Awe! Does that mean you won’t need rides from me anymore?” said Pinkie.

“Heck no! I’ll still carpool whenever I can. But it does mean that now I can take a turn being the driver!” grinned Sunset.

“That is so awesome!” cheered Rainbow as she looked back and forth from Sunset to the car and back. “I can’t wait for my turn to ride in it!”

“Let’s get inside and get this party started,” said Sunset. “I promise anyone who wants a ride and tour of the car I will give you one tomorrow!” Sunset rolled up the ramp and into the house. The girls followed, Twilight still bouncing and squeeing happily.

They returned to the living room and took their places on the couches. Applejack turned to Sunset. “So, sugarcube,” she asked, “don’t you need to plug them electrical thingamajiggers into a wall or something? Is it going to be okay out there not plugged in?”

“Normally, yes, you’re right. I’d need to plug it in somewhere overnight to charge so I could use it again the next day. Celestia and Luna put a charging station in our garage at home so I can charge it up every night. But it has a full charge, and the only thing I’ve done with it today is drive over here to be with you guys.” Sunset gave a casual shrug. She assured the girls, “So, it’s fine. I can just leave it unplugged for the night.”

Twilight had a dreamy look still, lost in thought. “I want one,” she said quietly. Sunset gave her a gentle side hug.

“I’ll share,” she promised simply. “Especially when we end up going to the same university. I’m totally not going to leave my best friend and roommate hanging.”

Twilight turned to her. “You would do that for me? Really?” she asked.

“Girl, I would do anything for you!” answered Sunset, hugging her tighter.

‘Dah!” cooed Rarity. “So adorable!”

Twilight hugged her friend back. “I love you, Sunset Shimmer! You’re the best friend I’ve ever had!” she gushed.

“I love you too, Twilight Sparkle!” Sunset gushed back. “You're my sister from another mister!” She squeezed her tighter.

The girls hugged them both, overcome with adorableness.

Sweetie Bell poked her head into the living room. “Hey everybody! Granny says it’s time to eat. Wash up and come get it.”

“Thanks, Sweetie!” said Applejack. “Where’s the rest of your cohort? They're already washed up and ready to go?”

“Yeah. We’re helping Granny and Big Mac get everything ready for dinner,” smiled Sweetie. She departed back into the kitchen with a final wave.

“I think it’s great that Granny let the girls come over too for their own movie night. After the whole Anon-a-miss debacle, I would hate to see them feeling excluded again,” Sunset stated.

“Agreed!” stated Rarity. “We can help them be good influences on each other and not get lost in a sea of loneliness and bitterness. Again.”

“Amen to that!” agreed Sunset. “From your lips to the Maker’s ears!”

Rarity bent over and gave Sunset a gentle hug. “Thank you for that dear. You’re such a gentle soul.”

Sunset hugged Rarity back. “I’ve been to the dark place. And I never intend to let anyone else go there as long as there’s breath left in my body!” Sunset smiled. “I love you girls, your sisters, and even everyone involved in that painful part of my life. That love keeps me moving forward.” Sunset smiled at Rarity, then the rest of her friends. “Thank you girls, for everything.

“Now, you heard Sweetie. Granny has called. Let’s eat!”

Smiling, everyone headed down the hall to wash up before going into the dining room for dinner.

The cure for a troubled mind, a weary soul, a broken heart? A simple Prayer. The Maker loves a simple hearted soul - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Misaka Mikoto had a mission.

She had over twenty facilities to take down, all participating in Radio Noise, the Sisters’ Clone project. She was currently in her civilian disguise in a phone booth outside of the entertainment district. She had her pocket terminal connected to the phone’s data jack, using it to connect to the internal systems of her next target through their communications network.

“This has been going well, over half way through the list!” she thought to herself as she attached her terminal process to the institute’s main server. From there, she hacked into each piece of equipment in their lab, overloading them with power so they exploded from the inside out.

She had been very careful to use the surveillance systems first to verify there were no humans in the area. The researchers were not her target, just their systems. She would end this gruesome nightmare of a project.

As the last system in the lab exploded and caught fire, she released her suppression of the fire alarms and let them go off. As she did that, she purged all the core memory and data from all the servers, releasing a custom virus that would ensure they stayed gone.

Viewing the electronic carnage from the video feed on the terminal, she nodded with satisfaction, closing out her links and queuing up her next target.

As she was working on her third facility for the afternoon, she ran into a snag. “Damn it!,” she swore. “Guess I jinxed myself earlier. Well, if they are going to block my access, I guess I will have to make a personal visit to the rest of the facilities and close them out the old fashion way.”

She disconnected, put her terminal back into her fanny pack, and ran off towards the facility.

“Sir, a fire has started at one of our facilities!” a panicked researcher ran up to the chief of security.

“I know, you already told me,” he sighed.

“No! This is another one! This is the second one this hour! Someone is targeting our research!” informed the panicked man.

“Show me,” requested the security chief, walking out into the control center. On the screens were several images of equipment carnage, flames and smoke billowing out of equipment and servers.

“How are they getting in?” requested the chief.

“There is no sign of any entry. Nothing picked up on the infrared, nor the motion detectors. The attacks occur during breaks or off-hours. And the systems and equipment targeted are always the ones for our project. It’s terrorists! Terrorists are after our research!” asserted the researcher.

“No sign of entry, targeted computing and lab equipment, off hours. This doesn’t sound like a terrorist. This is corporate espionage and attack. It’s too targeted to be terrorists,” reasoned the chief.

He watched the screens as yet another datacenter burst into flames, one targeted server at a time. “How are they doing that? Look at the channels into the data center!” commanded the chief. His assistants monitored the incoming traffic. “Sir, we have packets coming into the communications channel originating from outside our network. We are starting a traceback now!” they informed him.

“See! There’s your terrorist. Just a corporate raider on their assignment. And there’s your fix. Cut off all external communications between the data centers and the outside,” instructed the chief.

“But sir, if we do that…” started his assistant.

“Do it! Now! Do you want to see all our data and equipment up in smoke!” commanded the chief.

“No sir! Isolating communications now!” responded the assistant, removing that route from the allowed protocols. Immediately the attacks ceased, and no more equipment burst into flames.

“See! That’s how you respond to this! Monitor the communications channel, and see if our little terrorist tries to get into any other centers. Make sure you disable communications for all our remaining facilities right now! Am I clear?” instructed the chief.

“Yes sir!” his assistant responded, moving to make it happen.

“At least I got 70% of them. I’ll just do the last of them the hard way,” thought Mikoto as she ran through the streets, heading to her next target.

“Sir! We traced the communications back to a hacked public phone outside the entertainment district,” informed the assistant. “We monitored video feeds and surveillance around the booth, but all feeds had been disabled before and for several minutes after the attack. Also, the card used by the attacker was a stolen cash card, untraceable.”

“Well, no surprise there, our little terrorist knows how to cover their tracks. Let’s see what they have planned next,” mused the chief.

Mikoto looked across the street at her next target. She was hidden in the evening's shadows, magnetically holding onto the building in what her roommate Kuroko jokingly called her spider-man pose.

“There’s the lab, on the top floor. I can enter from the side of the building through that window. Time for an EMP pulse to knock out the surveillance,” thought Mikoto.

With a flash, a directed pulse washed over the building. All the lights and sounds from the top floor went dead. With a quick flick of a high speed game token from her railgun, a window on the lab floor was smashed. She leapt from her perch and magnetically glided across the gap and through the broken window.

Running quickly through the darkened halls, she headed for the data center. “As good a place as any to start!” she thought.

“Sir! The entire building just went dark! We have lost all our feeds and communications!” shouted his assistant.

Seated at a desk before the control center monitors, the chief sipped his tea. “A bold first move. Do we have assets in place that can stop them? Or at least get eyes on the situation?”

“They are in route sir! Estimated time of arrival is 5 minutes,” informed his assistant.

“We’ll see what we see,” nodded the chief, sipping his tea.

Mikoto raced up to the security door. With a pulse from her hand, the digital lock on the door spun through number combinations, then clicked and popped open for her. She ran through the datacenter, lightning streaking from her hands, destroying everything she ran by. Fires sprang up behind her, setting off old fashioned mechanical heat alarms and flooding the center with halon gas.

Mikoto slipped on the face mask she brought with her then continued her rampage.

Finished with the carnage in the data center, Mikoto exited the still open door, halon gas pouring out after her. She raced down the hall to her next target, the labs, knowing that time was not on her side.

“Sir, teams report they are on site. They have breached the main floor and are moving up to the top floor to capture the terrorist,” informed the assistant.

“Excellent,” agreed the chief, sipping his tea.

The last of the equipment in flames behind her, Mikoto raced back for the opening in the window to make good her escape. Behind her, she heard shouting and running boots. Pulling herself out of the window, she shot up the side of the building and onto the root. “Wow, they were fast. Finished just in time!” she thought as she sprinted to the far side of the roof.

“Sir, units on sight caught a brief glimpse of our target. The target made good their escape, and the lab and data center are reported to be totally annihilated. It’s all lost, sir!” reported the assistant. On the screen, he displayed the images captured by the video feeds from the suppression team. From the ground, a quick moving figure in the shadows popped out of the broken window and shot up the side of the building, then onto the roof.

Another feed captured the roof, showing a smallish human shaped figure dashing across the roof then leaping off the other side. There was a final picture of a smallish shadow sailing between two buildings, then nothing.

“Well damn. I guess we have to reassess for our next attack,” noted the chief, taking his tea back into his office and closing the door.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

Just saying, Toma is awesome, Index is great, Sunny and Twi are little godlings, but Mikoto Misaka is bucking amazing!

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 05 - Twilight - Movie Night

Twilight - Movie Night

Saturday, August 16 - 6:15 PM Canterlot time

They sat around the table as Granny and Big Mac brought in the fixings for the night's feast. “Everything smells so heavenly, Mrs. Smith!” Twilight grinned happily.

“Thank you, dear! And call me Granny, Twilight. No need for being all formal here!” Granny smiled as she started serving up the plates. “If’n you got something you don’t want or can’t eat, let me know and I’ll keep it off yer plate,” she instructed. “Unless it’s something you have to eat, like your veggies. In which case you jus’ gotta hunker down and eat ‘em.”

The girls laughed and looked at Dash. “What? What’re you all looking at me for?” asked Dash. “I eat my veggies.”

“Unless it’s in a pie,” grinned Applejack. “Want some pot pie Dash?”

“That’s just dumb. No one has to eat a pie. You're just trying to make trouble. Dork.” grimaced Rainbow. “Seriously. Have to eat your pie. Pfht!”

Everyone laughed. “One of these days, Dash, you're going to have to explain that one,” laughed Sunset. “It’s just too random not to have some funny story behind it.”

“What’s to tell? Pie’s are lame. I don’t eat them. End of story,” said Dash, tucking into her turkey and stuffing.

“Like I said, random. I can’t wait to hear it,” smiled Sunset.

Rainbow just rolled her eyes and kept eating. Twilight smirked.

When dinner finished the girls helped clean up. Afterwards they dressed for bed and gathered for the evening’s entertainment. It was Pinkie’s turn to pick the movie, so it was expected to be a rom-com or straight-up comedy. Snacks laid out and couches staked out, Rainbow turned to Pinkie. “Okay Pinkie, spill! What did you pick? Please tell me it has some action in it! The last time you picked some romance I fell asleep in 10 seconds flat.”

“Dashie, you fall asleep in 10 seconds flat all the time. It’s just your preferred state of being!” Pinkie teased her friend. “Seriously girl, you could sleep through an earthquake.”

“I won’t deny it, I actually did sleep through the last earthquake we had, and I am really tired a lot. But that’s just because I have awesome super speed! I need to get my energy back somehow!” answered Dash.

“Suuuurrrrre…. Let’s go with that,” snarked Sunset from her corner, popcorn settled in her lap as she snacked. “You just like to sleep. Admit it.”

“Hey! Nothing wrong with taking a quick power nap! It’s awesome! And I’m awesome. So there!” grinned Dash back at her.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Girls, don’t get her started. Seriously Dash, you know we love you. Give it a rest, girl.”

Applejack laughed. “Dang girl! Called out by your bestie! Guess you need to reel it back in.”

“Whatevs! Fine!” Turning back to Pinkie, Dash asked, “So Pinkie, really, what are we watching tonight?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s a classic! You'll all love it!” gushed Pinkie. “And I’m not just saying that. I know you all love it, because you all said so.”

“Ah… so repeat then?” replied Rarity. “Something we have all seen before? Something good I hope.”

As they were talking Pinkie selected her movie from the service menu and started the movie. The opening scene rolled by and everyone smiled. A young boy was on his bed playing video games while his mom asked how he was feeling. As he answered, his grandfather entered his room with a book. He explained how when he was a kid, they didn’t have TV, and this was how they were entertained.

“Oh my gosh! I LOVE this show!” shouted Sunset. She turned to Dash who smiled back at her. They chanted together, “You killed my mother! You killed my father. Prepare to die!” then both cackled gleefully.

“True fans. What can one do?” smiled Rarity. “Good choice Pinkie. One never goes wrong with the classics!”

“Yupper duppers!” agreed Pinkie, munching on her bowl of popcorn.

The girls settled in for a delightful night of friendship. And dread pirates. And a princess.

After the movie ended, Sunset helped Pinkie clean up the snacks while everyone got out their sleeping bags and settled in for the night. Sunset got the couch since it was easier for her to transfer to and from her chair. Once everyone had made their last trips to the bathroom and snuggled into their blankets and bags, Sunset thanked them all.

“Girls, I know I’ve said this before, but I'm really really glad to have you all as my friends. Seriously, you have no idea how lost I would be without you all. Thank you for sticking by me through all my craziness.”

Twilight reached up and took her friend's hand. “And you have no idea how lost we would be without you. Sunny, you saved me from myself when I was lost.
I’m grateful to you too!” She smiled back into Sunset’s gaze.

“Dah, so cute!” gushed Dash as she snapped a picture of Sunset and Twilight with her smartphone. “Do you two need some space? A room maybe?” She snorted back a laugh as she put away her phone again.

“Beast!” laughed Rarity, smacking her friend on her back. “Let them have their moment. Also, it’s rude to take pictures of your friends without their permission, darling.”

“Don’t worry!” Dash assured with a goofy grin. “I’m so going to filter the heck out of it.”

“That actually makes me more concerned,” Rarity replied with narrow-eyed suspicion.

Blushing, Twilight turned to Dash and Rarity. She waved her hands and shook her head. “What? No. Wait. What? Um … uh ...No moment! No. Not a moment. Really! Good friends. No moment!”

Sunset hid her face behind her hands. She made no sound but shook slightly, her face turning red, then light blue. Finally, she threw her head back and burst out in cackling laughter. “Hahaha! Oh, sweet Celestia! Hahaha!” When she finally got a chance to breathe, she rolled over and scooped up her friend into a hug beside her on the couch.

“Eeep!” squeaked out Twilight as she was swept into the embrace of her friend.

Snuggling her friend, Sunset exclaimed, “Oh Twilight! Don’t ever change. I love you so much, girl!”

Snuggling into her friend's embrace, she smiled back. “I love you to Sunset. Best Friends forever.” She turned to Dash and Rarity, sticking out her tongue. “Nyah! Neener neener!”

They both laughed. Seeing the shenanigans, Applejack just grinned then pulled her hat down over her eyes. Fluttershy smiled at them all as she snuggled down into her bag.

“G’nite girls!” called out Sunset, her friend tightly snuggled in her grasp.

“G’nite!” they all called out as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Twilight awoke. She was still in the warm embrace of her dearest friend. Smiling, she found her glasses and put them on. She gazed into the peacefully sleeping face of her friend. “Sunset, you really are a dork. And I know dork. Trust me!” She gently hugged her sleeping friend then shifted to get up.

Sunset smiled. She opened her own eyes and raised one eyebrow. Twilight grinned back, oblivious. “It takes one to know one, dork.” Sunset grinned and planted a kiss on her friend's cheek. “I love you too, you silly girl.”

Twilight blushed and touched her cheek. “What was that for?” she flushed, looking down shyly.

Ruffling her hair, Sunset smiled up at her. “That was the kiss of true friendship. We’re bound now. No escaping it. Friends for life!”

Twilight grinned back. “Oh har-de-har-har. You really are a dork!” she laughed then sat up on the edge of the couch. She helped Sunset to sit up beside her. “So, you get a good night’s sleep?” she asked.

“The best!” Sunset smiled back at her. “Dreamt the whole night I was in the arms of an angel.”

“Sunset!” laughed Twilight, lightly punching her shoulder. “Knock it off! If the girls hear you there’ll be no end to their teasing!”

“Too late!” grinned Dash as she rolled over from her spot on the floor. “I have the whole thing captured on my phone! Posting it now!” She jumped up and ran down the hall.

Sunset quickly transferred to her chair and lit off down the hall after Dash. “Dashie! I swear you better not!” she called out as she rolled after the speedster.

“I swear, you two are just so adorable!” snarked Rarity from her place on the floor.

Twilight blushed. “You do realize we’re just friends right? You guys always make it sound romantic or something. That’s not happening. I swear.”

Rarity tittered. “Oh, darling. We just love to tease you both.” She laughed.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh. Okay. That’s good. Tease. Because we’re friends. Right. Okay.”

“But a girl can dream, can’t she?” teased Rarity.

“Wait, what?” Twilight turned back to Rarity. “What does that mean?”

Rarity just laughed, getting up to get ready for breakfast.

“No really. What dream? Who’s dreaming? What dream?” Twilight continued trailing after her. “What dream?”

The girls all wandered into the kitchen, where Applejack and Pinkie were making a country breakfast, complete with pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and gravy. Sunset was still rolling around after Dash who was dancing around her, holding her phone just out of her reach.

“Oh wow! Over 300 likes so far! You’re such popular girls!” teased Dash as she danced around the kitchen.

Sunset laughed. “I swear Dashie! I will be avenged!” she called out while continuing to lunge for Dash’s phone.

Pinkie laughed as she plated up more eggs and passed them to Applejack. “I wonder what that’s all about?”

“No idea sugarcube, but I bet we’ll find out over breakfast!” Applejack laughed as she loaded up plates with the waiting pancakes and sausage. Together they carried them over to the table, passing them out to the girls.

“Where are Granny and Big Mac?” asked Twilight, looking around.

“Granny had to go into town early for a bit, and Big Mac is driving her. They said they would eat when they got back, and not to wait for them,” answered Applejack from her station at the stove.

“And where are the Crusaders?” asked Sunset, as she poured syrup over her pancakes, her other hand still absently reaching for the phone Dash held just out of reach. With her free hand Dash powered through her own eggs and sausage.

Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile, sitting on Sunset’s other side.

Rarity spoke up, sitting down next to her. “I don’t think they will be joining us any time soon,” she replied, reaching for the syrup Sunset had just finished pouring. “I had to, uh hem, step down the hall, around 4 am, and heard them still laughing and carrying on in Apple Bloom’s room. I’d bet they’re still sound asleep.” She poured the syrup over the pancakes, proceeding to carefully slice out bite-sized portions with her fork and knife then daintily eat them.

“Ah thought ah heard them carrying on last night. Guess Ah was right,” grinned Applejack, continuing to hand out the breakfast plates. “We’ll jus’ set some aside for them then, along with Granny and Big Mac.” Sitting down at the head of the table by Rarity, she shot a grin at Dash. “So what shenanigans are you two up to?”

“Oh don’t worry! I posted it to MyStable. You can all check it out whenever you want!” grinned Dash as she continued to hold the phone just out of Sunset’s reach.

Sunset put her face in her hands and groaned. “Fine! But I am so getting you back, Dashie!”

Rainbow just laughed while still watching the video and enjoying the growing number of likes.

Everyone pulled out their phones and loaded up the video. Sunset just shook her head while laughing. Twilight smiled beside her, head ducked in acute embarrassment.

“Duh Oh! Oh. My. Stars! You two are ADORABLE!” gushed Rarity as she clicked away her likes and comments on the video.

Taking out her own phone, Sunset loaded the video and posted her own comment to it. “Yup! She’s my BFF! Love her forever!” which immediately sparked its own firestorm of comments and likes.

Twilight took out her phone, and after watching the video, her face turned bright red with embarrassment. After that, she made her own reply. “We are Friends! Really, we are Best Friends!” That sparked even more embarrassing comments and likes, leavingTwilight wanting to crawl under the table.

Sunset reached over and pulled her friend into a hug. “They're just being silly, Twilight! Ignore them. We know what matters!” Sunset hugged her tight, leaving her arm around Twilight’s waist. Smiling, Twilight nodded, then went back to eating her breakfast.

Finishing off her eggs and tofu bacon, Sunset passed her plate down to Pinkie, who took it with hers to the sink to be washed. After that, Sunset turned to Twilight and reassured, “Are you gonna be okay Sparky! Do you need another hug?” She smiled.

Twilight looked up at her, deadpan. “Seriously, now you’re going to tease me too?”

Sunset leaned in and hugged her friend. “Nope. Just looking for an excuse to hug my adorkablefriend!” she smiled.

Twilight blushed but didn’t stop her. “Shuddup you.” she grinned.

Rarity watched them, beaming.

Sunset helped with the dishes and clean-up after breakfast. She dried the dishes as Pinkie washed, while Applejack put away the leftovers and the clean dishes. After a quick wipe down of the kitchen and a note on the table for Granny, Big Mac, and the Crusaders about the leftovers, the three joined the rest of the girls in the living room.

“Too bad I have to work today,” Sunset sighed. “This was fun! I wish I had more time for these moments.” Turning to the girls, she added, “Sorry, girls. I forgot about everyone having to work. Rainchecks on the roadster rides. Okay?”

In response, the girls groaned but nodded.

Pinkie nodded. “Speaking of which, my shift at the bakery starts in about 20 minutes, so I need to say goodbye. Bye girls!” Pinkie cheerfully waved to them all as she picked up her bag and left. They could see her drive off through the window.

“Welp, Pinkie there has the right idea. Guess it’s time to head out to the orchard. Later girls!” waved Applejack, heading out the door as well, then off to tend the apple trees.

Dash waved. “I’m gonna go help AJ out. Later girls!” She ran out the door after Applejack.

Rarity turned to the rest of the girls. “I’m heading out soon too. Does anyone need a ride back to town?” she offered.

Fluttershy spoke up. “I could use a ride if that’s okay with you,” she said shyly as she hooked part of her pink hair behind her right ear. “I need to check-in at the animal shelter and help with the feeding and cleaning.”

“No problem darling! I’m happy to give you a lift. I’m taking Sweetie and Scoots home too, so the more the merrier! We’ll leave as soon as I can drag them out of bed and they eat. I just need to go check on the girls and make sure they're actually up and getting ready to go,” smiled Rarity. She got up and headed up the stairs to Apple Bloom's room.

“Thank you Rarity!” said Fluttershy with a quiet smile. She took a book from her backpack and started reading while she waited.

“The care and feeding of Rabbits,” noted Twilight, catching sight of the book. “I bet I know who that is for.”

Fluttershy smiled. “It’s for Angel.” Twilight and Sunset just nodded and smiled.

“So Twilight, want to take a ride in my new car?” asked Sunset.

Twilight grinned. “You bet I do! Can I get a ride with you?”

“If you brought your license, you can do more than ride. I’ll let you drive!” smiled Sunset.

“Yes!” Twilight brought her fist down in a victory celebration, smiling. “When do we leave?”

“I’m ready whenever you are,” replied Sunset.

“Okay. Let’s go say goodbye to Rarity and the girls, then head out,” Twilight suggested. They walked over to the stairs.

“Why don’t you just go tell them goodbye for both of us?” Sunset suggested as she looked at the stairs. “I’ll just wait here.”

“Oh! Yeah, okay!” Twilight tromped up the stairs and down the hall to Apple Bloom's room. She came back shortly with Rarity in tow.

“I am so sorry darling! Too bad the Apples don’t have one of those elevators like you have at your house,” said Rarity as she came down the stairs and gave Sunset a hug. “I’ll just say goodbye here.”

“Ah Rarity, you didn’t have to come down. I understood,” smiled Sunset.

“Nonsense! I wouldn’t dream of missing seeing you off after our fun evening,” smiled Rarity, tightening her hug. She turned to Twilight and embraced her too.

“Eep!” chirped Twilight, awkwardly hugging Rarity back.

“Now dear, I wouldn’t want you getting jealous!” smiled Rarity, hugging Twilight tightly. “I’m not trying to steal your girlfriend! I love you too!”

Flustered, Twilight wriggled in Rarity’s grasp. “She’s not my girlfriend. Honest! How many times do I have to say that?!” she asked, acutely embarrassed.

“Oh darling, you are just too easy!” Rarity grinned then kissed Twilight on the forehead. “Don’t ever change, dear!”

Sunset shook her head, laughing quietly. Twilight glared at Rarity, then smiled. “Ha ha. Good one Rarity. Really. Good one. Are we done now?”

Giving her one more gentle squeeze, Rarity relented. “Yes dear. We are done now. I have it all out of my system.”

“Good!” said Twilight.

“For now…ta ta!” added Rarity as she waved and went back up the stairs.

“Ugh! You’re incorrigible!” groaned Twilight, laughing.

“Don’t I know it, dear!” Rarity tittered as she entered the girls room.

Sunset and Twilight went back into the living room to pick up their bags. “Goodbye, Shy! Have a great time at the shelter, and tell everyone I said hi!” said Sunset as they headed for the door.

“Goodbye, Sunset! Goodbye, Twilight! See you later!” waved Fluttershy to them as they left, then returned to her book.

Sunset unlocked the car. They put their bags in the trunk. Sunset transferred into the passenger side, folding up her chair and putting it in the back seat. Running around to the driver's side, Twilight hopped into the car and shut the door. Turning to Sunset, she grinned. “Okay, tell me everything! Let’s get this baby started!”

Smiling back at her friend, Sunset took out her phone and loaded the Nicholi app. Starting the car, she put in Twilight’s address and hit the start button. Twilight watched in rapt fascination. Her hands were ready on her knees. She watched as the car backed out of the driveway and headed towards the farm's entrance. “This! Is! Amazing!” she gushed, smiling from ear to ear.

“Oh you think THIS is amazing, wait until we get on the road! I said you could drive. Wait until you see how this thing handles! You wouldn’t even dream it was an electric car,” grinned Sunset back. Twilight just nodded, speechless with happiness.

The roadster turned out of the farm's entrance and headed down the side road towards the freeway back into town. Sunset turned to Twilight. “My shift at the mall isn’t until after lunch. What say we head out to that old diner where we had breakfast after camp everfree? Then you can drive through the mountain roads for a bit and get a feel for how it handles.”

“Yes! Yes yes! It’s a date! Let’s do it!” Twilight nodded happily.

Sunset grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. Realizing what she had just said, Twilight quickly amended, “I mean a date, not a date date. Er. No. Not a date. Lunch. With a friend. Like on a date. But not a date. Like a calendar date. Date date. Not a date date. Ugh.” She facepalmed.

Sunset laughed out loud. “Any date I have with you is a date worth remembering!” she snickered while still wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

Laughing, Twilight took her friend's hand. “Stop! Just stop!” She laughed harder. “And stop that weird eyebrow thing! What the heck, Sunset! You’ve been hanging around Rainbow too much!” Sunset relented with a grin.

“Okay Sparky! A lunch date it is! Nicholi!” she said to her phone. “Change of plans. Take us to Otto's cafe instead.”

The car responded. “Destination now is Otto's cafe on the Everfree highway. Estimated time of arrival: 40 minutes.”

“Thank you Nicholi!” answered Sunset.

Twilight just squeed. “That is SO amazing!”

True to her word, once they were off the main freeway and onto the mountain roads, Sunset asked Nicholi to transfer driving controls to Twilight. The transfer was seamless. Soon Twilight was smiling while taking the mountain's curves at speed. The car gripped the road perfectly and handled like a dream. Even on the steeper grades, the car never lost power or acceleration. It really was an honest to goodness Roadster.

Eventually they reached the cafe. Twilight pulled into the driveway and parked the car, then hopped out and helped Sunset with her chair. Together they wheeled into the cafe, taking a seat at one of the open booths.

“I’ll be right with you darlin’s! Just need a minute here!” called out a voice from the kitchen.

“No worries! We’re just looking over the menu!” called out Sunset from the booth. “I’m thinking of the fruity tootie waffles just like last time. We can get a double order and feed each other,” grinned Sunset.

Twilight smacked her friend on the arm. “Don’t even start, girl!” she groaned. Just then the proprietor came out from the kitchen.

“Howdy girls… say, I remember you two! Still cute as buttons, and still together I see! That’s darn special! How y'all doing?” he asked as he came to the table. “Ya’ll decided on what yer gonna order?”

Twilight hid her face in her hands while Sunset cackled. “Don’t you know it, old timer! She’s my special friend!” she grinned, pulling Twilight in for a hug and kissing the top of her head.

“I just want to die. Now.” groaned Twilight.

Sunset and the man looked at each other and laughed hysterically. “Okay, I think I may have overdone it a bit. Sorry Twilight!” said Sunset, pulling Twilight's hands away from her face and smiling. “No hard feelings. Right, Sparky?”

Smiling, Twilight agreed, “No hard feelings BFF!” She gave Sunset a hug. Sunset hugged her back.

“Kiss and make up?” she asked.

The old man howled with laughter.

“No, no no no…” Twilight said. Her face was in her hands again.

After a real apology and a promise by Sunset to stop being such an annoying tease, they placed their orders and waited for their lunch, which arrived quickly as they were the only customers. “I can’t believe he remembered us after all this time!” observed Twilight. “That was months ago, and we only came through that once. He must not get many people here if we stood out that much.”

“I think you underestimate how memorable you are Sparkie! I know I could never forget you,” smiled Sunset.

“You really are a dork. You know that?” smiled Twilight. “I am fairly sure you’re the memorable one. How many cute redheads do you think he gets through here in a month anyway?”

“Why? Looking to trade up?” snarked Sunset.

Twilight lightly punched her arm. “No, you dork. You’re more than I can deal with most days anyways!” She stuck out her tongue then took another bite of her waffles. “You were right. These really are as good as I remember.”

“I bet he gets more people through here than you’d think!” Sunset observed. “And I bet my chair was more memorable than me.”

Twilight looked over at her friend. “Sunset, trust me. When most people see you, the chair is the last thing they notice. You’re the complete package, girl! You’re cute, and funny, and your smile could make anyone forget what they were about to say. What was I saying again?” she snarked.

Sunset smiled. “You always know how to cheer me up Sparky! What would I do without you?”

“Same thing you do with me,” grinned Twilight. “Just without the style I clearly add!” Then she laughed out loud. “Okay, that was corny, even for me!

“Still though, you’re awesome and a dear friend. With or without me, you’re completely memorable, andwith or without your chair.” She bopped Sunset on the nose with her fork. “Oops! Looks like you have something there. Let me get that!” Twilight leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sunset’s cheek before wiping off her nose.

Sunset blushed. “Dang Sparky! Way to surprise a girl! Did not see that coming.” She smiled at her friend.

Twilight gently pinched Sunset’s cheek. “Best. Friend. Forever!” she smiled. “Not messing that up with romance. Sisters from another mother and all that stuff you say.”

“Best friends forever!” agreed Sunset as she took Twilight’s hand from her cheek and gave it a squeeze. “My sister from another mister.'' She laughed. “You were thinking Brother from another Mother. It’s Sister from another Mister, and Brother from another Mother. Silly girl! Get it right.” She gently bopped Twilight’s nose.

Twilight looked crosseyed through her glasses. “You didn’t put anything there, did you?” she asked.

Sunset leaned over and hugged her friend. “Nope!” she answered. “But I’d be happy to plant something there if you asked.”

Twilight groaned. “I swear Sunset. You promised you were done teasing. You really are incorrigible.” She took Sunset’s hands and they both laughed.

The proprietor came up to the table. “Get you fine ladies anything else?” he offered politely.

“Nope! Can’t top perfection! That was perfect,” smiled Sunset. “Best date ever. Can we get the check please?”

Twilight groaned again. “Sunset. I swear... “

Sunset and the old man laughed.

Bill paid and leftovers packed, Sunset and Twilight got back into the Roadster and headed back into town. Twilight drove again, thoroughly enjoying the experience. Once they were back in town, she let the Roadster take over while she spoke with her friend.

“Thank you Sunset! That was fun, and you were right. Your car handles like a dream. I can’t even tell it’s electric. It handles just like a sports car. I love it!” Twilight smiled. “Next time I get to watch you drive. I enjoy being chauffeured.”

“It’s a date girl!” agreed Sunset.

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Incorrigible.”

The roadster pulled up into Twilight’s driveway. “Do you have time to come in?” Twilight invited.

“Sorry, no,” answered Sunset. “But I get off around 9 when the mall closes. Do you want to hang out tonight?”

“Sure!” answered Twilight. “I’ll let mom and dad know. Just text me then just swing by to pick me up. Can we hang out at your place?”

“Sounds like a plan. I mean a date!” grinned Sunset.

“Such. A. Dork!” grinned her friend before grabbing her bag and getting out of the car. “Just text me when you want me ready. See you tonight BFF!” She shut the door, waved, then ran up the steps and entered her house.

“Never change, Sparky. Never change!” grinned Sunset. “Okay Nicholi! To the mall please. You drive.”

“Destination set, Canterlot Mall. Auto drive enabled. Travel time: about 10 minutes,” the car chimed.

“Engage!” said Sunset, with the obligatory hand swipe as the car backed out of the driveway and headed towards Sunset’s work. The roadster of course ignored the reference completely.

Filled with Love, we are filled with the Maker - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Sneaking back to the hotel room she had purchased for the day, she slipped out of her civvies and laid out on the bed.

“Well, that went well. Mostly. Almost got caught there at the end, need to move faster,” she thought, eyes closed.

“No! No time for sleep! I need to keep going! If I stop, they keep running the experiments, and more of my sisters die! I can sleep when I’m done!” she thought, trying vainly to sit back up.

But her body knew better than she did. Her head fell back, her hand dropped to her side, and she passed out from complete exhaustion.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 06 - Sunset - Waiting for Twilight

Sunset - Waiting for Twilight

Sunday, August 17 - 3:45 PM Canterlot time

Once at the mall, Sunset parked her Nicholi in one of the compatible electric charging stalls then pulled her chair out of the back seat and set it up. Putting her backpack on the back, she transferred over to her chair and locked the car up, then headed into the mall to start her shift.

“Good evening Mr. Namori-san!” greeted Sunset as she rolled through the cafe to the break room.

“Hi, Sunset! How’d your trip with your friends go? Did you all have fun?” asked Mr. Namori with a smile as he restocked the serving trays before the dinner rush.

“You know it!” grinned Sunset. “Never a dull moment with those girls.” She headed into the break room to change into her uniform as well as lock her bag in her locker. Changed, cleaned up and hair tucked up and under her cap, she clocked in and returned to the cafe. “Ready to start! What should I do first?” she asked.

“I think I have everything set here. If you could double-check it for me that would be great.” Mr. Namori replied. “I’ll get started on preparing the ingredients for the rest of the evening in the kitchen while you do that.” Sunset nodded and rolled behind the counter as Mr. Namori went back into the kitchen.

A quick once-over confirmed for Sunset that Mr. Namori had indeed prepped everything, nothing was missing or out of place. She then wheeled out and checked each of the tables. A few were low on soy sauce or salt and pepper (though who in their right mind would put salt and pepper on sushi she wondered) which she quickly replaced from the supplies kept by and in the fridge under the serving counter.

With napkins and condiments restocked, she once again took her place behind the counter. “Hi Sunset!” she heard from the front of the cafe.

Looking up, she saw the minty green teenager Lyra, entering. “Hi, Lyra-san! You’re early today! What’s up? Have plans for the evening?” she asked, smiling.

“You know it! Bonnie is taking me to the movies. After that, we’re having a sleepover at her parents' house so we can get an early start tomorrow morning. We’re going to Equestria Land all day and staying until they close!” she answered happily. “It’s going to be epic! She’s meeting me here for dinner.”

Just as she said that Bon Bon entered, smiling. “Hi Sunset!” she greeted. “Dinner for two tonight!” She took her friend's hand and smiled.

“Come on up girls! You’ve beaten the rush! You’re our first dinner customers this evening. What can I get you?” asked Sunset.

Both girls looked at the selection before deciding on the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. This started with the Miso soup. Sunset served them two trays with Miso soup, the nori and tsukemono behind it, and servings of the sushi they selected. This also came with a tray of wasabi to share. They paid and went to their favorite table. Sunset followed them over. Once there, she served up the green tea and left it with Lyra to refill as she needed - a perk only available to their most loyal customers, Sunset assured them with a grin.

“You mean the most loyal customer, right?” smirked Bon Bon. “I swear Lyra you probably single-handedly keep the lights on in this place!”

Sunset had to laugh. “She’s got you there girl!” She grinned at Lyra. “I think you spend more time here than I do!” They all had a good laugh at that. “Just let me know if you need anything. I’ll be by to check on you shortly.”

They assured her they were good, so Sunset returned to the counter.

After that, things picked up as the usual dinner crowd made their appearance. The afternoon shows had ended, letting out hungry moviegoers who poured into the mall. As a result, the shop filled up. Sunset kept everything going efficiently with a cheerful smile. All were made to feel welcome and everyone got what they wanted. Lyra and Bon Bon came through the line three more times for different selections before heading out for the rest of their evening. “Thanks, Sunset!” said Lyra as they brought over their trays to clear the table before they departed.

“Ah, girls! You didn’t have to do that! I could have gotten them. Thank you!” smiled Sunset. She took the trays and put them in the kitchen slot to be cleared.

“No problem Sunset! Happy to help out!” Lyra said.

“Ah, I’ll have to ask Mr. Namori-san to make you an honorary employee!” laughed Sunset. “Here girls, have a cookie. On the house!” She put two Hato Sabure cookies in a bag and passed them to Lyra. “Have a great evening! Also, be sure to have an awesome time at Equestria Land! The rollercoasters there really rock!”

Bon Bon cocked an eyebrow at Lyra who grinned sheepishly. “What? She asked is all. We’re all friends. Right?” Lyra replied.

Bon Bon took her friend in a side hug. “You are a knucklehead. And yes, we’re all friends.” She grinned at Sunset. “Have a great evening yourself Sunset. Thanks!” Then she dragged her friend out of the cafe and over towards the movie theater. Sunset laughed at their antics.

“They kind of remind me of another pair I know,” she grinned to herself before going back to work.

It was a busy night, the best kind for business. Time passed quickly for Sunset. Between bussing tables, restocking supplies, and serving the customers, she hardly noticed the time passing.

Eventually, closing time came. Sunset helped Mr. Namori-san clean the trays and get the leftover food packaged up for her to take to the homeless shelter, saving Mr. Namori the trip now that she had her own car.

“I still can’t believe you donate all this food to the shelter, Mr. Namori-san!” Sunset remarked in grateful surprise. “I know they are always so grateful to get it.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do. I know for a fact they were there for a very dear friend of mine when she needed a hand up. I’m happy to help out.” He smiled at Sunset who blushed in return, recalling her younger days when she lived at the shelter after first coming from Equestria.

Thinking back to those days, when she first crossed over from Equestria, she was fortunate to meet such a compassionate and helpful group of people. They didn’t even mind when she insisted she was actually a unicorn from a magical kingdom; a claim she later renounced when she found out just how crazy it made her sound. All they cared about was the poor, down on her luck little girl who needed a place to call her own and someone to look out for her. And if believing herself a magical pony helped her cope, who were they to argue? They loved her as she was, she realized now.

“Ah, thanks Mr. Namori-san. Yeah, they were certainly there when I needed them most,” she smiled at the recollection.

“Do you need help carrying them?” Mr. Namori kindly offered.

“Nope. But if you want to help me out, I won’t say no. I admit though, it’s mostly so I can show you my new car!” Sunset grinned.

Mr. Namor laughed. “My wheel girl has new wheels! Yeah! Let's go check them out!” Mr. Namori-san accepted excitedly.

Together they finished cleaning out the cafe then loaded up Sunset with the day’s leftovers and locked up. Mr. Namori followed Sunset out to her parking spot.

“Oh wow! You got the new Nicholi Roadster!” he exclaimed. “That’s awesome! How do you like it?”

“It is awesome. It handles like a dream and drives like a sports car. I never have to fill the tank, and now I don’t have to leave early to catch the last bus!” Sunset grinned.

They put the food into the trunk. Sunset disconnected the car from the charging port and stowed the connector. She then transferred into the car, folding and stowing her chair in the passenger seat.

“Freedom!” she cried out triumphantly.

“Freedom indeed!” Mr. Namori agreed. Sunset waved goodnight as she shut her door and started up the car. She backed out of the parking spot and headed downtown for the shelter.

“Nicholi, Text Twilight - I am dropping off the food at the shelter then coming straight over. See you in about 20 minutes.” Sunset dictated.

“Message sent,” the car verified.

Sunset drove straight to the shelter.

Sister Mary was out front with the volunteers for the night. When the window rolled down, Sunset smiled back with delight.

“Hi, Sister Mary!” Sunset greeted happily. “The food is in the back. I’ll open the trunk.” She popped the trunk open. The two volunteers quickly unloaded the food while Sister talked to Sunset.

“Wow, girl! Look at you! Quite a step up from the little girl that showed up on my doorstep claiming to be a lost unicorn!” she smiled. “Be sure to thank Mr. Namori for us. We really appreciate how much he helps out with his donations. Everyone really appreciates it!”

“I will, and he knows it. I tell him all the time,” smiled Sunset.

The volunteers finished up and shut the trunk. Sunset thanked them, then said goodbye to Sister Mary before driving off to Twilight’s house.

Sure enough, Twilight was out front with her bag packed. It was when Twilight opened the door to get in when Sunset realized her gaff. “Sorry Twi! I flaked and forgot to put the chair in the back. One second.” She reached around to get it.

“No worries Sunny. I got this,” answered Twilight, quickly picking up the chair and gently setting it in the back. She took the seat, her backpack resting at her feet. When she was all set, Twilight asked, “Ready for tonight?” She smiled, shutting the door.

Sunset smiled, waving to Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle, both looking out the living room window. They smiled and waved back at the girls before closing the drapes.

“Parents can be such dorks,” smirked Twilight.

“It’s just because they love you,” grinned Sunset back at her. “Just ask them!” Turning back to driving, she called out “Home Nicholi! You drive.”

“Destination, Royal residence. Auto drive engaged. Travel time 5 minutes,” the car reported as it started towards the Royal residence.

Once there, the garage door opened and the car pulled into the garage. Twilight and Sunset got out.

While Sunset set up her chair and transferred into it, Twilight took a turn plugging the roadster in to charge. It was fairly straightforward, so she finished about the time Sunset came around with both their backpacks.

“Good job Sparky! You’re hired,” she teased which earned a grin from her friend.

“Got to do something with this big brain of mine!” Twilight laughed while adjusting her glasses.

Heading up the ramp and into the house, Sunset called out, “I have a few ideas for that!” She rolled into the house and down the hall to the stairs.

Twilight shook her head laughing, “Sunset, what am I going to do with you?! You’re lucky you're so darn adorable.” She rejoined as she followed her friend into the house.

Once they got to the stairs, Twilight took the backpacks from her friend. “I got these! See you upstairs!” She dashed up the stairs and went into Sunset’s room. Sunset laughed and popped her chair into the lift, then followed her friend into her room.

A voice called out from down the hall.

“Sunset! Twilight! Is that you?” Celestia asked from her room.

“Yup. We’re home, mom!” Just saying that brought a smile to her face and a glow in her heart. “We’re getting ready for bed then calling it a night. Can I get you anything?”

Celestia came out of her room in a bathrobe and slippers, both of which were adorned with her cutie mark.

“Nope!” Celestia answered with a smile while hugging them both. “I got everything I need right here!”

Sunset blushed and groaned. “Mom, sometimes you are so corny.”

Celestia leaned back, placing her hand on her chin. “Sometimes? Only sometimes? Oh, dear. I think I must be slipping!” she smiled.

Hugging her back, Twilight laughed. “I see why you two get along so well!”

Celestia grinned as she hugged the girls. “You too, Twilight. I can see what my daughter sees in you. You really are quite the matched set!” Celestia laughed. “Okay, I just wanted to say goodnight before I went to sleep. Your aunt said to say hello too. She’s spending the weekend with Chrysalis. Not sure what the occasion is but, with those two, I’m not sure they ever need one. Remind you of someone else we know?” she hinted with a grin at the girls.

“Come on mom. It’s not like that! Not you too?” grinned Sunset.

Twilight laughed at Sunset. “Oh, NOW you complain? After pulling the same shenanigans on me all day? Is that how it is?” She grinned at her friend.

“Eh. You’re not wrong,” remarked Sunset with a smirk. “Busted there.”

“You two are absolutely adorable!” grinned Celestia. “Have a good night girls.” With a final squeeze and a kiss to both their foreheads, she returned to her bedroom and turned out the lights.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me now Sparky! What should we do?” Sunset wiggled her eyebrows up and down again.

Twilight laughed and pushed her friend into her room. “You, get ready for bed here. I will get ready in the bathroom. After that, we can have a nice, quiet, and friendly sleepover.”

Twilight picked up her bag and went into the guest bathroom down the hall. Sunset laughed then set her backpack on her desk. She rolled over to her dresser, got out her nightclothes, picked up her bathroom kit from her nightstand and rolled into her bathroom to get ready for the night.

Her nightly program completed, Sunset rolled back into her room and transferred to her bed, where her friend was waiting. “What took you so long, slow-poke! I’ve been waiting here long enough to finish a dissertation!” teased Twilight.

“Har-de-har-har girl. You know darn well what took me so long. Same as every night,” grumped Sunset, then she grinned. “Besides, I needed some extra time to look stunning for my special friend!”

Twilight punched her arm. “You really are incorrigible!” she grinned, then sighed. “This is nice. I really am looking forward to starting next year with you. I was low-key dreading having to go off to the university without you guys. I’ve gotten so used to having all of you around all the time, I was feeling lost at the thought of having to spend so much time away from you.” She smiled at Sunset, who wiggled her eyebrows. “You. You all. All of You.” Twilight blushed and amended. “Thank you for deciding to go with me to the University. It’s really a load off my mind knowing that I don’t have to do it alone, that you’ll be there with me all through it. I really appreciate that.”

Sunset grinned back and pulled her into a hug. “Hey, Sparky! What are friends for, BFF?” Twilight smiled and snuggled close. “Forever Sparky. Friends are forever.” She turned off the lights and settled in for a good night's sleep with her friend.

Begin each day with a positive thought, and your day's journey will end on a positive note - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Mikoto slept dreamlessly on the hotel bed, her body recharging from the intense workout she had just been through. While Mikoto thought of herself as an adult, the truth was she was still a growing girl, just in her teens, and she needed her rest.

Her body knew that, even if she was too stubborn to admit it.

“Sure, Mikoto was out late, but she came back late last night, no need to worry!” assured Kuroko to her friends. “She’s just resting, she’ll be fine! I’ll tell her you called!”

Hanging up, Kuroko frowned. “Sissie! Where are you?” she thought helplessly.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 07 - Interlude 1 - Dust in Elysium

Interlude 1 - Dust in Elysium

Lightning Dust was at peace. She had never known such joy and contentment. Everything was perfect. No predators to attack them. Countless miles of open fields full of delicious grains and fruits. Pure clean water and friends to travel with, her herd mates, as they ran through the open fields of Elysium. Every waking moment she was filled with joy, happiness, and great gratitude. With Love, she thought of Sunset, the woman she tried to kill who had unexpectedly not only forgiven her but had prayed fervently for her redemption and her eternal happiness. Because of that, here she was, joyfully bounding through the fertile fields of Elysium forever with her new friends. She wanted for nothing and knew nothing but joy. She would do anything for Sunset and her great grandmother Faust, her heart bursting with joyful gratitude for the wonderful gift of redemption she had been given.

Her one regret was that she couldn't share her joy with her best friend Gilda. She loved Gilda so much before her own passing. She fervently wished she could offer Gilda the same grace that had been shown to her. If she could do anything to help her soul sister Gilda embrace forgiveness, to turn from the hate and anger that consumed her, embracing harmony, love, and compassion, she would do it in a heartbeat.

As Dust was ruminating on these thoughts, Faust flew in and joined the herd. She trotted over to Dust and nuzzled her gently.

“Dear Dust, how are you doing?” she asked with a smile. “I sense great peace in your soul, though you are troubled by something. Share with me what troubles you, my dear gentle soul.”

Dust smiled up at Faust and nuzzled her back. “Thank you dear Faust for claiming me and bringing me into this paradise, instead of turning me out to the darkness I so richly deserved.”

“Dear Dust, grace claimed you as her own and you embraced her. Sunset and I are overjoyed that you are here and at peace. Know that you belong here by grace, and no one will ever be able to gainsay that. You are mine for the rest of eternity, and through me, you are our Maker's child. Never again will anyone be able to wrest that from you.”

“And for that, I am and will be forever grateful. The only darkness in my happiness, the last wish I have from my life before, is that my best friend, my soul sister Gilda, could know the peace and happiness I’ve found. I’d do anything to make that happen, whatever it takes, to share with her the joy I’ve been given for eternity,” sighed Dust.

“You have a kind and generous heart. The Maker is overjoyed by the compassion you express for your friend as well as the fact that you are willing to endure anything for her sake, so she may join you through eternity. That is precious to Her. Know that She has heard your heartfelt prayers and intercessions, and Wills also what you desire. If you are willing, I can offer you a path to share redemption with your friend. It will be hard and requires much work and sacrifice, but if you are willing, you can give her the same opportunity that was given to you,” smiled Faust.

“I would do anything. Yes, I accept. Whatever is needed I will do!” affirmed Dust.

“So be it. It will be as you say. The road will be long and difficult, but in the end, your friend will share your joy if you can endure it,” promised Faust.

“Be it done unto me according to Her Will,” Dust accepted.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 08 - Sunset - New Horizons

Sunset - New Horizons

Monday, August 18 - 7:45 AM Canterlot time

The next morning the girls awoke to a heavenly aroma.

Twilight smiled, opening her eyes. “Mmm. It smells like your mom’s up making breakfast. We should get down there and eat it while it’s still warm.”

Sunset smiled, eyes still closed, and snuggled her friend in a hug. “Five more minutes Sparky. Still dreaming,” she mumbled.

Twilight hugged her back then pulled away. “Nope! I hear pancakes calling. No way am I missing out on your mom’s pancakes!” She flipped her sheets back and rolled out of bed. She threw on her bathrobe and headed into the bathroom to freshen up.

“Guess I’m done dreaming,” smiled Sunset with a resigned sigh. “Time to greet the day.” She pulled back her covers, raised herself into a sitting position, transferred into her chair, then rolled into the bathroom for her morning ablutions. Hair combed, teeth brushed, and ready for a lazy morning with her mom and friend, Sunset rode the lift down the stairs, rolling into the kitchen. “Breakfast smells wonderful mom! Thanks!” she said, greeting Celestia as she entered. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Everything is ready if you want to start moving things to the table. We just need to grab some plates and silverware then serve it up,” her mom answered. “And good morning to you, my dear sleepyhead. Did you girls sleep well?” She wiped her hands on her apron and gave her daughter a hug.

“Like a rock. A very happy, grateful rock,” Sunset smiled. “Thank you again for all this Mom.” Sunset squeezed her mom back. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my little sunbeam,” smiled Celestia back. Returning to her task, she transferred the last batch of pancakes to the serving platter. Sunset took the tray from her mom and rolled into the dining room, placing the platter on the table. Celestia followed with the serving platter of eggs and tofu bacon, then returned again with the syrups and spreads.

Twilight came in asking, “Anything else you need, Ms. Celestia?”

“Just the plates and silverware, sweety,” she replied. Twilight quickly pulled three plates from the cupboard along with three sets of silverware and brought them into the dining room. She set them up on the table with Celestia at the head of the table and Sunset to one side.

“So my sunshine says she slept like a rock. How about your Twilight? I figured I would hear you two laughing and talking half the night, but you were so quiet I fell asleep myself,” Celestia asked Twilight with a smile.

Sunset blushed. “Mom! Sheesh! You were spying on us? Seriously?” she groaned while hiding her face in her hands.

“Sort of? Maybe?” her mom grinned then kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Not seriously enough to go in and see why it was so quiet, so I guess not really.”

“Mom!” groaned Sunset.

Twilight blushed and laughed before shaking her head. She put her arm around Sunset and leaned towards her friend's ear in order to say in a stage whisper, “I can really see where you get it from.”

Sunset shook her head, face in her hands, while her mom laughed.

Breakfast complete and thoroughly enjoyed, Sunset and Twilight thanked Celestia then returned to Sunset’s room in order to get ready for the day.

“So, plans for this holiday? What do you want to do?” asked Sunset as she put the finishing touches on her outfit for the day. “I have the day off from work and nothing planned, so I’m yours if you want.”

Twilight turned and grinned at her friend. “I always want, Sunny! And you're always mine! My BFF!” She cleaned her glasses then put them on. “There. Ready for the day! I really hadn’t planned anything. Maybe back to my lab in the garage and work on some of my projects, or just do more research? Nothing specific really.”

Sunset smiled. “If that’s what you want to do, happy to help out. What are you working on?” she asked while brushing out her hair.

Twilight continued. “I’ve been working on a transporter lately. I realized that the same principles we use for telekinesis could be used for transporting objects from one location to another by manipulating the object's component strings across the nine cardinal dimensions. So far, I’ve gotten to the point where I can move an object from the lab to a receiver I’ve set up in the shed in the backyard, and back. All without blowing anything up!” she added. “Yeah, the first few attempts were kind of… messy. At least until I figured out the right dimensional translations to use. No more boom,” she smiled.

“Wow, Sparky. That sounds awesome!” exclaimed Sunset. “Yeah, I’d love to see that! Want to work on that today?

“Sure!” said Twilight. “We can start on the live tests. I have some plants we can start with. We can go from there.”

“Sounds like a plan, Sparky!” smiled Sunset. “Let’s do it! To Science!” she cheered.

“To Science!” repeated Twilight with a laugh as they headed down the stairs.

“Mom! I’m going over to Twilight’s to spend the day doing some mad science! I’ll see you later!” Sunset called out as she headed into the garage.

“Have a good time, girls!” her mom called out. “It was great to see you again, Twilight! Come by anytime!” she added.

“Bye, Ms. Celestia! Thanks for having me over!” Twilight called out as she waved and followed Sunset into the garage.

Sunset unplugged the Roadster and transferred into the passenger seat. “Care to take the wheel, Sparky?” She offered her friend, placing her chair into the back seat.

“Like you have to ask!” grinned Twilight as she sat in the driver's seat.

Seatbelts fastened, Twilight started up the car and keyed open the garage door. “Destination please?” asked Nicholi.

“My house. I mean, Twilight’s house!” Twilight corrected.

“Destination set, Sparkle residence. Travel time: about 5 minutes,” answered the roadster while displaying a map of the route to her house. Twilight put the car in gear and pulled out into the street, keying the garage shut behind them. Turning towards her home, she drove out of the track and merged into the traffic on the main streets. Smiling the entire time, she drove to her house and parked the car in front of her garage.

“Sorry Sunny. No charging station here,” she said as Sunset set up her chair and transferred out of the car.

“No worries Sparky. It takes more than a drive across town to put a dent in this thing's batteries,” replied Sunset as she rolled over to her friend. “So where do we start?”

“Coffee first! Caffeine powers creativity!” called out Twilight as she led the way into the house. “Then lab coats, and Science!”

“Lead on, McDuff!” laughed Sunset, following her friend in.

Warm coffee in hand and white lab coats in place, the two friends looked over Twilight’s set up in the garage.

“So this is the base station?” asked Sunset while peering into a standing booth the size of a very large refrigerator box. “Wow Sparky, I could easily fit myself and my chair in there no problem, with room to spare! Way to dream big!” She smiled at her friend.

“Yeah, not just yet. Don’t get any crazy ideas! But yes, that is the plan. Eventually, I want it to be able to transport not just things, but people from place to place. That, of course, includes you!” She smiled at her friend. “But first, let’s make sure it doesn’t suck the life, magic, or anything else lame out of whatever we put in it.”

“That sounds prudent,” agreed Sunset as she opened the transporter’s door and rolled partway into it.

“Sunset!” glared Twilight. “Seriously, I’m not kidding! Don’t mess around with it. If something bad happened to you I would never forgive myself.” She pulled her friend back out of the base.

“Yes, mom!” snarked Sunset. “I was only messing around.”

“Seriously though, if we get that far, I promise I will let you be the first to use it. But not until we are 100% certain nothing bizarre will happen when you go through,” promised Twilight.

“Awesome!” Sunset fist pumped. “Okay, let’s get this started!”

Twilight picked up a potted daisy. “Okay, here’s our first subject. Can you place it on the platform? Once you do we‘ll get started,” requested Twilight as she handed the plant to Sunset, then turned to power on several devices. She carefully adjusted several settings and checked her notebook repeatedly.

Sunset placed the potted flower in the center of the booth, then shut the booth’s door. “All set!” she called out. Both girls pulled their goggles down over their eyes.

Twilight called out. “Commencing test in ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six, five, four, three, two, one, ignition.” She flipped a switch. In response, a magenta flash filled the inside of the booth before fading away. “We have transmission,” she called with a triumphant smile.

“I love it when you talk Science!” snarked Sunset as she lifted her goggles and smiled at her friend.

Twilight stuck her tongue out at her friend. “Oh neener neener! You’re just as much of a nerd as I am!” Sunset laughed. “Okay, let’s go check it out!” Twilight grinned before heading out of the garage and into the backyard. Sunset followed her out to the shed.

Opening the doors to the shed, they could see an identical booth lit up in the back corner. Sunset rolled over to it and peeked inside. “Looks like the plant made it!” she called out.

Twilight came over with a scanner in hand. She took some readings of the device, but found nothing amiss so far. Next, she opened the door and scanned the plant.

“Basic phylum biology working as expected,” Twilight reported after she completed her scan. “Respiratory processes are active. Water uptake and off-gassing as expected. Cellular processes appear intact.” She adjusted a few settings and continued. “Magical readings appear unchanged. Basic life magic is detected and in expected ranges. No stray anomalous readings or energies detected.”

Twilight smiled as she stood up proudly and announced, “Okay. Subject appears to be prepared for the return trip.”

Twilight shut the door. After that, the girls quickly returned to the garage lab.

Taking their places before the base, they lowered their goggles again. Twilight called out. “Return transfer in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven, ah fudge it! Ignition!” She flipped the switch again. As before, a magenta glow filled the booth.

When the glare receded, both girls lifted the goggles and peered into the booth. The daisy was sitting in the middle of the booth, apparently none the worse for its brief journey. Twilight took out her scanner, once again checking for any stray or unexpected radiation. Finding none, she nodded to Sunset in satisfaction. She opened the door and lifted the potted flower back onto the lab counter. From there Twilight ran her remaining scans.

“Woohoo! We did it!” Twilight called out in triumph. “All the scans check out. Biological functions unchanged, magical signatures unchanged, and we didn’t kill anything!” She danced in place with a repressed squee.

Sunset grinned at her friend. “Let it out Sparky! You earned it!” Twilight shook and squeed with joy. “Besides, you are so irresistibly adorkable when you do!” snarked her friend.

“I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care! I’m so happy that you could tease me all day and I don’t care!” grinned Twilight.

“Face it Sparky! You love it when I tease you!” grinned Sunset.

Twilight punched her arm with a grin of her own. “You will never get me to admit that. Not in a thousand years! But yeah, I kind of do.”

Sunset reached over and pulled her friend into a hug. “Me too, Sparky. Me too! And well done! This is just awesome!”

Twilight beamed. “I know, right?! Let’s continue!”

“Okay, Sparky! What’s next?”

Three more plants, six grasshoppers, and a very live frog who had volunteered by hopping into Twilight’s back yard earlier, the girls were ecstatic.

“So my turn next?” asked Sunset, smiling up at her friend.

“Yup. I think we’re ready for that if you're up for it?” smiled Twilight back.

“Oh, you so know it!” grinned Sunset. “First girl to successfully travel using Sparkle-vision!”

Twilight facepalmed and laughed. “Okay. Just no. That is so dorky. Not happening. We need a better name than that. How about Transversing Shimmer-space?”

“Oh, Sweet Celestia, no!” laughed Sunset. “This is your baby! You are not putting my name in there! All you, girl!”

“Ugh. Okay, how about Time and Relative Dimensions In Space?” asked Twilight.

“Uh, no. You know that one is kind of taken,” smiled Sunset. “And Dr. Turner would not take too kindly to us using it. How about Time and Continuum Interdimensional Transporter - TACIT?”

“Umm…” Twilight thought for a moment. “Wow, you know what? That kind of has a nice ring to it. Yeah, I like it. Going with that!” She jotted it down into the notebook.

“So, what are the limits on this? Have you really measured if there are any informational losses depending on the relative distance between the base and the receiver?” asked Sunset.

“None detected or expected,” answered Twilight as she continued jotting down notes. “Because of the nature of the quantum entanglement between the base and the receiver, it shouldn’t matter where in the universe the receiver is located. It should still work without any issues.”

“Really?! Hmm... “ smiled Sunset. “Okay, I am going to move the receiver then before I try it. Might as well test that out too.” She ponied up. A glowing magical horn and angelic wings spread out from her back.

Twilight gawked. “That really is going to take getting used to. I always thought we would only ever be able to pony up with our music.” She stared at her friend incredulously.

“It kind of helps to have princess-level magic…” She smiled at her friend. “Anyways, I just need to pony up so I can use my magic to move the receiver somewhere else for a bit. One second.”

Sunset rolled out to the shed, entered it, and rolled up to the base. After closing her eyes and concentrating a bit, the base disappeared within a teal flash. She grinned then returned to Twilight.

“Okay. I’ve relocated the receiver. Ready for the next phase of the test!” She opened the base door and rolled back onto the platform. “Ready when you are Sparky!” She pulled the goggles down over her eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight did the same. Goggles in place, she turned to her friend. “So where did you move the receiver to? Your garage? Your bedroom?” she asked as she set up, preparing to start the transmission.

“It’ll be a surprise! You’ll love it, I’m sure!” grinned Sunset as she shut the base door.

Twilight smiled. “Okay, fine! Be that way. Commencing transfer in ten seconds, then I’ll wait two minutes, and initiate the return. Ready?”

“Ready!” called out Sunset with a thumbs up.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, ignition!” called out Twilight as she flipped the switch.

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Sunset disappeared in a flash of magenta light. Twilight watched the countdown timer. When the two minutes were up, she flipped the return switch. Upon doing so, a magenta light filled the booth again. When the glare receded, Sunset was seated in her chair. She was still ponied up and with a large rock bathed in a teal glow gathered up on her lap.

“Welcome back, traveler!” greeted Twilight as she opened the door. “And you brought me a rock. How nice!” she snarked as she stood aside while Sunset rolled out of the booth.

“Not just any rock! This one is special!” Sunset grinned as she placed the rock on the bench.

“So where did you go!?” asked Twilight, examining the rock.

“Check it out! I took a selfie while I was there!” laughed Sunset as she pulled out her phone.

Flashing a V for victory, grinning like a loon, Sunset sat holding a large magically glowing rock. Behind her, the sky was pitch black with bright shining stars everywhere. Surrounding her was a white desolate crater, and in the distance, Twilight could see what looked like the base of a lander. Realizing what she was looking at, Twilight fainted.

“Whoa! Careful Sparky!” said Sunset, catching her friend as she fell. “Not the reaction I expected. So I take it you’re thrilled with your new moon rock?”

You can only go places you’ve never been by doing things you’ve never done - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Misaka Mikoto awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. “Crap! I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep! What time is it?” She looked over at the clock by the bedside. “Oh thank heaven! I only fell asleep for a few hours. Okay, I should head back to the dorm, check in with Kuroko, then get ready for the next batch.”

She pulled back the drapes, noticing it was daylight outside. “What?” she wondered. She looked back at the clock by the bedside, then pulled out her phone, checking the date.

“Oh crap! I slept for sixteen hours! No no no no!” she panicked. Racing over to the desk, she pulled out her pocket terminal and jacked it into the data port, scanning her feeds. No alerts or alarms listed the sites she had disabled yesterday, and a quick scan of the Academy databases indicated that the institutes she had attacked had gone bankrupt. “Whew!” Mikoto breathed in relief.

“Okay, change of plans, not going back to the dorm. Straight on to the next set!” she promised.

Pulling the map out of her backpack, she crossed off the targets she eliminated yesterday with red Xs, and looked over the remaining targets. “Four left. Time to end this. This one is closest, so they’re next.”

She jacked her terminal into the data port again, hacking into their security systems and monitoring the video feeds. Staff was present in both the data center and the laboratories. “Guess I’ll need to give them a reason to leave. Timing is going to be everything here. A bomb scare then, but that means I’ll have to work quickly, especially given how fast they responded last time. Can’t get caught now, not done yet.”

She hacked into an emergency exchange, leaving a highly distorted recoded message with a bomb threat to the labs on the floor below where she would be working, keying it for delivery to the emergency dispatch in 20 minutes. Taking one last look through the video surveillance feeds, she unjacked her terminal, slipped it into her fanny pack, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Mikoto ran from roof to roof, using her magnetism to sail between the buildings in a blur of movement. Her goal was to avoid the automated facial recognition tracking tied into the street surveillance systems, and to move enough like an air vehicle between the buildings that she didn’t trigger any automated alerts or warnings. So far it had paid off, but she kept alert, just in case that was no longer the case.

Arriving at her destination, she hung in her spider-man pose just under the lip of the neighboring building. She checked her watch, noting that the call should have been placed a minute ago. As expected, alert vehicles pulled up and surround the building as people came pouring out of the exits, evacuated as per protocol for bomb threats.

“The dogs have shown, time for the ponies,” breathed Mikoto, watching the officers leading people away from the building. Focusing, she aimed an EMP pulse at the transformer on the floor below the labs, causing it to overload and explode spectacularly. The windows on that floor on that side of the building blew out with an explosive bang, showering shrapnel and broken glass on the street below and sending the people on the street into panicked screaming and running. She followed her first shot with a second wider EMP pulse that shut down all electronic circuits on it and the floor above, immediately followed by a hypersonic token from her railgun through the window on the opposite side, shattering it completely. With everyone looking at the mayhem from the damaged transformer, she launched herself quickly through the air, sailing through the shattered window and into the abandoned office without being noticed.

Rolling to a stop, she stood and ran through the office doors and down the halls to the data center. “Seconds count, seconds count!” she called out to herself, pulling her mask on as she ran then unscrambling the security lock on the data centar vault door as she reached the door. The vault door popped open and she ran through the datacenter, lightning flaring from her outstretched arms, destroying everything in the racks as she passed.

As before, the fire suppression systems kicked in, flooding the data center with halon gas, which being fully masked she completely ignored. A final bend and electrified sprint and she had fried all the servers, leaping out of the doorway and sprinting down the hall towards the laboratories.

Arriving, she ripped the metallic door aside, racing down the aisles, outstretched arms again overcharging each lab pod and piece of equipment, fires and molten wiring left in her wake. Finished, she raced back to the shattered window, mask still in place, then shot up the side of the building to the roof. There she sprinted across the roof and off the other side, magnetically gliding through the air like a missile to a building a half mile away.

All around the building, the wind turbines were spinning in the wrong direction. As she faded into the distance, they slowly came to a stop, then resumed their normal rotations.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 10 - Sunset - First Night in a New World

Sunset - First Night in a New World

Monday, August 18 - 10:40 PM Canterlot time

Sunset went through her messages and email while she waited for Twilight, Rainbow, her mom, and her aunt. While waiting, she got a text from Twilight with an attached URL to download an app for her phone. Once she had it loaded, she opened it up and saw it was the control interface for the TACIT portal.

“Awesome. That will come in handy,” she realized with a nod.

Shortly afterward, she got a brief text from Twilight. It was just two words. “Goggles. Now.” She quickly pulled down her goggles. A few seconds later, the TACIT receiver was bathed in a glow of magenta light. With a flash, four grinning women appeared packed into the booth.

Sunset removed her goggles. “Uhm… are you supposed to pack that many people into the booth at once?” she asked with a giggling snort.

“No one wanted to wait, and I didn’t want to take the time to make multiple trips or explain how to trigger the device to everyone. Besides, I knew we would all fit! We also already knew that going together doesn’t cause any ill effects from our having done it. So I wasn’t worried,” grinned Twilight.

Twilight stepped out of the booth and turned to their guests. She bowed.

“Ms. Celestia. Ms. Luna. Dashie. Welcome to Mars!”

“So you did all this, by yourselves, in one day?” asked Aunt Luna in astonishment. She shook her head in amazement. “I swear! Some days I don’t know how it is that you and your friends haven’t already taken over the world!”

“Uh, what? No. Why would I do that? I mean, again? Why would I try that again? Uh… I come in peace?” laughed Sunset. “Seriously though! No interest! We have enough going on stopping the idiots who do want to take over the planet! Absolutely no interest in running everyone else’s lives. My life is busy enough, thank you very much!” she grinned.

“Yes. I second that!” nodded Twilight. “Once was too many! Never again. No interest here! Just helping Sunset and the rest of the girls make sure no one else ever does either.”

“It’s seriously hilarious that both of you actually tried that at one point,” grinned Dash. “But we stopped you both. Now we’re all awesome friends!” Dash fist-pumped.

“Ms. Dash, don’t ever change,” grinned Celestia while hugging her daughter’s friend. “So where do we sleep? I want to drop off this bag and get on with the grand tour.”

Sunset led everyone out to the main conference room where she announced, “Okay! The room you arrived in with the TACIT receiver is our control room. We’re currently sealed in an air and watertight bunker under 3 meters of regolith so we don’t suffer from any stray cosmic radiation. Unlike our fair planet, Mars does not have a magnetosphere to block all the nastiness raining down from the sky. We’re letting over 9 feet of crystal do the job for us.”

Rolling forward Sunset pointed to the first room on the right then went on to say, “This is our game room where anyone can go to just hang out and veg. It has a large screen TV, game console, PC, and every streaming service you can think of. It includes surround sound for movie nights as well as a fully immersive gaming experience.

“Moving on…” she rolled over to the next room. “Mom, this is the first bedroom. You and Aunt Luna can bunk here for the night. Each room has three hopefully comfortable beds. You can put your stuff in here.”

The two sisters both grinned and dropped their stuff off.

“Dash, same deal,” Sunset went on to say. “You have the next room to yourself for the night.” In response, Dash stepped in and quickly dropped her stuff off. She came back out to finish the tour. Celestia and Luna rejoined them as well.

“Last room is for Twilight and me. We already moved our stuff in so we’re good,” Sunset continued.

Twilight stepped up. “This is our dining area. The water is crystal clear and cold. The fridge and freezer are fully stocked. The microwave/convection oven works as you would expect. Help yourselves to whatever you want. Snack yourselves crazy.” Twilight grinned. “I know Sunset and I plan to!”

“This is the main storeroom,” Twilight continued. “Not that you should need anything, but if you do, it’s likely there. Furthermore, anything extra that any of you have now or later, feel free to store it here, too.”

“Next is one of the most important rooms in the bunker - the bathroom!” laughed Sunset. “And I do mean that both figuratively and literally. It’s where the two toilets for our little hideaway are as well as the showers and common bath too.”

“Common bath?” Luna checked in surprise. “Like Japanese style?”

“Yup!” agreed Twilight. “Exactly like that. We could totally do that tonight if you wanted.”

“Count me in!” cheered Luna. “No way am I missing a chance for a spa bath on Mars!”

“Okay, I’ll join you then. Everyone else is welcome as well,” continued Sunset.

Twilight finished up. “The last room is what we call the ‘Farm’. We have several hydroponic gardens there as well as a fish farm for fresh protein. We just planted everything so nothing is really there yet. Give it a few weeks and come back. When it’s finished, we can all enjoy a martian grown organic meal together. For now, though, you’ll just have to rough it with the stuff we brought over from old mother Earth.”

“So there it is! Once again welcome to our Martian bunker and welcome to Mars!”

Everyone decided the chance to enjoy a Japanese-style communal bath on Mars was way too cool to pass up. They put their things away and got settled, then they all gathered in the communal bathroom. Twilight brought a stack of large white towels and placed them on the counter by the door. Everyone grabbed one.

Sunset spoke up. “Okay. Does anyone not know how this works? Have any questions? Not the time to be shy! Speak up and we’ll step you through it. It’s really simple and very relaxing.”

Twilight continued. “Yup. The basic idea is you scrub yourself on these stools here. Once you have all the grease, sweat, stress, and whatever scrubbed off, you then pour this bucket of warm water over yourself and rinse off. If you overdid the soap then there are the showerheads along the wall too.”

“Then you step into the tub and enjoy the relaxing warm water with your friends!” concluded Sunset. “Let the heat work its wonders in erasing the stress of the day from your body.” Sunset laughed. “Or in my case, it’s ‘get dropped into the tub by this lift’ then relax and enjoy the warm soak.”

Twilight added, “If you’re feeling shy or bothered by the thought of someone seeing you sitting in the tub without a stitch on, don’t worry. One, no one is judging you. We’re all friends. And two, if you really feel shy, it’s totally okay to wear the towel into the bath. Or a bathing suit. Again, no one will judge you.”

“Okay! Let’s get started then!” said Sunset. She removed her shirt, pants, and undergarments, then transferred over to the large stool set aside for her by the door. Following that she dropped the brush into the bucket to wet it, removed it, and drizzled some of the body soap by the bucket onto the brush. She started scrubbing her feet and worked her way up.

Watching Sunset, Rainbow replied, “That looks easy enough!” She stripped, tossed her clothes into the basket by her stool, and copied Sunset. She got the brush soaped up and scrubbed herself down.

Twilight joined her on the next stool over. Celestia and Luna did the same in the last two places. With a shrug and a nod to one another, they copied the others by scrubbing down.

By this point, Sunset had moved onto her hair and was working the shampoo into her thick ‘mane’ all the way down to her scalp. She messaged the soap in and worked it through all her locks. When she finished, she leaned back with a sigh.

“Ah, that feels good. I think I lost 5 pounds of sweat!” Sunset laughed. “How are you girls doing?”

“I’m good!” laughed Rainbow. “I don’t think I have scrubbed my back so completely in ages! I’m loving the handle on this thing! It can reach everywhere!” She smiled while holding the bath brush up. “I’m so getting one of these for my shower!”

Luna and Celestia laughed.

“We have them at home. No lie! They are wonderful,” informed Celestia with a nod. “I’d definitely recommend them.”

Luna nodded. “I completely agree.” She reached down and poured the warm water over her head slowly, rinsing all of the shampoo and soap off.

The others joined her. Soon all the girls were ready for the actual bath.

Sunset placed a towel over the seat of her chair then transferred back into it. She rolled over to the lift, strapped herself in, and cranked it up until she was just off her chair. Pushing off from the chair, she swung out over the tub. Hitting the release on the handle, she slowly dropped into the water. When she was completely seated on the submerged bench, she unlatched the harness and pulled it to the side, setting it on the floor next to the tub. She turned back, settling into the tub seat with a contented sigh.

“It has been so long since I enjoyed a good soak like this. Thank you, Aunty Luna, for the suggestion,” Sunset smiled at her Aunt.

By that time everyone else had entered the tub and taken seats on the bench that encircled it.

Leaning into the side, Luna smiled back at her niece, as she said, “Of course! Who would pass up a chance to soak! Especially when you can say you were in the first bath on Mars!”

“Pics or it didn’t happen!” laughed Dash while sitting across from Sunset and Twilight.

“Pics and I will confiscate your phone and delete everything on it!” growled Celestia, glaring at Dash. Luna joined her sister with her own pointed glare.

“Just kidding! I’d never actually do that! Just a joke! I swear.” Dash held up her hands in mock surrender.

“See that you don’t!” said Luna testily.

Dash nodded profusely, so Luna leaned back into the warm water again. “This is nice,” she said with a smile.

“Mm-hm!” Everyone agreed.

A fair bit of time later everyone got out of the tub and toweled off. They took their clothes baskets with them to their rooms to get dressed for the evening. Sunset pulled the harness back into the tub and strapped herself back in. Twilight stayed to help. She cranked the lift to bring Sunset out of the tub, then pulled Sunset over to her chair and gently lowered her into it. Sunset unlatched the harness and worked her way out of it before wrapping herself in a second towel.

“Thanks, Sparky!” Sunset smiled gratefully at her friend who wrapped herself in a towel as well.

“No worries, Sunny! What’re friends for?” She smiled at her BFF. Together they went to their bedroom, then dried and dressed in their nightclothes. They joined the others in the game room. Sunset rolled her chair to the end of the couch while Twilight sat down next to her.

“Anyone want a snack before we get started?” Twilight offered. “Popcorn? Sodas? Anything to drink?”

Dash got up. “I’ll help you Twi! Popcorn for everyone?” Rainbow asked as they walked to the door. Everyone nodded, so Twilight and Dash left to make it happen. Sunset turned to her mom and aunt. “What do you want to watch? You pick the movie tonight! Us girls always get to pick.”

Celestia turned to her sister. “How about a rom-com?” she asked.

Luna laughed and shook her head. “You always pick a rom-com. You’re on another planet, for pity's sake, Tia! Time to break the mold.”

“And you would suggest what? A good violent action movie?” Celestia snarked with a grin.

“Of course!” Luna nodded with a smile. “Only the best! High body count, lots of action and intrigue!”

“The last part is the only reason I can even tolerate the movies you pick,” grinned Celestia at her sister. “Okay Lulu, fine! You pick! But pick a good one, please!”

Luna smiled. “Will do, Tia!” She rolled her eyes around a bit in thought. “Hmm. Okay. I think I have a good choice, and it’s one we haven't over-watched.” Taking the console controller, she scrolled through the movie choices. “Ah, here it is! Fantastic! I’ll get it started!” She selected the movie and waited for it to load then start running. Once the first actual scene came on she froze the screen until the girls arrived with the snacks so they would not miss the movie.

“So? What‘d you pick, Aunty Luna?” asked Sunset.

“Sorry! No spoilers. You’ll just have to wait and see with the rest of us. But trust me! It’s a classic and you’ll enjoy it,” teased her aunt.

When the girls got back she let the movie start. Sunset recognized it within seconds as it was a favorite of hers. She grinned happily.

It was Columbiana.

The movie was over. Everyone was stuffed with popcorn and soda. The girls all said goodnight and went to bed.

Sunset followed Twilight into their room. She transferred into the first bed by the door, snuggling down under the covers.

To her surprise Twilight slipped under the blankets next to her, snuggling up to her friend.

Sunset smiled. “Not that I’m complaining Sparky, but we do have more than enough beds for everyone to have their own. Are you sure you want to be scrunched up together on a single bed?”

“One, this is a twin bed you dork, not a single! It’s more than big enough for both of us. And two, no chance! You’re not leaving my side. I need my BFF beside me!” Twilight smiled as she snuggled tightly to Sunset.

“I need you too, Sparky,” Sunset smiled back. She kissed her friend on her forehead. Snuggled, the girls settled in for a good night’s sleep.

The way of harmony is a path of progress, not a path of perfection, toward the perfect always, claiming perfection, never - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Arriving back at her hotel room, Mikoto collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. She got back up, slipped into the hotel bathrobe provided, then called room service, ordering up a burger, fries, and chocolate shake with a large soft drink, and requesting her clothes be immediately washed. She left her clothes in the garment bag provided, placing them by the door.

She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water beat on her abused and tired muscles as she scrubbed off the day's excursions, then waited for her dinner while enjoying the relaxing warm water. Hearing the room service staff announce themselves from the room, she turned off the shower, quickly dried, then threw on the bathrobe, returning to the room to sign the receipt. Thanking them for their diligence, she sat and enjoyed the meal while she waited for her clothes to be returned.

When they returned, they found her sprawled out in the bathrobe on the bed, TV playing, sound asleep, the day having caught up with her. With a smile, they left the clean clothes on her dresser and locked the door behind themselves as they left.

Keitz Nokleben, the security supervisor for the Level 6 experiments, sat at his desk, calmly clipping his nails. He watched the recorded footage of the latest attack on the Level 6 facilities. He sighed as he watched the destruction of millions of Yen worth of equipment.

“Clearly whoever is doing this is an Electomaster,” he commented. The footage finished up, the lab completely destroyed.

“It has to be Misaka Mikoto,” he surmised. “That level of devastating proficiency is too high to be anyone else.”

He turned off the footage feed, and pulled up a list of contacts. “Okay, Miss Mikoto. Let’s see how well you do when we’re expecting you.”

He found the contact he was looking for and made the call.

Frenda Seivelun, member of team ITEM, had been assigned by her team leader Mugino Shizuri to be the first line of defense when Mikoto came calling. Sitting on a box, she watched with boredom as the technicians packed up their equipment. Her traps placed all throughout the facility, she now just sat, waiting for her prey to show.

“Like a spider on her web”, she thought with a smirk.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 11 - Sunset - First Day in a New World

Sunset - First Day in a New World

Tuesday, August 19 - No idea the local time, 7:30 AM Canterlot time

Sunset awoke. Yawning and opening her eyes, she smiled while she watched her still sleeping friend, a slight puddle of drool on her lips and gathered on the pillow between them. She laughed quietly, kissing her sleeping friend on her forehead.

Twilight's eyes fluttered open. “Hi, Sunny!” she smiled.

“Hi, Drools! I love you, girl!” grinned Sunset.

“Love you too,” sighed Twilight. “Wait, Drools?” She lifted her head then saw the pool on the pillow. “Oh ugh! And you love me anyway. Lucky me,” she groaned, grinning.

“Forever and ever, BFF!” smiled Sunset. She rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed, then transferred to her chair and rolled out to the bathroom. When she returned, she put her backpack onto the bed and picked out an outfit for the day. While she was dressing, Twilight returned from her morning ablutions and did the same.

“Your mom and aunt are both up and playing in the game room. No sign of Dash, no surprise there. I guess we should wake her up before breakfast,” said Twilight.

“Sounds good, I’ll start breakfast!” Sunset agreed. “And yeah, no surprise. That girl could sleep anywhere through anything.

Sunset rolled out to the kitchen area and pulled out everything she needed for breakfast, placing it on the counter.

While she was setting everything out her mom came up behind her. “What are you doing, Sunshine? Do you want some help?” She leaned over behind Sunset, hugging her and kissing her head.

“Hi, mom! Good morning! Just making breakfast, but sure, happy to have some help!” Sunset happily replied. She kissed her mom back on her cheek.

“Oh, Sunbeam. Thank you for being my daughter!” Celestia smiled at Sunset.

Sunset blushed. “Ah, mom… Thank you for being my mom! I love you.” She squeezed her mom's hand.

Twilight smiled at them as she came out of Dash’s room. “I would say you too were too corny for words, but you both are so darn adorable that I just can’t resist!” she laughed as she hugged them both. “Okay! Country breakfast for our first breakfast on Mars?”

“You know it!” agreed Sunset. “Got the ‘fixins’ right here, as AJ would say.”

“Well let’s see if we can disprove the theory of ‘too many cooks’,” grinned Twilight. “I’ll start the tofu bacon.”

“I got the pancakes!” smiled Celestia. She pulled a mixing bowl, measuring cup, and whisk from the cupboard, starting on the pancakes.

“Okay, I’ll start the eggs then. Scrambled today, hope no one minds!” Sunset announced as she took another bowl and whisk from the cupboard. She cracked the eggs into the bowl, throwing the shells into the sink.

“Should you be putting those shells in the sink?” asked her mom. “How does that work here anyway?”

“Oh, it’s fine. We have a disposal unit. It gets rinsed into the sump tank. We’ll use the sledge from the sump tank to make fertilizer for the hydroponic farm,” answered Sunset. “Twilight thought of everything.” She smiled at her friend, who blushed.

“Uhm… yes, it’s all fine. It should be almost like being at home for the most part,” Twilight agreed, placing the vegan bacon strips on the rack for the convection oven.

“I tried to make it as simple and natural as possible,” continuedTwilight. “I figured living here would be hard enough without having to completely change all our habits.”

“That’s why I love that big brain of yours!” Sunset blew her friend a kiss prompting another blush. She took some spices from the spice cupboard and mixed them into the eggs. “Okay, eggs are ready! I’ll wait to cook them until after you’re done, mom. We only have one stove.”

“Okay, I’ll call you when I’m done. You have time to go pester your Aunt or friend if you want,” Celestia smiled.

“Will do. Thanks, mom!” Sunset said. She wheeled towards the game room. On entering, she found her aunt in the middle of an arena combat game, cackling madly into her headset.

“Nightmare Moon rules the night! And any arena! Take that, you blackard! And that’s from Mars! I’m still beating your backside!” she crowed.

“I find that extremely difficult to believe. No one has been to Mars yet,” replied Luna’s game partner from the speakers. “Trust me, I would know! I’ve been following the updates on Martian exploration religiously. I seriously plan to go once people can emigrate.”

“Hi, Dr. Sombra! Is that you?” asked Sunset leaning over to speak into Luna’s headset. “Aunty Luna is not lying. We’re on Mars.”

“Hi, Sunset! Yes, it's me. So good to hear from you! Hope you are doing well. And seriously, you're not kidding? I know you girls love to pull people’s legs all the time,” responded Dr. Sombra.

“Nope! Not kidding. It was Twilight that made it possible. She invented a quantum entangled transporter. We used it to teleport to Mars yesterday. We created a bunker on Mars. We have a great view of Olympus Mons from our front door!” Sunset replied.

“By the Maker! You jest! Though the things that girl gets into!” laughed Dr. Sombra. “I don’t doubt if she really set her mind to it, she could do it. She is an amazing scientific prodigy. I was always delighted by her discoveries and inventions under my tutelage at Crystal Prep. Wow though, that’s a lot to take in! I do find it difficult to believe.”

“You want to really blow your mind? If it helps you to believe me, yesterday morning, before we came here? We used Twilight’s device to visit the moon. She supercharged the lunar rover while we were there, then Dash and I used it to photobomb the Chang’e site!” laughed Sunset.

“What!? That was real!?” Dr. Sombra laughed out loud. “There’s a clip making the rounds on the internet. An angel with rainbow hair was driving the lunar rover over the moonscape waving her hands like a loon! Hahaha!” Dr. Sombra roared with laughter. “I thought for certain it was a hoax, though a good one. Wow! That makes sense now! That was your friend with the rainbow hair, right?”

“Got it in one!” laughed Sunset as she pulled back from the headset. She smiled at her aunt.

“And you doubted me why?” grinned Luna, her controller still twitching in her hands as she battled her old friend in the arena melee.

“Honestly? It’s too good to believe,” answered Dr. Sombra. “But in this case I’d be thrilled to be wrong! So… any chance I can come by for a bit? They do say seeing is believing. Maybe you could convince me with a visit to your other-worldly hideaway?”

Luna looked at her niece with a grin. Sunset nodded back with a smile. “We are having a sleepover Saturday night with the girls. Maybe you could come during the day and we can make a day of it?” answered Sunset.

“Did you hear that? Is Saturday good for you?” asked Luna.

“For a trip to Mars? Any day or time works for me!” laughed Dr. Sombra. “I could clear anything to make that date!”

Luna laughed. “It’s not a date, you old stallion, no matter how many times you ask!”

“Not what I meant, but you can’t blame a gentleman for trying,” laughed Dr. Sombra. “You know you like me.”

“Yes I do,” agreed Luna. “As a dear friend. Not ready for anything more right now.”

“But someday! Someday you will be. And I’ll be there for you, waiting,” said Dr. Sombra, warming.

“Daahh! Dr. Sombra, I didn’t know you were a romantic!” grinned Sunset. “I think you two would be perfect for one another!”

“Do not encourage him!” scolded her aunt with a grin. “He doesn’t need it. He is an incorrigible goat enough on his own!”

“Sounds like love to me!” sang Sunset as she rolled back out of the game room.

She rolled over to Dash’s bedroom and knocked on the door. “Come on Dash! Rise and shine! Breakfast is almost ready!” she called out.

“Five more minutes, mom!” Dash mumbled.

Laughing, Sunset opened the door. She wheeled over to her friend. Sticking her finger in her mouth, she wet it thoroughly then stuck it into her friend's ear.

“Wha… Ugh!” Dash shot up from the bed. She smacked Sunset’s hand away and rubbed her ear. She scrunched her eyes and scowled. “Dang it, Sunset! What’d you do that for?”

“Dash. Where are you?” Sunset grinned.

“Sleeping over at your... “ the lights in Dash’s eyes turned on. “I’m on Mars! We’re on Mars! We had a sleepover on Mars!”

“That’s right!” smiled Sunset. She then knuckled her friend's head. “And, if you don’t hurry up, get dressed, and ready for the day, you’re going to miss our very first breakfast on Mars. Up and at ‘em sleepyhead!” She rolled back out of the room while Dash threw on her clothes and raced over to the bathroom.

“Mission accomplished!” she announced. “My turn on the grill yet?”

“Almost, Sunshine! Just two more batches and I’m done,” answered her mom with a smile.

“I’ll start setting the table while I wait,” Sunset replied. She pulled five plates from the cupboard, rolling over to the table to set them out. She returned for the cups and silverware settings next. Those in place, she snagged some cloth napkins from the storage room, setting those on the table as well. Taking a pitcher from the cupboard, she placed it on the counter, then pulled a can of frozen apple juice from the freezer.

“Don’t tell AJ!” Sunset snarked aloud as she opened the can and popped the frozen juice into the pitcher.

Twilight chuckled. “Definitely not!” she agreed.

Sunset filled the pitcher with water from the sink and used a wooden spoon to stir it. The juice melted into the water, turning it golden as the aroma of apples filled the room.

“Wow!” Sunset exclaimed as she brought the pitcher over to the table, “That’s some good stuff for a concentrate! Where did you get this, Twilight?”

“It’s from AJ’s farm. I removed the extra water with reverse osmosis, then flash froze it into the cans so I could still enjoy her apples after the climate apocalypse!” Twilight explained.

Sunset laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Sparky, don’t ever change!” she teased. Twilight grinned and raised her eyebrow, throwing a towel at Sunset. Sunset grinned back mischievously.

Celestia beamed happily at them both. “All done, Sunspot, the grill is yours!” She smiled, taking the tray of pancakes and placing them on the table. She left to tell her sister breakfast was ready.

Sunset rolled over to the grill, wiping it down to clean off the last of the pancake batter. Beside her, Twilight removed the bacon from the convection oven. “Do you want to use the oil from the bacon to make the eggs, Sunny? The bacon is done,” she asked.

“Yes please!” Sunset agreed. Twilight removed the rack of bacon from the oven. After taking the bacon off and placing it into a serving bowl, she handed the rack to her friend.

“Here you go!” she smiled. She placed the bacon on the table next to the pancakes, then went to the cupboard to pull out syrups. She also brought over a tray of butter from the fridge.

Sunset poured the fresh spiced oils from the bottom of the rack onto the grill, still warm from cooking the pancakes. Spreading it around with her spatula, she adjusted the heat and slowly poured out the eggs on the grill. They sizzled, the smell of eggs and bacon filling the common room.

Celestia and Luna returned from the game room, Rainbow on their heels.

“That smells fantastic!” Rainbow grinned.

“I bet it tastes fantastic too!” snarked Sunset. “Take a seat, snooze button!” She grinned at Dash. Dash stuck her tongue out at her, then smiled back.

The girls took their seats. Celestia served up the pancakes, passing out the plates and passing around the condiments. By the time they were ready to eat, Sunset joined them at the table with a steaming tray of scrambled eggs.

“Enjoy!” Sunset smiled as she set the tray of eggs next to the bacon. Turning to her mom, she smiled and took her mom’s plate of pancakes. “Thanks, mom!”

“No problem, my little Sunshine! Hey!” Celestia scowled and laughed as she watched her daughter prepare to eat her pancakes. She shook her head with a smirk, then took her sister and Sunset’s hands and bowed her head. Sunset and Luna took Twilight’s and Dash’s hands, then Celestia led them in harmonic grace. “Eat up!” she called out when done.

Breakfast was enjoyed by everyone, Sunset being sure to get lots of pictures of them eating and enjoying themselves to mark the occasion. When everyone was finished, Sunset asked, “So, what do you all have planned for the day?”

“What do you have planned?” reflected Dash. “I’d love to stay and explore. I haven’t even been outside yet.”

“I have to go to work, so I’m leaving in a bit.” Sunset turned to Twilight. “Sparky, do you have anything planned for the day? Maybe you could stay for a while and show everyone around? Not to put you on the spot or anything!” she said as she gently placed a hand on her friend's knee.

“Eh, no worries. I don’t have anything going on today so I was sticking around for a while anyway.” She smiled at Sunset, giving her hand a squeeze. “I'll stick around and show everyone the sights. Who wants to join me for a hike on Mars!?” Twilight asked enthusiastically.

Dash’s hand shot up. “Me! Me me me! Heck yes!”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other and laughed. They nodded. “We’re in!” they chorused.

“Bummed I’m missing it,” smiled Sunset. “But I’ll be back after work. I’ll give you a call, Sparky. You can let me know what’s going on.”

“Your bet, Sunny!” smiled Twilight.

“I hate to eat and run but I need to get going or I’m going to be late. I have the lunch crowd today,” said Sunset as she cleared her place, putting her dishes in the sink.

“No worries, Sunbeam! See you after work!” her mom called out to her as she rolled into the control room. A moment later a magenta flash came from the room.

Luna and Dash cleared their places. Luna then pulled Dash into the game room with her, Dash looked confused but following.

“I’ll help you clean up,” smiled Celestia. “That was a wonderful breakfast! Thank you for providing that for us.” She loaded the dishes into the sink, then filled the sink with water and some dish soap from the pantry.

“No problem!” smiled Twilight while bagging up the leftovers and placing them into the fridge. “Thank you for making breakfast and helping me clean up. Those pancakes were fantastic!”

“Why thank you, Twilight,” Celestia beamed. “I had lots of practice making them for my sister.”

As Celestia cleaned each plate and utensil, she set them on the counter.

“So Twilight, I have a question for you,” Celestia continued.

“Sure thing, Ms. Celestia. What do you want to know?” asked Twilight as she took a dishrag and wiped down the table.

“My sister and I... we were wondering… what are your intentions with my daughter?” she asked with a smile, not missing a beat while washing down the dishes.

Twilight stopped. She turned to face Celestia. “Um.. what? Er... What do you mean?” she looked flushed and flustered.

Celestia stopped washing the dishes and turned to face Twilight. She smiled. “Let's sit down for a moment, shall we?” she asked. She took Twilight by the hand and led her back over to the table. Taking a seat there, she gestured to the one next to her. Twilight gulped, then sat, head down and hands in her lap fidgeting.

Celestia reached over and placed her hand gently on Twilight’s chin, tilting Twilight’s head up to face her. “Twilight, I’m not angry. I’m not here to judge you or condemn you. I just need to know. What do you plan to do with my little Sunbeam?” She smiled kindly.

Twilight looked into Celestia’s eyes, visibly shaking, then teared up a little. “Nothing bad! I promise!” She looked back down, hands wringing nervously. “It’s just… well. It’s just… I just..” She stopped for a moment, going completely still. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, she opened her eyes and looked back at Celestia.

“I love her. I love your daughter,” she confessed. “Ever since she came into my life, I’ve realized how much I’ve been missing. When I was possessed by her crazy equestrian magic during the Friendship Games, I was completely out of my mind. She was the one who talked me back down! She literally brought me back to earth. She helped me reclaim my humanity. She did that for me. My best friend literally put her life on the line for me when I least deserved or expected it!”

A tear rolled down Twilight’s cheek. Celestia took her hands, smiling in encouragement.

Twilight continued. “I knew right then that I loved her. I’d never known another person, being, whatever, like that before. I’d never had a friend that literally was willing to walk through the gates of hell for me, to pull my soul back even if it meant risking her own.” The tears were now freely rolling down her cheeks. “I love her so much! She’s the dearest sister I never had! She’s the soul that burns with mine! I want to spend the rest of my life with her, to never leave her side. I want to be her best friend forever.” She smiled happily, closing her eyes. Tears streamed down her face, her shoulders shaking with repressed sobs.

“So you love her? And she loves you. Have you been together?” asked Celestia, pulling her in for a hug.

“All the time! Every chance we get!” smiled Twilight. She stopped, then pulled back and looked at Celestia.

“Wait, what? Ah… you mean together together?” Twilight laughed, wiping away a tear. “No. I thought you meant together like spending time together. Or together time doing stuff, not together together… I mean that kind of together… you know..”

Celestia smiled, placing a finger over Twilight's lips. “Stop! We know where that goes... I get it. Not together.”

Twilight nodded. “Not like that. She likes boys. She still kind of has a crush on Flash really. She told me. Haha! Not sure I was supposed to mention that…” She flushed a little. “And the truth is... so do I really. Not that any of them have asked me out or anything! Except for Timber,” she grumped. “Anyway... no. I love Sunset with all my heart! But I don’t think of her like that. She completes my heart. That’s it, that’s the truth!” She smiled.

Celestia hugged Twilight tight. “Dearest Twilight! Don’t ever change!” she laughed. “You are a complicated and wonderful young woman, and my daughter is lucky to have you! Just know that whatever you two decide to do with your lives, you both have all our blessings and love!”

Twilight looked up at her in relieved happiness. Celestia kissed her on the forehead with a smile. “Welcome to the family, Twilight Sparkle. You are loved!” She hugged her tightly once more.

Tears in her eyes, Twilight wept with joy, smiling happily.

Peering around the doorway from the game room, Luna fist pumped. “Yes!” she called out quietly. Dash, right beneath her, copied the motion with a giant grin.

“That was so awesome!” whispered Dash.

“Indeed!” agreed Luna quietly. “Not one word of this Ms. Dash. This is nobody's business but their own. I was supposed to keep you busy playing games, but your concern for your friend was so evident I couldn’t ‘leave you hanging’ as you say.”

“Mums the word Ms. Luna! I promise!” agreed Dash as she crossed her heart and poked a finger in her eye.

“Umm.. not sure what that was supposed to be,” observed Luna with a raised eyebrow. “But I will take you at your word. Please do not disappoint me.” She pulled Dash back into the room and fired up a PVP game. “Quick! Take a controller and look like you’re having fun. I don’t wish to explain myself to my sister.”

Together they started a round of arena combat. While they played, Twilight and Celestia entered the room.

“So, did you get all that?” Celestia asked her sister.

“My dearest sister, I don't know what you mean,” answered Luna.

“Every word!” squeed Rainbow. She threw down the controller, ran over, and gathered Twilight into a huge hug.

“Dash! You promised!” groaned Luna as she put down her own controller and turned off the game. “Traitor!” she grinned.

“That. Was. So… AWESOME!” Dash called out as she danced around with Twilight in her grasp. “Twilight Sparkle! You are AWESOME! I am so glad you’re Sunset’s friend!”

“Um… and your friend too, Dash!” called out Twilight as she was danced around the game room.

Setting her down at last, Dash looked Twilight straight in the eye, smiling ear to ear. “And your friend too! Forever!” She pulled Twilight into a hug again.

“Yay!” peeped Twilight.

Celestia stood behind her sister watching the antics of the two girls. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist watching, Lulu… you never could.” She gave her sister a gentle hug.

“Not when it concerns people I love and care about deeply. I never could and I never will.” Luna smiled, giving her sister’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“That’s one of the things I love best about you!” Celestia said as she rested her head on her sister's shoulder as they watched the girls dance around the room. “You have a protective and generous heart.” She kissed her sister’s cheek, then rested her head against hers.

“As do you, dearest sister,” replied Luna with a smile.

Thank the Maker for the good things in your life; Praise the Maker for the hard and bad things, for in these challenges, you will grow in wisdom and strength - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Nunotaba Shinobu walked through the S-Processor Pathology Analysis Research Laboratory facility, rehired just that morning supposedly for her skills as their former Testament expert.

The lab supervisor was leading her through the facilities, everywhere filled with researchers frantically backing up systems and packing away lab data and equipment.

“We’ve had a bit of trouble recently,” he explained as she watched the frenetic activity around her. “Unfortunately, we have no choice but to move. We’re in the midst of transferring our operations right now.”

She nodded absentmindedly, watching. “What would you like me to do?” She asked.

“Ah, nothing at all. Just sit back and relax. This is the first time we’ve attempted to make a transfer of this scale.”

“I see,” Shinobu mused.

“Just your presence alone is reassuring,” explained the lab supervisor.

Another researcher ran into the room, panicked. “Sir! Excuse me!”

“What is it?” Asked the supervisor.

The researcher whispered into the supervisor's ear, “It seems she’s appeared over at the Pathology Analysis Laboratory!”

“I see,” nodded the supervisor. “That means we’re safe here for now. Finish the transfers, quickly!”

The researcher nodded, running from the room.

Shinobu’s eyebrow raised at the comments. The supervisor turned to her.

“I’m terribly sorry, I need to take care of an emergency. Will you please wait in my office, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course,” nodded Shinobu, following him into the office.

Mikoto was stressed. Things were not going the way she had planned. As she entered the facility, she found a young blonde girl, clearly an esper and roughly her age, waiting for her.

Sighing in exasperation, Mikoto greeted her. “I might as well ask, who hired you guys?”

The girl just looked at her, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Mikoto continued. “If you’re only following orders, you might want to rethink that. There’s some very psychotic stuff going on in this facility.”

The girl scoffed. “Meh, that. Whatever.” She smiled. “Our clients have their own goals.
Whether or not our target’s a good person, or what kind of life they’ve lived up to now, we honestly couldn’t care less about that stuff,” she admitted with a grin.

Mikoto looked shocked by her callous answer.

Still smiling, the girl continued. “Oh, and by the way, you know… about that whole driving me into a corner thing?” An explosion rang out behind and above Mikoto just as she said that slamming down a huge steel door behind her.

“Gotcha!” crowed the girl. “And the hunter becomes the hunted! It’s almost cliche,” she added, looking at her nails. “Turn around and take a look,” she invited.

Mikoto did, noticing taped lines all over the floor around her. At that moment rag dolls poured out of the ducts, piling up around her.

The girl laughed. “You have no escape route, and nothing to use as a shield!” She pulled out half a dozen lit flares. “Ta da! Try to survive THIS!” She tossed the flares out, igniting the tape fuses on the floor.

“Yeah, I guess I messed up,” noted Mikoto, scratching her head as she watched the fuses burn towards her. She smiled. “I guess that’s what I get for trying to talk things out. And here I should be conserving my energy, not wasting it on something so pathetic.”

Clenching her hand into a fist, she pulled her hand up into the air, ripping the steel floor apart and cutting off the burning fuses.

“Shit! She lifted the floor up and cut my fuse lines! Oh crap crap crap! She’s a level 5!” The girl panicked.

Lightning crackling from her hands, Mikoto charged the girl, calling out, “I hope you're ready for this!”

Thinking quickly, the girl pulled a small grenade from her ear, tossing it to the floor before Mikoto.

BANG! A blinding flash of light seared Mikoto’s eyes, blinding her tearfully. “Damn it!” she swore, stopping her charge.

“I hope you enjoyed the Flash Bang! And it serves you right for underestimating me,” sang out the girl.

“Idiot! My ears are ringing, and I can’t see anything!” thought Mikoto.

“Heh!” laughed out the girl as she pulled several mini rockets from her skirt. “You know what the greatest high in the world is for me? Trapping over-confident psychics like you!” She launched her rockets at the blinded and dazed Mikoto. They spiraled in on her, detonating on impact while the girl laughed in unrestrained glee. “That’s what you get when you take on the likes of me!”

She danced and sang in place. “I just snagged half the payout! Oh, what do I want to buy? What do I want to buy?”

As she danced, she looked over to the clearing smoke from her explosions. As the smoke cleared, her dancing ceased.

“Where’s her corpse!?” gasped the girl. “I mean, I know the explosion wasn’t strong enough to blow her to smithereens, but.. Well.. er.. Then that means…”

“Well, you’ve clearly done your homework on electromasters,” came a voice from behind her.

“Eep!” the girl squeaked.

“But, you don’t get to my level without sensing electromagnetic waves of motion, or did you not know that?” taunted Mikoto.

“So, knowing exactly what was coming, I latched onto the walls, then ceiling, then came up behind you while you were celebrating. Nice dance, by the way.”

The girl made to run.

“Hey! Don’t make any sudden movements!” warned Mikoto. “My lightning is faster than anything you can toss at this range, and won’t leave enough of you to fill an hibachi.” Blinking, she grinned. “Oh, good. My vision is coming back. Not that I needed it.”

The girl stood there trembling.

As her eyes cleared, she noticed the young woman more clearly. “I didn’t realize in the dark, but you're a foreigner.” Just then, the burst out an impassioned cry in a language Mikoto didn’t know, but sounded vaguely Latin. “What the heck is she saying now? She was speaking Japanese a minute ago,” wondered Mikoto.

“You like that!? I made it up!” shouted out the girl, tossing a bottle at Mikoto as she spoke.

Mikoto launched a bolt of lightning at the bottle, exploding it between them. “More explosives! Does she ever give up!” she groaned.

“That is Academy City’s very own vaporous explosiveL Ignis!” cackled the girl. “The vapors are completely harmless to breath. But they fill up a place fast. In other words, this room is now a gigantic bomb! Imagine what’ll happen if you use your electricity now.”

Saying that, she launched across the room, delivering a sharp kick into Mikoto’s midsection. “Crap!” thought Mikoto. “Can’t use my powers, I have to fight her! Oh, this is bad!”

As she thought, the girl launched into her again, tossing her across the room then trying to slam down into her with her feet, which Mikoto sprang away to avoid.

“Is she mental? Just her shoes could set this whole place off! What is she thinking!” Mikoto thought as she rolled and dodged away. “Do you have a death wish?” she called out.

“Oh please! I’ve been doing this kind of work for a long long time. I couldn't do it if I were afraid of something as lame as dying!” She kicked Mikoto again, sending her flying across the room. She continued laying into Mikoto, battering her brutally.

After several moments of this, Mikoto was left standing, breathing heavily.

“Well, you’re a real trooper, aren't you? I was hoping we could play longer, but… I have to finish you off before Mugino and the others get here.” She kicked out a sharp blade from her shoes. “You know how I said it didn’t matter what sort of life my targets lived? I’ll admit… right before they die, there's something weirdly moving. As I pluck away their life, I feel I have absolute control of their fate. In the end, they were just losers born only to be killed by me. Know what I mean?”

Grinning evilly, she approached Mikoto. “So, how about giving me a good old fashioned scream on your way out!” She launched at Mikoto.

And was shocked when Mikoto blocked her every kick and punch effortlessly. “Born… to be killed? Even under a terrible fate like that, some live with it. They don’t run or resist, or ask for any help. They just accept it, like it’s some unavoidable truth.” Visions of her sisters ran through her head. “SCREW THAT!” she screamed.

With a flash of magnetic pulse, she ripped the knived shoe from the girl's foot, hurling it across the room.

“What the hell?” called out the girl in shock just as Mikoto came up from behind, pulling her into a chokehold. Pulling herself together, the girl grunted, flipping Mikoto over her head, throwing her down to the floor and ripping her out of the chokehold, but knocking several of her fuses down to the ground at the same time from the intensity of her throw. Glaring down at Mikoto, she raged. “Not bad for an amateur, too bad you have no chance of beating me!”

Just then, both girls watched as one of the fuses landed on one of the taped strips. “Ah crap!” called out the girl as the fuse lite. She was tossed and tumbled across the room in the resulting explosion.

Rolling to her feet, she laughed. “Cripes, that was close! I almost blew myself up in my own trap! Can’t lose these legs, they're my best asset!” She laughed, then noticed Mikoto across the room, lighting arching up from her hand in front of her.

Mikoto turned to the girl, smiling. “Well well, you really had me going there. Haha, listen to me, I’m starting to sound like you. Guess I’ve been hanging around you too long.” Lightning arched from her hand to the surrounding area as she advanced on the girl.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

Note that Mikoto’s adventures here and in some of the following chapters are derived from the Manga, which is available in English translations which I wholeheartedly recommend.
Here is one of them, I recommend the entire set! https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/YvwvEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
There are of course other vendors. (smiles)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 12 - Sunset - The Day After

Sunset - The Day After

Tuesday, August 19, 10:30 AM Canterlot time

Sunset rushed out from the garage. She greeted Twilight's parents in their yard. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle! We had a great time on our sleepover!” she called out as she rolled over to the car. She stopped for a second, turned back to them, then rolled up to the fence. “Are you busy this Saturday?” she asked them.

Velvet turned to Nightlight. “No. I don't think we had anything really planned, did we honey?”

“Not that I know of, dear!'' answered Night Light as he watered the plants. “We did mention possibly going to the movies in the evening if the kids were all out. But aside from that nothing. Why?”

Velvet turned to Sunset. “Looks like we are free. Why do you ask?”

“Well, we were planning another sleepover for Saturday night with the rest of the girls. I kind of thought it would be fun to have everyone over to show off the bunker and maybe do some exploring if everyone was up for it. I mean who would say no to an off-world adventure, right?” She grinned.

“Off-world, eh?” smiled Velvet. “The things you girls get up to! What do you think dear?”

Night Light grinned. “Sure! Sounds good to me! Count us in!”

“Awesome! I’ll let Twilight know!” she called out as she rolled back to her car. Opening the driver's door, she transferred into the car then folded her chair and placed it into the passenger seat. Shutting the door, with a final wave to Twilight's parents, she started the car. “Canterlot Mall please, Nicholi!” she called out.

“Destination Canterlot Mall. Travel time is about 10 minutes,” replied the car. Sunset turned and looked both ways behind her. When she discovered that the road was clear, she backed out into the street then drove off towards work.

“Nicholi, text Twilight Sparkle. The message is - Twilight, I’ve invited your mom and dad to join us Saturday - they said yes. We should invite all our families for the day, then just have us girls for the sleepover. What do you think? Sunset out.”

“Message sent,” the car confirmed.

“Nice. I hope Mom and Aunty Luna can come,” thought Sunset as she drove through traffic on the way to the mall.

Sunset pulled into one of the Mall’s charging spots. She shut off the car and opened her door. Setting up her chair, she transferred over, and put her daypack on the back. Shutting the driver's door, she locked the car and hooked up to the charging station.

She rolled into the mall, smiling and waving to a few of her friends from school who were shopping. They waved and smiled back as she rolled towards the food court and into the cafe.

“Did you miss me Mr. Namori-san?” She smiled as she got to the counter. Mr. Namori was placing trays for the lunch menu into the display.

“Always, Sunset! Always!” he smiled. “So how was your holiday? Did you and your friends do anything fun over the break?”

“Heck yes!” she grinned. “Twilight took me to a private spa yesterday. It was out of this world!” She laughed. “My Mom, Aunty Luna, and our friend Dash wanted to go too so we all stayed the night. I just got back into town less than an hour ago!” she laughed. “They’re all still there, the lucky bums! Not that I don’t want to be here!” She added quickly. “I love working here for you too. I’m just bummed to miss the hike they’re going on this afternoon. It should be epic!”

Mr. Namori smiled. “You don’t have to apologize to me, Sunset. I understand completely. And thank you! I’m always happy to work with you as well!”

Sunset smiled and blushed. “Thank you, Mr. Namori-san!”

“Go ahead and get dressed. Clock in and start now. I could use the help,” smiled Mr. Namori.

“Hai! Mr. Namori-san,” smiled Sunset as she wheeled into the break room.

“Cute kid!” smiled Mr. Namori as he returned to his work.

Sunset put her backpack into her locker and quickly changed into her cafe uniform. Cap doned and ready to work, Sunset clocked in and rolled back out to Mr. Namori.

“Where would you like me to start Mr. Namori-san?” she asked.

“Can you please check all the condiment trays and dispensers and refill what needs refilling? Also, keep an eye on the counter for a minute. I need to fetch a few more trays. I’ll be right back.” Mr. Namori headed back to the kitchen for the display trays.

“Ahi!” said Sunset as she rolled behind the counter. She checked over everything. It was all in place. She reached for the cloth to clean the tables just as a group of girls walked in.

“Can you believe that! Some dufus posted a doctored clip of one of the Rainboom girls riding the Lunar Rover on the moon! I recognized her as soon as I saw it. She even had the same hair and prop wings they have in their videos. Some fans just don’t know when to quit!” she laughed. They walked up to the counter together. Upon arrival, they looked over the selections.

“I know, right?” her friend laughed. “The site I saw it on had posts claiming she was actually the Chinese Moon goddess Chang’e! They said she grew bored on the moon and decided to play with the toys men had left for her. That video has taken on a life of its own!”

Sunset groaned. Smiling, she looked up at the girls. “The Rainbooms on the Moon! You’re kidding ... right?” she asked. “What video is that?”

“You haven’t seen it yet? Here. Take a look!” She offered her phone over the counter. Sunset watched the video while shaking her head the whole time. She groaned. “Ugh… Dash!”

The girl looked at her. “You know her?” she asked.

“Yeah. That’s Rainbow Dash. She’s one of the Rainbooms, like you said. Though I don’t know how this video got out so quickly…” She smiled up at the girls.

“What do you mean so quickly? That’s really her? You’re yanking our chains, right? How do you know the Rainbooms?” the girls asked.

Sunset smiled. “I play guitar with them. I’m one of the Rainbooms!” She smiled, flipped her hair, struck a dramatic pose, then grinned.

“I could still walk in our videos. That was before my accident, so you probably don’t recognize me. No big deal. And yeah. That’s really her. We were playing around with an idea we had for a new video. I didn’t realize it’d leaked out to the internet. We were just messing around. Trying stuff out.” She laughed.

The girls stared at her for a few moments. Then one of the girls called out. “Oh my gosh! Yeah! I recognize you! You’re the redhead that plays guitar with the girl you called Rainbow Dash! Sorry! I didn’t recognize you in a wheelchair. What happened?” she gushed.

“Long story, I got paralyzed, lost the use of my legs. Hasn’t stopped me from anything important,” answered Sunset with a smile. “Chang’e huh? That’s a good one! I’ll have to tell Dash about that. She’ll get a kick out of it!”

The girls were texting like mad.

“Can I help you with anything?” asked Sunset. “Just let me know when you are ready to order.” She smiled and waited for the girls to finish.

Eventually, they looked back up. “Oh, yeah. Sorry! Sure! I’ll just take the Coltifornia Lunch Special. Thanks!” the first girl said.

“Oh! That sounds good! Me too!” chorused the rest of the girls.

“Okay! Five Coltifornia Lunch Specials. You got it. Are you paying together or separately?” asked Sunset as she prepared the trays.

“I got it! Just put it all on my bill,” one answered while checking her phone.

Sunset rang the order up. “Okay, $30 for the five specials, with $2.48 tax, your total is $32.48. Cash or credit?” she asked.

“Credit please,” the girl replied. She handed over her card. Sunset ran the card, got the approval, and completed the transaction. She handed the card back with the receipt and thanked the girl. “Thanks for eating at the Sushi Cafe!”

She then handed each girl their tray. “If you need anything please just let me know. I’ll be over in a minute with your tea. The special comes with complimentary drinks, so please help yourself to the soda dispenser. The cups are right next to it.”

Smiling at the girls as they took their seats, Sunset reached over to take the cleaning cloth again. She was about to roll out again when Lyra came running into the cafe.

“Sunset! Oh, thank the Maker! You are working today! Have you seen this?” She held her phone out as she ran towards the counter. Panting, she held out her phone to Sunset showing the same video the girls had just shown her.

She smiled at Lyra. “Yeah. I just saw it a minute ago. That’s Dash alright.” She laughed. “It was just supposed to be a prank. I had no idea things would go this crazy,” she grinned.

“Wait, wait... So you weren't really on the moon?” asked Lyra, still breathless from her run.

Sunset smirked and cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know Lyra. What do you think?” she asked.

Lyra grinned back at her. “Knowing you girls? You probably really were on the moon! I wouldn’t put it past you!”

“I’ll never tell!” snarked Sunset. They both laughed.

“Really though! You really were, weren't you! Ugh! I am so jealous!” Lyra pouted.

Sunset grinned at her. “So Lyra. What are you doing Saturday?”

Lyra’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “Really!? Really really?! You would take me! Yes! What time, where, when do I show up? Yes! Uh… can Bonnie come too?” she asked.

“Yes. Bring Bonnie too!” Sunset smiled. “But we’re not going to the moon. We’re meeting up at Twilight’s house. I’ll text you with directions, the time, and any instructions. Will probably be around 10ish. Will that work for you?” she asked. “And what would you like to eat?”

“Ah, yeah. The lunch special looks good. Yeah, 10 is fine. Thank you thank you thank you! Thank you so much Sunset! This is going to be awesome!” Lyra grinned.

Sunset took Lyra’s hand. “Okay, but you have to be quiet about this. Don’t tell everyone else. And certainly don’t tell anyone where we are going or what we are going to do. Top Secret. Got it!? Not a word!” Lyra nodded happily. “Good. And it’ll be $5.28 with tax for the special. Drinks are included so help yourself.” She scanned Lyra’s card, got the approval, and passed her back the card and receipt. Lyra went to get her drink while Sunset finished up her tray.

Lyra returned, taking the tray with a grin. “Thanks so much, Sunset! You won't regret this!” Lyra smiled. She found an open table and sat down.

Sunset put two teapots on a tray with six cups. She filled the pots with steaming water and put the green tea in. She allowed the tea to steep. Waiting a few moments, she looked over the cafe. Everyone seemed content. No one was trying to get her attention. Smiling, she took the tray and approached the group of girls.

“Here is your tea!” Sunset greeted upon arrival. She placed the pot on the table and passed the cups to the girls. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she offered.

“Nope! We’re good,” they replied. Thanking them, Sunset moved on to Lyra’s table.

Lyra was on the phone. “No Bonnie! I swear I’m not making this up! Honest! That really was Dash! Yes! She was on the moon! Come on Bonnie! Why would I lie about this?!” she whined.

Sunset smiled at her and held out her hand. Grinning, Lyra handed over her phone. Sunset held the phone to her ear. “Wow, Bonnie! That sounds pretty aggressive!” snarked Sunset. “Yes. Everything Lyra said is true. But I will deny it forever if you ever repeat it.” She listened for a moment then rolled her eyes. “That’s fine, Bonnie. You don’t have to believe me. But if you’re interested, come with Lyra this Saturday. Just you two. No one else! And please don’t tell anyone.” She nodded as Bon Bon made a reply. “That’s fine. Just try to keep an open mind. I’ll give Lyra the details. See you Saturday! Bye!”

She handed the phone back to Lyra. “Friends! What can you do? Am I right?” she grinned.

“Oh my gosh! You are so going to blow her mind!” Lyra grinned. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face!”

Sunset placed the tea on the table and handed Lyra her cup. “My nether, Lyra!” she laughed.

The rest of her shift was relatively uneventful. She texted Twilight on her break to let her know about their additional guests, then noticed a message from her mom.

“Lol, Sunshine! Twilight gave us the same invitation after you left! It’s like you two are on the same wavelength! Your aunt and I wouldn’t miss it!”

Sunset smiled. In the words of her apparently Moon Goddess friend…

“This was going to be awesome!”

A spoon can no sooner taste the food it carries, than a fool understand the wisdom he repeats - The Celestia Sayings

Mikoto - Academy City

Mikoto advanced on the girl before her, lightning arcing from her hand. The girl gulped and sweated.

“The reason I’m not blowing the hell out of you with my electricity… Well, let’s just say it isn’t because killing you would bother me or anything,” she started intently at the girl. “You can save me the trouble of killing you. Just tell me about the project. I want to know everything you know.

“Who’s behind this? Who hired you?” she asked.

The girl looked in confusion. “That’s why we have a middle man for things like that,” she thought.

“You said someone else was on the way.” continued Mikoto, staring down at the girl. “Are there more like you coming, and if they're psychics, what are their powers?”

The girl grinned up at Mikoto. “Yeah, right, as if I’d tell you!” she thought.

“You’ve got three seconds. Two… One…” A large section of steel, ripped from the wall, hurtled towards the girl.

“Thalkjr!” yelled out the girl. The steel stopped. “Ferljk.. Lerelr… ugh…” she sputtered. “My tongue! My tongue is frozen! I can’t talk!” the girl panicked.

“So, refusing to sell out your friends, eh? I can admire that, but…” Mikoto stated.

Just then the large steel door to the room exploded in an arcing blast of electricity, a perfectly round hole ripped right through its center. Standing in the center, a woman looked into the room with a smirk.

Stepping through the hole, she snarked. “It was so quiet in here, I thought you might’ve been defeated already. Looks like we got her just in time, Frenda.” Behind her another young girl entered through the hole.

“Mugino!” called out Frenda happily from the floor at Mikoto’s feet.

Turning to her, Mugino scolded. “Really now. You just had to keep her occupied until we met up. Not only did you chase her too hard, but you got your butt kicked, and all because you got a little greedy over the kill bonus.” She shook her head in sadness. “I’ll have to rethink the distribution of payouts from now on.”

The other young girl held out Frenda’s beret to her, having picked it up when she entered the room. “Don’t worry, Frenda. I’m still on your side, despite your horrible failure.”

A large tank suddenly flew at the group, but it disintegrated into nothing before they were flattened by it. Mugino, arm outstretched, looked over at where the tank had come from. Mikoto was standing there, still half hunched over from launching it through the wall at them, a look of complete shock on her face.

“So, this is our invader,” noted Mugino. Frenda nodded vigorously.

WHAM! A shot of blazing lightning shot from Mugino’s outstretched arm straight at Mikoto. When the glare from the blast cleared, they saw Mikoto running up the wall towards the ceiling.

Mugino launched several more attacks, all of which Mikoto dodged as she ran up the wall. “Well isn’t that a handy little skill!” called out Mugino as she continued her barrage. “Attaching to the walls to dodge my attack. You’re like a little spider.”

Mikoto gave her a final glare, then disappeared into the ducting in the ceiling.

Mugino turned to the girl who had followed her in, tossing her a small medical case. “Takitsubo, you’re up. Use this”

The research supervisor stood with the researcher, staring at the blank screens.

“I wonder how things are going over there,” commented the researcher.

“With communications cut off, there’s no way to observe them,” complained the supervisor..

“Do you know anything about the reinforcements? They send over a little girl for pity's sake!” commented the researcher.

“Her looks are deceiving. She’s an underworld cleaner,” explained the supervisor.

“Speaking of little girls, why did you decide to bring back Nunotaba?” the researcher asked.

“Well, in case we get attacked,” explained the supervisor. Seeing the confused look on his assistant's face, he clarified. “We need someone to take responsibility if something happens, right? It’s a good idea to keep a scapegoat on hand.”

“What a world we live in…” groaned the researcher. “Hey, wait a minute. Doesn’t that make us scapegoats too?”

The supervisor laughed. “You just realized that?”

Opening the door to his office, he called out. “I’m sorry for the wait, Nunotaba-san…” looking around she was clearly gone. “Nunotaba-san?”

He turned to the researcher. “Maybe she went to the ladies room.”

Nunotaba was elsewhere in the facility, clearly not the ladies room. Climbing down a ladder, she thought to herself. “The sisters undergoing fine tuning will be moved last, I’m sure.” She reached the bottom of the ladder, stepping off and looking around. “With the sudden transfer and their attention diverted to an attacker, they won’t have the resources to track my internal movements. And with the focus on the transfer the security is more lax. This is my best chance.”

Mugino launched an attack at Mikoto. It veered away, striking behind her. “How is she dodging my attacks?” mused Mugino. “Wait, she isn’t dodging them. She’s deflecting them!”

Mikoto launched a bolt explosively at a steam pipe next to Mugino, blasting her with steam and blinding everyone briefly. “A smoke screen, something that minor won’t buy her much time,” noted Mugino as she used her powers to pinch off the steaming pipe. When the steam cleared, Mikoto was gone, through the hole in the wall behind the steam pipe.

“Well that beats all. Girl’s on the move, using the hole I made as an exit,” she turned to the young girl beside her, her eyes milky white from the drug she had just ingested. “Takitsubo?”

“It’s okay,” Takitsubo confirmed, staring at the wall blankly. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve successfully recorded our target’s AIM dispersion field.

Mikoto ran through the facility halls, thinking on her feet. “Ugh, I can’t believe I was so stupid! Taking on three psychics of that caliber is sucide. Remember what you’re here for, Mikoto. Blowing this place up! Don’t fight them head on, just let them come at you, one at a time.” Just then she tripped over her own feet.

“Ah, crap! I’ve overextended my abilities. Going full throttle for days, I don’t have any strength left!” A beam ripped through the wall where she was standing a second ago. Mikoto looked up in shock.

“How did they find me?! I’ve been zigging and zagging, moving randomly! Was that just luck?” Another beam zipped in, Mikoto barely dodging it in time. “Nope!” She kept moving.

Takitsubo watched the walls. “I have the impression that she dodged your attacks.”

“Damn!” swore Mugino. “I wonder if she’s in the rafters. It’s annoying to deal with an extra plane, damned little spider!”

Frenda watched Mugino and Takitsubo working together with admiration. “It doesn’t matter if they’re hiding behind a wall or on the ceiling, she’s so absolutely amazing! But no surprise there, Shizuri is Academy City’s fourth ranked Level 5. Melt-downer!”

Mugino stared at the wall in frustration. “Bah! It’s only a matter of time before we capture our little miss spider. Now then, let’s drive her into a corner so she can’t escape next time.”

Frenda smiled. “No matter where she runs, Takitsubo’s AIM Stalker ability can pinpoint her location, while Mugino’s Melt-downwer can disintegrate her and anything she tries to hide behind. In the end, no one can beat that combo.”

Nunotaba hunched over a console for the Testament unit programming the sister in the pod in the next room over.

“Misaka doesn’t realize, she can’t stop the project, even if she wipes out all of the facilities,” she thought as she worked feverishly. “The desire behind achieving a Level 6 is too dark, and far too deep.” She wiped her eyes, continuing her efforts. “I need to take the data I’ve gathered on human emotions for the sisters, and install it directly into their brains. I don’t expect them to develop full true emotions from a simple program, but they should be able to produce some reactions from it at least. Not enough to stop the project entirely, but it can provide these girls with another path besides their hopeless one-way track towards death. Maybe one of the sisters who had accepted her death will come forward, lamenting it. Maybe that will drive a researcher to see these girls as more than mere lab animals. And maybe, just maye, if they plead that they no longer wish to fight, the scene will move the heart of another.”

She was about to push the final instruction when her head was slammed down into the console. “Argh!” she cried out in pain.

“I knew you might actually be involved in the project, so I confirmed it with my superiors. They said this area is super prohibited until the data transfer is complete. It seemed like the attacker was acting alone, but there was always the chance that the attack on one facility was a super diversion instead. Mugino and her raid team are dealing with the attack. Me? I’m with the defensive team, and we’re super strong here. And you know what? It looks like Mugino was super right,” saidKinuhata Saiai as she held Nunotaba down against the console.

“Here it comes!” braced Mikoto, dodging up the wall. Below her, another attack ripped through the wall where she had been.

“Frenda?” nodded Mugino, informed Mikoto had dogged her attack again.

“Gotch!” nodded Frenda. “In the end, it was a good idea to lay traps all over the facility,” she winked, tossing out her fuses to the taped lines around them. The fuses raced out of the room, sizzling to their destinations.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Multiple explosions rocked out around Mikoto, knocking her from the wall. She landed on the floor with a thud, looking up just in time to see a fuse speed its way up a tank in front of her to a rag doll sitting on top.

“Crap!” Mikoto called out, electricity arcing from her outstretched hands. Tanks, doors, and tables piled up between her and the doll. The explosion shook the walls around her, shaking her makeshift shield but leaving her unharmed.

“Okay, no doubt about it. Through psychometry or clairvoyance or something, one of them is definitely tracking me,” she noted.

Nunotaba, her face pushed against the console, worked surreptitiously as her captor conversed with her and her clients.

“I’m gonna turn you over to our client now,” explained Saiai, facing the two thugs from the client that had come to relieve her. “It’s super useless to resist.” She turned back, noticing what Nunotaba was doing.

“No!” she yelled out, throwing Nunotaba back towards the thugs and slamming her fist into the console, destroying it as sparks and flames leaped out from it. She looked up at the still functioning display.

“Installation complete // connecting to the Misaka-Network // packet delivered,” she read.

“Too late!” gasped Nunotaba, dragged to her feet by the thugs. “The installation is complete! You lose!” Standing, she glared at Saiai. “In just a matter of moments, the program will spread through the Mikasa-net via the sisters’ neural links. My emotional engine will be shared between all the sisters, and they will know free will!” She grinned at Saiai. “No one can stop it!”

The console beeped, and a new message was displayed.

“The connection was refused from the Network side.”

Then a larger message appeared.

“Warning! Request does not belong to Superior Unit 20001.”

“What?” gasped Nunotaba. “What!?”

The screen became filled with repeated pop ups of the warning. “Beep! Beep! Beep!”

Saiai turned back to Nunotaba. “I don’t know what you were doing, but your plan, it super failed,” she commented.

In shock, Nunotaba hung, arms twisted behind her by the thugs. “But, how? When did the institute install new security measures?”

In a tube deep in another facility, a young Misaka clone hung suspended. Wires, feeding tubes, and sensors were attached to her young body. A plack was placed on the base of the tube above the attached console.

“Misaka Unit 20001” it read.

Saiai turned to the thugs. “She’s yours. Take her upstairs and make it super quick.”

“Yes ma’am,” they acknowledged.

Seeing her options slipping away, Nunotaba ducked and slipped out of her lab coat, slipping from the grasp of the thugs holding her. Spinning on her heels, she wrenched the gun from the hostler of her nearest assailant and clocked him with a quick uppercut palm thrust.

“Ahgh!” he screamed out, collapsing to the ground.

Holding the gun directly at Saiai’s head, she said one word. “Don’t!”

The thugs froze, looking to Saiai for guidance.

“Don’t move!” repeated Nunotaba, hammer drawn back. “Retreat. Please.”

Saiai stood motionless. The thugs moved forward.

“I really didn’t want to use something like this!” Nunotaba yelled. She whipped the gun down to Saiai’s arm and fired point blank repeatedly.

Saiai stood there, unflinching. “I super can’t,” she said simply.

Nunotaba stared in shock, the shells all having bounced off of Saiai without harming her in the slightest.

“While I super respect your decision to aim away from my vitals, you can’t break through my offense armor with a puny little gun,” she explained.

With a crunch, Nunotaba collapsed to the ground. Saiai turned to the thugs. “Carry her upstairs, super quick.”

“On it,” one of the thugs responded, picking her up. The other stood looking through the large window into the adjoining room with the Testament pods all lined up.

“Hey! Did you see that capsule over there? It looks like there’s someone in it,” he observed.

Saiai turned to him. “Staring at things that aren’t related to work may get you super erased,” she commented, staring at him. Taking the hint, he moved away from the window.

“What’s gonna happen to her?” asked the thug with Nunotaba as he placed handcuffs on her.

“Who knows? We just have to do our jobs… super well,” Saiai commented. “I guess if she’s valuable, she’ll get to live.” She led them out the door. “But the rest of her days will be super crappy at best.”

Takitsubo called out instructions as Mugino sent out shot after shot. “The target has moved 20 meters to the north-west.”

“Damn it. I can’t seem to hit her. It’s not just her moving around on all three axes, either. She may be sensing my attacks. It’s like she knows their coming,” growled Mugino in frustration.

She looked over at Takitsubo. Frenda was fussing over her friend. “Are you okay, Takitsubo?” she asked quietly.

“This drawn-out fight is straining Takitsubo,” Mugino thought. She mused for a few moments, coming to a conclusion. “My opponent right now is an exhausted, frenzied animal. She’s still dangerous, but if I keep my head, there’s no way I can lose to her.” She smiled. “Time to switch up the plan.”

Mikoto was still crawling from wall to wall, firing off every trap she came across. “Jeez! How many freaking traps did she set!?” A wave of exhaustion swept over her. She leapt down from the wall just in time to see a fuse trace blaze beneath her towards a tank topped with one of the infernal rag dolls. “Crap, no way to dodge that!” she thought as she landed right beside it. She sensed a sudden attack coming and rolled, hand out, bending it away. It blasted the wall beside her. “Just as I thought!” noted Mikoto. “I suspected it when she bent my attack back there. At a basic level, her power is the same as mine! I just didn’t want to test it so directly.”

“She bent my melt-downer?!” mused Mugino. She started laughing. “Haha! I get it now.” Across the room, Takitsubo collapsed.

Frenda rushed to her friend's side. “Hey, Takitsubo?!” She reached out to comfort her. “Aahg!” she cried out, pulling her hand back. “Ow, ow, ow!”

“Frenda,” called out Mugino. “Take Takitsubo and meet up with Kinuhta.”

“I can’t keep going,” gasped Takitsubo, on the floor on all fours, Frenda fawning over her.

“Not just for your sake, Takitsubo,” consoled Mugino. “Frenda took some pretty severe damage from little miss spider, I’ll bet. You're overdoing it.

“If Takitsubo hits her limit and we can’t sense the enemy’s counter attack even I would have trouble protecting all three of us. It’s dangerous for you to stay. So, now, shoo!”

“I’m sorry for holding you back,” apologized Frenda.

“I’m not mad at you, silly,” Mugino laughed, patting Frenda’s head. “It’s thanks to you two that miss spider has one foot in the grave. Have Kinuhata hold the rear guard while you get some rest.

“That was weirdly nice of her,” whispered Frenda as she helped her friend up and out of the room.

“And, it would be annoying if they said we had to gang up on you to win. Yes, it’s just you and me, miss third ranked psychic,” grinned Mugino as they left.

“Time for our match, Mugino Shizuri, the Melt-downer vs. Tokwadiai’s Railgun.”

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 14 - Twilight - The Day After Mars Edition

Twilight - The Day After (Mars Edition)

Tuesday, August 19 - No idea the local time, 11:00 AM Canterlot time

Twilight smiled. Dash still hugged her tightly. Celestia and Luna smiled with them watching from the couch.

“Okay, Dashie! Okay! Any more hugging and I may implode!” She laughed. Dash gave her one more squeeze then pulled away grinning madly.

“So what’s up next?” Dash asked excitedly. The sisters looked to Twilight expectantly as well.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, after we finish cleaning up, we can maybe explore the area a bit? We can look around and see if there is anything interesting. Besides all the rusty rocks.” She smiled.

“That sounds like fun to me! We’re in,” agreed Luna with a nod from her sister.

“Awesome!” Rainbow fist-pumped. “Let’s do this!”

“Okay! I’m going to finish cleaning up from breakfast. You may want to take a few moments to get ready,” suggested Twilight. “Oh Dash? You should pony up before we go. Not that I expect anything to happen. I will have my shield up the whole time but it’s better to be safe, right?”

“Got it!” agreed Dash before heading back to her room. “I’ll be ready,” she promised along her way out.

Twilight walked back out to the kitchen and resumed her breakfast cleanup. She smiled to herself as she thought over the last few days.

“Sunset Shimmer, you are the best thing that has ever happened in my life!” Twilight said to herself quietly.

She quickly finished the cleaning, then went to the bathroom to clean up for the day. Afterward, she went to her room and changed into tan shorts and a khaki short-sleeved button-up shirt. She completed her outfit with hiking boots and soft leather gloves. Looking at herself in the bedroom mirror, she thought, “That looks like a good outfit for exploring! But it seems to be missing something…”

Closing her eyes, she thought for a moment. With a magenta flash, a pith helmet appeared before her. She caught it as it dropped towards the floor and placed it on her head. “Perfect!” she thought then headed back out to the common area.

Twilight went into the storage room and returned with four canteens. She filled them up from the sink. Dash came out of her bedroom dressed almost identically to Twilight.

“Ah, awesome! You had the same idea! Daring Doo here we come!” laughed Dash as she joined Twilight by the sink, dressed in the same tan shorts and khaki short-sleeved button-up shirt.

Looking over to her friend, Twilight snort-giggled. “Caught! Figures a fellow fan would have the same thought.”

“You know it!” exclaimed Rainbow as she gave Twilight a high five. “This is going to be so epic!”

“Yes it is!” agreed Twilight as she finished the last of the canteens. She conjured a pith helmet for Dash as well.

“Ah Yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Dash enthused as she placed it on her head.

Luna and Celestia came from their bedroom. Both were also dressed in shorts and casual shirts. Both wore sun shades.

“Are we ready?” smiled Luna happily.

“You look ready to me!” grinned Twilight as she handed two of the canteens to the sisters, then one to Rainbow. Twilight kept the last one for herself. “Okay! Some basic safety tips...“ Twilight raised a finger. “One, stay close to me at all times. You really don’t want to be out there without my shield. Besides the radiation, there is the obvious issue of no breathable atmosphere. As a result, I will be keeping a bubble of air around us at all times.”

Rainbow and the sisters smiled and nodded.

“Also, and this is obvious I guess. There are no places for rest stops or bathroom breaks. There are also no emergency services if something happens to us. We are on our own with what we have. So, if you think you might need a snack or something to keep your energy up while we are out, pack it with you. We also have electrolyte flavor packets if you would like to put something into your water. They’re in the storeroom so help yourself. Take a daypack to carry your things also.” Twilight continued.“Lastly, we leave only footprints! This is especially true here in a new world. Any trash we bring with us we bring back with us. We don't want to mess up a wonderful new planet with our old bad habits. Any questions?” she checked.

“Nope!” They happily agreed. The sisters and Dash disappeared into the storeroom for a few moments. They each returned wearing a daypack.

“Okay. All set?” Twilight called out.

“All set!” they agreed. Twilight ponied up with Dash joining her. Together they passed through the magical seal on the entryway surrounded by the glow of Twilight’s magic and traveled up the ramp and out to their Martian adventure.

They explored the area around the bunker first. Twilight checked over the solar arrays and antennas while the sisters and Dash looked at the rocks and felt the martian soil in their hands.

“It’s so dry!” observed Celestia.

“Yes. All the water has been either locked up in the permafrost at the poles, soaked into the ground and bound to the minerals in the soil or evaporated into space,” observed Twilight as she checked the calibration on the controllers for the solar arrays that kept them optimally pointed towards the sun. “Hmm… the electrostatic repulsion doesn’t seem to be working as well as I hoped,” she observed as she lightly dusted off some of the panels. “I’ll need to clean these off manually more often it seems.”

“That’s what she said!” grinned Rainbow, earning her a smack upside the head from Luna.

“None of that, Ms. Dash,” Luna reprimanded.

“Sorry, Ms. Luna!” Dash answered sheepishly.

Turning back to the girls, Twilight smiled. “Okay! That’s settled. Shall we try somewhere further afield?” she asked.

“Heck yeah! Let’s go climb that mountain!” grinned Dash pointing to Olympus Mons.

“Ah... how about no Dash. That’s Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system. It’s over 16 miles tall. Also, it’s way too far away anyway. It only looks close because it’s so massive. Did you know it’s almost the same size as the entire state of Arizona?” asked Twilight.

Rainbow's eyes lit up. “That is so awesome! We so have to go there!” she squeed.

Luna lifted an eyebrow and glared at Rainbow. “Some other time perhaps, Ms. Dash. Recall we are supposed to be staying close to the bunker on this outing,” she reminded.

“Ah man!” groaned Dash as she kicked up dust in frustration and slumped in defeat.

Twilight smiled. “I’m sure we will make an excursion to it someday. I can’t imagine Sunset passing up a challenge like that for very long.” She grinned. Celestia nodded and smiled.

“Yes!” exclaimed Dash excitedly. “I am so in! Let me know when you do because I so want to be a part of that!”

“We will. I promise,” swore Twilight with a smile. “Okay. Let's go check out the landscape. Onward!” She waved her hand forward. Smiling, the sisters and Dash followed her over the landscape towards Olympus Mons.

A while later Dash was noticeably slowing down.

“What’s wrong, Dash? You look tired. That’s not like you,” observed Twilight as she sat on one of the large rocks while they took a quick break for Rainbow to get her breath back.

“I don’t know! For some reason, I am starting to feel weak. It’s like I just ran a marathon except worse because resting doesn't seem to help much!” exclaimed Dash. “I don’t get it!”

At that moment Dash flashed and her wings and ears disappeared. She slumped over on the rock and was sound asleep.

“Dash! Dash, are you okay?” Twilight ran over to her friend and pulled her up into her arms. “Talk to me Dash! What just happened?”

Rainbow looked up at Twilight. Her eyes were barely open. Celestia sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug for support. “I have her, Twilight. Do whatever you need to do,” she instructed.

Twilight nodded then pulled off her daypack. Rummaging around in it, she pulled out a duplicate of the magic detector she made for the Friendship Games. She turned it on and started scanning the surrounding area.

“Oh! That’s not good. No no no! Not good at all!” she exclaimed worriedly. “We’re low on magic!”

“What does that mean?” asked Luna. “Are we in any danger?”

“No! Not really. I don’t think so. But it’s not good.” She continued to sweep the detector around. With it, she took measurements at different points. “Ugh! I should have expected this. Okay! No need to panic, everyone but I think we should head back to the bunker for now.” Twilight suggested.

“Sounds good to me…” Rainbow mumbled trying to stay awake.

“Agreed, that does sound prudent. I will help with Ms. Dash,” agreed Luna. Taking an arm, she and her sister lifted the semi-conscious girl between them. They headed back to the bunker.

Back in the bunker, Twilight was busy scanning the rooms and checking on her measurements. She made some notes on the laptop then sent Sunset a quick text.

Dash was sleeping comfortably on her bed seemingly none the worse for her misadventure aside from her complete exhaustion.

The sisters sat down beside Twilight while she looked at the graphs displayed on her laptop. The light of her laptop reflected off of her glasses with a bright shine.

“So Twilight … can you please explain what happened out there?” asked Celestia while placing her hand on Twilight’s shoulder and smiling. “Have you figured it out?”

“I think so. It wasn’t something I was expecting but it makes sense at least.” She turned to face the sisters. “Basically, Mars has little to no magic aside from the magic present in the bunker. This makes a certain kind of sense really,” she explained.

She took off her glasses and cleaned them with the corner of her shirt. Taking a calming breath, she put them back on and continued.

“We know that magic is derived from life, from all living things. So it would make sense that a planet that is dead, or almost completely dead like Mars, would have little to no magic. It would have dissipated over time when life faded from the environment.”

Looking up to the corner of the room, she hummed. “Hmm. In fact, I am surprised that there is even any ambient magic left considering how long this planet has been dead. That’s something I intend to investigate. Later! Investigate later.”

Turning back to the sisters, she continued. “So basically the only real source of magic on Mars at this point is this bunker. More specifically, two points in this bunker. The TACIT receiver and the TACIT network hub are in the control room. All the magic in the bunker seems to be leaking out of those two devices.”

“So the magic is actually coming from Earth through the transporters?” asked Luna.

“That’s correct. It would seem that the quantum entanglement in both devices is enough to portal through the magic from the other side. Our Earth, or more specifically my lab and bedroom, is supplying magic to this side, Mars. That’s good to know and I intend to fully explore that, but for now, we can use that to our advantage,” explains Twilight.

“How is that an advantage?” asked Celestia.

“The advantage is now that we know magic can be transferred easily through the entanglement, I can make some duplicate devices. We will carry them with us when we make any excursions from this bunker. That will allow us to safely travel at will without suffering from magical fade-out, as Dash did.” she answered. “I will start on those as soon as we get back. I’ll make a half dozen and keep the matching transceivers in my room with the existing hub. That way we just need to grab one whenever we are heading out.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” agreed Luna. “So how soon until you start and how long will it take to make these?”

“Let’s let Dash rest a bit more. We can have a quick lunch in a bit. After that, we can all return. I’ll start on them then. I fully expect to have all six sets finished before our fun on Saturday. No need to call that off,” replied Twilight.

“Sounds good. Well done, Twilight!” smiled Celestia. “I’ll go check on Dash. Let me know if you need any help with lunch,” she called out as she went to Dash’s room to check on the sleeping girl.

“Agreed,” said Luna. She gave Twilight’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “I am going to check my messages. Let me know if you need anything,” requested Luna as she headed for the game room.

Twilight continued to examine the data on the laptop screen then sent another text message to Sunset.

Everything in our lives exists to further our spiritual growth - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Mikoto crouched down on the floor, confused.

“They've stopped attacking. But I doubt they are letting me go. Are they waiting for my next move or something?”

If they can pinpoint my location, hiding would only backfire on me. But…” Mikoto played with one of her game tokens nervously. “I don’t have the energy to fight them head on anymore.

She looked down, seeing more of the taped explosive fuse used by Frenda. “This is the tape that blonde girl uses.” She reached out and felt it. “It looks weird, like plain old tape, but it’s a form of explosive that can be set off by an electrical igniter.

“I saw this stuff was powerful enough on its own to slice through iron plating, but she was using it to set off other explosives, too. If she has this stuff all over the darn place, this is gonna suck.

“Wait a second…

She followed the tape to another one of the infernal rag dolls. “Maybe I can use this,” Mikoto thought.

Frenda handed her exhausted friend over to one of the client's assistants. They placed a coat over her shoulders and helped her take a seat. “You guys hold position until Mugino comes out. We’re gonna meet up with Kinuhta. Head for the S-Processor Company,” instructed Frenda, sitting in the van with Takitsubo.

In the van, Takitsubo turned to her. “If it was just you and Mugino, you could’ve stayed.”

“Don’t worry,” comforted Frenda, “Mugino can handle. It. Besides, in the end, you helped us corner that girl. But more importantly, are you really okay tearing along with that power draining you? It scares me sometimes.”

“I’m fine,” her friend replied. “The only place I belong is here, after all.”

“I guess,” accepted Frenda, “But someday, Takitsubo, I hope you find somewhere else to belong.”

Takitsubo looked at her confused.

“Ah crap!” yelled Frenda, throwing her hands up. “I forgot to collect my explosives!”

Mikoto stepped out of the doorway. Mugino was standing there, waiting for her with a smirk.

“And here you are! You sure took your sweet time,” she winked.

Mikoto, battered and bruised, just glared at her, both hands full of infernal rag dolls.

The smirk immediately left Mugino’s face. “Frenda!! That little idiot left without cleaning up after herself!” she thought.

Mikoto looked around. “So, where are your friends?” she asked.

“Oh, I sent them home,” answered Mugino, smirk returning. “I wanted to fight you one-on-one, Railgun.”

Mikoto’s eyes widened. “I was right! They knew who I was!” she thought.

She nodded. “All right. Going one-on-one works for me.” She tossed one of the dolls towards Mugino. “Just fine!”

“Hmph. I see,” mused Mugino as the doll sailed towards her.

With a flash, Mikoto sent an arc of electricity through the doll, exploding it right before Mugino.

Mugino used her power to shield her from the attack. “She’s using Frenda’s explosives to make up for her exhausted ability. But that’s like admitting that…” she thought. “You can’t defeat me with your strength alone,” she finished out loud.

Mikoto swung, hurling another doll at her. “So, she can use her power to block explosive blasts too. In that case…” thought Mikoto. The doll flew high over Mugino.

“Ha! No matter how many times you… huh?” paused Mugino as she watched the doll arc over her head. “Wait!” she thought, “Is she cornering me with the explosion, then circling around while there’s an opening? She could completely ignore me and just charge straight into the nerve center of the facility. It doesn’t really matter though, if I just shoot down that doll right now.” She shot, and missed as the doll dodged her attack. “What the…” called out Mugino in confusion. “How can… She rigged the doll with something!”

“Yup, surprise! I stuffed it with metal so I could control the thing,” smirked Mikoto.

“How incredibly annoying,” scowled Mugino, still trying to shoot the doll down.

“I figured you’d have no problem shooting down a couple of them,” Mikoto admitted as Mugino finally scored a hit on the doll, blowing it up. “So, I made more!” A cloud of dolls rose from behind Mikoto, randomly weaving and swarming towards her.

Mugino fired four beams at once trying to take down all the dolls before they reached her.

Mikoto raced along the wall surrounding the room. “It doesn’t seem her ability type can take a long term barrage. If I’m right…”

“You seriously thought numbers could overwhelm me!” called out Mugino as several of the dolls exploded simultaneously.

Mikoto ducked. “Wha?” she cried out.

Mugino tossed another silicon card into the air, firing her beam at it, where it was split into dozens of beams, taking out another swath of the dolls.

“Silicon Burn. One must take measures to make up for one’s own weaknesses,” admitted Mugino as she readied another salvo. “That will teach you not to take ITEM lightly, you little brat. Thanks to Frenda’s stupidity, I’ve had to do a little extra work. But in the end, I’m not surprised this sorry plan is all a middle schooler could come up with.”

She launched another card, taking down more of the dolls. “Rank three? Whatever. Rankings are based purely on how much profit can be generated from ability research. When your sorry hide is third, and I’m ranked fourth, I can just kill her here, and prove that rank means nothing.” Another salvo, taking out almost all the rest of the dolls.

“Only three dolls left. I guess I don’t need this!” Mugino dropped the final card to the floor.

“Hm? What’s the matter, little spider? Don’t tell me that was it,” taunted Mugino.

Mikoto sighed in relief. She hurled a final doll straight at Mugino, charging at her with all she had.

“So, that’s it then. Now it’s a suicide attack from a kid that can’t take the pressuure,” she thought to herself. She launched an attack, blowing up the doll in front of Mikoto.

As the smoke cleared, Mugino laughed. “Ah, come on now, such a lame attack and you’ve already climaxed?! You really should try to last a bit longer.”

A doll zipped out of the smoke, weaving towards her. “What the… another one?! But from where?! That brat must have hidden the last one behind her back.”

The doll dove in on her. “Damn it! I’m in its blast radius! Even if I make a shield, she’ll be able to circle around behind me. Damn it all to hell!!”

Mikoto launched an arc to ignite the doll.

“Just kidding!” sany out Mugino, deflecting the arc away from the doll so it sailed by her without igniting. “Did you forget? I can bend your electricity too! I hope you weren’t too busy congratulating yourself yet. This fight was over before it started, little rail…”

“...gun.” Thunk. The doll had spun back around, and slammed into the side of Mugino’s head, knocking her out cold.

“Aw, did you forget I stuffed those dolls with nuts and bolts? They pack a mean punch, even when they’re not detonated.” Mikoto walked around the fallen ITEM leader and into the nerve center of the facility, the doll levitating by her side. “So, this is it…” she launched the doll off, igniting it next to some critical equipment, destroying it in the shrapnel-filled explosion.

Racing though the facility, she destroyed everything, arcing electricity lighting equipment on fire all over the center. Looking around as she finished, she sighed.

“That should do it, I guess. I wish I could stay to make sure it burns to the ground, but I’m so weak that I’d probably get caught up in the blast.” She wobbled out of the center as the blasts continued behind her. “The real problem is going to be the last facility. If it’s as secure as this one…”

Coming out from the center, she noticed Mugino was no longer on the ground where she left her. “She’s gone!” she thought in surprise. “There’s now way she’d be able to move again so..”

Voom! A massive arc slammed into her. Mikoto staggered back, just as Mugino whipped her leg around for a brutal kick to her gut, folding her over and sending her flying back across the room. She slid several meters across the floor, then rolled and sputtered, trying to get back up.

“It’s not nap time yet, kid,” raged Mugino, stomping towards her. “I need to repay what you did to me! A trillion fold!!!” Mugino kicked her again, so hard she flew into the air and rolled again on the floor several meters away.

“Urk!” thought Mikoto. “I am so glad I haven’t had much to eat the last few days.” She sprang up towards the nearest wall.

“Don’t you DARE skip out on me, you little brat!! I see how you are! The minute you run out of bullets, you try to run!! Where’s your PRIDE as rank three!” she bellowed, launching attack after attack at the ducking and dodging Mikoto.

“It can go to hell, for all I care!” thought Mikoto as she sprang from wall to pipe while avoiding Mugino’s attacks. “I’m finished here, I just need to get out! With the electrical systems gone, there are only three routes I can take. The emergency stares, or I could take a second to shake her off while going through the transport tunnel,” she thought, still dodging the crazed attacks.

“No! She can easily take the staircase out with her ability. Not to mention there’s not much room to maneuver there. As for the transport tunnel, I’d be a caged rat if even one spot got blocked. Which leaves…”

Below her, Mugino cackled madly. “Are you really out of tricks? You’re scurrying all over the place. You’re not a spider, you’re a dirty little cockroach! And I am going to crush you like the…” Brrring. Brrring. Brrrring.

She stopped to answer her phone. “What?! I’m a little busy right now, make it quick!”

“It’s me, Kinuhata. We’ve super completed our prep for the transfer. Takitsubo-san and the others just arrived. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to super escort them.”

“Argh! No point in destroying her footing, I see,” thought Mugino.

“How are things going on your end?” asked Kinuhata.

“Then I’ll just smash her directly!”” yelled Mugino into the phone.

“Mugino?” responded Kinuhata in confusion. She listened for a moment, then responded. “Okay, super roger.”

“Huh?” Kinuhata responded again. She nodded, listening, then replied. “Okay. I’ll relay that to her, super word for word. Hanging up now.” She turned to Frenda. “She said it was super okay for us to go on without her.”

“Um, so like..” started Frenda. “Did she seem upset to you at all? Say, over some explosives?” Frenda fidgeted.

“Not really,” noted Kinuhata. “She seemed super pumped, if anything.”

“Thank goodness,” sighed Frenda.

“But, she did have a message for you, Frenda…

“Punishment is imminent. That’s exactly what she said.”

Frenda looked sick.

Mikoto powerslid down one of the conduits towards the walkway crossing over the top of the room, Mugino’s attacks ricocheting behind her.

“Am I actually going to make it out?” thought Mikoto. Behind her, she heard a sound. ‘Flick’.

A torrent of beams slammed down around her, completely desimiating the conduct and sending her tumbling off into the abyss of the room. She barely managed to catch onto the side of the walkway, hanging there for a moment before pulling herself over and landing on the walkway itself…

Only to be launched head over heels down the walkway as Mugino came up to her and kicked her with all she had.

“Heads up, you little snot!” she barked at her, chasing after her as she tumbled, then stood to take flight again. Mugino launched a flurry of attacks at her, bowling her over again as she deflected and blocked them. Mugino raged. “Are you parrying?! Seriously?! Don’t make me laugh!! Do you really think you can do anything against the darkness in this city with your kiddie tactics?!!” she screamed.

“Gahh… aahh!” Mikoto cried out, pushing away her attacks as she was pushed back.

“You’re so pathetic, I’m actually starting to enjoy this! Maybe I’ll make you a funny little piece of modern art!!” yelled Mugino. With another flurry of attacks, she bowled Mikoto over, leaving her once again sprawled out on the walkway. She pushed herself to her knees, breathing heavily.

Mugino walked over to her, staring down at her with an evil grin. “I know you’re in dire straits, but running into this place just screams Kill Me!” she gloated. “Rank three, ha! You’re nothing but a brat who just graduated from diapers! At least have some guts and use a Railgun attack or something!!”

On her knees, facing away from Mugino, Mikoto started laughing. “Hahaha!”

“Hey, now, it’s no fun if you go crazy before I kill you,” snarked Mugino.

Mikoto stopped laughing. “You’re right,” she said tiredly. “I’m too exhausted to use my railgun, let alone dodge your attacks,” she sighed. “And that..

“That’s why, I bet on this route.”

Mugino looked confused.

“Your blonde friend,” Mikoto continued. “She was a real handful. Blowing me up with bombs, tricking me, beating on me.

“She even took the footing out from under me.

“That’s why I gambled on it. If she put traps throughout the entire facility…

“Then she definitely rigged an obvious spot like this one, right?

Mikoto pointed down to the taped fuses all along the walkway. “I may be exhausted, but I can still make an electrical arc.

As she reached down and sparked the tape, she turned and smiled. “Welcome to kiddie tactics 101, you tired old hag!”

Mugino looked on in horror. “What?! But… FRENDAAA!!!” she screamed as the tape exploded, blowing the walkway apart.

Mikoto levitated, magnetically holding on to the ruins of the ramp. She shot out a cable towards Mugino, calling out. “Here!”

Mugino just looked as the cable flew by, refusing to reach out and take it.

“Grab on, damn you!” yelled Mikoto.

Falling, Mugino instead blasted the cable into dust with her attack. Eyes crazed with hate, she glared at Mikoto as she fell into the darkness below.

Now hanging on to the edge of the ramp, Mikoto looked down into the abyss of the room. “No way!” she gasped, pulling herself up onto the remainder of the ramp. “Did she just…”

Beamed attacks pierced the walkway around her as she raced for the entryway. “Nope! Not dead! She’s a tough one, I’ll give her that,” she commented as she ran. “Whatever. I’m done here. But the last facility…”

“Get down here! I’ll kill you good!” screamed out Mugino’s voice from the darkness.

Mugino looked up from the floor below. “Damn it!” she swore. “The little brat! She got away! Grrrr!” she ground her teeth in rage. Her knee was torn and bleeding, her stockings shredded, and face twisted in rage. She shook her hand, then opened her fist, waving her off. “Whatever.”

She looked around at the destruction around her. “I slowed my fall by shooting a meltdowner, but it wasn’t a pretty landing.” She limped forward slowly. “I’d better work on that.”

“Mmh,” she thought, heading toward the entrance at the far side of the room. “I should recall Takitsubo.. No, wait. That brat was from Tokiwadai. Why would she even be here in the first place?”

From the entrance, two figures appeared, calling out to each other. “Hey, you! Get a move on!” She looked over. “The fire’s spreading upstairs! Hurry up!” called out a researcher to an overpacked fellow, struggling to keep up.

“Bah! Just leave him behind!” called out another, pulling the first one along. “Let’s just get out of here. Damn! Didn’t they hire a bunch of underworld thugs to protect us?!” Their voices faded in the distance, their panting colleague left on his own. Reaching the hall, Mugino grabbed the researcher, flipping him back down the hall and head over heels onto his backside.

“What the..” cried out the researcher, looking up as Mugino stode up to him.

She held out her hand. “I’m suddenly very interested in why the railgun wanted to shut this project down.”

“Gah!” flinched the researcher, backing away from her. “I can’t do that! If I tell you, if they found out, they’d kill.. Urk!” he choked on his words as Mugino grabbed him by the neck.

“Why wait? I can turn you into a greasy lump of meat right here and now! Or, you can live, and take your chances with your boss. Pick your poison.” She lifted him slowly toward her.

“Ga ha hack…” the researcher nodded fervently.

Mugino read the report on the researcher's laptop, sitting on a desk laughing while the researcher sat dejected at her feet. “What the hell is this crap?! They’ve been having the mighty rank one doing this? Popping 20,000 zits to level up!!” She cackled.

“Why would the board of directors…?

“Wait,” she grinned madly. “I see. That’s why they chose ITEM…

“Well, if that’s the case, things might get much more entertaining if I let the brat be for now. She’ll struggle painfully while she sinks…

“To the dank, dirty bottom of Academy City’s Darkness.” She grinned happily.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 15 - Sunset - Unexpected Limits

Sunset - Unexpected Limits

Tuesday, August 19. 5:20 PM Canterlot time

Her shift over, Sunset rolled out to her car. She unplugged the charger and stowed the cable then transferred into the driver's seat.She stowed her chair in the passenger seat.

“Nicholi, take me home please!” Sunset commanded.

The car turned on and responded. “Destination set, Royal residence. Estimated driving time, 10 minutes. Auto drive mode selected.”

The car backed out of the spot then drove through the lot. It merged into the traffic on the main thoroughfare leading back home.

“Messages received. Would you like to hear it?” asked Nicholi.

“Yes please,” responded Sunset. She listened, relaxing as the car drove her home.

“First message, Urgent, from Twilight Sparkle. Message is: Redacted. Final message, Urgent, from Twilight Sparkle. Message is: Sunset! Not to worry you, but we found magical issues here on Mars. Turns out the ambient magic here is horrid. Not present enough to do anything useful. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the TACIT transponders are acting as portals for our magical energies. Meaning that between the TACIT receiver and the TACIT hub device in the control room, there are plenty of magical energies in the bunker area. So we are in no danger here. I plan on making some portable transceivers we can carry with us when we need to go out that will allow us to move around on Mars without having to limit ourselves to staying close to the bunker. I should have them all in place before Saturday. So no worries with our planned outing. I find it interesting we didn’t observe this on the moon though. It’s never had life to my knowledge. It should have been completely magically inert. It seems odd that you and Dash didn’t suffer any ill effects during your little pranks given that she suffered magical exhaustion on our current outing. We can investigate that more later.”

Sunset was paying rapt attention at that point. “Wow, Sparky. No lie that is weird. Huh…” she thought. “I wonder why that is? We should have felt magical exhaustion then too! We were way far away from the TACIT receiver at that point.”

She smiled as she thought about her and Dash's little outing. She had to teleport Dash and the lunar rover to the far side of the moon to photobomb the Chang’e landing site. They’d picked it because they knew it was one of the few still active and having video feeds.

“Hehe… I guess I need to share with Dash the fallout from that little adventure. I’ll tell her while I check up on her,” she decided with a smile.

“Nicholi, change of destination. New Destination, Twilight Sparkle’s home,” commanded Sunset.

“Destination set. Sparkle residence, travel time 5 minutes. Auto drive is engaged,” responded Nicholi.

“Engage!” agreed Sunset with a smile. The car cheerfully ignored her Trekkie antics.

Sunset pulled into the Sparkle residence driveway and parked the car. She quickly set up her chair and placed her backpack on the back. She transferred over to it and locked up the car.

Twilight opened the garage door and called out to her. “Come in, Sunset. I need to show you what I’ve found!”

Nodding, Sunset wheeled into the garage and Twilight closed the door.

Over by Twilight’s workbench her laptop was open, displaying a graph with dropping red and growing green lines.

“What’s this Sparky?” Sunset asked curiously. “I got your text. What more have you found?” As she asked, she examined the plots displayed while sitting beside her best friend.

“See this line? This is the magical power index. You can see it fades exponentially in all directions the further we go from the control room. And this line? This is the ambient magic present on Mars. It is similar to our Magic but much fainter. It seems to be gathered in a few specific locations, though it’s difficult to tell without being able to triangulate the sources. The bottom line is we need to take more measurements away from the bunker.”

“That makes sense,’ agreed Sunset. “Well done, Sparky! I’m sure you also have a plan for that.” She grinned at her friend.

Twilight grinned back. “You know me so well!” she laughed. “Yes! I have a plan. I am modifying one of my selfie flyers to accommodate the thinner Martian atmosphere. I’m also rigging it up with a TACIT hub and magical detector. The hub will allow us to communicate with the flier even if it happens to drop over the horizon. It will also power the little beast so I don’t need to add a larger solar array to it. I can fly it around remotely and triangulate in on the magical hot spots. When I do, it will take the measurements of the hot spots as we find them.”

Sunset gave her friend a side hug. “You’re amazing, Sparky!”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks!”

She pushed her glasses up and continued. “So anyway, changing the subject, Dash is fine. She’s resting down the hall in my bedroom with your mom. Your aunt returned home to take care of some business she had to deal with. I’m here examining this data and getting ready to create six more TACIT hub paired devices. Want to help out?” grinned her friend.

“Heck yes! Just let me check on Dashie. I’ll be right back!” She gave Twilight a quick hug, then wheeled out of the garage and into the house. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle!” she greeted as she rolled past the living room.

“Hi, Sunset! Going to check on your friend?” asked Velvet as she and Night Light waved at her.

“Yup! Then back to help Twilight with her research!” agreed Sunset as she rolled by.

“Good luck!” Velvet called out.

“Thanks!” Sunset answered as she rounded the corner into the hall heading towards Twilight’s bedroom. Rolling in, she saw her mom leaning over the bed while holding Dash's hand.

“Hi, Mom! How’s she doing?” asked Sunset as she rolled up. She gave her mom a quick hug and peck on the cheek.

“Hi, Sunshine! Your friend is fine. She’s just resting. I feel a bit responsible so I’m keeping her company until she can go home,” smiled her mom.

“Mom, seriously! You feel responsible for everything that happens even remotely near you. It’s just how you’re wired!” smiled Sunset. She hugged her mom again. “It’s one of your most endearing qualities!” she teased.

Celestia grinned at her daughter. “Really? Most, is it? Even higher than my supposedly legendary love of cake?”

Sunset grinned and placed her head against her mom's. “Mom, let's face it. Your love of cake is legendary!” she snarked. “You’d almost think there’s some deep-seated problem.”

“Problem? There’s no problem!” grinned her mom. “Relinquish the cake and there won’t be any need for problems. Comprende?” She laughed.

“See mom! See! That’s what I am talking about!” grinned Sunset. “That’s not normal!”

“Normal is overrated,” sniffed her mom with a mock turn of her head. “Let them eat cake! They will see what the new normal should be!”

From the bed, there was a muffled snort. Dash looked at them both with bleary eyes, smiling softly. “You two are such dorks!” she laughed.

“Hey, Dashie! How are you feeling?” asked Sunset as she placed her hand on Dash’s next to her mom’s.

“Been better. Thanks,” she smirked. “Magical exhaustion really takes the wind out of your wings,” she sighed.

“Leave it to you to be our canary in the coal mine!” grinned Sunset back at her. “When you’re feeling up to it I can take you home.”

“I’ll help,” agreed her mom.

“Thanks, guys! You're the best!” smiled Dash. “Just give me a few more minutes and I’ll be good to go.”

“Five more minutes, Mom!” snarked Sunset.

“If I wasn’t so darn tired, I’d bop you in the head with this pillow!” laughed Dash. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“What? And miss out on all the laughs we can have together over it? Not a chance!” agreed Sunset with a squeeze. “Okay. I’m going to let Twilight know I’m taking you home. I’ll come back to help her out once you're sorted and settled at home.”

Sunset smiled at Dash and gave her mom a final hug. She rolled back into the hallway and down to the garage, waving again to Twilight’s parents as she passed by.

“Dash is awake,” she announced as she entered the garage and rolled up to her best friend. “I’m going to take her and Mom home. After that, I’ll come back here to help you out for the evening.”

“That’s great!” agreed Twilight. “Yeah. I’m sure between the two of us we can get this nailed down. We’ll get the hub devices paired up and working. And modify one of my selfie-bots for martian exploration.”

“Sounds like a plan, Sparky!” smiled Sunset.

“I am curious about something else too… maybe we can test some ideas out about that at the same time,” suggested Twilight. “Okay! We’ll sort that out when you get back. When are you leaving?” she asked.

“Dash just needed five more minutes to get rested,” answered Sunset. Twilight laughed and rolled her eyes. “Right? Right? Anyways. In about five minutes or so. As soon as she is ready to go.” As she was speaking Dash appeared in the doorway leaning against Sunset’s mom.

“Oh hahaha! I heard that!” Dash laughed.

“Hey, what happened to five minutes? This is a new record for you? You were here in a flash!” quipped Sunset.

Dash tilted her head and gave Sunset a stink eye. She smirked. “Seriously?! You’re going to give me grief now?” she laughed.

“Nah! We love you too much to torture you now. Maybe later,” smiled Sunset. Twilight hid her grin and shook her head.

“You two are too much!” Twilight laughed. “Glad to see you up Dash! Sorry about the exhaustion thing. We’re working on that so you shouldn't have to go through it again.”

“Thanks! That’s a relief!” Dash smiled. “So, Sunflank, are you driving or what?”

“Sunflank? Where did that come from?” asked Sunset as she gave Twilight a hug and rolled over to the garage door. “Never heard that one before.”

“Heh. Give me a break! Exhausted here! I work with what I have!” grinned Dash as she and Celestia followed Sunset out to her car.

“What there is of it,” snarked Sunset. Dash lightly tapped her on the head.

“Hey Sunny! I know where you live! Be nice!” Dash grinned.

“Come on by anytime and see how nice I can be!” Sunset snarked as she opened up the passenger side door.

“Good grief! You are horrid! There’s just no topping you! Is there anywhere you won’t go to win?” lamented Dash.

“Don’t know Dashie. Never allowed myself to lose and find out,” quipped Sunset. “Topping me?”

Dash groaned, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll sit in the back,” said Celestia as she climbed over into the seat behind Sunset. Sunset transferred into the driver’s seat. With her mom’s help, she stowed her chair in the back seat while Dash lowered herself into the passenger seat.

“You know that’s a lie, girl! Calling BS on that,” smiled Dash. She turned to Sunset once she was settled. “You’ve lost like the rest of us even if you're the best of us,” she quipped.

“Wow Dash! That was smooth! You could be a rapper!” smiled Sunset. “And yeah. You're right. There are places I will never go to win. Never again. I love you guys too much to ever let that happen.”

Dash grinned at Sunset. “Rapper? Who says I’m not? Have you heard my new mixtape?”

“Nope!” smiled Sunset, “But I am sure you’ll send it to me at some point!”

“Heck yeah! Busting some beats, girl!” grinned Dash. “Fo’ shizzle I’ll send it to you!”

“Shiza-what-now?” snarked Sunset. “Not sure if I should eat that or wear it.” she laughed.

In the back, Celestia shook her head and laughed. “The evening is upon us, oh daughter of mine! Onward!” she commanded with a grin.

“Onward!” agreed Sunset. “Nicholi! Destination Dash residence. You drive.”

“Destination Dash residence, estimated travel time, 10 minutes. Auto drive enabled,” answered the car. It pulled out of the driveway.

“I so want one of these!” enthused Dash.

“Save your pennies Dashie! Someday you can have one too,” grinned Sunset.

Dash lightly punched Sunset’s arm.

“Ouch!” teased Sunset. Her mom laughed in the back.

With Dash dropped off and settled in, and a brief chat with her parents, Sunset and Celestia were back in the Roadster and headed for home. Along the way, Celestia turned to Sunset.

“Well, that was one heck of a sleepover!” Celestia grinned. “Is it always like that with you girls?”

“Like almost never,” sighed Sunset. “At least anymore, Thank the Maker! If it were like that every time we got together, we would have to go around wearing warning signs with caution triangles or something,” she teased.

“Right?” laughed her mom. “Thank the Maker for that! Still, though, I’m very glad that no one was seriously hurt. We got to enjoy the first night ever spent on Mars together! Not that anyone will ever believe us,” she amended.

“You never know, mom! It’s not like it's really going to stay a secret forever. Look at how that has always blown up in our faces every time we've tried to hide something,” reminds Sunset.

“That’s true,” nodded her mom. “It always comes out eventually.”

The car pulled into the driveway. Celestia turned to her daughter. “So Sunbeam, will you be home tonight? Or are you and your BFF going to pull an all-nighter?”

“No idea mom,” smiled Sunset as she gave her mom a hug. “But I will have my phone. I’ll text you as soon as I know. I won’t ‘leave you hanging’.” They both laughed.

“See that you don’t, young lady!'' instructed her mom with a smile. She gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek and got out of the car. “Take care, sweetie!'' she called out as she shut the door then turned and walked into the house.

“I will mom. I promise!'' she answered quietly as she watched her mom walk into the house. “Nicholi, destination, Sparkle residence. You drive,” she commanded.

“Destination, Sparkle residence. Estimated travel time 5 minutes. Auto drive engaged.” answered the car.

“Engage!” she called out, waving her hand forward.

Somewhere in another universe, a Starfleet captain felt a small twinge.

The car pulled up into the Sparkle driveway. “Trip completed. Destination reached,” it announced then shut down. Sunset pulled her chair from the back seat, assembled it, transferred into it, then shut the driver's side door before locking the car up.

She rolled over to the side gate and let herself in. Closing the gate, she rolled to the garage side door and entered.

“Hi, Sparky! Did you miss me?” Sunset grinned as she rolled over to her friend's workstation.

“Always, Sunny!” smiled Twilight, not looking up from the circuits she was soldering. “One second! Almost finished here!”

Twilight closed up the panel over the board and tightened the panel into place.

“And that’s that!” Twilight announced triumphantly as she turned to her BFF while holding out the modified selfie-bot.

“Wow, Sparky! That looks dramatically different!” she observed. She took the bot and moved it around. “With the emphasis on dramatic! Look at the blades on this beast!” she exclaimed as she held it up at arm's length. “Wow! It looks ready for a fight, not a flight! Did you already get the magical sensor and TACIT hub installed in it too?” she checked.

“Yup! Just soldered them into place and sealed it up.” Twilight nodded. “Yeah. The larger rotors are to accommodate the Martian atmosphere. The Martian atmosphere is 100 times less dense than our atmosphere. Meaning it’s like flying here at 100,000 feet. Considering even commercial jets don’t go that high, I had to make some changes. We also had the lighter gravitational pull going for us. Mars has only about one-third the pull on the surface as we have here on Earth, so it won’t have to work as hard to lift.”

“Wow Sparky!” gushed Sunset, “You figured out all that on your own and designed this!? That’s awesome!”

“Not exactly,” Twilight blushed. “I totally cribbed the plans from NASA for the Ingenuity helicopter. They did all that work and proved it works. That thing has been flying around Mars for months now, so I just copied them.”

Sunset laughed. “Honest to a fault! I love you, Sparky!” She gave her friend a hug. “I can’t wait to see it fly!”

“Well, you won’t have to wait long. I’m almost done here. I just need to finish off the other five hubs and we’re good to go,” smiled Twilight.

“Don’t let me slow you down girl! How can I help?” asked Sunset.

“I have all the components here,” answered Twilight. “I just need to pair the base and receivers through a quantum entangled coupling then we’re good to go!”

“That sounds complicated,” observed Sunset. “How do you quantum entangle a pair of receivers?” she asked.

“After several experiments - some were failures but none were catastrophic,” she grinned, “I came up with a process that allows me to consistently entangle a pair of crystals embedded in the devices which enables information and, apparently, some energies to flow between the entangled crystals.”

“Awesome! So what device did you cook up to entangle them?” asked Sunset looking around the lab.

“You’re looking at her,” grinned Twilight, pointing at herself.

“Huh!? You lost me, Sparky. What do you mean?” asked Sunset.

“I cheated. I used a magical spell matrix to align the crystal matrices and bind their electrons into a superconducting quantum entangled unit. I’m the device,” Twilight grinned. “I tried to create the states using everything from growing the crystals in a controlled environment to bathing them with ultraviolet light and using modern lithography. In the end, magic was the simplest way to get the quantum matrices lined up correctly and entangled between the two devices.

“Not that I’ve given up on the idea! “ Twilight continued. “I’m still working on plans to create a pairing device for the crystals so anyone can do it without a horn sprouting from their foreheads! But, for now, this was the quickest and simplest way, so I took it.”

“So it’s probably the world's first working example of magitech! You go girl!” Sunset high-fived her friend.

“Heh heh. Yeah. Maybe it is. I guess we could ask your friends about that when we see them again,” smiled Twilight.

“Sweet! If that’s all there is to it I can definitely help! Show me the spell matrix and point me at them,” smiled Sunset.

An hour later, after closely watching Twilight ‘enchant’ the first pair of devices and studying the spell matrix, Sunset completed six pairings. Twilight finished up the other thirty-four in the batch.

Twilight smiled. “That’s great, Sunset! You picked that up fast! Though no surprise there. My first time took way longer than that!”

“That’s because you were probably sitting there second-guessing yourself the entire time. I know you, girl!” grinned Sunset. “I didn’t have to worry. I knew you were right here and could catch me if something went wrong. So I could hang it all out there and let my freak flag fly knowing you would catch me if I fell!”

Twilight looked at her friend. “I love you Sunny, but sometimes you are just so weird!” she laughed. “And you’re not wrong. I was second-guessing and double and triple-checking myself each step of the way.”

Sunset hugged her friend. “And out of the fires of your inner torments and toils, our success!”

Twilight leaned into the hug smiling. “So weird…”

Hub devices completed and tested, the pair made ready to return to their bunker. Sunset packed up the supplies into her daypack and gently placed the modified selfie-bot into the back of the booth.

Rolling into the booth herself, Sunset called out. “Ready, Sparky! Time to get the show on the road!”

Twilight entered the garage and called out over her shoulder. “Goodbye, mom! Goodbye, dad! Don’t wait up for us! I’ll text you when we get there. We’ll figure out when we’re coming back. I promise!”

She snuggled up onto her friend's lap, her daypack on and a grocery bag in her hands.

“What’s that?” asked Sunset. “Whatever it is, it smells heavenly!”

“It’s from mom!” grinned Twilight. “She said it was a treat for us when we finished up for the evening and were ready to relax! Yeah. Not sure exactly what it is, but it’s not light and it does smell absolutely heavenly!” she agreed.

“Okay. Hit the door, Sparky and let’s get this journey started!” Twilight slid the door shut then pulled out her phone. With it, she loaded up the TACIT controller app.

“Engage!” called out Sunset, waving her hand forward in the iconic fashion.

In another universe, a Starfleet captain sat up quickly in his bed, his sleep interrupted by yet another familiar twinge. Throwing back the covers and sitting on the edge of his bed, he called out.

“Q! I know it’s you! I don’t appreciate this! I’m in no mood for these theatrics!”

A disembodied voice called out from the room. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,. Jean-Luc! It’s always about the blame with you, isn’t it? I’ll have you know I have absolutely nothing to do with your current little interlude. If anything, it's one of my cousin's friends having a little fun with you,” grinned the voice.

The captain put his hands to his face and shook his head. “Please make it stop.” he requested in misery.

With a flash of magenta light, the girls arrived in their bunker on Mars.

“Oww!” called out Sunset, rubbing her eyes.

Twilight opened her eyes which, unlike her friend’s eyes, were scrunched tightly shut.

“Sorry Sunny,” Twilight apologized to her friend “I forgot to warn you. Remember to shut your eyes when you transport.”

“Ya think!?” Sunset groaned while still blinking. “I’ll be seeing stars from that for a while. Yikes.”

Twilight got off her lap. She took her daypack and the dessert to the dining room. Sunset carefully lifted the martian selfie-bot then set it on her lap. She rolled out to the common room then, just as carefully, placed the bot on the conference table.

“I can’t wait to see this baby in action!” Sunset called out to Twilight excitedly.

“That’ll be first up on the agenda!” agreed Twilight as she placed their treat in the fridge. She brought her daypack over to the conference room table and set it down next to the selfie-bot. “Let’s get this puppy initialized and ready to go!” She sat down at the table then took out a USB cable, hooked her phone up to the flier, and started running diagnostics. She handed a small box to Sunset. “Can you please plug the base units for each of these into the control room hub? And then put the transponder units into the bin on the table beside the TACIT receiver?”

Sunset nodded and took the box from her friend. “All of them?” she asked.

“Yes, one of each pair in the control room hub. And the rest in the bin,” answered Twilight.

“Sure thing, Sparky. Be right back.” She rolled into the control room, snapped the base units into the hub, and placed the box of transponders into the bin next to the TACIT receiver. After that, she rolled back out to Twilight.

“You know, we should give one of these to each of our friends, on a necklace or something. Then we could track them, and if they ever got in trouble, they would be able to reach us immediately! And we could follow the trace back and teleport to them directly!” Sunset commented.

“Oh, that’s a great idea! I’ll have to upgrade the fobs we give out with biometric scanners so the fobs can sense if they’re in danger and alert us right away! Nice thinking, Sunny!” agreed Twilight. “I’ll do that after our test flight here.” She turned back to the display.

“Everything looks nominal here!” Twilight reported happily. “Looks like a good day for an otherworldly flight. Let’s do this!” She zipped up her daypack, put it on, and picked up the selfie-bot.

“Right behind you, Sparky!” grinned Sunset. Both girls ponied up and passed through the magical barrier. From there they headed up the ramp to the entryway. They emerged out into a fairly dark night, the sun having apparently set several hours ago.

“It’s really cool how the day here is almost the same as at home,” observed Sunset. “But we definitely appear to be in a slightly different time zone, so to speak. Is that going to mess with the flight by not having enough light to see?” she asked Twilight.

“I don’t think so,” Twilight replied. “It should be fine. I have infrared and ultraviolet sensors on it as well as the magical sensor. Of course, that’s the whole point of tonight’s flight. The lidar should have enough light to keep it from flying into anything. It has inertial tracking too, so it should be able to find its way home with no problem.”

Twilight placed the bot on the rock at the top of the ramp and took out her phone.

“Okay! Fire in the hole!” Twilight hit the start button. The oversized blades spun up quickly. They blurred at the speed of 2400 RPMs, over 5 times the speed of a similar drone on Earth. It was eerie to watch it gently lift off and drift up into the sky almost completely silently due to the thin atmosphere.

“Wow, Sparky. You don’t disappoint!” Sunset nodded as they watched the bot lift up to about 100 meters then hover. It was difficult to track against the dark sky. It was only visible by the flashing red and green lights that indicated the front and back of the unit.

Twilight blushed, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she concentrated on the feed she was getting back from the drone. After a few moments, she responded, “It looks like the strongest source is straight towards Olympus Mons, but there’s a good secondary source off to our, umm. I guess I will call it north? Towards the polar north of us, there is a secondary source that I bet is closer and likely a better bet for tonight. I’m going to send the drone towards it.”

“Sounds like a plan. Why don’t you think the one towards Olympus Mons is the best choice if you don’t mind my asking?” questioned Sunset.

“Nope! Don’t mind at all,” smiled Twilight. “That’s a fair question. It’s really just a hunch. I am betting that the signal we are getting from the direction on Olympus Mons is probably at, on, or in the mountain itself, and tonight is not the night to sit out here for hours while our little drone travels the hundreds of klicks to get to it. The signal off to the north is only slightly weaker. I bet it will be a lot easier to examine once the bot gets there too. I mean think about it. That beast is over 16 miles high. If we have to examine the caldera then there is no way our little drone will be able to make that assent. Heck even if the signal is coming from the sides of the mountain we’d be lucky to explore even the first 1000 meters with the drone before it reaches its maximum flight ceiling in this thin atmosphere. We’d have better luck with a site that’s on more regular terrain.”

Sunset grinned and hugged her BFF. “You’re so sexywhen you show off that big brain of yours!”

Twilight laughed and pushed her off. “Dork! Knock it off. I’m flying here!” she grinned.

“Yes, you are, Sparky!” Sunset grinned back.

“Whatever!” Twilight rolled her eyes and went back to watching the feeds from the bot.

It didn’t take long for the lights to be lost in the distance. Sunset pulled out her phone and loaded up the mission page, watching a twin of the feed Twilight was viewing.

“Interesting! I can see the signal is getting noticeably stronger and it’s only 10 miles away. We could actually hike to that in the morning,” observed Sunset.

“Agreed,” nodded Twilight as she hunched over her own display while seated on the rock at Sunset’s feet. “Not you though kiddo! I know you have work tomorrow.”

“No rest for the weary,” nodded Sunset wearily. “True that. It’s nice to have a little slice of normal though. And Mr. Namori-san is the best. Plus you know I’ll be right back as soon as I’m done,” she smiled.

“Yup!” Twilight smiled. “Okay. I think we are close. I am changing course to due east to try to get a read from that direction. Time to triangulate our find.”

Twilight fed in the new instructions then watched the feeds. Almost immediately the levels started dropping.

“Well, that was unexpected. Hmm…” Twilight mused.

She let it go on for a few more minutes then sent further instructions still watching the feeds. The magical radiation continued to drop off at nearly the same rate.

“No way…” said Twilight watching the measures continue to drop. “Okay. Trying something new,” she decided aloud. She typed new headings into the interface on her screen. The readings climbed.

She laughed out loud. “Well if that doesn’t take the cake! Huh!”

“What happened?” asked Sunset. “Did you find it?”

“I think so,” nodded Twilight, nose still to the screen. “If I’m reading these right, we were almost right on top of it when I decided to start triangulating the signal. Go figure!”

“Sweet!” grinned Sunset.

A few moments later Twilight looked up. “I think this is it. I’m taking it down for a better view.”

Watching their screens, they could see in the pale light that the bot was hovering over an ancient river stream. Overlaid on the image was the sensor data from the magical scanner in false color, with the high magic areas being tinged in red while the lower magical areas were blue. There were several blooms of red. Some of them were several meters wide. They were all across the riverbed with lighter blue blooms towards the banks. Looking at the data, Twilight grinned like a Cheshire cat and started to squee.

“Wow Sparky! What’s so exciting?” asked Sunset with a smile.

“Sunset, do you know what this is? Do you know what this means?!” exclaimed Twilight excitedly as she jumped up and squeezed her friend's hands.

“We found magic?” asked Sunset.

“Better than that Sunset. If I am reading this right, we found magic alright … plus we found LIFE!”.

Start each day with three truths: try for success, truth in your work, and trust in your Maker - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Cleaned up, and back in her Tokiwadai uniform, her street clothes having been damaged beyond salvage, she looked through a pair of high power binoculars at the Laboratory that was supposed to have been her final target.

“The S-processor Company, Cranial Nerve Analysis and Applications Laboratory. The last Facility I was set on destroying last night.” The building was clearly completely abandoned. “So much for that plan.”

Regardless, she made her way stealthily to the building, peering out from around a corner to get a closer look. “Weird. No one’s going in or coming out, and I can’t sense any electrical equipment in it either.” She made her way to the building, musing as she went. “Is it another trap?”

She jimmied her way past a door and into the facility. It was completely barren. It had been stripped clean, no one was present. Dead silence filled the hallways. She made her way into the control center, and powered up one of the terminals. Hacking her way in, she browsed their mainframe. “There’s no one here either, and all the data has been erased.”

Her phone beeped a notification. Flipping open the screen, she read the article. “S-Processor Company Bankrupt - Seventh School District.” The article stated that on August 20th the company had declared bankruptcy.

Mikoto read the article in shock. “Did they give up because of my attack yesterday?” she wondered. “Will the project collapse with just one facility left? I’m not positive, but it looks like I managed to force them to withdraw.”

She wandered out of the facility, drifting towards her dorms and rest. “There are so many things that I still need to do. But at least, those girls don’t have to die anymore.” Tears ran down her cheeks. Now I can…”

“Huh?!” called out a familiar voice. Mikoto looked up, and saw Toma looking frustrated, staring into a vending machine.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 16 - Sunset - More Surprises

Sunset - More Surprises

Wednesday, August 20. 8:30 AM Canterlot time

Sunset awoke snuggled up with her friend, happy grins on both their faces. They had stayed up way too late letting the little bot explore up and down the ancient river basin. It mapped the blooms, measured their density, and correlated their locations and relative sizes and strengths.

The evidence, while not incontrovertible, was definitely compelling. It appeared they had found the Martian equivalent of algae blooms growing in the riverbed, or whatever passed for them in the Martian flora.

The girls were both beside themselves with excitement from the discovery. Twilight couldn’t wait to write up a paper on their findings and submit it to one of the biological science journals. In the end, Sunset convinced her that they needed some sleep first and could start that tomorrow as the riverbed wasn’t going anywhere.

Twilight left the little drone mapping more of the riverbed. It collected all the data to her laptop for review in the morning. Maybe with the additional data, they would get an even more compelling picture of the possible life they had found. Sunset texted her mom they were spending the night again, and Twilight texted her parents.

Before retiring for the night, Twilight had gone back into the control room, and upgraded all the fobs in the bin to include biometric scanning of anyone nearby. She added a routine to send an alert to her and Sunset if there were any problems or if the biometrics triggered, sending the location of the fob directly to them.

Rolling onto her side quietly, Sunset lifted herself to the edge of the bed and transferred into her chair. She rolled into the bathroom to clean up and take care of her necessities. She checked Twilight’s laptop briefly, noting the rugged little drone was still collecting data and had indeed continued to map out further blooms along the ancient riverbed overnight. She texted her mom good morning, then pulled down a pot and filled it with water. ‘It feels like a good day for some porridge,’ she thought. She put the water on the stove to boil.

While she waited her mom texted back, sharing her love and happiness for her and Twilight at their discovery. Twilight came shuffling out of the room just as Sunset was stirring the porridge into the boiling water.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” smiled Sunset. “Have a good night’s sleep?”

“That’s Ms. Sleepyhead to you, Ms. Earlybird,” yawned Twilight as she shuffled by. “And yes. It was positively wonderful. I discovered life on Mars with my BFF! Then I got to snuggle all night.” She smiled as she passed by. “That smells good. I’ll be right back to join you.”

Twilight entered the bathroom, returning several minutes later as Sunset was putting fruits and yogurt on the table and serving up the porridge into two large bowls. “Want some juice, Sparky?” Sunset asked as she placed one of the bowls before Twilight, spoon poking out of the steaming mix. Sunset placed the other bowl where she was sitting.

“Hmm. Yes please,” yawned Twilight as she spooned sliced apples into her porridge then poured cream over the top.

Sunset brought over a pitcher of apple juice as well as two cups and placed them on the table. She poured a glass and passed it to Twilight. Twilight took it and sipped it gratefully.

“There you go, girl! Though you look like you might need something a little higher octane,” Sunset teased.

“Got that right,” agreed Twilight. “I’ll get it after we eat. Food first, then my rocket fuel.” She tucked into the porridge. “Good call, Sunny, this hits the spot,” she smiled, enjoying the porridge.

“It seemed like a good day for it,” agreed Sunset as she loaded up her porridge with apples, cinnamon, and cream. “Can’t go wrong with the classics.”

Twilight smiled and nodded.

They finished their porridge and juice, ending their breakfast with a small serving of fresh yogurt. Sunset put away the leftovers and cleaned up the breakfast dishes while Twilight made them both coffee. Then they went to check on the data they had gathered overnight.

“Wow, this is good! I would say this definitely looks like a full-blown colony. The way the growth appears to be distributed and the size of the distribution suggests there is robust life here, probably buried low enough to avoid issues with ionizing radiation. This is also consistent with the flowing of subterranean liquid water.

“This is really amazing! I can’t wait to get some better samples - though I hesitate to just wade in and possibly contaminate the colony. We should get someone with more experience involved before we start digging anything up or traipsing around the blooms.” Twilight observed as she nursed her caffeinated nectar.

“Sounds prudent,” agreed Sunset as she finished up the dishes. “Do you have anyone in mind?”

“No. A bit outside my normal areas of interest,” commented Twilight. “I was thinking I could invite Dr. Sombra to take a look at the data and see what he thinks. He seems to be fairly knowledgeable in a broad range of sciences. And Luna clearly thinks highly of him.”

Sunset snorted. “Yes, she does, and not just highly! She thinks of him often too!”

Twilight laughed. “Sunset, be nice! Your aunt is allowed to have her friends just like us. Don’t be snarky.”

“I can't help it,” grinned Sunset. “She’s just so fun to tease. Besides, despite her stern demeanor, she actually has a really good sense of humor.”

“All the more reason to be kind,” smiled Twilight.

Sunset checked her phone once she finished with the dishes.

“Ugh! I need to get going,” Sunset realized after she saw the time on her phone. “Don’t want to be late for work.”

Sunset rolled towards their bedroom to get changed for the day.

“Yeah! That commute is going to be a long one,” commented Twilight, not looking up from her laptop.

“What commute? I don’t think there is anything special going on…. Oh hahaha! Good one, Snarky Sparkle!” Sunset gave her friend a lopsided grin. “I can’t believe you went there!”

“I can’t believe you face-planted into it,” Twilight grinned back. “Better get going! You don’t want to be late!”

“Right!” Sunset said, still smiling. She rolled into the room and changed into a casual outfit for the commute. Packing up her daypack, she rolled into the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean up for the day. Rolling back out, she gave her friend a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Stay safe, Sparky! I’ll be back after work to help out with whatever you decide.”

Twilight hugged her back. “You too, Sunny! See you soon!”

Sunset rolled into the control room and, a few moments later, a magenta flash lit the doorway.

“And she’s off!” smiled Twilight. She turned back to finish the write-up she would send to Dr. Sombra asking for his help.

“Sun of a dog biscuit!'' swore Sunset, blinking away magenta flashes from her sight as she rolled out of the TACIT base. “Eyes SHUT when transporting! Eyes SHUT when transporting! How hard is that to remember.”

She stopped for a moment to rub her eyes, then opened the lab side door exiting to the Sparkles side yard. Shutting the door, she rolled over to the gate. She closed the gate behind her and rolled over to her car, unlocking it.

“Did you miss me, Nicholi?” she joked as she transferred into the car and placed her bag and chair on the passenger seat.

“Good morning, Ms. Shimmer! Where would you like to go today?” asked her car.

“Wow! That’s new!” she thought. “Must have gotten an upgrade overnight. Nicholi, Destination Canterlot Mall. Auto drive enabled.”

“Destination Canterlot Mall. Auto drive enabled. Estimated drive time, 15 minutes.” her car answered.

“En… ah, never mind. Skipping it today.” said Sunset, only half waving her hand as the car backed out of the driveway and headed towards her work.

Somewhere, in the Chaos Realm, Discord facepalmed.

“Oh, kids today! You raise them up! You teach them! You hold out such high hopes for them! And then they just let you down. Where are the little agents of chaos when you need them?” lamented Discord.

“Did you say something, dear?” asked Fluttershy as she poured out some tea into a teacup and took a bite.

“No. It’s nothing, dear. Nothing at all. Just lamenting a lost opportunity,” waved off Discord as he poured tea into his cup and took a bite as well. “Kids will be kids.”

In another universe, a starship captain felt a slight flutter. He paused for a moment then felt his stomach. Shrugging, he resumed walking down the hall.

Sunset pulled into the charging station at the mall and shut the car down. She assembled her chair, transferred into it, then locked the car. She plugged her car into the charging station and rolled into the mall.

As she got to the food court she noticed that the place was completely packed. There were kids everywhere, young girls mostly, gathered around the Sushi Cafe. As Sunset rolled towards them, she saw Mr. Namori in front of the cafe speaking with a rather animated group of young girls.

She had only gone a few meters when Lyra swooped in behind her and gently placed her hands on Sunset's shoulders. “Change of plans, Sunset! Trust me. You’re not going to make it through that madhouse. Allow me, please!”

Sunset turned and nodded. “Okay, Lyra. Go ahead,” she said. Lyra put her hands on the grips on the back of the chair and guided Sunset into the sporting goods store just down from the food court. “Hi, guys! Little emergency! Coming through,” she smiled as they passed through their stockroom and out the back door. The crew just smiled, waved, and nodded as they passed through. Sunset waved back awkwardly as they passed by.

Once they were in the alley behind the stores, Lyra rolled Sunset down to the back door of the Sushi Cafe. Reaching into her pockets, she pulled out a keyring and opened the door.

“How do you have the keys to the store, Lyra?” gapped Sunset as Lyra pushed her into the cafe then locked the door behind her.

“One sec, Sunset! Almost there,” Lyra answered. Looking out through the door and into the cafe, she caught Mr. Namori’s eye. She waved. He smiled and nodded. In return, she flashed him a thumbs up. Returning to Sunset, she pushed her into the breakroom and shut the door.

Sunset turned to Lyra in confusion. “So Lyra ...what the heck was that all about? And how do you have the keys to the store?” she asked.

“Mr. Namori gave me the keys this morning so I could sneak you in through the back door. He asked me to keep a lookout for you and head you off before you were seen. We came up with the plan this morning when we figured out what was going on,” said Lyra.

“Uh, what is going on? Why are there hundreds of people out in front of the cafe? And why do I have to sneak in?” Sunset asked, confused.

“Because of this,” answered Lyra as she handed over her phone. The phone was open to the MyStable app. Sunset looked at the picture then read the article below it. Her jaw dropped open then slammed shut.

“Ah, sweet Celestia! Crab-nuggets!” she swore, shaking her head.

…Meanwhile in the astral realm...

Faust sipped her tea, grinning at her friend. "Guess what?" she teased. "One of my great granddaughter's friends got accused of being you! Isn't that a lark!"

"What? You're kidding, right?" laughed Chang'e. "That's a first, at least lately. What happened?"

"Apparently they hijacked the lunar rover left on your moon. They drove it past one of the probes while she waved like crazy mugging for the camera. So of course the story now is that you got bored sitting on the moon and decided to play with the toys men left. Priceless, right?" laughed Faust.

Chang'e laughed out loud, "Oh wow! That is rich! Hahaha!"

The two goddesses chuckled over their tea.

Joyfulness cannot be sought, bought, earned, nor made, it comes only from living your every moment with love, grace, and gratitude - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

School out for the day, Toma wandered back towards his dorm. Looking up, he noticed Mikoto looking out over the horizon, lost in thought. He walked over and stood beside her.

“Hi Zapper! What are you doing?” He greeted her.

“Oh, hi Toma,” she responded, unfazed. She looked towards a blimp passing over them, its side flashing notices for the residents of Academy City. “I really don’t like those.”

Toma scratched his head. “Why’s that?”

“Because it's a machine telling humans how to think. It’s wrong,” she explained.

Toma thought for a moment. “You mean Tree diagram?”

“Yes,” Mikoto responded. “I wonder, does it even exist?”

Toma was puzzled over what she meant by that. Frustrated, Mikoto gave him a light smack on the head then stormed off.

“What was that for?” wondered Toma, looking after her then resuming his walk home.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 18 - Sunset - The Moon Goddess Friend

Sunset - The Moon Goddess’ Friend

Wednesday, August 20. 10:20 AM Canterlot time

“I’m so sorry! How the heck did this spiral so far out of control?” groaned Sunset with her face planted in her hands and shook her head.

In her lap was her phone. The browser was open to an article that was referenced apparently a few zillion times by MyStable. The article claimed that the video (link provided of course) showing a Rainbow-haired angel riding a souped-up version of the Lunar Rover across the moonscape was in fact local musician and Rainboom lead guitarist Rainbow Dash, formerly a student at Canterlot’s own Canterlot High. The article further asserted that the video was part of a project the band was working on for a new song the group planned to release sometime before next spring. This was despite the many claims that the clip was real and provided by footage from the Chang’e lander.

The source for this was attributed to Ms. Sunset Shimmer, the backup guitarist and a frequent vocalist for the group. It was also mentioned that she had been in an accident and currently worked in the food court at the Canterlot Mall.

“I guess it didn’t take them long to figure out where in the food court I worked,” groaned Sunset. “Whatever happened to privacy?” she grumbled under her breath.

“Nope! There was a line of fans outside the door even before Mr. Namori opened up this morning!” Lyra grinned. “It was pretty epic. It took a few minutes to figure out what they were after. In response, he begged them to leave and let you be.”

“Let me guess how that turned out,” sighed Sunset as she looked in the direction of the crowd.

“Yup. A few left. But most of them stayed camped out in front of the cafe. He refused to let them in. Some of them claimed they were legit customers. They actually bought some food. But. as soon as his back was turned. They were sneaking around the place looking for you so he tossed them out,” Lyra said.

“And the ones that left?” asked Sunset.

“Came back with at least a dozen friends each,” Lyra nodded.

“Crazy! Just crazy! Over a prank video!” said Sunset with her face back in her hands.

“It gets better! Check these out.” Lyra typed into her phone. She sent Sunset a few more links. Sunset loaded them up then gawked.

“Oh, sweet Tartarus! Really?!” she exclaimed. The first one was from a slightly less reputable source than the original article. This one claimed that the video was in fact footage actually recorded by the Chang’e lander of an angel driving the American Lunar Lander across the lunar landscape. “Of course, the most insane one would be the one that’s almost right,” groaned Sunset.

“Oh, no girl! That’s not insane. Not yet. Check out the rest of them!” grinned Lyra.

“You know what? You are enjoying this entirely too much,” grumped Sunset as she opened the next link. “Oh, Sweet Celestia! You have got to be kidding me!” she yelled.

This one had an enhanced picture. It showed Dash with both hands raised in the Victory sign. Her wings were fully extended as she whooped it up in the seat of the Lunar Lander as it topped a crater. Cleverly photoshopped in behind her was the Chinese Lunar Goddess Chang’e, holding on Dash’s shoulders, smiling widely. The headline read,

Lunar Goddess Chang’e invites angelic Earth Girl to share in Fun!

Sunset shook her head and laughed. “That’s horrible! It sounds like the buy-line from a really bad blue movie… You know though. as frustrating as this is. that’s actually a really good fake. I should get a copy of it and frame it for Dash.”

“Keep going! You’ve only scratched the tip of crazy!” grinned Lyra. “Though I have to agree. Yes. That one is a favorite of mine too.”

The next one claimed that Rainbow Dash was, in fact, the Lunar Goddess Chang’e reincarnated. But she missed the moon, so she had returned to have some fun with the toys men had left.

Another claimed that she was an angel that was violating Chang'e’s moon. The article stated that the Goddess was very angry with her and would exact revenge soon.

It went downhill from there.

“I swear some people have too much time on their hands,” grumbled Sunset.

“Hm, like a few Rainbooms who thought photo-bombing a working lunar probe would be a good way to waste an evening?” snarked Lyra.

“Et tu, Lyra? Et tu?” sighed Sunset. Lyra burst into laughter.

Her shift over, Sunset slunk out the back door after saying her goodbyes to Lyra and Mr. Namori-san. She never did get to clock in or actually get any work done. She spent the entire time hiding in Mr. Namori’s office. She did some office work for him so the time wouldn’t be completely wasted, but her shift was a complete washout. She apologized profusely every chance she got. He just laughed it off claiming he hadn’t had this much fun in ages.

As she rolled down the alley and headed back out to the parking lot, she ran into the last two people she expected to see.

“Well you’ve been a busy little imp, haven’t you!” grinned Stiyl Magnus. Kaori was by his side.

“Ah, crab nuggets!” exclaimed Sunset.

Kaori sat in the passenger seat while Stiyl sat behind her. Sunset’s chair was in the trunk. They were in Sunset’s car driving back to the Sparkle residence.

“So that’s what happened,” explained Sunset to her two passengers. “We just wanted to try out a longer range teleport using Twilight's quantum entangled teleporter. I thought it would be a lark to visit one of the Apollo landing sites with the girls. Dash and I couldn't leave a golden opportunity for a literally ‘out of this world’ prank pass by so I teleported the Lunar Rover and Dash to the Chang’e site so we could have some fun with them. And that led to this.”

Kaori was laughing so hard she was crying and holding her sides. Stiyl just grinned. When she finally got her breath back, she asked, “So! Where is the… what did you call it again? TACIT?” Sunset nodded. “Okay. Where is the TACIT receiver now?” Kaori finished.

“Uh, yeah. I moved it,” said Sunset sheepishly.

Kaori rolled her eyes and grinned. “Of course you did. And where did you move it to?” she asked.

“Um. Mars?” Sunset grinned sheepishly.

Both Kaori and Stiyl burst out laughing again.

Sunset pulled into the Sparkle residence driveway and parked the car. Kaori got out and fetched Sunset’s chair while Stiyl climbed out from the back seat. Sunset transferred to her chair once Kaori delivered it, then locked the car up.

“It’s in here! Come on.” Sunset led her two guests to the side gate. They entered the yard then closed the gate behind them. After that, she led them into the garage.

“There it is,” Sunset pointed to the TACIT base. Stiyl started scanning it while Kaori looked around.

“Nice setup you have here!” she commented while taking in Twilight’s equipment.

“Ah, yeah. This is all Twilight’s,” explained Sunset. “This is her lab, though I do seem to spend a fair amount of time here as well,” she agreed.

“No magical signature detected on the portal,” reported Stiyl. “So this is completely magic free you say? Strictly uses quantum entanglement?”

“Yup. That’s it,” replied Sunset “Though I can’t call it magic free. We discovered that apparently magical fields are transported by the entanglement as well as certain electromagnetic frequencies. Essentially it means power, magic and information can be passed between the entangled crystals. That comes in handy, I can tell you. We’ve been using a pair to power a drone we have flying around exploring the Martian landscape. It has also provided high-speed networking between the bunker on Mars and here.”

“Bunker?” asked Kaori.

“Easier to show than tell,” answered Sunset. “Feel like taking a short trip?”

The mages nodded.

“Okay. One second. I just need a moment to check in with Twilight’s parents before we head out.” Sunset rolled into the house looking for Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle.

Kaori looked at Stiyl. He shrugged. After a moment Sunset returned.

“I guess they’re out so I left them a note.

“Okay! Pile into the booth and I’ll set up the transport.''

After saying that, Sunset backed into the booth while Stiyl and Kaori squeezed in beside her. She pulled out her phone and loaded up the TACIT control app. She was about to punch the engage button but stopped herself.

“Sorry! I almost forgot the important safety announcement. Keep your eyes closed during the transport. Trust me! The pain is not worth it.” Having said that, Sunset scrunched her eyes shut and hit the engage button. The mages followed her example.

There was a bright magenta flash, then it was over.

Sunset smiled as she said, “Glad I remembered that! I usually end up blinding myself because I forgot to shut my eyes. Really painful! I don’t recommend it!” She reached forward and slid the door open on the receiver. Rolling out into the control room, she spun around to face her guests, throwing her hands out with a flourish.

“Welcome to Mars!” she grinned.

To truly live life is an exceeding rarity, most live only to exist, if even that - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Academy City

Toma, still heading towards his dorm, spied Mikoto again.

Looking more closely, he noted the enhanced vision goggles by her side. “Ah, her sister.” He wandered over to her. She was crouched over, trying to feed a black cat in an open cardboard box.

“Hi Mikoto’s sister! Thank you again for helping me the other day,” greeted Toma.

“Being thanked was not my intention, informs Mikoto with surprise,” commented Mikoto’s sister, still playing with the kitten in the box.

“So, what are you doing?” asked Toma.

“I am trying to feed this kitten, replies Mikoto with frustration,” she responded. “But because I emit a low strength magnetic field, the cat will not come near me. Animals can sense my field, and do not like me, laments Mikoto.”

At her insistence, Toma took the cat from her, carrying her while they walked. “So, it’s your cat. You rescued her. What did you name her?” he asked.

“Name her, queries Mikoto in surprise. Why would I name her? Mikoto asks,” responded Mikoto’s sister.

“You found her. You get to pick the name. What cat name did you pick?” he repeated.

Mikoto’s sister thought for a bit. “Dog. I will name her dog, responds Mikoto.”

Toma slapped his own face. “You can’t name a cat dog!” he sighed. “Pick a better name.”

“Then I will name her Tokugawa Leyasu, states Mikoto,” she stated.

“Good name, but no. Too long. Something simple,” he clarified.

“Then I pick Schrödinger, informs Mikoto,” she amended.

“You can’t pick Schrödinger! Good grief, he killed half his cats!” cried Toma in exasperation.

At an impasse, they arrived at the bookstore. “I need to stop in here for a moment,” Toma explained. “I need to find a reference book on cats for Index and Aisa to read. They clearly don’t understand how to take care of cats.” Looking down at the kitten in his arms, he mused. “I don’t think it’s okay to take pets into the store.” He looked towards Mikoto’s sister.

“It is illegal to harm animals in Academy City, states Mikoto emphatically,” stated Mikoto’s sister, backing away from him slightly. “You should not have me take care of the cat. Cats do not like me, Mikoto reminds Toma emphatically,” she warned, backing further away.

Toma tossed the kitten to her, which she scrambled and caught.

As he walked into the bookstore, he called out, “True friendship is born between you two if you overcome the barrier of having a magnetic field.” He walked into the store.

“How can a person who seems good be the type of person to throw a cat, Mikoto ponders in frustration,” she mused as she waited.

A chill passed down her spine. She turned, and noticed Accelerator, the top rated level 5 esper in Academy City, behind her, staring directly at her. She set the kitten down, and turned completely around to face him.

Gunshots rang out from the alley. Mikoto’s sister was forced to the ground by a powerful force.

Accelerator leaned down over her, with an evil grin on his face. “Who’s the strongest level 5 esper in Academy City?” he asked.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 19 - Twilight - The Martian Necessity

Twilight - The Martian Necessity

Wednesday, August 20. Unknown local time, 6:00 PM Canterlot time

Twilight looked up from her notes, noting the bright magenta flash from the control room. “Sunset’s back,” she smiled to herself. She turned back to her notes. Then looked up a moment later when she heard ‘Welcome to Mars’. “I wonder who that could be?” she thought. She got up and headed into the control room.

She was greeted by the sight of Sunset smiling ear to ear, joined by two grinning mages.

“Oh, wow! Hi, you two! I wasn’t expecting any company yet. Yeah! Like Sunset said, welcome to Mars!” greeted Twilight. “Come on in!” She backed through the doorway and gestured to the conference table. “Take a seat. I’ll get some drinks and snacks then we can have a chat. Unless you would rather have the tour first?”

Stiyl grinned. “Mars, eh? I don’t know about you, Kaori, but I could go for the tour. Not every day you get to tour Mars!”

“I’ll second that,” agreed Kaori. “Tour please!”

“Okay! Tour it is!” Twilight smiled. “That was our control room.” She gestured to the room next to the control room. “This is our ‘farm’. Hydroponics and fish. Not much to see yet but the racks. We just planted yesterday so nothing has grown yet. Come back in a week or two and we can sample some of the goodies. Oh! Also, the cistern for our freshwater is there.”

She stepped over to the next room. “Communal bath and toilets. The bath is nice! It's always good to enjoy a warm soak. Also, the wastewater cisterns are in here.”

She moved to the last room on the left and pointed inside. “This is our storeroom. Chances are if you need anything, we have it stocked in here. Somewhere. I still need to organize it.”

“I’m sure it’s fine Sparky! Not everything needs to be reverse indexed and triple categorized,” Sunset quipped.

“Say’s you,” grinned Twilight back, sticking out her tongue.

“This is our kitchen and dining area. All the basic utilities you need are here. There’s running water, a fully stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry. And appliances. Table comfortably seats 10 but we could get more packed around it if we really needed to.”

Moving over to the other side of the room, she opened the door to her bedroom. “This is Sunset and my bedroom. Each room has three beds, nightstands, dressers, a closet, a mirror, and a small desk. We have three bedrooms so we can comfortably sleep nine.”

“Pfft! Or 18 if they all sleep like we do!” snarked Sunset.

Twilight blushed and smacked Sunset lightly on the arm. “Sunset! I’m sure they’re not interested in how we sleep.”

“Or don’t,” giggled Sunset while wiggling her eyebrows.

Twilight stamped her foot. “It’s not like that!” she growled. Holding her face in her hands, she shook her head and laughed. “Why do you do this, Sunset?! Why do you torment me?” she laughed.

“Maybe you just look good in red?” grinned Sunset as she pulled her friend in for a hug.

“Gah… you’re lucky you are so adorable!” grinned Twilight.

“Oh, my word! You two are like an old married couple!” laughed Kaori.

“Ugh… it’s not like that! I swear!” groaned Twilight. Shaking her head, she laughed again. She moved down to the last room on the right.

“This is our media room. Game center, computer, large screen TV with surround sound, couch, and recliner. It’s where we relax.” Twilight grinned. “We already broke it in with our first Movie Night. I can also confirm that the couch and recliner are quite comfortable after spending a night or two on them before.”

Gesturing towards the large conference table, she continued. “And this is the lab and conference area. Screens are tethered to the laptop on the table. The entire bunker is served by wifi from the hub in the control room. We are under about 3 meters of regolith to protect against any stray radiation. That’s important given that Mars doesn’t have a magnetosphere. Behind me is the entryway that leads to the ramp to the surface. We don’t have a real airlock on it so we are using a magical barrier to keep the air in and any sand and stray radiation out.”

Both Kaori and Stiyl perked up at the mention of magic.

“Any chance we can go up to the surface and look around?” asked Stiyl.

Twilight looked to Sunset then nodded. “Sure! We can do that. We don’t have pressure suits yet though so you’ll have to be protected by a bubble shield with air. We did that yesterday for our friends so we could explore. We’d be happy to do so for you as well.”

Both mages grinned and nodded.

“Okay then!” said Twilight. “One moment. I'll get you some supplies!”

Twilight went into the storeroom. She returned with two daypacks and canteens. Twilight proceeded to fill the canteens while Sunset went into their bedroom and retrieved the packs and canteens for herself and Twilight. They met at the doorway where Twilight passed the packs and canteens to the mages, then put on her own daypack.

“Some supplies and snacks for while we are out. Ready?” Twilight checked.

“Ready Freddy!” smiled Sunset. She ponied up, wings tucked behind her. Twilight did the same.

“Wow!” grinned Stiyl. “That was a magic spike! Do you two do this often?”

“Lately, yes. Several times a day it would seem,” agreed Twilight. “And certainly every time we need to go out. It allows us ready use of our magic. And when we’re ponied up we are virtually indestructible.”

“That’s why the girls and I were all ponied up while we were on the moon. And why Dashie has wings in that video everyone seems so fond of lately,” grumped Sunset.

“And you built out this entire bunker in one day?” continued Stiyl.

“Well, that was mostly me, at least for the excavation and basic structure,” admitted Sunset. “And it was more like a few hours in the evening. Twilight did almost all the inside and filled the place out. She transferred all the equipment from a previous bunker she had.” She turned to her friend. “That she didn’t tell anyone about,” Sunny added with a frown.

“Hey, I said I was sorry, okay?” smiled Twilight. “You know I don’t keep secrets from you! I would have told you eventually.”

“Yeah yeah,” smirked Sunset. “Anyways…. Let’s go see the neighborhood!”

Twilight grinned. She led them through the magical barrier and up the ramp to the entrance. The mages followed, with Sunset bringing up the rear. As promised, everyone was surrounded by a large teal and magenta bubble.

When they got to the surface, Twilight stepped aside, thus allowing the mages to get a good look around. Sunset wheeled up behind them. Off in the distance, Olympus Mons towered on the horizon. As far as the eye could see was a barren landscape of rust-colored rock and sand.

“Woah! We really ARE on Mars!” exclaimed Kaori.

“That’s really Olympus Mons! I can’t believe it! OP much!” laughed Stiyl looking at the two of them.

“Wha.. what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Sunset, flustered.

Kaori laughed. “Don’t worry! Stiyl just isn't used to dealing with kind and benevolent eldritch abominations!” she snarked.

“Hey!” pouted Sunset. “I’ll have you know I am neither eldritch nor an abomination! And I have a driver's license to prove it!” She laughed. Twilight just grinned and shook her head.

“So, not to belabor the obvious, but how do you get around?” asked Kaori looking at Sunset.

“Yeah. That’s a very good point,” admitted Sunset. “I haven't been off this rock we’re on this whole time we’ve been here. Face it. My chair just isn’t the wheels I really need for this landscape,” she smirked.

“Well, you could fly, right? You did during the demonstration you and Twilight put on last week. Why not just do that?” asked Stiyl.

“Mhh, maybe?” said Sunset. “Twilight discovered that Mars is almost magically inert so we’re not sure how well that would work. I might be able to fly around close to the bunker but I would seriously hate to lose my magic and plow into the landscape as a normal girl in this environment.”

“How abruptly do you lose your magic?” asked Kaori. “Is it sudden? All at once? Or can you feel it fading before everything leaves?”

“Going by what I observed yesterday, it does fade in an inverse-square relation to our distance from the bunker,” answered Twilight. “That said, we were several kilometers from the bunker before Dash lost her transformation so we have a fairly decent margin for error. We store mana as well. I could feel the depletion once I was paying attention to it after Dash got hit with magical exhaustion, but I still had more than enough mana to keep my own transformation and get us all safely back to the bunker.”

Twilight turned to Sunset. “We should be alright if you want to try it out, Sunny. Feel like spreading your wings?”

“If you think it’s safe, sure! You have my back, so why not?” grinned Sunset. “For Science!”

“For Science!” Twilight cheered in agreement.

The mages looked at each other and shrugged.

Sunset spread her wings. The others stood back a bit, giving her some space. With a few swift beats, Sunset rose up from the chair and hovered a few meters over their heads. The teal glow left them as she rose into the atmosphere.

She said something to them while waving and smiling. They couldn’t hear a word she said.

“Ah! I should have expected that. Everyone, headsets on! They’re in your daypacks,” explained Twilight as she took off her pack and pulled her own headset out. She put it on then looked at Sunset. She pointed to Sunset’s daypack, still hanging from the back of her chair.

Nodding, Sunset lowered down back into her chair. “Good thinking Sparky! One sec!” She turned and removed her headset from her daypack and placed it on. “Okay! Trying this again. For Science!”

Once again, she rose again into the atmosphere. With powerful beats of her angelic wings, she once again hovered several meters above them.

“This is awesome! Dash is going to be so jealous!” Sunset enthused. “Can you all hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Sunny!” answered Twilight, giving her a thumbs up. She turned to the mages. Upon seeing them both wearing their headsets and smiling, she grinned. “Okay! Let’s go explore! Which way do you want to head?”

“Is there anything interesting around here?” asked Kaori. “You tell us. We don’t know the area.”

“Let’s just head towards Olympus Mons for now,” suggested Sunset over the headset. “We haven’t tried that direction yet. Maybe we’ll find something interesting that way.”

“Oh yes! I would love to get a look at that mountain!” agreed Stiyl.

“Ah, no! Not actually going that far. That would be way more than a day's hike,” cautioned Twilight. “It looks closer than it is. The mountain is over 16 miles tall. We would have to walk for more than a day before we would even be close.”

Stiyl frowned.

“Don’t worry, though. We do plan on exploring it eventually. Just we don’t have a vehicle that’ll let us even get to it let alone explore it. But, when we do, we’d be happy to invite you along if you want,” invited Sunset.

“Heck yes! Count me in!” eagerly agreed Stiyl.

“I’d certainly enjoy that,” added Kaori.

“It’s a date then. We’ll let you know when we’re ready for that adventure,” nodded Twilight as she led them off in the direction of the mountain. The mages nodded, staying close by to remain in her bubble.

Twilight pulled out her magic detector and took a look at the readings. “Sunny, go and fly ahead of us. Pay close attention to your mana levels. The moment you start to even feel the slightest drop then stop and let me know. Okay?”

“Sounds like a plan, Sparky! Okay, I’m off!” Sunset darted ahead of the party pulling off into the distance.

“Dang girl! Trying to give Dash a run for her money?” snarked Twilight watching her fade towards the horizon. She followed along with the mages trailing her.

“Yes, mom!” snarked Sunset over the radio. “I’m watching my mana levels. No change yet. The moment it even starts to drop, I’ll stop! I promise!” She was just a dot on the horizon now. “Woo hoo!” came the thrilled cry through the radio.

“She really needs to get out more,” snarked Twilight. The mages laughed.

“Hey! I heard that!” laughed Sunset.

“You were supposed to,” grinned Twilight.

Sunset was far enough away they couldn't make her out on the horizon. “How far out are you?” asked Twilight.

“Uh. About 10k I think. Ugh! We goofed. We should have brought an inertial tracker so we could measure this. Some scientists we are!” groaned Sunset.

“Next time, Sunny. Next time. We’re just proving the hypothesis now. Hard data later. So how are you feeling?” asked Twilight.

“Still going strong,” Sunset answered. “Sweet Celestia! I forgot how much fun this is!”

Twilight grinned. “That’s my girl!” They continued following along behind her with Twilight taking readings from the magic detector and making notations on her phone.

Sunset kept checking in with them every few minutes. Eventually, they were about 5 kilometers out from the bunker. Twilight called out to Sunset. “Okay. I’m starting to feel the diminished field. It’s down to less than 10 percent of its full strength here. I don’t know how you’re still going.” She stopped and sat on a rock taking a rest. The mages joined her.

“We’re still in a safe range, right? No need to worry yet?” asked Kaori.

“No worries! We’re fine. Ten percent is still more than enough to keep the shields up and the air fresh. I also have an abundance of mana in my core. Worse comes to worst, I feel I could easily teleport us all back to the bunker with my magic.”

“That is a good question though,” replied Sunset over the radio. “How am I still going? If you are feeling it there I should definitely be feeling it from where I’m at. By my estimate, I’m close to 30K out from the bunker and almost a quarter of the way to the base of the mountain. I still don’t feel any drop in my mana. Want me to keep going?”

“Sure. For a bit more,” agreed Twilight.

A while later Sunset chimed back in. “Still no drop. Still feel fine. I wonder…” There was a pause. “Okay! I have an idea. I’m going to try something. One second.”

A moment later there was a flash on the horizon. After that, a rainbow wave broke towards the mountain. “Woo hoo!” they heard Sunset yell through the headsets.

“Sunset! What are you doing?” deadpanned Twilight. “Did you just do what I think you did?”

“Yup, Sparky! Sonic Rainboom! I’m almost to the caldera!” came the excited reply. They watched as the rainbow arched up the side of the mountain then disappeared over the side.

“Sunset Shimmer! You are such a dork!” groaned her friend shaking her head. “Hello, Sunny! Can you hear us?” she called out.

“She can’t hear us?” asked Kaori.

“No! These units are line-of-sight. Once she dropped into the caldera, we lost the beam. Sometimes I just want to wring her pretty little neck,” grinned Twilight.

A short time later, the rainbow trail reappeared over the side of the mountain and turned back in their direction. “Sorry about that!” came Sunset’s voice over the radio. “I forgot these were line-of-sight. I didn’t realize what a dork I was being until it dawned on me you weren't saying anything back. Heading back to you now.”

“You do realize that if something had happened to you, I would be hard-pressed to even get to you? I could shoot you for being so stupid,” groused Twilight.

“Sorry, Sparky! Didn’t mean to worry you!” Sunset apologized. The rainbow was getting closer. A few moments later there was a rainbow flash of light. Sunset had stopped about half a kilometer away. She resumed her flight at a more normal speed then settled down on the rock next to her friend. “How was that?” she grinned happily.

Twilight smiled then punched her on the arm. “Dork! Don’t worry me like that!”

Twilight pulled her friend into a hug which Sunset returned. “So sorry, Sparky,” she apologized again.

Twilight looked down to the magic detector still in her hand. “Hmm. That’s odd,” she noted.

“What’s that?” asked Sunset, pulling back to see what she was looking at.

“These readings. The ambient magic is back up to full level. That’s unexpected,” observed Twilight.

“Just now?” asked Sunset.

“Just since you returned,” answered Twilight.

“So, what does that mean?” asked Sunset.

“Eldritch abomination,” whispered Stiyl to Kaori. She laughed and slapped him on the arm.

“Not 100% certain. Let’s try something. Can you fly back out, then come back?” asked Twilight.

“Sure,” agreed Sunset. Twilight got up to give her some room. Sunset gave a few sweeps of her wings and was back into the air over them. “Okay! Back in a few!” She turned and lit out for the horizon again.

Twilight kept an eye on the magical detector. After a minute she nodded to herself. “Okay, Sunset. That’s far enough. I have a good idea about what’s going on. Come on back!” she called out.

“So what’s the verdict?” asked Sunset over the headsets.

“You’re an eldritch abomination,” snarked Twilight.

“Shut your mouth!” laughed Sunset. “I am NOT! I’m heading back.”

Turning to the mages, Twilight held out the detector. “Watch this. See the reading level there? That’s at the 10 percent level I was talking about earlier. Watch the reading as she comes in for her landing,” She grinned. The mages gathered around her watching the readings.

Sure enough, the readings started to go up. It was soon back into the green range. As the level neared the top of the meter, Sunset settled in for a landing next to them. “Whatcha doing?” she asked everyone, leaning in to see what they were looking at.

The level was back up to full. “Eldritch abomination,” agreed Kaori with a laugh.

Sunset groaned. “Come on! Enough already.”

Back at the bunker, they were gathered around the conference room table. Twilight had her laptop set up. Both conference displays were lit and filled with data from the magical detector and the drone. Numbers and letters scrolled across the reflection of her shining glasses.

Sunset rolled up to the table. She’d brought a tray with a pitcher of apple juice, a bowl of ice, glass cups, and bowls of snacks balanced on her lap. She placed the tray on the table then filled the glasses with ice and juice. She passed them out to her grateful guests and her friend.

“Thanks for just teleporting us back, girls. I was not looking forward to slogging the five klicks back through those rocks,” grinned Stiyl as he took his juice and placed a bowl of salty pretzels by Kaori and himself.

“No problem! Happy to do it,” answered Sunset as she passed a glass to Kaori. “Besides I think Twilight here would melt if she had to wait any longer to get back to her analysis,” she smirked with a wink to her friend.

“You know me so well,” smiled Twilight while still going over the numbers from the detector.

“So, madam scientist, what’s your conclusion?” asked Sunset as she set a glass of juice and bowl of pretzels next to her friend.

Without looking away from the screen, Twilight took a handful of pretzels. “Mmm, thanks, Sunny. And I already told you. Eldritch abomination.”

Sunset gave her a stink eye. “Sparky, I swear some days…”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Twilight laughed and turned to her friend. “Now who’s too easy, hmm?” she teased.

“Seriously though. Why is my magic not getting depleted?” asked Sunset.

“Well, to put it bluntly, you seem to be your own portal. Wherever you go, you radiate equestrian harmony magic. With you around, levels are always at the top of the scale. That’s also likely why, no matter how far from the bunker you were, you never suffered any decrease and felt no magical exhaustion. I’m speculating here, but if I’m right, you can’t run out of mana. I think you are fully ascended,'' answered Twilight.

“Huh? Do you mean like the princesses?” asked Sunset.

“We can ask Princess Twilight to be sure. But yes, that’s my best guess,” answered Twilight.

“Okay. Wow. That’s a lot to take in,” said Sunset pensively.

“One thing I don’t understand though,” added Twilight. “If you have your own internal source of magic from your ascension, why do I seem to run low? I ascended as you did, so what's different? Is it the lower mana levels my counterpart mentioned? I’m not trying to be petty or anything. I just want to understand why and what we’re dealing with.”

“That’s a good question Sparky. I don’t know. I thought ascension was an all-or-nothing kind of thing too. One more question for the princess,” agreed Sunset.

“Interesting,” agreed Kaori, munching on a pretzel. “That would put you on the level of a demigod, Sunset,” she observed.

“Demigod my flank!” snorted Sunset. “I’m still just me! I don’t care how much magic I have.”

“And you, Twilight, would be easily on the level of a saint,” continued Kaori.

“Whatever that is.” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“That’s the level I’m at,” informed Kaori.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean any offense,” apologized Twilight.

“No offense taken,” assured Kaori. “So, simply put, it means both of you are extremely potent mages and we’re happy to have you in our camp, because anyone going up against either of you two is going to have their hands very full.” She grinned before taking another handful of pretzels.

“The only ones who ever have to worry about that are those who want to take over the world or mess with my friends,” grinned Sunset. “And that’s something I feel we’ll never have to worry about from the two of you. I’m happy we’re working with you and your group against anyone abusing magic.”

“What she said,” agreed Twilight with her nose still in her display. Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes.

“And we’re happy to have you,” agreed Kaori.

“So, back to one of my earlier questions”, responded Sunset. “How best to get a hold of you and your group? Is there some preferred way to stay in touch? Email, phone number, Owl delivery? Dragonfire?” she quipped.

Kaori laughed. “Definitely not Dragonfire.” She shook her head. “As magic users, we are not always on the best of terms with technology. That said, you have my cell phone you can reach me at. We also have an email address that you can use.” She laughed. “And as for Owl delivery, I’m not even sure that’s a thing. Something you read?” she asked.

Twilight laughed. “Yeah. It's from one of her favorite book series. Get her started on it and she’ll talk your ear off for the rest of the night.”

Sunset laughed, “If you just read them you would too! You would have to admit they are completely awesome!”

“If you say so,” snarked Twilight.

“I got Dash to read them and she agreed they’re some of the best books she’s ever read! Right behind Daring Doo!” Sunset argued.

“And there’s a literary review to hang your hat on! A recommendation from Rainbow Dash!” Twilight teased her friend.

“Seriously?” grinned Sunset. “Don’t be dissing on Dashie. She acts like a jock but she’s just as much an egg-head as the rest of us.”

“You're not wrong there. That girl is seriously tsundere,” agreed Twilight.

The mages just looked at each other and grinned. Kaori rolled her eyes. “So back on topic!” she called out. “You have my cell number. You can reach me if you need anything.” Kaori texted them the email address as well. “There, sorted. Any other questions for us?” she asked.

“What can you tell us about Academy City?” asked Twilight.

“Academy City is in the heart of Tokyo.” Kaori answered. “It’s where children with psychic abilities go to master their skills. There’s a strong magical presence in the city too. That’s despite the antipathy between those with psychic ability and those who use magic. It seems you can’t have one without attracting the attention of the other. We have some friends there…”

“Friends is a bit of a stretch,” cautioned Stiyl. “More like a friend and useful blockhead.”

“Be nice, Stiyl. Index is our friend, and Tōma is her friend. And he is taking care of her. Plus she seems to adore him. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, hmm?” answered Kaori.

“Whatever. As long as Index is safe, I’m happy,” agreed Stiyl. “Too bad we can’t just leave her here! I’d like to see anyone try to get to her on Mars! Not to mention being protected by not just one but two eldritch beings!” he laughed.

Sunset raised an eyebrow.

“I meant that in the nicest way possible,” he amended with a grin.

“She’s fine with Tōma. But, as a backup plan, that’s not a bad idea,” agreed Kaori. “Something we’ll consider if you two wouldn’t mind?” she asked Twilight and Sunset.

“No objections from me! Any friends of yours are friends of ours!” agreed Sunset. Twilight nodded.

“So … when do we get to meet them and the rest of your group?” Sunset checked. “What's our plan moving forward?”

“The plan, I'm thinking, is a simple one. We could really use you two in Academy City backing up our friend Tōma who is protecting Index.”

She glanced pointedly at Stiyl at the word friend.

“You could also help us out looking into some serious magical incidents that have been occurring,” Karoi continued. “Basically, we’d need you to be our eyes and ears in the Academy. Our spies.”

Karoi turned to Sunset. “Your empathic powers, as you described, are off the charts. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into one of the academy’s schools.”

Looking to Twilight, she went on to say, “You should be fine as well. Even if you had no psychic abilities, with your scientific mind and understanding, any of the schools would be delighted to have you. You two could be our ace in the hole for protecting Index.”

“She must be very special to you both!” Sunset nodded. “But why would anyone want to hurt her?” she asked.

“That’s the thing. Index is not just our friend. She has the arcane knowledge of every known codex and grimoire within her head. There are many unscrupulous organizations who would do anything to get their hands on the power unleashed through the knowledge she carries in her mind,” continued Kaori.

“Woah! That’s fantastic!” exclaimed Twilight. “That much knowledge! I can’t wait to meet her!”

Kaori gave Twilight a concerned look. “Hold up,” she said. “She is not to teach anyone the contents of those codices. That knowledge is forbidden. There are very few we would trust with the power contained within those writings. You may someday be among them. Only time will tell on that. Even Index herself is not allowed to meditate on, examine, or use that knowledge except in extreme emergencies.”

She looked between Sunset and Twilight. “That knowledge has only led to suffering, destruction, and loss, all through human history. She holds the knowledge not to share, but to safeguard. To keep it from those who would use it for evil or selfish ends.”

“Understood,” nodded Twilight. “I can relate to that. It makes sense.”

“Ditto!” agreed Sunset.

“You have some experience with this, I recall you mentioned?” asked Kaori.

“Yes, sadly,” nodded Sunset. “I stole a magical artifact to gain power. I then attempted to take over my school. All so I could return through the portal that brought me here and conquer my home kingdom.”

Kaori looked at her askance

“Yes, it was completely stupid! It would never have worked but I tried anyway,” Sunset sighed. “Thank the Maker I was stopped by our dear friend Princess Twilight and the rest of our friends. Once the dust settled, I realized just how wrong I was. I joined with them in determination to stop anyone else who would use magic to hurt others.”

Twilight nodded, giving Sunset’s hand a gentle squeeze. “And I stole the magic from Sunset and her friends. Following that, I kind of tore a hole in spacetime between our realms to gain more power and complete mastery over all magic.” She bowed her head.

Sunset gave her a gentle smile squeezing her hand back.

Twilight continued. “Sunset stepped in and stopped me. She showed me a better way.” She smiled at her friend. “I’ve been with them ever since, committed to protecting others and keeping magic from being abused.”

Twilight turned to her friend. “I guess you've always been a little OP girl,'' she said to Sunset with a smirk.

Grinning, Sunset pulled her in for a hug. “You stopped yourself, Sparky. You embraced the power of our friendship.”

Twilight smiled, eyes watering. “Yes. Yes, I did. With no regrets!”

“And as for OP? Eh, compared to some of what we’ve been up against, not so much,” Sunset smiled.

Kaori smiled. “You'll both fit right in!” she said.

Giving Twilight a final squeeze, Sunset released her friend and took her hand. “So, we’re heading to Academy City then. Okay! Let's plan this out!”

The Maker loves us, not because we are good, but so we may become good - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Academy City

Toma ran through the streets of Academy City looking for Misaka Mikoto.

“This is just wrong!” Toma thought to himself.

He was searching one girl, alone, the key to the madness occurring with her sisters, the apparent army of clones that had been made of her, and that were being brutally sacrificed on some experiment.

Looking for any sign of where she could have gone, Toma scanned the cityscape around him. Stopping, he noticed something peculiar. Even though it was a completely windless night, several of the propellers on the massive wind turbines throughout the city were still gently turning.

“The turbines produce electricity. If there is no wind, it might make sense that electricity could reverse that process and produce movement,” he reasoned. Looking more closely at the turbines, he could see they formed a rough line heading straight to the bridge he had found Mikoto musing on before. “That has to be it. She’s a level 5 electromaster producing energy every second. Even more if she is worked up about something.”

He ran through the streets, heading to the bridge.

Misaka Mikoto stood on the bridge, leaning on the railing, looking out at the sky over the bay. “How did things end up like this?” she sighed.

She flashed back to the days when she first came to Academy City, a very young girl, and only barely a level 1. She had been working hard on her powers, practicing and honing them to the point she had begun advancing through the levels. She was still living and training in the institute that was sponsoring her.

A doctor entered the room she was training in. “So, you must be the famous Misaka Mikoto, our rising star!” he smiled. The nurse who entered with him smiled as well.

Mikoto smiled back. “Hi!”

“You know, Misaka, there are many people with handicaps, in pain and unable to even move their own limbs,” commented the doctor, coming over to her and placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. “If they had the power to control the electricity within their own bodies, they might have hope! We could provide them with that hope.”

“We could save a lot of people if we were to apply her powers to them!” the nurse enthusiastically added.

Mikoto nodded excitedly, delighted in the chance to help others.

Flash forward several years… Mikoto was now an accomplished electromancer, one of the most powerful in all of Academy City. She was heading into school in preparation for classes. A group of girls were gossiping, not having seen her approach.

“I heard a rumor that the military is creating an army of clones! They’re using a certain level 5’s DNA as the base!” one of the girls hissed meanly. “And she goes to our school!”

The other girls snickered, smiling and looking around. “I think I know who you mean,” giggled one of the girls.

At that point, they noticed Mikoto heading towards them. They all grew silent, quietly moving away while giving Mikoto mean stares.

“That’s a ridiculous rumor, and you should be ashamed to be spreading it!” she growled at them as she passed. Their hair all frizzed as they moved quickly off to their classes, Mikoto storming off to her own.

The flashback over, Mikoto sighed, looking at the clouds. The crescent moon reflected on the water’s surface. Frustrated, arcs of electricity occasionally shot off from her as she leaned on the railing, caught up in her thoughts.

In her mind's eye, she saw several of her sisters, the clones, before her. “Help!” she muttered weakly, lost in her thoughts. Her mind cut away to another scene. Her sisters were dead, lying in pools of their own blood. Accelerator was standing over them, smiling.

“Help me!” she muttered quietly again, lost in her depressing thoughts.

“Meow!” A black cat walked out of the shadows, moving over to sit beside her. Drawn from her depressing thoughts by the cat’s cry, she looked down and smiled briefly.

She heard footsteps in the darkness the cat had emerged from. Toma walked out of the shadows. “Bugzapper, what are you doing?” he asked gently.

Mikoto flinched in surprise seeing Toma, and grew defensive. “I’m doing whatever I want!” she stated imperiously. “I am the Railgun, top rated Electromancer in all of Academy City! And the 3rd most powerful Level 5 in the entire Academy! You are just a Level 0! You have no right to lecture me!” she responded, turning her back to him.

“Stop it,” Toma replied.

“Stop what, exactly?” Mikoto shot back. “What exactly do you think I need to stop?”

Toma stood before her, hands on his hips. “Stop what? Oh, let’s see…” He paused for effect. “How did it go? Something like this… Tree Diagram predicts that Accelerator will be ascended to Level 6 by preparing 128 battlefields and killing the 3rd ranked Level 5 esper, Misaka Mikoto, 128 times. However, it is impossible to to prepare 128 Railguns, the Radio Noise project in progress will be used as a substitute for the Railgun. By using 20,000 battlefields and killing 20,000 clones of the Railgun, the same results can be achieved.” He looked at Mikoto with concern, “Sound familiar?”

Mikoto looked at Toma in shock. No one knew that, there was no way he could know that. Then she grew angry and arrogant.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to enter my room, let alone search it and find those documents,” she demanded.

“You didn’t. Your roommate did, and she cares about you very much,” answered Toma.

Mikoto growled under breath as sparks flew from her. “I’ll deal with her later.” She turned her attention back to Toma.

“So, you entered my room, went through my things, and found those documents. And read them. Did you get worried after that? Did you think what you found out was unforgivable? Was that your judgment?” she demanded.

“I am worried about you. And yes, I did go into your room, find the documents, and read them. And I am worried for you. I’m not lying,” he answered. “Look, you’re angry. Fine! I apologize for going into your room without permission and going through your things. You can zap me with any amount of electricity you want for it later. But right now, I want to know what you are doing. And for the record, the fact that you have these documents makes it pretty clear you didn’t worry about whether you were allowed to have them or not, so we’re not so different there! And what are these?” He added, pulling out a map with red Xs on it over different Academy Institutes. “What did you do at these places?”

Mikoto looked at Toma. “Yeah. Well whatever you’re suspecting is probably correct. Those marks are my shot-down marks for the facilities that were taking part in the experiments on my clones. Those are the ones I’ve taken down one way or another using my powers.

She growled in frustration, more arcs of electricity shooting from her in her frustration. “That was my plan originally. I was going to take down every institute involved in this, and force them to abandon the experiment. But it didn’t work. No matter how many I took down, other facilities jumped at the chance to take up the project in their place!

“I needed to find a better way to end this. You’ve met one of my clones,” Mikoto continued. “They all understand the concept of being killed merely as part of an experiment. And this city is under constant surveillance by Tree Diagram. Nothing goes on here that it doesn’t know about. That means this experiment is being allowed by the Board of Directors as well!

“I was the one that started this! I am the one that has to end it! It’s my responsibility. I am not allowing my clones to be killed! Making Accelerator stronger is the centerpiece of this experiment. So if he is gone, the experiment ends. So he needs to be gone!”

Toma shook his head. “Sorry zapper. You're not going to take out Accelerator. That’s a lie. We both know if you could do it, you already would have. That means we both know you're not strong enough to take him in a match or we wouldn’t be having this talk no matter how badly you want to beat him,” Toma reprimanded. “Why didn’t you ask me?

“Zapper, you knew you couldn’t take care of this alone. Seriously, why didn’t you ask me? You know I would help. Why didn’t you ask someone for help. You’re not going to be able to just take care of this on your own. We both know that.” Toma smiled at her gently.

Calming, Mikoto smiled, playing with the railings as she looked out over the water. “The experiments needed 20,000 of my clones for Accelerator to reach level 6 because he can’t fight and kill me 128 times.

Mikoto smiled, looking out over the water. “So, what if I were killed 128 times and Accelerator did not reach Level 6? What if the conditions of the experiment could be proven false? Tree Diagram calculated that Accelerator would kill me after a certain number of moves in our battle.

“So!” she added, grinning at Toma. “What would happen if I fought Accelerator, and lost on the first move? That would cast doubt on the predictions of Tree Diagram, and they would have to disband the experiment. They wouldn't be able to trust their machines, and the entire experiment would be invalid. My clones would be spared. Problem solved, and I am the one to solve it!” finished Mikoto.

“Ah, no, flawed thinking there, Zapper,” countered Toma. “The scientist would just restart the experiment again, even if you did get away with your plan.”

“Thought of that, and nope. They wouldn’t be able to. I checked. A few weeks ago, Tree Diagram was destroyed by an energy blast from the surface. The scientists would need to recalculate to restart the experiment. And with Tree Diagram lost, they would not be able to, and would have to call the experiment off because they could no longer perfectly simulate the experiment and predict the results.” Mikoto corrected.

Toma sighed. “It sounds like you want to die,” he said, dejected.

Mikoto looked surprised at the suggestion, but shrugged. “Yes.”

Toma scowled. “And you seriously think your sisters, the 10,000 of them still alive, would be saved by your death?”

Mikoto looked out over the waters. “That’s right.

“In fact, that’s what I am doing now. I’m going to Accelerator’s location, and I am going to fight him. And I am going to lose to him in the first move. And save my clones.” She stood up from the railing, and moved to walk past Toma.

Toma stepped in front of her. “No,” he stated simply.

Mikoto scowled. “Get out of my way, Toma!”

“No!” he stated again.

She shouted at him. “Toma, you idiot! Do you not understand that if I die, my sisters can live? 10,000 of my sisters live, for one death. Mine!

“Or do you not care about them?! Are you alright with them dying, since they're just clones?!”

“No Zapper! I don’t think they should die. I don’t know what to do to stop that. But even so, I won’t allow you to die! I won’t do it! I will not step aside just so you can go and get yourself killed by Accelerator!” he stated firmly, standing his ground.

Frustrated, electricity arced and flashed from Mikoto. “I cannot bear to see my clones hurt! I won’t let it happen! Stand aside Toma!”

Toma just shook his head, standing resolutely before her.

“Toma, you clearly don’t understand the power I wield. I will not lose to you today! Nothing and no one will stop me. Fight me if you want to, but I am going! And if you don’t want to die here, you will stand aside!” Mikoto yelled angrily.

From the distance, the bridge could be seen lit brilliantly in the night by blue flashes of electricity arcing from its surface.

Before Toma, Mikoto stood, arcs of electricity shooting into the air, electrifying the bridge and air around them. The sharp smell of ozone filled the bridge as power arced from Mikoto, fully prepared to battle Toma, still standing before her.

It was a frightening and intimidating show of power, clearly showing the lethal intent of the electromancer facing him. Despite this, Toma did not flinch or move, standing still in the spot before her. He held his arms out to the sides, inviting her to give her best shot.

“I’m ready to kill you to do what I need to do! Idiot! What exactly do you think you are doing?” she raged in frustration.

Toma just stood there silently, arms out, unmoving, staring at her resolutely. After a few moments, he responded.

“I won’t fight you. Even if you don’t hold your powers back. And I am not moving. I am not letting you pass,” he replied.

“Idiot!” Mikoto screamed. “Then fight me!” Arcs of electricity lept from her to the surrounding bridge, scaring the cat away and bathing the bridge in a blue glow.

“Fight me!” She screamed at him again, sending a flair of electrical power at him. It whipped just past his ear, scorching the bridge structure behind him.

Toma did not flinch. He stood resolute, arms out, blocking her passage.

“Don’t look so smug! My next shot won’t be a warning. It’ll take you out. You will die. Stand aside or fight me!” she warned.

He stood there, umoving.

“Argh!” she screamed, unleashing a deadly attack at him, engulfing him in her electrical power.

As the arcing flashes cleared, Toma stumbled, then fell to the ground.

Seeing Toma fall to the ground, Mikoto gasped. “What have I done!?” she whispered, looking at where he lay.

Just as she was about to run over to him, she saw him twitch. Then, his arm moved. He stirred, then sat up. “How?” She breathed to herself, watching as he stood again, and held his arms out once more. “Toma, why won’t you fight me?! How are you still moving after that?”

“I will not fight you, Zapper. I don’t know why I won’t fight you. But I won’t. And I don’t know what to do. But I do know this. I am not letting you go die tonight. I never want to see you hurt. And I will never accept you dying,” he stated.

As he was speaking, Mikoto thought back to what had happened to the sisters and grew visibly angry. “Shut up! Just shut up! I don’t deserve what you are saying! Even in a world where everyone smiles, I have no place there!” she cried out.

Toma sighed. “Zapper, what you are planning won’t save anyone. And even if you did die, and somehow it did save the 10,000 remaining sisters, do you think they will be thankful for what you did? Do you think gratitude will be what they feel seeing you die?” he countered.

“Just shut up! Shut up, idiot! Just fight me!” screamed Mikoto. She launched another attack at him, hitting him squarely. He staggered, but did not fall this time, standing through it. When the attack passed, he took a breath and straightened back up, resolute.

“You idiot! I’ve killed more than 10,000 people! There is no reason a villain like me should be allowed to live in this world! Why are you standing there, trying to save a villain like me, you idiot!” she raged.

Toma smiled briefly at her. “Zapper, you are not a villain. Why are you alive if you really think you are a villain? Do you know why I am still standing here, and not dead like I ought to be after an attack from you? It’s because you went easy on me. Even without knowing it, you don’t want me dead. You’re not a killer. You are not a villain.”

“That’s not true!” shouted Mikoto. “I wanted you dead! Even though I know you won’t fight me, I will kill anyone who tries to stop me from saving my clones!”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t be standing here arguing with you. I would be dead,” he countered. “You have yet to kill me. You won’t kill me. You are too good of a person to kill me, even if I am the one preventing you from doing what you want most. Even if I am the one stopping you from saving your clones.”

“You don’t get it!” she yelled. “The only way to save them is for me to die! If everyone can be saved by my death, then my death is a good thing, and it’s good for me to die! Move out of my way, Toma!”

“I will not move!” Toma stated loudly, still standing before her, arms outstretched.

“Toma, you idiot! This is your last warning! My next shot will kill you! I promise this! No holding back! No regrets! My attack will kill you! Now move out of the way!” she stated firmly.

“I’m not moving!” Toma responded, standing resolute.

Electricity raged through Mikoto as she screamed out in frustrated rage. Her attack on Toma rocked the bridge, scattering the clouds above the bridge. From the distance, the entire bridge was bathed in a searing blue glow, engulfed by Mikoto’s power.

As the flashes and arcing cleared, Mikoto could be seen standing. She had unleashed one of her most powerful and lethal attacks on the boy who stood before her.

Her eyes were closed. She had closed her eyes while unleashing her attack, not wanting to see his smoking dead body.

As she stood there, breathing in the burnt ozone air, catching her breath, she heard a sound beside her.

“Meow.”

She opened her eyes and looked down next to her feet. The black cat had returned, now rubbing up against her, demanding her attention. Tears in her eyes, she reached down and lifted the cat up, snuggling it against her.

Noticing something in the distance, the cat flinched. “Meow.” Noticing, Mikoto turned her tearful eyes to see what it noticed.

In the distance, she saw it. The smoking body of the boy she just destroyed had been launched back several yards by the power of her attack, landing by the bridge entrance. He laid there in a smoldering heap on the ground.

To her shock, one of his hands twitched, then the other. He stirred, slowly sat, then rose, and stood. He struggled, standing and holding his arms out again, shaking and stumbling to keep his balance.

Mikoto cried out in shock, her tears streaming. “No!” she whispered. “No more! No!” She raised her hand, stumbling backwards, prepared to launch another attack. “Stop!” she cried out, her tears clouding her vision.

Toma stood there, swaying, lost in thought as he recovered from the brutal assault he had just survived. Though barely conscious, he relived what he had just heard. He saw Mikoto explaining. She had no choice but to die. She truly did not want to die. But she couldn’t see any other path.

“Think, Toma, think! Is there any other choice to make? The only way to stop the experiment is to make the researchers realize nothing good will come from pursuing it.” he thought. With a shock, he came to a realization.

He looked over at Mikoto, still crying, staring at him in shock. “Misaka!” he called out, reaching for her.

Before he could say anything further, the last of his strength gave out and he crumpled back down in a heap, completely unconscious.

One of Mikoto’s sisters was walking the streets of Academy City, alone despite the late hour. It was a windless evening; none of the propellers on the massive wind turbines throughout the city were stirring.

A while later, the girl, still in her Tokiwadai Middle School uniform, entered a mostly empty railway cargo holding area. Stopping, she checked her current coordinates.

“I am Misaka 10032, the test subject for this experiment. The purpose of this test is to develop maneuvers for battles where ‘reflection’ cannot be used, states Miskaka,” she called out loudly.

As she spoke, she flashed back to her last conversation with Toma. “Who are you? What are you doing?” he had asked. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“Why would I recall his face at this time, Misaka wonders,” she mused, returning her attention to the present. “I clearly do not understand that boy, notes Misaka.”

She looked up. From the top of a nearby shipping container, Accelerator smiled down at her.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 21 - Dash - Avatar the last bender

Dash - Avatar, the last bender

Thursday, August 21. 5:00 AM Canterlot time?

Dash was back on the moon. The lunar landscape was in sharp contrast around her as they passed into the earth's shadow. In the distance, she could see the Apollo site the girls had visited. The lunar rover, complete with Twilight’s modifications, sat a short distance from it.

She knew she was dreaming. She was not ponied up. She was just standing there on the lunar landscape.

‘If I were really here, I’d be dead right now,’ she thought to herself.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” cheerfully asked a woman leaning into her ear. Surprised, Dash turned to face her.

She was beautiful, dressed in traditional Chinese robes, flowing and colorful, that covered her down to her feet. Her black hair was done up in the traditional manner with silver pins and pearl gems holding it in place. Her smile was serene.

“Uh, Hi, ma’am. Umm… who are you?” asked Dash.

“Ah. My dear young miss, yes. Allow me to make introductions. I am Chang’e, goddess of all you see here. And you, my dear, are my newest avatar.”

“Avi… Wha… er, what?” stumbled Dash. “Avatar? As in the one you take over when you come to the mortal realm? Oh, no no no no! No no! Please! I don’t want to be a zombie!” cried out Dash dropping to her knees in supplication.

“Oh good heavens, dear! Where do you get these strange ideas?” asked Chang’e crossly. “We haven’t done that sort of thing in ages. I swear you people have the most bizarre thoughts nowadays!”

“I’m so sorry! Please don’t be angry! Please don’t smite me!” quaked Dash.

Chang’e looked sadly at the girl. “Is that how you really feel, Ms. Dash? Do I really frighten you so horribly? My poor dear girl.”

She walked over to Dash and crouched down, facing her. Taking Dash’s hands in her own, the goddess looked tenderly into her eyes. “Dearest child! No one is going to hurt you. I know these are your true and deepest feelings… in dreams, no one can hide what they truly feel! There is no room for bravado or brave fronts in our dreams. Only the truth! Only our deepest, most honest selves.” She pulled Dash into a gentle hug.

“Dear child. I have chosen you. You caught my fancy with your brazen charm. You and your friends! Coming to my moon, playing, and enjoying yourselves - It warmed my heart to see you having such fun! To see such camaraderie on my cherished sphere.”

Leaning back from the hug, Chang'e looked into Dash’s eyes. “So you, my dear child, are my chosen one. It is a great honor, one I do not make lightly! But one I happily bestow on you.” She smiled.

“Thank you,” Dash whispered while looking hopefully up at the goddess.

“And as for that zombie nonsense,” scolded Chang’e playfully, “we haven’t done that kind of silliness in over a thousand years. No one wants a mindless servant. We love our own and delight in the love our own have for us. You can’t be loved by a zombie,” she grinned at Dash. “So no zombies! Only cherished friends. Will you be mine, Ms. Dash? Will you be my avatar?” she looked at Dash hopefully.

“Yes,” Dash agreed softly. “Yes,” she said again, this time louder with conviction. “I would be happy to be your avatar.”

Dash thought for a moment longer. Looking up at Chang’e, she asked, “What exactly is an avatar anyway? Do I get cool powers or something? Never been an avatar before.”

Standing, Chang’e gently pulled Dash back to her feet. She smiled. “Yes, dear! It means you get some cool powers. As my avatar, I bestow upon you the powers I wield in the mortal realm so you may work my will in your world.”

Seeing a look of concern on Dash’s face, she hastened to add, “Do not worry my dear child. I do not intend to take over anything! Nor do I wish to harm anyone. My fondest wish is only to protect my beloved sphere. I also want you to share peace, joy, and harmony with my dear children and their loved ones.”

Relieved, Dash smiled. “Okay! I can do that.” She nodded.

“Then you are mine,” smiled Chang’e. “From now on, I assert my claim on you. I have claimed you as my own. My avatar. My faithful servant in your troubled world.” She kissed Dash on the forehead. A silver glow passed into Dash with the kiss. Dash glowed in a pearlescent halo. Feelings of kindness and compassion filled her soul. She embraced the goddess.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I will do everything I can to bring peace and harmony to everyone I meet!” She agreed happily.

Hugging Dash tightly, the goddess smiled. “I’m sure you will, Ms. Dash.”

Sometime later the goddess and Dash were walking between the craters of the lunar landscape deep in conversation.

“So you all really used to make people mindless zombies?” asked Dash.

“That was many, many moons ago my child. Never again, and not something we in the astral plane are proud of. We have found that love and harmonious cooperation are far better for everyone involved and do not darken our children’s souls as the old ways did.”

“Besides,” grinned the goddess to her avatar. “Who would want an army of mindless zombies?”

“Uh... Have you met my friend Sunset?” smirked Dash.

“Ah yes. Ms. Shimmer! A delightful child! Not one of mine but, as your friend, someone I will cherish and protect. If I didn’t then I’m sure her great-great-grandmother would have some rather cross words for me!'' she laughed.

“Wait! Wait wait wait… You know Sunset’s great-great grandma? How is that?” puzzled Dash.

“Well, firstly, there are a few more greats in there than just that. But I am not in the mood to say them all. Suffice it to say that she is proudly Sunset’s ancestor. She’s also quite delighted with the progress her dear granddaughter has made working through her redemption. I know her because she is a goddess, like myself in the astral plane, and truly one of my dearest friends. It was she who showed us the ways of harmony and peace, turning us from our old ways. I will always cherish her for that! Her ways of harmony are a balm for my soul and the souls of my children.” Chang’e smiled.

“So! Sunset’s great-great whatever grandma is a goddess?!” exclaimed Dash. Looking to the side for a moment, she was silent. Finally, she said softly, “That explains so much. Huh…

Dash turned back to her goddess. “So, uh... What’s her great-whatever-grandma’s name?” she asked. “Anyone we would know?”

“You might, I think,” teased Chang’e. “I do believe you may have heard of her. Do you know of the Maker's Will? The vessel of her thoughts? She used to go by the name of…”

Dash nodded expectantly. “Go on…” she encouraged.

“The Faust.” Grinned Chang’e.

Dash’s jaw dropped. “No way! Sunset is related to Faust!” she exclaimed. She started dancing around waving her hands in the air and yelling out excitedly. “Sunset is related to the Faust! My friend is related to Faust! Woo hoo!”

Smirking, Chang'e watched her avatar dance. “What’s this? My goodness child! To see you carry on, I might feel a bit jealous!”

Dash danced over to her and wrapped her tightly in a hug. She lifted her into the air. “Who can be jealous! This is so awesome! Sunset is related to Faust!” Delighted, she danced through the lunar landscape, her goddess clutched tightly in her embrace.

“Truly, your heart is pure!” smiled the goddess as she pulled Dash tight in a return embrace. “I have chosen well! Your joy is my delight, and I share in your happiness!”

Excitement finally spent, Dash set her goddess down gently. “Thank you so much!” she gushed. “I can’t wait to tell Ms. Luna. I met you! The goddess of her cherished moon! She will flip!” she laughed.

“Ms. Luna. Another one of my dear children. Yes! She will flip indeed! I, too, cannot wait to see her reaction!” smiled Chang’e.

“I gotta admit… I would’ve expected you to pick her or something as your avatar,” mused Dash.

“I could not,” replied the goddess simply. “She is also the progeny of my friend. And besides …she has never brazenly come to my sphere and played with the toys left by men. You, my dear child, have stolen my heart with your audacity! No one could match you as my choice!” She pulled Dash into a hug. “Go now! Return from this world of dreams and know I watch over you from this moment on!”

The world around her faded. Stretching Dash opened her eyes to see the day had already started. Jumping up out of bed she grabbed her phone as she raced around to get dressed.

“I have to tell Sunset! This. Is. So. Awesome!” she shouted with a grin.

Sunset sat over the laptop while typing notes and looking up information to firm up the plans that Karoi, Stiyl, Twilight, and herself had made for their mission to Academy City. She had given Twilight the token to her car so she could take the mages back to their hotel then run some errands.

As she was looking at information on the different guilds in Academy City, her phone rang. A quick glance showed it was Rainbow Dash. She put her headset on and answered the call.

“Hi, Dashie. Wassup?” Sunset greeted.

“Sunset! You are so not going to believe this! Guess what!” called out Dash, breathless from excitement.

“Woah! Slow down there Dashie! What happened? What will I not believe?” she asked back with a smile.

“I’m an avatar! The moon goddess Chang’e picked me and made me her avatar! This is so awesome!” shouted Dash in joy.

“Really!? Wow! When did this happen?” asked Sunset, giving Dash her full attention now. “That’s huge, Dashie! Congratulations!”

“Thanks! Right!?” Dash called out. “I just couldn’t wait to tell you! And guess what? She knows you! Isn’t that wild?”

“Uh, what? Chang’e knows me? How would she know me? I mean aside from being a butt and playing on her moon. Is that what you mean?” asked Sunset.

“Well, no. I mean yeah she knows that too. She called us audacious Sunset! She liked our prank! She’s awesome!” Dash enthused.

“But no!” Dash went on to say. “Not that! She said her friend was proud of you. And she was too! I could tell. Her best friend is your great something-something-grandma. I guess she brags on you all the time when they talk. My point is she knows about you! She thought it was cool that you and I came to play on the moon.”

Thinking back to her suicide, Sunset began to get a glimmer of who she was talking about. “Did she happen to mention who her friend was by any chance?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah, get this. Sunset! Your Great whatever-whatever-grandma is Faust! She’s been watching you and bragging on you to Chang’e apparently whenever they get together. Isn’t that awesome!” shouted Dash excitedly.

Sunset grinned. “I knew it! The Maker bless her! That sneaky alicorn! Faust was who I met when I ascended. She never happened to mention that I was her great-anything granddaughter!'' Sunset laughed out loud. “Wow! Thanks, Dash! I think you may have made my day. Again!”

Dash laughed with her. “Right?!” she grinned into the phone. “That’s why I couldn’t wait to call and tell you. So Awesome!”

“So how did you talk to her? Did she come down and talk to you or what?” asked Sunset.

“Nah! She came to me in my dream!” answered Dash. Sunset looked at the time then rolled her eyes, realizing that they had stayed up all night with the mages talking about their plans.

Then Sunset had a new thought.

“Not to be a wet blanket, but if it was in your dreams then how are you sure it was real and not just some awesome story your mind made up for you?” asked Sunset.

“I could tell! Trust me, this was way more real than my dreams usually are. It’s like I was really there. I could feel everything! See every color - well not that there’s much color on the moon itself. The sky had a lot of stars of every color. The earth looked magnificent,” explained Dash. “I’m 100% certain she and I were really there! She also made me her avatar.”

“I believe you Dashie. Just needed to ask,” smiled Sunset.

“Well you could just ask Faust next time you see her,” suggested Dash. “I bet she would know. It sounded like those two brag about everything to each other. Goddess Besties!” Laughed Dash.

“That’s hilarious!” agreed Sunset with a laugh. “Goddess Besties! That’s one I’ll remember.”

“Kind of like you and SciTwi!” snarked Dash.

“She really hates that nickname you know,” warned Sunset. “But yeah … without the goddess part. Apparently, I’m not an actual goddess. More like a demigod,” she snarked. “Or an eldritch abomination.”

“What?! Where did that come from?” asked Dash with a laugh. “I was just kidding.”

“Yeah. I ran into the mages from Necesarius yesterday. Twilight and I spent the night planning our next strategies with them. She just left to take them back to their hotel a little while ago. The smart-mouthed one kept calling me a benevolent eldritch abomination. The nice one said I was more like a demigod.

“Oh! And they called Twilight a saint.” Sunny laughed. “Whatever. Demi my sun-speckled flank!” groused Sunset.

Dash cackled. “Yeah! Still have that competitive streak! One of the things I like most about you!”

“Takes one to know one. I guess we have that in common!” she grinned. “So what are you doing? Want to come and hang here while I try and figure out how we’re gonna do this? Unless you have something else going on?”

“Nah. I’m free. I’ll text you when I get to the Sparkles. Thanks, Sunny!” Dash signed off.

Sunset got up and went into the control room. “Hm. No way I’m going without some way to reach everyone. Let’s see what we have here.” She took down the bin with the transceivers. She took one then went through a few other bins looking for what she would need.

Back at the conference room table, Sunset looked at the device she had cobbled together. She had embedded one of the transceivers into a portable wifi hub with powered usb ports for charging devices. The device would act as a mobile hotspot wherever she went which was connected to the hub in Twilight’s bedroom, drawing power from there as well. That would allow her to use the powered ports to charge phones or other devices as needed.

“There!'' She smiled as she screwed the back panel in place then zipped it into a protected pocket in her daypack. “Now I’m always in range and always reachable.” She placed a charging cable for her phone in the adjoining zippered pocket. Then, after a moment’s thought, she added 3 more cables. “Never know when something might break or someone else might need a charge.” she thought to herself.

Content, she zipped everything back up and placed the daypack in its place on the back of her chair. Taking her phone, she connected to the hotspot and confirmed the internet and phone service were working through the connection. “Awesome!” she thought to herself. “No more being stranded.”

Her phone buzzed with a message from Dash. “I’m here at the lab.”

“Be right there! Hang tight.” she texted back, rolling over to the control room. She entered the TACIT booth. Taking out her phone she engaged the transporter.

“Crab nuggets!” Sunset swore while rolling her chair out of the booth, rubbing her eyes. “Eyes closed when teleporting. Eyes closed when teleporting!” she lamented, reiterating to herself.

She bumped into Dash who was also rubbing her eyes. “What the heck, Sunset! What was that!” she groaned. “Give a girl a little warning!”

“Sorry Dash! I forgot about the flash. You okay?” she checked while reaching towards her friend.

“Yeah yeah. I’m fine. Butwow! That hurt. Headache is fading now.” She sighed. “Woo! Yeah. I see why you guys wear the goggles here.”

“Yup. Burning out your eyes can be painful,” agreed Sunset, finally able to see enough to take Dash’s hand.

“So back in we go?” asked Dash as she headed into the booth.

“Nope! I have another idea. Pony up girl! We’re taking a different trip,” she answered as she dragged Dash out the side door.

Waving to the Sparkles, who were sitting around their pool, Sunset pulled Dash to the middle of the side yard and looked up into the sky. “There it is. Let’s do this.” Dash had ponied up then looked to Sunset expectantly. Sunset ponied up, taking Dash’s hand. “Okay, Dashie! Time to meet your goddess.”

Looking up at the moon, Sunset closed her eyes. There was a teal flash, and the girls were gone.

“Holy crab cakes! You can do that without the TACIT?! Holy Tartarus, Sunset! That’s way OP!” gawked Dash while still holding her hand. They were back at the Apollo landing site.

“Think about it Dashie. How do you think the TACIT got up here in the first place?” challenged Sunset.

Dash thought for a moment then nodded. “Okay! Good point. I knew that. Just, wow. Okay? That was pretty epic.”

Sunset smirked. “Just epic? Not, say… awesome!?” she asked with a grin.

Dash smirked. “Oh hahaha. Yeah okay. It was awesome. Happy?”

“Very!” grinned Sunset. “So let’s see if your goddess shows up.”

“Looking for me?” grinned a beautiful Chinese lady. She took the girls both by the shoulders and pulled them into a hug. “If it isn’t my favorite pranksters! To what do I owe the delight of this return visit? Here to cause more mischief?” She smiled at them both.

“Uh.. hi?” smiled Sunset. “Pleased to meet you! I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is Rainbow Dash. And you must the moon goddess Chang’e, yes?” she asked.

“Oh! I am well aware of who you are Ms. Shimmer. My dearest friend never seems to stop talking about you!” grinned Chang’e. “And yes! I am Chang’e, goddess of the moon. Welcome… well. Welcome back to my glorious moon.”

Sunset smiled. “And of course. I need no introduction to my dear avatar. Still taking it in I see?” she asked as she turned to Dash.

Dash’s eyes got as big as saucers. “See! See! I knew it was real! I told you! Woo hoo! I am the avatar of the goddess Chang’e! This. is. so. awesome!” she crowed.

Sunset smiled. “You’ll have to forgive her. She gets excited easily,” she quipped to Chang’e.

“One of her more endearing traits,” agreed Chang’e with a smile. They both laughed.

Sunset and Dash each sat on either side of Chang’e at a table in her castle, hidden in a cavern below the moon’s surface. The goddess poured them both more tea.

“Thank you!” said Sunset before taking a sip. “This is lovely! I’ve never tasted a blend like this.”

Dash nodded in agreement.

“Thank you! I’m glad you appreciate it. This blend only comes from the remote region near my old village. My children leave offerings of it on my altars which I am always happy to take.” Chang’e smiled. “It really is quite delicious.”

“I can’t believe you have this fantastic castle and gardens on the moon. On the moon!” gushed Dash while still taking it all in. Out the window, they could see a fruit orchard, trees in full bloom beneath the pearlescent glow suffusing the cavern. Besides the orchard, fields of grain and tall grass swayed in a gentle breeze all the way to the edge of the cavern in the distance. It was a glorious and sublime sight, and certainly nothing either expected to see anywhere on the moon.

“It makes our bunker on Mars look like a kids fort,” sighed Sunset with a smile.

“Surely you would not have a goddess stay in a bunker?” joked Chang’e before she sipped her tea.

“No. Certainly not,” agreed Sunset with a smile.

“Do not worry yourself, dear one. You cannot think I built this all in a day? I’m sure, in time, your place will shine with its own wonder.” She smiled at her guest.

“And let's not forget,” added Sunset with a smile. “I’m not a goddess.”

“Are you sure about that?” grinned Chang’e.

“Wha… huh? I’m no goddess. I’m just me,” smiled Sunset, confused. “The mages said I was a demigoddess at best.”

“And what do they know?” grinned Chang’e. “Even if that were true, it is only a matter of time and growth. If you are Demi now, you can be more later, dear one. You’ve already crossed the threshold. You can only move forward,” she encouraged.

“Huh… I guess that’s true. Never thought of it that way. I wonder what our bunker will look like then?” mused Sunset out loud.

“Between you and your near goddess friend, I am sure it will be magnificent!” said Chang’e.

“Near goddess friend? You mean Twilight?” asked Sunset.

“The other girl, who like you, has an angel's wings and a magical horn? She has not crossed the threshold as you have but is firmly on its cusp. She could easily join you in your journey through eternity with just a little push. I think we will see that happen soon!” Smiled Chang’e.

Sunset thought for a bit before she said, “Okay that certainly explains a few things. I was working under the assumption we were both ascended. This makes more sense now,” agreed Sunset. “So what can I do to help her cross the threshold?” asked Sunset.

“The same thing you do every day for your friends, my dear child!” Chang’e answered. “Give yourself selflessly to them, looking out for their welfare, cherishing their friendship, and nurturing their souls. Work tirelessly as their advocate, and voraciously as their defender. Be their saint when they need intercession, their strength when they fall to weakness, and their joy when their hearts turn to sorrow. Be their friend.” smiled Chang’e.

“Give them this and they will grow and flourish on their ordained paths through eternity, as will you!'' Chang’e encouraged.

“Thank you! I will!” Sunset promised.

Rainbow smiled. “Man! I am so happy to be a part of this!” She hugged Chang’e. “Thank you so much for picking me! This is so awesome!”

“Indeed it is, my dear child!” Chang’e hugged her back.

Sunset’s phone rang. “Well, I guess that worked!” She took out her phone while Chang’e looked on in wonder.

“Hi, Sparky! Sorry! I thought I would be back by now. Still out with Dash. Where are you?” she asked.

“Hi, Sunny! I’m back at the bunker. I dropped off our friends, did some shopping, and restocked. I thought you’d be back by now too. Where are you?” Twilight asked.

“Still here with Dash. Hey, want to talk with someone? We were just talking about you!” laughed Sunset.

“Huh? Talk to who? Sure, okay,” answered Twilight.

Sunset handed the phone over to Chang’e. “What do I do with it?” she asked. “How does it work?” She held it out away from her face and stared at the screen.

“Ah! It works using science. It’s my phone. Almost everyone has one,” explained Sunset. “Idea. One second. Can I see it back?” Chang’e nodded and handed the phone back to Sunset.

“Sunny, who was that?” asked Twilight over the speaker.

“One second, Sparky. Can you facetime?” she asked.

“Sure!” A second later her smiling face appeared on the screen. “So who’s that with you?” asked Twilight.

Sunset grinned. “Twilight! I’d like you to meet our host!” She passed the phone over to Chang’e again, who held it like Sunset had.

Looking at the screen, Chang’e smiled. “I remember you! You’re her partner! The other little goddess who came to liven up my moon.” She laughed. “You girls are delightful with the amount of mischief you get into! Hello Twilight! I am Chang’e, goddess of the moon!”

Twilight’s eyes grew as big as saucers. Her hands flew up to her face.

“Incoming!” snarked Sunset.

Twilight let out the loudest, most adorable squee.

A short while later Sunset returned with her BFF in tow. Twilight looked around while excitedly pointing and calling out each plant as they rolled back to the castle, Dash and Chang’e right beside them. Chang’e was laughing at Twilight’s antics while confirming each of her observations.

“Yes, indeed my dear! Those are in fact Chinese pears. Quite delicious in salads!” she agreed.

Twilight continued on with her litany to the goddess’ delight. Dash just shook her head and laughed. “Egg head!” she grinned.

Sunset smacked Dash on the arm with a laugh. “Takes one to know one, Dashie!”

“Says you, meaning says exactly no one!” snarked Dash back.

Sunset pulled Dash down into a noogie, almost knocking over the chair. Dash broke away, jumped behind her chair, and wheeled her madly towards the castle. “Last one there is a loser!” she shouted as they shot forward. Sunset waved her arms for balance as Dash zipped them through the garden path.

“Dashhhhhh! I am so getting you back!” Sunset yelled out as they zipped toward the castle.

Chang’e turned to Twilight with a grin. “Are they always this way?” she asked.

“All the time,” Twilight grinned back. “Like a couple of kids!”

“I’ve missed this. It’s so wonderful to have guests again.” Chang’e smiled at Twilight as they followed the two pranksters at a more sedate, safer pace. “I am so glad to have met you girls! You are always welcome in my queendom.” The goddess smiled.

“Not that we have an anything-dom, but you are always welcome in ours as well,” invited Twilight back with a smile.

“I don’t know about that,” quipped Chang’e. “The two of you seem to have made a pretty good start on your own planet. The previous master of that realm moved on many ages ago. You two have clearly made a bold and welcome claim upon it.”

“Really?” asked Twilight. “Did he move on when the planet died?” she asked.

“Your planet is not dead,” assured Chang’e. “It is merely in a deep and deathlike slumber. I am sure, between the two of you, she will again know the joy of life and harmony.”

“From your lips to the Makers' ears,” agreed Twilight. “I have a question. You said I was the other little goddess. I’m not a goddess. Not even close. What did you mean?” she asked.

“My dear child, you are a goddess in heart, if not in fact. You are so close to it. One little push is all it would take to put you over the edge,” answered Chang’e.

“But Sunset is over that edge, right?” asked Twilight.

“Yes, my dear. Sunset has crossed that threshold and is a true goddess. She will grow in strength and wisdom for her portion of eternity,” agreed Chang’e.

“And if I do the right thing, I can join her, right?” asked Twilight hopefully.

“Just so, my dear,” assured the goddess.

“Tell me what to do please!” begged Twilight. “I want to spend however long eternity is with my friend! How can I cross that threshold and be with her forever?”

“I will tell you the same thing I told her. The journey is your own. No one can take it for you. The path it takes is between you and the Maker. When she first conceived you, she set your course, laying out the cosmos to guide you in her path. Continue to do as you have done, what is right and just, and be an advocate for all of goodwill. It is clear to me, you are on the true path. What you seek will come to you, at the appointed time, in the appointed manner. Do not be heavy of heart! Hold precious the love you share. Share it with all in your care. And in due time you will surely be with us in the Astral Plane,” smiled Chang’e.

Twilight smiled back and pulled the goddess into a hug. Tears fell gently down her cheeks. “Thank you!” she smiled.

True tragedy can be met two ways; lose hope, and fall into despair and self destruction, or face the challenge in the tragedy to find your inner strength - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Academy City

Toma blinked, slowly regaining consciousness. He looked at his hand, thinking of what had happened, how he came to be laying here smelling of smoke and ozone.

He closed his eyes again, still too fuzzy to be much use. “That’s right,” he thought. He had taken Mikoto’s electric attack full on, not even attempting to use his right hand to negate it.

He opened his eyes again, straining to see around himself. He could see he was still on the bridge, even if his vision were still a bit blurry. He didn’t see any sign of anyone else.

Something wet landed in his face, giving him a small start. Blinking, he tried to look up to see what was dropping on him, but his vision was still too blurry. Two more drops fell on his face. Blinking once more, and squinted, then widened his eyes.

To his surprise, Mikoto was leaning directly over him, looking off into the distance, weeping. Her tears gently rolled down her cheeks, falling onto his face as she cradled his head in her lap, sitting where he’d landed after her attack.

He reached up, gently wiping away a tear from her cheek with his left hand. “Misaka, I know what I need to do,” he whispered.

Mikoto looked down into his eyes, smiling in gratitude. “I’m so glad you didn’t die,” she said simply.

“I can stop this. I figured it out. No one needs to die,” Toma continued.

“How?” Mikoto asked, curious, her tears drying.

“Tree Diagram designed the experiment under the assumption Accelerator is the strongest esper in Academy City,” started Toma, sitting up next to Mikoto, leaning against her for support as he gathered the strength to stand again.

“Yes, we know that,” agreed Mikoto.

“”So, what would happen if Accelerator was beaten in a street fight? The assumption would clearly be proven false, and there would be no reason to continue the experiments!” smiled Toma.

Mikoto grew sad again. “Yeah, that would work. One flaw with your plan. Accelerator is the strongest esper in Academy City,” noted Mikoto. “I was no match for him. He could have killed me if he wanted to, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.

“And even if I did manage to defeat him, it wouldn’t stop the experiments. The researchers would simply conclude my win was in the acceptable error range for the experiment due to the closeness of our rankings, and still not see Accelerator as weak.”

Gathering his strength, Toma stood, then grinned at Mikoto. “That’s true, which is why you can’t be the one to fight Accelerator.”

“And what idiot is going to die in my place?” sighed Mikoto, rising to stand facing him. “No one besides me even has a chance against him. He’s unstoppable.”

“Not true. There is someone who can fight Accelerator and win. Someone who Tree Diagram didn’t account for. Someone so lowly ranked they would have to throw the experiment out,” Toma continued.

“Anyone that is lowly ranked would be killed almost instantly. It would be a bloodbath,” Mikoto sighed.

“Not anyone. Me. I’ll go fight Accelerator. I’m Level 0. If a no-power Level 0 beat Accelerator in a straight fight, they would have to throw out the experiment. I’m going to fight Accelerator. It has to be me for this to work,” continued Toma.

“You can’t!” exclaimed Mikoto, getting in his face. “Even if it were possible for you to beat him, you just got your butt kicked by me. You’re barely standing, forget about fighting! He’ll mop the floor with you and use your skull as an ashtray! He controls vectors, for pity's sake! Anything you throw at him he will just bounce right back!” she scowled.

“No. He won’t be expecting a straight up street fight. I can do this. I have to do this! I’m not letting you die! And I am not letting any more of your sisters die either!” Toma insisted, grinning smugly as he shrugged off her protests. “Just tell me where he is, and I’ll do this. No one needs to die. We’re done with death here!” Toma affirmed, looking off the bridge towards the city.

Misaka 10032 walked through the railway cargo holding area, looking for signs the experiment was ready to begin.

“Hello, lab rat!” called out a taunting voice.

She looked up to see Accelerator sitting on top of a nearby shipping container, smiling smugly down on her.

Misaka 10032 turned and nodded to him. “I am Misaka 10032, and I am the subject for this next experiment, Misaka corrects,” Misaka corrected him.

Misaka continued. “Before we begin the experiment, please state the password to confirm your participation in the experiment, Misaka requests reasonably.”

Accelerator rose to standing, looking slightly irritated. “I don’t need to confirm anything. This is an experiment trying to make me stronger. I do however compliment you on remaining so calm in the face of your impending death. You know you are here to die, that I am going to kill you. But you’re not using your brain. Think!”

“Misaka does not understand. Misaka states again, It is now time to begin the experiment, and confirms that she is Misaka 10032, the subject for the current experiment,” she stated in confusion. “Please confirm you are ready to complete this experiment, and have made any necessary preparations, Misaka reasonably restates,” she reiterated.

“Maker’s tits but you all are so dense,” grumbled Accelerator. “Look! Unlike yourself, my life is the most important thing to me in the world. I’m not going to carelessly throw it away like you’re about to do! I desire power! I want the power to ascend, to become so advanced no one will ever want to face me. My desire for more power has no limitations! Even if I have to kill thousands of you, if that’s the cost to get what I want I’ll do it!”

Misaka looked confused. “Why would you want more power when you are already the most powerful esper in Academy City, Misaka asks in confusion,” she queried.

Accelerator grinned down at her. “Even with the highest ranking, even having power unmatched by anyone else in Academy City, there are still fools who think they can test me, who want to surpass me. Fools who attempt to take me out to claim the title of strongest esper. Enough! I don’t want power they can’t beat, I already have that. And the idiots still come against me, wasting my time with their pathetic attempts. I want to have some much power, to be so clearly beyond what they can even hope to be, that even the stupidest of them can clearly see what a bad idea coming against me is. I want the very idea of coming against me to be unthinkable! That’s the type of power I strive for! I want to be so powerful that even challenging me would be a sin!”

Misaka thought for a moment, then turned back to Accelerator. “Misaka again states the current time and that it is time to begin the experiment. Are you finished with your preparations for the experiment and ready to begin, Miksaka asks helpfully?” she queried.

Accelerator facepalmed, shaking his head. “Yes,” he stated in resignation, jumping down from the container to land in front of her.

Misaka pulled down her goggles, facing Accelerator. “Mikaka confirms you are ready for the experiment to begin. The experiment will now begin, authorizes Misaka,” she stated as she faced off against him.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 22 - Change - A Frank Discussion in the Lunar Realm

Chang’e - A Frank Discussion in the Lunar Realm

Thursday, August 21. Unknown local time, noon-ish Canterlot time.
Warning - Naurito class talk-jitsu coming. Gird your loins or flee in terror.

“Okay wait! Then who is the god or goddess of earth? The Maker?” asked Sunset as they sat back around the table and enjoyed their tea. “And you mean that Twilight and I are what? Acting goddesses of Mars?” She sipped her tea.

“Yes, though not acting. There is no pretense in this. The old god of the world you have claimed moved on many ages ago. Your world is in a deep and deathlike slumber, but I have seen signs of its return to life since your arrival,” agreed Chang’e.

“I wonder. Do you mean the blooms we discovered along the riverbed?” asked Twilight.

“Just so, and other things as well,” agreed Chang’e.

“Wow. Just, wow.” said Sunset “Who knew we were claiming anything! Right Sparky? We were just having fun. For science!” she grinned.

“For science!” laughed Twilight. She turned back to Chang’e. “So, as to what Sunset said, who is the god of earth? Is there a god of earth?”

“Were there no god of the realm, the magical energy of your world would wither and fail. Slowly, mind you. See how long it has taken your new realm to fall to where it is. But fall it would.

“No. Your world has not been abandoned. The Maker created it but she has left it in the care of her disciple. The Maker’s Will is the guardian of earth,” answered Chang’e.

“The Makers Will? Wait, you mean my… you mean Faust, right?” asked Sunset. “My great whatever times-something grandmother is the goddess of earth? How does that work?” she asked.

“Yes, my child. That is exactly what I mean. Your great-great-grandmother is the goddess of earth. And she is thrilled to see you, and your dearest friends, taking your first steps towards stewardship of your own realm. And what do you mean? How does what work?” responded Chang’e.

“That’s so much to unpack!” sighed Sunset shaking her head. “Okay! Tabling that for a bit. I mean how does it work that my… that Faust is the goddess of earth? She’s not even from earth! She’s from my realm! She was an alicorn like me and the princesses. How in the world… How is it that Faust is the goddess of earth? A world she never even lived in? Why isn’t she the goddess of, say, Equestria?” Sunset shook her head.

“First off, as I understand it, Equestria is a country, not a world,” corrected Chang’e.

“Okay, yeah, Fair point,” conceded Sunset. “We usually call it Equus. But that’s just as bad. There are so many other races besides ponies there yet we seem to be a bit… uh… pony-centric? Going with that…pony-centric in our language.

“So anyway, yeah. My world, in the realm I grew up in, why isn’t Faust the goddess of that instead?”

“For one, your world is lousy with goddesses!” laughed Chang’e. “Good heavens, just your kingdom alone has three of them. Five if you count the Crystal goddess and her daughter. It is the so-called blessing of the beast realm. Your realm never fell, as the human realm did. So you have no shortage of souls making the journey to the Astral realm. Also, it is not just you ponies. Every race has had their share. Mostly they drift off to other worlds to start their own realms.”

She took a sip of her tea, then continued. “Look at the god of the world you have claimed. The one you called Mars. He wanted to try something different, and so he did. When you have eternity to spend, you don’t stay in one place forever.” Chang’e grinned. “I however plan on being here for quite a while. There is too much fun to miss out on.”

“But regarding Faust, she came here because she was needed. She is the Maker's disciple. She is the teacher of harmony and guardian of the Maker's truths. Humanity holds a special place in the Maker’s heart. So, when the Maker asked her to become the guardian of earth, she did not refuse,” finished Chang’e.

“So there haven’t been many human gods or goddesses?” asked Sunset.

“Oh, good heavens child! There have been a great many over the ages! They have laid claim to every nearby realm and spread from there. There are many humans in the Astral realm.” Chang’e smiled. “Just not as many as there have been from the beast realm. Not that it is a contest. If the Maker’s will were everywhere followed and cherished, all born to reason and hope would tread the path to ascension.” She smiled.

“Sadly that is not to be. Though all is not lost! Ascension is just one gateway to eternity. All creatures of goodwill are welcome! This includes those who pass through death's gate. All in the realm are gladdened by their presence.”

“What about those that pass through death's door with, uhm… without goodwill? Are they welcomed too?” asked Twilight, looking troubled.

“They are welcome but unfit for the realm. They choose not to stay. However, by the application of great mercy, some shed their shackles and chose to remain. But it is a rare heart that can accept the change required after the mortal coil has been shed. Though rare, it can happen. And when it does, there is great rejoicing.”

Chang’e looked at Sunset. “Know this. Kindness… The healing thoughts and intercessions of a forgiving heart… Love, friendship, and goodwill towards others, especially towards those who deserve it least and need it most… All these have a great effect towards easing the shackles on the hearts and souls of wretched creatures lacking goodwill. Miraculous change has been known to occur! Many souls have been redeemed by acts and thoughts of goodwill for those who lack that grace. It is one of the Maker’s mysteries how this is so, but it remains our delight that it is! No one is meant for the places souls are lost to when they cannot live with goodwill.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sunset, confused.

“I mean, dear child, there is someone even now in the astral realms joyfully running across the plains of Elysium. Someone who did not know goodwill but who now holds you precious in her heart. Not all who are assumed lost are lost. Keep up your hope and kind thoughts on their behalf! It brings joy to the Maker and to all in the Astral realm,” replied Chang’e.

“Wow. That’s deep,” said Twilight. Sunset was lost in thought. Dash had fallen asleep across her arms, drool spreading in a puddle on the table.

“I think we lost Dashie,” observed Twilight with a grin.

“My dear avatar seems more suited to moments of action,” snarked Chang’e.

“True that,” agreed Sunset, gently shaking her friend. “Dash… Dash… Dashie… wake up.”

Dash opened her eyes and looked around slowly. “Ah… it wasn’t just a dream. Wow.” She sat up and wiped her arm, and the table, with a cloth napkin. “Sorry about that!” she said sheepishly.

Sunset pulled her into a quick hug. “No worries, Dashie. I didn’t know we were going to go full egg-head. If I weren’t such a nerd, I would’ve fallen asleep too!” she joked.

Dash laughed. “Thank’s Sunset.” She hugged her back.

Sunset laughed, scruffing Dash’s hair. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let's get you home.” Smiling, Dash nodded. Thanking the goddess for her hospitality, they packed up their things and headed out. Twilight levitated Sunset and her chair beside her as together they made their way back to the surface.

“Dumb question. How the heck did you get down there in the first place? There’s no way you were able to roll down here.” Twilight realized.

“No. Not dumb. But I was,” Sunset grinned. “I teleported from rock to rock, following Dash and Chang’e to her cavern. I thought I had it down until I hit a soft patch and flipped my chair. Everyone had a laugh at that one,” she grimaced. “Nothing hurt but my pride. Ah well. Dash carried me from there and Chang’e pulled my chair along until we got into her cavern where I could wheel it again.”

Twilight laughed out loud. “Leave it to you to provide comic relief!”

“It was pretty epic!” agreed Dash with a grin.

“Har dee har har! Laugh at the girl in the wheelchair, why don’t you…” Sunset groused.

“Hey, come on, Sunny! It’s not like that. I was just teasing,” grinned Dash.

“I know. Sore topic. I hate not being able to do everything myself,” Sunset admitted sheepishly.

“Well, you could have gone full magic mode and just levitated yourself you know,” observed Twilight.

“Yeah. I know Princess Twilight’s friend, Starlight, does that all the time. Maybe I should just practice that more and float around everywhere like some sort of meat ghost,” snarked Sunset. “Still though, good point. I’ll ask her for some pointers. It would be a useful skill to have.”

“Good! Then you can teach me too!” smiled Twilight as they approached the Apollo site. Finding a firm patch of ground, she set her friends down, chair and all. “Okay! Time to head home. That’s all you, Sunny!” she smiled.

“Right!” Sunset said while holding out her hands. Twilight and Dash each took one. “On three! One, two, three!” There was a teal flash and the girls were gone.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Academy City

Toma ran through the city streets, racing towards the lot Mikoto informed him was to be the location.

Back in the cargo holding area, Accelerator agreed the experiment was indeed beginning, and charged at Misaka.

Mikoto snuggled the cat close, though it was becoming restless due to the electromagnetic field.

“I know Toma said this only works if he battles Accelerator, because he’s the Level 0, and has to be the one to beat him. And he promised to bring my clone back unharmed. I know even if I go there, I can’t do anything or I risk undoing what he’s trying to do,” she stressed.

“But he’s crazy if he thinks I can just stand here and do nothing,” she said to herself and she ran towards Accelerator’s location. “I can’t just leave things be! I can sit here and do nothing!”

Toma neared the railway cargo holding area, looking at the fence surrounding it. He could hear the sounds of the battle raging inside. He quickly scaled the fence and ran towards the sound of the battle.

Further in, Misaka 10032 jumped and attacked Accelerator with her electromagnetic blast. As expected, it had no effect on him as he redirected each attack back at her, some hitting but others missing as she attempted to evade them while still closing with him.

“I really have to commend you for your pace and ferocity! It’s not going to change anything in the end,” he panted, grinning. “But it is buying you time!”

Misaka continued her relentless attacks. Accelerator caught his breath, watching as Misaka leapt to the top of a nearby shipping container.

“The night is completely windless, notes Misaka,” she called out from the top of the container.

Accelerator sniffed, noticing for the first time the air had a slightly burnt tinge to its smell. He smiled. “Oh! That’s clever! That’s a first! Well done, you are a clever one! You’re using your powers while we fight to break up the oxygen in the air and create ozone! You're using your powers to fill the battleground with ozone, depriving me of oxygen so I run out of air! That’s ingenious!” He complimented Misaka.

“One little flaw with your plan there though,” he continued. “Your plan will fail spectacularly as soon as I catch you. And I will catch you!” he smiled, charging towards her.

He caught her easily. “See! I changed the vectors of my feet, and your speed was no match.” He punched her. Misaka slammed to the ground, her body rolling a few feet away before she stopped.

In pain, and unable to rise, she looked up to see Accelerator looming over her grinning. “Do you know a way to beat up your opponent without punching them?”

He hauled his food back, then kicked her hard in the stomach. “Just like that! All I need to do is touch your body, and change the vector of the opposing momentum. See!” He resumed kicking her, stopping only on noticing a movement in the corner of his vision. He turned, and saw Toma had arrived.

Toma ran up to him and dropped into a fighting stance. “Get away from Misaka!” he commanded, hands held up like a boxer.

“Oh, this just gets better and better. Now I have to kill an idiot civilian to keep the experiments secret.” He groaned. “Okay idiot. Prepare to die.”

Toma didn’t flinch. “Shut up. Get away from Misaka now!”

Accelerator raised an eyebrow. “Wow, stupid much? Ready to face this?” He kicked a small rock resting by his foot. The rock launched at supersonic speeds past Toma, slamming into a tower behind the lot, destroying it violently on impact.

Toma didn’t even turn to see it, still facing down Accelerator. “Wow. Well you are fearless, though stupid,” noted Accelerator.

Toma had enough of the verbal sparring. He stomped towards Accelerator.

From her position on the ground beside Accelerator, Misaka 10032 watched Toma with surprise. The brief time they had spent together bonding over the black cat rushed through her thoughts. “Toma! Why are you doing this, Misaka queries in confusion. I am an experimental subject, created for this experiment. There are many replacements for me, and more can be grown if needed, Misaka explains,” she called out to him in pain.

“Misaka, shut up!” shouted Toma to her, still facing off against Accelerator directly. “I’m here to save you. I’m here to save all of you. You are the only one of you in this world and I’m going to save you!”

Accelerator groaned, hearing him. “Oh please! What do you think you are? Some stupid comic book hero? Spouting stupid lines like that, you sound like you fell right out of the pages of a really bad manga! Have you forgotten who you are fighting with?”

Accelerator tapped his foot gently on the ground, creating an explosion of rocks and dirt, and throwing Toma several feet away from him. “Too slow!” he called out, mocking Toma as he rose.

Accelerator tapped on a nearby metal rail with his foot, which launched itself at Toma like a missile, though Toma quickly dodged it. Accelerator continued, launching several metal rails at him.

The rails hit the ground around him, throwing up clouds of dust and dirt and blocking the view of Toma. When the smoke and dust cleared, Toma could be seen standing, a tangle of rails all around him, unhurt by Accelerator's attacks. Toma heard a crack. Looking up he saw several more beams falling towards him. They hit the ground with a boom, throwing up more dirt and dust, once again blocking Toma from view.

When the dust cleared, Toma was still standing in the middle of the beams, gasping for breath. He looked up, noticing Accelerator had moved and was now standing on top of one of the beams. They stared each other down intently for several moments.

“Wow, you really are too slow!” Accelerator mocked, jumping down from the beam to the ground, then walking towards Toma.

Accelerator tapped on the ground with his foot again, displacing more dirt and rock in a shower of debris that covered Toma, who fell to the ground under the onslaught.

Accelerator laughed happily as he walked towards Toma. “Well! And now, I end you with one touch. Goodbye you annoying nuisance,” cackled Accelerator, reaching forward to place his hand on Toma. As he reached out to touch him, Toma slapped his hand away with his right hand.

Accelerator looked confused for a moment, unable to understand what had just happened. He then screamed in frustration, stomping the ground, displacing rocks, dirt, and Toma into the air before him. The explosive force sent Toma slamming into a nearby metallic shipping container, denting it deeply and leaving him sprawled out before it, covered in rocks and dirt.

“Ouch,” grunted Toma, rising to his feet again. The force of the impact from him and the rocks, in addition to denting the container, had displaced several other containers stacked on top of it. They tipped, tearing open and pouring out their contents over Toma as he dodged the falling debris.

Recovering, Toma slowly backed away from the wreckage.

“Now that’s interesting,” noted Accelerator as he walked towards Toma again. “It seems one of those containers contained wheat flour. You know what? That’s dangerous, especially tonight, with no wind to disperse it.

“I wonder what would happen if all this powdered flour floating around you were to suddenly catch fire. Ever hear of a dust explosion, hum?” he teased.

Toma’s eyes widened in shock, realizing what Accelerator was about to do. “Bacca!” he screamed, racing as fast as he could to clear the area. Accelerator cackled. “Too slow!” The area around them was engulfed in flames and he ignited the flour, setting off a huge dust explosion.

Several moments later, the dust and ash from the explosion cleared. Accelerator stood gasping and laughing in the middle of it, while Toma stood unharmed near the edge. Both were trying to catch their breath.

“Well, note to myself,” commented Accelerator, still laughing as he caught his breath. “Don’t do that again. Set off explosions where they won’t use up all your oxygen and leave you gasping like a floundering fish.” He turned to Toma, still catching his breath and glaring back at him.

“Rejoice, idiot! You’re the first one to have actually pushed me into a near death situation. Take that happy accomplishment with you to your grave!” he laughed.

Toma didn’t respond, only standing once again before Accelerator in a silent challenge.

“Wow, they really did raise you an idiot!” Accelerator gloated. “There is nothing you can do! You’re going to die here in the next few moments, having only been useful as an enjoyable diversion for me for a few moments. No matter what you do, I can control any vector I touch! With one touch, I can blow all of your veins and turn your organs to paste! The fact that you’re even standing now is a bit of a miracle, so pat yourself on the back for that on your way out of this life! You really should just stand down like a good little idiot, and fade back into whatever woodwork you fell out of. Maybe I’ll even let you live for a while before I decide to hunt you down and end you like I promised. No, not scampeing for your life yet? Guess you’re still too slow, idiot!” laughed Accelerator.

He charged at Toma, extending his right arm to touch him with the intent to end his life. With nothing more left to say or do, Toma clenched his right fist and punched Accelerator in the jaw as he came at him, sending Accelerator hurling backwards several feet and landing in a heap.

Accelerator sat up quickly, shocked at what just happened. He shook his head to clear the fog the punch delivered.

Toma looked at his right fist, smiling. “Imagine Breaker even works against his power. Though so!” he thought smugly.

“Okay, that was sweet. You really have my blood jumping for joy! Nice punch!” said Accelerator as he rose.

He quickly launched himself again at Toma, enraged, the compliment clearly just a ruse. Toma ducked aside as Accelerator blazed past him, punching him in the face as he passed. He followed that up with several more quick punches that Accelerator was unable to block. One final punch launched Accelerator several feet, leaving him once again sprawled out before Toma.

Toma leapt forward, intent on delivering a final punch to his face to knock him out, but Accelerator avoided the punch by using his vector reversal to launch himself a great height into the air in retreat.

Shaking his head, Accelerator tried to clear the internal fog Toma’s beat down had inflicted on him. He struggled to keep his balance, unable to understand what just happened.

Seeing him shaken and dazed, Toma laughed, mocking him back. “So much for being completely unbeatable, eh?” he taunted. “How do you like being on the receiving end of a good old-school beat down? Still having fun?!”

He moved closer to Accelerator, still fighting to keep his balance. “I guess it figures a guy that can just deflect anything his opponents throw at him and defeat them with one attack wouldn’t be worth shit in a real fight. Don’t feel bad! You’ve just been spoiled by never having to actually fight anyone ever. Just a big overgrown, overpowered baby. No one expects a baby to be able to street fight,” he taunted. “Wet themselves? Maybe. But fight? Nah!” He laughed as he stepped up to Accelerator.

Shaking with rage from the insults, Accelerator used his vector powers to rip the metal rails from the tracks through the railyard. They distorted and bent, carrying Toma into the air with them, as he had been standing on one of the rails while taunting Accelerator.

Unphased, Toma used the momentum of the writhing metal to launch himself through the air towards Accelerator, landing a crushing right hook and sending Accelerator flying into a stop sign several meters back in the yard. Toma stuck his landing then walked over to Accelerator, standing over him as he struggled to sit up.

“So, why is it that these people who are just trying to live their lives as best they can end up being your prey? Hmm? Why is that?” he asked, standing over Accelerator.

Accelerator finished pulling himself into a sitting position. From the ground under Toma’s glare, he laughed. He slowly got back up.

“What you said about people trying to live their lives is complete nonsense. You really are a complete idiot!” He laughed.

Standing up and stepping back, Accelerator raised his arms over his head, spouting clicks and bizarre screeches. He then laughed maniacally as sudden gusts of wind filled the area around them, most notable being the streams of blue energy forming above him.

As the blue energy swirled and writhed above him in his control, Accelerator called out to them. “Kill him!” he commanded. The swirling blue energies compressed themselves into a small sphere, and released several streams of energy. Unable to block them all, Toma was overwhelmed by their power and blasted back by the attack.

Accelerator laughed. “See, idiot! You really are powerless before me!” he mocked, forming another pulsing blue ball of energy. “You’re all talk! One more hit, and you’re done. Goodbye idiot!”

Accelerator raised his arms high, holding his hands below the swirling streams of blue energy. “Ah, not sure you can hear me. It looks like I may have knocked you out with that last attack. Don’t worry though, your suffering is about to end!” He cackled.

“Ever wonder what happens when you compress ionized air? Did you ever want to see what would happen to someone if they touched it? Guess what? You’re about to find out, first hand! Where is all your bravery now, hmm? Guess you’ll just have to play along now and fill the part of my next victim. Too bad!” He gloated.

“Accelerator! You need to face me, not play with him!” shouted a voice he recognized.

He turned, and noticed Mikoto standing there at the edge of the railyard, a game token in her hand and arms outstretched to launch it into him. “Oh goody, another one,” he snarked, turning to face her.

“No Mikoto! Don’t do it! You can’t interfere!” called out Toma, struggling to sit up and face her. “You can’t do this!”

Mikoto smiled at Toma. “I know you wanted nothing lost, and everyone to come out of this smiling. But that’s not possible. I know what I’m doing here is selfish, but I don’t care. Toma, I want you to live! I’m not willing to let you die for this, for me.” She crouched down into her stance ready to launch her token, then paused for a moment, sensing something amiss.

She started at the ball over Accelerator, realizing it was filled with glowing plasma, controlled to flow in a uniform direction and compressed down to the one spot above him. The sphere grew larger by the second.

She tried controlling the plasma with her electromancy powers but was unable to affect it. She noted the wind, sensing Accelerator was using the flow of the wind to control and grow the plasma. Then she heard a cat meow nearby.

“Yes,” she thought, dropping her stance and racing to where Misaka 10032 had crawled to hide behind a shipping container and with the cat. Accelerator watched her antics with amusement as he continued to add to the plasma ball overhead.

“Misaka! Misaka, wake up!” She called out to the girl, who had blacked out again from her injuries. “Misaka, we need your help! You’re the only one who can do this! Wake up!”

Misaka woke, then stood up shakily. “Misaka does not understand the meaning of your words, but they resonate strongly within her, Misaka states.”

Throughout the city, the wind turbines started moving on their own, producing powerful gusts of wind. Sparks flew out of the nacelles of the turbines.

Accelerator was losing control of the ball of plasma above him. “What’s happening? Did I miscalculate the flow?” he cried out in frustration. He checked over his vectors. “No, no mistakes, What did I miss?” He looked around, then noticed the blades turning on the wind turbines throughout the city. He turned around to face Mikoto who was standing next to Misaka. She smiled then flipped him the bird.

Throughout the city, sister clones were standing at the base of each wind turbine, using their electromancy powers to force the flow of air from the turbines, in perfect telepathic communication with each other.

Accelerator was enraged. “I swear! I’m going to kill you both!” he raged.

Mikoto stood before her clone, arms outstretched and token once again in her hands. “Bring it!” She challenged him.

Accelerator growled in frustration. “Screw it! Neither of you are even worth my time! You’re both too weak for me to even bother with!” he raged.

Toma called out to Accelerator. “Wise choice. Leave them alone. This is our dance.”

Accelerator turned to him, surprised and excited. “Are you kidding me? Oh, this is too much! You really are the best I’ve ever had to fight!” He raced towards Toma, arms once again outstretched to end his life. When they were both nearly in each other’s grasp, Toma surprised him, ducking under his arm and forcing him to try using his other hand to touch Toma. Toma easily batted it away with his right hand, completely negating its effect.

The surprise move left Accelerator completely open for a moment, unable to defend himself from Toma’s next advance. Flowing into his fighting stance, Toma clenching his right fist, jumping towards Accelerator. With a final right-handed haymaker to Accelerator's face, he hit him with everything he had. Accelerator launched into the air, landing and rolling to a stop just before Mikoto and Misaka, face-up and completely unconscious.

Toma smiled at the girls, gave them a thumbs up, then blacked out from his injuries.

Author's Note

Events in the A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

I :heart: Toma.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 23 - Twilight - A Visit from the Doctor

Twilight - A Visit from the Doctor

Thursday, August 21. 6:30 PM Canterlot time

“I’ll drive you home Dash,” offered Sunset. She reached into her pack, grinned then turned to Twilight. “Or not. You still have the ‘keys’ Sparky. Coming with? You can drive,” she grinned.

“Oops! Sorry!” grinned Twilight. “Yeah, sure! I’d love to.”

They went through the gate and up to Sunset’s car. Twilight opened the doors, and Dash climbed into the back while Sunset transferred into the passenger seat. Sunset handed her chair back to Dash to put it behind Twilight. Twilight got into the car and started it up.

“Hi, Nicholi! Dash residence. I’m driving,” instructed Twilight.

“Hello, Ms. Sparkle. Destination Dash residence. Estimated travel time 5 minutes,” responded the car. Twilight put it into gear, pulled out of the driveway then headed towards Dash’s home.

“I really love this car, Sunny!” grinned Twilight. “Thanks for letting me drive!”

“No problem, Sparky! Anything for my BFF!” grinned Sunset.

Dash laughed. “You two are totally gonna get married someday!” she grinned.

“Yup, totally!” agreed Sunset with a smirk. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Just not to each other. Just best friends, Dash! Still, Always and Forever.” She grinned. Twilight laughed.

“I plan on having lots of kids with you, Sunset,” Twilight snarked. “But not like that. You will be by my side though, through every step,” she added.

“That’s a promise, Sparky! BFFs for eternity!” smiled Sunset, nodding.

After dropping Dash off, Sunset and Twilight were about to head back to Twilight's house when Sunset got a call. Looking at her phone she saw it was her mom.

“Hi, Mom! What’s up?” Sunset greeted.

“Hi, Sunbeam! Are you in town? Can you come home for a bit?” Celestia asked, sounding a bit pensive.

“Sure mom! Why? Did you need anything? What’s going on?” Sunset asked. She nodded to Twilight who started the car and directed it to drive to the Royal residence.

“I don’t want to worry you, but Dr. Turner is here with some people from NASA. He says no one is in trouble, but they need to speak with you,” her mom answered.

“That can’t be good,” whispered Twilight. “I wonder what that’s all about, and why did they need to bring the Doctor?”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Sunset whispered back. To her mom, she answered aloud, “No problem mom. We’re heading home now. I'll be there in a few. Thanks for the heads up!”

“No problem dear! See you soon!” her mom replied before hanging up.

It was a short drive. Twilight parked the car in the driveway. Sunset got her chair out and transferred into it, then Twilight followed Sunset into her house.

“We’re in the dining room, girls! Come on in!” Sunset’s mom called out.

They entered, then saw her mom, Aunt Luna, Dr. Turner, and two serious looking people in suits, an older man and a younger woman beside him, all sitting at the dining room table.

“Have a seat, girls!” Celestia invited them. “We were just talking,” smiled her mom.

Sunset rolled up to the table. Twilight took a chair next to her. Twilight poured a glass of juice and passed it to Sunset then poured one for herself. Taking a sip, they both set the glasses down and smiled at their guests.

Sunset turned to their guests and smiled. “Hi, Dr. Turner! We don’t see you here often, nice to see you! And hello to your friends too!” She greeted. Turning to the two she didn’t know, she added, “Hi! I’m Sunset Shimmer, and this is my friend Twilight Sparkle. How can we help you?”

The man smiled. “Dr. Moonshot!” he greeted, reaching across the table to shake each girl’s hand. “And this is my associate, Dr. Long.” She nodded and smiled. “We’re from NASA, and we have a few questions for you.”

Twilight rolled her eyes while Sunset groaned. “Is this about that video that got posted?” Sunset asked.

“The one with Ms. Rainbow Dash joyriding on our Lunar Rover?” smiled Dr. Moonshot. “Or the telemetric shots we have from two probes and the Martian orbiter showing a rainbow trail of light traveling up and down the side of Olympus Mons yesterday afternoon? Or the shots of an interesting new setup apparently 80 or so clicks away from it.”

“Busted!” grinned Luna, smiling at the girls.

Sunset groaned, resting her face in her hands. Twilight looked stricken.

“You didn’t happen to get any photos of a cute little helicopter flying around the Martian landscape?” Sunset snarked. “I would hate for you to not have the full set.”

“Actually yes, we did, and my compliments to you both. Whatever you have powering that thing is amazing. We can’t believe it’s been in the air the entire time we’ve been tracking it. Your solar cells must be something else. The Ingenuity hopper can't stay up even a fraction of that time. We also noticed that our arrays are significantly larger than yours,” continued Dr. Moonshot.

“Actually the drone is powered remotely. We have a quantum tuned crystal we’re using to transmit both the power and communications between the drone and the hub. Both creations of my friend Twilight here.” Sunset hugged her stricken friend.

Dr. Long was taking notes on everything. After a moment she said, “Pardon my asking, but what kind of losses are you taking on the power transfer? Also, how do you deal with the heat buildup from the losses? Furthermore what kind of throughput are you getting by transmitting information through the crystal? Is there a limit to the range? What kind of dropoff are you seeing on the signal?” she asked.

“Definitely a kindred spirit there, Sparky!” Sunset teased her friend, lightly squeezing her arm.

“Wha… What was that? Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment there..'' answered Twilight. Dr. Long repeated her questions.

Twilight answered. “Uhm. Yes. Well… you see, we take no losses on the power transfer. The crystal acts as a superconductor so any losses are restricted to the actual powering of the device, not the transfer. There’s no build- up to speak of. As for the throughput? We haven't really tested to find a maximum rate but I seriously can’t think of any practical limit, as the Nyquist frequency of quantum entangled crystals is virtually infinite. As for the range before drop-off? As far as we can tell the range is practically infinite with no signal dropoff.”

“No signal drop off? How is that even possible? When you say quantum tuned, do you mean quantum entangled crystals?” asked Dr. Long.

“Yes. The crystal is actually part of a quantum entangled pair. The information and power are passed through the tangle instantaneously,” answered Twilight.

Both scientists’ jaws dropped. “Wait! Do you mean you’ve developed a quantum entangled chip that can channel both power and signals? And you have it on Mars?” gasped Dr. Moonshot.

“Uh, yes?” answered Twilight with uncertainty.

Sunset smirked. “Wait, there’s more,” she grinned. Dr. Turner was grinning from ear to ear.

“What more?” asked Dr. Long, incredulously.

“Well, to start, the matching device housing the other paired crystal is in my bedroom at home,” grinned Twilight sheepishly. “My bedroom is powering the probe as well as providing instantaneous internet to both the drone and our bunker. I guess you could say I am hosting the entire planet's internet from my bedroom,” she snarked.

“Holy smokes!” exclaimed Dr. Moonshot. He turned to Dr. Turner. “You told me these kids were brilliant, but now I see you undersold it!” He shook his head.

“So. A question. How did you get all this to Mars?” asked Dr. Long. “And I’m assuming that really was your friend on our lunar rover? How did you get her to the moon? And what in the world did you do to our rover to get it working again? It should have been dead decades ago!”

Sunset answered, “Twilight created a transporter using the same principles of quantum entanglement. We used it to teleport to the moon and Mars. We’re calling the unit the TACIT system which is short for Time and Continuum Interdimensional Transporter.”

“Thank you for that…” Dr. Turner said quietly to himself.

“But how did you get the transporter to the moon and then Mars in the first place?” asked Dr. Moonshot.

“That was me,” admitted Sunset. “I used my magic to teleport the receiver to both locations.”

Their jaws dropped again. “Your magic? Really?” Sunset nodded.

“Wow!” said Dr. Long. “That’s a lot to take in. So clearly this TACIT system can teleport both animate and inanimate loads.”

“Yup. We’ve tested that out. Extensively,” agreed Sunset.

“So, that rainbow on Olympus Mons. That was magic too?” asked Dr. Long.

“That was me. Again,” agreed Sunset. “We were attempting to measure the innate magical power on Mars. Turns out, to our surprise, the planet is not completely dead.”

Both the scientists looked at her in shock.

“Yeah. I mean it,” Sunset assured. “ We found evidence of life blooms in several locations. The riverbed our drone is tooling around has several of them suggesting subterranean water. We’ve only taken measurements of the magical radiation from it, as we want to avoid actually touching any of the sites to prevent any contamination. We need further testing before we can say with certainty it’s life. But the indications are all there.”

The scientists nodded appreciatively. “So… where is this TACIT portal located? Would it be possible for us to ‘send’ someone over to your site as well and perhaps take some measurements?” asked Dr. Long.

Sunset looked at Twilight who nodded happily. “Absolutely!” agreed Sunset. “Would either of you like to see the bunker now? We can take you there directly. The base is in Twilight’s lab in her home.”

“Yes, please!” They both agreed.

“Grab your coat Luna! We’re going too!” said Celestia as she got up from the table.

Dr. Turner had a prior engagement, so apologetically begged off on the excursion and said his goodbyes.

They all crowded into Twilight’s lab in the garage. She passed out a pair of goggles to each of their guests and one to Sunset as well, putting a pair on herself.

Sunset took her goggles from Twilight and put them on. “Thanks, mom!” she snarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and grinned. “Please keep these on while we are operating the TACIT receiver. As someone,” she glared at Sunset, “can attest, the flash that accompanies using the TACIT unit can be painful. These should protect your eyes from any harm.

“We’ll travel in two groups. Sunset, you’ll go first with your mom and aunt. Once you’ve cleared out of the base, we’ll follow and join you in the bunker. Any questions?” Twilight asked.

Seeing none, Sunset rolled up to the booth and backed in. Celestia and Luna crowded in beside her. Shutting the door, Sunset took out her phone and loaded the control app.

“On three!” Sunset called out. “One, Two, Three.”

There was a bright magenta flash and the booth was empty. Twilight got a text from Sunset. “All clear!”.

“Okay! That's our cue! Let’s go.” Twilight stepped into the booth followed by Drs. Moonshot and Long, both facing her. “On three. One, two, three.” She pushed the engage button on her phone. With a bright magenta flash they disappeared.

When the glare cleared the scientists could see the control room outside of the booth.

“Sweet Maker! It worked!” exclaimed Dr. Moonshot.

“Of course it worked,” observed Twilight as she opened the door and stepped out. She took off her goggles and placed them in the container on the workbench beside the TACIT receiver. “You can take the goggles off. We’re done with the TACIT system for now,” she advised. The scientists obliged, placing their goggles with the others.

“Where’s your mom and aunt?” Twilight asked Sunset, who was sitting alone waiting for them.

“They went to put snacks and drinks out for everyone. Let’s go join them!” Sunset proposed, rolling out into the main room. Twilight followed with the scientists.

Once they were in the main room, Sunset spun around and greeted their guests.

“Doctors, welcome to Mars!” she grinned.

Twilight gave the scientists a quick tour of the bunker while Sunset helped her mom and aunt set out the snacks and drinks on the conference room table. When they finished the brief tour, Twilight and the scientists joined them at the table.

“Wow! You’ve really outdone yourselves with this bunker. And a communal bath? Awesome! You won’t find that in any of our Martian habitat plans!” grinned Dr. Moonshot.

“Mostly because we figured that water was going to be a premium,” noted Dr. Long. “Having a teleporter capable of spanning several AUs really is a game-changer. And there’s no magic involved, you say? It’s completely driven by quantum entanglement?”

“Correct,” answered Twilight. “Though we do use magic to create the entangled pairing between the crystals in the first place. I’m working on a device that will be able to create entangled pairs using only scientific principles with no magic involved. It’s not quite there yet. I expect I’ll have it operating shortly. We’re also working on a tuned pairing that would allow a network of TACIT receivers to be joined together. That would allow teleportation between any networked unit. That’s a bit further out. We’re still having some issues with the tuning collapsing quantum entanglements. But, in theory, it should be doable. I expect we will get it working eventually.”

“How many devices would be able to function on one network?” asked Dr. Long.

“Not completely sure. Initial testing seems to support the idea that, once we manage to make the crystals tunable without collapsing the entanglement, there wouldn’t be a limit to the number of ‘addresses’ we could include on the network. We’ll see if that holds up when we get further along in our testing.” replied Twilight.

Dr. Long turned to her associate. “Jeff, imagine that! We could network the entire solar system together! You could literally go anywhere!”

Dr. Moonshot nodded, smiling. “It’s going to revolutionize space exploration,” agreed excitedly.

“That was our hope,” agreed Twilight. “Of course, we’d be happy to share our research with you. Please send me your contact information so I can send you our research notes and data.”

“Happily!” agreed Dr. Moonshot.

“Switching gears, I’d like to show you the data we’ve found on what we are calling the ‘life blooms’. We have a localized colony of them in an ancient riverbed a few klicks from here as well as readings from several other locations, including Olympus Mons.” Twilight went over the data and pointed out the interesting parallels to growth blooms documented and studied on earth.

When she finished, Dr. Long asked the question they had been waiting for. “So. Can we go outside?” She grinned.

Sunset grinned at Twilight. “Who's up for a little excursion?” she asked. Twilight smiled back while everyone nodded in assent.

Everyone was fully outfitted with daypacks and canteens. Both girls ponied up. Both scientists gawked, then turned to one another. “I thought as much,” commented Dr. Long to Doctor Moonshot.

They all passed through the magical barrier and up the ramp. Twilight led, followed by the scientists, then Ms. Celestia and Ms. Luna. Sunset brought up the rear, rolling along behind them. A magenta and teal glow surrounded them, encasing the entire party in a bubble of breathable air and protecting them from the cold and radiation.

“Okay, everyone! Headsets on. We will need them to stay in communication with Sunset.” Twilight instructed before reaching into her backpack and pulling out her headset. She turned it on and adjusted it to sit comfortably on her head.

Confused but accommodating, the scientists and sisters followed Twilight’s example. They remove their headsets from their daypacks and put them on.

“Not sure why we need these when we’re all right here,” observed Dr. Moonshot as he placed his headset on.

“That’d be my fault,” noted Sunset as she placed her headset on then rolled back from the group. “Sorry! I just need a little space for this. One second.”

Fully-extending her wings, she flexed and with a few powerful strokes rose up from her chair lifting several meters into the air.

“Sorry about that,” explained Sunset over the headsets. “It’s either this or literally sit the excursion out.” She grinned and waved at them.

“Ah. I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me,” apologized Dr. Moonshot. “Forgive me.”

“No apology needed,” Sunset smiled. “But thank you.”

“We can’t actually go into the riverbed or we’d risk contaminating whatever is causing the blooms, but we can go close enough to look at the banks of the ancient river so you can get a feel for the landscape,” explained Twilight.

The scientists nodded their agreement. Following that, the group headed out.

Sometime later they neared the riverbed. They looked over the terrain at the banks nearby. In the distance, a drone could be seen zipping up and down the riverbed. It stopped briefly from time to time then continued. Off to their left, the awe-inspiring Olympus Mons towered over the horizon.

Twilight found a rock large enough to accommodate the party and took a seat. Sunset settled down next to her and tucked in her wings while her mom and aunt sat down beside her. The scientists sat next to Twilight, grins plastered on both their faces. Both of them had their phones out taking pictures and videos of the Martian landscape.

“It’s breathtaking, isn't it?!” gushed Dr. Moonshot. Dr. Long just smiled and nodded.

Turning to the girls, Dr. Long asked, “So what other planets have you explored?”

Sunset laughed. “Aside from Equus? Just the moon and here. I need to either have a line of sight or a good knowledge of the destination or I can’t teleport the base. That’s why our bunker is where it is. Mars was up at the time and this was the facing part of the planet, so here we are.”

“Equus?” asked Dr. Long. “Never heard of that.”

“Inside joke. Sorry,” grinned Sunset. “Where I grew up… so, no. We’ve only tried the moon and here so far, but I’d be happy to try some other locations with you going forward.”

Twilight looked concerned. “But not with our existing TACIT unit.”

“No,” agreed Sunset. “Not with our existing unit. We need it to travel between here and home. Not touching that.”

“We’ll build out a few more paired units we can use for testing. I’d be happy to provide you with a pair when they are done,” Twilight offered the scientists.

“Yes, please. And thank you,” nodded Dr. Long. Turning to Dr. Moonshot, she commented, “I’d love to take a crack at Titan. Can you get some decent telemetry for Ms. Shimmer so she can attempt to park one of their TACIT units there?”

“I don’t see why not,” he agreed. “Yeah, I think that would be a great next target.” He turned to Twilight and Sunset. “Thank you, girls. I’m looking forward to working with you both on this.”

“As are we, Dr. Moonshot,” smiled Twilight.

After an hour or so exploring the riverbank, it was decided to head back to the bunker. Sunset excused herself, then lifted off to hover overhead.

“I think I’m going to take advantage of the chance to stretch out for a bit. I’ll meet you back at the bunker.” She lit out towards Olympus Mons, wings beating majestically.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment,” said Dr. Moonshot while watching in awe as she faded towards the horizon.

“Ah, wait. I bet I can top this,” snarked Twilight. “Sunset! Feeling like really giving those wings a workout?” she asked.

“Ah! Sure Sparky! What do you have in mind?” said Sunset over the headset.

“I upgraded your and my headsets to fall back on network connections when the line of sight fails. You're plugged in Sunny! You don’t have to worry about line of sight anymore. Feel like putting on a show for our guests?”

“Woo hoo!” came the excited call over the headset. “I love you, Sparky! You don’t have to tell me twice!”

With that, there was a rainbow flash in the distance and a rainbow streaked towards Olympus Mons.

“Is that what she did when we saw the rainbow on the telemetry?” asked Dr. Long in awe.

“Yup!” grinned Twilight watching her friend streak off towards the towering volcano. Together they watched as the rainbow curved, heading up the side of the mountain.

Luna and Celestia were both yelling and clapping in encouragement.

The rainbow cressed the mountain and headed inward towards the caldera. “Woooo hooooo!” they heard Sunset yelling excitedly. Moments later a rainbow flash lit up the sky over the mountain. Waves of rainbow colors rolled across the sky. From the caldera, they could see a rainbow streak shooting straight up into the sky. During that time Sunset was still shouting out in excitement. Before it faded out completely it circled back around and traced out a path around the mountain's base as it descended in a spiral. The rainbow trail grew stronger as it descended. By the time it was back down to the height of the mountain, it disappeared around the backside.

“This. is. So. Awesome!” Sunset called out. A few minutes later she reappeared on the other side of the mountain.

“Bless the Maker! How fast is she going?!” asked Dr. Moonshot. “She just effectively circumnavigated Arizona in less than 4 minutes!”

The rainbow was heading back in their direction now. A few minutes later there was a flash of rainbow light. Sunset stopped about a half klick away, several hundred meters up. She waved and flew down to hang over them.

“That was so epic! I wish I could go on forever!” Sunset enthused.

“Not without me, you better not!” laughed Twilight. Her mom and aunt joined in the laughter.

“Okay, I’ll meet you back at the bunker. How does spaghetti sound for dinner?” asked Sunset as she headed back.

About an hour later the group walked up to the bunker. Sunset’s chair was gone as her return journey was substantially quicker than theirs. They walked down the ramp and back into the main room.

“Honey, I’m home!” called out Twilight with a grin.

“Ugh! And you say I’m the tease!” laughed Sunset, while waving from the back of the room. She stirred the sauce for dinner. “Dinner’s almost ready. Clean up and I’ll bring it to the table.”

Celestia walked back to join her. “I’ll help!”

The rest headed into the washroom to wash up before eating.

After washing her hands in the sink, Celestia pulled down a colander and drained the noodles then placed them in a serving bowl. She pulled another bowl down, handing it to Sunset. SUnset turned off the stove and filled the serving bowl from the saucepan, then placed the sauce and noodles on a serving tray on the counter for her mom to finish. She gathered plates and silverware, placing them on their own tray with drinking glasses for the six of them, then rolled, with the tray on her lap, over to the dining room table and set the table.

Her mom pulled the tossed salad Sunset had made earlier from the fridge along with the cheese, dressings, and condiments for the meal and placed them with the noodles and sauce on the serving tray, bringing it over to the table as well. Sunset returned to the kitchen area, and collected the fresh garlic bread from the oven, turning it off. She returned, placing the bread on the table.

Sunset rolled up next to Twilight. Smiling, Twilight took her hand. “Nice spread, Sunny. Thank you,” she smiled.

“Anything for my BFF!” grinned Sunset back, squeezing her hand.

“Wow! She can cook and she can fly!” grinned Dr. Long. “Girl, you’re a keeper!”

“Har dee har har,” snarked Sunset passing the bread around. “I can do more than that! I’ll have you know that I’m much more than a keeper. I’m priceless!”

Twilight laughed. Everyone joined her.

Celestia bowed her head. Taking her cue, Sunset took Twilight's hand and bowed her head as well. Luna bowed her head as well. The scientists looked confused for a moment then joined them as well.

“Thank the Maker for this food set before us. Bless our ways with Harmony and Friendship.” intoned Celestia.

“Thank the Maker,” responded the girls and Luna. The scientists just nodded and smiled.

“I didn’t know you were a Harmonist,” smiled Dr. Moonshot. “My parents were Harmonists. Growing up, we observed all the feasts and holidays.”

“All my life,” smiled Celestia. “It’s a family tradition.”

Sunset nodded, smiling.

The salad was passed around as well as the pasta and sauce. Everyone served, they dug into the meal with relish, hungry from their earlier hike.

Dessert was warm apple pie served with vanilla ice cream, courtesy of Twilight’s mom.

“I’m stuffed!” smiled Sunset as she leaned into her friend. “I just want to stay here just like this,” she smiled. Twilight put an arm around her friend and smiled back.

“Too bad,” Twilight grinned. “We have work to do. Maybe we can settle in and watch a movie or something later.”

“Slave driver,” Sunset snarked. She hugged Twilight then began clearing off the table.

Twilight looked to the scientists. “I can give you a lift back to wherever you need,” she offered. “I think we're done for the evening if you’re ready to head back.”

Dr. Long laughed. “After today I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to head back. But yes. That sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can even trade contact information as well?” he asks hopefully.

Dr. Moonshot laughed too. “I second that one, never wanting to head back.” They gathered their things.

“Thank you for this, girls! We’ll remember this to our dying day,” promised Dr. Moonshot as they headed into the control room.

“I’ll be back, Sunny!” called out Twilight as she followed them in. A few moments later there was a magenta flash.

“What about you guys? Do you need to get back too?” asked Sunset the sisters.

“Sadly, yes,” answered Luna. “We have a meeting first thing in the morning but we can head back after we help clean up.” She went into the kitchen to help her sister who was cleaning the dishes.

“Ah, I can get that you guys! You don’t have to do that,” offered Sunset as she rolled in after Luna.

“Nonsense, Sunbeam. I want to help,” her mom answered from the sink. “Besides this will only take a moment. We can relax for a bit before we head back after this.”

“Okay. Thank you both!” Sunset smiled. “I am so grateful to have you both in my life.”

“As are we, Sunset,” smiled her aunt as she dried her hands then hugged her niece.

With the dishes cleaned and everything put away, they drifted into the game room. Sunset settled in next to the couch. She took the laptop from the conference room, set it on her lap then logged in.

Luna and Celestia fired up the game system then went head to head with some PVP arena action. Sunset smiled at their antics and laughed at their taunts.

After a while, there was a magenta flash from the other room. Twilight came in and joined them, sitting down on the couch next to Sunset.

“What’re you doing Sunny? Going over the data again?” she asked.

“Nah! I’m going over the matrices for the tuned entangled crystals. I’m trying to see why we keep collapsing the entanglement.” Sunset answered.

“See anything I missed?” asked Twilight.

“Not yet, but I’ve only been at it for a few minutes. We’ll figure it out, we always do,” smiled Sunset. Twilight smiled back, joining her. Together, they quietly discussed ideas as they reviewed the matrix data.

A few games later, Luna looked up. “I guess that’s it for us. Care to drive us home?” she asked with a smile.

“Sure, I can do it,” agreed Twilight, getting up.

“I’ll come with you,” smiled Sunset. She shut down the laptop, rolling out to place it back on the conference table.

“Sounds good! Let’s go!” agreed Twilight. They turned off the lights and headed into the control room. A few moments later there was a magenta flash and the bunker was once again silent.

No Trial is ever complete until it has taught us what we need to know - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Academy City

Toma stirred in his sleep, restless, dreaming of the battle he had survived. Done with tossing and turning, he stretched, opening his eyes to see where he was.

“Oh, again? What, do they keep this room open for me because I use it so often?” he groaned to himself as he woke. He was once again in his recovery room at A Certain Hospital.

He quite suddenly realized at that point he couldn’t feel his arms and legs, and that one of the sisters was sitting on the bed before him, holding his hand to her breast.

He blushed furiously. “Uh, what are we doing?” he asked in embarrassment.

“You reached out to Misaka in your sleep, states Misaka. You grabbed me, though Misaka did take your hand and place it on her breast, admits Misaka. Misake rushes to inform you it is only so I can measure your heartbeat and brain waves using the electric flow in your body, Misaka states in embarrassment,” she added hastily.

Toma tried to move his hand away from the offending spot, noting with regret that he could neither move nor feel it, both noted with sorrow. “I’m sorry, I can’t move my hand,” he replied sadly.

“It is probably due to the anesthesia that was used on you, provides Misaka helpfully.” smiled Misaka. “Misaka is grateful you were able to save her, continues Misaka with gratitude.”

Toma smiled back at her. “I’m just glad we both made it out of that fight alive,” he said in relief. “Wasn’t sure for a few moments there.”

Misaka sighed. “Yes, Misaka agrees. But I cannot go out into the world yet, informs Misaka. Even though the experiment has been suspended, Misaka’s body needs to be readjusted, as she is a clone that was accelerated to growth, provides Misaka.”

Smiling, she returned his hand to his side, and rose to leave. She picked up the sleeping black cat she had brought with her, scoping her into her arms from where she lay at Toma’s feet. Turning back to Toma, she smiled. “Goodbye Toma! Thank you for saving me, states Misaka.” She turned to leave.

“So, will the readjustments cure you? Will you be able to live normally after them?” Called Toma after her.

She turned, smiling. “Don’t worry, Toma, you will see me again soon, Misaka assures,” she said, then left the room, leaving Toma alone.

Smiling, Toma laid back, resting.

The frog-faced doctor who ran the clinic Toma always seemed to end up at was examining him. The anesthesia now completely out of his system, he was able to complete every simple task the doctor requested.

“Well, it’s clear there’s nothing seriously wrong here. You seem to be almost completely recovered. Though you do seem to have an affection for this particular room I note,” grinned the doctor.

Toma laughed. “So it would seem.”

The doctor smiled. “Get some rest! We’ll have you out of here soon enough.” He rose, making his final notes in his chart before heading off on his rounds.

Toma laid back down, relaxing for a bit, and fell asleep.

What felt like only moments later, he awoke, hearing the door to the room opening. He turned, smiling as he saw Mikoto enter, a box in her hands. “Hi Zapper!” he called out.

She rolled her eyes as the came over to sit on the bed next to him. “I brought you a gift! These are the most expensive cookies I could find in the basement of the department store I went to,” she smiled, presenting the box to him.

Toma took it with a grin, unable to resist a little teasing of his friend. “You know, homemade cookies are the best.”

Mikoto recoiled as if she had been slapped. “What! Do you think I am some stupid character from a manga! The clumsy girl that tries her best, only to make a box of cookies then turns it into a box of crumbs!” she growled.

Toma waved his hands. “No, that’s not it! That’s not what I meant at all! Sorry if I offended you. And thank you for the cookies!” He smiled. “But even if they were crumbs, I bet they would still taste good!”

Mikoto playfully scowled, raising her eyebrow.

“Hey, just remembered something. Misaka 10032 was here!” Toma smiled, taking her hand. He explained Misaka’s condition, and what was going on with her. While happy that the experiment had been suspended, Misaka was clearly agitated at what she heard, and got up to leave immediately.

“Hey, before you go, think on this!” Toma called out to her. “If you hadn’t given your DNA to the researchers, your sisters would never have been born. And even though the experiment they were involved in was evil and wrong, their birth, and the fact that they are alive now is something you should be proud of!”

Misaka spun to face him. “It’s hard to be proud of being the cause of more than 10,000 of my sisters being killed!” she stated angily.

“Misaka, your sisters don’t hate you. They’re grateful. If they had never been born, they would never have been able to experience joy, or sadness. Look, it’s okay for you to smile! Your sisters aren’t the type of people who like to force their pain onto others. They don’t hate you, quite the opposite!” he smiled.

Tearing up, Mikoto closed her eyes and smiled. Nodding, she looked back at Toma. “Goodbye, Toma!” she smiled, then left.

Smiling as well, Toma laid back down to rest.

Later in the day, sometime after lunch, Toma was sleeping in the room. The sound of cicada could be heard laconically chirping out in the distance.

The door to Toma’s room quietly opened and shut as a robed figure stealthily crept up to his bed, a grin on her face. She climbed up on the bed, sitting astride the sleeping boy.

Jostled by her movement, and feeling a pressure bearing down on him, Toma woke. Opening his eyes, he saw Index looming over him, grinning. Horrified, he tried to sit up.

“Well, Toma! Do you have anything to say?” Index demanded.

Stricken with fear, Toma blurted out the first words to come to mind. “Good morning?” he said hesitantly.

“What!?” She growled. She launched herself onto him, grabbing his head and biting down hard.

Toma screamed.

“Index! Stop biting me! Can’t you see I’m injured?! Stop!” called out Toma, fighting to push her away. She continued biting down hard on his head. “Seriously! You shouldn’t worry about me! I’m the master of the house! Stop!”

Index stopped, scowling. “I was worried, you idiot!” she shouted. She pulled him into a hug. “I was worried! You left without a word! I had no idea where you were, or what was happening! And I was completely powerless to do anything about it!” She hugged him tighter.

“Index, I am so sorry. That was stupid of me,” he agreed, rubbing her back and holding her close.

Index looked up at him. “Toma, you always try to carry other people's burdens! When are you going to start asking me for help? Do I need to lecture you? Do I need to do this every time!”

She hugged him tightly again. “So, what were you fighting for this time?” She sighed.

Toma smiled, holding his dear friend tightly. “I fought for myself, Index. I was fighting for myself.”

Happy, Mikoto walked back to her dorm. As she neared the building, the doors slammed open. Her roommate Kuroko flew out, tackling her in a tight hug.

“Onee-sama!” she cried out happily, holding Mikoto tightly, her face buried in Mikoto’s chest.

Crouched down on the floor, Misaka was feeding her cat. She held out a kibble. The cat happily consumed it, then jumped up onto her leg, rubbing and purring.

Scooping the cat up with a grin, Misaka brought her up to her face. It licked her, which startled her briefly, as it was an unexpected surprise. She smiled, nuzzling the cat back.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Index).

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 01 - Twilight - First Steps

The Second Act - City of Science

Twilight - First Steps

Friday, August 22. 12:30 AM Canterlot time

Celestia and Luna were seated in the backseat of Sunset’s Roadster. They talked quietly about the District planning meeting they were attending tomorrow morning.

Sunset sat in the driver's seat, her chair folded and stashed in the trunk. They waited while Twilight said goodnight to her parents and packed an overnight bag. The plan was to just crash at Sunset’s for the night instead of dropping off her mom and aunt then coming back, as they were spent for the night.

Twilight hurried down the walkway and entered the car.

“So sorry that took so long!” She apologized. “Mom had like, 1000 questions! I promised we would take them out to breakfast tomorrow and explain everything then,” she said, settling into her seat and buckling in.

“No problem, Sparky,” smiled Sunset as the car pulled out of the driveway and headed home. “What time did they want to meet for breakfast?”

“7:30 at Sugarcube Corner. We can get a danish, coffee and just chat for a bit before they have to leave for work. Mom’s meeting is at 9 so that gives us about an hour to chat before she has to leave. Dad said he wanted to get to his office around 9 too, so it worked out,” Twilight replied. She yawned before leaning her head to the side. She smiled and looked over at Sunset.

Sunset nodded and kept driving. Eventually, they stopped at a light. She turned to face Twilight, who was still looking at her and smiling. “What’s that look for?” she asked while grinning. “You’re weirding me out just looking at me with that cute dopey grin.”

Twilight grinned. “Dork,” teased Sunset, lightly punching her arm.

The light changed. Sunset faced the road and drove.

They pulled up into the driveway at the Royal residence. Twilight got out, removed Sunset’s chair from the trunk, and brought it around to Sunset. Celestia and Luna climbed out from the backseat and headed into the house. Transferring into the chair, Sunset locked up the car, then the girls followed the Royal sisters into the house.

Heading up the stairs, Sunny’s mom and aunt said goodnight and went straight to their beds. Sunset and Twilight got dressed for the night, did their nightly ablutions then climbed into bed. Sunset settled in, getting comfortable as Twilight snuggled up to her.

“I love you, Sunny,” Twilight smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Smiling back, Sunset turned to face Twilight and kissed her forehead. “I love you too, Sparky. Goodnight.” She drifted off as well.

Friday, August 22. 6:30 AM Canterlot time

Up with their alarms, they quickly showered and quickly got ready for the day. As they got into the car they said goodbye to Sunny’s mom and aunt, who were also leaving, heading to their meeting. Sunset transferred into the passenger seat, then Twilight put Sunset’s chair in the trunk, hopping in to drive.

Sunset passed over the car’s fob. “Remind me to get you one of your own,” Sunset yawned as she passed it over. “You really should have one as much as you end up driving.” Twilight took the fob and started up the car.

“That makes sense,” Twilight agreed. “Thanks, Sunny!” To the car she instructed, “Nicholi, destination Sugarcube corner. You drive.”

“Destination Sugarcube corner. Estimated travel time 5 minutes. Auto drive enabled,” the car replied. It backed out of the driveway and headed towards the cafe.

“I had a thought about the crystals we’re using for the quantum entanglements,” commented Sunset.

“Umm-hmm,” nodded Twilight while turning to face her friend.

Sunset continued. “We should tag each one with an enchantment. Kind of a unique identifier. I realized, with them passing magical energies, we have basically a synthetic leyline between them. That means that if we enchant them uniquely we’ll be able to use them as anchors to magically teleport. It could come in handy if we’re ever in trouble. Or more to the point, when we’re over in Academy City. It’ll allow us to go back and forth from there to here and the bunker without having to have a full TACIT receiver. What do you think?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s actually brilliant. Good thinking Sunny. I’ll get started on that when we get back to my lab. Hmm…” She bit her lip. “You know we should add the enchantment to all the TACIT bases and receivers too! That way we can also use them all as anchors.”

“Yeah! Good idea, Sparky! And we should also add them to the crystals in the headsets, and the drone. You never know when they might be useful,” added Sunset.

“Okay. I’ll add them to the list,” commented Twilight as they pulled into the parking lot. She shut down the car then removed Sunset’s chair from the trunk. After Sunset transferred into her chair, Twilight tried to hand the fob back to Sunset, but she refused it.

“Keep it, Sparky,” Sunset insisted. “ It looks like you're going to need it more than me today,” she smiled.

“Okay, thanks!” grinned Twilight, as she put the fob back into her daypack. She locked up the car and they headed into Sugarcube Corner.

Twilight held the door open for Sunset as they entered.

“Hi, Twilight! Hi, Sunny! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” greeted Pinkie cheerfully, bouncing and smiling. “Looking for your mom and dad, Twi? They’re over here!”

She bounded off with a wave towards the back of the cafe, and Twilight grinned at Sunset. “That girl has way too much energy for this time of the morning,” Twilight snarked as they followed.

“I’d attribute it to her healthy lifestyle,” snarked Sunset right back. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And a superabundance of sugar in her diet.” They both smirked.

Looking back over her shoulder, Pinkie grinned. “Sugar is one of the five essential food groups, you know!”

Twilight laughed. “And what groups are those?” she asked.

“Candy, Sweets, Pastries, Sodas, and Sugar,” laughed Pinkie. “A perfect way to fuel your day!”

“You definitely work in the right place then!” agreed Sunset with a laugh.

Pinkie nodded happily. “Don’t I know it! Here you are!” She led them around the corner to a booth where the Sparkles were seated sipping coffee.

“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle, I found them!” Turning to the girls she added, “Have a seat! I’ll take your orders when you're ready.” Pinkie smiled, her pad out and pencil at the ready, bouncing on her tiptoes.

Twilight slid into the booth next to her parents. Sunset pulled up to the table next to Twilight. “I hope you haven't been waiting too long,” Twilight said.

“No dear! We only got her a few minutes ago. We’ve barely had time to sip our coffees,” smiled Twilight's mom. “You're right on time.”

“That’s good. So, did you order yet?” asked Twilight.

“Not yet, we were waiting for the two of you,” replied Nightlight.

Sunset glanced at the menu then passed it back to Pinkie. “Vegan Omelet and Danish for me, Pinks! With a large cup of coffee!” she yawned, then laughed. “With refills. Lots of refills.”

“Yuper duppers!” grinned Pinkie as she jotted the order down. “Anyone else?”

“Same for me Pinkie, that sounds good,” agreed Twilight.

“Just a Danish and coffee for me, dear,” added her mom.

“Umm. Ditto,” mumbled Twilight’s dad, his face in his phone.

“Okey dokey Loki! I’ll have those out in a jiffy! Be right back with your coffees!” She bounced off through the doors to the kitchen.

“If I could only bottle that energy,” laughed Sunset. Without missing a beat, Twilight passed her the sugar dispenser. Sunset laughed out loud.

Pinkie returned with the coffees and fresh creamer. “Be right back with your omelets and danishes!” She bounded back into the kitchen.

Still laughing, Sunset used her ‘bottled energy’ to sweeten her coffee. She stirred in the cream too. Twilight’s mom smiled at their antics.

Looking up from his phone, Night Light said to the girls. “Thinking this is related to why we’re here… I was just reading that NASA announced the possible discovery of life on Mars. Some of your doings?” he asked with an innocent smile.

Twilight blanched. “Uh… um… maybe?” she hesitated.

Sunset laughed, giving Twilight a one-armed hug. “We’ve been hanging out on Mars for the last few days,” she grinned.

“Do tell!” smiled Velvet.

“Yes! Do tell,” added her dad.

Twilight buried her face in her hands. “Sorry?” she mumbled.

Sunset gave her a squeeze, “Oh my gosh are you adorkable!” she laughed. Twilight looked up from her hands, giving her dear friend a stink eye while her mom laughed.

Sunset grinned. “We used the transporter Twilight built to create a bunker on Mars,” Sunset smiled at her friend, then stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes. Unable to stay mad, Twilight laughed and Sunset continued. “And we’re hosting a party there for everyone the Saturday after next! We were going to have it this weekend, but had to move it because we won’t be in town tomorrow. We’d love for both of you to be there!” She grinned at Twilight’s parents.

“A party on Mars, dear? Do you think we can make it?” asked Velvet as she turned to Night Light with a smirk.

“I think I can clear my calendar,” he grinned back.

“It’s a date then!” smiled Sunset. “We had two of the NASA scientists over yesterday evening which is probably why they made the announcement. We’ll be working with them on categorizing the life signs we’ve found. And we’ll be assisting them with setting up their own transporter network.”

“Our daughter is a genius!” crowed Velvet while Night Light nodded proudly.

“That she is!” agreed Sunset, giving Twilight another hug.

Just then Pinkie arrived with their breakfast. “Did someone say party!? My Pinkie sense was tingling!” she announced as she served them.

“Yup. Party next Saturday on Mars! You up for it?” grinned Sunset.

“Sunny Bunny, I’m up for any party in any place and any time with my friends!” answered Pinkie. “So next Saturday, tomorrow. Are the girls coming?”

“Ah, no. Not this Saturday. The Saturday after next. Sorry Pinks, tomorrow we’ll be stuck in a plane flying to Japan,” corrected Sunset.

“I hope the girls can make it,” answered Twilight. “I guess I should send them invitations.”

“Got you covered!” replied Pinkie, whipping her phone out. Seconds later, Twilight's and Sunset’s phones pinged with a message. Taking out their phones, they saw Pinkie had already invited everyone to meet at the Sparkles ‘Saturday, July 15 for an out-of-this-world party and sleepover starting at 10 AM’.

“Wow, girl! You work fast!” commented Sunset as she finished reading.

“Have to move fast to be a premier party planner!” Pinkie smiled, putting her phone away and taking back out her pencil and pad from her hair. “Let me know if you need anything else!” She smiled, bounding away to help the other customers.

“Well! That’s sorted,” nodded Twilight as she put her phone away and started on her omelet. “So yes, Sunny and I are working with NASA now. I’ve given them access to our research. We’re helping them set up their own teleportation network on Mars and the moon and apparently Titan later on,” she added.

Night Light nearly dropped his coffee. “Wait! Titan? Lethal radiation level Titan?” he asked.

“Yeah. They’re really interested in setting up a scientific base there! So I’m helping them get it started. Twilight is making a set of matched TACIT receivers. Meanwhile, I’ll be helping them by placing one of the receivers on Titan, another on the moon, and the last one on Mars. Once it’s set up we’ll help out as much as they need, but I think they already have everything planned as far as what they want to use for their bunker,” answered Sunset.

“From the talk we had yesterday, it sounds like they hope to set up a network of teleportation devices around the solar system. They’re just waiting on us getting the network switching portion working,” grimaced Twilight. “Not working yet, but soon though.”

Sunset smiled at her friend. “Soon! I’m sure we’ll get it working. Big brain like yours can't fail!”

Twilight smiled back. “Takes one to know one!” She gave Sunset a hug then resumed her breakfast.

“Wow! Titan! I can’t wait to see how that turns out!” gushed Night Light. “Maybe they’ll need an astronomer on the base…” he mused.

Laughing Velvet gave him a nudge. “And with a teleportation network, you could still be home in time for dinner.”

Giving a start, he smiled and nodded. “Yeah! Yeah, I could! Oh how awesome will THAT be!” he laughed.

Sunset turned to Night Light. “Lethal radiation level Titan? What does that mean?”

Night Light nodded. “Yeah, due to Saturn the area around it has lethal high levels of radiation. It’s only safe for radiation hardened robots and drones, supposedly a no-human zone because of that. But if they are asking you to set up a base, maybe they have come up with some way around it?”

“That’s news to me. I will have to ask them,” nodded Sunset. “Interesting.”

Sunset started in on her danish. “In other news, it looks like Twilight and I may be starting our University studies a bit sooner than we expected. We’ve been invited to apply to the academies in Academy City over in Tokyo. They want us there ASAP, so we’ve booked a flight for tomorrow to fly over and check it out.”

“Wow! No moss growing under your wheels!” teased Velvet.

“Strike while the iron is hot they say” agreed Night Light.

“That said, because of that we may not be around as much. I suspect they’ll keep us busy, especially while we’re getting settled in,” added Sunset. “We do plan on setting up a teleportation hub when we get there though. We plan on seeing each other as much as we can manage.”

Twilight nodded. “And of course, you can come to visit too! We can show you the sights!”

“That sounds wonderful dear,” smiled her mom as she reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It does my heart proud, seeing you two making your mark on the world.” She beamed at them both while Night Light nodded happily.

Finishing up their breakfasts, they enjoyed their coffee and conversation until it was time for Velvet and Night Light to leave. Pinkie settled up the bill then walked them to the door, bouncing happily the whole way. “See you Saturday! All the girls responded with an enthusiastic yes! So, see you all then!”

They said goodbye to Twilight’s parents, then Sunset transferred into the passenger seat again, stowing her chair behind her while Twilight got in the driver's seat. “Where to next, Sunny?” she asked.

“I need to talk to Mr. Namori-san. Obviously, I won’t be able to work at the cafe while I’m away at the academy. He’s been so good to me, and I don’t want to leave him hanging. This is a conversation I think we’ll need to have face to face,” she announced.

“Canterlot Mall it is,” agreed Twilight. She instructed Nicholi, and together they headed to the Canterlot Mall. Twilight dropped Sunset off in front of the Mall.

“I’m heading home to start on the enchantments and the TACIT units for NASA,” Twilight reported to her BFF. “I’ll put your enchantments on them as well and let them know why we’re doing it. Then they can use them for emergencies too. I’ll try to find a way to include some kind of triggering so they don’t need a mage. Something they can kick off in an emergency to bug out or something.” She blew a kiss to Sunset then drove off, heading to her lab.

Sunset waved a kiss back, and headed for the food court and the Sushi Cafe. Still seeing a crowd in front, she detoured towards the back out of the mall and entered the cafe through the back door. Peering into the cafe from behind the service door, she saw a girl taking orders, laughing with the customers as she helped them.

“Wonder who Mr. Namori-san found to help out? Wow, she’s good! Look at her keep that line moving,” mused Sunset. The girl turned around and spied Sunset peeking out from around the doorway. She smiled and waved then turned back to her work.

“Lyra?” mused Sunset in surprise.

“Hi, Sunset! How’s my absentee star employee?” asked Mr. Namori as he placed a hand gently on her back.

Sunset started. “Mr. Namori-san! I am so sorry!” she apologized. “I never meant to leave you with such a mess.” She turned and bowed to her employer.

Mr. Namori crouched down, lifting her chin. “Sunset! My dear, you have nothing to apologize for!” She looked up into his eyes, and he smiled. “Sunset, sometimes life comes at you in ways you never planned. You’re blameless, you never intended any of this, but life happens. It’s okay!” He leaned in, gently hugging her. “Come into my office. Let’s sit down and chat for a bit,” he smiled, leading her into the office and taking a seat.

“So? Exciting times, no?” he smiled. “You saw I’ve enlisted some help.”

“She’s awesome,” agreed Sunset, smiling. “You have quite the worker in Lyra-sama, Mr. Namori-san.”

“That’s the truth,” agreed Mr. Namori with a grin. “My best customers seem to make my best workers.” Sunset smiled. “I was hoping you would return for a bit before you left. If even half of the rumors circulating about what you and your young friend are up to are true, it sounds like you are going to be a very busy young woman.”

“I’m not sure what you heard,” answered Sunset. “But yes, Twilight and I’ve been invited to Academy City. We're flying out tomorrow to make our applications,” answered Sunset. “After all we’ve been through together, I owe you an explanation, that and so much more,” she added gratefully. “Thank you, Mr. Namori-san, for letting me work with you, and for supporting me through all this.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Sunset,” he smiled. “You're a ray of sunlight every time you're here.”

Sunset beamed. “You’re too kind! Arigato, Mr. Namori-san!” She bowed again.

“Lie iie,” replied Mr. Namori, reaching over and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “So if you have some time, do you mind suiting up one more time and giving your friend some pointers before you leave?”

“I’d be honored!” smiled Sunset. “Though she looked like she had it sorted. She’s a natural.”

“I think so, too,” agreed Mr. Namori. “Still, I’m sure she’d appreciate it, even if it’s just a chance to hang together a bit before you leave.”

“I'll be coming back every chance I get. And I’m certainly not going to stay away from my favorite Sushi cafe when I do!” laughed Sunset. “I’ll get changed and pop out to say hi and help.” She rolled out of the office and into the breakroom.

“Arigato, Sunset,” smiled Mr. Namori as she closed the door.

Lyra was happy to see Sunset. Together they served customers, laughed, and talked with all of them and each other. It was melancholic, but happy at the same time. Sunset assured Lyra she’d be back as often as she could and promised to stop by whenever she was in town. She also extended an open invitation to Lyra, and Bonnie of course - as the girls were inseparable, to come to visit Twilight and herself in Academy City when they had a chance.

“I’d love to come over and see Tokyo!” agreed Lyra. “But round trip tickets for two are a bit out of my price range, even while working for someone as generous as Mr. Namori-san,” she grinned. “Still though, thanks for the invitation!”

“Don’t worry about that Lyra. Twilight and I are setting up a portal. Just let us know when you want to come. We’ll take the time to come over and get you both,” Sunset promised.

Lyras eyes lit up. “That would be awesome! I’ll still need to talk to Bonnie about it, but I’m sure we’d love to take you up on that!” she grinned.

“It probably won’t be right away. It sounds like they plan on keeping us busy while we are settling in. But say in a week or so, maybe? We should have time for some fun.” agreed Sunset. “I’ll send you a message when we get settled. Is that alright?”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” grinned Lyra. “Thanks again, Sunset.”

“No problem Lyra! What are friends for?” smiled Sunset.

The shift ended, so Sunset said goodbye to Lyra and Mr. Namori then texted Twilight she was done. “Nearly finished here - be there in 10,” came the reply. Following that, Sunset headed out to wait in front of the mall.

A few minutes later Twilight pulled up to the loading zone in the roadster. “Hi, Twilight!” Sunset greeted the arrival of her friend. “Nicholi looks good on you!” She noted as she transferred into the passenger seat and placed her chair in the back seat.

Twilight laughed. “Girl, this car looks good on anybody!”

Sunset chuckled as well. “True that!” She buckled up and shut the door.

Twilight drove back to her lab. “So! I finished all the enchantments, including outfitting all the headsets with enchanted TACIT crystals. Now they’re all networked and powered by the hub in the bunker control room.

“Oh, right! I moved the central hub into the bunker instead of my bedroom. My thought was, it’s more defensible. If someone wanted to mess with our setup, they’d have a harder time getting to Mars, and our bunker, without us knowing. It also means that they wouldn’t be sneaking into my bedroom. Besides, I didn’t want anything happening that might leave my mom and dad at risk if some boneheads decided to be stupid and mess with us. I hid the power and internet connections in my old bunker.”

“Good thinking, Sparky,” nodded Sunset.

“I ended up going out and doing the enchantment to the bot on site. I was going to have it come back in and do it at the bunker, but I realized I’d have to wait for it to get back, and didn’t want to waste the time,” said Twilight. “It was easier just to teleport out to it and do it.”

Sunset laughed at the image of that in her mind.

“Also, I’m almost done with the NASA TACIT units,” Twilight went on to report. “I’m making them three paired systems, one for Titan, one for Mars, and one for the moon. I’m also making a dozen of the dongle pairs and a dozen headsets too. I’m putting them all on their own subnet for now, though I’d imagine they’ll want to be in their own data center eventually. One step at a time.” Twilight smiled.

“Yup. Baby steps - Measured in AUs,” laughed Sunset.

“Big baby!” agreed Twilight with a chuckle.

“Anyways! If you want to help me finish it up, we can get them to Drs. Moonshot and Long. They can also get started on their Titan experiment which I know you’re dying to try out too!” She grinned at her BFF.

“You know me so well girl!” grinned Sunset back.

They pulled up into Twilight’s driveway. She got out and plugged the car into the charging station.

“That’s new,” observed Sunset as she transferred out of the car. “When did you put that in?”

“Just this morning,” smiled Twilight. “I ordered it when you first got the car. I figured you’d need it eventually as much as you’re over. It just arrived this morning, so I took a break and set it.”

“Dang girl! You really do impress!”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks!”

Together they entered the lab and set to work.

When they finished, Twilight headed back to the bunker to plug the newest units into their hubs on their own subnet. While she was gone, Sunset messaged Drs. Long and Moonshot the news they had finished their units and were ready to hand them over. She then texted her mom and aunt in order to ask how their meeting had gone and what they wanted to do for dinner.

While she was reading through her feeds and waiting for a reply, Twilight came back through the TACIT portal. Having learned her lesson, Sunset was facing away from the booth and shut her eyes tight as soon as the flash started.

“Dang girl! Even when you know that’s coming it still hurts. We need to find some way to tone that flash down,” commented Sunset as Twilight stepped out of the booth.

“Good point, Sunny. I’ll see what I can do about it, maybe after we get the tuning working,” nodded Twilight.

Sunset got a text, so she opened her messages. “Dinner at mom’s tonight,” she informed Twilight.

“Awesome. Looking forward to it,” replied Twilight with a smile.

“Dork, you look forward to everything,” teased Sunset.

“Dork you! Dork,” teased Twilight back. “But you’re not wrong. If I’m doing it with you, yeah! I’m always gonna look forward to it.”

“Dahh,” Sunset smiled then pulled her friend into a hug. “I love you, you big brained doofus.”

“I love you too! And it still takes one to know one,” she hugged Sunset back.

Sunset’s phone went off again. Checking the message, it was from Dr. Long. “They want to stop by this afternoon to take delivery of the TACIT equipment,” commented Sunset. “What should I say?”

“Say yes of course! Let’s get them settled,” said Twilight. Sunset messaged their reply back.

Work completed, the girls pulled up the teleportation matrices. They then looked over the matrices again to find why their efforts to tune the crystals to date were causing the entanglements to collapse. An hour later with no significant progress forward, there was a knock at the front door.

“I bet that's them,” said Sunset. “I’ll go let them in.” She rolled into the house and up to the front door.

Opening the door, she saw Drs. Moonshot and Long at the doorstep. “Come on in,” she invited, rolling back out of their way. “We’re in the lab. Come on back.” They stepped in, then she shut the door behind them and they went to the lab to join Twilight.

Looking up from her work Twilight waved. “Hi, guys! Welcome back,'' she greeted. “Pull up a chair while I get your stuff together.” She got up and found two lab stools which she brought over to them.

“Thanks!” said Dr. Long, accepting a stool and handing it to Dr. Moonshot, then taking the other for herself. Seated, they turned to the girls. “So, do you want to try the Titan teleportation first? I have a link to the latest telemetry we have for a proposed landing site if you feel up to it.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it all day. Let’s do it, but first, I have a question. Dr. Night Light, Twilight’s dad, is an astronomer, and informed me that the area around Saturn is filled with deadly levels of radiation, to the point it is considered a human free zone, radiation hardened probes only. So how are you planning on having a Base there?” asked Sunset.

“Well, that’s true,” agreed Dr. Moonshot. “The radiation levels there are extremely lethal to human beings. You would be dead before you even got out of your spaceship, killed before you even were able to make orbit. But, if we go deep enough below the regolith, or into the subsurface ocean we expect we will be able to mitigate the radiation levels that way, and have a manned exploration base there that way. But we suspect that the initial base that we set up on the surface of the moon will be robotic only. Once the base has expanded to either an underground or underwater presence, we can move the TACIT transceiver then, and we can use it as a manned base at that time.”

“So I will need to be shielded then when I go,” nodded Sunset.

“Are you going?” asked Dr. Moonshot, shocked. “I thought you were just going to drop the unit into place. Yes, if you are going to be there, you will definitely need to be shielded against the radiation or you will die quickly.”

“In that case, I have an idea,” agreed Sunset. “I can use the same shield that I will be using to protect the base on the surface, allowing you to use it as a manned base initially too.” She turned to Twilight. “Sparky, can you enchant the TACIT transceiver to allow the crystal to hold a spell matrix I’ll give it, allowing it to maintain a constant shield over the base protecting them from radiation?”

“Sure, Sunny! I’ll do that now, and let you know when it’s ready for the matrix,” Twilight answered, moving over to the Titan transceiver and enveloping the paired crystal in a magenta glow. A brief moment later, she turned to Sunset. “All ready!”

Sunset rolled over to the unit, and placing her hands on it, suffused the crystal structure in a soft Teal glow. A few moments later, she turned back. “All set! Once I activate it, it will never turn off as long as there is magic to power it, and it will keep the shield up to about 1500 meters all around.” She rolled back over to Dr. Moonshot and Twilight.

“Okay then! Here is the secure link to the telemetry data.” Dr. Long texted Sunset the link. “We can roll with it whenever you are ready.”

Sunset loaded up the data, examining the telemetry. She looked up at Twilight and the Drs. “Okay! I’m ready. I’m going to put on my headset so we can communicate. And as this is not something I can actually see, I’m going to teleport as well in case something isn’t quite right.”

“That sounds prudent, as long as you’re shielded,” agreed Dr. Moonshot. They took out their headsets and placed them on.

Sunset ponied up, spread her wings, and glowed in a teal halo. Stretching out her hand, she enveloped the TACIT receiver, which was labeled “Titan”, in her magic. Shutting her eyes, the glow around her brightened, then in a teal flash, she disappeared along with the receiver.

A moment later they heard her voice over the headsets. “Crab nuggets! One second…” A moment later there was a flash and her chair appeared, bouncing from a slight drop to the floor and covered with frost. “The ‘ground’ here isn’t really solid. Almost lost my chair as it sunk through the frosted surface. Anyways… looking for a more solid place to set this stuff down. Just a minute.”

A few minutes later she came back on. “Okay! Found a good spot. I’m setting the TACIT receiver down now.” A pause. “Okay. It’s down, and the shield is activated. This looks like a decent spot. Do you want me to dig out a bunker for you?” she offered.

“No need Sunset,” said Dr. Moonshot. “We’re going to use domes instead. With the shield protecting us from any stray radiation, and this being a temporary base, given what we discussed earlier, we shouldn’t need to go underground at this point. Once we find a permanent place to house the base underground or the ocean, we will move the base then. So for now, this will be domes and surface tunnels.”

“Okay. Do you need anything else from me? Or can I head back?”

“We’re good! Thank you, Sunset,” agreed Dr. Long.

“Okay! Heading back,” answered Sunset. A moment later there was a teal flash and she dropped down into her chair. “Ahhh… cold! Cold, cold!” she fidgeted. The chair was bathed in a teal glow, melting the frost from it. “Ahhh… much better,” she smiled.

Twilight hid her grin with her hand, eyes sparkling.

“Something funny, Sparky?” challenged Sunset with a grin.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Twilight burst into laughter. “Oh my gosh! You are such a dork!” she chuckled.

Sunset burst into laughter too. “Pot, kettle, black,” she replied. They both grinned.

“Okay, taking the Lunar receiver now. Be right back!” Sunset and the TACIT receiver disappeared in a flash of teal magic.

A few moments later Sunset reappeared. “Tranquility Base is ready to rock!” She grinned. “Last one. Where do you want this one?”

“I heard there are some really obnoxiously noisy neighbors there that are always throwing parties,” Dr. Long quipped. “We should probably avoid that neighborhood!”

“Oh har de har har!” snarked Sunset. “See if we invite you then!”

Dr. Long laughed. “Seriously, we were thinking closer to Olympus Mons, though not too close. Also we want to study the life blooms you’ve discovered but not be right on top of them. Maybe about halfway between your bunker and the mountain’s base?”

“Alright! Be right back!” Sunset promised before the last of the NASA TACIT receivers was bathed in a teal glow, disappearing with Sunset.

The Drs. packed the remaining units, except for the three TACIT base receivers, up into a box and took it with them. They promised a crew would be by, ready to load up the last three base units tomorrow morning. They would text them the exact time as soon as they got back to their office and set it up. The girls thanked them, walked them to the door, and said their goodbyes.

“Well, that’s done. So! How’s Titan?” asked Twilight.

“Cold and wet,” answered Sunset. “Want to see?”

“That’s right! We can use the marker. Sure!” agreed Twilight, grinning. She ponied up. Sunset gave a few beats of her wings, rising above her chair.

“Not doing that again! The chair stays here this time!” Sunset laughed. She was struggling to stay in the air and not bump into the roof. “Dang. Dash makes this look so easy! Guess I need more practice.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s easy for Dash because she practiced it. All. the. Time. That girl spends more time ponied up and flying than she does anything else. Except maybe sports,” grinned Twilight.

“That she does,” grinned Sunset, taking Twilight’s hand. “Okay! Let's do this. On three! One, Two, Three!”

There was a teal and magenta flash, after which both girls were gone.

A few minutes later a flash of teal and magenta filled the lab. Sunset dropped down into her chair and tucked in her wings.

Twilight giggled. “Yeah. No lie. Cold. Wet. Not much else. The TACIT receiver looked good though. And hey! Titan! Am I right?! Just saying it is awesome! Not many people can say they’ve been there!”

“Just two, Sparky. So far just two,” grinned Sunset.

Packing up their daypacks, they locked the lab and got into the roadster and headed back to the Royal residence for dinner. Sunset transferred into the passenger seat, once again placing her chair on the seat behind her.

“Dang Sparky! As often as you drive this thing maybe, I should transfer it over to you,” Sunny snarked.

“You offering?” teased Twilight back.

“As if!” Sunset grinned. “Why? You want it?”

“Who wouldn’t?” Twilight grinned. “But no. Just teasing. It’s yours!”

“And I’m yours,” reminded Sunset with a smile, while batting her eyes at Twilight.

“Dork!” Twilight giggled, slapping Sunset’s arm. “Nicholi, destination Royal residence. You drive.”

“Destination Royal residence, estimated travel time, 5 minutes. Auto drive engaged,” answered the car.

“Engage!” smiled Sunset, waving her hand forward.

In the Chaos Realm, Discord fist-pumped. “Yes!” he grinned.

Fluttershy continued her knitting, shaking her head in quiet laughter.

In another universe, a starship captain startled, stumbling his step. Putting a hand to his head, he mumbled to himself, resuming his walk.

“I really thought we were past this…”

The way of harmony is not the way of quiet peace, it is the way of passionate fire - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Event in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc Ends.

The Level 6 Shift experiment is canceled.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 02 - Sunset - Snakes on a plane

Sunset - Snakes on a plane

Friday, August 22. 6:30 PM Canterlot time

Sunset and Twilight sat in her room. They were talking while Twilight confirmed their reservations for the flight to Tokyo in the morning.

“Okay,” said Twilight, phone out and checklist loaded. “I have the boarding passes here. Don’t forget to pack your passport, driver's license, social security card, and ‘birth certificate’ where you can get them. We’ll need them all to get on the plane and to clear customs when we land,” instructed Twilight.

“I could hear the air quotes there, Sparky,” snarked Sunset.

“What it is, it is, Sunny,” smiled her friend. “Just be sure you have them. Also of course your headset, TACIT fob, phone, and everything else we might need.”.

“No need to obsess too much. If we forget anything, we can always just hop back and pick it up,” smiled Sunset.

“Dang but that’s convenient!” grinned Twilight. “Could almost just bring our daypacks, except that would flag us hard to customs,” agreed Twilight.

“Yeah, tempting. I’m not looking forward to towing a bag all through the airport tomorrow,” nodded Sunset.

“So confirmed we will be applying for the same school at the Academy,” added Twilight. “They wanted me to apply for the new College program at one of the specialty schools, and I told them we were a package deal, we go together. So we’re both applying for the new program. Are you okay with that?”

“I go where you go, Sparky. Together forever, BFF!” agreed Sunset.

Thinking for a moment, Sunset wheeled over to the box of TACIT fobs and grabbed one of them.

“Whatcha thinking Sunny?” asked Twilight as she watched her BFF.

“I have an idea that may be useful. Be right back.” Sunset ponied up. She disappeared in a flash of teal magic, with her chair this time.

A few minutes later she flashed back, a bit flushed. “There! Not sure we will ever need it, but it may come in handy. I made a dead drop for us. Don’t use the address I just took unless you’re ready for flying lessons,” she smirked.

“Flying lessons? What?” asked Twilight.

“I embedded one of the fobs into a rock face in the Everfree Forest. If anyone attacks us, we can use it to give them something better to do, far away from us,” explained Sunset. “Not that I ever hope to use it, but I figured it’s better safe than sorry!”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Okay, good call.”

Sunset dropped her transformation and they went back to planning their trip.

“Girls, you up there? We’re home!” Sunset’s mom called out from downstairs as she and her sister came through the front door.

“Hi Mom! We’re up here in my room fooling around!” called out Sunset. Twilight glared at Sunset and punched her in the arm. “I mean fooling around and figuring out our schedule for tomorrow!” amended Sunset. Twilight grinned and punched her again. “Oww Sparky! Have you been working out?” she teased.

“No, but if you don’t knock it off, I’m going to work you over,” grinned Twilight while giving her a light punch again. Sunset grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “Okay! That’s it! You asked for it!” grinned Twilight while tackling her friend onto the bed. Sitting on her stomach, Twilight took Sunset’s cheeks and pinched them both. “Sunset Shimmer! Stop. Teasing! Your! Best! Friend!” She laughed as she pinned her down on the bed.

Sunset’s mom stepped into the room, took one look at them, then put her face in her hands, laughing while shaking her head. “Twilight! What are you doing to my daughter?”

Luna walked in behind her sister and chuckled as well. “And niece! What are you doing with your best friend?” she laughed.

Twilight turned beet red as she jumped off Sunset. “It’s not what it looks like!” she stammered, flustered.

Sunset pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the bed. She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows again. “It’s exactly what it looks like!” she giggled.

“Not helping Sunny!” Twilight stamped her foot. “You’re such a dork!” She laughed and knocked her friend over again.

“I’m waiting, Sparky!” Sunset called out, arms outstretched.

“Uhhh!” Twilight stomped her foot again while burying her face in her hands in embarrassment. Both the sisters were laughing at their antics. Twilight sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her friend into a headlock in order to administer a wicked noogie. “You. Are. Such. A. DORK!” she grinned in exasperation.

Still laughing, the sisters sat on the bed beside them. Beside Twilight, Luna leaned over to stage-whisper into her ear, “You may be interested to know, Sunset has a few weaknesses you can exploit. I’d be happy to discuss them with you later, to help keep her in check.”

“Traitor!” grinned Sunset. Luna winked back at her niece.

“Thank you, Ms. Luna. I will definitely take you up on that sometime!” Twilight agreed, grinning as she pointed finger guns at her friend.

“Okay, uncle! I know when I’m outclassed,” chuckled Sunset, pushing herself back up only to have her mom pull her into a hug.

“Be good, Sunset!” Celestia grinned.

“Ah, mom! I’m always good!” Sunset wiggled her eyebrows again.

“That’s what she said!” quipped Twilight as she wiggled her eyebrows too.

Her mom groaned and pushed them both down. “You’re both incorrigible,” she snarked as they all laughed.

Once they had it out of their system, Celestia asked, “What do you want for dinner? We were thinking about delivery. Any preference?”

“Let’s get pizza! We haven't had that in a while!” suggested Twilight.

“Pizza sounds good to me! It gets my vote!” agreed Sunset. “Veggie lovers for me please!”

“Pizza it is then!” agreed Luna. “I’ll go call the order in!” She headed into her bedroom, her phone out.

Thank you Ms. Luna!” called out Twilight.

“So? How was your day?” Celestia asked the girls.

“We went to Titan!” said Twilight excitedly.

“It was kind of lame. Just saying,” laughed Sunset.

“Only you girls,” laughed Celestia. “Not really what I was expecting, but not really surprised.”

“We set up three new receivers for NASA,” said Sunset. “They haven’t done anything with them yet. They are picking up the bases tomorrow morning. After that, on Titan they will build a dome over it.” She thought for a moment then slapped her forehead. “Ah, crab nuggets. I’ll have them text me when they get there. I can sneak into the restroom or something and teleport back to let them in before teleporting back when they leave. I forgot we were leaving first thing in the morning,” she groaned.

“Tell me all about it while we wash up and set up for dinner,” said Celestia heading down the stairs. Sunset and Twilight followed her down.

“Pizza will be here in 20 minutes,” said Luna as she came out of her room to join them. Sunset rode the lift down while the sisters and Twilight went ahead. They washed up, setting out drinks, chips, a side salad, condiments, and plates on the table, then sat down to wait for the delivery while talking about their day and plans.

A bit later the doorbell rang. Luna went to the door and paid the delivery person then brought the pizzas to the table. “Flash says ‘Hi!’ Sunset! And congratulations to you both on getting invited to Academy City,” smiled Luna.

“That was Flash? Is he still there?” asked Sunset, looking towards the door.

“Yes, it was. And no, he’s not. He said he had a busy night but he wanted to be sure I passed on his greetings,” answered Luna.

“Princess Twilight is a lucky filly!” smiled Sunset. “Flash is a good kid.”

Twilight snorted. “It still slays me that other me is a ‘filly’,” she laughed.

Sunset laughed too. “An immortal princess filly!” agreed Sunset.

“Takes one to know one!” teased Twilight.

“Pot, kettle, black!” snarked Sunset back.

“You’re all a bunch of silly fillies!” laughed Celestia. She took their hands and bowed her head.

The girls settled down, joining her and Luna. “Thank the Maker for this food set before us. Bless our ways with Harmony and Friendship,” intoned Celestia.

“Thank the Maker!” intoned Luna and the girls.

Food and friendships were enjoyed.

After dinner, they cleaned up, put away the leftovers, then settled down to watch a movie together. It was Celestia’s night to pick so, to exactly no one's surprise, they watched a romcom. Happily, it was Hitch!, a movie they all enjoyed.

After the movie, they drifted off to bed. Sunset and Twilight snuggled together, laughing and talking about their plans as they fell asleep.

Saturday, August 23. 4:30 AM Canterlot time

It was still dark when their alarms rang.

“Ugh! I am so not a morning girl,” groaned Sunset as she rolled over and sat up. She gently reached over and shook Twilight’s shoulder. “Rise and shine, Sparky! We have a plane to catch.”

Twilight groaned and rolled to her other side.

“No no no Sparky!” Sunset pressed. “No sleeping in,” she smiled. She leaned over and kissed Twilight's cheek. Her eyes popped open looking confused.

“Wha…” Twi mumbled, then blinked as she rubbed her eyes. “It’s time already?” she asked while groaning and stretching.

“It’s time,” agreed Sunset, transferring to her chair. “Time to get ready. The van will be here in an hour. Can’t be late.”

“Ugh. Okay.” Twilight felt her cheek and blushed. “What was that for?” she asked groggily.

“Sleeping beauty needed to wake up,” grinned Sunset. She headed into the bathroom.

“Oh, ha ha ha,” deadpanned Twilight while still smiling. She followed Sunset down the hall.

A half hour later they were showered, ablutions completed, and bags by the door. They waited at the dining room table, sipping their coffees.

“Kind of exciting, don’t ya think?! Not gonna lie!” smiled Sunset. “I mean, compared to the moon or Mars, I guess it’s tame. But wow, Sparky! We’re off on an adventure together! To the other side of the world! And magic!”

“And Science!” grinned Twilight.

“And Science!” agreed Sunset, smiling. “I can’t wait to see what happens!”

“Ditto,” grinned her friend.

Twilight’s phone alerted her with a message. Reading the message, she informed Twilight, “They're here. Time to get this journey started!”

After taking their coffees to the sink, they headed to the door, grabbing their bags. Locking the door behind them, they rolled the bags and Sunset down to the curb. Once there they got into the van, then rode off to the airport to catch their flight.

At the airport the van let them off at the international terminal. Sunset paid and tipped the driver while Twilight got their tickets and IDs ready. They checked their large luggage in with the skycabbies then got in line for the security check. Just under an hour later they cleared the TSA checkpoints, collected their things, and passed through customs and onto the terminal to wait for their flight. The sun was just starting to rise over the eastern horizon.

Deciding they had some time to spare before their flight started boarding, they headed to the food court to get a quick bite for breakfast while they waited. A short line and large bill later, they sat at a table in the food court eating two overpriced breakfast sandwiches with lattes.

“Amazing how insane the prices are for everything here,” observed Sunset.

“Supply and demand, Sunny. Supply and demand. We supply the money and they demand a queen’s ransom,” snarked Twilight.

Sunset laughed. “Got that right!” She grinned.

They finished up their airport breakfast then went back over to the boarding gate for their flight. Eventually the plane was ready and they started boarding passengers. Sunset and Twilight boarded with the first set so they could get her settled. The flight attendants transferred Sunset to a boarding chair and stowed her wheelchair in the luggage compartment. Twilight opted to take the outside seat so she could get in and out to get things for Sunset if she needed. After all, this was going to be a rather long flight, going direct to Tokyo, so they got comfortable.

A short while later the plane finished boarding. The captain’s voice came over the PA. “Greetings everyone. This is your captain, Major Backwind. Welcome to JAL flight 207 direct to Japan. We will be taxing out to the runway shortly and expect to take off on time. The local time is 7:35 AM. The temperature outside is about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Our flying time will be about 11 hours and 35 minutes flying at about 36,000 feet above sea level. We will be turning on the fasten seatbelts sign shortly. Please remain in your seats and turn off any electronic devices as we prepare for departure. If you would please now look forward, your attendants will give you a quick presentation on how to use the safety features of this plane, a Boeing777-200ER. Thank you for flying JAL.”

The stewardess before them then pantomimed the safety presentation, smiling the entire time. They shared the standard recording, outlining emergency procedures using the plane's safety features. While the flight attendant was literally going through the motions, the seatbelt sign came on. The plane started rolling through the terminal to take its position, waiting for its turn to take off. The attendant finished up her presentation, eventually sitting down in the jumper seat by the door and buckling herself in.

A few moments later the plane rolled out to the end of the runway, their turn finally for takeoff. Twilight grinned, looking excitedly past Sunset out the window as the jets spun up. The plane accelerated quickly down the runway, soon racing along so fast that the lines along the tarmac blurred together as they rushed past. With a thump, the flaps fully extended and the plane lifted gracefully into the air, leaving the runway and airport dropping behind them. They passed over downtown Canterlot, then out over the ocean as they continued to climb while making a gentle banked turn to correct their heading as they cleared the airport airspace. Leveling out, they continued climbing, passing through clouds as they whipped by the window, leaving little streaks of condensation that quickly evaporated.

As they rose above the cloud cover, Twilight looked down in awe at the carpet of clouds below them as they continued to race forward at cruising altitude. A few minutes later the seatbelt sign turned off and the captain came back on the PA. “We have now reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. We are traveling towards Tokyo at about 500 knots, which is about 80% the speed of sound at this altitude. We are on schedule and expect only light turbulence later in the flight. We have turned off the seatbelt sign. You are now free to move about the cabin. Enjoy your flight and thank you again for choosing JAL.”

Twilight let out a little squee of joy.

A short while later Sunset’s phone pinged. She looked down and read the message. “They’re at the lab. Shoot! Sparky, can you take this?” she asked.

“No problem Sunny. Be right back,” smiled Twilight. She gave Sunset a smile then got up and headed towards the lavatory. Sunset texted back. “Twilight will be there in a moment.”

A few minutes later Sunset got a text from Twilight. “NASA has an issue. Going with them to their headquarters. Can you please unlock the lavatory? I’ll ping you when I’m ready to return.”

Sunset texted back. “Sure thing, Sparky.” She reached out with her magic, visualizing the lock on the door, then unlocking the lock. The door clicked as the indicator slipped over to unoccupied. Sunset relaxed and waited for the text from Twilight.

About an hour later she got it. “Ready to return. Is the lavatory open?”

Sunset magically reached out and probed the lavatory. Sensing no one in it, she telekinetically slid the lock shut to show occupied. She texted Twilight, “All yours Sparky. Go ahead.”

Twilight returned from the lavatory. “Sorted Sunny. They’re all set. Now we can just relax.” She settled back into her seat, returning the fob she had hidden in the lavatory for her return trip to her backpack, then leaned against her friend.

“So what was that all about?” Sunset inquired.

“What all about? The trip to headquarters?” checked Twilight.

“Yeah, that. What did they need?” asked Sunset.

“They needed a way to transfer oversized equipment through the TACIT base. Turns out they had some shipping containers from Nicholi’s space division that were going to be used to ship the Prufrock boring equipment to the moon, so I placed spatial enchantments on the containers so they can toggle them back and forth between the normal and hammerspace states. Compressed, they will fit onto a rack they can load into the TACIT base and transfer that way. They had four of them on hand so I enchanted all four of them,” explained Twilight.

“Smart! Good call, Sparky! I bet we could do something like that too. Maybe we could get our hands on a shipping container?” asked Sunset.

“I don’t think it’s really an issue for us, Sunny. Seriously, if we need to transfer something, I can just place it in my hammerspace and transfer it that way,” replied Twilight.

“Ah, good point. Never mind then, I’m all for keeping it simple. Thanks, Sparky.” Smiling, Sunset snuggled into her friend, and together they took a short nap.

Sunset woke later to a strange feeling. Something felt a bit off, so she shut her eyes again and reached out with her magical senses. She felt two magical loci nearby, one in front of them and the other behind them. Her best estimation put them at least 5 rows or so from them, but the plane was so crowded it was hard to tell which persons were the mages she assumed to be the source of the magic. She leaned over to Twilight, whispering into her ear.

“Hey Sparky, heads up! We have two other mages on the plane with us. No, don't really look up! That was just an expression. My bad. About 5 rows or so behind and the same ahead. I can’t tell who it is in either case,” Sunset informed her friend. Twilight looked casually around and nodded. “I’m not sure what it’s about, but it seems suspicious to me that we’re right between them. Let's keep our guard up until we know what’s going on. Okay?” Twilight nodded again.

Sunset smiled. “So I guess that means the buddy system. We get to go to the bathroom together. Just like magical kindergarten,” she snarked.

“I never went to magical kindergarten,” snarked Twilight back.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Kindergarten is kindergarten, you dork.”

They read for a bit, ordering snacks and drinks when the stewardess came by with the cart. About an hour later Sunset started to get uncomfortable.

“That’s what I get for drinking all that coffee and soda,” Sunset complained with a frown. Guess it’s my turn to head to the bathroom. How do we do this?” Sunset asked.

“I could carry you on my back,” teased Twilight.

“That sounds like fun! But let’s save that for later,” grinned Sunset. Twilight rolled her eyes, giving her friend a light smack. Sunset laughed. “I wonder if I need to use that funky dolly again. Can you flag the stewardess down and ask please?” she asked.

“Sure Sunny. One sec,” agreed Twilight. She got up and walked over to the stewardess, speaking with her briefly while pointing back to Sunset, who gave a small wave and smiled. The stewardess smiled back then disappeared into the galley, returning with the dolly.

She smiled at Sunset. “Hi, Ms. Shimmer. Your friend explained you need to use the bathroom? I’ll help you two get to the bathroom where she can help you transfer onto the toilet. Are you ready?” she asked.

“Yes please,” answered Sunset. She transferred over to the dolly, and the attendant buckled her in place.

“The straps are just in case of turbulence,” the stewardess explained. Sunset nodded. “Okay, here we go.” Even though she was certain nobody really cared, Sunset felt like everyone was watching her as she slouched down into the dolly, thoroughly embarrassed. The attendant wheeled her into the lobby, Twilight in tow, and pulled the privacy curtain shut. “Okay, dear. Ready to help her into the bathroom?” she asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded. She lifted Sunset under her arms and pivoted into the bathroom, setting her on the seat. Just as she did, Sunset sensed a magical spike.

“Percutite!” a voice called out quietly and the stewardess dropped to the floor. A man and a woman dressed in business casual outfits grabbed Sunset and Twilight. Their hands glowed in a red aura. Before they could say or do anything else, Sunset’s eyes glowed white, and in a teal flash the two mages disappeared.

Twilight crouched down, helping up the stewardess, still shaking her head and looking dazed.

“What happened?” she asked the girls. “Are you okay?”

“A rude couple came pushing through here and knocked us all over,” answered Sunset. “Are you okay?” she asked the stewardess.

The stewardess nodded then asked. “Did you see where they went? I need to reprimand them.”

“No. It all happened too fast,” answered Sunset. “They disappeared so quickly.”

The stewardess looked frustrated. “Some people! I swear!” she groused. “I need to tell the captain what happened. Will you be okay for a bit? I’ll be back after to help you return to your seat,” she promised.

“I’m fine. I just need to finish up here then I’ll be good to go. Thanks!” said Sunset.

The stewardess nodded, then went to the flight cabin and knocked on the door. The co-pilot opened it. She whispered to him, he nodded, then let her in, closing and locking the door behind her.

Twilight turned to Sunset. “Celestia’s wings! Sunny, what the heck just happened?” she asked.

“Flying lessons,” answered Sunset as she closed the door. “I’ll be right out. Give me a minute, Sparky.”

Deep in the Everfree Forest, a man and a woman fell from a teal flash just below the face of a cliff overlooking the forest canopy. Panicked shouts were heard as the tops of the trees raced to meet them.

“Arresto Momentum!” they called out. A red glow surrounded them both as they crashed through the forest canopy and into the undergrowth below.

On the ground, they both got up and looked up at the cliff several hundred feet above them. A few choice words later, they both disappeared in a bright red flash.

Settled back into her seat, Sunset and Twilight discussed what just happened.

“I’m not detecting any more magical signatures. I don’t think they’ll be returning,” noted Sunset.

“Maybe they didn’t like the bounce at the end of their flight,” speculated Twilight with an eyebrow raised.

“Nah! I’m not heartless Sparky! I made sure it was open and high enough they would have plenty of time to cast a shield or something to keep from getting hurt,” defended Sunset. “I wonder who they were and what they wanted with us.”

“Nothing good, that's for sure. You don't lead off by knocking someone out if you're just making introductions,” noted Twilight.

“Agreed,” nodded Sunset. “Maybe Kaori will have some ideas. We’ll ask next time we see her.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The rest of the flight was relatively uneventful. No one tried to do anything to them on subsequent trips to the lavatory. They read and played games, watched a movie, ate meals, and in general enjoyed their time for the rest of the flight.

As promised, 11 hours later they were landing in Tokyo, ready to begin their adventure.

Disembarking from the plane, Sunset transferred back into her own chair. She stretched and smiled.

“Freedom!” Sunset cheered while stretching out her back and arms. “That was fun, but it’s nice to have my own wheels back and not be dollied around to go anywhere.”

“I hear that!” grinned Twilight. “Let's go get our bags and look for our ride.” She pushed Sunset, heading out of the terminal and into the line for customs.

With nothing to declare and all their papers in order, their passage through customs went quickly. They hurried to the baggage claim and, after a brief wait, gathered up their luggage. Sunset hitched her roll-about to the back of her chair while Twilight dragged hers along behind her.

They followed the line of their fellow passengers to the curbside pickup where they looked for anyone holding up a sign with their names.

“There they are,” pointed out Twilight. Across the causeway, a limo driver was holding up a sign in big letters. “Sunset Shimmer / Twilight Sparkle”. They headed towards her.

“Hi! We’re Sunset and Twilight. I take it, you're our ride?” smiled Sunset as she rolled up to the driver and bowed slightly.

“Aih. Welcome to Tokyo Ms. Shimmer, Ms. Sparkle. I’ll be your driver today. Please let me take your bags.” She took the roll-abouts from the girls, wheeling them to the trunk which opened as she walked towards it. She placed the bags in the trunk which shut itself as she walked away, returning to the girls. She opened the door to the back of the limo, a ramp extending down to the ground then locking into place as the door opened. Sunset watched, clearly impressed with the technology. She rolled up the ramp and into the spacious passenger area of the limo. Finding a comfortable seat, she transferred into it, locking her chair to the side. Twilight climbed in after her and sat down next to her.

“Wow!” Twilight said as the ramp pulled back up into the limo as their driver shut the door. “This tech is awesome. I’m getting the feeling I’m going to fit right in here!” Twilight grinned.

Sunset laughed and put her arm over her friend’s shoulder. “Sparky, you and I both!”

The driver got into her seat and turned to face the girls. “I will be taking you to the dorm where you’ll be staying in for the exams, so you can get settled. If you need anything while there, please don’t hesitate to ask the concierge. She will assist you with anything you need.” She smiled. “We’ve been looking forward to your visit for some time ladies. Again, welcome to Tokyo, and to Academy City!” She turned back around, pulled out into traffic then headed into the city and to their next adventure.

Our journey does not inspire our faith, our faith enlightens our journey - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in the A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc Ends.

The Level 6 Shift experiment is canceled.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 03 - Interlude 5 - Pinchy and the Coven Reprise

Interlude 5 - Pinchy and the Coven (reprise)

Pinchy waited three days then contacted the coven again. In her cell, she pulled the rune-covered stone from under her mattress. She chanted the incantation as amber power glowed from her extended arms, hands, and the stone. The portal opened over her bed. A package fell from the opening onto her bed. A cowled face appeared in the portal. “Slave! Give this package to the one called Gilda, the one who tried to kill the goddess. We will use her to destroy the Maker's pet.”

“It will be done as you command, master,” replied Pinchy, her face flat to her mattress.

“Excellent. Report to us in three days,” commanded the cowled mage. The portal faded. Pinchy replaced the stone under her mattress then gathered up the package, hiding it under her blanket.

In the yard, Pinchy walked by Gilda and her crew. Catching Gilda’s eye, she gave a slight nod and kept walking. Gilda stepped away from her crew and followed her.

Stopping at the side of the yard, Pinchy waited for Gilda to step up beside her. When Gilda was right beside her, she reached into her shirt and pulled out the package, handing it to Gilda. “You're in. Read the instructions in the package. If you have any questions, ask me. Don’t get caught.”

Pinchy walked off. Gilda stuffed the package into her shirt and walked back to her crew.

“What was that shit all about?” asked one of the crew.

“Redemption,” said Gilda. “And another shot at the bitch that put me here.”

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 04 - Twilight - Academy City

Twilight - Academy City

Saturday, August 23. 9:30 PM Canterlot time. Sunday, August 24, 1:30 PM Tokyo time.

As they drove through downtown Tokyo, Sunset and Twilight both gawked like tourists as they passed by different landmarks, marveling at the lights and life surrounding them.

Eventually they arrived at Academy City. As its own sovereign state, it was walled off from Tokyo itself. After presenting their papers and passing through the checkpoint, the bustle of tourists was replaced with the busy, purposeful strides of droves of uniformed students, all heading off to their tasks. A few were enjoying the parks and fountains scattered throughout the city of learning, sharing a few relaxing moments between their studies. The energy the girls felt from the environment around them was electric, brimming with purpose and intent.

The limo pulled into the cut-away of a modern looking building, parking in the drop-off area. Their driver got out, opening the door for them as the ramp again extended out automatically. The driver fetched their bags from the trunk, then led them into the lobby and up to the concierge desk.

“Kon'nichiwa, korera wa anata ga matte iru on'nanokodesu. Arigatōgozaimashita,” their driver told the woman at the desk while bowing. She left the roll-abouts by the desk and smiled as she bowed to the girls. “Welcome to Academy Tokiwadai Towers. Enjoy your stay in our fine city!” She then returned to her limo and left.

Taking the girls luggage, the concierge turned to the girls and bowed.

“As my associate stated,” greeted the concierge, “Welcome to Academy Tokiwadai Towers. I’ll take you to your room so you can unpack and freshen up after your long flight.” The girls bowed back.

“Arigatō!” said Sunset.

They followed her to the elevators. Entering, she pressed the top button labeled ペントハウス (Pentohausu). The doors shut, the lift smoothly rising to the top floor. Typing a code into the keypad at the top of the panel, the doors rolled open to the foyer of the penthouse apartments on the top floor.

The concierge led them out into the spacious entryway. Skylights overhead lit the room with sunlight, with six doors surrounding the room, two on the edges of the near corners and one each of the far corners. She led them over to the far left-facing corner, keying in her code on the keypad by the door. The door opened, and she led them into their apartment.

The girl's jaws dropped. The apartment was open and modern, with a modest but well-appointed kitchenette to their left side as they entered. A comfortable living space was just beyond the kitchenette, furnished with a large couch and one of the largest TV screens they’d ever seen on the opposite wall. Even more breathtaking was the view of the city from the full floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the back wall of the apartment. Beyond the kitchenette and dining area were two doors in the near wall to the guest bedroom and a large walk in closet. To their right was a short hall, with doors to a bathroom with western style toilet, and japanese style bath and wash stand. On the other side of the hall, facing out over the city below, was the master bedroom, furnished with a desk, chair, dresser, end table, and queen sized bed, as well as the picture window providing the entire rear wall, facing out over the city below.

“This will be your apartment during your stay with us,” informed the concierge as she opened the door, letting the girls into the comfortable master bedroom. The floor-to-ceiling window extended the back length of the room. She placed their bags by the dresser and removed a keypad from her pocket.

“You’ll have access to the areas apportioned to you through keyed access. Please type a code here. Then, after it’s accepted, enter it again. This will be your key. Please do not share it with anyone.” She held out the pad. Twilight took it and typed in her code. A green light flashed at the top, and she entered it again. The green light flashed again, went solid for several seconds, then went out. She passed the pad to Sunset who repeated the process. When Sunset finished, she handed the pad back to the concierge who placed it back in her pocket.

“This apartment has two bedrooms and a western-style bathroom. The next room over is the second bedroom. The room across from you is the bathroom,” she explained. “Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything,” she continued. “You can reach us by dialing 0 on any of the phones in the apartment or through the app on your phones, which you may load by following the link I just texted you. The app will also assist you in configuring your wifi and internet access for your devices. You’ll find an information packet in the desktop drawer by the bed. Please enjoy your stay in our city.” She bowed again, then left the apartment.

Twilight turned to Sunset. “Sweet Maker above! Look at this place!” she crowed. “It’s awesome! I don’t think I’d ever want to leave!” She walked over to the window looking out over the city.

Nodding happily, Sunset rolled over to the desk and took out the information packet. Reading it, she pulled out her phone and loaded up the app the concierge mentioned. Grinning, she selected an option on the app.

The window next to Twilight turned opaque.

“Hey!” Twilight called out. Sunset cackled.

“Now that’s awesome! No need for curtains! The window blacks out itself,” Sunset laughed.

Twilight crossed over to Sunset reading over her shoulder. “Ah. That is awesome!” She pulled out her phone and loaded up the app. Signing in with her keycode, she returned the window to its clear state. “Sweet!” she laughed.

“Right!? I can't wait to have the girls over and show this off. Maybe after the sleepover Saturday?” Sunset grinned.

“Sure! Maybe we can have them over Sunday and take in the city together. They’d love it!” agreed Twilight.

Twilight took the booklet from Sunset who was still reading it and looking at the options on the app.

“Check this out!” Twilight laughed after stealing the book. “The fridge keeps an inventory of the food in it, and you can set it up to restock itself automatically!”

“The things they think of!” laughed Sunset in agreement as she switched to the online version of the booklet linked in the app. “Oh wow! The TV out there is linked up to just about every streaming service there is. I guess I know where we are hosting our next movie night.”

Twilight nodded happily, still reading.

When they finished, Sunset went to put her things away.

“So Sparky,” prompted Sunset, “Going to take your things to your bedroom?” she teased.

“I’m in my bedroom, dork!” she laughed back. “Right next to my roommate. No way am I sleeping in the guest room. I like it here!”

Sunset laughed. “People will talk! What will they think?! What will we do?” she snarked.

“What will I care?” snarked Twilight right back, placing her arm around her friend. “I’m by your side where I belong! Let them talk!” She laughed, giving Sunset a hug.

“Ditto that, Sparky,” she agreed, hugging her back. “Side by side.”

They unpacked their bags, stowing the luggage in the closet. Once unpacked, they went to the bathroom to freshen up.

Back in the main apartment, Sunset yawned.

“I could really go for some dinner,” Sunset announced. “I wonder what is available at this hour. It’s after 10 PM Canterlot time, so it’s… let’s see. Oh, it’s just after 3 PM local time.” She chuckled. “So an early dinner time. Wow! Talk about a long day! Feel like taking a stroll Sparky?”

“Sounds good to me!” agreed Twilight. “Let’s go find some dinner!”

Twilight opened the door for Sunset who rolled towards the elevators. As Twilight left the apartment, the door shut and locked itself.

“So cool!” said Twilight with a giddy squee.

They got into the elevator. Riding it down to the main floor, they rolled up to the concierge desk.

“We’re going to head out and find some dinner. We’ll be back afterward. Do you have any recommendations?” asked Sunset.

The concierge smiled. “Of course. Restaurant row is just down the street about three blocks to the east.” She pointed off to the left. “There are lots of options there. I’m sure you'll find something to your liking.” The girls bowed and thanked her before heading out.

The streets were busy at this hour. Crowds of students and tourists were entering and leaving the establishments. Of course Twilight found a bookstore along the way, so they had to stop in to browse, wasting over an hour pulling each other back and forth across the store. Twilight was interested in their scientific tomes, while Sunset couldn’t stay away from the Manga. The salesgirl informed them they could have anything they bought delivered to their apartment at Tokiwadai Towers, which they happily took advantage of by giving her their apartment number.

Finally succumbing to their hunger pangs, they left the shop, agreeing to return in the future. They found the restaurants just as the concierge said.

“So what do you feel like?” Twilight asked.

Sunset looked at the Mac’ronall Hamburger at the beginning of the row. “Nope! Not feeling it. Not today. How about something more authentic? I see a noodle shop a little ways down, feel like trying that out?” she asked.

“That sounds perfect! Lead on, Sunny,” grinned Twilight.

Sunset rolled down the street, Twilight at her side. Along the way the girls noted that, despite how crowded the street was, they had little trouble traversing the sidewalk. They chatted happily as they strolled to the noodle shop.

Twilight opened the door, holding it for Sunset who followed her in.

Smiling contentedly and quite full, the girls returned to their apartment when they finished eating. Bowing in greeting to the concierge upon their return as they passed, they went to the elevator and up to their apartment. Twilight keyed in her code and they entered. On her way to the bedroom, Sunset checked her messages, accepting an appointment for their exams the following morning.

“Looks like my exams are scheduled first thing,” Sunny announced. “We have to be at the Academy offices by 8 AM to begin testing.”

After changing into her nightgown, Twilight checked her phone, accepting her appointment as well.

“Yup! Me too,” Twilight concurred. “Okay! Setting the alarm for 6:30 AM so we have time to get ready and get there. Sunny, you should set your phone to local time,” she recommended.

“Good point. This is more than just an extended stay.” Sunset took her phone out and made the adjustment from Canterlot to Tokyo time. She then rolled to the dresser and changed for the night.

The girls did their nightly ablutions then snuggled up together in the bed. Sunset took her phone and cleared the opacity on the window.

“It’s our first evening here,” mused Sunset. “I think I’d like to fall asleep watching the cityscape.” She smiled at Twilight who nodded grinning.

Chatting happily while looking out over the city they fell asleep.

Spiritual reflection robs the self of hate, self introspection gives hate its reasons - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

Etzali abducts Unabara Mitsuki, takes Mitsuki's form, and begins stalking Misaka Mikoto, with the objective of taking her form and sowing distrust amongst Kamijou Touma and his peers.[130]

And in case anyone is wondering, the apartments are based off of these, Ooka International Residence and the Researchers Room at the Tokiwadai International Residence. And yes, your eyes do not deceive you, that really is a Family Mart on the bottom floor. Talk about student friendly! The view is stellar too.

City Scape
Academy City Skyline
Tokiwadai Middle School Dorm.
Tokiwadai International Residence
And for reference, the floor plan.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 05 - Sunset - Academy Exams

Sunset - Academy Exams

Monday, August 25, 6:30 AM Tokyo time

Morning came too soon, the alarm gently filling the room. Sunset woke, and smiled at Twilight who smiled back. “Good morning, Sunny,” Twilight greeted.

“Back at you, Sparky!” grinned Sunset. She gave her friend a quick hug then rolled over and pushed herself up to sit. Grabbing her phone and dimming the windows for privacy, she noted there was a setting to do that automatically with the morning alarm. She decided to enable it, allowing the alarm to automatically opaque the windows every morning. Sunset transferred into her chair, then rolled over to the dresser, getting ready for the day. There was an Tokiwadai Academy uniform in the top drawer, making her choice of wardrobe simple. She set out her clothes on the bed.

She looked over, and noticed Twilight carrying her uniform. Twilight smiled. “I had the same thought! I’m heading into the shower, back in a bit!” she called as she headed into the bathroom.

“Okay! I’ll make breakfast,” replied Sunset. She rolled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Pulling out a pot, she prepared two servings of porridge, stirring it with a wooden spoon then letting it simmer. She set the table for two, with yogurt, fruit and cream for the porridge toppings, then pulled two juice boxes from the fridge for their juice. She snarked, “I guess fresh juice is a bit much to ask for in the city.” She turned off the heat and served up the porridge into the bowls, cleaning up her cooking mess while she waited for her BFF.

Twilight returned from the shower dressed in her Academy uniform. “Dang girl!” whistled Sunset. “You wear that well!”

Twilight smacked her with a grin. “Weirdo!” She sat down next to Sunset. The girls bowed their heads, holding hands.

“Thank the Maker for this food set before us. Bless our ways with Harmony and Friendship,” intoned Sunset.

“Thank the Maker,” replied Twilight. They piled yogurt and fruit onto their porridge. “Where’s the coffee?” asked Twilight.

“Sorry, Sparky, I knew I was forgetting something,” replied Sunset.

“No worries, Sunny! I’ll get it.” Twilight got up.

She grabbed two cups then went over to the coffee maker, noticing it was a substantial upgrade from the one they had in the bunker. A screen showed a selection of flavors and sizes. She selected a large dark blend with lots of caffeine for herself, placing her cup in the dispenser. Pressing the brew button, she watched as the coffee maker made hissing noises, a slight puff of steam, then dispensed the coffee into her cup. When the cup was full there was a whirring then a pop, and a k-cup dropped into the clear dispenser on the side of the machine.

“Oh, dang Sunset! You have to check this out!” excitedly called out Twilight as she took out her cup and placed Sunset’s cup in the dispenser.

Sunset rolled over. “What is it, Sparky?” she asked.

“Check this out!” grinned Twilight pointing at the machine. Sunset smiled and looked over the menu.

“Oh sweet Celestia, yes! I can tell this is going to get a workout between the two of us!'' she cackled, making her selection. The gears ground again. Shortly her cup was full of dark roast as the k-cup dropped into the receptacle next to Twilight’s with a whir and a pop. 'Oh yes! I am quite liking this!'' She grinned, taking her cup and returning to the table.

Twilight joined her, grinning as they put cream and sugar into their coffee, finishing up their breakfast.

Twilight cleaned up the breakfast mess while Sunset took her turn in the shower. Wrapped in a towel, she rolled out of the bathroom and into their bedroom.

“That was considerate of them to put a shower seat in there for me,” Sunset said in approval as she rolled by Twilight. “They’ve thought of everything!”

Finished with the cleaning, Twilight was now waiting at the table reading on her phone. “They sure did,” she agreed.

Sunset dressed in her uniform. Dressed and ready, she rolled back out and joined Twilight at the table. “Ready Freddy! Let's do this!”

“Let's!” agreed Twilight, giving her friend a hug. They walked toward the door, which opened to let them leave, then closed and locked behind them after they passed through.

The elevator opened before them, ready for their trip.

Sunset grinned. “Dang! That’s impressive. They must have an AI or something keeping track of us to make things easier. I’m really liking this place!”

They entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.

“I half expected it to light up the button for us too,” observed Sunset as they descended to the lobby.

They got out and headed for the exit. They bowed in greeting to the concierge as they passed. Once out the door, Twilight stepped behind Sunset.

“Okay, we’re running a bit late. If you don’t mind I’ll push while you pilot. Just tell me which way to go, and I’ll get us there as quickly as I can,” proposed Twilight, placing her hands on the handles of Sunset’s chair. “Okay with you, Sunny?”

“Uh… Sure. Just a sec.” Sunset pulled out her phone and looked at the directions to the Academy offices. “Okay copilot, let’s go! We need to head south for two blocks then cross diagonally and head east for about five blocks.”

Twilight started them off at a brisk pace as Sunset said south. She wove through their fellow pedestrians, stopping only when they reached the intersection. They waited for the cross signal, then crossed diagonally and headed east down the street.

“How’re we doing?” puffed Twilight.

“Almost there,” confirmed Sunset, looking at the map. A few moments later they were by the entrance of a large modern office building that towered over the surrounding offices. “This is it!” called out Sunset.

Twilight pushed them towards the building and they entered. They headed through the large lobby to the service counter at the far side, getting into line, waiting for their turn at one of the service windows. The line moved quickly, so within a few minutes they approached a smiling young woman in an Academy uniform.

“Ohayō!” she greeted them as they wheeled up to the window.

“Good morning to you too!” greeted Sunset as they stopped before her. “We’re here for our entrance exams? I think we’re at the right place.”

“You are!” the woman agreed, switching to English. “They haven’t started yet, so you’re fine. May I see your IDs please?”

Sunset and Twilight handed them over. She looked them over, typing into her terminal.

“You’re taking the exams together,” the lady announced. “Your examiner is on the sixth floor in room 673. You can take the elevators in Bank C just over to your right. Good luck!” she wished them while handing back their IDs. They bowed to her in thanks.

“Arigato!” said Sunset as Twilight wheeled her towards the elevators.

Unsurprisingly for a large building, there was a line for the elevators as well. They entered the Bank C elevator when their turn came. Sunset pushed the button for the sixth floor as Twilight pushed her past the panel. In a moment the elevator was full, nearly every button now pushed. The doors closed and the elevator rose.

It had thinned out enough for Twilight to push Sunset forward to the door then exit the lift without issues by the time their floor arrived. They looked at the signs, then turned down the hall, heading to their assigned room. A few turns and a short hall later they found the room, one of the central rooms in the office tower. Sunset knocked on the door.

“Enter, please! It is unlocked!” a voice called out from inside. Sunset opened the door and Twilight pushed them inside.

An elderly man sat at a teacher's desk looking over a bound report. He looked up when the girls entered. “I take it you are Sunset and Twilight?''

“Yes sir! That’s us,” confirmed Twilight as they stopped before the desk. She and Sunset bowed in greeting. He gave a nod back.

“Excellent. Do you need to use the lavatory, or perhaps get a drink before we begin?” he asked. The girls shook their heads. “Okay then. Let us begin.”

Several hours later the girls left the room, taking a brief break from the testing for lunch. They were encouraged to use the cafeteria on the second floor to avoid taking excessive time away from the testing while trying to find a nearby place to eat.

Seeing the clear wisdom in that, they followed his directions to the second floor where they found the cafeteria. It was crowded, but the line moved quickly. They both selected a basic bento box lunch, then rolled over to a table with an open spot for Sunset. They nodded, greeting the other students at the table, said a quick harmonic prayer then tucked into their lunches. There wasn't much talking, as it seemed everyone was focused on their testing. Finished with their lunches, the girls cleared their trays, then left the cafeteria returning to the examination room for the remainder of their testing.

Their examiner looked up from his desk when they returned. “Excellent. Thank you for your expedient return. Let us resume.”

Finished, the girls thanked their examiner and bowed.

“I will review the results and make my recommendations. Expect to hear from us shortly with your assignments. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you. You may leave.” He dismissed them.

Twilight wheeled Sunset out of the room and back to the elevators. “So what now?” she asked.

“Back to the apartment and wait for Kaori to contact us I guess.” Sunset shrugged. “I’m kind of curious how we scored. We didn’t pony up or use our magic so I was surprised we were able to do some of the things he asked.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. This place seems full of surprises. I guess we’ll see,” she agreed. She laughed and grinned. “It might have been fun to let them see us fully ponied up.”

Sunset laughed. “Yeah, that would be a no. I don’t think they were expecting two demi-goddesses to apply to their Academy. This way was better.”

Twilight nodded. “True that.”

The elevator opened up before them. They rode the elevator up, then returned to their apartment to wait to be contacted.

Seek Harmony in all her ways daily, and her light will grow within you - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

Nothing active.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 06 - Sunset - Meetings With Friends

Sunset - Meetings With Friends

Monday, August 25, 4:30 PM Tokyo time

When they got to their apartment they were surprised to see Kanzaki Kaori leaning against the wall by their door. “How’d it go?” she asked with a smile.

“Hi! Didn’t expect to see you here!” greeted Sunset.

Sunset keyed in her code and they all entered, then headed for the living area. Kanzaki took a seat on the couch by the window, while Twilight sat next to her facing Sunset in her chair.

“So! How soon until you get your results?” asked Kanzaki.

“Not sure, but he said it would be soon,” answered Twilight. “They’ll contact us to review the results when they’re ready.”

“It was odd that we were the only two in that exam room. There were clearly tons of people there taking their exams,” noted Sunset.

“That’s actually typical when they get candidates they suspect might have higher level psychic abilities. Typically, you run through your exams in a full classroom with 30 or so other candidates, but if they think you might be a level 3 or higher, they’ll pull you out for more extensive testing. They keep hoping to find more 5s,” Kanzaki explained.

While they were talking, both Sunset’s and Twilight’s phones alerted them to new messages. Opening the message, Twilight spoke up. “Wow! That was quick. They sent a link to review the exam, with a follow up appointment tomorrow morning to discuss my placement at the academy.”

On her phone, Sunset opened a similar message. Both girls accepted the appointment, then opened the attached links to read the results.

“If you want, we can go over them together now,” Kanzaki offered. “I’m not an expert on psychic powers, but I’ve been here long enough that I might be able to answer some of your questions. Why don't you cast them to the screen here so we can go through them.''

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sunset. She found the TV as an available device then cast her display. The screen lit up with the summary of her exam results. “I guess I’ll go first,” she smiled at Twilight.

“Go ahead, Sunny,” Twilight welcomed.

Kanzaki looked over the scores and comments. “That’s actually quite impressive. They’ve rated you a solid 3.” She looked over to the girls. “You were holding back, weren't you?”

“Kind of?” agreed Sunset. “We didn't use our transformations or any magic. We tried to keep it as low-key as possible.”

Twilight nodded in agreement.

“A very good plan. If they thought you were anything close to their precious level 6, they would probably lock you away somewhere until they figured out how to clone you and make their own army.” Kanzaki laughed.

“They do that?!” gasped Twilight. “That’s unethical! That’s immoral! That’s… That’s…” she trailed off.

“You would be surprised what some people will do to get what they want,” sighed Kanzaki.

They reviewed Twilight's results as well. To her surprise, Twilight scored higher than Sunset, placing her solidly at the top of level 3. This was primarily due to her telekinesis. Sunset's scores were primarily based on her empathic and telepathic powers.

“I’m definitely interested in how they rate some of these other powers,” noted Twilight. “They have categories here I haven't even thought of testing for.”

“Always the scientist! That’s my Sparky,” laughed Sunset.

“For Science!” Twilight cheered with a laugh.

“For Science!” nodded Sunset with a grin.

Kanzaki noted the time. “It’s almost time for dinner. I’ve arranged for us to meet Tōma and Index. I’d like for you to get to know each other. I think you’ll like them!”

“Sounds good to me!” agreed Sunset, rolling towards the door. They left, headed for restaurant row to meet their new friends.

Kanzaki brought them to a meat shop. Squid and other seafood sizzled on an open grill, filling the shop with the delicious smells of the cooking meats. Kanzaki spied her friends in the back of the shop sitting at a traditional Japanese table. A young nun in a white habit, complete with a gold-trimmed headdress was at the table, climbing all over a slightly older young man in his Academy uniform. He was holding his skewer of cooked meat away from her.

“Toma!” the young nun shouted as she reached and thrashed around in an attempt to get the meat. “I’m hungry, Toma!”

“Index! This one’s mine!” he said, blocking her and shifting around in order to protect his dinner.

Kanzaki grinned, shaking her head as she led Twilight and Sunset over to the table.

“Toma, you need to share!” growled Index, biting his hand. He dropped the skewer, which she caught. “Yes!” she called out, devouring the meat.

“Index, that was mine!” groaned Toma, shaking his hand.

Kanzaki held her hand to her face, laughing quietly. “Index, you’re such a child sometimes!”

“I am not!” Index replied. “I wouldn’t be so hungry if Toma bothered to keep food in the apartment!”

“Index, you eat all the food!” Toma shot back, reaching for another skewer. “This one is mine,” he said, taking a bite from it.

Sunset and Twilight watched with their mouths agape.

“What? You two don’t clown around?” Kanzaki asked with a smirk.

Twilight blushed. Sunset snickered.

“She’s got us there, Sparky!” Sunset grinned and waggled eyebrows. Twilight rolled her eyes, smacking her BFFs arm. Kanzaki laughed as they joined Toma and Index at the table.

“Hi, Kanzaki!” greeted Tōma. “We kind of started without you. Index was hungry.”

“Only because you’re starving me!” pouted Index. “Order more food, Toma, I’m still hungry!”

Kanzaki laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Index. We’ll order more food!”

“Thank you, Kanzaki,” Index said primly, glaring at Toma. “See, some people know how to treat their friends. Not starve them!”

The girls sat at the table, Sunset a bit higher due to her chair.

“Do they serve noodles here?” Sunset checked. “We had noodles yesterday and they were fantastic!”

“Sure, as long as you have meat with them!” laughed Tōma. Index was pouting, waiting for the food.

“Make that tofu and I’m good,” agreed Sunset.

Kanzaki waved over the shop's custodian. An older man with an apron soon approached them, taking their orders, including another platter of meat for Index.

“Index, Toma? These are the friends I was telling you about from the States. They just took their exams today and will be placed tomorrow. I’ve pulled some strings to get them placed in Tokiwadai. I see they already gave you the uniforms so a safe bet that’s where you’ll end up.”

“Tokiwadai? That’s great! That’s where Misaka goes,” Tōma realized.

“Yes, but she’s in middle school. They’re university level so they likely won’t see much of each other,” said Kanzaki.

Toma turned to Twilight and Sunset. “Kanzaki says you two are actually really powerful mages. Can you please look out for her? Misaka Mikoto, she’s one of the seven level five espers, but she could use some help. Watch out for her, please?”

“We’ll keep an eye out for her and introduce ourselves when we see her. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours,” assured Sunset.

“Thanks for that,” smiled Toma. “She’s a battleship in shorts, but she attracts trouble like a magnet.”

Kanzaki facepalmed. Toma deadpanned, remaining oblivious.

“I get the feeling trouble is something never in short supply here,” noted Sunset.

“That’s the truth,” agreed Toma. “With all the different factions fighting here for control while the idiots try desperately to make a new god? Yes, things get fairly insane.”

“New god? What’s that all about?” asked Sunset, surprised.

The old man returned with their dinners. Index tore into her meat skewers, happy as a baby with a bottle. Twilight and Sunset enjoyed their noodles with grilled tofu.

Kanzaki groaned. “That would be what I was talking about earlier. Long story. The short version is that certain groups were trying to use Toma’s friend Misaka sisters to ascend the number one ranked esper Accelerator into a god.”

“We put a stop to that,” nodded Toma. “Now she and her sisters are safe. Well, relatively safe.”

“Wow! That’s insane. So sisters? Do they go to the Academy too?” asked Twilight.

“It’s complicated,” Kanzaki sighed. Twilight raised an eyebrow in question.

“She calls them her sisters. They’re her clones. They cloned Misaka,” answered Toma as he picked at his meat skewer.

“Clones? What? That’s a thing?” asked Sunset, surprised. “She has clones?”

“Yeah,” answered Tōma. “20,001 of them. Well, she had 20,001 of them but Accelerator killed about 10,000 of them as part of the plan to raise him to a level 6, so there aren’t as many now.”

“What. The. FUCK!!” yelled Sunset. “How in the Maker’s name did something so evil even happen!” she raged.

“Like I said before, you would be shocked at what people will do for power,” sighed Kanzaki.

“I thought you meant stealing or cheating or something. Creating an ARMY of people just to kill them off?! I want to rip some heads off just hearing it!” Sunset steamed.

“You and I both,” agreed Toma. “Like I said, we stopped it. If anyone messes with them or her, we’ll find a way to stop them too.”

Sunset just shook her head. “What madness have we gotten into?” she asked incredulously.

“It’s the same madness as always,” said the saint, taking her hand. “We’re fighting those who’ve sold out their humanity, who destroy themselves and others in their mad quests for power. That’s why I asked you here. Help us protect Index. Help Toma protect Misaka and her sisters. Help us stop these evil people using others for their own purposes and ends.”

Sunset looked downcast. Twilight looked like she wanted to cry. “How can anyone be so evil?” she whispered.

“Because they’ve lost their souls, given them up for their pursuit of power,” answered Kanzaki.

Sunset looked up. “Then we help them get them back,” she said with a determined look.

They finished their dinner in a more somber mood. The girls exchanged contact information with Toma and Index. They parted with hugs, then the girls and Kanzaki walked back to the apartments.

“We’re happy to have you with us, but you don’t have to drop us off,” said Sunset. “We can make our own way home if you need to be somewhere else.”

“No. I’ll come with you. I imagine you’ve got more than a few questions. Besides, I’m staying in a dorm room a few floors below you while I’m here,” answered the saint.

They settled onto the couch looking out over the nighttime cityscape below.

“I’m slightly jealous,” admitted Kanzaki as she sipped her drink, looking out over the city. “My dorm room window just looks out over the quad.”

“You’re welcome to stay in our spare room if you want,” offered Twilight.

“Thanks, but no, I’m fine. Though I do appreciate the offer,” she smiled.

Sunset turned to Kanzaki. “So … you asked if we had questions. I have a few.” Kanzaki nodded in encouragement.

“Okay. First, on the way over here, Twilight and I were attacked on the plane. They knocked out one of the stewardesses and tried to use some type of magic on us. I sent them away before they could cast it, so I didn’t find out what the spell was.”

“Away?” asked Kanzaki, an eyebrow raised.

“Not a euphemism. I actually sent them halfway around the world and off the face of a cliff by Canterlot, though I’m sure they’re fine. I just wanted them somewhere they would have a loooong journey back before they could mess with us again.'' Sunset clarified. “It was a shock. We weren’t expecting anyone to just come out and attack us. Especially not that soon.”

“Remind me not to piss you off,” smirked the saint. “Good instincts! Glad to hear you were able to take care of yourselves.”

“Thanks,” said Sunset. “But it does beg the question. Who’d be trying to take us out already? We haven’t even done anything yet.”

“One of the magic covens must have gotten wind of you, possibly when we reached out to our friends to get you set up. Honestly, I’m surprised as well. I didn’t think they had that kind of intel into the Academy,” Kanzaki frowned. “We’ll look into it.”

“My second question,” continued Sunset. “What’s going on with Toma?”

“What do you mean?” asked Kanzaki.

“I’m not sure I should mention it, as I want to respect his privacy. But,” Sunset thought for a moment then continued. “No other way to put it. He’s broken. When we said goodbye and we hugged, I got a flash into his memories. He has them back to some kind of fight with Index then nothing past that. Gone. Like his mind was magically wiped.”

“His mind was magically wiped. He triggered a protective spell on Index, then he tried to protect her from it. The spell was supposed to wipe her memory clean but he caught a piece of it and it wiped him instead,” answered Kanzaki. “He hasn’t told anyone about it. He’s been acting like everything is fine, and mostly doing okay with that.”

“Damn! What is it with everyone here using dark forbidden magics?” asked Sunset. “Seriously! Mindwipe? Where I come from using that would land you an extended stay in our eternal prison.”

“When we first found out what had been done to Index, both Stiyl and I were furious,” agreed Kanzaki. “But it can’t be undone. So we do our best to protect her.”

“Some good news for Toma. His soul still has everything, so his instincts and reactions are all fine. From what I saw, he has a good heart and really cares for Index and his friends, yourself included,” continued Sunset. “Oddly, he also has epic levels of chaos and harmonic magic in his soul. Clearly, there’s more to him than he lets on.”

“That was probably his ‘Imagine Breaker’. Honestly, the only reason the Academy has him ranked at level zero is they refuse to or can’t acknowledge its magical component,” commented Kanzaki.

Sunset nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. I haven’t seen that mix and levels of power since I dealt with dragons.”

“When did you have to deal with dragons?” asked Twilight, confused. “We never had any of those attack the school.”

“No, thank Harmony!” agreed Sunset. “I was still the personal protege of Princess Celestia at that time. I was a battle mage, dealing with them as her student long before I came here.”

Twilight nodded, understanding.

They chatted for a while longer, discussing possible ideas on how best to protect Index and Toma. As they were chatting, Twilight had a great idea.

“We should give Toma and Index each one of the TACIT fobs so we can reach and rescue them if we need,” proposed Twilight.

“That actually sounds like a great idea,” agreed Kanzaki. “Though if it’s magical, Toma’s Imagine Breaker would interfere with its operation. But if it’s purely scientific, it should work just fine, even for him.”

“I am tagging them with a magical marker,” replied Twilight. “But if he knocks that out, no worries. It’s also tagged electronically, so he should still be fine. Just more of a pain if we can’t use the magical marking. Not a deal breaker.”

“Good to know,” agreed Kanzaki. “How soon can they have them?”

“I’ll get them now,” answered Twilight, leaving to enter their bedroom. She came back with two fobs, which Kanzaki affixed to necklaces.

“Knowing those two, it's better if they are wearing them. Especially Toma. He tends to break everything he owns due to his bad luck. If he’s actually wearing it, he might actually keep it working longer,” mused Kanzaki. She tucked the two necklaces away. “Thank you, girls.”

“You’re welcome,” smiled Twilight.

Sunset smiled and nodded. “So when will you see them?” she asked.

“I’ll catch him on his way to school in the morning. He can wear his and give Index hers when he sees her later,” answered Kanzaki. “Speaking of which, I really want you and them to bond. Can we have dinner again Wednesday night? The more time you spend together the better.”

“Sure,” agreed Sunset. “We can just have dinner here this time.”

“That sounds perfect. Thank you, Sunset,” agreed Kanzaki. “Just make sure you have lots of food. Especially meat. You saw how Index can pack a meal away,” she grinned.

“That she can,” agreed Twilight. “No worries, we’ll have plenty of food. So she won’t have to try to eat Toma,” she grinned.

Sunset facepalmed. “I don’t think that came out the way you intended,” she laughed.

“What, she bit him like five times just while we were eating,” laughed Twilight. “Just like a spoiled little sister.”

“Okay, maybe it’s me. I’ve been here too long,” agreed Sunset. “Aunty Luna has opened my eyes to some things that she probably shouldn’t have,” she laughed. “Just saying that’s not the best phrase to use.”

“Okaaayyyy… moving on,” noted Twilight, confused. “It’s getting kind of late, and I for one am getting tired. Do you mind if I bow out and call it a night?”

“Honestly, that’s fine with me,” agreed Kanzaki. “I’m going to head out and get some rest too. I’ll see you both Wednesday for dinner. Thanks!” She stretched, getting up from the couch.

“I’ll show you out,” agreed Twilight, rising also and leading Kanzaki to the front door. “Thank you for everything, Kaori-san,” she said, bowing to her at the door. “We really appreciate it. Have a good night.” She opened the door for her.

“You too, Twilight. Goodnight Sunset!” she called out as she left.

“Good night, Kaori-san!” Sunset called back, looking up from her phone. “See you Wednesday!”

Kanzaki bowed, then headed down the hall for the elevator as Twilight closed and locked the door.

“That was fun,” sighed Twilight as she sat back down next to Sunset, still working on her phone. “Watcha doing?” she asked.

“Looking up Misaka Mikoto, like I promised,” answered Sunset without looking up. “There’s certainly a lot on her. I guess being one of the top ranked espers’ gets you noticed,” she laughed, still reading.

“So what did you find?” asked Twilight, leaning over to read the phone over Sunset’s shoulder. “Anything I should know?”

“Absolutely,” agreed Sunset. Looking up, she showed the phone to Twilight. “She’s the third ranked of the seven level 5 espers in the Academy. Here’s a picture of her. If I see her, I plan on introducing myself and inviting her over for dinner.”

Twilight looked at the phone, nodding. “Good plan. Wow, she’s just a kid. Must be something to have all that attention heaped on you at that age,” Twilight noted, loading the site up on her own phone adding it to her reading list. “If I see her, I’ll offer the same invitation,” she agreed.

“Sounds like a plan,” yawned Sunset. “Wow, long day. I’m with you, Sparky. Time to call it an evening and get some rest.” She rolled away into the bedroom, returning with her bathroom bag. “Be right out, just need to do my nightly ablutions,” she commented, heading into the bathroom. Twilight nodded, heading into the bedroom to get ready for bed herself. She changed into her pajamas, then waited by the bathroom.

“You can just come in, Sparky. We’re all girls here, no need to wait,” called out Sunset from the bathroom.

“You sure?” asked Twilight, poking her head into the bathroom.

“Yes, Sparky. I’m sure we are both girls,” snarked Sunset, sitting on her chair while she pulled on her pajamas.

“Oh har har har. Not what I meant,” grinned Twilight, opening the door and heading in. She went to the sink, and washed her face and brushed her teeth while Sunset finished getting her night clothes on.

“Trade?” asked Sunset, finished getting dressed. Twilight rinsed out her mouth and nodded. They swapped places, with Twilight using that side of the bathroom to finish getting ready while Sunset washed up and brushed her teeth. When they were both ready, Twilight washed her hands a final time and they both retired to their bedroom.

Sunset rolled up next to the bed and transferred into it, taking her phone with her. Twilight got in on the other side, and snuggled up to her friend.

“Looking forward to our classes,” Twilight smiled, arm around her BFF. “I really can’t wait to get started.”

“Right there with you,” agreed Sunset, clearing the window so they could look out over the city. “I can’t believe we are finally in college together. It’s like a dream come true,” she sighed. She put the phone on her nightstand and snuggled up to her BFF. “Thank you for coming with me, Sparky.”

“No where else I would want to be,” agreed her friend sleepily. “G’nite Sunset.”

“Good night, Sparky,” agreed Sunset, falling asleep as well.

Kanzaki Kaori watched the students passing by and she sipped her tea, sitting at the table outside the cafe. Spying her quarry, she waved and called out. “Toma! Over here!”

Toma, passing by on his way to his classes at A Certain High School, waved and came over. “Hi Kaori-sama. Did you need something?” he asked, taking a seat at the table with her.

“Yes. Twilight and Sunset asked me to pass these on to you and Index. These are necklaces they can use to help you if you ever need it. They asked that you wear them at all times so they can protect you if you ever get into trouble. Which, knowing the two of you, should only happen three of four times a day,” she grinned, handing them over.

Toma took them, careful to only hold it in his left hand. “Does it matter which one is which?” he asked as he placed them both over his head and tucked them into his shirt.

“They didn’t say anything about that, so probably not. That said, one of them is pink, so your preference.” Kanzaki grinned.

“Yeah, okay.that one goes to Index then,” he laughed. “Need anything else? I need to get going. I don’t want to be late or keep Komoe-sama waiting.”

That got a grin from Kanzaki. “No, don’t keep your crush waiting,” she agreed with a grin.

“What? It’s not like that. She just hands out detention freely if you’re late, and I already have to get back to my dorm to take care of Index,” frowned Toma.

“Sure… Oh, and let Index know. The two of you are invited over to the girls’ apartment Wednesday night for dinner. I really hope to see the two of you there,” noted Kanzaki as he got up to leave.

“Free dinner? And they’ll feed Index? Yeah, you bet we’ll be there,” grinned Toma. “See you, Kaori-san!” He left, headed for his class.

Smiling, Kanzaki finished her tea..

Harmony takes, replacing the lost with something better - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

None active - though on the August 27 Toma and Index will have to leave for a time while the fallout of his defeating Accelerator (Sisters Arc) works itself out.

Toma asks Sunset and Twilight to look out for Misika Mokoto (Railgun) during dinner as he is concerned for her and the Sisters. And heck, even the author ships them! Just, not for a few more years. :laughing:

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 09 - Sunset - A Day with NASA

Sunset - A Day with NASA

Thursday, August 28, 6:30 AM Tokyo time. Wednesday, August 27, 2:30 PM Canterlot time.

The next morning Sunset and Twilight awoke with the alarm. They got dressed and ready for the day, but with nothing planned, they decided to spend the day at the Martian bunker, checking on the progress the drone made mapping the life blooms along the ancient riverbed.

Skipping breakfast, they teleported directly to the bunker from their apartment, using the tagged magically resonant markers they had placed earlier. They grabbed a quick breakfast and coffee at the bunker, then sat down to review the drone data.

From the data it was clear that the life blooms were growing, increasing in size and spreading out along the riverbed. Delighted, Twilight sent out the new data to Dr. Long at NASA. It didn’t take long for her to get a reply back. Twilight read the text.

“Hey Sunny, want to visit NASA?” she asked. “Dr. Long just invited us to visit the NASA offices.”

“Sure, sounds like fun. We can always finish this up when we get back,” agreed Sunset. She finished off her coffee, taking her and Twilight’s cups to the sink, where she rinsed them out then placed them into the dishwasher and started it. Together, they entered the TACIT transceiver, teleported directly to Twilight's lab.

Twilight texted Dr. Long that they were available and ready to be picked up at her home address. Twenty minutes later, a limo pulled up to the Sparkle residence to pick the girls up. Twilight left them a note for her parents, both still at work, letting them know they had stopped by and what was happening.

It was a short drive later to the Canterlot NASA offices, where they were greeted by Dr. Long. “Hi girls! Come see what we’ve started!” She waved them over.

She led them into a warehouse, where they found Dr. Moonshot working with the TACIT bases.

“Hi, Dr. Moonshot! How’s it going?” Sunset greeted, shaking his extended hand with an excited smile.

“Hi girls! It’s going great! We’ve already started setting up the bases on both the moon and on Titan!” he informed them. “Would you like a tour?”

“Heck yes!” exclaimed both Sunset and Twilight.

“You guys certainly work fast!” noted Twilight.

“Probably not as fast as you.” laughed Dr. Moonshot. “But we do what we can. We’ll visit Tranquility Base first,” he said, heading over to the lunar TACIT base. They followed him, getting into the line for a turn in the transceiver base. When their turn came, the four of them placed on their goggles and teleported to the Lunar Tranquility Base.

The first thing the girls noticed was that the TACIT receiver was already underground.

“You’ve already moved the receiver underground? Smart!” noticed Twilight.

“Absolutely!” agreed Dr. Moonshot. “Safer for everyone involved! And no bulky suits required. That was one of our first goals, same as you and for the same reasons I would expect. We’re in a large cavern about 10 meters under the lunar surface.”

Looking around, they saw the cavern filled with crates and supplies. To their right, a hallway opened up with a few rooms visible through the opening. Teams of technicians were moving about, assembling equipment and building out the rest of the base.

Dr. Moonshot led them through the hallway and into a breakroom.

A harried technician who rushed into the room with a clipboard in her hand. “Dr. Moonshot, Dr. Long! We need you for a moment! Can you please inspect and sign off on these?” she asked.

“Sure thing. One second,” replied Dr. Long.

Turning to the girls, she added. “Do you mind hanging here for a few minutes? This won’t take long. I promise!”

“No problem!” said Twilight. Sunset smiled and nodded.

“Thanks!” Dr. Long smiled. She headed out and down the hall after Dr. Moonshot and the technician.

When Dr. Long left, they nabbed two coffees and muffins from the breakfast counter then took a seat at one of the tables to wait.

As they sat, a technician sat down beside them, also sipping her beverage. She was a beautiful young Chinese woman, her hair done up in pearl pins, and wearing a clearly brand new, crisp, bright NASA uniform. They both recognize her immediately.

“Chang’e! Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?” laughed Sunset. “Does NASA even know who you are?”

“Why, whatever do you mean? My name is Dr. Heng’e,” smirked the mischievous goddess, sipping her tea. They both laughed with her.

“Well it’s a privilege to meet you, Dr. Heng’e,” smirked Sunset, giving Chang’e a side hug. Moving to her other side, Twilight joined the hug as well.

“So, what are you really doing here?” laughed Twilight as she sipped her coffee and enjoyed her muffin. “Decided to visit your new neighbors?”

“Absolutely! What kind of goddess would I be if I didn’t welcome new visitors to my realm personally!” Chang’e grinned. “And thank you again for bringing men back to my world! I’ve so missed their delightful chaos and industry.”

“Anything for a friend!” grinned Sunset.

Drs. Moonshot and Long returned, heading over to their table. Dr. Heng’e saw them coming.

“That’s my cue,” noted Chang’e. “Take care girls, I will be seeing you!” She gave them a last quick hug before heading out the other door.

“Who was that?” asked Dr. Long as they joined the girls at the table. “I don’t recognize her but I’ve been running into her all morning. Do you girls know her?”

“Ah, yes. She’s an old family friend. I admit I was surprised to see her here,” smiled Sunset.

Twilight almost choked on her coffee.

Dr. Long looked concerned, “Are you alright, Ms. Sparkle?” she asked.

Still choking but laughing, Twilight nodded, wiping the coffee off of herself and the table.

“Okay, that was… interesting. Moving on… Let’s check out the rest of the base, shall we?” smiled Dr. Long.

As they were heading back into the hallway, Dr. Moonshot got a text. Reading it, he quickly excused himself.

“Sorry,” Dr. Moonshot said with an embarrassed smile. “I need to step away again. They’re setting up the main telescope and need me to coordinate the team calibrating it. I’ll join you again when I can.” He excused himself, heading down the hallway and around the corner.

“That sounds interesting!” grinned Twilight. “Can we see that?”

Dr. Long smiled. “Sure we can! But let’s give them some time to set up and get everything cleared away first. We still have plenty to see in the meantime.”

Dr. Long then led them in the other direction, towards a larger room filled with rows of racks mounted equipment.

“This is our hydroponics farm!” she informed them, pointing around to the rows of racks that filled the room. “No fish though. But that was a brilliant addition, I must admit. I wouldn't be surprised to see that added soon.”

Dr. Long led them down several of the rows, where open vats of hydroponic fluid, seedlings suspended, floating gently in the mix, were being flooded with artificial sunlight, bathing the plants in warmth.

“Currently, the entire base is powered through the TACIT terminal by a large inductive circuit,” noted Dr. Long. “We have banks of batteries on-site for backup, enough to keep the lights on and air fresh for several days. We’re also installing an experimental fusion reactor, which when operational, should completely supply the base's needs.”

“So, how soon until the base is self-sufficient?” asked Twilight.

“We don’t expect to be fully self-sufficient for some time,” acknowledged Dr. Long. “But the base will be able to make a go on its own when needed for up to a month at a time, once all the systems are online and operational. Full self-sufficiency is the goal we expect to meet within the next year or sooner, depending on the resources we find in our mining operations.”

“That makes sense,” nodded Twilight.

Returning to the hallway, they left the hydroponic farm. Dr. Long led them further down the hall and into another even larger room. There teams of technicians were assembling large autonomous units that largely looked like oversized space suites with powered appendages and tracts for legs.

“These units are used by our mining operations. They’re capable of both autonomous and manned operations, and are used to excavate the minerals and resources we need to both survive and expand the base. Several of these are already in use right now to create the base as it currently is,” explained Dr. Long.

“Can we see them in action?” asked Twilight eagerly, moving around one, measuring and testing its range of motion excitedly.

“Sure thing!” agreed Dr. Long. “We’ll need to suit up though, these are operating outside of the sealed base.” She led them to the back of the room then stopped, turning back to the girls.

“On second thought, We should just take one of the larger units out. You don’t mind being a little cramped, do you girls? It occurred to me, the tunnels are unfinished, and the lunar dust will be brutal on the bearings in your chair. Sorry about that. But on the bright side, it does give us an excuse to play with one of the units.”

“Heck yes!” cheered Sunset, happily agreeing. “I’d love to drive around in one of these!”

Twilight nodded happily as well.

“Okay! That’s settled then, let’s take the big unit. It’s over here.” Dr. Long led them to the end of the row, where an oversized cyborg suit sat. It was easily four times the size of the others, with a cockpit and controls visible through the front window.

“Oh sweet Celestia, yes! That’s the ticket!” gloated Sunset, wheeling up to it. “How do we get in?”

“The hatch is in the back. One moment.” Dr. Long reached around and keyed her code into the keypad at the back of the unit. The rear of the unit lifted away, exposing a drop-down ladder leading to three bucket seats in front of the cockpit window. Below the window were three screens with joysticks on either side and a keyboard below. Two gauntlets were suspended next to the display in the middle seat.

“That is so sweet! Dash is going to lose it! She’ll so want a chance to see this!” laughed Sunset. “I may need a little help getting in there, though.”

“No worries, Sunny, we got you!” smiled Twilight. Together, she and Dr. Long lifted Sunset from her chair, then up into the middle seat. Twilight climbed up to her left and Dr. Long took the right seat.

“Woohoo! Does that mean I get to drive?” asked Sunset, reaching for the gauntlets with eager, wiggling fingers.

“Maybe later,” smirked Dr. Long, gently smacking her hands away from the gauntlets. “You need training first, and be cleared for this unit, but I don’t see any reason we couldn’t make that happen eventually.”

She keyed her code into the console in front of her, the display springing to life. The hatch behind them shut, the pressure seal locking into place. Checking the power levels and O2 reserves, she turned to the girls. “Okay. Our little titan is ready to rock! Who wants to do a little lunar exploring?”

Sunset looked out the window, and saw Dr. Heng’e waving at them from the other side of the hanger. Then she shook a finger at them, laughing while Sunset waved back. The Dr. walked back out of the room, still laughing.

“I swear, that young woman looks so familiar,” mused Dr. Long. “It’s like I know her, but I just can’t place her. What was her name again?”

“That’s Dr. Heng’e,” smiled Sunset. “She’s an old family friend.”

Twilight was looking away, trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you had heard of her,” agreed Sunset. “She’s fairly famous in some circles.”

Starting to shake silently, Twilight covered her mouth with both hands. Dr. Long looked at her, smiling but perplexed.

“What’s her specialty? Maybe I’d recall her if I knew that,” asked Dr. Long.

“Celestial mechanics.” Sunset deadpanned. “With an emphasis on Lunar orbits.”

“How odd. That’s a rather specific specialty,” mused Dr. Long.

“It is, isn’t it,” agreed Sunset.

Twilight was shaking in her seat, barely repressing her mirth.

Still thinking, Dr. Long reached over to take the joystick, then stopped. She bowed her head, then started chuckling.

“No. It can’t be,” she laughed. “Dr. Heng’e, you said?”

“The one and only,” agreed Sunset with a smirk. “That’s actually her original family name.”

“Son of a ... “ Dr. Long exclaimed breathlessly. She laughed out loud, throwing her hands up and turning to Sunset. “You don’t mean who I think you mean, do you?”

“I don’t know. Who do you think I mean?” smiled Sunset.

Dr. Long burst out in laughter. “Oh my stars! I grew up on her stories. She was my favorite heroine! I can’t believe it.” She howled out in laughter. “Oh my stars! Sweet harmony! I’m on the moon with Chang’e!”

Twilight burst out in laughter. “Oh thank the Maker! I thought I was going to pass out from having to hold that in!” she laughed.

Just then, there was a tapping on the glass in front of them. They looked up, there was Chang’e, smiling, looking at Dr. Long. Chang’e gave a little wave.

Dr. Long’s hands flew up to her face. “Oh sweet harmony! It’s her! It’s really her!” She bowed down, hands folded over her head. “Thank you thank you thank you! I can’t believe this! Thank you!” she called out. She looked back up.

Chang’e gently placed her hand on the window and smiled at her. Nodding, she grinned. She then turned to Sunset. She playfully scowled at her while wagging her finger, then stepped away from the unit, smiling and waving as she left the room.

“I think I’m in trouble,” laughed Sunset. “I don’t think Chang’e wanted me to out her.”

“Too bad! We’ll keep her secret though,” agreed Dr. Long with a huge smile. “Let’s go explore!”

Dr. Long took the controls, smiling ear to ear. She drove the unit over to the large airlock at the end of the room, entering it. Typing a few commands on her keyboard, the large interior lock door shut behind them. They could hear compressors cycling the air in the room out, eventually dimming to unhearable as the air thinned. A few moments later Dr. Long's display went green, and the lock door at the back of the lock opened. She rolled forward and out of the lock, the lock’s door shutting behind them. Typing another command, the forward flood lights lit up, bathing the tunnel in light.

“Okay! Now we’re cooking. Let’s see how the rest of the excavations are doing, then head up to the surface,” announced Dr. Long, rolling forward about 100 meters to a branch in the tunnel. Taking the left branch, she rolled forward at a steady pace following the slow turn of the tunnel as she went.

“This is going to be the outer ring of the base when it’s completed,” she informed them. “This tunnel will encompass the entire base. A rail system will be installed to allow transfer of personnel and materials quickly around the entire base.”

“I can’t believe how much you’ve already excavated!” noted Twilight. “You must have some exceptional equipment.”

“We do! We are using the latest Boring Company large tunnel bore. It was one of the first pieces of equipment we brought over and it’s been going non-stop since it got here,” Dr. Long informed them. “We should be coming up on it shortly.”

They could see a dim light coming from around the curve of the tunnel ahead. Within a few moments they felt a slight vibration through their seat, which increased as the light grew brighter. A crew was working ahead. As they came up behind them they saw several of the smaller units like theirs were clearing rubble, loading it up into bins that were taken down a side tunnel as they filled. A unit would return with an empty bin, placing it at the back of the queue. The large boring company drill moved noticeably ahead of them, processing rock and advancing the tunnel.

“Wow!” said Sunset. “Now that’s impressive!”

“Right?!” agreed Dr. Long excitedly. “We’re already almost a third of the way done with the outer tunnel. After that will be the spoke hub tunnels then the inner ring. At the rate this unit works, we should be completed by the end of the week.”

“And what then?” asked Sunset.

“Then, the boring equipment makes the trip to Mars to begin excavation on the Martian base. We’re going to be neighbors!” smiled Dr. Long.

Sunset laughed out loud. “That thing will certainly wake up Mark Watney!” she joked.

Dr. Long laughed. “Yeah, I bet it would!”

Twilight looked confused. “That’s the second time you’ve made that reference. I still don’t get it,” she said.

Sunset pulled her into a side hug. “Sorry, Sparky! I was supposed to show you the story, my bad. It’s a really cool story about a man stranded on Mars, how he overcame everything, and got back to Earth. It’s one of the reasons Mars has been so hot on everyone’s list of places to go to. And it’s part of the reason we put our bunker there. I’ll get you a copy of the book when we get back. I promise, you’ll love it!”

“Ah, that makes sense then,” nodded Twilight. “Thanks, Sunny!”

“No problem Sparky!” smiled Sunset.

“Okay, let’s go see the processing site where they mine the debris we’re excavating for water, oxygen, and any useful minerals,” said Dr. Long, spinning the unit on its tracks then turning down the side tunnel the carts were taking. Rolling down the tunnel they noticed occasional areas where the tunnel would widen into a room then taper back down to its normal width and continue.

“What are the wider parts for?” Twilight inquired of Dr. Long. “I notice they are about 500 meters apart. What’s the significance of that?”

“Those will be depots. This will be one of the spoke tunnels eventually,” answered Dr. Long.

They came upon another of the depots. This one had two side tunnels that both sloped upwards. Dr. Long turned the unit towards the rightmost tunnel and headed up. As they were entering, they saw another of the smaller units emerge from the left-hand tunnel with an empty bin in tow. It turned down the tunnel they had just cleared, clearly returning for more debris.

They emerged from the tunnel onto the moon’s surface. There was a line of units and bins, with the lead bin being dumped into a large hopper. From the hopper, the rock and debris were sifted onto a belt that led to a large cage of automation that apparently processed the rock. There was a belt out the side sloping up to the top of a large mound where crushed rock and powder were dropped onto the growing pile. Further along, there were other belts leading to smaller piles as well as two tanks on carts at the end of the line.

“What are the tanks for?” asked Sunset.

“That’s the water and oxygen,” answered Dr. Long.

The processing was moving along smoothly, with a new unit and bin showing up about the time the bin at the front of the line had been completely emptied. They watched for a few minutes, marveling at the efficiency.

“Ready to head back?” asked Dr. Long. “They should be about done with the Telescope calibrations if you still want to check that out.”

“Yes, please!” smiled Twilight. Sunset nodded and smiled.

“Okay then, let’s do it,” replied Dr. Long.

Dr. Long wheeled the unit over to the return tunnel, then raced along it to the depot, turning back down the tunnel. A short distance later they were back to the boring equipment, which had made noticeable advances since they left. They turned back down the hall racing back to the airlock and base.

“This little beast really can haul!” grinned Sunset as they raced down the tunnel. “I want! Any chance I can get one of these toys?”

“I’ll see what we can do,” smiled Dr. Long. “I don’t know about one of the big boys like this one, but there may be a spare smaller unit once we set up the Martian base. Maybe we could lend you one of those for a while?”

Sunset pumped her fist in victory.

Twilight laughed and shook her head. “You’re such a bad girl!” she laughed.

“Sez you!” Sunset shot back with a laugh. “I’ll have you know there’s nothing bad about me! Just ask my BFF!”

“Dork!” grinned Twilight.

“Takes one to know one!” grinned Sunset back.

Dr. Long laughed and shook her head as they neared the airlock. Slowing down, she keyed in the commands to open the airlock, stopping before the opening door. Once it completely opened, she rolled into the lock and completed the cycle. The door closed behind them, and they heard the air being returned to the lock. When Dr. Long’s display cleared to green, the door before them opened and they rolled into the room housing the units. Driving back to the spot they had left earlier, she parked it, shut down the unit, then released the seals on the back hatch. It opened slowly upwards, then Dr. Long and Twilight climbed out. Twilight pulled Sunset’s chair over and they lowered her out of the unit and into her chair.

“That was fun!” smiled Sunset. “I so can’t wait to get one of those for our bunker on Mars!”

Dr. Long motioned them to follow, leading them out of the room and back into the hallway. “This way!” she called out. “The observatory is down here.” She headed down the hall with Twilight and Sunset trailing.

Coming to an intersection with a tunnel spiraling upwards off to the left, she headed up. After a few cycles they came out into a room on the Moon’s surface that looked out over a closed dome, complete with a very large celestial telescope with all its related equipment. The mirror at the base was easily several meters across.

“Wow! That’s a monster!” smiled Twilight looking at the mirror and assembly.

“When it’s finished, it should be at least as big as Keck,” nodded Dr. Long. “But with significantly better atmospherics!”

Twilight nodded. “I should say so!” she laughed.

In the dome they saw several technicians working around the mirror and mounting frame. One of them was dialing in calibrations to a motorized unit at the base of the mirror. When he finished he nodded and waved to the other technicians then headed towards the room they were in. There was an airlock off to the side that he entered, and moments later he emerged into the room. When he took off the helmet they could see it was Dr. Moonshot.

“Ah, you made it. Just in time too!” he smiled. “We’re about to take some test shots then get it started on its first rotation. You can watch us put this beauty to work.”

He finished removing the rest of the suit, hanging it on a rack located next to the airlock, then wandered over to them and took a seat at one of the stations while they gathered around.

“Just a few more minutes,” he promised. The other technicians finished their tasks and cycled through the airlock one at a time. Taking off their suites they headed out to their next assignment.

“Good luck, Dr. Moonshot!” the last technician called out as she wandered out and back down the hall.

“Thanks, Rose!” Dr. Moonshot called after her, waving as she left. He keyed in his code and the displays in the front of the room flared to life displaying the feed from the telescope itself. The telescope started moving, spinning slowly up and over while the dome overhead opened giving completely full access to the star-filled skies.

“Our first calibration shot is Alpha Centauri.” He typed a command and the large scope locked onto the bright star. The image grew and cleared, showing an absolutely stunning shot of the star filling the screen. “Nice! I can almost count its sunspots with this beauty!'' grinned Dr. Moonshot. He took several shots then moved on.

“Next, the horsehead nebula,” he noted. The telescope once again moved then locked into place. On the screen was the famous horsehead nebula in stunning focus. He took several stills of that as well.

“Dr. Moonshot? Can I get copies of those?” asked Twilight.

“Certainly! Why do you ask? Are you an astronomer as well?” asked Dr. Moonshot, preparing the telescope for the automated run it was slated to complete as its first assignment.

“Not exactly,” smiled Twilight. “I’m an amateur who loves star gazing. The pictures are primarily for my dad. He’s a professor of astronomy at Canterlot University, and I just know he would be absolutely beside himself to be here right now.”

“Well let him know he’s always welcome to stop by!” nodded Dr. Moonshot. “Okay, tonight’s run is ready to kick off. I’m going to hang here and watch it for a bit, just to be certain there are no issues. But everything is looking good.”

Dr. Long turned to the girls. “Let’s head back to the offices, so you can take a look at Titan base before you have to leave.”

Sunset nodded. “True that. We have a busy day starting in a few hours. It would be nice to get some sleep.”

They waved goodbye to Dr. Moonshot as they left the control room.

As they were leaving, Dr. Long leaned over and whispered into Dr. Moonshot’s ear. His eyes sprang wide. “You don’t say!” he stage-whispered to Dr. Long. She nodded. “Hmm!” he smiled. “That’s great!” Still smiling, he went back to work.

As they were heading down the hall. Sunset grinned at Dr. Long. “You told him, didn’t you?” she asked.

Dr. Long smiled and nodded. “He needed to know, and he’s good at keeping secrets. Her secret is safe with us,” she said.

Sunset laughed, then sighed. “Chang’e is so going to kill me.”

They turned into the control room where the TACIT receiver was housed, still in heavy use. A new shipment appeared every 30 seconds, with technicians waiting to pull the arriving equipment from the booth before the next one appeared. They were all wearing goggles. The girls had prudently put pairs on as well when they entered the room.

Eventually there was a lull in the deliveries and Dr. Long led the girls into the stall. They waited a few moments until a magenta glow flashed, and they were back at the base in the NASA offices. They cleared out of the booth quickly as a new shipment of equipment was wheeled into place. A magenta flash later, it was delivered to the moon’s tranquility base.

“Shall we head to Titan, then?” invited Dr. Long with a grin. “Any helpful extra staff we should expect to meet there?”

Sunset laughed. “No, not that we know of. No promises, though!” She wheeled over to the line for the Titan TACIT base which also had a queue of materials lined up for delivery.

“Noted!” laughed Dr. Long. “I guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes peeled.” She and Twilight joined Sunset in the line.

When their turn came up Sunset wheeled into the base, Twilight beside her, and Dr. Long in the front. They were still wearing their goggles. A few seconds later there was the familiar magenta flash, and they were on the Titan base. They once again cleared the busy booth quickly.

“Good job, Sunny! You wore your goggles! You can be taught!” teased Twilight.

Sunset smacked Twilight on the back of her leg. “Shuddup you,” she laughed as she took off her goggles, pitching them into a nearby collection bin.

They moved past stacks of equipment and busy teams of technicians. Overhead a large dome stretched out, providing protection from the toxic atmosphere. Above that a shimmering shield sparkled, blocking out the life threatening radiation that plagued the space around the Giant above them. Purple clouds moved along briskly in a magenta sky, with Saturn hanging large overhead. Sunset stopped, taking in the view.

“I don’t think that will ever get old,” Sunset said in awe. “That’s just breathtaking.” Twilight nodded happily, awed as well.

Dr. Long nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. It’s one of the reasons I love my job!”

After a few moments she gently moved them forward. “As stunning as this is, we should continue. Also, know that you’re always welcome to visit.”

Continuing on she entered a hallway that was part of a covered tunnel between their dome and another about 50 meters away.

“Let’s take a look at the residential dome first,” Dr. Long proposed.

As the girls followed, Dr. Long continued. “This dome is mostly living space for the base staff. The dorms, cafeteria, break room, and gym are here as well as showers and a small spa and pool for relaxation. We were inspired by your design, and by the fact that with the TACIT system, we no longer have the many material restrictions we thought we would be facing, including water management. So it made sense to adjust our thinking.”

Twilight and Sunset nodded. Dr. Long led them into a large common room filled with tables of staff, seated, talking, eating, and enjoying each other’s company.

“This is our cafeteria,” Dr. Long informed them. “The buffet line is through the side doors there.” She pointed to the other side of the room where a swinging double door was getting a fair amount of traffic. “Let’s take a seat for a moment and enjoy a coffee or tea before seeing the rest of the base.”

They took a seat at an open table, pushing aside one of the chairs to allow Sunset a place to sit at the table.

Dr. Long waved over a passing intern and whispered into her ear. Smiling, the young girl nodded and passed through the double doors, returning a moment later with a tray of three coffees, cream, sugar, and muffins, which she set on the table for them. “Thanks, Babs! You’re a lifesaver,” smiled Dr. Long.

“No problem, Dr. Long. Happy to help!” chirped the young girl with a smile as she turned to leave.

“One sec!” called out Sunset. The girl turned back, still smiling. “Hi! I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is my friend, Twilight Sparkle. We’re pleased to meet you. Who might you be?” she asked, her hand extended in greeting.

The girl took her hand, giving a shake. “Hi! Sorry about that, I didn't mean to seem rude! I’m one of the interns here. My name’s Barbara Seed. But my friends call me Babs! I’m Dr. Long’s assistant.”

“Babs Seed?” asked Sunset, thinking. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to an Apple Bloom Apple, would you?”

The girl nodded, smiling. “Yes! She’s my cousin. Do you know her?”

“Wow! Small world!” laughed Sunset. “Sure do! Her sister, Applejack, is one of our best friends!”

Twilight smiled, also shaking the girl's hand.

“Sunset Shimmer?” the girl mused. “Yes, I do remember you. You're one of the Rainbooms, right? Apply Bloom’s mentioned you.”

“That’s us!” agreed Sunset. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Babs!”

“Thanks!” smiled the girl. Turning to Dr. Long, she smiled. “I have to get back to work now, but let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help!” She waved, heading back into the hallway.

“Good kid,” smiled Dr. Long. “And how many kids get to say they interned for NASA on another planet?” She laughed, taking a bite out of one of the muffins.

“Right?” agreed Sunset. Twilight nodded, stirring cream and sugar into her coffee.

“The goal for Titan base is a bit different than Tranquility or Mars,” explained Dr. Long. “We’re considering Titan to be a forward base in our long-term exploration. Eventually we want to set up a way station in orbit we can use to explore further out into the Solar System, the Belt, and eventually beyond. Titan is well placed as a stepping stone to get us there.”

“That makes sense,” agreed Twilight. “So the base is a staging area for forward operations.”

“Yes. Exactly,” nodded Dr. Long. “It will take a while to build that forward, especially as the bulk of our efforts in the near future will be focused on Mars and our Moon. You’ve really cracked the nut of the inner system open with your TACIT transporters.”

Sunset pulled Twilight in for a hug as she blushed. “Well done, Sparky,” she encouraged.

Her arm still around her BFF, Sunset nibbled her muffin. “So what scientific research are you running on Titan?” she asked.

“We are sending out probes looking for any signs of life. Because of the unique circumstances here, we are looking beyond just carbon-based life for anything resembling organic type processes,” replied Dr. Long. “We don’t currently have any probes out, as we’re still staging everything up and building out the base infrastructure. But we expect to have the first probes in action by the end of the month.”

“I’ll definitely be checking in then!” smiled Twilight. “I can’t wait to see what you find and how it compares to the life signs we are finding on Mars.”

“I’m very fascinated by the Martian life signs you have found, too,” agreed Dr. Long. “One of the first things we plan on doing when we implement the Martian base is working with you to extend and refine the scans you’re running. We’re hoping to actually find that life is more prevalent than we even hoped.” Dr. Long smiled.

“So ready for a quick walk-around of the rest of the base?” She asked.

Sunset finished off her muffin and coffee before agreeing. “Sounds good to me!”. Twilight nodded, finishing her coffee and muffin as well.

Clearing their tray they resumed their tour of the Titan base. Unfortunately at the moment there really wasn't much to see aside from teams all over putting together equipment, and the breath-taking view overhead. Racks and pallets filled rooms and hallways, and of course, everywhere there were lots of very busy and excited people, all buzzing with the thrill of actually being on a mission to another planet.

Finished with the tour the girls and their guide returned to the TACIT receiver, waiting for their turn to return to the NASA offices, goggles in place once again at NASA (and Twilight’s) insistence. Their turn arrived and they made the transfer. Taking the girls aside, Dr. Long thanked them for everything, and for taking the time out of their day to see the work they were doing.

“It was totally our pleasure, Dr. Long! Thank you so much for inviting us!” said Sunset.

“Absolutely, and I can’t wait to see you on Mars!” agreed Twilight. “About that… We’re still working on the TACIT switching, but we’re not even close to having it working. How soon do you plan to begin work on the Martian base?”

“As soon as the initial work is done on Tranquility Base,” answered Dr. Long. “We just need to finish the Lunar excavations with the Boring equipment then move it over to Mars to begin there.”

“Then we can be neighbors!” Twilight laughed.

Dr. Long grinned. “Do you girls need a ride back to your lab? I can call the limo for you.”

“Nah, we’re good, we can teleport from here using the markers. Thank you though!” grinned Sunset. “And thanks again for the tours! Best of luck with your work!”

With a quick hug for each of them, Dr. Long excused herself and returned to her work. Joining hands, the girls used the marker to return to the TACIT base in Twilight’s lab.

“Wow! That was a heck of a day! And Saturn overhead! That was so intense!” Twilight smiled.

“Sure was, Sparky! Not a day I’ll be forgetting soon. And get that! An Apple on Titan! They really are everywhere, right?!” laughed Sunset.

Twilight laughed and punched her arm. “Be nice, Sunny!” she grinned.

“Speaking of nice, I wonder how nice Chang’e is going to feel towards me. I really let the cat out of the bag there. I just hope she’s not mad,” smiled Sunset. “I get the feeling the entire base is going to know her little secret in very short order.”

In the crew dorms of the Lunar base, a sign was hung by the door to one of the private rooms, reading ‘Dr. Hang’e’. In very short order a small table was found under it, on which the staff started leaving candy, treats, bottled beverages, and handwritten notes of gratitude.

In the room, a smiling Dr. Hang’e read the notes privately, happy tears of joy in her eyes.

Finding Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle home and preparing for dinner, Twilight and Sunset joined them. They regaled them with tales of the two bases. Twilight gave her father the pictures of the Horsehead Nebula taken with the new telescope, and relayed Dr. Moonshot’s open invitation for him to drop by.

After dinner, they returned to their apartment, in time to start their next day thanks to the time zone differences. As they were returning in a few hours for the sleepover in the Bunker, they decided to get some rest before heading back, so they opaqued the windows and took a few hours nap.

Dr. Moonshot sat across from Dr. Long at his desk, reviewing the project priorities and timelines for the three new bases that had been placed under their jurisdictions.

“Wow, are we ever going to be busy for the next few months,” laughed Dr. Moonshot, signing off the latest requisitions for equipment on the new Martian base.

“Jeff, don’t even pretend you aren't having the time of your life,” grinned Dr. Long, reviewing the requisitions for the Lunar Tranquility base. “I’ve been your partner long enough to know you're a kid in the candy shop here,” she laughed, signing off on her equipment requisitions.

“You are so not wrong, Eve,” grinned Dr. Moonshot. “If you had told me two weeks ago you and I would be responsible for three new active bases on two moons and a planet, I would have sent you to the medic on call for a quick check.” He looked over at the two 36-volt silver-zinc potassium hydroxide non-rechargeable batteries sitting in the corner of his office, a gift of apology from the girls for the prank that started all this and kicked off the latest push of humanity into the solar system. He smiled. “Remind me to thank those girls.”

“Every time we see them,” agreed Dr. Long with a smile. She looked over to Dr. Moonshot. “Almost done here, Jeff. Have any plans for dinner?”

“What do you have in mind, Eve?” he asked without looking up, signing off the last of his requisitions and filing them in his out basket.

“I heard it’s lasagna night at TitanFall. And I can’t think of anything more romantic than lasagna while looking up at Saturn overhead. Feel up to a little bit of a well deserved break?” Dr. Long suggested.

“Eve, you’ve talked me into it!” smiled Dr. Long, tossing the last of the signed requisitions into the outgoing stack, then standing and taking her hand. “Let’s have a little down time and just enjoy being a couple, instead of this,” he waved his other hand around the office.

“Thought you would never ask!” agreed Dr. Long, tossing her signed requisitions into the stack as well and standing. “Lead on, my dear!”

Locking his arm in hers, he grinned and led them out the door. “It’s a date!” They left for the TitanFall TACIT transceiver and their well earned dinner.

Worry less; Pray more - The Celestial Teachings

Toma - Home for A Visit with the Parents

To say it had been a day filled with misfortune would be an understatement, even for Toma, who never seemed to be far from misfortune when it struck.

He woke to a world turned topsey-turvey. His mom was now Index. His dad was… well his dad was still his dad, near as he could tell, but without his memories, that was still mostly a guess. His little cousin, who everyone calle his sister, looks just like Misaka. And the two mages from Necessarius who came with him were not completely affected. Oddly enough, Kaori looked like Stiyl to everyone else, though Toma could see her quite plainly as Kaori. She initially was coming after him thinking he was the cause of the worldwide shuffle of souls, but with a little forewarning from Motoharu, his neighbor in the dorm apartments - who actually it was revealed was also a mage for Necessarius - helps him convince them he is not in fact the mage behind this strange occurrence, which they explained to him is called Angel Fall.

Misfortune continued for Toma, as Kaori asked him to watch the baths so she could clean up without the weirdness of being joined by other men, which failed spectacularly when his family found him guarding the door, and insisted he get his stinky hide in there with his - they thought male - friend and clean up. As he was thrown into the bathing room, Koari was just exiting the bath, in her full glory.

Toma was in no measure amused or aroused by this, as he rightly feared her, knowing her temper and how easily she was able to destroy him in their earlier encounters. While she did punish him for his indiscretions, she did not destroy him, but he remained nervous the entire rest of the day.

Add to this that escaped ritualistic serial killer, Hino Jinsaku, was rumored to be in the area, causing more alarm for Toma and his family. And, misfortune finding a way to touch Toma again, he was attacked that evening by this very same killer, but was saved from a rather gruesome death by an nun, Misha Kreutzev, of theRussian Orthodox Church'sAnnihilatus, a mage like the ones from Necessarius, though her specialty is dispatching beings from the afterlife.

If that were not enough, his father was feeling rather amourous - it was a vacation, after all - and was constantly suggesting trysts to his wife, trying to achieve some marital intimacy. His wife was clearly interested - except Toma could clearly see his mother was Index, a young teenage girl, a nun no less, who probably had not even kissed a man, let alone done any of the things his father was intimating.

Thoroughly appalled at what was clearly going to happen, Toma decided the better part of valor was to act like a child again and insist on sleeping between them. As his father kept waking to see if he was asleep yet so he could resume his clearly welcome amorous advances, Toma did not in fact sleep at all that night.

“Such misfortune,” he groaned as he lay there awake.

Author's Note

The theme song for when Sunny and Twi are looking up at Saturn from Titan is Coldplay Coloratura. I found a link and included it because this is too special to miss, and here is a link showing what they were looking up at. I was literally crying my eyes out listening to it while reading the scene. It fits. So fits.

Events occurring in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Angel Fall Arc begins.

Kamijou Touma and Index retreated from Academy City due to increased hostilities around him on August 27.

And the question I am sure everyone wants to know. With Angel Fall having triggered world wide, why weren’t Sunset and Twilight affected?

Surprise, they were. But like the rest of the world, they didn’t realize it - everything seemed normal to them. As ascended creatures, they, as well as Chang’e, were not directly affected by the global body swap, no longer being part of the affected lower order. But everyone they were working with was, despite the fact they remained oblivious the entire time.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 10 - Twilight - Back to Canterlot

Author's Note

Trigger warning. In this chapter one of the girls' friends is revealed to have been sexually abused in their past, with some non-graphic details. It is heart-rending, so please be forewarned.

Events occurring in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Angel Fall Arc ends.

Kamijou Touma returns to Academy City and is being treated in a certain hospital.

And on the day of morning they awake to go to Tokiwadai Academy, Aug 31:

The Three Stories Arc occurs.

Etzali betrays Return of the Winged One by deliberately accepting the failure of his mission.

Accelerator becomes brain-damaged after being shot in the head by Amai Ao.

Yeah, the crossover here is a whole lot of tell-not-show. I encourage anyone who really wants to experience the arc in its full glory to read the light novels. A Certain Magical Index - Volume 04 is the one that contains the Angel Fall madness in its full glory. Or you can watch the anime, which is always fun.

My advice, seriously? Read the light novels, they are fantastic! The 5th book, with Accelerator and Last Order. The entire light novel series.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 10 - Twilight - Back to Canterlot

Twilight - Back to Canterlot

Saturday, August 30, 11:00 PM Tokyo time. 7:00 AM Canterlot time.

The girls woke with the alarm they had set for 11 PM. They quickly got ready, dressing casually for their day with their guests. Joining hands, they teleported to the TACIT base in Twilight’s lab.

Entering the house they found Velvet already up, making breakfast for the family.

“Hi, Mrs. Sparkle!” greeted Sunset as they rolled in. Twilight gave her mom a big hug which she happily returned.

“Hi girls! Joining us for breakfast?” she asked, returning to the chorizo and eggs she was preparing on the stove.

“If we can?” asked Twilight, smiling up at her mom.

“Anytime dear!” her mom smiled back. “You two are always welcome here!”

“Thanks, Mrs. Sparkle!” added Sunset.

“Just Velvet, dear! We’re all friends here!” grinned Velvet. “Care to help me out a bit? Twilight honey, can you please warm up the tortillas? And Sunset dear, can you please set out the plates? Six settings please.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Sparkle! I mean, sure thing, Velvet,” corrected Sunset as she rolled over to the cupboard to get the settings.

“Got it, mom!” Twilight placed the tortillas into the oven to warm, adding a bowl of water to keep them moist.

Twilight’s dad entered the kitchen, hanging up his cell phone. “Hi girls! Didn’t expect to see you so early!” he greeted, moving to the fridge and pulling out creamer, salsa, and sour cream. He placed them on the table, then fired up their old coffee maker, putting a carafe full of water into the hopper and pouring a large scoop of grounds into the filter. Flipping on the power switch for the ancient machine, he hit the brew button.

“So, I'm really looking forward to our little party today!” Night Light cheered as the coffee drizzled into the carafe, adding to the delicious mix of smells in the kitchen, including the breakfast burritos Velvet was making. As the coffee sputtered its last fruits into the waiting carafe, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Sunset called out, rolling to the front door. She opened the door to be greeted by her mom and aunt.

“Sunny!” her mom smiled, bending down to embrace her in a heartfelt hug. “How’re you girls doing? It’s so nice to see you!”

“Mom!” Sunset smiled, hugging her back. “I didn’t expect to see you and Aunt Luna until later! This is a nice surprise.”

“Velvet and Night Light invited us over for breakfast beforehand,” noted Luna, smiling at the two of them as she entered. “And it’s wonderful to see you, Sunny.”

Sunset released her mom and pulled her aunt into an embrace. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Aunt Luna!” Sunset snuggled. Celestia headed down the hall towards the kitchen to greet the rest of the crew.

With a quick squeeze, Luna hugged Sunset back, then took her hand. “I too can’t wait to get back to your bunker and show off all you’ve done. Dr. Sombra is going to be floored!” she laughed. “Come on, let’s go see what everyone else is up to.” Luna led the way back into the kitchen, where breakfast was being plated up and set on the table.

Night Light brought the coffee over to the table and set it on a hot pad. Sunset poured a cup, then passed the carafe to Twilight, who also loaded up a cup of her favorite rocket fuel. Food and beverages were passed around as everyone heaped up their plates. Sunset unsurprisingly passed on the chorizo, loading up her burrito with eggs and salsa.

Celestia cleared her throat for attention, then joined hands with Sunset and Luna. Sunset held Twilight’s hand as everyone around the table joined hands and bowed their heads. Celestia invoked their thanks to the Maker, and after their response everyone launched into their breakfasts.

“So, what’s the plan for the party today?” Celestia asked the girls. “The invitations said to arrive here at 10 AM. I take it we’ll go straight to the bunker from your lab, Twilight?”

Twilight nodded, her mouth full of egg burrito, causing Sunset to snort at the sight of her friend trying to answer with her mouth full.

Setting the burrito down and swallowing, Twilight gently slapped Sunset’s knee. “Don’t pick on me, you goof!” she laughed. She turned to Celestia. “Yes, that’s the plan. We’ll go over in groups of four or so. One of us will stay for a bit to pick up any stragglers. Once everyone’s over, we’ll start the party on Mars. We have a full day of fun planned, it should be a blast.”

Sunset nodded. “We’re going to try putting on a bit of a show too, just for the fun of it,” she added. “And we’ll show off some of the sites.”

“That sounds wonderful, girls,” Celestia smiled. “I know everyone will have a fantastic time.”

They finished up breakfast. Twilight put away the leftover food while Sunset and Celestia helped Velvet clean up the dishes, kitchen, and table. Once everything was straightened and cleaned they grabbed more coffee and joined the rest of the crew in the living room, chatting while they waited for the rest of the guests to arrive.

By 9:30 almost everyone was present. The girls were all there, as were Lyra and Bonnie. Bonnie was a bit overwhelmed on seeing everyone else there, slowly coming to the realization that maybe this time Lyra wasn’t pulling her leg. When the doorbell rang and Sunset brought back the last few guests, that clinched it.

Sunset grinned ear to ear in excitement. “Hi everyone! These are Drs. Moonshot and Long from NASA,” introduced Sunset, “Dr. Long, Dr. Moonshot, you already know my mom and aunt. Here is Dr. Night Light Sparkle and Dr. Velvet Sparkle, Twilight’s parents. Girls, can you please introduce yourselves?” added Sunset, rolling away as the doorbell rang again.

She answered the door. A smiling Dr. Sombra greeted her.

“Hi, Sunset!” greeted Dr. Sombra as he entered. “I take it that means I found the right house!” he laughed, hanging his coat on the rack by the door.

“Yup! We’re all in here! Follow me,” she chuckled. Grinning, she shut the door and led him into the living room.

“Everyone, this is Dr. Sombra. He’s a very close personal friend of my aunt Luna!” announced Sunset. Luna immediately choked on her coffee, while Dr. Sombra turned a bright shade of red.

“Uhm, uh… Uhm… well. Hello everyone!” he choked out.

Laughing, Twilight lightly smacked her BFF. “You’re a brat!” she grinned quietly to Sunset.

Grinning ear to ear, Sunset nodded and quietly answered. “Don’t I know it!”

Taking Dr. Sombra by the hand, Twilight led him over to Luna, sitting him down next to her. They both stared awkwardly at each other, smiling like a couple of kids.

“Now who’s the brat!” whispered Sunset, laughing as Twilight returned to her side.

“Don’t I know it!” Twilight grinned. Both girls giggled. The doorbell rang once more.

“And there’s our last guest!” announced Sunset as she headed for the door.

Opening the door she was greeted by Trixie, standing there smiling. “Hi, Sunset! The Great and Powerful… Uhm… Trixie is here!” she said, holding out a bag to Sunset. “Trixie brought snacks to share as well!”

Sunset pulled Trixie into a hug. “Trixie! I’m so glad you could make it. Come on in! We’re all waiting in the living room. Let’s get this party started, shall we?”

Taking Trixie’s hand, she pulled her towards the hall and pointed forward. “Go on! I’m right behind you!” Sunset encouraged.

Shyly moving forward, Trixie looked into the living room seeing the large crowd. Twilight looked up and saw her standing by the door.

“Trixie! Come on in!” she called out, crossing the room and pulling Trixie over to where she was talking to the other girls. Sunset came in, flashing her BFF a thumbs up. Twilight smiled while Trixie was greeted by the girls, grinning and warming to the party.

Sunset noticed Bon Bon was tearing up, holding tightly to her friend Lyra. Concerned, she rolled over to the girls.

“Bonnie, Lyra, is everything okay?” Sunset asked, taking Bonnie’s hand while placing her other hand on Lyra’s knee.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you Lyra,” sniffled Bonnie, smiling at her friend. “I thought you were teasing me.”

“I do tease you a lot, Bonnie, so I totally get that,” nodded Lyra, holding her friend. “But this time it’s legit.”

Sunset squeezed Bonnie’s hand. “Bonnie, you’re going to love this. If you think this is something, wait until you see what we have planned for the rest of the day!”

Lyra nodded, smiling. She hugged her friend tightly while Sunset rubbed her back. After a few moments Lyra turned to face Sunset. “Thank you!” she mouthed. Sunset smiled and nodded, leaving them to their moment.

Rolling back over to Twilight, she finished her coffee while everyone caught up with their small talk. After a few minutes things settled down and the room grew quieter.

“Okay everyone!” announced Sunset, taking Twilight’s hand. “Who’s ready to party on Mars!”

Sunset took on the task of transporting their guests over to the bunker as Twilight and the remaining guests chatted and waited in her lab. Sunny’s mom and Aunt were with her on the first trip.

“Thank you so much for this mom, Aunt Luna! We really appreciate all the help!” said Sunset as they exited the TACIT receiver, pulling off their goggles and placing them in the box by the booth.

“Happy to help, Sunny!” smiled her mom. “We’ll start putting out the party trays and drinks in the conference room and dining room so everyone can nosh while they visit.”

Nodding to her sister, they went to the kitchen, pulling out the trays of snacks the girls had made earlier. Luna took several trays over to the conference table, while Celestia put trays out on the dining room table. Pulling out pitchers of drinks, they placed them around the tables as well, then brought over trays of juice cups for each table. Bowls of chips with dips were also placed around both tables for the partiers' enjoyment.

While they were busy with all of that, Sunset returned for the next group of partiers. Putting on her goggles and pulling out her phone, she triggered the return trip. Throwing open the TACIT booth door, she looked out from the booth, still wearing her ridiculous goggles.

“Next stop, Mars! Step on up!” Sunset invited.

Trixie, Bonnie, and Lyra were next, piling into the booth with Sunset.

“Goggles on, girls. Trust me on this,” said Sunset. She shut the door, then took out her phone and waited until the girls all had their goggles on.

“Engage!” she called out, pressing the button. In a magenta flash, the girls disappeared.

“Enough!” called out a Starfleet captain, groaning in frustration.

The girls blinked, taking off the goggles. Trixie, Lyra, and Bonnie gawked at the scene before them.

“Where are we?” called out Bon Bon as she stepped out of the booth, looking around at the control room. Grinning like a loon, Lyra took her hand and joined her. Trixie just stared in open-jawed wonder at the room around them.

Sunset rolled out of the booth, smiling at the girls. She gently led them out into the main room, where they saw the snacks as Celestia and Luna put out the last of the drinks.

Turning to face the girls, still taking in everything in wonder, Sunset grinned. “Trixie! Lyra! Bon Bon! Welcome to Mars!”

Bonnie stumbled. Lyra caught her, guiding her to a chair to sit, then brought her a drink. Bonnie sipped it slowly, numbed.

“We’re really on Mars?” Bonnie asked quietly.

Grinning, Sunset nodded.

“Best. Magic. Trick. Ever!” breathed Trixie.

“It’s not magic, Trixie! It’s Science!” Sunset bopped Trixie’s nose. Trixie grinned at her friend.

“Okay, hang out here for a bit. I’m going to get the rest of the girls. Be right back!” called out Sunset. She re-entered the control room, pulling back on her goggles. Rolling up the ramp into the booth, she pulled out her phone and triggered the return trip.

A magenta flash later, she pulled open the booth door and called out. “Martian express! The next train leaves in 30 seconds. Step up or step off!”

Rainbow and Applejack stepped up, with Fluttershy trailing behind them. “Come on Flutters!” called out Dash impatiently. “You don’t want to be left behind!” she grinned. Rainbow took Fluttershy’s hand and pulled her into the booth with them.

“Goggles on girls! Prepare to be transported!” called out Sunset happily, phone in hand.

“Oh dear!” whimpered Fluttershy. She hurriedly placed her goggles on, holding tightly to her friend's hand. Dash reached around and pulled her into a side hug, while Applejack put a hand on both their shoulders from behind and gave Sunset a nod.

Seeing everyone with their goggles on, Sunset hit the button. A flash of magenta light filled the booth, and when the girl's sight returned, they saw the control room.

“Whooie!” called out Applejack, laughing. Sunset opened the door and Applejack gave the girls a gentle push, following them as they stumbled out. Seeing the box by the booth, they placed their goggles in with the others as they stepped out into the main room.

Sunset laughed as she rolled back up the ramp into the booth and pulled back down her goggles. “Three down, two to go,” Sunset quietly said to herself. She shut the door and hit the button on the app.

A magenta flash filled the booth. Opening the door, Sunset saw Pinkie and Rarity waiting with their goggles on. “Come on up girls! Let’s get this party started!” Sunset called out.

“Yupper Duppers!” pronounced Pinkie as she bounced into the booth. Rarity laughed and rolled her eyes. Sweeping her hair back, she gracefully walked into the booth, shaking her head and grinning.

Sunset shut the door and keyed the transport. A magenta flash later, Pinkie was pronking out of the control room and over to Sunset’s mom and aunt.

“Ooo-ooo! I want to help!” she excitedly cried out. “I can put up the streamers!”

Luna just laughed and put her hands firmly on Pinkie’s shoulders. “No, Ms. Pie. No streamers.”

“Ah, why not?” moped Pinkie.

“Because, Mr. Pie,” answered Luna, in a perfect deadpan. “In space, no one can hear you stream.”

Behind her, both Sunset and Celestia performed perfectly synchronized face-palms, grinning madly.

Pinkie thought about that for a moment. “Oh,” she said. “Okay!” She pronked happily over to the tables, and pulling baskets of cupcakes from her hair placed them on both tables.

Luna looked at her sister and Sunset, who just shook their heads and laughed.

“No Luna. Just. No,” laughed Celestia.

By this point, Applejack and Dash had pulled the girls into the game room and started up a PVP melee deathmatch. Dash and Applejack tried to trounce each other in glorious battle. Trixie, Lyra, Bonnie and the rest of the girls laughed and shouted encouragement at the two combatants as they hurled snarky insults and attacks at each other.

Sunset rolled back into the control room and pulled down her goggles. Entering the booth, she shut the door and triggered the return. When the magenta flash cleared she found Drs. Sombra, Moonshot, and Long, all chatting happily together. They entered the booth, pulling down their goggles, chatting the entire time. Grinning, Sunset triggered the transport.

As the magenta flash cleared, Dr. Long opened the door. They thanked Sunset, dropped their goggles into the bin, then wandered out into the conference room. Seeing the conference room laptop, they drifted over to it, taking seats around it. Sunset logged in for them, then pulled up the interface to the drone, still mapping the blooms in the riverbed. Delighted, Dr. Long took control of the interface while the others called out suggestions.

Smiling, Sunset returned to the control room just as the booth flashed magenta again.

“Glad I had my goggles on!” thought Sunset.

The door opened and out came Twilight with her mom and dad.

“That’s everyone!” Twilight called out with a grin as they exited the booth. She hugged Sunset, then followed her parents out to the conference room, Sunset trailing right behind them.

Twilight’s parents joined the Drs., who had now taken over both the conference room displays, showing drone footage and data while they chatted animatedly.

Twilight sat down next to Sunset, taking her hand, and smiled. “Let’s give them some time to process, then we can give the tour. Maybe we can take turns giving everyone a chance to head outside,” Twilight suggested.

“I’ll take the first shift out,” agreed Sunset. “I’m sure you want to spend some time with your parents and the good Drs.”

“Speaking of Doctors, I’m surprised not to see Dr. Turner here,” noted Twilight. “I thought he would show for certain.”

“You know the Doctor. Never can plan much with him, always something going on that ends up needing his attention,” nodded Sunset. “I guess maybe next time.”

Twilight’s phone pinged with a message. “Wow, speak of the devil and he will appear,” she snarked. “Be right back!”

She disappeared into the control room. There was a magenta flash. A minute later, there was another flash, then Twilight emerged from the control room with a smiling Dr. Turner in tow.

“Doctor! Delighted you could make it!” smirked Sunset, hugging him in greeting. “All finished with whatever timey-wimey work you had going?” she teased.

Dr. Turner laughed. “Sunset dear, you know the universe won’t be mocked!” he grinned. “And yes, I finished up my timey-wimey work. I’m all yours for the day.”

“Awesome, glad to have you with us!” grinned Sunset. With a parting hug, the Doctor nodded to the girls, drifting over to join the group playing with the feeds from the drone.

Sunset and Twilight sipped their drinks, smiling at everyone having fun in the bunker.

The girls were starting to drift out of the game room, the game apparently over. Sunset rolled over to join them.

“Hey girls! If you want to play in the spa, you can use our room to change!” Sunset suggested.

“So much for taking them outside,” snarked Twilight.

“Heck yeah! I’m in!” nodded Dash.

“Ah guess if this knuckle-head loser wants to play around in the water, Ah s’pose can join her,” teased Applejack.

“Who you calling a loser, loser!'' grinned Dash back at her. “You are so on!”

Sunset pointed to their room at the end of the row. With that, the two muscle heads raced each other to it.

Rarity rolled her eyes, laughing. “I have everyone’s suits right here!” she called out, heading down to the room after Dash and Applejack. Fluttershy grinned, shaking her head as she followed. Sunset rolled after her, Trixie, Lyra, and Bonnie in her wake.

“Wow!” observed Sunset. “I think this is the most people I have ever had in my room! I’m shocked we all fit!”

That got a chuckle from everyone as they took their swimsuits from Rarity. She passed them out, having one for everyone, even a set for Lyra, Bon Bon, and Trixie.

Trixie took her swimsuit but hung back, waiting for everyone else to finish. When everyone else was ready, Sunset called out, “Okay, follow me to the spa.” Turning back to Trixie, she smiled. “Go ahead, Trixie. I’ll be back for you in a minute.” Trixie smiled in thanks.

Leading the girls over to the spa room, she laid out a stack of towels while the girls engaged in loud horseplay in the spa bath. Seeing they were fine, Sunset returned to the bedroom to check on Trixie.

“Knock knock!” she called out, entering. “Trixie, how are you doing?”

In shock, Trixie looked up from pulling on her suit, her back to Sunset. There, across her lower backside and buttocks were scars clearly from cigarette burns.

Sunset's eyes widened in shock. Seeing Sunset’s reaction, Trixie dropped to the floor in a ball, suit still at her knees, crying in shame.

Sunset rolled into the room and shut the door quickly. “Trixie, I am so sorry!” she called out, reaching out and pulling her friend into her embrace.

Unbidden, her eyes flashed Teal as she held her dear crying friend.

“Sunset?” Sunset heard. “Sunset, are you okay?”

She blinked, seeing the concerned face of her friend Trixie, tears in her eyes and still naked in her arms. “Sunset please tell Trixie you are okay. Please?” Trixie cried.

Holding Trixie tight, Sunset realized she was crying too.

“It’s okay, Trixie. Everything’s going to be okay,” Sunset answered through her tears.

She helped Trixie stand up and finish getting dressed.

“This looks really good on you, Trixie!” Sunset smiled, wiping the tears from her face. She reached over and gently dried Trixie’s tears as well. “You look beautiful. Let's go see what everyone else is doing.”

Smiling, she took Trixie's hand, placing it on her shoulder. She led Trixie out of the room and over to the spa, where Sunset called out to her friends, “Hey girls! Found another playmate for you!” she laughed. Turning to Trixie, she hugged her, gently kissing her forehead. “We love you, Trixie. Go have some fun with your friends, okay?”

Trixie nodded, smiling as she turned to join the girls. Sunset smiled back as she left. Rolling over to Twilight, she pulled her into a hug, snuggling her tight. “Thank you for loving me, Sparky,” she said softly.

Grinning, Twilight smiled at her friend as she snuggled her back. “Okaaayyyy… And thank you for loving me too, Sunny. What brought this on?” she asked.

“I just need a few moments to clear my head,” Sunset smiled sadly. “Can you hold down the fort for a few minutes while I get some air?” Twilight nodded. Sunset ponied up and headed for the ramp.

“Sunset, hold up!” Twilight called out.

Sunset turned back. Twilight removed Sunset’s headset from her daypack, placing it on her head. She leaned over and whispered into her friend's ear, “I can tell you’re hurting and feel you need to be alone right now. I don’t know why you are hurting. But I respect that you want to be alone. You need to know though - you’re not alone, Sunny. I’ll be with you every moment. If you need me, you just speak up and I’ll drop everything to listen. I love you, Sunset. I’m here when you need me.” She smiled and kissed her cheek, then left and went back to their room, returning wearing her headset. She smiled and blew her friend a kiss.

Sunset smiled and nodded in gratitude. Turning back around, she continued up the ramp.

“Thank you, Sparky,” she said softly under her breath as she rolled out into the Martian landscape. Spreading her wings, with a powerful beat she took off into the distance.

Twilight turned and announced, “I’m going to head up to the surface and make things safe for everyone to come up and take a look at our Martian neighborhood. Just give me a minute to get everything set up.”

A few minutes later, Twilight had a shield dome over the entrance going out about thirty meters or so, air thoroughly filling it and the rampway. She sent a text to everyone. “We should be fine if anyone wants to come out,” Twilight announced.

Luna checked her phone first. Turning to the group with her around the displays, she announced. “Twilight is ready for anyone who wants to take a look at Mars!”

“You don’t need to tell me twice!” laughed Dr. Sombra, leading the group up the ramp.

“Coming at you! The Drs. are on their way!” Luna texted as she joined them heading up the ramp.

They found Twilight sitting in Sunset’s chair, her black and purple wings gently flapping behind her. She smiled at everyone as they came out.

“So, as we said before, welcome to Mars!” She waved her hand across the landscape, stopping as she pointed towards Olympus Mons. “Check out the neighborhood!” She grinned.

The doctors were speechless, struck dumb by the wonder of the sight before them. Luna grinned ear to ear as Dr. Sombra dropped to his knees while staring at the majestic volcano. His hand brushed against a rock. Looking down, he reached over and ran his fingers through the dry dusty dirt, feeling the texture and absolute dryness of the Martian soil. A tear fell from his eyes, rolled down his cheek, and fell onto the Martian sand.

Luna stood behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder. Dr. Sombra looked up at her, a happy tear filled smile on his face.

“I’m really here, Luna,” he smiled. “I never thought I’d make it, but I’m here!”

“Yes you are, you old goat!” Luna teased with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder.

Twilight smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes. Luna helped Dr. Sombra up.

“And check this out, you old stag,” Luna teased. She leaped up into the air, performing a perfect slow spin. The reduced gravity made her movements almost seem like slow motion.

Watching them, the others copied them, leaping and laughing through the Martian landscape

Twilight smiled, watching them play.

Her heart, though, was heavy, burdened by her BFFs pain.

Sunset flew, her rage and pain driving her forward. Her thoughts spun, driven by her troubled heart. All she could think of was what she had seen, the absolute terror her dear friend had experienced. It was unbearable! She couldn’t stop seeing the horror. It was unfathomable to her. How could someone be so cruel? How could a person be so depraved to hurt someone like that? How could someone do to another what she had seen her dear friend Trixie endure?

Unbidden and unnoticed, tears were once again streaming down her face. Before her rose the majestic heights of Olympus Mons. Unthinking, Sunset soared up its side, heading up. When she reached the top of the mountain, the caldera gently sloped away, but Sunset continued straight up, eyes focused on the stars in the sky.

She let out an anguished scream of rage.

Twilight started, shocked by the sudden anguished cry she had heard. “Sunny! Sunny, are you okay?! Talk to me Sunny!” she called out into the headset.

Her guests continued their play, unaware of Twilight’s distress.

“Why!?” shouted out Sunset. “Why in the name of all that is good? Why in the name of Harmony!?”

She accelerated, still focused on the stars above.

“Why would a god ever allow something like that!? What kind of Maker are you!? How could you allow that to happen to an innocent child!?” she screamed, voice raw with rage. A rainbow trail faded out behind her, her trail growing lighter as she left the thin Martian atmosphere.

“Why!!!?” she screamed as she soared higher.

A glow surrounded her as everything grew hazy. She felt her magic fading, then there was only gray.

She continued through the gray mist, shooting forward, only aware of her velocity by her perception of movement. Time seemed to stand still, centered only in the eternal now, the moment's movement, a sensation of a destination awaiting, but no expectation, just the moment.

Only now.

The haze ahead brightened, and soon she saw a line of light passing from one end of the horizon to the other. As she traveled the line widened. Soon she saw sloping plains of grass, rolling in gentle breezes in every direction. She knew this place. She had been here before. These were the planes of Elysium.

She slowed, settling over a clearing. In the distance she saw a herd of ponies playing and laughing, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, all together. She collapsed in the clearing, facing the one being there with her.

Her great-many-times Grandmother. The Faust. The Maker’s Will.

She dropped to her knees. “Why?” she asked, head bowed. “How could that ever be part of the Maker’s Will? How can the Maker allow such horror?”

Faust walked over to her, taking her angelic form. Crouching down she drew her into a hug. “My dearest granddaughter,” she soothed. She kissed her forehead, gently wiping her tears. “You have the Maker's soul; so gentle, so compassionate, so filled with love and concern for others.

“And, so strong, able to take up their burdens, to walk with them to ease their way.” She pulled Sunset to her, holding her tight. “You are truly her heart, my gentle soul.”

Sunset cried gently in her grasp, shaking, filled with the shared pain of her friend.

“Know this, my dear soul, you are the Maker’s Heart. You are the Maker’s Hands. You are her chosen, called to ease the suffering of others. You know their pain, share their grief, and bear their hearts within your own. Your heart is Her Heart. Your hands are Her Hands. Let Her fill you with her Love, and heal the sorrows you have seen.”

“How can this be?” asked Sunset, still in tears. “How can I be Her gentle Heart? I am so filled with Hate and Rage from what I have seen! I only want to destroy the one who did this!” she cried out.

“Be at peace, my gentle soul,” soothed Faust. “See what you have done, what will be done, and know that it pleased Her Heart.”

It’s sometime in her future. She has tracked down the scum that hurt her friend, who caused her suffering.

Before her is a homeless man. He is still young, but he’s clearly not all there.

“Are you an angel?” he asks her. “I never see angels anymore, only devils. So nice to see an angel,” he smiles, holding the plastic bag of garbage he claims as his prized possessions. He has no idea where he is, barely who he is, and has no recollection of his past. He hardly even recalls the events of the day before. He is an almost blank slate.

Sunset takes his head firmly in her hands and turns his face towards her. He smiles complacently at her.

“I need to know WHYyou did this,” she states evenly. “I need to know what drove you to be the monster I KNOWyou really are, and I need to see you pay for what you’ve done.”

The man continues to smile, still chanting “Angel, angel, angel…” mindlessly.

In a Teal flash, Sunset is in his mind, his thoughts, his memories. She can even see what he has lost, etched forever on his soul.

She sees a young boy, taken away by an older man. She sees rape, and unspeakable, unthinkable things. She sees a young boy made to do things she would never imagine. She saw the threats, and the promises that, if he ever spoke of what happened, his family would be killed, and it would be all his fault.

Sunset breaks. The burden of what she sees overwhelms her heart. She tries desperately to block what she has seen from her memory, but like the man before her, it is now etched upon her soul.

She sees a young man growing older until he finally meets her friend. She sees him acting out in cruelty, mirroring the abuse he suffered at another’s hands. His parents move away, and he is forced to stop the abuse by their move.

She sees him tormented, confronting himself with what he has done. He runs away from home. Filled with self-revulsion, he spirals downwards, turning to drugs to numb the hate and pain, to kill the memories of what he did and endured. He takes up theft to pay for the drugs that kill and numb. Overdose after overdose, he fries his brain to the point of forgetfulness. Eventually, all that is left is the half-dead, confused and broken youth before her.

Back in the alley, Sunset falls to her knees weeping, her hands on the knees of the homeless youth still smiling vacantly before her. She wails in agony at the cruelty of a world that would do this, that would allow any of this to happen.

Rising, she dries her eyes. Taking the hand of the confused man, she leads him to the homeless shelter she grew up in. There, she arranges for him to be taken care of and protected, offering to pay for whatever they need to keep him safe and off the street.

She then returns to Trixie, telling her that the man who hurt her will never hurt anyone again. She holds her dear friend while she weeps in relief and gratitude.

Trixie asks to meet him. Seeking peace within herself, she wants to offer him forgiveness. Seeing the pure, unselfish desire of her heart, Sunset agrees, and takes her to him, still living at the shelter.

Trixie confronts him. She asks the man if he remembers her and what he has done to her.

“Are you an angel too?” asks the man, lost in wonder.

Trixie forgives him, even though he is completely unable to understand what she is saying. Trixie cries over the man, her forgiveness releasing her from the pain and heartache that, for years, she has been holding onto. Letting go of her shame, she embraces her tormentor, wishing him a peaceful life and eternity. She is finally free.

That night Faust comes to the man and releases him from his troubled life.

Transported to the gates of Elysium, now fully aware of everything he has done, he falls to his knees, bowed down, weeping in abject grief. Before him is the suffering he caused Trixie. He weeps in gratitude for her unearned forgiveness of his wretched abuse of her and her innocence. He knows he is completely unworthy of her forgiveness, and where he is to be.

He prepares to go off to the Outer Places, where the souls of the damned are lost. But before he can leave, he is pulled into the winged embrace of Faust.

“She has forgiven you. Now you must forgive yourself!” she commands him gently.

“I cannot!” he cries, trying to get away. “I can’t! I don’t deserve forgiveness!”

“No, you do not,” she agrees. “Yet it has been given. Now you should honor that by giving it as well.”

He weeps piteously, collapsing before her. No longer fighting her, he slumps in a pile, weeping in regret and sorrow. Enfolding him again in her wings, she glows in a soft teal light, and when the light fades, there is a small foal before her, asleep. She gently places the foal between her wings and returns to Elysium's fields.

Waking, the foal looks around sleepily. “Where are we? Are you my mommy?” the foal asks in a small voice.

“Yes, dear soul. I will be your mommy. Come with me,” she says, trotting off into the fields of Elysium.

Sunset is back with Faust, still clutched in her embrace. She looks up into her kind eyes, full of tears for the suffering she has seen.

“Be it done unto me according to Her Will,” says Sunset quietly. She shuts her eyes, and gray fills her vision.

“Sunset! Sunset, are you there? Talk to me! Sunset!?” she heard Twilight’s panicked voice.

Opening her eyes, she saw she was plunging back to Mars. The friction of her fall was starting to glow around her. Her teal shield was the only protection from the insane heat of her reentry.

Righting herself, she beat her wings, spreading them wide, throwing out a teal shield of power that slowed her, bringing her descent back under control. She saw the mountain and angled towards it.

“I’m here, Sparky! It’s okay. I’m back. I’ll be back with you in a moment,” Sunset said, cutting off a panicky Twilight.

“Oh thank the Maker! Sunset, I was so worried. Whatever happened to you? Where did you go? Are you okay?” Twilight called to her.

“I’m fine, Sparky. Thank the Maker, I am better than fine. I know my purpose, and have unfinished work to do,” Sunset answered.

“Then I’ll do it with you!” Twilight said in relief. “You aren’t alone, Sunny. I will never leave you!”

“No, I’m not alone,” smiled Sunset, almost back to the bunker. “Thank the Maker. I love you, Sparky.”

She slowed, then slowly approached the group playing in the magenta bubble outside the bunker. Dropping through the shield, she dropped into her now vacant chair and folded her wings.

Twilight enfolded her in a tight hug, tears in her eyes. She looked at her friend. “I heard everything you said, Sunny. I don’t know what you went through, but I heard everything you said. It terrified me. I heard you crying and weeping. I didn’t know where you were and could do nothing to help. I felt so lost, knowing you needed me and I wasn’t there to help.” She wept.

Holding her close, Sunset kissed her forehead. “Sparky, just knowing you were listening was enough for me. You were there for me, with me through the whole thing. You’re in my Heart.”

A grateful tear rolled down Sunset’s cheek. Twilight wept in relief, Sunset held tight in her grasp.

The partiers paused in their play, noticing the drama unfolding beside them. Luna came over and hugged the girls. “Girls, are you okay? Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

Pulling her aunt into the hug, Sunset answered. “You’ve already done it. Thank you for everything, Aunt Luna.”

The party continued. When it was time for dinner, everyone headed back into the bunker.

Celestia and Pinkie put dinner out for everyone. Rolls, casserole, pasta with sauce, meats and cheeses, and vegetables of every variety had been set out in a buffet on the dining room table along with trays with plates and settings for everyone so they could pick whatever looked appetizing and enjoy the feast.

Most everyone ended up spread out at the conference room table, enjoying the company and conversations. The girls' conversations quickly gravitated to the game room, as they took their trays with them. They played games and ate, being loud and enjoying themselves.

Twilight and Sunset mingled among the guests, filling glasses and taking plates or fetching desserts if asked, with smiles for everyone.

When everyone was done with dinner, they placed out the dessert trays, then started the evening’s movie on all three screens. Sunny and Twilight put away the leftovers, then joined their friends in watching the movie.

When the movie ended, everyone said their goodbyes. Twilight shuffled their guests back to her lab in the TACIT transporter while Sunset helped the girls, including Trixie, Bonnie, and Lyra, get settled for the night. They all wanted to sleep in one room together, so Sunset ended up dragging the mattresses from the other rooms into their room with their help, filling the bedroom floor with giggling girls.

Twilight returned after everyone else had left for the night.

“Hey girls! Before we turn in, what say we all have a turn in the spa?” she suggested.

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. it can be a great way to relax and let the stress of the day soak away.” She turned to Dash as she added specifically to her, “when used properly as a spa. No cannonballs or horseplay if we go in tonight, Dashie.”

“I’ll be good, on my honor!” grinned Dash.

It was agreed, so the girls adjourned to the spa. Sunset spoke up. “So! Does anyone have any questions about how this works?” she asked. Looking around, she saw blank faces so she snarked, “Okay great! Everyone, strip!”

Except for Dash, the girls looked shocked.

“You’ve really never seen a Japanese-style bath before?” Sunset asked everyone. Then she noticed Trixie who had blanched completely and was trying to back quietly into one of the bathroom stalls. Dash, in the meantime, was completely naked. Her clothes were already in the bucket and she was soaping her brush in preparation to scrub.

“See? Dashie knows how to do it,” nodded Sunset. “But if you don’t want the full experience, it’s totally okay to wear a towel or even your swimsuit. The important part is to just relax and enjoy a peaceful soak in the warm water.

She rolled over to Trixie, who by this time had almost made it into the stall and was about to shut the door. Sunset took her hand.

“Trixie can’t do this, Sunset! Trixie can’t do this,” she said in quiet terror. Sunset pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

“Trixie, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” she said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be by your side the entire time. You can wear your suit. In fact, I’ll wear mine too, so you don’t feel out of place,” she offered.

Trixie looked up into Sunset’s eyes. “You would do that for Trixie? You would do that for me, Sunset?” she asked hopefully.

“Yes, Trixie. I would be happy to do that for you,” she said, leading Trixie back out of the spa and into their bedroom. Together, the girls changed into their bathing suits. Trixie helped Sunset when she needed it.

Returning to the spa, they saw that half the girls had opted to keep their bathing suits or towels, while the others had copied Dash. Sunset lowered herself into the spa, and Trixie entered and sat next to her and Twilight.

Together, the girls relaxed in the warm water, swapping stories and the moments they had enjoyed throughout the day.

Sunset sat happily, one hand locked tightly in the grasp of her BFF, the other holding the hand of her dear friend.

After the conversation wound down, and everyone was completely relaxed, Sunset suggested moving the party to their beds. Everyone got out, toweled off, then dressed for bed. Trixie dressed in the bathroom stall.

Once in the room, Trixie asked if she could sleep in the bed with Sunset and Twilight. Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Sure, Trixie. You can have the wall,” Twilight invited.

Trixie climbed in, rolling over to the far side of the bed. Sunset transferred in next, then Twilight took the edge.

Twilight rolled over, wrapping her arm around Sunset and snuggling into her friend. Sunset raised an eyebrow, smirking at her BFF. “Everything okay there, Sparky?” she snarked.

“What? I don’t want to fall off the side,” grinned Twilight, snuggling Sunset tightly.

“No chance of that, Sparky,” grinned Sunset, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. She turned over to Trixie, who was pushed up completely against and facing the wall to give the girls more space. “You okay over there, Trixie?” asked Sunset with a smile.

“Trixie is fine! Trixie is just getting ready to sleep,” lied Trixie, her obvious feelings of awkwardness radiating from her posture.

Sliding her arm under her shoulders, Sunset rolled Trixie over to her, pulling her head against hers and snuggling up beside her.

“We love you, Trixie,” Sunset expressed warmly. “You’re with friends here. You don’t need to hide or pretend. You’re our friend, and we love you,” she said, smiling and pulling Trixie tightly to her, then she kissed her on her forehead.

Trixie snuggled into Sunset, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks and into the pillow. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, closing her eyes. She was asleep in moments, a happy smile still on her face.

Twilight looked over, smiling at her BFF.

“I don’t know what that poor girl has gone through, and I don’t need to know. But anything I can do to help her, just let me know and I’ll gladly do it.” She looked from Trixie to Sunny. “I am so proud of you, Sunny,” she smiled.

Pulling her closer in a hug, Sunset returned her smile. “You have the Maker’s heart, Sparky. It’s one of the things I love most about you.” She placed her head against Twilight’s, and together, they fell asleep for the night.

The girls woke to someone’s cell phone alarm at 7 AM.

Trixie woke, briefly confused until she saw Sunset looking kindly into her eyes.

“Good morning, Trixie,” she greeted, smiling. “Ready for breakfast and a new day?”

Trixie nodded, returning her smile.

Sunset turned to see her BFF smiling at them. “Good morning, Sparky! Ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”

Twilight rolled her eyes then bopped her BFF on the nose. “You’re such a dork!” she laughed, rolling over and getting up. The other girls also woke, several heading over to the spa to use the bathroom.

“Who wants breakfast?” laughed Twilight, watching the exodus as everyone woke.

“I’ll go get things started,” offered Applejack, heading off to the kitchen. Smiling, Twilight followed with Pinkie right behind her.

Sunset pushed herself up and over to the side of the bed. As she readied herself to transfer into her chair, Trixie came up behind her and hugged her.

“Thank you, Sunset!” Trixie said happily.

Twisting around, she hugged Trixie back. “You’re welcome, Trixie! Anything for my dear friend.”

Smiling, Trixie let Sunset go. Sunset transferred into her chair, grabbed her daypack, and headed into the bathroom.

Several minutes later, ablutions completed, dressed and ready for the day, Sunset headed into the kitchen to help. Twilight tasked her with setting the table and putting out the drinks. Looking at their coffee maker, Sunset laughed and commented to Twilight. “You know Sparky, we should really find out what it would take to upgrade our coffee maker here to match the one in our apartment.”

Twilight laughed as she placed the tofu bacon in the convection oven. “I know, right?” she agreed. “That would be perfect for times like this!”

Sunset laughed. “Girl, that coffee maker is perfect for every time!”

“True that!” Twilight grinned.

“Sounds like a useful contraption,” noted Applejack, flipping the pancakes onto the serving platter. “Ah can’t wait to see yer apartment. It sounds fantastic.”

“Maybe next week,” acknowledged Sunset, setting out a tray of clean coffee cups then pulling the cream and sugar from the fridge and pantry, placing them next to the cups. “We have to see how our schedule works out, but it’s going to happen. We can’t not have you all over and show off the city.”

“Looking forward to it!” agreed Applejack.

“Pancakes are done”, Applejack called out a moment later as she placed the tray on the table, then returned to start on the eggs. Twilight removed the cooked tofu bacon from the oven, passing the tray of ‘bacon grease’ to Applejack who used it to cook the eggs. The smell of bacon, pancakes, and eggs filled the bunker, setting the girls' stomachs to rumbling.

Lyra and Bonnie emerged from the spa last, dressed and ready for the day.

“Have a seat, girls!” Sunset called out to them. “Breakfast is almost ready!”

They sat together laughing and talking with the other girls, waiting for breakfast to be served. Lyra got up and went to the coffee maker, where she made two cups, one for her and one for Bonnie. When she returned, Bonnie took it from her thankfully.

The eggs done, Applejack carried the remaining trays of food to the table with Sunset and Twilight’s help while Pinkie passed out angel food cupcakes to everyone.

Taking their seats, the girls bowed their heads and thanked the Maker for her bounty. Breakfast was served and was thoroughly enjoyed.

Once everyone was full it was time for their goodbyes. Before everyone went home, Twilight passed out the fobs they had made for their friends. Each of the girls took one, placing them around their necks like a necklace. Sunset kept a handful in case they needed to hand them out to their Academy City friends as well.

Twilight took the honors for the return trips, ferrying the girls back over to her lab while Sunset, Trixie, and Applejack cleaned up from breakfast. With three sets of hands, the work went quickly, and soon it was time for them to go too.

Twilight went first with Applejack and then Sunset followed with Trixie. AJ said her goodbyes and headed home.

Sunset turned to Trixie. “Trixie, you know we’re your friends, right?” she asked, holding her hand. Twilight came over and took Trixie’s other hand, standing next to Sunset. Trixie smiled and nodded.

“If you need anything, anytime, you just call me, okay?” Sunset asked. “I don’t care what time it is, or why. If you need us, we’re there. Just ask.”

Trixie nodded again, still smiling.

“Okay,” Sunset accepted with relief. “I’m glad you had a good time, and I’m very glad to have you as my dear friend!” Sunset said, pulling Trixie into a hug along with Twilight.

“Thank you!” said Trixie softly, as a tear rolled down her cheek. A horn sounded outside.

“There’s your ride!” smiled Sunset. Trixie smiled and waved, then ran out the front door to tell her mom about the wonderful time she had with her friends.

Sunset turned to Twilight. “It’s already after 2 AM back in Tokyo. We should say hi to your mom and dad then get going if we want to get any rest at all before school starts.”

“I don’t really feel like sleeping after the night we had last night,” noted Twilight. “But resting before our first long day at the Academy does sound like a good idea. Let’s go say ‘Hi’ then head back,” she agreed.

They found her parents reading in the living room, relaxing on a Sunday morning. They said their goodbyes, thanked them again for joining them yesterday, then retired to Twilight’s lab for their return trip.

Back in their apartment, they laid in bed, talking and napping as they rested. They watched the sunrise over the city, then at 6:30 AM Sunset turned off the alarm, and they prepared for their first day at Tokiwadai Academy.

Actions are just thoughts in motion - The Celestial Teachings.

Toma - The Seventh Circle of Hell (Vacation)

It was the second day of Toma’s special hellish holiday. Yesterday he woke to the world turned upside down, and only he and two of his friends Kaori and Motoharu were aware of just how broken the world was.

Today, he awoke, and found that his mother (who now looked like Index) had forgotten to lock the door to the house, so he decided he needed to return to their home to check on it. Of course, the Russian nun Misha was going to accompany him, despite what he thought about it. He noticed that Misha absolutely refused to touch his hand after his father pointed this out to him. He found that quite odd, and told Kaori and Motoharu, which led them to believe Misha might be the one behind the current crazy magical mishap. That, combined with how much she apparently knew about what had happened significantly raised their suspicions of the nun, so Motoharu decided he would come with Toma and Misha to check his family's home.

Of course, Misha and Shiina, deciding to start without them, left. Toma and Motoharu decided to take the train instead, so despite leaving after them, they arrived at his family’s home before them. They entered, and one of the first things Motoharu noticed was the insane amount of occult souvenirs gathered around the home. Toma explained his father’s fascination with the figurines and totems, and how he would collect them on his frequent business trips and bring them home.

Toma went to touch one of the figurines, but Motoharu quickly warned him not to, and advised him not to touch anything. Toma had no memory of his father prior to meeting him before yesterday, yet despite that, he noticed that in the picture of his father and family his father was unchanged. This makes Motoharu suspicious of his father, as one of the effects of the Angel Fall spell they believe is active is that the magician casting the spell remains unchanged, unlike everyone around them, and the rest of the world.

It was then that Shiina and Misha arrived, with Misha apparently also having decided by different reasoning that Toma’s father Touya is the culprit. Alarmed by Misha’s decision to essentially punish his father as the caster of the spell, Toma decided to follow her. Shiina was unfortunately completely under the effects of the spell and unable to see Motoharu for who he really was, instead seeing him as the pop idol Hitosui Hajime causing him grief as she was completely taken by him, to his annoyance.

Toma, racing ahead of Misha, arrived back at the beach his family was vacationing at, and found out from Kaori that his father was alone on the beach. Toma explained to her how he and Motoharu, and now apparently Misha, were convinced his father may be the caster of the Angel Fall spell, but asked her to please let him deal with it now. She reluctantly agreed, so he hurried off to confront his father.

He found him on the beach, and confronted him, demanding to know why he had brought occult objects into the family home and dabbled in the occult. His father sadly explained it was his way of counteracting the misfortune that Toma seemed to bring with himself everywhere in his life. His dad just wanted him to have a normal life, and not be seen as some harbinger of doom and misfortune by everyone around him. He explained that was why they had sent him to Academy City when he turned five, the earliest they would take a child, because he thought there, in a city dedicated to science and against superstition, he would be safe from people believing he was bad luck. He had hoped that being in that place would remove from Toma the misfortune, the bad luck, that seemed to follow him around.

When he realized that even the science of Academy City could not reverse his son’s cursed bad luck, he turned to the occult in desperation, collecting luck totems and figures from all his travels to try to overwhelm the bad luck his son suffered. Toma was appalled at this, and sternly told his father that even though bad luck did plague him, it always turned out good for him and others in the end, so he had no regrets about his so called bad luck, because by shaping the life he led, it had led him to happiness with his friends and those around him.

His father was relieved to hear that, happy that his son had found happiness, and agreed to stop buying occult figures. Toma was surprised to hear that, thinking instead his father would confess to triggering Angel Fall. He realized then that his father was completely clueless about the spell, and therefore could not be the culprit, despite the fact that his appearance had not changed.

He was going to head back and let Motoharu and Kaori know what he’d found out, but before he could leave Misha arrived, determined to punish his father for the spell. Toma tried to reason with her, even pleading his fathers innocence, but Misha is not having any of it. She was sure she had found the caster, and punishing him, even if it meant killing him, wouldl remove the curse the world is living under.

As Toma was trying desperately to stop the lethal nun from punishing his father to death, Koari showed up, and threatened Misha with violence if she tried to harm anyone. She then explained to Toma that Misha was in fact not who she claimed to be, but instead someone who had taken the appearance of Sash Kretzav, the nun before them.

She revealed to Toma then that Misha was in fact the one most affected by the Angel Fall spell, as she was really the angel who had been forced to fall from heaven by the spell. And that Misha was now determined to return to heaven by eliminating the so-called caster of the spell, Toma’s father.

With her ruse now known, Misha used heavenly magic to turn the afternoon into night, boosting her powers. She then unleashed a heavenly overpowered magic circle in the sky called The Sweep, a heavenly doom that had been used in past ages to destroy entire civilizations. Misha, now revealed to be a now fallen angel, determined the best way to eliminate his father is to unleash a heavenly disaster on humanity that will wipe out most of civilization, along with his father. They were completely unable to reason with the resolute angel, so Toma agreed with Kaori,and took his father away from the scene while Kaori stayed to deal with the rogue angel.

Kaori, a blessed Saint of God, had trained in magical battle techniques while still the leader of the Amakusa church in Japan. She used these techniques to great effect, defending against the attacks of the angel and stopping her advances, buying time for Toma, his father, and Motoharu in whatever efforts they took to stop the angel from her attack and return her to heaven.

Toma and his father Touya returned to the resort, finding Motoharu had already knocked out everyone there, including Index (his mother). Toma became extremely upset, demanding to know why. Motoharu explained to Toma, his father was actually the caster of the Angel Fall spell, just not intentionally. Motoharu’s magical specialty was the principles of feng-shui, using that he determined Touya had accidentally triggered the spell with his placement of the occult totems and items all through their house. He had turned their home into a powerful occult temple, precisely replicating the ritual location needed to trigger Angel Fall. The spell had been triggered completely by accident. Bad luck, as Toma would say.

That wasn’t all the bad luck his father had. Motoharu explained to Toma, he’d knocked everyone out for one reason. He needed to kill his father. As an accomplished feng-shui mage, he knew trying to cancel the spell by removing or changing any of the occult elements in house would actually trigger a far worse, more dangerous spell. The only way to destroy the spell before the fall became permanent, before the angel destroyed humanity to return to heaven, was to kill his father. He was responsible, even as the regrettably unwitting caster of the spell.

Toma angrily disagrees with his apparently former friend, attacking him to stop his insanity. Motoharu quickly beats Toma and his father into submission.

Motoharu cast a magic spell, something supposedly lethal for espers. This surprised Toma, thinking his former friend was clearly willing to die stopping this. He pleaded with Motoharu to stop, to no avail. His friend apologized for beating him, claiming this was something he had to do. He didn’t want to hurt Toma but needed no interruptions while casting the spell. He knew Toma and Kaori were both kind souls who couldn’t stand by while an innocent person was hurt, even when that was the only way to save the world. He had to sacrifice himself and Toma’s innocent father.

Ironically, as he died, Motoharu reminded Toma he was an accomplished and complete liar, as his spell triggered. A stream of light rushed out from the resort over the horizon and completely destroyed his parents' house.

The ritual site destroyed, Misha collapsed and crumbled away to nothing, released from the curse and returned to heaven. The world-ending Sweep spell, nearly released, faded away. Kaori, exhausted from her battle with the angel, fell to her knees, thanking Toma for stopping the spell.

The next day Toma woke in his apparently favorite room in A Certain Hospital where the frog-faced doctor was taking care of him.

Toma was surprised his friend Motoharu was still alive despite having used magic, which was not possible for espers. Motoharu reminded Toma that he was a liar. His esper power was Auto-Rebirth. That allowed him to use magic a few more times, because his power repaired the lethal damage done when he used magic as an esper. He confessed to Toma that he lied about being a spy for Necessarius in Academy City. He was in fact a double agent, spying for Academy City on Necessarius. He then confessed that too was a lie. He was actually a free agent, spying for the highest bidder for several organizations.

Toma was completely irate at his friend's complete duplicitousness, and for killing his father. Motoharu told him he didn't kill his father. Toma refused to believe his liar friend until he brought in his parents, with his mother now in her true form, no longer his roommate Index. This was actually the first time he’d seen her due to his memory loss. They told Toma, unfortunately their new home had been destroyed, so they had to move back into their old home, the home that Toma grew up in. Unfortunately for Toma, he had no recollection of that home due to his memory loss. Toma was angry that Motoharu destroyed their home, but when he tried to confront his friend he found Motoharu had already left.

But Index arrived, livid with Toma for the way he treated her at the resort. She remembered completely what happened despite not remembering the circumstances, so in anger at Toma she bit him.

Such misfortune, cried Toma.

Toma - Academy City

Saturday, August 31, 12:00 AM Tokyo time.

The insanity of Angel Fall behind him, Toma curled up in his bathtub, holding a washcloth to his bloody nose while he played with his cell phone. Even knowing he was allergic to peanuts, he ate too many of them anyways, so now he was dealing with this. He set his phone down on the edge of the tub to avoid any blood spilling onto it. It was a cheap phone, but he couldn't afford to replace it, especially not with having to feed his roommate.

She was the reason he was in the tub in the first place. He was a healthy teenage boy, with healthy interests. Knowing that, there was no way he trusted himself to sleep in the same room as the defenseless (not) young girl staying with him. No way to commit any social blunders if he locked himself in the bathroom all night, sleeping in the tub.

Such misfortune. And he still hadn’t completed his summer break homework, and now had 24 hours left to finish it.

Saturday, August 31, 8:00 AM Tokyo time.

Misaka Mikoto, third ranked of the seven Level 5 espers, only one of seven at that Level, had roped Toma into a fake date in her efforts to avoid Unabara Mitsuki, the grandson of Tokiwadai’s principal Chinchi. She had planned on spending the day catching up on her favorite Mangas. And Toma was supposed to be spending the day working on his summer homework which he had inconveniently failed to do during the rest of his summer.

So when Toma heard the Misaka behind him call out, “Sooorryyy! Did you wait for meee? Are you even listening to me!? Don’t ignore me, damn it!”” he immediately knew his plans were on hold. His friend needed him.

This was especially true after every dormitory window opened, filled with young girls gawking at Misaka after her exclamation. There was no way he was going to let his friend look bad after that, given how embarrassed she was when she realized she had just professed her affections to him right outside her dormitory.

It was during the course of their fake date that Misaka realized something she had never admitted to herself. She really did care for this idiot, and she never wanted to see him hurt. She wanted to hide in shame, seeing how he still didn’t think of her the same way, but she couldn’t, because that would hurt him, and she would never hurt him.

Misaka smiled. “I really am an idiot…” she thought to herself.

Toma had ran into Unabara, who was basically stalking them, and got to know him a bit better while he waited for Misaka to return from the line she was in. After getting to know Unabara, he wanted to give up their charade, convinced that if Mikoto were honest with Unabara about her feelings, he would understand and respect them. Misaka was afraid that wasn’t true, as he had been more aggressive lately in his advances, and she was shocked that Toma was sticking up for him.

“He helped me out with my homework,” Toma pointed out.

Misaka took it from him, checking over the answers. “They’re all correct,” she noted, confused.

“And?” asked Toma.

“I didn’t think he was that smart. Kuroko found out for me, he uses his special talent to cheat,” she explained.

“Whao!” Toma exclaimed. That was the first he had heard that someone could do that with their ability. “You explained that pretty calmly,” he noted.

“Don’t patronize me,” Mikoto shot back. “I can steal your credit card information from its magnetic field.” Toma’s hand immediately went for his wallet. Misaka punched him. “Idiot! Not now, I meant I could do it!”

Misaka promised to talk to Unabara, but as a thank you to Toma wanted to buy him one last treat before they called it an evening. Even though he wanted to just get back to his homework and get it done, he went along with her plan. She picked out a cheap hamburger place, the best they could do given everyone had poured out from their studies to eat at the same time, and left Toma to hold the table while she went in and ordered for them. Toma just sat there shaking his head. “I really feel like our roles are completely reversed when I am around her,” he groaned.

While he waited, Misaka’s stalker showed up again and sat with him for a bit, helping with his homework while they waited. There was a scuffle in the restaurant, and when Toma looked up, he saw Misaka standing in the restaurant with… Unabara, who was also sitting right next to him, working on his homework with him. “Uh…You have a brother or something?” asked Toma.

Unabara quickly figured out what he meant. “I tell you, tricking people never goes well, does it?” He punched Toma in the back, knocking him to the ground, then pulled an obsidian blade. Toma lunged at him just as he swung down to strike, causing him to scrape Toma’s back instead of stabbing him outright.

“Why?” gasped Toma, staggering back from Unabara.

Unabara Mitsuki waved the knife toward the sky, shooting a laser-like invisible beam from the tip that whipped by Toma’s face and hit an illegally parked car behind him, causing a sigil to appear on the car’s door, then the car split apart into a thousand pieces, not sliced up, instead everything holding the car together just neatly falling apart, like a kit into its pieces.

Toma blanched. He had to lead whoever it was that had stolen Unabara’s image away from everyone so no one else was killed or injured by his horrid aim.

“Shit!” he swore running down a side road away from the crowds. As he ran, he called Index.“Pick up Index, answer the phone!”

Index answered, angry that there was no food at the apartment. “Not now! Index, I need help!” As he ran he blurted out everything that was going on.

“The black knife…that’s probably the Spear of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli.” Index informed him. “The spear will kill anyone and everyone exposed to the light of Venus.”

“So that’s how he’s disguising himself as Unabara, too?” asked Toma.

“Probably. Aztec priests slice a victim’s skin off with a knife to make a talisman from it,” answered Index.

Toma hung up, running into an alley where he was cornered. After an intense fight using a shovel, a bag of cement, and his own fists, Toma knocked the knife away from Unabara and left him dazed, laying in the road, his face shattered, showing his true features beneath, younger and darker.

Toma looked down at Unabara Mitsuki, lying on the road. They fought, but Toma’s horrid luck hadn’t run out. In the end, both half buried and surrounded by the rubble of the building destroyed during their fight, the Aztec mage confessed he had come to stop Toma, even though he didn’t want to do anything to hurt Misaka. He made Toma promise he would do anything it took to protect Misaka and her world from him and those who sent him. And Toma agreed, because he loved Misaka.

Around the corner, a wrapped hamburger held against her chest, Misaka Mikoto listened to their conversation. She sighed, not knowing when her blush would ever fade.

Accelerator - Academy City

Saturday, August 31, 12:00 AM Tokyo time.

Accelerator sighed. His life had come to this. He was in an alley between the student dorms, surrounded by seven very angry young men. Three more were on the ground before him, laying in pools of their own blood.

He had stepped out to buy more coffee from the convenience store nearby, and on his return home, had been accosted by these ten buffoons. He didn’t really even pay them attention, knowing his reflection would turn their attacks without him even trying. Ever since the experiment had been canceled, him losing the fight against a Level 0, people had been attacking him at random times daily, assuming he had lost his edge and the title of Strongest ESPer in Academy City was up for grabs. Whatever. He wasn’t sure about that Level 0 who had defeated him, but he knew he was still who he was. He resumed his walk home through the alley.

They came at him, knives and truncheons flailing and thrashing around him, and him lost in thought, utterly oblivious to their lethal intent. As he got to the end of the alley, he realized it had gone quiet, so he stopped and looked around, noting the ten young men all sprawled out, defeated by the reflection of their own attacks. Nobody died, but nobody was moving either.

‘Tch, I am getting soft,” he thought, leaving them where they lay. He used to just kill them outright for the offense of attacking him, but that was pointless, as he could kill them any time. There was no sense letting it get to him, so he tuned out the sounds with his reflection, and continued walking home.

As he walked, he noticed there was someone behind him, close and shouting. Looking over his shoulder he saw a young girl wrapped in a sheet yelling at him as she followed him. He allowed the sound through to hear her.

“You’re the world’s ultimate airhead, hmm? Says Misaka, as Misaka is all confused.”

He turned and continued walking home. Another homeless person gone crazy, sadly very young to be on the streets. Then it hit him. “Wait… Misaka?”

“Ha! You admit Misaka exists, yay!” cheered the girl launching into another blathering wall of speech.

“Shut up for a second! Let me see your face!” he barked.

“That’s being a little too forward, don’t you think? asks Misaka.”

She continued blathering, so he reached over and yanked the blanket from her head.

“Gahhh!?” The blanket fell from her.

He saw her face. She was one of the Radio Noise Sisters from the experiment, but younger, barely ten. His eyes widened in surprise as the blanket continued to fall.

“What the hell!?” he yelled as she stood there, shocked and completely naked. She started crying so he quickly threw the blanket back over her.

“My serial number is 200001. I’m Misaka of the final lot. My Code name is Last Order, says Misaka.”

Barely listening, Accelerator continued his walk home, Last Order following him and still talking.. “Whaddaya want me to do about it?” he asked her as he walked.

“I need your help. My body is incomplete, unstable. If you want, they can put Misaka back in the incubator to get completed, Misaka suggests, tilting her head in a cute way.”

“Ask someone else,” Accelerator answered.

“Misaka cries in despair! Misaka doesn’t have anywhere else to go.” She sounded frantic.

“What the hell is with her?” he groaned. “I killed your sisters! Why the hell are you coming to me of all people?” He continued walking home, the girl following and pratting on like a lost puppy. He ignored her, but didn’t stop her.

When he got to his apartment building and climbed the stairs, she ran in front of him and threw her arms out. “What number is your room, asks Misaka.”

“Room 304” he answered without stopping. There was a scream from the room's occupant and a hurried apology from Last Order as she backed out the door.

“That was kind of mean, protests Misaka.” She cried, so he sent her into another room, which she opened, then hurriedly shut the door, seeing the room’s occupant.

Accelerator stood before his room, 311. “What the hell?” he said. There was no door, Even for someone as oblivious as him that was tough to miss. Muddy footprints, broken furniture, nothing was left intact. He walked into the room and flopped down on the ruined couch to sleep. ““If you wanna stay over, then that’s your business, but you might be better off laying in the middle of a slum to go to sleep,” he told her.

“Hmmm. Misaka thinks she’ll still stay in here anyway, says Misaka, as Misaka makes that request.”

“Eh? What for?”

“Because Misaka wants to be with someone, says Misaka as Misaka answers immediately.”

Accelerator stared up at the ceiling as Last Order babbled. “Go to sleep,” he suggested. The young girl prattled on as she found a place to lay in the rubble. “What the hell, how long has it been since I talked to someone who didn’t have it in for me?” he thought as he fell asleep.

Saturday, August 31, 3:15 PM Tokyo time.

Accelerator took Last Order out to a diner to eat something, and noticed Amai Ao drive by. He was one of the researchers on Level 6 shift.

Their food came, Last Order trying to connect with Accelerator with conversation. Listening to her, and responding only vaguely, he felt a change within him. He realized he wanted them to stop him. While he was killing them, torturing them, cruely taunting them as he executed them, what he really wanted is for even just one of them to show some emotion, to beg him to stop, to tell him they wanted to live.

Last Order collapsed, face down on the table. She admitted to him she needed the scientists' help. She needed to be placed back in the incubator, to finish her growth, or she would die. She needed his help.

She didn’t want to die, he reflected in shock. She never wanted to die. None of them did. They all wanted to live, and he killed them. He resolved then and there to help Last Order. Leaving her resting in the diner, he set out for the lab that produced the clones, looking for a still functioning incubator that he might be able to use, to save the last sister.

Saturday, August 31, 5:20 PM Tokyo time.

Leaving Last Order to rest in the diner, Accelerator went to the labs There he found Yoshikawa Kikyou, a young woman in her twenties and one of the researchers still at the labs. She explained that Amai Ao was planning to use a virus that would cause the sisters all over the world to turn on all humanity, killing thousands or more. He had two choices. He could kill Last Order, and stop the virus that way. Or he could try to help kill the virus. He was done with killing, sick of killing the sisters, so he decided to try to kill the virus. So he picked the packet with the data stick and laptop. “I want you to fix her,” he said.

“You can leave her physical adjustments to me,” Yoshikawa replied.

He confronted and defeated Amai Ao, and was barely able to correct the defects in Last Order's code by using his special talent. Last Order was placed into an incubator to heal, but before he died, Animo Ao shot Accelerator in the head, causing him brain damage. He had aphasia from the injury, but Heaven Canceller was able to construct a device that let the Misaka network help him overcome the injury so he could continue to function. From that point on, he was the guardian of the remaining sisters.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 11 - Sunset - Back to School

Sunset - Back to School

Monday, September 1, 6:30 AM Tokyo time.

Turning off the alarm, Sunset turned and smiled at Twilight. “So ready for our first day?” she asked.

Her head still on the pillow beside her, Twilight grinned back. “I’ve been ready for this since we got here,” she replied. Getting up, she took her glasses from the nightstand and placed them on. “Dibs on the shower first.”

“You got it, Sparky,” Sunset said, pushing herself up and sitting on the side of the bed. She transferred into her chair then rolled into the kitchen to start their breakfast.

Oatmeal today, she thought. She cooked two bowls of oats, which she served with two servings of yogurt with a bowl of sliced apples, brown sugar, and cream, and placed two servings of juice on the table beside them. She made a cup of coffee, sipping it as she waited for Twilight to join her. She had just finished up her coffee when Twilight emerged from the bathroom, ready for the day.

“Stunning as always, Sparky!” complemented Sunset.

Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling. “Such a flirt!” she laughed.

“Pfht! Only with you, girl!” teased Sunset back.

Twilight sat at the table, joining her for breakfast. Bowing their heads, they joined hands and thanked the Maker for their friendship and meal.

Finishing her breakfast quickly, Sunset rinsed and placed her dishes in the dishwasher, then retrieved her bag and uniform from the bedroom and took her turn in the shower. Twilight cleaned up the breakfast dishes, then sat at the table nursing her coffee and reading on her phone while she waited for her BFF to finish getting ready.

Sunset emerged a short while later dressed and ready for her day. She rolled over to Twilight.

“Okay, Sparky! Ready Freddy!” Sunset smiled. They left the apartment, the door locking behind them automatically. The elevator was waiting for them in the foyer, this time with the lobby button already selected.

“They heard you, apparently,” snarked Twilight as they entered the elevator. “Now you don’t even have to push the button. Lazy!”

“Hey, girl! That’s what tech is for,” Sunset laughed.

Together they rode down to the lobby, then bowed in greeting to the concierge. As they headed out the door, Twilight took her position as Sunset’s motor.

“Get ready for a ride, Sunny,” she laughed. She pushed her friend through the throngs of students heading to their classes.

“Whatever! I’m more than happy to let you do the work,” Sunset smirked. “Onwards, James!”

“You’re so lucky you’re cute, girl,” grinned Twilight.

“Don’t I know it!” laughed Sunset. “But I’m really lucky to have a friend like you, Sparky!” She smiled up at her BFF, who blushed slightly.

“Flatterer,” she laughed, working her way down the street towards Tokiwadai Academy. When they arrived at the school gate, they showed their IDs to the student volunteer who let them in. Rolling towards the main school building, they joined the others entering to start their day, finding their homeroom and taking adjoining desks in the back.

The bell rang and attendance was called. As they had been warned, everything was in Japanese, but with their studying and preparation they were able to keep up well enough.

After homeroom they split up. Twilight was off to her engineering class while Sunset was off to advanced psychology. With a parting hug, they went their ways, though not without a mild reprimand for public displays of affection by one of the student officers, which caused both girls to roll their eyes and laugh.

While interesting, Sunset already learned most of what the class covered through her studies in Canterlot while at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She had used much of it to great effect, though for very poor reasons, causing her to grimace at the memory.

Her next class was advanced visualization techniques. It was part of the Power Curriculum, taught throughout the academy to help her advance her psychic skills. She was surprised to see Misaka in class with her given that the other girl was several years behind Sunset and most of the other students. She waved in greeting as she entered and took a seat next to her.

Class started. Sunset followed the techniques being taught with great interest. She partnered with Misaka on some of the practice drills, earning them a reprimand from the teacher for a few giggles from them both.

After class, Sunset took advantage of the break to get to know Misaka a little better.

“So, how do you know Tōma and Index?” Sunset asked.

Misaka bristled. “Tōma can be a jerk sometimes,” she said with a frown. “Always calling me biri–biri and bug-zapper. He knows my name, why can’t he just use it like everyone else?”

Sunset took her hand, smiling. “He is actually quite fond of you,” smiled Sunset. Misaka blushed, pulling her hand away.

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “So you’re friends with him? That’s cool I guess.”

Sunset smiled. “Sounds like you like them,” she noted.

Misaka scowled. “I know him. I’d like to teach him some respect, that's what I’d like,” she growled.

“Tōma said that every time you fight him you just get frustrated, so he just tries to avoid it,” noted Sunset.

Misaka grew more frustrated. “Level 0 my behind! He’s got something going on.”

Sunset pulled Misaka into a hug. “I’m sorry, girl,I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just teasing.” She smiled at Misaka, who calmed down and grinned back.

“Yeah, you’re right, sorry I got worked up. He's okay,” she admitted.

Sunset smiled. “Yeah, he really is.”

Shirai entered the room, looking for her friend. “Misaka, what are you….” her mouth hung open, seeing Sunset hugging her roommate. She stormed over to the two of them, grabbing Misaka’s hand and scowling at Sunset. “Come on, Misaka! We’re late for lunch!” she growled as she pulled her friend away.

Sunset laughed, smiling at Shirai. “Oh my goodness, you are so adorable!” she teased. Shirai scowled back, still pulling her friend to the door. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m not going to steal your girlfriend… yet!” laughed Sunset.

Confused, Misaka turned back to Sunset as she exited the classroom. “But I’m not her girlfriend…” she said as she was pulled out the door. Sunset just laughed harder.

Rolling into the lunchroom, she found Twilight in line to get her lunch. Joining her, they picked up their box lunches and took a seat near the far door.

“I got a chance to chat with Misaka,” laughed Sunset. “Oh, my stars, her roommate a handful! That Kuroko Shirai is one smitten kitten!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And what did you do?” she asked with a smirk.

“What do you mean?” feigned Sunset.

“Yeah, that,” snarked Twilight. “Clearly in your element there. You had too much fun, it shows. I know you, Sunny. You can’t resist teasing anyone who is wound that tight.”

“Damn girl, you do have me wired,” laughed Sunset. “Yeah, guilty as charged. She walked in on me giving Misaka an apology hug, then nearly sprained something leaping to conclusions. So I told her I wasn’t going to steal her girlfriend… yet.”

Twilight burst out laughing. “Oh, man. I bet that went over well. I’m surprised she didn’t use you as a punching bag, like Tōma said.”

“I’m pretty sure she was thinking about it!” laughed Sunset. “It was so freaking adorable.”

Twilight shook her head laughing. “You’re so weird,” she laughed.

“Says you!” laughed Sunset back.

They finished their lunches just as the bell rang. Risking further ire from student officers with a mild public display of affection, they headed off to their respective classes.

After classes they met by their lockers, deciding on which clubs and activities they should try out.

“We should definitely join Judgment. Toma said that’s the club that Misaka and her friends are in. It would be a good chance to get to know them and be around if she needed protection,” suggested Twilight.

“That sounds like a plan to me,” agreed Sunset, so they headed for the room where the Judgment club was meeting.

As they rolled into the room, Shirai noticed Sunset and immediately moved to Misaka’s side, scowling at them. Twilight walked in behind her and noticed her reaction.

Laughing, Twilight came up behind Sunset, who was smirking at the girls herself, and grinned. “You’re absolutely right, Sunny! She is adorable,” Twilight agreed. She leaned over Sunset’s back, hugging her. “She’s just too cute for words!”

Seeing the Sunset and Twilight behaving so affectionately, Shirai finally put two and two together, her demeanor warming considerably. Now smiling, she took her friend's hand and led her over to the pair. “Hi Sunset, Twilight!” she grinned. “Misaka and I are girlfriends too!” she greeted them.

“I’m not her girlfriend,” said Misaka in confusion. “We’re roommates.” Shirai hugged her tightly.

Twilight nearly choked on her laughter, but a quick elbow from her BFF helped keep her mirth in check. “Hi, again Misaka!” She nodded.

“So! You and Sunset are special friends?” Shirai asked Twilight with a slight bow.

“You could say that,” agreed Twilight, grinning. “She’s my bestie! We do everything together.” This got a huge grin from Shirai, smiling widely at the two older girls.

Misaka smiled as well. “That’s awesome! I wish I had friends like that,” she grinned.

Shirai scowled. “You do, Misaka!” Shirai pouted. Twilight and Sunset both grinned while Misaka looked bewildered.

Two more girls came into the room and headed straight for Misaka and Shirai. “Hi, guys! Sorry we’re late! Is this it? Anyone else joining us?” asked the younger of the two. They were wearing the uniform of a different academy, partially explaining why they were arriving late to the meeting.

“We could wait a little longer I guess, but I don’t imagine you’ll get anyone else. I’m surprised you two are here,” Misaka said to Sunset and Twilight.

“What? And miss out on hanging out with you and your friends?” joked Sunset with a grin. “No way!”

Shirai grinned back. “Okay, let’s start with introductions. I’m Shirai, and I’m a member of Judgment. Welcome!” Still holding Misaka’s hand, she turned to her friend. “Go ahead, Misaka.”

“Okay, I’m Misaka. I’m Shirai’s roommate,” she stated, trying to pull her hand back from her friend’s grasp to no avail. “I’m not in Judgment, just here to join my friends afterward for some fun at the arcade.”

The younger of the two girls from the other academy spoke up. “Hi! I’m Uiharu Kazari! I am in Judgement with Kuroko-san.”

The taller of the two girls from the other academy spoke next. “And I’m Ruiko! Hi! And nope I’m not with Judgment either, just here for the fun afterward with my friends! I go to Sakugawa Middle School with Uiharu.”

Twilight went next. “I’m Twilight, and I’m looking to join Judgment with my friend Sunset,” she said, looking at Sunset.

“And I’m Sunset,” finished Sunset. “And as Twilight said, I’m also looking to join Judgment.”

Twilight smiled. “So what is this Judgment anyway?” she asked.

Shirai tried to launch into an explanation, still holding Misaka’s hand despite Misaka’s repeated and increasingly desperate attempts to free herself. Every time Shirai tried to get a word out she was distracted by her friend's efforts.

Twilight leaned into Sunset, whispering in her ear. “You’re right, adorable!” she giggled.

“We should just head over to the office so we can give a proper orientation,” noted Uiharu. Everyone agreed, so together they left the classroom then strolled and rolled off the campus and over to the Judgment 3 Branch office. Once there, they took seats at the desks while Uiharu and Shirai explained what Judgment was and why they did what they did.

“Judgment is a student-based disciplinary committee here in Academy City. Our job is to maintain peace and order in the school system. We patrol the academy and detain any delinquents we find abusing their powers or breaking Academy rules. We can’t actually arrest anyone, so if we call for backup if we need to have someone detained,” explained Shirai. She then launched into a description of some of the tasks they could be assigned.

“So, just the two of you are in Judgment?” asked Sunset when she finished.

“Yes, just Shirai and myself, despite my repeated pleas,” noted Uiharu.

“Yeah, we’re just here to snag our friends when this is over for a little fun time!” agreed Ruiko. “Nice to meet you both!” she greeted.

“So are you really interested in joining Judgment?” asked Uiharu.

“All kidding aside? Absolutely!” Sunset agreed as Twilight nodded her confirmation as well.

“Awesome!” smiled Uiharu. “We could use the help!”

“That’s the truth!” snarked Misaka which got her a light smack and a playful laugh from Ruiko. “So, are we done here? Time to go have some real fun?” she asked.

“Fiiine! We’re done. I can finish doing the orientation next time. Not like it’s going anywhere,” sighed Shirai.

“Yeah!” grinned Misaka. “Arcade time!”

“Wait a sec!” called out Twilight. “I made some tracking fobs for all our friends. Can you each take one so we can test them out?” She handed out necklaces with little USB fobs attached. The girls all looked at them oddly but put them on under their shirts. “Thanks!” said Twilight, putting the rest of the fobs away.

The girls left the office, heading over for the arcade in the school's shopping center. As they were entering the mall, Shirai and Uiharu got paged. “Drat! We have to go back to work for a bit. Don’t have too much fun without us!” Shirai complained after reading the text. She and Uiharu ran back to the Judgment offices while the rest of the girls continued into the mall.

“I wonder what that was all about?” mused Twilight. They walked into the arcade, where the DDR set up was at the very front..

“No one can beat me at DDR!” crowed Misaka.

“Really?” grinned Twilight. “I bet I can get you to eat those words!” She laughed at the younger girl.

“Oh, it is so on!” Misaka grinned, taking Twilight by the hand and rushing over to the game. Putting her tokens in, she took her place. “Come on, Twilight! Money where your mouth is! Bring it, or flail in shame!” she teased.

Giving her a friendly hip bump as she took the platform, Twilight took her place and dropped her tokens into the game. The music fired up and the girls got funky.

In the food court nearby, Toma and Index were arguing.

They had taken one of the apparent transfer students to lunch, in payback for Toma accidentally seeing her undressed when he walked in on Index and her changing in the girls' school locker room, his horrid luck striking again. Index was berating him soundly for his behavior towards the girl, who unsurprisingly clearly felt incredibly awkward at the moment, both from the reminder of what had happened and having her two new friends arguing in public about her.

Index turned to the new girl. “What do you think, Hyouka? Am I right or what? Toma is a scoundrel!”

“Please stop,” begged Hyouka. “Look, there’s a restaurant right there. We said we were here to eat, so let’s go eat.” She took Index by the hand, pulling her into the restaurant. School Lunch Restaurant the sign over the door said. Toma followed them in, bemused.

Index and Hyouka had already picked out their lunches and sat at a table, so Toma grabbed one of the box lunches and joined them.

“Look, Toma may be a jerk,” Index shot a dark scowl at Toma at that point, “But he would never harm anyone. He’s actually really nice, and tries to look out for everyone.”

Toma smiled at Index as he took a bite of his lunch. She scowled at him again. “Still mad at you, Toma! You should not have walked in on us! That was rude!”

Toma laughed. “No, just my bad luck,” he signed, taking another bite of his lunch.

“So, how do you feel around Toma?” Index asked Hyouka.

“It’s not so much scared, as it is more.. Hmm…. It’s like how you feel when you pick up a wool sweater with lots of static electricity. It’s tingly like you might get hurt or zapped,” noted Hyouka.

“Yeah, he has that effect on people. On girls.” Index growled out the last part.

“It’s probably because talking to Toma is my first time talking to a guy,” mused Hyouka.

Toma’s eyebrow raised. “Really?” he asked.

Index smacked him. “Be good, Toma!” she scowled. Toma laughed, finishing his lunch.

Lunch finished, they decided to wander the mall for a bit. Index spied a cosplay photo fun booth. “Oh! Let’s try that! Come on Hyouka!” She dragged her new friend into the booth with her. Toma’s phone rang. “Don’t come close, Toma! We’re changing!” Index called out through the curtain.

Just his luck, Toma didn’t hear her, as he was trying to hear whoever was on the phone. The reception was horrid, and he couldn’t make out a single word. “Just my luck. Eh, but probably not, probably just rotten reception because we’re underground.” He tucked the phone back into his pocket and stepped towards the booth, the warning from Index completely unheard.

As he reached out for the curtain while the girls were changing into their cosplay outfits, the curtain jostled and dropped to the floor, revealing two thoroughly embarrassed and charmingly cute young women dressed in cosplay character battle bikinis. Toma just hung his head. “Curse my rotten luck!”

“Toma!” yelled Index, launching into him and punishing him for his indecent behavior.

Shirai, her Judgment armband back in place and back on the job, was searching for the reported intruder. Someone had broken through the defenses of Academy City and was purportedly prowling around, and certainly up to no good.

As she neared the train station Shirai noticed her target, Sherry Cromwell, a magician for the English Church. She appeared to be looking for something.

“I’ve got you now,” growled Shirai as she pulled a flare gun from her belt and fired it into the air. Everyone around her immediately started leaving the area recognizing the signal that a battle was about to take place.

“Don’t you move!” called out Shirai, storming towards the magician.

“What’s this, some angry runt?” fumed Cromwell, taking out a piece of pastel chalk.

In a flash Shirai appeared before her. Another flash and Cromwell was pinned to the ground, spikes appearing around her and driven through her clothing into the ground, holding her firmly in place. She grinned at Shirai.

Shirai then noticed she had already written a magic code in chalk beneath her. From the corner of her eye, she sensed something coming, but before she could teleport away a golem's face bit down hard on her ankle.

Shirai screamed out in pain. “Crap! Another level 5? Where did she come from?” she gasped. Looking up, she saw a giant arm, made of many different objects all gathered together, looming over her. Shirai screamed again as the arm slammed towards her, unable to teleport away due to her intense pain.

Their DDR battle over, Misaka was celebrating her close win over her rival. Twilight grinned. “You are so going down! I want a rematch!”

Before Misaka could reply, both Twilight and Sunset flinched in pain simultaneously. “Shirai is in trouble!” called out Sunset. “Go get her!”

“On it!” responded Twilight. Seeing her about to teleport away, Misaka grabbed onto her, and they both disappeared in a magenta flash.

“Come on, let’s go,” called out Sunset, taking Ruiko by the hand. A flash of teal later, they were both gone as well.

Twilight arrived at Shirai’s current location, following her trace from the fob they had given her. About thirty meters away Misaka saw a giant arm poised over her friend, about to smash down on her.

“No!” she screamed out as she let go of Twilight. Throwing out her hands, she launched all the iron in the sand around her into a cutting attack directed at the looming arm. The sand blasted through the arm, severing it cleanly. She then launched her railgun attack at the severed arm, blowing it away and filling the surrounding area with dust and smoke. Twilight and Misaka ran over to Shirai, where Misaka gently cradled her friend. “Damn it, Shirai! Stop trying to do everything without me! You need to let me help too. You should count on me more,” she cried out to her injured friend.

“Oh sissy! I knew you really cared!” gasped Shirai, pulling herself into her friend's embrace and nuzzling her face into her breasts.

“Damn it, Shirai! Ugh, even in pain you're still a pervert!” Misaka tried to push her friend away but she was locked on tightly.

Using the dust and smoke as a cover, Cromwell ripped herself up from the ground, tearing her clothes as she freed herself and escaped quickly into the smoke.

Free from the annoying pixie esper who had been bothering her, Sherry Cromwell, magician, mage of the Church of England, resumed the search for her targets. Using the magical technique of automatic writing, she got the name of the girl who was the key to the Imaginary Number District, Kazakiri Hyouka.

She used magical chalk writing to summon dozens of mud eyes, sending them out to find the girl.

The girls were thrilled with the pictures they took after Toma had been thoroughly punished for his depravity. Toma stood by, bemused and outside the hastily repaired curtain as the girls posed and giggled.

Index handed half of the photos to Hyouka. “School life is great!” she sighed.

Toma scowled. “No, it’s not.” As he started listing all the reasons why Index was wrong, a girl from Judgment stepped up to them.

“Why are you still here? Did you not get my message?” she growled at the trio.

“Eh?” responded Toma.

“I’ve been telepathically sending out a warning to everyone in the mall,” stated the young Judgment officer. Hyouka and Index nodded while Toma still looked baffled. “Ugh! Why are you not getting it!” she growled at Toma.

“Fine, I will just have to tell you. There is a terrorist in the underground mall we are in and a red alert has been issued. The operation to detain the terrorist will start in 902 seconds with likely gunfire. At that time the separation wall to the mall will close, sealing the mall off and making all escape impossible. I am using my telepathy to inform everyone so the terrorist does not find out. You need to escape right now,” she informed him, then ran off to check on others.

Toma looked concerned. “Girls, we need to go before the wall closes.” Hyouka and Index nodded and they all headed for the exit.

A voice called out to them, taunting. Turning they were shocked to see a mud eyeball stuck on the wall.

“Found you! All here, in one place? Excellent! I will just kill you all!” stated the eye.

Index stared closely at the mud eye. “Wait. That’s a golem that’s been forced into the role of an English guardian angel,” said Index.

“The terrorist is a magician?” asked Toma. Just then, the entire underground mall filled with the sound of rumbling and the lights went out. The separation wall had closed. They were now trapped with the magician.

“Just my luck,” sighed Toma.

Shirai was in the guard-room, looking over the surveillance cameras to find where people were still trapped in the now locked down mall. Her relieved and now unaccosted roommate was with her, also examining the video feeds.

Misaka suddenly called out. “Shirai, I see Toma! And two other girls.”

“Okay, come on, let’s go get them,” nodded Shirai. She grabbed her friend and they disappeared from the room.

They could hear the sounds of the battle from where they were hiding. Toma shook his head. “Girls, I need to go help end this.”

Index looked at him like he was completely daft. “Why would you need to end this? Why wouldn’t we go help end this?” she asked. “We can be more useful than just you.”

“Index, I don’t have time for this. Take Hyouka and go hide. I don’t want either of you getting hurt,” Toma responded.

“I’m the magical expert! I should be facing the magician, not you!” responded Index.

“Uhm, I can help too! What can I do?” added Hyouka. Neither of them acted as if they could hear her. The sound of footsteps echoed around the corner.

Both Index and Toma stopped arguing and listened, hearing the steps come closer. At the same time, they both called out.

“I got this! Go hide now!” They tried to run towards the footsteps, only to get tangled up and trip over each other, landing in a heap atop each other. Their cat Sphynx, who had been resting in Index’s blouse, let out a mew.

The footsteps were now right next to them.

“You have got to be kidding me, Toma! Why are you laying there with a girl on top of you!” Misaka called out angrily. Toma looked up, seeing Misaka and Shirai.

Rolling off of Toma, Index stood up. “Toma! Who are these two classless women!” she demanded.

On hearing that, Misaka grew extremely irate and Shirai’s jaw dropped in shock.

“You know this girl?” called out both Index and Misaka at the same time, pointing to each other. “What are you doing behind my back?”

“I can explain!” Toma tried to reason, but neither of the girls were listening, both launching off in tirades against him for the slight of seeing another woman. Toma kept trying to interrupt to no avail. Shirai for her part was growing increasingly furious at the revelation that her beloved sissy somehow considered this person her boyfriend!

Watching them, Hyouko grew increasingly frightened and speechless by Shirai’s expressions as she became increasingly irate.

Misaka took a break from her tirade and shook her head. She turned to Shirai. “Seeing that this idiot is involved, I have to ask. Is this terrorist possibly related to that goth woman you fought earlier?”

Snapping out of her rage, Shirai shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Maybe? I don’t know. We got reports of two different intruders today breaking into Academy City,” she admitted. “This could be her, or the second intruder.”

“Wait, two intruders? Ugh. No, it’s probably her then,” said Toma. “I was the other intruder, I had to get back into Academy City, and I lost my papers. And my wallet.”

Both Shirai and Misaka facepalmed. “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Misaka groaned. “Classic Toma.”

Shirai groaned. “Look, I was sent here to help free the trapped civilians. We saw you three, you’re civilians, so we are here to help. Come on, let’s get out of here,” she informed them.

“No. I need to stay and stop this mage,” stated Toma.

“No, I need to stay and stop this mage!” demanded Index.

“No! Index, I have to keep you safe. I made a promise to keep you safe. You need to leave.” Toma turned to Shirai. “Kuroko-san, please take her with you, and keep her safe.”

Shirai nodded, grabbing Index and Misaka, teleporting them out.

Toma looked over to Hyouka. “I’m sorry you were left behind.”

“I don’t mind,” admitted Hyouka, moving over next to him. The battle sounds were growing louder.

“Hyouka, I am sorry, but I need you to hide, and wait here for Shirai to come back and get you. I have to go stop this magician.” Toma then ran off, leaving her alone.

Twenty Anti-Skill agents were lined up battling Sherry Cromwell in one of the mall passages. Despite their incessant machine-gun fire, they were unable to hurt her as she stayed safely behind her golem and a magical shield. The golem continued to rampage, destroying the mall as they battled.

One of the agents decided to lob a grenade at the golem, as their guns were having little effect. Seeing this, Sherry directed the golem to deflect the grenade, launching it back at the agent that tossed it, where it went off, injuring the agent and those around him.

Toma came on the scene as the golem moved off, following Cromwell and destroying everything in its path, He looked at all the destruction and injured agents. “Holy cow, a magical golem can do all this?” he cried out loud as he ran down the hall after the retreating golem.

One of the agents called out to him, recognizing him. “Hey, you’re a student of Komoe’s! You need to stop!” Toma continued running, neither hearing nor heeding the warning.

Running down the darkened halls Toma scanned for any sign of the mage. Hearing crashing and breaking glass ahead of him he redoubled his pace, rounding a corner and coming face to face with Sherry Cromwell and her golem.

“So! The Imagine Breaker delivers himself to me. Where is the Key to the Imaginary Number District then? Was she not with you? Well, no matter.” she commented. “If I kill you, I get the same result. I’m Sherry Cromwell, if we’re making introductions. I’m with the Anglican Church, and I’m here for one purpose. I want war. I want a war between Academy City and England. I want everyone to know.” She turned to the golem. “Ellis! Attack him now!”

Behind Toma, the uninjured Anti-Skill personnel who had followed him began firing on the golem. Unfortunately it still had little effect on the magical monster, their bullets doing little more than chipping away small chunks from its massive body.

Over the sound of the battle, Toma heard footsteps. Looking behind the Anti-Skill units, he saw Hyouka walking towards him. “Hyouka! Get away! You were supposed to wait for Shirai!” As he shouted, a chunk of rock from the golem flew over the firing units, and struck her squarely in the face. She fell to the floor, the side of her face clearly obliterated.

Diving behind the firing Anti-Skill units, he ran to her side. Instead of the bloody head he was expecting to see, her face was a broken shell. Inside, an amber glowing rectangular prism spun slowly, clearly animating his friend.

From her place behind her golem, Sherry watched in stunned silence as well.

Feeling her face, then looking at her hands, bathed in the amber glow, Hyouka freaked out. “What am I?!” she shouted, jumping up, stumbling and running in panic towards the golem. Seeing her chance to kill someone of interest, Sherry shouted to her golem. “Get her! Take her down!” The golem swatted the girl, slamming her into the opposite wall.

To the shock of everyone, she got back up, still alive. Screaming in terror, she ran off down the darkend hall. “Ellis! Follow her! Take her out!” screamed Sherry. The golem ran off with her following, destroying everything in its path as it pursued the terrified girl.

Toma and the Anti-Skill personnel scrambled over the downed ruble to chase after the rogue mage and the terrified girl. Toma quickly outpaced them, leaving them struggling over the rubble.

Shirai returned, ready to take Hyouka and Toma to safety, only to find them both gone. “Damn it,” she swore under her breath as she quickly looked around for signs of the two. Seeing no sign of them she sighed, then teleported back to the security office to look for others needing rescue.

A few moments after that Sunset teleported into the security office as well, wearing her new Judgment armband. “How you doing, Shirai?” she asked as she scanned the feeds for more people trapped by the lockdown.

“Hanging in there, and you?” asked Shirai as she scanned the feeds. “I see a group in the food court, hiding under the benches.”

“Same. Looks like a large group. I’ll join you.” Shirai teleported out, followed by Sunset in a flash of teal.

A moment later, Twilight appeared in a magenta flash, also wearing her newly issued Judgment armband. Seeing both Shirai and Sunset appear in the food court, surrounded by a dozen people crawling out from under tables, she disappeared in a flash of magenta to join them.

Toma had left the Anti-Skill personnel in his literal dust, but still not caught up to the mage and her golem, he noticed an antennae area as he passed it by. Thinking about the missed call, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, and ducked into the area, calling back the last caller.

“Hello, Komoe here,” answered his teacher.

“Komoe-sensei, You called me, but I couldn’t understand a word you said,” Toma answered.

“That was Aisa, my friend. She wanted to talk to you about Kazakiri Hyouka,” replied Komoe.

“I have some questions about her,” responded Toma. “What is she?”

“She’s a magical esper AIM field made into a human form,” informed Komoe.

“I don’t think she knew,” responded Toma. “She was shocked when she was damaged, and we could all see the crystal core inside her. She ran off, screaming and crying.”

“She’s just an illusion,” continued Komoe..

“Even if she is just an illusion, that doesn’t mean she should just disappear!” stated Toma.

“Oh Toma! I am so glad to hear you say that. Clearly you were brought up the right way!” cheered Komoe.

“I’m going to save her!” stated Toma, hanging up.

Turning he saw the Anti-Skill units had caught up with them. Walking up to them, he called out. “I need you to help my friend. I think I have a plan.” Together, they worked out how to save Hyouka and defeat the golem Ellis.

Safely ahead of the golem and the mage for the moment, Hyouka paused to catch her breath. She felt her face, feeling it completely restored. Also restored was the damage she had suffered being thrown through the store front earlier. She even noted that her glasses had regenerated, and placed them back on. As she moved to get back up, Sherry and the golem came around the corner. Seeing her, the golem quickly reached out and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her towards them and grinding her body into the floor. Hyouka was damaged but quickly regenerated.

“I’m surprised that the Key to the Imaginary Number District has taken the form of a mere girl,” mused Sherry as the golem held her pinned in place.

“Why are you doing this!?” cried Hyouka. “Why are you being so cruel?!”

“Well, there’s no particular reason it has to be you, but killing you is the quickest way to get what I want.” Hyouka bowed her head, tears falling. “Hey, you’re not even human! See!” Sherry commanded the golem to rip a part of itself off, which it did. It regenerated just like Hyouka did. “See little girl? You two are exactly alike! Both monsters.” Hyouka cried in despair. “Don’t cry. It’s unseemly for a monster to cry,” Sherry told her in disdain. Turning to her golem, she instructed. “Kill her!”

As the golem prepared to finish her, Hyouka flinched. Waiting for her end, she realized she was still alive. Looking up, she saw Toma standing over her, right hand outstretched and the golem destroyed.

Growling, Sherry reconstructed the golem. She called out to Hyouka as she did. “Well, aren’t you the lucky little monster. It seems there is at least one idiot in the world who thinks you’re worth protecting.”

“I’m not alone, others think so too,” Toma said quietly to her as the Anti-Skill units took positions around them, protecting them from the golem.

“Attack!” commanded Sherry, and the golem started towards them. A barrage of bullets assailed it, the Anti-Skill units doing what they could to protect the pair, slowing the golem down. “Force your way through!” commanded Sherry, and the golem redoubled its efforts to reach them through the hail of gunfire.

“Are you going through with this, kid? No one will blame you if you chicken out,” one of the Anti-Skill units asked Toma.

“Wait! What are you going to do?” asked Hyouka in panic.

“I’m going to stop her golem,” replied Toma calmly.

“Don’t do it! It will just destroy you too!” cried Hyouka as she reached out for him.

“No! Don’t touch me, Hyouka. If you touch me, I will accidentally destroy you too! But just because we can’t touch doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I’ll be back, and we can hang out together with Index again. Okay?” Toma moved off.

Noticing that they were planning something, Sherry waved her pastel chalk, frantically trying to get Ellis to move more quickly towards them and end them. Quite suddenly, the Anti-Skill units stopped firing, and Toma ran towards the golem. “Get him! Get him! Attack!” screamed Sherry. The golem attacked the ground Toma was on, causing him to lose his footing and scramble to stay upright. Catching his balance as the golem raised its fist again for another attack, he ducked between the legs of the giant as Anti-Skill resumed their attack. He came up directly before the mage.

She was stuck. She couldn’t move the golem to attack him here without exposing herself to the withering fire he was blocking. She smirked. “Seems we’re both trapped back here.”

“All I need is for you to sleep quietly,” answered Toma, surprising her with a punch in the face, negating her control over the golem and knocking her to the ground.

Toma turned to punch the golem and negated him as well, but noticed the mage drawing a magic circle on the ground where she fell. “Oh don’t worry, I can’t make two golems at once. But I can make a very useful effect.” She laughed as the ground under her collapsed, allowing her to escape. The ground that was under her turned into a second golem as the one before them collapsed into rubble.

“Damn it! Now where is she going!” shouted Toma in frustration. “Wait, she didn’t really care which of us she killed. Ah crud, she must be going after Index!”

Toma turned to the Anti-Skill officer. “Why hasn’t the barrier wall come down? We need it down now!”

“We have no control over that,” replied the officier.

In frustration, Toma growled and walked over to the hole in the floor where Sherry had escaped. “I need to go after her,” he stated.

“Toma, what’s going on?” asked Hyouka, coming up beside him.

“The mage is going after Index!” he said in frustration.

“We should ask Anti-Skill to help,” noted Hyouka.

“That’s only going to get Index in trouble. She’s not even supposed to be here,” replied Toma. “I need to go down this hole and chase after her. I need to stop her.

“Do you really mean that?” asked Hyouka.

“Yes, of course I do,” replied Toma.

“It’s all right. There’s another way to save her. It takes a monster to face a monster, after all. I may not be able to stop the golem. But I can be bait. I will allow her to escape. I’m fine being a monster, it’s what will allow me to save Index,” said Hyouka.

“No, Hyouka, you’re not a monster,” called out Toma in panic. Smiling, Hyouka fell back into the hole.

Hyouka blinked, realizing she was again intact and whole. She had landed so hard at the bottom of the hole she had cracked into pieces. Looking around she spied the path the golem had taken and ran off after it.

As she was chasing it, her memories started to return. She recalled where she came from, the City of Shimmers. There she was the core of the machinery, influencing the thoughts and actions of the people there. At the edge of the City of Shimmers she could see Academy City. She longed to escape the city, to no longer be the center of influence in that queer place. She eventually was finally able to walk out into Academy City. One day during one of her walks, she noticed Index, who looked troubled. She reached out to help her, somehow manifested into her world, but in the process forgetting everything about who she was and where she came from. And, somehow, almost magically, she made her first friend, even if her friend hated her once she found out she was really a monster.

Index and Misaka stood together where Shirai had dropped them off, conversing as they waited for her return with the others. Index had much to say, most of it about her roommate Toma, which piqued Misaka’s interest.

“So first he destroyed the Walking Church, that’s my robes, and they exploded off me, leaving me in a very embarrassing state, which I punished him for,” she related to Misaka, causing her to grin..

“Now he’s off with Hyouka, and I’m worried. He always seems to get hurt helping others, and now he’s off doing it again. He always comes back though. No matter how many times he leaves, he always comes back.”

Sphinx chose that moment to leap out from Index’s blouse again, scampering away after something odd his cat senses had noticed. “Darn it, Sphinx!” called out Index as she chased after him.

“I’ll just wait here, cat’s really don’t like me,” called out Misaka to Index as she chased after her cat. The ground started rumbling. “That can’t be good…”

Toma scrounged around and found a fire suppression station in the wall of the mall. He pulled out the firehose, dragged it over to the hole, then dropped the loose end in. “I’m going after them!” he announced, taking hold of the hose and sliding down into the hole.

Much further ahead of him, Sherry sent off the golem Ellis ahead of her to where her magic detected Index to be waiting. Hiding, she let Hyouka pass her by, having decided that Toma was the one she needed to destroy. As she waited for him to catch up, she prepared a trap for him.

Having reached the bottom of the hole, Toma was running hard down the dark halls in the direction the mage and golem had gone. After running for several minutes, a pillar collapsed next to him, nearly taking him out. Looking ahead, he saw the mage Sherry Cromwell laughing at him.

“Too late, child! I’ve sent my Ellis ahead to find his target. He probably already has and destroyed her. I guess you’ll have to be my opponent, too late to save your friend Index!” she taunted.

“Why are you doing this!?” yelled Toma in frustration. “What reason could you possibly have to cause a rift between science and magic?”

“What reason!?” responded Sherry, enraged. “You know how espers self destruct when they try to use magic? Guess what! My friend Ellis tried to be the first magic-esper hybrid. He didn’t make it. Magic destroyed him! So magicians need to stay on their side, and espers need to stay away on their own side. Magic and Science cannot coexist! If we don’t stay apart, more people will die, just like my friend! Twenty years ago, he died senselessly because he tried to bring magic and science together. It can’t be done!” she screamed. “We have to stay apart!”

Toma shook his head at this. “Wait, you don’t really want a war, do you. You just want us on the brink of a war, so we stay separate and apart. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”

“I want this to stop! It takes what it takes!” screamed Sherry back at him, completely enraged now. She activated several magical circles drawn earlier as part of her ambush, and the walls of the tunnel began to collapse around him as the spell activated. Toma saw her step back into one of the circles, protecting her. Determined to stop this madness, he rushed forward. Using his Imagine Breaker, he negated her magic, leaving her exposed to the collapsing tunnel.

She immediately canceled the spell, leaving the rest of the tunnel unscathed. As she was distracted doing that, Toma hauled off and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Dazed but not out, she scrambled to her feet. “I need to create a spark for war. Your science is getting lax, security in Academy City is deplorable. And my church! They let Index Librorum Prohibitorum wander loose, and right into your hands! “

Toma grabbed her. “What did Hyouka and Index ever do to make you want to attack them!? Why are you trying to start a war you don’t even want or believe in?” he demanded.

She shook loose of his grasp. “I don’t know!” she screamed. “I hate everything! I want to kill everyone who killed my friend Ellis! I want to bury all the scientists and magicians together! I just don’t want us fighting each other. I want both, I am in conflict, and I just don’t know! It all makes perfect sense, both are completely logical. And it hurts so much. I don’t have a single belief. I have more beliefs than the stars! “

Toma paused. “You’re contradictory, but it’s clear, all your beliefs spring from one belief. You didn’t want to lose your dear friend, Ellis. Look with your own eyes! Can’t you see that Index is happy here, and that I’m happy she’s here? Do we look unhappy together? There’s no need for us to separate. We are all happy together. Don’t you get it? Don’t take away my dear friend too!”

Sherry collapsed, her hands at her side. “I can’t do it. It was all useless folly.” She looked up at Toma, a pastel chalk now in her hand, and charged towards him.

Toma quickly realized that she also wanted someone to stop her, and this was her last attempt to make that happen. Putting his right arm forward, he destroyed her pastel magic, and punched her in the face again, destroying all of her illusions as she fell to the ground. She laid there, knocked out completely finally.

Toma found cables laying nearby and used them to tie her up, then ran down the tunnel towards the golem.

Left alone, Sherry regained consciousness. “Why didn’t he kill me? Why am I not dead?” she wondered. She wriggled to test the bonds, which held tight, but a piece of pastel chalk fell out of her robes. As best she could while bound, she used it to issue one last contradictory order to her golem. “Destroy the target. Or abort the mission.”

Index caught up to Sphinx and grabbed him. “Got you, little stinker!” she exclaimed. Just then Sphinx acted strangely again, as the ground rumbled beneath them. “That can’t be good,” thought Index.

The ground tore apart, a giant arm reaching out and swatting down towards Index.

Index leaped back, avoiding the blow. But instead of running away, Index stood firm, narrowing her eyes. She used the knowledge of the 103 thousand grimoires in her head to analyze the golem, determining it's a golem based on the kabbalah, mainly used to attack and defend against enemies. The golem was created by mixing the Anglican Church’s spells in, creating a new spell, in English instead of Hebrew, and activated from a distance.

The golem attempted to attack her again, but she stood fearless having determined the best way to defend herself. Using spell intercepts, she recited codes that interfered with the golem’s remote control, hijacking the golems' commands. It worked, so she used her command of the golem to make it do damage to itself. It tried to attack again, so she used a longer code, causing it to fall once more. “To make it stop, I have to stop its regeneration,” she thought. Taking one of the pins from her clothing, she prepared for its next attack. It stood up and attacked her again. Index doged the attack, throwing her pin at the leg of the golem, which absorbed it. The leg immediately stopped working, not allowing the golem to get any closer. Index smiled, taking out another pin.

In a surprise move, the golem blew her away. She tried using the spell intercept again but was unable to complete the spell. Trying once more, she got the spell off but it no longer worked. Worried, Index concluded the golem was now off remote control so she could no longer control it using hijacked magical commands.

Rising, the golem ripped off the leg with the pin in it, allowing it to move again. It rose up, raising its arm over Index with a roar.

“Toma!” Index called out in fear.

Index heard a sickening crack. Surprised to still be alive she looked up. Not Toma but her new friend Hyouka was attacking the golem, kicking and punching it with surprisingly great force. Hyouka was injured after each attack but regenerated quickly, allowing her to keep on the offensive

“Index, I’ve got this! Run away!” called out Hyouka as she fought. During the fight the golem’s regenerative ability went berserk, causing it to grow larger and larger.

“Hyouka, get out of there! You can’t take that! It’ll kill you! Run!” screamed Index.

“Index, it’s all right! I’m a monster too! I’m not human, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!” called out Hyouka. The golem attacked relentlessly, causing breaks in Hyouka’s form. She couldn’t regenerate fast enough. The golem brought its other arm swinging towards her to finish her.

Hyouka flinched, knowing her end was near.

“Hyouka!” shouted Toma, stopping the blow just in time by hitting it with his right hand. The golem fell completely to pieces, the spell broken.

Hyouka smiled, then disappeared.

Shirai appeared, taking Index and Misaka away from the fight. Index was sputtering and fighting to get loose the entire time. “I need to stay with Toma!” she shouted just before being transported away.

Toma kicked the rocks, heading back to the dorms, hoping to find his friends. He passed by an abandoned building. Hearing cries coming from inside it, he looked up and saw his friend Hyouka crying on the scaffolding.

Climbing up and walking over to her, Hyouka turned to him. “I was happy to use all my strength to protect my important friends. I knew from the very beginning what happens when a monster’s true nature is revealed. I can’t do anything about being a monster, but a person I called friend was in danger. I needed to save her,” she explained.

She leaned against Toma embracing him. Toma didn't return her embrace, afraid he would harm her with his touch.

“Why do I have to lose everything I love, everything I hold dear?” cried Hyouka. “Why do I have to be afraid? I just want my friends safe, from me, from danger.” She cried into Toma’s chest while he looked on helplessly, wanting so much to hold and comfort his friend.

“I just wanted to be with my friend forever. I just knew we could become good friends. But it wasn’t possible. I couldn’t just stand by and allow her to be killed! Even if saving her meant she would know I was a monster! Even if it meant she would hate me, or be afraid of me.”

Toma,silent the entire time, listened to his friend pour her heart out. “You aren’t a monster,” he said quietly. “If you are in pain, or sad, you are not a monster. You’re human, and your illusion isn’t over yet.”

He looked down the street, and Hyouka followed his gaze. Index was approaching, looking for them. Index saw them, tears welling up in her eyes. Hyouka’s mouth fell open in disbelief as Index scrambled to get to them, pouting and crying the whole time. “You may be made different, and you may be able to do things others aren’t able to do. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re Index’s friend,” Toma smiled as he stood back.

Finally caught up to them, Index raced over to where they were, launching herself into Hyouka’s arms and embracing her tightly.

Anti-Skill found the two wandering back towards the dorms. They took them to A Certain Hospital, where Toma was checked out by the Doctor known as Heaven Canceller.

“I am getting better at this, see! This time not a scratch on me!” Toma bragged.

His teacher Komoe and her friend Himegami Aisa were quick to scold him. “Your actions don’t show improvement! Look how you treated those girls, especially Kazakiri Hyouka! And you were brought to us in-custody of Anti-Skill? What numbskullery were you up to that they had to bring you in?”

The Doctor chimed in too. “Toma, due to your recent activities, your hand would surely have developed fractures.” That stopped Toma’s bragging.

Komoe was still suspicious. “I think this entire occurrence was extremely suspicious. Too many coincidences. Like your friend Kazakiri Hyouka appearing before you, Toma. And her being the Key to the Imaginary Number District! And how was that terrorist able to find her so quickly? That despite the fact that she just appeared. That so implicates the administrators. Way too many coincidences at the same time, and that is the most suspicious point of all!”

The Doctor looked up, turning to look out the window at the Windowless Building.

In the waiting room, Index sat with her friend Hyouka, who began to dissipate. She called out to Index. “I only have a little time left in your world! I only exist in an unstable state, because I’m a concentration of the power of all the espers gathered here.”

“Is it because of Toma?” growled Index. “It’s because of that Imagine Breaker, isn’t it?”

“No,” explained Hyouka, fading. “If it were Toma, I would have been destroyed long ago. I have to leave now. Index, I will always be with you, even if you can’t see me.”

“Will we ever meet again?” asked Index tearfully.

“I am sure of it,” agreed Hyouka. “Good bye, Index!” With that, she faded away.

In the Windowless Building, Tsuchimakado Motoharu faced the glass enclosure, reporting to Aleister Crowley as he floated upside down within it. “So, are you happy now that you’re closer to holding the key that controls the Imaginary Number District? You’re a monster, you know that? To give the Imaginary Number District consciousness, and allow that consciousness to materialize into something like that girl… you must be insane!”

“Not at all,” replied Aleister. “It’s much easier to control humans. They can be coerced, or at the very least negotiated with.”

“And what if the creature you created had been a villain? What then?” demanded Motoharu.

“Please, villains are even easier to control,” responded Aleister. “The difference is only in the methods used to handle them.”

Motoharu countered. “So, what was the meaning of this? Was this just to get the Imaginary Number District under your control? The magic side of things is not going to be easy to handle after this little fiasco with Sherry Cromwell.”

“If I had managed to get the Imaginary Number District under my control, we would no longer need to fear magicians,” responded Aleister.

Motoharu pondered this for a few moments, then his head shot up. “You are trying to create an Artificial Heaven, aren’t you? If the Anglican Church ever discovers that’s what you're up to, they will declare war for certain! They will pity Sherry Cromwell for being manipulated, knowing that she only thought she was protecting her own world!”

“Don’t be so paranoid,” soothed Aleister. “I do not intend to fight the Church. Besides, terms like Heaven and Hell are beyond me, those are clearly the business of the magic side of things.”

“Really?” responded Motoharu, insulted. “Well no one here knows more about magic than you, Aleister Crowley the magician.”

Motoharu turned to leave. Stopping for a moment, he turned back. “A bit of friendly advice. Have you ever heard the term hard luck? It simply means that no matter how many times a person with that luck meets a hellish fate, they’ll be lucky enough to overcome it safely. I have no idea what you’re planning. But if you continue to use Imagine Breaker, be prepared to not treat him half-heartedly yourself. His right hand will surely eat your illusions alive!” With that he left the room, then exited the Windowless Building.

As he left Aleiser mused to himself. “All of my illusions were destroyed a long time ago.”

Index, Toma, and the girls were gathered back at Sunset and Twilight’s apartment. They wanted to give the girls and Toma a chance to unwind after the rather intense evening they all had.

Pizza was ordered and eaten, then they relaxed and enjoyed a movie together. When the movie was over the younger girls excused themselves on the slim hope of sneaking back into their dorm before they were caught breaking curfew. This was less of an issue for Shirai and Misaka, as Shirai grabbed her roommate in a tight hug and disappeared.

Sunset laughed while Ruiko scowled. “That is so not fair,” she groused. “I wish I could just teleport back into my room, I’d never get caught!”

Twilight laughed. “I’ll help. Come here girls!” She took both Ruiko and Uiharu’s hands then they popped out with a magenta flash.

Sunset took Index and Toma in hand (his left hand), doing the same for them. They disappeared in a flash of teal.

She reappeared shortly, waiting for Twilight to return.

A short while later Twilight reappeared with a smirk. “There, that’s sorted. Had to skulk around a bit to get a clear view through their window, but got them in and settled. I haven’t had that much fun in a while,” she grinned.

“I always knew you had some bad girl in you,” teased Sunset as they cleaned up and got ready for bed.

“They’re quite the lively group of friends,” laughed Twilight. “I thought Uiharu was going to die of embarrassment when Ruiko flipped up her skirt and yelled her name out. And right in front of Toma too! He looked like he was going to turn redder than a tomato; he was so embarrassed! And then Index goes off on Toma for looking.” They both laughed at that.

Sunset giggled. “Poor kid, she was so embarrassed! She ought to just wear shorts like Misaka, then Uiharu can’t embarrass her all the time.”

“Yeah, but shorts can be awkward,” Twilight observed. “She just needs to get Ruiko back!” she laughed.

“I’m sure you could give her some pointers!” Sunset snarked.

“Living with you, oh queen of mean?” Twilight grinned. “Yes, I’ve had to learn how to give back sometimes, just to keep up with you!”

“I only tease you because I love you! Honest!” laughed Sunset.

Climbing into bed and snuggling under the covers, Twilight bopped her nose. “You tease me because you’re a dork!” she laughed. “But I love you too much to care!”

Snuggling under the covers, Sunset joined in her laughter. “I love you too, Sparky!”

Happy, they looked out over the once again peaceful city as they fell asleep.

Stop trying to feel good, and instead seek to be good; kind acts are richer by far than pleasant ones - The Celestial Teachings.

Author's Note

Events from A Certain Magical Index during this time:

School term officially starts.

Kazakiri Hyouka Arc occurs - she manifests herself, when Sherry Cromwell attacks Academy City - the School District 7 Underground Shopping center.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 12 - Sunset - Eyes Wide Shut

Sunset - Eyes Wide Shut

Tuesday, September 2, 6:30 AM Tokyo time.

At 6:30 AM, the alarm went off, the windows opaqued, and the lights came up. Sunset groaned. “It’s way too early for this.”

Twilight rolled over smiling and booped Sunset on the nose. “No complaining. This is exactly what we wanted. Up and at em Sunny!” She sat up, stretched, then rolled out of bed. “Dibs on the shower!” she called out, gathering up her clothes and supplies as she headed for the bathroom.

“Fine! I’ll start on breakfast.” Sunset pushed herself up and stretched, yawning the sleep out of her system. “Porridge day I think,” she said to herself, transferring to her wheelchair then rolling into the kitchen. Taking out the supplies and pans needed, she put water on to boil, then made herself and Twilight cups of coffee.

“I really love this coffee maker,” sighed Sunset as she sipped her coffee.

“Better than me?” grinned Twilight, leaning over her shoulder and dripping onto her nightgown with her still wet hair.

“Ugh, girl!” laughed Sunset, putting her coffee down and turning to face her friend. “You really can be a brat,” she said, pulling her wet friend in for a hug, damp towel and all. “Better than you? Never, you’re the best! Besties forever!”

“Ah, you’re so sweet!” smiled Twilight, hugging her back. She pulled away and skipped into the bedroom. “Be right back!”

“Wow, you’re in a good mood,” smiled Sunset. She turned back to the stove, noting the water was finally boiling. She finished making the porridge and set the table while Twilight finished getting ready.

Twilight, now dressed and ready for the day, came out and took her coffee.

“Thank you, Sunny!” Twilight said in gratitude, sitting at the table and preparing her porridge, then sipping her coffee.

Preparing her own porridge, Sunset smiled in agreement. “Anything for you, Sparky. Grace?” she asked.

Nodding, Twilight took her hands and bowed her head.

“Thank the Maker for this food and friends,” prayed Sunset, her own head bowed.

“Thank the Maker,” agreed Twilight, squeezing her friend's hand before letting go to settle into her breakfast.

Sunset joined her, quickly finishing up her breakfast and coffee.

“Okay, my turn!” Sunny laughed, placing her bowl in the sink, then she rolled into the bedroom to gather her bathroom kit before heading into the shower.

Twilight smiled as she started cleaning up from breakfast. She finished quickly.

Sunset rolled out of the bathroom, dressed, and readied for the day, rolling into the bedroom to exchange her bathroom kit for her daypack. Ready, she rolled out to her BFF.

“Ready Freddy?” asked Sunset with a grin.

“Ready Freddy!” Twilight repeated confidently. She pushed her friend out the front door, which closed and locked behind them. They rolled onto the waiting elevator and were whisked down to the ground floor. With a bow to the concierge, they rolled out of the building and towards Tokiwadai Academy for their first class.

Tuesdays and Thursdays were block days at the academy. So, when the girls arrived at their homeroom, they were surprised to be directed to the office after homeroom instead of their normal classes. Normally block days involved one extended class in the morning after homeroom, then the afternoon spent either on their internships, or school organization activities, such as their Judgment work.

In the office, they were informed that they were to take part in an internship with one of the Academy's scientific institutions. For their first day, they were to be evaluated for the available internships and would be placed based on the results of the evaluation, though they did promise that the girls would be placed together.

Twilight wheeled Sunset out. “At least they kept us together. As soon as they said internships, I was half expecting they were going to break us up for our assignments,” she said. “I’m just glad that didn’t happen.”

“Agreed,” Sunset nodded. “At least we can hang out between jobs if we’re both working at the same place, right?”

“I certainly hope so,” agreed Twilight as they rolled off the campus. They arrived at the gate of the institute they were testing to intern for, Academy Life Sciences. Showing their IDs, they were let in and escorted to a room filled with other students, all looking for placements as interns with the different programs at the institute.

“Wow. Lots of students testing for positions here,” noted Sunset, scanning around the full auditorium-sized room. There were students of every level there, from grade school through University, gathered together in what looked like groups of friends as they waited for their testing.

An instructor entered the room, signaling for attention. Dressed in a white lab coat, she clutched a clipboard with multiple note sheets in one hand and a pen in the other. Her white hair poked out from under her surgical cap as she waved her hand and pen to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, please!” the instructor bade in Japanese. “Take a seat! It’s time to begin testing. Take a seat please so we can get started!”

Everyone settled down and turned to face the instructor.

She looked down at the sheet, reading. “We are going to take you individually to your tests. For many of you, this may include a physical examination. Please do not be alarmed. This is a normal part of the testing depending on the job you are being examined for. It does not mean anything is wrong or that you are in any kind of trouble. It’s just part of the placement process. We will be testing your abilities as well as your competence in the skills needed for the jobs you are being placed into. The testing may take a while. Please be patient, though we do expect to be completed before lunch, at which time we will break, then afterward resume with the internship training.”

Twilight and Sunset both looked perplexed. “I wonder what that’s all about? I didn’t think we were volunteering to be lab rats,” noted Sunset quietly.

Twilight just shrugged. “No idea. Maybe we’ll find out more during our testing,” she observed.

The instructor flipped a page, then ran her finger down the list on the current page. “When I call your name, please come to the front of the room where a volunteer will take you to your testing location.”

She began calling out student names. They were not in any order the girls could discern, so they kept their ears open for each other’s names while they studied. About ten minutes later, the instructor called out. “Twilight Sparkle! Please come to the front of the auditorium.”

“Welp, that’s me!” grinned Twilight, giving Sunset a quick hug. “See you for lunch!” She put on her daypack and walked to the front of the auditorium. A young man was waiting with the instructor, who waved her to him. He bowed, then led Twilight out of the classroom. She turned and waved to Sunset as she left the room.

Sunset went back to studying her class notes, keeping her ears open for her name, which was called shortly.

“Sunset Shimmer! Please come to the front of the auditorium.”

Sunset put her notebook away, then placed her daypack on the back of her chair before rolling to the front of the auditorium. A young woman was waiting for her with the instructor. Sunset bowed to them both. The young woman bowed back while the instructor just pointed to her and nodded. Sunset nodded back then followed the young woman out of the room. She led her silently down several halls and into a room that looked suspiciously like an examination room.

“I take it I am one of the interns who will be physically examined as well?” asked Sunset as she viewed the room.

The young woman nodded. “That is correct, Ms. Shimmer. Please transfer onto the examination table and change into the gown on the table. You may keep on your undergarments, but we ask that any jewelry or other clothing be removed and placed into the garment bag provided, which will be returned to you of course when the examination is completed.” She stood by the examination table while Sunset rolled up to it. “Do you require any assistance?” she offered.

Sunset transferred over to the table and proceeded to undress. She placed her clothes into the garment bag.

“No,” Sunset eventually replied. “I think I have this. Thank you though for the kind offer.”

Sunset proceeded to dress in the examination gown. She placed her garment bag on her chair, then laid down on the table.

“Excellent, and you are most welcome. The examiners will be in shortly,” the young woman said as she rolled Sunset’s chair to the foot of the bed and exited the room.

“Guess now I wait,” sighed Sunset, staring at the ceiling.

Several minutes later a group of technicians garbed in white scrubs and masks entered with electronic testing equipment. They proceed to attach electrodes to Sunset, starting with her scalp, and working their way down her entire body to her toes. When they finished, they left her attached to the beeping machine by what felt like about 50 wires, which draped down from the examination table in carefully wrapped bundles.

“Well, that happened,” noted Sunset with a blank stare. No one else entered, so she resumed staring at the ceiling.

A woman's voice came from a speaker somewhere in the room. “Ms. Shimmer. We are ready to begin the testing. We will be examining your psionic responses to several tests. Please give your best effort to the following psychic tasks.”

Sunset nodded. The voice continued. “Very well. Beginning the first test.”

‘Guess that confirms they’re watching’, mused Sunset.

The voice led her through a litany of psychic tasks, from basic levitation, clairvoyance (“what card am I looking at now?”), and other cantrips. All through the tests, she was completely dispassionate, her voice devoid of any inflection or emotion.

After over an hour of these tests, the examiner concluded. “We will now monitor your psychic energies to establish your post-test baseline. This will take approximately twenty minutes. After that, we will begin the examination of your skills to determine your proficiency in the tasks required by this position. This should take less than an hour, allowing you to return to enjoy lunch with your fellow interns.”

Sunset nodded and resumed staring at the ceiling. She found the starkness of the lab and the callous scientific detachment shown by the examiner and technicians to be more than a little off-putting. Furthermore, she could sense that these tests were not just for the position, but that they were looking for something beyond the results of the simple tests they were running. Sunset suspected it had to do with their efforts to create their own ‘awakened’ Level 6 god. And quite frankly, she was less than pleased to be treated like a piece of meat in a test tube.

She was extremely careful throughout the tests to not allow any of her magic to come into play. She did exactly what was asked to the best of her abilities, but did not allow any form of ‘pony-up’ to occur.

After her twenty-minute cooldown was completed, the technicians returned, removing the electrodes from her body and cleaning up the adhesive used. They returned her chair and bag to her, and allowed her to change back into her uniform and transfer into her chair. When she was completely ready, one of the technicians led her into a room filled with terminals and computer equipment. There, she was assigned a series of clerical tasks which she completed proficiently.

Once these were completed, the technician led her back to the auditorium where she found Twilight waiting for her in the same seat she had before.

“So, how’d it go?” asked Sunset as she rolled up to her BFF with a grin. “Did they treat you like a lab rat too?”

“Yup. Stripped me down, wired me up, tested me hard then tested me again,” grinned Twilight.

“That sounds about right,” agreed Sunset. “Same with me. After they tested my psychic talents, they made me lay still for another twenty minutes. After that, I got dressed and they did the tests I expected they were going to do.”

“They made you lay still for twenty minutes? They had me there for over half an hour. Wonder why the difference?” noted Twilight.

“Probably because you’re cuter,” snarked Sunset with a smirk. “They just wanted to get a good look at you in your skivvies.”

“Shuddup you!” blushed Twilight. “Shut your mouth! You are so weird.” She smacked her friend on the arm.

Sunset laughed. “Just teasing, Sparky. No idea why.” She smiled slyly at her friend. “You really are cuter though.”

“Liar!” laughed Twilight.

The instructor signaled everyone for their attention. “Everyone! Eyes front, please! Attention please!” When everyone had settled down, she continued. “We are going to break for lunch. If you would all please follow me, I will take you to the institute cafeteria where lunch will be provided for you. After that, we will all meet back here. Please be back in your place by 1 PM so we can continue.”

With that, she went to the door on the left side of the auditorium, propped it open, and led the students out towards the cafeteria. There were also several volunteers along the halls to help shepherd the group in the correct direction. Sunset and Twilight tagged along towards the rear, following the herd to lunch.

“I wonder what they are serving?” mused Twilight as they passed through the halls.

Sunset just shrugged as Twilight pushed her along. “I’m just getting the same thing we always get if I have a choice,” she answered.

When they got to the cafeteria, they noted the menu stated in Japanese each student was allowed one entry, one side, and a drink. Sunset asked for the basic Bento Box lunch and a drink which was provided without complaint. Twilight opted for the same. Together they found an open table and sat down to eat.

“My tests were mostly focused on sensing the tester’s thoughts and feelings. I got the distinct impression they knew about my empathy,” Sunset related as they ate.

Twilight nodded. “My tests were geared more towards my telekinesis. That would make sense. They must have had some idea about our skills beforehand. Good questions for Kaori when we see her again,” she agreed.

“I know it has something to do with that work Kaori mentioned,” Sunset added. “I can feel it. Everyone here is hiding something. My gut says there is some dark secret they’re all keeping,” Sunset stated. “It’s just a feeling. I have no proof. Yet. But I know I’m right.”

“I trust your instincts, Sunny. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open,” agreed Twilight. “This is why we came here anyway, to help protect and defend. This is as good a place to start as any.“

Sunset nodded in agreement.

After lunch, they returned to the auditorium. The selected students were called forward and presented with their assigned internships, including Sunset and Twilight. Those not selected were then dismissed, after which an instructional video was shown about the institution, its goals, and basic information and guidelines in order to help them function safely while working here. Several areas were running experiments where a wrong move could potentially get someone killed, so they and the others took the presentation quite seriously.

They actually finished too early to call it a day, so Twilight decided to head back to the apartment and work with the concierge on the visas needed for their planned guests next weekend. Sunset headed over to Judgment to see if Shirai and Uiharu needed any help for the afternoon.

“Hey, Sunset! Didn’t expect to see you today! What brings you here? And where’s your girlfriend?” teased Shirai as Sunset rolled into the office.

Sunset hugged the girls in greeting. “Hi girls! Yeah. Finished orientation early so I thought I’d stop by and say hi and see if there was anything I could do. Twilight had some work she had to finish back at the apartment but she’ll be back tomorrow, same as always.”

“Well, you could finish your orientation training. I’ll give you the booklets so you can bring them to Twilight to finish too, then we can just go straight into your assignments tomorrow when you both get in,” nodded Shirai seriously as she passed several booklets over to Sunset. “Just read through those, sign the form, and you’re done. Same for Twilight. Just bring the forms in and we’ll put them on file.”

Sunset nodded, taking the books and rolling up to her desk. She started reading through them while the girls worked.

Their shift ended a short while later. Sunset finished up with the booklet she was reading. She put it back with the others in her daypack, along with the forms for her and Twilight to sign, then hung the daypack back on her chair.

“So, you girls doing anything tonight?” asked Sunset as they prepared to leave the office.

“Not really,” noted Shirai, locking the door. “We were just going to eat in the cafeteria then study for the night.”

“Same here,” noted Uiharu. “Nothing special. Just studying.”

Sunset nodded. “Not that you have to, but do you want to have a study session at our apartment? Twilight said she was making dinner. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind making a little extra if you girls wanted to join us instead of eating at the cafeteria.”

“Home cooking instead of cafeteria food? Don’t have to ask me twice,” smiled Shirai. “Let me see if Misaka is cool with that.”

“Ditto here. I’m calling Ruiko now to see if she wants to join us,” agreed Uiharu. A moment later she smiled. “We’re in! I’ll go pick her up and we’ll meet you there!” She happily ran out the door.

“Okay then!” laughed Sunset. She turned to Shirai, who was still talking on the phone. Shirai flashed her a thumbs up.

“Alright! I’ll let Twilight know you're all coming over. See you all there!” Sunset waved as she left the office.

She texted Twilight. “I invited the girls over for a study session. Hope that’s okay.”

The reply came back almost immediately. “Always Sunny. I just put on more pasta, all good. See you all soon!”

Sunset smiled.

She arrived just as Twilight was finishing preparing dinner - angel hair pasta with tomato sauce, her personal favorite. She joined her in getting dinner ready.

Twilight related what she had accomplished. “I spoke with the concierge. They were able to get the visas squared away for everyone’s visit. Also she has informed the appropriate authorities, so there should be no surprises. The concierge even arranged for the port inspectors to stop by the apartment briefly when the girls first arrive, so all the necessary stamps and signatures will be gathered and applied then.”

“Wow! That’s fantastic! Way better than I expected,” nodded Sunset gratefully as she set the table.

They had just put out the garlic bread when Twilight’s phone buzzed. She answered, “Hello! Ms. Shimmer’s personal assistant here. How can I help you?”

Sunset laughed and groaned, holding her face in her hands. “Not even, Sparky.”

The concierge took the joke in stride. “Congratulations, Ms. Sparkle. It must be a dream come true for you,” she teased with perfect deadpan delivery. “However I called to inform you and Ms. Shimmer that you have guests and they are on their way up.”

“Thank you! I’ll make sure my mistress is informed,” teased Twilight. She hung up the phone with a grin.

Rolling to the door, Sunset opened it just as their guests were getting out of the elevator.

Sunset called out. “Welcome! Oh, heh…. Hi guys. Not who I was expecting! Come on in! Hope you don’t mind spaghetti and pizza.” She rolled back to let them in, calling out to Twilight as she did so. “Hey Twilight! Better order a dozen pizzas too!”

Twilight looked up in confusion before seeing who came through the door. She laughed. “Sorry Sunny. Flash can’t make it. You’ll have to eat someone else’s pizza,” she grinned, dialing the concierge to place the order. Sunset gave her a playful glare.

Walking into the dining area with Sunset in tow, Toma turned to Sunset. “I don’t get it. Who else is coming? There’s just the three of us.” He gestured to Kaori and Index.

“Um-hmm.” Sunset rolled her head towards Index and grinned.

“Ohhh, okay.” Toma grinned in sudden understanding.

“That said, we do have other friends coming over,” Sunset informed Toma.

“Anyone I know?” asked Toma.

“Because of the size of the order, it’s going to be about 40 minutes,” called out Twilight as she hung up the phone.

Sunset laughed. “Yeah, you definitely know two of them. Misaka and her friends are joining us for dinner and the evening.”

Toma grinned. “Oh, yeah, I know Misaka and Shirai. I hope Shirai behaves.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine if we can keep from antagonizing her,” smirked Sunset. “It’s just so hard not to want to.”

Index looked up. “Pizza sounds good to me!” She turned to Toma. “I’m hungry, Toma! I need some food!” She pulled on his arm and pouted.

Twilight crossed over to them then gently pulled Index, and Toma, still in her grasp, into the kitchen.

“How about a snack, Index?” Twilight offered kindly. “Pizza is coming but we have some things to eat while we wait. Have a seat, sweetie.”

She sat them both done at the table and pulled out leftover dip and sushi. Placing them on the table, she went to the cupboard to get chips. Returning to the table with chips and a large bowl, she watched as Index finished off the last of the sushi.

“I’m still hungry,” pouted Index. Grinning, Twilight poured the chips into the bowl and passed it over to Index.

Laughing, Toma opened the dip and placed it next to Index as well. She immediately started scooping the dip up with the chips, eating them happily..

Joining Toma in his laughter, Twilight turned to him. “What about you, Toma? Anything you want?” she asked.

“Just something to drink maybe. I’m absolutely fine with waiting for the pizza,” he grinned.

“And spaghetti! Okay then. Juice, tea, coffee, soda, water?” Twilight asked.

“Soda’s fine. Any flavor. I don’t care. Thanks!” Toma grinned.

Twilight pulled two glasses down from the cupboard and filled them both with cola. Passing one to Toma, she placed the other by Index. Index paused eating the chips. Taking the glass of soda in hand, she drained it in one swig, then slammed it down with a grin, returning to her chips. Laughing, Twilight filled the glass again and watched Index repeat the process.

“Don’t give her too much!” warned Toma. “Sugar and caffeine are a bad combination.”

Index shot Toma a scowl. “I’m fine, Toma. And I’m still hungry!”

Twilight pulled Index into a hug, which she returned happily. “Never change, girl!” laughed Twilight.

Twilight’s phone rang again. Twilight extracted herself from Index’s grasp with a final squeeze, and Index launched back into her chips and dip. Answering her phone, Twilight said, “Twilight and Sunset’s party crib. How can I help you?”

“Still very droll, Ms. Sparkle. You have another group of friends coming up,” informed the concierge.

Twilight laughed. “Thanks!”

She walked to the door and opened it up as her friends poured out from the elevator.

“Come on in, girls!” Twilight welcomed. “Heads up, we had some unexpected visitors,” she said while stepping back from the door to let their friends in.

Among the new guests to arrive, Shirai saw Toma and scowled. “What’s that idiot doing here?”

“He showed up with Index. Be nice, please? We’re all trying to get along here,” asked Twilight.

“Fine. I’ll try,” Shirai grumbled. She took Misaka’s arm, held her tight, and walked into the room. Misaka looked confused until she saw Toma then grinned. Heading them off at the pass, Twilight put her arms around the girls and escorted them into the living room and onto the couch, handing them the remote, then she went over to Sunset.

“Okay, this is getting out of hand. I have an idea. Field trip?” asked Twilight.

Sunset grinned. “Where did you have in mind?”

“I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking,” grinned Twilight.

Sunset laughed. “Hey everyone! How do you feel about taking this party to a place we can really open up? Feel like taking a short trip with us?”

Across the room, Kaori started laughing.

“I see someone knows where I’m talking about,” Sunset called out, giving her a wink. “Anyone interested?”

Everyone happily yelled out their approval.

“Alright, everyone! Prepare to have your minds blown!” Sunset turned to Twilight, and said quietly just to her. “Coed group so bathing suites only in the spa I think.”

“Totally agreed. I can craft them if we need them,” whisperedTwilight in reply. “How do you want to do this?”

“We’ll use the fobs as ‘portable teleportation’ devices. No mention of magic here. They can find that out when we get there,” Sunset whispered back.

“Sounds good. I’ll take them through. You go first with Toma and Index. Keep them safe and busy. Kaori can hang here to keep everyone out of mischief while I ferry people back and forth. Oh and first thing, craft a door for the front entry before ‘Mr. Imagine Breaker’ touches something and kills all our guests!” reminded Twilight.

“Ah, crud. That’s right. I’ll have a little discussion with him and take care of that right away,” agreed Sunset.

Raising her voice again, Sunset addressed everyone. “Okay, everyone! Listen up! We’re going to be using Twilight and my personal teleportation devices to move this party to our private crib. It’s in a very remote and dangerous location, so please no one try to leave without Twilight or me coming with you for your protection. Any questions?” asked Sunset.

Toma called out. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise, but I can promise you it’s unlike anywhere you’ve ever been before. Anyone else?” Sunset asked. Getting no further questions, Sunset continued. “Okay, I’ll take the first group and get everything ready. Twilight will take everyone else in groups. Kaori, can you come over last and keep an eye on things here while Twilight brings everyone over?”

“Sure, no problem,” smiled Kaori.

“Thank you!” Sunset smiled. Turning to Toma and Index, she said “I’m taking you two. Ready?”

Toma smiled. “I don’t mind going last. That’s fine.”

“Sorry, but I need to have a chat with you before everyone else gets there,” explained Sunset quietly.

“Oh. Okay then. Come on, Index!” smile Toma. Taking Index’s hand, he stood by Sunset.

Taking both of their hands, Sunset called out. “Okay, everyone. See you there!” In a flash of teal she, Toma, and Index disappeared.

“Woah! That was cool!” enthused Shirai.

“Get in line girl! Your turn is coming,” grinned Twilight. Walking over to Kaori, she said “Thanks for watching things while we move everyone. We’re just waiting on the pizzas.” She laughed.

Kaori laughed with her. “Okay, no worries.”

Twilight took Ruiko and Uiharu. “Okay girls, ready for the ride of a lifetime?”

“Sure?” They replied hesitantly.

Twilight laughed. “No worries! You’ll be fine! On three. Three!” she yelled out. There were two terrified screams as they disappeared in a flash of magenta.

Shirai and Misaka fell on the floor laughing. “Oh my gosh, she got them good!” howled Shirai. Misaka nodded, unable to do more as she laughed just as hard. With a flash of magenta and a pop, Twilight reappeared, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Pulling Shirai and Misaka to her, they disappeared in a flash of magenta, all still laughing.

Alone, Kaori grinned at the girls' antics. In a flash of magenta, Twilight reappeared, still grinning.

“You really are a stinker,” laughed Kaori.

“So I’ve been told,” grinned Twilight. “I had a very competent teacher.”

“So I’ve noticed,” agreed Kaori.

“I got a phone call. Pizza delivery is on the way up. Concierge is bringing the pizza order on a wheeled cart, mercifully,” Twilight smiled. She crossed over to the door and opened it. The concierge was just wheeling the pizza order out of the elevator..

Twilight smiled at the concierge. “Thank you so much!” she said, taking the cart and pulling it into the apartment. The concierge bowed with a smile and returned to the elevator. Pulling everything inside with Kaori, the door shut and locked. “Next stop, party on Mars. Let’s do this.”

She wheeled the cart over to the table, loading up the breadsticks, snacks, spaghetti and soda bottles onto the cart, then wheeled over to where Kaori was waiting. Still holding the car, Twilight took Kaori’s hand. In a flash of magenta, they and the cart disappeared.

They appeared in the bunker control room. “Dinner is here!” called out Twilight.

Index flew into the room dragging Toma behind her.

“Yes! I’m so hungry!” Index called out, reaching for the pizzas. Twilight passed two boxes to Index who happily raced out of the room. “Thank you!” she called out. Toma shook his head laughing then followed her. Twilight noticed Toma was wearing Sunset’s old glove, the one she wore when she was having issues controlling her empathic moments.

Wheeling the cart into the main room, everyone descended on the food. Twilight passed out boxes and dishes to everyone to set on the table. Sunset pulled plates, serving and silverware from the kitchen and passed them out. As Twilight passed serving dishes, she told everyone, “Let me know if you need anything else.” Smiling and taking the food, they all ate.

Looking around and seeing everyone else was served, Twilight loaded up two dinner plates, then walked over to Sunset. Handing her one of the servings, she laughed. “Nice call on the glove.”

Sunset took her plate and replied, “It seems to work, mostly. I don’t feel the drain when I touch his hand while he’s wearing it. Still, though, I’ve asked him to please not touch anything with it. The real fun will come when we take everyone outside. Just in case, can you please be ready to teleport everyone to safety if something catastrophic happens?”

Tucking into her own plate, Twilight nodded. “That sounds prudent. I’ll have it queued up to drop everyone back in the apartment. You should too just in case one of us gets knocked out.”

“Agreed. Okay, that’s the plan then. Grace?” asked Sunset.

“Grace,” Twilight agreed, setting her fork down and taking Sunset’s hand. They bowed their heads and shared harmonic grace. When they were finished they dug into their dinners. “Wow, this is really good!”

“It is, isn’t it! You, girl, are an amazing cook.” agreed Sunset, rolling over to the serving dishes for a second helping. Twilight, finished with her first helping, joined her.

“So how freaked do you think everyone’s going to be when we take them outside?” asked Sunset between bites when they were back at the table.

“From what? Seeing where we’re at? Or seeing us?” snarked Twilight, finished with her seconds. She took two cups from the table and poured sodas for both Sunset and herself. She passed one to Sunset.

“Thanks, Sparky. And right? Good point!” she laughed. “So basically, totally freaked.”

“Except for Kaori, totally not Kaori. She hasn’t stopped smirking since we got here. You know she’s looking forward to seeing everybody’s reactions,” laughed Twilight.

Sunset sipped her soda and nodded. “Yeah, I think you called that right.

“Hey, think I should do my sonic rainboom thing and strafe Olympus Mons?”

“Totally!” agreed Twilight. “Seriously, when will you ever get another chance to show off like this?”

“Sold. Talked me into it, I’m so doing it as soon as we get outside. Do we have enough headsets for everyone?” Sunset asked.

“No, but that’s fine. I’ll bring out a Bluetooth speaker and pair it to my headset so they can hear everything. Good enough,” replied Twilight.

Sunset nodded. “Sounds good to me, Sparky. When do you want to do this?”

Twilight looked around. “Let’s tell them what we’re going to do, but give them some time to finish eating.”

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sunset. She cleared her throat then called out loud enough to be heard by everyone.

“Okay, everyone. Take your time, but when we’ve finished eating here, it’s time for the surprise portion of our evening. Twilight and I will take you out of the bunker so you can see the literally breathtaking view from our front door. Then we’ll see if anyone can guess the location of our bunker.”

Everyone except Index hurried to finish what they were eating. Index didn’t change her pace one bit, mostly because she was already shoveling pizza into her mouth as fast as she could anyway. Watching her eat left Sunset laughing and shaking her head.

“Index, can you take a break from that for a bit so we can go outside?” asked Sunset.

Not missing a bite, Index shook her head. “Nope!” she grinned. She reached over and took the box with the rest of the pizza in it, placed her piece in it, then tucked the box under her arm. “All set, let’s go!” she grinned.

Sunset laughed. “That’s settled then. Everyone ready?” asked Sunset.

They all nodded emphatically.

Sunset smiled. “Okay, some basic ground rules. When I said the view was breathtaking, I wasn’t kidding. Twilight and I will be raising a shield over everyone to keep us alive. No exaggeration. Stay inside the shield at all times, and please don’t touch the shield.”

She turned to Toma and smirked. “Especially you, Toma. Please don’t break my magic shield.”

Toma laughed and raised his hands. “I’ll be good I promise!”

“So basically, enjoy the view, enjoy the show, and stay safe. Any questions?” Sunset finished.

“Magic?” asked Shirai, puzzled.

“Yes, magic,” grinned Sunset.

No more questions were forthcoming, so Sunset turned to Twilight. “Ready Freddy?”

Twilight grinned. “Ready Freddy.”

“Let the show begin!” called out Sunset. Taking Twilight’s hand, they both ponied up to their ascended forms.

“Angel ladies!” called out Index excitedly.

“Whoa,” observed Misaka in wonder.

“Yup, you could say that,” snarked Sunset.
“What are you?” asked Shirai, completely shocked.

“I’m known by many names, but you know me as Sunset. I am the goddess of this realm, and Twilight is my partner. Together, we rule this realm.”

“But then, why are you a student with us in Academy City? That makes no sense!” said Misaka, a bit shocked.

“We were asked by friends who care for you to come help protect you from harm. We agreed, and after befriending you all, I have to admit it’s a joy to be here with you and for you. We love you all very much! And we’re delighted to help protect you.” Sunset explained.

“So, goddesses. That means you’re invincible right?” asked Toma.

Sunset laughed. “I wish! No, not quite. We’re basically about what you would call Level 6.”

Toma scowled. “So how many people were sacrificed to ascend both of you?” he asked angrily.

Sunset smiled at Toma. “No one was sacrificed for our ascensions. That’s not how it works. That’s not how it was ever supposed to work! Ascension comes when a soul is ready to love others and themselves, completely in harmony with the Maker’s Will. Not forced by magic. Not tricked by psychic manipulation. But in Harmony with the Maker and Her Creation.”

Toma calmed, then smiled. “Well in that case, I’m delighted to be your friend as well.”

“And we yours.” Sunset looked around. “Okay, first big reveal out of the way. Any more questions? Or is everyone ready for the real surprise?”

No one had any questions, so Sunset rolled over to the new bunker door. Twilight and Sunset both raised their shields. They opened the door. Sunset rolled up the tunnel followed by Twilight. The others followed them, including a very happy Index with her pizza box.

Emerging out into the barren landscape, Sunset turned with Twilight. Both girls faced their guests as they emerged from the tunnel with their wings fully spread and arms outstretched in greeting. Golden and Teal fire swam over the surface of her outstretched wings and glowing horn. Magenta flames traveled along Twilight’s wings and horn. Together they spoke.

“Welcome to our realm!”

Everyone was talking at once. Twilight placed her headset on and pulled a Bluetooth speaker from behind her, turning it on.

Sunset placed her headset on as well. With a flap of her wings, she rose from her chair and into the sky above them.

“Woah! Awesome!” called out Toma.

“Okay, everyone. Prepare for the show!” Sunset called out from the speaker. Everyone watched her climb up into the sky, then bank over and head towards Olympus Mons.

Suddenly she shot forward faster than their eyes could follow. A rainbow blast circled out from where she started, while a rainbow trail traced out behind her.

She raced up the side of Olympus Mons then disappeared over the cusp of the volcano and into its caldera. There was complete silence for a moment as everyone watched, waiting for her to appear again.

“Woo hoo!” came Sunset’s voice over the speakers. A second later a rainbow streak shot straight up from the caldera, climbing like a shot into the sky. Just as she reached the point where the sky was more black than red, she slowed. Coasting to a stop, she started descending, circling slowly around the mountain. When she got to the height of the mountain, she disappeared briefly behind it. She shortly emerged from around the other side. As she rounded back towards the front of the mountain, she angled back towards them, still streaking a magical rainbow trail behind her. As she closed in on them she came to a sudden stop. The rainbow trail caught up with her then exploded outward in a rainbow ring when it got to her.

Laughing, she slowly descended back into their shield bubble adding her own signature color to it. With a final flap of her wings, she settled back into her chair. “Ta-da!” she called.

“That was so epic!” called out Toma.

Twilight turned the speaker off.

“Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it Toma. Did anyone figure out where we are?” Sunset asked.

Shirai quietly raised her hand.

“Yes, Shirai. Where are we?” asked Sunset.

“Is that Olympus Mons?” she asked.

“Yup!” Smiled Sunset.

“We’re on Mars?” Shirai asked.

Twilight high-fived her. “We’re on Mars!” She agreed.

“We’re on Mars!” Shouted out several voices. Everyone was shouting and celebrating with hugs and high-fives.

Sunset smiled. “So with that out of the way, let me reintroduce myself.” She rose from her chair, wings slowly and majestically beating to hold her in place a few meters above the ground. She threw her arms wide. “I am Sunset Shimmer, the Maker’s Hand, goddess of the realm Mars, friend to and protector of you all! And this is my partner, my consort in all things throughout eternity, Twilight Sparkle. Together we will fight by your sides to protect you and your dear ones from harm. You have our love and friendship now and forever, thank the Maker.”

She lowered back into her chair, wings folding gracefully behind her back. “So, all the corny stuff aside, Hi?” she laughed with a little wave. “And welcome to Mars. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Twilight was laughing. Most of the others had slightly shocked expressions.

Sunset turned to her. “What? Did I mess up? I did it right. Right?” She grinned.

Twilight nodded, taking a breath. “Don’t ever change Sunny!” she laughed. “And just saying, I don’t think you understand what a consort is.” She grinned.

Sunset smiled. “Well, duh! A consort is a partner you consult with and are close to. A best friend and partner in each other’s lives.”

Twilight shook her head and laughed. “I like your version better. But no, a consort is a partner for life for certain activities,” she said with meaningful emphasis.

“Huh?” Sunset looked perplexed. “What activities?”

Twilight smiled then lifted her eyebrows up and down slowly with a leering grin.

“What! No! No no-no. Friends. Just friends! Sisters from another mister!” Sunset protested.

Twilight burst into laughter and everyone joined in. Twilight walked over to Sunset, still sputtering protests, and pulled her into a hug. “I love you too, Sunny. Don’t ever change.” She cackled gleefully.

“That’s what I get from cribbing my speech from my favorite anime,” groaned Sunset.

The party went for another hour, but as the next day was a school day, everyone did need to get home and get some rest.

Admonishing everyone to please keep their secret, the girls returned everyone to their apartment where they all said their goodbyes and parted for the night.

“We’re all going to Liberal Arts City tomorrow for a week,” commented Shirai as they were leaving. We’ll miss you two! Don’t forget to show up for your shifts at Judgment,” She gave them both hugs as they all left to return to their dorms.

“Guess it’s just us again for a while,” laughed Sunset. “Come on Sparky, let's get some rest.” She rolled into the room and prepared for bed.

“Right behind you, Sunny!” Twilight answered, walking into the room behind her. She also prepared for bed, then slipped in and snuggled up to her friend. Together they fell asleep as the city sparkled before them.

There is no truer sign of a Harmonious soul than a constant profound amazement at the Makers Grace - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events from A Certain Magical Index during this time:

None mentioned, but..

Tomorrow, supersonic wooden battle canoes! For the girls at least. The Mikoto 4 leave for Liberal Arts City. Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko are randomly selected to take part in Academy City's seven-day exchange program. Here, they are taken to Liberal Arts City, an affiliate of Academy City, and are later involved in a conspiracy involving Aztec magicians. The story is set inLiberal Arts City and takes place in the time period between September 3rd to 10th.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 13 - Interlude - Aleister Crowley

Interlude - Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley smiled. White hair billowing out from his head, a beatific smile graced his countenance. Hanging upside down, suspended in his vat in the windowless building, he was genuinely happy.

“So, Constance! How fare our guests? I trust our new resident goddesses are being treated well? I do hope they find everything to their liking.”

“They are settling in well, sir,” replied his assistant. “They appear to be quite focused and are integrating quickly with their fellow students. They have asked permission to host several of their family and friends for a day, showing them the sites. I hope this will further endear them to our Academy and goals. I‘ve already issued the approvals and put the appropriate resources at their disposal.”

“Excellent. We will keep our new allies happy. With the goddesses on our side, we are sure to prevail. Not that there was any room for doubt, but it does pay to take every advantage. Prudence wins the day,” nodded Alistar.

“Just so, Director,” agreed his assistant.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 14 - Interlude 7 - Gilda and the Coven

Interlude 7 - Gilda and the Coven

Gilda walked by Pinchy in the yard and gave her a nod. Pinchy followed her to the corner of the yard. When Gilda turned to her, she smiled. “Welcome to the Coven, Gilda. What do you need?”

“How do I practice the spells? I need to get good at this, and I can’t destroy my cell while practicing the battle spells. How does this work?” she asked.

“No, definitely don’t practice battle spells in the cell or the warden will come down hard on all of us. The coven will come down on you and I as well. Not a good thing, I assure you. The coven can help you with that.

“But first, you need to get proficient with non-battle spells. Work through the book from the beginning. When you get to the section that requires battle spells, they will help you practice them. Don’t try to skip ahead. There’s a reason the book has all those spells in it. If you can’t do as you're told, you prove to them that you can’t be worked with, so think of this as a test. Don’t frack it up. Do it right, just like they expect, and you’ll get everything you need. Eventually,” explained Pinchy.

“I don’t want eventually, I want to fry that bitch now!” growled Gilda.

“And? Is that supposed to impress anyone? Take my advice or don’t Griffin. But If you don’t, do not come crying to me when they cut you off and you can’t touch your precious goddess,” answered Pinchy.

“Precious!? That bitch?! I should kill you right here for even saying that!” raged Gilda.

“And if you do, you’re done. Get it? Am I getting through to you, Gilda? Time to tame that rage you wear around like a badge of honor. As a fellow member of our coven, I tell you in all sincerity, no one gives a damn. Let it go, or use it, but letting it rule your every moment is just going to screw over everything you’re planning. So my advice to you is to keep it to yourself. Pack it down and let it burn, then use that anger and hate to fuel your drive and magic. Because what you're doing now, you're not driving anything but your own destruction.” Pinchy turned away, then looked back over her shoulder. “Anything else?”

“No. I hear you. Okay, I’ll do it your way,” replied Gilda.

“Not my way, Griffin. The coven’s way. Do as they say, or get cast out. It’s that simple. If you do have any other questions, you know where to find me.”

Pinchy put her hands in her pockets and shambled back over to her crew. A few moments later, Gilda did the same.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 15 - Twilight - Wednesdays Child

Twilight - Wednesday’s Child

Wednesday, September 3, 6:30 AM Tokyo time.

Sunset woke to the alarm as the windows automatically darkened and the bedroom lights turned on.

“Time to rise and shine, Sparky!” Sunset declared brightly, smiling as she booped her still sleeping friend on the nose.

Twitched her nose and swatted at her hand, still half asleep. She groaned. “It’s too early to get up.”

Sunset grinned then leaned over and blew into her ear. Twilight shot up, shaking her head and rubbing her ear. Fully awake, she glared at her friend. “Not cool, Sunny!” she growled.

Sunset laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Oh Sparky, you are so not a morning person,” she laughed.

“Whatever, I’m awake now.” Twilight laughed, pushing her friend off her. “Dibs on the shower!” She hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

“Sparky, you’re lucky you're so cute!” laughed Sunset.

“Whatever, dork!” her friend shot back with a grin.

Sunset transferred into her chair then rolled into the kitchen to start breakfast.

“Feels like a high-energy day,” Sunset called back to her friend from the kitchen. “Scrambled eggs and toast I think,” she said to herself, pulling the ingredients from the fridge, then scrambling them up and frying them in a skillet on the stove. As the eggs cooked she placed four pieces of bread in the toaster oven to toast, then grabbed two cups and brewed a dark roast for them both. After all, her Twilight needed her Rocket Fuel. She smirked as she added cream and sugar to hers, sipping it while waiting for the eggs and toast to finish. She placed Twilight’s coffee on the table with the cream and sugar.

Twilight came out and joined her at the table, fully dressed and ready for school.

“Coffee!” Twilight cheered. “Thank you, Sunny, you read my mind!”

“Anything for my BFF, Sparky!” smiled Sunset, plating up the eggs and toast then placing them on the table. She grabbed cream cheese and grape jelly from the fridge, placing them on the table as well.

Joining hands, they thanked the Maker for their friendships and the food before them.

Twilight took a slice of toast, slathered it in cream cheese, then put a layer of grape jelly over it. Sunset looked at her askance.

“What? You’ve never had cream cheese toast with jelly?” she asked. “It’s good! Live a little and try it!”

Sunset grinned. “If you say so.” She took one of her toast pieces and put the cream cheese on, then the jelly. Taking a small bite, she smiled. “Okay, that’s not what I expected. It’s pretty good!” She took a larger bite.

“Told you, Sunny!” smiled at her BFF. “My BBBFF used to make it for me before school when we were just kids. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since.”

“Du’ah! That’s so adorable!” snarked Sunset.

“Shuddup! Don’t be jealous. I’d happily make it for you every morning if you want,” teased Twilight.

Sunset grinned. “You know, maybe I do,” she laughed. “Although let’s be honest; I’d eat a bowl of kibbles if you were offering it. When have I ever been able to say no to you?” she teased back.

Twilight smacked her playfully. “Don’t give me any ideas, girl!” she laughed, wading into her eggs. “These are really good. Thanks for breakfast, Sunny!”

Sunset smiled at her BFF. “You’re welcome!”

Finishing up her breakfast, complete with another slice of cream cheese toast with jelly, Sunset rolled into the bedroom to grab her bathroom bag, then headed into the shower. She did her ablutions, bathed quickly, dressed, and came out just as Twilight was finishing the kitchen clean-up.

“Thank you, Sparky!” Sunny smiled.

“You bet, Sunny! Ready to go?” she asked.

“One sec.” Sunset wheeled into the room, exchanging her bathroom bag for her daypack, which she hung in its customary spot. Wheeling back out, she announced, “Ready Freddy!”

“Then let’s do this,” said Twilight. She pushed Sunset out the door, which closed and locked behind them. The elevator was waiting for them with the lobby button already lit. The doors closed as soon as they were in.

As they passed through the lobby, they bowed to the concierge, who returned their greeting. “Ohiyo!” they called out.

Passing through the lobby doors, Twilight pushed them to their academy, where they showed their IDs to the volunteer at the gate, entered and headed straight to their homeroom, taking their seats.

Attendance was taken. The girls opened their books and studied for their upcoming classes.

When the bell rang the girls hugged and prepared to part ways, earning a detention for each from the class officer for public displays of affection. Sunset laughed, rolling her detention slip into a ball and tossed it into the class trash, causing the class officer who had just written them up to scowl furiously. Smiling and looking her in the eyes, Sunset took her BFFs slip then repeated the act, calling out “Two for two!” and waving her hands over her head in celebration when her shot went into the basket. Unsurprisingly, this earned them both another slip. These were promptly subjected to the same treatment. “Three points!” she called out with a fist-pump as the last one went in.

“Sorry we can’t do this all day! I’m afraid we both have to get to class. Rematch tomorrow?” Sunset asked sweetly.

The officer grumbled and walked off.

“That was fun,” commented Sunset, giving her friend one last hug and heading to her class.

“You know Sunny, you don’t have to tick off every brass hat here. It’s okay to just play along sometimes,” commented Twilight as she headed off to her class.

“Where’s the fun in that!” snarked Sunset.

Twilight grabbed her box lunch and sat at the table with Sunset. Mikoto and Kuroko were already off on their trip to Liberal Arts City with Kazari and Ruiko for the next week, so no company at lunch today.

“I guess we should let Mii know we’re going to be late to Judgment today,” noted Sunset as she ate.

Twilight laughed. “And whose fault is that?”

“No hall nazis get to tell me they don’t like me hugging my girlfriend. No one is going to tell me I can’t hug my friends,” Sunset growled.

“You do have that effect on people,” snarked Twilight.

“What? The apoplectic ‘going to stroke out’ brass hat? Or some people likeme?” grinned Sunset.

“Honestly? Both!” teased Twilight, punching her arm.

“Ouch! Et Tu, Sparky?” laughed Sunset as Twilight grinned.

After classes ended, Sunset joined Twilight in their homeroom to serve their detention. When the teacher asked for their detention slips, Sunset told her she had thrown them in her trash which earned her a scowl. Sunset grinned and offered to fish them out if she wanted, which earned her another 15 minutes for her bad attitude.

“Hey! At least we showed up!” Sunset smiled.

“One more comment, Ms. Shimmer, and you will be here another hour!” warned the teacher.

Deciding discretion may be the better part of valor, Sunset held up her hands. “Sorry! I’ll take my seat.”

She sat in her normally assigned seat in the back of the class, taking out her textbook to begin studying. Twilight sat down beside her, about to do the same.

“This is not the study hall, Ms. Shimmer! Ms. Sparkle. This is detention. Take out the Academy rule book, and begin copying the rules, starting from page one,” growled the teacher.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset put her textbook away. She pulled out the Academy Rule Book, several sheets of paper, and a pen, then opened the book to the first page and started writing. Twilight did the same.

Half an hour later Twilight’s detention was completed. The teacher released her. “Ms. Sparkle! Your detention is completed. Please gather your belongings and bring what you have written to me. Then you are free to leave.”

Twilight put all her supplies and book into her daypack, gathered up her papers, and squeezed Sunset’s hand as she passed.

“Have fun! I’ll catch up with you when I’m released,” Sunset whispered.

Twilight nodded. She handed the papers to the teacher then left the room.

Making her way off the Academy campus, she walked to the Judgment headquarters.

“Sorry I’m late! I had detention,” she smiled as she walked into the room. Mii smiled back.

“I didn’t realize you and your girlfriend were such bad girls!” laughed Mii.

Twilight blushed and laughed. “Not usually, but if someone gets under Sunny’s saddle, she tends to get even.”

“My kind of girl,” laughed Mii. “No worries about being late, just work on the filing for now. Is Sunset going to make it today?”

“Yes. She’s still in detention for another hour. Or more if she smarts off again. She said she would catch up with us when they finally released her,” replied Twilight. “She said don’t wait for her.”

“Okay then. Put your sash on, and when she gets here, the two of you can go on patrol,” said Mii. Twilight smiled.

Twilight put on her sash, then resumed her filing. A while later, she received a text from Sunset.

“Uhg. Mii? Sunset said she is going to be there for another 30 minutes at least. Apparently she said something, again. I’m almost done with the filing. Can I go on patrol now, and just have her join me when she finishes? I don’t want to completely miss patrol today,” Twilight explained.

“Sure, finish up and I’ll take you out to start. Sunset can relieve me when she joins us,” agreed Mii.

Twilight texted the plan to Sunset, then quickly finished the filing. They left the headquarters to start their patrol.

“So … what exactly are we patrolling? And what should I do?” asked Twilight.

Mii laughed. “Mostly find lost children's mothers and break up arguments. It's pretty tame.”

Walking ahead, Mii called back “Follow me! We’re patrolling the entertainment district today. Look for any signs of trouble and offer to help. Always identify yourself as a member of Judgment, and not by your name. We strive to present the image as a unified force helping others, not just a collection of friends helping out.”

Twilight nodded as she followed Mii’s lead.

They passed by a fish shop with a token-operated ‘weigh yourself and get your fortune’ scale out front. An overweight young girl climbed onto the scale and put her token in. Instead of showing her weight and telling her fortune, the scale called out loudly “One at a time please!!!” over and over with flashing lights. The horrified girl looked at the scale in shock as the shop owner came running out screaming.

“Darn kids! Quit playing with my scale! One at a… oh,” he said as he saw the young girl standing there on the scale in shock.

The girl began sobbing and ran off into the crowd.

“I got this!” called out Twilight, taking off after her. Mii followed behind.

The girl was fast, driven by her embarrassment and shame. She turned into an alley and hid behind a large trash bin, crying softly.

Twilight and Mii approached her. Crouching down before her, Twilight put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry you were embarrassed like that,” apologized Twilight to the distraught girl “It’s okay. I’m here for you. Actually we’re here for you,” she amended as Mii crouched down beside her and took her hands.

The girl refused to look into their faces, curled tightly into a ball, still crying. Twilight pulled the young girl into a hug, gently rubbing the back of her head while Mii rubbed her back.

“Hey, please don’t feel bad about yourself because some jackass decided to play a mean trick on you. You’re a wonderful girl, and no one here is judging you,” said Mii.

Twilight thanked the Maker that she hadn’t followed Mii’s instructions and said “We’re from Judgment”, realizing that was probably the last thing the poor girl needed to hear right now. She continued to hold the sobbing girl close while rubbing the back of her head and rocking her back and forth.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Twilight reassured. “You’re okay. We’re here for you.”

Eventually, the girl's sobs softened and she calmed. She clung to Twilight, tears still falling, as Mii still rubbed her back softly. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked into Twilight’s eyes. “Arigato,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” said Twilight in Japanese. Twilight smiled back at her. “Do you feel better now?”

The girl nodded. She then turned to Mii. “Arigato,” she said again.

“You’re welcome,” smiled Mii.

“What’s your name, sweetie? Can we help you get home?” asked Twilight.

The girl shook her head. She looked back down.

“Daijōbu, suu~ītī. Kibō shinai baai wa, namae o oshiete itadaku hitsuyō wa arimasen. Anata wa komatte imasen. Watashitachiha tada tasuketai dakedesu. Ie made aruite ikemasu ka? Hitori de iru hitsuyō wa arimasen. Yoroshikuonegaishimasu.
(It’s okay, sweetie. You don’t have to tell us your name if you don’t want to. You're not in trouble. We just want to help. Can we walk you home? You don’t have to be alone. We’d be happy to go with you),” Twilight said.

Mii nodded, still rubbing the girl's back.

“Hai,” the girl said softly. She let go of Twilight, stood up, and took her hand. Mii held her other hand, smiling at her.

“Shinpaishinaide! Watashitachi wa anata no tame ni koko ni imasu. Watashitachi o michibiite kudasai, soshite watashitachi wa anata to issho ni kimasu.
(Don’t worry! We’re here for you. Lead us and we’ll come with you),” Mii assured.

The girl led them out of the alley, towards the dorms that adjoined the district. A short walk later they were in front of one of the common dorms for the Academy students.

“Anata wa watashitachi ga anata o anata no ryō no heya ni tsureteitte hoshīdesu ka?
(Do you want us to walk you to your dorm room?)” Twilight offered kindly. The girl they were escorting nodded. They walked to one of the dorms, where letting go of their hands, the girl opened the door and they entered. They followed her to the elevators in the back of the lobby. She pushed the up button. When the elevator arrived she pushed the button for the 6th floor as they entered. The doors closed and they were lifted to the sixth floor. The doors opened and they followed the girl off and over to one of the doors down the hallway where she opened the door.

“Sukoshi taizai shimasu ka? Soretomo ima daijōbudesu ka? (Do you want us to stay for a bit? Or are you okay now?)” asked Mii. The girl nodded, holding the door open for them. They entered and she shut and locked the door, then sat on the couch where they joined her.

The girl spoke. “Kore ga watashi no ryōdesu. Amari hadede wanai koto o owabi mōshiagemasu. (This is my dorm. I’m sorry that it’s not better.)”

Sitting next to her, Twilight took her hand. “Daijōbuda yo. Kurikaeshimasuga, watashitachiha handan suru tame ni koko ni iru node wa arimasen. Watashitachi wa anata no tame ni koko ni imasu. Hanasu hitsuyō ga aru baai wa, sukoshi jikan ga hitsuyōdesu. Nani demo kamaimasen. Oshirase kudasai.
(It’s fine. Again, we’re not here to judge. We’re here for you. If you need to talk, just need some time, whatever, it’s fine. Just let us know.)”

The girl nodded, still looking down. A few moments later there was a knock at the door.

“Watashi ni sore o moraitaidesu ka? (Do you want me to get that?)” offered Mii.

“Hai (Sure),” replied the girl.

Miii went to the door and looked through the eyehole. “It’s Sunset,” she called out.

“Wow! How the heck did she find us?” Twilight asked. Turning to the girl, Twilight asked, “Sore ga watashinotomodachi no Sunsetdesu. Kanojo wa subarashiku, tsuneni subete no hito o tasukeyou to shite imasu. Kanojo ga haitte mo īdesu ka.
(That’s my friend Sunset. She’s amazing and always tries to help everyone. Can she come in?)”

The girl nodded. “Hai (Sure),” she said. Twilight nodded to Mii, who opened the door.

“Come on in, Sunset, we’re over here,” called out Twilight from the couch.

Sunset rolled into the room while Mii shut the door. She rolled over to the couch and quickly read the situation. Turning to the girl, she smiled and held out her hand. “Hi! I’m Sunset Shimmer! These girls are my friends! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The girl didn’t respond. Instead, she still looked down at the floor.

“Japanese,” whispered Twilight under her breath while still holding the girl's hand. “And how the heck did you find us?”

“Your TACIT fob,” whispered Sunset. Turning to the girl, she tried again in Japanese. “Yā! Sunset Shimmerdesu. Soshite, korera no on'nanoko wa watashinotomodachidesu. Watashi wa anata ni aete ureshīdesu!
(Hi! I’m Sunset Shimmer. And these girls are my friends. I’m pleased to meet you!” She bowed.

The girl looked up and bowed back. “Watashinonamaeha Okubyōnadesu. Watashi wa nagaten Ueki gakuen no Nagatenjōki Academydesu.
(I am Okubyōna, I am a student at Nagatenjōki Academy.)” She looked back down at the floor.

Sunset continued. “Nani ga okotta no ka hanashitaidesu ka? (Do you want to talk about what happened?)” she asked. Okubyōna shook her head. Sunset continued, “Watashi wa kyōkan-shadesu. Anata no kimochi o wakachi aeru yō ni, anata no te o torite mo īdesu ka? (I’m an empath. May I take your hand so I can share your feelings?)"

The girl looked up at her, then nodded her head. She held out her hand. Sunset took it and closed her eyes.

In her mind, she saw the young girl being bullied for her weight, then isolating and numbing her pain with more food. Overcome with guilt, she would purge, trying to lose the weight she was gaining. Eventually, the health issues from the purging overwhelmed her and she had to stop, but by then she couldn’t stop her eating or her pain. She was a smart girl with some telekinetic ability, so she was accepted at the Academy. She hoped this would be a new start, and perhaps another chance at making friends and leading a normal life. However, her crippling shyness and body image issues kept her isolated, afraid to open herself up to others and possible criticism. She ended up in this dorm, alone, friendless, and desperate for any companionship, for any company.

Going to the store to get her weight then having the machine scream at her was the last straw. She withdrew into herself. She was now deep in depression with suicidal thoughts creeping through her mind.

Tears rolled down Sunset’s cheeks as she pulled the girl into a hug.

“Okubyōna. Watashi wa anata no itami o mitekimashita. Motte ikimasu. Anata ichi-ri jaarimasen. Anata wa mu kachide wa arimasen. Soshite, anata wa aisa rete imasu.
(Okubyōna. I have seen your pain. I willcarry it with you. You are not alone. You are not worthless. And you are loved.)” She bent over and kissed Okubyōna on the forehead.

Okubyōna started crying, then shaking, then she bawled, holding tightly onto Sunset.

“Watashi wa anata o hanatte okanai, Okubyōna. (I will not leave you alone, Okubyōna,)” Sunset promised. “Anata wa tomodachi no ai o shiru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Watashi to tomodachi ni natte itadakemasen ka? (You need to know the love of friends. Will you be my friend?)” she asked.

The girl nodded, her head buried in Sunset’s chest. Sunset held her tightly, gently kissing her head and smoothing her hair.

“Okubyōna? Kon'ya anata ga hitori ni natte hoshikunai. Watashitachi to issho ni kuru. Watashitachi to issho ni yoru o sugoshite kudasai. Yobi no shinshitsu ga arimasu. Anata wa soko de yoru o sugosu koto ga dekimasu. Gozen-chū ni gakkō made go an'nai shimasu. Okubyōna, kon'ya watashitachi to issho ni kite kuremasen ka?
(Okubyōna? I do not want you to be alone tonight. Come with us. Spend the night with us. We have a spare bedroom. You can stay the night there. We will walk you to your school in the morning. Will you come with us tonight, Okubyōna?)”

Hugging Sunset tightly, Okubyōna nodded again.

“Rikai shimasu (Okay),” Sunset replied. “Sūtsukēsu o tsume ni itte kudasai. Watashi wa anata o watashi no apāto ni tsurete ikimasu.
(Go pack your bag. I’ll take you to our apartment.)” Turning to Twilight she added, “I’ll see you there, Sparky. I’m taking her to the apartment.”

Twilight and Mii both nodded.

Okubyōna went to her dresser and put a new uniform and clothes into her backpack, then put in her toiletries. Zipping it shut, she put it on and walked back over to the girls.

“Okay. Iku junbi wa dekimashita ka? (Okay. Ready to go?)” asked Sunset. Okubyōna nodded. Sunset went to the door, opened it, then led them out into the hallway, while the girls followed. Okubyōna locked the door behind them, then they all piled into the elevator, went down, and out through the lobby and exited the building. Outside, Sunset called out to Twilight and Mii, “I’ll see you later, girls!” They hugged then parted ways as Twilight and Mii headed back to patrol.

Sunset turned to Okubyōna. “Anata wa ima shuppatsu suru junbi ga dekite imasu ka? (Ready to head out?)” Okubyōna nodded. “Okay. Hitsuyōniōjite, watashi no isu matawa kata ni te o oite kudasai. Watashi no apāto ni an'nai shimasu. (Okay. Keep a hand on my chair or shoulder if you want. I’ll lead you to our apartment.” She waited for Okubyōna to place her hand on her shoulder, then rolled at a leisurely pace back to her and Twilight's apartment.

After their shift was over, Twilight left Judgment headquarters, headed for their apartment. Twilight bowed in greeting to the concierge when she arrived.

“They are upstairs waiting for you,” the concierge informed her as she bowed back.

“Arigato!” said Twilight.

She entered the elevator which, unsurprisingly, already had the penthouse button lit. The elevator rose to the top floor and the door opened. Twilight crossed to her door, keyed in her code opening the door, then entered, the door shutting automatically behind her.

Sunset and Okubyōna were sitting on the couch talking. Both turned to Twilight as she came in.

“Hi Sparky!” Sunset called out. “I’ll serve up dinner in a few minutes.”

Twilight smiled. “No, you relax. I’ve got this.” She went to the kitchen, washed her hands in the kitchen sink, then started setting out the plates and settings for the night’s dinner. Sunset led Okubyōna to the bathroom where they washed up.

Okubyōna sat at the table. Sunset pulled the soup pot from the stove, and Twilight took it from her to the table. Sunset took the sushi, nori, and tsukemono from the fridge, placing them on the table as well. Rolling up to the table, she took her place, bowing her head. Okubyōna was confused but followed along. Sunset led them in harmonic grace, with Twilight giving the response.

Okubyōna asked about the harmonic grace prayer. “Sono inori wa imamade kiita koto ga arimasen. (I’ve never heard that prayer before),” she commented. “Itsumo taberu mae ni sō iu no? (Do you say that before you eat all the time?)”

“Hai (Yes),” answered Sunset. “Sore wa,-shin ga watashitachi ni ataete kureta tabemono to, sore o kyōyū shite iru yūjin-tachi ni kansha suru watashitachi no hōhōdesu. (It’s our way of thanking the Maker for the food she has given us, and the friends we are sharing it with.)”

“Ā, soreha ri ni kanatte imasu. Kokode wa taberu mae ni itadakimasu to iimasu. Sore wa watashitachi no tabemonodearu subete no ikimono ni kansha suru koto o imi shimasu. Soshite tabetaato wa gochisōsama to iimasu. Sore wa watashitachi no shokuji o tsukutte kureta subete no hito ni kansha shimasu. Anata wa kono yō ni shimasu.
(Ah, that makes sense. Here we say Itadakimasu before eating. It means thank you to all the living things that are our food. And after we eat, we say Gochisousama. That is thank you to everyone who has made our meal. Like this.)”

Okubyōna bowed her head, her hands together, like she was praying, “Itadakimasu!”

Sunset and Twilight copied her. "Itadakimasu!"

“Yoshi, on'nanoko! Tabemashou! (Alright girls! Let’s eat!)” Twilight smiled, serving up the Miso soup.

Twilight passed the soup out, then filled everyone’s tea. She passed around the tray of sushi, encouraging them to take what they wanted. She then passed around the nori, tsukemono, and rice, and they ate their fill.

When dinner was finished, Okubyōna reminded them of the thanks. So they thanked each other for the dinner. "Gochisousama!"

Twilight put the leftovers away then cleaned up the dinner dishes while Sunset led Okubyōna into the living room.

“Eiga no jikan wa arimasu ka? (Do you have time for a movie?)” Sunset asked. Okubyōna nodded. Sunset turned on the display and pulled up the choice for the evening’s entertainment. “Kore wa,-shū no koten-tekina bakkudesu. Sore o anata to kyōyū suru no wa ī kamo shirenai to omoimashita. Shinpaishinaidekudasai, sore wa matomona fukikaenanode, watashitachi wa sore o tanoshimu koto ga dekiru hazudesu. (This one is a classic back in the states. I thought it might be nice to share it with you. Don’t worry, it’s a decent dub so we should be able to enjoy it.)”

Twilight sat down next to Sunset after she finished cleaning up the kitchen. Sunset started the movie.

It was one of her favorites, The Princess Bride.

When the movie finished, Sunset rolled over to the couch where Okubyōna was sitting.

“Neru junbi wa dekimashita ka? (Ready to head to bed?)” Sunset asked her new friend.

Okubyōna nodded and smiled. “Hai.”

“Ī eigadeshita ka? (Good movie, right?)” asked Twilight.

“Hai, eiga wa totemo yokattadesu. Watashitoisshoni sono eiga o mite kurete arigatō (Yes, it was very good. Thank you for sharing that with me),” Okubyōna agreed.

“Kore wa watashitachi no gesuto no tame no heyadesu. (This is our guest room),” Sunset said, rolling over to the middle bedroom. Opening the door, she entered, with Twilight and Okubyōna following. “Kaiteki ni otsukai kudasai. Twilight to watashi wa tonari no heya ni imasu. Nani ka hitsuyōna baai wa doa o nokku shite kudasai. Kochira ga terebinorimokondesu. Soshite, mochiron, anata ga daidokoro de tabe tari non dari shitai mono wa nani demo anata jishin o tasuketekudasai. Oyasuminasai, Okubyōna!
(Feel free to make yourself comfortable. Twilight and I will be in the next room over.
Just knock on our door if you need anything. Here’s the remote for the television. And, of course, help yourself to anything you want to eat or drink in the kitchen. Good night, Okubyōna!)”

Both the girls hugged her then left the room, shutting the door behind them.

Going into their room, the girls got ready for bed and snuggled up for the night.

Sometimes, you just need a moment to breathe - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Mikoto 4 leave for Liberal Arts City.

Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko are randomly selected to take part in Academy City's seven-day exchange program. Here, they are taken to Liberal Arts City, an affiliate of Academy City, and are later involved in a conspiracy involving Aztec magicians. The story is set inLiberal Arts City and takes place in the time period between September 3rd to 10th.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 16 - Sunset - Something Wicked This Way Comes

Sunset - Something Wicked This Way Comes

Thursday, September 4, 6:30 AM Tokyo time..

The alarm rang, automatically dimming the windows as programmed. The bedroom lights came on, starting dim and working their way slowly towards fully lit.

“That’s new,” groaned Twilight in realization, untangling herself from her BFF and sitting up. She looked at Sunset, still soundly asleep. “Well, that’s a switch. Usually she’s the one waking me up.”

She bent over and kissed Sunset’s cheek. “Rise and shine, my little Sunshine!” she called out grinning.

“Five more minutes mom,” Sunset groaned. Twilight laughed.

“Nope! And who are you calling your momma?”

Sunset opened her eyes, then blushed. “Sorry, Sparky! Was still half asleep!” She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

“Yeah. Apparently!” snarked Twilight. “I’ll take a shower first. I’ll knock on Okubyōna’s door to get her started too.”

“Thanks, Sparky. I’ll start on breakfast. Thinking it’s a french toast day,” Sunset agreed.

Sunset shifted to the side of the bed and transferred into her chair as Twilight left for the shower. Sunset heard her knocking on Okubyōna’s door then briefly speaking with her in Japanese. Sunset rolled into the kitchen, pulling out the bowls, whisks, and ingredients to make the French Toast.

Okubyōna stepped out of her room, still looking half asleep.

“Ohayō!” Sunset called out to her.

“Ohayō,” said Okubyōna sitting down at the table dazed.

“Kōhī wa ikagadesu ka? (Would you like some coffee?)” asked Sunset.

“Hai, onegaishimasu (yes please),” answered Okubyōna.

Sunset paused her breakfast efforts and pulled down three coffee mugs. “Kōhī wa ikagadesu ka? (How do you like your coffee?)” she asked.

“Kurīmu to satō de onegaishimasu (With cream and sugar please),” answered Okubyōna.

Sunset selected the darkest blend available, filling the first cup. Reaching into the fridge, she pulled out the cream and sugar, placing them on the table by her with her cup of coffee. She then took three spoons, knives, and forks from the drawer, placing them by Okubyōna also.

“Amaku shite kudasai! (Help yourself, sweetie!)” she smiled.

Okubyōna smiled, spooning out two helpings of sugar into the coffee and pouring in a bit of cream, then stirring. “Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu!”

Sunset smiled back, returning to preparing the French Toast. “Dōitashimashite!”

Once the French toast was made, Sunset whipped up a quick side of scrambled eggs to go with it, then pulled down three plates, plating up the eggs and French toast.

Twilight emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, joining them at the table, sitting next to Okubyōna.

Sunset passed out the three plates. From the fridge she snagged the butter, then the syrup and spices from their spice cupboard, setting them on the table for them. She then fixed coffees for Twilight and herself and brought them to the table. Taking her place, she dumped cream and sugar into her coffee and poured syrup over her French Toast. Looking to her two friends, she bowed her head and took the girl's hands, leading them in harmonic grace. Only Twilight responded, while Okubyōna looked on.

“Watashitachiha tabemono o kami ni kansha shimasu (We thank The Maker for our food),” smiled Sunset in reminder.

“Ā, daijōbu!” smiled Okubyōna, digging into her breakfast.

Once breakfast was finished, Twilight started cleaning up. Sunset turned to Okubyōna. “Anata wa saisho ni shawā o tsukau koto ga dekimasu (You can use the shower first),” she smiled.

“Daijōbu,” replied Okubyōna. She returned to her room to gather her things then headed into the shower. Sunset helped Twilight clean while she waited for her turn.

A few minutes later Okubyōna emerged from the bathroom dressed for school.

“Arigatōgozaimashita!” Okubyōna called out as she sat back down at the table.

Sunset returned to her room, gathered her outfit and bathroom bag, then headed into the bathroom to perform her morning ablutions. Emerging dressed for the day sometime later, she returned to her room and traded bags for her daypack, then joined the girls by the table.

“Ready Freddy!” she called out with a grin.

Twilight turned to Okubyōna. “Saisho ni anata o anata no gakkō ni tsurete iki, sorekara watashitachi wa watashi-tachi jishin no kurasu ni ikimasu. Hōkago wa o kigaru ni go raiten kudasai. Anata wa tsuneni kangei sa rete iru. (First, we’ll take you to your school, then we’ll head to our own classes. Please feel free to return here after school. You are always welcome.)”

“Arigatōgozaimashita!” smiled Okubyōna.

Together the girls headed out the door which, as always, closed and locked itself behind them, then entered the waiting elevator, where the lobby button was already lit. The doors shut when they entered and the girls rode down to the lobby. Okubyōna stared in wonder at all of this; her dorm was nothing like that. They bowed to the concierge in greeting. Twilight stopped to explain that Okubyōna was allowed in at any time as their guest, while Sunset and Okubyōna exited, waiting outside. Twilight joined them when finished.

Sunset turned to Okubyōna. “Koko kara gakkōniiku hōhō o shitte imasu ka? (Do you know how to get to your school from here?)” she asked.

“Hai,” replied Okubyōna.

“Sate, anata ga rīdo shi, watashitachiha forō shimasu (Okay. Then you lead and we will follow),” smiled Sunset.

Okubyōna led them through the crowd to the Nagatenjōki Academy, where the girls parted with hugs. Sunset and Twilight continued on to Tokiwadai Academy, where they showed their IDs at the gate to the student volunteer, then went to their homeroom, taking their usual desks in the back of the class. Attendance was taken. They studied until the bell for the first period rang.

Sunset noticed the same class officer as before staring at her and Twilight as the bell rang. Not being one to let pass such an obvious challenge, she pulled Twilight into a passionate kiss, completely startling Twilight and getting the rest of the class howling and whistling.

As they leaned back from their public display, Twilight noticed the class officer storming over, while Sunset burst into laughter. “Way to go, Sparky! Guess I know what we are doing this afternoon!”

“You have both been warned! No public displays of affection! One hour each detention after school!” She scribbled out two notices, passing them to Sunset and Twilight. Staring straight into the class officer’s eyes, Sunset took Twilight's slip, wadded it up with her own, and tossed it into the classroom trash.

“She shoots! She scores! And the crowd goes wild! Ahhhhh!” she waved her hands in the air as she laughed.

The officer shot her a dirty look, then spun on her heels and left the room.

“And she can be taught! Amazing!” snarked Sunset.

Twilight was laughing along with half the class. “Sunny! Do you have to be the class clown?” asked Twilight with a grin.

“Only when there’s an ass to ride. Then my inner rodeo clown is released,” Sunset shot back.

Still laughing, the girls headed out for their internships at Academy Life Sciences.

Settled into their assigned workspaces, they worked on data entry, transcribing written lab records into the central servers. Logging into their terminals, they entered the forms stacked up beside them. Being studious workers, they quickly raced through the stack of forms, sharing shortcuts as they figured them out. An hour and change later they had finished all their days' stack of data entry.

Sunset turned to Twilight. “Lets check for any information on the projects Kaori was talking about, the one with Mikoto’s sisters. Can you hack into the server and access those records?”

“Don’t know, just a second. I’ll launch a sample search and see what I get,” Twilight replied. Entering a sample query for information on Mikoto and level 6, she expected to get flagged, and had set up safeguards for it. Instead, the request went straight through, returning several pages of data. “Sweet Harmony! I wasn’t expecting that!”

“What happened?” asked Sunset, leaning over Twilight’s screen. “Did you get anything?”

“Yeah! That’s the thing. This data should be locked down! I expected the request to be denied and to get a warning. I had a secondary process set to run a traceback on the warning, leveraging that process for access. But it never triggered because I already have access,” commented Twilight in confusion, clearly puzzled.

“Huh. Gift horse and all that. You think Kaori and her crew set that up for us?” asked Sunset.

“Maybe? We’ll have to ask her next time we see her. If it’s not her crew, it could mean some else is watching us, or maybe over us. I don’t know how concerned to be about that, especially given the ruthless nature of the factions we’re dealing with,” mused Twilight, finger on her chin.

“Hmm. Noted and agreed, Sparky. That said, see anything useful in these results?” Sunset continued.

Twilight scanned the entries. “Yes. Most of these dates and descriptions line up with the whole ‘sisters’ project. I’m downloading those files to my terminal now.”

“Won’t that trigger the system and flag us?” Sunset asked in concern.

“Just the query alone should have triggered that flag. Someone wants us to see this. They’re already watching us so I see no point in hiding what we’re interested in,” Twilight replied. She downloaded the reports to her local drive, then adjusted her glasses, sparking a reflection from their lenses.

“Okay. Looking at the other entries now, and downloading the reports for them as well.” She read the reports as they came in, waiting for the rest of the downloads. ”Wow. Okay, this is interesting. Here’s currently an active project. Pulling up its records now.”.

Sunset rolled to Twilight’s desk to watch as Twilight reviewed the project. “This says that the project is ongoing,” Twilight reported. “And that they are targeting Mikoto directly. Hmm. To force her accession through her sisters’ shared mind? What the heck is that?

“Flagging this,” Twilight decided. “I need to find out what's going on here. What shared mind? Do Accelerator and Toma know about this? Way too many unknowns here.”

“I’ll have to download all those files as well,” commented Twilight.

“How will we get a copy of the downloaded files? It’s not like these terminals have a USB port or printer or even internet access. They have a serious air gap here,” asked Sunset.

“I have some ideas,” replied Twilight. She ran an archive compression command on the files, then moved the resulting archive file to its own directory, where she magically scanned the file structure and copied it over to the memory in the USB memory stick in her hand. As the magenta glow subsided, she placed the drive into a hidden hammerspace in her daypack.

“Holy cow, Sparky! That was amazing! I think even Mikoto would be jealous,” observed Sunset.

“Okay, we have the data. I’ll try decompressing it later on our system for us to review together,” Twilight noted. She cleaned out the downloaded and archive files, then ran a routine to zero out the user space on the terminal, removing any trace of their queries on the system. She wasn’t worried about any traces on the server itself due to the nature of their access.

“I’m not even going to try to remove our access queries from the server logs,” Twilight informed. “I want whoever is watching over us to see what we did so I can gauge their reaction or lack of one. It will help narrow down who, or at least where, our unknown benefactor is,” clarified Twilight.

“Smart, Sparky! I love your big brain!” grinned Sunset.

Twilight laughed. “Please girl! I know you love more than that.”

Sunset grinned, pulling her BFF into a hug. “Don’t you know it!”

The girls reported to their supervisor they had completed their work. She was surprised, but on checking their input logs and spot-checking their work, she found it completed and correct, so she dismissed them for the day.

Thanking her, the girls departed the Academy Life Sciences, then headed over to the Judgment Area 3 office.

“Shouldn’t we be heading back to the Academy for our detentions?” asked Twilight.

“Phfft! As if! I heard we have some serious Judgment business to take care of, so detention will just have to wait,” grinned Sunset.

“What? Really? Okaaaaay…. What business is that?” asked Twilight.

“Don’t know. Guess we’ll have to find some when we get there,” laughed Sunset.

“Faust’s breath, but you are incorrigible!” laughed Twilight. “Okay, I’d follow you into hell itself. Lead on!” Twilight grinned.

At the Judgment office, the girls greeted a surprised Mii. “Hi Mii! Need a hand? We have a free afternoon,” Sunset grinned.

Twilight laughed. “What she’s really saying is help! We’re trying to ditch detention and desperately hope you have something we could work on that we could use as an excuse.”

Mii burst into laughter, holding her sides. “The more I know you two, the more I like you! Yeah, I can totally keep you busy, no problem!”

They were both given stacks of files to enter and terminals to work on. Signing on, they both made short work of the files.

They reported back to Mii. “Wow, that was fast! Let’s see. Want to take a patrol? We’re a bit short today with your teammates gone, so if you don’t mind the work, we could use you on patrol,” commented Mii.

“Sure!” Sunset agreed.

“We’d be on patrol together, right?” clarified Twilight. “I’d really rather not be split up.”

Mii laughed. “Totally together. You’d be a patrol team. Normally, beginners are paired with more experienced Judgment officers, but it’s you two so I know you’ll be fine. And I’ll check in with you from time to time, just let me know if you need anything.”

Putting on their sashes they left the office, heading out with Mii to their assigned patrol. Once there, Mii briefed on the area to cover, then waved and returned to the office.

They continued their patrol without any incidents until they came across the student officer who gave them their detentions. She was sitting in an outdoor cafe enjoying her coffee and muffin. Looking over and seeing the girls walking by, she shot up from her table and stormed over to them.

“What are you two doing here out of detention!” She raged at them, as she whipped out her phone, called Judgment. “I’d like to report two delinquents who have ditched their disciplinary actions. Send someone over right now to take them into custody!”

“We have a pair of officers nearby. We’ll dispatch them immediately,” the operator informed her.

Both Sunset’s and Twilight’s phones went off. They both answered at the same time. “Judgment officer reporting for assignment!” they both answered in unison. Nodding together, they both replied “On it!” and hung up.

Sunset turned to the school officer. “We’re from Judgment. How can we help you?” Twilight smirked.

“You’re kidding me, right? This is some kind of joke!” raged the class officer.

“No joke,” grinned Twilight.

“They were short-staffed, so were called in to cover the shift. Guess we’ll just have to serve tomorrow, too busy today. So sorry!” Sunset grinned. She took Twilight’s hand, swinging it slowly forward and backward, while turning her foot in bashfully and smiling. “Right sweetie?” she asked Twilight.

“Exactly snuggums!” grinned Twilight.

“Fine! I’ll see you two in detention tomorrow!” she bellowed, storming off.

“Anytime sweetheart!” called out Sunset after her. The officer quickened her pace, as both girls erupted into gales of laughter.

Mii came up and grabbed them both into a hug. “I love you two so much! That was priceless! I saw the whole thing, you’ve totally made my day!”

Sunset and Twilight hugged her back. “And you mine! We could never have done that if you hadn’t set this up, you’re awesome!” snarked Sunset.

Mii grinned. “Thank you!”

The rest of their shift was much tamer. One purse snatched, that lasted all of five seconds when the perpetrator ran past Twilight. She swept his legs out from under him. He was on the ground with his arms twisted behind his back before he even knew what hit him. Sunset stared agape at her BFF.

“Damn, Sparky!” Sunset marveled.

“What? I’ve been practicing, don’t look so surprised,” Twilight groused, binding his wrists with a tie wrap. Turning to the young man, she added, “And by the way, I’m with Judgment and you’re under arrest for theft. Please remain still until a team arrives for your incarceration.” She got up, lifting the young man up, then pulling him over to stand by Sunset.

He started to lean away, hoping to make a sudden escape. Sunset put one hand on his arm. “Don’t even think about it.” Her voice was so dead serious, even Twilight felt chills. The young man froze, standing perfectly still, eyes forward in fright. “Much better,” Sunset added sweetly. “Trust me, friend. You do not want to tick us off.” He shook his head quickly, then went back to standing perfectly still.

Twilight called in the arrest to Mii. “Awesome collar. girls!” Mii congratulated. “The wagon is on its way for pickup. They’ll be there in a few minutes.”

As promised, a few minutes later they heard the siren. The Judgment armored van pulled to the curb. Mii and two Judgment officers stepped out and escorted the young man into the back of the van. The two officers then got in and drove him off, while Mii remained with them.

“You’ll need to write up a report on it at the end of your shift, so remember to leave time for that. It’s your first one, so I’ll help step you through it,” smiled Mii. Turning to Twilight, she lightly punched her arm. “That was an awesome takedown!”

“You saw it? Thank you!” Twilight beamed. “See Sunset? Someone appreciates my work.” She grinned at Sunset.

Sunset laughed. “Ah, Sparky! How could I ever not appreciate you? You’re the rock that anchors my world!”

“That’s adorable!” Mii laughed.

Hugging Twilight, Sunset grinned. “Isn’t she though?”

Their shift complete, the girls returned to the office to do their write-ups. As promised, Mii walked them through the process, helping them complete and file the correct forms. Finished with their shift, Twilight and Sunset returned to their apartment.

They bowed in greeting to the concierge, then rolled into the waiting elevator, which went straight up to their floor. Twilight keyed in her code, opening the door for them. Sunset rolled into the kitchen and looked in the fridge.

“You know, I’m just not feeling like leftovers today,” Sunset called to Twilight over her shoulder. “Want to order some pizza?”

“Works for me, Sunny. We should get some dinner for Okubyōna too,” replied Twilight, taking a seat at the dining room table.

Twilight’s phone buzzed. She answered, “Hello! Ms. Shimmer’s personal assistant here. How can I help you?”

“Again, Sparky?” Sunset laughed.

The concierge chuckled lightly over the phone. “Still as droll as ever, Ms. Sparkle,” she deadpanned. “However, I called to inform you and Ms. Shimmer that your guest has arrived and is on her way up.”

“Thank you! I’ll alert my mistress,” laughed Twilight, hanging up.

Sunset pulled her into a hug. “You’re incorrigible!” Sunset said, giving her a playful smack on the backside and getting an “Eep!” as Twilight escaped.

Sunset headed for the door. She opened it as Okubyōna got out of the elevator smiling. Sunset gave Okubyōna a hug and pulled her inside.

“Kon'nichiwa, Okubyōna! Kasei no yoru no yō ni, kon'ya wa betsu no koto o tameshite mimasen ka? (Hi, Okubyōna! Do you want to try something different tonight, like an evening on Mars?)” Sunset asked.

Okubyōna's jaw dropped.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” grinned Sunset.

Twilight laughed. “Nice change of plans, Sunny. When were we going to discuss it?” she teased.

“Ah come on Sparky. Mars! And Okubyōna hasn’t gone yet. Let’s show her the sites!” pleaded Sunset. Okubyōna grinned, nodding happily.

“Fiiiine, you brat!” Twilight agreed. She smiled at Okubyōna. “Anata wa hontōni sore o suki ni narudeshou. Totemo tanoshīdesu. (You’ll really like it. It is a lot of fun.)”

She turned back to Sunset. “Okay, guess I’ll call in the pizza order for the three of us, then meet you there when it gets here.” She took out her phone to place the order.

Sunset rolled over and gave Twilight a hug. “Thanks Sparky! Meet you there!” She grabbed hold of Okubyōna, and they disappeared in a flash of teal.

They appeared in the bunker control room. Letting go of Okubyōna, Sunset rolled down from the TACIT unit then spun her chair around, facing the startled Okubyōna.

“Okubyōna, kasei e yōkoso! (Okubyōna, welcome to Mars!),” welcomed Sunset.

Okubyōna looked around in wonder. “Kono basho wa nanidesu ka? (What is this place?),” she asked.

Sunset grinned. “Kono basho wa watashitachi no kasei no bankādesu! Soshite, anata wa mada sairyō no bubun o mite imasen! (This is our Martian bunker! And you haven’t even seen the best parts yet!)”

Sunset rolled out of the control room and into the central room, Okubyōna trailing behind her. On the two large LCD displays in the conference area, the feeds from the selfie bot were displayed, showing the dry red riverbed as the drone flew over taking readings.

Okubyōna stared in wide-eyed wonder at the screen. “Uwa ̄ ! (Woah!)“ was all she could say.

Sunset smiled. “Twilight-sei no dorōndesu. Dorōn wa sū-kiro hanareta kawadoko o tansaku shite imasu. Sore o mi ni ikimasen ka, Okubyōna? (That’s a drone that Twilight made. It’s exploring a dry riverbed several kilometers away. Do you want to go see that, Okubyōna?)” she asked.

“Hai! (Yes!)” agreed Okubyōna happily.

Sunset smiled. “Sorenara watashi wa anata o soko ni tsurete ikimasu! (Then I will take you there!)“ she stated. She took out her phone and sent a text to Twilight letting her know what they were doing. She then rolled over to the conference room laptop, opened a window on the laptop display, and typed a few commands. The drone moved to the side of the riverbed, several meters away, and about a meter from the ground.

“That should do it,” grinned Sunset, rolling back over to her guest. “Okay. Junbi o shimashou. (Okay. Let’s get ready to go.)” As Okubyōna staired, she transformed into her angelic form, wings at her sides flapping gently.

Okubyōna dropped to her knees in shock. “Anata wa arushuno seishindesu ka? (Are you some kind of spirit?)” she asked in a weak voice.

Sunset rolled over and took her hand, helping her back to her feet. “Okubyōna, watashi wa sōde wa arimasen. Watashi wa taipu Level 6 no Esperdesu. (No Okubyōna. I am a Level 6 Esper).”

Okubyōna continued to stare in wonder. Sunset smiled. “Kasei o mi ni iku junbi wa dekite imasu ka? (Ready to go see Mars?)” she asked, taking both her hands.

“Hai! (Yes!)” nodded Okubyōna happily.

Sunset pulled Okubyōna into a tight hug, raising a protective shield around them. They both disappeared in a flash of Teal.

And appeared on the shore of the dry riverbed next to the drone, still hovering just outside of Sunset’s shield.

Okubyōna looked around in wonder. She started to let go of Sunset’s hand, but Sunset held on tightly, calling Okubyōna back.

“Okubyōna, anata wa watashi ga tōei shite iru fīrudo ni tomaranakereba narimasen! Kono fīrudo no soto ni deru to, anata wa shinudeshou. Koko ni wa kūki ga naku, takusan no hōshasen ga arimasu. Watashi no soba ni ite kudasai! (Okubyōna, you must stay within the field I am projecting! If you go outside this field, you will die. There is no air here, and there is much radiation. Please stay beside me!)” Sunset scolded.

Still holding on tightly to her young friend, Sunset hung her head. ‘Some friend I am, I almost lost my pupil at the start of her first field trip. I should have warned her before I took her outside,’ she grumbled to herself. Looking back up and smiling, she explained.

“Watashi no kurumaisu wa koko de umaku korogaranainode, watashitachi wa amari ugokimawaru koto ga dekimasen. Sono koto ni tsuite ayamarimasu. Shikashi, Twilight o matsu ma, watashitachi wa mada koko ni suwatte utsukushī keshiki o tanoshimu koto ga dekimasu. (We can’t really move around much because my wheelchair does not roll well here. I am sorry about that. But we can still sit here and enjoy the beautiful scenery while we wait for Twilight.)” Sunset explained.

Okubyōna looked down sadly. “Shikashi, anata wa kyōryokudesu! Jibun no chikara o tsukatte handikyappu o owanai yō ni dekimasen ka? Sonogo, issho ni tansaku suru koto ga dekimasu! (But, you are powerful! Can’t you use your power to not be handicaped? Then we could explore together!)” she stated plantitavely.

Sunset frowned. ‘This again. It always comes back to this,’ she thought in frustration. She looked up at Okubyōna. “Okubyona, anata wa kojin-tekina genjitsu ni tsuite oshie raremashita yo ne? (Okubyōna, you were taught about personal reality, correct?)”

Okubyōna nodded.

Sunset continued. “Anata wa watashitachi no esupā no chikara ga watashitachi jishin no kojin-tekina genjitsu kara dono yō ni umareru ka, soshite watashitachi no mawari no genjitsu o watashitachi no kojin-tekina genjitsu to itchi sa seru hōhō ni tsuite shitte imasu. (You know about how our Esper powers come from our own personal reality, and making the reality around us conform with our personal reality.)”

Okubyōna again nodded.

Sunset smiled, and finished, waving her hand over herself. “Okubyōna, kore ga watashi no genjitsudesu.
(Okubyōna, this is my reality.)

“Sore ga watashi.
(This is who I am.)

“Watashi wa kaminoshimobedesu.
(I am the servant of the Maker.)

“Watashi wa kanojo no ishi de ikite imasu.
(I live in her will.)

“Watashi wa kanojo no genjitsu ni sunde imasu.
(I live in her reality.)

“Kanojo no genjitsu wa watashi no kojin-tekina genjitsudesu.
(Her reality is my personal reality.)

“Kanojo wa watashi ga watashi to onaji yō ni naru koto o yurushite kuremashita.
(She allowed me to be as I am.)

“Watashi wa watashi ga daredearu ka o ukeire, ukeiremasu.
(I embrace and accept who I am.)

“Watashi ga sore o torinozokou to suru to, watashi wa mohaya watashide wa arimasen.
(If I try to take it away I am no longer me.)

“Watashi no kojin-tekina genjitsu wa watashi no monode wa arimasen.
(My personal reality would not belong to me.)

“Dakara watashi wa jibun no chikara o ushinaudeshou.
(So I would lose my power.)

“Watashi wa jibunde wa arimasen.
(I would not be myself.)

“Watashi wa mō jibunde wa arimasen.
(I would no longer be myself.)

“Watashi no chikara wa watashi ga daredearu ka kara kite imasu.
(My power comes from who I am.)

“Dakara watashi wa watashi ga daredearu ka o kaemasen.
(So I will not change who I am.)

“Watashi wa jibun ga daredearu ka o erabimashita.
(I chose to be who I am.)

“Watashi wa watashi ga daredearu ka o ukeiremasu.
(I embrace who I am.)

“Wakarimasu ka?
(Do you understand?)”

Okubyōna nodded sadly, still holding Sunset’s hand. Switching hands, she sat down beside Sunset on the riverbank, holding her hand as they looked out over the sands. Then she smiled.

“Kore wa ima demo daremoga kore made ni itta naka de mottomo kūruna kotodesu. (This is still by far the coolest thing anyone has ever done).” she grinned.

Sunset gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. “E e, watashi mo sō omoimasu! (Yeah, I kind of think so too!)” she agreed.

After a while, Sunset grinned. “Sono Ue, NASA wa karera ga watashi ni Kijō robotto o ataeru tsumoridearu to iimashita! Watashitachi ga sore o teniireta-ra, anata wa watashitoisshoni sore o noru koto ga dekimasu.
(Besides, NASA said they are going to give me a Kijō robot! You can ride it with me when we get it.)”

“Hai. (Yes),” agreed Okubyōna, smiling.

They sat there together, hand in hand, watching the Martian sunset over the riverbed as they waited for Twilight.

While both girls were still admiring the Martian sunset together, there was a flash next to the drone and Twilight appeared, also transformed into her angelic form.

“Nē on'nanoko, anata wa watashi ga koishīdesu ka? (Hey girls, did you miss me?)” She teased, coming over to sit next to Okubyōna on the riverbank and taking her other hand, smiling. “Kanari kakkoīdesu yo ne? (Pretty cool, right?)”

Okubyōna nodded, and looked over to her. She asked. “Sorede anata mo level 6 esperdesu ka? (So you are a level 6 esper too?)”

“Un, Sunset to watashi wa ryōhō-tomodesu! (Yup, Sunset and I both are!)” Agreed Twilight. She smiled. “Dakara, dare ga yūshoku no junbi ga dekite imasu ka! Motte kitanode, mada atsui uchi ni tabemashou. (So, who is ready for dinner! I brought it over, and we should eat it while it is still hot.)”

“Count me in!” laughed Sunset while Okubyōna nodded. There was a magenta flash as the three of them disappeared. A moment later, the drone lifted back off, resuming its studies of the ancient riverbed.

They appeared back in the conference room, sitting on the floor by the displays still holding Okubyōna’s hands.

Twilight laughed. “First time I’ve ever teleported sitting down,” she grinned.

Sunset fake scowled. “Abilst heathen! It’s the only way I can teleport! How insensitive!” she teased.

“That is so untrue! You could teleport from a free fall. Want to try it?” snarked her BFF.

“Sounds dangerous! Maybe later,” Sunset teased. “Hmm. With or without the chair?” she mused.

Twilight smacked her in the arm. “Dork! I was just kidding! Don’t you dare!” she grinned.

“But it’s perfectly safe as long as you’re with me!” smirked Sunset, pulling her closer.

“Nope! Time for dinner. No skydiving until dinner is done,” Twilight laughed, pulling away. Okubyōna looked on in confused amusement.

Having made her escape, Twilight led Okubyōna to the bathroom. “Sā, min'na! Te o arai, yūshoku o tabemashou! (Come on, everyone! Let’s wash up then eat dinner!)” She called back as she entered the bathroom to wash her hands. Okubyōna and Sunset followed, with Okubyōna giggling at their silliness.

Washed up, they dropped their angelic forms and found a place at the table to eat.

“Grace?” asked Sunset.

“Grace,” Twilight agreed, taking Okubyōna and Sunset’s hand. They bowed their heads and shared harmonic grace. When they were finished they dug into their pizza. “Wow, this is really good!”

“It is, isn’t it!” agreed Sunset, reaching for a second slice. Twilight, finished with her first slice, took a second also. Okubyōna was still working on her first slice, enjoying the company.

“Sore de, Okubyōna, anata wa subete no odoroki o kanari umaku ukemashita. Anata wa watashitachi no tenshi no hen'yō ni bikkuri shimasendeshita. Matawa kasei ni iru toki. Anata wa watashitachi no ta no tomodachi yori mo umaku yatta.
(So Okubyōna, you took all the surprises pretty well. You didn’t freak out at our ascended forms. Or at being on Mars. You did better than some of our other friends did),” observed Sunset between bites.

Okubyōna laughed. Sunset grinned. “Nani ga son'nani omoshiroi no? (What is so funny?)” she asked.

Okubyōna grinned. “Okotte wa ikemasen. Demo tokidoki anata no nihongo wa totemo hidoinode watashi wa warawanakereba narimasen. Anata ga mada sore o benkyō shite iru koto o ureshiku omoimasu.
(Please don’t be angry. But sometimes your Japanese is so awful I have to laugh. I am glad you are still studying it.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. She turned to Twilight. “What did I say?” she asked.

“You basically said our angels transformed, and it came across as pretty funny,” snarked Twilight, finished with her slice. She took three cups from the table and poured sodas for Okubyōna, Sunset and herself, then passed them out.

“Gee thanks, Sparky,” Sunset snarked.

Twilight smiled. “Anytime, sweetie.”

They each had several slices, but eventually they were all full. While Twilight got up and put the leftovers away in the fridge, Sunset turned to Okubyōna. “Okubyōna, koko ni wafū furo ga arimasu. Towairaito to watashitoisshoni o furo ni haitte mitaidesu ka? (Okubyōna, we have a Japanese style bath here. Feel like joining Twilight and me in taking a bath?)”

Okubyōna blushed furiously. “Anata to anata no gārufurendo wa watashi ga anata to issho ni nyūyoku suru koto o nozonde imasu ka? (You and your girlfriend want me to bathe with you?)” She turned beet red, looking away giggling.

Across the room, Twilight nearly fell over with laughter. “Smooth, Sunny! Smooth! Putting the moves on our friends now?” she teased when she got her breath back.

“Wait, what? No! Not even! What are you talking about?” Sunset asked, becoming acutely embarrassed.

Catching her breath, Twilight grinned. “You just asked our young friend to take a bath with you and your girlfriend. I kind of think she took it the wrong way,” she explained.

“What?! No. Why does everyone think we’re a couple? We’re sisters from another mister!” Sunset groaned and hid her face, laughing. “Ugh! I walk into that every time!”

“They think we’re a couple because basically we are. We do everything together, every day. Heck, even I have to admit that sounds romantic!” laughed Twilight.

“Not helping, Sparky!” groaned Sunset. She turned to Okubyōna, pulling her into a hug, making her flinch, giggle, and look even more embarrassed. “Ugh, what have I done… Okay.” She smiled at Okubyōna who was still beet red and giggling.

“Okubyōna, gomen'nasai. Hazukashī omoi o sa seru tsumori wa arimasendeshita.
(Okubyōna, I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed.)

“Yūshoku-go, o furo ni tsukatte rirakkusu shitakattanode, anata to towairaito ni issho ni kite moraitai to omoimashita.
(I just wanted to soak in the hot bath after dinner to relax, and wanted you and Twilight to join me.)

“Daremoga mizugi o kiru koto ga dekiru node, hazukashī omoi o shi tari, gikochinaku kanji tari suru hitsuyō wa arimasen. Daijōbudesuka?
(We can all wear bathing suits, so no one has to be embarrassed or feel awkward. Is that alright with you?)” Sunset asked.

“Hai!“ agreed Okubyōna, blushing and hugging Sunset. Sunset hugged her back.

Sunset turned to Twilight. “Help me out here, you dork!” she laughed. “You said you could craft a suit for her. Can you help her now while I go hide in shame in the bedroom?” she teased.

“You going to put your suit on and join us?” grinned Twilight.

“Yup. I’ll bring yours with me, and you can change in the bathroom,” agreed Sunset.

“Why don’t you just bring yours too, and we can all change together,” teased Twilight.

“I think we have tormented our poor dear friend too much already,” grinned Sunset. “If we all started changing in front of her and handed her her suit to change as well I think she would explode from embarrassment. Especially if I was there after saying all that.” She facepalmed again. “Ugh! It was so much simpler as a unicorn in Equestria.”

“Yeah, but you would miss me too much,” teased Twilight, heading to the bathroom with Okubyōna, still giggling as she looked back at Sunset. “Hurry up lover! We’re waiting!” she called back over her shoulder.

“I will smite!” called out Sunset, laughing as she rolled into their bedroom to change.

After the giggling subsided, they shared stories, sitting in the spa and enjoying the warm water and each other's company. Sunset got more practice with her Japanese, making a few more faux paus to the delight of Twilight and Okubyōna. Never one to let her wounded pride keep her from learning, she laughed with them and soldiered on.

They risked turning into complete prunes, talking and soaking for over an hour, but as the next day was a school day, they all needed to get home and get some rest.

Admonishing Okubyōna to please keep their secret, the girls returned to their apartment and said their goodbyes. As she left, Okubyōna told them that she had plans for the weekend and would be out of town. They thanked her for being their friend, reminding her she was always welcome to come by or even return to stay if she wished. She thanked them, then left for her dorm.

“Guess it’s just us again,” laughed Sunset. “Come on Sparky, let's get some rest.” She rolled into the room and prepared for bed.

“Right behind you, Sunny!” Twilight answered, walking into the room behind her. She prepared for bed then slipped in and snuggled up to her friend. Together they fell asleep as the city sparkled before them.

The driest desert of our soul grows the deepest intimacies with our Maker - The Celestial Teachings

A dark mass shifted through the space between realms, drifting closer to the realm of men. It could feel the presence of the hated goddess and was drawn towards her, evil desires and thoughts consuming it.

Author's Note

ACMI Events:

The Mikoto 4 still at Liberal Arts City. Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko are randomly selected to take part in Academy City's seven-day exchange program. Here, they are taken to Liberal Arts City, an affiliate of Academy City, and are later involved in a conspiracy involving Aztec magicians. The story is set inLiberal Arts City and takes place in the time period between September 3rd to 10th.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 17 - Interlude 8 - Gilda and the Grimoire

Interlude 8 - Gilda and the Grimoire

Gilda was back in her cell. The book was open to the first page while she read and practiced the incantations. Rotgut watched her from her bunk.

“So you’re serious about that shit? Damn girl! It looks like you’re making it work,” Rotgut commented.

“Yeah! Damn straight I’m serious. I’m gonna get this wired then I’m gonna get me a raging demon and pay me a visit to a certain bitch goddess. I’ll send her screaming straight to hell,” answered Gilda and she set up the next spell.

“Good for you. Nice to see you doing something about it and not just burning my ear off bitching about it,” nodded Rotgut. “Especially nice not hearing you bitch about it. Girl! That was getting on my last damn nerve.”

“Screw you, Rotgut,” growled Gilda.

“Screw yourself, Gilda! I’m not your date,” laughed Rotgut.

Gilda threw her pillow at her. Rotgut laughed and tossed it back. Gilda tossed it back onto her bed and kept practicing the spell.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 18 - Twilight - Freaky Friday and Then Some

Twilight - Freaky Friday and Then Some

Friday, September 5, 6:30 AM Tokyo time..

Neither of the girls were thrilled by the morning’s alarm. Twilight groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over her head.

Sunset groaned and pulled Twilight into her embrace, burying her face in the pillow. As the alarm continued, she sighed, rolling back over. “Time to face the day.” She stretched, turned off the alarm, then turned and rubbed Twilight’s back. “Morning time sleepyhead. Rise and shine, Sparky.”

“Mmm, don’t stop. Other shoulder too, please,” mumbled Twilight, snuggling into Sunset’s gentle massage.

Sunset laughed, moving to her other shoulder, massaging it as well. “Anything for you, Sparky. So ready for another fun-filled day of learning?” Sunset teased.

“Sure, who doesn’t love learning,” moaned Twilight. “Though it’s definitely behind back rubs from my S-F-A-M-B-F-F.”

“S-F-A-M-B-F-F? That’s a new one. Let me guess. Sister from another mother best friend forever?” Sunset smiled, continuing her back rubs.

“Mmm. Got it in one, Sunny. You really are the best,” smiled her friend, eyes still closed as she enjoyed her back rub.

“You can have all the back rubs you want after we get back. We have all day tomorrow to goof around while resting up for the girls and everyone’s visit this weekend. For now though, we really need to get up.” Sunset gave her one last rub, then leaned over, pulling the pillow aside, and kissed the back of her friend’s head. “Time to get going.”

“You first,” smiled Twilight, not moving, eyes still shut.

“Fine. I’ll shower first.” Sunset transferred to her chair, gathered her kit and clothes, then rolled out of their room and into the bathroom.

Twilight grinned, snuggled into the pillow. A few minutes later, she finally opened her eyes and rolled over, sitting up. “I’ll make breakfast,” she smiled.

Getting out of bed, she stood, stretching, then walked into the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, she looked in, asking herself, “What looks good today? Hmm.” Looking over the leftovers and staples, she pulled out the eggs, some bread, and tofu bacon. “We’ll keep it simple. Scrambled eggs with bacon, toast, juice, and coffee. Always coffee.” She smiled to herself as she put everything she needed on the counter, whisked up the eggs and spices, then poured them into the skillet she’d oiled. Placing the bread in the toaster oven to toast, she put the tofu bacon into the convection oven, then went back to stir the eggs that were nearly done.

The eggs finished, Twilight served them up onto two plates, along with two slices of toast, also done. She placed the plates on the table, the silverware and cups, and the juice from the fridge, along with cream and sugar for the coffee. At that point the convection oven pinged, alerting her the bacon was done. She put them on a serving plate, bringing them to the table as well.

Sunset rolled up, dressed for the day. “Need a hand, Sparky?” she offered.

“Sure Sunny. Want to get the coffee?” Twilight answered.

“On it!” Sunset rolled over to the cupboard and pulled out two cups, then brewed two strong black coffees, setting them on the table. Twilight, in the meantime, brought her favorite toast toppings to the table as well; cream cheese and grape jelly. She grinned.

Rolling up to her place at the table, Sunset smiled. “So, are you going to put cream cheese and jelly on my toast, Ms. Sparkle?” she teased.

“Since you asked so nicely, yes!” Twilight smiled, then booped Sunset on her nose. Sunset looked cross-eyed then laughed.

Together they said harmonic grace, then enjoyed their breakfast. Twilight spread the cream cheese and grape jelly over her and Sunset’s toast, passing back both her slices. Sunset laughed. “Thank you, Sparky,” she grinned as she ate them both.

Finished with breakfast, Twilight headed for the shower while Sunset cleaned up the kitchen. When she finished, she rolled into their room, gathered up her daypack, then rolled back out to the dining area. Twilight emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, grabbed her daypack from the bedroom, joining Sunset.

“Ready Freddy?” asked Sunset.

“Ready Freddy,” answered Twilight. They rolled from the apartment to the waiting elevator, then rode down to the lobby. Exiting, they bowed in greeting to the concierge, crossed the lobby, and exited the building. Twilight took her position and motored Sunset along the way to school, quite practiced by now at moving through the throngs of their fellow students on their way to classes.

Arriving at the Academy, they showed their ids to the student volunteer at the gate and were let onto the grounds. They went straight to their homeroom, nodded in greeting to their classmates and taking their seats in the back of the class before the bell rang. The bell rang, and everyone quieted down. Their homeroom teacher took attendance, then everyone got out their books and studied until the period bell rang.

As everyone gathered up their books, Sunset noticed the class officer staring at Twilight and her. She gathered up her books into her daypack and rolled over to Twilight. She looked directly at the officer, then pulled Twilight into a hug, giving Twilight a long kiss on her cheek. She looked into Twilight’s eyes with a smile. “I’ll see you at lunch sweetie! Think of me,” she teased.

Twilight grinned and rolled her eyes. “Always, sweetness! Until then,” Twilight kissed Sunset on her cheek and left for her class, grinning. Everyone around them was laughing loudly.

The class officer came over, scowling. “Do not forget to show up for your makeup detention today, both of you!” she growled, then left for her next class.

Sunset smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of missing it,” she said, rolling off to her first class.

Lunch was tame without their usual company. The girls got their box lunches, then discussed the plans for the upcoming weekend with their friends. All the papers were filed, and all the preparations made, so now it was just a matter of waiting.

“What do you want to do tomorrow?” Twilight asked Sunset.

“I was thinking maybe we could have a movie night tonight then, if we have time, we can visit NASA tomorrow. It’s too bad Mikoto and the girls are traveling. They liked Mars, so I bet they would love Tranquility Base,” mused Sunset.

“Oh, that would be sweet! Maybe we’ll see Chang’e and Dash while we’re there,” agreed Twilight. “We should definitely ask the girls to join us visiting Chang’e at some point.”

“Okay then. Sounds like a plan,” smiled Sunset. They cleared their lunches and headed off to their afternoon classes.

After school, they went to detention and served their deferred punishments. Sunset didn’t misbehave today, so the teacher in charge of detention released both of them after they served their hour. Free from detention, they hurried over to the Judgment section 3 office where they reported to Mii and got their assignments.

Sashes on and ready for work, Twilight opted to stay behinid at the office to finish an important system update, while Sunset went to patrol the entertainment district.

Patrol was uneventful. Sunset helped lost children find their parents, gave out directions to distressed lost students, and stopped one fight. When their shift ended, she returned to the office to write up her reports.

Once her reports were completed, they headed for their apartment. As they passed through the lobby, Sunset rolled over to the concierge, speaking with her briefly, then joined Twilight in the elevator.

“I ordered something for dinner,” Sunset stated. “She’ll bring it up when it gets here.”.

The elevator opened on the top floor, where they exited then entered their apartment.

“Go ahead and pick out a movie, Sparky. I’ll get the snacks.”

Twilight took the remote, surfing the streaming services looking for something to watch while Sunset rolled into the kitchen to prepare the snacks and drinks.

“Here’s a thought. How about we spend the night at the bunker? We can watch the movie, relax in the spa for a bit, then sleep and go straight to Tranquility Base in the morning,” proposed Sunset. “What do you think?”

“Sounds good to me,” nodded Twilight.

“Sweet! Sounds like a plan,” smiled Sunset. Pulling a soda from the fridge, she popped it open and sipped it while waiting for their dinner. Texting Dash, she asked if she wanted to join them tomorrow, receiving a quick reply in the affirmative. She promised to ping Rainbow the next day when they were heading to the Base.

Twilight phone pinged with a text message from the concierge. “Food’s here.” Twilight read aloud, “On my way up.”

Twilight went to the door and opened it as the concierge was exiting the elevator, pushing a cart with a tray of food and their drinks. Letting her in, Twilight thanked her for bringing it up, then the concierge bowed and took her leave, wishing them both a good evening. Pushing the cart over to Sunset, Twilight held the cart, placed her other hand on Sunset’s chair, and in a flash of magenta, the food, Sunset, and Twilight arrived at the bunker control room.

Twilight rolled the cart to the dining room table. “Let’s eat first,” Twilight stated. Seeing, and more to the point smelling the trays of food, Sunset followed Twilight into the dining area.

Twilight set out the plates and silverware while Sunset grabbed cups for them both, pouring their drinks. Twilight placed the trays of food on the table, then they took their places.

Sunset removed the lids from the trays. Before them were trays of delicious Italian food; breadsticks soaked in butter and garlic, an ample variety of pasta and sauces, and a huge tray of vegetable lasagna. Sunset explained. “We have pizza all the time, so I thought it would be a treat to have some authentic Italian food for a change.”

Sunset served Twilight, then herself. They both snagged several breadsticks, and Sunset dipped into the tray of antipasto salad. They teased each other, laughing and chatting as they ate.

Dinner finished, Sunset grinned at Twilight. “Ready for dessert? I got cake, biscotti, custard pies, even some giant pretzels.” Twilight decided on cake and biscotti, while Sunset selected a delicious custard pie for herself.

After dessert, they enjoyed a coffee while they let their feast settle. Twilight put the food away then returned the cart to the concierge, letting Sunset relax for the moment. When she returned, she entered the game room, picking out a movie. Sunset washed up the dishes, then brought popcorn and two bottles of sodas to enjoy while they watched the movie. Twilight's selected the latest StarTrek movie for their evening’s entertainment. They sat together, enjoying the movie and sodas and sharing the popcorn.

As the movie ended, Twilight suggested a soak in the spa, with Sunset enthusiastically agreeing.

“No suit this time, just us girls,” stated Sunset as she stripped down, placing her clothes into her basket, then transferred over to her stool. She ran warm water into the bucket, soaped up the wet brush, and started scrubbing herself from the top down.

Placing a towel over her wheelchair seat, she transferred over, then rolled to the spa. Getting into the harness, she lifted herself up, pushed herself out over the seat in the bath, then triggered the release, slowly lowering herself into the water. Once she was fully seated, she undid the harness and placed it by the side of the bath. Laying back, she stretched out, her arms folded behind her head.

“Ah! Now that’s how to relax!” She teased.

While she did that, Twilight stepped into the bath, and settled down into the tub next to her. She let out a contented sigh. “Now this is the way to end the day! A nice warm soak with the friend you love. Thank you, Sunny!”

Sunset smiled happily. “Thank you, Sparky!”

A bit over an hour later, they got out, dried off and got ready for bed. Twilight magically reinforced the door to the bunker, then joined Sunset under the covers, where they nuzzled together as they fell asleep.

The next morning, Sunset and Twilight woke at the crack of dawn to the alarm they set the night before.

Twilight groaned. Sunset opened her eyes and looked at the clock on her shelf. The clock read 6:00 AM. She turned to Twilight. “Seriously?” Sunset asked with a groan. “Six am? I thought we weren’t getting up for another 30 minutes.” She rolled her head back into her pillow. “It’s way too early for this,” she groaned.

Twilight rolled over. “It’s a bad dream, isn’t it? Make it stop,” she mumbled, falling back asleep. Sunset pulled Twilight into a hug, planting a big kiss on her cheek. Twilight’s eyes shot open, her cheeks turning bright red.

“Sunny! What the heck! ” she flushed, curling into Sunset in embarrassment.

Sunset kissed Twilight’s forehead and rubbed the back of her hair. “Sorry, Sparky. I wasn’t trying to be mean, forgive me?”

Now fully awake, Twilight looked into Sunset’s smiling face and grinned. “Jerk!” she laughed, then kissed her on the cheek. “Okay, breakfast time! Feels like a pancake, tofu bacon, and eggs day to me. What say you, Sunny?”

Sunset laughed and nodded, transferring over to her chair, then rolling out to the dining room.

“So, my dear sweetheart friend has declared breakfast! I’ll start the pancakes,” Sunset laughed, washing her hands then pulling out the mixing bowls, skillet, spices, eggs and milk, and pancake mix. She combined the ingredients, then cooked the pancakes on the oiled skillet

Twilight washed her hands in the sink, then placed the bacon on the tray for the convection oven. She then started on the eggs. “I guess I have to wait until the pancakes are done to cook the eggs,” Twilight mused. “Coffee break!!” Sunset looked up and laughed as Twilight made herself a cup of coffee, then one for Sunset too. She sipped her coffee while laughing at her friend.

A few minutes later, Sunset finished. “All yours, Sparky!” smiled Sunset, setting the steaming plate of pancakes on the table, where she sat with her coffee, taking her turn at coffee break.

Twilight stepped back to the stove and pulled the crisp bacon from the convection oven, placing it on the serving plate. She poured the oils from the bacon into the skillet, being careful not to burn herself, then carefully poured the eggs in, covering it and letting them cook for a bit. She gently stirred the eggs a few minutes later, then turned off the heat and plated the eggs, carrying them to the table. Twilight pulled silverware, setting the table while Sunset grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, the juice from the fridge, and the syrup from the spice cupboard and placed them on the table. Taking her seat, Sunset bowed her head, took Twilight’s hands, and together they prayed Harmonic grace.

Sunset poured juices for them both as Twilight loaded up her plate and passed it over, then they dug in. It was a testimony to how good the food turned out and how hungry they were that for a change almost no words were spoken as they shoveled breakfast away.

“Seconds?” Sunset offered as they finished up. Twilight grinned and nodded, so Sunset served them both up second helpings.

After breakfast, Twilight and Sunset cleaned the kitchen and put the food away, then enjoyed another coffee before they hit the showers.

As they were relaxing enjoying their coffees, Sunset’s phone chimed. Checking, she saw it was a message from Dash.

“Hah! Dash is in. She wants to know if someone can pick her up. Let’s see, it’s almost 7:30, so it’s 3:30 pm for her. I’m sending her over to your lab. Shall I do the honors or do you want to fetch her?”

Twilight looked at Sunset, sitting in her chair dressed in a short nightgown. She looked down at herself and saw her purple version of the same outfit.

“You do realize that no matter which one of us goes, we are going to be seriously mocked, right?” Twilight mused. “Ugh, if she carried one of the tagged fobs, we could just snag her.”

Sunset facepalmed. “Ugh! That’s right, I totally forgot about my outfit.” She laughed. “Okay, I’ll go. And a good point about the fob, I’ll mention it to her. And if she gives me any grief about my outfit, I’ll sick Chang’e on her” Sunset snarked. Texting Dash, she went back to nursing her coffee, then when finished, headed into the control room, where she placed on her goggles, rolled into the TACIT receiver, and taking out her phone triggered the transfer. With a magenta flash she was gone.

Sunset rolled out of the TACIT base in Twilight’s lab, tossing the goggles into the box beside it. She rolled out the side door of the garage and out to the side yard, then went through the side gate to wait in the driveway for Dash to show up. Staying back behind the bushes by the fence to avoid being seen by the entire neighborhood, Sunset texted Dash. “I’m here waiting. Almost here?”

“On my way. 2 minutes.” Dash texted back.

Minutes later Dash pulled into the driveway on her motorcycle. She parked it, stowing her helmet and jacket. She walked over to Sunset, then startled when she noticed her attire. “Dang, Sunset. Having a red light party or something?” Rainbow teased.

“Dash, shuddup! I swear I will smite you!” Sunset laughed. “What do you expect? It’s barely 7:30 am for us!”

Rainbow laughed. “Oh, sweet harmony. You’ve turned into a lady of the night!” she teased.

Sunset scowled at her friend. “Smite. I. Will. Smite.” She growled, making Dash laugh even harder. “Seriously, are you ready to go?” asked Sunset, smiling. “Twilight is waiting.”

Dash nodded, still chuckling at her outfit, following her back into the garage and into the TACIT unit. Sunset shut the door, and taking her phone, pressed the trigger.

“Hey, not cool Sunny!” groused Dash as they disappeared in a magenta flash.

They appeared in a magenta flash in the control room. Dash blinked and sputtered as she stumbled out of the receiver as Sunset rolled out behind her laughing. “That’ll teach you to make fun of my PJs!” she snarked, punching Dash in the arm as she rolled by.

“Sparky, I’m home!” she called out. “I picked up a stray I found hanging around your lab. Can I keep her?”

Dash lightly punched her arm back. “Dork. I’m a prize catch, not a stray!”

Twilight laughed. “Hi, Dash! Welcome back to Casa de Mars! Glad you could make it!”

Sunset grinned. “I’m heading into the shower. I see you didn’t waste any time while I was gone,” she snarked, noting Twilight was already dressed and ready to go.

“What? Was I supposed to wait? And what, scrub your back?” teased Twilight back.

Sunset waggled her eyebrows. “Is that an offer, Sparky?” she called out, heading into their bedroom to grab her clothes and kit.

Twilight laughed. “Sure. Anytime dork. Just hurry up and get dressed already. We’re waiting on you!” she teased back.

Sunset laughed. She reappeared a moment later with her kit and a towel, heading into the bathroom.

“Okay, I’ll make this as quick as I can. Back in a bit!” She called out as she rolled into the bathroom.

Dash grabbed a coffee and joined Twilight waiting.

Dressed and ready to go, Sunset rolled out of the bathroom. “Thanks for waiting for me, girls!”

Twilight laughed. “Anytime Sunny! Like we would leave without you.” She hugged her friend. “Let’s go meet Chang’e!”

They returned to the control room, and crowded into the terminal. “Shut your eyes please,” Twilight called out kindly, unlike her brat of a friend. With a magenta flash, they disappeared.

Opening their eyes, they appeared next to the terminal in the NASA office. Sunset rolled over to speak with a NASA official. “Dr. Long, we’re heading over to see Chang’e and Tranquility Base.”

Dr. Long smiled. “Okay. Sunset, Twilight, let me know if you need anything. And thanks for the heads up. Have a great afternoon.” She smiled, heading back into her office. Over her shoulder, she laughed, and called out. “You too, Miss Dash!”

“Okay girls! Let’s go to the moon!” smiled Sunset, leading them over to the TACIT base again. They got in line, waiting for their turn at the busy terminal, then within a few moments, they were up.

They entered the terminal, then a moment later they disappeared in a flash of magenta.

They immediately exited the busy terminal. A few moments later, a magenta flash appeared from the terminal, and technicians entered to unload the next load.

“Wow! They sure keep that terminal humming” noted Sunset.

“They sure do. That terminal is the supply line and transportation terminal for this entire base, so it’s busy around the clock,” noted Twilight. “Okay, Dash, lead on. Take us to your mistress!”

“Oh har har har! She’s not my mistress. I don’t think...” She turned to Sunset. “She’s not, right?”

A gentle hand settled on Dash’s shoulder. With a yelp, she spun around. Smiling, Chang’e took her hands. “Oh, my little one, I am not your mistress?” she grinned.

“Uh, are you, your goddessness? Goddess? Uh... sorry?” gulped Dash.

Chang’e pulled her into a hug, laughing. “Oh my dear Avatar, don’t ever change!”

Sunset and Twilight laughed, faces buried their hands while Dash pouted.

“Now, do not give me that face, dear one! I know how much you love to tease! It’s only fair that I should tease you as well!” laughed Chang’e.

Dash grinned and nodded, hugging her back. “Thank you,” she said happily.

“So, what brings you to my humble domain?” smiled Chang’e. She turned to Sunset. “And I am still annoyed at you for outing me, you stinker!” laughed Dr. Hang’e.

“Oh please, everyone loves you! They deserve to know the charming sovereign of the realm they’re visiting, and you certainly deserve their friendship!” laughed Sunset, hugging her, with Twilight joining in to Chang’e’s delight.

“I cannot deny it is delightful to be surrounded by such charming people. Thank you again for this, my wonderful girls!” She hugged them back.

“Anything for a dear friend!” Sunset agreed.

“So girls, would you care to visit my lair again?” smiled Chang’e as she led them off, taking Twilight's hand. Smiling, Sunset took up the rear with Dash, following them.

First though, Chang’e led them on a tour of the base. Everywhere they went, people greeted Dr. Heng’e, who happily greeted them back, by name mostly. She always had kind words for everyone and was happy to hear what everyone was doing.

Eventually, they ended up at the hangar where the maintenance suits were lined up. Next to the large suit they had used last time there was a sleek eight-seated lunar rover.

“When did this get here?” asked Sunset, amazed. “Wow, that’s fortuitous.”

“NASA brought over to give tours to visiting dignitaries. I do not think they will mind if we borrow it for a brief ride,” grinned Chang’e. “Come! Let’s tour the outside of the base. After that, I will take you to visit my home!”

Dash and Twilight helped Sunset get into the rover and settled into a seat, then they brought up her chair and stowed it in the back. Once they were all in, Dash and Chang’e sat in the command seats, piloting the rover through the airlock and out to a ramp up to the lunar surface.

“Hey, didn’t this connect to the tunnels? What happened?” asked Sunset, confused.

“No, that lock is on the other side,” Dash explained. “They shifted the racks around when they finished the tunnels and started running the trams through them. Can’t get out that way any longer, it’s just access to the tramway tunnel system.

“Instead, this is now the lock you have to use to get to the lunar surface,” explained Dash as they drove, passing processing plants and access terminals scattered across the surface. In the distance, they could see the original Tranquility Base with the lander and rover still there with the flag.

Seeing the lander, Sunset smiled. “Just seeing that brings back memories. We sure had a blast in that rover, didn’t we Dashie?!”

Dash laughed. “Yeah, we did. We all did! I never realized that little outing would lead to all of this!” She smiled over to Chang’e, who smiled back at her.

“Whatever happened to that little red book that was sitting in the seat?” asked Sunset.

“I have it!” smiled Chang’e. “When I saw you girls riding around on it, I decided to take it to my lair for safekeeping. I used to wander over and read it when I was feeling lonely after they left it. I loved the stories in it, especially the ones at the beginning about the kings and visionaries. They reminded me of my old home, and filled my heart with joy. So, I took the book to my home when I realized you were going to be using the rover.”

“Ah, glad to hear that. And happy to hear it brought you joy,” smiled Sunset.

They rolled past the edge of the base and continued towards a large crater in the distance. When they got to the crater, Dash drove up a well-used trail over the edge then down into a cave hidden from view by a large boulder. Driving down the tunnel, they eventually came out into a large cavern lit by a soft glow from above.

“Welcome back to my home!” smiled Chang’e.

The girls were still enthralled by the wonders of Chang’e’s gardens. Sitting, enjoying cups of tea while looking out over her gardens, vineyard and orchards, they laughed as Chang’e smiled, regalling them with stories.

“Do you need to get some sleep, Dash? I don’t want to keep you up too late and turn you into a zombie for our outing tomorrow,” smiled Sunset. “Just let us know when you need to go, and we can head back.”

“Nah, I’m good. I’m not even tired yet,” Rainbow yawned as her head dipped.

Sunset poured her another cup. “Have some more tea, Dashie,” she snarked.

“Okay,” Dash agreed obliviously, sipping the new cup.

Sunset looked to Chang’e, and they both laughed. Dash, in turn, looked at them both and shrugged. “I don’t get it.”

“We know,” grinned Sunset.

“Not cool, Sunset,” groused Dash.

“My dear, you should get some sleep. You are literally ready to fall asleep sitting at my table. If you don’t get some sleep soon, I may need to take you into my home and tuck you in myself,” smiled Chang’e.

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping over,” smiled Dash. “And you’re not wrong, I am a little tired.”

“If this is a little tired, my dear avatar, I would hate to see you exhausted,” teased Chang’e.

“It’s not pretty, she will literally drop right out of the sky!” Sunset snarked.

“That doesn’t count! That was magical exhaustion. Not my fault,” mumbled Dash.

“True that,” agreed Sunset. “Seriously though, Dashie. Get some rest. I really want you at your best so you can enjoy all the fun Sparky and I have planned for tomorrow.”

“Okay. Sheesh. The last thing I want to do is leave you guys hanging,” agreed Dash. She yawned again.

Sunset smiled. “I guess we need to head home so Dashie here can get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow with her and everyone coming over for the day. Let’s say our goodbyes.”

Chang’e got up, giving Sunset and Twilight a hug goodbye. Dash got up, hugged the girls, then followed Chang’e back to her castle.

“That’s our cue,” nodded Twilight, heading towards the rover with Sunset. Twilight lifted her friend up into the lander, entered it then carried her to the driver’s seat. Twilight climbed down and placed Sunset’s chair into the rover then entered again, closing the hatch. She made her way to the copilot seat and sat down. “Ready Freddy?” she smiled at Sunset.

“Ready Freddy!” Sunset agreed, starting the rover and spinning it around to face out of the cavern. “Okay girl, time to head home.”

The rover moved through the cave tunnel, then out into the crater. Sunset angled it along the path up the crater wall then over the top and down the other side. From there it was a brief and uneventful trip across the lunar landscape to the base.

Upon arrival, they had to cross the base to the ramp down to the airlock. Keying in the code displayed on the console to open the lock, she drove the rover in and let the lock cycle.

When they were released into the storage bay, Sunset parked the rover where they found it, shutting it down. Twilight climbed back and opened the hatch, then exited with Sunset’s chair and placed it by the rover. Twilight carried Sunset out and set her in her chair, then locked up the rover.

Sunset and Twilight returned to the TACIT receiver where they observed Dr. Long chatting with the technicians unloading equipment.

“Hi, Dr. Long!” Sunset called out.

Looking up from her conversation, Dr. Long waved. She excused herself, joining the girls. “So, did you enjoy the base and your stay on the moon? I certainly hope you enjoyed yourselves,” she smiled then grinned. “You seem to be missing one,” she teased.

“Yeah. Dashie decided to spend the night with Chang’e so it’s just us chickens,” Sunset laughed.

“They are quite a pair,” laughed Dr. Long. “So heading home then?” she asked.

“Yup. Big day tomorrow. Hosting the family and friends over at Academy City. Time to get some rest.” Sunset agreed. “Thank you again for having us!”

“Anytime girls. You and your friends are always welcome here,” Dr. Long smiled. Twilight and Sunset gave her a parting hug, then they joined the line for the return trip on the TACIT receiver. When their turn came, they entered, shutting their eyes tight. From the NASA office, they teleported directly back to their apartment.

“Okay, movie night then. I’ll order us some dinner. Pizza sound good?” Sunset asked.

Twilight nodded. “I have a few calls to make, then I’ll join you,” Twilight observed. She sat on the bed and made the calls while Sunset contacted the Concierge to order their dinner.

“Do you want me to pick the movie? Or do you have one you want to see?” asked Sunset.

Twilight smiled. “Tickets and reservations are confirmed. We’re good to go.”

“Sweet!,” smiled Sunset. “So, what do you think of Your Name for our movie”.

Twilight laughed. “Classic.” They finished their coffee then started the movie. Midway through Sunset made popcorn and brought that and sodas over for snacks as they watched the rest of the movie.

The movie ended, they got ready for bed. Sunset shut the door and rolled into the bathroom to get herself ready. Finished, she rolled into their bedroom and joined her roommate in bed.

“This will be epic,” Sunset smiled as she snuggled into her friend.

“Yup!” Twilight agreed, snuggling back. They drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Enlightenment comes not from being better than others, but from bettering yourself - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Mikoto 4 still at Liberal Arts City. Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko are randomly selected to take part in Academy City's seven-day exchange program. Here, they are taken to Liberal Arts City, an affiliate of Academy City, and are later involved in a conspiracy involving Aztec magicians. The story is set inLiberal Arts City and takes place in the time period between September 3rd to 10th.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 20 - Twilight - The Rainbooms and Friends Take Tokyo

Twilight - The Rainbooms (and Friends) Take Tokyo

Saturday, September 6, 2:00 PM Canterlot time. Sunday, September 7, 6:00 AM Tokyo time.

The girls went to bed early Saturday night. They wanted to be up and ready to go first thing Sunday morning, as they had the entire day planned for all the amazing fun they’d have with their friends. No lazing about on this Sunday morning.

They woke to the alarm at 6 AM, did their ablutions, then quickly changed into their clothes for the day. Sunset had picked her favorite outfit, including her old leather jacket and boots, while Twilight had selected a purple jumper she had bought just for the occasion. Dressed and ready to go, they grabbed their daypacks and teleported to Twilight’s lab.

Sunset rolled into the kitchen with Twilight, where unsurprisingly they found Applejack and Pinkie already there helping Velvet set out the fixings for an early dinner.

“Ah, you guys didn’t have to do that,” smiled Sunset. “Thank you Ms. Velvet for setting this up for us. This beats the heck out of the pizza I was just going to order.”

“Think nothing of it, dear,” clucked Velvet. “I just want to help. And with everyone meeting here, it only made sense that I offer something to eat before we all leave.” She smiled at Pinkie and AJ. “And your friends agree with me, as it seems they had the same idea!”

“Guilty as charged, partner!” laughed Applejack. “I brought over some baked goods to share before we left, but when I saw Ms. Velvet was laying out a full spread, I had to offer to help!”

“And I figured what kind of party would it be without cupcakes!?” grinned Pinkie. “So I had to help too!”

“Thank you, girls! I really appreciate that!” She gave them a quick hug.

Sunset turned to Mrs. Velvet. “How can I help?” she asked. The doorbell rang.

“There’s your answer, sugarcube. Can you get that?” grinned Applejack.

With a nod, Sunset rolled out to answer the door, while Twilight stayed in the kitchen helping her mom with the roast coming out of the oven.

Sunset opened the door, greeting her mom and aunt.

“Sunbeam!” her mom called out happily, bending down and pulling her daughter into a tight hug. “I missed you, Sunny bunny! How’s life in the big city?” she asked Sunset happily while Luna looked on with a grin.

Hugging her mom back, Sunset smiled. “I’ve missed you too, mom.” She looked over to her aunt. “I’m so glad you both could make it, it’s so good to see you both!”

Luna laughed, ruffling Sunset's hair. “It’s good to see you too, niece!”

From down the hall, Applejack called out, “Come on in and take a seat Ms. Celestia and Ms. Luna! Dinner will be ready in jus’ a bit!”

Sunset rolled back to let them pass, then happily followed them into the dining room.

“Look who I found!” Sunset announced to everyone in the room as they entered.

“Hi Velvet! Nice spread, way nicer than I was expecting,” teased Celestia. “Knowing my daughter I figured we’d be snacking on several boxes of delivered pizza!”

“Mom! Sheesh!” laughed Sunset.

“Nailed you, didn’t she?” laughed Luna.

“Uh…. yeah,” laughed Sunset. “But it would have been really good pizza, honest!” Celestia wandered into the kitchen to help Velvet with Luna and the girls following.

Luna laughed. “I’m sure it would have.” She sat down next to Sunset.

Celestia turned to her daughter from her place at the stove with Velvet. “So how’s Tokyo? Speaking like a native yet?” she teased.

“Oh, har de har har! At least they don’t just look confused when I try to say something anymore. I’m not the quickest study but I’m getting there. Unlike some people…” she shot a grin at Twilight who was still working on cutting up the roast.

“What?” said Twilight, not looking away from her work. “I just take it more seriously than you, that’s all.” She smiled. “And you get distracted!”

“Hey, I can’t help it!” Sunset snarked. “You make the cutest faces when you're trying to concentrate.” Twilight rolled her eyes, grinning as everyone laughed.

“Seriously though,” Sunset said, turning back to her aunt. “All the classes are taught in Japanese, so we’ve been working hard to get our proficiency up. I may not be able to say everything I want to say, but I will darn well be sure I can understand everything I need to hear. We’ve been working hard at that.”

“It’s you two. I’m sure you’ll have it down in no time,” smiled Luna, squeezing her niece's hand. “So how about your classes? Anything interesting?”

“It’s all so interesting!” agreed Sunset.

“You can say that again,” agreed Twilight from her roost at the roast.

“They have a system they use to enhance psychic abilities, called The Curriculum. Some of the things they do would never be allowed back where I grew up, but many of the techniques and methods they use I can see applying directly to the way magic is taught in Equestria. I’m interested in trying them out, and seeing them work for magical abilities as well,” explained Sunset.

“And their testing methodologies are much more advanced than many we’ve been using. I’ve already incorporated some of their insights into upgrades to our magical scanner, increasing its efficiency and resolution by more than 1000%,” Twilight added, bringing a serving tray of roast over to the table.

The doorbell rang again. Excusing herself to get it, Sunset rolled to the door, opening it to find a smiling Lyra and Bon Bon.

“Hi, girls!” Sunset greeted happily, rolling out of the way and welcoming them in. “Wow, Lyra! Actually early?” Sunset teased. She smirked, winking at Bonnie. “I bet we know who to thank for that.”

Bonnie grinned as Lyra rolled her eyes then bent over to hug her friend. “We’ve missed you at the cafe! Mr. Namori-san says Hi by the way!”

As Sunset led them into the dining room, Lyra continued. “He was so jelly that his new employee got to go back to Tokyo for the day! He made me promise to take lots of pictures and have a great time!”

Twilight brought over a tray of drinks then sat down beside Sunset, who laughed. “Sorry girls. Large group of friends. Probably going to be doing the introductions over a few times.” She turned to Lyra. “So Lyra, you probably know the sites better than we do, as much as you visited growing up. What are you looking forward to seeing?”

“I always loved the bay and the parks,” nodded Lyra, “But my best memories are from our trips to Mon-Naka. We would visit the Fukagawa Fududo temple to watch the fire ceremony, then get tsukudani from the shops nearby afterward.” She smiled at the memory. “I hear it's a hipster hangout now. I wonder if the old shops are still there?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” smiled Bonnie, taking Lyra’s hand.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand. “Yeah, I guess we will,” she turned to Sunset, smiling.

Sunset smiled back. “Looking forward to it, Sparky.”

Celestia leaned over and put her arm around her sister as both smiled, watching their girls.

The doorbell rang once more. “I got it!” Sunset volunteered, rolling to the door.

Opening the door, she saw it was Doctors Sombra and Turner. “Hope we’re not too early?” smiled the Doctor Turner.

“No worries, Doctor, you’re always right on time,” grinned Sunset as she waved them in. “We’re getting ready to eat in the dining room, come join us,” she welcomed.

As Sunset was about to shut the door, a horn honked. Looking out to the street, she saw Rarity’s car pull into the driveway. It had barely stopped moving when the passenger door swung open and Rainbow Dash hopped out, sprinting for the door. “Wait up! We’re coming!” Rainbow urged.

Sunset laughed. “Dash! Wassup?” she called out to her friend.

Dash moved quickly through the door. “We’re not too late, are we? So sorry about that!” She looked around frantically.

Sunset laughed, seeing Fluttershy and Rarity emerging from her car snickering madly. She turned to Dash. “Dashie, do you know what time it is?” she asked with a smirk.

“Look, don’t be like that!” said Dash, looking hangdog. “I said I was sorry! I didn’t mean to make everyone late, my alarm didn’t go off. I’m really sorry!”

Sunset smirked then broke down laughing. From behind her, Dash could hear her friends joining in as well. “Wait, what’s so funny?” Dash asked.

“Dash, you have a phone, right?” asked Sunset, still chuckling.

“Yeah. Why? Should I have called? Ah Man, why didn’t I think of that? I should have called…” Dash pulled her phone out.

Sunset, face in her hands, shook with laughter. “Good one girls!” she called out.

“Wait, what?!” Dash asked. She looked at her phone, confused. She put it back in her pocket, then stopped, pulling it back to her face. “Really!?” she called out.

The girls lost it. “You tricked me! Darn it Rarity! You told me it was almost 4 and they were leaving without us!” Dash fumed.

Sunset put a hand out for a high five, which Rarity happily provided. “And… you never actually thought to check your phone when I said that?” asked Rarity with a smirk.

“You were so angry! I never even thought to check! Besides, I didn’t get back to my own bed until almost 10 this morning,” groaned Dash.

“I hate to say it Dashie, but if Rarity didn’t do something like that, you would still be groaning and laying in your bed,” grinned Fluttershy. “Her little trick got us here on time.”

Dash groaned. “Yeah yeah yeah.” She grinned at Rarity. “Good one Rare’s. I owe you one.”

“Oh Darling, I’m sure you owe me much more than one,” grinned Rarity, passing them by with another high five to Sunset as she headed into the dining room, Fluttershy in tow, “But one would be a very good start.” She smirked, tossing her hair and laughing as they entered the dining room joining the others.

“Come on, Dashie!” grinned Sunset, pulling her into a hug. “Let’s go get some dinner and get this party going.” She led her sheepish friend into the dining room to join the rest of the guests, all chatting happily.

Grace said, the food was served. Everyone enjoyed the unexpected feast, spiced by the excitement they felt for the day ahead. As they finished, Velvet packed up the leftovers, which Twilight bagged up and took with them for anyone wanting to snack later. Sunset and Applejack cleaned up the dishes while everyone else took care of any last-minute business. With everything ready, Sunset spoke up.

“Does everyone have their papers? You all brought your IDs?” she asked, greeted with nods all around. “Great. Okay, we’re almost ready to go. We’ll be going in groups of three, then when we all get to the apartment, we’ll give you a tour of our crib, show off a little, and hang for a bit while everyone gets processed. There’ll be a customs agent there to help with anything you need to get settled. When they’re done, we’ll break into two groups to take our tours.” Smiling, she turned to her aunt. “Aunt Luna and mom have volunteered to lead the tour of the cultural sites. Twilight and I will be leading a more low-key tour of some of the more popular sites. After that, we’ll all meet up at the apartment for dinner together, then we have a surprise event planned that’s really not to be missed!

“After that, we’ll head back to the apartment, have a little snack, then we’ll bring you all back home where you all get to sleep it off Sunday while Twilight and I get a few hours sleep before our classes Monday morning.”

“Ah, poor baby!” teased Dash. Sunset stuck her tongue out at her, setting them both into laughter.

“So there it is! Figure out who you want to tour with, and let’s get this show started!” Sunset announced with a single clap. She rolled into the garage and over to the TACIT base. Goggles all on, Twilight entered with her mom, dad, and Applejack, where they disappeared in a magenta flash.

The truth was, they weren’t really using the base, but figured it would be easier to present it as teleportation, which everyone already knew about, rather than visibly use their magic and have to stop and explain what it was, why it was the same, how it worked, etc. to their more curious and not completely initiated guests. It was a harmless bit of subterfuge they used to keep the day on track.

Twilight returned, taking Celestia, Luna, and Pinkie on this trip. Following them were the Drs. with Dash, then Rarity, Fluttershy.

Everyone else gone, Sunset turned to Lyra and Bonnie, waving towards the TACIT receiver. “Ready to pass through the looking glass, girls?” she smiled, rolling back into the booth. Both girls joined her. There was a teal flash, and they appeared in the apartment, everyone else already sitting around waiting for them while being processed by two very polite customs agents.

“Have a seat girls!” Sunset kindly instructed, waving them over to the kitchen table.

Sunset rolled over to Twilight, who was packing up light snacks into everyone’s daypacks. “How’re we doing Sparky?” Sunset asked, giving her a quick side hug while she worked.

“Almost done! Just packing up some quick energy and drinks for everyone while we are out, then I think we’re good to go,” Twilight answered.

“When’s mom and aunty Luna’s ride showing up?” Sunset asked.

“Concierge said they’ll be here in about 20 minutes, right about the time the customs officers said they’d be finished,” said Twilight.

“Man, you really have to hand it to this place. They have efficiency down to a science,” smiled Sunset.

“True that,” agreed Twilight.

Daypacks packed, Sunset and Twilight passed them out to their friends and guests. Unsurprisingly the girls were joining them for the less high-brow tour of the city. Once Lyra and Bonnie found they were visiting the temple, they joined the low-brow tour too.

Finished with their tasks, the customs officers thanked everyone, wishing them a pleasant day in their city. Sunset showed them out, thanking them profusely for coming out to make life easier for their guest. The concierge emerged from the elevator, bowing to the officers in greeting. They returned her bow.

“Ms. Shimmer, Ms. Sparkle, your guests’ ride is here and ready for them downstairs. I’ll be happy to take them to her when they are ready,” she informed them with a bow.

The girls bowed back. “Arigato!” They thanked her, inviting her into the apartment.

“Mom, Aunt Luna, and everyone taking the tour with them, your limo is downstairs and ready to take you. Please follow our concierge out and she will take you to them,” announced Sunset.

With a quick hug for her mom and aunt, they bid them farewell, watching them crowd into the elevator, laughing like schoolchildren on an outing.

“Okay girls! Just us left. Holler when you’re ready!” called out Sunset.

Twilight, Sunset, and the girls piled out of the elevator and moved as a herd to the concierge.

“Ohayō!” greeted Sunset, bowing to the concierge as they overtook her station. The girls bowed, following her lead.

“Ohayōgozaimasu,” greeted the concierge. Turning to the gathered girls, she bowed. “Are you ready to begin your touring adventure?”

“Hai! Arigatōgozaimasu!” replied Sunset happily.

“Very well then! I will inform your ride that you are ready to be taken to your first destination.” She spoke into her headset briefly, then turned back to the girls. “Follow me! Your ride awaits you.” She walked across the lobby then out into the cutaway where a limo was waiting for the girls, the driver by the door with the ramp extended.

Cheering, the girls bowed to the driver then piled into the limo, all decorum abandoned in their glee. Sunset facepalmed and laughed. “Shazai itashimasu,” she smiled at the driver with a bow. “It’s their first visit. Please forgive them for acting like a group of tourist school girls,” she snarked as she rolled up the ramp into the limo.

“Indeed!” grinned the driver. “One would almost believe them to be just that!” She laughed as the ramp drew up into the limo’s underside, and shut the door.

“So Sugarcube, where’re we headed to first?” asked Applejack.

“Well, first we’re going to hit a place dear to a good friend's heart,” Sunset smiled, turning to Lyra. “I bet it’s been a while since you’ve seen a fire ceremony.”

Lyra fist-pumped. “Yes! We're going to Mon-Naka! To the Fukagawa Fududo temple! And I’m going to get some tsukudani!” she grinned.

“Yup! First on the list!” Sunset agreed. The girls cheered and laughed as they passed through the city.

They arrived near the temple. As the girls exited the limo, they could hear the drums from the ritual.

“Ah, man! We’re too late!” complained Dash.

“No. We’re fine! They have the ritual every two hours. We just have to wait a bit for the next one,” Lyra assured. “We can just go get some tsukundani while we wait!”

“What’s that?” asked Fluttershy, brushing back some of her long pink hair behind her left ear to see Lyra better.

“It’s a type of pickled treat. Come try some, you'll like it!” Lyra promised, leading the girls towards one of the alleys. She guided them into an old shop several stores into the alley. Going up to the counter, she called out to the old lady working behind the counter.

“Tomodachi ni tsukundani o itadakemasu ka?” she asked.

“Tashika ni shin'ainaru! Torē o motte kimasu!” the lady replied smiling, bringing over a tray of the delicacies.

“Whooie Sugarcube! Just what the hay are these things anyhow?” asked Applejack while staring at the tray with confusion, pushing up the tip of her cowboy hat with her thumb.

“These are a treat I loved growing up here, called tsukundani. They’re made by soaking seafood in soy sauce and sugar. I think you’ll like them,” replied Lyra. She picked out two pieces for herself, then stood aside to let the girls have a turn.

“Don’t worry. I’m buying!” called out Sunset. “Get whatever you want, my treat!”

Applejack picked out two pieces made from tuna and seaweed. Dashie was feeling more adventurous, going with squid and sea anemone. The rest of the girls stuck with the basic seaweed and tuna, while Sunset and Twilight opted for the sea anemone, also feeling adventurous. Sunset paid and everyone else went back outside to enjoy their treats.

Lyra grinned ear to ear. “See Bonnie, I told you they were good!” she laughed. Bonnie made funny faces as she ate hers, laughing the whole time.

Applejack was a little leary of hers at first, taking tiny nibbles off the edge, but was soon enjoying them like everyone else. “Tastes like sweet jerky!” she commented.

“That’s pretty much what it is,” agreed Lyra. “It’s seafood pickled in soy sauce and sugar. Makes the seafood taste like a dessert!” She scarfed down her last one.

“I bet these things would be great energy snacks!” said Dash, finishing off hers. “Protein and sugar!”

“Sugar is always good!” Pinkie cried out cheerfully.

Sunset facepalmed, laughing while Twilight grinned. “Yes, Pinkie! Sugar is always good.”

After the snack they went back to visit the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, where they wandered around the temple admiring the statues and gardens while Lyra explained the temple's history and ties to modern sumo.

“That’s interesting, considering what we are doing tonight,” observed Twilight.

Sunset rolled her eyes and smacked her arm. “Nice, Sparky. It’s a surprise,” she whispered before anyone could ask. Despite their insistent questions, that’s all she would say.

Eventually it was time for the Fire Ceremony. They wandered over to the temple as Lyra gave them all instructions. “Okay, only Buddhists are allowed into the ceremony. So for today, you are all honorary Buddhists. Do as you see me doing. If you don’t ‘know the words’ just copy my actions and say nothing. As long as you are reverent and respectful, there won’t be any issues. Any questions?”

“What exactly is a Buddhist?” asked Rainbow.

“Any other questions?” asked Lyra. “Sorry Dashie, not dissin your question, but if I try to answer that we’ll miss the ceremony.”

“Ah, that’s cool, I’ll ask again later then,” agreed Dash.

Entering, the girls removed their shoes. Sunset was initially denied entry, her chair being considered unclean, but the girls overcame that obstacle with Twilight and Dash carrying Sunset between them. They sat together towards the back of the temple.

The ceremony began, and the girls followed Lyra up in the procession to make offerings to the gods. Sunset, for obvious reasons, was allowed to sit this out, remaining seated.

As the girls processed up with the other people in the ceremony Sunset felt a familiar tingle coursing through her body.

“That’s weird. I wouldn’t have expected Magic to be here of all places,” Sunset thought.

The girls returned and the ceremony continued, but Sunset continued to feel Magical power coursing through her.

“Oh crab nuggets,” Sunset whispered under her breath.

Twilight was sitting right next to her. She turned to her with a whisper. “What’s wrong, Sunny?”

“I can’t stop it, here it comes,” whispered Sunset as she started to glow. Twilight quickly threw her coat over her friend.

“Sunny, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, slightly panicked, casting a spell to mask the glowing horn sprouting from her BFFs forehead and the angelic wings folded behind her back.

Sunset sat shaking. “Sorry! So sorry, Sparky, I can’t stop it,” she whispered frantically. Twilight held her close, keeping up the illusion to mask her changes. It seemed no one else had noticed, including the girls sitting one row up from them. “Thank you, Sparky!” Sunset whispered to her friend, holding her tightly.

The ceremony was beautiful, continuing for over an hour. And the entire time, Sunset sat there, glowing with power in her angelic form, the only thing keeping everyone there from noticing was Twilight’s glamor illusion, which she kept up the entire time, masking the changes.

When the ceremony ended, Sunset returned to her normal state, and Twilight retrieved her coat. Dash and Twilight helped Sunset back out of the temple and into her chair.

“Thank you so much for taking us here!” gushed Lyra. “I haven’t been to the temple since I was a little girl! It’s just as beautiful as I remember!”

Sunset smiled. “We thought you might appreciate it. I’m glad we made the time to visit.”

After the ritual the girls went to the park with the great Kanto earthquake memorial. They discussed what they had just experienced.

“I gotta say there Lyra, I was a might hesitant to join yall in there. I don’t want ta do anything that might displease the Maker, so I was a bit fearful joining ya’ll in any worship,” reflected Applejack.

Lyra nodded. “I could understand that. Thank you for showing respect for my beliefs, Applejack.”

“Sure thing, Sugarcube,” Applejack nodded with a grin. “Your belief itself is an honor to the Maker.”

Sunset smiled. “AJ, you don’t have to worry about disrespecting the Maker by honoring another’s beliefs. Anywhere worship is with reverence, respect, and goodwill, the Maker is honored. She loves all her children, and rejoices in all forms of their worship. Yeah, She’s jealous for the love of all her children, but merciful and loving to them too. The god worshiped in the ceremony we just took part in is also her child, and worships her as well. So any love for the god shown by her children reflects to her, the Maker.”

“You know, the god of that temple is Fudōmyō-ō, the god of justice,” noted Lyra. “The ritual is supposed to burn away negative energies, thoughts, and desires, and replenish the power of the god to burn away all things that get in the way of his follower’s path to enlightenment.”

Sunset blanched, and mumbled, “You mean goddess of justice” under her breath.

Twilight noticed and whispered to her friend. “What’s wrong Sunny?”

“I think I just visited my own temple!” whispered Sunset back quietly. “That’s just all sorts of weird!”

Twilight facepalmed. “Of course!” she said, shaking her head. “By the Maker Sunny, only you could manage something like that!” They both laughed.

In the astral realm, two dear friends were falling out of their seats from laughter.

“She did what?” gasped Faust, briefly catching her breath.

“She went right into her own temple and took part in worship with her friends,” chuckled Chang’e. “Oblivious the entire time! Even when she powered up in the middle of the ceremony, she thought it was just because there was residual magic. So she threw a coat and hood over herself, for all the good that did her. Her friend, the near goddess, hid her with magic when the power did not fade. Neither of them ever took the hint.” She shook her head, laughing. “Your great-granddaughter is one humble goddess.”

“One of her most endearing qualities,” agreed Faust, settling down. “Oh by my stars I wish I had seen that! It must have been quite precious!”

“Oh heavens, yes. Yes, it was!” agreed Chang’e, still laughing.

In his new realm, the old god Mars smiled, watching the antics of his successor. “Oh child, you are so delightfully innocent!” he smiled.

The girls decided to head for the Ginza Antique Mall next. Twilight called their limo, which picked them up outside the park. They rode the 10 for part of the route, then switched off to take two other parkways. The driver let them off just past a FamilyMart near the Mall entrance. They walked the remaining distance to the Antique Mall, then paired up to get some shopping done. Everyone was looking for gifts to bring back to their families from Japan, except of course Twilight and Sunset, as their parents were undoubtedly doing that for themselves.

The girls purchased a few cute figurines for the apartment, after which Twilight pushed Sunset over to a nearby bookstore, Dashie and Fluttershy tagging along. Sunset promptly drifted towards the Manga with the girls, while Twilight pursued more scholarly tomes, and a few romantic fiction short stories she was starting to develop a taste for. After ninety minutes of shopping, they all booked it back to the Mall, meeting up with the rest of the girls for their next adventure.

“Lunch is next! For fun, we’re heading to restaurant row in Academy City, so you can experience what we typically eat.” Sunset explained as they gathered. Twilight called the limo, which came and picked up the girls, heading back into Academy City.

During the brief drive back to Academy City’s Restaurant Row, the girls shared what they had bought. Rarity had purchased a pearl hair comb for Sweety Bell, and a cookbook for her parents Hondo and Cookie. Applejack also bought a cookbook of cherry recipes for Granny, which got her teased. Dash and Fluttershy both picked up figures from one of the manga they both followed, as well as several mangas from the bookstore. Sunset and Twilight had their books, and of course the figurines they purchased to decorate their apartment.

After showing their identification at the entrance to Academy City, a short ride later they drove past the girls’ dorms then down the street to Restaurant Row. One out of the limo, the girls perused their choices.

“Oh! Oh, oh, oh! Macronall Hamburger! Let’s go there!” Pinkie bounced excitedly. “I want to get a milkshake!”

Sunset facepalmed. “Pinkie, really? We could go somewhere else and get something sweet.”

“Ah come on Sunny Bunny! Let’s go to Macronall’s!” Pinkie begged. Laughing, the other girls joined in.

“Alright, fine, why not,” Sunset relented. “Macronall’s it is!” she said, rolling into the restaurant, which looked almost identical to the Macronall’s by their old school. “Macronall’s… halfway around the world for Macronall’s…” Sunset groused under her breath.

The girls stood in line, ordered their food, then picked out a table they could all sit at. Sunset paid for everyone’s meals, just ordering a strawberry milkshake for herself. When their orders were ready, she, Twilight, and Applejack carried the trays over to the table.

“Arigatō!” said Lyra for everyone as they passed out the food. Taking their seats, the girls bowed their heads, thanked the Maker for their food and friendships, then dug in.

“I can’t believe we’re eating at Macronall’s,” grumbled Sunset, sipping her milkshake.

“Ah lighten up, Sunny! We’re having an adventure, and it’s all for fun!” said Pinkie, bouncing happily in her seat with her milkshake, cookies, soda, soft serve, and flurry.

Sunset laughed and shook her head. “You’re right, Pinkie. I’m glad you’re having fun!”

“Yupper duppers! This is the funnest!” Pinkie smiled.

After everyone finished eating, Sunset led them outside. “Any other places you want to try while we’re here?” she snarked.

“Well darling, it’s clear you really want us to get a taste of the local cuisine. Where would you suggest?” asked Rarity.

“If you’re interested, there is a noodle shop we’ve been to a few times. It's really good, we can go there,” Sunset suggested.

“Alright then, let’s go!” Dash agreed. Lyra and Bonnie watched their friends, laughing at their antics.

“Okay, noodle shop it is! Let’s go!” laughed Sunset, rolling ahead of the group, leading the charge to the noodle shop.

“Do they have pastries there?” asked Pinkie.

“I’m sure they have something sweet, Pinkie. We’ll ask them when we order. I’ll try whatever you find too,” suggested Sunset.

At the noodle shop they pretty much took over the back of the restaurant. The old man running the shop came over to take their orders. Pinkie asked her question, and indeed the man had a dish made of sweet noodles. Pinkie and Sunset both placed an order for the sweet dish. Miso soup and rice noodles with toppings were ordered for everyone. Lyra and Bon Bon placed an order for a shared noodle plate, taking a nearby table to sit by themselves.

While the food was prepared the girls talked about life. The shopkeep brought out the servings of Miso soup for everyone to enjoy while they waited for their food.

“So how’s school going?” asked Applejack. “Ya’ll been going for over a week now. Ya settled into your schedule and classes?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, and our internships. We attend classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Tuesday and Thursday we work at the Life Sciences Institute as interns. On school days we also have after-school work with Judgment, where we work with our Academy friends, Kuroko, Rioko, Mikoto, and Kazari. Sadly, they couldn’t make it today or they would have joined us.”

“What the hay is a Judgment?” asked Applejack.

“Your Academy friends? Are they cool? Can they do cool stuff like we do?” asked Dash.

“Definitely cool. And no, not like us they have their own powers,” answered Sunset to Dash. To Applejack, she added, “Judgment is one of the groups responsible for monitoring and policing Academy City and its residents. Basically, we find missing people and things and keep people from breaking the rules. Police type stuff.”

“So basically like security guards or junior policemen?” asked Applejack.

“Yup!” Sunset agreed.

“What powers? What can they do?” asked Dash.

“Well, Mikoto can launch game tokens like missiles. I’ve heard she can take out a building with one of them.” Sunset smiled. “And her roommate Kuroko can teleport and knows how to use that as a weapon,” answered Sunset. “Their powers are psychic, not magical like ours. Same idea but a different source.”

“Awesome!” exclaimed Dash. Fluttershy smiled.

“Yes, they are,” agreed Sunset, smiling. “They’re a hoot.”

“Well I’d love to meet them! Too bad they weren’t able to join us,” commented Rarity. Pinkie nodded emphatically.

“We’ll definitely have to set up a get together then. And with Index and Toma, too. They’re quite the handful. Or at least Index is… she sure keeps Toma busy,” said Sunset.

“Sounds like fun, sugarcube. What about all the fun you’ve been havin with NASA? They doing anything yet?” asked Applejack.

Twilight answered that one. “Yes, they are! They already have a base on the moon, and one on Titan. And they’re working on a base on Mars too, but it’s not ready yet. They’re waiting until they can move the Boring equipment from the moon to Mars.”

“Wow, you’ll have neighbors!” laughed Dash.

“Literally!” Sunset agreed. “They will only be a few klicks away from us. And they promised me a Kaijū robot I can ride around in. I am so going to break that in when we get it!” she laughed.

“You mean we,” Twilight corrected with a smile. “I’m pretty sure it’s a two-seater, and there’s no way I'm missing out on that fun!”

“Then we it is!” agreed Sunset. “We’re so gonna break that bad boy in.”

“I’m officially jealous,” said Dash. “I want one.”

“Well, miss Avitar of the Moon goddess. Why don’t you just ask them for access to one of the ones on the moon? I’m sure your sponsor would be more than happy to arrange that for you,” commented Sunset.

“Hey, yeah!” exclaimed Dash. “You're right! I will ask them. But wait, how will I get to the moon?”

“If you ever want to get to the moon, just call Sparky or I,” said Sunset. “We can get you there. Or just call NASA. I’m sure they can arrange something.”

“I will, thanks!” agreed Dash.

“If NASA is okay with it, I’ll just give her a teleportation fob, like the one I made for Index,” noted Twilight.

“Good call Sparky!” Sunset agreed as Dash nodded emphatically.

Bonnie spoke up. “Is there any chance we can get to the moon? I’d love to see it.”

“Sure, in fact, I think we should set up an outing for all of us, just like this one. I’ll talk to NASA and see when they can get us in,” said Sunset. “Good idea, Bonnie!”

Bonnie blushed. “Thank you!”

The sweet noodles arrived first, so Sunset passed her plate around, giving everyone a chance to try them. Pinkie drilled through hers in moments, immediately requesting seconds. The old man turned to Sunset, who nodded. “Coming right up!” he told Pinkie.

“These are surprisingly good,” noted Applejack while the girls nodded in agreement.

Sunset waved to the man, calling out when she had his attention. “Another plate of sweet noodles for this table too, please. In fact, just keep them coming.” Turning to Lyra and Bon Bon, she asked, “Would you girls like some too?”

“Yes please!” Lyra agreed.

“Keep them coming to their table too, please!” Sunset amended to the shopkeeper. “Arigatō!” The old man smiled and nodded.

After a brief wait their food arrived. Everyone had already devoured their miso soup and were ready for the main course. In addition to the noodles, trays of fried meats were placed on the center of the table for the girls to enjoy, as well as different sauces. Sunset asked, and a tray of meat samples was delivered to Lyra and Bon Bon’s table as well. Sunset led everyone in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Maker, then the girls laid into the food before them.

A bit over an hour later, quite full and content, the girls left the shop to continue their adventure.

“Who’s up for a trip to the tallest tower in the world? The Tokyo Skytree is almost four-tenths of a mile tall! We can see all of Tokyo from up there,” commented Sunset.

The limo drove up, and the girls piled in with Sunset rolling up the ramp last.

It was about a 20 minute trip from Academy City to the Skytree. The girls chatted and gawked at the sites as they drove. The limo dropped them off at the Tokyo Skytree. Sunset wheeled ahead, greeting a tour guide who came out to meet them.

“Kon'nichiwa!” said the tour guide. “Your hostess has paid for each of you to take our grand tour. I will be your guide today. Please, follow me.”

He led them into a high-speed elevator, which took them quickly to the top of the tower, almost a half-mile up in the air. From the observation deck all of Tokyo was laid out like some futuristic circuit board. The wall surrounding Academy City was clearly visible too.

Their guide continued the entire time, telling them the history of the tower, and how it was currently used as a broadcasting tower by many of the major Tokyo stations. The site was spectacular. The girls stayed for several hours, gazing out over Tokyo, admiring the view and listening to the history of the city below them. By the time they were finished with the tour, they had a little over an hour before it was time to meet the adults for dinner and the evening’s entertainment.

Sunset instructed the driver to take them to Sumida Park, where they could enjoy the cherry blossoms. It was a twelve-minute ride from the Skytree, passing over the Sumida River. When there, they bought coffees from the nearby coffee shops then roamed the park, enjoying the cherry blossoms and peaceful surroundings.

An hour later, Sunset rounded everyone up to return to the apartment for dinner. The concierge met them at the door.

“Your other guests have already returned. I escorted them up to your apartment and let them in. We’ve already placed everything out for your ichiju-sansai,” she informed them as she led them through the lobby to the elevators.

“Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu,” said Sunset, bowing. “We really appreciate all the work you’ve put into making this outing and evening a success.”

“Dōitashimashite,” she said, bowing in return. “I will see you later when the limo returns for your evening's entertainment.”

The girls piled into the elevator car, Sunset rolling into the front. Twilight keyed her code into the keypad and the elevator rose to the penthouse suites.

Last in and first out, Sunset rolled from the elevator over to the apartment, keying in her code. The door opened and Sunset and the girls entered, finding, as the concierge had promised, the traditional ichiju-sansai dinner placed on the table, ready to serve. The adults were all seated around the table, waiting for the girls before beginning the dinner. Luna called out to the girls. “Wash up, ladies, then take a seat and we’ll begin.”

The girls washed up in the bathroom then crowded around the table, ready to enjoy the traditional three-course Japanese dinner. Luna passed around servings of spicy Miso soup, rice, nori, and tsukemono. All the servings were laid out on the plates as blossoms or cartoon characters from the girls’ favorite anime shows. Everyone then bowed their heads while Celestia led them all in Harmonic Grace.

They enjoyed their first course of spicy miso soup and nori and tsukemono. When they finished the first course, grilled tuna filet with wasabi and edamame was passed around. The wasabi was a bit much for some of the guests, but the green tea was more than up to the job of putting out any culinary flames.

Next came Japanese Beef Wasabi noodles, another spicy offering. Following that was Chicken Teriyaki with Rice. For the vegetarian guests, there were appropriate alternatives, which Sunset took advantage of. When they finished with the last course, servings of green tea ice cream were removed from the freezer then passed to everyone.

“That was some feast girls! Woo-Eee am I stuffed as a pig on a platter!” smiled Applejack, leaning back from the table. Dash grinned and rolled her eyes.

“That was marvelous darlings!” complemented Rarity. “Thank you so much.”

“We’re glad you liked it,” smiled Twilight. “Sunny and I picked it out from our favorite foods so far.”

“Everyone, take a few moments to relax and wash up if you need. In about half an hour we’ll be leaving for the evening’s entertainment, so please be ready to go by then,” added Sunset.

The girls and adults got ready, then relaxed and talked while they waited.

“So sugarcube, what's the entertainment for the evening?” asked Applejack.

“Sorry. No spoilers. It’s a surprise,” answered Sunset.

“Ah come on, not even a hint?” complained Dash.

“One hint I think. You already visited the place it started from earlier today,” smirked Sunset.

“Oh! Is it one of the TV stations that use that tower we visited as a transmitter antenna? That’s it, right?” guessed Dash.

“That’s actually a really good guess, Dash, but no. I’m not answering,” replied Sunset.

“Wait. No as in no, that’s not it? Or no, as in I’m not telling? Which is it?” asked Dash, confused.

“No. I’m not answering,” said Sunset.

“Ah come on! At least answer that! Which is it?” Dash pressed.

Sunset facepalmed. Twilight chimed in. “Dash, she can’t answer that. If she said yes or no, that would be giving another hint. You got one hint, and that was it.”

“What, the first one? Or the not answering one?” asked Dash, confused.

Applejack laughed. “Don’t ever change, Dashie!” she chuckled.

Dash crossed her arms and sulked. The girls all chuckled.

Sunset had mercy on her sulking friend. “The first one Dashie. I’m not answering any more questions on it because I don't want to spoil the surprise,” smiled Sunset. “Trust me, it’s awesome.”

Dash smiled, somewhat mollified. “Okay. I trust you, Sunset.”

“Did it have something to do with what happened at the temple?” asked Lyra.

“What happened at the temple?” asked Celestia.

“It was nothing, mom. Don’t worry about it,” said Sunset quickly, blushing.

“She looked like an angel for a moment,” answered Lyra. “It happened really quickly then she went back to normal.”

“I know, right? It was the weirdest thing,” added Pinkie. “She was just like bam! Then she put on Twilight’s coat, then Twilight held her, and boom! She was back to normal.”

“I can’t believe you all noticed that,” said Sunset, mortified. “Did everyone see that?”

“Pretty much, sugarcube. I was half expectin’ we’d all go pony too when I saw that, but you switched back so quick I figured it wasn’t nothin' to worry about,” said Applejack.

“It was pretty awesome!” agreed Dash.

Twilight was laughing quietly, while Sunset looked completely mortified.

“So my little sunbeam, care to tell us what happened?” asked her mom.

“It was nothing, mom. Twilight, help me out. Can we please just drop it?” Sunset begged.

“Oh no. No way we’re dropping this. Spill niece. What happened at the temple,” smirked her aunt.

“Et tu, Luna?” sighed Sunset. “Fine, whatever.”

Twilight smirked, walking behind Sunset and pulling her into a hug. “It’s okay Sunny. I got this.” She grinned. “Sunny accidentally walked into her own temple and got a magical overload, and turned into a goddess,” snarked Twilight, hugging her roommate tightly.

“Sparky! You traitor!” groused Sunset, caught tightly in her friend's grasp.

“Wait what?!” exclaimed Dash.

“Magical overload?” exclaimed her mom.

“You're a goddess!?” exclaimed Rarity.

“Gah! Way to out me, Sparky!” growled Sunset.

“It’s not like it was going to stay a secret forever. All of our friends should know, not just our Academy friends. Your mom and aunt should definitely know,” smiled Twilight, still hugging her friend. She kissed her cheek. “And I’m happy you are, because I want to spend the next eternity with my BFF.”

“Duh-ahh,” gushed Rarity, stars in her eyes. “That’s so romantic!”

“Just friends, Rarity. Best friends. Soulmates forever. Love her eternally. But Just. Friends!” corrected Sunset, blushing crimson from all the attention.

Sunset then noticed Lyra prostrate on the floor, kneeling and bowing completely with her head touching the floor.

“Uh, Lyra, what are you doing?” Sunset asked.

“I’m so sorry goddess! I didn’t know. Please forgive me! I beg your mercy!” quaked Lyra.

“Really?” deadpanned Sunset. “Really really?! Lyra Heartstrings, get up right now,” Sunset commanded.

Lyra jumped up, still trembling. She kept her head bowed, staring down at the floor.

“Lyra, do you know who I am?” asked Sunset.

“Fudōmyō-ō, the goddess of justice?” quaked Lyra, shaking.

“Try Sunset Shimmer, your close friend, who loves you dearly,” corrected Sunset. “Look at me, Lyra.”

Lyra looked up timidly, her shaking subsiding.

“Lyra, come here,” said Sunset gently, holding out her arms.

Lyra came over to Sunset, who pulled her in, hugging her tightly.

“Lyra, whatever else you may think I am. Whatever else I am, I am always and forever your friend. I love you dearly, Lyra, and I never want you to be afraid of me or think you need to fear me or be reverential or whatever the buck that was to me. I. Am. Your. Friend. Always. Got it?” she said to Lyra gently.

Lyra cried. “Yes,” she whispered softly. Sunset gave her a kind squeeze and kissed her forehead.

“Good! Does anyone else need a hug or a good smiting?” snarked Sunset.

Applejack laughed. “Nah, think we’re good here, sugarcube.”

Celestia had sat back down in her seat, flabbergasted. “Our daughter is a goddess?” she mused dazedly. Her sister laughed, and gently smacked the back of her head.

“Where have you been, Tia? It’s been pretty clear for a while now. Glad she finally came out.” Luna teased.

“Came out? You make it sound so gay,” said Celestia, still in shock.

“Well it is kind of gay, isn’t it? Think about it…” snarked Luna.

Sunset turned to her aunt. “We’re not gay Aunty Luna. We’re. Just. Friends!” she stated emphatically.

“And I think you protest too much, regardless,” grinned her Aunt. “But whatever. Yes, you're outed Sunny. Anything else to say?”

“Fiiiiiine,” groaned Sunset. “Yes, I ascended and am now the goddess of justice, the Maker’s Hand. Please keep it a secret. I really am still just me, Sunset Shimmer.”

“And the Goddess of War, and Mars,” snarked Dash.

“And the goddess of Mars,” Sunset agreed. “Co-goddess of Mars. Twilight is my saint, and will soon be a goddess too. She’ll be joining me as a servant of the Maker.” Turning to her friend who was still draped over the back of her neck, she stuck out her tongue. “Hah Sparky, now you’re outed too!”

Twilight laughed. “Yup! You got me!”

“Forever,” agreed her friend, pulling her close.

“Duh-ahhhh!” gushed Rarity.

“Just. Friends! Rarity. Sheesh!” said Sunset, shooting her friend a dirty look.

“Sure darling! Whatever you say,” Rarity grinned back.

Sunset turned to the rest of the guests at their party. “I’m asking you all please to keep this to yourselves. I’m not ready to be outed as a goddess yet. I have a great deal of work I need to do as just plain old me, and this would only complicate it. So, please don’t spread around what you learned about Twilight and I. Please!?”

Their guests all nodded, still gobsmacked.

“Thank you!” said Sunset. “So how about that dinner! Really good, am I right?”

“Nice,” snarked Twilight into her ear. “Artfully deflected.” She laughed.

“Shuddup you,” grinned Sunset. “Like you do any better.”

“Whatever!” Twilight grinned.

“So, who’s ready for our surprise outing?” asked Sunset.

Twilight dialed the concierge on her cell phone as everyone accented happily. Sunset led the charge to the elevator and down to the lobby. They found their ride ready for them as the concierge led them through the lobby and into the waiting limo.

Once everyone was seated, the limo sped off.

The stadium at Ryogoku Kokugikan stood before them. Lyra fist-pumped. “YES!” she shouted.

“So we have one happy camper who figured it out,” teased Sunset. “Anyone else care to take a guess?”

“No idea, sugarplum,” mused Applejack. “Looks sporty.”

“And…?” prompted Sunset.

“Ohh! Oh Oh Oh! I get it!” exclaimed Dash excitedly. “It’s that sports thing, right?”

“A little more specific, Dash?” snarked Sunset as she lifted her hand, her thumb near her index finger.

“The diaper wrestling thing! With the big guys!” Dash guessed.

Sunset facepalmed. The lights went on in faces all through the limo. “You mean Sumo?!” said Celestia.

“Got it in one, Tia!” snarked Luna. “No ogling the half-naked men!” She teased her sister.

“As if!” shot her sister back. “It’s you we have to watch!”

“As if you could find time to watch me while you stare at all those half-naked sumo wrestlers!” shot Luna right back, laughing. Celestia grinned and punched her sister in the arm.

“You are a wretched brat!” laughed Celestia. “Why do I put up with you?”

Luna hugged her. “Because you love your little sister dearly,” she said, smiling.

“That I do,” smiled Celestia, hugging her back.

“Okay, I have your tickets. Stay close to me, and let’s get this show on the road,” called out Twilight, leading them out of the limo and towards the stadium. They followed her, Sunset bringing up the rear.

“So, Sunset, are you going to like, power up again?” asked Dash.

“Why would you think that Dash?” asked Sunset, rolling up to be beside her as she rolled towards the stadium.

“Well, you powered up the last time we went into some religious thing, and I remember, when we were in the shrine, that they said that modern Sumo was a direct descendant of the sumo worship of the god at that shrine. So this is kinda like worship, sorta. And I was wondering if it was gonna happen again,” explained Dash.

“Good point, but this is the worship of the god Yahata, or Hachiman, the god of archery and war. So, maybe? But Twilight and I will be looking out for it, so no one should notice this time,” she noted.

“That’s good!” smiled Dash. “Seeing how uncomfortable you were with even us knowing, I can imagine having a whole stadium of people figuring it out would not be a good thing.”

“No, not good at all,” agreed Sunset.

They arrived at the gate. Twilight briefly spoke with the attendant, who then personally escorted them into the area. From there, they were escorted to seats right in front of the fighting pagoda. Sunset sat on the end, with Twilight right next to her.

The ceremony began, but before she could even glow, Twilight preemptively covered her BFF with an illusion so the match could continue without any embarrassing interruptions. Sunset nodded to her BFF in thanks. “What would I do without you, Sparky!” she smiled.

“Let’s never find out!” teased her friend, smiling back. Holding hands, they watched the match together.

When the exhibition was over, everyone was led back to the waiting limo. They chatted excitedly about the matches they had just watched on the return trip. A short drive later they were back at the apartments, dropped off for the night.

The concierge met them. They thanked her again for arranging the evening for them, then all went back up to the apartment. Everyone sat around in the living area while Sunset prepared and served snacks.

Twilight spoke up. “That’s it for the evening! I hope everyone had a wonderful time! We’ll be taking you back two or three at a time to the lab, where you can ride home and enjoy the rest of your weekend. It’s just about midnight here so it will be 6-ish AM Sunday Morning when you get back. Rest, or just play though, whatever works best for you, and please enjoy the rest of your weekend!”

The adults placed their goggles on, gathering around Twilight to return first, so she took her mom, dad, and Celestia on her first trip. There was a magenta flash, and the four of them disappeared. A minute later Twilight reappeared, smiling. “Who’s next?” she asked. Luna, and Drs. Sombra and Turner approached. Taking their hands, they too disappeared in a magenta flash with Twilight returning shortly.

After the adults, Lyra, Bonnie, and Trixie said their farewells, joining Twilight for their return. Then it was Pinkie, Dash, and Applejack. Last was Fluttershy and Rarity.

Twilight returned, dropping onto the couch. “I’m beat! I could use a few hours rest,” she sighed.

There was a knock at the door. Looking at the giant monitor in the living room, Twilight called out “Who is it?”

The screen on the monitor came on, showing the face of one of the research assistants at the lab where Twilight and Sunset interned.

“I’m sorry for the late visit, but an emergency has come up. Twilight Sparkle, may I come in? I need to speak with you about something that has occurred at the lab and your internship,” she explained, leaning into the monitor by the door.

Sunset rolled over to her BFF. “Sounds important, Sparky. Why don’t you take care of it while I clean up for a bit, then we can both get some rest before school in a few hours.”

“Okay, thanks Sunny,” said Twilight, hugging Sunset. “I’ll make it quick so I can help out then we can both get some sleep.”

Twilight walked to the door and commanded, “Enter please.” The door opened, allowing the assistant to enter. With Twilight, she walked into the living room and sat down. While they sat, Sunset rolled into the kitchen area and started rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher.

“So what’s this about? What’s happening that’s so important that we need to speak at this hour?” asked Twilight.

“We have a situation,” replied the assistant. “We’ve found out that there are ascended beings here in Academy City, and they could pose a threat to our research.”

“Really?” nodded Twilight, feeling cautious. “What makes you say that?”

The research assistant reached into her purse. “Here, let me show you,” she stated, leaning close to Twilight, who leaned over to see.

The assistant whipped a ceremonial dagger from her purse, glowing red with power, plunging straight towards Twilight’s heart. It happened so quickly Twilight was unable to even breathe in surprise.

“NO!”

A teal flash enveloped the researcher and she disappeared. The ceremonial knife fell to the floor, clattered, then dimmed as the glow faded from it.

Twilight looked up in shock. Sunset was sobbing as she rolled over to her BFF as fast as her arms would go. She swept her up in a hug, crying and holding her tight.

“Sunset, what just happened? Where did she go? What was that?” asked Twilight, holding tightly to Sunset, still shocked and very confused. “Did she just try to kill me?”

“I sent her somewhere lethal,” gasped Sunset, catching her breath through her tears.

“Wait, what? You killed her?” asked Twilight, incredulous.

“Twilight, I had to!” Sunset cried. “She was going to kill you! I had to stop her.” She hung her head.

“No, you’re right,” said Twilight softly, holding her tight. “I know you’re right, you had to do it. Thank you! I’m glad you did it. I’m sorry Sunny, it’s just a shock.” Twilight dried Sunset’s tears with her palm, looking into her eyes. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Sunset sighed, her breath catching. “I’ll be fine. Just, give me a minute.” Still holding Twilight tightly, she sat slumped in her chair, crying softly and breathing, thinking about what had almost just happened.

Somewhere over the Martian desert, there was a flash of teal light. A body fell several dozen meters down to the desert below. Overhead, a drone flew swiftly away.

The person pushed themselves up, grasping their throat. A red glow surrounded their hands, then slowly faded as they fell back into the Martian sands. With a final twitch, the glow faded completely as they laid perfectly still, eyes staring up into the Martian sky.

Rightly ordered brings joy; let your thoughts and actions be led by Harmony and Her principles, and joy will overflow within you - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Mikoto 4 still at Liberal Arts City. Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko are randomly selected to take part in Academy City's seven-day exchange program. Here, they are taken to Liberal Arts City, an affiliate of Academy City, and are later involved in a conspiracy involving Aztec magicians. The story is set inLiberal Arts City and takes place in the time period between September 3rd to 10th.

Sunset and Twilight's Fun Tour Sites:
Fukagawa Fudo Temple
Part of Goma at Fukagawa Fudo Temple
Macronall Hamburger
A quick introduction to Tokyo Skytree
The Beauty that is Tokyo Skytree
Great Kanto Earthquake Museum
Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium
Sumo Video

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 22 - Mars - The Bloody Goddess

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Prologue - 01 - Faust - Realm of Dreams

Prolog - Mind Blown

Faust - Realm of Dreams

Faust floated through the constellations of her children’s dreams. Glimmering threads everywhere spanned in the darkness, joining dreaming souls together in cosmic harmony. All around her the souls of her children shone brightly, connected to one another by the threads of her Maker's Will, and beyond each other to the souls of the other Realms. Searching, she sought for the two souls she had carefully groomed to serve her Maker's Will.

Knowing these precious souls were not among her children in the Realm of Beasts, she passed along the paths connecting to the Realm of Men. There she found them, unsurprisingly together, as their cherished friendship assured they were always in each other's thoughts, if not each other's presence.

With a smile she gently tugged their threads, pulling their souls into her heart. “My Dearest chosen daughters, awaken,” she called to them, breathing her Maker’s Will into them. “Awaken to your destiny. Serve My Maker's Will, dear daughters, and know My Joy.”

The two souls glowed with power, shining in Teal and Magenta, brightly lighting the paths between the sleeping souls.

With a gentle kiss she carefully placed them back between the souls of the realms, then withdrew.

Shining brightly, their threads formed a rainbow bridge between the souls of the Realm of Beasts and the Realm of Men.

On a dying planet, long dormant in the Realm of Men, a teal spark flashed. Life stirred, called forth by the Kiss of The Maker. Slowly, a planet readied itself to receive its new mistresses.

In a dark corner of the Outer Realms, Baal Zebub stirred from his soul feast. “The False Goddess has moved again,” he called out to his familiars . “Ready our servants!” The spirits stirred, scattering to the other realms to alert their followers.

In another Universe Q looked up in wonder. “Oh ho ho! And what has our wonderful Maker done this time?” he mused in anticipation, sensing the threads of fate unfolding.

In his TARDIS, a Time Lord smiled as he felt the shift in the threads of fate. “Well played, Dear Maker,” Dr. Turner noted happily. “I will watch over your daughters.”

Libations appease, but blood atones - The Celestial Teachings

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 09 - Sunset - New Horizons Reprise

Sunset - New Horizons (Reprise)

Monday, August 18 - 2:45 PM Canterlot time

The girls sat in their favorite booth at Sugarcube Corner. Rarity was enraptured, holding the rock up and giggling like a schoolgirl. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic. Applejack just shook her head and grinned.

“Seriously you two,” Applejack laughed. “Ah figured you were prankin’ me hard when ya sent that text. Ah can’t believe ya two went to the moon.”

Fluttershy looked up from the printed photo of Twilight and Sunset, both fully ponied up, flashing V for victory and grinning madly. They were scrunched together into the seat of the Lunar Rover.

“This is incredible,” Fluttershy commented in amazement. “So did you drive around too?”

“Nah! I wish,” said Sunset.

“No surprise, but the batteries were completely dead. No joy rides for us,” lamented Twilight. “But next time we will! I took out the old silver-zinc potassium hydroxide batteries they had and replaced them with modern rechargeable batteries. Then, I hooked them up to a new solar array. It should be fully charged by the time we go back!”

“I call dibs on the first ride!” called out Rainbow.

“Nope! Twilight already claimed that!” laughed Sunset. “But you can have my turn, right after her.”

Rainbow fist-pumped. “Yes!”

Sunset turned to the rest of the girls. “So, wanna test out Twilight’s TACIT and spend some time on the moon? We plan on driving over to some of the other landing sites and maybe photobombing them!”

A Chinese operator looked up from his console in shock.

“哇!” he exclaimed. The other operators ran over to his display. There, on-screen in the distance, a vehicle could be seen bouncing over the terrain with what looked like an angel with rainbow-colored hair waving madly at the camera as she rolled by. When she disappeared over the horizon, they turned to each other.

“Did you see that!?” asked the first operator. “I’m not going crazy, right? There was some crazy-haired angel girl driving the lunar rover past the site?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s what I think I saw. But if you ask me again, I’m saying I saw nothing,” replied one of the other operators.

“Yeah, what she said,” replied the second operator. “No one would ever believe that.”

“I don’t know about that… I captured the feed. I’m so going to show it to my daughter. She always loved the stories of Chang’e. I’ll tell her we found her riding around having fun. It’ll make her day!” replied the first operator.

“Oh! Yeah! Get me a copy too! My kids would love that!” the woman agreed. “And when did the lunar rover get solar cells?”

Copies were made, and several children were happily amazed that evening.

“Woo-wee! That there was some out-of-this-world fun!” laughed Applejack as she dusted off her stetson. “Ah can’t believe you actually created a transporter that can get us to the moon!”

Rarity and Fluttershy were waiting in front of Twilight’s laser copier where several 8 by 12 photos were being printed. These showed the girls standing in front of the lander base, all crowded together smiling and flashing Vs. They were all ponied up and surrounded by a Teal and Magenta glow. The lunar rover was visible in the background with a new solar array attached to the back. When the copies were done, Fluttershy scooped them up and handed one to a very happy Rarity before passing the rest out to the girls.

“No one will ever believe us about this! No one!” Rarity laughed as she held the picture. “Everyone will think we totally doctored these photos, and do you know what? I just. Don’t. Care! That was so much fun I don’t care who believes it or not!”

“Right?” agreed Sunset, holding her own copy. “This one is getting framed and going up in my room. Best. Friends. Ever!” She laughed, then put the photo into her backpack.

“So, that was super duper fun!” cheered Pinkie in agreement, “Where are we going next?”

“I have an idea…” smiled Sunset. “But it’ll be a surprise for another day. You’ll just have to wait.”

“Ah.. drat!” groaned Pinkie. “I love surprises, but mostly when I’m the one giving them. Guess I’ll just wait then.” She smiled. “Okey Dokie, Loki!”

After the girls had left, Twilight and Sunset were alone in the lab. Twilight turned to Sunset with a smile. “Well, that was a fun and unexpected way to spend the holiday weekend!”

Sunset smirked. “Yes it was, wasn't it?”

Twilight leaned into her friend. “So, tell me,” she said with a wink. “Where do you think we should head next?”

“That depends. Can you pair up multiple receivers to the same base?” asked Sunset.

“Not currently, no. The base and receiver are quantum entangled with each other. I don’t have anything that could tune the pairing between different receivers,” Twilight frowned. “However, in theory, it could be done. And that’s going to be the next component I work on. Why do you ask?”

“I’d just hate to have to give up our lunar playground just to try something else. No big deal though, I’ll do it if we have to,” answered Sunset.

“Yeah. If you want to try something else, we’ll just have to use the one receiver for now. But I’m working on it. Maybe sometime soon we can have multiple destinations for the base. So seriously, where do you want to go next, Sunny?” Twilight asked.

Taking her friend's hand, she wheeled out into the backyard and scanned the sky. “It should be out tonight. Let me see…” she turned, looking around. “Should be close to Venus about now. Hmm.

“Ah, there it is!” Sunset pointed up. “Right there. See it Sparky?!” She was pointing to a faint red dot in the sky.

“Ah! I see it. Yeah, that would be epic! Okay, let’s do it!” agreed Twilight.

Sunset went into the shed while Twilight returned to her lab. A teal glow came from the shed followed by a bright flash. Sunset rolled out, still ponied up, wings folded. She looked up at the red dot, squinting. “Okay, I think I see where I want to go.” She rolled back into the shed which was followed by another bright flash. Wheeling back out, she rolled into the garage.

“Okay. It’s done. I tried to pick a spot that’s not too close to the rovers so we don’t mess with their experiments,” she informed Twilight as she rolled up next to her.

“Awesome! Okay, one more trip for the day. For Science?” asked Twilight.

“For Science!” Sunset cheerfully agreed with a grin.

Twilight walked around the landscape, taking in the sights. Both her and Sunset were fully ponied up, surrounded by a magenta and teal bubble. Sunset’s chair was suspended in a magenta glow, levitating over the red dusty landscape beneath them. In the distance a massive volcanic mountain rose up from the horizon.

“So, should we go look for Mark Watney?” asked Sunset.

“Huh? Who?” asked Twilight.

“Nevermind. Inside joke. I’ll explain it to you later!” laughed Sunset. “So what do you think? Time to start building our Fortress of Solitude?”

“Right? Totally!” agreed Twilight. “We can dig down into the regolith and seal it up, then move the receiver down there so we don’t need to pony up just to keep from dying every time we visit.”

“Sounds good to me!” Sunset agreed. “And I definitely need some different tires on this thing if I’m going to be wheeling around in this sand,” laughed Sunset.

“Yeah, no wheeling in the sand. Not a good idea,” laughed Twilight. “That’ll kill your bearings. We’ll get you some powered wheels and a cockpit.”

“Nice! I like!” grinned Sunset. “Okay, just set me down somewhere level. I’ll get started with the excavation.”

“Got it!” agreed Twilight. She set Sunset down on a large flat rock nearby. “Okay, it’s nearly time for the return trip. I’m going to get some supplies to get us started and come back. See you in an hour!” Her magenta bubble moved off as she left, headed back towards the TACIT receiver. Meanwhile, Sunset continued to work, surrounded by a teal glow. In the distance, Twilight stepped into the TACIT booth. A minute later there was a magenta flash and she disappeared.

Sunset continued working on the excavation. She used her magic to fuse the crystalline sand into a ramp downward from her current perch on the rock. She sloped it gradually down into the regolith. At about 2 meters down she fashioned a crystal roof over the top of the slope. She continued working her way down, now tunneling below the surface. When the top of the tunnel was about 3 meters below the surface, she leveled it out and started broadening the area being excavated, making a room about 6 meters wide and 24 meters long. Joined to that room were 4 rooms off of each side, each about 6 meters by 6 meters with a meter wide doorway into each of them.

She rolled into the first room on the left. “Okay, this will be the control room,” she mused to herself. “We’ll need a conduit to the surface for cabling the communications and the solar array.” She bored a 3 cm hole from the back corner of the room to roughly parallel the ramp into the base. Her magical bore came out at the surface about 9 meters to the left of the rock she had started from. She sealed up the opening with magic, then used her magic to test and harden the crystal making up the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room to completely seal it from the outside.

“Time to move the TACIT indoors,” she thought. With a flash of teal, the TACIT receiver appeared in the back corner of the room. “That’ll work. Just in time, too. Twilight should be showing up soon.”

Sunset placed a glowing sphere of magic in the corner of the room for light then went back out into the main room, placing light spheres in each of the corners. She sealed the ceiling, walls, and floors of the room and each of the side rooms in turn. She also magically sealed over the entryway to the ramp, then created an atmosphere in the room.

She dropped her shield and took a breath.

“Nice. That’ll work,” Sunset said in satisfaction. There was a magenta flash from the control room.

“Wha… Oh! Wow, you work fast girl!” Twilight called out from the control room. She joined Sunset in the main room. “You got a lot done already! Sweet!” commented Twilight.

Sunset nodded. “Um-hm. And there’s a conduit back up to the surface so we can set up the solar arrays and communications antennas when we get them.”

“Good job! And guess what! I brought those too! I have one Ku band satellite transponder with a high gain external antenna and a large array of solar cells. I’ll go set them up. Be right back!” Twilight headed for the entrance to the ramp. “Oh, sync up!” She pulled out her phone. “The next automated return is in…” she looked at the phone, “2 hours 58 minutes and 15 seconds. Be on it or be a permanent resident!”

She laughed when Sunset looked confused. “Just kidding! I actually placed it on a 3-hour loop. If we miss one we just have to wait 3 more hours. But anything in the booth will be going home”.

“That’s good to know! Also, you did leave a note or message at least saying where we were, right?” asked Sunset as Twilight headed towards the ramp.

“Yes, I left messages with the girls, as well as a note in the lab, but didn’t ruin the surprise by saying exactly where we are,” answered Twilight. “We’re covered.”

Twilight left the room, passed through Sunsets' magical barrier and headed up the ramp.

“Awesome!” said Sunset to herself.

She checked over the Ku band transponder Twilight had left behind. Crafting a crystal bench for it and the rest of the control devices on the other side of the control room next to the conduit, she placed the unit on the bench. While she was examining the transponder, a bundle of wires pushed through the magical seal on the conduit, then snaked down to the floor. When they were about two meters in, Sunset gave a magical tug to the bundle and the motion stopped. Satisfied, Sunset went back to examining the transponder.

A moment later Twilight reentered the room.

“Thanks for that!” Twilight expressed. “I wasn’t sure how far they had gone and was trying to give it my best guess.”

“You were spot on, Sparky!” Sunset smiled. “And always glad to help out.”

Twilight opened her backpack, reached into the enclosed hammerspace with her magic, and pulled out a rack with an inverter and Nicholi household battery wall-mounted unit, which she cabled up to the bundle. She mounted the rack into the crystal floor in the back corner of the room just past the conduit opening. She went to the bench Sunset had crafted earlier and connected the cables and power to the transceiver. Checking all the connections, she flipped a switch. She grinned at the resulting green bars filling the front display.

“Power check complete. Looking good!” Twilight reported with satisfaction.

Twilight then mounted surge protectors along the back of the bench and cabled them into the inverter. She plugged the radio into a strip.

“Okay,” Twilight reported while adjusting her glasses, “the transponder is installed and ready to go… as soon as there is something for it to talk to.”

Sunset laughed. “Baby steps! Someone will put satellites up we can use… Eventually.”

Twilight nodded. “Yup. Baby steps.”

Twilight moved off into the next room. When she arrived she asked, “Want to help me set up the hydroponics?

“Sure. lead the way!” answered Sunset, following Twilight out of the room.

“Let’s keep the theme. We’ll use the next room for that,” Twilight decided on entering the room.

“What theme is that?” asked Sunset as she followed Twilight.

“Living space to the right, control and automation to the left,” answered Twilight, pulling racked hydroponic units from her backpack hammerspace.

“Ah, okay. Works for me!” agreed Sunset. “What can I do to help?”

“I need you to create a cistern to hold about 3000 liters of water. Create it under this room, far enough below that we don't lose the floor integrity, with two conduits to it, one on each side, please,” requestedTwilight.

“You got it!” smiled Sunset. Her horn enveloped in a teal glow, a 5 cm hole appeared on one side of the room. The glow from her horn intensified as Sunset sat visualizing her work, her eyes shut and hands still on her lap. A few minutes later a similar hole appeared along the wall about 2 meters from the first hole. Sunset opened her eyes and reported, “All done. I made it a little larger than we needed. It’s sealed and good to go.”

“Excellent!” nodded Twilight as she moved the units into place. Each rack was about a meter deep, with three stacked shelves. She placed them so there was a row along each sidewall, with a row in the middle, leaving about a meter and a half walkway between them. She also left a meter and a half walkway along the front of the racks. Power for the racks ran from a central power unit, which she also cabled up to the inverter in the control room through a conduit she had opened between the rooms.

Sunset noticed each of the trays in the racks were labeled with what was growing (or to be grown) within them. The bottom tray on each of the racks was labeled ‘Pisces’.

“We’re growing fish?” Sunset was compelled to ask her friend.

“Yes, we are!” nodded Twilight, connecting up the hoses for the water and nutrient distribution. “The bottom shelf of each unit will contain an aquarium of different fish we will feed the leftover vegetable matter. They will supplement our diet with the proteins we need to stay healthy.”

“Ah! Smart thinking! I like it!” agreed Sunset with a nod. “You’re really setting this up for the long haul aren’t you?”

“You bet! Even if we don’t use it every day, it only makes sense to make this as self-sufficient as possible,” said Twilight.

Twilight ran a pump hose through the rear water conduit to draw water from the cistern, needed by the hydroponics automation.

“Can you please fill the cistern with water so I can get this started?” Twilight kindly asked her friend.

“Sure thing, Sparky!” called out Sunset. She wheeled over to the front hole to the cistern and conjured a stream of running water into the opening, using her magic to sense how full the cistern was. When it was nearly completely filled, she crafted and threaded a crystal cap for the hole then modified the top of the hole to accept the threading. She tightened the cap over the opening.

“All done!” Sunset called out.

Twilight was sprinkling seeds into each of the units before shutting, locking, and enabling them from their front panels. Once she was done with all the units except the bottom ones, she flipped a switch on the main control panel for the hydroponics racks and pressed the ‘start’ button. The pump purred into motion. A soft gurgling could be heard in each of the trays in response. After a few minutes the gurgling stopped, and the mechanical sounds of the tending modules could be heard.

“They are mixing the seeds into the nutrient bath,” Twilight informed, “then it will bathe them in harmonically balanced light for maximum growth.”

“Except the bottom trays,” observed Sunset.

“Except the bottom trays, yes. Those are special,” agreed Twilight.

Twilight went to the first unit and opened the first bottom tray. She sprinkled a cup of round fish eggs into it. She then added some pellets that smelled like fish. She repeated this for each of the bottom trays. Once she was done, she locked and enabled each of the bottom trays. They hummed briefly then were silent.

Green lights were displayed across the board. Twilight smiled at the result. “Okay, the ‘farm’ is loaded. Onward!”

Twilight went into the next room. There she said, “This room will be our shower and bathroom. Please craft a communal bath in the back portion of the room with some showers in the front? Also some seats for washing - I’m going for a Japanese bathhouse vibe.”

Sunset nodded. “On it, girl. Got this covered.”

“Awesome!” Twilight smiled cheerfully. “Okay. While you finish that,I’m going to start stocking a storeroom in the last room. Then I’ll set up bedrooms in the right-side rooms.” She thought for a moment. “Except the first room. I think I’m going to set that up as a den. We’ll have a computer and large screen TV with surround sound stereo for whenever we want to veg out or have some fun. I’ll put three beds in each room so we all fit in the other three rooms.”

“Sounds like a plan, Sparky! I can’t wait to see it!” agreed Sunset as she excavated the back half of the room for the communal pool. She also put two western-style bathroom stalls, each large enough to accommodate her chair as well as their other needs. She placed the shower heads along the front wall with the washing stools. The end one had a larger seat with handrails on the wall to accommodate her bathing. She also placed a manual lift along one side of the pool to raise and lower herself into the bath from her chair. She created a sump cistern below the floor to hold all the wastewater and connected all the drains to it. The showerheads, sink, and bathwater feeds were connected through a conduit to a second pump in the farm room that fed on the same cistern as the farm.

“Done!” Sunset called out, then rolled out to see what her friend was up to.

Twilight had already crafted shelves in the last room on the left side and fully stocked their storeroom with food, health, and emergency staples.

“Dang, Sparky!” Sunset exclaimed in an amazed tone. “How long have you been planning this?”she asked. “How did you get all these supplies and systems together so quickly? This is amazing!”

“Oh that’s easy!” called out Twilight from the last bedroom as she finished its furnishings. “I had all this already, I just packed it up and brought it here.”

Twilight came out of the bedroom and headed into another room where she announced. “Game room time! Almost done.” Sunset followed her into the last room.

“What do you mean, you already had all this? Where?” asked Sunset while Twilight cabled up a large screen TV on the far wall. She then mounted a power distribution hub on the back wall and cabled it up through a conduit to the previous bedroom, daisy chaining all the rooms back to the unit in the control room.

“I had a shelter in my parents' backyard, under the shed. I figured it was better to be prepared than not, so I’ve been building it out and stocking it,” she answered as she put a couch along the back wall. She put a gaming console center with a PC alongside it. Lastly, she placed the sound system around the room. She mounted the speakers to the walls where needed.

“Say what, Sparky!? You had your own shelter under your parents' backyard and you never told anyone? And you used the garage for your lab? Why? You could have used the awesomely cool shelter.” asked Sunset, flummoxed.

Twilight laughed nervously. “Hehe.. uh, no. I never told my parents. They didn’t know it was there. I kind of kept it a secret. Eventually, it got to the point I figured I better not even bring it up.

“So, no. Never used it and kind of pretended it wasn’t really there, though it did bring me comfort knowing that if I ever did need it, it was there and I could use it.”

Sunset shook her head. “Twilight, girl, sometimes you still surprise me… Seriously. You could have told me! I wouldn't have judged! I’ll always have your back!”

“I’m telling you now. Does that count?” replied Twilight sheepishly.

Sunset looked at her friend, then sighed before she rolled over to her. Smiling, she pulled her friend into a big hug. “Yes, Sparky. It counts. Everything you do counts to me.”

“Thanks, Sunny!” Twilight wiped away a tear as she returned the hug.

A heartfelt moment later, Sunset rested her forehead against her friend. “Okay, Sparky! What’s left?” she asked, smiling.

Twilight smiled back. “There’s still the power check and network setup and then we’re done here, unless you know of anyone running a communications satellite we can connect up to?” she grinned mischievously.

“Nope! Kinda outta luck on that last one, at least until Nicholi Motors gets here and puts one up with their rockets maybe!” laughed Sunset. “Let's finish this.” With a final hug, she turned Twilight loose.

“Okay, one second then!” Twilight checked the connections on the power hub and flipped a switch on it. The board lit green, as well green indicators as on all the surge suppressors. The TV and the computer both turned on and booted up. She pulled out her phone and paired it up with the entertainment system.

“Serious, play Twilight playlist Rainbooms,' Twilight requested of the digital system. In response, the screen came to life, showing Connected to SparkysIP10, playing Never Gonna Get me Down! By the Rainbooms.

“It works!” exclaimed Twilight.

“Yeah it does!” agreed Sunset. “Do we need to do anything with the other rooms?”

“Yes, but almost done,” promised Twilight as she stepped back out into the main room. “I’m going to make the back portion of this common area into a kitchen and dining area. The front part of the room will be turned into a lab slash meeting area. Give me a moment.”

They moved to the back of the common room. While Twilight crafted the sink, Sunset created the conduit taking the drainage to the sump cistern, and second conduit to pull water out of the clean water cistern for the sink, using the pump that was currently supplying the showerheads and the rest of the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Twilight added a washer/dryer combo unit, a dishwasher, and a large fridge/freezer with an ice and water dispenser. All were hooked into the water supply and wastewater systems. A counter was added, as well as an electric grill, convection/microwave combo oven, and of course, a coffee maker.

“A girl needs her necessities!” declared Twilight. Sunset chuckled.

Next came a table comfortably seating ten, along with seven chairs. Cabinets to hold the dishes and cooking utensils were added, as well as a small spice cupboard for condiments and spices. In light of Twilight’s confession Sunset was unsurprised to see that both it, the freezer, and fridge were fully stocked.

The lab/conference area came next, consisting of counters along the walls for the lab equipment, and a large conference table was set in the middle of the room, with two large-screen displays on both the front and right side walls. A multimedia sound system was also installed in the main room, linked up wirelessly to the computer laptop on the main conference table. All of the systems were networked through a WiFi router Twilight had placed in the racks of the main control room.

“Too bad no internet!” lamented Sunset.

“You mean no internet yet,” corrected Twilight with a smile.

“Huh? How are we going to get the internet here? We’re like 9 light minutes from Earth. That’s a heck of a lag, Sparky. Not to mention we don’t even have a satellite link-up yet.”

“If I can make a transporter that works across parsecs with no noticeable lag, don’t you think it would be simple to create a digital link that does the same,” observed Twilight. “You know, kind of like this?” She pulled a USB fob from her pocket with a huge grin.

“Sparky, is that what I think it is?!” asked Sunset, grinning ear to ear.

“Yup! I designed this prototype when I was experimenting with entanglement for the transporter. Still works and the other side is plugged into the hub in my bedroom.” She laughed out loud. “I never thought I would be hosting an entire planet’s internet through my bedroom router!” she grinned.

Twilight disappeared back into the control room. A minute later she returned with an ear-to-ear grin. “Okay, all set. Let’s give it a shot. Shall we MyStable the girls?”

“Oh yes!” cackled Sunset. “And I know just how we’ll do it!”

A few minutes later, Twilight and Sunset were sitting at the main conference table while Twilight got all the girls together on the call.

“Sorry, darling. I was just heading for bed, so forgive the bags under my eyes,” yawned Rarity. “This couldn’t have waited until tomorrow dear?” she asked.

“Not to be a wet blanket, but what Rares said. Sorry girls, Ah have a ton of chores to get to early in the morning. Can we make this quick? Ah need some shut-eye.” announced Applejack.

“I’m sure whatever they have to say, it’ll be awesome,” nodded Rainbow with a yawn, her head drooped. She looked like she was about to fall completely asleep.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

Pinkie, however, looked ready to explode, with a grin so wide it was almost unnatural.

“Not a word Pinkie!” said Sunset, grinning back. “I know you’re just dying to tell everyone what you're sensing, but just let us tell it. Please?” she begged.

Pinkie smiled and nodded. She mimed zipping her mouth shut, locking it, and throwing away the key.

Sunset smiled. “Okay then. I’ll make this quick. We moved the TACIT portal to a different place. We’ll go back to the moon eventually, but we decided to try someplace else for a bit.”

Pinkie twitched like she was about to explode.

Twilight continued. “We built a bunker. Here it is with a quick tour.” She spun the phone around the room in a quick once over, then turned it back to herself and Sunset. “It’s a little ‘Fortress of Solitude’ for us to enjoy. It has bedrooms for us to share, a game room, a kitchen, and everything we need to hang out for as long as we like. Oh, and as you can see, it also has the internet.” She laughed. “Here’s the kicker! Let me show you the view from outside!”

Both the girls ponied up, causing some surprised comments from the rest of the girls. They passed through the magical barrier and headed up the ramp tunnel. Twilight took the lead, followed by Sunset in her chair. Both were surrounded by a Teal and Magenta bubble.

“Why’d you need to pony up?” asked a groggy Dash.

“Yes, dears. That does seem quite odd,” agreed Rarity, nodding.

“You’ll see!” sang out Sunset and Twilight together happily as they continued up the tunnel. At the top, Twilight looked into the camera and smiled. “Check out the neighborhood! It’s out of this world!” She panned the camera around so the girls could see.

The sun was just setting over the horizon, but noticeably smaller than usual, appearing less than half its normal size. Dominating the rest of the horizon was a large inactive volcano that soared into the sky. All around they were surrounded by rust red planes.

Suddenly completely awake, Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “Sweet crab cakes! You’re on MARS?!” she yelled out.

“Yup!” grinned Sunset happily. Twilight nodded. “We have a bunker on Mars. With high-speed internet!”

“Wait up! Wait up!” Dash called out. “I’ll be right over. Forget sleep! I’m coming now!” She dropped off the call.

Applejack laughed and shook her head. “Well, I guess that happened! Great job girls! Ah can’t wait to check it out. But not tonight. Ah got work in the morning. But definitely this weekend, okay?”

“It’s a date!” smiled Sunset. “Weekend sleepover at our new Fortress of Solitude! Try and get it cleared for Saturday night. Sounds good?”

Everyone nodded and signed off.

“That was epic!” laughed Sunset, holding her sides. “ I thought Pinkie was going to explode! And Dash… hahaha!” she laughed.

“I guess I need to head back home and check on her, then bring her back over,” laughed Twilight.

“Ugh, yes. And I need to call mom and explain why I won’t be home tonight,” agreed Sunset. “Oh Twilight, that reminds me. Now that you set up network access to your home network from here, do you think you can set the portal to trigger on-demand over the network instead of having to keep jumping in on a schedule?”

“That’s a great idea! Yeah. I’ll set that up while I’m back picking up Dash. Then we can just trigger it when we need to from either side,” agreed Twilight. She checked her phone. “Still 4 more minutes until the next return event.

“Okay, catch you later, Sunny.” Twilight stepped into the booth, sliding the door closed. She read her phone while she waited.

Sunset rolled back out to the main room and dialed her mom.

“Hi, Sunbeam! Getting kind of late. Are you heading home soon?” answered Celestia.

“Hi, Mom! About that… would you mind terribly if I stayed with Twilight tonight and came home tomorrow? We were doing a few things and it got a bit late,” Sunset asked.

“So you want to spend the night at Twilight's house?” asked Celestia. “I don’t have any objections, but you do have work tomorrow as I recall. You don’t want to miss that.”

“No, I definitely do not want to leave Mr. Namori-san hanging. And not exactly. We’re not at Twilight’s house,” answered Sunset.

“Not at her house? Then where are you?” asked her mother.

“Well, probably better if I show you,” answered Sunset. “We are here.” She texted her mom the picture from their ‘front door’ with the setting sun and Olympus Mons in the background.

Her mom’s jaw dropped. “You are kidding, right? Tell me you’re pulling my leg, Sunbeam. Tell me you're not on Mars!”

Suddenly Luna’s head appeared just over her sisters. “Wait, what? You’re on MARS! Take. Me. There. NOW!” grinned her aunt.

“Luna, not helping!” laughed Celestia. “Seriously Sunset. Where are you?”

“No lie, Mom, Aunty Luna. Twilight built a working teleporter. We spent the day building a bunker on Mars. I’m on Mars now in the main conference room. I swear, it’s no joke. It’s awesome!” grinned Sunset. “Aunty Luna, I would have figured you would be more interested in the moon. That’s where we were this morning.”

Luna gaped at her, speechless.

Celestia laughed. “Sunshine, what am I going to do with you?” she shook her head with a smile.

“Get your coat and overnight bag, Tia. We’re going, now!” answered her sister, disappearing from the screen, then reappearing in the background hightailing it up the stairs.

“I guess you can spend the night. And, it sounds like we’ll be joining you,” laughed her mom. “See you soon, Sunbeam.” She signed off.

Sunset laughed, then groaned. “I love them so much! But sometimes they’re like a couple of fillies!” she laughed. “Okay, got to call Twilight and let her know.”

She dialed Twilight. “Hey, Sparky! Slight change of plans. We have two more visitors,” she informed her. “Yeah, Mom and Aunty Luna are heading over to your place now. Can you keep an eye out for them and bring them with you? Thanks!”

Holy words, read and repeated, do not bring inner harmony, but good acts inspired by them bring harmony to all - The Celestial Teachings

Mikoto - Academy City

Covered in sweat, Mikoto leaned back against the phone booth glass, her terminal jacked into the hacked security system of her next target.

“Crap,” she swore, seeing the labs and Datacenter there fully staffed. “They won’t fall for that again. I need to change it up.” Hacking into a different exchange, she left another distorted bomb threat, queued up it’s delivery, then jacked out. Putting her terminal back into her fanny pack, she looked through the glass at her next target three blocks away. “Payback time,” she said through clenched teeth, leaving the booth and entering the lobby of the building across the street.

She emerged from the ducting of one of the roof AC units, carefully rolling over the twisted metal of the egress she had made and rolling to her feet. Crossing over to the edge of the roof, she lept, launching herself through the air to the roof of the neighboring building.

Three leaps later, she was on the roof of the building for the Duchenne Dystrophy Research Center. She had washed the roof with an EMP pulse as she approached the building, knocking out the security measures before she landed. Looking over the side of the roof, she watched as the emergency response teams once again surrounded the building. Looking at her watch, she smiled. “Right on time.”

Running to the center of the building, she launched two large EMP pulses, one from each hand, each sweeping through its quadrant, knocking out all electronic equipment. She turned 90 degrees and fired off again, frying the remaining two quadrants of the building. Running over to the central AC roof unit, she ripped an opening in the ducting, and disappeared down into it, entering the building unseen.

Crossing over into the ducting for the floor containing the datacenter and labs, she crawled quickly through the ducts, glancing out from the air vents to see researchers and staff running through the halls trying to shut everything down and evacuate. She crossed into a duct supplying one of the central offices, and seeing what she needed, kicked the vent out and dropped down into the office below.

There, she donned her mask, pulling on a white research coat with an attached badge. Buttoning up a few of the buttons to keep it on, she opened the door and joined the flood of staff trying to exit the building.

When she got to the Datacenter, she pushed her way clear of the crowd, shouting “I’ll be right back!” She unscrambled the security lock and the door and entered when it popped open, pulling it part way shut behind her. Looking around, she thanked whatever gods were looking over her for her good fortune. The datacenter was cleared of staff, so she was free to unload on it with her full abilities.

Once again running through the aisles arms extended, she arched lightning into every piece of equipment she passed, triggering the halon fire suppression system and destroying every server in the center in short order. As she exited the datacenter, another researcher ran up to her.

“I wouldn’t go in there!” Mikoto advised the other researcher through her mask. “The fire suppression system has already been engaged! If you go in there now you’ll die.” The other researcher blanched, thanked her, and ran off again towards the exit.

Smiling, Mikoto walked to the labs, entering the first one, where she saw panicked researchers trying desperately to salvage what they could.

“What’s the hold up, people!” she called out loudly when entering. “We’ve been advised the labs are one of the first targets the terrorists are hitting! They’ve already hit the datacenter! You need to vacate immediately or risk death!” As she spoke, she surreptitiously fired off two EMP pulses at nearby equipment, exploding them both and starting fires.

“Oh crap! It looks like they’re here already! Out! Out! Out!” she called, standing aside and waving the researchers through. As the last of them cleared, she shut the door behind them and ran through the facility, destroying everything in her path.

Two labs and repeat performances later, she joined the last of the escaping staff in the final exodus, mask still on as she took the stairwell down to the ground floor with them then sprinted through the lobby to the throng outside, who were all safely distant from the building and watching in morbid, frightened fascination.

From the back of the throng, Mikoto, deciding to give them a little show, quietly launched EMP pulses at the transformers on different floors, causing them to consecutively explosively blow out, shattering the windows of the floors they were housed on. Hearing screaming, and seeing them point in shock at the explosions, her task was done. She turned and ducked into a cafe on the bottom floor of one of the adjacent buildings. “I have to use the bathroom, sorry!” she explained to the hostess as she came to offer assistance.

Ducking into the bathroom, she entered the stall under the ceiling duct. Taking off the researcher's coat, she wadded it into a ball. Pushing it into the adjoining stall, she sparked it into a ball of fire, consuming that bit of evidence. As it burned, triggering the fire alarms, she pulled the grating from the duct then entered, climbing rapidly to the roof, where she made her usual opening, running to the side of the building and launching herself away from her latest attack.

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

The Sisters Arc (Railgun)

Is it just me, or is Misaka Mikoto one scary little teen? Completely adorable, but scary.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 13 - Interlude 2 - Gilda in Prison

Interlude 2 - Gilda in Prison

Gilda lay in her cot staring out her cell window. The sun was setting through the bars and reinforced glass.

“Bitch!” Gilda growled to herself. “Hope she rots in hell.”

She stared at the photo she had found under her pillow earlier. It was a picture of Sunset Shimmer, grinning, fully ponied up in her angelic form, magic streaming from the ethereal horn on her head and wings of crimson fire holding her aloft. It looked to be a photo of her in some sort of battle. The caption under it read simply

Your Girlfriend is a Goddess!

Every time Gilda read that she shook with rage. No one had better ever call the one she blamed more than anyone for putting her here in prison her girlfriend.

“If she had just died or something it would have been worth it,” Gilda continued to grumble to herself. “If I ever see her again I swear I’ll finish her off so fast she won’t know what hit her.”

“Still thinking about that skank?” asked her cell-mate. “Damn, girl. Just let that shit go. It’s just gonna eat you up. Save that shit for when you ever meet her again. Then you can pound the crap outta her without screwing yourself over thinking about it all the time.”

“You don’t get it Rotgut! That bitch took everything from me!” groused Gilda.

“And? What the hell are you gonna do about it in here, girl? Aside from pissing me off with all your bitching and giving yourself an ulcer and a heart attack. Let ... it ... go. Please! I am sick of hearing you whine about it,” Rotgut replied. “Seriously girl! Shit or get off the pot.”

“I need to learn some of that damned magic she and her friends were throwing around. Then I would teach all them a nice solid lesson in who to screw with,” Gilda mused.

“What? You're gonna be one of those damned espers like they keep talking about over in Japan?” asked Rotgut.

“No! Hell no! I don’t know jack about that. I want some demon god-level magic so I can summon some horror to eat her damned soul. I want her damned and gone!” growled Gilda.

“Then you need to talk to one of the covens. That’s the wretched crap they peddle. Find Pinchy in the yard. She can hook you up with those fools. Look out, though. They usually want way more from you than they deliver to you. They’re bad news all around,” warned Rotgut.

“Pinchy, huh? Okay. Thanks, Rotgut. I’ll look her up. You’re alright,” thanked Gilda.

“Whatever girl. You do you. Just quit bitching when I’m trying to relax,” requested Rotgut while rolling back over.

Gilda mused on her new plans. Sunset was going to get what was coming to her if she had to storm hell itself to bring it to her.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 17 - Interlude 3 - Gilda in the Yard

Interlude 3 - Gilda in the Yard

Gilda nodded to her crew as she walked out into the Yard. One of the first things she learned when she got into prison is that no one went through it alone. You hooked up with one of the gangs in the prison and you looked out for each other. Gilda found the crew that mostly just wanted everyone else to piss off and leave them alone. When she noticed that, she joined them. That suited her just fine. They all got along.

She crossed the yard over to the area where Pinchy and her crew hung out. She caught Pinchy’s eye and nodded. Pinchy nodded back and crossed over to Gilda with two of her friends.

“What’s your beef, Gilda?” Pinchy asked upon arrival. “Something you need?” asked Pinchy when she got closer.

“Maybe. I heard you know magic. Like Real magic and not that esper crap that people go on about. I’m looking to tap into that,” Gilda answered.

“Are you really? That’s nice. Why would I care?” answered Pinchy as she turned around to leave.

“I want to take out the bitch who put me here,” answered Gilda.

“And? You and everyone else here,” said Pinchy dismissively as she walked off.

“She’s a goddess. I need some real firepower. I heard you know who to talk to,” Gilda continued.

Pinchy stopped. She turned around. “A goddess you say? Damn girl. Swinging big, aren’t you? What makes you think I know someone who can take down a goddess?”

“You know the covens. You know real magic. You know who I need to talk to. I don’t just want the bitch dead. I want her destroyed! I want her so thoroughly destroyed that hell itself would pity her,” answered Gilda.

“You intrigue me, Gilda, and I don’t make a habit of saying that. I’ll see if anyone’s interested in helping you out … for a price,” replied Pinchy.

“I’d sell my soul to end her,” said Gilda.

“You might at that,” deadpanned Pinchy as she walked off.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 1 - 20 -Interlude 4 - Pinchy and the Coven

Interlude 4 - Pinchy and the Coven

Pinchy pulled the runestone out from under her mattress and put it on the bed. She held her hands out over the stone and chanted an incantation. During this, her eyes were screwed shut while her hands glowed with amber power. The runes in the stone glowed with amber light, and a portal opened over the top of the stone.

Pinchy bowed low, her head down on the bed before the stone. “I bring news, esteemed one.”

The cowled figure in the portal glowed with amber power. “Speak slave. I will listen.”

“I have news on the new goddess you spoke of. I slipped the picture you gave me under the pillow of the woman who tried to kill her. She now seeks magical power to destroy her. She is willing to sell her own soul to accomplish this. She may be of use to you in your struggles against the new goddess,” informed Pinchy.

“This is excellent news, slave. Well done. Yes, we may well be able to use her to destroy the new goddess. I will inform the coven and relate our instructions to you,” the cowled figure stated.

“I await your instructions, esteemed one,” replied Pinchy, head still pressed to the mattress. The glow faded from the stone as the portal faded. Pinchy took the stone and placed it back in its hiding place under her mattress, then laid down to contemplate what might follow.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 07 - Sunset - Welcome to Tokiwadai Academy

Sunset - Welcome to Tokiwadai Academy

Wednesday, August 27, 6:30 AM Tokyo time

Morning came and the girls awoke with their alarm. The alarm shaded the windows as expected allowing them privacy to prepare for the day. They shared a quick breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, talking excitedly about their upcoming assignments to Tokiwadai Academy.

“I can’t wait to see the classes they offer and talk with the professors. What they are doing with psychic powers is absolutely amazing!” gushed Twilight. “There is so much to learn!” She smiled, sipping her coffee while lost in her thoughts.

Sunset took her hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “My either, Sparky!” she smiled. “It’s going to be amazing! I just know it.”

Together they finished breakfast and cleaned up the dishes. Day packs packed and ready, they left for their appointments. Bowing quickly to the concierge in greeting, they rushed to the Academy offices with Twilight once again powering the trip, pushing Sunset’s chair.

Arriving and entering the office lobby, they joined the line waiting for service. Ever efficient, the line moved quickly, and soon they were before a smiling Academy student.

“Ohayō!” greeted the young woman.

“Good morning!” greeted Sunset. “We’re here for our assignment appointments.” She passed forward Twilight and her papers and IDs.

“Thank you!” replied the girl switching to English, “One moment while I look up your details.” She typed the information into her terminal, quickly retrieving the room and instructions for their meetings. “Your appointments are in adjoining rooms on the 7th floor. Ms. Shimmer, your appointment is in room 746. And Ms. Sparkle, your appointment is in room 747. Just outside the rooms there is a waiting area. Please wait there. You will be called into the rooms when they are ready for you. Have a great day!” She bowed in greeting as she returned their papers and IDs. Sunset quickly retrieved them, placing them in her daypack. They bowed in thanks, then Twilight wheeled them quickly over to the Bank C elevators they used yesterday.

A short time later they were seated in a small waiting area outside several small conference rooms. Other students were also waiting, no doubt for the same reason. Smiling at the others, Sunset and Twilight sat side by side at the end of the row of seats, whispering in quiet conversation.

Twilight was called in first. A minute or so later Sunset heard her name called out.

“Ima okonatteru!” she answered rolling into room 746. Once she was inside, the student volunteer shut the door behind her.

Sitting down beside Sunset, she opened a folder full of papers. She passed the first bundle over to Sunset.

“Ms. Shimmer, welcome to Tokiwadai Academy. These are the forms covering the agreement to be a student of our Academy, and your agreement to adhere to our rules and traditions. There is also a medical release form which, as a non-minor, you may sign yourself. This will allow us to provide treatment for you in the event you are in an accident or become sick while a student at Tokiwadai. I’ve placed teal tabs on the places you need to sign. We also need your initials on several of the pages, which I’ve marked with lavender tabs. When you’ve finished with those, please pass them back and we’ll review your initial class schedule and educational plan. Also, please note that the classes are all taught in Japanese. Our records indicate you have some conversational proficiency in our language. We will happily provide any extra-curricular lessons you may need to become proficient.”

She passed a black pen over to Sunset as she spoke. Taking it, Sunset started reviewing the documents. The girl continued, “If you have any questions please ask. I’ll provide any answers I can. Anything that I can’t answer, I'll find out and contact you with the answers.”

Sunset nodded as she read, initialing and signing the documents as she went. When she finished, she passed the pile back to the girl, who passed her an identical stack. “These are copies of the documents you just signed. Keep them for your own records.” Sunset placed them into her daypack for later. The girl moved on to the next set of papers.

“This is your class schedule. Your attendance begins next week starting Monday, September 1st. Homeroom starts at 7:30 AM every weekday. There you will partake in attendance, then have a 20-minute study hall. Homeroom is mandatory; you will be marked as absent or late if you miss it or are late in attending, and will be disciplined accordingly. The first bell is at 7:50 AM. You will have 10 minutes to get to your first class. Classes are 80 minutes long. There’s a 10 minute period between classes to allow you to move from one class to the other. There’s a 20-minute break between the second and third classes and a 40-minute break between the fourth and fifth classes for a quick lunch. New students are required to have lunch in the school cafeteria. You can join a meal plan, purchase lunch, or just bring your own. The meal plan is processed on-line following the instructions in the packet. Following the sixth period class, you are released for the day. However, most students chose to take part in the many academic opportunities and clubs our Academy provides in the afternoon and evening hours.”

Sunset followed along as the girl pointed out the classes on her schedule. She turned the page to a map of Tokiwadai Academy which showed the location of each of the classrooms, cafeteria, and other important locations. Her classrooms were highlighted in Teal with numbers written in, showing which period she had in each one. Sunset grinned in approval at the choice of highlighter color.

“Here is a booklet outlining the different clubs, organizations, and outings Tokiwadai Academy provides. If any of them interest you, attend one of the meetings during the first week where they can help to sign you up.” She passed the book over to Sunset who skimmed it quickly then filed it away in her daypack with the other papers.

“Lastly, here's the booklet of Tokiwadai Academy rules, guidelines, and traditions.” She passed over a modestly sized booklet. Sunset just filed it into her daypack straight away. The girl gave her a two-minute summary of the rules, which basically reduced to don't do anything that would damage the reputation of the Academy and don't hurt yourself or others. Sunset nodded her understanding.

“Excellent. Ms. Shimmer, welcome to Tokiwadai Academy!” The girl bowed in greeting which Sunset returned.

“Arigatō!” Sunset said. She then returned to the waiting area to wait for her BFF, signing up for the school meal plan on her phone while she waited.

Twilight exited shortly, smiling as she sat down next to her. “I’m so looking forward to this!” she grinned.

“That was quick!” snarked Sunset. “I figured I would miss lunch, with the questions you likely had about everything!”

Twilight punched her arm. “Dork! I’m not that bad! I bet you had questions too! Don’t even pretend you didn’t!”

“A few,” Sunset admitted, “Though I figured I would mostly just wait and see. Things tend to sort themselves out most of the time if you let them.”

“How very zen of you,” mocked Twilight.

“Sunset Zen Master Shimmer… so very not in this lifetime.” She laughed, shaking her head.

“So, next on the schedule is the welcome luncheon at the Academy for incoming students, then an orientation meeting. From there we have a quick tour of the school. Then the rest of the evening is ours.” Twilight observed looking over their schedules.

“Cool! Let’s head over and find a table,” agreed Sunset as she wheeled herself towards the elevators. “It looks like it's only a short walk from here. We can relax and enjoy the sites this time instead of racing through the crowds like we usually do.” She grinned.

“Yes, but we race with style!” laughed Twilight, following her to the elevators.

Tokiwadai Academy was only 6 blocks from the Academy Offices. Sunset and Twilight traveled side by side, admiring the parks and sites they passed. Arriving at the Academy gates they showed their IDs to the student volunteer, a young man, who opened the gate to let them in. “Welcome to Tokiwadai Academy!” he said, bowing as they entered. They returned the greeting, bowing as well. He shut the gate behind them. “The luncheon is in the auditorium. It’s the large building on the right just past that quad.” He pointed it out to them. “Have a great day!”

“Thank you!” said Twilight as they headed towards the auditorium.

The auditorium was crowded. The floor had been covered with tables, each seating eight students. A buffet table was being set up along the far side of the room, heavenly smells wafting up from the trays.

“I didn’t realize how hungry I am,” noted Sunset as her stomach growled in response. Twilight laughed, turning red when her stomach joined in. That got a laugh from both of them. Looking over the tables they selected one along the edge with two open seats next to each other. Twilight took one of the chairs and stashed it against the wall while Sunset rolled into that spot, and Twilight sat down beside her. They bowed in greeting to the other students at the table. “Ohayō!” Their fellow students returned the greeting.

The remainder of the trays of food were brought in. A group of educators and administrators walked to the head table and took their places. Several waiters ran up and served the head table water, tea, and salads, then stood back along the wall behind them.

An older woman in professional business attire stood and lifted a microphone from the table. Nodding to one of the waiters by the wall, the waiter turned to a bank of switches and dimmed the lights in the auditorium. The light over the head tables remained at full strength, emphasizing the tables' importance.

The woman took a sip of her water then cleared her throat. “Good afternoon, and welcome to Tokiwadai Academy. I am Principal Shinchi, administrator of this academy.”

Twilight leaned over to Sunset. “I wonder if they’re related?” she whispered.

“I wouldn’t take that bet,” joked Sunset. “What are the odds?”

The administrator continued. “On behalf of my staff and the students of our illustrious academy, we formally welcome you to our family.”

“Related!” agreed Twilight, as Sunset grinned and nodded.

“Please enjoy this family meal, the first of many in your journey with us. Okaerinasai!” Director Shinchi looked over the large gathering. “This is truly the largest gathering of new students in the history of our illustrious academy, due in large part to my decision to open the academy to students beyond the middle school we have historically maintained. With my vision to encompass the entire path of learning, from middle-school, through high school, and onto college, we will now embrace the full spectrum of learning, allowing the sterling reputation of Tokiwadai Academy to shine throughout the learning career of the exceptional girls who attend our Academy. It is with this humble thought in mind that I welcome you all to our exceptional institution, with the hope you will join us in maintaining the sterling reputation this Academy has enjoyed and maintained throughout its history! Thank you!” She bowed to the resulting polite applause, and sat down.

With that completed, the waiters began directing students to the buffet beginning with the tables at the front of the room. Twilight was about to get up when a waiter approached.

“Kon'nichiwa!” she bowed. “No need to rise. I will assist you. Please let me know what you wish. I will bring it for you.” She held out a short menu to Sunset and Twilight.

“Arigatō!” bowed Sunset, taking the menu then passing it to Twilight.

Twilight reviewed it. “Spicy tuna donburi rice bowl?” she asked Sunset.

Sunset nodded while smiling as she thought of her friends back home. “With sticky rice balls.”

Twilight smiled. Turning to the waiter, she handed the menu back. “Two servings of spicy tuna donburi rice bowls with sticky rice balls, and can you please bring us some tea?”

Sunset bowed to the waiter. “Arigatō!” she said with a smile. The waiter smiled and bowed as well then left to get their order.

“That was nice of them. I guess they didn’t want my chair blocking the aisles,” Sunset joked.

“Or they were tipped off to be extra nice to you,” snarked a young student standing next to them, a girl with light flowing ringlets. She grinned as she sat in the empty chair beside them. She bowed and held out her hand. “Welcome to Tokiwadai! I’m Hokaze Junko. Nice to meet you! I’m one of the student volunteers. We’re supposed to mingle and answer any questions. You must be Sunset and Twilight? My friend Senya told me I might meet you here.”

Sunset shook her hand. Twilight shook as well.

“Glad to meet you!” greeted Twilight. “Have you been a student here for very long?”

“Since I was five, yes,” Junko replied. “My parents discovered my abilities when I was young. I was admitted to the Academy soon after. I’ve been here ever since.”

“Wow! That’s young!” said Sunset.

“Yes. It’s the earliest you can start,” agreed Junko.

Impressed, they chatted through lunch, getting to know their fellow students and spreading friendship.

After lunch a movie on the history of Academy City and Tokiwadai Academy was shown. Afterward they split into small groups and were led on a walking tour of the Academy. Hokaze joined their group, filling them in with extra details as they toured the campus.

The tour finished, Sunset and Twilight excused themselves. They thanked Hokaze for her time and exchanged contact information, then farewells said, heading back to their apartment.

On returning, they found a note taped to their door from Kaori, explaining that Toma and Index had been sent away for their own protection for a few days and they would no longer be able to make it for dinner that evening.

Twilight turned to Sunset. “Well then, what do you want to do for dinner? I’m actually still stuffed from that lunch so I’m not really that hungry.”

“Honestly? Neither am I,” agreed Sunset. “Hey, want to see what the girls are up to?

“Oh, wait… drat! It's after midnight there. Never mind.” Sunset sighed. “How about we hop out for a quick dessert? Then just chill here with a movie?” she suggested.

“Works for me, Sunny!” Twilight smiled. “Let’s get changed and take a stroll.”

Sunset followed Twilight, rolling into the bedroom to change out of their Tokiwadai Academy uniforms and into their more casual outfits. Sunset wore her orange mini-skirt, a pink tank top with her cutie mark, and her always comfortable faux leather jacket with knee high boots. Twilight wore her lavender blouse with a purple skirt emblazoned with her cutie mark and a pair of sensible loafers. Ready for their outing and daypacks on, they left the apartment, bowing in greeting to the concierge as they passed, then headed out to the local restaurant row.

As they passed by the Tokiwadai External Dormitory, Sunset spied Misaka Mikoto with another girl heading in the same direction. Sunset waved and called out, “Kon'nichiwa Misaka-san!”

Misaka looked over from her discussion with the other girl, looking slightly confused, but gave a friendly wave. Twilight and Sunset both smiled, bowed and waved back. Still perplexed, Misaka bowed and waved back, then returned to talking to her friend.

“Wow, that girl looks like she could be a swimwear model,” said Twilight. “Are you sure she’s in middle school?”

“Who, Misaka?” asked Sunset.

“No, dork, not Misaka, although she is cute too. The girl she’s talking to,” replied Twilight.

“Maybe? I don’t know her. Maybe we can ask if we ever get to talk to Misaka,” answered Sunset. “Not going to bother her now, it would be rude to interrupt her when she is with a friend. I wonder if they are going out too?”

“Well, if they are, I guess we’ll see them again,” replied Twilight as they continued down the street. Soon they lost sight of the talking friends, and arrived at their first destination, the ice cream parlor.

“Sundaes for both of us, my treat!” grinned Sunset.

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, Sunny. Just like a date!”

Sunset smiled. “Yup, just like a… what? We’re on a date? Really?” She turned to Twilight. “We’re on a date?”

“Sure Sunny. Call it a date if you want,” she grinned. “Just get my Sundae with caramel and pralines, and lots of whipped cream.”

“Oh, that does sound good! I was thinking of a banana split, but now I have to rethink that,” said Sunset. “Two caramel and praline sundaes it is!”

When they reached the counter, Sunset ordered. “Two large caramel and praline sundaes, with lots of whipped cream please. And two large coffee americanas.” The girl at the counter took their order, billing their IDs for the payment. They took their treats and coffees, located a table Sunset could sit at, then took their seats. Sipping their coffees and watching the traffic pass by, they relaxed in the moment.

Sunset noticed Misaka and her friend walking by. She waved again. “Konbanwa Misaka-san!”

Misaka and her friend walked over. “Kon'nichiwa!” greeted Misaka, bowing and smiling. The girl bowed as well in greeting.

“Hey, do you two want a sundae? They’re really good!” asked Sunset.

Twilight nodded. “No lie! Come join us!”

Misaka turned to her friend. “Shall we?” she asked.

“Sounds good to me,” agreed her friend. She turned to Sunset and Twilight. “Kon'nichiwa, Kongou Mitsukoudesu,” Kongou bowed in greeting.

“Kon'nichiwa, Misaka Mikotoudesu,” added Misaka with a bow of her own.

Twilight bowed to the two girls. ““Kon'nichiwa, Twilight Sparkleudesu,” she introduced herself.

Sunset completed the introductions. ““Kon'nichiwa, Sunset Shimmerudesu,” she finished. “Well, now that introductions are out of the way, what do you two want for your sundaes? We went with caramel and pralines,” she smiled at the girls.

“That actually sounds good to me,” agreed Misaka. “What do you think, Kongou-san?”

“I like it! I’d love to have one of those,” agreed Kongou. “Arigatō!”

“Arigatō!” agreed Misaka with a bow and a smile.

“Dōitashimashite!” smiled Sunset, rolling away to order their sundaes.

“So, Misaka. Your friends speak highly of you. Nice to finally make your acquaintance. And your friend as well!” Twilight greeted them. “So just out for a walk? Sunset and I were just strolling around until dinner, and thought a treat and some shopping sounded like fun.”

“What friends are those?” asked Misaka, curious.

“Index and Toma,” replied Twilight, taking another bite of her sundae. “Sorry, I should wait, I know, but they are so good!” She laughed.

“No worries,” grinned Misaka. “Toma and his roommate Index, huh? He can be annoying, but yeah, any friends of theirs are friends of mine. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is all ours,” replied Twilight. “Nice to finally meet the famous Biri-Biri.”

“He is so dead,” muttered Misaka under her breath.

“What was that, sweety?” asked Twilight.

“Nothing!” answered Misaka, putting on her most innocent face. “‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, friends of Toma.”

“And friends of yours too, we hope,” smiled Sunset, rolling up with their sundaes. “Here you go, ladies. Enjoy!” She passed the sundaes to the girls.

“Arigatō!” they both replied, taking the sundaes and starting in on them.

“Dōitashimashite!” smiled Sunset, starting in on her own.

“So, what brings you two out on the town this afternoon? On a date?” asked Sunset.

Misaka nearly choked on her ice cream, while Kongou blanched. “No, nothing like that!” assured Misaka once she stopped coughing. “We’re just hanging out. Just friends.”

“We just met, actually. I just transferred to Tokiwadai Academy. I was actually looking for my dorm when we met,” replied Kongou.

“Yes, Kongou-san thought she was in the external dorms, but is actually in the internal dorms in the garden. We decided to have some fun though before actually returning to the school and her dorm,” added Misaka.

“That was extremely kind of you. Well done!” commented Sunset with a smile. “Toma did mention you were kind hearted.”

“And what else did he mention?” aked Misaka guardedly.

“He mentioned he was fond of you and your sisters, and asked us to help him look out for you,” admitted Sunset frankly. “We assured him, any friend of Index and his was a friend of ours.”

“You have sisters?” asked Kongou, turning to Misaka. “I didn’t know that! How delightful! Do they go to Tokiwadai too?”

“Not exactly,” grimaced Misaka. “It’s complicated. But you’ll probably see them around from time to time if you hang with me long enough.”

“I look forward to it,” smiled Kongou.

“As do we,” agreed Twilight. Sunset nodded and smiled.

“So, how much do you know?” asked Misaka, still guarded.

“Toma told us what happened,” stated Sunset. “We understand. And we’re here to help if needed.”

“No offense, but what help could you possibly be?” asked Misaka.

“No offense taken. And, no idea. But, we promised Toma and Index we would help in any way we could. So, does the sundae help?” teased Sunset.

Misaka laughed, relaxing. “Sure. A nice sundae with friends always helps,” she grinned. Kongou laughed too, not really understanding what was going on.

As they finished their sundaes, Twilight smiled at the girls. “If you two aren’t terribly busy, Sunset and I planned on having dinner in our apartment and watching a movie this evening. You’re both more than welcome to join us, if you don’t have other plans.”

“I still have to unpack and get settled,” admitted Kongou. “I’m sure all my things have already been shipped to my room, and I really need to get moved in. Otherwise, I would love to attend.”

“We could help, if you wanted,” offered Sunset. “We were just going shopping for fun anyway. I’d love to help you get settled, especially if that meant you could join us for dinner.”

Misaka nodded. “Sure, why not. What better way to welcome you to Tokiwadai than helping you move in, right? I’d love to help too, Kongou-sama.”

“Really? Wow, I knew this place was special, but this is so heart-warming. Thank you!” replied Kongou.

“You are very welcome,” answered Sunset. They cleaned up the sundaes, then followed Misaka as she led her new friend to the internal Tokiwadai dorms. Once there, Kongou led them up to her room, where just as she said, her things were all waiting for her, boxed up and ready to unpack.

Sunset rolled in with Twilight and Misaka. “Okay Kongou-san, tell us what you need.” she offered.

Smiling, Kongou opened the first box, and started handing items to the girls with instructions on where they should go. Within an hour, and much laughing and teasing later, they had finished putting away all of Kongou’s belongings and tearing down the boxes for the recycler.

“Thank you so much! That would have taken me hours if I had to do it on my own,” admitted Kongou. “It almost made it worth the teasing!” she joked, looking at Misaka.

“Hey, you were teasing me about my Gekota collection. It was only fair to tease you back,” laughed Misaka.

“Fair enough,” laughed Kongou with a titter, waving her fan. “I just wasn’t expecting any comments on those things,” she amended.

“You mean the lacy under things even more refined than anything Twilight and I have?” snarked Sunset.

Twilight blushed. “Hey, you leave me out of this!” she grinned. “No one is seeing my unmentionables, thank you very much, let alone commenting on them.”

“Really, no one?” teased Sunset.

“Shuddup you!” blushed Twilight.

Both Misaka and Kongou grinned and blushed fiercely.

“Anyway…” amended Twilight, still blushing madly, “if we’re done here, want to head over to the apartment and start on the movie? We can just order some take out for dinner when we get hungry.”

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sunset. “What do you think, ladies?”

“Well, I for one am fine with that,” agreed Kongou, waving her fan. “Misaka, does that sound good to you?”

“Sure! I just need to check with my roommate before I head over. We can do that on the way,” replied Misaka.

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sunset. “Shall we?”

“We shall!” agreed Kongou, opening the door to her dorm room. “And thank you all again for the help. I really do appreciate it!”

“No problem!” smiled Twilight, wheeling Sunset out the door. “Okay, lead on Misaka. To your dorm!”

Misaka took the lead, happily escorting them to her room in the external dorms. When she opened the door, a young girl in a Tokiwadai uniform was lying on one of the beds studying.

“There you are!” the girl exclaimed, leaping up and hugging Misaka, to her acute embarrassment. “Sissy! I was so worried! Where were you? I didn’t get a message and had no idea where you were off to. What was I to think?”

“Why were you on my bed, Shirai?” asked Misaka.

“I was studying, waiting for you to return,” answered her roommate, Shirai Kuroko, sweetly. “I was worried half to death.” She clung to Misaka tightly.

Misaka pulled her arms free, and forcefully set Shirai on her own bed. “Enough. Shirai, I’d like you to meet some new friends of mine. Kongou-san, Sunset-san, Twilight-san, I would like you to meet my roommate, Shirai-san. She has some boundary issues.” She glared at Shirai. “Shirai-san, I would like you to meet my new friends Kongou-san, Twilight-san, and Sunset-san. They are new transfers to our Academy. Kongou-san is a middle schooler like ourselves, while Sunset-san and Twilight-san are part of the new college started this year.”

Shirai pouted on her bed. “Pleased to meet you,” she huffed, turning away.

Sunset teased the young girl. “Your roommate is quite adorable, Shirai. I really have taken quite a liking to her!”

Shirai looked up quickly. “What?” she gasped.

“I said, Misaka-chan is adorable. I would like to take her home for the evening. She is so scrumptious I just want to gobble her up!” answered Sunset.

Shirai immediately teleported over to Misaka, holding her close. “Sissy, I think you’ve made a mistake! Your new friends are weird and frightening! Let’s send them away,” she whispered.

Twilight grinned and facepalmed, while Kongou just looked confused and blanched. Sunset threw back her head in laughter. “Oh my gosh, you should see your face! Shirai, you are priceless! I was just teasing.” It took her a few moments to catch her breath and stop laughing. She continued. “We’ve come to invite your roommate and you to dinner and a movie with us at our apartment, celebrating our new friendship. Please join us!” Sunset asked.

Shirai looked unsure, but Misaka pulled her into a one armed hug and answered for both of them. “We’d love to join you. Come on, Shirai, let’s go! Time to make some new friends.” Pulling her roommate along, the girls left the room, locking it behind them, and followed Twilight and Sunset to their apartment next door.

On the way through the lobby, Sunset stopped by for a brief chat with the concierge, then bowed in thanks and joined them on the elevator to the top floor. “I asked her to order us some dinner,” explained Sunset. “That way we can just enjoy the movie, then break for dinner when it shows up.”

“Wow, must be nice,” noted Kongou, waving her fan gently. “I don’t imagine we have that sort of service in the dorms.”

“Nope!” grinned Misaka. “But we do have bed checks, and they come through once a week and vacuum and clean. So, I can't really complain.”

“Bed checks, yeah, can’t say I would enjoy those,” laughed Twilight. “What if I didn’t want to sleep in my own bed?”

Sunset smacked her friend. “Don’t corrupt our new friends, Sparky!” she laughed. “They’ll realize how weird we are soon enough on their own.”

Kongou raised an eyebrow at the two of them, while Twilight just smirked and shook her head. “She’s teasing,” Twilight smiled and explained to them. “We share a bed. We were just joking about the bed check. We’re best friends, we've been that way for a while.”

Shirai put her arm around Misaka. “We’re best friends too, right, Sissy?”

Misaka carefully took her friend's arm off of her waist, and returned it to her side. “Yes, we’re friends, Shirai. Don’t push it.” Sunset and Twilight laughed, while Shirai pouted.

“Here we are!” said Sunset, keying in her code to the door and swinging it open. “Bienvenida a la Casa De Amistad!”

“Uh, what’s that mean?” asked Misaka as they entered and headed through the kitchen to the living room.

“It means, Welcome to the house of friendship!” explained Twilight. “Anyone want something to drink? Soda, tea, milk, water, coffee, take your pick,” she offered.

“You have coffee?” said Shirai. “I’d love some!”

“Help yourself! We have a machine with several choices, and cream and honey in the fridge. Cups are in the cupboard beside the machine,” Twilight explained. “Anyone else?”

“I think I’ll try some coffee too,” agreed Misaka, following her roommate over to the machine and grabbing a cup of her own.

“I’ll have green tea, thank you,” answered Kongou.

“And I will join you. I’ll put a pot on to steep. Sunset, anything for you?” asked Twilight.

“I’ll just get a soda after I get the movie started. Thanks!” Sunset answered, firing up the TV and logging into their movie account. “Any requests? Or do you want me to pick Princess Bride again?” she teased.

“What’s Princess Bride?” asked both Misaka and Shirai from the kitchen where they were still making their coffees.

“You’re kidding, right? You’ve never heard of the Princess Bride?” asked Sunset incredulously.

Both girls shook their heads. “What about you, Kongou, Princess Bride?” asked Sunset.

“Never heard of it,” admitted Kongou.

“Wow! Okay then, Princess Bride it is,” grinned Sunset, queuing the movie up from her favorites.

Twilight laughed and shook her head. “You’re incorrigible,” she teased.

“And you love me anyways,” snarked Sunset.

“Please honey, not in front of the children!” laughed Twilight.

“I’m sure they know we’re teasing,” grinned Sunset.

“Them, or each other,” rejoined Twilight.

“Why not both?” replied Sunset with a grin.

“Why not indeed,” agreed Twilight, setting the pot of green tea to steep on the dining room table, then returning to the couch to join the rest of the girls. Kongou was grinning happily at their exchange.

Sunset set out cream and honey on the living room coffee table, then transferred over the teapot of now steeped green tea, bringing two cups for Twilight and Kongou with two teaspoons. She then grabbed a soda from the fridge and returned, sitting in her chair next to Twilight, who sat at the end of the couch. The movie started, and they immersed themselves in the life of Dread Pirate Roberts and his friends.

About 30 minutes into the movie, Sunset got a text message from the concierge. She went to the door, and opening it allowed the concierge to wheel in a cart with a traditional japanese dinner in take out boxes. She helped Sunset place the table settings and put the cartons in the center of the table. Thanking her for her help, Sunset bowed, and the concierge left with the cart.

“Okay everyone, break time! Dinners ready!” Sunset paused the movie. Everyone washed their hands, then sat at the table together.

Sunset and Twilight joined hands, bowing their heads for a traditional Harmonic grace. The girls copied them.

“Thank the Maker for this food and our friends,” intoned Sunset.

“Thank the Maker,” replied Twilight. The girls echoed her reply.

Sunset served up portions of Miso soup to everyone, while Twilight passed the rest of the meal out. Sunomono salad, sanbaizu tsukemono (vegetable and fruit medley), rice, sakana no nitsuke (fish simmered in sake) or fried tofu for Sunset, and yaki nasu (grilled eggplant with ginger, bonito flakes, green onions, and soy sauce) where the menu for the evening. While everyone started on their dinner, Twilight poured everyone tea.

When they finished dinner, Sunset cleaned up and brought out a dessert box from the fridge. Opening the box, the girls saw that Sunset had ordered them cream puffs for everyone, which were passed out and enjoyed quickly. Sunset cleaned up from dinner while everyone returned to the couch for the rest of the movie. When she finished cleaning, Sunset joined them for the rest of the movie, which was enjoyed by all the girls.

“Thank you girls, that was fun!” said Sunset when the movie ended. “We don’t want you getting into trouble, so we’ll say good night before curfew. We’ll walk you back to your dorms. First though, let’s exchange contact information so we can chat and get together again.” Everyone agreed, bringing out their phones and exchanging contact information.

Twilight packed up some leftovers for each of the girls, handing them out. They headed over to Misaka and Shirai’s dorm first, dropping them off at the door. “Good night, girls!” Twilight said. “I hope we see you again soon!” They bowed in parting, then walked Kongou to her dorm in the Academy Gardens.

They dropped her off at the dormitory door. “Welcome to Tokiwadai, Kongou-san! It was a pleasure to meet you and spend the evening together,” Sunset bowed.

“Thank you, Sunset-san, Twilight-san. The pleasure was all mine!” bowed Kongou in return. “I really look forward to joining you again. That was fun!” She waved and entered the dorm, leaving the girls to the rest of their evening.

“Too bad Toma and Index had to leave. They would have enjoyed themselves,” Twilight commented as they walked back to their apartment.

“True that. Index especially. And it really is fun to tease Toma,” agreed Sunset.

“You really are a brat sometimes,” laughed Twilight. “So, head to bed early? Study session? Seems a bit early to end the evening.”

“It is a bit early, but too late to really start something. I wonder how Toma and Index are doing?” mused Sunset.

“We can call them tomorrow and check in on them. They were supposed to be meeting his parents, right? I bet they’ll have lots of fun stories to tell. And Stiyl and Kaori are there, so they should be fine,” replied Twilight.

“Sounds like a plan. I guess we can just hang then,” Sunset said as they entered the building, bowing again to the concierge. They entered the elevator, rode up to the top floor, and entered the apartment.

After taking turns getting ready for bed, Sunset transferred into bed, bringing the latest light novel she was reading with her to practice her reading Japanese. Twilight brought one of the latest scientific journals to bed, and snuggled up on Sunset’s shoulder to read. Grinning, one arm around her friend, Sunset read her novel.

A while later, Sunset noticed Twilight was sound asleep on her shoulder. Smiling, she gently moved her off onto her pillow, then placed the journal on the nightstand with her novel. She turned off the lights and cleared the window. Snuggled up with her dearest friend, she enjoyed the site of the city below as she drifted off to sleep.

This is the way of Harmony; love others, trust your Maker - The Celestial Teachings

Author's Note

Events in A Certain Magical Index during this time:

Due to the increased hostilities by delinquents who are looking for prestige and glory via defeating the one who defeated Accelerator, Kamijou Touma is forced to leave Academy City (along with Index) temporarily at the urging of Tsukuyomi Komoe while Academy City quells the situation.

Due to the distortion of the elements, Kamijou Touya accidentally triggers Angel Fall through sheer coincidence, which starts on the morning of July 28. As a result, Archangel Gabriel appears on Earth, steals the body of Sasha Kreutzev and assumes the name Misha Kreutzev.

Based on the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga: Kongou Mitsuko successfully transfers to Tokiwadai Middle School, and ends up lost while trying to find her dormitory. Misaka Mikoto later uses Mitsuko to get away from Unabara Mitsuki (Etzali), who is following her, and later hangs out with her, leaving Mitsuko completely unaware of Mikoto's status as a Level 5 and confused about her apparent popularity.[131]

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 08 - Interlude 6 - Gilda and the Coven

Interlude 6 - Gilda and the Coven

Gilda sat on her cot with the package. She unwrapped it, set aside the envelope inside while looking at the rune-covered rock and leather-covered book that were with it. She flipped through the book quickly. It was full of spells and incantations. Setting both aside, she picked up the envelope and opened it.

Miss Griffin, you want to take out a goddess. We are willing to help. For a price. Your soul is forfeit. If you are willing, activate the stone using the spell on page 47. That will bind you to our coven and seal our deal. We await your contact. Do not keep us waiting.

Gilda turned to page 47 in the book. There was a brown bone sharpened to a point on one end pushing into the binding. Gilda read the spell on the page, blanching as she read. She put the book down and took a deep breath.

“To end you, Shimmer, I’d pay hell itself. I’m doing this.”

She took the stone and placed it in the middle of the cot. Taking the bone from the book, she pricked her right index finger while holding it over the stone. Her blood dripped onto the stone. Taking the book in her left hand. she chanted the spell. The book, her hands, and the stone glowed with amber power and a portal appeared above the stone.

The book dropped from Gilda’s hand onto the cot. “Oh shit!”

A cowled face appeared in the portal. “No, my dear slave. You meant, ‘Oh hell,’ and yes, that is indeed where you are going. Before that happens, however, we will help you with your little goddess issue.”

Gilda smiled.

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 19 - Interlude 9 - Dust in Elysium

Interlude 9 - Dust in Elysium

Faust trotted up to Dust, who was grazing with her herd.

“My dear Dust. Do you have a moment?” Faust asked Dust kindly.

Dust looked up and smiled. “Of course!” She trotted over to Faust and nuzzled her neck. Faust returned the affection.

“I have some news for you and a request. Your friend Gilda has started her journey down a very dark path. Do not fear though! All will work out if we are patient and move with the Maker’s Will,” Faust assured her. “Soon, I will come for you. You will need to begin your training for your part in this journey. Will you be ready?”

“For Gilda, and for you? I am always ready. Yes!” answered Dust.

“Excellent. Enjoy these moments of peace. When I return for you, you will need to be strong and face struggles that will be difficult to overcome. You will overcome them because you are not trotting this path alone. We will travel it together, hoof to hoof. Together, we will see the Maker’s Will overcome all that stands opposed. Because of what you do, not just your friend, but many will be saved from the darkness that currently consumes their hearts,” stated Faust.

“In gratitude for all that has been given me and the mercy shown to me, I could do no less. I’m happy to be of any service to you and the Maker,” smiled Dust.

Faust nuzzled Dust. “And I am happy you are here. We will get through this together my dear child.”

A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 21 - Interlude - Aleister Crowley

Interlude - Aleister Crowley

The vat glowed with a red haze, bubbles misting up from around the figure suspended upside down within. White hair whipping about, small mists of bubbles seething from them slowly. He scowled, his ire written clearly on his features.

“Explain please, Constance. What exactly just happened? How did this come to pass!” he commanded.

“Director, an attempt was made on the life of the goddess Twilight by a fellow guest. This guest has been at the academy for over a year as a guest professor adjunct for the Garden of Life research institute. The institute professes to have not known of her cabal affiliations,” informed his assistant.

“Indeed? That will be dealt with later. Continue please,” replied Alistar.

“The adjunct requested permission to contact Ms. Sparkle in her role as an intern. She wished to facilitate their working together on several projects, as the goddesses are currently interning there. The permission was given, and she was allowed to arrange a meeting between herself and Ms. Sparkle to discuss the collaboration. It was apparently during this meeting that she revealed her true intentions, attempting to sever the goddesses' life force from her core with a magical artifact she had hidden on her person. Apparently, Ms. Sparkle was able to call out before the attack was successful, and Ms. Shimmer neutralized the threat against her fellow goddess.”

“Do we know how she did so? Or what has happened to the assailant?” asked Alistar.

“We do not, director. We only know that she has disappeared from Academy City. We cannot detect her anywhere within the city bounds,” informed his assistant.

“I do want to know what happened to that creature,” spat Alistar, “but I am not willing to further upset the goddesses to learn it. Please see that they are given what comforts and consolations we can offer, and know that we are horrified as well and are doing everything in our power to address it.”

“Just so, director. It will be done,” agreed his assistant.

In a Martian desert, windswept sand blew and piled over a lifeless body, staring up into the reddish sky, hands still clasped around her throat.