The Boundary: A Tale of Sunset

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 1- Golden Thread

Chapter 2

Sunset felt the cold floor beneath her. Her eyes were heavy and her throat was dry, but she willed herself to move her limbs.. If she managed to move at all, it was not a noticeable amount due to restraints she could not fully make out in the haze.

Shadows loomed over her, so even if she were free, she would not have gotten far.

A glow emerged from the darkness. It outlined a red-hot tip.

Sunset writhed against her constraints.

“Too late for regret.” The glow drew near. “You crossed the line.”

Flesh charred. Acrid smoke filled the air. Sunset screamed.

She bolted upright, gulping down air.

Through the tangle of hair thrown in front of her by the sudden awakening, she caught sight of a specter. It was a woman sitting in a chair by the bed. Was blonde hair showing the faintest signs of grey or a flowing mane sprouting from her head?

A blink, and the vision was gone. The room was dimmer than the one from her memories, the bed thinner, and there were no windows. Steading her breathing, she reached over to feel a point on her side. Her movement was blocked by a cast wrapped around her left arm.

Then, she noticed her hair’s color and everything came back to her. “Crap.”

“Well, yeah, sounds like a few calls were made and favors granted,” came a voice to her left. She turned and was greeted with a figure veiled in medical attire. The pitch of her voice was the only indication she was a woman. She sat backwards on a chair, expression unknown behind the surgical mask. “Not my concern though. Anyway, now that I got the green light to wake you up, time to get you back to the world of the living.”

“How long have I been out, Nurse?” The woman had never shared her name. Sunset assumed she was, or at least had been, a big shot in the medical community as she was always the one on hand when Sunset suffered a major injury on the job that she or another person in the office did not have the training to deal with long term.

Why she chose to go by “Nurse” was left to the imagination.

Nurse remained still for a moment. She scanned over Sunset with attention lingering on her cast and some spot on her back. There was something about the way her attention shifted that told her it was an issue with her back, not her front. Finally, she answered, “Two days, Moon’s orders.”

“Injuries?”

“You broke your radius and ulna at three points each, plus your index finger. Second degree burns across your hand and a gash. Stitches and barely avoided a skin graft. Stitches in your leg too. Deep bruising across your back. Although, from the fall you appear to have taken, I’ll count you and myself lucky. Quite a blast you managed to catch yourself in.”

Sunset tensed. “Tia—T3 and the target?”

A look of displeasure crossed Doc’s eyes. “You know my policy. Talk with Moon or your Unit Chief. Now, let’s have our check-up.”

~~~

Sunset, in a fresh blouse and pants that matched her usual attire for work when not going into combat, made her way out of Nurse’s office and into the elevator. Her right hand, grasping a bag filled with medications, ice packs, and post-op instructions, did not hesitate to press in the code to go up rather than the one button to get to the ground floor.

The elevator’s movement roiled her stomach, but she persisted and managed to slink into the office.

Roger crossed his arms when Sunset came into his view. “Should have taken the day off.”

Sunset did not respond. Her eyes scanned over the hub.

They locked with Tiara’s. Both of them were frozen for a moment before Roger spoke up.

“But since you’re here, why don’t we get caught up and then you two can get some rest? Bosssssss!”

“Yeah yeah.” Mark entered the hub scratching his head. His face displayed deeper bags and more expressed wrinkles than usual. “Figured you’d choose to debrief. Well, we’ll go through a summary for today and then you and Tiara are on sick leave.”

Sunset looked down and sighed, “Yes.”

“Ah, but don’t be too glum.” Mark flashed a grin. “Cleanup is awful but we got a little extra from Reuben because of it. Teams D and G might be miffed at us for a bit though.”

“So, the target?”

“Back home and no worse for wear, barring some therapy. Definitely putting in a request now to get an explosives expert with us though.”

“And, of course, the best one’s on Team D,” said Roger.

~~~

Sunset strained with all her might to listen for the next two or so hours. It helped that the explanation was punctuated with videos and pictures either from the news or from Roger’s drones. She caught Tiara glancing at her every now and then but tried her best to keep her attention on Mark and the screen.

She tensed when she saw video of a burst of flames bursting from the construction site. Yet, the view from outside was what appeared to be a standard explosion, not the supernatural burning column Sunset had summoned.

The ache from her injuries and the wooziness from the medications combined with the thoughts flying through Sunset’s head to push her expression from confusion and exhaustion to blankness. To her advantage, whenever she zoned out, her expression was a stark one that could pass for pensive.

She was near her limit, but she managed to get enough of the explanation offered down: the kidnappers had one last trap that Tiara had triggered when opening up the door. It had doused the floor in chemicals, and presumably would have either caused intruders to lose visibility or footing long enough for a fatal blow to hit them. The chemicals were assumed to be flammable and unstable, but in the panic of the raid, the last kidnapper had used a firearm, setting off the explosion.

Sunset’s face was scrunched at the end of the debriefing.

“Yeah, it’s not perfect, but it’s what we’ve got.” Mark clasped his mustache. “Anything you think we’re missing?”

“Besides looking like I’m ready to go to a rave?” Sunset gave her hair a flick. “What a mess. So, where’s my gun?”

“Retrieving the target and you two was the priority. With fire and police there, the other teams didn’t have time to clean up fully.”

“Are we clear to go now?”

Mark furrowed his brow. “Check back when you’ve mended a little.”

“Right,” Sunset sighed, both out of compliance and fatigue. Nothing she had seen revealed more than what she already knew. No one appeared to suspect anything. Just a messy but still successful mission. Were it only that, this would eventually fade to a slight ribbing with time. Sunset deeply wished it was only that, but she could not deny her eyes. The ability to cast a spell. The aura. The flames. She needed to know why it had happened.

Yet, the rest and recovery Mark was offering was needed even more right now. She could already envision a warm shower and her bed. It clouded her thoughts on what came after.

There was one other matter on her mind now that the briefing was over. With so many unknowns already ahead of her, Sunset wanted to resolve at least one dangling thread.

Her focus shifted to the pair of eyes that had remained on her since Mark had finished the debriefing. Tiara’s paleness emphasized her purple irises. “Meet up for a tea?”

“Oh!” Tiara appeared ready to jump. “S-sure.”

~~~

“Drink,” Sunset ordered.

“O-okay.” Tiara clasped the cup with both hands, blew through the delicate foam art, and took a sip.

Sunset took a more ambitious swig of her drink, followed by a bite of a donut. She savored the taste for a moment, recalling other times she had found herself at this café. Chats about animals. Complaints about not scheduling closer to competitions for an excuse to carboload. Both sincere and inauthentic apologies about not going to a show or an exhibit due to work. Missing home. Feeling at home.

“Sorry,” she sighed. “Probably in a bad mood from everything.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Tiara squeaked.

Tiara’s manner brought back more memories of talks with Felecia. Sunset raised her cup again, this time slower.

“How are you holding up now that you’ve gotten hit by the real deal?”

“What are… oh…” Tiara glanced down to the left side. Neither could see it right now, but Sunset imagined the bandages wrapped around Tiara’s ribs.

“Hurts worse than the sandbags or rubber, eh?” Sunset set down her cup and traced a finger to above her left bicep. “My first was with a rifle. Kevlar isn’t going to do much with those even if I had had something covering my arm.”

Tiara glanced at where Sunset was pointing and then lowered her gaze. “Right.”

They both took sips of their drinks for a minute.

“I get it,” Sunset said after tearing a piece out of her donut. “You’re bummed ‘cause you made a bad call. It happens. Wouldn’t be surprised if Moon was half expecting it.”

Tiara remained silent.

Sunset tapped at the old injury on her left arm and then waved her cast. “Look at me, I flubbed too. If I’d been more careful with my footing, you wouldn’t have had to go in alone. We’re both probably thinking we messed up more than the other. Big whup. We got the target and now we get a little rest.”

At least Tiara would. Sunset had other plans, but since those would have to wait until nightfall, she chose to comfort her junior as best she could. She also wanted to let the relief soak in that Tiara was sitting across from her. Seeing Tiara shot, even with the knowledge she had a vest on, had been enough to push Sunset over the edge. In its own way, coming to terms with that would be helpful to unraveling how she had cast a spell.

Mind awash with memories both ancient and fresh, she got up and ordered another chai while Tiara continued to slowly sip on her drink. Sunset took longer with her second cup. She racked her brain with how things had gone the first time she had been wounded in a true battle.

It was taking some extra steps to make conversions and draw anecdotes from a fight with a swarm of changelings.

The chittering of a cup against its plate cut her off. She did not know how long her ponderings had been but Tiara had finally finished her decaf.

She was quite jittery though. Her stooped posture and contracted muscles told Sunset it was not from her drink. “Y-you’re not going to kill me?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, are you talking metaphorically?”

Tiara paled. “No, never mind.”

“Look, if I was mad, I’d be mad.”

“That’s not… I just…”

Sunset grew annoyed at the path of the conversation. Her exhaustion must have been causing a disconnect. There was a nervousness to Tiara that went beyond shame. There was genuine fear in her eyes as they went from Sunset’s cast to her face but never directly meeting her gaze.

The world froze for a second to Sunset. The pieces aligned and her confusion gave way to adrenaline. Tiara was not avoiding her gaze. There was focus in her sight, but only when her furtive glances locked onto something above Sunset’s face: her hair.

“Ohhhhh.” Sunset raised her right hand, slowly and casually, masking that her heartbeat had risen. She rested it on her forehead, angled so that she could still look at Tiara. The sheen of cold sweat was visible on the younger woman. “You saw?”

With Tiara’s hands pressed against the table and her shoes grinding against the floor, Sunset had her answer. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Okay, take a breath.” Sunset pulled her hand away from her face. It was a subtle movement, not something that other customers would notice, but Sunset saw the gears whirl in Tiara’s head even in her panicked state. She saw her eyes shift ever so slightly from her hand to the cups— potential weapons— and to the distance between the two of them. Tiara knew Sunset’s actions had removed the option of an immediate attack. “Look where we are. No matter what you think you saw, nothing is happening to you here.”

“Here is a place you chose,” The logic faded from Tiara’s eyes and she lowered them. Sweat gathered on her brow.

“True, true.” Sunset kept an even keel to her voice. “But have I ever come across as someone who would be this indirect if I thought there was a problem?”

“M-maybe the office ga—”

“The office isn’t involved.” Sunset paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe you think they are? We’re both working on assumptions, so why don’t you tell me what you think I’m going to do?”

“You’re…” Tiara looked around the café. It was an odd hour so the only other customers were a mother with a young child, a few retirees, and some youth with nothing better to do with their lives. She gulped and in one breath sputtered, “You’re going to kill me because I saw you use the extraterrestrial tech our office only lets top members deal with and you might also be an alien.”

The word extraterrestrial and alien rolled on Sunset’s tongue for a moment, but seeing Tiara shaking prioritized her words. “Again, not gonna kill you.”

“Erase my memory?”

“No.”

“Abduct me?”

“No.”

“Send me into a void dimension?”

“What kind of meds did they give you for broken ribs? Or are you even more nerdy than I thought?”

“Well how else do you explain your gun and your hair?” Tiara’s pitch was at a near shout. Sunset sharpened her gaze into a glare, the only time she had done so throughout the conversation. With reddened cheeks, Tiara bowed her head. “Sorry.”

“Well, you’ve given me an idea of where things stand.” Sunset took a drink and weighed her options. “Assuming Moon doesn’t take an interest, this conversation can stop at this: It’s not extraterrestrial at least how you’re thinking. It’s something I, not the team, not Moon, and not you, have to worry about. Just me.”

Sunset let her words sink in for both Tiara and herself. A myriad of iterations of what she would say next had bounced around her head as soon as Tiara had revealed she had seen Sunset cast a spell. The existence of magic here was a major concern that Sunset wanted to get to the bottom of ASAP, by any means necessary. That left her with several options, so, she hoped she had chosen right, leaned forward, and opened her lips.

“That being said, I do need to find out what happened. Again, this is a personal matter, not job related. I can do it on my own, but I know a junior of mine who could help, on the condition that she never says a word of this to anyone else. Not that anyone would believe you if you did.”

Making the offer was like casting off a great weight. Sunset leaned back, but kept her core firm. There was a second tension there but she dared not show it at this critical juncture. Like her words, she had mentally cycled through which expression to choose. She had settled on something that was not a full glare. Rather it was a look that conveyed a sense akin to her holding up a rope bridge over a chasm and offering passage for Tiara. “I trust you though. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be saying this. And, in return, I will tell some stories, and you can make of them what you will.”

She got up from her seat and stood by Tiara, resting her right hand on her shoulder. “Tonight, at ten. Act like you’re waiting for a car at the Tasty Treat. Don’t stress too much on it. No matter what, you go back to work in a few days.”

“And you?”

Sunset did not reply. She slipped away with enough speed and in a direction Tiara would have had to strain her ribs or stand up to see.

Chapter 3

A sense of déjà vu assailed Sunset as she sped back home. She kicked herself all the way from the café to her apartment, to the shower, and to bed for a nap after jabbing in an alarm on her phone. Variations of the term “stupid” ran through her mind as she swallowed down some microwaved dinner hours later.

Her self-criticism only paused when she reached for her phone to summon a car. There were texts and missed calls. She saw Felecia and Diane’s names amidst others. They made her feel like her head was splitting in two. With a deep exhale through her nose, she slashed her finger through the notifications and into an app to call the car. She did not bother comparing rates with the other apps. She would worry about how to respond to the texts and calls later, but a lump of regret had already formed in her stomach. Canceling going to the reunion seemed like the easiest thing to do now. It was a concern for another time though.

Sunset went to her dresser. Pulling out a drawer, she set aside workout tops and shorts. With one of the chopsticks she had used for dinner, she poked the hole in the underside of the drawer, revealing a false bottom and a safe. This one, unlike the one under her sink that held her personal gun, knives, and valuables, had three locks instead of two. Inputting all the codes, she opened it up.

The aged air drew her mind back for a passing moment. In her head, she heard someone cry out her name. Her hand darted in and grasped a piece of parchment and a dull stony tube-shaped object. She lingered on the other items resting in the safe: a metal orb and a bullion and under them a faded square.

She wanted to steal a glance at what was on the other side of the square, but she pulled back her hand. Slamming the safe shut, she darted into the night.

~~~

Sunset did not like to keep her hood up, but there was not enough time to dye her hair. If she could use magic again, any dyeing until the issue was resolved may be pointless anyway. Probably. Another unknown and no time to deal with it.

So, at the cost of her peripheral vision and the slight enjoyment she got from the cool air on her face, she covered up.

It did not help that the glow of a cartoonishly stylized French fry basket and milkshake sign matched her hair’s color. A crescent moon hung in the sky, its beams glinting off the strands of yellow and red that Sunset’s hood could not fully hide.

It was a short walk to her destination. The pungent odor of exotic spices from Tasty Treat hung in the air.

Tiara stood outside, following Sunset’s instructions to look like she was waiting for a car, sans grasping a phone that would have shown where her driver was. She fidgeted and looked around but Sunset had made sure to approach from a blind spot.

It gave Sunset time to kick herself again. Her mind had weighed the pros and cons again and again while it sputtered. For as much as Sunset prided herself on being prepared, this was a conversation she had never planned for.

Her experience in life had prepared her for missions, but not much for talking. Before coming to Earth, she had shunned interactions, and here, she was never fully open with anyone. Memories of words, some laced with venom and others with honey came to mind. Tears. A hug. Immense gratitude and deep regret. Despite the gamut of emotions this brought Sunset, she could not deny she placed those events close to her heart.

What would become of tonight weighed heavy on her.

That Tiara would be back at the job within a week kept Sunset’s mind from wandering too much into the realm of what ifs. Yet, while she could see Tiara back at the office, there was a less clear vision of herself there. Even if she did go back, she knew there would be a new tension. Unspoken words. Calculating even casual talk. Perhaps that tension would fade in time, but that was an unknown. Unknowns perturbed Sunset more than anything else, but the unknown of magic in this world was a far greater concern than the unknowns of future work life.

She inhaled deeply and told herself to treat this like an old task or a new job. Deep-rooted and relatively fresh trainings merged to guide her. She took a step.

Changing directions, she now made sure Tiara would see her approaching. She even used her phone to catch the glow of streetlight and reflect the glint onto Tiara’s glasses.

“Hey,” Sunset said, having chosen a casual tone that carried a serious undertone. It was one of several she practiced. This one she felt was akin to a doctor easing a patient into the reveal of a major diagnosis.

“Hi.” Tiara bowed her head, sinking her chin into her scarf.

“You can still head back if you want.”

“No.” Gloved hands clenched. “I owe you a lot, even my life after the other day. So, I want to help.”

Sunset glanced at the sturdiness in Tiara’s muscles. It probably hurt her ribs to stand resolute like that. She had been ready with a few more offers to back off, but discarded them.

“Resolve is the cornerstone of magic and it must be honored.”

Her teacher’s words were clearer to Sunset than they had been in quite some time.

“Let’s walk then.”

The construction site was still a few blocks away, as Sunset had planned. She said nothing for a time. Tiara took small and hurried steps to keep up with Sunset. Sunset walked at a measured pace, the kind that showed she was deliberately going in a slower manner than usual.

With one more glance at the moon, Sunset opened her mouth, watching her breath frost into the air. “I suppose you hit the board but were off target with the extraterrestrial theory. It’s a bit beyond that.”

Tiara said nothing but drew closer.

“Extradimensional is more fitting. What you saw wasn’t some advanced technology, but a spell. Specifically, a spell channeled through a catalyst.” Sunset gave a wry smirk. “Congrats, you’re probably the first human to see a modern firearm become a magical conduit.”

Tiara, with eyes wide, asked, “So, what does that make you?”

“I am…” A pause. “A mage. Yes, that’s probably the best term to use.”

“Would there be a difference if you said wizard or sorcerer?”

“To a nerd like you, probably.” Sunset welcomed the question as it put distance from a deeper issue she wanted to pragmatically avoid. “To me, no. The fact remains that I am a magic user from a world called Equestria. My name, my real name, is Sunset Shimmer.”

Tiara blinked at Sunset. “Because of your hair color?”

“No, it’s… actually, I never did ask my parents about that.” Sunset shook her head. “What matters tonight is Equestria is a world where magic exists and Earth is one where it mostly doesn’t.”

“Mostly?”

“We don’t speak English in Equestria, but the requisite knowledge to speak it somehow was installed. Plus there’s all your folk tales, urban legends, and the like.”

Tiara chewed her lip for a moment. “Can I ask one, maybe two things?”

“Go on.”

“Are there others like you here?”

“Now?” Sunset breathed in the cold air. “No, not to my knowledge. At least, no one here. That way was destroyed.”

“And why are you here?”

Sunset stopped. Tiara nearly bumped into her. This was a line of questioning she had anticipated but now at the cusp of having to provide an answer, a pit formed in her stomach. There was the flash of fire in her mind. Then, a cry. “I’ll explain at the site.”

Just a few yards away was the main entrance to the site. A police officer stood by the red and white striped bar that separated the site from the road. Sunset had been reaching for her key card but as she drew near, recognized the officer.

The officer set her thermos aside and sighed, “More cleanup and inspection?”

“A little supplemental. You know how it is, Marge,” said Sunset.

Marge grimaced. “Never get a proper address from you.”

Sunset said nothing more and dipped under the barrier bar. Tiara, after giving Officer Marge a bow of the head, followed after her.

“Holding up okay?”

“Oh, um, yeah.”

Sunset glanced back. Tiara was keeping apace. There even seemed to be a hop in her step. It grew when Sunset removed her hood, freeing her hair. “Near the start, I always imagined if someone somehow found out, they’d go off a little.”

“Well, you do always call me a nerd.” There was a slight blush on Tiara’s cheeks. “I know I’ve talked a little about some of the shows I watch, but it was much worse in high school and college. I’m pretty sure binging too hard was part of what led to the university incident. So, this is probably a combo of shock, letting my imagination run wild, and wanting to research.”

“That’s better than thinking I’m nuts or you’re going crazy at least. Just don’t let your imagination run too wild. We’re dealing with a lot of unknowns, so stay sharp.”

Sunset turned her attention ahead and braced herself as they neared the half-finished skyscraper. There was caution tape all around, but like with the barrier bar, she slipped through. Clicking on a flashlight, she marched on. A second beam of light joined hers. They moved at a slow pace, watching their feet with each step. Eventually, Sunset came to a full stop.

The flashlights and enough moonlight filtered in to leave the space dim but not dark. The shadows deepened when Sunset tucked her light into a pocket.

“You asked why I’m here?” Sunset did not turn to face Tiara. “In short, a latch-ditch effort to save my own skin. That is not a metaphor, but let me show you.”

When Sunset moved her arm, she felt every muscle working in it. Time slowed for her. She felt both a chill in her bones and a roiling in her gut. She had provided basic knowledge of her world before, but now she was at a personal gate. She had to advance if she was to settle things as fast as possible.

She shed her jacket so that it dangled on her cast. Next, she clenched the layers of clothing underneath and pulled them upwards. Wind crept across her bare back. She extended a finger from the hand grasping her clothes and pointed to the middle of her spine, just below her shoulder blades.

There was a mark. Deep maroon on the verge of black in color. It was in discord with the rest of her skin. In its center was a sickle shape. The outline of a teardrop encircled it. Bolts arced out from the top and bottom of the drop.

“This is ________ _____” The words burned Tiara’s ears. Its pronunciation was harsh, reminding Tiara of German and certain tones of Mandarin. Sunset spoke them like they were clawing at her throat. Even if the meaning was lost, it was clear to Tiara it was something awful.

“There isn’t an English equivalent and probably nothing in any other human language either.” Despite the chill, she kept her grasp on her clothes and stood like a statue. It made Tiara shiver. “The one that I felt closest was Nightmare’s Hoof.”

“And...” Tiara gulped. She had seen the mark before due to decontamination after certain jobs, but Sunset’s eyes had always grown sharp as if sensing attention on it. So, Tiara had never dared to ask before. “What is it?”

“A sign that I committed the worst of all crimes.” The wind rattled some metal. “It’s been a millennium since an actual Nightmare last awoke and even those with just a Hoof are rare.”

Lowering her layers and putting her coat back on, she turned around to face Tiara. Sensing there was more to be said, Tiara remained silent, but her face brimmed with a multitude of questions. Sunset already knew the most prominent one, but asked to confirm, “You want to know what I did?”

Tiara nodded.

She was ready to explain but a flash of images gave her a split-second pause: a barren tundra covered in shadow, stained glass showing a mesh of obsidian swallowing up a bearded figure, and a blast of flames. All these visions held the mark. She took a breath. “You become marked if you are sufficiently skilled at magic and you commit a cardinal sin.”

Another breath. Sunset could feel her heart pumping faster. Her gut squirmed. The memories of that night grew stronger and stronger. She recalled the clasp on her shoulder, words of concern laced with caution, and that terrible terrible moment she always wished to undo. The moment she twisted her head and sent out a great column of flame.

She could still feel the heat. She could still remember the sense of panic. The lurch as she activated her emergency teleport and it flung her away. The searing pain of the mark gouging into her flesh.

What haunted her most though was the only blank space in her memory: the face her target had made and the subsequent cry of her name. Shock? Disappointment? Rage? Sadness? Sunset did not know.

The cry had repeated over and over until it now rang in her ears. Each time, there was a variation. An accusation. A wail. A curse. A lament.

The ringing mixed with nausea welling up in her core. She had repeated her next words in her head at her darkest periods, but for the first time ever, she spoke them aloud. “I betrayed my teacher, my master, and my princess.”

A sharp gust of wind blew through the building. Tarps rustled. Wires clinked against pipes. Silence.

Sunset welcomed the cool air on her face. She forcibly closed her eyes and inhaled, wanting the chill in her lungs to remain for a time. At that moment, she imagined opening her eyes and being back in several different places. A library filled with countless tomes. A high school parking lot. The café.

And there was a fear that when she did actually open her eyes, the human would be gone. Even if Tiara had weathered much and her appetites graced her with more acceptance of the unbelievable, there was a cold reality to Sunset’s words that spanned worlds: she was a traitor. An attempted killer of a monarch who had never harmed a hair on her head. In both worlds, Sunset was well aware of the gravity of that crime.

“Um, are the other ones also special or just tattoos?” Tiara’s voice broke through the cold.

The unexpected question was a balm to Sunset. It lifted her from the world of memory and back into the pragmatic realm. She opened her eyes and blinked, allowing the question to reorient her. Her posture, which had slumped, straightened a bit. Seeing Tiara had remained left her feeling a little lighter too. “That’s something everyone gets in Equestria: a cutie mark. When you find out what you’re talented in, they just appear. For me, my magic was radiant like a sunset… at least, that’s what my teacher always said.”

“And why do they appear…” Tiara blushed a little. “... there?”

“That is beyond me. It’s like asking humans why their eyes are in their head.”

“Oh, sorry.” Tiara bowed her head. “Was that offensive?”

“Compared to what some other races say about them, no.”

Tiara’s eyes glimmered. “Other races?”

“Okay, sharing time is over. We need to get back to that task at hand.”

“That reminds me.” Tiara pointed a finger up towards her face. “How do I factor into this, outside of seeing you cast a spell?”

“You can decipher things faster than I can.”

It was Tiara’s turn to blink.

“You can crunch data better than me and I’m pretty much just an extra set of hands if I’m in the lab.”

“What about that Murchinson case or Liguni?”

“I know how to hit people and why people get hit.” Sunset reached into her pocket. Pinched between her thumb and finger was the stony material. It cast a faint glow, just enough to illuminate the tips of Sunset’s fingers. “We just passed the first test, so now we need to find my gun and analyze it. At least, that’s the best lead I can think of.”

The glow enchanted Tiara. “What is that?”

“Chalk.” Sunset held the tiny cylinder aloft for a second so Tiara could get a better look and then put it back in her pocket. “Chalk from Equestria, that is. I did some tests before I came to Earth for good and found certain things from there are still reactive here even without magic infusing everything.”

“So, it’s glowing chalk? Does it also work as a light?”

“Maybe two hundred years ago. When I was last there, you’d hardly see it used for illumination except for streetlights since you can’t turn it off, especially if you deliberately charge it, and it’s incredibly sensitive to magic.” Sunset cracked a grin. “Never thought that old tale about prospectors using it to check dangers would be useful. The glow proves my gun is here and mana isn’t disappearing like it used to. Now then…”

She shifted her cast around so it rested in front of her. After putting the chalk back in her pack, her right hand hovered over her cast in a cupped position.

Tiara observed Sunset close her eyes. From the way she had positioned her arms and her steady rhythmic breathing, it was clear to Tiara this was something akin to a meditation. She thought back to when she had been gasping for air on the floor above with the taste of iron in her mouth. That split second she had seen Sunset’s hair whirl of its own accord and miraculously change color. She had passed out right then so until she had seen Sunset again, she had pondered if it was all a hallucination.

Now, she watched, taking in every second. She imagined wind coalescing around Sunset, or aura rising off her.

Yet, after a minute or so, nothing had changed. Sunset opened her eyes.

“Did anything happen?” Tiara asked.

Sunset shook her head. “Silent invocation didn’t work even though it did the other day. I thought with some mana present it might work but I’ll try with an incantation instead.”

Standing straight and positioning her arms again, Sunset chanted, “I call to ancient bonds to deal with modern ties. Reveal yourself, precious thing. Unite with me once more.”

Tiara held her breath but released it when Sunset sighed, “Nothing again.”

Tiara corked her head. “How do you know it didn’t work?”

“For those first two methods, I would’ve felt something akin to that feeling when you realize where you left your keys and a sense of being pulled in the item’s direction. My leading theory now is that my spell the other day was some bizarre fluke. There are certainly enough oddities in this world to account for a once-in-a-lifetime use of magic. There’s no mistake about the glow from the chalk though, so…”

Her hand reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded square of parchment along with the chalk. Tearing off a piece of the parchment, she set it on the floor and sat down beside it, using a foot to keep it secure. Tiara went over and placed her hands on it.

“Thanks.” Sunset sketched out a circle into the parchment. She then drew more lines and shapes. “Think of mana, the energy behind magic, as having qualities of electricity, air, and radiation. It flows around and circulates within living things but to express it as a spell, one needs to direct it. An eggbeater, an amp, and a PC all need to be plugged in, right? Similar with magic. Normally, any adult u— mage can do incantationless spells. Incantations both center the mage and direct the magic. It’s useful for more complex and layered spells. This, though, is the most secure but inflexible method of using magic.”

Sunset paused. The small piece of parchment was filled with drawings. Given the circle encompassing them, it reminded Tiara of a mandala. To her, the significance of much of the drawing was lost but what was clear was that it contained multiple stylized arrows pointing toward a dot in the center of a circle.

“Runes have the benefit of drawing not just from the user’s mana but from the surrounding air as well. The chalk proves there’s mana here. If this doesn’t work, there’s always adding an incantation too but…”

Sunset pressed her hand into the parchment and it lit up for a second. The illumination danced across Tiara’s glasses. The parchment slipped from beneath Sunset’s palm and slid across the ground, not like a piece of paper tossed by the wind but more like iron guided by a magnet. Sunset snatched it before it was out of her reach.

She stood with the parchment pinched in her fingers. After swiveling her arm a few times, she advanced in one direction. Tiara followed with her flashlight pointing in whichever direction Sunset moved.

“If it’s not too personal, can I ask something?” Tiara asked as they searched.

Sunset chuckled. “We’re far past that point.”

“How long have you been here?”

Sunset continued to focus on the parchment and flexed her arm, feeling when the pull waxed and waned. “About sixteen years now.”

Both of them climbed over a girder. There was debris scattered here and there around them now.

“Wouldn’t that mean you were just a kid when you got that Hoof mark?”

“I was a youth, but not a whelp.” Sunset was advancing ahead of Tiara at a rate where Tiara had to pick up her feet. “Sorry, a lot will slip my mind, and one of them is that time and lifespans for Equestrians are different. I’m twenty-eight here but I’m actually closer to forty or even fifty.”

Tiara’s jaw slackened but she did not have time to shout a response. Sunset let go of the parchment and it darted through the air. Once more, it did not behave like paper guided by wind but flew in a straight line into the darkness a few feet away. Tiara shined a light on the spot. The glint of metal reflected back.

Sunset strode over, hunched down, and picked up what was left of her gun and the parchment now affixed it. Only twisted and melted metal remained from the muzzle and the slide, leaving just the lower parts in a recognizable shape.

Extending two fingers to touch the parchment, Sunset uttered, “I give thanks for guidance.”

The parchment then loosened its hold on the gun. Sunset stashed both away in a pocket.

“Okay.” Sunset released a deep breath. “This is a good step, now to get back to my place an—”

“Is the chalk supposed to glow like that?” Tiara pointed at Sunset’s pocket. Even through the thick coat, they could see a bright glow.

Sunset immediately dropped the gun and grabbed the functional one tucked into her waist. “Hostile procedure!”

The words, repeated over and over again in training, spurred Tiara to grab the firearm concealed under her jacket.

There was a burst of light and then a foot slammed into Sunset’s right shoulder. A hood obscured the attacker’s face but curls of purple and stripes of aquamarine hair poked out.

Kicking Sunset away, the figure spun in midair so neither of the women were in a blind spot. There were no more shadows to hide in either as the tiara in the figure’s right hand illuminated the site.

The tiara appeared to be made of gold with and bedecked in teal gems. Arising from its center was a large magenta star.

Neither woman had time to linger long on it though as the figure was muttering something which caused the thick tome in its other hand to flip through pages of its own accord.

A gunshot rang out.

Lead tore through the figure’s left bicep. The book tumbled to the ground. The pained cry alongside the throwing back of the hood revealed the attacker as a woman. A bob-cut hair framed wild purple irises and a snarl. Hisses and tones laced with wrath poured from her mouth interspersed with certain words.

“… cur… catch… Justice!” She leveled the headpiece at Tiara. Tiara kept her gun steady and aimed.

A foot swept the attacker’s legs. A blinding beam exploded past Tiara. Molten steel dripped through a newly formed hole in the building. All around them, metal groaned.

In one fluid movement, Sunset sprung from the ground and plunged into a tackle. Her cast angled for the attacker’s neck while her right hand flew out and seized the tiara, but the attacker did not relinquish it even in freefall.

“Auto-translate hasn’t kicked in and you’re not acclimated.” Sunset drove her knee into the attacker’s gut just as they hit the ground. The attacker wheezed but her grip on the tiara remained firm. Sunset pressed her cast down, reddening the attacker’s face. “Takes quite a bit to get here and show off like this, but we can talk about that when you wake up.”

“… nothing…!” The tiara lit up.

“I’m holding this conduit too, idiot! You’re going t—” Sunset’s eyes went wide and then she smashed her cast against the attacker’s face. The plaster cracked enough to allow her wrist more freedom. Slamming her hand into the attacker’s face, as aura spread over it.

The attacker’s nostrils flared. She planted her left fist into Sunset's stomach. Her arm did not have Sunset’s defined musculature, as emphasized by the glint around her bicep. There should have been entry and exit wounds, but only trails of blood remained.

Despite her slight build, the air contorted around where the fist struck Sunset. Sunset heaved and went careening away from the attacker. A girder caught her square in the back and she tumbled down, unconscious.

The attacker huffed as an aura flowed off her arm. Its lingering sparks briefly illuminated the mark on her hand, identical to the one Tiara had seen minutes ago embedded on Sunset’s back. The hand raced up and clasped her head.

Three gunshots rang out followed by the tinks of deformed bullets bouncing off the ground. They rolled around and reflected the neon blue of a translucent membrane that had manifested around the attacker.

A bloodshot eye glared from between the fingers pressed against her head at Tiara, who kept her gun leveled on the attacker. Her gaze then shifted as did Tiara’s to Sunset. Tiara readied herself to grab one of several canisters hidden in her jacket or to make a mad dash for Sunset.

The attacker did not move and only gave labored breaths. Rather than slowing, her inhales and exhales increased. She wobbled, mashing her hand further against her head. Barely able to let out a grunt, she vanished as she had appeared in a blinding flash.

Chapter 1- Golden Thread

It had begun by spotting the glint of yellow.

Sarah thought she had caught flashes here and there as she got ready for the day, but couldn’t be sure until she started brushing her hair. As she combed her hair back, the gold line showed clear against her otherwise ruddy hair.

Furrowing her brow, she bent over the sink and pressed closer to the bathroom mirror. There was a single shiny strand, but peering deep into her scalp’s reflection revealed the roots around it were also showing their true color. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she made a mental note to deal with dyeing when she got home tonight and stepped out of the bathroom.

“Usually takes longer,” she grumbled to herself while pulling a yogurt and a medium-sized container from the fridge. Adding a glass to her hands, she balanced her breakfast over to the table and poured some cold-brew.

Taking a seat, she checked her phone. Her thumbs, almost on instinct, went to click on a news app, but her eyes went to the phone and text icons. Texts had come while Sarah had been at work. It had been a rush the other day with several clients coming in with new issues. Worse, she had hit a barrier on a major job, but had run out of time before the night shift took over. As much as she felt she was on the cusp of a breakthrough, without approval from her unit chief, she was not getting more overtime.

To deal with her frustration, Sarah had gone straight to the range. That was when a call had come in. Sarah, still trying to shake off work, had grabbed some pizza after emptying several clips into targets, read, showered, and gone to bed, all without checking her phone.

Looking at the senders’ names, she blinked and pondered if there was something wrong with her phone. Since it was early and knowing how one of the senders could be, Sarah chose to read the texts first.

[Hey! I know technically the reunion deadline RSVP was last week but I may or may not be offering a good-friend-I-haven’t-seen-in-person-in-forever extension!]

[Totally non-biased offer as Alumni Director]

[Feel free to send a text over if you can make it! Or maybe show up as a surprise! :)]

Sarah felt Diane’s excitement even through the texts. The girl appeared to have the same boundless energy as from high school.

Without replying to the text, Sarah switched over to her voicemails, certain the message awaiting her would not be too hard on her ears for this time of day.

“Hello, Sarah? Oh, sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve left a message,” came Felicia’s voice. It had lost its stutter some years back but was still soft enough that Sarah could hear the creak of a chair in the background. “I hope you’re doing well. It was nice having coffee with you around Thanksgiving. Um, anyway, I’ve been helping Diane with this year’s reunion and I noticed a lot of people I was close with are coming except, well, you.

Felicia’s tone quickened. “I understand if you’re busy like our fifth anniversary… but I’d still really like to see you with everyone else again. If you want, I can give Diane a call to get you RSVP’d. I hope you’re well and that we can all meet up again.”

Sarah imagined Felicia with heat rising off her face ending the call there and finally catching her breath. The image perked up her lips, but as she reflected on the content of the message, her face reverted to a neutral look bordering on pensive.

She stared at her phone for a while and ran a hand through her hair. Her fingers pressed against where she was sure there was the yellow strand. She glanced out her apartment’s window. A ruby crown heralded dawn. The first slivers of sunlight touched the distant snowy fields and glinted off a few buildings.

Wreathed in twilight, Sarah gave her phone a few taps.

[Put me down] she wrote to Diane.

To Felicia she wrote, [I’ll see you there, Fel]

~~~

Stepping into her building’s lobby, Sarah thought over and over again about her schedule. From her apartment, to the train, and to the office, she had run over both what she had to do personally and what demands work had for her. Personal was easy: just cancel a few of her HIIT classes, reorganize when she would go to the range, and order a little more take-out than usual.

Work did not immediately set off any alarms but she could not confirm anything until she punched in.

Reaching the front desk, she pulled out her key card and her phone. In one practiced motion, the receptionist scanned the card and slipped the phone from Sarah’s grasp. Where it went, Sarah was not privy to know, but a few years of subtle and carefully placed taps had assured Sarah her phone was somewhere secure.

As much as she had kicked herself on the way to work for her decision and it setting her morning off-kilter, it was preferable to the alternative. Not being able to access her phone to send the confirmation would have distracted her all day. It also likely would have led to more calls and texts too. It was not hard for Sarah to imagine that Diane and possibly Felecia would have discussed Sarah attending the reunion with others.

Getting into an elevator, she scanned her card and then pressed a button. Then, she jabbed another, a third, and a fourth. Finally, she prodded the emergency button and held her thumb on it until a ping rang through the elevator.

She ascended to her floor and made her way down the hallway. There were several doors to her right and left but no nameplates or signs adorned them. The same was true for the door she grasped the handle of, though she could see the faintest bit of light through the frosted glass.

Making her way past an empty waiting area, Sarah stepped into the main hub. A man whose shaved head emphasized his creased brow looked up from the machine he was fiddling with on the counter.

“Oi, Sarah. Coffee machine’s giving me trouble, so it may be a bit before anyone has a fresh cup.”

“Meaning you tried to install a new security feature. Has anyone ever even gotten past the elevator?”

“There was that wayward deliverywoman… still wondering how the front desk didn’t stop her” Roger gave a coffee machine a tug with a wretch. Steam burst out of it inches from Roger’s face. Metallic spheres spilled out from the side of the machine but with one big hand, Roger stopped them from clattering to the ground. He continued working away, appearing unaffected by the device nearly scalding half his head.

“I’d rather not leave our final line of defense to something that’s never made anything better than a passing espresso.”

That got Roger to pause. He turned and wagged a finger at her. “Now you’re just being rude.”

“So, I’m guessing if you’re tinkering, night shift drained our supplies?”

“Mmm-hmmm.” Roger nodded. “Chief went to get a restock.”

“I hope it was worth it.”

“Not until they brought in our early bird.” Roger tilted her head to the middle of the room. Inky hair with a few licks going off in several directions poked out from behind one of the computers that rested on the large shared-space table.

“How close are we now to locating the target?”

Roger stopped tinkering with the machine and looked straight at Sarah. “We’re down to two zip codes now.”

Sarah flexed her right hand, cracking the knuckles. “Then I’ll help with the final push. Get ready to mobilize.”

She moved past Roger, who did not return to the machine but instead disappeared into one of the side offices. Muted sounds of drills, scrapping, and hammering drifted into the main hub.

Sarah advanced to the other figure in the hub. Stacks of papers, disks, and USB sticks were spread around the computer. A drone was also plugged in. Hands deftly moved through all of this without disturbing a thing unless it was inserted or removed from the PC. Eyes already showing signs of bags stared through a pair of glasses and darted around the various maps, videos, and pictures that filled the screen.

The woman at the computer did not react as Sarah approached. Given where things stood and how the day might play out, Sarah decided now may be the last chance to have a little fun, so she slowed her advance, moved a little over to the right, and slipped into a blind spot. She got within striking distance, grinned, and slammed a hand down on the woman’s shoulder.

“Boo!”

The woman seized up and would have jumped out of her chair, but Sarah had clamped down on the right spot and with enough strength to keep the woman seated without hurting her. The prank was only good so long as it did not disturb all the work.

“M-m-miss Sachs!”

“Still so formal when caught off your guard.” Sarah glanced at the empty mug near the PC. “Or, are you feeling a little jittery, Tiara?”

“J-just a smidge. We… we’re really close.”

Sarah dropped her smile and claimed the seat by Tiara. She took her time so that Tiara could settle down. They looked at each other the same way Sarah and Roger had earlier. “How close?”

Tiara grabbed the mouse and the cursor flew around, pulling up several videos that orbited a map. Dots and titles matching the videos’ filenames marked the map. “Night shift was working backwards from what you had and managed to pull some receipts. Too far and disconnected to get a bead just from that, but it was enough to start looking for cars.”

A video in the upright played a scene from a parking lot. It paused when one car left the lot. Tiara pointed at it, specifically the tires. “I got called in when this vehicle showed up in a few videos.”

A few more clicks pulled up images of tracks in the snow, closer views showing black flecks amongst the white, and data tables filled with mathematical and chemical formulas.

“Plates were stolen, but treads matched up and so would the material if they haven’t changed tires recently.”

“So, we started getting pings.” Sarah rested a half-closed hand on her lips for a second. She poured over everything Tiara had brought up. Clenching her hand into a fist revealed a scowl. “They really must be hurting for cash or they’re amateurs for not dumping the car.”

The look in Sarah’s eyes kept Tiara silent. Their already piercing blue appeared almost animated and seemed to expand outward to obscure their whites. Tiara still remembered the first time seeing that look and nearly dropping whatever she had been holding at the time. Roger joked and called it a death beam. To Tiara, it evoked the feeling of a predator sizing up its prey, but it did not call to mind any specific creature. It was more like a hungry, sentient flame about to consume a powder keg.

“… ady?”

Tiara snapped to attention.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her. The flame was still there but restrained. “You good?”

“Oh, yeah. Just uh…”

“I had the look, didn’t I?”

“Well, I…” Tiara blushed. “I mean, good sign?”

Sarah rubbed her chin. “Probably, but let’s see if we can finally get our location.”

~~~

At some point in the morning, the unit chief had returned from his coffee run. Several bags filled with bean varieties and snacks dangled from each arm. The number of bags betrayed the muscle his loose button-down shirt covered. He caught sight of Sarah and Tiara pressed up against their screens and heard the sounds coming from Roger’s section of the office. So, he slipped the bags onto the counter and filed everything away without making a sound.

He made his way to his personal office, sat down, and pulled up his emails. Giving his mustache a stroke, he got into catching up with the morning workload.

Near noon, there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” he said.

Sarah strode in with Tiara behind her. In her hands was a manila folder with a block of paper sticking out of it. “Mark, we’ve got a hit for the Reuben matter.”

Alysa Reuben.

Daughter of Miles Reuben and heir to a successful chemical business. It pulled in just the right level of cash that her going missing a week ago got a few local news clips and a statement from the police. Nothing bigger than that though.

That suited Mr. Reuben fine for now. His company, started by his grandfather in twenties, had the right funds on the books to get off the ground without any unwanted attention. His grandfather had seen people go blind drinking hooch from the backwoods of who-knows-where. Given his chemistry degree, he knew the blindness and other maladies of the time could be resolved with skilled hands, the exact hands he had. So, he took a bet people would not mind a swig from a vat that made cleaning supplies whenever inspectors or police came by.

This little set-up had linked Reuben Chemicals with certain individuals that offered protection and connections to then-very-in-demand markets. They also had use for the actual chemicals the Reubens made.

Alcohol had long since become legal again, but the Reubens and the mafia’s relationship had continued to the present.

So, while some select cops could get involved, too many of them poking around could lead to a number of, at best, inconveniences.

That is where Sarah’s work had come in. Rich, eccentric, paranoid— all those who did not want to or could not go to the police were her regular clientele. Some days, jobs could just be delivering some groceries and maybe even getting a taste.

Then, there were jobs like this.

Mark took the folder and skimmed the report. Both women sat down. The only sound in the office was him turning pages. Tiara felt her skin prickle while Sarah waited patiently in her seat.

“So,” Mark’s voice carried the word with weight across the desk, “I’ll have Roger scope things out, but if it looks like we’re on target, how do you expect to get close?”

Sarah reached over and pulled a picture from the folder. “We have our key.”

~~~

Sam gave a yawn as he walked down the aisle. His shoulders still ached from the lumber transport earlier in the day. His one solace was that tomorrow was free. His baggy eyes scanned across the shelfs for a good whiskey to go with the roast chicken in his basket.

When he neared his goal, he spotted a woman reaching up high. He grinned and realized she was going for the same drink he was. Lifting up a hand, he grabbed a bottle.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Hey, no problem. This is good stuff, though a bit pricey. Got a celebration coming up?”

“Reunion, though half of this is just to get me through the door.”

“Yeesh.” Sam grabbed his own bottle. “Worth it?”

“We’ll see.” The woman grinned and made her way to the checkout.

Sam had what he needed as well, so he followed. “So, you’re a local then?”

“Just grew up here. You?”

“Been working jobs for a few years here and there. Man’s gotta eat, you know.”

The two proceeded to checkout and stepped outside. Sam moved to head to his car but saw the woman was standing a little away from the store, typing something into her phone. He paused. Snow had been falling since the late afternoon and had coated the lot. Waiting for a ride?”

“Oh, it should just be a few minutes.”

The corners of Sam’s lips curled. “I could give you a ride if you like.”

“That’s very kind of you.” The woman slipped her phone into her purse and drew close to him. Her next words were like steel to Sam’s ears. “How many girls have you gotten into your car like that?”

Before Sam could respond, he felt actual steel press against his hip. The woman had positioned herself in such a way no cameras or anyone walking out of the store would see the gun. A car pulled in from the street and up to the pair.

“Now,” said Sarah. “I think I’ll give you a ride.”

~~~

On the outside, the car passed for a regular SUV. For all regular driving purposes, it was as well. Tinted windows were not uncommon. The back, with its two seats facing each other was the only major indicator on the surface that this was not an ordinary car.

Sam, now sweating as the snow flecked off the windows, found himself constrained to one chair. The sweat was notable not just for the situation but because he had been stripped to his undershirt and thermals. His own gun had disappeared up front.

“Amateurs, Amateurs,” Sarah sighed. “Living it up, when you haven’t even sealed a deal. Unless, of course, you’re making promises you can’t keep.”

“I don’t know what you’re ta—”

“Shhh-shhh-shhh.” Sarah held a finger to her lips. “That kind of talk is only going to keep you here longer. I’m sure you wanted to get home, drink your socks off, and then maybe scrape yourself up just enough tomorrow morning to see your kid. I’m sure he’d be thrilled.”

The sweat thickened on Sam. “W-what?”

“Honestly, I would make sure I had enough cash to deal with alimony and child support before blowing it on booze, but who am I to judge you on your free time?” Sarah took a breath and allowed her words to sink in. When she next looked at Sam, her eyes pierced his soul. “So, are we clear? You’ve got no secrets in this car.”

“My boss wi—”

“’Have your back?’ Like with Paul? How about Larry? Did you know Bart’s sentencing is next week?”

Each name shaved more color off of Sam.

“Like I said, no secrets.” Sarah leaned closer to Sam. Restrained, he could not avoid her gaze. “That means we’re all in on who you’ve got and where you’re all at. We just need a little help paying your friends a visit. Quite unfortunate for them but lucky for you if you’re willing to lend a hand.”

~~~

Two of the three people in the car shivered in the early light of day. Tiara, from the boots on her feet to the goggles that had replaced her glasses, felt the uneven energy zinging through her nerves.

Sam gripped the wheel. He was fully clothed again but his shakes made Sarah grimace.

“Take a breath,” Sarah ordered. “You get us in and we’ll handle the rest.”

Sam said nothing. He gave the smallest of bows with his head.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Tiara asked.

“He’ll be fine,” Sarah insisted. “In his circumstances, I certainly wouldn’t complain about getting to spend a night in S Suite.”

“S?” Tiara cocked her head. “Not I? Then why is he…”

“Because when we got honest with each other, Sammy here told me he’s very new at this line of work.” Sarah glared at Sam from the passenger seat. He shuddered enough that the car veered a little out of the lane. “Eyes on the road.”

Tiara observed Sam’s pale expression. It was one she had seen a few times before; each time when Sarah had been involved. Numerous theories had cropped up in Tiara’s mind about what had occurred but nothing Tiara could latch onto. Those like Sam bore no bruises, cuts, or other injuries that Tiara associated with extracting information. None of the supplies at the office used for those jobs were depleted when Sarah brought people to this state. With where they were headed and having built up a little courage, Tiara’s curiosity prevailed over her trepidation. “And then?”

“And then I learned he was surprised when someone doesn’t like getting kidnapped. Our target has some fight in her and Sam wanted to remove that with some smacks. The others had better sense and stopped him after just a busted lip,” Sarah answered. From her seat, Tiara could not see it, but she was certain the fire was blazing in Sarah’s eyes. “Sam and I talked for a while after that on the ins-and-outs of work like this. Physical violence against a prisoner really is the worst way to get what you want. It’s much better when you go in already knowing everything there is to know about your prisoner. His likes. His struggles. His fears. When you know someone like that, you can spot where their whole life can come crumbling down.”

The energy that had left Tiara nervous about what awaited was subsumed. It was cold inside the car. Sam’s shivers were more violent than Tiara’s. “Y-you can do that with what we found?

“When you have a good starting point, most people can go from incomprehensible aliens to open books real fast.” Sarah glanced back, giving Tiara a view of just the upper half of her face. Her eyes were still focused but Tiara did not feel captive in their gaze. “You and the night shift got me to the starting point. Thanks.”

“Oh, um…” Tiara searched for the words, but the shifting moods in the car had left her at a loss. As she tried to find an appropriate response, she observed the streets just beginning to fill with traffic. She fell back on common curtesy. “You’re welcome… I hope I’m as good today.”

“Orders are orders,” Sarah sighed. “I’d have preferred you at a distance as well, but guess Boss is wanting us both out of our comfort zones for this.”

The voice of a woman of indeterminate age came to both Tiara and Sarah’s minds. They had not seen her yesterday after Mark passed the information up to the top, but both women had sensed a grin dancing across the woman’s lips. “Ms. Feinstein, you need to be more hands on. Ms. Sachs, I shall leave her and on-the-ground command to you.”

~~~

They drove along for a while longer, weaving through downtown’s seemingly unending roadwork. Along the way, Sarah and Tiara shifted positions thanks to some late-night remodeling on Sam’s car. As they pulled up to a lot where bare earth lay exposed next to piles of freshly cleared snow, neither of the women was visible to onlookers.

Sam’s car joined a few others. The drivers, like Sam, leaned toward being on the bigger side. A half-finished skyscraper rose up ahead of the cars, exposed beams at the top shined bright from the morning sun. The first few floors were covered in glass and a few rooms had insulation. The workers who got to install it were envied by the others at this time of year, but the foreman had cited their experience and certification. Sam just happened to be one of those workers.

He pulled up near a row of porta-potties. It was not a highly sought after spot but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Plus, sometimes people needed the convenience after a long morning drive.

Sarah looked up at Sam after he put the car in park and jerked her head to the side. Sam grabbed the door handle, but Sarah clasped onto him. “Remember, birds are out and about.”

Sam gulped, nodded, and left the car. He went around and opened the door on the other side, retrieving his safety gear while Sarah and Tiara slid out. They stayed crouched while Sam hustled over to a john. He went in for a few minutes and then made his way over to the other workers.

An older man with salt and pepper whiskers spotted Sam and called to him from the table where he had been reviewing blueprints. “Sam? Thought you had the day off.”

“F-forgot my mug.”

“Well, grab a cup before you head home, ya look like death warmed over.”

“Yeah…” Sam shuffled around, looking here and there. “Maybe coming down with something.”

The older man’s forehead creases. “Give Oslo a heads up before you lea—”

A blast cut the man off. Everyone stopped their work and looked around for the source of the sound. They all caught sight of some large misshapen object tearing through the air but the sun made it difficult to fully see. Then, all their noses were assaulted with the harsh odor of chemicals. They all knew the smell but not at this intensity. Just as the shape came crashing down, it became clear what it was: the top portion of a porta-potty. Its jagged edges clunked into the cold earth with a dull thud.

The workers stood stunned for a moment, the calamity slowly dawning on them. A whistle trilled a set of blasts. Training took over. Crews moved away from the building and over to where sawdust and other cleanup materials were.

While the workers dealt with the results of the concoction Tiara had crafted and Sam had dumped into the john, she and Sarah bolted across the site. Their sprint came to a stop at the half-finished skyscraper. Pressing close to its base, they paused to catch their breath. There were a few glints in the sky, perceptible only if you looked long enough or if you knew something was there.

“R1,” Sarah said into her earpiece, “we’re ready to do our inner breach.”

“Three bears went to hibernate,” Roger replied. “Goldilocks could have more company. Huntsmen are on standby. Sheriff is getting pings but isn’t out to collect yet.”

Sarah upholstered her gun. Tiara did the same. The former gave a signal with her hand and the two moved in.

It was still cold inside but a few degrees warmer. The wind rustled tarps and made wires clink against pipes and cement. Sarah and Tiara advanced, eyes scanning the metal frames and incomplete walls.

They managed to make it to the stairs without interruption. The stairwell was darker than the rest of the building, but there was still enough required lighting and openings above that it was not pitch black. Still, they raised their legs high with each step and felt around with their feet. A well-placed rod or a random wire could be an effective security system without regular construction workers being any the wiser.

As they ascended the first flight up, a pair of boots resonated against the stairs’ bare steel. The pair zipped back down with as little sound as possible and hugged the corner most out of sight. From there, they had just enough of a view to catch whoever might come down the stairs. Sarah kept a grip on her gun while Tiara holstered hers and grabbed a second firearm from her waist. This one, though comparable in size to a handgun, had a barrel bigger than a shotgun’s.

Each footstep rang through the stairwell. Sarah kept her right hand hovering over the left as it grasped her gun tight. All her muscles were clenched but she felt it most in her core where the burn of adrenaline was strongest. She controlled her breathing despite the inflamed tension until a shoulder appeared from above the stairs. She flexed her right hand and sliced it up before bringing it back by her other hand.

Tiara aimed and fired. A dart flashed through the air and lodged into a man’s neck. Tiara could not resist a smile when the man reached for the dart trying to process what it was as his limbs grew heavy. He lurched, planted into a wall, and slumped down to the ground, unconscious.

Then, a clang rang. Followed by another and another. The stairwell continued to echo after the flashlight that had fallen from the man’s grasp rolled down the final step and came to rest at the base.

“Frankie?” a voice called from above. “What the hell wa—”

No one descended the stairs. Instead, quickened footsteps resounded from above.

“Showtime.” Sarah pressed into her earpiece. “R1, veil down, bears awake. Protocol six.”

Required input in, Sarah strode forward. Caution for making a racket abandoned, she flew upwards, but just as quickly came to a halt at the top of the stairs.

Tiara had followed so close behind she almost bumped into Sarah. Scanning the scene, Tiara calculated Sarah was at the exact point something from beyond the doorframe could neither see nor reach them.

Sliding a hand into her jacket, Sarah grabbed a rubber ball and threw it in a curve so it looked like it was coming straight through the door.

A hail of gunfire greeted the ball when it flew into the room.

“Semi,” said Tiara after a moment of silence. “Probably with mods.”

Sarah pulled back a free hand to her belt. Several spheres and tubes hung from it. She grabbed one of each and threw a sphere close to the ground. Seconds after it cleared the doorframe, a small explosion and dozens of tinks of metal banging, crashing, and slicing into the construction site filled the air. Counting down second, Sarah threw the tube.

Tiara saw it arc through the air and covered her ears. It had been a little while since she had last experienced it, so seeing the flash even though she had closed her eyes and they were shielded by her goggles stunned her.

Sarah was already storming past the last bastion of security when Tiara opened her eyes. Tiara raced after her, hands shuffling around her belt to replace the tranquilizer with the more permanent option.

Shots rang out. Metal clanged against the ground. Then, the rip of something corrugated based on the sound. Tiara saw Sarah roll behind a pillar, tearing her foot through the floor. Alarms blaring in her head, Tiara rushed for cover.

More shots sliced through the air. Tiara took as good a glance as she could from her position and saw a hole in the ground. There were crimson splatters around its jagged edges.

“Careful,” came a man’s voice. “Only authorized personnel allowed.”

“Cajun!” Sarah ordered. Tiara reached for the sphere at her side, but Sarah threw one in the seconds she knew it would take Tiara to reach for her belt— just enough time for the man to change his aim.

Red smoke burst ahead of Tiara and Sarah. Coughing racked the air. Tiara dared to peek from her cover. Sarah wrenched herself from around a pillar, took aim and fired.

Silence.

A breeze crested through the building, dispersing the smoke. Two men lay sprawled on the floor, each with heavy artillery nearby. Three pools of blood were congealing into a single spot under one of the men. The other man only had one pool by his upper shoulder. Tiara seized her tranquilizer and fired. The second man went limp.

“Glad you upgraded to two shots,” Sarah huffed and went down to a knee. Tiara moved over to her, skirting the open space between the steel pillars. The floor groaned in spots, but, heeding the earlier warning, Tiara sidled, so that her full weight was never on one point. Reaching Sarah, she took cover and crouched beside her.

Rough cuts tore through the bottom third of Sarah’s right pants’ leg. Blood wettened the fabric and dribbled onto her sock and shoe. She pulled out a miniature spray can and brought it near her wounds. As the antiseptic misted over her leg, she seethed. “Superficial. Some may need a few stitches later. Amateur.”

“Better than me.” Tiara glanced at the men’s weapons while getting some gauze from the kit on her belt. After she had finished bandaging the wounds, she shifted around to take in the space. A pitter-patter near where the dead man lay and the rustle of tarps punctuated the silence.

Sarah remained focused on the door just off to the side a few yards down from them. There were other doors, but they were all attached to suites and conference rooms with incomplete walls or windows. “We’ll need to move faster now. Stay on your toes, aside from the floor, they may have left some other traps. Go.”

Tiara tensed. “But I—”

“Anyone left would have come out by now. If not to join the fight, then to move the target, unless they’ve got some other escape route. So, you need to move. I’ll cover you.”

Sarah was now looking straight at Tiara. It was not the piercing glare that sent shivers down Tiara’s spine but a magnified variant of the look Sarah gave when they made a major breakthrough at the office. It reminded her of getting As and winning science competitions. Taking a breath, Tiara nodded and got up.

“R1, S1 sprung a beartrap,” she said while reaching up to a knob on her goggles with one hand and into a pouch with the other. Steam rose from the pouch. “She’s providing cover while I secure the target. Ready Huntsmen for cleanup. Two bears found nice beds, the third found a ditch.”

“Copy. Mess is still getting cleaned up outside but there may be some bears mixed with the sheep.”

“Copy.” Tiara removed a small vial from her pouch, uncorked it, and threw the contents ahead of her. The vial’s liquid shimmered and splashed on the ground, but bits of it remained suspended in the air. It dripped down and to the sides, forming metallic trails in the cold air that highlighted previously unseen wires.

Tiara advanced. The floor creaked here and there, but did not give. Tiara became more certain the first trap was the only one related to the floor. It was likely an intentional fault that could be patched when the building’s darker role was no longer needed or a small explosion, one with a delivery system minor enough to skirt notice but enough to crumple part of the floor. It was the kind of thing that could lead to a workplace accident but nothing further. After all, workers still had to move through here day-to-day.

The wires likely operated on a similar basis. They were strung close to corners and pillars, not out in the open where anyone could get clotheslined by them. They looked easy to cut and perhaps that was how certain workers got rid of them while regular workers were on the clock, but there was likely a certain disposal method Tiara was not privy to or had the time to learn.

It was a decent system: a three-hit combo of armed guards, a trap that kept one focused on the ground, and a second that took advantage of that created blind spot. Tiara had to acknowledge that it was at least an impediment given what it had done to Sarah.

Yet, Tiara had time to think over all of this while slipping around the exposed wires, so “decent” was the highest she could rank it. She resumed keeping her weight evenly distributed just in case the floor still actually did hold another trap. Vials glinted and spilled more gallium. By the time she drew close to the door, her path resembled a melting spiderweb.

Sarah watched from afar. She kept her gun drawn. Her leg throbbed, but at this point she welcomed it. It had remained quiet and the logical side of her brain whispered the danger was past. Her injuries helped keep her muscles tense and fed her training and instincts that until she left the building with the target, she could not relax.

That and the fire in her core. It was always there, smoldering through her work, but cases like this raised it to a flame. Only completion of the job could smother it to little more than the tiniest of embers. Anything that got in her way she would burn. At the back of her mind, she imagined it would be nice giving everyone involved the same treatment she had given Sam, but that was not part of the job. The Reubens had more than enough methods of revenge that did not involve Sarah. She instead directed the flame into keeping her grip steady.

Tiara drew near the door. Now she just had to open it.

When Tiara raised up a leg, Sarah seized up. The form was correct but the positioning relative to the door was wrong. The kick flew forward and smashed through the lock. Just as Tiara lowered her leg, someone shoved a muzzle into the open space.

Three shots caught Tiara in the chest.

The flame exploded inside Sarah. Everything about the case and the sight of seeing a junior—her junior whom she helped train and supervise—fall ripped away her professional mask for a split second. That was all she needed.

The shooter was the last line of defense so he had been focused solely on the intruder right at his door. His head was exposed but Sarah aimed for his hands. The idea of aiming lower flashed through her mind but she did not want him to bleed out.

No. The shot she was about to fire would just be the start. She would find the shooter’s worst nightmares and make them real. Every connection the shooter had; she would tear down. Everything precious, she would burn. The shooter’s life would become ash.

Her eyes flared, now accompanied by a grin radiating bloodlust.

She squeezed the trigger as the flames, a sadistic blaze, swelled within her.

And flames exploded from her gun. It was not the flash from her muzzle, but a great column of fire. Blinding yellow and ruby roared forward, tearing through the construction site. Steel reddened and creaked when touched by the flames.

As the blazing pillar bore down on the shooter, its recoil launched Sarah back and into the air. She crested into the abyss, her left arm cracking and snapping. Her training—her old training—kicked in and reprimanded her.

Her position was one of the worst she could take if using a spell.

She was falling now. As she did, her hair flowed around her. A bright yellow now mixed with her auburn hair. It was as if the flames had followed her. No, it was more than just flames, she knew what her mane resembled. In the early morning hours, a sunset appeared.

Confusion, powerful as it was, was subsumed by guilt. She regained herself in that brief weightlessness and felt what was coming was deserved. With just a breath or any other kind of pause, she could have avoided this outcome. Why a spell—the impossible— had occurred was secondary to the fact she had used her weapon not as a professional. She had lost herself for a split second. For as much as she tried to quell the flame in her, to direct it to good, it could never be fully dowsed.

The ground was a more pressing issue.

She thrust out her right hand in desperation even though old instincts were also telling her to concentrate from a horn that did not exist.

She slammed into the ground a split second after a bit of aura burst out of her hand and cushioned the blow. The world grew dark.

Answers would not come in those last moments of consciousness but there were two inescapable realities.

She was Sunset Shimmer, and something was terribly wrong.

Author's Note

I've been wanting to do a Sunset Shimmer story for sometime, but maybe was too nervous to fully commit to it because I have a certain reverence for her character.

There's something I like about her existing between worlds and the struggles she goes though on multiple fronts (pony to human, villain to hero, tyrant to friendly leader).

Plus, with this releasing on Halloween, there's the bonus she deals with wearing masks (who else remembers that early toy?)