The Disappearance of Twilight Sparkle

by Charliemane

Chapter 7

Sunset Shimmer stretched as she crawled out of the bed. Even though she had only slept in the hay pile for one night, it was enough to make her appreciate having a bed again. But it was not a luxury that she was willing to enjoy too much.

“I wonder how Twilight is able to sleep...”

Sunset Shimmer put a hoof to her chest and sighed. She didn't have time to waste with pointless worrying. She had to resume her search immediately. She was almost down the stairs when her heart was stopped by a familiar voice from the doorway.

“We believe the perpetrator was using a stolen wagon. Are you missing any wagons?”

A calm voice answered the voice that she immediately recognized as Inspector Javanner.

“Nope.”

“I see. Have you taken inventory of your wagons recently?”

“Ee-yup.”

“I see. Is there any other pony here?”

“Nope.”

“I will be frank with you, sir. I have received a report that a fugitive may be hiding around this area. Would you mind if we searched the area?”

“...”

“Excuse me, but I didn't hear you. May we search the area around here for a fugitive from the law?”

“Ee-Ee-yup.”

“Thank you.”

Sunset Shimmer held her breath as she pressed herself flat against the stairwell and soon she heard the scuffling of hooves from the doorway.”

“Nope.”

“You just gave me permission to search the area.”

“The area, not the house.”

“I see. Of course you would not hide a fugitive from the law, would you?”

“Nope.”

“Very well. If you will excuse me...Officer Constable! Tell your ponies to start sweeping the area.”

The door closed with an audible squeak in its rusted hinges and soon Big Mac was looking up the stairs at Sunset Shimmer.

“The police know I'm here?”

“Ee-yup.”

Sunset Shimmer felt her heart start to beat faster and faster.

“I need to go. I'm endangering all of you.”

“Nope.”

Big Mac looked out the window and shook his head. Following his eyes, Sunset Shimmer could see there were policeponies everywhere. Gritting her teeth, Sunset Shimmer looked around and tried to think of a way out. She may be able to fend off one or two ponies with her magic, but she certainly couldn't fight an entire battalion.

“Is Applejack off to go find Fluttershy?”

“Ee-yup.”

“Applebloom off to school?”

“Ee-yup.”

“Granny Smith gone shopping?”

“Ee-yup.”

“Alright, listen, Big Mac, you've fed me and given me a place to stay. You've all been very kind to me, especially since the only thing I have to prove my innocence is my word. I want you to know I'll never forget it.”

Big Mac narrowed his eyes as he looked from the window to her and back again.

“What are you going to do?”

“I'll teleport...behind that wagon there. They'll think I was hiding without you knowing about it. Nopony can prove you helped me.”

Big Mac raised a hoof to stop her, but it was too late.

“Thank you, thank you all.”

---

Sunset Shimmer materialized behind the wagon with a pop. Careful to look around, Sunset didn't have much time before she heard the police whistle.

“There she is! Stop her!”

Sunset Shimmer raced towards the town as fast as she could, casting a small shield behind her to deflect the magical bolts fired at her from the pursuing police. As she turned down the road, she saw Javanner and another officer in front of her.

“This is the end of the line, Miss Shimmer!”

Quickly teleporting behind him, Sunset Shimmer never even broke her stride as she continued running. Javanner teleported after her, but as before, he was no match for her in magic, however, he had another ace up his uniform sleeve.

“I've got it chief!”

The chillingly familiar voice immediately caused Sunset Shimmer's head to spin around. There, flying directly behind her at full speed was a blue pegasus. She had never seen this pony before, but she already knew her as this world's Rainbow Dash.

She barely managed to teleport to the side as Rainbow Dash's attempted tackle passed right beside her.

“Hey! Hold still!”

Rainbow Dash pulled off and around for another pass. There was no way Sunset Shimmer could hold her off for long. Even with teleportation, she figured that the Rainbow Dash she knew as a pegasus would be far too fast for her to deal with. She would only get one more chance to get away now. As Rainbow Dash zoomed in to tackle her again, Sunset Shimmer released a bright flash, blinding everypony around her as she continued running.

“Where is-! Ah!”

Rainbow Dash plowed into the ground behind Sunset Shimmer, sending dirt and grass everywhere. Down, but not quite out, she bounced up and stumbled after her, her eyes blinking rapidly.

“Come back here! Coward!”

The police were still pursuing as they reached the outskirts of town, but as she teleported in and out of the buildings around them, she could tell she was losing them and she finally stopped beneath a bridge, hugging the stone arch as she heard ponies racing over it above her.

Once the immediate rush of adrenaline began to fade away, Sunset Shimmer found her heart was suddenly broken. It had been hard for her to deal with everybody back in the mirror world being suspicious of her. It had been surprisingly hard for her to reconcile herself with the fact that everypony here was now suspicious of her, but the fact that her friends were now accusing her of betraying Twilight destroyed her spirit.

Tears were pouring out of her eyes as she shivered under the bridge. It wasn't fair. She had learned the lessons of friendship, but now here she was fighting her “friends” again. If only her friends from the mirror world were here, then she felt like she could do this.

Holding back a sob, she tried to review what little she knew in her mind in an effort to get her mind off of her situation. The actual culprit must look like her, after all, the police were clearly convinced that she was the perpetrator before she even arrived in this world, but that was all she had. Closing her eyes, Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth, partially in frustration and partially to hold back her anger and her tears.

“If only my friends were here. They'd think of something.”

Thinking of Applejack's help from yesterday, Sunset Shimmer smiled slightly.

“It's almost like they are here. After all, they have their mirror...selves...surely...no...”

Suddenly Sunset Shimmer stood up and looked towards the castle in the center of town.

“I need to get back in there...tonight.”