Sunset continued to look at her hand the entire trek from the accident to the school; it might have been normal to see a teenager paying more attention to her hand than the road if she had had her cellphone on it, but this was not a normal situation. Sunset knew that there was something going on and it involved her in some way or another because it made her core tingle. It was different than the magical tingle she felt years back when she was still a unicorn learning under the tutelage of Princess Celestia but a tingle none the less.
The redhead tried to think back about what she had done just mere minutes ago but she came up empty, and that was not a feeling Sunset liked. To know that what she had just done was beyond explanations was not a nice feeling to have for Sunset. It was a mystery that felt too important to leave as just a coincidence or a ‘stray’ effect of Equestrian Magic. It was true that after the Battle of the Bands Sunset had shown some kind of affinity with Harmony Magic -which she still had no idea how it was possible since she wasn’t one of the bearers- but to simply make use of it in a burst like that, it felt too farfetched.
Sunset knew that the way magic felt on her body was truly different to the one she felt when she saved Twist, but it felt too similar, as if they were connected somehow but it eluded the redhead what kind of connection they could have.
She went back to the basics of what she knew about her new ability -and she was sure it was a new ability since there was no other explanation to what had happened- and maybe she would be able to find a conclusion to the whole mystery. First of all, it had something to do with the way her coffee thermos and Twist had simply exchanged places in an instant. Sunset remembered having that thermos on her right hand and once she extended it had disappeared in midair, as if some force had taken both objects and exchanged their locations. At least she knew that much, but what about that strange rolling boulder?
By what she had heard from the others, nobody had even seen the boulder going through the street and hitting the van on its side, as if it had been invisible to all except to Sunset. She knew she didn’t imagine it, after all, Sunset saw the damage on the van’s side so it must have been real. The only way that Sunset could even think about for something to that to happen would be as if… as if whatever power she now couldn’t even control had something to do with that boulder too. So if that was true, then by logic that boulder was someone else ability? Could someone be controlling that giant boulder? But then, for what reason?
Was it trying to escape something? Or maybe it wanted to destroy the van? But if that was its true purpose why just hit hard enough to move it? And then that’s when it finally clicked for Sunset, several pieces of the puzzle falling into their place forming a picture, which frankly, Sunset hoped it was incorrect.
What if the true target wasn’t the van, but the person that would be hit by the van? Sunset had already seen in the news about other kids being hurt in accidents, especially the last one that got hurt. If Sunset could remember, Dinky was hurt when a tree felt upon her, as if the tree had been hit by some kind of invisible force… like the rolling boulder. It was a shot in the dark but it seriously scared Sunset to think that it could be possible, it just fit.
To think that there were some strange things happening in Canterlot once again and that people were getting hurt was not good. Last time it was three girls that had immediately shown themselves and that helped immensely considering they didn’t have to waste time searching for the source, but if things were different this time and the enemy was hiding itself just sending that ‘magic construct’ alone to do its dirty job then the situation had changed and could grow beyond Sunset’s control.
It seemed, that after all the debacle of Anon-A-Miss, Sunset would once again have to call Twilight for help in a situation. But there was something more than left Sunset thinking, specifically, her ability and the reason why no one had seen the boulder; would any of that be related in some way?
Sunset left those questions for later once she got into range of a Pinkie Pie Patented Glomp that sent her to the ground. After dusting herself and joining the rest of her friends Sunset walked into the learning center known as Canterlot High. It was quickly becoming a routine to be welcomed by Pinkie and having Fluttershy practically fixed to her arm. After what had happened a couple of months ago it helped to heal the trust that the girls had among them. Sadly it could not be the same as the CMC continued to be treated as the pariahs of the school. Sunset wanted to help them but she still didn’t know how to help them.
Things had become a little awkward at lunch time, considering that the names of people that had send embarrassing information about others had been released. The amount of drama and tearful confessions had been enough to make Rarity feel tired of it all. So now Sunset had to watch several tables full of people still reeling from the damage caused by Anon-A-Miss. Thankfully, the only good thing that seemed to have come from the accident in the morning was Applebloom running in the direction of Twist and tearfully ask if the little redhead was okay. It was a start for forgiveness when the two hug each other.
Sadly, it wasn’t as well received for everyone, as one person among the students almost broke its fork at the scene. It seemed that its plan had failed, but soon, everyone will be hurt just like they had hurt her, it was only a matter of time. The person thought this before leaving the dinner hall, ready to plan the next target of its ‘Justice Road’.
While this was happening, Sunset began to tell the other girls on the table about what had just happened that morning. After listening to the questions she had already seen coming she quickly detailed the way in which Twist had been saved.
“Well, you have to admit that we have become quite used to magical stuff happening all the time, just look at the way we grow ears and the most luxurious braids.” At her word the other had to nod at Rarity’s words, or at least to the first part.
“Yeah, I mean, if we were capable of beating the Sirens then we will be able to do this too.”
“I’m not sure if that would be so easy Rainbow, I mean, there are so many things that are still a mystery, especially if I had something to do with what happened this morning.”
“You mean, the way you made Twist appear and disappear? Ah’m pretty sure that you saved her life right there.”
“Is not that… the question is, how?” Sunset said before her mind went back to the moment of the accident; how much she wanted to save Twist, of how much she wanted to have the power to do something like that, it was maddening not knowing how she did that; Sunset thought just as she crumbled a napkin on her hand. It was at that moment when Pinkie, trying to get a cupcake that was lost among the infinite bag that was also known as her hair, knocked Applejack’s Fizzy Cider bottle and just as it began to fall Sunset concentrated on the bottle, on the way it was falling and about to break on the ground, and in an instant she felt that rush of energy once again.
Next time they blinked the girls noticed the bottle of Fizzy Cider currently on Sunset’s hand as the napkin fell to the floor. Even more importantly they all noticed a hand that seemed to have golden metal gloves with a heart symbol in every knuckle also being on top of the bottle. Following the arm they all noticed how inhuman the face of the creature was, with her eyes being only crosses, the dark red hair falling up to her back and how it seemed to be coming out of Sunset’s back.
“Well… this is definitely different alright.” Sunset could only say at the apparition at her side.