//------------------------------// // Sunny's Bizarre Adventure Chapter 04 // Story: The Many Destinies of Sunset Shimmer // by ratedoni //------------------------------// “It happened more than ten years ago… no, to be sincere, it all began more than a hundred years ago” The thin man wearing suit pants and a button up shirt said while looking through the window of his office. The afternoon sun illuminated the beautiful portion of the garden that the window had access to. It was a great view and it was obvious that the man enjoyed it every day, but this time the man was not watching the garden; no, his mind was somewhere far away, taking Sunset also for a trip. It was a very interesting day so far, first saving Twist, later on finding she had some kind of spirit with her and now here, on an ancient looking mansion. Sunset knew that this part of the city had many expensive houses but never would she have guessed that Fluttershy lived in one of those. It was the second biggest surprise on the day, and seriously, Sunset knew she would get many surprises before the day was over, that was the feeling she had. The six girls had decided to go to Fluttershy’s house after school with the intention of getting more information about Sunset’s ability. If she was right, then they would find something specific about her condition and with it meant. Once they arrived at the house they were immediately received by Fluttershy’s parents, and after a couple of seconds of gawking Sunset was quickly pulled into Fluttershy’s dad office. It was there that the girl had met the thin pink haired man and his joviality had disappeared once Fluttershy explained what she had seen and asked him if he had any information about it. He politely asked his daughter to leave and Sunset was soon alone alongside the man who began his story with a grave tone. Sunset could hear an old clock ticking away on one corner of the office as the sweet smell of a cigar filled her nostrils. The man named Rain Essence O. Speedwagon waved his hand to put off the match on his hand as he took a sit on a very plush office chair, next he exhaled the smoke and the trail floated lazily up into the ceiling. “More than a hundred years ago, my own great grandfather met the man who changed his life. You could say that the man was indirectly responsible for the creation of our Foundation. My grandfather was something of a street thug, but he became a better person once he met Jonathan Joestar. Sadly, that good man passed away, killed by a monster named Dio Brando. I’ll make the story short, suffice to say that this Dio found the way to cheat death and became an immortal due to a special mask.” Rain continued with the tale while Sunset became absorbed with the story; it was quite interesting to hear something that could come right out of a fantasy book, but she knew that crazy stuff seemed to thrive on the human world. Sunset knew that it probably had to do with Star Swirl since apparently the old pony used the mirror as a prison without even caring if anyone on the other side could be hurt. Now that she thought about it, maybe she should send a letter to the Princess and ask her if she knew of anything else that was send through the mirror like the Sirens. “What happened to this Dio?” “Well, he was released from the bottom of the ocean fourteen years ago; thankfully the grandson of Jonathan Joestar, Joseph, and his grandson followed his trail and destroyed him.” “Fluttershy said that what happened to me had something to do with what happened in Cairo, how is that even possible?” “What you have to understand, is that this man, Dio Brando, had found a way to create something special. According to the reports of the team that researched on this monster’s house back in Cairo, he was capable of awaken something inside living things. An image that represents the mental fortitude and potential of every single living being on the planet, always appearing from the back of its host, only being perceived by those that also have awakened their spirit.” At each of Rain’s words Sunset understood a little bit more of what she had seen the morning before school, how it was impossible for others to see the rolling boulder. “Is it dangerous?” “For others, maybe, but it will never hurt the user, for you see Sunset Shimmer, they will always protect its owner. What you believe to be a spirit or an apparition is all your potential and abilities and it will always stand by your side, that’s why they are called Stands.” Rain said finishing his explanation to what had happened to Sunset, although she was sure that she would have many more things to learn if she wanted to fully understand this power “but there is something definitely weird about yours Sunset, for you see, the only ones capable of gaining a stand are those of the Joestar bloodline, or those who Dio Brando himself awoke, so why was it possible that you woke one?” “I’m pretty sure you’ll have a better idea considering I have never even heard of things like this; I’m a magical and technological genius, but this… even I feel this thing is beyond me, I’m not even sure what is going on around the city these days.” “So what will you do then Sunset Shimmer? What you need is someone that will help you understand how to control your Stand; sadly I’m not the one who will be capable of that. What I can do is to get in contact with someone with a more… ‘Hands on’ approach to Stands, sadly it will take several days for him to come to Canterlot considering how busy he is these days, after all, I heard that he is finally getting his Ph.D.” Rain said accompanying Sunset into the lobby where the rest of her friends were waiting for her. Five of them then left the house as each of them went in the direction of their respective places. After a couple of streets it was only Rainbow Dash and Sunset the ones that were still together when it happened. Sunset didn’t know why but she felt a presence and then a feeling on the back of her head, almost as if something tried to warn her. Sunset simply acted, pushing Rainbow out of the way as something metallic flew through the air and struck Sunset on the shoulder. If she hadn’t moved Rainbow then it would have gone through her first. The blood seeped out of the hole in her shoulder while Rainbow scrambled up, soon both friends saw the only possible culprit of what had just happened. Standing in the middle of the lonely street was what seemed a metal mannequin with no eyes and instead a visor. “STAND USER FOUND… INITIATING COMBAT PROTOCOLS” Was what it said in an extremely distorted voice. Sunset just knew that her life in Canterlot had become very dangerous.