//------------------------------// // 1. Dreams or Memories? // Story: Sunset Nikos // by Diokno44 //------------------------------// It was another one of those dreams again. They always felt so real to the yellow and red haired girl. In her hands were a smooth, round, bronze shield, paired with a slim, double-edged blade, like those used in Ancient Roam. Before her stood a blond haired man, his face blurred out. He wore what appeared to be basic body armor, painted white, over a hoodie of some kind, worn jeans, sneakers, and some thin gloves. In his hands were similar weapons, except his white sword resembled a standard broadsword, like one used in Pengland. prior to the invention of firearms. Both of them were in battle ready positions. However, something in her knew that this man was important to her somehow and that they were engaged in a sparring match. However, his name escaped her. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't reel it in. "______, are you ready?" she asked, as she lunged forward, blade arched. "Ready!" The main said as he raised his shield up. He swung his sword forward. Metal bit into metal as their weapons clashed. Sunset smiled warmly, _____'s certainly improving. Sunset thought, as her eyes wandered his body. While he was still fairly lanky, she did notice his physique was slowly, but surely, building. Small muscles were visible through his black hoodie. She could, through the openings in his armor, vaguely make out some sort of rabbit looking face taking up a good portion of the front of the jacket. She pushed forward, sending the man stumbling back, but the blonde youth quickly caught his footing, panting, his chest rising and falling beneath the alabaster and gold cuirass he wore. They had danced this dance before, coming up together onto the rooftop of what she, somehow knew, was a dormitory, every single night for the past few weeks now, metal clashing with metal. After a few more rounds of back and forth, Sunset raised a bracered hand, her ample chest rising and falling as she rested, a warm smile on her face. "Alright ______, I think we can take a little break," she said, then wiped some sweat from her circlet enclosed brow. The main gave her a tired thumbs up, sheathing his blade into a scabbard attached to his shield, then setting it aside. Sunset smiled, her crimson miniskirt swaying in the faint night breeze, as she went over to a nearby backless steel bench on the right side of the door leading back into the dorm. She leaned back, and grabbed one of the two bottles of water, unscrewed the cap, and began to chug down the cool, refreshing liquid. She sighed in relief, stretching, "You've improved immensely since we first started _____." she said, as he took a seat next to her. Sunset held out the second water bottle, which he took in his gloved hand, uncapped, and began drinking, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each gulp of water. The blonde man turned to her, his azure eyes shining. He put the empty water bottle down next to him, intending to recycle it for a little pocket change as soon as he could. He nodded, "Thanks, Pyrrha." He said as reality began to crumble away into darkness. __________________________________________________________________X___________________________________________ Sunset awoke, springing up in bed, one hand resting on her forehead. Her heart hammered in her chest. "W-why do I keep having these dreams?" she asked herself, panting softly. She figured she had been watching too much anime at first, but these dreams felt all too real, too vivid, almost like memories. The ketchup and mustard haired girl shook her head, ¨That´s impossible." she chuckled slightly. ¨I mean, I only turned into a human when I stepped through the portal." she got out of bed, wiping the sweat from her brow. ¨I need to cut down on the Blue Cow.¨ she said, heading into her bedroom´s connected bathroom, trying not to disturb the other occupant of her room. Sunset had been staying with this universe´s version of her, an aspiring archeologist. It had taken awhile for this world´s native Sunset´s family to accept there being two of their daughter, but the original Sunset, who was referred to as Shimmer by Sunsetś new friends to avoid confusion, was overjoyed to have another person to talk to and was eager to learn about Equestria´s history. Running the water in the sink, Sunset Shimmer splashed some water on her face. Checking the clock, she noticed it was about 5:30, about the time she and her doppelganger usually awoke. Right on cue, she could hear the sound of sheets moving about, and her duplicate came into the bathroom, joining her in dunking her face in cold water. ¨Hey Sunset, another one of those dreams again?" Shimmer asked. To further differentiate herself, she styled her crimson and gold hair in a short ponytail, held in place by a rubber band. Sunset nodded drying her face with a worn white washcloth, ¨Have you thought about telling the others?¨ she asked, as her double tossed her the washcloth, and she began to dry her own face. ¨I´ll tell them at Sugercube Corner." Sunset said, quickly sending a text to this world´s Twilight, or ¨Sci-Twi" as Rainbow had dubbed her, due to her rather fetishistic love of mad science, and to resolve any confusion when Princess Twilight was visiting, which, as she was, sent a note in the magic notebook to meet her as well, and the rest of her friends. She put her phone into her jeans pocket and began changing out of her pajamas. ¨Well, better get ready for the day.¨ she said. As she was about to pull on a crimson shirt with a spear and shield emblazoned on the center, something she had a compulsion to buy while clothes shopping a month ago, her duplicate coughed, drawing her attention. Shimmer was smirking, ¨Before you put that on Sunny, you might wanna put a bra on first.¨ __________________________________________________________________X___________________________________________ After putting on the appropriate underwear, Sunset finished getting ready for the day by brushing her long hair. She was dressed in the aforementioned T-shirt, and a pair of coal gray jeans, alongside her usual black combat boots. Her doppelganger was dressed in a chocolate bomber jacket, an old charcoal gray T-shirt, a pair of old blue jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. The two headed downstairs, their parents having left for work a little under an hour ago. With both girls having recently turning eighteen, or eighteen and a half for Sunset´s case, their parents had let them stay by themselves. After having a quick breakfast of Pepo Peter´s cereal, which, while not the best tasting cereal in the world, was better than nothing, they headed out. It was nearing seven, about the time Sugercube Corner opened up. Heading into the garage, they came face to face with their twin motorcycles. Sunset´s was the color of her hair, except the bike was primarily a ruby color, with bronze trim. Shimmer´s was a sleek tactical black with a gold trim. Sunset grabbed the house keys, and strapped her helmet on, Shimmer following suit. Revving their engines, the two girls rocketed out of the garage, towards the cafe-slash-bakery.