//------------------------------//
// Warped 
// Story: Lack Of A Reflection 
// by Sun Aura 
//------------------------------//

Sunset stretched as she stepped out of the van. They’d stopped for lunch, but they’d been in the car for another two hours after that, and all of her felt stiff. But they were finally in Hollow Shades.
Since they didn’t know exactly how long they’d be in town, they decided to get a hotel for the night. Rarity checked them in while the rest of them took time to remember how legs work. Pinkie, having not slept nor powered down, put on the headband to keep her ears in check. Thankfully she put on her shoes too, but she was still in just the tanktop and shorts, which made everyone cold just looking at her. 
After that, they decided to leave the van behind and walk around. This world’s Sunset probably didn’t have a bunch of money with her when she ran away, so she would have a job somewhere. If they walked around long enough, they’d find her. Or at least someone who knew her. 
“I’m guessing it’d be a bad idea to search from the air,” Rainbow frowned, looking at the sky.
“They’re not used to flying teenagers here,” Applejack replied. “Besides, you can’t see into walls.”
“Hey, with all the other powers I get, that should be one!” she smirked. 
“Fortunately, that’s not a Pegasus ability,” Sunset said. “But maybe cloud cover could work? No, you can’t see through clouds that well either.”
“Cloud cover?” Sci-Twi asked.
“Pegasai control the weather in Equestria,” Princess Twilight answered. “They have passive magic that lets them touch clouds. There are actually entire cities made of clouds too. Like my Dash and Fluttershy are from the biggest one, Cloudsdale.”
“How do they make a city out of clouds?” she wondered. “Clouds aren’t even solid!”
“Magic,” Sunset and Princess Twilight shrugged.
“Fair enough,” she sighed. 
“Well, technically most clouds are made in the Weather Factory,” Princess Twilight said, “So we have clouds that are normal and only Pegasai can move, but there’s also clouds that are always solid to Pgeasai, not to anyone else though since it’s still a cloud. I mean, if you’re going to make buildings out of clouds, you really don’t want somepony flying through your bathroom.”
“They can make any kind of weather,” Sunset agreed. “Storms, lightning and rain, snowflakes are actually hoof-made, even rainbows start in a liquid form before they’re put into the sky.”
“So wait, you could actually taste a rainbow?!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Rainbow Dash actually tripped at the phrasing. Of course everyone else had to subtly snicker at what was said. 
“Well, uh,” Sunset laughed. “I don’t know if anyone’s tried it. I mean, who would just walk up to a pool of liquid rainbow and put it in their mouth without seeing if it’s dangerous or not?”
“Apparently Rainbows are edible,” Princess Twilight deadpanned. “And ridiculously spicy.”
Sunset stared at her. Princess Twilight, however, only gestured to Pinkie.
“What about tracing spells?” Applejack suggested. “Do y’all have any of those over there?”
“We have a few,” Sunset said. “But we’d either need an item of hers, or her Magical Signature. Think the magic version of a fingerprint.  And I’m not sure if our Magical Signatures are the same.”
“Even if they were,” Princess Twilight added, “Having two of the same Magical Signature would confuse the spell and make it useless anyway.”
“So back to old fashioned searching,” Rainbow sighed. “This really-“
She was cut off as someone ran into her. Sunset didn’t pay the kid any attention, but Rainbow did. Rainbow’s hand moved to her pocket before she took off.
“Jackass grabbed my wallet!” was her shouted explanation. 
The rest of them ran after her. Applejack, Pinkie, and Princess Twilight were quickest on catching up to her, their longer legs giving more speed than Sunset’s own. Sci-Twi would have been able to match them, but her lack of physical ability wasn’t doing any favors. That, and she didn’t want to leave Rarity and Fluttershy behind, since they were both the shortest and the least physically active of the group. 
It didn’t take long for Rainbow to catch up and tackle the kid. Applejack picked both of them up and held on, partly to keep the kid from running and partly to keep Dash from jumping him again.  
“Come on, Dash,” Applejack sighed. “He can’t be more than thirteen.”
“Doesn’t mean he should get to run off with my money!” Rainbow shouted, pulling herself free. 
“I ain’t saying he should,” she replied calmly. “I’m saying that since he’s a kid we can let him go after he returns what he stole.”
“Hey, I know when to give up,” the kid said, holding out Rainbow’s wallet. 
Rainbow angrily snatched her wallet back and made sure everything was still in there. She relaxed a bit, seeing everything still there. It gave everyone else time to catch their breath.
“So why’s a kid your age a thief anyway?” Princess Twilight asked. 
“Do you come from a long line of thieves?” Pinkie guessed. “Are you honing your thief skills to avenge your parents’ murder!”
“Nothing like that,” the kid said. “Just teen rebellion.”
“Not the worst thing teen rebellion can do,” Sunset laughed. “He could’ve become a supervillian!”
“I think I’ll stick to the rebellion that won’t follow me for life,” the kid said. “But thanks for the idea Miss Shimmer!”
The group stopped and frowned at the kid. He shrank back under their gaze. 
“You know me?” Sunset asked. 
“I think?” the kid replied. “But you don’t know me, so I’m not sure. Are you Miss Shimmer’s long-lost-twin?”
“Something like that,” she replied. “I’m trying to find her. Do you know where she is?”
“I don’t know where she works,” the kid said. “But she lives in my cousin’s apartment building.”
“Can we have the address?” Princess Twilight asked. 
“Are there any security codes?” Sci-Twi asked.
“No codes,” the kid said. “There’s supposed to be one to get out of the lobby area and into the actual apartments, but the thing’s always busted. Besides, this kind of town doesn’t have much for the ‘home invasion’ crime. Mostly just muggings and drunk college kids.”
“We noticed,” Pinkie giggled. 
Once the kid gave directions and an apartment number, Applejack let him go. He ran off rather quick, and everyone checked their wallets just in case.
“So what if he’s lying?” Rainbow asked. “We should’ve waited to let him go.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy scolded. “We are not kidnapping a kid just to find Sunset!”
“I didn’t mean-“ she tried to defend.
“Then what would you call carrying around a kid until we know if he’s telling us where she is?” she demanded. 
Rainbow opened and closed her mouth to try and think of a response. Yet none came. Instead she crossed her arms and pouted. 
“Besides,” Applejack said. “He was telling the truth. Kid was smart enough not to lie about stealing your wallet. He didn’t seem like the type to lie about this too.”
“And even if he was,” Rarity said, “we don’t have much to go on. Either we find her at this apartment, or we keep walking around like we planned.”
With that, they set off toward the apartment building. While everyone talked to one another, she noticed both Twilights looking lost in thought. She debated which one to talk to, but Fluttershy caught her eye first. With a nod to her, Fluttershy fell back along Sci-Twi, leaving Sunset to slide next to the Princess.
“What’s on your mind?” Sunset asked, trying not to laugh when she jumped.
“Nothing, it’s just-“ Twilight sighed. “Was that too convenient? I mean, we’re barely in the town and we immediately run into a kid who happens to point us in the right direction? What if this is some sort of trap?”
“Twi, we’re not in Equestria,” Sunset said. “There aren’t any supervillains. I mean, there’s plenty of terrible people here, but they’re normal terrible. There’s no one who wants to trap us specifically. At least no one we can’t handle. I mean, there’s a handful of students at CHS who still don’t like me, but they’re not going to rent an apartment in Hollow Shades and pay off a kid to lead us there. Plus, they would’ve had to pay off Lance too, and get me on this quest in the first place.”
“It does sound ridiculous when you say it out loud,” she laughed. “I just keep expecting everything to go sideways.”
“Maybe it will,” she shrugged. “I’d say be cautious, but go forward.”
“Thanks,” she smiled. “Kind of reminds me of dealing with Ponyville. I know it’s all going to go downhill at some point, but I might as well have fun on the ride down.”
“Good way to put it,” she laughed. “Anything else I can help you with?”
“Uh, one thing,” she replied. 
Princess Twilight glanced at everyone else, trying to see if they were listening. Still, she stepped closer and lowered her voice.
“After,” Princess Twilight began, “After the Fall Formal, did you have any, um, aftereffects?”
“Aftereffects?” Sunset asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “Nightmares, scars.”
“Oh,” she said.
Sunset double checked that no one was listening. 
“I wasn’t going to mention it,” Sunset said. "I knew it might come up if you ever saw my back, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up so I wasn't going to."
“Sunset, I-“ Princess Twilight began.
“Let me finish,” she interrupted. “Dark Magic leaves scars, especially when it causes a physical transformation. The wings and tail left their mark, but they weren’t that big a deal. I remember the transformation itself hurt like a bitch, and it still hurt as I took everyone over, but I was out of my mind with magic. Then when you guys used the Elements on me, it mostly healed up. What pain was left was manageable, only needing basic painkillers at worst.
“As for the nightmares,” she continued, “Those didn’t go away as easily, and they’re a lot less frequent now. But there’s not much I can do about them. I can’t get therapy here, because how do I explain all that to a Human Therapist? And with the portal closing, I didn’t think I would be able to go home for three years. After you opened it up semi-permanently, I thought about asking, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. I knew you’d feel guilty about it.”
“You’re right about that,” Twilight sighed. “If you do want to, I can find a therapist in Equestria.”
“Thanks,” she said. “You might want to find one for someone else too.”
“Hm?” she wondered. 
“You’re asking because of the other you, aren’t you?” she asked. “She had scars or nightmares and you wondered about me.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, crossing her arms. “I saw her back when she was putting her pajamas on last night. And then after an hour of sleep she woke up with a nightmare. Mom and Dad and Spike-her Mom and Dad and Spike- helped calm her down. I managed to Pony Up to use a sleep spell on her, just to give her a dreamless sleep. But I can’t do it all the time, and she’ll need to deal with it herself.”
“I know,” she said. “After I stopped her, I used the energy I had left on a healing spell, just so she wouldn't hurt or ruin her top. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it alone, but I want her to come to me about it, you know?”
“Trust me, I know,” she said. “If it were me, I mean actually me, I’d probably be upset if you knew. Just, be there as much as you can, but let her come to you.”
“Hey! I think we’re here!” Pinkie shouted.
Sunset looked up to the building. It wasn’t too tall, just three floors. It looked like it might’ve once been a hotel in the past, since there was a lobby. Like the kid said, there weren’t any codes or anything to get into the lobby-area, but she could see a keypad on the inside door.
Oddly, there was no one in the lobby area. Sure, most adults would be at work, but there should be kids or college students hanging with friends, right? Or at least someone heading somewhere. She tried the door, which was locked. 
“This is weird,” Sunset said. “The kid said we’d at least be able to get into the lobby.”
“By the way, what was the plan from there?” Sci-Twi asked.
“Pretend to be this world’s Sunset,” she replied. “Tell the landlord I lost my key and forgot the codes. But if this door is locked, something’s up.”
“Maybe it is a trap?”Princess Twilight whispered. 
“If it was a trap, why would they lock it?” Applejack asked. 
“I’m with AJ on this one,” Rainbow said. “If I going to set a trap, I’d make it easy to get into.”
“So how are we getting in?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well, there’s always the old-fashioned way,” Sunset shrugged. “Anyone know how to pick a lock?”
“We could always just break it,” Rainbow said.
“We’re not really suggesting breaking into a building, are we?” Rarity sighed. 
“Well,” Sci-Twi frowned in thought. “Technically, as far as the law is concerned, Sunset is ‘Sunset’, and this is ‘Sunset’s” apartment, so it’s like breaking into your own house, right?”
“Okay, but even if that’s true,” Princess Twilight said, “Technically the Landlord owns the building, so unless ‘Sunset’ is also the Landlord, that’s still a crime.”
“I’m out of ideas,” Pinkie shrugged. “At least out of ideas that don’t include ridiculous crossovers into yet more dimensions!”
“Actually, I know exactly what to do,” Sunset said.
Sunset stared at the lobby, analyzing every part of it she could see. Then she led everyone to the side of the building.
“What are you planning?” Princess Twilight asked.
“Give me a minute,” Sunset replied. 
She closed her eyes and focused on her friends, on feeling their Magic. She thought of Lance, both Lances, of the few other friends she’d managed to make at Canterlot High. It began as a tingle at her fingertips, as if a string was brushing past. She held onto it, feeling it become a thrumming heartbeat. 
Magic washed over her as she began to Pony Up. She didn’t need to look in a mirror to see if her horn was there, because she could feel it as well as if she had walked through the portal. Without missing a beat, she conjured up a picture of the lobby in her mind. 
Reaching out with her magic, she grabbed hold of everyone around her. With a feeling of the world twisting and flipping, she opened her eyes to all of them inside the lobby. The only ones to not look disoriented, or even like they might throw up, were Pinkie and Princess Twilight.
“What in the hell was that?” Rainbow asked, leaning on the closest chair.
“Teleportation spell,” Sunset said. “Sorry, I would’ve warned you, but there’s not really a warning for that.”
“Like tossing a kid in a river to teach ‘em to swim,” Applejack said, giving up and sitting down. 
“I remember my first teleportation spell,” Princess Twilight said while holding up her Counterpart. “Not fun, and surprise teleporting is always worse, even if you know the feeling. Still, you get better with time.”
“Do you mind if I take a minute?” Rarity asked from the floor next to Fluttershy. “I’m not sure if I can stand yet.”
“It should wear off soon,” Sunset said. 
She took a seat as well. Within a second there was something in her face. Upon closer inspection, it was Pinkie holding out a couple granola bars.
“You look hungry,” Pinkie shrugged. 
“Yeah, a bit,” Sunset sighed, unwrapping the bars. “Magic takes energy, like exercising would. Even for a level three-point-five, teleporting eight living beings is kinda tiring.”
“Level what?” Sci-Twi asked.
“How we measure Magic Power,” Sunset said through a mouthful of granola. “Level one and one-point five is average, and level twos are almost guaranteed to get into specialized Magic Schools. Level three-point-five is a record highest for non-Alicorns.”
“Oh! What level are we!?” Pinkie asked, bouncing. 
Sunset looked to Princess Twilight.
“Assuming it’s the same as your counterparts,” Princess Twilight said. “Rarity and Fluttershy are a two-point-five, Rainbow and AJ are three, and Pinkie is a three-point-five.”
“Nice,” Rainbow said. “I might not be record breaking, but a three isn’t too bad!”
“What about you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
“I used to be a three-point-five,” Princess Twilight said. “Back when I was just a Unicorn. Becoming an Alicorn bumped me up to a four-point-five.”
“That’s a mighty nice jump,” Applejack said. 
“By the way, Sunset,” Rarity said. “When we get home, remind me to make something for you with that lovely orange color.”
“What orange color?” Sunset asked.
“Your magic color,” Pinkie chirped. “It’s like this really pretty orange! #FFA81E, if I had to guess!”
“Isn’t your magic blue?” Princess Twilight asked. 
Sunset used her magic to pick up a nearby lamp. Just as they said, the magic aura surrounding it was orange, not blue. 
“I could have sworn it was blue when we met,” Princess Twilight said.
“It was,” Sunset frowned, setting the lamp down. “It’s always been, well, more ‘turquoise’ than ‘blue’, but that’s still a lot different from-Pinkie what are you doing?”
Pinkie jumped in surprise. She had been waving her hand through the air next to Sunset, as if trying to touch something. 
“Nothing!” Pinkie shouted. “Not a thing! I just thought I saw a pair of wings for half a second when you Pony Upped!” 
“I don’t have wings?” Sunset said. 
Then again, when Pinkie had been trying to find those ‘wings’, it wasn’t the hand waving that had gotten her attention. It felt sort of like when somepony interrupts your levitation spell by snatching the item out of the air. 
“We should get going,” Sunset said, not wanting to think too hard about it. “Can you girls stand?”
“Yes, I think,” Fluttershy said, attempting to stand.
“What apartment number did the kid say again?” Rainbow asked, helping Fluttershy up.
“Apartment 3D,” Applejack said. “I’d imagine that means third floor.”
“Hopefully there’s an elevator,” Rarity said. 
Thankfully, the code door was busted and left open. Unfortunately, there was no elevator. Once they made their way up the stairs, and caught their breath, they found the door they were looking for.
“So, who wants to knock?” Pinkie asked. 
“Would it be weird if ‘Sunset’ answers to see Sunset?” Princess Twilight asked. 
“Well it was weird meeting you,” Sci-Twi half-chuckled. 
“Still, I think Sunset is the one who could explain this best,” Rarity said. 
“Or it’d make her scream,” Applejack said. 
“She does have the ears right now,” Fluttershy agreed.
“Okay, I’m just going to knock while you decide whether I should or not,” Sunset sighed. 
Ignoring a half-protest, she knocked on the door. At first, it seemed like no one was home. Then, after a moment, they heard footsteps on the other side and the sound of the doorknob turning. They were met with a familiar face, but not the familiar face they expected. 
Blue skin, blue hair with darker streaks, and magenta eyes. She looked tired, as if they’d just woken her up. Her outfit matched, being a spaghetti-strap top and pink shorts with music notes on them, but not everyone wears a necklace to bed.
“Hey, Sunny,” the girl yawned out. “I thought you were still in the room with Dagi?”