//------------------------------// // The more they stay the same // Story: A Lost Crystal Gem - The Story of Sunset and how she became Spinel // by ratedoni //------------------------------// “Oh, I just know this whole thing is a bad idea,” the voice of Sunset was heard across the empty halls of Canterlot High as the three students walked among them. The lack of students or teachers made their steps echo slightly across the slightly utilitarian floors and painted walls. Sunset had half a mind of making a donation to the place just so they would be able to swap the slightly beaten lockers and maybe lighten up the place a little bit. She knew that Canterlot High was a really nice school; sadly it couldn’t quite compete with private schools like Crystal Prep when it came to the newest textbooks or the best tools to teach. Still, Sunset liked the school and she wanted to give back a little bit considering that both sisters let her keep the warp portal, not that they could do much about it since the school had been built on top of it! “Come on, it can’t be that hard, just look at that thing Fluttershy got.” “Rainbow, that’s only because she IS Fluttershy that she was not attacked immediately; do I have to remind you that I was killed by one of those creatures?” Sunset shot back while pulling down the neck of her loose fit shirt, letting the two girls accompanying her watch the gem that had grown just where she used to have a heart, in the literal sense of course. The sport oriented girl winced but didn’t lose her enthusiasm. “Yeah, but come on, how dangerous could it be?” At those words, her other two friends immediately looked at each other with deadpan looks in their faces. “Did she just say what I think she said?” “She did sugarcube, but what can Ah say? She’s more of a doer than a thinker kind of gal.” “Thanks, hey, wait!” Leaving the slightly enraged girl behind, the group quickly advanced into the newest basement of the school and into the room that contained the newly repaired warp. It was as shiny as she remembered and after some work everything was once more connected, at least on the planet. The powerful warps, those that could lead you right into another planet, were already deactivated and Sunset had no plans of working on them anytime soon. “So, how is this thing going to work? Ah mean, is it going to take us apart and reconstruct us at the other side?” “Nothing that dramatic AJ, by the way, where did you get that idea?” “Big mac likes sci-fi movies.” “Wait, really? I saw him as an action type of guy.” “Oh boy, ya would be surprised pumpkin.” At the familiar nickname Sunset groaned knowing exactly where she learned of that ridiculous name. “Oh, Granny has been talking I see, but you better keep that to yourself young lady,” she tried to say on her most ‘adult’ voice but soon the two simply begin to chuckle. Apparently their little banter was enough time for Rainbow to get back into control and get into the warp with them. Just as Sunset was about to activate the controls, her form begins to glow and like magic, her clothes had changed. From the loose fitting grey sweatshirt with the CH emblem, skinny jeans and flats, she is now wearing a light blue pencil skirt, button up jacket, white gloves and high heels, not to mention a really cute hat on top of her head. “Passengers will need to keep hands and feet inside the light beam at all times; in case of devastating disaster you are to scream like banshees as the world around you gets destroyed, thank you for flying with Gem Airlines, we know this is your only alternative,” Sunset said all of that with a smile on her face leaving both teenage girls looking at her in a weird mixture of feelings. Next second, they are all swallowed by a pillar of light, become as light as feathers and up they go. It feels as if they were weightless, like those videos of astronauts floating on their ships, but it is short and soon they find gravity is a harsh mistress. As they rub their noses Sunset’s body glows once more and her attire goes back to normal and they begin to look at their new surroundings. The whole place feels weird, as if a house had been combined with a cave, the way the floor turned into stone. It was different, that’s for sure. “Wait, this is your house?” Rainbow asked looking at the homey feeling inside the house. “Well, is more like Steven’s house at this point, I mean, I have my own room, but unless you are a gem you get no access to it. Is a little hard to explain, but it works for us. You can check the fridge if you want, I’ll just go and check around,” and like that Sunset was off, leaving her friends behind as she went up into Steven’s ‘bedroom’, which was really just an open loft, but worked well for his needs. Maybe later they will make something, that is, if Steven grew like a normal human being. Meanwhile, the two teenagers stood rooted to the floor watching the redhead walk away. “Ah’m proud of you girl.” “What do you mean?” “She suddenly changes into a stewardess and your tongue didn’t roll out into the floor,” a teasing grin is present on Applejack’s face and the only answer she gets back is a fist into the arm. “Come on, quit it, this is an adventure, just, look around you, this is Sunset’s home.” “Yeah, not only that, but we are on another city, on another state even. Ah guess it’s just finally clicking in my head, the fact that Sunset is older than us and has been fighting for a long time.” “I thought you had a talk with your grandma about Sunset.” “Yeah but, Ah mean, it was just Granny telling us stories, but is just now sinking in, Ah don’t know,” Applejack shrugged, not quite sure of how to act at Sunset’s home and the fact she was -probably- an immortal space rock. “So, we have a problem,” Sunset stood there, in front of her friends with what seemed like a small statue on her hands “if we don’t get this thing to the top of the tower I told you, it will collapse, and we don’t have much time, so, ready for a real adventure?”