//------------------------------// // 2- Menace // Story: The Trick to Success // by Hakuno //------------------------------// Chapter 2. Menace Sunset woke up with a tiny gasp. Her eyes darted up and down, scanning the room. It was dark and silent, but otherwise, it was perfectly normal. Not even a second after, her alarm clock went off, loudly breaking the nice stillness. There was some shifting behind her, a gentle moan and a yawn.  “Turn it off already,” Trixie said groggily, turning to the other side of the bed. Sunset realized she had been listening to the alarm for way too long, and reached for it to stop it. She sat up and stretched her arms, feeling a few pops here and there. Letting her arms drop at her sides, she noticed that she was tired and remembered she hadn’t really had a proper sleep. She lazily got off the bed and walked up to the bathroom. There, she opened the water tap and washed her face in an attempt to get the tiredness away. She looked in the mirror at herself, and for brief moment, she thought she saw Shimmer’s gaunt face staring back at her. She had hoped, when she went to sleep last night, that their meeting could be just part of a bad dream. But it wasn’t. It didn’t matter that it was her dimensional twin, that it was practically herself; Shimmer had stabbed Trixie, and Sunset couldn’t see her as anything but a ruthless criminal. And yet, she had agreed to help her gather information in order to help her friends. The rest of the day since Shimmer left the motocross field, Sunset had been trying to convince herself that she was doing it merely for the sake of meeting other Equestrians. But she knew, deep down, that no matter how spiteful Shimmer had been, if she was willing, she deserved the opportunity to prove she could change. That feeling would be stronger if Shimmer hadn’t fondled her to confirm her breast size, though. “Morning,” Trixie said, snapping Sunset out of her thoughts. Sunset looked at her through the mirror, and a warmth formed in her chest. Trixie looked positively cute with the pajamas Sunset had gift her the day after Christmas; a suspiciously oversized set of light blue shirt and pants with little drawings of witches all over it. Trixie had been so mad at the time; Sunset couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “Good morning, Trix,” Sunset replied, turning around and walking up to her to give her a quick peck. “Slept well?” “Mhm.” Trixie walked to the kitchen, failing to stifle a yawn. Sunset watched her go, thanking the universe that, as livid as Trixie had been, she had accepted the pajamas in the end. ~~~~~~~~ Breakfast had been served. A dish of ham and cheese strata, something Sunset didn’t even know existed. Apparently, aside from being super athletic, super cunning and astute, and super cute, Trixie was also an incredible cook, and every time she’d spend the night at Sunset’s, she’d treat her to a fancy breakfast. Sometimes, Sunset thought she didn’t deserve having such an amazing girlfriend. But then she ate her food and forgot about it. “... and then Twilight said she’d rather eat a sewer rat than date him,” Trixie finished her story before taking another bite of her food. “Must’ve been really pushy if Twilight said something like that,” Sunset replied. She knew for a fact that Twilight would never say things like that, but Trixie was so into storytelling that she didn’t mind the added ‘details’. “Some guys just don’t give up. Did you know he also tried to hit on me?” “Really now?” Sunset asked absentmindedly. “He did!” Trixie answered, hitting the table with her palm. “Trixie had to kick him in the groin to leave her alone!” “Have you told Principal Celestia? That guy doesn’t only sound nasty, he sounds like trouble.” “Oh, we all told her alright, and he got expelled yesterday,” Trixie said with a shrug. “Oh, cool.” “As did Trixie. On account of the whole kicking him thing.” She held up a letter. “I even have a note I’m supposed to show my parents, what a joke, right?”   “That’s nice.” Trixie dropped her fork and frowned, leaning over to take a closer look at Sunset. “Alright, what’s up?” she asked. Sunset looked at her for a moment and sighed in defeat. She leaned back and crossed her arms, pondering how to start. She took a sharp breath through her nose. In the end, she decided to be straightforward. “I met Shimmer yesterday.” Trixie bleached, and Sunset could see sweat forming on her forehead. “She made a deal to get out of prison,” Sunset urged, answering the unspoken question. “And, by the looks of it, she’s genuinely trying to be a better person… If only to avoid being locked away again.” “A-And what did she want?” Sunset shifted in her place, looking up for just a moment. “She thinks her friends were kidnapped by evil doppelgangers,” she said, realizing how ludicrous that had sounded, “and since she knows about me, she wants me to meet them and tell her if they really are a threat or not,” she held her hand in front of her. “I know, I know. Kidnapping is a serious crime, but since she just came out of prison, she doesn’t want the police to think she just went mad and throw her in a mental hospital.” “I- She should be in a mental hospital!” Trixie yelled. She realized she had stood up from her chair and slumped back, her lips trembling as she forced herself to calm down. “And what did you do?” “I…” Sunset scratched the back of her head and looked away. “I agreed to help her.” “What?!” Trixie’s voice went several pitches high. “Why would you do something like that?! She’s a criminal! She-She stabbed me!” “I know! And I wasn’t going to help her, but-” She paused and leaned over, resting her forehead on her palm. “She didn’t want to show it, but it was impossible to hide she was very sick… Maybe sleep and food deprived for several days, maybe something else, I don’t know, but… She’s my dimensional twin. I felt a level of empathy I’ve never felt for anyone in my entire life… Or maybe it wasn’t empathy, maybe it was something else, but-” “I can understand that,” Trixie interrupted her in a much calmer voice. “But you do realize it can be a trap, right?” Sunset closed her eyes. “I know the possibility is there. It’s just…” She shook her head and looked at Trixie again. “Unbeknownst to her, she offered me the possibility to meet other Equestrians… They may be evil, but… They can also know of another gateway to Equestria…” Trixie’s glare softened, and she reached for the hand Sunset had on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Sunset, if you’re going to walk straight into the lion’s den, I’ll go with you.” “What?” Sunset retrieved her hand and leaned back. “I won’t let you do that! She’s going to be there!” “Exactly,” Trixie answered. “I’m pretty sure she’s legally forbidden to be near me, so with any luck I’ll get her back to prison.” Sunset went silent for a moment, staring wide-eyed at Trixie and realizing, after two very long seconds, that she was being completely serious. “You really hate her, don’t you?” Trixie huffed. “She tried to seduce me to betray Twilight, then just stabbed me. Not the best first impression, if you ask me.” Sunset hummed for a moment. “You know what? Fine. Come with me,” she finally said. “She’s very aware that meeting you is dangerous for her freedom, so it’ll hinder her chances to do something... let’s say unexpected.” Trixie nodded confidently and resumed eating. Meanwhile, Sunset couldn’t help but wonder just what she was getting herself into. ~~~~~~~~ Sunset and Trixie walked down the street towards the bus stop. Sunset was wearing dark red winter jacket, black pants and sneakers; Trixie, on her part, decided for a soft blue coat upon a turtleneck sweater of the same color, jeans and high-heeled boots. Both of them had matching scarves the color of the other’s hair. They walked holding hands and squeezing them from time to time, trying to help the gloves keep the warmth in them. And as they approached the bus stop, Trixie’s grip on Sunset’s hand tightened. As they rounded the corner, they spotted Shimmer, wearing a pitch black winter coat that reached her calves, black winter boots, and a dark gray winter hat that concealed most of her hair, with only a couple of red locks sneaking from underneath. She was lazily resting on a very expensive looking gray car with the flashers on, holding a cigarette to her mouth. Upon getting a closer look, Trixie noticed that what Sunset had told her was true. Shimmer looked terrible. Her skin was a sad opaque hue of what she remembered, her cheekbones were sharp, and the bags beneath her eyes were dangerously pronounced. “We’re here,” Sunset announced as they got within hearing distance. Shimmer turned around, and her pupils shrank when she noticed Trixie. “Wha-” she coughed, smoke escaping her mouth and nose. She brought a fist to her mouth, waiting for her coughing fit to subside. When she finally calmed, she took a deep breath and turned to look at Sunset. “What’s she doing here?!” “She’s coming with us,” Sunset answered dismissively. “No, she’s-” “Yes, I am,” Trixie interrupted her, glaring daggers at her. Shimmer looked at Sunset with a frown. “This wasn’t part of the deal.” “What deal?” Sunset asked, crossing her arms. “You want me to go to your school and act like I’m you to know about the girls that possibly kidnapped your friends. We didn’t say anything about Trixie.” Shimmer stepped closer to Sunset. “You just want me back to prison, don’t you?” “Yes,” Trixie answered immediately. “Trixie, please,” Sunset said and then turned to Shimmer. “I’m sure you understand that she’s not exactly going to trust you won’t try to do me wrong.” Shimmer held her glare for a few seconds before huffing and stepping back. She looked at Trixie, then at Sunset, and alternated between them a few times before smirking. “Alright.” She turned to the car and opened the driver’s door. “Hop on in. We barely have enough time to get there and have goodie-patootie here change into my uniform before classes start.” She got in and closed the door. Sunset circled the car and go in the codriver's seat, while Trixie got in the back seat. Once they secured their seat belts, Shimmer accelerated. “There’s something I’ve been wondering,” Trixie said as they got on the highway. “Why didn’t you just hire some private investigators? Why come for Sunset?” Shimmer gave her a look through the rear-view mirror. “That’s none of your business.” “Ok, rule number one,” Sunset said harshly. “You will show Trixie the respect she deserves, or I swear those three doppelgangers won’t be the ones you need to worry about.” “And you’re the good one?” Shimmer asked with a weirdly amused tone. “Fine.” She looked through the mirror again to signal that she was now addressing Trixie. “My family is very comprehensive. Even after my little run-in with the law, they took me in again when I got out of prison. But even they have a limit, and they’re now pestering about everything I do. ‘Why do you dress in black?’, ‘Why do you not eat like before?’, ‘Why do you write with pencils instead of pens?’...” She sighed. “Don’t want to imagine how much they’ll bug me if I dare hire an investigator.” Trixie and Sunset crossed looks for a second. “What about using more gas than usual?” Trixie asked. “Or bringing your doppelganger home and giving her your clothes?” Shimmer snorted. “We’re not going to my house to get her changed,” she answered. “A public restroom will do.” “Yeah, that’s not creepy at all,” Trixie snarked. After that, the three girls fell in an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the ride. Shimmer even ignored their requests of playing music to help pass the time. Trixie thought it was her way of getting revenge for putting her freedom at risk by tagging Trixie along with them.   An hour and a half later, Shimmer turned right from the highway and pulled into a mall’s parking lot. She turned off the engine and unlocked her seat belt. “My uniform’s in the trunk,” she said, looking at Sunset. “Take it, go get dressed, then return.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What?” Shimmer asked. “You’re coming in with me.” At that, Shimmer’s expression quickly morphed from surprised to lewdly amused. “Oh, so you do want to make out with me,” she purred with a low voice. “But we can do it here, you know? I bet Trixie’d love to watch us doing it.” Trixie blushed at that. “Say what you want,” Sunset deadpanned. “I’m not leaving you alone with Trixie.” “Oh? Are you afraid I might hurt her again?” Shimmer’s smirk widened. “Or maybe you’re afraid I might kiss her?” “Shut up and get out,” Sunset said, unbuckling her belt and getting off the car. “Ptch, party pooper,” Shimmer muttered as she followed Sunset to the back of the car. Shimmer opened the trunk and grabbed a wine colored backpack, offering it to Sunset, who took it grudgingly. Trixie got out of the car too, and the three of them went inside the mall and to the restroom. Trixie and Shimmer stayed by the sinks while Sunset, after giving Shimmer one or two more warnings, went inside a stall to get changed. Trixie made sure to be as far from Shimmer as possible, while also keeping an eye on her so she wouldn’t try to do anything evil. But the only thing Shimmer did was light up another cigarette and just smoke idly. This time Trixie didn’t feel any kind of attraction for Shimmer, at all. Not only because of her physical appearance, or because of what she had done to her. No, there was something else to her, or maybe, there was something lacking; Trixie wasn’t sure, nor did she want to find out. Finally, Sunset went out the stall, fully dressed in the uniform of Manhattan’s Academy. A wine colored sweater, a grayish white shirt, a gray knee-length skirt, wine socks and black shoes. Trixie blushed. “Seriously?” Shimmer said. “Are you really going to wear the skirt like that?” “I don’t like skirts to begin with,” Sunset replied. “I used to wear them, but only to show.” “And that’s exactly what you’re going to do!” Shimmer insisted, throwing her arms to her sides. “I’ve spent my entire adolescence building an image, and you’re not going to ruin it! Pull it up above mid thigh!” Sunset was about to argue, but then caught a glimpse of Trixie, who was staring at her with reddened cheeks and a stupid smile. Sunset supposed she could give her girlfriend a show, after making her skip school and dragging her all the way to Manhattan with the girl that had stabbed her. She sighed and pulled the skirt up, using some hidden hooks to keep it in place. “Good,” Shimmer said. “Now, I’ll teach you how I walk.” “I know how to walk, thank you very much.” “Yeah,” Trixie agreed. “And it’s so much better than you.” Shimmer snorted. “Yeah, right. That’s why you were drooling over me when you met me.” Trixie crossed her arms and huffed, giving a smile of her own. “And I thought you were smart,” she said. “My girlfriend in a school uniform. You only served as a model.” “Will you stop arguing?” Sunset intervened. “Let’s go already. The sooner we get there, the sooner it’ll be over.” “You’re right,” Trixie said. “I really don’t want to be with this poor attempt of cosplay any more than strictly necessary.” “You know,” Shimmer said, angrily stubbing out her cigarette against the sink, then letting it fall down the pipe. “You’re making it very difficult to keep my promise of not doing anything illegal again.” She glared from Trixie to Sunset, then to Trixie again. “So what?” Trixie said, putting her hands on her hips. “If you dare lay a single finger on me, my father will make sure you rot in prison, forever this time.” At that, Shimmer flashed a cynical grin. “Oh, really? The same father that kicked you out because you’re gay?” Her grin widened when Trixie’s expression faltered. “You should get your facts right, smurfette. I may be above being a criminal now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t deal a lot of damage.” Trixie began to step back when Sunset filled her vision, moving like a thunder and pushing Shimmer against the wall, painfully digging her elbow between Shimmer’s clavicles. “And you should stop throwing empty threats, whore,” Sunset hissed, injecting hatred into every word. “If you ever dare hurt Trixie, in any way, I’m not above being a criminal. Get it?” Shimmer held Sunset’s glare for what felt like an eternity. Trixie thought they were going to start fighting, and she wasn’t sure it was going to be like in her fantasies. At last, Shimmer held her hands in front of her and lowered her head. “I know when I’m beat,” she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Let’s make a deal. If your girlfriend stops being so passive-aggressive, I’ll stop threatening her.” “You’re in no position to bargain.” “Au contraire,” Shimmer retorted. “I am in the perfect position. You see, your girlfriend is dead scared right now, and I’m certain you don’t want her to be worried all the time for a possible retaliation, do you?” Sunset looked back to Trixie; Her knees were turned a bit to each other, her back was bent forward, making it easier for her arms to cover her entire torso, especially, Sunset noticed, her stomach. She was ready, or at least she looked like it, to block any blows that could be thrown at her. And her brows were furrowed upwards, and her stare was fixed on Shimmer, unconsciously waiting for any sudden movements. Sunset turned back to Shimmer, grunted, and stepped back. “Fine,” she said. “We’ll try to act like civilized adults.” “Good,” Shimmer replied. She took a hand to her collarbone and gave a tiny hiss. “That’s gonna leave a bruise.” “I’m not apologizing for that,” Sunset warned. Shimmer buffed and crossed her arms. “No one asked.” She then walked past the girls and to the exit, feeling great satisfaction at Trixie’s flinching. “Let’s get this over with, shall we? Meeting you has only turned out to be a headache.” “Can’t agree more,” Sunset said as she followed her. ~~~~~~~~ Once again, the girls fell in a very uncomfortable silence, and Shimmer still didn’t let them play any music. Sunset thought Shimmer just liked the silence. It wasn’t long before Trixie started to recognize the surroundings. She had been here before, when she was looking for high schools. They turned a corner, and Manhattan’s Academy appeared, standing majestically with two tower-like buildings pointing to the sky, proudly presenting the school’s insignia, an intertwined M and A of gold and wine, in large dark blue flags that undulated over the towers. The terrain was surrounded by a tall metal fence that ended in sharp spears, as if protecting the beautiful garden that spread around the castle looking school. Sunset had to admit, a part of her wished she would’ve gone to this school instead of CHS. Shimmer pulled towards the parking lot. A drop-arm barrier stood in their way, but Shimmer just pulled her window down, took a card from her wallet, and passed said card over an infrared reader. The barrier opened, and she closed the window before she advanced a few rows of cars, pulling right next to the back entrance. Trixie noticed that all the people there eyed the car with a mix of curiosity, anger, and dread. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll notice two Sunset’s walking about?” Sunset asked. Shimmer seemed to have ignored her, until she answered a few seconds later. “I’m not going to leave the car. The windows are polarized, so they’ll just think I’m the chauffeur.” “Ok…” Sunset sighed. “So, what’s the plan? Do I randomly wander the halls until I find the doppelgangers?” “Pretty much, yes,” Shimmer answered. She reached for the passenger compartment, opening it, and taking a blue folder, opening it for Sunset to see. There were a few photographs and a sketched map, which Sunset believed was the school’s layout. “These are my friends. Look for them, talk to them, and then tell me whatever they say to you.” “And how are we supposed to know if they really are them or not?” Trixie asked. “For all we know, they could just be trying to ignore you, or something.” Shimmer sighed irritated. “Sonata,” she said, pointing to the blue skinned girl. “is cheerful and stupid. She’s absent-minded and sometimes gives the impression that she’s actually retarded.” She then pointed to the dark pink skinned girl. “Aria is a cliché tsundere. I believe that’s enough information about her.” Finally, she pointed to the light yellow skinned girl with massive hair. “And Adagio is a wannabe bee queen. She’s smart, but doesn’t really have the guts to step on people. She’s quite alluring, though, and she knows how to use it to her advantage.” Sunset hummed. “If the doppelgangers are from the same place I am, they might act very similar to your friends.” “And yet, the impostors act like they own the place. Even Sonata, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even understand the concept of being in control.” “Ok…” Sunset sighed heavily. “So I go in and search for them. What if a teacher or some other authority wants me to go to my class?” Shimmer grinned at her. “Just smile deviously and tell them you still have your cards. They’ll know better than to try to go against you.” She chuckled a little bit. “After all, it is me who owns the place.” “Whatever,” Sunset said. “Trixie, get out of the car and stay in plain sight.” “You wound me,” Shimmer said with faked sadness. “I thought you trusted me already.” Sunset and Trixie rolled their eyes, doing their best to ignore her as they got out the car. Upon exiting, Sunset immediately noticed that the students were glaring at her. She took a deep breath and did her best to stay in her old mindset. Trixie gave her a reassuring smile, and Sunset felt a warmth in her chest. She could do this. Feeling reinvigorated with the powerful fuel of love, as cheesy as that sounded, Sunset walked around the car, taking her time to readjust to her old walking way, lifting her chin, swinging an arm and swaying her hips seductively. She walked past some students and quickly disappeared in the crowd. Meanwhile, Trixie rested her body on the car, next to the driver’s door, and crossed her arms. Shimmer opened the window just enough to speak comfortably. “Not a bad sashay,” she admitted. “Could have more sass, though.” “She’s doing her best,” Trixie said. “It’s been awhile since she owned CHS like you do with this school.” “Yeah, I read that she was the bee queen there.” Shimmer said. “What happened?” Trixie sighed through her nose. “If you ever get to know that, it’ll only be through Sunset herself. I’m not betraying her trust.” Shimmer clicked her tongue but didn’t answer. Instead, she took a cigarette and lit it. “Well, we have some time before she comes back. Do you want to spend it in silence, or do you want to chit-chat for a bit? I’ll be a good girl and won’t try to seduce or threaten you this time.” She took a drag of her cigarette, waiting for a moment, and when Trixie didn’t answer, she blew out the smoke through the opening of the window. “Silence it is, then.” ~~~~~~~~ Upon entering the school, Sunset quickly realized that, even though the students gave her weird looks, they weren’t exactly out of hatred. Most of them were jealousy, some were pathetic frustration, and one or two were admiration. It was similar, but different from where she ruled CHS. Not that she particularly cared. She was there only to find three girls, and by the look of the hurried students, she was sure she didn’t have much time until classes started, and far from being a good thing, it’d just make it more difficult, since she’d have to peek through the door windows of each classroom. As she turned a corner, she noticed a shift in the ambiance, as if the air had thickened. She was about to attribute it to the swarm of teenagers in the hall, but there was something different, something that felt both familiar and foreign, and as she kept walking, the feeling only grew. Suddenly, it hit her like a train. She had been away for so long that she had almost forgotten, but this feeling was impossible to ignore. Hear heart raced as she realized that Manhattan’s Academy was full of Equestrian magic. She looked around hastily. Where was it coming from? It was hard to tell with all the students going on and about, unknowingly spreading the magic throughout the place. She struggled to keep her composure as she tried to find the source of the magic. If anything, she looked like a new student trying to find her way on the first day, which wasn’t completely incorrect. Frustration started building up, and she was about to hit something when she heard it: a trio of voices, singing in a perfect sync. But it wasn’t normal human music, no. Sunset could feel the magic emanating from it, and she could feel the darkness within. She didn’t know what just yet, but she was a hundred percent sure that the singers weren’t ponies. Just as she was going to follow the voices, she noticed that the students had stopped moving to their own destinations, and were now walking in the same direction towards the music. They looked pretty excited, as if it meant classes were off or something. Sunset couldn’t understand a word they said, as if her ears were being covered, and yet, she could still hear the music perfectly. She decided to follow the crowd, trying the blend in. She wanted to know the source of this magic, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be discovered just yet. After all, they had to be pretty strong if they could retain some of their magic in the human world. After a few minutes of walking uncomfortably, stepping on people and being stepped on, Sunset arrived at the gym, which was easily twice as big as the one in CHS. She could walk better there, but people still pushed her to get as close as possible to the stage. The exact same girls from the photos Shimmer had shown her were there, singing in perfect synchrony and dancing with slow, seductive movements. Sunset had to admit, the music wasn’t half bad. It actually sounded pretty nice. The stage, Sunset realized, had been raised recently, if the difference in color with the rest of the gym was any indication. Two giant speakers sat comfortably at the back, blasting some weird trance/pop mix. Almost out of sight, a green-haired girl operated as a disk jockey. And finally, up front were the authors of the singing and the music. She felt a chill run down her spine as the trio reached a crescendo, and the air thickened even more. For a moment, Sunset could swear she saw a green mist surrounding the gym. She heard yelling, and turned to her left just in time to see two boys, literally at each other’s throats, pushing and pulling, disturbing the other students, who also got mad and joined the struggle. Sunset’s heart raced as she carefully stepped back. She looked around, and noticed that the rest of the crowd and the singers weren’t fazed at all. It didn’t take a genius to understand that there was something going on, something bad. She turned around, ready to leave, but she noticed that even more students had arrived, and she was now in the middle of the crowd. She frowned and started making her way out, careful not to push or step on anyone. Sadly, nobody moved out of her way, and at some point she ended accidentally brushing her elbow with someone. That someone, a purple skinned boy with light blue hair, turned to her and plunged to push her back. She moved out of the way, and he lost his balance, falling on another guy, who was tall and beefy. They both started arguing and pushing the other around. Sunset took her opportunity to flee, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the fights. Finally, she got out of the gym. She took a deep breath, taking her time to get her bearings. She already had some theories about those girls’ identity, but decided to think more deeply about them once she was far, far away. By the time she returned to the parking lot, her heart was in her throat, beating furiously and making her head feel light and dizzy. “You ok there?” Trixie asked, walking up to Sunset. Sunset panted and huffed, but instead of answering, she grabbed Trixie by the hand and took her to the car. “Let’s go,” she said to Shimmer before she rounded the car, opening the door for Trixie, then getting in the codriver's seat. “What happened?” Shimmer asked with genuine curiosity. “I’ll explain later, just go!” Shimmer huffed, but did as was told, starting the engine and driving out of school’s terrains. Sunset took the time to recover her breath, placing a hand on her forehead and feeling it a little warmer than usual. “Are you ok?” Trixie asked, more concerned than before. “Yeah, I just…” Sunset sighed. “Just needed some air…” Shimmer pulled on the highway. “You gonna tell us what happened or not?” Sunset straightened up. “I… I need to think more deeply into it, but… They are Equestrian alright.” “Equestrian?” Shimmer asked, raising an eyebrow. “But their magic was dark…” Sunset continued. “Magic?” Sunset took a deep breath. “It’s hard to tell with them having human bodies, but… I-I think I saw enough. And if my knowledge in ancient Equestria is any indication… They are sirens.” “Sirens?” Trixie asked. “Aren’t those the ones on police cars?” Shimmer snorted at that “No,” Sunset answered immediately. “I studied human mythology, and I think their counterparts are mermaids... Sirens, however, are corrupted seaponies. They use hypnotizing magic through songs to make people fight against each other, generating negative energy and absorbing it. They can get pretty strong, and…” “And what?” Shimmer asked, trying not to roll her eyes at the ludicrous things her doppelganger was saying. Sunset gulped. “Legend says that if a siren isn’t stopped before getting too strong, they transform into Windigos… And unlike Equestria, there’s no way this world can survive a windigo attack…” In that moment, Shimmer erupted in laughter, smacking the steering wheel with a hand. “You can’t be serious! Are you sure you don’t do drugs?!” Sunset and Trixie both frowned at her, waiting for her laughing fit to die down. When she finished, she looked at Sunset’s still furrowed brow. “Oh shit, you’re serious. Let me laugh even harder.” “I think it’s normal you think I’m crazy,” Sunset said slowly. “But I’m dead serious right now. If we don’t stop the sirens now, they’ll just grow stronger, and this whole world will be done for by Summer.” Shimmer tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Damn I feel like I’m in a fantasy novel now,” she said, still mockingly. “Say I believe you. How are you going to stop them?” “That’s the problem,” Sunset replied, looking down. “Sirens get very powerful very quick, and we don’t have magic to even protect ourselves…” “Wait, hold on,” Trixie intervened. “Can’t we use the magic crown thingy against them?” Sunset shook her head. “It’s back in Equestria, and our friends lost connection to it the moment the portal closed.” “Alright, that’s enough,” Shimmer said. “You two are either high on drugs, or just plain crazy.” “Fine,” Sunset said with a sigh. “I’ll tell you everything. It’ll be up to you to believe me or not, I don’t care. But you really have to trust me when I say: No matter what you decide, if we don’t succeed in stopping the sirens, everyone in this planet will share the same destiny: Death.” Shimmer hummed. “Ok, I’m listening.” “I’m not going to tell you right now,” Sunset said. “I need to organize my ideas…” She turned back to Trixie. “Can you call our friends and ask them to meet us at Sugarcube Corner? Tell them it’s urgent… And that my evil twin is with us, too.” Shimmer snickered at that. “You really don’t want to say my name, do you?” Sunset didn’t answer, she just rested her head on her seat and closed her eyes. “Shut up and get us to Canterlot.” “I’m starting to get angry at you bossing me around, you know?” Sunset groaned. “If you’re expecting a “please”, forget it. I’m still mad at you.” “Oh, you’re mad at me?!” “Will you two can it?!” Trixie yelled, and both Sunsets went silent. “The world’s at stake and you’re arguing like a pair of rascals!” Shimmer made a face, and after a while, she turned to Sunset with a questioning look. “Where did you find her? I want two.” Sunset rolled her eyes while Trixie kept frowning, but her cheeks reddened as she pouted.