When the last bell rang, signaling the beginning of the weekend, Fluttershy hurried to her locker to get her homework and drop off the textbook from her last class. As she put her backpack on, Applejack came up to her.
“Hey, Fluttershy, you ready to go?”
“Just about,” Fluttershy adjusted the straps of her backpack. “Okay, let's go.”
The two began making their way out of the school with the majority of the students. They returned greetings and well-wishes for the weekend. Finally, they passed through the main doors of Canterlot High and into the parking lot, where the Apple family's well-used pickup truck was parked. Applejack unlocked both doors and the girls climbed into the cab. Fluttershy put her backpack on the floor between her feet.
“I hope she's doing better,” she said. “Is it too much to hope she woke up while we were in class?”
“Dunno, sugarcube,” Applejack said, fastening her own seat belt. She put the keys in the ignition and turned the key. Nothing happened. The farm girl frowned and reached under the steering column, fiddling with wires as she continued speaking. “If we're really lucky, maybe she will be, but I wouldn't count on it.”
Applejack leaned back and twisted the key again, only this time she slammed her fist against the side of the steering column. The engine revved, sputtered, and then roared to life. “Ha! Showed you who's boss again, didn't I?”
Fluttershy giggled. This was a ritual anytime Applejack had the truck. The truck would always start up with no problems for Big Mac, whereas Applejack usually needed five to ten minutes of fiddling with the wiring, looking under the hood, and occasionally a constant stream of cussing that usually got her some scandalized looks from anyone in earshot.
Applejack put the truck in gear and headed out of the parking lot. As they pulled into traffic, Fluttershy spoke again.
“So, do you have any ideas who's doing all this?”
“Not really,” Applejack replied. “But if I had to put money on it, I think it's either Moondancer or Firecracker Burst.”
“Firecracker Burst? Why? She said she doesn't have anything against Sunset.”
“'Cept she still sent that email.”
“But she was drunk and angry. Haven't you ever done something like that when you were... oh, probably not, huh?”
Applejack smirked. “Don't be so sure. There's a reason why I don't let y'all come over when cider season first rolls around.”
Fluttershy giggled again, then became serious. “But, still, I can't see Firecracker doing the kinds of things that woman's been doing. She's all about helping people, not hurting them.”
Applejack shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. But somethin' in my gut tells me she knows more about what's goin' on than she's tellin'. I could be wrong, I hope I am, but I ain't seen anything so far that makes me wanna cross her off our list.”
“I guess,” Fluttershy murmured.
Applejack's phone rang from the cupholder in the dashboard. “You mind answerin' that and puttin' it on speaker, sugarcube?”
“Sure thing,” Fluttershy picked up the phone. “It's Rarity.”
The rest of the drive was taken up with Rarity's report of her conversation with Moondancer. Once the call ended, Applejack pulled out of traffic and into the hospital parking lot. The two girls got out and walked into the lobby, stopping at the information desk.
“Hi,” Applejack said to the nurse on duty. “We're here to visit a patient. Sunset Shimmer. We were told she's allowed to have visitors?”
The nurse consulted her computer, then looked up. “Yes, room 419.”
The girls thanked the nurse and went to the elevators. They rode up to the fourth floor and checked in at the nurse's station on the floor. A nurse showed them to the room.
“I'm afraid she's still unresponsive,” she said, opening the door to the room. “But feel free to talk to her. It tends to help in cases like these.”
“Thank you,” said Fluttershy. The nurse smiled and left the room. Applejack and Fluttershy turned to the bed.
Sunset was lying on her back. She had been dressed in a standard hospital gown. A feeding tube was in her nose, and an IV drip was attached to one arm. Wireless EEG electrodes were attached around her forehead, below her hairline. The EEG monitor itself was next to the bed, displaying Sunset's brain activity. Both girls weren't happy to see there wasn't much fluctuation to the lines displayed. Sunset herself looked pale and washed out. Her hair hung limply around her head, spread out over the pillow.
“She looks terrible,” Fluttershy whispered. Applejack nodded.
“Yeah. C'mon.”
They found a chair and a stool and pulled them up next to the side of the bed. Fluttershy reached out and took Sunset's hand.
“Hi Sunset. I know you're not doing okay here, but I hope wherever you are, you're safe. We really miss you.”
“She's right, Sunset,” Applejack said, taking off her hat. “Things are goin' nuts out here. Whoever did this to you is hurtin' other people too. And honestly, we don't know if we can beat her without you. I just wish I knew if you can hear any of this.”
Fluttershy blinked, let go of Sunset's hand and went to the tall cabinet opposite the bed. She opened the doors, revealing a bulging plastic bag hanging from one of the hangers. She opened the bag and smiled as she saw Sunset's clothes and other belongings inside.
“Fluttershy, what're you doin'?” Applejack asked, replacing her hat.
“Do you have your geode with you?” Fluttershy kept digging through the bag. She pulled out Sunset's jacket and began rooting through the pockets.
Applejack reached into her shirt and pulled out her geode. “Right here, why?”
Fluttershy let out a squeak of triumph as she found Sunset's geode necklace. “Sunset's geode has the power to let her read minds and see memories, right?”
“Yeah,” Applejack frowned.
Fluttershy leaned over Sunset and put the geode around her neck. She reached into a pocket of her skirt and pulled out her own geode. “Well, when Twilight was worrying about turning into Midnight Sparkle at Camp Everfree, Sunset managed to bring all of us into her mind to help her conquer her fears.”
“That's right!” Applejack's eyes sparkled as she realized where Fluttershy was going. “So maybe, if she's wearin' her geode and we're wearin' ours...”
“... We might be able to communicate with her!” Fluttershy finished. “Maybe even bring her out!”
“It's worth a shot.” Applejack walked around to the other side of the bed. “What are you thinking?”
Fluttershy took one of Sunset's hands and indicated Applejack should take the other. The farm girl did so. Fluttershy's other hand closed around her geode. Again, Applejack did the same.
“Ready?” Fluttershy asked.
“Rarin',” Applejack answered.
Both girls concentrated and the geodes flashed to life. Applejack felt strength flow into her limbs and the odd tingling sensation on the top of her head that happened when she ponied up. Across the bed, Fluttershy ponied up as well, her wings appearing at her shoulders.
“Okay,” Fluttershy said, reaching towards Sunset's geode. “Let's see if this works.”
Applejack placed her hand over Fluttershy's She looked at her friend and nodded. Fluttershy's hand closed around Sunset's geode. There was a flash of red light that blinded the two of them.
When the light cleared, the two girls found themselves... somewhere else.
It wasn't exactly like the blank white void that had been the inside of Juniper Montage's mirror. The colors seemed to shift and move constantly.
“Where are we?” Fluttershy asked. Applejack turned to answer, but she stared when she saw her friend.
Fluttershy was translucent and surrounded in a glowing yellow aura. She hovered slightly above what passed for the ground in this place.
“Um, 'Shy? Yer glowin'.”
Fluttershy looked down at herself, then over at Applejack. “So are you!”
Applejack looked down at herself. She was also floating and translucent, only her aura was a bright orange. “Well, don't that beat all?”
A scream of pain echoed from the distance. Applejack and Fluttershy quickly turned towards the direction it came from.
“Come on!” Applejack concentrated and flew forward, Fluttershy following close behind.
A pair of figures came into view, and Applejack's teeth clenched. One of the figures was on the ground, while the other one was clearly standing with its foot on the first one's back. They let out a gasp of shock as the standing figure began driving its foot over and over into the other's back. An ugly voice began screaming.
“I hate you! I HATE YOU! I! HATE! YOU!”
“We need to hurry!” Fluttershy cried. Applejack nodded and the two forced themselves to move faster. As they got closer, they were finally able to get a clear look at the figures.
“Is that Sunset?” Fluttershy asked. Applejack pointed at the standing figure, which also resembled Sunset, only wearing the clothes she used to wear.
“Forget that! Is THAT Sunset?!”
The Sunset on the ground let out a horrifying cry of pain, and she collapsed. Her friends gasped.
“Sunset?!” they cried. Sunset's eyes shot open and she stared at them.
“What?!” the other Sunset snarled, stopping her assault. Applejack and Fluttershy hesitated, seeing that the other Sunset's eyes resembled those of Sunset's demon form from the Fall Formal. Fluttershy gulped, then frowned in anger.
“Get your filthy boots off her, you... you... cheap knock-off!” she shouted.
“I dunno what you are, but you ain't hurtin' our friend anymore!” yelled Applejack.
“No, girls, don't!” Sunset cried. She forced her bruised body to its feet and staggered towards her friends.
“Yes, girls,” the other Sunset grinned, raising her hand. Dark magic crackled around its fingers. “Don't.”
The magic shot forward. Applejack and Fluttershy gasped and threw up their arms. Bolts of orange and yellow energy shot from the auras around them. The two magics collided mid-air and exploded. Sunset dashed toward her friends, arms outstretched.
“C'mon Sunset, we're all waitin' for you!” Applejack cheered. She and Fluttershy held out their hands, waiting to rescue their friend.
“NO YOU DON'T!” came an inhuman roar. Fluttershy let out a gasp as the other Sunset transformed into the demon. It rocketed forwards and crashed headlong into Sunset. The two rolled across the ground, pushing and clawing at each other. They came to rest with the demon on top. It grinned down at Sunset.
“Time for your friends to go now!” It hurled another bolt of dark magic at Applejack and Fluttershy. The two sent out bolts of their own, but the dark bolt twisted and writhed around them and hit the girls full force.
Applejack and Fluttershy screamed as the dark magic poured into them. Everything went dark for a split second, and they found themselves sprawled on the floor of Sunset's hospital room. They quickly got to their feet, worried about Sunset.
Sunset remained in the same position she was before. She appeared to be none the worse for wear.
“We have to get back in there!” Fluttershy said. “She's fighting that... thing all by herself!”
“Don't worry, she ain't gonna be fighting alone for long.” Applejack pulled out her phone and dialed Rarity. “Rarity? Y'all need to get down here as fast as you can! I dunno how it happened, but Fluttershy and I managed to contact Sunset!”