//------------------------------// // 10: Potpourri // Story: A Tear in the Fabric // by Cold Bolt //------------------------------// "Hey... wake up. We're here." A soft voice and a gentle nudge caused Sunset to stir. Instinctively she began to stretch, only to be quickly reminded of the confines of the car as her hands reached the ceiling. In the few years she'd spent in the world on the other side of the mirror portal, she hadn't had occasion to take any long road trips like this, and so wasn't used to sleeping in the car. As a result, she found herself dimly surprised she had nodded off at all, let alone stayed that way for nearly the entire trip. Groggy and stiff, the pillow that had been mushed between her face and the window got tossed over her shoulder into the back seat as she fumbled with the door handle for a second before pulling on it and stumbling out. The daylight reflecting off a series of large buildings made Sunset squint. They looked surprisingly modern and industrial, composed primarily of corrugated metal and painted brick, the gaps between them bridged in places by wires higher up and pipes running along the ground. The small parking lot into which they had pulled was otherwise empty, tucked away in a nook between two of the buildings. Freed from her prison, Sunset reached as high as her arms would go, her efforts rewarded when her back emitted a satisfying pop. "You need a minute?" Tank pointed his thumb at a set of double doors on the nearby wall of the building. A sign next to it read Singularity Labs - Operations Center B. "Your friend should probably be in here somewhere with Penny and the doc." Sunset shook her head. "Let's go." The doors opened up into a hallway lined with what looked like offices and conference rooms, judging by the messy desks and long tables respectively. Tank poked his head into one of the former. "Hey, where's Doc Mobius?" The woman inside looked up from some papers on her desk. "Oh, hello, Mr. Abrams! He should be in conference room A at the end of the hall. He's expecting you." "Thanks!" He flashed her a smile before turning away. Sunset tilted her head at him as they continued down the hallway. "So how do you know all these scientists, anyway?" she asked. Tank patted the pommel of his sword over his shoulder. "After I found Lightbringer here, I wanted someone to analyze it for me and ended up bringing it to these guys. When they realized how unique it was, they decided they wanted to see the thing in action to collect more data, so they asked me to be their go-to freelancer whenever they need stuff done. Doesn't hurt that they were impressed with me for finding it in the first place," he added with a smirk. While that sounded like a story she needed to hear at some point, an entirely different idea pushed the thought aside, an impish grin creeping its way onto her face. "So what you're saying is they were really pleased with your big sword, is that it?" "I mean, I guess that's one way to - " Tank stopped mid-sentence as the realization struck him, narrowing his eyes at Sunset. "...really?" Sunset stifled a snicker. "...and the thaumic flow has ceased completely? You're sure?" Voices carried into the hallway from the open door of conference room A. It was largely undecorated, featuring the same brick walls painted white, linoleum tile floors, and drop ceiling as the hallway. Sunset and Tank quietly stepped inside, noting three figures staring at a marker board as they did so. The better part of it was covered in complex-looking equations that Sunset doubted she could decipher on her own in a hundred years. "Our instruments all confirmed it," said one of the three, idly twirling a marker in his hand. "And we're getting similar reports from the other sites." "But what does it mean?" asked another, her purple wings twitching nervously. "It means somebody ought to be looking behind her," said Tank. In an instant, all three whirled around. "Sunset!" "Twilight!" The two girls immediately dashed toward one another, colliding with a quiet 'oof' as they embraced. Instead of her usual outfit, Twilight wore a slightly oversized white lab coat, a pair of holes cut hastily into the back for her wings. Her long purple hair was damp, suggesting she had showered recently, for which Sunset was slightly envious. Twilight backed up only just far enough to look her friend in the eye. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" "I'm fine," Sunset insisted, offering a reassuring smile. "Just a little stiff from the long car ride is all." "Splendid work, my boy!" Mobius clapped his hands together. "No troubles on the way, then?" Tank shook his head. "There was a minor kerfuffle with a bandit when I first found her, but nothing beyond that." Twilight's pupils shrank. "You got attacked?" "Uh... kind of?" Sunset grimaced apologetically. "But we took care of him pretty quickly, so..." "I can imagine you girls have a bit of catching up to do, so why don't we come back to this later?" Penny set her marker down on the table. "Have you two eaten? I can send for some food if you'd like." Tank's eyes lit up. "Actually, food sounds like a great idea." "Yes please!" Sunset agreed. Sunset and Twilight sat across from one another, happily munching away at their first proper meal since their arrival. A platter of deli sandwiches, half empty, sat in the center of the conference room table. It was flanked by a bowl of fruit, pitchers of various drinks, and a large bag of potato chips, each one more depleted than the last. "Oh, before I forget... Have a look at this, Sunset." Twilight wiped her hands with a napkin and reached into her pocket, producing a familiar device. "The magic sensor?" Sunset asked through a mouthful of sandwich, which she finished before continuing. "I'm surprised that thing made it through the portal in one piece." "I am too, but I'm really glad it did." Twilight held it out to Sunset. "Do you see anything strange?" Sunset peered at the interface for several seconds before replying. "No, it looks normal to me. The only thing it seems like it's picking up right now is Tank's sword." Twilight blinked, glancing down the table at him for a moment. "I was wondering what that was. Do you know why it's reacting?" Sunset looked up at Twilight. "Because it's a magic sword that glows and fires bolts of light on command," she deadpanned. "Uh... okay." Twilight hesitated, fiddling with her glasses for a moment as she attempted to get her train of thought back on the rails. "Anyway, I had to recalibrate the sensitivity based on the density of this world's ambient magic. See what happens when I turn it back to the settings I was using when we were at school before." She fiddled with a couple of dials before showing the sensor to Sunset once again. Sunset nearly choked on a mouthful of fruit punch. "What? It's reacting to everything! The whole display is lit up!" "That's because this world is completely full of magic," Twilight explained. "It's literally everywhere - in the ground, in the people, in the air... and now it's in us, too. Energy always flows from high to low concentration, and it seems magic is no different." Sunset leaned back in her seat, idly tapping the rim of her cup. "Is that why we're stuck ponied up like this? It doesn't usually happen on its own, or last nearly this long." Twilight nodded. "That's my best guess. The people here are accustomed to it, but we're not, so our bodies are reacting to the sudden influx of magic by using our pony forms to burn some of it off." She glanced over her shoulder at her wings, flapping them gently to illustrate the point. "I don't know what would happen without them, but we seem to be fine so far." "Well... we do, at least." Sunset hadn't meant for that to sound quite so dark. She winced as she watched Twilight's gaze fall to the table and stay there. With a sigh, she stood up and moved to the seat beside Twilight, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Hey... we'll figure something out, I promise. We always do." "I've... been trying not to think about it too much," said Twilight in a low voice, "but it's a stroke of luck that we're both here now, isn't it? The others could be anywhere - lost, hurt, scared and alone..." She shivered at the thought, leaning closer to Sunset. The two suddenly grew quiet as something a little different began to fill the air, interrupting another conversation going on nearby. "Fair enough, Doc, but I don't... think that... uh." Tank trailed off as he began looking all around the room. "Wait a sec. Where is that music coming from?" RARITY: I once thought that I knew what my fate had in store Now the future is shrouded in haze Though my life has been spared, am I now to be trapped In this world for the rest of my days? FLUTTERSHY: Though the people are nice and the animals warm Still I can't help but feel a little cold Somewhere out there my friends might be lost and alone Who knows what their tomorrows may hold? RAINBOW DASH: I don't care how much danger may come I will fight for as long as it takes This weird world better bring on its best I won't lose when my friends are at stake! APPLEJACK: I'm sure scared, I'll admit, but I gotta be strong Home has never been so far away But my friends trust that I'll always be by their side That I'll do all I can, come what may PINKIE PIE: Yeah, at first I thought maybe this place might be fun But I sure got myself in trouble fast There is sunshine in me keeping my head held high But I don't know how long it'll last... SUNSET SHIMMER and TWILIGHT SPARKLE: This world seems ever vast and unknown But no matter the fight, we won't fail Friendship binds us in all that we do When united as one, we'll prevail! Sunset and Twilight went quiet once again, hands still clasped together. Tank blinked. "...What the hell did I just witness?" Penny tilted her head, the sandwich in her hands long forgotten. "I... haven't the foggiest idea." Mobius adjusted his glasses. "Fascinating...!" Sunset took a deep breath as she let go of Twilight and turned to their hosts. "I'm going after them," she declared. "...Uh." Tank quirked an eyebrow. "You're what now?" "Five of our friends are still out there somewhere," she explained, crossing her arms. "They don't know any more about this world than we do, and if that bandit was any indication, there's every chance they're in danger. We're going to rescue them." Penny set her sandwich down on her plate. "Sunset Shimmer, are you really sure you know what you're proposing? There are hundreds of portals all across Nexus; if what we understand so far is accurate, they could have emerged effectively anywhere." "Such as the far reaches of the Frontier, hundreds of miles from civilization!" offered Mobius with just a little too much excitement. "Or the blistering Kasarosian desert, the frozen wastes of northern Itantea, or even the dense jungles of - ow!" He stopped as Penny kicked him under the table and pointed at Twilight, whose face was gradually draining itself of color. Sunset shook her head. "I don't care. Those girls were there for me at the lowest point in my life, and I don't know if I'd have made it out otherwise. They never gave up on me, and I'd be throwing away everything I've learned about friendship if I turned around and gave up on them." Tank stood up. "You've got spirit, sure, but that's not going to be enough. You have no money, no clue where to go, and basically no combat experience as far as I can tell. If you try to go on some grand adventure to rescue these friends of yours, all you'll do is get yourself killed." Sunset smirked. "Then it's a good thing I have an ally who can help me with all that, isn't it?" Tank sighed, raising a hand to his forehead for a moment. "Look, hon. I sympathize, don't think I don't... but traveling the whole world looking for five people is going to take a very long time and a very large amount of money, and I don't have either of those things right now." With another sigh, he crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you." Sunset's ears folded back as her confidence faltered. If Tank wouldn't help her, it wasn't terribly likely anyone else would, either. If she had to do this on her own, it could be years before she was ready to even set out looking for them... "Oh, pish posh! Of course you can!" Tank blinked. "Uh. Doc, what?" Mobius stood up and pressed a button on a nearby radio. "Bring it in, please." "Right, uh, right away sir," came the radio's slightly muffled reply. "My boy," Mobius began as he turned back to Tank, "if the tale these girls tell us is true, we are at the forefront of a phenomenon bigger than any in recorded history, and I believe their presence will be required for us to get to the bottom of things! As such, Singularity Labs is prepared to offer you a most handsome commission for retrieving them safely." Twilight raised a hand to her cheek. "Wait, but... weren't you just going on about how dangerous it'll be?" "Oh, I make no illusions about that," said Mobius. "Scientific breakthrough is rarely without risk! A fellow scientist like yourself should be familiar with that, I would imagine." Twilight bit her lip as the incident at the Friendship Games resurfaced in her mind. "More than you know..." If Mobius noticed the melancholy in Twilight's voice, he gave no indication of it. "So, uh." Tank put a hand on his hip. "Exactly how 'handsome' are we talking here?" Mobius smiled as an attendant entered the room and placed a fabric bag on the table before backing up. "Have a look for yourself!" Sunset leaned over the table for a better look as Tank opened the bag and peered inside. He gulped. "Yeah, that... is a very large amount of money." Sunset's eyes widened at the contents, a multitude of brilliant, finely cut gems in a variety of colors. Each one appeared to display a number when viewed at a certain angle. This was their currency, then? The largest denomination by far were the colorless ones she assumed to be diamonds, more numerous by far than any of the colored ones. "Our offer is this," said Mobius. "There hundred thousand up front, plus another hundred thousand upon the safe return of each of the first four girls. The last will be another three hundred thousand." "...Dude." Tank stared into the bag. "You're... literally offering me a million gems." Penny crossed her arms. "Uncle, you had better be absolutely certain about this. I'm sure I don't need to remind you how tight our budget is this year." "That won't be a concern for long once I start sending reports on all this to our members on the Council," said Mobius. "And, I might clarify, that offer is for both of you together," he added with a look at Sunset. Sunset shook her head. "I don't care about the money. We can spend my half on whatever we need for the job." Mobius grinned. "So what do you say, my boy? Think about it - your decision here today just might make history!" Tank stared a moment longer at the bag of gems in front of him before turning to Sunset, her face hardened with determination. He shrugged. "Sure, why not?" Sunset's shoulders slumped as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Splendid!" Mobius beamed, his pure white eyes practically sparkling with excitement. "So what happens now?" asked Twilight. "We need to look for clues before we can begin the search in earnest," explained Penny. "It won't do to go wandering willy-nilly. Singularity is part of a network of laboratories I can call on for information; I plan to gather and catalogue as much local news from them as I can." "The sudden appearance of brightly-colored teenage girls with wings and pony ears must have made a splash somewhere or other," said Tank. Twilight perked up. "Oh, I'd be happy to help with that!" Penny nodded. "I was hoping you would." Tank turned to Sunset. "Meanwhile, I'm going to head into town and get you some gear with our down payment. You're going to learn how to fight." Sunset nodded. She didn't relish the prospect by any stretch of the imagination, but she would stand by her decision - if her friends needed her, she would do everything in her power to save them. "But we should start on all this tomorrow," said Penny. "You two have had a rather trying time of things, I'd imagine. Let me show you all to your rooms so you can get some rest." Sunset rubbed her neck idly. "As much as I'd like to get started right away, that car trip wasn't exactly relaxing..." Penny turned to Mobius. "You, meanwhile, have work of your own to do. Once she hears news of anomalous behavior from the portals, the prime minister is going to want an official statement from the lab, and it would be in our best interest to have something prepared ahead of time." "Too right, you are," agreed the doctor. "No time to waste!" With that, he scurried out the door and down the hall. "That should keep him busy for a while," said Penny. "Now then, let me get you two set up over in the guest quarters. There should be plenty of rooms next to the one we gave Twilight..." Sunset stared down at the plain white pajamas she had been issued, finding herself impressed that they were genuinely comfortable. The term "research campus" she had heard bandied about earlier that day suddenly seemed rather apt; outfitted as its facilities were for daily living, Singularity felt very much like a well-stocked university, albeit with significantly fewer lecture halls. It made enough sense in hindsight; the place was a few miles out from the nearest actual town, having been built around a naturally occurring portal, so such amenities were far too useful not to have on-site. Her gaze shifted to the night sky out the window. She hadn't noticed the sun setting; as far as she could tell, it had just gradually grown darker over time until the stars came out. She made a mental note to ask someone about that later, as pondering it on her own was making her shudder a bit. This wasn't just a different planet or anything like that (although that would have been plenty enough to give her pause); it was a completely different... dimension? universe? plane of reality? Whatever she wanted to call it, it operated under very different rules than she was used to. Granted, she was less of a stranger to the concept than most. She had done it once already when she found a way to escape Equestria, but if anything, her foreknowledge only made things more frightening. The context could hardly have been more different; she had been working alone before, for one... and having done at the very least a modicum of research beforehand, not only did she have a fair idea of what to expect from the other world, but she had also maintained a degree of control over her movement to and from it. None of those things were true here. If that scenario had been like stepping into a wind tunnel, this was more like getting swept up in a hurricane. She shuddered again. Contrary to her earlier complaint, she had ended up spending most of the afternoon looking around the facilities of Singularity Labs and answering curious questions from the scientists. While she and Twilight had been reassured that they were by no means being held against their will, they were strongly advised not to leave the facility proper. It was a recommendation Sunset had little trouble taking - where would she even go, and to what end? - but it meant that for the time being there was little else for her to do with her free time. Unfortunately, though answering questions all day had left her plenty tired, she found herself unsure if she was actually ready to sleep. Instead, she quietly opened her door and poked her head out into the hallway. The building was predictably quiet this late at night. Twilight was in the room adjacent to hers, and Tank had been given the one opposite, across the hall. Would either of them even be awake? Sunset crept quietly over to Tank's door and knocked. A few seconds later, it opened. "Oh - Sunset?" Tank blinked. "I figured you'd be asleep by now. Everything alright?" "Yeah, no, uh. Everything's fine," said Sunset, running a hand through her ludicrously long hair. "Just... not quite ready for bed yet, I guess." Tank took a step back, opening the door further as he did. "Did you want to come in?" It felt odd to be entering a guy's room late at night, but Sunset stepped inside nonetheless. As Tank closed the door behind her, she realized this was the first time she'd seen him outside of his armor, which was propped up against the wall next to the desk. Instead, he was wearing just a green t-shirt and shorts, which had a side effect of making the scarring on his cheek much more prominent. Sunset had made a point of not bringing it up in case it turned out to be a sensitive subject, but now she could see that it stretched much further than she expected - not only down his neck but over the collarbone, leading out of sight beneath his shirt. What could have left a scar that big? She shook her head. It really wasn't important right now. Tank took a seat on the bed and motioned for Sunset to take the chair at the desk. "Nervous?" Sunset held up her hair with one arm for a moment as she took her seat. "At the risk of implying I haven't been ever since I woke up in a crater on an alien world? Yeah, I am." Tank chuckled. "Fair enough. I guess I'd probably be more worried if you weren't." Sunset tilted her head. "Have you ever done anything like this before?" "You mean, taking on a rescue mission? Sure, a few times." Tank leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. "But nothing on a scale anywhere close to this. Doc wasn't kidding when he said your friends could have ended up in some really scary places." Sunset busied herself with plucking a couple of bright red hairs off her pajama pants instead of replying. "...Let me level with you for a minute, Sunset." Tank sat up. "Nexus is a large and dangerous world, and it's likely going to take us a long time to find all your friends. There is every chance that we won't be able to bring them all back alive, and you need to be prepared for it if we find out we were too late." A chill ran through Sunset's body, causing her to shiver. Like Twilight, she had been doing her best to keep her thoughts away from the heavier implications of their situation, but she knew she was going to have to address it eventually. She had faith in them, of course she did... but anytime they had been in danger in the past, they had gotten through it by working together and relying on one another. Separated as they were... she was a lot less confident. "I know," she said finally, her fists pressed firmly into her thighs as she spoke. "But I'm not giving up on them, no matter what. I owe them that much." "There's that spirit again." Tank smirked. "Still not good enough all by itself... but it just might pull you out of a dark spot someday. Never let go of it." Sunset nodded, but said nothing else. A moment of quiet passed between them. "Well, thanks for that, I guess. Sorry if I disturbed you or anything," Sunset said finally as she stood up. "I'm gonna go see how Twilight is doing." Tank rose to his feet as well. "No, no, you're fine. Just remember to get some sleep, alright?" "Of course." Sunset made for the door, but stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot. Tank?" "What's up?" Sunset turned to him and smiled. "Thanks for your help." Tank shrugged slightly, smirking again. "Hey, don't give me too much credit. You saw how much we're getting paid for this, right?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "I meant in general, but sure, that too." Tank seemed to hesitate for a moment. Taking a step forward, he held out his hand, his smile more genuine than usual. Sunset looked down at it for a moment and smirked as she too stepped forward, gently wrapping her arms around him. Caught off guard, he tensed for a moment, but his smile soon resurfaced as he returned the hug. The two waved to each other as Sunset closed the door behind her on her way out. She soon found herself staring at Twilight's door. A part of her felt a little guilty for hoping her friend was still awake when she should really be getting some sleep, but she knocked nonetheless. A few seconds later, a pair of purple eyes peeked out at her from behind the door. "Sunset? What are you doing up?" asked Twilight. Sunset crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same thing." Twilight pulled the door the rest of the way open. As Sunset stepped inside, she glanced over the desk in the corner, which featured a pair of open textbooks and some scrap paper covered in notes. Sunset blinked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "Wait, you... didn't somehow bring your homework with you, did you?" "No, of course not!" Twilight shook her head. "I'm working on translating my formulas for the scientists here so they can adapt the principles behind my magic sensor to their technology. They think it might help us figure out what happened with the portal." "And did they tell you they needed this by tomorrow morning?" Twilight's ears drooped. "Well... not exactly..." Sunset climbed onto Twilight's bed and sat with her back against the wall. "Then I doubt they meant for you to lose sleep over it." "But this is really important," insisted Twilight, her wings fluttering as she spoke. "They came to me for help even though I barely understand what's going on, and I don't want them to think I'm not taking it seriously." "My statement still stands, though," said Sunset. "You won't be much help to them if you're dead on your feet tomorrow, now will you?" Twilight bit her lip and looked over at the books on her desk, a thought suddenly surfacing in her mind. "Hey, I could say the same to you. Aren't you supposed to start training tomorrow?" Sunset rubbed the back of her head. "Well, yeah, but..." Twilight smiled softly. "You're nervous." Sunset huffed. "Of course I am. Who wouldn't be?" "That's my point." Twilight climbed onto the bed and took a seat next to Sunset, a yawn escaping before she could continue. "Well, that and... you're not alone." Sunset sighed, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. Sure, she was nervous about the prospect of having to fight without all her friends by her side (and using a real weapon to boot), but the more she thought about it, a part of her relished the thought of finally being able to do something about the situation. The prospect of going from being largely helpless to having at least some control over her situation was reassuring. She gasped as something heavy fell onto her shoulder. Warmth filled Sunset's cheeks as she realized it was Twilight; without a problem in front of her to solve, the day had finally caught up with the poor girl, already out like a light. Immediately, Sunset began pondering how to sneak away without disturbing her friend, but she was interrupted by a yawn of her own. To be fair, she decided... if Twilight wasn't bothered, how much did it really matter? In moments, her head rested atop Twilight's, the both of them sound asleep.