//------------------------------// // Chapter 13- "Was it something I said?" // Story: My immortal phoenix. // by Lieral //------------------------------// Sitting on the couch of Twilight's house, Sunset watches the TV without her usual interest in the 'unknown' and whatever else that she could learn. Looking around she could see Spike sleeping comfortably away from her on the bed and he seems to be dreaming by the way he moves his legs without conscience. She turned the TV off and sighed heavily. That's the seventh day since Twilight received a call from the 'Laboratory' she works with the news that she needed to come back as soon as possible, and she answered that she would be back the next day already. Sunset spend all the first day kinda excited that she would be alone for the first time since she moved, and nervous too, even with Twilight's constant remaining that there's no one that could represent the slightly danger to Sunset she still wasn't very confident, luckily she had Spike to talk with, even if the canine soon proved that he could not teach Sunset about everything she wanted to learn as Twilight. When Twilight came back on the first day, Sunset was caught off guard with the way her friend looked, her hair that at the beginning of the day was a well-prepared bun now was simply a mess, she carried her white work coat under her arm and she was exhausted with her glasses almost falling from her nose. She said she was fine, and that it is part of her job, but every time that she entered her apartment on that state it ignited a small flame of worry and fury inside of Sunset, she always think that it may be someone else's fault, mainly Twilight's 'boss', she always says that he is too harsh with everyone else. The time that Sunset liked so much to spend it with Twilight now was filled with TV programs, her only contact with humans besides Twilight, and all the questions on her mind about everything simply fades away at the sight of her friend at such weakened state. The day simply seems awfully long without her favorite company. "Are those 'jobs' really so important?" She wondered while staring the ceiling. Sure, Twilight had explained why she needed to work and that if Sunset needs anything she could call her, but it just didn't seems right to make her worry even more about everything. She stood up and stretched her back. Turning her gaze toward somewhere else that wasn't the TV she saw the glowing mirror that would lead her to her old home. That sight should make her fell at least a little of homesickness, and it does a little, but she wasn't really happy with the idea of coming back there just yet. Spike barked in his sleep and took Sunset's attention toward him. The dog is certainly a good company, actually, he remembers her a little about her life in the other world, only an animal friend to talk with. She looked at the TV and thought about a subject that she is always thinking about when Twilight is away: 'Maybe it is time for me to meet another human beside Twilight...' But as soon as those thoughts came into her head the memories of other humans she meet so long ago flowed into her mind again, and her body trembled, definitely that was not a feeling she wanted to feel again. Suddenly Sunset heard the familiar sound of keys opening the door, she instantly turned her gaze to that spot expecting to see her friend coming home earlier. But instead of the usual feminine voice from Twilight, she was greeted with a different and inquisitional voice: "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING INSIDE OF MY SISTER'S LOCKED APARTMENT?" ………………………………… "Finally Friday..." Twilight commented to herself while entering the elevator of the building she lives. The best part of the day definitely was when everyone was released earlier from work. She held her head with one of her hands and leaned against the wall of the elevator with a sigh, her headache was so strong that she doubts that a simple aspirin was going to solve her problems. Quite frankly, in the last month, she ran away from a monster so big it would make a dinosaur cry in fear and yet she wasn't as stressed as returning to work for a week. But there's at least a good side, she's almost home where she will finally be able to relax, right? ………………………………… Shining Armor stood at the door with a very rigid posture staring the strange girl that was inside his sister's apartment, at his side Cadence and both his parents seems to be very aware of the seriousness of the situation and stood quietly in place as the Captain of the Police department lead the situation. But a feeling of uncertainty gripped Cadence's mind 'If this girl is really dangerous then why is she wearing one of Twilight's clothes?' On the other hand, Sunset stared the group that had just opened the door with mixed feelings. Part of her just wanted to run back to the mirror, part of her want to talk and explain the situation, and her most primitive side simply wanted to attack the intruders. This is definitely the first real humans she meets since Twilight, and she does not know what to do. Sure, most of them seem very harmless, but the middle one has a very hostile posture. He has blue hair and his face actually have some traces that remember her of Twilight, but he seems ready to start a fight at any moment, a trace missing on the nerd girl. Suddenly Sunset's face darkened and she assumed a fighting posture too, her primal instincts of fighting to protect a territory showing its trace at this very moment. A little part of her still wanted to run away, but as soon as old memories started to flow into her mind she also remembered a very important fact, she was a child back then, and she is not going to let that happen again. She did not listen to what the stranger had exactly said when he entered, but he had just intruded Twilight's apartment without permission, right? Then there's no reason to go easy on him. With a decided expression she gave a step forward. ………………………………… Twilight just wanted to lay down on her bed and sleep until the next week. But obviously, things aren't so simple in her life. As soon as the elevator's door opened, she saw an unexpected sight right in front of her door. Both her parents and Cadence stood as stone observing something inside her apartment, and unlike them, Shining Armor wears a very hostile expression, few were the times Twilight saw that expression before, and usually, she was sure that whoever was his target he is not going to end well. 'Wait, target?' Suddenly the situation becomes pretty clear in her mind, for some reason her family decided to pay her a surprise visit, and when they opened the door they saw a girl they never meet before inside of a locked apartment. It's easy to say that they assumed the worst. But there's a lot of problems with that, and the main of them is that her brother is about to pick up a fight with Sunset Shimmer... 'HELL, NO!'. Throwing aside her handbag, her work coat and all her tiredness she started to run as soon as her brother gave his first step forward. "STOP HIM NOW!" She yelled and the first one to react was surprisingly Cadence, that stopped her husband holding his shoulder with one hand and telling him to wait. He turned his head to his wife and just then, he heard the sounds of steps approaching fast. By having a better sense of hearing than the others Sunset stopped as soon as she heard Twilight's voice, but her rigid posture did not fade away. Twilight closed the remaining distance between the group and her breathing heavily, she held Shining Armor in place with one hand and scanned him with her eyes, there is no sign that he and Sunset had touched each other, a very good thing actually. "Twily, do you know her?" Shining Armor asked turning his eyes to the red-haired girl. "Yes... I do..." She answered breathing heavily. Her body finally seemed to notice that it wasn't a good idea use all that energy when it actually doesn't even had it in the first place. She turned her face to Sunset and then to her brother and asked. "She is Sunset Shimmer, my friend. And Sunset, this is my family, I told you a little about them, didn't I?" Sunset simply nodded without uttering a word, she still observed the group in a reclusive manner. "Now, since we all know each other..." Twilight punched her brother's arm with a furious face. "ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT?" "OUCH! Why did you do that?" Shining Armor asked holding the place his sister had just punched with his other hand and looked at her slightly confused. "I'm sorry I acted rashly, but you didn't have to hit me!" Twilight sighed heavily. She probably overreacted, but Shining Armor definitely has no idea how close he was to the death a few seconds ago. "Ok, sorry. Since you are all here, come in, I'll make some coffee..." "I always thought you should drink less coffee!" Twilight Velvet was the first one to enter the apartment followed by her daughter and the rest of the family. "Don't take my coffee away from me, please!" Twilight said walking toward Sunset. She turned to her parents and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it really surprised when she felt a hand that did not belong to her entwining her fingers with a surprising amount of force. "Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" "Today is the day of my first sonogram, and we wanted to know if you wanted to come," Cadence said with an enormous smirk as something caught Shining Armor's attention. "Really?" Twilight asked with a big smile. All her tiredness suddenly disappeared again. "Why didn't you tell me before, I would have found you there!" "Because we wanted to do a little surprise! But it seems that you already have some plans, didn't you?" Cadence answered staring intently at the two girls holding hands. "What?" Twilight asked and turned her gaze to her hand. Suddenly her face's temperature seemed to double, and Sunset stared her a little confused. "T-That's not what you're thinking.." "Hey, Twily, What's that?" Shining Armor asked observing attentively the portal showing the same desert landscape as always, and all the increasing temperature in her body simply froze suddenly. 'How could I forget it?' She desperately wondered. But before she could react he used his hand to touch the mirror, but instead of a solid surface, his hand simply crossed the mirror with a cold feeling. "WHA..." He didn't finish his phrase when all his body was completely swallowed. "SHINING!" Everyone but Sunset yelled and Cadence tried to reach him but was stopped by Twilight. "No, we don't know what would happen with your baby if you cross the portal! I'll go after him!" She said and turned to face Sunset. "Don't let anyone enter after me!" She said and entered the portal as Sunset just nodded. "Hey, guys! What do I lose?" Spike asked entering the room with a yawn, and everyone present turned their faces to the talking dog. "Twilight, what have you done this time?" Night Light asked himself as he put his hand on his forehead as if to hold back a headache. "And more importantly, why didn't you call me?" Twilight Velvet continued slightly revolted. "What? Was it something I said?" Spike asked turning to face Sunset that just shrugged.