Persona: Phantom Thieves of Canterlot

by KyleK12


(First Palace-The Castle) Arrival: 8/25 - 8/26

The world is not as it should be.
It’s filled with distortion,
and “ruin” can no longer be avoided.

Those who appose fate and desire change…
From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.

A new Trickster shall soon arise…
The time has come to rise against the abyss of distortion.

Sat. 8/25 (Late Afternoon)
For Sunset Shimmer, her only “crime” was that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Her court-appointed lawyer told her she was lucky to get probation. But he made it clear, one more screw-up and next time it would be jail.

She wasn’t so lucky with her school, however. Her recent conviction had earned her an expulsion. The principal justified it all by saying Sunset was a “clear and present danger to the student body”.

Which was why she was now aboard Flight 615 making its final descent towards Canterlot. A “family friend” had not only arranged for her to be enrolled in a new school, but also volunteered to house her during the year-long probation. Her parents made it clear that there was no other option but to accept the offer.

With the plane having landed, Sunset walked into the airport terminal ten minutes later. She stood out from the other passengers with her purple top, orange skirt, and black leather jacket. Remembering the instructions her parents gave her, the red-and-yellow-haired girl was able to make it to baggage claim after five minutes.

After collecting her luggage, she was beginning to wonder if the “family friend” had forgotten to pick her up. She didn’t know where her new guardian lived, nor did she have a phone number for her.

“Miss Sunset, I presume?”

Sunset Shimmer turned to see the owner of the voice. A pink-skinned woman with hair that was a mixture of pink and violet, she wore a matching navy skirt and jacket with a teal dress shirt. She also adorned her jacket with a heart-shaped crystal pendant.

“I guess that means you’re Mi Amore Cadenza?” Sunset asked in a deadpan tone.

The woman nodded. “Please, call me Cadence, all my friends do.” She offered the girl her hand. “We’re going to be living together for the next year; you don’t have to be so formal.”

Sunset glanced at the hand for a bit before shaking it with her own. With help from Cadence, her luggage was loaded in the car and the two made their way to Sunset’s new home for the next year.

It was a mostly quiet ride. Cadence tried to engage her new ward in conversation by offering tidbits about whatever landmark they passed. But after some time, it became clear that Sunset was not welcoming any sort of conversation at the moment.

The radio was currently playing some call-in show. “Our topic today being the string of so-called ‘mental shutdowns’. Hello, caller, you’re on the air.”

An hour after leaving the airport, they had finally arrived at Cadence’s home, a modest two-story house that was settled within Canterlot’s quaint suburbs. “Well, here we are. Home sweet home.”

When they first walked in, the first thing Sunset noticed was how pink the walls were. Cadence quickly led her up to the second story to and the end of the hall. “Well,” she said, “here’s your room.”

The walls weren’t decorated, but at least there was a bed, dresser, and closet. It was a lot better than what she was expecting.

“I know it seems a little drab,” Cadence said with a nervous smile, “but I’m sure we can get you some posters if you want.”

Sunset shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m just glad to have a bed right now.”

“Well, I better get started on dinner,” Cadence said while making her way to the door. “I know you must be starving after such a long flight. Why don’t you start unpacking and I’ll call you down when it’s time to eat?”

As the door closed, Sunset let out a sigh. A whole year in an unfamiliar city and an unfamiliar school. It could have been worse, she told herself. At least this wasn’t jail.

A sudden ping from her jacket pocket got her attention. Pulling out her smart-phone, she was immediately drawn to the strange app: a black eye on a red background. It was strange; Sunset definitely didn’t remember downloading an app like this. Whether out of curiosity or something else, Sunset placed her thumb on the touchscreen where the app was.

That’s when it all happened.

Looking towards the window, Sunset saw that the once blue sky was now red. Making her way towards it, she then saw the blue flame that blazed across the street. It almost seemed to take the shape of…a person?

Suddenly, floating right outside the window, a duplicate of Sunset herself met her gaze with piercing golden eyes and a teeth-baring smile.

She fell backwards onto the floor in shock as everything turned back to normal. Quickly getting back up, she looked out the window and saw that everything was as it should be. The sky was blue, there was no fire, and there was no creepy reflection. Sunset looked down to her phone and saw the strange app.

She quickly deleted it before starting to unpack.

(Evening)
“Sunset!” She heard Cadence calling her from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

Having unpacked the last of her belongings, Sunset made her way downstairs where she saw the television set on the local news. “The driver of a city bus full of passengers purposely drove down the wrong side of a major freeway. How can our citizens live in peace during these troubling times?”

Cadence was already sitting at the small dining table where two plates of pasta were waiting to be eaten. After taking a seat, Sunset took a sip from a glass of water before eating.

“Are you all settled in, Sunset?” Cadence asked some time after their meal started. “Is there anything we need to pick up from the store tomorrow?”

“No,” the girl shook her head, “everything’s fine.”

After minutes of silence, Sunset placed her fork on her plate. There was something eating at her since she arrived in Canterlot, and now was the time to speak her mind.

“Cadence,” she said, “there’s something that I need to ask you.”

The woman looked up from her dinner. “Sure,” she said, “what’s on your mind?”

Sunset shifted nervously. “My parents said you were a ‘family friend’, but this whole thing was the first time I ever heard of you. How exactly do you know my parents?”

“Well,” Cadence took a quick sip from her glass, “to tell you the truth, I never met your parents until I talked to them on the phone.”

Sunset looked at her with a stoic expression. “What?”

“You see,” Cadence began, “I work as Dean of Students for Crystal Prep Academy—I actually tried to get you enrolled there, but Principal Cinch put a stop to that when she heard about your probation—and the parents of one of my students were good friends of your parents. I heard about your situation and they helped me reach out to your folks about getting you moved down here to attend school.”

There was more that Sunset wanted to say before the doorbell rang. “Wait here, I’ll get it.” Her new guardian got up from the table to answer the door.

Sunset resumed eating dinner when she heard the door open. “Shiny!” She turned her head to see a white-skinned man with blue hair enter the house.

“Sorry for coming over unannounced, Cadence,” the man said. “But I was hoping I could speak to you about—”

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Sunset at the table. His gaze turned cold as his eyes narrowed. “Oh, right,” he said. “That was today, wasn’t it?”

Cadence motioned for Sunset to stand as she walked towards her. Putting her arm around the young girl’s shoulders, she began to introduce the two. “Shiny, this is Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Shining Armor.”

Shining seemed to be critically analyzing her. “So, this is the problem child that’s going to be living with you.”

“Shining!” Cadence quietly hissed.

“It’s okay, Cadence,” Sunset said. “At least he didn’t call me a felon.” She removed the arm around her shoulders. “I’m not as hungry as I thought I was; I’m just gonna go up to my room.”

Sunset quickly made her way upstairs. By the time she reached the top of the staircase, she could already hear Cadence and her boyfriend.

“What the hell, Shining? I can’t believe you actually said that.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Cadence, I don’t feel comfortable with some criminal living with you.”

“She isn’t like that! If you knew what really—”

Cadence’s reply was cut off as Sunset closed her bedroom door. She sighed as she laid herself on top of her bed’s red-and-yellow-striped comforter. Shining Armor’s words were just like those of everyone involved in her situation: her lawyer, the judge, the principal. She even felt like her own parents have given up on her.

Even before coming to Canterlot, her mind kept replaying the night this whole thing started. Walking home from her friend’s house instead of calling her parents for a ride. If she had called, she probably never would have heard that man and woman arguing.

It was their shouting that drew Sunset to them. The man was obviously drunk, and the woman was struggling to escape his tight grip. She couldn’t just walk away and pretend she saw nothing. She had to do something!

“You little bitch! You’re going to regret this!”

The next thing she knew, the cops were there. She remembered the cold steel of the handcuffs as they arrested her.

Knock! Knock! “Sunset,” Cadence’s voice called out from behind the door, “can I come in?”

Sunset sighed. “Sure.”

Cadence came in as Sunset lifted herself into a sitting position. The mattress shifted as the older woman took a seat next to her charge.

“I’m sorry about what Shining said,” Cadence said apologetically. “He’s always been a little overprotective about people he cares about, especially since he became a detective.”

So, Sunset thought, he’s a cop. That would probably explain it.

“He has a point though,” Sunset said. “No offense, Cadence. I’m thankful for what you’re doing, but you do realize that you basically took in a complete stranger with a criminal record.”

Cadence sighed as she placed a reassuring hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Sunset, I know everything about what happened to you. You were only trying to save that woman—”

“Yeah,” Sunset interrupted, “and I was the one who got arrested for it. You want to know what it taught me? Doing the right thing will only get you in trouble. It’s just best to keep your head down, and keep your mouth shut.”

The girl shrugged the hand off her shoulder and got up. She went to the dresser to pull out her pajamas. “I’m really tired after that trip; I’m gonna go ahead and get some sleep.”

Cadence said nothing. She simply got up and walked towards the door. She stopped at the doorway before turning her head to look at her ward.

“I don’t think you really believe that,” she said. “If you did, you wouldn’t have tried to save that woman. Good night, Sunset.”

Sunset said nothing as the door closed; she simply dressed and got ready for bed.

Adorned in her purple pajamas and under the cover of the comforter, Sunset rested her head on the pillow. After all the traveling, she only wanted to close her eyes and sleep. Her eyelids were becoming heavy when a ping was heard.

Sunset’s attention moved to her phone on the nightstand. She took the device and unlocked it, seeing the strange app from earlier on the screen.

“That’s weird,” she muttered. “I thought I deleted it.”

A couple of swipes, and the app was deleted from her phone. After placing the smartphone back on the nightstand, Sunset finally fell asleep.

[The Velvet Room]
Sunset suddenly jolted awake, sitting upright on the bed. Something was wrong, the mattress felt different than she remembered. She also noticed the chains hanging above her.

That was when Sunset took notice of herself, a chain kept her arms from spreading to far. She also realized that her pajamas were replaced with a black-and-white-striped prison uniform. It took time for her to realize that she was currently in a prison cell.

Looking towards the prison bars, she noticed the pale girl standing behind them. Perhaps being four-feet-tall, the girl was dressed in a prison guard’s uniform with an eyepatch over her left eye. When Sunset blinked, she could have sworn the eyepatch moved to cover the girls right eye.

After blinking again, she saw that the girl wasn’t one girl. They were twins! Identical down to the last detail, with the eyepatches being the only way to tell them apart.

Sunset stood up and moved to the bars, shaking them to budge open, but to no avail. The girl’s actions caused the twin on the right to chuckle.

“So, it seems you’ve finally came to, inmate,” the right twin said mockingly.

“The you in reality is asleep,” the left twin said in a softer tone. “You are only experiencing this as a dream.”

“You are in the presence of our master!” the right twin barked. “Stand up straight!”

Wait, master?

Her gaze went past the twins to the sole occupant of a table not too far from her. The man sitting there was the strangest Sunset had ever seen. Dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and gloves, the man had ears that reminded Sunset of an elf from a fantasy story. She also couldn’t help but notice the extremely long nose that he had.

“Trickster,” the man spoke with a deep voice that sent chills down the girl’s spine, “welcome to my Velvet Room. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”

The man spread his arms out to place emphasis on his home. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well.”

After Igor was done talking, Sunset finally found the courage to speak. “Why am I here?”

“I summoned you here to speak of important matters,” he answered. “It involves your life as well.”

Sunset was left stunned. “My life?”

“Still, this is a surprise,” Igor said, taking observation of his surroundings. “The state of this room reflects the state of your heart. To think a prison would appear as such.”

The man looked to his guest with a large grin. “You truly are a ‘prisoner’ of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

Confused, Sunset shook her head. “What ruin? What are you talking about?”

“I speak of the end to everything,” Igor answered. “However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be ‘rehabilitated’. Rehabilitated toward freedom…that is your only means to avoid ruin.”

The long-nosed man looked Sunset directly in the eye. “Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

“I…I still don’t understand any of this.”

“You didn’t decline, hm?” the man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Very well, that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

Igor then snapped his fingers. “Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here.”

Caroline gave a single laugh. “Try and struggle as hard as you like.”

“The duty of Wardens is to protect inmates,” Justine said as if she was simply stating a fact. “We are also your collaborators.” The girl’s voice then took on a hard edge. “That is, if you remain obedient.”

“I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion,” Igor said. “Now then, it seems the night is waning…It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…”

Sunset then covered her ears as a loud bell rang around her.

“Time’s up!” Caroline yelled. “Now hurry up and go back to sleep.”

Before Sunset could say anything else, the room had already gone dark.

Sun. 8/26 (Early Morning)
Sunset Shimmer woke up after having the strangest dream of her life. Ruin…rehabilitation…Sunset could not for the life of her understand the meaning behind it all.

As soon as she sat up, a series of knocks rapped on her door. “Sunset, are you up yet?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “You can come in if you want.”

The door opened, revealing Cadence in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Good morning. How about some breakfast before we head over to Canterlot High?”

Sunset yawned as she stretched her arms. “Isn’t today Sunday?”

“It is,” Cadence nodded. “But I was able to arrange for Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna to meet up today to help finalize your enrollment.”

Heading downstairs, the two enjoyed a light pancake breakfast while they discussed more about the school Sunset would be attending. “It’s within walking distance of the house,” Cadence said. “But today, I was hoping we could drive there. We can spend the rest of the day at the mall to see if we can find anything that will liven up your room.”

Sunset didn’t respond. She only continued to drive her fork into her breakfast.

(Daytime)
Sunset and Cadence entered Canterlot High School through the front entrance, having to walk past the “Wondercolt” statue. The girl immediately saw a “GO WONDERCOLTS!” banner with the words written in blue and gold hanging from the ceiling.

Sunset sat on a chair outside the principal’s office, waiting for Cadence to finalize all the details. Though this seemed like a normal school, something about the building just kept getting on her nerves. There just seemed to be something…wrong with it.

The door opened, and Cadence poked her head out. “Come on in, Sunset.”

She got up from her chair walked into the office. The first thing she saw was the woman. sitting behind the oak desk: ivory-skinned with hair that was a mix of bright colors. She gave a warm welcoming smile that felt like the rays of the rising sun. From the way Cadence described her, this must have been Principal Celestia.

The woman standing next to her was the complete opposite. Vice-Principal Luna was a light-shade of blue with navy hair, with the scowl and glare on her face looking like they were permanently etched onto it. Her stare felt like being trapped in a cold, airless void.

It was hard to believe that these two were actually sisters.

“Hello, Sunset,” Celestia said in a welcoming tone, her hand pointing towards a chair, “have a seat.”

Sunset took the offered seat. She oddly found herself sitting up straight for once in her life.

“I know you’ve gone through some…difficulties recently,” the principal said. “That’s why I accepted Cadence’s request to enroll you here. I want you to think of Canterlot High School as a second chance. A fresh start to help you get back on the right track.”

“Of course,” Luna firmly interjected, “you will be expelled immediately if you cause any sort of trouble.”

Celestia gave a side-glance to her sister. “Luna—”

The vice-principal placed both her hands on the desk. “I don’t know of the things you may have done in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here. If you get thrown out of this school, you’ll be on your own. Make sure to keep that in mind.”

Great, Sunset thought, yet another adult who thinks I’m some sort of thug.

Celestia cleared her throat, and Luna placed her hands back on her hips. “Here’s your student ID,” Celestia said, handing the laminated card over to the girl. “Good luck on your first day tomorrow.”

Sunset got up from her seat and began to walk to the door, Cadence following suit.

“Cadence,” Luna called before the two left, “please keep a close eye on her. You’ve taken on the role of guardian for her, so don’t let her cause any trouble.”

Cadence’s only reply was a nod before she shut the door.

The woman sighed as she and her ward walked through the hallway. “I’m sorry about Luna,” she said. “I wish she wouldn’t treat you like some sort of nuisance.”

“Is she always like that?” Sunset asked. “Or is there something about me that rubs her the wrong way?”

“It’s probably your conviction,” Cadence said, “she’s letting that bias her opinion against you. Luna is a very sweet and kind person, you just need to get to know her better.”

After that, it was a quick walk back to Cadence’s car.

(Late Afternoon)
“Again, a subway derailment at Gala Street Station has caused major traffic jams, as emergency crews are working to—”

“That’s enough of that,” Cadence declared, turning off the radio. She and Sunset were currently in the middle of said traffic jam waiting to get home after a semi-successful shopping trip. The two planned to order-in a pizza when they got back.

“So,” Sunset began, “I have to ask. How do you know those two?”

“You mean Celestia and Luna?” Cadence asked. “We go way back; Celestia is the closest thing I ever had to an aunt. She and Luna are practically family to me.”

At the mention of the vice-principal, Sunset couldn’t help but remember her words. “I’m sorry if I’m causing you any trouble. First your boyfriend, now Luna—”

“Hey now!” Cadence softly chided. “None of that. Let’s focus ahead. How do you feel about school tomorrow?”

Sunset thought about how her old school was. “I’m a bit…nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” Cadence assured her as traffic finally began to move.

(Evening)
Sunset and Cadence watched television as they ate their pizza. A news bulletin on the subway derailment said eighty people were seriously injured, though luckily, no fatalities were reported.

After dinner, the two quickly placed their wares on Sunset’s dresser: a small mirror in a frame and two picture frames (one for a photo of Sunset and her parents, and the other for—at Cadence’s insistence—when she made friends).

“I also have one last thing,” Cadence said, holding her hands behind her back. “It’s a little something I added when you weren’t looking. TADA!”

Sunset immediately saw the small purple book with a red-and-yellow sun printed in the center. “Great…what is it?”

“It’s a diary,” Cadence said, handing it over to the girl. “Every teenage girl has one, and I thought you might like to write down your feelings every once in a while.”

It was a small gesture, but the sincerity behind it was touching to Sunset. “Thanks, Cadence. I really appreciate it.”

Cadence smiled. “Okay now, straight to bed. You have school first thing tomorrow.”

After bidding each other good night, Sunset got changed into her pajamas and got under the covers of her bed. She was about to fall asleep when her phone pinged again. Picking it up from the nightstand, Sunset became annoyed when she saw the cause.

“That stupid app again,” she growled before deleting it for the third time.

Returning her phone back to the nightstand, Sunset laid back on her pillow. “Should probably reboot my phone,” was all she said before sleep took her.