//------------------------------// // Adepta Sororitas: Even Puppets Feel Fear // Story: The Many Destinies of Sunset Shimmer // by ratedoni //------------------------------// Sunset was for the moment, if not happy at least content, after all, it had been some time since she had seen a city like Gotham in a while; probably the biggest human city she had been in had been Manhattan while she still lived on her universe, but compared to the rather modern looking city, Gotham looked as if it had been taken from another time period. Art Deco style tall buildings with signs and lights making the long buildings have even bigger shadows; it was magical and scary at the same time, almost as if it had been built by a romanticist writer or a Noir film director; although, considering how the people dressed and acted, she could imagine every single night was like a Raymond Chandler novel. Looking outside of Harleen’s small apartment, Sunset took time to collect herself and enjoy a night of nothing but quiet introspection, but the sound of sirens, lovers screaming at each other, either in rage or because they were in the throes of passion weren’t exactly conductive to doing things like that. Although the looks of the city were pretty nice, Sunset understood that the place where she was right now wasn’t probably the safest in the city, not that it was exactly a ghetto, but it was pretty obvious that the place was not conductive to progress, not that her companion of this travel even out attention to something like that. Harleen Quinzel, also known around the city as Harley Quinn, was busy collecting her stuff from around the apartment, basically some make up, a few couple of outfits including a rather nice looking pink sundress; it was clear that beyond her original villain outfit, Harleen didn’t have much in terms of possessions, what with her relationship with the joker and plunging into the darkness. Now that she was free thanks to the powers of the elements that still resided inside Sunset, she could have a new opportunity to live. “I still don’t get it; you are free of the Joker, why do you want to leave this place forever?” “Is easy, there is nothing for me here; what am I supposed to do? Go back to being a psychologist of villains? You know how well that turned out for me, besides, who will hire an ex-convict like me?” “Wayne Industries?” Harleen stood a second looking at Sunset before blinking once; it seemed as if she was truly thinking about the possibilities of that. “Nah, although it could be fun to go into Mister Wayne’s office and tell him I know all about his bat-cave; being outside of the universe can surely give you a new perspective on things,” the blonde’s smile at that kind of chaotic fun was truly angelic, which only made Sunset shake her head due to her antics. She may be cleansed of the Joker’s brain washing and her own mental problems, but Harleen’s sense of humor still was as wicked as always. “Still, maybe he could hire you as his personal therapist.” “Sure, maybe I can even become his personal secretary, I think I can totally pull the mini skirt for that job,” Sunset was grateful that she hadn’t been drinking anything because the mental image of Harleen wearing the stereotypical short skirt look of a secretary was at the same time hilarious and rather attractive in a way Sunset didn’t want to think about “but no, I think this world will be perfectly fine without me for a while, besides, how can I say no to saving reality as a whole? So no, you won’t get rid of me that easily.” Well, Sunset was grateful of that at least, for now she could have someone she could talk with that wasn’t hundreds of years older than her; since Celestia, it never really sit well with her to be around immortal people for too long, after all, you never knew what kind of long term plans they had going on behind your back. “So, you’ve been watching a lot of your counter parts lives?” “Excuse me? I was thinking about something else.” “I said, have you seen many other Sunsets?” Harleen repeated as she was trying to close one of her bags. “Ah, yeah, a lot of them really.” “So, like, are they all the good guys like you or something? I mean, you start as the bad guy, well, technically bad guy, but then you become one of the really good guys.” “Well, not always and I don’t think you can call some of my other me good girls,” Sunset said shivering as she remembered the monster that one Sunset had become and the power that could be find on that specific world. ----- The world was Equus; the land was one that was known as Equestria by its citizens and they were all ready to fight for their right to exist as the tyrant that they all thought had been vanquished had appeared with a flash, alongside his hundreds of fanatical soldiers. They were ruthless underneath their mask as they advanced without resting; clearly only puppets that moved at the whims of their master, as Sombra laughed on top of his crystal tower, watching his troops advance as they battled with Celestia’s regiments, weak mongrels that were going to be trampled by his forces. His laughter stopped when something form the sky appeared, quickly falling into the battlefield, sending dust and soldiers everywhere with the impact of the metal behemoth. From the inside, it opened, showing figures of bipeds, garbed in otherworldly armors and holding weapons of destruction; among them, stood a woman of red and golden hair, beautiful with her battle scars, unmoving and stoic; alongside her, her companions stood ready with their bolters at their side and chainswords raring to go. All soldiers in both sides were quiet, with only those that were free of brainwashing recognizing the humans and quickly turning around and running form the battlefield, not because they were scared, which they were of course, but because they knew they had to go as far away as they could or they will become casualties by mistake. It was like this that things were, until a voice could be heard among the warriors. “Fix bayonets?” a voice, perky underneath her pink gas mask uttered as Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Yes Pinkie, fix your bayonet.” “Explain again why a Krieg corp is with us? Aren’t they always like, dying?” the chromatic haired woman in armor asked to the captain of their group. “Believe me, Pinkie wants to die in battle and she has tried, a LOT of times, but somehow she always survives her suicidal missions, still, is better to have her, if for nothing else to have someone that will pull the enemies attention. Speaking of which, hey Sparky! Is the vehicle ready?” “Raring to go, are you sure is okay for me to tamper with an Immolator?” the techpriest named Twilight Sparkle asked as what could only be called a tank with an organ on it appeared. “Whatever; now, Adepta Sororitas, purge these idiots!” It was said, that that day, even puppets were able to feel fear.