Shining parked his squad car a block from the old factory, his backup right behind him. He, Detective Harshwhinny, and Twilight got out of the car and crept closer to the building, four officers following in pursuit.
“I still disapprove of you bringing your sister, Mr. Armor,” Harshwhinny said, flaring her nostrils.
They stopped at the corner as Shining took a cautionary glance around, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. “She’s going to stay here and watch from afar.”
“Please don’t talk as if I’m not here,” Twilight said, narrowing her eyes.
“Sorry,” Shining said, not taking his gaze off the factory. “She’s also here in case the messenger will only negotiate with her.”
Twilight had rushed downstairs, waving her phone and crying as she showed Shining the simple text message supposedly sent from Sunset.
‘Come to the factory.’
Shining was no stranger to text based traps. He knew how easy a setup like this would be, though he knew not for what purpose. Maybe the sender thought Twilight might be desperate enough to show up alone. Even in her most fragile state, Twilight thought things through.
Whatever the case, he and his superior, Harshwhinny, grabbed a few officers and made their way to the old part of town. Shining earnestly hoped Sunset was inside, both to see her safe and his sister happy, and so he would stop having to lie about Sunset’s absent files. Harshwhinny had nearly pinned him in a corner several times already.
Harshwhinny turned to the officers with her eternally annoyed scowl. “Shining and I will scope the place out and radio for backup if we need any. You are to keep a lookout here and report anything unusual to Shining or I.”
“Yes ma’am,” Gaffer said with a salute.
Shining made to follow Harshwhinny’s leave, but Twilight pulled on his jacket. He looked back and received a kiss on the cheek.
“Be careful.”
He smiled and gave her bun a ruffle. “Always.” He hurried after Harshwhinny, catching up before she had time to complain. Hands on their guns, they approached the side door. Shining remembered when he had been in this alley last winter, and had found Sunset trying to force her way inside.
Come on, Sunset. You better be in here.
Shining positioned himself on one side of the door while Harshwhinny jiggled the handle. She shoved the door open with her shoulder and quickly jumped back out of the way. When nothing came from the hall, Shining took point, pulling his gun out and keeping it skyward. They moved down the hall, stopping to scan the kitchen, then moved to the factory floor. The sun tried to shine through the grimy windows, but it only created a dim and depressing atmosphere.
“Canterlot P.D!” Harshwhinny shouted at the shadows. “This is your only chance to come out with your hands up!”
Shining squinted his eyes, forcing them to adjust to the dark. Something was sitting against the back wall. He took a step closer, and the figure became more recognizable. “Sunset?”
If they heard, they didn’t stir. Shining kept his gun pointed up while Harshwhinny watched his back as he drew closer. His heart jumped into his throat, an action that surprised even him. The figure was indeed Sunset. She leaned against the back wall, seemingly unconscious, though her eyes were half-open.
“Sunset.” Shining put his gun away and knelt beside her. She had a few old cuts and bruises, and her cheeks were gaunt and pale, no doubt from malnourishment. He lifted two fingers to her throat and found a slow but steady pulse.
“Don’t worry, Sunset, we’re gonna get you out of here.” He pulled out his walkie-talkie. “We need an ambulance here, asap!”
Harshwhinny walked up behind him, double checking the corners and ceiling. “Positive that’s her?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmph.” She holstered her gun. “We marked this place as searched a week ago. Then, someone sends your sister an anonymous tip that her… partner,” she said with distaste, “is here.”
Shining felt a vein twitch in his temple, but ignored it as he did a light sweep of Sunset’s person. Her phone was still missing. “I’ve never heard of a kidnapper feeling guilty enough to return their hostage like this. Still, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.” He lifted Sunset up in his arms and brought her outside, squinting his eyes at the overcast light.
As he stepped out of the alley, he heard six voices shout, “Sunset!”
Harshwhinny snorted at the six girls rushing toward them. “Who authorized for these civilians to be here?”
None of them paid her any mind. Twilight led the charge, sobbing and hiccuping as she came to a stop in front of Shining and grabbed Sunset’s hand. Her friends were in similar states, marveling at Sunset with a mix of relief and concern.
“You found her!” Twilight choked out. “You found her!” She squeezed Sunset’s hand. “Sunset, it’s me! It’s Twilight! It’s all your friends! She’s going to be okay, right?”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. She just needs some rest,” Shining said calmly. He looked down at the blank look in her lidded eyes. “She’s probably been through a lot.”
He heard the ambulance’s sirens before they came into view. In a few short moments, Sunset was loaded onto a stretcher, an IV in her arm, and pulled into the back.
Twilight didn’t ask, she climbed in and sat next to Sunset. “I’m going with her.”
Shining just nodded. “Tell Mom I said hi.”
She nodded back and gave a loving and grateful smile. “Thank you, Shiny.”
He gave a wave and stepped back as the rest of his sister’s friends ran up to the edge of the ambulance, promising to meet them at the hospital.
Shining let out a sigh. It wasn’t quite one of relief though. Sunset had been found and reunited with her friends. But that empty look in her eyes…. Would she be okay? And who had taken her in the first place? Who had given her back?
He shelved the thoughts for now and watched the ambulance pull away. One victory at a time.
********
The Spectacular Seven and the Lulamoons waited in the lobby of Canterlot General Hospital. Twilight paced in front of the large couch they had all squeezed on, wringing her hands and pulling on her bangs every few minutes.
“Twilight, stop,” Applejack said, fiddling with her hat. “You’re worse than Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy sat in a similar state from when they had waited for Rainbow at Hollow Shades. She rocked back and forth in her seat, though perhaps she blinked more this time.
“Applejack is right,” Artemis said, not quite reaching his normal, jovial pitch. “I’m sure Sunset will be fine.”
Even so, Twilight couldn’t stop pacing the blue and white tiles, or stealing glances at the emergency doors. She had come to the conclusion that she hated hospitals. She had never been in one for a positive reason. Sure, she knew lives were being saved and miracles were being performed. But, imagine if accidents never happened in the first place. Then her brother or her girlfriend would never have to set foot in one, and neither would she.
Twilight shifted her thoughts back to the positive. They had found Sunset! She was alive! Twilight felt a lump rise to her throat again. She swallowed it down, saving her tears for when she saw Sunset’s smiling face beam back at her.
Any minute now. She accidentally popped one of her knuckles and shook her hand out. Any minute.
She still had several unanswered questions. Sunset didn’t have her phone when Shining found her. So who had sent the text? Who had taken Sunset in the first place? And what was that demon that had tried to kill Twilight twice now?
Twilight’s heart soared again. She had been right! That demon wasn’t Sunset! Sunset was safe and sound here in the hospital! Of course, there was still the possibility that the demon had been Sunset and she had just reverted back to normal on her own. Twilight would stick to her first hypothesis until proven otherwise.
The emergency doors opened, and Twilight Velvet stepped out. As Twilight ran up to her, she could see bad news written on her mother’s face.
“Is Sunset all right?” Everyone had rose to their feet now, looking on with tense anticipation.
Velvet sighed. “Sunset is stable, but…” She put a hand on Twilight shoulder. It was meant to be warm, but all Twilight felt was a chilling emptiness. “She’s unresponsive to any stimuli, but we haven’t picked up any abnormal brain waves. There’s no evidence of blunt force trauma or poison. It’s like she’s gone to sleep and won’t wake up.”
“It… it sounds like you’re describing her as comatose.” Twilight said in a breathy whisper.
“Yes,” Velvet said with a deep sigh. “For all intents and purposes, that’s how we’re treating it. We’re keeping a close watch on her in the ICU, but until we can learn more...”
Twilight stumbled on her back foot, sucker punched in the heart. She looked back at her friends, hoping they had heard something different and she had just gone temporarily crazy from stress. But the air slowly leaking out of Pinkie’s wild hair, the water streaming from Fluttershy’s eyes, and grief-stricken looks on everyone else confirmed they had all heard the same thing.
“I-I see.” The world leaned to one side, and Twilight felt herself float for a second before Applejack’s strong arms held her upright. “I’m okay,” she said breathlessly, “I’m okay. I just… I…”
Twilight fought the flooding impulse to scream and kick something. She clenched and unclenched her hands, pulled down on her bangs, then became perfectly still.
“Can we still go see her?” she asked, devoid of all emotion.
Velvet gestured toward the hall. “Of course you can. Just not all at once. Her room isn’t that big.”
Applejack tipped her hat over her eyes. “You go first, Twi. It’s only fair.” She gave Twilight a gentle nudge forward.
Twilight didn’t object but looked back at the Lulamoons. “You should come too. It seems fair.”
Trixie gave a simple nod on their behalf and followed after Twilight and Velvet. They moved up to the third floor and down the end of the hall, where the smell of antiseptic was a little lighter. Sunset had a single room with a small window that looked out to the west horizon, where the sun fell.
Sunset leaned back in her bed, her half-closed eyes staring at the door. She had been changed into a hospital gown, and an IV had been inserted into her arm. A breathing apparatus hung off the side of her bed, just in case. Her heart monitor gave a beep every two seconds or so. Twilight moved to her side and took her hand. It felt cold.
A hiccup came first, then a whimper, then Twilight’s tears fell onto Sunset’s hand. A week of searching. A sudden miracle. Yet even with Sunset laying before her, she was still far away. Twilight gripped her hand tighter, trying to pass on some of her own warmth.
No one could draw up the strength to say anything. Twilight opened her mouth once or twice, but couldn’t make anything louder than a pained whine. Selena bent down and kissed Sunset on the forehead before making a quiet exit.
“She’ll wake up soon,” Artemis said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. “She’s too strong-willed to stay like this.” He gave Sunset’s hair a loving stroke and took his leave with Selena, leaving Trixie alone with Twilight.
They stood side-by-side, watching Sunset’s slow, rhythmic breathing. Trixie looked toward the door, as if to make sure no one would walk in. “When father told us about Sunset’s demon returning, I didn’t know what to believe. If it was actually Sunset or some phantom or illusion.” She wiped her eyes. “I held a grudge for so long, a few months ago, I would have gladly blamed her and used it as proof to my parents that she couldn’t be trusted. Now…”
Trixie turned her head back to Sunset and drew herself up. “Wake up, Shimmer. Trixie still needs a sidekick for her amazing adventures.” Her voice hitched, and she quickly deflated with a sigh.
Twilight never had very much interaction with Trixie, even in the few competitions they had participated in. But in that moment, Twilight felt a connection spark. She again wondered why Moondancer had never mentioned her before, then subsequently remembered their conversation last night. Twilight intended to keep her promise, but she couldn’t deny her curiosity.
“Trixie, can someone without magic gain magic?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Actually, it was something my aunt was researching before she died. I don’t know all the details to be honest. But, according to her, souls can grow, and they have a certain threshold. If they grow beyond that point, they become more sensitive to the natural magic around them. Something like that.”
Her eyebrow arched higher. “What? You think if you get magic, you can wake her up?”
“Well… no… maybe?” Twilight looked at Trixie, silently asking if it was a possibility.
Trixie shook her head. “First of all, gaining magic is no easy feat if you don’t already have it; it takes years of training. Your friends seem to be the weird exception. Second, even if you could…” Trixie sighed again. “Unless we know what’s wrong, there’s not much we can do.”
It had been a fleeting idea, but Twilight couldn’t deny the disappointment sitting in her. She had a gut feeling Sunset’s state was magically induced. If she could just understand how magic worked, maybe she could help Sunset. Maybe she could stop this from happening to anyone else.
When nothing else was spoken, Trixie excused herself, and Velvet came to take her place. She wrapped her arms around Twilight. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know how much this must hurt.”
Twilight wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but she appreciated the empathy. She nestled into her mother’s embrace, helplessness and frustration rising up and escaping as a few sobs. She held onto Sunset’s hand the entire time.
A few minutes later, the remaining Spectacular Seven squeezed in. Fluttershy let out a short wail and threw herself into Rainbow’s arms. Pinkie’s hair sagged heavily, looking almost straight.
“Oh, Sunset,” Rarity said, covering her mouth, “this is all our fault. If only we had found you sooner.”
“No it isn’t,” Twilight said, her voice croaky. “No one here is at fault. Whoever took Sunset is the only one to blame.”
“And when we find them…” Applejack raised her hat from in front of her face, revealing the dark shadow over her eyes. “They’re gonna pay for what they did.”
“What did they even do?” Rainbow asked. “How did she end up like this?”
“We’ll find out when she wakes up,” Pinkie said in a trembling voice. She sucked in a deep breath, returning a little bounce to her hair. “Because she’s going to wake up. Then everything will be all right again.”
Twilight looked at Sunset’s vacant expression. “I hope you’re right, Pinkie.”
*******
On Sunday, Twilight arrived to Sunset’s room with a vase full of flowers. They were warm colors of reds and oranges and a few yellows. Cadence had helped pick them out. Twilight set them on the bedside table and opened the blinds for the afternoon light to pour in, then pulled up a chair next to Sunset.
“H-hi, Sunset.” Twilight paused, hoping she might get a response. “I, umm, read a few articles online that said talking to someone when they’re… in this state helps them wake up. It’s not one-hundred percent proven fact, but, it’s worth a try, right? I hope you can hear me.”
Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little silly, talking to someone who couldn’t respond and very well couldn’t even hear. But as one-sided as it was, at least she was talking to her Sunset again.
“The girls are coming by a little later. I think they wanted to give us some alone time.” She squeezed her fingers and laughed. “I guess I appreciate it. It’s been an odd week without you. You won’t believe some of the things that happened. I got detention! Me of all people! I, well, I punched a girl because she said some things about you. I wasn’t even fully aware of what I did until it was over. You probably would have cheered me on. Though, I guess if you were here, I probably wouldn’t have done it. A paradox. Miss Celestia said it wouldn’t go on my record, so that’s good. I think I’d be freaking out a lot more if it was.
“And, Applejack ponied up and got a power, too! She threw a girder at… well… your evil side. It was all pretty crazy. I know that wasn’t really you though. I know it. I wish you were awake though. I want to look more into magic. Did Applejack pony up out of necessity? If so, why didn’t Rarity and Pinkie get powers?” Twilight watched Sunset’s face, hoping to see any sign that she was in there, listening.
A knock came at the door, and Pinkie bounced in, carrying balloons and streamers. Her hair was almost back to its normal volume. “Time to liven this place up! The first thing Sunset sees when she wakes up is a big ol’ party waiting for her!”
The rest of their friends flowed in, carrying more balloons and colorful lights to be strung up. Rarity and Fluttershy had worked together to stitch a large blanket with Sunset’s cutie mark. Rainbow brought in a small boombox and slid a cd in.
“We recorded some of our songs and put them on here. Once she hears this, she’ll definitely wake up.” She hit play and bounced her head along to ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be.’
“Yep, she’ll wake up just to tell you to shut up,” Applejack said, smirking.
“Worth it.”
Twilight helped Pinkie set the lights up, intertwining them with the red and gold streamers. With their glow and the light of the sun, the room exploded with warmth and color. Twilight constantly checked on Sunset for a ghost of a smile or an eye twitch, yet she remained completely still.
The girls all took turns talking to Sunset, recounting their versions of the past week. Pinkie even told a few jokes, some of the intentionally bad to see if Sunset would cringe. No such luck. They took their leave a few hours later, leaving Twilight to keep Sunset company a little longer.
Velvet’s shift ended, and she came to collect Twilight. She looked around at the streamers and lights, smiling in amusement and shaking her head in disapproval. “I’m not sure if this is allowed in hospital regulations.”
Twilight kissed Sunset on the cheek and followed her mom out, turning off the main light but leaving the smaller ones to illuminate Sunset’s room in a rainbow colors.
Monday after school, Twilight returned to the hospital, happy to see all the decorations still up. “Hi, Sunnykins, how are you?”
Sunset didn’t respond.
“School was okay. Miss Celestia mentioned you in the morning announcement. And I got more students saying they were sorry for what happened. I never know how to respond to that. I guess I should say thank you, but that doesn’t feel quite right. Anyway, I brought a book to read this time. Outloud. To you.” She rummaged into her backpack. “I think you’ll like it. These two princesses command a fleet of airships and travel to other dimensions to stop an evil force from destroying theirs.”
Twilight managed to get through the first chapter before Trixie knocked on the door.
“I just wanted to come and see how she was. I should have known you would be here.” Trixie pulled up a chair and sat on Sunset’s other side.
“I was just reading to her. I don’t know if it helps, but it’s kinda fun.”
Trixie grunted in acknowledgement while she admired the rooms decorations. “Your friends are thoughtful. Tacky, but thoughtful.”
“Thank you?” Twilight looked at her book. She hoped Trixie didn’t plan on staying too long. Reading to Sunset was one thing, but reading to a certainly listening and responding audience… it was almost as bad as public speaking.
Another thought came to her as Trixie magically lifted a nail file from her purse and ran it against her nails. “Trixie, are you and Moondancer close?”
Trixie pouted. “Not as much as we used to be. When her mother died, she and her father became very distant. She used to tell Trixie everything. Now, she only says hi in passing.”
Moondancer almost never mentioned her mother. Twilight knew it was a sensitive topic and never sought to pry. Asking Trixie felt like a betrayal in some way, so Twilight left it alone. “Can you tell me more about the difference between inheriting magic and obtaining it?”
“You’re still on about that?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m doing research. I want to understand how magic works in this world.”
Trixie eyed her, then turned her nose up. “Trixie supposes she can enlighten you a little.” She lifted a dramatic hand into the air. “In the great age of magic, there were many witches and wizards! Wielders of the mystic arts who dedicated their life to the mysteries of the world! And in that age, magic flowed across the planet like the wind and sea! There were those born with the magical gift—who had magic flow through every fiber of their being! Families like mine—descendants of the great Merlin himself!”
Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Then, there are those who simply believed in magic. They opened themselves to the possibilities and trained until they could tap into the magic themselves. But, as the years wore on, people slowly stopped believing in magic. More and more true blooded magicians married common magicless people, and the magic stopped being passed down in many families. It all eventually dried up. Now, the Lulamoons are some of the last magicians on the planet,” Trixie said proudly.
“So… magic sounds like a gene that you’re born with. For you, it was active, but for Moondancer, it was dormant?”
“Sure, why not,” Trixie said simply, returning to her nail filing.
Twilight massaged her head. Once again, she had more questions than answers.
On Tuesday, Flash and Rarity visited, bringing more flowers. Sunset’s room smelled like a botanical garden on top of being the brightest room in the hospital. Wednesday saw Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy visit together, and on Thursday, Trixie returned, followed by Applejack. Twilight had been there everyday, reading and talking to Sunset, keeping her room tidy and watering the flowers. She helped the nurses move Sunset around to keep her limber and somewhat active.
She eventually found a rhythm to it all. Read a chapter to Sunset, by which then, one of her other friends had arrived. Twilight would then do her homework, then help a nurse take care of Sunset, and clean the room. She’d squeeze in one more conversation, then go home with her mother.
Friday saw a slightly different change of pace. Twilight got through three chapter of her book before she realized no one else had showed up so far. She took a break to water the flowers and fluff Sunset’s pillow. Her eyes remained vacant, like Sunset was merely a shell, and the host had up and left.
Were all the words and decorations meaningless? Had Sunset all but slipped out of this mortal coil? Twilight sat back in her chair, the thoughts heavy on her mind. She tried reading more of her story to put them away, but they continued to rise back to the surface. What if she never got to interact with Sunset again? Their last conversation had ended in a huff. Was that how Sunset would remember her passing on into whatever came next?
A soft knock at the door startled her out of her mind’s gathering gloom. Instead of the usual crowd, Cadence poked her head in. “Hey, ladybug.”
“Cadence? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, watching Cadence pull up a chair beside her.
“Sunset and I may not be super close yet, but I still consider her a friend. And she’s very special to you.” She wrapped an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “Speaking of you, how are you holding up?”
Twilight looked down at her book, tracing the words as she sorted her feelings. She didn’t feel lost and confused anymore. Her emotions weren’t a tangled mess that she couldn’t make sense of. She had found Sunset and could see her everyday, even if Sunset couldn’t see her. It gave Twilight a sense of relief and hope amidst the sadness. All that was really left was a heavy sense of uselessness, sitting so close to Sunset but not being able to do anything.
“I’m okay, I guess,” she said hesitantly. “It still hurts. But, Sunset’s alive.” Twilight reached out and grabbed her hand, still cold. “I want her to wake up. I want her to wake up so badly.” Tears fell from her eyes. “But at least I know she’s okay.”
Cadence rubbed her shoulder. “I know she’ll wake up soon. Somewhere in there, I think she knows you’re taking good care of her.” She smiled knowingly.
“You think so?” Twilight bit her lower lip. “I know I have to go to college… but what if she isn’t awake by then?” Her tears fell faster. “I want to be here when she wakes up. No matter how long that takes.”
“Is that so?” Cadence embraced her in a warm hug. She continued to smile, but her eyes held a sympathetic light.
“Y-yes.” Twilight took her glasses off and furiously rubbed her eyes. “I… can’t see a future without her in it. As friends or girlfriends or whatever, she’s somewhere there. Because I…” Twilight looked into Sunset’s teal eyes, remembering when they were filled with life.
“I love her.”
Cadence had been right. Twilight’s had not been a eureka moment. It had been a long time coming. She didn’t know why she had to compare it to so many other people. No emotional process was the same. It didn’t matter their supposed age difference or that Sunset wasn’t originally human. Twilight wasn’t in love with her.
“I love her,” she repeated. “I still don’t know if it’s just some passing teenager thing or just my emotions going crazy because of everything that’s happened, but I need her to wake up so I can tell her.”
Cadence pulled a tissue from the bedside table and dabbed at Twilight’s eyes and cheeks. “Some romances start young and last all the way to the end. I think yours and Sunset’s might be one of them. Even if it starts from your emotions ‘going crazy,’ they’re still real emotions. Take care of them. And when Sunset wakes up and the craziness is over, and you still feel the same way…” Cadence kissed her on the forehead. “Then you’ve got something that might make even Shiny and me jealous.”
Twilight slid her glasses back on when Cadence finished. “Do you think Sunset feels the same way?”
“I have a strong feeling she does.” Cadence leaned in toward Twilight, a cheshire grin on her face. “After all, unicorns are most attracted to virgins.”
Twilight’s cheeks exploded with heat. “Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about?” Her voice came out five octaves too high.
Cadence leaned back in her chair, trying and failing to contain her smile. “Shining told me about Sunset.”
“What about Sunset?” Twilight’s voice went up another octave. “She’s perfectly normal. Nothing weird at all about her. Nope!” She didn’t know why she was trying; she had already lost. Cadence had played the game too well, rattling Twilight from the onset and leaving her with no chance to recover.
Cadence laid a hand on Twilight’s shaking leg. “Sweetheart, as… strange as all of this is, I’m slowly coming to accept it.”
Twilight brought her voice back to its its regular pitch. “You believe Sunset’s a pony from another dimension?”
“Well, it might explain a few things. And you seem to believe it, so, I’m not ready to toss the idea out.” Cadence chuckled softly. “I knew Sunset was different, but not this different. She’s your knight in shining armor and your noble steed.”
Twilight buried her face in her hands. “Cadence,” she whined.
“Making jokes is how I cope with something this unbelievable.” Her hand moved up to Twilight’s shoulder. “But, magical unicorn or not, I believe Sunset really cares about you.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said, looking at Sunset between her fingers.
“And remember, you can talk to me about anything, no matter how ridiculous it might seem. I’ll believe you enough to help however I can.”
Twilight lowered her hands and allowed herself to look into Cadence’s sincere eyes. She knew now. Twilight could tell Cadence everything. The realization that she had someone normal she could talk to and believe her sent a fresh wave of emotions through her. Twilight flung herself out of the chair and wrapped her arms around Cadence.
“Shh, easy now, ladybug. You don’t have to say it all at once.”
“I-I know!” Twilight sniffled. “But the fact that I can!”
“I know.” Cadence got another tissue and cleaned up Twilight’s face. “Deep breaths. Let’s start with just one thing at a time.”
One thing? Which could Twilight pick? The thieving doppelganger? The flying demon? Sunset going home and never coming back? The pull she and her friends felt the night Sunset disappeared?
Twilight took the offered tissue from Cadence and wiped her own eyes. Most of her fears and anxieties all had a common denominator.
“I just wish I had magic, too.”