//------------------------------// // Reunions and Revelations // Story: The Blazing Dawn // by DeadpoolMLP //------------------------------// Sunset sat stunned. There, standing in the doorway was her old best friend and partner in crime, in a few cases quite literally. Spitfire had a habit of getting them into sticky situations, a few less than legal, whether it be breaking into an abandoned warehouse for the sake of 'adventure' to sneaking into the restricted section of the Manehatten National Library to feed her friend's ever expanding obsession with spellcasting as a foal. Sunset was the brain, Spits was the brawn. They were a team, or at least...they used to be. It had been 12 years since The Troublesome Two had roamed the streets of this city. "Yo Pizza Joe! Gimme my usual, I need some 'za before the show!" Spits yelled as she slammed the front counter, Joe yelling back as his Nieghtalian accent slipped through. "Hold yer horses lady! I got's a special order ah need to fill first fer Celestia's sake! Broad in the booth wanted Apricots on her pizza!" Spitfire squinted her eyes, as if she had heard a ghost, the pale blue stallion who had entered with her raising his eyebrow "Who puts apricots on their pizza?" Sunset, quickly pulling her jacket out of her saddlebag did her best to cover her appearance, but it was no use. Spitfire was already making her way to the booth. "Soarin, there's only one pony I know who likes apricots on their pizza, and she's been long gone for 6 years....but if this is her..." Spitfire said, as she pulled the jacket off the bacon horse's head, her pupils dilating to the size of watermelons as she locked eyes with her. "Hey Spitball...." Sunset said, a slight blush on her face, Fuji who sat across from me just rolled his eyes. Spitfire stood there, her face going from shock to glee as the smile on her face grew astronomically "YOOOOOOO, SUNBURN! Where the fuck have you been?!" Soarin, who was thoroughly confused at this point, only let out a single word " Sunburn?" Fuji, who couldn't help but laugh at this point, asked the same question Spitfire had "Yes Sunset, please explain where ya been to us city folk." Sunset let out a sigh. She knew, while she could get away with telling Fuji that he wouldn't understand the idea of "the multiverse", Spitfire was not going to take that. Spitfire was, if anything, stubborn as a donkey, arguably more so. Even if she didn't understand what you were talking about, she'd get the answers she wanted out of you. "Fine....but it's gonna take a while." Spitfire, using her wing, pulled a chair from a nearby table, flipping it around so she could lean forward in it with her front hooves perched on the back support. "I've got an hour before we gotta get to our show...in fact, Soarin, you go tell Fleetfoot I'm gonna be late." Soarin looked a little peeved by this. Obviously this was supposed to be important. "But Spitfire, you're supposed to be there for-" Spitfire shushed her flymate. "Hey, show doesn't start till I get there. They can wait a bit while I catch up with an old friend. Listen to your Captain and go tell the gang I'll be a bit." Soarin grumbled, taking off as Sparkplug brought out refills for our drinks, Spitfire grabbing Fuji's water with one wing and taking a sip. "So Apricooch, tell me where you disappeared to." Sunset rolled her eyes. Spitfire always had a terrible habit of overcompensating around her. She wasn't always this way, but it seemed whenever the two were together, Spitfire always seemed to act just a bit more of an arrogant asshole than she usually was. The stranger part of that was that Sunset found it endearing. "Well....it's hard to explain. Do you remember my dad's old mangled together theory about 'multiple universes'?" "Yeah, you dad always had those crazy theories about the universe." She said, taking another sip of Fuji's water. Fuji didn't even attempt to argue, as he knew Spitfire was simply being a dick for the sake of looking cool. "Well....he was right. I found a...portal. In the back rooms of Canterlot Castle. It took me to another universe, where, well, I got turned into..." Sunset had to think to herself 'How does one explain humans to equines?' "Into...?" Spitfire asked, leaning farther and farther forward into her chair, her face getting closer and closer to Sunset. "Come on Shine, you're busting my balls here!" Sunset blushed. Shine had always been Spitfire's primary nickname for her, and what she called her whenever Spitfire felt like being 'cute'. "I....okay, this is gonna sound weird. I got turned into...you know those apes in Zebrica? Well, imagine a hairless version of that, with long hair on their heads and they wear clothes all the time...I know that sounds weird." Spitfire didn't seem to flinch at that, simply smirking "Sounds hot. Bet you got some hot ape sex there didn't you?" Sunset's eyes went wide. While, Spitfire wasn't wrong, her and Flash were far in the past, and Twilight had never happened in the first place....and the less said about the sirens the better. "I mean...NO!!!" Spitfire chuckled. She knew Sunset too well to fall for that. "Alright Shine. Whatever you say" Spitfire said before taking a big sip of Fuji's water. Sunset couldn't help but be flustered by the golden coated mare. 12 years and still she knew exactly how to push her buttons. She was off her game as well. Usually Sunset would make some sort of witty retort to Spitfire's snark, usually leading to a sort of snark dick measuring contest of who could come up with the better comeback, but it had been a long time since Sunset had been that way. That snark, that ego was what lead Sunset down the path of going through the portal in the first place. And yet Spitfire hadn't seemed to have changed in the slightest. Sunset laughed like she hadn't in a long time. Watching Spitfire sloppily try to eat pizza using only her mouth was a riot. It made Sunset almost...Nostalgic. The two of them used to come here after their little excursions for a bite, and usually Spitfire would make a mess of herself. Although, one thing Sunset did notice was Spitfire's curious front outfit. It was way too formal for Spitfire to ever wear it out in the city, and with that stallion that had come in with Spits earlier, it made Sunset wonder... "Hey Spits, didn't you have to be somewhere?" Spitfire stopped, looking at the time "Oh shit....yeah, I need to get going. Show is supposed to start in like 15 minutes. Hey, Shine, meet up with me tonight at the Garden okay? Say like, 8 o' clock?" Sunset blinked. She hadn't been to the Garden in years. The place was way too crowded for her tastes, and was ususally hosting some big event, as it was Manehatten's biggest stadium outside of the Hoofball stadium being build on the other side of town last time she had been here...which means it was probably already done and in use by now. Sunset internally sighed. She really needed to catch up with this city. "Alright. 8 PM Sharp, at the Garden. Got it. See you then Spits. Nice hanging out again." Sunset said, smiling as Spitfire did her best to shove a slice of pizza into her mouth as she bolted out the door. She heard Fuji chuckle at the both of them, causing Sunset to raise an eyebrow, "What are you laughing at?" "Oh Nothin'. Y'all just seem to just act like no time has passed. It's strange. Ya both hare full grown mares now, and yet ya act like fillies still. I mean, Spitfire's a Wonderbolt, and-" "Spitfire's a....Wonderbolt?!" Sunset cut off Fuji, her eyes widening as she realized why Spitfire was wearing formal wear in the city. This was something Sunset didn't expect. Even though, in hindsight, she really should have. Spitfire had always dreamed of becoming "The Greatest Wonderbolt in all the land" which, to Sunset as a filly, was stupid. Back then, the Wonderbolts were a joke. A flight team that hadn't been relevant in over 4 decades since the Griffin Skirmishes, back then they were Celestia's elite defense force. But if Spits was one of them... "What...are the bolts up to these days?" Fuji smirked, "Oh, they do shows all over Equestria. Spitfire revamped the entire routine to be more....flashy. Really brought the group out of the dumpster it was in. Now it's the most popular event in the country, well..save for the odd rock concert" This took Sunset off guard. Spitfire had always been a showpony at heart, but to put in the work for all that...takes perseverance, dedication, and drive. All things Sunset always assumed Spitfire lacked. Spitfire was driven, but only when she WANTED to do something. But I guess 12 years can change a pony...Sunset certainly knew that firsthand. "Right...so what now?" Sunset shook her head. She couldn't let her thoughts get stuck on Spitfire for too long. She came home for a reason, and as much as she wanted to reconnect with Spits, she needed to get home. Even though, she REALLY wanted to avoid home. 6 years. 6 years since she last talked to her parents. She feared the worst when it came to reuniting with them. Sunset took a deep breath as Fuji pulled his carriage into 15th street. The street that Sunset had grew up on hadn't seemed to have aged a day. Same old trees lining the same old sidewalks, which still had the same cracks in them that Sunset used to pretend were tight ropes. Same old stone and mortar walls of the apartments, all buildings that was almost 150 years old at this point. Same dark alleyways which Sunset and the neighborhood kids would use as "dungeons" for little adventures of the imagination. She smiled at that. She had a lot of good memories here. But even then, returning after all these years was not gonna be easy. Stepping out of the carriage, she pulled on her jacket as she felt the sidewalk below her hooves. It was almost fall, and Sunset couldn't help but shiver at the cool air that filled the city, as it did every year. While places like Ponyville changed the weather practically overnight, Manehatten always did it gradually, allowing the seasons to change as they would in nature. "Ya ready Sunny?" Fuji asked, trying to console the obvious nervous wreck that was his old friend. "Do you want the honest answer?" "Yes ma'am." "Then no, I am absolutely not ready. Mom and Dad always saw me as their little girl, and I can't even imagine what they did when they found out I disappeared." Fuji sighed. She was right. Her parents didn't take it well, in fact, they took it more or less as a grieving parent would, even when the princess told them there was always a chance Sunset would come back. "Yer right Sunny, but you can't just avoid this. These are your family Sunny. They need to know yer okay." Sunset sighed. She'd come a long way since stealing Princess Twilight's crown, and she knew that facing her parents was the right thing to do...but it didn't make it any easier. She had to bite the bullet on this one. Clenching her teeth, Sunset took another deep breath. It was now or never. She was just hoping she didn't give them a heart attack. Sunset made her way up the steps of the building, walking into the lobby and scanning the list of residents posted on the wall, making sure her parents still had the same apartment. She smiled, seeing her old apartment number, and reaching into her saddlebag, pulling out a small key that looked like it had seen better days. Sunset couldn't help but inspect it for a moment. it had been 6 and a half years since she had been in this building, and this key was all she had left of that time. Sunset couldn't help but recall the day she got it. "Alright Sunshine, now I know you wanna go out and play with your new birthday presents, but I've got one more thing for you." Sunset looked up to her almost brown coated father, Blazing Atom. He was her idol. Someone she held in the highest regard, and a gift from him was like getting a gift from the Princess herself. "Yes daddy? What is it this time?!" Blaze couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles at his overly excited daughter. Blaze had always held a stonefaced demeanor, in an attempt to show his daughter that he meant what he said, and to teach her firmness, but there was no denying that he was proud of his child. Holding back his pride, he looked down at his daughter with his signature stern look, showing her his hoof with a small key on the bottom side of it, a little string looped through the hole at the top of the key. "Sunset, this is your key. I want you to take extra care of it. Never let it out of your grasp, and take it everywhere you go. Can you promise me you'll do that?" Sunset nodded, taking it and slipping it around her neck. The string was oversized for her, but it was obviously meant for Sunset to grow into it, as the string made the key droop to the floor, Sunset's father looping it around her neck twice so it wouldn't drag. Sunset smiled, the string now fitting her perfectly as the key hung from the string at her chest as it was meant to. As our burnt orange mare made her way up the stairs to the 5th floor, she listened to the sounds of the creaking floor. While the apartment was very old, the landlords did a very good job keeping the place from collapsing in on itself and maintaining the internal facilities. All except for the floors, as they were "Antique" and, more importantly, drove the value of the building up. But she loved the creaks and groans of these old floors. Something about the sound of old oak just made her happy, probably because of how it reminded her of the ghost stories she and her apartment gang, the little posse she had growing up of kids who lived here, would come up with to explain the weird sounds they'd hear in the night. It was then Sunset had to stop, her seeing a pair of kids playing in the fourth floor hallway. Sunset didn't even need to know these ponies to know who they were. These were the kids of her old babysitter, Lemon Tart and her old boyfriend- Sunset shook her head. Enough delays. Just get to the fifth floor already. Right.... Making her way up the final flight of stairs, she looked out the staircase window, seeing Fuji parked outside and waving at her. There was no turning back now. She let out one last deep breath. You got this Sunset. She walked up to 519. This was is. The apartment she grew up in. She caressed the door, seeing all the dents and imperfections she had caused to it. A burn mark from when she cast her first Pyronius spell. A dent from when her father tried to teach her Hoofball. She needed this. She'll admit that. Graduation, the struggles of the human world, stress over math finals...yeah, she absolutely needed this. Pulling her key off her neck, she slowly slipped it into the keyhole, smiling as it slide in the slot perfectly. It was time. Opening the door, she stuck her head in, hearing the distinct sounds of her father snoring on the couch. She smiled. Her father was a chronic oversleeper, and was known to be infamously hard to wake up. Sunset listened for the sounds of her mother, flicking her ears as she tried to pick up some sort of singing or humming....nothing. "Sounds like mom isn't home..." Sunset snuck in, slowly walking past her father in the living room, and to the kicthen. While she did just fill up on pizza...she had to check the fridge. It wasn't out of hunger, but out of morbid curiousity, and need to know. Opening the fridge...she held back a barf. The smell of week old ham sandwiches stunk up the fridge. Her father had a strange fascination with meat, as with his theories on the mutliverse, he concluded that if alternate universes exist, and he were to find a way to travel to them, he must adjust himself to their forms, in every way. Thus, he ate practically anything that COULD be deemed "edible", and while ponies COULD digest meat...it wasn't something most ponies would do willingly. Closing the fridge, she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Her mother...she needed to hide. Luckily, the path to her old room was through the kitchen. Being as quiet as she could, she snuck her way to her room, only to nearly slip on a hoofball in the hallway connecting the bedrooms to the kitchen. "Blaze? Is that you?" She heard her mother call. She couldn't get away with this....she needed to face it. Hearing her father grumble, sounding almost drunk as he let out a "I'm awake...I'm....awake...", Sunset having to hold back a laugh as she heard her mother yell "Get up you lazy oaf! I heard something in the hallway!" "Oh it's probably just a pigeon that got in. Go check the old bedroom. they occasionally get in." Sunset knew what she had to do. Teleporting to her bedroom, she looked around...it was the exact same. Everything. a hairclip that she had forgotten the day she left for the princesses was still on the floor. It nearly made Sunset tear up, but she didn't have time for that. She needed to- "......Sunset?" Shit. Sunset looked to her parents. Her mother with her front hooves covering her mouth as tears flowed from her eyes, her father stone faced as usual, squinting as if he didn't believe she was real. "H-hey mom...and dad...." "Sunset....is that....really you?" Sunset's mother was in tears. She could barely form a sentence as Sunset came over and hugged her. "Yes mom...it's really me. I'm so, so, so sorry. I just...I'll explain in a bit..." Sunset looked to her father, who seemed to still be staring at her like she was some sort of hologram or illusion. "Dad?" "How do I know you're not some alternate reality-" Sunset put her hoof to her father's face "Dad...it's me...I'm alive, I'm home..." Blaze seemed to falter for the first time in his life. The stern, unphased demeanor dropped, as tears began to flow, Blaze pulling his daughter in for a tight hug "It's...really you....isn't it?" Sunset pulled her mother in, the three having a warm moment of reunion "Yes Dad...Mom..it's me...I'm home..."