//------------------------------// // Squadcars at Sunset // Story: Sharing Beat Up Stories // by Graglithan The Greater //------------------------------// After Sunset got Starlight reunited with her dad, she came across a conundrum she hadn’t thought of before calling in to get her home. It was honestly something she should have thought of beforehand, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that. She was also facing further complications in getting out of said conundrum, due to her familiarity with one Officer Shining Armor. Explaining how they had even found Starlight, and where she was. “Well, uh, it’s a really complicated matter, one I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to explain. More so, it wasn’t even really me who found Starlight, but my friend’s little sisters, and even then they did it on accident.” Sunset smiled nervously as she tried to casually disarm the situation. “So instead of all that, how about we just go and drop me off at my house an--” “Sunset, this was a missing person case that has been going for a month, and you found her within only a few miles of her home. I need details.” Shining crossed his arms and looked down at the nervous teen. “... I think Celestia might actually be able to help with explaining this.” Sunset sighed as she slumped. “So much for keeping it secret.” Officer Armor raised an eyebrow before tapping his foot. “And what would this secret be?” The amber girl squirmed in place as she looked anywhere besides Shining Armor. “Can we please just go back to my place?” Sighing, Officer Armor rubbed his face. “Sunset, I’m going out on a limb just doing this here instead of at the station, considering your record.” Sunset’s head snapped up, and she gave a heated glare. “Hey, I needed to eat!” Shining’s disappointed stare met her par for par. “And you should have gone to a shelter, not rob a grocery store. Repeatedly.” Pointing a finger upward, Sunset moved to the patrol car and opened the back door. “Shelter food sucked and I had an ego the size of the city. Besides, it’s not a problem anymore.” Stepping up to the driver door, Shining rubbed his face with a sigh. “We’re getting off topic. Where did you find Starlight Glimmer?” “I told you, I kinda need Celestia to back up my story.” Sunset jumped into the back and crossed her arms after shutting the door. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy longer than you need to.” Knowing just how stubborn Sunset could get, Shining just let his arm fall to his side with a sigh. “Alright, we’ll do this your way.” Without much fanfare, Shining put the squad car into drive and headed down the road. It wasn’t too long of a trip to get Sunset home. Within the hour, the car was already in front of a small light-tan suburban house, white picket fence, and banana yellow window sills. Oh, and Celestia standing on the porch with her arms crossed and tapping her foot. Wincing, Sunset stepped out of the patrol car and tried to hide behind it. “This is going to be awkward.” Forced by circumstance to move from her position, Sunset hid behind Shining Armor as the two walked over. Not even missing a beat, Celestia’s eyes locked onto the fiery hair poking out from behind the police officer. “Sunset... why are you being escorted in a patrol car? Again?” Sunset popped her head out from behind Officer Armor and held up her hands. “I didn’t do anything this time, I swear!” Celestia’s eyebrow moved upward ever so slightly. “That is what you said last time.” Smirking a bit, Shining raised his own hand and got Celestia’s attention. “Don’t worry, Celestia, this time she did a good thing.” The school administrator’s eyebrow remained raised, but this time out of curiosity. “Really?” Her eyes drifted to Sunset, who was busy finding anything other than the two of them interesting. Shining Armor didn’t pay her much mind. “According to her, her friend’s little sisters helped find a missing person, and get her reunited with her dad, and Sunset here was the one to inform the police and get a patrol car to the area.” Smiling a bit, Celestia turned her gaze back to Shining for a moment. “Is that so? Then why is Sunset being brought home in a squad car?” Shining frowned and glanced to Sunset himself. “She keeps telling me that you’ll be able to help with the ‘details’ on where they found her.” “Well, it’s just that she was in a rather special place, and it’s kind of a secret that really shouldn’t be getting out, and if I gotta say it, I’d like someone to help confirm I’m not crazy.” Sunset gave a nervous smile as her eyes darted to Shining for a moment, silently begging Celestia for help here. Mischief danced in Celestia’s eyes in return, and the amber teen instantly regretted her choices in life. “Sunset, if this is about that little clubhouse you built in the woods behind the school, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It was quite impressive for someone your age.” Sunset’s face went beet red as she jumped in place. “Wha-but-I!? I-I didn’t build one!” A wry smile danced across Celestia’s face as she tittered into a hand. “But it was such a lovely little hut! There’s no need to be embarrassed.” Ignoring the increasingly red-faced girl, Celestia turned back to Shining Armor and pulled out her phone. “You should have seen it. She took a bunch of old branches and leaves and made a makeshift tribal hut to stay in a few years ago. I found her looking proud at a repair she had made on it one night, and it was so adorable, I took a picture before taking her in.” Sunset buried her face in her hands and groaned. “Oh my goddess! I’m going inside!” As the amber teen ran into the house and slammed the door, Celestia just smiled as she glanced over her shoulder. “She’s so easy to tease.” Officer Shining Armor tilted his hat a bit, trying to hide his chuckling. “I take it she’s probably referring to said hut when she didn’t want to look crazy?” Nodding, Celestia gave him a friendly and warm smile. “More than likely. I’ve been checking it periodically, and there was someone using it from time to time. I’d assumed it was a student from all the gardening supplies I found, though it appears I was wrong.” A few quick taps on her phone, and she brought up the photo she took all those years ago. “Here’s the photo. Isn’t she just cute?” Shining really had to struggle not to laugh. “Oh wow, that is a lot of mud.” Nodding as she laughed a touch herself, Celestia put the phone away. “The hut should be a few paces north from where the gardening club is supposed to be. The weather has probably done a number on it over the past few days.” “Thank you for your help. We’ll be sending someone to investigate the hut itself later. Have a good day.” Giving Celestia a nod, Shining started back for his patrol car. Celestia gave him a quick wave as he started getting into his seat. “You too, Officer Armor.” the pristinely white woman continued to wave for a moment, and when he was out of sight, went back inside. It took her no time at all to find Sunset. The embarrassed teenager was busy trying to smother herself with the couch cushions. “So, what actually happened?” Sunset raised her head ever so slightly, just enough to talk, and groaned. “Starlight built a teleporter and accidentally sent herself to Equestria by fueling it with magic from the portal.” Her head landed back into the couch with a muffled thud. Nodding, Celestia hummed. “I see. I assumed it had something to do with the portal. I really do hate lying to Shining like that, but some things are best left a secret for a good reason.” “Speaking of,” glaring up from the pillows, Sunset frowned indignantly, “did you really have to tell him about the hut?” Celestia smirked in return. “Did you want to go to a loony bin for being a magical unicorn?” Sunset made to respond, only to freeze with her mouth open and hand raised. She eventually conceded defeat and sighed back into the couch. “Fair point.” “Exactly.” Celestia lightly ran her hand through Sunset’s hair with a smile before she turned for the kitchen. “Now come on, I made a nice dinner for the three of us, and Luna is getting impatient.” Luna could be heard from the table, much to Sunset’s amusement. “I heard that, Tia!” “You were meant to!” Celestia shouted back before turning to Sunset with her darn gentle smile. “We made your favorite and everything~.” Sunset instantly perked up, poking her head over the edge of the couch, eyes hiding her excitement poorly. “Sunshine Valley Salad?” At Celestia’s nod, she squeaked and darted from the sofa, much to the older woman’s amusement. Sitting at the table, Sunset stared at the bowl of salad before her, drool almost falling from her lips. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” Luna, who was busy eating her own salad, along with a fish fillet, raised an eyebrow. “Sunset, you had that same salad a week ago.” Taking a large bite, Sunset let a happy tear roll from her eye. “And I missed it.” Celestia walked over to her plate and was laughing as she sat down. “Now both of you, manners when we’re at the table.” The three shared a small laugh and continued to eat at their own paces. Sunset was about to start digging into her own fish when Celestia caught her attention. “So, have you finally gone to your friends and told them where you’re staying?” Luna smirked a bit and looked over at Sunset like the cat who caught the canary. “Oh don’t worry Tia, she might not have a choice anymore.” Celestia looked a bit excited and raised an eyebrow to Sunset. “Really~?” Sunset groaned and pouted, only slightly ruining her enjoyment of the salad she turned back to. “Luna helped Pinkie and I get into the private property Starlight’s dad lives in, and when Pinkie asked how I knew you knew a landlord, she roped me into promising that I would tell her and the girls later.” Sighing with a shake of her head, but retaining her amused look, Celestia put her full attention on the teenager. “You’ve been living with us for years now, Sunset. It’s about time you trusted your friends with this, especially now that you have some to tell. I swear, it’s like you’re embarrassed by us.” Blushing heatedly, Sunset angrily dug into her salad, mood ruined and started to grumble to herself. “It’s hard not to be when you act like this at home!” Luna scoffed a bit and waggled her fork towards the amber teen. “Oh come off it Sunset, you’re just as bad when you want to be.” “At least I don’t target a single person anymore! I spread out my targets to try to mess with my friends subtly, without using embarrassing photos of their childhood!” Sunset stuffed her mouth full of another bite of salad and was starting to calm down a touch. “I can’t tell who’s worse, you or the Princess.” “Oh, Sunset.” Celestia laughed a touch before taking a bite of her own food. “The answer’s probably yes.” The rest of dinner passed quietly for the three, minus the occasional verbal jabs at each other from Sunset and Luna. The amber teen volunteered to help with dishes, much to the two older women’s delight. Luna had silently slipped away from the table and back into her room, where her computer could be heard turning on, and Celestia was left alone with Sunset to clean. As she scrubbed one of the bowls clean, Celestia couldn’t help but smile. “For the record, I’m proud of what you did today.” A smaller blush than before danced its way onto Sunset’s cheeks. “Thanks, but it wasn’t anything too special. Starlight’s my friend too.” The two finished up the dishes in quick order before Sunset started up the stairs to go to her own room. “Oh, and Sunset?” The amber teen turned to look at Celestia. “Don’t think I’ll let you forget that promise you made to Pinkie.” Sighing, Sunset rubbed her face and headed to her room. “Tomorrow’s gonna suck.”