It was well past eleven in the evening during one of the worst storms the city had seen in recent years. A prison transport bus, on route to a maximum security compound, entered the final leg of its tense journey as it passed through Canterlot. The driver guided the vehicle through the heavy rain, eyes strained as he caught brief glimpses of the highway between swipes of the wipers. The officer riding shotgun pulled out his phone as a notification sounded.
“Damn it.” He sighed. “Pull off at the next exit, there’s an accident ahead and the northbound lanes are closed. We’re going to have to take side streets until we get past the clog.”
“Of course.” The driver made a silent curse. “Might as well make this trip as awful as possible.”
“We’re almost done.” The officer rose and patted the driver’s shoulder as he headed to the back of the bus. “Hey.” He called to the three armed guards. “We’re taking a little detour.”
“Yes sir.” One of the guards acknowledged, not taking his eyes of off the three men chained to the seats before them.
“I don’t mind the scenic route.” The hulking, bearded prisoner at the back of the bus added.
“We don’t need your two cents.” Another guard said harshly.
“Easy.” The officer calmed him. “Enjoy it while you can, Ridgeback.” He retorted, a mild amount of mocking in his voice. “It’s going to be the last bit of the outdoors you see for long, long time.”
The bus left the freeway and began moving though the local neighborhood, wheels sloshing through the partially flooded streets. There was little to no activity on the roads, which only served to make the red lights last that much longer as the nighttime timers held for extended periods. The silence on the bus came to an abrupt end as the left, front wheel suddenly sank into the ground as the saturated terrain beneath the asphalt opened up into a sinkhole. The officer and guards were tossed towards the front while the chained prisoners remained held fast. Using the sudden momentum, the powerful Ridgeback wrenched his arms up and snapped the chains holding him to the seat.
“He’s free!” One of the guards yelled as he tried to steady himself and aim his weapon. Ridgeback was on him in an instant, bringing his cuffed hands down in a massive axe blow that crushed his skull. He scooped up the gun and tossed it back to the hook nosed, bespectacled prisoner at his right.
“Skyfall, heads up!” Ridgeback called as he unleashed his brute strength on the next guard.
“Thanks!” Skyfall caught the gun and spun it around, aiming it at his chains. A single round shattered the binds and he rose, heading over to the last captive. “Hold still, Stinger.” Another shot freed the shaggy haired, wild eyed man.
“Awesome!” He jumped up; even with his feet in manacles he bounded up the bus like an animal and helped Ridgeback overpower the final guard and presiding officer.
Using the remaining guns, they blew away the rest of their restraints and hurried off the bus; the driver already dead from the crash. “Let’s go.” Ridgeback pointed in the distance to the Canterlot High School grounds. “We can hold there until we figure our next move.”
“Right, the cops will be swarming this place within the half hour.” Skyfall noted as they began their sprint. The dangerous trio easily scaled the wall and took refuge at the base of a large statue as sirens began to sound in the distance.
The rain pounded on Sunset’s window as she slumbered but she immediately sat up at the faint, but distinct sound of her Equestrian tome humming. She ran her thumb across her tired eyes and went to her bookshelf; opening to the last page she found a message from Twilight.
“Sunset, something terrible happened last night and I need to speak to you immediately. Please get here as fast as you can.” –Twilight-
“Oh no.” Sunset looked at the clock and saw that it was only 5:28 in the morning. “No time to wake the others.” She rushed about her room, getting dressed and grabbing her umbrella. Having gotten her driver’s license over the past year, she jumped into her car and traveled to the school as fast as possible. Pulling into the front lot, she ran into the school grounds and checked the area to make sure it was clear before moving to the statue and stepping through the rift between her world and Equestria. Emerging on the other side in her pony form, she fell to all fours and steadied herself as she adjusted to the foreign feeling. She was immediately greeted with a disaster area; the mirror’s room destroyed, the doorway knocked out and a massive hole in the ceiling that opened up into the early morning sky. “Twilight!” She yelled out as she ran through the castle, finding more and more damage including claw marks, torn up flooring and crumbled furniture. “Twilight!”
“Sunset!” Twilight flew up the stairs, the two of them hugging fiercely on sight.
“Twilight, are you alright?”
“I am, but the castle is a wreck.” She informed.
“What happened?” Sunset asked.
“Spike and I were asleep until we heard a loud crash coming from the mirror room.” Twilight began. “We came down the hall but there were these… creatures in the castle. We weren’t ready and they were running wild; all I could do was teleport Spike and I to safety. They rampaged through the castle until finally getting outside; after that, they ran off into the night.”
“Did they… come though the portal? From my world?” Sunset looked back towards the mirror room.
“There's no other explanation.” Twilight said with grim confidence. “That’s why I called you, to see if anything happened at the school.”
“I don’t know.” Sunset admitted. “Whatever happened was in the middle of the night, the school was empty… at least it should have been.” Her mind struggled to think. “Let me go back and see what I can find out.”
“Alright.” Twilight nodded. “I’m going to let Princess Celestia and the others know what is going on.”
“Okay.” Sunset doubled back. “Be back soon!” She darted back through the portal and into her own world. With her possessions returned, she took out her phone and called her own Twilight. After several moments, a sleepy voice answered her call. “Twilight, it’s Sunset. Listen, I know it’s early but I just got done talking to… well… the other you; something accessed the portal to Equestria last night and trashed the castle. I need you to get online and see if you can find anything that happened near here last night.” She received an affirmative and hung up, proceeding to investigate the area herself for any possible clues. After a fruitless forty minutes of poking around, Sunset moved outside the grounds and further up the main street. She eventually happened upon a group of cop cars circled around a damaged bus. The area was taped off and police were allowing cars to pass one at a time through a controlled lane. Observing the colors, she knew that wasn’t a school bus and her stomach began to sink as her mind put the pieces together. Almost on cue, her phone rang and she answered. “Yeah.” Sunset listened as Twilight confirmed her gut feeling. “Okay, thanks Twilight. I’m going to be gone for a while, tell the others I’ll be back when I can.” She hung up again and headed back for the school.
Passing back through the portal, Sunset returned to Equestria and galloped downstairs to find Twilight. She heard multiple voices coming from the map room and discovered her friend’s counterparts gathered around the expansive table.
“Sunset.” Twilight went to her and gestured to the others. “You remember every pony, right?”
“Yeah.” She nodded with a friendly wave. “Good to see you all.”
“Likewise, darling.” Rarity motioned for her to join them.
“So, did you find out anything?” Twilight asked as they joined the circle.
“Yes, and it isn’t good.” Sunset sighed heavily. “Those creatures are humans from my world, not ordinary ones either, they’re criminals.”
“Criminals.” Applejack repeated. “You mean thieves and the like?”
“Worse.” Sunset shook her head. “These guys were on their way to a maximum security prison. They’re violent and extremely dangerous.” She looked across the group of friends. “Apparently their bus went off the road last night, I saw it myself. My version of Twilight researched news reports and confirmed that the police searched for them but they just seemed to disappear without a trace. They crashed near the school, they must have gone there to hide and accidentally found the portal to Equestria.”
“If that’s the case, then every creature is in danger.” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Then we need to track them down and stop them.” Rainbow Dash punched the tabletop. “Let’s get a move on.”
“But Rainbow.” Pinkie Pie interjected. “These guys sound like really bad news; and if they’re from Sunset’s world then we don’t know anything about them.” She pointed out in a rare moment of focused thought.
“Pinkie’s right.” Twilight nodded. “I couldn’t make them out in the dark, but they’ve taken on some pretty mean forms. We need more information.”
“That’s all well and good.” Applejack came in. “But if they’re dangerous, then the more time we spend sitting around means the more time they spend doing Celestia knows what out there.”
“Hold it.” Sunset cut in. “I… I know someone that can help.”
“Who?” Twilight asked.
“His name is Hunter.” Sunset recalled her friend and their adventure together. “He helped stop a creature that was running loose in our city. We were at odds at first but he’s actually a good guy; he works for the government as a kind of monster hunter.” She explained. “I know he’s human too, but something like this is right up his alley.”
“Are you sure he’ll help?” Rarity queried.
“If I can reach him.” Sunset nodded. “He left me a number to call in case of an emergency; and this certainly fits the bill.”
“Then please try.” Twilight set her hoof to Sunset’s shoulder. “I’ll update the Princesses and she can have soldiers begin patrolling the countryside.”
“Okay, just sit tight until I get back.” Sunset again returned to the portal and traveled back to her world. School was already in session so she slipped away into the parking lot and headed home. Rushing up to her room, she went to her bookshelf and pulled down a keepsake box which held her most valued and personal items. From it, she pulled out the card that Hunter had given her before they parted ways and nervously pulled out her phone. Sitting on the bed with a long exhale, she dialed the number and waited patiently while it rang. After nearly eight rings she heard the other end pick up.
“H…Hunter?” She asked.
“Heya, Bacon Braids.” Hunter’s voice answered with a distinct joy. “Been a while.”
Sunset smiled at the sound of his voice and her familiar nickname. “Yeah, over a year now.”
“I take it this isn’t a social call?” He continued.
“No, I need your help.” She confessed.
“What happened?” Hunter asked.
“Three prisoners escaped from custody after their transport crashed last night. They were near the school and they… they found the portal to Equestria.” Sunset’s tone grew dark. “They’ve become monsters and are running free; Equestria is in real danger and you were the only one I could think of to help with this.”
“Okay.” Hunter said without hesitation. “I’ll be there ASAP. On the way I’ll look into police records and find out just who we’re dealing with.”
“Thank you, Hunter.” Sunset said with all sincerity.
“Hey, I said I’d come running no matter what.” He laughed. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Right, bye.” As she hung up she felt a wave of relief wash over her knowing that help was on the way. Sunset waited for the school day to end before returning to the grounds and traveling to Equestria once more. As soon as she passed through the portal she found Spike working diligently to clean up the mess.
“You’re back.” Spike set his broom down and flew to her.
“Yeah, where’s Twilight?” She asked.
“In Canterlot with the others; they’re meeting with the Princesses.” He informed.
“Okay, I’ll just wait here for them to get back.” She looked about. “Do you… need some help?”
“I’d appreciate it.” Spike admitted. “This place is a mess.”
“Sure, no problem.” Sunset put herself to work alongside the tiny dragon. A few hours passed before Twilight and her friends returned; they found Sunset and Spike cleaning up the library.
“Sunset.” Twilight smiled. “Thank you, how long have you been here?”
“A little while.” Sunset finished putting some books back on the shelf with her magic. “I got in touch with Hunter, he’s on his way.”
“That’s great news.” Twilight motioned for them to follow. “Let’s get caught up.” The eight of them gathered around the map table once again to share information.
“So, what did Celestia say?” Sunset inquired.
“She’s going to send out her best stallions to look into the matter.” Twilight detailed. “So far, there haven’t been any reports from any of the outlying areas between here and Canterlot.”
“They aren’t used to their new forms yet.” Sunset surmised. “They’re probably still in shock and trying to figure out what’s going on.”
“Well then.” Rarity focused her attention on Sunset. “If this Hunter fellow is going to be helping us, you should tell us about him?”
Sunset let out a half laugh. “Hunter is… pretty unique.” She considered how to describe him. “He’s a trained soldier; he works for an agency that deals with supernatural disturbances and creatures. When it comes to combat he knows his stuff but socially… he can be a bit much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, he’s got a mouth on him and he doesn’t hold back when it comes to speaking his mind. On top of that, he loves to screw with people; it comes off like he doesn’t care but he really does, you just need to look past all the show he puts on.” Sunset turned her eyes to Applejack. “Oh, and he’s got this weird thing about the Applejack from my world.”
“What kind of thing?” Applejack asked with great suspect.
“I honestly don’t know.” Sunset admitted with a light laugh. “Every time I thought they were going to kiss they wound up trying to kill each other. Just… be prepared.”
“Can’t wait.” Applejack rolled her eyes.
“He sounds like more of a hoof full than the monsters.” Pinkie giggled.
“Oh he is.” Sunset nodded with a grin. “But given that we’re dealing with other humans, we could use one of our own to help fight them.” She looked over them with deep concern. “You all need to realize that these aren’t like the creatures you’ve faced before. Humans are a lot different from ponies and there is no telling what these guys are capable of doing.”
“We understand.” Twilight nodded. “We’ll hold until Hunter gets here.”
“Okay.” Sunset headed for the door. “As soon as he arrives I’ll bring him here, I’ll see you later.”
With several farewells from her friends, Sunset returned home; knowing that at this point all she could do was wait.
Sunset remained home from school again the next day, her mind racked with concerned thoughts about what could be going on in her original home. Mostly lying in bed, she drifted in and out of sleep until the early afternoon when her phone chimed. She ran her finger across the screen to see a message notification that read, ‘Look out your window’. She quickly stood and pulled up the blinds, looking down and seeing Hunter waving up at her. Throwing on her shoes, Sunset hurried downstairs and out the front door.
“Hunter.” She went to him with a wide smile; he hugged her and lifted her from the ground as he squeezed for all he was worth.
“Hey, Sunny.” He laughed, pulling a clean 360° spin before letting her down. “I wish the occasion was better, but it’s great to see you again.”
“I know the feeling.” She straightened her hair.
“So, I get to go to another world now?” He asked with surprising calm.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I know this is a lot to ask but….”
“It’s okay.” He stopped her. “If your friends are in danger then I’ll go where I have to; besides, it’ll give me something to brag about later on in life.”
Sunset chuckled at his typical frivolity in the face of such things. “Then let’s get to the school.” She held up her keys. “I’ll drive.”
“You drive now?” Hunter asked as he followed after her. “They grow up so fast.”
“Shut up and get in.” She shook her head and pointed to the passenger seat. Speeding back to the school, Sunset parked in an out of the way spot and sent a message to Fluttershy asking her to keep an eye on her car while she was away. She and Hunter stood before the statue and prepared to pass through.
“So, how does this work?” Hunter eyed her curiously.
“Well, when you go through you’re going to be transformed into your equivalent form in Equestria.”
“So I get to be a pony?” He smirked.
“I don’t know what you’ll be.” She grinned. “Probably a jack-ass.”
“Ow.” He chortled. “I also notice we aren’t going in armed.”
“We can’t.” She tugged on her shirt. “Non-magical items won’t pass through, not even clothes.”
“Wait, so we come out the other side naked?” His eyes ran up and down her body.
“Whatever you’re picturing, that’s not what it’ll look like.” With a laugh she braced her hand on his back and pushed him through, jumping in after him.