//------------------------------// // Seeking Answers // Story: Kamen Rider Unicorn The Movie: Memories of Friendship // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// 3 DAYS AGO… It was a bright sunny day at Canterlot High School, all the students were milling about and doing different activities around campus. And it was Sunset Shimmer’s job to document and photograph all of this. Sunset had been picked to head the Yearbook Committee, and she took to the appointment with all due excitement. She was going around school and photographing the different club activities, along with some shots of the different students hanging about or posing for the yearbook.  Every shot she took, every moment captured, it only served to remind Sunset how lucky she was to be at this school, to meet the girls who would become her lifelong friends and find the girl who she would eventually fall in love with. The halls had memories filled with both pain and joy, but Sunset had finally come to terms with herself from that time and was only looking towards the future. It wouldn’t be much longer before graduation came up, it was more or less around the corner, and from there, her new life would start.  Sunset now had documentation, fabricated documentation, but documentation nonetheless, that she was an official resident of Canterlot City, and existed. Now she could go anywhere she wanted, and where she wanted to go, was with Twilight to college. Sunset had it firm in mind now more than ever that she wanted to be with Twilight Sparkle, wake up next to her, share in happy, sad, and even painful experiences. Sunset had already gotten a letter of admission from Canterlot University, now both of them would be able to further their future together.  The fiery haired girl thought of this as she continued to take shot after shot of the students in their moments, some were candid, others were staged for fun, and others were more spontaneous. Eventually Sunset met her quota of pictures and headed to the Yearbook Room, there, she found her friends and girlfriend happily assisting with the completion of the yearbook, she knew she could count on them to get everything together, and it would serve as one more good memory to add before they eventually parted ways.  Sunset sighed inwardly, that was going be a hard pill to swallow when the time came. Their close bonds that they had forged through different perils and just life in general while at CHS, they would be tested once the girls separated and went on to pursue their own careers and goals. Some would get married, others would go on to see the world, some will make a name for themselves, and some will help others. Sunset had at one point saw five of these girls as enemies, but now she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She was going to have Twilight by her side for the rest of the ride, but she really wanted to make sure that their memories of friendship would last forever.   As the former unicorn mare sighed, she turned to her left and crashed right into someone, sending both herself and the other onto the floor. Sunset rubbed her head as she said, “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention, kinda lost in thought…are you okay, uh…” The person Sunset had knocked down was another girl. She wore dark blue denim pants, and a tan striped sweater. Her complexion was a light-green color, while her hair was a deep grass green. The new girl’s eyes were a warm brown color, matching the rather earthy tone of her hair color. The young woman stared up at Sunset with an annoyed look and said, “It’s fine. Although I’ve been here for a while.” Applejack scooted close to Rainbow and whispered, “Ain’t she a quiet one.”  Rainbow Dash chuckled as she said, “Yeah. And we know some pretty shy people. Am I right?” Fluttershy overheard their conversation and curiously asked, “We do? Who?”  Applejack and Rainbow Dash chuckled softly as they shook their heads Sunset offered her a hand and the new girl took it, after hoisting her up Sunset said, “Again, sorry about that, were you wanting to join the Yearbook Committee?”  “My name’s Wallflower Blush.” “Nice to meet you!”  “I’ve been on the Committee since you started. We met in ninth-grade English.” Sunset glanced back and forth in a nervous fashion while also putting on a nervous smile as she said, “And…I was…saying it was nice to meet you then! You didn’t let me finish.”   Wallflower was not convinced in the slightest, but she shrugged and sighed as she picked up the papers she was holding earlier and handed them to Sunset. “Anyway, I counted up all the votes for the yearbook Superlatives.” The girls all clamored after hearing they were in, each of them wanting to see who got what. Wallflower was, unfortunately, left out of their little gathering.  “‘Most Likely to Succeed’, ‘Best Smile’, ‘Class Clown.’ Ooh! We won ‘Best Friends’! Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and me!” Sunset announced.  Pinkie bounced about the room as she said, “I always knew I liked you all, but now it’s official! In yearbook form! The people have spoken!” Pinkie ended her speech by standing atop one of the tables and somehow producing confetti out of nowhere.  Twilight continued to look through the other Superlatives and stopped when she saw one that raised her ire a little. “Oh, good for Micro Chips. ‘Most Likely to Invent Cold Fusion’! Even though I made two devices that allow my friend and girlfriend to harness the power of devices that hold incredible power and created THREE different artificially intelligent robot animals who assist in defending the city! It’s not a reason to be jealous! Not even a little! Heh, heh!”  The others were not convinced. Sunset strode up to her girlfriend and planted a little kiss on her cheek as she said, “It’s okay, Twi, everyone knows you’re an uber genius. And plus, you got the second smartest girl in CHS as your girlfriend.”  Twilight rolled her eyes. “Please, you nearly had me during the Friendship Games, I’d say we’re pretty much on par. Guess that’s why we get along so well.”  “Hmm, I wouldn’t say that it was the only reason,” said Sunset with a half-lidded stare. “I’m pretty sure I can think of other reasons.”  “Get a room you two!” Rainbow exclaimed.  “Rainbow Dash, please,” Rarity admonished.  “What? Not like I’m wrong, besides, it’s says so right here.” Rainbow Dash held up another Superlative, one that read, “Most Likely To Get Married: Sunset Shimmer & Twilight Sparkle.” “Oh my,” said Fluttershy as she blushed.  Twilight’s face was burning red as she saw what was written on the slip of paper, Sunset managed to maintain her composure, but even she wasn’t immune to this kind of thing.  “And besides, it’s just a yearbook,” Rainbow  Any and all embarrassment from the Superlative was forgotten when Rainbow Dash uttered those words.  “Just the yearbook?!” Sunset exclaimed.  Applejack face palmed herself. “Now ya gone and done it, Dash.” “The student body has entrusted me with the responsibility of gathering their memories into the pages of this book. In thirty years, we might not remember everything, but we will remember what’s in this yearbook!” Sunset stated with pride and conviction.  Rainbow rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. “Well, I’m entrusting you not to put us next to ‘Best Muscles’. Every time you close the book, it’ll be like we’re kissing Bulk Biceps!” Rainbow demonstrated this by picking up one of the past yearbooks and opening and closing the book repeatedly.  “Um. I-I think he’s sweet,” Fluttershy whispered.  “Hey, let’s celebrate! Party at Sunset’s house!” Pinkie announced.  “Yeah…wait, what?!”  Just then the door to the room flew open only to rebound and shut close on whoever opened it so quickly. A few expletives were heard before the door opened again, a little slower this time, and revealed the school’s resident amateur stage magician. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to speak to the yearbook editor immediately!” All eyes shifted to Sunset, upon which the flame haired girl gave a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately for me, that’s me. What do you want, Trixie?”  Trixie gave Sunset an annoyed and suspicious look as she strode up to her. “Ha! Just as I suspected! I was not voted ‘Greatest and Most Powerfullest’! Explain yourself!” “Hmmm, how should I put this?” Sunset pondered as she tapped her chin. “Oh yeah! You didn’t win ‘Greatest and Most Powerfullest’ because it’s not one of the Superlatives!”  Trixie narrowed her gaze at Sunset, but then put on her trademark smug smirk as she pulled out one of the yearbooks from the shelf. “Neither was ‘Queen of Mean’, but that didn’t stop you from winning it our freshman year.” Trixie turned the book around, showing a rather unflattering picture of Sunset about to punch out the cameraman.  Sunset felt a slight sting in her heart, she had come far since then, and had forgiven herself as others have her, but sometimes, the sting from your past actions doesn’t always fade away.  Applejack walked up and snatched the book from Trixie. “That was different, the whole school voted for her.” “She was sooooooo mean,” Pinkie whispered.  Twilight saw the pensive look on her girlfriend’s face, she placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders, granting her some comfort. “But, of course, we all know you’re not like that anymore, and more than earned the right to not be thought of like that.” Sunset looked to Twilight and said, “Thanks”, she then turned her attention back to Trixie. “We’re not having a ‘Greatest and Most Powerfullest’ Superlative. Sorry.”  Trixie Lulamoon huffed in indignation. “Oh, you’re the one who’ll be sorry, Sunset Shimmer! When you least expect it, I’ll have my revenge, and then I’ll disappear! Like this! Behold! The Magician’s Exit!” Trixie pulled out a small ball-like object from her hoodie and threw it against the floor.  The room immediately filled with shimmering smoke, causing the occupants to cough. For a few seconds they believed the would-be-magician had vanished, but then they started hearing the sound of a door handle being jiggled. When the smoke cleared, they saw Trixie trying to open the door.  “Allow me, we were just leaving.” Sunset walked up to the door, prompting Trixie to stop, she then pulled out a key from her skirt pocket and unlocked the door. Trixie left the room first, her nose turned up at them in frustration.  The others chuckled at Trixie’s expense as they filed out of the room.  ***____________________________*** “After that, we partied at my place like Pinkie said, and everyone crashed at my place afterwards. Sunday was pretty normal, no Dopant attacks, no major crimes, and zero drama. I shared a few texts with Twilight and then went to bed,” said Sunset.  After the revelation that even Unicorn was considered a bad guy, Sunset was left with little recourse but to seek refuge in her homeland of Equestria. Thankfully, the portal seemed unaffected by whatever strangeness was gripping the city and its people. Once she arrived, Sunset went over the details of the last three days prior to the incident, trying to find any little detail that could give them a clue as to why what was happening was happening.  “Do you think it could be a Dopant? I mean, those two women, Sunflower and Clear Skies have revitalized Starlight’s Gaia Memory black market,” said Twilight.  “I don’t think so, at least I’ve never encountered a Gaia Memory that can warp reality to this level.”  Twilight scratched at her chin as she hummed in contemplation. “Then, maybe dark magic? You haven’t had many magic based incidents lately, perhaps this was one that was slowly building up and created this alternate dimension?”  “If that’s true, why didn’t it affect the portal? You still remember that we’re friends, and that I’m a good Kamen Rider,” said Sunset.  Silence hung in the throne/map room, both mares were at a loss as to what could be causing this to happen back on Earth, and why it seems it has affected everyone except Sunset, or rather, why it has affected everything regarding Sunset. “Well, maybe we should consult Celestia, she may have a clue as to what is happening, or at least point us in the right direction,” said Twilight.  “Better than nothing,” said Sunset as she shrugged in defeat.  I wasn’t long after that conversation that the two alicorns were off to Canterlot. Of course, upon arriving and exiting the train, they were once again mobbed by several ponies wanting to either get a picture with the princesses or to speak with them about some issue or another. However, this time around, it wasn’t the Royal Guard who came to their aid, but a cream-colored unicorn mare with a red mane and purple streaks.  The unicorn mare released a burst of magic that temporarily blinded everyone, she then dragged Sunset and Twilight along with her telekinetic spell, whisking them off to an alleyway that was far from the mob scene. Once she was sure that they were safe, the mare released another flash of light from her horn, clearing up the spots that were in their eyes.  “That spell causes temporary blindness for about thirty seconds, but can be dispelled quickly, you’re lucky I was around, Twilight.” Once the de-blinding spell kicked in, Twilight immediately recognized their savior. “Moondancer!” Twilight rushed to the mare, embracing her tight in her forelegs. Moondancer blushed and hugged Twilight back. “Thanks for the save!”  “N-No problem,” squeaked Moondancer.  Sunset watched the scene before her and smirked a little. “Oh, Twilight, since when did you get a marefriend?”  Twilight and Moondancer quickly separated, their faces blushing hard.  “W-W-We’re not ‘marefriends’, we’re just old friends!” Twilight explained.  “We just reconnected a few months ago and, well, it was kind of emotional, for everypony, but that’s it!” Moondancer corroborated.  Even with that explanation, Sunset’s smirk remained. “Uh-huh, well, thank you, Moondancer, for getting us out of that mess.” “No problem, this one needs to just use more common sense when arriving with a hero princess,” said Moondancer. “Anyway, if you get the time, drop by my place.”  “Will do, thanks again Moondancer,” said Twilight.  The bespectacled mare nodded and went on her way, all the while Twilight was waving goodbye to her old friend, and Sunset couldn’t help but widen her smirk.  “She’s pretty cool,” said Sunset.  “Yep,” Twilight replied.  “Kind of cute, too.” “Yep.”  “She’s got a nice flank as well.”  “Yep.” Twilight’s distracted mind finally caught up to what Sunset was saying and reacted appropriately. “WHAT?!”  Sunset shrugged. “I’m just saying, she’s cute and she’s got a nice flank. I have a type; apparently cute nerds are my thing.”  “You’re with the other me remember,” said Twilight slight edge to her tone.  “Doesn’t mean I can’t stop and admire another mare’s rear, like you were just a moment ago.” Twilight’s face went red as she turned around and began walking. “Let’s just go to the palace already!”  ***____________________________*** After much, much more teasing by the junior alicorn, Twilight and Sunset arrived at the palace. They were, unfortunately, formerly announced by the ponies in the court and brought into the throne room. Upon which Celestia practically hurried down from her throne and embraced her adopted daughter in a hug that most likely would’ve broken the back of any pony caught in it, but since Sunset was an alicorn, her strength and resilience were much higher than that of normal ponies, so she could take it. “Oh, my little Sun’s back!” Celestia gushed.  “G-Good…to see you…Mom…!” Sunset gasped. She shot Twilight a look that pleaded for help, but the purple alicorn just smiled as she sat there and enjoyed the show. Really, Twi? Payback?! “I know your graduation is near, and I can’t wait until that day!”  Luna came walking up behind her elder sister and said, “Trust me, she can’t. She’s been gushing about the upcoming event for months now…” Luna looked upon Sunset and tapped Celestia on the shoulder. “Sister, if you continue to hug my niece that tight, I fear she may bend at an angle that ponies aren’t meant to.”  Celestia blushed and quickly released her daughter, letting her fall to the floor. The alabaster mare gave a very apologetic look as she gazed down at Sunset. “I’m so sorry, Sunset, are you alright?”  “I think I need a chiropractor, but I’ll live.” Sunset looked up and glared in annoyance at the purple pony princess looking down at her. “You win this round, Purple Smart…” Twilight chuckled at Sunset but did offer her a hoof up.  “Tell us though, what brings you two to see us? Not that you’re an unwelcome sight, but normally Twilight Sparkle would send a letter ahead to notify us unless…” Luna stopped as she realized what the possibility was.  “Unless it was an emergency,” said Celestia, finishing her younger sister’s thought. “What’s happened?”  Sunset began telling her mother and aunt about what had occurred back on Earth, her friends forgetting that they were her friends, the whole school fearing her once again, and the city seeing Kamen Rider Unicorn as an enemy. The two oldest rulers of Equestria thought over Sunset’s words, something seemed to have sparked a thought between them, but they didn’t seem quite sure.  “I am not familiar with the exact spell that could have erased your friends’ memories. But it sounds like Equestrian magic is at work in your world,” said Celestia.  Luna nodded her head in agreement. “Hmm. Indeed. The toilings of this nefarious enchantment could portend unimaginable catastrophe if left unchecked.” Sunset had to stifle her laughter, knowing how her adopted aunt in the human world talked and acted in contrast to the pony version was something she wished she could show them. The midnight blue alicorn seemed to have caught on to the slight chuckling of her niece, prompting Sunset to compose herself.  “Sorry, I’m just used to hearing you say, ‘No student parking in the faculty lot.’ Or, ‘learn how to play you newb!’” Luna raised an eyebrow at that. “I’m not sure what a ‘newb’ is, but this ‘faculty lot’ sounds like a place of great power.”  Sunset and Twilight looked to each other and shared a giggle at the second eldest alicorn expense.  Celestia was sure she’d get the joke at her younger sister’s expense when she eventually visited the world behind the mirror, but right now a thought came to mind. “Come with us, we may know of a place where we can get some answers at least.”  ***____________________________*** The Canterlot Six were all in the band room, they just played through one of their songs, for about the eighth time today. To anyone passing by, the girls would’ve sounded perfect, but, to the Rainbooms, it just wasn’t perfect, not at all. Although it sounded good, it was off, their tempo, their groove, and they couldn’t shake this feeling of missing a component of their band, but not exactly sure what.  “Let’s take five guys,” said Rainbow.  The girls all broke up and sat at different spots in the music room, Twilight, for some reason, couldn’t take her eyes off of the lone white and turquoise colored guitar that was sitting on its stand all alone.  “Hey, girls, do you know who that guitar belongs to?” Twilight asked.  The others looked at the instrument in question.  “Can’t say Ah have, but…” “It feels familiar, right?” Rarity asked.  “Yes, maybe that’s the thing that was missing?” Fluttershy asked.  “Do we even know who it belongs to? `Cause it’s not mine, unless you’ve been secretly practicing behind our backs, Twi, and you’re gunning for my lead guitarist position,” Rainbow accused.  Twilight vehemently shook her head and waved her hands as if trying to dismiss the notion. “Of course, not I’ve only ever played the violin, I can’t play that! Maybe…Maybe it belongs to Flash Sentry? A backup perhaps?” Pinkie Pie walked up to the guitar and inspected it. “Hmm, doesn’t seem like Flash’s style. You sure it isn’t yours, Dashie?” Rainbow Dash walked until she was standing before the instrument, the sports girl carefully slung the guitar over her and began playing a few cords, but as she continued to, she instantly realized it wasn’t hers. “No way, this isn’t mine. It’s tuned differently, I like mine a certain way, and this was definitely tuned to whoever owns it.”  “Still, why’s it in this music room? We’re the only ones who use it, not many others come in,” said Applejack.  Rarity could tell that the subject of the mystery owner of this guitar was getting them down some, so Rarity decided to change the subject a little and tease Twilight a bit. “So, Twilight, speaking of Flash Sentry, has he asked you out?” “He did, a few months ago, but…I turned him down,” said Twilight.  “Oh, not your type?” Fluttershy asked.  “I know about the other me, and you guys told me he liked her. And he looks sweet, but, I don’t want to start a relationship because he’s trying to chase after the version of me that’s in another dimension, not to mention…I don’t think I’m really girlfriend material…so I don’t want to disappoint him or anyone for that matter,” said Twilight.  Pinkie Pie blew a raspberry at Twilight explanation. “Flash’s not that shallow, and on top of that, who says you’re not girlfriend material?” Pinkie zoomed across the room and somehow managed to get Twilight standing before she herself realized it. “You’ve got nice legs, not too curvy, but just the right amount of curve for the feminine appeal. Your bust isn’t as big as mine or Fluttershy’s, or Rarity’s.”  “I beg your pardon! How do you know my bust size?!” Rarity asked as she covered her chest with her arms.  Fluttershy followed suit in that regard.  “Never underestimate Pinkie’s perfect eye for potential busty beauties! Now, as I was saying, they’re just about average, but nothing to sneeze at either. Unlike Rainbow Dash’s.” Pinkie pointed her thumb at the rainbow haired girl and made a motion with her hand starting from her chest with the flat of her palm and going up and down.  “I AM NOT A WASHBOARD!” Rainbow shouted in indignation. “Any who, then there’s just your face, it’s cute, thin, and you look good with and without glasses, a definite plus. And you’re smart without being smug or condescending to others! All and all, you’re the perfect package, Twilight Sparkle,” declared Pinkie Pie.  Twilight blushed at how her friend described her, not sure whether to feel extremely complimented or embarrassed that her friend just described her in such a fashion. “Oh…um, well, thank you, Pinkie. I didn’t know you put that much analysis into my…um, figure, and traits. You, um, you don’t like-like me, do you?”  Pinkie Pie thought on that for a minute, making the other girls in the room hold their breath. “Hmm, well, I won’t lie, I would totally go out with you! But…it’s weird, I feel like if I did, I’d be a complete and total jerk pants. Like I’d be keeping you from your soulmate.” Why does it feel like she’s right, thought Twilight.  “Ugh, c’mon, let’s head to Sugar Cube Corner, maybe some shakes will jog our memory, or at least get our moods up,” suggested Rainbow Dash.  The rest of the group nodded and put away their instruments before heading out. Rainbow was the last one out of the room and was about to hit the light switch, but she paused and stared at the out of place guitar. Or is something else out of place? With that thought, Rainbow Dash turned off the lights and closed the door.  When she did, something strange happened. The guitar began to get wrapped in strange green energy, the energy seemed to try and hide the guitar from view, but for some reason the guitar shimmered as if it was trying to remain. But it was no use, the energy swallowed the guitar and its stand, removing the instrument from sight, as if it never existed.  ***____________________________*** The four alicorns made their way to the one place that Sunset wasn’t expecting, the Canterlot Library, Celestia and Luna led the way as they walked deeper into the facility.  “The answers we seek may lie in here,” said Celestia.  Sunset glanced about the shelves of the library, compared to the Memories of the Earth, the number of books in this library didn’t even rival that by a long shot, but still. “There’s got to be a million books in here.”  Twilight sidled next to Sunset and slung her left foreleg over her friend’s shoulders as she chuckled at that insinuation, “I wish! But don’t worry. You’re looking at somepony who knows this place like the back of her hoof.” It was then that Twilight noticed her former mentor walking down a different path than what she was used to when she once roamed these halls. “Where are you going, Princess Celestia?” “To the restricted section,” said Celestia in a nonchalant fashion. Twilight’s eyes widened, and her left eye began to twitch as she heard those words. “There’s a…a reh…a reh…a reh…” “Breathe, Twilight, just breathe,” said Sunset as she padded her friend on the back.  The two sisters continued leading the way to a dark corner of the library, upon which both Celestia and Luna used their magic to move two books, one with a sun emblem and the other with a moon emblem. Upon doing so, the bookshelf began to move, and opened a secret doorway that led into a dark corridor. Twilight’s mouth hung open at the sight, but Sunset quickly closed her mouth before a fly could get in.  “I will head back to the castle for now, please call me if you need assistance, Sister,” said Luna.  “Thank you, Luna.”  With that, Princess Luna headed back the way they came, while Celestia, Twilight, and Sunset walked down the corridor and ended up before two large double doors. Celestia used her magic to open the doors, and inside was a new area of the library that Twilight and Sunset had never seen before. There were many books in this section, hundreds if not thousands more than what was in the general public area. Twilight’s eyes roved over every tome that fell within her eyesight, taking in the vast number of books that she had never before seen nor had access to until today.  “Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh! So many books all unread!” Twilight’s magic reached out and grabbed several books of their shelves at once, making them float around her in orbit as she glanced to one and then the other as if unsure of where to start. “Ancient historical artifacts! I just…I thought…! I can’t…!” Twilight began to wheeze and hyperventilate as her mind was about to overload with joy at the prospect of going through so many new-old-books.  Sunset smirked at her friend’s reaction. “You sure you’re up for helping me go through all this stuff? I wouldn’t want you to have a bookgasm on the floor.”  Twilight threw her forelegs around Sunset’s neck as she pleaded, “Don’t take this away from me!……And that only happened once!”  Sunset’s eyes narrowed into a predatory stare and her smirk took on a wicked mirth. “Oh, did it now?” Twilight blushed bright red as she realized she may have given away a personal piece of info that she may or may not have wanted to take to the grave. Sunset decided to show her best friend mercy, for now, and turned to Celestia, who was busy fiddling with some sort of device.  “Unfortunately, the archives’ mechanical cataloging has not been…” Celestia pulled on a lever and made it snap off. “…well-maintained.” Soon after that, the entire apparatus fell into pieces, sending a plume of dust into the air.  “Well, that’s an inconvenience.”  Twilight’s giddiness went up even more at this so called, “inconvenience”. “Guess we’ll have to read everything! C’mon! No way!” Twilight used her magic to grab another book from the higher up shelves on the second floor. “Can you believe they have Canterlot Cantabiles Volume Thirty-One? You heard me! Thirty-One! Sunset, that’s when it gets goooooooood! Over here!” Twilight grabbed yet another old tome and held it up for both her friend and former mentor to see. “An original Windigo Weather Warning from the pre-Equestrian era! Oh, my goodness! I can’t! I just can’t!” Sunset and Celestia glanced to each other and then shared a laugh at the book horse’s antics.  ***____________________________*** It worked, it actually worked, and she couldn’t believe it. Wallflower Blush, the quiet, shy, and often times invisible girl, roamed the halls of CHS. Everybody seemed to be talking about Sunset Shimmer and how she hadn’t been seen in school since this morning. Many students were whispering among themselves, all of whom were suspicious of Sunset’s actions thus far, wondering if she was planning on doing something bad.  What’s more, it seemed that the group she hung out with, the “Rainbooms”, were officially against her, regarding Sunset as the bully and tyrant Wallflower knew she was. Still, she never expected how easy it would be to make this all happen.  “Magic is a wonderous thing my child, but be weary, it can be fickle.” “What do you mean?” Wallflower asked.  “Stronger magic can negate other magic. Sunset Shimmer has wronged you, and everyone. Everyone seems to have forgotten the tyrant that she is. But you haven’t.” Wallflower grimaced as she continued to walk through the halls of the school. “Of course, I haven’t. I could never forget; she acts all good and pretends to be nice. But everyone forgot that that’s how it all started. A nice gesture, a sincere-insincere smile, all to lower your guard so that she could one day use you, blackmail you, or trample you. Or in my case, ignore my existence altogether.” “That is horrible, child. No one deserves to be ignored, to be shunned and passed over as if they were just a tiny particle amongst the vastness of everything else. We will show her; I will help you.”  Wallflower exited the building and headed towards the woods behind the school. “You’ve already helped me so much, what else can I want?”  “My little flower, there’s so much more. What we’ve done so far is very impressive, but it’s not permanent, not yet. There are forces that will conspire to stop you if they find out what you have done.” The green haired girl took a turn in the woods and ended up in her little secret garden, her oasis where the flowers she attended to were the only ones who cared if she existed, as she had helped them grow from seeds to budding flowers and an assortment of different vegetables. Yes, if she were not around, they would truly feel the sting of her disappearance, as the only member of the Gardening Club, if she weren’t here to tend to them, they would wither and rot away.   “Sunset Shimmer isn’t a threat, now that the school doesn’t trust her anymore, she can’t trick anyone. They finally see her as I do,” said Wallflower.  “You give her far too little credit, even in my current state, I can sense the immense magical power she possesses, and you know why that is.” Wallflower sat on her knees as she opened her backpack and took out a stone object with strange markings on it. She held the stone between both of her hands as the rock glowed. The stone emitted green light which created multiple windows around Wallflower, each one displaying a memory pertaining to Sunset Shimmer, each them showing how kind and sincere she was, but they weren’t looking, showed the conniving, evil look in her eyes afterwards, but the ones of most interest to Wallflower, and the voice, were the ones that revealed that Sunset Shimmer was in fact the hero who saved the world and the city on multiple occasions, Kamen Rider Unicorn.  “I can’t believe someone like her has the gull to call herself a ‘hero’!” Wallflower growled.  “It is unsettling, that a person who could manipulate, bully, and threaten others so easily now has such great power and has won the hearts of many. Who knows what kind of havoc she could cause with such power?” Wallflower looked upon the many harrowing adventures and fights Sunset had been through, every battle, every hardship, and it made her sick. How could the universe ordain such a horrible person with this kind of power? Especially when there were more worthy people in the world. Wallflower would count herself among them, but not quite as high as the other girls, the Rainbooms. If any of them were Unicorn, that would make sense, like Rainbow Dash. Well she was Nasca, apparently, so that was slightly true. But why not Applejack? She was loyal, strong, and honest, and always willing to help others or stand up for someone. Hell, why not Twilight Sparkle, the pony princess one or the science one, either would make a good candidate.  “But of course, it just had to be Sunset – freakin’ – Shimmer who gets all the power, the glory, the adoration, and…” Wallflower looked upon another window, showing some tender, romantic moments between Sunset and Twilight. “……love.”  “My little flower, do not despair, you are as lovely as any of these plants within your garden. You have yet to blossom into your truest self, but believe me, that time is coming very soon. However, we must be wary, Sunset’s lack of presence after finding out what has been altered could make her desperate.” Wallflower dismissed the windows and stashed the stone back in her backpack as she began to go to work. “You don’t think she’ll attack us, do you?” “In my experience, taking something precious in the eyes of that being can lead them to make desperate, sometimes violent decisions. And with her reality warped to such a degree, we must be prepared to confront her. But – and I know you hate this – our advantage is your anonymity; your lack of presence can be used as a weapon against her. You will be the last person she suspects to be the cause of this, and by the time she has finally realized it, it will be too late.” “And what if she does?” Wallflower asked as she began watering the flowers. “She’s smart, really smart. Sunset will eventually figure it out, and it could be before it’s done.”  The voice chuckled as she said, “The beauty of warping reality means we have the overall advantage. Anyone she once saw as an ally is now an enemy, and even her enemies are still her enemies. She’s alone, Wallflower, she has no one who can help her in this world.” “Alone, just like I was, at least until I met you. Before this is over, Sunset will know what it’s like to be ignored and shunned, to be utterly alone! And I’ll be the one with friends who care about me, who see me!” Wallflower declared.  “Yes, my little flower, we have all the tools we need to make this happen. The stone, and…” Wallflower unconsciously placed her left hand over her left front pocket, feeling the familiar, rectangular shape of a certain device.   ***____________________________*** Sunset sat in front of a table, piles of books surrounded her, some on the table, some next to her and some scattered about other places. Celestia and Twilight were still reading through more books, the other two alicorns having already created large piles of their own. Sunset flipped through the last page of another book she was reading, and stared blankly at the wall across the room, her expression deadpan.  “Did you know that Chancellor Pudding Head tried to pass a law that mandated all Earth Ponies drink carrot juice at every meal? I do. Know that. Now.” Sunset let her face smack against the table.  Twilight turned and looked at her friend as she yawned tiredly, “Awww. Sounds like you got to read all the fun books. We should probably take a break from looking…” Sunset sighed in defeat.  “Because I found something!” Sunset’s face lit up with both hope and excitement upon hearing those words and was thankful that hours of reading every book in this library was worth it. “You're familiar with The Seven Trials of Clover the Clever?” “Obviously.”  “Well, first of all, these date back to before the founding of Equestria. Look at this.” Twilight unraveled the scroll she found and in it was an illustration of gray rock with emerald lines etched into it.  Sunset looked upon the illustration with intrigue. “‘The Memory Stone’. That sounds promising.” Twilight flipped through the pages as she explained, “It belonged to an evil sorceress who was practically invincible. With the Memory Stone, she could erase any memory from anypony. Even fragments of memories.” Sunset’s eyes widened with realization. “Fragments…like of me being nice and being Unicorn?” Twilight nodded in confirmation. “Mm-hmm. Clover the Clever knew the sorceress had to be stopped and the Stone destroyed, so he chased her across land and sea. But every time he got close, the sorceress would erase his memory and escape. But he kept finding her. Eventually chasing her down through a mysterious portal.” “How?”  Twilight used her magic to pick up a piece of paper and tore off a corner. “These scraps of parchment. He secretly wrote everything down, so he’d know what had happened and where to go next. Like a trail of breadcrumbs.”  Sunset smiled as she said, “Clever! Ohhhh, Clover the – Yeah, got it. What happened on the other side of this portal?” Twilight unraveled more of the scroll, and where a page should be, there was nothing. “The last page was ripped out. Most likely, Clover must’ve hidden it to keep anypony else from finding the Memory Stone. But, Sunset, I have a theory. What if the place beyond the portal, was Earth?”  Sunset’s eyes narrowed as the pieces were slowly falling into place. “Someone must’ve found the Stone on Earth and is using it to erase all the good I’ve done from everyone’s memories!”  “I must point out, that while this does explain everyone’s memories being altered, it still doesn’t explain how such an item could manipulate, or possibly warp reality,” said Celestia.  All three pondered on that for a moment, trying to figure out if there was anything that could not only manipulate memories, but also warp reality? All three mares’ heads shot up as a thought crossed their minds.  “You don’t think?” Twilight asked.  “It’s possible, a Gaia Memory,” said Sunset.  “But, have you ever encountered one that powerful?” Celestia asked.  Sunset shook her head. “The closest one to that kind of power is the Shining Memory, but that’s only because it’s a fragment of the Miracle Magic. And I have it.” Sunset sighed, the mystery wasn’t going to get all the way solved here, and she knew she couldn’t hide out in Equestria and let whatever was happening on Earth continue. “Well, at least now I have an idea what we’re looking for, maybe I can convince them with some evidence.” Sunset used her magic to fold up the piece of paper that had the image of the Memory Stone and stored it in a pocket dimension.  “We’ll keep searching through the library for more clues, top to bottom! Even if it means reorganizing the entire collection!” Twilight squeed with delight.  Sunset looked to her adopted mother, who then added, “I’ll make sure she stays on task.”  “Hey!”  Celestia moved closer to her adopted daughter and brought her into a hug. “I don’t like the idea of sending you back there, surrounded by enemies without a friend to assist you. Perhaps…Perhaps I should go with you? Luna can take care of things while I’m gone.”  Sunset smiled, hearing that her adopted mother was so worried about her and willing to traverse into an unknown world to grant her at least some comfort through this harrowing time made her feel warm inside, especially as she rested her head against Celestia’s chest. “Thanks, Mom, but no. I can’t risk it. You’ve never been there, and it can feel awkward transitioning from this form to a human one. Plus, if this turns out to be something big and bad, Equestria can’t afford to lose one of its co-rulers, and I can’t afford to lose my Mother.”  Celestia grit her teeth, she so badly wanted to go with her daughter to protect her in any way she could, but realistically, Celestia knew she’d only be a hinderance and a possible liability should the villain decide to strike at Sunset, especially since Celestia would not have access to her vast reservoirs of magic power on Earth. “I understand…but, please, be careful my little Sun.”  “I will.”  After bidding farewell to her friend and mother, Sunset returned to CHS. Unfortunately, hours of searching through the Canterlot Library’s restricted section had made Sunset miss the whole day of school, the building was closed save for the after-school clubs activities and faculty that stayed behind for meetings. Sunset didn’t know where to start looking for this Memory Stone, most likely, it was dumped here on Earth in the city, but where was a different story.  You’d think an object like that would give off some sort of magical signature. I could trace it as Unicorn, but if I did people would probably go into a panic and then I’d have to fight Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash…again. In all honesty, Sunset could use her Final Form to beat them if necessary, but the problem is, she didn’t want to. She shouldn’t have to use her most powerful form against those who were her friends, especially when they were doing it because they had their memories erased or altered. Sunset opened her cellphone and looked upon a picture of herself and Twilight, the nerdy girl was blushing red as Sunset gave her kiss on the cheek as she took the selfie.  With little to do, Sunset decided to try again tomorrow, her hunt for the true culprit behind all this would begin at sunrise.