//------------------------------// // Homeward Bound // Story: Kamen Rider: Fire and Steel // by thunderclap //------------------------------// If the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought- The Divine Comedy Sunset felt the tug of consciousness on her mind. Slowly but surely her senses cut through the fog dampening them. Smell came back first, the overpowering scent of antiseptic almost made her gag. Then came hearing, a soft beeping at the forefront with a lot of bustling activity in the background. Swallowing dryly, Sunset was made quite aware of how dry her mouth was. Sitting up and opening her eyes, she spied a styrofoam cup with a straw sitting on a tray over her bed. She grabbed it and greedily drank from it. The water inside was room temperature, but she didn't care. A dull ache in her shoulder reminded her of why exactly she was in the hospital. Presumably medicated, it didn’t bother her much. A lot less than it should’ve anyway. Taking a moment to take stock of herself, she felt bandages in a few spots along her body as well as bumps she presumed were stitches. Letting her head fall back on a pillow, a long sigh escaped her. "Thank Faust for modern medicine." Now came the wait. Glancing at the door, she tried to pick through the white noise. She frowned, not hearing anything that seemed connected to her. Looking down, there was a small button on the same tray her water was on. She pressed it, hoping it would call a nurse. Laying her head back, she chuckled to herself. Wonder if the princess ever got put in the hospital following a fight? She dropped the thought quickly, as thinking of the princess drew her thoughts back to her own Twilight. Her train of thought was derailed by the door opening and a middle-aged nurse with pink hair entering. "Hello, I'm Tender Heart, was there anything you needed?" Walking inside, Tender grabbed Sunset's chart off the bed. She gaped, looking up with sympathy-filled eyes. "Oh my, you're the stabbing victim that was brought in, how are you feeling, dear?" “Medicated,” Sunset spoke, licking her lips. “How long and what’s the damage?" "Looking at your chart, we're going to be holding you overnight and you'll get examined by a doctor in the morning to see how those stitches are holding up. And, you got lucky, no arteries hit and no deep tissue damage. As long as you follow doctor's orders, you should make a full recovery. We also managed to get you a transfusion, but we're still going to be giving you a few special meals to help compensate for the blood loss." “That bad, huh?” Sunset asked, touching her shoulder. “I thought it was pretty bad. I didn’t think I’d get out so soon.” "The stitches are the hard part," Tender said with a giggle. "If it looks like there's some muscle damage when the doctor does his next examination, then he'll probably keep you longer so we can keep an eye on you and ensure it heals properly. Honestly, you don't seem like a danger to yourself so we'll just give you a spiel about being careful with the stitches, give you a prescription form for the pain and let you rest at home." Sunset nodded. “And how long have I been here?” Sitting up, she patted at her neck. “My necklaces, where are they?” Putting down the chart, Tender pointed out towards the hallway. "Your things are kept in a storage closet for patient belongings down the hall. If you want, we can have them brought in and put out of the way. And I believe you've been unconscious for at least four hours since you were found in the parking lot." “Anyone visit yet?” Sunset questioned. “And yeah, I’d like my stuff, please.” "Yes, we have a young woman who came in asking for you. I'll send a message to the waiting room for her while I get your belongings." Turning on her heel, Tender exited the room. “Thanks!” Sunset called after her. Spotting a remote on the nightstand, she turned on the news and watched with interest. "-o word has been given by the hotel on the supposed bird attack in one of the rooms," a newscaster said. "However, videos have been found that put Fenix on the scene. Including one that show her fending off sword strikes seemingly appearing from a cloud of birds." Phone footage suddenly appeared on the screen showing bits and pieces of Sunset's fight. She had to wince whenever she saw herself getting stabbed and she swore her stitches started to itch. "The police haven't given an official statement on whether or not they plan to hold Fenix accountable or if an investigation will be pursued against her," an anchorwoman continued, turning to the camera. Glancing at the door, Sunset groaned. Sooner or later, Shining Armor was going to bust in and yell at her. A visit from him without yelling only meant future trouble. She could only hope he wouldn't divulge her identity to his superiors. When the door opened again, Sunset half braced herself for the man in question, only to relax when Sugarcoat's face popped in. “I heard you were awake,” Sugarcoat said, closing the door behind her. “Feeling okay?” "As okay as I can be," Sunset replied, smiling at her assistant. "Pain meds help. And thanks for talking to me during that mess, I think it saved me." Sugar sat down, putting her hands in her lap. “We’re friends, you don’t have to thank me.” Sunset smiled, nodding. "I appreciate that. So, did you tell Head Line the job is done?" “That is my job,” Sugar said, nodding. "Good because I'm pretty sure my insurance is not gonna like covering this and I'm gonna need the money," Sunset replied with a sheepish grin. Sugar quirked a brow. “Wait, you have insurance? Must’ve been a headache to set up for yourself.” Rubbing her neck, Sunset chuckled weakly. “Yeah well, when you have a small stock pile of gold coins, it helps a lot.” “Have you heard about your condition yet?” Sugar questioned, leaning forward in her chair. “They wouldn’t tell me anything when I got here since we’re not married or related.” Her eyes fell on the front of Sunset's bed, just where her chart hung. “Yeah, just some stitches and special food,” Sunset replied, muting the t.v. “I’m on the news again, no shocker there.” "Yeah, they were playing it in the waiting room." Turning her head, Sugar shrank in a little. "I didn't really watch." “It’s not really much, they missed the good bits,” Sunset assured, smiling. "Forgive me if I don't want to see my friend getting hurt," Sugar shot back, leveling an unamused stare at Sunset. “Relax, they didn’t show that part.” Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. A moment later and Tender entered with a bag in tow. "Pardon the intrusion, but I have your things." With a practiced smile, she set the bag down on a free chair. “Just let me know if you need anything else!” “Thanks.” Sunset nodded. “Could you pass me that, Sugar?” Sugar gave a quick affirmation and passed over the bag after giving it a quick peek. “I think your jacket has seen better days.” “Yeah well, nothing Rarity can’t fix.” Opening the bag, she pulled out her jacket. She was infinitely grateful that it hadn’t been cut apart to treat her. And that it was, mostly, black. Frowning at the hole in the front, she vowed to have it restored as soon as possible. She pulled out her phone next and turned it on. Going to her contacts, a thought wormed into her brain. She knew Shining Armor would be showing up, it was only a matter of time. So why not call the other sibling to hopefully balance things out? She tapped the name and put the phone to her ear. It took a few rings before he answered. “Hey, Sunny.” "Hey, Spike, good to hear your voice," Sunset greeted, letting her jacket drape over her lap. "How are you?" “I’m doing well. Gabby and I just got back from apartment browsing.” "Oh wow, that's super exciting," Sunset replied, a smile worming its way to her lips. "If you're still looking, there's an apartment building on my street looking for tenants. I actually found the super's cat a few times so I can put in a good word for you. Plus, there's a diner right next door that has the best fries in the city." Spike chuckled. “It’s always fast food with you. You know, I joined the track team because of how many calories you and Twi suckered me into eating.” "Hey! You know I learned how to cook nice Neighponese meals while I worked at that sushi restaurant!" Sunset protested, putting on a faux pout. She winced, her outburst having caused her to jerk her shoulder suddenly. “So uh... how are you doing? I saw you in the news a few times. Is everything okay?” "Sorta, got a little banged up and am in Canterlot General right now," Sunset explained, chuckling weakly. “I’m okay, so don’t drop everything and rush to see me, got it?” "I was only gonna whoop Gabby in Super Smash sisters for the umpteenth time," Spike assured. "We'll be right over. But let me guess, you're looking for a Shining Shield?" “...Yes...” There was a dinging sound in the background, obviously getting Spike's attention. "Oh, Gabby's scones are done. Want me to bring some with us?" “Only if there's enough for me and Sugarcoat.” Turning to Sugarcoat, she asked. “You like scones?” "Yes, I do," Sugar replied, giving Sunset an odd look at the sudden question. "Especially ones with fruit." “Yeah, make sure there's enough for Sugarcoat.” "Come on, you know Gabby makes a lot," Spike retorted with a laugh. "We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Don't go anywhere," he joked, hanging up. Exiting the call, Sunset let a bit of tension leave her body. Spike was one of the few remaining pillars in her life. Without him, she’d have broke when Twilight… She groaned, her head hitting her pillow with an audible sound. It seemed like every train of thought led back to Twilight. Her disappearance was the albatross hanging from her neck. A part of her wanted to put an end to it, but then some wriggling doubt and guilt would creep in. “I take it Spike is stopping by?” Sugarcoat asked. “Is it really a good idea to stir up sibling resentment?” "There's no resentment." Sunset frowned as she said that. "At least none that I've seen. The two are just on opposite sides of this. They're both still close. You should've seen Shining blubber like a mama hen at Spike's graduation." “And one loves you and the other hates you,” Sugarcoat said, her gaze slightly edged. “How many arguments have they had over you?” Sunset frowned, shaking her head. "I don't think Shining hates me. I think he's angry and in his mind I'm the obvious target. I mean, if he hated me he would've exposed my identity as Fenix first chance he had." “If you say so.” Sugar pushed her glasses up, regarding Sunset with a sympathetic eye. “Grief changes you.” Looking down, Sunset was reminded of her earlier train of thought. "Yeah, I know." Looking up, she forced a smile. "Oh, can't believe I haven't asked. How's your dad doing after the Botis thing?" “He’s doing alright. Doesn’t remember a whole lot of it.” Shifting in her seat, she glanced at the door. “I used a few cleansing methods. I don’t know if any of them worked.” "Cleansing methods?" Sunset repeated, her interest piqued. "Is that something you've come across during your research?" Sugarcoat shrugged noncommittally. “A lot of places where you can find them. I don’t know if they work, they aren’t from Equestria.” The two continued talking for a while, Sunset always keeping an eye on the door. It was a nerve wracking wait, each approaching footstep making her heart speed up. When the door finally opened, her heart nearly leaping from her chest, only to sigh in relief when a bit of green hair poked through the crack. “You got your clothes on?” Spike inquired, peering around the door. “I’ve got a blanket and hospital gown on,” Sunset answered. “What? Did you think I was gonna host a nudist party in here as soon as I woke up?” Walking inside, Spike snickered. “I dunno, maybe it’s a pony tradition.” Stepping inside, he passed her a wrapped plate of scones. “Fresh from the oven.” “Where’s Gabby?” Sunset asked, taking a scone and holding the plate out to Sugar. “I wanted to thank her in person.” “Hello!” Gabby peeked in after Spike, giving her a wave. “I wish it wasn’t in a hospital but it’s good to see you, Sunset.” “Same,” Sunset agreed with a chuckle. “But chalk that up to me developing an allergy to using my phone,” she joked with a sheepish smile. “But anyway, how was apartment hunting?” The conversation stayed light and friendly, something Sunset needed greatly. The afternoon passed with laughter and a good amount of scones. It of course came to a screeching halt when the door swung open to reveal a seething Shining Armor. Sunset braced herself, knowing what was about to happen. Looking to each of the rooms occupants, Shining groaned. “Spike, Gabby. Why am I not surprised you're here so soon.” Spike crossed his arms over his chest, his expression hardening. "Probably because your first instinct when Sunset does anything is to scream your head off." Standing up, Gabby put a hand on Sugarcoat’s shoulder. “How about we go to the cafeteria and get us some drinks? I bet Sunny is dying for anything that isn’t water.” Practically pulling the older woman, she edged her towards the door. Sunset sighed, thankful that the two didn't have to hear everything. "Is this going to be the part where you tell me to stop being Fenix?" “You should have told me,” Shining said, his face conveying a deep seeded frustration. “Don’t give me that ‘client confidentiality’ nonsense. You’re lucky you didn’t burn the damn hotel down.” "And what was I going to tell you? To evacuate the place?" Sunset retorted, not budging. "If I had done that, there's no telling what the demon would've done." “That’s not the point!” Shining snapped, slamming a fist back against the door. “You can’t just do whatever you want. This isn’t high school, the city won’t keep covering for your bullshit.” "You think I'm doing this because I want to?" Sunset balked, doing her best to sit up in bed. "I never asked for freaky superpowers! I'm just doing what I can to help people!" “Oh yeah, and all it cost was my sister!” Shining Armor hissed, his teeth grating. “A lot of good you did her! You’re the reason she almost tore the goddamn world apart and now she’s gone!” "Now who's the one spouting bullshit!?" Spike boomed, stepping up to his older brother. "Twilight was the one who stole all the magic! She gave in to Cinch's pressure! Cinch is more to blame for that than Sunset! Sunset warned Twilight about magic. And Twi's disappearance had nothing to do with magic! You need to get that thought out of your head." His expression softened and he put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I miss her too, but this isn't the solution." Shining paused, unable to respond for a long while. His brother had never raised his voice like that. At least, not to his older brother. A soft rapt came from the door before Redheart peered in. “Excuse me, but could you keep it down? I understand tempers can flare but there are other patients around here you know.” "Sorry ma'am," Spike replied, the fire in his eyes dying. "We'll be more quiet from here on out." Returning his gaze to Shining he added, "Isn't that right?" Grunging in agreement, Shining Armor turned his back to them. Sunset silently watched the pair, bracing herself to get out of bed. She gasped, pain lancing through her where her injuries were their worst as the i.v. kept her from leaving the bed. Sighing, Redheart stepped over and eased Sunset back down. “Relax, lay back and relax. You’re not getting out of that bed for a while yet.” Sunset took a moment to control her breathing, nodding and settling onto the pillow. "Spike, can you make sure Ray gets fed for me?" Stifling a groan, she turned her head towards the young man. She hated feeling useless. She had been self-reliant for so long that asking for help doing something so basic left her with a bad taste in her mouth. “Yeah, I can do that,” Spike nodded. “You still keep his dust in the same spot?” “Of course,” Sunset said, pushing her negative emotions down to force a smile. “Makes it easy on me to find every day. Just don’t let him charm you into getting extra food. I don’t want to come home to a fat lizard.” Chuckling, Spike shot her a smile. “I got it, I got it. Don’t overfeed the reptile.” She shot Spike a look. “Ray is not just a reptile.” Spike put his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I never said he was.” “Sorry,” sighing, Sunset looked up at the ceiling, “I get defensive of Ray. I know you weren’t trying to insult him.” Shining Armor seethed in his corner of the room. His own brother couldn't see what was plainly obvious. Why was he alone in seeing what happened to Twilight? Silently, he walked out the room to get back to his work. His only solace being that Fenix's name wouldn't turn up for a while. Days off were always something Shining Armor treasured. Any time he could spend with two of the most important people in his life was time he couldn’t afford to waste. Sitting on his couch next to his lovely wife with tablet in hand, he browsed for family friendly activities. "Hmm, hey Caddy, which do you think Flurry would like more: that petting zoo on the other side of town, or the amusement park?" “You know, that’s a pretty good question,” Cadance said, glancing at the tablet. “She has been hinting that she wants a pet... the petting zoo might be just up her alley.” Shining smiled at the thought of a family pet. "Just as long as she doesn't ask for something crazy, I think we could afford a pet. You want to call her down while I make us some sandwiches for a little picnic lunch there?" Standing up, Cadance moved to the bottom of the stairs. “Flurry! Come on down, sweetheart, we’re going out today!” The sound of rushing feet preceded Flurry bursting down the stairs to jump in her mother's arms. The little girl was wearing fairy wings on her back and holding a toy sword in her hand. "Where are we going?!" Flurry beamed, looking up at her mother excitedly. “We're going to the petting zoo,” Cadance explained, catching Flurry with only minimal effort. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?” "Yeah! I love animals!" Flurry giggled, tossing her toy in the nearby umbrella stand to put it away. "Will we be able to keep one? I want a lamb." Cadance giggled, setting Flurry down. “I don’t know about a lamb sweetie. We don’t exactly live on a farm, do we?” Pouting for a moment, Flurry nodded. "Okay, no lamb." Cadance had to remain strong. Flurry's look was effective even though she knew the little girl was trying to tug at her heart strings. Patting Flurry’s head, Cadance set her down. “Now, why don’t you get ready to go? You don’t want to keep the animals waiting, do you?” Nodding, Flurry rushed off to hang her wings up in the closet and grabbed her shoes to put on. Grinning, she looked to her mother for any indication that she had completed the given task. When Cadance only gave her a thumbs up in response, Flurry kicked the door closed and rushed back to her mother's side. Patting her daughter's head, Cadance turned toward the kitchen. "Shiny, we're ready! How's that picnic lunch looking?" “It’s looking great!” He called back to her. “Why don’t you go out into the car?” "Don't keep us waiting, we might leave without you!" Cadance teased, taking Flurry's hand to go to the car. Putting the little girl in her booster seat was a quick process, only made slightly harder by her vibrating with an excitement that seemed to threaten to have her vibrate out of it. “I’m so excited!” Flurry gushed, her smile bright and sweet. "Is there an animal you're most excited to see?" Cadance inquired, taking her own seat and checking the glove compartment for the story book just in case Flurry needed entertainment. “Oh um...I wanna pet a goat!” Cadance chuckled, her daughter's energy always seeming to outpace her own thoughts. "I'm sure you'll get to." A few moments later, Shining came out with a large cooler bag slung over one shoulder. Getting in the car, he placed the bag in the backseat and started the engine. “Are you two ready?” he asked, adjusting the rear view mirror. “Flurry’s been ready since I told her about the idea,” Cadance chirped, relaxing in her seat. “She wants to pet a goat.” “Ya!” Flurry piped in. “That’s something we can arrange,” Shining assured, an easy smile on his face. This was exactly what he needed. Sunset and Fenix were the furthest thing from his mind. If perfection existed, he’d put up a moment like this as a candidate. The drive to the petting zoo was easy enough, and Shining didn’t have to spend too long to find a parking spot once he was there. Getting out of the car, he made a quick check so he could find the car later. Lifting Flurry of her seat, he placed her on his shoulders. “Comfy?” he asked, grabbing the picnic supplies. Flurry nodded, putting her hands on the side of his head. They walked into the petting zoo, quickly paid and started looking over the several sets of pens. Setting his daughter down, he led pointed her to the pens. “Which one do you want to go in first?” “Goats, Daddy!” Flurry said, pointing towards a pen in the back. Walking with her, he led his daughter into the pen. Before he let her go off, he knelt beside her. “Okay Flurry have fun, but remember that you need to be gentle with animals. Just like what Fluttershy has taught you.” Flurry nodded, quickly moving over to one of the goats. Cadance watched from the sidelines, giggling as she had to watch her husband get surrounded by baby goats sniffing at his bag. Her giggles developed into a full blown laughing fit as he started to do a jig of sorts in an attempt to escape the hungry horde without accidentally stepping on one of them. “Do you need some help?” she called, trying to catch her breath. “Buy a handful of that feed!” Shining called out, now balancing on one foot while holding the bag over his head. “And chuck it in here!” “Alright, alright, you big baby.” Stepping over to one of the dispensers, Cadance slipped in the fifty cents. Retrieving her feed, she tossed it next to the baaing horde. The effect was instant, the crowd of ‘kids’ dispersed and started eating the pile of food. Shining relaxed, going over to the fence of the pen and handing his wife their bag. With a kiss on the cheek he said, “Thanks babe.” “Honestly, sometimes I think you’re the babe,” she retorted, poking his cheek. Shining chuckled, leaning on the wooden beam and watched his daughter get nuzzled by one of the goats. “I’m whatever you want me to be, honey.” His eyes settled on one of the caretakers, a clipboard in his hand and he was obviously taking inventory. Detective instincts kicked in, there was a nervous air to the man’s body language. Exiting the pen and walked over to the caretaker. “Is there something wrong, sir?” The caretaker jumped slightly, clearly absorbed in his task. When turning to Shining, he settled down. "Oh, nothing wrong per se," he said, lowering his clipboard. "Just counting the animals as a safety precaution. There's been a string of missing animals in the city lately. Mostly pets, but the owners don't want anything happening to the little guys." “Missing animals huh? How long has that been going on?” Shining questioned. A sinking feeling overcame him, the kind that told him that work was going to intrude on his life. "I heard about it a couple days ago, but it might've been going on longer though." “Alright, thanks.” Resuming his spot at the goat pen, Shining Armor slipped out his phone. Looking at his contacts, he bit the inside of his mouth. After a moment of debate, he sent Sunset a message. "Honey, I know that look," Cadance said, her eyes glinting slightly. "Are you letting work time impact family time again?" Shaking his head, Shining put his phone away. “Nope. Just passing on a message. I’m here one hundred percent.” Cadance eyed him skeptically for a moment before nodding. "Okay honey." Kissing his cheek, she left the matter there. Things had finally settled down with Sunset and she was able to relax at her office in peace. The only notable thing was that she had received a text from Shining Armor the day before about the missing animals in the city. She decided to ignore it. Shining Armor would see magic in an empty jar of mayonnaise being left in the fridge by accident. She might look into it in her downtime, but first she needed to take on a job. Sugarcoat placed a cup of water and a few pills on the center of her desk. “I’m your assistant, not your nanny. Take your medicine.” “I was gonna do it,” Sunset griped, taking the cup of water. Once she had the pills down she muttered a quick ‘thank you’ to her friend. Retaking her seat, Sugarcoat typed away at her computer. “We still owe Gizmo fifty for setting this thing up.” Sunset looked up from her paperwork. "I can take care of that." Standing up, she made sure to mind her bad shoulder. "Maybe while I'm out I can sniff out a small case. Maybe find a missing pet for someone?" “Isn’t a missing pet beneath us?” Sugarcoat asked. “We have hit a certain... standard.” "I can't exactly go demon hunting like this," Sunset countered, pointing to her stitches. "Besides, people appreciate the act. I've gotten customers referred to me by people I've found pets for." Shrugging, Sugarcoat didn’t protest further. “I need to stop at Ray’s Occult Bookstore. The Ars Goetia isn’t all encompassing.” Getting up, Sunset grabbed her helmets. "Alright, I'll give you a ride." “Just don’t crash,” Sugarcoat commented, closing her laptop. “I’d hate to see you in the hospital again.” "Oi," Sunset protested, tossing a helmet to the other woman. "I have yet to crash my bike. You're in safe hands with me. Now cut the chatter and lets go.” Hiding a smirk, Sugar put on her helmet and got onto her seat. "Looks like I hit a nerve. You must have gotten so many lectures on motorcycle safety.” "When the most advanced tech in your home world is airships and trains, you take personal transportation seriously," Sunset offered, rolling down the street. "Seriously, even just phones would blow the minds of a lot of ponies." “I can only imagine. Ray’s shop is on Fourth and Marigold.” "I know that street!" Sunset chirped, making a turn. "My favorite hobby shop is there." A smile spread across her face. She had half a mind to pop into the shop to say hi to the owner. And maybe peruse the manuals for an obscure tabletop. “I want you to come in with me,” Sugar said. “Ray knows a lot.” Sunset put a pin in her thought, plans of a homebrew with Spike and Gabby to celebrate their new apartment bubbling in the back of her head. "Okay, but if he offers me a puzzle box or monkey's paw I'm bailing on you." The ride was short, only a few blocks. Ray’s shop was tucked between two larger buildings, sporting a modest sign and large windows. The windows held enough occult paraphernalia to decorate at least three goth girls' rooms. Hanging up her helmet, Sunset eyed the store skeptically. She trusted her assistant’s judgement, but the place was creepy. Might’ve had something to do with her old world favoring bright colors in everything. Sliding off the bike, Sugarcoat removed her helmet. Taking a moment to fix her hair, she proceeded inside. “Ray, it’s me, Sugarcoat.” “How can I be sure of that?” Came a voice from within the bookshelves. “You might be a class-3 possessive entity using Sugarcoat’s body. If you’re really Sugarcoat then you know what you have to do.” Walking over to the counter, Sugarcoat rapt her knuckles on the wood in an erratic, strange pattern. “There.” Popping out from a bookshelf that swung on a hinge in the wall, an odd looking man wearing what looked like night vision goggles approached the counter. "Excellent, your pattern confirmed what your aura is telling me. Welcome back, Sugarcoat." “Her aura?” Sunset questioned, finding herself staring at the strange man. "Yes, I spent ten years studying under a Yogi," Ray said, regarding Sunset. "He taught me about the ambient energy that all life gives off. Using his teachings, I created this, goggles that let me see that spiritual energy." He brought his hands up and tapped the side of one of the lenses. The lenses zoomed, studying Sunset. Sunset blinked, taking a step back. “What? Am I that interesting or something?” "Your aura is about to undergo a change. Something in you or your life is about to undergo a development," Ray explained, pulling off the goggles. Offering a smile, he extended his hand. “I’m Ray, but I imagine Sugarcoat’s already told you that.” "That and the name of the store," Sunset replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "I'm Sunset Shimmer, a pleasure." When she made contact, a tingle went up her arm, alerting her to her ability to read his mind. She ignored it, letting the feeling fade on its own. “Ah, so you're Sunset Shimmer.” Stepping back, Ray eyed her critically. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Are you really a small equine from another dimension?” Quirking a brow, she turned to Sugar. "Did you tell him about that?" “I didn’t say anything,” Sugarcoat said, shaking her head. "Um, ponies in my world are human-sized," Sunset explained. "Don't know where you got small from." Ray pursed his lips. “Hm, perhaps I’m misremembering. It’s been a while since Wallflower explained it all to me.” "Wallflower's a regular here too?" Sunset questioned, looking around the shop and trying to picture the flower loving girl in such a macabre setting. “Wallflower’s my niece,” Ray corrected, putting his goggles on the counter. “Now, what can I help you ladies with today?” “We’re here to talk about Demonology,” Sugar cut in, leaning on the counter. “Specifically in regards to the Ars Goetia.” Ray walked to a bookshelf, shuffling through the titles. “You know, I had an officer come in here the other day. Showed me a demonic symbol, burned into a lawn. I’m going to hazard a guess that you’re the one who took care of it.” “There’s been another one,” Sunset commented, running a hand through her hair. “But yeah, I fought it.” Grabbing a few books from the shelf, Ray spread them out on the counter. “The sigil must have been their essence returning to Hell. You destroyed their physical form, but not their essence.” Gaping, Sunset took in that bit of news. “Are you saying those two are still alive? What’s gonna stop them from coming back.” “Relax,” Ray said, holding a hand up. “It’ll most likely be decades or centuries before they store up enough power to reenter the material plane. For now, they’ll be trapped in Hell.” Sunset relaxed slightly, but she remained unconvinced. “Alright, I guess that makes sense. So, do you have any ideas on how we can figure these demons out? So far we’ve been using plain investigation work.” “Maybe some goggles? Or that scanner you keep messing with?” Sugarcoat suggested, peering down at the books. “The scanner is for ghosts,” Ray dismissed, waving his hand. “I’d have to completely redesign it if I wanted to have it detect demons. However, I might be able to make some new aura goggles for you. Something to see the divine spark, perhaps?” “Divine? What could possibly be divine about these things?” Sunset scoffed. Flipping one of the books open, Ray stopped on an illustration of a luminous female figure. “It’s from what we know as the oldest creation myth; the story of the Goddess.” Sunset recognized the basic gist of the drawing, it was a less pony version of artist interpretations of Faust she had seen. “Ok, walk me through this like I’m from another world and haven’t studied human creation myths.” “I’ll give you the short version: In the beginning, there was chaos and from that chaos came the Goddess. Driven by loneliness, she created the angels. With them, her ever loyal companions, she sculpted the material world from the formless chaos.” Turning the page, the book displayed a winged human amid combat with three titanic beasts. “But, the goddess did not realize she had not been alone. Three primordial beasts emerged into the new world, and took form to match: Ziz of the sky, Leviathan of the water and Behemoth of the land. The Goddess and her angels quelled these beasts, making way for what would become life.” Another page, this one showing a weeping Goddess. “As the Goddess filled the world with life, she tasked her angels with keeping order. And they did, but so deep was their devotion to her and the task she gave them, that they began to intensify. Keeping order was not enough, to truly impress the Goddess, they had to ensure it could not be broken.” “The Goddess could not bring herself to harm her creations, so she empowered a mortal to do so. The greatest of the angels, the Light-Bringing, was felled by the champion, and the angels were placed in what we know as Hell. The Goddess wept, having blamed herself for cursing her angels so. She wept for so long, and so hard, that she crumbled away to dust.” "Well, that's certainly a tale," Sunset said, mulling over the story. "But I don't get it, the demons I've seen so far didn't seem motivated by order." “What’s more orderly than controlling what news people get?” Sugarcoat asked. “Control what they digest, control what they think.” Sunset nodded, thinking the situation over. Sugar made a good point, but targeting Sugar’s father still didn’t make sense. What did a Meteorologist have to do with forcing order? It was something to think about. For now, they just had to worry about the next one. “There’s still one thing that’s bugging me,” Sunset said, looking over the story. “Why now and in this city?” Putting a finger and thumb to his chin, Ray pondered for a moment. "Hard to say, could be coincidence. Or it might be due to all the magical energy that's saturated the area over the years. Something else we’ll have to look into.” Sugar and Sunset spent a little more time at the shop, picking up a few more tidbits while they were there. After their trip to Ray’s, Sunset decided to return to her office. Her thoughts drifted back to the text Shining had sent her. It was probably not a good idea to keep the man waiting. Especially with their rocky relationship. Anything could be demon related, she realized. Anything and everything. Which didn’t help her in the slightest. She’d need to do more digging with Sugar, that way there wouldn’t be any surprises waiting for her. A knock came from her door, followed by a familiar face peering in. “Hey, Sunset, ya busy?” Applejack asked stepping inside. “Nah, I just got back from a quick drive,” Sunset said, getting up to greet her friend. “What brings you here?” Stepping inside, Applejack moved cautiously. “Well ya see... Winona’s up and gone missing. Ah’ve been all over the farm and the neighborhood but, Ah ain’t found no sign of er’ anywhere.” Sunset froze, her hand drifting to her phone. “Yeah, a lot of animals have gone missing lately,” she said, her words coming out slowly. “Shining Armor texted me about it.” “Ah’d appreciate it iffin’ ya could look for her.” Applejack sat across from her, her expression dower. “Money might be a little tight but, Ah can miss a ring payment or two ta pay ya.” “AJ, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Sunset assured, putting on a small smile. “I’ve still got some old Equestrian bits stashed away. I’ll take your case and you keep your money.” “Sunset, Ah can’t hire ya and not pay ya,” Applejack protested, frowning deeply. “Not only would that be a poor thing for a friend ta do, it’d be against what the Apple family stands for.” “Fine, but not so much that you’re digging into the ring fund,” Sunset retorted, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Making you pay like that would be a poor thing for a friend to do too.” “Ah can agree ta that.” Applejack smiled, holding her hand out. “Guess it’s a deal then, huh?” “Of course it’s a deal,” Sunset agreed, shaking the hand. “I’ll find the old girl faster than you can say sugarcube.” With the deal struck, Sunset walked AJ out and had the farmer lead her out to where she had last seen Winona. Sunset couldn’t help but hope that Shining was wrong about this relating to a demon. Yet, she had a feeling that would be in vain.