//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 
// Story: Good Will Hunter 
// by Marezinger Z 
//------------------------------//

It took a little over a week for the school to re-open; the day prior to the start of classes, Sunset went with Hunter to meet with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna to discuss his new role. The quartet sat in the principal’s office as Hunter filled out and provided the necessary paperwork to get him on the payroll and into the system. 
“Alright then, Mr… Steele,” Celestia shook her head with a smile. “Everything is in order.” 
“Perfect.” Hunter sat back with a smile.
“Now, we do want to discuss what you intend for the program,” Celestia continued. “It has to fall within the school's guidelines and regulations.”
“Well fortunately for you, I can provide all the equipment,” Hunter noted. “I’ll be happy to teach the students proper firearm care and maintenance, short and long range shooting exercises and…”
“Hunter,” Luna cut him off. “Obviously, you cannot bring firearms to school.” 
“Bomb disposal and explosives?” He suggested. 
“No.” Celestia answered dryly. 
“Can I at least teach them close quarters combat?” He asked.
“No.” Luna answered with equal measure. 
“Okay… but you’re really handcuffing me here; and not in the fun way.” He folded his arms. 
“What exactly do you want him to do?” Sunset took over. 
“The program should focus on teaching the discipline, teamwork and community forward thinking that is associated with the military,” Celestia detailed. “The traits that make upstanding citizens.” 
“So the opposite of whatever you learned.” Sunset smiled over at him. 
“Hilarious,” Hunter smiled back. “Well, I suppose I can stick to the basics; run them through the drills and fitness programs that I went through to get them into tip top shape. Go through self defense, situational awareness and survival skills; maybe share some stories to give them a little perspective on life.” 
“That sounds much more appropriate.” Luna nodded. 
“Alright, so how do Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays sound?” Hunter asked. “Don’t want to work them too hard.” 
“That’s acceptable,” Celestia agreed. “Keep in mind that I will be maintaining an eye on how things are progressing.” 
“So behave.” Sunset added. 
“Yes moms,” Hunter sighed. “Sheesh, it’s like I have a reputation or something.” He and Sunset stood. “See you tomorrow then.” 
“Alright, good luck.” Celestia offered as they left the office. 
“So, are you excited?” Sunset asked as they walked down the empty hall.
“Yeah,” Hunter admitted with a thoughtful smile. “Can’t say I’ve done anything like this before, so it’ll be interesting.” 
“How about we go out and celebrate the new job then?” Sunset looped her arm around his. “On me.” 
“Celebrating on you sounds awesome.” Hunter laughed.



Hunter took to his new position rather quickly and the boys who had signed up just as quickly took to his teaching. The start was a little sloppy but things fell into place and within two weeks Hunter had everything optimized. He felt more like part of the world around him than ever which is something that Sunset could see develop in real time as they spent their days and nights together. On a subsequent Friday, around an hour after the final bell, Sunset headed out to the track where Hunter held his course. She came across Principal Celestia along the way who was en route to perform her end of the week check on him. 
“Going my way?” Sunset asked with a laugh.
“It would seem that way,” Celestia chuckled. “I’m just checking in at this point, Hunter seems to have things well in hand and the effect he’s having on the students in his program has been wonderful.” 
“He’s taking this really seriously, which kind of surprised me at first but I guess it makes sense,” Sunset considered. “This is what he knows more than anything, in a way I suppose you could say it’s sacred to him.” 
“Well, I admit that I understand him so much more now.” Celestia confided. “Although, I still have some reservations; having processed so much falsified paperwork and documentation makes me feel a little… criminal.” 
“You get used to it,” Sunset assured. “Besides, his higher ups are way more dangerous than yours are.” 
“True,” Celestia laughed shortly. “My career continues to go down some unexpected paths.” 
The pair emerged on the other side of the school; as they walked out onto the grass they could see Hunter leading his students around the track in a measured jog. Watching from the sidelines as the group rounded the path, they could hear them all keeping time as Hunter led them in a military cadence. 
“Left, right, a left right lay yo!” 
“Left, right, a left right lay yo!” 
“Lo, right, a lefty righty lo!” 
“Lo, right, a lefty righty lo!” 
“I met a girl named Pinkie Pie!”
“I met a girl named Pinkie Pie!”
“She was so sweet, that I’d thought I’d die!” 
“She was so sweet, that I’d thought I’d die!” 
“I met a girl named Rari-ty!” 
“I met a girl named Rari-ty!” 
“Loveliest lady that I ever did see!” 
“Loveliest lady that I ever did see!” 
“I met a girl named Apple-jack!” 
“I met a girl named Apple-jack!” 
“And I got cock-blocked by her brother Mac!” 
“And I got cock-blocked by her brother Mac!” 
Celestia laughed lightly as they started to pass by. “Not exactly what I was expecting.” 
“I’m more mad that this is exactly what I was expecting.” Sunset confessed as they neared. 
“I don’t know much, but I can tell!” Hunter carried on. 
“I don’t know much, but I can tell!” 
“Our Prin-ci-pal is thick as hell!” 
“Our…” The boys trailed off, not daring to repeat after him. 
Celestia shook her head and pulled out her whistle. “Oh good, he found the line after all; I was beginning to worry.” 
“You know he’s only doing this because you’re standing here.” Sunset noted.
“I know,” Celestia blew the whistle and stopped them. “Hunter, a word please!” She called. 
Sunset watched in amusement as Celestia called him out, the other boys being dismissed for the day. After a few minutes he came over to her with a restrained smile. “Just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Sunset asked with a tilted grin. 
“Some women just can’t take a compliment.” Hunter shrugged. “Still on for dinner tonight?” 
“Yeah, go hit the shower first,” She wiped the sweat from his cheek. “I’ll be waiting by the car.” 
“Be right behind you.” He leaned in and kissed her before jogging off to the gym showers. 
Sunset and Hunter spent the weekend together as they had been ever since the battle with Melodiam and Cobalt had ended. The two of them fell into a welcome routine and an entire month passed by before they knew it. However, as both of them knew would come to pass, the specter that loomed over their heads finally came calling as an innocuous Tuesday night brought Hunter a call from his headquarters. They were sitting on the couch watching television when his phone rang, Sunset had grown conditioned to become cautious whenever his phone rang as it did so rarely. Hunter grabbed his phone and headed into the kitchen, returning about ten minutes later with burdened eyes. 
“That was them, wasn’t it?” Sunset asked, fearful but certain. 
“Yeah,” Hunter confirmed. “Going to have to take a little business trip.” Sunset’s face washed over with a barrage of emotions, not being able to speak any meaningful words. “Hey, it’s okay.” Hunter immediately went to her and sat at her side, taking her hands. 
“I know, we both knew that this was coming sooner or later.” Sunset finally managed. “What’s the mission?” 
“Don’t know the details yet,” Hunter explained. “I just got word that Lily will be in contact to fill me in and that I should get ready to head out in twenty four hours.” 
“So quick?” Sunset asked with disheartened eyes. 
“Look at it this way, the quicker I go the quicker I can come back.” Hunter squeezed her hands tightly and smiled reassuringly, but it faded as tears started to build in her eyes. “Sunny…” 
“I’m sorry,” Sunset took her hands back and wiped her eyes. “I’ve been preparing for this since before we came back from Equestria, it’s just…” 
“It’s alright.” Hunter got closer and hugged her, she quickly buried her face in his neck as he rubbed her back. His heart sank as she started to cry and the knowledge that he could do nothing to ease her upset made it all the worse. 



It was a long night for both of them as Hunter barely had time to stay with her before he had to begin preparing. Sunset assured him that she would be okay and that everything she was feeling was expected. When he left in the morning to start prepping for his mission, Sunset called her friends and asked them to come by so they could see him before he actually left. Having them near made things easier and when Hunter returned in the afternoon they made sure to have a positive time together for both their sakes. Also knowing that they needed some final alone time, the girls gave him their well wishes and assurance that they’d be there for Sunset until he got back. At the cusp of the afternoon, Hunter got his things in the car and returned to Sunset for one final goodbye. 
“Okay, all ready to head for the airport.” He stood in the doorway as she came to join him.
“Alright,” Sunset nodded with a reluctant smile. 
“I will call you every night and check in with you,” Hunter promised. “Between seven and eight, no matter what’s happening.” 
“Thank you,” Sunset took a deep breath through her nose. “I’ll be okay, Hunter. Please don’t get distracted worrying about me, that’s the last thing I want.” She looked at him with serious eyes. 
The two of them just looked at each other, neither wanting to move from that spot. Hunter finally reached out and took her shoulders, gazing into her eyes with boundless confidence in what he was about to say. “Sunset,” He smiled. “I love you.” 
As close as they were, as much as they had been through, they had yet to actually speak those words to each other. Sunset felt a swell of warmth and emotion run through her as she looked into his eyes; a bit overwhelmed, she lowered her head with a subtle laugh. “You picked a hell of a time to finally say that.” 
“I know,” Hunter said apologetically. “But I want to make sure I do say it, because I mean it. And if anyone or anything thinks it’s going to keep me from coming back to you, they’re out of their fucking mind.” He laughed, rubbing her arms. “I know this is hard enough, so don’t feel like…” 
“Shut up,” Sunset looked back up at him. “Of course I love you, Hunter. That’s why this is so hard.” She reached up and took his cheeks. “Now go get ‘em.” She pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss. 
“Yes ma’am,” He whispered as their lips parted. “I’ll call you tonight.” 
“Okay,” Sunset nodded, letting him go. “I’ll talk to you later then.” Hunter slowly stepped from the doorway and Sunset pushed it closed, spinning around and falling back against the door as her home fell silent. Her brave smile faded and tears once again flooded her eyes as her mind readied itself for what was to come. 



Hunter was gone for nearly three weeks and it was one of the roughest times of Sunset’s life. Having fallen in love after so long and with such an emotional investment in Hunter, the stress of wondering if he was okay hounded her everyday. Her friends spent a great deal of time with her to keep her spirits up, but even they noticed the growing tiredness in her eyes from the worry and lack of sleep that plagued her. The only time it was fully alleviated was when Hunter called, for in that hour or two she had him on the phone she knew that everything was okay; but from the moment he hung up until the moment he called again, Sunset’s mind could not help but fret that that could have been the last time they would speak. She fought with herself; feeling stupid at how much she was letting this bother her but her rational side, more often than not, lost the argument. Relief finally came when, after seventeen days, Hunter told her he was coming home. The welcome news returned her cheer and she eagerly awaited him the following afternoon. Her heart leapt at the sound of his car and she hurried to the door to let him in. 
“Hunter!” She held open her arms with a relieved smile as he rushed to her.
“Sunny.” He wrapped his arms around her and settled his nose in her hair. 
That was all they needed to say; Sunset’s fingers dug into his back as if to make sure he didn’t suddenly leave again and Hunter teared up as he fully realized just how desperately he had missed being near her. After several minutes, she pulled back from him and wiped her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re back.” 
“Me too, Sunny,” Hunter brushed her hair back and kissed her. “Told you I’d come back safe.” 
“Yeah, you did.” She nodded, pulling him inside. “Did that slice on your arm heal up?” She asked, recalling the story of the injury. 
“Mostly,” He lifted his sleeve and showed off his stitches. “Damn thing was jagged so it’s healing slower.” They sat on the couch and Sunset was quickly against his side, her body finally relaxed and she let out a calming breath. Hunter looked down at her, seeing the lines under her eyes and the exhausted expression. “Sunny, be honest, how did it go while I was gone?” 
Sunset sighed and stared at their reflection in the television screen. “Honestly… it was awful,” Sunset reluctantly admitted. “I knew it was going to be hard but… it was so much harder. If it wasn’t for my friends… I… I don’t know if I could have handled it.” 
Hunter held her close and silently cursed himself for putting her through all that. “I’m so sorry, Sunny.” 
“It isn’t your fault,” She sat up, laying her hand on his. “You did everything you said you would and I’m so grateful for that. This was the first time and the first time is always the hardest; it’s just something I’m going to have to get used to.” 
Hunter flipped his palm and clasped her hand. “Sunny, I had a feeling things would be difficult for you and the last thing I want is to subject you to that over and over again. So, I took the time on the mission to really think about everything; you, me, my life and my job. I figured I’d gauge everything on what you told me when I got back and hearing how hard it was for you is all I need to know to feel confident in this decision.” 
Sunset realized what he was considering and wrapped her other hand around his. “Hunter, no,” She refuted. “I already told you, I have so much respect for what you do and I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between me and…” 
“I want you to become my partner.” He cut her off. 
Sunset’s jaw dropped, her entire train of thought derailed; she released his hand and sat back, looking at him in shock. “W…what?” 
“I want you to become my partner in the field,” He reiterated. “I can make a reccomendation and set up an interview with Ajax. With his okay, you can go into a program that will train you to become a support operative; it isn’t anything like the program I went through so you don’t have to worry about that, but it will classify you as agent like me. We normally run solo for obvious reasons, but there are agents that work as a team based on certain circumstances." 
“Hunter… I…” Sunset stammered, completely overwhelmed by the idea. “That sounds crazy.” She confessed.
“I know,” Hunter nodded with a light smile. “But think about it; next year is your senior year, but what about after that? Twilight plans on moving on to a university for a masters in science and technology, Rarity plans on going to business school so she can finally open her own shop, Applejack intends on going to an agricultural trade school so she can better run her family’s farm, Fluttershy is set on going into veterinary medicine, Pinkie wants to go into culinary baking arts and Rainbow Dash is guaranteed a free ride on sports scholarships.” He detailed. “What about you, you never really mentioned any type of plan for what comes after high school.” He reached out and took her hand once more. “Honestly, you could go on to college and do whatever you wanted, you’ve got talent coming out the ears. Still, like we said, you and I aren’t normal and we’re not built for normal lives. Let’s keep doing what we do best, keeping the world safe… but let’s do it together.” Hunter brought her hand up and kissed it. “I love you and I always want you with me; if we fight together then there won’t be anymore worrying about each other while we’re apart, we’ll be side by side and have each others' backs.” 
Sunset stared into his eyes and saw how serious he was about the offer; even so, she couldn’t help but be hesitant. “Hunter… I just don’t know. That sounds wonderful but… it’s a lot to ask.” 
“It is,” Hunter admitted. “But I’m only asking because I know you can handle it.” He smiled. “Look, I’m not asking for a yes or no right now, that would be crazy. We’re nowhere near a point where you'd have to make that call, all I’m asking is that you think about it. I’ll be with you no matter what you decide, without question.” He assured. 
Sunset nodded with a quiet smile. “Okay, I’ll think about it.” A quaint laugh escaped her. “I wish you would save these bombshells for your missions.” 
“Does that sound like me at all?” He laughed.
“No,” Sunset admitted. “For now though, can I just enjoy having you back?” 
“I’m not going anywhere.” Hunter vowed as they cuddled up on the couch.
“Good,” Sunset got comfortable. “Now tell me how the mission ended?” 
“You got it.” Hunter dramatically cleared his throat and launched into a story detailing the end of his mission. Sunset closed her eyes and listened, pushing out the stress she had felt while he was gone and putting aside any consideration of the fantastic suggestion that was just presented to her; all that was important to her was the moment they were in right now, and she had every intention of relishing it to the fullest.