Breathe in, breathe out. Youʼll get through this.
Let’s review the situation here. I am currently in an unknown street, in an unfamiliar town, in an unfamiliar world. I won’t panic. I can’t, or I’ll never find my way back back to the shelter.
The sun has already set by now, enveloping the entire area under a dark blanket. The streetlight is the only source of light.
I turn around and walk in the opposite direction from where I came. Yeah, that should work. I should find the shelter back in no time.
It didn't work.
I'm still lost and more hungry than ever before. I guess I don't have a choice. I have to ask for... help.
I pass by several businesses, most of them already closed due to the late time. At this rate, I'll have to sleep on the street.
A-ha! I spot an open business. It's a restaurant, I think. I push open the double doors.
And they're about to close.
I hurry past the tables and head straight for the counter and ask for the nearest homeless shelter. I hope I'm still in the same town.
The man who works at the counter scribbles the directions on a nearby napkin and hands it over to me with a large, sickening smile.
I leave the restaurant immediately. I got what I need, no need to stay here any longer. Besides, I don't have money, and no dollars means no food.
The streets are even darker now. I have to squint my eyes to see what's ahead of me. I pick up my pace.
I suddenly hear hoofsteps, I mean footsteps, coming from behind me. Am I being followed? I look back, and that’s when I notice a couple of shadowy figures walking right behind me. Whoever they are, they are approaching fast. I take a deep breath and walk faster.
Shelter. I need to seek shelter now.
After what feels like forever, I finally spot a dark alley ahead. I break into a run so that those creeps can’t see where I‘m going.
Okay, Sunset, you can do this. This is just like the grocery store incident a few days back.
Except this time, you’re running for your life.
I swiftly turn around into the alley and go to the far end. I lean back against the wall and attempt, in vain, to catch my breath. I don’t dare peak out to see if I’ve lost them.
The alley is dark, small, and narrow. Maybe I should just hide here until morning. Trying to find shelter is apparently useless. Who knew that nights could be that scary? Evenings in Equestria are so peaceful.
I take a few silent breaths and wait. Those creeps' voices are getting louder now. I back away to the end of the alley. They’re approaching. They won’t see. I’m sure they won’t. There’s no way they could-
Oh no.
I may have accidentally kicked a stray pebble. Sweat is now dripping down my clothes and I’m hyperventilating. The voices are getting even louder. They’re coming.
And surely enough, not even two minutes after hearing the noise, they’re here. At the open end of the alley. I turn to look.
‘They’ turns out to be some sort of gang. There are four muscular boys. One of them, I’m assuming is the leader, smiles wickedly and says that he wants to ‘play’ with me.
Wait. Does he mean...?
Heavens above, humans are evil.
I keep backing away until I reach the far wall. Had this been Equestria, I would easily have saved myself with my superior magic skills. But this isn’t Equestria. I can barely use my human body, yet fight others.
I’m doomed. But there is no way I’m going to stoop as low as to beg for my life. I’m Sunset Shimmer, for Heavens’ sake! I straighten up and wipe off the stray fear-induced tears off my cheek. If I’m going down, then I’m going down with a fight.
The gang is approaching me. The leader extends his hand and just as he is about to touch me, he freezes. And so do I.
We froze because someone ordered us to.
I cock my head past the gang leader, to look at the mysterious person. And there he is: the guard who’s currently saving my life. His skin is white and his mane - I mean, hair - is of several shades of blue, which match his blue eyes. He’s wearing what I assume is a uniform. But most importantly, he has a weapon - it resembles the pistols I’ve read about in the library - pointed at us. No, wait. It’s pointed at the gang leader.
The guard orders the gang leader to step away from me. When the latter refuses to comply, the guard approaches us both, keeping his pistol pointed at the gang leader. All of a sudden, the gang leader grabs me by my jacket. The guard orders him to let go.
And then it happened.
The guard fired his pistol and shot in the leg. The latter was taken aback and lets go of me. I fall on the ground, on my butt. I close my eyes and let out a long moan. Because, damn, that fall hurt.
After a few seconds, I open my eyes and take in the scene before me. The gang leader is sitting on the ground, his left leg wrapped in a red makeshift bandage and his handcuffed behind his back. The rest of the gang is nowhere to be found. The guard approaches me. He had a flashlight in one hand and extends his hand. I take it and he helps me to my feet. He asks if I’m okay and if I need to go to the hospital.
No! Anything but the hospital.
He accepts my decision and nods. Thanks to the light, I notice a few details I hadn’t quite seen before. His uniform is a dark blue, for instance. On the left sleeve, there’s the logo of Canterlot Police Department. What’s the police? Questions for later, I suppose.
The guard also has a silver badge that says ‘Officer S. Armor’.
He offers me a ride home, an offer I readily accept because I need to get back to the shelter. I tell him to head to Canterlot’s homeless shelter and he looks at me with questioning eyes, but says nothing.
He goes back to the gang leader and pulls him up. I follow them both outside the alley. The night is dark and cold. Kinda reminds me of my first night in this world, which was mere days ago.
Armor takes the gang leader inside his... truck? Motorbike? Car? Yes, car. That big, wheeled machine is a car, according to the Vehicles of the World book I recently read. I walk to one of the four doors, only to be stopped by Armor, who tells me to use the other door. I put one foot inside and immediately hit my head with the door frame. My scream is loud.
Armor rushes to my side and helps me inside the car. He then ties some sort of leather belt across me that keeps me secured to my seat. I suppose that’s what the book meant by ‘seatbelts’. In front of me, there’s what the book described as a ‘dashboard’, which looks like a control board with hundreds of buttons. Armor sits next to me and drives.
We arrive at the shelter faster than I expected. Armor quickly gets out and opens the door for me. I guess he’s afraid I might hit my head again. I step out and head for the shelter doors. Right before I step in, I turn back and mutter a quick, almost inaudible ‘thank you’. I suppose he heard me, because he smiled and then drove away.
I enter the front lobby of the shelter and collapse on the one of the couches. I’m exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for weeks. I should really get to bed, ‘cause I still have work tomorrow.
The old lady behind the desk suddenly notices my arrival. She looks worried and asks me what happened. There is no way I’m telling her anything. She doesn’t need to know, and neither does anyone else. Tonight’s story makes me seem weak and Sunset Shimmer is not weak. I tell her that there’s nothing to worry about and wave my hand for emphasis.
But she’s persistent. She leaves the desk and walks towards me, repeating her question. I’m fine, okay?! Stop asking!
I... what? No, I don’t stink! Okay, maybe I do. D’you have showers here?
I get up from the couch and she leads me to the showers. She also shows me the pile of clean clothes in the laundry room across the bathrooms. I grab a towel and go inside the bathroom without another word.
The shower is small and slightly filthy, but I don’t have enough to take in the place. I slowly remove my clothes and hang them on a a nearby hook. They are dirty and reek of sweat and perspiration. That black leather jacket isn’t really sweaty, though. It’s nice, too. I wouldn’t mind wearing it all the time. I turn on the only faucet in the room and allow the cold water to splash over my face and onto my body.
Human bodies are weird. They look like apes. And human skin is so rough compared to soft pony fur. I also don’t understand the need to stay covered all the time.
Once I’m done, I turn off the faucet and pat myself dry. I suppose I need to cover up, too. So I wrap the towel under my shoulders, take my clothes and boots, and leave the shower.
The clean clothes bin at in the laundry room doesn’t give me a lot of options. I pick up a red T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Simple, but they should do. I drop my clothes, save for the jacket, into the dirty clothes bin and leave, taking my boots with me. I head for the sleeping area and collapse on the bed.
That night’s sleep was dreamless.
I wake up early the next morning. I rose slowly and rub my eyes. My pilllow’s wet from the shower last night. I get up, put on my boots and my jacket and grab my backpack. I got work to do.
I’m off to work right after breakfast. The walk to Canterlot Mall is much shorter than last time, mainly because I know where I’m going. My boss is there of course, opening the store. I step inside and he greets me with a hug. I put as much distance as possible between us two.
The rest of the day is mundane. I enjoy the change of pace, given how... interesting last night was. The customers come and go, making their purchases. Nothing major happens.
My boss came by and informed me that wages are given weekly, which is honestly a relief, because I can’t imagine waiting an entire month to get paid. I need money and I need it fast.
I’m becoming really irritated by my boss’ weird hugs and how close he comes to me when we talk.
The work day ends with a rather wealthy customer who decided she wanted almost 40 items in the store. A coworker of mine is called to help register the sales because my boss thinks I can’t handle it alone. The customer ends up spending almost $200. I leave the store at around 04:30, earlier than yesterday.
This time, I ask for directions from within the mall itself. I am not about to repeat yesterday’s mistake. Thanks to various people and their helpful directions, I make it back to the shelter in no time and head straight to dinner.
When I pass by the desk, the old lady stares at me, a concerned look on her face. I ignore and continue to walk.
Dinner is a quiet affair. I eat my food alone, still refusing to consume the meat they serve.
The shelter isn’t so bad. I mean, it’s far more inferior than Canterlot Castle and my childhood home in Canterlot, but it’s okay. The bed is comfortable enough, the food is good and they have showers and laundry service. I could get used to staying here until I go back to Equestria. It’s not like I’m staying here for long. This shelter simply eliminates my problem of figuring where to sleep and eat.
I finish my dinner and head to bed.
Another morning, same routine. Yup, routine.
I get up, eat breakfast, head to work, work, then come back and have dinner. I need to find time in between to find out how to regain power so I can take my rightful place as ruler of Equestria.
After breakfast, I leave through the lobby. I expect to walk straight past the old lady, but that’s not what happens this morning. Before I can leave, she stops me and tells me to wait.
What does she want now? I glance at the clock. I can’t afford to be late.
She comes back with the clothes I had left in the laundry room, now fresh and clean. She gives them to me. I ask why.
She tells me that I can’t stay here any longer.
I’ve been kicked out.