Sunset firmly gripped Twilight’s hand as they walked out of the school building.
Twilight glanced at Sunset, who was swiftly darting her eyes back and forth around the yard as they exited the school. She sighed, pulling the girl closer to her to make her feel more comfortable. Sunset wrapped both of her arms around Twilight’s arm, feeling grateful that the older girl was next to her.
Rarity unlocked her car and waited until Rainbow, Twilight and Sunset got safely into the car before going in herself.
Along the way, Sunset kept her head on Twilight’s shoulder while Twilight still had her arm wrapped around the younger girl, gently running her hand through Sunset’s red hair.
As they pulled up into Rarity’s driveway, Twilight noticed that Sunset had grown quiet. Sunset hardly spoke on her own but Twilight sensed an eerie silence grow over the young girl, “Sunset?” Twilight began, examining the girl, who was now leaning heavily on Twilight’s arm, “Are you okay?”
Sunset slowly shook her head once.
“What’s wrong honey?” Twilight asked, taking off each of their seatbelts. Twilight took a second examine the girl once more. Sunset had her eyes halfway closed, and looked a little pale, “Sunset?”
Sunset said nothing once more, trembling in response. Twilight frowned and slowly lifted the girl in her arms.
Rarity opened the door and Twilight set Sunset down on the couch once they got inside.
Twilight looked at the young girl more closely, “Sunset are you okay?” She asked again.
Sunset slowly lifted her head to meet Twilight’s eyes, “I don’t feel so good.”
Twilight sucked in a breath, “What’s bothering you?”
Sunset gave out a soft moan as she closed her eyes, tilting her head to one side, “My head hurts.”
Twilight put a hand to Sunset’s forehead. Hmm she doesn’t feel warm... “Rarity do you have a thermometer?”
Rarity nodded as she stood up from her seat and then disappeared around the corner.
Rarity quickly came back around the corner and handed the thermometer to Twilight, who took the small device and frowned.
“Uhh...” Twilight looked back up at Rarity, “How does this work?”
Rarity frowned before her eyes widened, “Oh sorry darling, I forgot our worlds have different levels of technology,” Rarity took the thermometer back and instructed Twilight on how to turn it on.
Twilight turned back to Sunset who was cocking her head at the device. When Twilight brought the thermometer closer to the girl, Sunset flinched, making Twilight pull her arm back, “Sunset what’s wrong?”
Sunset shook her head, “W-what is that thing?”
“It’s a thermometer. It’s used to measure temperatures. Usually these kind are to measure the temperature of ponies, or people who are sick.”
“Am... am I sick?” Sunset asked, her lips trembling as she awaited Twilight’s answer.
Twilight rubbed her lips together, “I-I’m not sure... Don’t worry, I don’t think you are. I’m just... making sure you aren’t getting... sick.”
Sunset watched Twilight as she answered her question. She wasn’t sure? So that means that she probably is sick.
Twilight cleared her throat, “Alright, can I take your temperature now?” Sunset nodded.
Twilight put the thermometer to Sunset’s mouth. Once the device beeped, Twilight took the thermometer out of the girl’s mouth and read the number. Twilight eyes widened. How can her temperature be at 50°F?
“Am I s-sick?” Sunset asked again, shivering in her seat.
Twilight glanced at Sunset then back at the thermometer, “No honey, but you’re temperature is a little... unusual—Sunset?”
Twilight widen her eyes in worry as she watched the small girl blanch right before her eyes. She was shivering and she looked frightened, “Sunset what’s the matter?”
Sunset was now shaking. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Twilight. Breathing heavily, she tried her best to signal to the pony girl what was going on.
Twilight’s eyes widened once again. Quickly, she picked her up and ran to the nearby bathroom.
“It’s okay, just let it all out. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere,” Twilight told her as she pulled back the Sunset hair.
After all the nausea was out, Sunset was still breathing heavily. Whimpering, she nodded to Twilight that she was done.
Twilight sighed as she wiped the girl’s mouth and flushed the toilet, “Shh... it’s okay...” Twilight brought Sunset to a close embrace, “It’s over... its over.”
Sunset clenched her arms tightly around Twilight as her sobs filling the quiet household.
“Do you wanna go lay down?” Twilight asked her. When Sunset nodded, Twilight slowly picked her up and walked over to the living room.
Rainbow and Rarity were still there, anxiously waiting for the pair to return.
Twilight slowly set Sunset down on the couch, “Do you want some water?”
After getting a nod from Sunset, Rarity quickly ran off to fetch some water in the kitchen.
When Rarity returned, she handed the glass over to Twilight, who took it and handed it to Sunset.
Sunset slowly grabbed the glass. Before she could bring it to her lips, her hand twitched, threading to give out.
“Here let me help you,” Twilight said, gently bring the glass to Sunset’s lips.
Sunset didn’t protest and let the pony princess help her. After a couple of sips, she grimaced and turned her head away.
Twilight put the glass down and ran her fingers through Sunset’s hair as she laid back down and closed her eyes.
The group was silent for a while, watching as Sunset stirred slightly in her sleep. Taking a deep breath, Twilight looked over to where Rarity and Rainbow sat, “What happened?”
Rainbow meet Rarity’s gaze, both trying to remember what exactly had happened. Rainbow sighed, “Well, Gilda and Lightning Dust...” Rainbow took a deep breath, trying not to let her anger rise, “We were goin’ to go in the gym, but I heard that there was someone else there, so I went it and they were there,” Rainbow sighed, “When I left them, they followed me to the library... and they saw Sunset.”
Twilight’s eyes widened, “What did they do to her?“
Rainbow let out a exasperated sigh, “Gilda. She went right up to Sunset and—“ Rainbow sighed again, her expression turning angrier, “She-she called her a she-demon.”
Twilight eyes grew wide again, she turned to look at the sleeping child before facing Rainbow again. Twilight felt anger rise in her, “She did what?!”
Rarity sighed, “She was so frightened that poor poor dear... we had to convince her that they weren’t coming back...” she cringed, feeling guilty that they couldn’t keep their promise, “And then... she just... collapsed.”
Rainbow shivered, Sunset’s screams of agony still fresh on her mind.
Twilight sighed, “Rainbow,” she began, “What in Equestria happened after I went with Principal Celestia? Sunset said that she was scared they were going to trick her again—“
Rainbow huffed, not caring if her anger fizzled out a little, “Lightning walked up to us... she distracted us from Sunset and... when I went to find her, Gilda had her,” Rainbow growled, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, “She wouldn’ let her go ‘til I knocked her down.” They got away way to easy for Rainbow’s taste. If it were up to her, they’d be in jail for what they did.
Rarity nodded, “That’s when I assume Gilda ran and was caught by Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna?”
Rainbow nodded, “Yeah...” She looked down at her lap in shame, “It’s all my fault.”
Twilight shook her head, “Hey, it’s not your fault. No—“
“But darling, we had the responsibility of looking after her and—“
“I’m not blaming you girls. You two went after her when you noticed she was gone,” she got up from her seat and went over to her two friends. She brought them close and hugged them.
Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Okay okay,” she said, pulling away from the hug, “What did Principal Celestia tell you?” She asked, desperate to change the subject.
“Well, I told her what’s going on, and I asked about Sunset’s documents,” Twilight paused to look at the brown box by the living room entrance, “She said that they found out that the documents are fake.”
“What about her address?” Rainbow asked.
“That leads to a old restaurant, “Twilight sighed, “Vice Principal Luna is coming tomorrow to take me to... well I don’t exactly know where. She said she might have an idea of where she lived.”
After a long moment of silence, Rarity turned to Twilight, “Twilight darling, I know you said that you don’t know what’s wrong with her, but... do you have an idea?”
Twilight looked up at Rarity. She rubbed her lips together in concentration before finally sucking in a breath, “I... I’ve never seen anything like this back in Equestria. I’m not sure if she’s sick, or if the Elements of Harmony did something to her, or maybe it’s something else... I don’t know.” Twilight faced away from them to look at Sunset.
Both Rarity and Rainbow wilted at that. They at least hoped that she had an idea of what caused this... What do they call it? They have no clue of what’s going on...
Twilight got up from her seat and walked over to the brown box that contained Sunset’s things, bringing it to the center of the room. Both Rarity and Rainbow got up from their seats and knelt down beside her.
Upon opening the box, the group found Sunset’s journal, a couple of school supplies, and a copy of Sunset’s fake documents.
Rainbow pulled out a notebook, flipping through the many pages of notes. She stopped suddenly when a certain page caught her eye. She flipped back to that page and her heart sunk at what she saw. She flipped through another notebook with pages of similar writing. She grabbed another and found the same results. Overwhelmed, she slammed the notebook shut.
Rarity pulled out Sunset’s leather jacket that was left behind after The Fall Formal. Turning it to its back, she found two large gashes that cut through the worn leather.
Twilight pulled out Sunset’s journal and began quickly flipping through its pages, trying to search for something, though she didn’t know exactly what she was searching for.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Rarity got up from her spot on the floor to open the door. She returned with Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy by her side.
Everyone quietly settled into their spots on the couch. Everyone’s eyes were upon the sleeping child next to Twilight.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Applejack spoke up, “Rarity told us wha happened,” her eyes were hard-set on Sunset, trying not to think about what the poor girl went through today.
Twilight lifted her head to look at her friend. She slowly nodded and sighed.
Fluttershy sniffled, “You really don’t know what’s going on?”
Twilight sadly shook her head, “I have no clue,” Twilight grabbed her blue backpack to pull out a couple of dusty books, “I might have some answers here though,” Twilight began frantically filling through her book labeled Mysterious Diseases.
When she found nothing, she began flipping through her second book labeled The Elements of Harmony, finding nothing once more. She flipped through her third book Labeled Mystical Creatures. Twilight paused before opening up her last book labeled Dark Spells and Curses. If I don’t find anything in here... Twilight rapidly flipped through the book, hoping to find at least some clues to what’s going on with Sunset.
Twilight froze when she came up to the last page. Since when does this book have a missing page? I never realized a page was missing... It must’ve fallen off—No. No that’s not it... it’s been ripped out...
“Did... you find anything?” Rainbow asked, her tone on the edge of wavering.
Twilight kept her head down, “No...”
“But... there’s another way of finding out what’s wrong, right?” Pinkie asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
Twilight sighed, “I... don’t know,” Twilight grabbed her book to show them the last page, “There’s a page missing... it seemed as though it’s been ripped out.”
“What about that princess of yours?” Rainbow asked, “She might know... right?”
Twilight shook her head a bit, trying to remember if the princess has ever told her about the last page of the book, “That’s the thing, I don’t know. She’s the one who gave me these books. She taught me everything in these books... Unless... unless she’s hiding something from me...”