//------------------------------// // Chapter 1- A Brief Reunion // Story: Getting the Band Back Together // by Betsy //------------------------------// *TIp tap. Tip tap.* Etoile woke up to the sound of rain beating on her window. She was excited remembering it was still spring break but that excitement was cut short as she heard her parents arguing about something downstairs. "damn it" Etoile’s parents didn’t argue often and if they were upset they always seemed to be able to work things out in a matter of minutes. Except when it came to her, which, if she had a guess, was what they were arguing about.  If Ah find out you lied to me or your mother one more time then Ah’ll have ya workin’ the fields faster than a hot knife through butter” ugh, Etoile rolled her eyes and scowled at the memory of her moms' threat to her ditching class. Again. “If Ma thinks she can get me working in the orchard then she’s sorely mistaken.” Said Etoile. Cloths, hair, makeup, and all under 10 minutes. Ha! She thought. Etoile was heading downstairs and smelled breakfast. “mmm”, she said, Eggs and bacon but as hungry as she was Etoile would rather listen in on her moms' conversation.  “Well then what do you think we should do? We’ve been having this discussion for weeks now, Months! You don’t want her working in the orchard and she’s not even going to school. She’s ditched the past week and a half!” Applejack said nearly shouting towards the end.  “Ugh. Of course, I don’t want her out in the fields. When will she have time for fun and friends? We can’t simply take that all away from her. Oop, watch the eggs darling. Well, I don’t know. it’s not like I can take her with me. Starting next week I’ll be packed with meetings, fittings, and shows. I’ll have no time to watch her.”  “Oh, she’s had her fun. And Ah’m 'bout done with it. But I do agree with ya on that last bit.” Applejack sighed and watched her wife walk over to get the plates out. “What if…” Applejack mumbled.  “What if what?” Rarity asked with caution. She knew the face Applejack was making. It was the face where she had an idea, but Rarity wouldn’t like it. Applejack gave her a look. “oh no!” Rarity declared. “She is not going to crystal prep! I don’t care how much it’s changed“ Rarity took a moment to calm herself and take a deep breath. “That place has always been filled with rude trust fund kids and I don’t want them turning my daughter into one of them.” “Yeah but that new principal took over a few years back, Whirly harp or somethin’. Oh Ah, I don’t know. She’s the daughter of the old principal.” Applejack replied. “Her ma was starting to make the place better and I’ve heard with her taking over the place is even nicer”  “Oh pah Ku pfft” Rarity retorted. “Ugh fine. But I’m not saying yes. First I’ll want to tour the school and see just how, ugh” rarity mocked using air quotes “‘different’ it truly is and I expect you’ll be accompanying me?” “’ Corse Rare” Applejack began “but do you think we should have Etoile come with us? I don’t think she’ll be too excited about the idea of moving schools”  “Well of course she won’t, but she’s hardly left us with any choice. We should definitely tell her what we’re thinking though.”   At that moment Etoile believed her moms were done talking and decided to come downstairs. Applejack and Rarity had her plate set and she began digging in. “Good eggs this morning,” Etoile said. She planned on waiting for them to ask her about crystal prep. She didn’t want them knowing she was eavesdropping, she’d probably get in more trouble. “Eeyup” AJ replied laying down her and her wife’s plates. “The chickens have been layin’ some real good ones lately.” Silence “Oh for heaven's sake!” Rarity shouted, alarming both Applejack and Etoile. “Etoile, as you know spring vacation is over by the end of the week.” Rarity now laying down her utensils and looking assertively at Etoile who took this as a challenge glaring back just as hard. “As you you also know you’ve been ditching class, letting your grades slip, and lying about all of to your Ma and me.” This conversation quickly became a glaring match. Whose face would be the first to fall?  Applejack, wanting to Intervene before things escalated cut in with “we got a call from your principal. Ya’ve been suspended until you can get your act together.” No reaction. “That also means you're grounded” Etoile expected as much. She came prepared.  Rarity said “Your Ma and I discussed it and we are thinking about sending you to crystal prep” Finally. Etoile broke the contest with her Mom, I’ll just let her believe she won thought Etoile. In a condescending tone, she asked “oh really? So you just want to pawn me off to some rich snobs?”  This remark made Applejack roll her eyes “of course, not sugar cube. We’re gonna see if we can get a tour o'the school later today and we wanted to know if you’d like to come with us. The school is supposed to be a lot more welcoming then back in our day” Applejack said this to her daughter, yes, but it was directed equally at her wife.  “Pfft” grunted Etoile “Like I actually wanna go in that place. You two go, I’ll stay here and… milk the cows or something.” Etoile put her plate in the sink and headed up to her room.  AJ and Rarity gave each other surprised looks. “Well that went better than expected,” said AJ “Alright, we’re leaving now! There’s food in the fridge and maybe try and check on the apples, make sure nothing has gotten into them. Oh and do wipe your feet when entering the house from outside. I just got this lovely new carpet and I will not have it be muddied up by you or your mother!” Rarity shouted up the stairs at her daughter.  “Mmhm, whatever” Etoile yelled back down. “Your gonna miss your appointment or whatever you wanna call it.”  “Oh shoot, she’s right. C’mon Rares we gotta get going” Applejack said trying to get Rarity out the door as soon as possible.  “Oh alright alright I’m going!” Etoile looks out the window to see her parent's car drive off towards crystal prep. She tried waiting a few minutes for the rain to die down but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Reluctant to go out in the rain and get all wet, Etoile still went towards the shed to church on the apples. Nothing looked out of place or like any critters get into it. As she was walking away from the shed to check on the apples near the back she noticed a car slowing down upon. Arriving at her house. The car went past a bit but the driver seemed to have made a mistake and backed up till it was in front of her house. Now usually Etoile would be rushing up to greet the person but this car she didn’t know, and she knew all of her family's customers. Whether it was her Ma’s Apple business or her Mothers fashion shop, she knew all the regular customers and this wasn’t one of them. She quickly hurried inside almost forgetting to wipe her shoes on the mat. She heard a knock on the door and looked out of her kitchen window to see a woman about her moms' age. She had light amber skin and wavey red hair with yellow stripes. Her eyes were kind of teal but bluer. Probably cyan if she wanted to get all technical as her mother would. Against what her brain was telling her to do she opened the door to see who exactly this was and why she was knocking on her door like the fate of the world was at stake. “Hello is this where Applejack and Rar-“ it must’ve taken her a minute to realize she was talking to a kid. Or as Etoile preferred a teenager, she wasn’t a kid and didn’t wish to be addressed as such. Etoile didn’t know this woman but seeing her made her think she’d seen her somewhere before. She was wearing black leggings with a blue shirt and a black leather jacket. The jacket had to be Etoile’s favorite part of this lady’s outfit. It has long sleeves, the collar was out, and it had a cool looking pin on it. The pin looked like a sun, it was half yellow and half red, kind of in the way Yin and Yang are black and white. “Oh, Uhm. Sorry, I think I must have the wrong house. This isn’t where Applejack and Rarity live? Is it?”  Etoile didn’t know this woman and wasn’t about to let her inside. She couldn’t say this woman struck her as the murderous criminal type but she definitely was a bit… frazzled? “Why? Are you here for apples or clothes?” Asked Etoile.  "Wha- I-“ stammered the lady. “Uhh no. I just need to talk to them. If they do live here that is. This should be the place. Unless AJ sold the farm, which is about as likely as twilight giving up reading forever.” This woman called her Ma “AJ” she only let her closest friends call her that. Although she didn’t know a twilight twinkle or whoever the woman said. Maybe this woman did know her moms. But she still needed more proof. “I can’t tell you for sure if they live here but I could probably direct you to them. Just tell me what you want to see them for and I’ll make sure they get the message that you're looking for them, Missss…” “Oh uh, Sunset Shimmer. My name is Sunset shimmer.”  Sunset Shimmer. Now she remembered. She used to go to Canterlot High too! She had seen her name on stuff around the school as well as in her mom's yearbooks. That was basically the extent of her knowledge of Sunset Shimmer. “Well I’ll make sure they know you came by Miss Shimmer”  “Ok well, Thank you anyway. May I just shake your hand before I head off?”  Odd request but Etoile didn’t see any reason not to. “Uhh yeah. Sure” Etoile reached her hand out but when her hand met Sunsets she felt kinda weird. She looked up but Sunset’s eyes were glowing and her grip tightened a bit. Sunset pulled away from the handshake and the girl in front of her.  “Wow. A kid. They had a kid. You’re their kid?” Sunset was amazed, confused, and a little upset by this recent revelation. “And they’re gonna send you to Crystal Prep?”  “Yeah uhh. Why don’t you just have a seat on the porch swing over there and uhhhmm. I’ll be… right back” now it was Etoile’s turn to be surprised. She knew her mothers' had powers. Her Ma was strong and her other mother could project transparent diamond-shaped shields. This wasn’t news to her but this woman had powers too. Could she also do the “pony up” thing like her parents? So many questions raced in her head and she wanted answers. She grabbed her phone and called her Mom. “Yes, darling what is it? You know Ma and I are touring crystal prep so I do hope this is important-“ “Uhh, mom. There’s this lady here. She says she’s looking for and Ma. She seems like she wants to talk to you, like, now. She had powers like you guys and she says her name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m actually kinda nervous. She went to shake my hand and her eyes started glowing. It nearly scared me shi- uhh" Etoile remembered how much her mother hated it when she used that language " 'nearly scared me to death. Then she knew I was you guys’ kid and that you were gonna send me to crystal prep. She’s sitting on our porch swing and I’m actually kinda nervous. Can you guys please hurry it up and get home?”  “Woah Woah Woah show down darling, you're talking a mile a minute. Who did you say was there?” “She said her name is Sunset Shimmer. I think she went to school with you guys.”  Etoile could her mom talking to her Ma but couldn’t make out what they were saying.  “Ok, sweetie. Ma and I are coming home right now. Don’t let her leave and don’t worry. She’s a very nice person. We‘ll be home in about 10 minutes. Love you, sweetie!” “You too mom”  “Sunset Shimmer? Why ah haven’t heard that name in nearly 25 years!” Applejack Exclaimed. “almost didn’t know who you were talking about”  “Me too. It took me a second to realize who Etoile was talking about. But I have to say I am a little annoyed at her. She shows up unannounced and used her powers on our daughter.” Rarity scoffed.  “Well maybe it is an emergency,” said Applejack with a slightly lower and worried voice.  “Oh, I don't doubt that it is." Rarity replied matter of factly "I’m not too excited, however, in finding out what exactly that emergency entails." Applejack and Rarity rolled up to their house and saw Sunset shimmer on the porch swing looking off in the distance with a worried look on her face. Etoile was sitting on the steps eating an apple. Rarity ran up to Etoile and gave her a hug, Applejack parked the car and did the same. Sunset was watching this until her and Rarity’s eyes met. Rarity’s eyes started tearing up. Looking at her friend, so grown up and mature looking. Though she expected she looks similar through Sunset’s eyes. AJ walked over and took off her hat. “Ah-I'm really sorry that we lost touch Sunset. Ah mean. Ya didn’t even know we had a kid. It’s right shameful o'me to have let go of such a valuable and memorable friendship. Can ya ever forgive me?” Rarity appeared behind AJ, resting her hand on her shoulder.  Sunset Shimmer looked at her friends. Her oldest and dearest friends, even if they did lose contact. Her hard-working, honest, southern friend. Her generous, stylish, fashionista friend who as delicate as she may appear could stand her ground. Sunset smiled at the thought of how on earth those two ended up together.“Oh, girls” Said Sunset pulling them in for a big hug which they gladly returned.  Etoile watched this all happen. Her moms and this random lady she didn’t know were hugging and crying and laughing and she was just sitting there wondering what the hell is going on.  After what seemed like forever Sunset pulled away and remembered what she came here to do in the first place and her smile quickly faded. “Girls. I hate to ruin this beautiful moment but I have something I need to discuss with you. Twilight, the one from Equestria, I got a message from her in the journal. We have a problem. A really big problem.