//------------------------------// // Search // Story: What A Long Strange Trip // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// "Oh come on! The indicator is red! It's supposed to be right here! Why isn't it right here?!" Rainbow Dash laughed as she looked down at her phone, re-watching the recording from Sunset's last stream she had done of Sonic Adventure 2. "That's the reason you lent me that game, isn't it?" Sunset asked, giving her friend a half-annoyed glance as she walked next to her down B hallway. "No, just one of the perks. I lent it to you because it's one of the best games in the franchise. And yeah, I knew you raging at the emerald hunts would get you some more hits. You have to admit, after that stream with Fluttershy, flipping out is one of your quirks." Rainbow replied. Rainbow did have a point. Her session with Fluttershy and the squirrel acorn-collecting game had become one of her most popular videos on her channel, and ever since her playthrough of Sonic Adventure 2 over the course of a week just after the Fall Formal, that cluster of videos had been rapidly gaining popularity as well. "True. Apart from those missions, the game was awesome. Especially that theme song. I've been listening to Crush 40 for a month now." Sunset told her. "Yeah, those guys are awesome. So, are you riding over with AJ and me to Pinkie's Halloween party?" Rainbow asked. "Actually, I've got something to take care of in the library, so I'll be a little behind. Don't wait on me." Sunset told her. "Got it. Catch you in a few, Sunset." Rainbow told her with a friendly slug on the shoulder. The pair of girls split off, with Rainbow heading towards the student parking lot, and Sunset heading towards the library. As the school year marched onward, Sunset found herself coming back around to whether or not she was going to stay or go at the end of the school year. To their credit, her friends hadn't been reminding her or bugging her about it, instead spending all the spare time they had together in band practice or other hobbies. But she didn't want to put off this decision for so long that she had no time to really think about it. So she was going to take it in small increments, tackle the situation one area, and one question at a time. When she had first arrived, it hadn't taken her long to deduce that this was an alternate dimension to Equestria, and that every pony that existed over there had a counterpart over here in this world, at one point or another. After a few days of searching, she was quite certain that if she had a counterpart in this world, that she was nowhere close by. But as time went on, as she turned herself around and fought off the increasing homesickness, she began to wonder just how long she was supposed to be here. She had remembered what her parents and Princess Celestia had written to her. while we'd like nothing more than to see you again, we can't help but feel that you're there for a reason. please don't underestimate the potential importance of where you are right now. Had the reason come and gone? Was she no longer needed here? Those were questions that burned in her mind, and would probably drive her insane if left to what she only currently knew. So she needed the help of the internet. Stepping into the library and going straight for the computer lab, she set her backpack down and sat down at one of the available computers, logging on with her student credentials, and opened a web browser. co.everfree.gov Going to the county's official government website, she scrolled down the sidebar to find the page she wanted. Everfree County Department of Records She clicked on the link and loaded into the next page, quickly finding what she was looking for. Birth Certificate Request She looked at the required fields, and thought back to how ludicrously easy it was to get enrolled here at the school with little to no paperwork as to who she actually was and where she came from. Now she was paying for it. She typed in her name and date of birth, and with that being the only two pieces of information she was able to provide, the "Expanded Search" button was the only one available to click at the bottom of the page. Clicking on it, a notification popped up. NOTICE: Expanded searches are for queries with limited information available, and will take considerably longer to process through the system. A return time of greater than eight weeks is generally common. Do you wish to proceed? Sunset clicked 'Yes.' and sent the request through. "Well..." She said to herself, logging off and pushing the chair away from the desk. "I guess that's the end of step one."