//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Next Sushi // Story: SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Nugget Run Horizon // by Jojoleopard //------------------------------// Over the clear skies of Canterlot flew two birds, one blue and one yellow. The yellow one did flips around the blue one, then let out a series of chirps. The blue one followed suit as they moved down past the taller buildings, then glided down towards a sports stadium, where the cheering of people could be heard for miles. As the birds landed atop one of the stadium’s floodlights, a ball was thrown down below towards a batter and she took a deep breath before swinging her bat with a quick burst of strength. “Strike two!” The umpire raised a finger. The girl groaned in disappointment, then got her stance back into position again. One more strike and she was going to be out. She didn’t want to let the team down. Not now, not when they were so close to finishing the game against the Ruber University’s Warlocks. She looked out to the field and standing atop one of the bases was her best friend, Prism Dash. She swiped locks of her multicolored hair from her forehead and stuffed it under her helmet, then gave her a nod of absolute confidence. You got this, Summer… she told herself. If Prism believes you can do it, you’ve got this. You can get the team the win. With a deep exhale, Summer Shine lifted the bat up, squinting her eyes as she waited for the pitcher to throw the ball her way. The Warlocks pitcher let loose the ball her way and time almost seemed to slow down around Summer as she kept her eye on the ball’s trajectory towards her. She angled her bat lower, then swung it forward. The bat connected with the ball and it sent it rocketing back away from her, spinning high as Prism took the chance to dash off her base, followed by Summer’s own run out to first base. The Warlocks’ team scrambled as they danced underneath the ball to catch it and by some stroke of luck, when all almost seemed lost, the ball bounced off one of the catcher’s mitts and rolled across the grass, allowing both girls to clear the home base. The crowd went wild and it was like a time bomb had exploded in the stadium and they jumped to their feet as the Canterlot College Firebirds won the game. Summer threw her helmet down on the ground and let her red and white hair fall behind her, then jumped into the arms of her teammates as they yelled to the air in victory. “You did it, Sushi!” Prism grabbed her around the neck, then grinded a finger over the top of her head. “We beat the Warlocks!” “Come on, stop!” Summer giggled and managed to get her friend off. “It’s what I learned from you, the best softball player on the team.” “Yeah, I am pretty good at softball.” Prism grinned, then she slapped a hand to Summer’s and they held it there in an arm-wrestling pose. “At least I’m not like my nerd brother, Fractal.” “Aw, come on. He’s got good qualities in his own way.” “Is that affection I sense?” Prism nudged her jokingly as she tossed her long rainbow ponytail aside. “I always knew you had a thing for him.” Summer’s cheeks lit up like a Christmas tree. “N-No, I don’t. I do not.” “Uh huh.” Prism tossed her helmet aside and high fived another team member. “Well, big victory today. I’d say we should celebrate!” “Isn’t that what we’re already doing?” Summer asked, then laughed. “Well, I mean like drinks or something.” Prism stretched her arms to her sides. “Or like singing, or video games. We deserve a bit of a pamper.” “Uh huh.” Summer shook her head, then looked out to the field where the Warlocks were standing defeated. The pitcher, however, caught her eye. That was Bryce Bullion, one of the top ten pitchers in the States, and he was glaring daggers right at her. He wasn’t even hiding the fact that he was doing so. Weirdo much? “Sussshhiiii, there’s my girl!” Summer turned back towards the bleachers to see her mother walking down towards her with her arms open wide. “Mom!” She ran over and threw herself into her mother’s embrace. Sunset Shimmer began gently caressing her daughter’s head, then gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, Summer. You did good today. You sure showed those Warlocks.” “Team effort. But we sure did!” Summer looked back to the field. Bryce Bullion was still there glaring at her. He hadn’t even moved. “Uh, why don’t we head out. Prism wanted to celebrate.” “Is that right?” Rainbow Dash hopped off the last two steps and gave Prism a fist bump. “That’s my girl. “What did you have in mind? I was thinking dessert. Nothing like a good old chocolate cake down the gullet to feel good about winning a game.” “Mom, you know I don’t like chocolate,” Prism complained. “Psshh, yeah, you strange kid. I still don’t know anyone else who doesn’t like chocolate.” Rainbow made a face at Sunset. “You like chocolate, Sushi?” “I mean, who doesn’t?” both Sunset and Summer replied. Then they looked at each other and laughed. Summer Shine had also adopted the nickname of ‘Sushi’, seeing as her name also had the letters in it. Her mother had started calling her that when she had been three years old, and now, sixteen years later, it had stuck and that was what everyone called her. Well, except her father. Only her father called her Summer. Flicker Footage was a photographer. An ace photographer. Summer had never seen anyone take such amazing shots of a toilet bowl before, but her father could do that with both his eyes closed. She had heard the stories from her mother how they had met on one of her mother’s many tours across the country. Sunset Shimmer was an artist and she had plenty of award-winning sculptures across the city and beyond to prove it, and her father had been one of the photographers then. She had always mentioned it was love at first sight for the both of them, but Summer never really bought it. She always thought that was only something that happened in the movies. Right now, he was off in France taking photos for some royalty, but he would be back on Monday, and Summer couldn’t wait to tell him about the game. On the back of her left shoulder was a birthmark of a sun, and that was how she knew she was her mother’s daughter, because her mother had the exact same birthmark. She had always found it weird how birthmarks could take the shape of such precise objects, but she let it be. After all, it was a cool birthmark. As for Rainbow Dash, she had become a sports analyst after college, working hard to study professional sports players from head to toe. She could tell you all about someone’s heel power to kick off the ground, or how someone’s finger could bend at a certain angle to give a ball more lift, or even how smelly their breath could be. Summer had thought that was an easy job when she was younger, but now that she was older and more sensible, she knew it was tough to have to track someone so closely. Till today, she still didn’t know how Rainbow found out what she needed to find out. In the end, they had all decided to spend their time in Sugarcube Corner for a little celebration. After all, that was also where Fuchsia Blush and Pinkie Pie were working. Fuchsia Blush was the daughter of Pinkie Pie, born one year before Summer and Prism, and… Summer didn’t know how to properly say this, but she was very different from her mother. “Rainbow! Sushiiii!” Pinkie tackled her friends as soon as they swung the glass door to the cafe open. She sported a white uniform, along with an apron that said World’s Best Wife and Sweetie. Pinkie had married a party planner by the name of Cheese Sandwich, and together, they were definitely Canterlot’s wildest couple. Altogether, they had three children, Fuchsia Blush, Magenta Pie, and Rocky Road. Fuchsia was the eldest and the most experienced at cake-making of her siblings, but she hadn’t really taken on her family’s energetic and over the top personalities for some reason. “Fuchsia, come say hi to your friends!” Pinkie beckoned to her daughter, who was standing behind the counter placing a cake into the cooler display. “Do I really have to?” Fuchsia drawled. “I’m twenty and independent.” Fuchsia Blush had pale pink skin that almost looked grey, and she was dressed in an assortment of black and grey tops, along with a dark skirt and darker leggings. Her pink hair was of a dull color and it flopped straight down on the left side of her head, while her right side had been shaved, giving her a punk rocker sort of look. “Come on, they’re your friends!” Pinkie called again as Summer and the others found a table by the window. “Fuchs this…” Pinkie’s daughter groaned, then tossed her apron aside and emerged from behind the counter. “What did I say about saying that?” Pinkie gave her daughter multiple pats on the shoulders. “It’s offensive.” “It isn’t even the actual word…” Fuchsia sighed. “Hi, Summer. Hi Prism. Hi, Mrs. Shimmer. Hi, Mrs. Dash.” “Fuchsia, having fun back there?” Prism pointed a thumb to the counter. “No.” The girl slouched and looked at her mother. “Can I get back to work now?” “Sure, honey pie, go get ‘em cakes!” Pinkie gave her a slap on the back as she retreated back behind the counter. “What a bubbling personality, am I right?” “Um, right, Pinkie.” Rainbow chuckled and whipped out a menu. “So, I’m thinking about cakes. Chocolate cake?” “Mom!” Prism groaned. Her mother really enjoyed teasing her about chocolate. “Drat.” Summer lifted her arm off the table. It seemed the Cakes missed a spot in their table cleaning. She had a line of fudge along her elbow now. “Mom, I need to go wash up.” Summer got up and headed to the rear of the cafe where a row of sinks were placed. There was a pudgy child already there washing his brown stained face under the tap. Because he was splashing water everywhere, Summer decided to wait a good distance behind him. It was then that she felt a prod in her shoulder and as she turned around to see who it was, a hand closed around her neck and she was shoved out the back door to the cafe and slammed against the wall beside some metal bins. “Ow…” Summer opened her eyes to see it was Bryce Bullion. Judging from his livid expression and the puffs of steam coming out of his nose, she guessed he wasn’t here to say hi. “You cost me the game!” he snarled at her. “I had fifty bucks on taking you Firebirds down.” “Well, sorry that you decided to bet on your own game,” Summer replied. How in the world was that even her fault? “Now look, you should let me go. We don’t want this to get messy.” “Yeah, neither do I.” Bryce lifted his other hand and formed it into a fist in front of her face. “So you hand me a hundred now and I don’t cave in your face. How’s that?” “Hey, you can’t do that. That’s illegal, you know?” Summer tried to pry his fingers from her neck, but he wouldn’t let go. “I’ve done worse to little girls like you.” Bryce squeezed harder. “Now give me my money.” “You’re a terrible person.” Summer looked away from him. “Yeah, and a whole lot of scary, aren’t I?” Summer shook her head. “No, not scary at all.” “I’ve got a fist with your name on it. That isn’t scary?” “Nah… Not really.” “Why you…!” Bryce huffed and puffed. “I’ll show you scary!” His fist closed the distance towards Summer’s face, but before it could hit her, it suddenly stopped in midair as if someone had pressed pause on a video. “What?” Bryce exclaimed, trying to move his arm. Summer stared at the occurrence, unsure of what was going on. She felt strange, like she was much lighter all of a sudden. Forgetting Bryce for a second, she glanced down and saw that she was wreathed in some kind of aura, bright and orangey-gold and flickering around herself like flames. Then she glanced to the side and recoiled. There was some kind of creature standing next to Summer, huge and muscular with a horse-like head whose lower half was covered in a blue guard like a football player’s helmet visor.  “What?” Summer said in awe. “What are you looking at?” Bryce Bullion demanded. “What did you do to my arm, you witch?” “You mean you don’t see… that?” Summer pointed at the horse-headed being next to her.  The being reached out and gave Bryce’s fist a punch down the direction of the alley. All of a sudden, the boy’s arm went spinning in that direction, pulling the rest of Bryce with it. He flew off down the alley, dragged along by the momentum in his fist and landed in a pile of garbage cans with a crash. Summer looked on at the football playing horse creature, then back at the Warlocks’ pitcher. He twitched in the pile of garbage and groaned. The girl quickly took this chance to duck back into the store to head back to her table, but not before washing her hands, because after all, that was what she had aimed to do before Bryce interrupted her. “Took you long enough, Sushi.” Prism was the first to see her coming back. “Couldn’t find the taps?” “Just ran into a little problem. Um, mom, could I speak with you about something?” Summer pointed to the door. “Oh, sure, Sushi.” Sunset got up. “I’ll be right back. Save some cake for us, okay?” “No promises.” Rainbow chuckled. Summer followed her mother out the front door, then stopped along the sidewalk. “Now, what is it you want to ask me, dear?” Sunset folded her arms and waited. “How do I put this…” Summer rubbed the back of her head. It was a bizarre thing she was going to mention. “Are ghosts real?” She figured that was a good place to start. “Are ghosts real?” Sunset Shimmer looked amused. “I mean, I don’t think anyone knows for sure, but I think they’re real. What’s with this sudden question, dear? Did you see one?” Summer didn’t know whether she should say yes or no. “I don’t know, but something weird happened out back. That pitcher came and tried to rob me, but then…” “Someone tried to rob you?!” Sunset yelled. “Where are they now? I’m going to teach them a lesson. No one robs my precious daughter-” “No, mom, it’s okay.” Summer grabbed Sunset’s arm before she could storm back inside. “The thing is… This thing appeared and it did some magical things and Bryce got knocked out against a pile of garbage. I don’t know what it was. But it had a horse head and it wore some blue football armor.” At this, Sunset calmed down and her eyes went wider. Then she nodded and ran a hand along her hairline. “Sushi, dear. That’s no ghost. I think I know what that is, but… I didn’t think you had one.” “Had… what?” Summer watched her mother’s face closely. Her mother knew something about this. Sunset nodded again. “You have a Stand, dear."