Saturday, August 30, 11:00 PM Tokyo time. 7:00 AM Canterlot time.
The girls woke with the alarm they had set for 11 PM. They quickly got ready, dressing casually for their day with their guests. Joining hands, they teleported to the TACIT base in Twilight’s lab.
Entering the house they found Velvet already up, making breakfast for the family.
“Hi, Mrs. Sparkle!” greeted Sunset as they rolled in. Twilight gave her mom a big hug which she happily returned.
“Hi girls! Joining us for breakfast?” she asked, returning to the chorizo and eggs she was preparing on the stove.
“If we can?” asked Twilight, smiling up at her mom.
“Anytime dear!” her mom smiled back. “You two are always welcome here!”
“Thanks, Mrs. Sparkle!” added Sunset.
“Just Velvet, dear! We’re all friends here!” grinned Velvet. “Care to help me out a bit? Twilight honey, can you please warm up the tortillas? And Sunset dear, can you please set out the plates? Six settings please.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Sparkle! I mean, sure thing, Velvet,” corrected Sunset as she rolled over to the cupboard to get the settings.
“Got it, mom!” Twilight placed the tortillas into the oven to warm, adding a bowl of water to keep them moist.
Twilight’s dad entered the kitchen, hanging up his cell phone. “Hi girls! Didn’t expect to see you so early!” he greeted, moving to the fridge and pulling out creamer, salsa, and sour cream. He placed them on the table, then fired up their old coffee maker, putting a carafe full of water into the hopper and pouring a large scoop of grounds into the filter. Flipping on the power switch for the ancient machine, he hit the brew button.
“So, I'm really looking forward to our little party today!” Night Light cheered as the coffee drizzled into the carafe, adding to the delicious mix of smells in the kitchen, including the breakfast burritos Velvet was making. As the coffee sputtered its last fruits into the waiting carafe, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Sunset called out, rolling to the front door. She opened the door to be greeted by her mom and aunt.
“Sunny!” her mom smiled, bending down to embrace her in a heartfelt hug. “How’re you girls doing? It’s so nice to see you!”
“Mom!” Sunset smiled, hugging her back. “I didn’t expect to see you and Aunt Luna until later! This is a nice surprise.”
“Velvet and Night Light invited us over for breakfast beforehand,” noted Luna, smiling at the two of them as she entered. “And it’s wonderful to see you, Sunny.”
Sunset released her mom and pulled her aunt into an embrace. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Aunt Luna!” Sunset snuggled. Celestia headed down the hall towards the kitchen to greet the rest of the crew.
With a quick squeeze, Luna hugged Sunset back, then took her hand. “I too can’t wait to get back to your bunker and show off all you’ve done. Dr. Sombra is going to be floored!” she laughed. “Come on, let’s go see what everyone else is up to.” Luna led the way back into the kitchen, where breakfast was being plated up and set on the table.
Night Light brought the coffee over to the table and set it on a hot pad. Sunset poured a cup, then passed the carafe to Twilight, who also loaded up a cup of her favorite rocket fuel. Food and beverages were passed around as everyone heaped up their plates. Sunset unsurprisingly passed on the chorizo, loading up her burrito with eggs and salsa.
Celestia cleared her throat for attention, then joined hands with Sunset and Luna. Sunset held Twilight’s hand as everyone around the table joined hands and bowed their heads. Celestia invoked their thanks to the Maker, and after their response everyone launched into their breakfasts.
“So, what’s the plan for the party today?” Celestia asked the girls. “The invitations said to arrive here at 10 AM. I take it we’ll go straight to the bunker from your lab, Twilight?”
Twilight nodded, her mouth full of egg burrito, causing Sunset to snort at the sight of her friend trying to answer with her mouth full.
Setting the burrito down and swallowing, Twilight gently slapped Sunset’s knee. “Don’t pick on me, you goof!” she laughed. She turned to Celestia. “Yes, that’s the plan. We’ll go over in groups of four or so. One of us will stay for a bit to pick up any stragglers. Once everyone’s over, we’ll start the party on Mars. We have a full day of fun planned, it should be a blast.”
Sunset nodded. “We’re going to try putting on a bit of a show too, just for the fun of it,” she added. “And we’ll show off some of the sites.”
“That sounds wonderful, girls,” Celestia smiled. “I know everyone will have a fantastic time.”
They finished up breakfast. Twilight put away the leftover food while Sunset and Celestia helped Velvet clean up the dishes, kitchen, and table. Once everything was straightened and cleaned they grabbed more coffee and joined the rest of the crew in the living room, chatting while they waited for the rest of the guests to arrive.
By 9:30 almost everyone was present. The girls were all there, as were Lyra and Bonnie. Bonnie was a bit overwhelmed on seeing everyone else there, slowly coming to the realization that maybe this time Lyra wasn’t pulling her leg. When the doorbell rang and Sunset brought back the last few guests, that clinched it.
Sunset grinned ear to ear in excitement. “Hi everyone! These are Drs. Moonshot and Long from NASA,” introduced Sunset, “Dr. Long, Dr. Moonshot, you already know my mom and aunt. Here is Dr. Night Light Sparkle and Dr. Velvet Sparkle, Twilight’s parents. Girls, can you please introduce yourselves?” added Sunset, rolling away as the doorbell rang again.
She answered the door. A smiling Dr. Sombra greeted her.
“Hi, Sunset!” greeted Dr. Sombra as he entered. “I take it that means I found the right house!” he laughed, hanging his coat on the rack by the door.
“Yup! We’re all in here! Follow me,” she chuckled. Grinning, she shut the door and led him into the living room.
“Everyone, this is Dr. Sombra. He’s a very close personal friend of my aunt Luna!” announced Sunset. Luna immediately choked on her coffee, while Dr. Sombra turned a bright shade of red.
“Uhm, uh… Uhm… well. Hello everyone!” he choked out.
Laughing, Twilight lightly smacked her BFF. “You’re a brat!” she grinned quietly to Sunset.
Grinning ear to ear, Sunset nodded and quietly answered. “Don’t I know it!”
Taking Dr. Sombra by the hand, Twilight led him over to Luna, sitting him down next to her. They both stared awkwardly at each other, smiling like a couple of kids.
“Now who’s the brat!” whispered Sunset, laughing as Twilight returned to her side.
“Don’t I know it!” Twilight grinned. Both girls giggled. The doorbell rang once more.
“And there’s our last guest!” announced Sunset as she headed for the door.
Opening the door she was greeted by Trixie, standing there smiling. “Hi, Sunset! The Great and Powerful… Uhm… Trixie is here!” she said, holding out a bag to Sunset. “Trixie brought snacks to share as well!”
Sunset pulled Trixie into a hug. “Trixie! I’m so glad you could make it. Come on in! We’re all waiting in the living room. Let’s get this party started, shall we?”
Taking Trixie’s hand, she pulled her towards the hall and pointed forward. “Go on! I’m right behind you!” Sunset encouraged.
Shyly moving forward, Trixie looked into the living room seeing the large crowd. Twilight looked up and saw her standing by the door.
“Trixie! Come on in!” she called out, crossing the room and pulling Trixie over to where she was talking to the other girls. Sunset came in, flashing her BFF a thumbs up. Twilight smiled while Trixie was greeted by the girls, grinning and warming to the party.
Sunset noticed Bon Bon was tearing up, holding tightly to her friend Lyra. Concerned, she rolled over to the girls.
“Bonnie, Lyra, is everything okay?” Sunset asked, taking Bonnie’s hand while placing her other hand on Lyra’s knee.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you Lyra,” sniffled Bonnie, smiling at her friend. “I thought you were teasing me.”
“I do tease you a lot, Bonnie, so I totally get that,” nodded Lyra, holding her friend. “But this time it’s legit.”
Sunset squeezed Bonnie’s hand. “Bonnie, you’re going to love this. If you think this is something, wait until you see what we have planned for the rest of the day!”
Lyra nodded, smiling. She hugged her friend tightly while Sunset rubbed her back. After a few moments Lyra turned to face Sunset. “Thank you!” she mouthed. Sunset smiled and nodded, leaving them to their moment.
Rolling back over to Twilight, she finished her coffee while everyone caught up with their small talk. After a few minutes things settled down and the room grew quieter.
“Okay everyone!” announced Sunset, taking Twilight’s hand. “Who’s ready to party on Mars!”
Sunset took on the task of transporting their guests over to the bunker as Twilight and the remaining guests chatted and waited in her lab. Sunny’s mom and Aunt were with her on the first trip.
“Thank you so much for this mom, Aunt Luna! We really appreciate all the help!” said Sunset as they exited the TACIT receiver, pulling off their goggles and placing them in the box by the booth.
“Happy to help, Sunny!” smiled her mom. “We’ll start putting out the party trays and drinks in the conference room and dining room so everyone can nosh while they visit.”
Nodding to her sister, they went to the kitchen, pulling out the trays of snacks the girls had made earlier. Luna took several trays over to the conference table, while Celestia put trays out on the dining room table. Pulling out pitchers of drinks, they placed them around the tables as well, then brought over trays of juice cups for each table. Bowls of chips with dips were also placed around both tables for the partiers' enjoyment.
While they were busy with all of that, Sunset returned for the next group of partiers. Putting on her goggles and pulling out her phone, she triggered the return trip. Throwing open the TACIT booth door, she looked out from the booth, still wearing her ridiculous goggles.
“Next stop, Mars! Step on up!” Sunset invited.
Trixie, Bonnie, and Lyra were next, piling into the booth with Sunset.
“Goggles on, girls. Trust me on this,” said Sunset. She shut the door, then took out her phone and waited until the girls all had their goggles on.
“Engage!” she called out, pressing the button. In a magenta flash, the girls disappeared.
“Enough!” called out a Starfleet captain, groaning in frustration.
The girls blinked, taking off the goggles. Trixie, Lyra, and Bonnie gawked at the scene before them.
“Where are we?” called out Bon Bon as she stepped out of the booth, looking around at the control room. Grinning like a loon, Lyra took her hand and joined her. Trixie just stared in open-jawed wonder at the room around them.
Sunset rolled out of the booth, smiling at the girls. She gently led them out into the main room, where they saw the snacks as Celestia and Luna put out the last of the drinks.
Turning to face the girls, still taking in everything in wonder, Sunset grinned. “Trixie! Lyra! Bon Bon! Welcome to Mars!”
Bonnie stumbled. Lyra caught her, guiding her to a chair to sit, then brought her a drink. Bonnie sipped it slowly, numbed.
“We’re really on Mars?” Bonnie asked quietly.
Grinning, Sunset nodded.
“Best. Magic. Trick. Ever!” breathed Trixie.
“It’s not magic, Trixie! It’s Science!” Sunset bopped Trixie’s nose. Trixie grinned at her friend.
“Okay, hang out here for a bit. I’m going to get the rest of the girls. Be right back!” called out Sunset. She re-entered the control room, pulling back on her goggles. Rolling up the ramp into the booth, she pulled out her phone and triggered the return trip.
A magenta flash later, she pulled open the booth door and called out. “Martian express! The next train leaves in 30 seconds. Step up or step off!”
Rainbow and Applejack stepped up, with Fluttershy trailing behind them. “Come on Flutters!” called out Dash impatiently. “You don’t want to be left behind!” she grinned. Rainbow took Fluttershy’s hand and pulled her into the booth with them.
“Goggles on girls! Prepare to be transported!” called out Sunset happily, phone in hand.
“Oh dear!” whimpered Fluttershy. She hurriedly placed her goggles on, holding tightly to her friend's hand. Dash reached around and pulled her into a side hug, while Applejack put a hand on both their shoulders from behind and gave Sunset a nod.
Seeing everyone with their goggles on, Sunset hit the button. A flash of magenta light filled the booth, and when the girl's sight returned, they saw the control room.
“Whooie!” called out Applejack, laughing. Sunset opened the door and Applejack gave the girls a gentle push, following them as they stumbled out. Seeing the box by the booth, they placed their goggles in with the others as they stepped out into the main room.
Sunset laughed as she rolled back up the ramp into the booth and pulled back down her goggles. “Three down, two to go,” Sunset quietly said to herself. She shut the door and hit the button on the app.
A magenta flash filled the booth. Opening the door, Sunset saw Pinkie and Rarity waiting with their goggles on. “Come on up girls! Let’s get this party started!” Sunset called out.
“Yupper Duppers!” pronounced Pinkie as she bounced into the booth. Rarity laughed and rolled her eyes. Sweeping her hair back, she gracefully walked into the booth, shaking her head and grinning.
Sunset shut the door and keyed the transport. A magenta flash later, Pinkie was pronking out of the control room and over to Sunset’s mom and aunt.
“Ooo-ooo! I want to help!” she excitedly cried out. “I can put up the streamers!”
Luna just laughed and put her hands firmly on Pinkie’s shoulders. “No, Ms. Pie. No streamers.”
“Ah, why not?” moped Pinkie.
“Because, Mr. Pie,” answered Luna, in a perfect deadpan. “In space, no one can hear you stream.”
Behind her, both Sunset and Celestia performed perfectly synchronized face-palms, grinning madly.
Pinkie thought about that for a moment. “Oh,” she said. “Okay!” She pronked happily over to the tables, and pulling baskets of cupcakes from her hair placed them on both tables.
Luna looked at her sister and Sunset, who just shook their heads and laughed.
“No Luna. Just. No,” laughed Celestia.
By this point, Applejack and Dash had pulled the girls into the game room and started up a PVP melee deathmatch. Dash and Applejack tried to trounce each other in glorious battle. Trixie, Lyra, Bonnie and the rest of the girls laughed and shouted encouragement at the two combatants as they hurled snarky insults and attacks at each other.
Sunset rolled back into the control room and pulled down her goggles. Entering the booth, she shut the door and triggered the return. When the magenta flash cleared she found Drs. Sombra, Moonshot, and Long, all chatting happily together. They entered the booth, pulling down their goggles, chatting the entire time. Grinning, Sunset triggered the transport.
As the magenta flash cleared, Dr. Long opened the door. They thanked Sunset, dropped their goggles into the bin, then wandered out into the conference room. Seeing the conference room laptop, they drifted over to it, taking seats around it. Sunset logged in for them, then pulled up the interface to the drone, still mapping the blooms in the riverbed. Delighted, Dr. Long took control of the interface while the others called out suggestions.
Smiling, Sunset returned to the control room just as the booth flashed magenta again.
“Glad I had my goggles on!” thought Sunset.
The door opened and out came Twilight with her mom and dad.
“That’s everyone!” Twilight called out with a grin as they exited the booth. She hugged Sunset, then followed her parents out to the conference room, Sunset trailing right behind them.
Twilight’s parents joined the Drs., who had now taken over both the conference room displays, showing drone footage and data while they chatted animatedly.
Twilight sat down next to Sunset, taking her hand, and smiled. “Let’s give them some time to process, then we can give the tour. Maybe we can take turns giving everyone a chance to head outside,” Twilight suggested.
“I’ll take the first shift out,” agreed Sunset. “I’m sure you want to spend some time with your parents and the good Drs.”
“Speaking of Doctors, I’m surprised not to see Dr. Turner here,” noted Twilight. “I thought he would show for certain.”
“You know the Doctor. Never can plan much with him, always something going on that ends up needing his attention,” nodded Sunset. “I guess maybe next time.”
Twilight’s phone pinged with a message. “Wow, speak of the devil and he will appear,” she snarked. “Be right back!”
She disappeared into the control room. There was a magenta flash. A minute later, there was another flash, then Twilight emerged from the control room with a smiling Dr. Turner in tow.
“Doctor! Delighted you could make it!” smirked Sunset, hugging him in greeting. “All finished with whatever timey-wimey work you had going?” she teased.
Dr. Turner laughed. “Sunset dear, you know the universe won’t be mocked!” he grinned. “And yes, I finished up my timey-wimey work. I’m all yours for the day.”
“Awesome, glad to have you with us!” grinned Sunset. With a parting hug, the Doctor nodded to the girls, drifting over to join the group playing with the feeds from the drone.
Sunset and Twilight sipped their drinks, smiling at everyone having fun in the bunker.
The girls were starting to drift out of the game room, the game apparently over. Sunset rolled over to join them.
“Hey girls! If you want to play in the spa, you can use our room to change!” Sunset suggested.
“So much for taking them outside,” snarked Twilight.
“Heck yeah! I’m in!” nodded Dash.
“Ah guess if this knuckle-head loser wants to play around in the water, Ah s’pose can join her,” teased Applejack.
“Who you calling a loser, loser!'' grinned Dash back at her. “You are so on!”
Sunset pointed to their room at the end of the row. With that, the two muscle heads raced each other to it.
Rarity rolled her eyes, laughing. “I have everyone’s suits right here!” she called out, heading down to the room after Dash and Applejack. Fluttershy grinned, shaking her head as she followed. Sunset rolled after her, Trixie, Lyra, and Bonnie in her wake.
“Wow!” observed Sunset. “I think this is the most people I have ever had in my room! I’m shocked we all fit!”
That got a chuckle from everyone as they took their swimsuits from Rarity. She passed them out, having one for everyone, even a set for Lyra, Bon Bon, and Trixie.
Trixie took her swimsuit but hung back, waiting for everyone else to finish. When everyone else was ready, Sunset called out, “Okay, follow me to the spa.” Turning back to Trixie, she smiled. “Go ahead, Trixie. I’ll be back for you in a minute.” Trixie smiled in thanks.
Leading the girls over to the spa room, she laid out a stack of towels while the girls engaged in loud horseplay in the spa bath. Seeing they were fine, Sunset returned to the bedroom to check on Trixie.
“Knock knock!” she called out, entering. “Trixie, how are you doing?”
In shock, Trixie looked up from pulling on her suit, her back to Sunset. There, across her lower backside and buttocks were scars clearly from cigarette burns.
Sunset's eyes widened in shock. Seeing Sunset’s reaction, Trixie dropped to the floor in a ball, suit still at her knees, crying in shame.
Sunset rolled into the room and shut the door quickly. “Trixie, I am so sorry!” she called out, reaching out and pulling her friend into her embrace.
Unbidden, her eyes flashed Teal as she held her dear crying friend.
“Sunset?” Sunset heard. “Sunset, are you okay?”
She blinked, seeing the concerned face of her friend Trixie, tears in her eyes and still naked in her arms. “Sunset please tell Trixie you are okay. Please?” Trixie cried.
Holding Trixie tight, Sunset realized she was crying too.
“It’s okay, Trixie. Everything’s going to be okay,” Sunset answered through her tears.
She helped Trixie stand up and finish getting dressed.
“This looks really good on you, Trixie!” Sunset smiled, wiping the tears from her face. She reached over and gently dried Trixie’s tears as well. “You look beautiful. Let's go see what everyone else is doing.”
Smiling, she took Trixie's hand, placing it on her shoulder. She led Trixie out of the room and over to the spa, where Sunset called out to her friends, “Hey girls! Found another playmate for you!” she laughed. Turning to Trixie, she hugged her, gently kissing her forehead. “We love you, Trixie. Go have some fun with your friends, okay?”
Trixie nodded, smiling as she turned to join the girls. Sunset smiled back as she left. Rolling over to Twilight, she pulled her into a hug, snuggling her tight. “Thank you for loving me, Sparky,” she said softly.
Grinning, Twilight smiled at her friend as she snuggled her back. “Okaaayyyy… And thank you for loving me too, Sunny. What brought this on?” she asked.
“I just need a few moments to clear my head,” Sunset smiled sadly. “Can you hold down the fort for a few minutes while I get some air?” Twilight nodded. Sunset ponied up and headed for the ramp.
“Sunset, hold up!” Twilight called out.
Sunset turned back. Twilight removed Sunset’s headset from her daypack, placing it on her head. She leaned over and whispered into her friend's ear, “I can tell you’re hurting and feel you need to be alone right now. I don’t know why you are hurting. But I respect that you want to be alone. You need to know though - you’re not alone, Sunny. I’ll be with you every moment. If you need me, you just speak up and I’ll drop everything to listen. I love you, Sunset. I’m here when you need me.” She smiled and kissed her cheek, then left and went back to their room, returning wearing her headset. She smiled and blew her friend a kiss.
Sunset smiled and nodded in gratitude. Turning back around, she continued up the ramp.
“Thank you, Sparky,” she said softly under her breath as she rolled out into the Martian landscape. Spreading her wings, with a powerful beat she took off into the distance.
Twilight turned and announced, “I’m going to head up to the surface and make things safe for everyone to come up and take a look at our Martian neighborhood. Just give me a minute to get everything set up.”
A few minutes later, Twilight had a shield dome over the entrance going out about thirty meters or so, air thoroughly filling it and the rampway. She sent a text to everyone. “We should be fine if anyone wants to come out,” Twilight announced.
Luna checked her phone first. Turning to the group with her around the displays, she announced. “Twilight is ready for anyone who wants to take a look at Mars!”
“You don’t need to tell me twice!” laughed Dr. Sombra, leading the group up the ramp.
“Coming at you! The Drs. are on their way!” Luna texted as she joined them heading up the ramp.
They found Twilight sitting in Sunset’s chair, her black and purple wings gently flapping behind her. She smiled at everyone as they came out.
“So, as we said before, welcome to Mars!” She waved her hand across the landscape, stopping as she pointed towards Olympus Mons. “Check out the neighborhood!” She grinned.
The doctors were speechless, struck dumb by the wonder of the sight before them. Luna grinned ear to ear as Dr. Sombra dropped to his knees while staring at the majestic volcano. His hand brushed against a rock. Looking down, he reached over and ran his fingers through the dry dusty dirt, feeling the texture and absolute dryness of the Martian soil. A tear fell from his eyes, rolled down his cheek, and fell onto the Martian sand.
Luna stood behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder. Dr. Sombra looked up at her, a happy tear filled smile on his face.
“I’m really here, Luna,” he smiled. “I never thought I’d make it, but I’m here!”
“Yes you are, you old goat!” Luna teased with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder.
Twilight smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes. Luna helped Dr. Sombra up.
“And check this out, you old stag,” Luna teased. She leaped up into the air, performing a perfect slow spin. The reduced gravity made her movements almost seem like slow motion.
Watching them, the others copied them, leaping and laughing through the Martian landscape
Twilight smiled, watching them play.
Her heart, though, was heavy, burdened by her BFFs pain.
Sunset flew, her rage and pain driving her forward. Her thoughts spun, driven by her troubled heart. All she could think of was what she had seen, the absolute terror her dear friend had experienced. It was unbearable! She couldn’t stop seeing the horror. It was unfathomable to her. How could someone be so cruel? How could a person be so depraved to hurt someone like that? How could someone do to another what she had seen her dear friend Trixie endure?
Unbidden and unnoticed, tears were once again streaming down her face. Before her rose the majestic heights of Olympus Mons. Unthinking, Sunset soared up its side, heading up. When she reached the top of the mountain, the caldera gently sloped away, but Sunset continued straight up, eyes focused on the stars in the sky.
She let out an anguished scream of rage.
Twilight started, shocked by the sudden anguished cry she had heard. “Sunny! Sunny, are you okay?! Talk to me Sunny!” she called out into the headset.
Her guests continued their play, unaware of Twilight’s distress.
“Why!?” shouted out Sunset. “Why in the name of all that is good? Why in the name of Harmony!?”
She accelerated, still focused on the stars above.
“Why would a god ever allow something like that!? What kind of Maker are you!? How could you allow that to happen to an innocent child!?” she screamed, voice raw with rage. A rainbow trail faded out behind her, her trail growing lighter as she left the thin Martian atmosphere.
“Why!!!?” she screamed as she soared higher.
A glow surrounded her as everything grew hazy. She felt her magic fading, then there was only gray.
She continued through the gray mist, shooting forward, only aware of her velocity by her perception of movement. Time seemed to stand still, centered only in the eternal now, the moment's movement, a sensation of a destination awaiting, but no expectation, just the moment.
Only now.
The haze ahead brightened, and soon she saw a line of light passing from one end of the horizon to the other. As she traveled the line widened. Soon she saw sloping plains of grass, rolling in gentle breezes in every direction. She knew this place. She had been here before. These were the planes of Elysium.
She slowed, settling over a clearing. In the distance she saw a herd of ponies playing and laughing, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, all together. She collapsed in the clearing, facing the one being there with her.
Her great-many-times Grandmother. The Faust. The Maker’s Will.
She dropped to her knees. “Why?” she asked, head bowed. “How could that ever be part of the Maker’s Will? How can the Maker allow such horror?”
Faust walked over to her, taking her angelic form. Crouching down she drew her into a hug. “My dearest granddaughter,” she soothed. She kissed her forehead, gently wiping her tears. “You have the Maker's soul; so gentle, so compassionate, so filled with love and concern for others.
“And, so strong, able to take up their burdens, to walk with them to ease their way.” She pulled Sunset to her, holding her tight. “You are truly her heart, my gentle soul.”
Sunset cried gently in her grasp, shaking, filled with the shared pain of her friend.
“Know this, my dear soul, you are the Maker’s Heart. You are the Maker’s Hands. You are her chosen, called to ease the suffering of others. You know their pain, share their grief, and bear their hearts within your own. Your heart is Her Heart. Your hands are Her Hands. Let Her fill you with her Love, and heal the sorrows you have seen.”
“How can this be?” asked Sunset, still in tears. “How can I be Her gentle Heart? I am so filled with Hate and Rage from what I have seen! I only want to destroy the one who did this!” she cried out.
“Be at peace, my gentle soul,” soothed Faust. “See what you have done, what will be done, and know that it pleased Her Heart.”
It’s sometime in her future. She has tracked down the scum that hurt her friend, who caused her suffering.
Before her is a homeless man. He is still young, but he’s clearly not all there.
“Are you an angel?” he asks her. “I never see angels anymore, only devils. So nice to see an angel,” he smiles, holding the plastic bag of garbage he claims as his prized possessions. He has no idea where he is, barely who he is, and has no recollection of his past. He hardly even recalls the events of the day before. He is an almost blank slate.
Sunset takes his head firmly in her hands and turns his face towards her. He smiles complacently at her.
“I need to know WHY you did this,” she states evenly. “I need to know what drove you to be the monster I KNOW you really are, and I need to see you pay for what you’ve done.”
The man continues to smile, still chanting “Angel, angel, angel…” mindlessly.
In a Teal flash, Sunset is in his mind, his thoughts, his memories. She can even see what he has lost, etched forever on his soul.
She sees a young boy, taken away by an older man. She sees rape, and unspeakable, unthinkable things. She sees a young boy made to do things she would never imagine. She saw the threats, and the promises that, if he ever spoke of what happened, his family would be killed, and it would be all his fault.
Sunset breaks. The burden of what she sees overwhelms her heart. She tries desperately to block what she has seen from her memory, but like the man before her, it is now etched upon her soul.
She sees a young man growing older until he finally meets her friend. She sees him acting out in cruelty, mirroring the abuse he suffered at another’s hands. His parents move away, and he is forced to stop the abuse by their move.
She sees him tormented, confronting himself with what he has done. He runs away from home. Filled with self-revulsion, he spirals downwards, turning to drugs to numb the hate and pain, to kill the memories of what he did and endured. He takes up theft to pay for the drugs that kill and numb. Overdose after overdose, he fries his brain to the point of forgetfulness. Eventually, all that is left is the half-dead, confused and broken youth before her.
Back in the alley, Sunset falls to her knees weeping, her hands on the knees of the homeless youth still smiling vacantly before her. She wails in agony at the cruelty of a world that would do this, that would allow any of this to happen.
Rising, she dries her eyes. Taking the hand of the confused man, she leads him to the homeless shelter she grew up in. There, she arranges for him to be taken care of and protected, offering to pay for whatever they need to keep him safe and off the street.
She then returns to Trixie, telling her that the man who hurt her will never hurt anyone again. She holds her dear friend while she weeps in relief and gratitude.
Trixie asks to meet him. Seeking peace within herself, she wants to offer him forgiveness. Seeing the pure, unselfish desire of her heart, Sunset agrees, and takes her to him, still living at the shelter.
Trixie confronts him. She asks the man if he remembers her and what he has done to her.
“Are you an angel too?” asks the man, lost in wonder.
Trixie forgives him, even though he is completely unable to understand what she is saying. Trixie cries over the man, her forgiveness releasing her from the pain and heartache that, for years, she has been holding onto. Letting go of her shame, she embraces her tormentor, wishing him a peaceful life and eternity. She is finally free.
That night Faust comes to the man and releases him from his troubled life.
Transported to the gates of Elysium, now fully aware of everything he has done, he falls to his knees, bowed down, weeping in abject grief. Before him is the suffering he caused Trixie. He weeps in gratitude for her unearned forgiveness of his wretched abuse of her and her innocence. He knows he is completely unworthy of her forgiveness, and where he is to be.
He prepares to go off to the Outer Places, where the souls of the damned are lost. But before he can leave, he is pulled into the winged embrace of Faust.
“She has forgiven you. Now you must forgive yourself!” she commands him gently.
“I cannot!” he cries, trying to get away. “I can’t! I don’t deserve forgiveness!”
“No, you do not,” she agrees. “Yet it has been given. Now you should honor that by giving it as well.”
He weeps piteously, collapsing before her. No longer fighting her, he slumps in a pile, weeping in regret and sorrow. Enfolding him again in her wings, she glows in a soft teal light, and when the light fades, there is a small foal before her, asleep. She gently places the foal between her wings and returns to Elysium's fields.
Waking, the foal looks around sleepily. “Where are we? Are you my mommy?” the foal asks in a small voice.
“Yes, dear soul. I will be your mommy. Come with me,” she says, trotting off into the fields of Elysium.
Sunset is back with Faust, still clutched in her embrace. She looks up into her kind eyes, full of tears for the suffering she has seen.
“Be it done unto me according to Her Will,” says Sunset quietly. She shuts her eyes, and gray fills her vision.
“Sunset! Sunset, are you there? Talk to me! Sunset!?” she heard Twilight’s panicked voice.
Opening her eyes, she saw she was plunging back to Mars. The friction of her fall was starting to glow around her. Her teal shield was the only protection from the insane heat of her reentry.
Righting herself, she beat her wings, spreading them wide, throwing out a teal shield of power that slowed her, bringing her descent back under control. She saw the mountain and angled towards it.
“I’m here, Sparky! It’s okay. I’m back. I’ll be back with you in a moment,” Sunset said, cutting off a panicky Twilight.
“Oh thank the Maker! Sunset, I was so worried. Whatever happened to you? Where did you go? Are you okay?” Twilight called to her.
“I’m fine, Sparky. Thank the Maker, I am better than fine. I know my purpose, and have unfinished work to do,” Sunset answered.
“Then I’ll do it with you!” Twilight said in relief. “You aren’t alone, Sunny. I will never leave you!”
“No, I’m not alone,” smiled Sunset, almost back to the bunker. “Thank the Maker. I love you, Sparky.”
She slowed, then slowly approached the group playing in the magenta bubble outside the bunker. Dropping through the shield, she dropped into her now vacant chair and folded her wings.
Twilight enfolded her in a tight hug, tears in her eyes. She looked at her friend. “I heard everything you said, Sunny. I don’t know what you went through, but I heard everything you said. It terrified me. I heard you crying and weeping. I didn’t know where you were and could do nothing to help. I felt so lost, knowing you needed me and I wasn’t there to help.” She wept.
Holding her close, Sunset kissed her forehead. “Sparky, just knowing you were listening was enough for me. You were there for me, with me through the whole thing. You’re in my Heart.”
A grateful tear rolled down Sunset’s cheek. Twilight wept in relief, Sunset held tight in her grasp.
The partiers paused in their play, noticing the drama unfolding beside them. Luna came over and hugged the girls. “Girls, are you okay? Is there anything I can do?” she asked.
Pulling her aunt into the hug, Sunset answered. “You’ve already done it. Thank you for everything, Aunt Luna.”
The party continued. When it was time for dinner, everyone headed back into the bunker.
Celestia and Pinkie put dinner out for everyone. Rolls, casserole, pasta with sauce, meats and cheeses, and vegetables of every variety had been set out in a buffet on the dining room table along with trays with plates and settings for everyone so they could pick whatever looked appetizing and enjoy the feast.
Most everyone ended up spread out at the conference room table, enjoying the company and conversations. The girls' conversations quickly gravitated to the game room, as they took their trays with them. They played games and ate, being loud and enjoying themselves.
Twilight and Sunset mingled among the guests, filling glasses and taking plates or fetching desserts if asked, with smiles for everyone.
When everyone was done with dinner, they placed out the dessert trays, then started the evening’s movie on all three screens. Sunny and Twilight put away the leftovers, then joined their friends in watching the movie.
When the movie ended, everyone said their goodbyes. Twilight shuffled their guests back to her lab in the TACIT transporter while Sunset helped the girls, including Trixie, Bonnie, and Lyra, get settled for the night. They all wanted to sleep in one room together, so Sunset ended up dragging the mattresses from the other rooms into their room with their help, filling the bedroom floor with giggling girls.
Twilight returned after everyone else had left for the night.
“Hey girls! Before we turn in, what say we all have a turn in the spa?” she suggested.
Sunset nodded. “Yeah. it can be a great way to relax and let the stress of the day soak away.” She turned to Dash as she added specifically to her, “when used properly as a spa. No cannonballs or horseplay if we go in tonight, Dashie.”
“I’ll be good, on my honor!” grinned Dash.
It was agreed, so the girls adjourned to the spa. Sunset spoke up. “So! Does anyone have any questions about how this works?” she asked. Looking around, she saw blank faces so she snarked, “Okay great! Everyone, strip!”
Except for Dash, the girls looked shocked.
“You’ve really never seen a Japanese-style bath before?” Sunset asked everyone. Then she noticed Trixie who had blanched completely and was trying to back quietly into one of the bathroom stalls. Dash, in the meantime, was completely naked. Her clothes were already in the bucket and she was soaping her brush in preparation to scrub.
“See? Dashie knows how to do it,” nodded Sunset. “But if you don’t want the full experience, it’s totally okay to wear a towel or even your swimsuit. The important part is to just relax and enjoy a peaceful soak in the warm water.
She rolled over to Trixie, who by this time had almost made it into the stall and was about to shut the door. Sunset took her hand.
“Trixie can’t do this, Sunset! Trixie can’t do this,” she said in quiet terror. Sunset pulled her close, hugging her tightly.
“Trixie, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” she said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be by your side the entire time. You can wear your suit. In fact, I’ll wear mine too, so you don’t feel out of place,” she offered.
Trixie looked up into Sunset’s eyes. “You would do that for Trixie? You would do that for me, Sunset?” she asked hopefully.
“Yes, Trixie. I would be happy to do that for you,” she said, leading Trixie back out of the spa and into their bedroom. Together, the girls changed into their bathing suits. Trixie helped Sunset when she needed it.
Returning to the spa, they saw that half the girls had opted to keep their bathing suits or towels, while the others had copied Dash. Sunset lowered herself into the spa, and Trixie entered and sat next to her and Twilight.
Together, the girls relaxed in the warm water, swapping stories and the moments they had enjoyed throughout the day.
Sunset sat happily, one hand locked tightly in the grasp of her BFF, the other holding the hand of her dear friend.
After the conversation wound down, and everyone was completely relaxed, Sunset suggested moving the party to their beds. Everyone got out, toweled off, then dressed for bed. Trixie dressed in the bathroom stall.
Once in the room, Trixie asked if she could sleep in the bed with Sunset and Twilight. Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Sure, Trixie. You can have the wall,” Twilight invited.
Trixie climbed in, rolling over to the far side of the bed. Sunset transferred in next, then Twilight took the edge.
Twilight rolled over, wrapping her arm around Sunset and snuggling into her friend. Sunset raised an eyebrow, smirking at her BFF. “Everything okay there, Sparky?” she snarked.
“What? I don’t want to fall off the side,” grinned Twilight, snuggling Sunset tightly.
“No chance of that, Sparky,” grinned Sunset, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. She turned over to Trixie, who was pushed up completely against and facing the wall to give the girls more space. “You okay over there, Trixie?” asked Sunset with a smile.
“Trixie is fine! Trixie is just getting ready to sleep,” lied Trixie, her obvious feelings of awkwardness radiating from her posture.
Sliding her arm under her shoulders, Sunset rolled Trixie over to her, pulling her head against hers and snuggling up beside her.
“We love you, Trixie,” Sunset expressed warmly. “You’re with friends here. You don’t need to hide or pretend. You’re our friend, and we love you,” she said, smiling and pulling Trixie tightly to her, then she kissed her on her forehead.
Trixie snuggled into Sunset, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks and into the pillow. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, closing her eyes. She was asleep in moments, a happy smile still on her face.
Twilight looked over, smiling at her BFF.
“I don’t know what that poor girl has gone through, and I don’t need to know. But anything I can do to help her, just let me know and I’ll gladly do it.” She looked from Trixie to Sunny. “I am so proud of you, Sunny,” she smiled.
Pulling her closer in a hug, Sunset returned her smile. “You have the Maker’s heart, Sparky. It’s one of the things I love most about you.” She placed her head against Twilight’s, and together, they fell asleep for the night.
The girls woke to someone’s cell phone alarm at 7 AM.
Trixie woke, briefly confused until she saw Sunset looking kindly into her eyes.
“Good morning, Trixie,” she greeted, smiling. “Ready for breakfast and a new day?”
Trixie nodded, returning her smile.
Sunset turned to see her BFF smiling at them. “Good morning, Sparky! Ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”
Twilight rolled her eyes then bopped her BFF on the nose. “You’re such a dork!” she laughed, rolling over and getting up. The other girls also woke, several heading over to the spa to use the bathroom.
“Who wants breakfast?” laughed Twilight, watching the exodus as everyone woke.
“I’ll go get things started,” offered Applejack, heading off to the kitchen. Smiling, Twilight followed with Pinkie right behind her.
Sunset pushed herself up and over to the side of the bed. As she readied herself to transfer into her chair, Trixie came up behind her and hugged her.
“Thank you, Sunset!” Trixie said happily.
Twisting around, she hugged Trixie back. “You’re welcome, Trixie! Anything for my dear friend.”
Smiling, Trixie let Sunset go. Sunset transferred into her chair, grabbed her daypack, and headed into the bathroom.
Several minutes later, ablutions completed, dressed and ready for the day, Sunset headed into the kitchen to help. Twilight tasked her with setting the table and putting out the drinks. Looking at their coffee maker, Sunset laughed and commented to Twilight. “You know Sparky, we should really find out what it would take to upgrade our coffee maker here to match the one in our apartment.”
Twilight laughed as she placed the tofu bacon in the convection oven. “I know, right?” she agreed. “That would be perfect for times like this!”
Sunset laughed. “Girl, that coffee maker is perfect for every time!”
“True that!” Twilight grinned.
“Sounds like a useful contraption,” noted Applejack, flipping the pancakes onto the serving platter. “Ah can’t wait to see yer apartment. It sounds fantastic.”
“Maybe next week,” acknowledged Sunset, setting out a tray of clean coffee cups then pulling the cream and sugar from the fridge and pantry, placing them next to the cups. “We have to see how our schedule works out, but it’s going to happen. We can’t not have you all over and show off the city.”
“Looking forward to it!” agreed Applejack.
“Pancakes are done”, Applejack called out a moment later as she placed the tray on the table, then returned to start on the eggs. Twilight removed the cooked tofu bacon from the oven, passing the tray of ‘bacon grease’ to Applejack who used it to cook the eggs. The smell of bacon, pancakes, and eggs filled the bunker, setting the girls' stomachs to rumbling.
Lyra and Bonnie emerged from the spa last, dressed and ready for the day.
“Have a seat, girls!” Sunset called out to them. “Breakfast is almost ready!”
They sat together laughing and talking with the other girls, waiting for breakfast to be served. Lyra got up and went to the coffee maker, where she made two cups, one for her and one for Bonnie. When she returned, Bonnie took it from her thankfully.
The eggs done, Applejack carried the remaining trays of food to the table with Sunset and Twilight’s help while Pinkie passed out angel food cupcakes to everyone.
Taking their seats, the girls bowed their heads and thanked the Maker for her bounty. Breakfast was served and was thoroughly enjoyed.
Once everyone was full it was time for their goodbyes. Before everyone went home, Twilight passed out the fobs they had made for their friends. Each of the girls took one, placing them around their necks like a necklace. Sunset kept a handful in case they needed to hand them out to their Academy City friends as well.
Twilight took the honors for the return trips, ferrying the girls back over to her lab while Sunset, Trixie, and Applejack cleaned up from breakfast. With three sets of hands, the work went quickly, and soon it was time for them to go too.
Twilight went first with Applejack and then Sunset followed with Trixie. AJ said her goodbyes and headed home.
Sunset turned to Trixie. “Trixie, you know we’re your friends, right?” she asked, holding her hand. Twilight came over and took Trixie’s other hand, standing next to Sunset. Trixie smiled and nodded.
“If you need anything, anytime, you just call me, okay?” Sunset asked. “I don’t care what time it is, or why. If you need us, we’re there. Just ask.”
Trixie nodded again, still smiling.
“Okay,” Sunset accepted with relief. “I’m glad you had a good time, and I’m very glad to have you as my dear friend!” Sunset said, pulling Trixie into a hug along with Twilight.
“Thank you!” said Trixie softly, as a tear rolled down her cheek. A horn sounded outside.
“There’s your ride!” smiled Sunset. Trixie smiled and waved, then ran out the front door to tell her mom about the wonderful time she had with her friends.
Sunset turned to Twilight. “It’s already after 2 AM back in Tokyo. We should say hi to your mom and dad then get going if we want to get any rest at all before school starts.”
“I don’t really feel like sleeping after the night we had last night,” noted Twilight. “But resting before our first long day at the Academy does sound like a good idea. Let’s go say ‘Hi’ then head back,” she agreed.
They found her parents reading in the living room, relaxing on a Sunday morning. They said their goodbyes, thanked them again for joining them yesterday, then retired to Twilight’s lab for their return trip.
Back in their apartment, they laid in bed, talking and napping as they rested. They watched the sunrise over the city, then at 6:30 AM Sunset turned off the alarm, and they prepared for their first day at Tokiwadai Academy.
Actions are just thoughts in motion - The Celestial Teachings.
It was the second day of Toma’s special hellish holiday. Yesterday he woke to the world turned upside down, and only he and two of his friends Kaori and Motoharu were aware of just how broken the world was.
Today, he awoke, and found that his mother (who now looked like Index) had forgotten to lock the door to the house, so he decided he needed to return to their home to check on it. Of course, the Russian nun Misha was going to accompany him, despite what he thought about it. He noticed that Misha absolutely refused to touch his hand after his father pointed this out to him. He found that quite odd, and told Kaori and Motoharu, which led them to believe Misha might be the one behind the current crazy magical mishap. That, combined with how much she apparently knew about what had happened significantly raised their suspicions of the nun, so Motoharu decided he would come with Toma and Misha to check his family's home.
Of course, Misha and Shiina, deciding to start without them, left. Toma and Motoharu decided to take the train instead, so despite leaving after them, they arrived at his family’s home before them. They entered, and one of the first things Motoharu noticed was the insane amount of occult souvenirs gathered around the home. Toma explained his father’s fascination with the figurines and totems, and how he would collect them on his frequent business trips and bring them home.
Toma went to touch one of the figurines, but Motoharu quickly warned him not to, and advised him not to touch anything. Toma had no memory of his father prior to meeting him before yesterday, yet despite that, he noticed that in the picture of his father and family his father was unchanged. This makes Motoharu suspicious of his father, as one of the effects of the Angel Fall spell they believe is active is that the magician casting the spell remains unchanged, unlike everyone around them, and the rest of the world.
It was then that Shiina and Misha arrived, with Misha apparently also having decided by different reasoning that Toma’s father Touya is the culprit. Alarmed by Misha’s decision to essentially punish his father as the caster of the spell, Toma decided to follow her. Shiina was unfortunately completely under the effects of the spell and unable to see Motoharu for who he really was, instead seeing him as the pop idol Hitosui Hajime causing him grief as she was completely taken by him, to his annoyance.
Toma, racing ahead of Misha, arrived back at the beach his family was vacationing at, and found out from Kaori that his father was alone on the beach. Toma explained to her how he and Motoharu, and now apparently Misha, were convinced his father may be the caster of the Angel Fall spell, but asked her to please let him deal with it now. She reluctantly agreed, so he hurried off to confront his father.
He found him on the beach, and confronted him, demanding to know why he had brought occult objects into the family home and dabbled in the occult. His father sadly explained it was his way of counteracting the misfortune that Toma seemed to bring with himself everywhere in his life. His dad just wanted him to have a normal life, and not be seen as some harbinger of doom and misfortune by everyone around him. He explained that was why they had sent him to Academy City when he turned five, the earliest they would take a child, because he thought there, in a city dedicated to science and against superstition, he would be safe from people believing he was bad luck. He had hoped that being in that place would remove from Toma the misfortune, the bad luck, that seemed to follow him around.
When he realized that even the science of Academy City could not reverse his son’s cursed bad luck, he turned to the occult in desperation, collecting luck totems and figures from all his travels to try to overwhelm the bad luck his son suffered. Toma was appalled at this, and sternly told his father that even though bad luck did plague him, it always turned out good for him and others in the end, so he had no regrets about his so called bad luck, because by shaping the life he led, it had led him to happiness with his friends and those around him.
His father was relieved to hear that, happy that his son had found happiness, and agreed to stop buying occult figures. Toma was surprised to hear that, thinking instead his father would confess to triggering Angel Fall. He realized then that his father was completely clueless about the spell, and therefore could not be the culprit, despite the fact that his appearance had not changed.
He was going to head back and let Motoharu and Kaori know what he’d found out, but before he could leave Misha arrived, determined to punish his father for the spell. Toma tried to reason with her, even pleading his fathers innocence, but Misha is not having any of it. She was sure she had found the caster, and punishing him, even if it meant killing him, wouldl remove the curse the world is living under.
As Toma was trying desperately to stop the lethal nun from punishing his father to death, Koari showed up, and threatened Misha with violence if she tried to harm anyone. She then explained to Toma that Misha was in fact not who she claimed to be, but instead someone who had taken the appearance of Sash Kretzav, the nun before them.
She revealed to Toma then that Misha was in fact the one most affected by the Angel Fall spell, as she was really the angel who had been forced to fall from heaven by the spell. And that Misha was now determined to return to heaven by eliminating the so-called caster of the spell, Toma’s father.
With her ruse now known, Misha used heavenly magic to turn the afternoon into night, boosting her powers. She then unleashed a heavenly overpowered magic circle in the sky called The Sweep, a heavenly doom that had been used in past ages to destroy entire civilizations. Misha, now revealed to be a now fallen angel, determined the best way to eliminate his father is to unleash a heavenly disaster on humanity that will wipe out most of civilization, along with his father. They were completely unable to reason with the resolute angel, so Toma agreed with Kaori,and took his father away from the scene while Kaori stayed to deal with the rogue angel.
Kaori, a blessed Saint of God, had trained in magical battle techniques while still the leader of the Amakusa church in Japan. She used these techniques to great effect, defending against the attacks of the angel and stopping her advances, buying time for Toma, his father, and Motoharu in whatever efforts they took to stop the angel from her attack and return her to heaven.
Toma and his father Touya returned to the resort, finding Motoharu had already knocked out everyone there, including Index (his mother). Toma became extremely upset, demanding to know why. Motoharu explained to Toma, his father was actually the caster of the Angel Fall spell, just not intentionally. Motoharu’s magical specialty was the principles of feng-shui, using that he determined Touya had accidentally triggered the spell with his placement of the occult totems and items all through their house. He had turned their home into a powerful occult temple, precisely replicating the ritual location needed to trigger Angel Fall. The spell had been triggered completely by accident. Bad luck, as Toma would say.
That wasn’t all the bad luck his father had. Motoharu explained to Toma, he’d knocked everyone out for one reason. He needed to kill his father. As an accomplished feng-shui mage, he knew trying to cancel the spell by removing or changing any of the occult elements in house would actually trigger a far worse, more dangerous spell. The only way to destroy the spell before the fall became permanent, before the angel destroyed humanity to return to heaven, was to kill his father. He was responsible, even as the regrettably unwitting caster of the spell.
Toma angrily disagrees with his apparently former friend, attacking him to stop his insanity. Motoharu quickly beats Toma and his father into submission.
Motoharu cast a magic spell, something supposedly lethal for espers. This surprised Toma, thinking his former friend was clearly willing to die stopping this. He pleaded with Motoharu to stop, to no avail. His friend apologized for beating him, claiming this was something he had to do. He didn’t want to hurt Toma but needed no interruptions while casting the spell. He knew Toma and Kaori were both kind souls who couldn’t stand by while an innocent person was hurt, even when that was the only way to save the world. He had to sacrifice himself and Toma’s innocent father.
Ironically, as he died, Motoharu reminded Toma he was an accomplished and complete liar, as his spell triggered. A stream of light rushed out from the resort over the horizon and completely destroyed his parents' house.
The ritual site destroyed, Misha collapsed and crumbled away to nothing, released from the curse and returned to heaven. The world-ending Sweep spell, nearly released, faded away. Kaori, exhausted from her battle with the angel, fell to her knees, thanking Toma for stopping the spell.
The next day Toma woke in his apparently favorite room in A Certain Hospital where the frog-faced doctor was taking care of him.
Toma was surprised his friend Motoharu was still alive despite having used magic, which was not possible for espers. Motoharu reminded Toma that he was a liar. His esper power was Auto-Rebirth. That allowed him to use magic a few more times, because his power repaired the lethal damage done when he used magic as an esper. He confessed to Toma that he lied about being a spy for Necessarius in Academy City. He was in fact a double agent, spying for Academy City on Necessarius. He then confessed that too was a lie. He was actually a free agent, spying for the highest bidder for several organizations.
Toma was completely irate at his friend's complete duplicitousness, and for killing his father. Motoharu told him he didn't kill his father. Toma refused to believe his liar friend until he brought in his parents, with his mother now in her true form, no longer his roommate Index. This was actually the first time he’d seen her due to his memory loss. They told Toma, unfortunately their new home had been destroyed, so they had to move back into their old home, the home that Toma grew up in. Unfortunately for Toma, he had no recollection of that home due to his memory loss. Toma was angry that Motoharu destroyed their home, but when he tried to confront his friend he found Motoharu had already left.
But Index arrived, livid with Toma for the way he treated her at the resort. She remembered completely what happened despite not remembering the circumstances, so in anger at Toma she bit him.
Such misfortune, cried Toma.
Saturday, August 31, 12:00 AM Tokyo time.
The insanity of Angel Fall behind him, Toma curled up in his bathtub, holding a washcloth to his bloody nose while he played with his cell phone. Even knowing he was allergic to peanuts, he ate too many of them anyways, so now he was dealing with this. He set his phone down on the edge of the tub to avoid any blood spilling onto it. It was a cheap phone, but he couldn't afford to replace it, especially not with having to feed his roommate.
She was the reason he was in the tub in the first place. He was a healthy teenage boy, with healthy interests. Knowing that, there was no way he trusted himself to sleep in the same room as the defenseless (not) young girl staying with him. No way to commit any social blunders if he locked himself in the bathroom all night, sleeping in the tub.
Such misfortune. And he still hadn’t completed his summer break homework, and now had 24 hours left to finish it.
Saturday, August 31, 8:00 AM Tokyo time.
Misaka Mikoto, third ranked of the seven Level 5 espers, only one of seven at that Level, had roped Toma into a fake date in her efforts to avoid Unabara Mitsuki, the grandson of Tokiwadai’s principal Chinchi. She had planned on spending the day catching up on her favorite Mangas. And Toma was supposed to be spending the day working on his summer homework which he had inconveniently failed to do during the rest of his summer.
So when Toma heard the Misaka behind him call out, “Sooorryyy! Did you wait for meee? Are you even listening to me!? Don’t ignore me, damn it!”” he immediately knew his plans were on hold. His friend needed him.
This was especially true after every dormitory window opened, filled with young girls gawking at Misaka after her exclamation. There was no way he was going to let his friend look bad after that, given how embarrassed she was when she realized she had just professed her affections to him right outside her dormitory.
It was during the course of their fake date that Misaka realized something she had never admitted to herself. She really did care for this idiot, and she never wanted to see him hurt. She wanted to hide in shame, seeing how he still didn’t think of her the same way, but she couldn’t, because that would hurt him, and she would never hurt him.
Misaka smiled. “I really am an idiot…” she thought to herself.
Toma had ran into Unabara, who was basically stalking them, and got to know him a bit better while he waited for Misaka to return from the line she was in. After getting to know Unabara, he wanted to give up their charade, convinced that if Mikoto were honest with Unabara about her feelings, he would understand and respect them. Misaka was afraid that wasn’t true, as he had been more aggressive lately in his advances, and she was shocked that Toma was sticking up for him.
“He helped me out with my homework,” Toma pointed out.
Misaka took it from him, checking over the answers. “They’re all correct,” she noted, confused.
“And?” asked Toma.
“I didn’t think he was that smart. Kuroko found out for me, he uses his special talent to cheat,” she explained.
“Whao!” Toma exclaimed. That was the first he had heard that someone could do that with their ability. “You explained that pretty calmly,” he noted.
“Don’t patronize me,” Mikoto shot back. “I can steal your credit card information from its magnetic field.” Toma’s hand immediately went for his wallet. Misaka punched him. “Idiot! Not now, I meant I could do it!”
Misaka promised to talk to Unabara, but as a thank you to Toma wanted to buy him one last treat before they called it an evening. Even though he wanted to just get back to his homework and get it done, he went along with her plan. She picked out a cheap hamburger place, the best they could do given everyone had poured out from their studies to eat at the same time, and left Toma to hold the table while she went in and ordered for them. Toma just sat there shaking his head. “I really feel like our roles are completely reversed when I am around her,” he groaned.
While he waited, Misaka’s stalker showed up again and sat with him for a bit, helping with his homework while they waited. There was a scuffle in the restaurant, and when Toma looked up, he saw Misaka standing in the restaurant with… Unabara, who was also sitting right next to him, working on his homework with him. “Uh…You have a brother or something?” asked Toma.
Unabara quickly figured out what he meant. “I tell you, tricking people never goes well, does it?” He punched Toma in the back, knocking him to the ground, then pulled an obsidian blade. Toma lunged at him just as he swung down to strike, causing him to scrape Toma’s back instead of stabbing him outright.
“Why?” gasped Toma, staggering back from Unabara.
Unabara Mitsuki waved the knife toward the sky, shooting a laser-like invisible beam from the tip that whipped by Toma’s face and hit an illegally parked car behind him, causing a sigil to appear on the car’s door, then the car split apart into a thousand pieces, not sliced up, instead everything holding the car together just neatly falling apart, like a kit into its pieces.
Toma blanched. He had to lead whoever it was that had stolen Unabara’s image away from everyone so no one else was killed or injured by his horrid aim.
“Shit!” he swore running down a side road away from the crowds. As he ran, he called Index.“Pick up Index, answer the phone!”
Index answered, angry that there was no food at the apartment. “Not now! Index, I need help!” As he ran he blurted out everything that was going on.
“The black knife…that’s probably the Spear of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli.” Index informed him. “The spear will kill anyone and everyone exposed to the light of Venus.”
“So that’s how he’s disguising himself as Unabara, too?” asked Toma.
“Probably. Aztec priests slice a victim’s skin off with a knife to make a talisman from it,” answered Index.
Toma hung up, running into an alley where he was cornered. After an intense fight using a shovel, a bag of cement, and his own fists, Toma knocked the knife away from Unabara and left him dazed, laying in the road, his face shattered, showing his true features beneath, younger and darker.
Toma looked down at Unabara Mitsuki, lying on the road. They fought, but Toma’s horrid luck hadn’t run out. In the end, both half buried and surrounded by the rubble of the building destroyed during their fight, the Aztec mage confessed he had come to stop Toma, even though he didn’t want to do anything to hurt Misaka. He made Toma promise he would do anything it took to protect Misaka and her world from him and those who sent him. And Toma agreed, because he loved Misaka.
Around the corner, a wrapped hamburger held against her chest, Misaka Mikoto listened to their conversation. She sighed, not knowing when her blush would ever fade.
Saturday, August 31, 12:00 AM Tokyo time.
Accelerator sighed. His life had come to this. He was in an alley between the student dorms, surrounded by seven very angry young men. Three more were on the ground before him, laying in pools of their own blood.
He had stepped out to buy more coffee from the convenience store nearby, and on his return home, had been accosted by these ten buffoons. He didn’t really even pay them attention, knowing his reflection would turn their attacks without him even trying. Ever since the experiment had been canceled, him losing the fight against a Level 0, people had been attacking him at random times daily, assuming he had lost his edge and the title of Strongest ESPer in Academy City was up for grabs. Whatever. He wasn’t sure about that Level 0 who had defeated him, but he knew he was still who he was. He resumed his walk home through the alley.
They came at him, knives and truncheons flailing and thrashing around him, and him lost in thought, utterly oblivious to their lethal intent. As he got to the end of the alley, he realized it had gone quiet, so he stopped and looked around, noting the ten young men all sprawled out, defeated by the reflection of their own attacks. Nobody died, but nobody was moving either.
‘Tch, I am getting soft,” he thought, leaving them where they lay. He used to just kill them outright for the offense of attacking him, but that was pointless, as he could kill them any time. There was no sense letting it get to him, so he tuned out the sounds with his reflection, and continued walking home.
As he walked, he noticed there was someone behind him, close and shouting. Looking over his shoulder he saw a young girl wrapped in a sheet yelling at him as she followed him. He allowed the sound through to hear her.
“You’re the world’s ultimate airhead, hmm? Says Misaka, as Misaka is all confused.”
He turned and continued walking home. Another homeless person gone crazy, sadly very young to be on the streets. Then it hit him. “Wait… Misaka?”
“Ha! You admit Misaka exists, yay!” cheered the girl launching into another blathering wall of speech.
“Shut up for a second! Let me see your face!” he barked.
“That’s being a little too forward, don’t you think? asks Misaka.”
She continued blathering, so he reached over and yanked the blanket from her head.
“Gahhh!?” The blanket fell from her.
He saw her face. She was one of the Radio Noise Sisters from the experiment, but younger, barely ten. His eyes widened in surprise as the blanket continued to fall.
“What the hell!?” he yelled as she stood there, shocked and completely naked. She started crying so he quickly threw the blanket back over her.
“My serial number is 200001. I’m Misaka of the final lot. My Code name is Last Order, says Misaka.”
Barely listening, Accelerator continued his walk home, Last Order following him and still talking.. “Whaddaya want me to do about it?” he asked her as he walked.
“I need your help. My body is incomplete, unstable. If you want, they can put Misaka back in the incubator to get completed, Misaka suggests, tilting her head in a cute way.”
“Ask someone else,” Accelerator answered.
“Misaka cries in despair! Misaka doesn’t have anywhere else to go.” She sounded frantic.
“What the hell is with her?” he groaned. “I killed your sisters! Why the hell are you coming to me of all people?” He continued walking home, the girl following and pratting on like a lost puppy. He ignored her, but didn’t stop her.
When he got to his apartment building and climbed the stairs, she ran in front of him and threw her arms out. “What number is your room, asks Misaka.”
“Room 304” he answered without stopping. There was a scream from the room's occupant and a hurried apology from Last Order as she backed out the door.
“That was kind of mean, protests Misaka.” She cried, so he sent her into another room, which she opened, then hurriedly shut the door, seeing the room’s occupant.
Accelerator stood before his room, 311. “What the hell?” he said. There was no door, Even for someone as oblivious as him that was tough to miss. Muddy footprints, broken furniture, nothing was left intact. He walked into the room and flopped down on the ruined couch to sleep. ““If you wanna stay over, then that’s your business, but you might be better off laying in the middle of a slum to go to sleep,” he told her.
“Hmmm. Misaka thinks she’ll still stay in here anyway, says Misaka, as Misaka makes that request.”
“Eh? What for?”
“Because Misaka wants to be with someone, says Misaka as Misaka answers immediately.”
Accelerator stared up at the ceiling as Last Order babbled. “Go to sleep,” he suggested. The young girl prattled on as she found a place to lay in the rubble. “What the hell, how long has it been since I talked to someone who didn’t have it in for me?” he thought as he fell asleep.
Saturday, August 31, 3:15 PM Tokyo time.
Accelerator took Last Order out to a diner to eat something, and noticed Amai Ao drive by. He was one of the researchers on Level 6 shift.
Their food came, Last Order trying to connect with Accelerator with conversation. Listening to her, and responding only vaguely, he felt a change within him. He realized he wanted them to stop him. While he was killing them, torturing them, cruely taunting them as he executed them, what he really wanted is for even just one of them to show some emotion, to beg him to stop, to tell him they wanted to live.
Last Order collapsed, face down on the table. She admitted to him she needed the scientists' help. She needed to be placed back in the incubator, to finish her growth, or she would die. She needed his help.
She didn’t want to die, he reflected in shock. She never wanted to die. None of them did. They all wanted to live, and he killed them. He resolved then and there to help Last Order. Leaving her resting in the diner, he set out for the lab that produced the clones, looking for a still functioning incubator that he might be able to use, to save the last sister.
Saturday, August 31, 5:20 PM Tokyo time.
Leaving Last Order to rest in the diner, Accelerator went to the labs There he found Yoshikawa Kikyou, a young woman in her twenties and one of the researchers still at the labs. She explained that Amai Ao was planning to use a virus that would cause the sisters all over the world to turn on all humanity, killing thousands or more. He had two choices. He could kill Last Order, and stop the virus that way. Or he could try to help kill the virus. He was done with killing, sick of killing the sisters, so he decided to try to kill the virus. So he picked the packet with the data stick and laptop. “I want you to fix her,” he said.
“You can leave her physical adjustments to me,” Yoshikawa replied.
He confronted and defeated Amai Ao, and was barely able to correct the defects in Last Order's code by using his special talent. Last Order was placed into an incubator to heal, but before he died, Animo Ao shot Accelerator in the head, causing him brain damage. He had aphasia from the injury, but Heaven Canceller was able to construct a device that let the Misaka network help him overcome the injury so he could continue to function. From that point on, he was the guardian of the remaining sisters.