//------------------------------//
// One Rainy Afternoon at a Café... 
// Story: Sunset over the Horizon 
// by Lunaria 
//------------------------------//

Sunset let out a sigh and cradled her coffee. She still wasn't entirely sure if she should have showed up at all. Sure, the café was nice and on the outskirts of the city so it suited her just fine for something like this... but it still gave off some bad vibes. Especially considering what happened last time she tried to look into this matter.

She didn't even know if her mysterious correspondent would show up at all, so far they were a no-show. But they had promise answers, answers that Sunset desperately wanted, so here she was.

"You're still here? Thank the stars," a heavily laboured voice spoke as a woman approached and slumped down in the seat opposite to hers.

They wore a long coat in white which matched fairly well with their purple and cyan hair. Clearly they were out of breath, the reasonable conclusion being that they had rushed here once they realised they were late.

Looking the woman over Sunset came to a realisation that she looked quite a bit like Rarity, especially the hairstyle, deciding to go with a wild guess she spoke. "So, you're quite a Rarity fan I take it?"

The woman chuckled. "Close, but not quite. This coat is her design though, she was kind enough to make it for the occasion."

Sunset hummed. "So what's your name? I assume you're the one I have been chatting with online."

The woman nodded. "That's correct. You can call me Midnight if you wish, at least for now."

Sunset frowned, that did match their online handled. "I thought the point of meeting up in real life was to ditch online personas?"

Midnight stifled a giggle, something which made Sunset raise her eye.

"Sorry, it's just... No, I shouldn't laugh. But your demeanour and inquisitive nature is exactly what I expected."

Sunset didn't know how to make head or tails of Midnight. They'd found each other online after Sunset started investigating a few mysterious incidents. Midnight seemed to be of similar mind and was willing to share what she knew, except... she'd only be willing to share the details in real life.

Considering that Sunset herself had eventually hit a figurative dead end, and her more scholarly inclined friend wasn't much help either, she'd decided to take the stranger up on the offer. So they decided to meet up at a neutral place to talk things over, at least that was the idea.

"So, I'm here, you're here; let's get right down to it."

Midnight smiled. "Not one to beat around the bush? I can understand that."

Midnight fished up a notepad out of her backpack, which Sunset just now noticed the girl had dumped on the floor. She opened it and started flipping through the pages before eventually stopping on one and nodding to herself.

"So, what do you know?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I figured it would be best to start with what you do know so I don't cover the same ground."

Sunset nodded, that did make some degree of sense, though it was hard to find the words considering the subject matter.

"Something is up in the next town over, and, well it sounds crazy to say out loud I'm sure, but it feels supernatural in nature."

Midnight nodded. "I can see why you'd come to that conclusion, I'm more of a woman of science myself."

Sunset scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah I have a friend like that."

Midnight hummed. "Still, I don't think you're wrong in thinking it's supernatural, but personally I think it's just that no one's had the chance to properly study and research this stuff."

Sunset took a sip out of her long since cold coffee. "You sound like you already know what's going on though."

The other woman flashed a smile. "Yes, to a certain extent I do. I wouldn't call myself an expert though, far from it."

Sunset leaned back in her seat and sighed. She considered for just a moment what she'd even tell Midnight. She'd been careful online of what she'd say, some of the things she and her friends knew where not things that should be shared freely.

"Well, something is going on in that city, and it's not anything that'd be considered... natural."

Midnight gave her a nod to show she was listening.

Sunset licked her lips. "There seem to be something going on that the entire town is willingly or unwillingly covering up. Most of it seems to be centred around a few specific girls."

"It does make one wonder why it's always young girls or teens, right?" Midnight interjected with a smile.

Sunset frowned. "What do you mean?"

Midnight awkwardly chuckled. "You know, like it is in all those umm... TV shows?"

I took her a moment to draw the connection to what Midnight was talking about. "Oh, I don't watch stuff like that." She did have a friend that was really into it and kept raving about it though.

Midnight pouted. "Really?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Let's get back on track, please."

"Fine."

Sunset took a moment to reflect on what she knew before she continued. "I don't know exactly how much of what I've seen is real, how much is embellished, nor what is just rumours."

"I guess that makes sense..." Midnight tapped a pen against her cheek. "But you did know about Rarity, you said?"

Sunset nodded. The young fashion icon was already making waves despite how young she was, and despite how her oppositions continuous insistence that she was inexperienced. Yet there was just something about her fashion ideas that were 'out of this world', at least according to critics; Sunset wasn't really much of a fashion inclined person herself.

"Yeah, she stops by in that town every once in a while. I figured if anyone would have the inside scope about what's going on, it'd be her..."

Did Midnight know Rarity? If so, that changed a lot of things.

Midnight nodded. "I've meet her myself, and you're probably not wrong."

"You said she made you the coat? I would have assumed you knew each other considering..."

Midnight chuckled. "She still does custom design work for customers if she happens to be in one of her shops. I've gotten the impression that she is in the industry for the passion more so than anything else."

Sunset shrugged. "I suppose, but I can't imagine the money isn't helping."

The tell tale sign of a phone signal went off and Midnight quickly hurried to fish up her phone, mouthing a sorry to Sunset before answering.

Sunset shrugged and leaned back in her seat. She sipped on her coffee again before scowling, she really should have just gotten another one or asked for a re-heat.

"Yes?" Midnight spoke into her phone. "I told you, I'm out of town... No it's not a research trip, I just needed to meet with someone." A blush quickly spread across Midnight's cheeks. "No it's not a date!"

Sunset chuckled, she could imagine herself getting similar assertions made about her from her own friends.

"No, look, it's not like that, I just needed to meet with..." Midnight eyed Sunset. "This friend of mine."

Sunset got up and walked over to the counter to order another coffee. Really, she shouldn't try to eavesdrop someone else's phone call, but what could she say? Bad habits died hard.

Midnight was still at it when Sunset got back and slid down into her seat again.

"Look, it's important, I'll tell the rest of you girls all about it the next time we meet up, okay?"

Sunset fished up her own phone and checked, as expected she had several unread messages sitting and waiting for her. She'd told her friends she'd be meeting up with someone to look into the strange happenings, but she'd been smart enough to put her phone on silent.

"Okay, yes I will stop by for a bite to eat when I get back, bye."

Midnight let out a deep sigh after finally managing to end the phone call.

"Though crowd?" Sunset asked.

Midnight shook her head as she pocketed her phone. "Nothing like that, they're just worried about me. This girl in particular has a habit of talking too much."

"Sounds like a bother."

"It can be, but I wouldn't have it any other way," Midnight smiled.

Sunset sipped her new, and much warmer, beverage.

"Right, shall we get back into it?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Let's see... I think I can start filling you in but... there is one more question."

"Oh?"

"Well... have you ever considered about... you know, yourself?"

Sunset froze, she should have expected this question to come up, especially from someone else who'd looked into things. She knew how to steel her emotions though, at least outwardly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, one of the girls look remarkably a lot like you, I'd imagine that's why you started looking into things in the first place," Midnight wore a grin that if Sunset didn't know better she'd call predatory.

There wasn't really much too it, if Midnight already knew then she knew. "Yeah, kind of. It's a bit weird seeing someone else running around with my face and name."

Of course, it hardly surprised Sunset that she had what looked like a twin, no, the surprising part was all the unnatural crap surrounding them. It wasn't as if Sunset's own life was particular normal either, but things had slowed down and settled after graduation; or so she thought anyway.

Midnight hummed. "Yeah I can imagine it being quite unsettling, personally I find it fascinating." Midnight flipped over to a later page in her notebook. "So what's stopping you from just heading over and confronting your body clone anyway?"

She'd thought about it before, but never really put it into words. "I guess... I'm a bit afraid of what I'd find. Did she mess up her life the same way I did mine? Or is she just the picture perfect woman she seem to be? ...Outside of the weird stuff I mean," she quickly amended.

Sunset's gaze turned out the window and towards the light rain dripping down. Just a few houses over was the edge of town, a large expanse of grass followed. In the far distance she could see the few skyscrapers that made up the center of the neighbouring town.

"I think she'd be happy to meet you, you know?"

Sunset snapped her attention back to midnight, eyeing her wearily.

"I haven't been completely honest, I suppose," Midnight continued.

Sunset's eyes widened. "You know her."

Midnight nodded. "I'm quite close to her, and you'd probably know who I was too if it wasn't for the hair styling and make-up Rarity helped me with."

A frown worked it's way onto Sunset as she could feel her anger growing. She'd restrain it, she was far beyond flying off the handle, but being deceived was never an enjoyable experience.

"You're one of them then?"

Midnight nodded.

"Do they know about me?"

Midnight frowned and shook her head. "No, I found you online on my own when I was trying to find an old friend and... well you grabbed my interest."

Sunset swore under her breath. She hadn't planned on making contact today, she wanted more information, to better know what she was dealing with first. 

"Will you be telling your friends of me?"

Midnight stared at her for a minute before sighing. "Not if you don't want me to... But Sunset, I think Sunset, my Sunset that is, would love to meet you."

"Maybe one day, but not now," Sunset quickly answered. She was quite curious about her body double, but concern outweigh any desire to learn more.

"Is it true?" She asked as she stared Midnight down.

Midnight just stared back at her questioningly.

"The stuff you do, I mean. The things that there are videos on the net of you seven doing."

Midnight nodded. "All of that happened, yes. I don't know exactly what you've seen, but we've been involve in some pretty extraordinary things."

Sunset swore as she got up and picked up her coffee, quickly making her way towards the exit. She wasn't fully sure exactly what kind of crazy she was dealing with yet, were these girls even human, or something else entirely?

"Wait don't go!" She could make out Midnight exclaiming after her.

She was already on her bike and ready to pull the key when Midnight caught up to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset or scare you," the woman wore a pleading face.

"Just," Sunset sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need some time, okay?" She needed more than time, if she was honest; she needed a battle plan. She had no idea who or what her body double was, but she was absolutely certain that she didn't have a twin sister that could grow animal ears.

Midnight stared at her before eventually taking a few steps back. "Okay, I'll message you later."

Sunset nodded and started her bike.

"My name's Twilight, by the way... Twilight Sparkle."

"Got it."

Sunset didn't let her get off another word before she hit the gas. It was a good ten minutes down the road before she'd gotten her thoughts in order again. At a red light she called a familiar number, her wireless headphones serving well.

"Yeah?" A feminine voice answered.

"Moondancer, do I got a fucking story for you. Meet up at the usual place?"