//------------------------------// // From The Top People! // Story: FlameWeaver: Into The Equestria-Verse // by closet brony 77 //------------------------------// If there was one thing Sunset Shimmer loved about being the one and only Dawn Weaver, it was this: being able to dance across the rooftops of Canterlot city like it was her own personal playground. The wind against her mask, the bright, shining buildings passing her by in a blur of colors and shapes, the adrenaline surge that came with every swing, it was all so fantastic and there’s nothing in the world she’d trade for moments like this; Sunset could honestly do this all day and remain in this space of everlasting bliss. Unfortunately that tranquility was broken when Sunset’s earpiece crackled to life with the sound of a police radio. “Ten-thirty-five, all available units respond! We have a robbery in progress at the corner of 128th and Shoichet, hostages confirmed! Repeat, we are dealing with a hostage situation!” Sunset rolled her eyes in exasperation, so much for swinging the day away but that was the life of a vigilante; not a moment’s rest. ‘At least I’ll get some action for a change.’ Sunset thought to herself, adjusting her trajectory to head towards the situation at hand. ‘Things have been a little quiet around town lately. Haven’t even heard from Tierk for weeks now.’ Sunset then glanced towards the reader. ‘Oh hey! Almost didn’t notice you there, hiding behind the fourth wall like that.’ Sunset Shimmer…thought? Spoke? Ah who cares? She’s addressing you personally so you’d better pay attention. ‘You’re probably wondering what my whole story is: origins, canon events, all that good stuff. Well hang tight because I’m about to give you the whole rundown from the very beginning: My name is Sunset Shimmer, AKA the Dawn Weaver and I’ve been doing this super hero gig ever since I got bitten by a radioactive spider six-ish years ago.’ Sunset Shimmer slingshotted herself around a street lamp, flying down the boulevard before shooting out another web. ‘It’s a pretty great gig if I’m being honest: Super strength, danger sense, climbing on walls, and a few other bits and bobs you’ll get to see in action pretty soon. Plus I’m basically a local celebrity! Tons of people love me, some people hate me, and a few would refer to me as something of a menace but, hey, can’t win em all right?’ Doing a perfect tuck and roll onto some shorter buildings, Sunset sprinted across the rooftops, ducking and dodging past the obstacles in her way before diving off the edge and performing another web swing. ‘PR issues aside, I love being the Dawnweaver. I saved a bunch of people, fell in love with a really great guy, saved the city over and over again, gained some allies slash sidekicks, got a toy line, an excellent rock song written about me, and enough appearances on the front page of the Canterlot Confidential that I could wallpaper a room with them all. My life is awesome.’ Sunset could see the bank come into view over the horizon, the countless police cars parked out front creating a beacon of reds and blues that could be seen for miles. ‘Sure I take a few hits, get knocked down more often than not both metaphorically and literally, but I always find a way to get back up no matter what. Because the only thing standing between this city and total chaos is me, there’s only one Dawnweaver after all.’ Sunset internally monologued. ‘Anywho, nice chatting with you all but I really gotta stop these guys.’ Landing on the rooftop of a bodega across the street from the bank, Sunset took a moment to observe the situation at hand before flicking on her earpiece and calling up her gal in the chair. “Hello?” the voice on the other end spoke. “Starlight? It’s me, I need a bit of a hand over here.” Sunset replied. Starlight Glimmer, Dawnweaver’s tech expert, groaned. “Really? Now? I was just about to go out for an arcade date with Sunburst.” “I just need you to hack into the security cameras at the Spoiled Rich savings and loan, there’s a robbery going on and I want an idea of what I’m dealing with before I swoop in to save the day.”  “Fine.” Starlight sighed. “You’re lucky you’re my best friend, you know that?” The sound of clicking keys emanated from the other end of the call for a few moments before Starlight came back on the line. “Okay, got it. Pretty standard robbery here: five guys, all of them armed with assault rifles and shotguns, three are managing the hostages while the other two are working on the vault. If you go in through the skylight you should be able to get the element of surprise on your side and take em all out before anyone gets hurt.” “Thanks Starlight, you’re the best!” Sunset exclaimed. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Try to avoid getting shot like last time.” The tech expert replied. “I only got grazed.” “It still counts, see you later roomie. Over and out.” The earpiece went dead and Sunset was able to refocus her attention on the citizens in peril. A quick running leap off the side of the building allowed her to clear the street effortlessly without drawing any attention to herself, the police and onlookers too focused on the crisis to even think of glancing upwards. Peering in through the skylight, the vigilante saw that Starlight’s assertation was indeed correct. There were three guys pacing around the main lobby, keeping their guns leveled at the terrified patrons and bank staff, all adorned in hockey masks and jumpsuits of assorted colors. Thankfully nobody seemed seriously hurt, all the guards had only been restrained and were still very much alive but they might not stay that way if she didn’t act fast. Hostage situations were always tense and a lot of criminals tended to crack under the pressure and do something crazy if they felt cornered. It took Sunset a few moments to devise an approach that would minimize collateral damage, then several more to get herself hyped up before she was finally ready. ‘Okay Sunset, the stage is set, the lights are hot, and the crowd is screaming your name.’ She thought to herself. ‘It’s showtime.’ Dawnweaver leapt up in the air and came down onto the skylight, smashing through the glass like it was made of paper and showering the area with broken shards. None of the innocent bystanders were in the splash zone but one of the armed robbers was, yelping in surprise as bits of glass rained down upon him. The poor guy barely had any time to recover from his startled state before Dawnweaver was upon him, laying the criminal out with a flying kick to the head. “Hi there! I’m here to deliver a package, five or so cans of buttkicking for the gang of bumbling robbers, is this the place?” Dawnweaver quipped. One of the other robbers, wearing a red jumpsuit, immediately spun on their heel and gasped when they saw Dawnweaver hunched over his fallen friend. “Holy mother of- It’s the Dawnweaver!” He shouted. “Well don’t just stand there you idiot! Kill her!” His pal in the green jumpsuit repiled, aiming his shotgun at the vigilante. Unfortunately his reflexes weren’t up to par and the Dawnweaver shot out a line of web that caught the barrel of his weapon, ripping it out of his hands and sending it flying across the room with a single tug. Just then one of the thugs who had been working on the safe came around the corner to see what all the commotion was. “I thought I told you guys to-” Was all he was able to get out before the butt of a flying shotgun slammed into his face, knocking him out cold.  Sunset chuckled at the rather comedic scene, only for a familiar tingle to shoot down her spine and she immediately jumped back to avoid a volley of gunfire aimed right at the spot she was standing moments ago. It seemed as though the remaining armed robber had snapped themselves out of their stupified state and was now gunning for Dawnweaver, forcing her to run along the walls to keep herself out of harm’s way. “Stand still you circus freak!” The red jumpsuit thug shouted, wildly spraying bullets in Dawnweaver’s general direction, desperately trying to take her down. His jade colored companion soon joined in with a backup pistol but despite the unfavorable odds, Dawnweaver’s agility proved to be too much for the gun toting duo and within seconds an empty click emanated from their weapons. The red jumpsuit thug fumbled for their bag, trying to pull out a fresh magazine but his panicked state cost him dearly as Dawnweaver swiftly rammed into him with a shoulder barrage, knocking the wind out of him as he tumbled to the floor with no intention of getting to his feet anytime soon. There was no rest for the wiry, however, as Dawnweaver saw the glint of a knife out of the corner of her eye and dodged out of the way; the blade mere inches from her face as it passed by. The green thug had apparently forsaken his firearm for a melee focused approach, making use of a switchblade he had concealed on his person. He took several swings at the vigilante only to whiff each and every time. The criminal getting more and more frustrated with every miss. That was until Dawnweaver grappled him by the wrist and pulled him in close, placing a hand over his face to activate one of her lesser known powers. The man wasn’t sure what had happened next, one minute he was coming at the superhero with murder in his eyes and the next he felt a sense of calmness come over him coupled with regret. Several memories flashed through his mind at a rapid fire pace, mostly related to his ill mother and baby brother back home. “Wait, w-what? Was that…m-mom?” He said moments before Dawnweaver socked him across the face. Sunset didn’t like to use that ability to win a fight, it always felt kind of cheap and scummy, but she was on a bit of a time crunch here. Those gunshots from earlier would attract attention of the remaining goon and she needed to take him down before he did something really desperate like- “HOLD IT DAWNWEAVER!” A new voice screamed. Take a hostage… Dawnweaver slowly turned around and saw, just as she feared, the final burglar had grabbed one of the bank employees and was now holding a gun to her head; his hand was shaking and his eyes were wild, even from across the room Dawnweaver could tell he was panicking. Not a great state of mind for someone holding a gun. “Easy there bud, let’s not do anything crazy.” Dawnweaver cautioned, gingerly approaching him. “STAY BACK!” The purple jumpsuited thug shouted, pressing the gun right up against his hostage’s temple. “STAY BACK OR BEEHIVE HAIR HERE GETS IT!” Dawnweaver held up her hands in the most non-threatening way possible. “Okay, okay! This is me staying back! Now how about you let uh…” the vigilante squinted at the woman’s name tag. “Mrs Cookie Crumbles go and we can talk this out?” “No fraggin way. You already took out four of my boys, I’m not taking any chances here.” The thug replied. “Now here’s what’s gonna happen next, you’re gonna-“ It was at that moment that Dawnweaver stopped paying attention to whatever this guy was saying and started planning out her next move.  ‘He’s anxious, I’ve got him up against a wall and he knows it. There’s no way I can reason with him now, my only choice is to try and disarm him.’ Dawnweaver thought to herself. ‘I know he’ll aim the gun at me at some point to show he means business, which will give me a split second to take him down. If I move too early and he’ll kill that bank teller, too late and he might get a shot off on me.’ “And a supreme pizza with all the toppings! You got that arachno-girl?!” The thug yelled. Dawnweaver didn’t say anything, she just stood there, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists. Her eyes leveled dead on the pair standing on the other side of the room. “I said, you got that?!” The thug repeated, moving the gun away from his hostage to aim at Dawnweaver. The world seemed to slow down around her, every last muscle fiber in her body moving on pure instinct. Dawnweaver sprang forward like a bullet with her eyes locked onto the purple robber’s gun. She stuck out her arm, clicked down on one of her web shooters, and prayed to whatever forces above that her aim was on point. Fortunately for everyone involved, luck was on her side today and the string of web hit the gun barrel dead on. Then, in one fluid motion, Dawnweaver ripped the firearm out of his hand and continued on her path towards the surprised criminal.  With the thug’s leverage gone, the woman caught in his clutches managed to squirm her way free and escape from her captor. He tried to give chase, if for no other reason than to cling to some semblance of control, but it was all in vain as a clothed foot suddenly slammed into the side of his face and knocked him off his feet.  The robber dropped like a sack of bricks, hitting the tile floor with a loud bang and falling into unconsciousness. Dawnweaver moved in shortly after to web him up, ensuring the masked man wouldn’t be able to pose a threat even after he returned to the waking world.  “Well, I guess that’s that. Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?” Dawnweaver asked. As soon as Dawnweaver got close to the bank teller known as Cookie Crumbles, the woman threw herself at the vigilante with her arms outstretched and tackled Dawnweaver into a bear hug. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” The woman sobbed into Dawnweaver’s spandex. Dawnweaver gently wrapped her arms around Cookie Crumble’s form, pulling her in closer while stroking her hair. “Shhh. It’s okay, everything’s okay, I’ve got you.” It was just another day on the job for the friendly neighborhood Dawnweaver. ************************* Once Dawnweaver had gotten the heist gang all webbed up and immobilized, the police were given the all clear by the bank’s security team to move in and apprehend the suspects. Which was Dawnweaver’s cue to leave, beloved local hero or not she was still a vigilante and the police weren’t exactly fans of those types. While she was on much better terms with law enforcement now compared to when she was first starting out, there was still a large crowd of officers who believed she needed to be brought in at all costs which included the chief of police Flash Magnus.  Although that didn’t stop Sunset Shimmer from perching onto the edge of a nearby building to watch the criminals get led out of the building, still bound in webs, towards vacant cop cars alongside shaken civilians who were being tended to various paramedics and having their statements taken by other officers. This was another moment Sunset lived for as Dawnweaver: seeing her efforts bear fruit.  Whether it was a cat stuck in a tree or a major supervillain attack, she never got tired of seeing how her actions had a positive effect on the citizens of Canterlot city. Their relieved smiles, their expressions of gratitude, and even the occasional gift that Dawnweaver occasionally accepted to be polite. All of it gave her a sense of accomplishment; knowing that every action she took, no matter how small, was making a difference in the lives of others. A lot of the bank hostages would be able to go home to their families, safe and sound all thanks to her.  It truly gave Dawnweaver a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.  The sounds of a chiming bell brought Sunset out of her internal monologue and she spotted a clock tower not too far from her current position, helpfully notifying near passerby that the time was five o’clock in the afternoon. ‘Wait, five o’clock?’ Her eyes widened beneath her mask. ‘OH SHOOT! I’M LATE!’ Sunset abruptly sprung off the edge of the building, completely unbothered by the possibility of being spotted in the midst of her frantic swings. Her mind was too focused on getting across town as fast as humanly possible. ‘Shoot, shoot, shoot! I got so caught up in my patrol that I lost track of time!’ Sunset screamed in her head. That was the biggest downside of being a superhero: maintaining a proper work-life balance.  Between school, her job, her superhero gig, and her various social obligations, Sunset had little to no time to rest. Her life was a constant grind moving from one activity to the next. It was hard keeping up the juggling act sometimes. More than once she fell behind on sleep just to keep up with everything and on particularly rough days it felt like she was going to die from sheer exhaustion even without the bruises she got from the likes of professor Octopus or Tirek.  Lesser individuals would have broken under the pressure, but not Sunset. Because as she said before: no matter how much weight was placed upon her shoulders, no matter how hard she got hit, she always found a way to keep going. Which was good because mid way through one of her swings, a drone came flying out of nowhere and slammed right into her face, knocking her out of the air. Luckily her fall was broken by a pile of trash bags sitting on one of the street corners and even more luckily she was only a few more blocks away from her destination.  One of the lesser known benefits of being a superhero is that one becomes quite adept at quickly changing in and out of different outfits. When trouble springs up and mere moments can mean life or death for dozens of people, being able to suit up as fast as possible becomes a sort of necessity for the job; the last thing Sunset Shimmer needed was for someone to see her throwing cars and swinging webs out of costume. Not only was having this skill great for when she accidentally stumbled into a crime in progress and needed Dawnweaver on the scene ASAP, but also when she need to swap back into her civilian persona just as quickly. Such as when she was running towards a prior engagement that had slipped her mind and had only mere seconds to spare. Seconds Sunset used by ducking into an alleyway and using a random dumpster while she quickly swapped the white and gold spandex for her usual crop top, leather jacket, and jean combo; a stylized belt buckle that she had received for last year’s heartwarming completing the ensemble.  A few metaphorical leaps and bounds through the city streets brought Sunset Shimmer to her destination: a local donut shop known as ‘Pony Joe’s’ that had long since become a local hangout spot for college students such as herself thanks to the cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and godly pastries coming together to form an experience you couldn’t find anywhere else. “Phew! Made it!” Sunset said through shallow breaths. “And with fifteen seconds to spare too!” “Wow, that’s a new record isn’t it? You’re usually five minutes late.” A voice Sunset knew all too well teased from behind her. The red-and-yellow haired girl let out a small ‘eep’ and spun around to find that her boyfriend of several years, Flash Sentry, was leaning against a nearby lamppost with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. “Oh, h-hey Flash!” Sunset stammered, wiping away some of the accumulated sweat on her forehead. “So what was it this time? Cat stuck in a tree? Run away subway train? Another sinister sirens attack?” the boy said as he casually strolled up to Sunset. Sunset shook her head. “Bank robbery. I tried to wrap things up as fast as I could but you know how I have to hang back for a bit and give all the hostages a once over. Friendly neighborhood Dawnweaver, ya know?” “I know.” Flash said, lightly pecking Sunset on the lips. “It’s why I love you so much.” Sunset smiled warmly and threw her arms around Flash’s shoulders, pulling him into a deeper kiss right there on the sidewalk. Flash’s hands quickly finding their place on the small of her back to fully embrace her. Only a select few had the privilege of knowing about who Dawnweaver was under the mask, a sort of ‘circle of trust’ Sunset had established for herself consisting of her best friends Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst as well as the love of her life, Flash Sentry. They supported her, held her up when her responsibilities started to weigh her down, and gave her people she could truly confide in about her double life. Without any of them, Sunset may have very well lost herself to some of her darker instincts a long time ago. The memory of that horrible period of her life where she almost turned into ‘demonweaver’ still made Sunset shudder and she silently thanked her friends everyday for pulling her back from the edge of the abyss. But there was no point in fretting over bad times, not when she had the sweetest guy in Canterlot City pressed up against her form. The two of them made out in front of ‘Pony Joe’s’ for a few more minutes before Sunset finally pulled away from Flash with a light giggle, pressing her forehead against his own. “God I love you so much.” Sunset whispered. “What did I ever do to deserve a guy like you?” “Other than getting bitten by a mutant spider? How about being the one and only Sunset Shimmer? Lead singer of the Rainbooms, master of chemistry, and the most beautiful girl at Canterlot University?” Sunset playfully shoved Flash back. “Oh stop it you romantic dork.” “Hey, I’m just stating the facts! Anyways, wanna head inside? I know Joe’s probably pulling some fresh bear claws out of the oven right now. Your favorite!” The rocker said in a sing song voice. “After the day I’ve had? A mouthful of frosted pastries sounds amazing.” Sunset replied. The young couple then looped arms and walked into the donut shop, receiving a chorus of happy greetings from some of the other regulars that frequented the place. Joe already had a small box of bear claws read for Sunset and Flash, along with their usual drink orders straight off the hot chocolate machine as always.  ‘My life may have some ups and downs, twists and turns, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Through good times and bad, I’ll always be the one and only dawnweaver.’ But while Sunset Shimmer was spending an afternoon pigging out on Joe’s finest creations, she remained blissfully unaware that come tomorrow morning her story as Dawnweaver would soon be reaching its end… While the tale of another hero was just about to begin.