//------------------------------//
// Captured by a Ruffian 
// Story: You Can't Help Who You Love 
// by Feather Flyer 
//------------------------------//

	The cool night air whipped by them soundlessly as they ran through the street in silence. Familiar buildings that were made unrecognizable in the dark of night watched them pass by, keeping their questions and comments to themselves. The moon shined beautifully in the sky and graciously lit up a path on which they could continue their run. All that could be heard was the patter of shoes hitting the concrete ground and the panting breaths of four teenage girls. 

Shimmer watched her other worldly counterpart as they made haste to avoid being caught by the pursuing girls. The look on her face was thoughtful. The odd glow of mysteriousness remained in her eyes and the hardened features softened. Shimmer thought it must be a trick of light...but it might not have been. Her hair flowed behind her like a cape, the ends of it seemingly suspended in the air as if by magic; moving gently like the waves of a calm river. The quiet tap of her soles on the concrete was like a ticking clock. Sunset's hand held Shimmer's firmly as though she might lose her at any second.

Shimmer had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that two girls were following them, one being her friend, Twilight Sparkle. She would've analyzed her situation more carefully, but at the moment, she found herself being fascinated by her other self, Sunset: the demoness so mysterious that anything could happen in an instant; nothing could be predicted. It was so strange to be looking at yourself and know that it wasn't a reflection in a mirror.

The queer silence of night was interrupted by Trixie's words. They pierced the air like the crack of a whip and hung above their heads with conviction. 

"Hold it right there, Shimmer!!!"

Sunset laughed heartily at her words.

"You're speaking to the wrong person!!!"

Shimmer glanced back at Twilight and the other girl and saw the shock and confusion on the unknown one's face. Twilight simply kept running, her bow-legged feet hitting the ground at an angle.

"Sunset, why are you running?!" she cried.

"Because I can!" 

Twilight frowned at this. What kind of answer was that? Trixie growled angrily and barked," Sunset Shimmer, you've broken a school rule! You entered the Spring Fling Dance without signing the contract! When I catch you, you'll be done for! I'll make sure you'll be just as humiliated as I was!!"

Shimmer glanced back and forth between the two, stumbling a little as she did so. What did she mean by that? Had Sunset done something terrible to the one chasing them? Twilight, on the other hand, knew what she meant and huffed. 

"What school rule did I break, oh Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon? I didn't see a 'Never allow Sunset Shimmer into the Spring Fling' rule in the student handbook! That contract didn't mean shit to me. And what does it matter? I'm not coming back to Canterlot High anyway!"

Sunset smirked and looked to see Trixie's disbelieving face.

"I transferred, dumbass!"

And with that, Sunset flipped her the bird and pulled Shimmer into an alleyway. Trixie and Twilight ran as fast as they could to catch up but when they got to the mouth of the alley, the two of them had disappeared. Trixie stared at the empty, narrow space in complete shock.

"No..."

She stomped a foot on the ground and yelled with all the fury she had," Sunset Shimmer, you bitch! You know you should pay for what you did to all of us! Stop being a coward and face it! You're a freaking demon!!!"

The angry magician turned on her heel and trudged back to Canterlot High, feeling her hatred eat away at her with the regret she had in not catching the girl. Twilight stood still and caught her breath. She should go and find her friend...but they could be a long way away. She didn't know this city like she did Pointeville. The possibility of her getting lost was almost 100% since she had a bad sense of direction. Staring down the alley one more time, Twilight went to catch up with the Student Body Ambassador, hoping that her friend would be alright. 

Twilight would definitely need to find a phone to contact Cadence about this...but maybe...she should leave out just a few teensy weensy details.


***


Shimmer's Point of View

She was...laughing. She. Was. Laughing.

As soon as the coast seemed clear, she burst out into a full-fledged guffaw. Her eyes watered and tears rolled down her cheeks that had become red from the building pressure of needing to laugh. Sunset hunched down before me, pressing her shoulder against the brick wall in the alley. Her laughter echoed. I was pretty sure the whole world could hear her. I stared at Sunset in disgust. How could she be so happy and cheerful? She just took me with her in a chase where, if roles were to be added, she was the bad guy and Twilight and a Trixie Lulamoon were the good guys. I was pretty much a victim of circumstance here!

Sunset had deliberately broken a rule of some kind. Her smart remarks and rude gestures only made her crime worse. And somehow she got away with it! It made me feel sick to know my other self was like this. She enjoyed getting into trouble and then flawlessly escaping punishment. Angrily, I slapped her on the arm. She kept giggling as I hit her over and over.

"Sunset, you are terrible!" 

She smiled at me and chuckled. 

"You're insulting yourself."

I felt my face blush in anger and I hit her harder. 

"I'm only telling you the truth!" she told me.

And my hits became even harder. Sunset grabbed my wrists and pulled me closer to her as I tried to get in another slap. Looking into my eyes, she sighed.

"Ok, ok. I know what I did wasn't right. HOWEVER. If I didn't go into the building, you wouldn't have met me like you wanted to! It was a win-win. I had fun and you met me so that you could usher 'yourself' off to your school and settle some problem I caused."

I bit my lip. She was right. If she hadn't done that then I wouldn't be able to get this problem fixed. I looked at her. It was apparent she knew she won; her eyes narrowed playfully and a smirk curled at one end of her mouth. It was such a feline look, like Cheshire...It made me feel upset to know I had nothing against what she said, that she was right. I sighed and glared at her.

"I see your point, but I need you to stop swearing. It's not going to make you look sincere if your spitting out curses every few seconds. And I don't like it."

I moved away from her and made my way toward the street.

"Look sincere? Are you trying to say that I'm not at all remorseful for what I had done??" 

I rolled my eyes. Why would she be? Sunset was just that kind of person to go and say 'I regret nothing!' and move on. I kept walking, ignoring her complaints and led us to Pointeville High.


***


"Twilight!" 

The said girl turned to see a herd of five running toward her. They attacked her with a group hug and practically squeezed the life out of the poor girl. Once Twilight was released from their grip, she sighed and rubbed her sides. Examining them closely, she remained quiet as they chattered excited hellos. One of them looked like they came straight off a farm. She wore a big hat and had hair the color of straw. Her suntanned face had pale, white freckles. Twilight couldn't help but notice her accent.

"We were wonderin' you'd come round here 'gain!"

"We were wondering when you would come here again," a pretty 'fashionista' said, correcting the cowgirl.

Twilight looked to her. She had fabulously shiny purple hair and flawless white skin. Her eyes were like blue emeralds and her clothes were of an expensive brand. Surely she was a high class girl. The country one frowned at the diva and complained.

"Aw, what's it tuh you, Rares? Twi knows what Ah'm sayin'!"

"Sure, she can. But others may not."

"Really, guys? Come on, you've been fussing over your 'there, their, and they'res' so much that it's killing me! I thought we came here to talk to Twilight!" a rainbow-haired girl cried in frustration.

"Dashie's right! Now stop being party poopers!" the jumpy one said.

Twilight looked at them, not understanding what was going on with them and feeling the need to leave. She had to contact Cadence and tell her about what had happened...well, tell her the abridged version that is. One without complicated plot. She sighed. Whatever relations her pony princess counterpart had had nothing to do with her. They were all seemingly popping up and straying her from her objective.

"Uh...I'm sorry but I can't socialize right now with...you. So if you'll please excuse me."

Swiftly, she slipped off into the crowd of dancing students. The five girls stared at where Twilight had been before she disappeared. Rainbow Dash groaned and slapped Applejack on the shoulder and shot Rarity a sour look.

"Great! You two scared her off with your bickering!"

Applejack frowned.

"Now why'd you say that?"

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and imitated the two of them:

Rarity- "Speak proper English, Applejack!"

Applejack- "It don't matter none! Twi understands meh!"

Rarity- "But other people mayn't comprehend!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes and sighed. 

"We understand that you're trying to help AJ look good in front of the school when Senior graduation comes along and she gets up there to make a speech about Big Mac, but please!"

Before Rarity could say anything, Fluttershy spoke up for the first time that night.

"Girls, Twilight seemed a bit...distracted. Something must've happened..."

"You're right," Pinkie said,"But what could it be?"

Applejack tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"That's uh good question. What could be botherin' her? The only thing that could poss'bly be wrong is if somethin' serious took place. If she wanted to spend time with us, she would be here now."

Rarity nodded, completely forgetting the earlier conversation.

"Yes, you're quite right about that. But what's different is that she told us nothing. We're her friends! I know we all just met her for a brief time at the Fall Formal, but I would at least have expected her to be excited to see us...Surely she'd confide in us her predicament. Whatever could be the matter..." 

Pinkie Pie twitched and her eyes widened.

"I got this weird feeling that she's not the Twilight we know."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"A-twitchy-in-the-right-shoulder-and-eye-popperoni. Pinkie sense for something's up and not quite right..." Pinkie said in a mysterious voice. She squinted and looked at her friends suspiciously."Other than that, I can't really tell."

Rainbow Dash frowned and looked off into the direction Twilight had gone. 

"Well, we better find out what it is that's causing the egghead to be funny acting."

She looked around.

"But first...we have to find her."