//------------------------------// // To Be On Time Is To Be Late // Story: You Can't Help Who You Love // by Feather Flyer //------------------------------// Time seemed to slow down in just that one second. The doorknob was turning ever so slowly but Sunset's mind was racing like a car with a 700 horse power engine. This plan was a risky one. If only she had thought this through...what if things went badly? Shimmer might not accept her apology at all. What if this was the wrong house? It could be possible that she wrote the wrong address. But she was looking straight at the place the two of them walked in. It didn't look like a house-turned-shop place. There was no sign that indicated such a thing. Wait. What if this was Shimmer's house? Oh no! If that was true, then she would be mistaken for their daughter. Though she was in a way, she just wasn't the...right one? Sunset ground her teeth nervously. It was already too late to run the door was opening she just had to brace herself. The door flew open and Sunset flinched, closing her eyes. But what came next wasn't at all expected. "So you left just to change outfits..." A tall man with blue streaked hair looked down at her. His white skin contrasted with the darkening sky and his look of confused amusement didn't need any explaining. He frowned. Sunset frowned back. Who the hell was he? From his comment, she could tell that Shimmer had gone. Sunset sighed. She was relieved and disappointed at the same time. The man shook his head and went back in, waving his hand for her to follow. "I will never understand females and their obsession with clothes." Sunset glared at the back of his head before stomping in through the doorway. She could tell he was joking from the light chuckle, but it was annoying nonetheless. Coming from another part of the house, a sweet voice said," Honey, who was at the door?" "Just Twilight's co-conspirator," answered the guy good-heartedly. Co-conspira-- Sunset growled to herself. Wow, what a funny joke. A partner in crime, huh? His humor was atrocious. "She's back so soon!" Sunset heard the woman walking to where she was before she saw her standing in the door frame that was the entryway to the rest of the house. She was average height with blonde, pink, and purple streaks in her hair. Her eyes were wide and her mouth parted in a smile. She looked her up and down and clapped her hands together. "Oh my goodness, Shimmer, what an outfit! I just love that leather jacket and your boots! Oh, they're so stylish!" Sunset attempted to smile back at her with as much enthusiasm as the lady was showing. "Uh, yeah." Before Sunset could ask whether or not Twilight was there, the lady turned around and called the said girl. "Twilight, Shimmer's back!" A moment passed before uncertain steps could be heard. They were slow and at random. Accompanying them was a voice Sunset knew all too well. She could hear her walking to where they were by the front door. "...Shimmer? But she was headed off to Mr. Melody's for her guitar lessons in Canter--" A purple girl wearing nerd glasses and a messy bun stood staring at Sunset like she was an alien. Sunset didn't notice before but Twilight had braces on her bottom teeth. Her light blue turtleneck shirt wrinkled under her long white sweater. Her slacks were cuffed at odd lengths and by her side was Spike, the scrawny dog. "Su...Sun...Sunset..." Twilight whispered, her eyes wide. Cadence glanced back and forth between the two. "Something wrong..?" It was a while before Twilight came back to her senses. Sunset was already chalking it up as a loss and was planning to leave when Twilight grabbed her arm. "Wha--!" The nerd's facial expression was something Sunset could only describe as happiness. Her smile was extremely wide; it rivaled that of Pinkie's. Her eyes were bright and full of excitement. She pulled Sunset through the living room and toward the stairs. Spike barked happily and followed, racing in between their legs as they made their way across the room. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I can't believe you're here!" Twilight shrieked. Cadence watched in confusion. Shining Armor yawned and came into the kitchen to get a soda from the fridge. "Never seen Twilight that excited in my life," he chuckled. *** Experiment #254-Progress Report 1 Date: March 15 The subject had arrived at the Sparkle Resident roughly around 5:30 PM without a heads up. That was to be expected seeing how she isn't the type of person to be courteous. The subject arrived on a black Harley Davidson decorated in flames. It remains in the driveway at this very moment. The subject, Sunset Shimmer A.K.A. Sunset A.K.A. Otherworldly twin, claims to have come to acquire notes for Mr. Patters' Geometry test that is to happen sometime this week. She sits in my room on the bed in bored silence looking out the window every two minutes as I write this out. Spike, the dog, is resting by the foot of the bed peacefully as always. The subject recently came to Pointeville High for her Tenth Grade Year. That was actually today. In some way or another, she is connected to the strange events at Canterlot High and I intend to find-- "Yo, Sparkle, can I have those notes now. It's been an hour and you said you'd give them to me after you're through with them. You done or not." Twilight looked up from her notebook to see Sunset standing up with her arms crossed. "Answer, Sparkle. Are you going to give me those notes." The amateur scientist pouted. "No." "No?" "No." Sunset stared at her unpleasantly. "Why not." "Because I need you to stay here." "What for." "I want answers." "To what." "To the events at Canterlot. What led to them? What happened afterward? Who is this Princess Twilight?" As Twilight talked she lowered her notebook from her face. "There were five girls; who were they? Why do people not like you? And lastly...Why do you exist?" Sunset was quiet. She stood there analyzing the girl's serious face. These were all questions she could answer. But did she want to? Not at all. She sighed. This had to be some kind of joke. Information in exchange for some pieces of paper? That's ridiculous! That data held more value than some measly notes. Sunset snorted and grabbed her saddlebag off the bed. "Peace, weirdo. I don't need your stupid notes." Twilight jumped up from her chair and reached out to her. "Wait! Just answer the questions!" "Forget it, nerd." Sunset had her hand on the doorknob and was turning it when Twilight groaned. "You know, if you wanted the notes before you could've just gotten them at school instead of coming to my..." Twilight paused before narrowing her eyes. "Wait...how do you know where I live?" The pony/human was already walking out the room and going through the hallway. The purple girl quickly followed her, stumbling over Spike's slumbering body in the process. Luckily, for Twilight and the dog, neither were hurt. Sunset had her saddlebag slung over one shoulder and didn't even have to look behind her to know that her enemy's other self was right there. "How do you know where I live?" Twilight repeated. "Why didn't you just get the notes from me at school?" She placed her hand on her shoulder before Sunset went down the stairs. "How else would I know where you live? I followed you!" Sunset told her before pushing Twilight's hand away. "But it would have been so much easier if you got it at school!" "Well, I didn't want to do that." "That's stupid." "You're stupid." Twilight pulled Sunset back from the stairway and looked her in the eye. Sunset's face was twisted in aggravation. Her mouth contorted in a disgusted grimace and the bridge of her nose crinkled slightly from the hard glare she was giving. She looked entirely different from Shimmer but all the while the same. Why hadn't she just gotten the notes at school? Following her home wasn't something anybody would do just for some pieces of paper. There was no way she would come just to chat and hang out; she just wasn't that kind of person. To Twilight, Sunset was they type who'd do things that were beneficial to herself but not to the extent where she'd do things the hard way and ignore an easier route. Sunset must've come for something else. But what? What is it that Twilight would have that she would want? It can't be to destroy her research on Canterlot High, could it? No. If that was her plan she wouldn't have sat around for an hour doing nothing. Things would be in shreds by now. Sunset's face started to redden. And not from blushing. "Get. Off. Me. Sparkle." Twilight let her go and Sunset quickly headed down the stairs in anger. The human counterpart of the alicorn princess stood there for a moment. Wait...Sunset had sat in her room doing nothing just waiting for her to hand the papers over. Surely she wasn't a patient person. The only reason why she would do that would more than likely be if she were waiting for something. "Now that I think about it she was looking out the window...But if she followed me here that means she didn't know where I lived. Sunset can't have invited anyone to come here. That would be stupid." Placing a hand on her chin, she kept thinking. "The only person she would even wait for would more than likely be..." Twilight's eyes widened as Sunset's true intentions came to her. She hadn't been following her. She was following Shimmer. But how could she have easily tracked them with that bike of hers? It would be too loud not to hear. Unless she followed her on foot and left the bike back at school! Sunset was led to the house and then went back for her motorcycle and in that gap of time, Shimmer left for guitar lessons. Sunset had come too little too late by the time she arrived. That would explain the fifteen minute period that they had come to the house and Sunset had not come to the door. She was running back to get her bike. Twilight smirked. It was a long stretch to think that that was what happened but it was more than likely how everything fell into place. Outside, Twilight could hear the revving of the Harley Davidson and in a flash she was running to the front door. By the time she flung it open the bike was already zipping down the street. The young scientist stood there under the navy blue sky and wondered what it was she was going to talk about to Shimmer. Whatever she planned to say, Twilight hoped it would be something to solve this calamity. Shimmer was already mad enough about the ruined friendships. She didn't want anymore chaos. Turning around and closing the door, she went back upstairs. Carefully, she moved a microscope to the center of her desk and grabbed her notebook. Experiment #254-Progress Report 2 Date: March 15 I have successfully acquired an important piece of DNA from the subject Sunset Shimmer, the other half. With careful movements I took strands of hair that were on her shoulders. The subject has left to go, in theory, home. But what matters now is that I have a sample of hair to test for extraordinary DNA strands. Sunset refuses to answer the questions regarding Canterlot. I will get the information one way or another. Satisfied with this entry, she happily placed the red and yellow hair under the microscope and hummed. She was making progress.