//------------------------------// // Quesadilla // Story: Sunset Slayer // by Pen Stroke //------------------------------// Sunset Slayer By Pen Stroke Pre-read & Edited by Illustrious Q, El Oso, Kevinltk, Grand_Moff_Pony, & Winston Chapter 8 Quesadilla ========== Sunset squirmed in her seat, the awkward silence of the car itching at her skin. They had beaten The Master. Her friends were saved from the vampire curse. Yet, that didn’t mean they were out of the woods. Crystal Prep was a mess, and any real investigation into the matter would likely bring the police to Canterlot High. Twilight made the hard decision and called the principals, who arrived at the school in under thirty minutes, thanks to an absence of traffic and probably some excessive speeding.  Now, their group was split. Three of them were being taken back to Canterlot High by Principal Celestia. Sunset and Fluttershy were in the car so they could recover at The Library. Spike was hunched over in the back. He wasn’t injured, but a single picture of a werewolf at Crystal Prep, or anywhere in the city, would draw a lot of unwanted attention. They were on the freeway now, zipping along in the utterly empty carpool lane, passing the few other cars that were out at such a late hour. Sunset glanced at the clock and winced as she saw it was nearing three. It was getting to the point where she needed to start thinking about it being the next morning instead of the previous night. “I’m going to want a detailed report of what happened by the end of today,” Principal Celestia said, her words almost making Sunset wish the awkward silence had continued. “Yes, ma’am,” Fluttershy and Sunset said. “And it’s going to have the whole truth, right, Sunset?” Sunset’s hand reached up and gripped her seatbelt. The principals knew about the bracelet. Princess Luna had gotten their permission first before even bringing it over from Equestria. They hadn’t been keen on the idea, for understandable reasons, but they had agreed with the princess’s logic. “Yes, ma’am,” Sunset said before she glanced over her shoulder and nodded to Fluttershy. It would be better if both of their reports were the entire truth. “All right, I suppose that’s all I can ask at this point.” The serious tone in the principal’s voice lightened, and she took a moment to glance back at them before putting her eyes back on the road. “I’m glad you're all safe. The absolute last thing I want to do is have to go explain to someone’s parents that their daughter died fighting magic monsters. I’ve had that nightmare more than enough times to know there is no good way to go about it.” “Yes, ma’am.” That time, all three of them answered, Spike adding his voice. The principal sighed, pressed a button on the driver-side door, and cracked the windows. The cool morning air began to blow in as the car continued along the freeway. “I know what happened back there was none of your fault. You were doing your very best, and we can’t ask for more. We all knew that, someday, we might have to deal with an entity that would leave some collateral damage. This is a war, and sooner or later, something is going to get wrecked during the course of a battle.” “But this is more than just one broken window.” Fluttershy put her hands on the back of Celestia’s seat and leaned forward, putting her head between the principal and Sunset. “Principal Cinch is going to call the police when she sees all the damage, and I don’t think Dean Cadance can cover for us.” “That’s why the others are staying behind with Luna to try and clean things up as best they can, but I don’t think we have to worry about the police too much this time.” Principal Celestia’s words were encouraging, but Sunset noticed the frown trying to form on her face near the very end. “Why?” Sunset couldn’t help but ask. “Do you remember the lab equipment you found in the school? Crystal Prep may have a huge budget, but even they couldn’t afford that kind of hardware. That, and Principal Cinch would never be able to explain those budget items to the school’s parent committee. No, someone else paid for all that, and I doubt that someone will want police and reporters swarming the school.” Spike leaned forward in his seat now too, his muzzle peeking over top of Sunset’s seat as his claws grasped at the sides. “That’s good, right?” “It means any lingering damage will likely be blamed on faceless vandals.” Celestia’s hand found the turn signal, and they began to move across the freeway as their exit drew near. “But it means we will have to be more careful as well. Someone else is investigating the portals to Equestria. Someone with money to fund the research, the expertise to keep it covert, and the power to keep the local police from digging too deep.” “You make it sound like it's some secret government agency,” Sunset said as the car exited the freeway. They could see Canterlot High over the off ramp guardrails, and to Sunset, it had never looked quite so inviting. She wanted nothing more than to just pass out in her bed. “That may very well be one of the possibilities, but we won’t worry about it right now. I need to drop you off and then head back to Crystal Prep.” Celestia pressed gently on the brake, bringing the car to a stop at a red light at the end of the off-ramp. She took that opportunity to turn in her seat and look at her three passengers. “But in case it gets lost in the shuffle over the next few days, I do want to say this. I’m proud of how hard you all fought to save your friends. Though things got messy, you should still be happy that you were able to do that much.” Sunset nodded her head, even letting herself smile a little. The rest of the car ride was passed with few words. Principal Celestia dropped them off, and they made their way to the Library. Sunset was the first through the door, and when she flipped on the light, she was never happier to see her bed. She stumbled forward towards it and flopped down, her head dropping against her pillow. Briefly, her mind tried to grasp at the thought that her fatigue might have been caused by the bracelet. That thought, however, faded into nothingness as her eyes slid shut. Exhaustion overcame her, and Sunset passed into a dreamless, serene sleep. ~~~ Sunset slept like the dead until her senses were roused by the activity in The Library. Her ears heard quiet footsteps and hushed whispers. On top of that, her nose was teased by tantalizing smells which were too alluring to ignore. Sunset sat up, rubbing her eyes before looking down at the bed. She fumbled with her pants pocket, having fallen asleep in her clothes, and pulled out her phone. It was a few minutes past noon. “Hey, look who’s awake just in time for brunch.” Sunset glanced up from her phone, finally taking notice of the fact she was far from alone in the room. Fluttershy and Spike had been there when she went to sleep, but now the others had arrived at The Library. She also saw the source of the smell that was making her stomach rumble: a feast of a breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, toast, and a few gallons of orange juice were spread out on the kitchen table, laid out in a veritable buffet. With the kitchen table occupied, the others were eating on the other side of the room. Spike, who was still a werewolf, was chowing down, sitting on the floor and using Twilight’s desk to hold his plates and glass of water. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were seated around the coffee table. Lastly, Pinkie Pie was in the kitchen, cooking what looked to be the last of the pancake batter. “What are you all doing here?” Sunset asked as she looked across the room, not yet having the motivation to actually get out of bed. “After we finished cleaning up at Crystal Prep, Principal Celestia brought us back here while Vice Principal Luna took Rarity and Twilight back into the city.” Applejack said as she picked up another bite of pancake on her fork. “We all had a long night, but you and Fluttershy had it the worst. So we decided to head back to our homes, get some sleep, then come cook a big old breakfast for everyone. That and we figured Spike probably wouldn’t want to be eating his kibble this morning.” “Just for the record, I would have eaten my kibble,” Spike said, a few bits of egg stuck to his face since the only way he knew to eat was to put his face in it. “This is really good, though. Like, twice as good as my kibble.” The girls shared a giggle as Fluttershy got up from her seat. “You stay in bed and rest a bit longer. I’ll make you a plate. What would you like to drink?” Sunset felt it would be a little strange to be eating in bed while her friends were at the coffee table. Still, her motivation to move was minimal. Breakfast in bed sounded wonderful after the night they had. “Thanks. Don’t suppose there’s any coffee?” “I went and got your favorite from the coffee shop,” Pinkie Pie said as she flicked the pan, tossing the last pancake into the air and catching it expertly. “It’s in the thermos on the table.” “Hey, while you're up, Fluttershy, can you get me some more eggs?” Spike asked before he began licking his latest plate clean. “Isn’t that going to be like your fourth serving?” Rainbow asked through a mouthful of pancake. “He’s built like a linebacker, now. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got an appetite to match,” Applejack said before nudging Rainbow a little. “If anyone should be watching what they eat, it’s you.” “Why’s that?” Rainbow asked with a scowl. Applejack shrugged, though she had a playful grin on her face. “Because you want to fit in that little black dress, don’t you?” Rainbow’s face turned red, and she pointed her fork at Applejack. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that! Besides, Rarity was going to burn all those vampire clothes.” “Yeah,” Applejack said with a nod as she picked up and bit into a piece of toast. “Unless, of course, I told her to save a few of the outfits. After all, mine wasn’t too bad once I ripped the poofy sleeves off, and Pinkie Pie’s was practically a Halloween costume. That one didn’t show any skin at all.” “I know,” Pinkie Pie called from the kitchen as she deposited the last pancake with the rest in their makeshift buffet. “It was a perfect costume.” She then proceeded to stick her arms out in front of her and hop towards the sink using her ankles. “I’d love to be a Chinese hopping vampire this year.” “Besides,” Applejack said as she picked up her glass of apple juice. “Don’t you think a certain vice-captain of the football team might like the dress?” “W-what!? No! He wouldn’t, and I’m not wearing it!” Sunset couldn’t help but cover her face in a feeble attempt to contain her laughter. Applejack’s teasing of Rainbow continued, but Sunset’s attention was drawn to Fluttershy. She was holding a perfectly plated meal. Three pancakes, a sensible serving of eggs, and two triangles of toast rested on the plate while she carried the thermos of coffee under her arm. Sunset reached out and put her hands on the plate. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” “You’re welcome,” Fluttershy said with a smile. She took the thermos from under her arm and set it down on the bed. “Now, be careful not to spill. I think the last thing any of us want to do is make a trip to the laundromat.” “Yeah, I can’t say I’d look forward to that,” Sunset said, though she did not reach for the thermos. Instead, her voice got low, quiet enough that only Fluttershy could hear it. “Have you told the others what really happened?” Fluttershy gently shook her head. “It’s not my secret to tell.” “And are you okay with knowing?” Fluttershy didn’t answer quickly, her eyes wandering downward for a moment. She then turned and sat down on the edge of the bed. She unscrewed the lid of the thermos, turned it over, and began to pour some of the coffee into the cup-lid. “The Master might have killed me if you didn’t do what you did. How can I be mad about that?” “Because it’s… you know…” Fluttershy finished pouring the coffee and held out the cup-lid to Sunset. “It was scary. I was worried we had lost you, but you changed back. That’s what’s important.” “Well, it helped that I had a friend nearby,” Sunset said as she took the cup of coffee. With both of her hands occupied, she shifted in the bed, getting her legs out from under the blanket. She got her feet on the ground, her feet finding her slippers. She stood up, stretching a little before looking back at Fluttershy. “Come on, I’d rather eat with everyone else.” Fluttershy nodded, standing up and following Sunset back towards the coffee table. It was a little crowded with all of them clustered around the single, short, small table. Sunset ended up having to snag the pillow off her bed and use it as a cushion to sit on the floor. Still, she was smiling and happy. They hadn’t gotten Dracula, but last night had still been a win. The entity was stopped, and their friends were saved. As Principal Celestia said in the car, that was what mattered most. Now they only had to figure out what to do with Spike.  ~~~ “Celestia, my dear, to what do I owe the pleasure? Don’t tell me you already have a few new jewels I can add to my collection?” Principal Celestia stepped through the front door to Mr. Chord’s manor as he held the door behind her. He was an older looking gentleman who liked to dress in very out of date styles. It was never the same style, but it was also nothing that came from any recent trend. That morning, he was in tan slacks, a white button down shirt, and a brown vest. He was wearing a red ascot, and one of the shirt’s sleeves was rolled up to his elbow. His hair was its usual unruly mixture of white and black, and he waggled his bushy eyebrows at her as he spoke. She could also see his mismatched, colorful socks clashing with his black shoes. “We had an incident at Crystal Prep last night,” Celestia said as she turned to face him. The foyer to the mansion was perhaps the least chaotic room of the whole place. All the other rooms were choked with collectables from all over the world, both precious and mundane. Even from where she stood, Celestia could see his prized collection of pez dispensers sitting next to a set of Egyptian canopic jars in the neighboring room. “An incident. My, doesn’t that sound ominous. Can I offer you some tea? Won’t take but a minute to boil some water.” Mr. Chord made a sweeping motion with both arms, gesturing to the kitchen. Celestia raised her hand and shook her head. “No, I need to get back and talk with the princesses of Equestria. We’ve got a werewolf we have to try and hide now. Before that, however, I need to tell you something. While the girls took care of the entity at Crystal Prep, they found something else. There was a portal there, and lab equipment had been set up to study it. I looked at the equipment, David. It may be more advanced than I remember, but I’d never forget that design aesthetic. That means General Tirek is sniffing around.” “You do know how to ruin a pleasant morning, Celestia,” David said as he let his arms flop to his side. He then sighed and brought his hand up to his face to stroke his gray goatee. “To think, all these years you and Luna have managed to stay under their radar after going rogue, and it’s a portal to another world that could blow your cover. Even I wouldn’t have taken that wager. Though, I am surprised your little troop of girls hasn’t started poking around. “I mean, your counterparts in Equestria are powerful, eternally-youthful princesses,” David said, bringing his hand to his head and using his index finger to approximate a unicorn horn. “Compared to them, being just the principals of a high school does seem so mundane. Doesn’t it, Agent Sun?” “It’s not just about me and Luna anymore,” Celestia said, trying to keep her tone pleasant, though there were some undertones of irritation. “We’re all in deep trouble if they get any closer to this. We need to know where they are so we can stay ahead of them.” “Yes, yes. If there is one thing David Ichabod Samuel Chord is good at, it’s sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. In fact, I had something I was going to send your way.” David moved to a small table in the foyer of his manor, on which was sitting a manilla envelope. He picked it up, turned, and then walked it back to Celestia. “I heard an interesting rumor about a new student Principal Cinch had procured from another prep school. I go to the country club with the husband of the other school’s principal. According to him, it’s all his darling wife is complaining about these days: her brightest student, offered a full-ride scholarship and some unknown amount of grant money to transfer. It was all because some project at Crystal Prep that had been abandoned when another student transferred out.” Celestia took the folder, cracking it open and looking at the papers inside. There were numerous records of the student in question, but the picture clipped to the front made her body tense. She took it off the paper clip and held it closer to her face. “We had always wondered where she was, who she was.” David nodded. “Yes, it seems Principal Cinch recruited her specifically because of the resemblance. She’s just as brilliant as well. Perhaps not as much as Twilight, but she’s much more hands-on. You should see the summer internships she’s taken. Though, I imagine if things have gone down at Crystal Prep, she may not be there anymore. General Tirek isn’t one to let valuable assets simply slip away, especially the smart ones.” Celestia put the picture back in the folder, closed it, and tucked it under her arm. “Thank you, David. Please give me a call if you find out anything more.” “Of course, Celestia. Please give the girls my best,” he said as he watched her turn and start walking back towards the door. “And maybe next time, we’ll actually enjoy a spot of tea before we start trying to outmaneuver a secret government organization. I have some lovely tea cakes as well, perfect for espionage or a board game luncheon.” ~~~ “So how did your family take the news?” Sunset asked as she and Twilight worked in The Library. They were sitting cross legged near the coffee table, working on a large piece of gridded paper. It was too big for anywhere else except the coffee table and the kitchen table, and they needed to keep the kitchen table clear for the dinner that was soon to arrive. “Well, there was a lot of screaming at first.” Twilight adjusted the ruler she had laid out on the table before using it to draw a straight line on the paper. “Shining grabbed an umbrella as a weapon, while my father grabbed our coat rack. They’re still skeptical about all the crazy stuff Cadence and I told them, and they weren’t happy I was putting myself in danger. Cadence, however, really helped explain how important it was. That and we may have underplayed how long this has been happening.” “So, you're not grounded?” Sunset asked as she jotted down some numbers on the other side of the page. “Oh no, I’ve been grounded for the first time ever,” Twilight said with a hollow laugh. “I can’t stay here at night for about two weeks, and my parents are locking me out of my home lab in our garden shed at home. They say I can still help, if you girls really need it, but require that the principals have to call them first.” “Think of it this way, it could have been worse,” Sunset said before hearing a key slipping into the lock of the door. She smiled and stood up from the floor, brushing out a few wrinkles in her skirt as the door to The Library opened. “The food has arrived,” Spike said as he came through the door. In the days after the incident at Crystal Prep, they had gotten in contact with Equestria about Spike’s werewolf problem. It was a complicated puzzle to solve. They couldn’t simply drain or suppress his magic without putting his new, intelligent mind at risk. At the same time, keeping Spike locked in The Library like a prisoner was too cruel. Equestria’s brightest minds, including Princess Twilight, were working on a long term solution. In the short term, they suggested some concealing clothing and provided an enchanted scarf. Spike set down the bags of food on the kitchen before lifting a hand to the scarf. His entire body was hidden from head to toe, each article of clothing tailored by Rarity to obscure his lupine form. Sandals obscured his paws, and extra-baggy pants hid the unique shape of his legs. A hoodie covered most of his head and upper torso, and he wore gloves for his hands. The final piece was the enchanted scarf that wrapped around his muzzle. It somehow managed to flatten and hide his long, canine snout. Sunset hadn’t figured out if it was a dimensional distortion charm or just an illusion spell, but there was no arguing with the results. With all that clothing, and as long as Spike only went out at night, he looked like a very tall, beefy person that had no tolerance for cold.  “Did the delivery driver give you any trouble?” Twilight asked as she drew a few final lines on the paper. “Nah, he was cool,” Spike said as he pulled off his scarf, his muzzle reappearing out of the folds in the fabric. “He even asked if I was a famous football player or something. I told him I was more into bodybuilding, he took the money and the tip, and drove off.” Sunset chuckled a little as she came up beside the kitchen table, drawn by the smell of the food they had ordered. After the Crystal Prep incident a few days ago, and Spike clearing out the kitchen in one evening, they had been enjoying some of the local area’s finest takeout until a proper grocery run could be made. “Well, I suppose that’s exactly what we hoped would happen. So, which bag is yours?” Spike finished taking off his gloves, slipped them into his hoodie’s pockets, and then grabbed the heftier of the two bags. “These are mine. The two salads, Twilight’s enchilada, and your quesadilla are in the other one.” Spike took a few steps back into the kitchen, plopped down onto the floor, and began to rummage in his bag for his first taco. “Come on, Twilight. You want to eat before Shining comes to pick you up, don’t you?” Sunset said as she began to set out their portion of the meal. “Just a second… and… done.” Twilight tapped her pencil against the paper, dotting one final ‘i’ before smiling, standing up, and walking towards the table. Spike opened his maw and ate half of his first taco in one bite. He chewed a few times, swallowed, then spoke as he prepared for another bite. “What have you two been working on anyway? Doesn’t look like your regular homework.” Twilight sat down, set the foil-wrapped enchilada off to one side, and took the lid off her salad. “It’s some plans for a few renovations to The Library. The principals petitioned the princesses about it, and in the end, they all agreed we could use some more space, if only so you're more comfortable, Spike. Sunset and I were just roughing out an idea we had. It’s no proper blueprint, especially since I couldn’t get a copy of the school’s plans off the internet, but I think it’s a good starting point for any architect.” “We might have made it too ambitious, but it’s probably better if we start big and work our way smaller based on the budget.” Sunset set her salad to one side to eat second and focused on the box in front of her. She cracked it open, smiling as the tantalizing aroma tickled her nose. She reached down a hand, taking the first piece of the quesadilla and lifting it to her mouth. Long strands of cheese stretched and snapped, and Sunset bit down. She smiled as the flavor danced on her tongue, but she couldn’t help but notice Twilight cringing from the other side of the table. “What?” Sunset asked, covering her mouth a little since she was speaking through her food. “N-nothing,” Twilight said, forcing her eyes down onto her salad. Sunset found it odd, but she shrugged and took another bite of her quesadilla. As she chewed, her eyes wandered the room, trying to picture some of the changes she and Twilight were hoping to make to The Library. Their little operation would be expanding, but it would be for everyone’s benefit. There were still portals that needed to be sealed, and long as there were portals, new entities would come into existence. They also hadn’t forgotten about Dracula, either. Applejack and Rarity reverting after The Master’s defeat had given everyone renewed hope that Fluttershy would be free of her own curse, if they could just find Dracula. Sunset took another bite, smiling and nodding her head. She couldn’t know what the future would hold, or if she’d ever have to unleash the she-demon again. But she did know that, as long as she and her friends stayed together, they'd be able to succeed in their mission. They’d protect the human world and keep Equestria’s existence a secret. After all, what could be worse than a prisoner of Tartarus coming through a portal? =============== The End ===============