After they left Papa Chayote's taco shack, Jackie would take out her cell phone and start talking to someone. Even with only half the conversation, it seemed that the guitarist was arranging to meet with this person and it seemed that they would be able to come to a place called Wholesome Foods. When she inquired about it, the blue haired woman simply waved off the question and said that Sunset Shimmer would get the answer soon. Soon being about a thirty-minute walk where they began entering a bit more of a nicer neighborhood, more up the ladder of middle class and where Sunset felt her chances of being jumped after dark dropped about to about forty-five out of ninety percent. Some of the people even waves to her and she saw some kids playing street hockey down one of the less busy streets. Over all not a bad neighborhood to live in...
"Alright, we're here!"
Looking over, the red head saw a fairly big shop, the 'Wholesome Foods' that had been mentioned over the phone. Based on the size and the fact that she had never heard the name before, it definitely wasn't a chain. Even the feel of it was different when they stepped inside, there was an electronic chime to signal they had come through, there was a sort of freshness in the air and taking a glance at some of the nearby products they just shouted 'healthy'. A bit more intrigued by the store, Sunset absentmindedly followed Jackie until she bumped into her from behind. She blushed softly as she took a step back before looking around to see they were standing in front of the counter where a woman stood behind it.
"Sunset Shimmer, this is Sandra Lupine, I just call her Sandy. Sandy, this is my new f-... roommate slash acquaintance Sunset Shimmer. She's knew to town so you know, you and yours look out for her okay?"
"Of course! And it's a pleasure to meet you Sunset Shimmer."
It was easy for Sunset to pick up that this woman, it was hard for her to judge the age since it looked like she took very good care of herself. Her skin had a royal blue tone to it, she was a bit taller than Jackie and herself, with cotton white hair that tied into a braid that hung down the front over her shoulder, probably long enough to reach mid-back if she had to guess. The orange/gold eyes were warm and friendly and Sandy wore a dark, turtle-neck sweater and what looked to be a long skirt.
"Yeah, Sandy's working here until her fancy acting career takes off and she ditches us for Applewood and Manehattan and Bridleway and all that."
"Oh come on now, I am sure I couldn't shake any of you even if I tried. Not that I'd want to after everything we've been through."
Sensing a definite story behind it all, Sunset Shimmer looked between the two, expecting one of them to fill her in.
"So... you two went to school together?"
The resulting snort from Jackie and giggle from Sandy seemed to give her the answer.
"Hell no, Sandy is like, six years older than me. She moved out here from Manehattan when she was fourteen and baby-sat me until I was old enough to look out for myself. And even after that I could usually give her a call to pick me up or get me out of some bind."
"Yes, and if I remember my calculations correctly, you owe me what I believe you would term 'a shit-ton of solids'. By the by, I'll be needing an acting partner again this weekend, I need to get ready for an upcoming audition."
While Sandy rested her chin on her folded hands, leaning against the counter and looking slyly at Jackie while the younger woman rubbed the back of her neck and coughed. Seeing Jackie under the woman's thumb made Sunset Shimmer chuckle softly.
"I guess it's been hard to get an acting gig around here, huh?"
"Oh like you wouldn't believe. After high school I took a couple years of community college to refine my skills, but there are so many people around looking for a break with many more seeming to arrive each day. But I certainly haven't given up hope."
Momentarily gloomy over her situation before smiling once again, Sandy pushed herself up from the counter and looked between the two of them.
"Now, will either of you two be buying anything? I'm sure I can use my discount if either of you need it like I do for Poppy. Speaking of which..."
The door chime had sounded before Sandy finished her sentence and Sunset Shimmer turned to see a woman about Jackie and Tino's age had come in. She wore torn up jeans, work boots, and had on a thick, fur lined jacket. Her hair was a shade of mulberry and in a pixie cut while her eyes were a pale gray lavender, her skin having an ash grey tone to it. She could just make out what looked to be the edge of a tattoo on her neck that was mostly hidden by the fur lined hood of the jacket and a stud in her nose.
"Ey, I'm here. Whose the girl?"
"Sunset Shimmer, new acquaintance I want you and yours to look out for. Sunset Shimmer, this is Poppet Valve, we just call her Poppy. She's our bands drummer and the one who got my car up and running like a dream!"
"And all it took was a shit load of duct tape and a miracle."
Ignoring Jackie rolling her eyes, Poppy instead looked Sunset Shimmer up and down, seeming to appraise her before giving a nod.
"A'ight, I'll let the guys at the shop know. They're old school Shimmer, so if anyone fucks with you bad, they'll put the guy in a hole out in San Palamino somewhere."
Hearing this made Sunset Shimmer's eyes widen as she looked to Jackie and Sandy, wanting to see if the mechanic was joking. To which Sandy only smiled nervously and Jackie gave a nonchalant shrug.
This was... an interesting group she had gotten caught up with.
Four days would pass since then and Sunset Shimmer had settled in more comfortably. She and Jackie shared the room and the bed, not a bad deal since Jackie came in after she fell asleep and usually didn't wake her up. She'd also gotten a bit more used to Bobby walking around in his boxers and was thankful he'd put on some pants when asked. When she spent time talking to him, he wasn't the sharpest when it came to most things outside of business but he was considerate and always meant well.
Things had only hit a snag two days ago when Poppy and Tino had been over, going over new songs and possible venues for their band the The Dune Dog Runners (but they were thinking about changing the name). After a heated debate over a pair of lyrics and how they would either sound too much like Red Hot Chili Peppers or Hole, Sunset Shimmer had simply been passing through to get a snack when she asked off handedly who either of them were. Tino looked pretty stunned, the stoic Poppet Valve even raised a brow and Jackie... Jackie seemed to be comatose with her mouth open and eyes staring. To the point that Poppy reached over and patted her on the shoulder in an attempt to console her over her roommates 'lack of knowledge'. The next thing Sunset Shimmer new, she was banished to their room, the CD player was on the bed and she was given a stack of CDs that she had to listen to under threat that if she wanted pizza she'd have to pick off the toppings she didn't like instead of getting what she wanted.
And she had to say... she liked what she was given.
It was quite a selection, Red Hot Chili Peppers, a band called Alice in Chains, Hole, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Waits to name a few... but there was a band she drifted towards the most and found to be her favorite. A band called Nirvana.
While Jackie was a bit disappointed that Sunset Shimmer didn't like RHCP more, she was happy to fill the red head in on the band's history in brief. It was sad to hear the lead singer had killed himself but she was happy that between Jackie, Tino and Poppy, they easily had all the CD albums ever put out. Tino had burned her copies and Jackie had even pimped Poppy to lend a bit of cash so they could buy Sunset Shimmer a poster to hang up in the bedroom.
The high schooler was currently lounging on the bed, dressed in one of Jackie's shirts and a pair of jeans. Bobby was out for classes and Jackie out trying to get a job (or at least to play guitar on the street corner for some quick cash while she put up more fliers for music lessons). The CD player was on and running through Nirvana's Unplugged in New York disc that Tino had burned for her. She had Bobby pick her up a newspaper, still intent on looking for a job until something caught the corner of her eye. The music was so loud that it drowned it out, but from under the bed part of her magic book had slipped out, flashing and vibrating. Having mostly been dealing with ignoring her phone and basically blocking out her ex-friends, it had slipped her mind it had been about a week since she last contacted Twilight!
Tossing aside the newspaper, Sunset Shimmer quickly picked it up and grimaced upon opening it. Princess Twilight had messaged her many times, growing more and more panicked sounding with each message, the words scribbled out more frantically. But it was the last message that really worried Sunset.
"... aw shit."
It was about this time back in Canterlot city, a woman sat alone in her office at Canterlot High School. She had just gotten off of the phone and had slumped back in her seat, the dim light filtering through the window shades only a small reflection of the mood she was in. For a long while she just sat there until there came a knock at the door and, already knowing who it was, she bade the person enter.
"... you can't be so hard on yourself 'Tia."
Vice Principal Luna closed the door behind her and took a seat across from her older sister, trying to be firm but looking sadly upon the woman. Principal Celestia seemed a former shell of herself right now, normally vivacious and bright, she looked so down and listless. Almost lifeless pink eyes finally looked to her sister, even in the dim light Luna could just make out how hard her sister had been crying. Hating to see the other like this, Luna squared her shoulders as she prepared to continue.
"We've never dealt with a situation like this before, we were unprepared."
"Oh?"
That alone made Luna silent, feeling a bit nervous as Celestia tilted her head and continued to to stare at her.
"Unprepared... or rather I was foolish. To say the least."
Before Luna could speak up, the older sibling raised her hand, silently requesting the other not speak just yet. Then she pushed herself out of her seat, in a manner that made her seem so tired and worn out that it tugged at Luna's heart strings to see. Celestia moved over to the window and moved the shades so that she could see out them a bit, having a view of the athletic field and seeing one lone student there, appearing to kick a ball around.
"I believed... I truly believed in the goodness of my students Luna. I trusted that no matter what, they would always do the right thing. I had my complete trust in them and I let that blind me. And where did my naivety lead us? Six students were expelled for attacking an underclassman in the cafeteria, twenty more were suspended and kicked out of their clubs for starting fights. The underclassman and her friends were given the same punishment as the twenty others except detention for the rest of the year, no use of cell phone or computer usage on campus simply because they cannot be trusted... and they framed an innocent student by using her past and flimsy evidence against her and now no one knows where Sunset Shimmer is or if she's... okay."
Towards the end Celestia's voice started to crack, a hand raised to her mouth as she shut her eyes tight and fought to regain control of her emotions. It was at this point that Luna had enough, angrily rising from her seat with her fists clenched.
"There is nothing wrong with trust 'Tia! If you hadn't trusted me back then during that nightmare of an incident I had gone through, I don't know where I would be now. Even good people can make mistakes, terrible mistakes 'Tia. But many mistakes can never truly be undone and rarely can any person ever be forgiven. We both know this... everyone at this school made mistakes 'Tia, you had no control over what they chose to do in handling this situation."
A tense silence fell between them, Celestia still having her back to Luna with the vice principal wondering if the other woman would ever answer her. Then finally, after what seemed like a small eternity, Principal Celestia turned back to her younger sister, a soft, smile on her face but her eyes holding such a sadness to them.
"But if I had intervened. Then perhaps Sunset Shimmer would still be here. No Luna... saying that 'mistakes were made' is not going to cut it. And I'm afraid I've already made the arrangements to ensure that Canterlot High School will endure."
Made arrangements? Luna had to think about what possible 'arrangements' could have been made. But as she continued to gaze at the sorrowful woman before her, something clicked and her eyes widened.
'Oh shit...'
There was a noticeable sound that echoed across the field as her foot connected with the soccer ball, sending it flying in an arc before it hit the net of the goal halfway across the field. Despite the impressive kick, Rainbow Dash felt nothing... no sense of joy or triumph. After all, with everything that happened with the Anon-A-Miss incident, what did she have to be proud of? Before she could jog over to retrieve her ball, a voice called from behind.
"Not bad. Thought ya'd be takin' it easy after the way Dumbbell pounded on yer' back n' head."
A look over her shoulder revealed it was, in fact, Applejack, her best friends dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, and wrapped up in a fur lined jacket and a scarf. With her usual stetson hat of course. Compared to Dash, the farmer was dressed a lot warmer, the athlete dressed in only sneakers, sweat pants, and a work out shirt. When she got going it got way too hot for winter wear, to the point were steam was coming off of her body but she had been so down that she had barely worked up a sweat so far.
"Didn't feel like staying in."
Turning, she jogged off to retrieve her ball, opting to carry it back instead of kicking it as she returned to Applejack.
"... ya' still haven' talked to her, have ya'?"
"Nope..."
The blonde let out a long sigh, the air in front of her mouth fogging up as they stood together in silence for a short time.
"... s' hard to talk ta' Applebloom too. Dunno how ta' talk to someone who used mah trust 'gainst me without bein' angry."
"... yeah."
For a time Rainbow Dash looked off towards the school, her expression unreadable before she looked over at Applejack, seeing that the other was looking at her almost expectantly.
"... what?"
"Ya' haven' talked 'bout it since Applebloom came clean ta' you girls at Sugarcube Cafe."
"So?"
"So..."
"So maybe there's nothing to talk about."
Another sigh, this time one of frustration, Applejack gave a light glare to Rainbow Dash as the athlete turned and began walking towards the bleachers to collect her gym bag.
"Oh that is such bullshit Dash. It's eatin' at ya', we haven' seen ya' since that day at the cafe and when Scootaloo near got the tar beat outta' her. We're all worried 'bout ya' n' we need yer' head in the game if we're gonna find Sunset!"
"Since when does anything need to be said!? It's all right there!"
With her gym bag over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash had suddenly turned around to face Applejack, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"I turned my back on her, Twilight said I was supposed to be the element of freaking loyalty and I turned my back on her! I got so caught up in protecting my reputation I didn't think twice when the evidence seemed to point to Sunset Shimmer and now she's gone! Out of all of us, I should have stuck by her side but I didn't, and maybe if I had she wouldn't be gone... and on top of it, the girl I thought of as a little sister... was the one who betrayed me."
Having said her peace, Rainbow Dash wiped away the tears in her eyes before taking a deep, shuddering breath. Applejack sad nothing but continued to sadly watch the other, waiting to see if she would continue.
"... don't put it all on your shoulders Dash."
Looking up and giving the taller girl a half-hearted glare, Applejack wasn't in the least bit fazed and continued.
"Element of Honesty 'member... ya' think Ah'd know she was telling the truth n' stuck with her. But Ah'm so thick and Ah was feeling so embarrassed Ah took the easy solution too. Ah let mah own sister get me angry thinkin' a friend Ah gave a chance to betrayed me, nearly lost it when Sunset suggested it was Applebloom. We're all ta' blame Dash. N' we all need ta' fix it n' bring her home."
Only giving an nod in reply, Rainbow Dash began walking off the field and towards the front of the school where she had parked, Applejack following along in step. There was nothing more to be said at the moment, both knew their mistakes and knew what had to be done and they were both determined to find their friend.
Their attention was caught when there came a frantic yelp from the statue, both exchanging a puzzled glance before hurrying over. There at the base of the statue was a girl with purple toned skin, long indigo hair with a pink and purple stripe through it, and way under dressed for the weather in a purple skirt, purple boots and light blue blouse. Along side her, a light purple dog with green ears.
When Princess Twilight spotted them, the look of nausea was replaced with concern dialed all the way up to eleven as she got to her feet and rushed to them.
"Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Thank Celestia! I've been trying to contact Sunset Shimmer, she was really upset about this whole Anon-A-Miss thing but I haven't heard from her in a week and I got so worried! Do you know where she is?!"
Applejack leaned back as Twilight grabbed the front of her jacket, the pony turned girl looking almost manic and very desperate for answers. The blonde swore she was actually starting to sweat as she glanced over to Rainbow Dash, the athlete looking equally as worried.
... shit.