Iridescence

by Tunalock

[Arc I] Chapter Two: Car Trouble

The black Impala pulled over to the side of the road by Cauldron Lake, behind an equally black Camaro. The door of the car opened up, and out stepped Minuteman, finally happy to have his own car. He slammed the door shut and jogged over to a tree where Flash Sentry was reading a book, sitting down next to him. "Is she here yet?" he asked Flash.

"No, and neither is Sunset," replied Minuteman.

"Sunset? I thought you broke up with her a while ago."

"Well, she's changed ever since the incident at the Fall Formal. She's gotten nicer." The two thought back to the year's Fall Formal, when their classmate, Sunset Shimmer, turned out to be a pony from another universe hellbent on taking it over. She then proceeded to turn into a demon and enslave all the students at the school before a group of six students used the 'magic of friendship' or whatever to save the students. "It's a real shame that Twilight didn't stay behind, she was really cute."

"Careful what you say," Minuteman said, "or Sunset might get jealous."

"She's not here," Flash said, turning a page in his book. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Whatever. What're you reading, anyway?"

"Nothing," Flash quickly said, closing the book and hiding it from Minuteman.

"Come on," Minuteman pushed. "You can tell me, at least."

Flash sighed. "I've just been trying to figure out how to fix all the stuff that came between me and Sunset. I don't want this to end up like the last one with her."

"And you're resorting to–" Minuteman grabbed the book from Flash "–'How To Fix Your Broken Relationship' by some writer who has no idea what you're going through?"

"I wish Twilight were here," Flash said. "Things wouldn't be so complicated. I really liked her, too."

"What was that?" came a stern female voice behind them. The two turned around to see the flame-haired Sunset Shimmer standing behind them, hands on her hips and staring threateningly at Flash Sentry. "Well? I'm waiting!"

"I- uh… I'll see you later, Minuteman," Flash muttered, trying to run after his girlfriend.

Almost immediately, Green Leaf slid in next to him. "What's up?" she asked, but Minuteman instead got up and tried to find out what was going on, disguising it as him going to his car, leaving Green Leaf all alone. "Oh… alright…" she said, let down by the sudden turn of events.

When he got to his car, Minuteman could clearly hear the argument between the two lovers. "It was just something I said," Flash explained, "no harm, no foul."

"'No harm, no foul'? As if!" replied Sunset. "You can't just say in front of your girlfriend that you like another girl!"

"Please, just listen! It's already been hard enough putting the past behind us, it was just an innocent comment. Twilight's not here, but you are."

There was a long silence between the two until Sunset sighed and said, "Look, I'm gonna head home. Please don't follow me."

As Sunset walked off, Minuteman thought to himself, Maybe I can help Flash out… As if his car somehow knew what he was thinking, the car radio turned on to a random radio station. As the melody played, Minuteman revved the motor of his vehicle and drove up alongside Sunsest. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted a ride home! It, uh, looks like it might rain!"

The girl looked at the clear blue sky, chuckled, and said, "Look, I'm just not like that. I've got a boyfriend."

"I know!" Minuteman said. "I'm friends with him, Flash Sentry! Now please, get in! Let me give you a ride home!"

Sunset contemplated this for a minute before opening the door to the Impala and getting in, Minuteman driving off onto the dirt road.

---

The two sat in silence for most of the ride. It wasn't until they were nearing Sunset's home that one of them spoke up.

"So, uh, what classes do we have together?" Sunset asked.

"Well… we've got Equestrian History, Language Arts, Biology…"

"Hey, weren't you that kid who tried out for the football team?"

Minuteman internally shuddered. He was reminded about the time in tenth grade when he did try out for the football team. With so many people running at him, he ended up panicking and locking up, causing what felt like the brute force of the whole team to ram into him. "Uh, no, I don't believe so. Don't know who you're talking about," he replied, hoping Sunset wouldn't catch his lie.

It didn't work. "Yeah, you're that kid… uh, Minuteman, was it?"

Before Minuteman could respond, however, the car's radio started working on it's own again, playing a romantic song. "I… uh… I-I've got nothing to do with this," he stammered, but Sunset's face showed the thought otherwise. "I mean, we barely know each other, and you've got a boyfriend, and…"

The car took a sharp right turn onto the edge of a large hill, showing the whole of Canterlot in the beautiful sunset. It then seemed to shut itself off, and wouldn't turn on no matter how much Minuteman turned the key.

Sunset Shimmer sighed and said, "Just pop the hood, there's most likely some engine trouble." Minuteman did what she said, and the two got out of the car to look at the engine.

"Wow…" they both said in unison.

"How did you get an engine like this?" Sunset asked.

"It came with the car…" Minuteman replied.

"Why don't you try to start the car again?" Sunset suggested. Minuteman agreed and got back into the front seat, turning the ignition again and again. However, it was to no avail: the car would just not start. Sunset sighed and said, "It's alright, I think I'll walk home. It's not that far, anyways."

"Alright," Minuteman said. "Walking's good." He got back into his car, trying to start the motor up. On the third try, though, then engine revved to life, and the radio turned to yet another random station. The teen jumped out of his car and slammed the hood shut, then got back in and turned the car around, pulling up next to Sunset. "It's working again," he said, opening the door for her.

---

The black Impala pulled up to the single-family house that Sunset Shimmer lived in. "Thanks for the ride back," she said as she moved to get out of the car. However, she stopped for a moment and turned back to Minuteman. "Do you… do you think I'm shallow?" she asked. "I mean, I'm one of the most popular girls in school, dating the most popular boy, getting jealous over another popular girl he used to like… it just feels sort of cookie-cutter, my life."

"I think… that… there is more to you than meets the eye…" Minuteman said slowly, unsure of his own words.

Sunset smiled. "Thanks," she said before getting out and going into her home.

As Minuteman drove away, he said to himself, "'More to you than meets they eye', that was pretty stup- OH SHIT!" He had to swerve out the way to avoid a speeding police car coming from the other way. "Wow, that was close…" he told himself as he continued on home.

---

Minuteman awoke to the sound of an engine revving. "What the hell is that…?" he asked himself as he made his way to his window. He looked out to find his car pulling out of the driveway. "NononononononoNO!" he yelled as he ran out of his room, down the stairs, and out the back door. He grabbed his bike and started pedaling as fast as he could behind his car.

Eventually, the car led to an abandoned train yard. Minuteman followed it in part of the way before getting off of his bike, hiding behind some barrels. What he saw next blew his mind.

He peeked over the edge of the barrels to see a large robot of sorts standing tall, projecting a light into the sky. In it was the same symbol that Minuteman saw in the car's steering wheel. "Oh my Celestia," he whispered. However, it wasn't quietly enough, as two dogs started barking ferociously. They pulled against their chains until they broke free, forcing Minuteman to run. "This is it!" he yelled to himself, "this is how I'm going to die!"

Eventually, he reached a cylindrical building. He ran inside and jumped up on a few barrels that were stacked in the middle of the room. "Hush!" Minuteman yelled. "Nice doggies! Calm down!"

The black Impala suddenly burst through one of the walls, powersliding around Minuteman. Oh Celestia, this guy wants to kill me! he thought to himself. When he could, he jumped off of the barrels and out of the building. The car did not follow.

---

When Minuteman got home, his uncle was waiting on the outside porch. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Car… stolen… giant… robot… light… dogs… chasing…" the teen managed to say, having ran all the way home. This intrigued Quick Scope.

"A giant robot, you say? Minuteman, I think it's time I told you what happened on my 'day out'…" As Quick Scope led his nephew inside, he started to tell his story.

"It was in the middle of the hot desert day when me and my platoon reached our destination: a small desert village called Boarador. Some of the locals said they had found some sort of metal creature. Of course, no one in my platoon really believed in it, it sounded… too strange, I guess. Anyways, we were about to head down to the village when this radio tower fell, kicking up a lot of sand. The damn thing nearly got me, if it weren't for my second-in-command, Red Dot. The thing was real, and it wanted us dead. We ran down to the village, where the locals were already firing at… whatever it was. It looked like someone took a few helicopter turbines and expertly made them into some sort of killing machine. We managed to hurt it with some special rounds, sabot rounds. It's magnesium that burns at 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. We lost twenty men that day. We took a piece of the tail that was severed back to base, where it's being studied right now."

"Wow…" Minuteman whispered. "You think what I saw was one of those?"

"First off," Quick Scope said, "why are you whispering? We're alone here."

"Oh… yeah…"

"As for your question, I'm not sure. But let's not worry about it, we need to get to sleep."

"But… what about my car? It was stolen!"

"Don't worry. We'll find it. Together. You know what we say, right?"

"No sacrifice, no victory…" Minuteman mumbled.

"That's right," Quick Scope replied. "Now, get to bed. It's been a long night."

Author's Note:

Wow, I updated a story? Holy shit!
Anyways, I think I'm actually gonna be updating this regularly, unlike my other fics. You guys have no idea how exited I was for today.
Have fun!