Sunset Eclipsed

by EldritchNexus

Daystar Manor, Part III

Sunset Shimmer was snoozing quietly and peacefully in her bed, and woke up to the sound of birds chirping. She slowly opened up her eyes, and yawned slowly.

"Well, it's time for a brand new day...again." she mumbled.

Then she suddenly felt a gentle tug on her blanket, as if someone was pulling them to their side of the bed.

"Oh, sorry." Sunset mumbled, slowly shutting her eyes again. "I guess it's a little too early. I could use a few more minutes...of...beauty...sleep?!"

Sunset sharply turned her head to the right. There was an earth pony in a gas mask at the corner of her bed. The yellow unicorn gasped, just as the earth pony tried to tackle her. Using her quick instincts and telekinesis, she threw the bedsheets onto the intruder's body, enveloping him in the fabric. The earth pony crashed against the wall with a loud cry of pain. There was a knocking on the door.

"What in the hoof is going on in there?" shouted a voice Sunset didn't recognize. "Dude, if you broke something in there, it's coming out of your paycheck! Mr. Quick Shot won't be happy!"

"What happened in there?" asked another voice.

"I don't know, sir! I'm gonna find out."

Just as the door creaked open, Sunset Shimmer teleported into her parents' bedroom, where Radiant was still sleeping.

"Red, wake up!" shouted Sunset.

Radiant awoke with a start, shaking himself awake.

"Sunset, what's going on here?" asked Radiant.

"Some idiot in a gas mask just tried attacking me in my bedroom! And there's somepony else in there as we speak!"

Radiant wore a disgruntled look on his face.

"Great, it's those guys again." he grumbled.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Sunset. "You mean they've been here before?"

"Yeah, they're--"

There was a knock on the door. Sunset telekinetically swing the door open, and an earth pony wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses fell into the room.

"Ow! What in the--" grunted the pony.

"What are you doing in our house?" demanded Sunset.

"Geez, there's another one of you Daystars?" said the earth pony, who managed to get back to his feet. "Great, now we have to split the profits even further, don't we?"

"What are you talking about?" questioned Sunset Shimmer. "Who are you?"

"It's okay, Sunny." said Radiant Dawn, climbing slowly out of bed. "These ponies aren't here to hurt us."

"Then who are they, and why are they here?"

The earth pony walked up to Sunset, and cleared his throat.

"The name's Quick Shot."

"Who?" asked Sunset.

"Quick Shot!" said the earth pony. "Famous movie director from Las Pegasus? Surely, you've heard about me!"

"Sorry, I haven't really been paying attention to Equestria's entertainment industry. Especially since I haven't been around here for years. In fact, I completely forgot that they even made movies in Equestria until just now."

"What, have you been living under a rock?" asked Quick Shot.

"No, behind a mirror." said Sunset.

Then Quick Shot chuckled.

"I like that sense of humor of yours." said Quick Shot. "I've got to get whoever writes your stuff. But to be honest, I'm not too surprised. Movie theatres aren't exactly something you come across often in Equestria. Only a few towns and cities have them. Mostly the big ones: Manehatten, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, and so forth."

"You still haven't answered the other question." said Sunset. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, we were filming some pick-ups in here for a movie that I'm working on." said Quick Shot.

"And that's why you had somepony try to attack me while I was in bed?"

"So, that's why my stunt-pony was injured? I thought he was goofing off in there."

Sunset turned her head back at Radiant.

"Brother, do you know anything about this?" asked Sunset.

"Yes, actually." said Radiant, sheepishly. "I kinda...gave them permission to film some scenes in here for their movie."

"When?"

"A couple months ago." said Radiant. "I thought they had finished last month."

"Well, we thought we'd come back here today for a few pick-ups." said Quick Shot. "Thankfully, we'll only need stunt ponies for these scenes. All the main cast members have already done their jobs, and gotten their salaries. If I had to pay an extra bit, I'd puke."

"Oh, so my brother here can't afford a housekeeper or a maid, but he can just let some cheapskate snob with a camera mess around with our house, and risk breaking our family heirlooms?" questioned Sunset.

"Hey, I'm no snob, and I'm not cheap!" said Quick Shot. "Lady, I will let you know that I am one of the most prolific and charismatic filmmakers in Equestria. I have three Golden Hoof Awards for my work, and I suspect that I'll get another one for this exciting action/adventure thrilller: Beware the Filly Flasher."

"That sounds kinda...dirty." chuckled Sunset.

"I know." acknowledged Quick Shot. "But the title wasn't my choice. It was the producer's."

"And who's producing your little...flick?" asked Sunset, curiously.

"My dad." confessed Quick Shot. "And he just goes on and on about how it's his production, and that it's his money I'm throwing away if I don't make it in the way he would like it!"

"Sorry to hear that." said Sunset.

And then she remembered last night.

"By the way, I've got a non-film question for ya, Mr. Director." said Sunset.

"Fire away, ma'am."

"Did you or your crew come across any...unusual creatures outside?"

"Not to my recollection." said Quick Shot. "Usually, animals don't even go anywhere near here. At least, that's what your brother here told me the last time my crew and I were filming here. Really helped us out when we were filming outdoor scenes. Why?"

"Oh, no particular reason." lied Sunset. "So, would you mind if I went down to your...set?"

"Please do, miss...."

"Shimmer. Sunset Shimmer. I'm Radiant Dawn's little sister."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you then, Miss Shimmer." said Quick Shot. "I was coming in here to ask your brother here if he would like to help us with filming."

"Sorry, but I seriously hurt myself yesterday." said Radiant. "I'm still aching all over, and need my rest. Maybe Sunset could help you?"

"Me? Work on a movie?" asked Sunset, whose eyes widened. "That sounds exciting! If my mom and dad could see me..."

Then she suddenly remembered that her mother was still in captivity by the Changelings.

"I just remembered that I have a serious assignment to take care of in this area." said Sunset. "That's the whole reason I came back to Vanhoover to begin with."

"Well, that's too bad." said Quick Shot. "I was thinking that maybe you could help our second unit director with some work. Visual stuff, I mean."

"That's nice and all, but I have some stuff of my own to do." said Sunset. "Though it wouldn't hurt to give it a look on the way out."

Sunset walked out the door, when the door to her bedroom opened up again. The earth pony in the gas mask came out the door, and flinched at the sight of Sunset.

"Oh, geez! It's you!" he whimpered. "Look, I'm sorry I jumped at you in that room. It's just that you, well, scared me."

"I scared you?" questioned Sunset. "No. You scared me! I mean sneaking into a mare's bedroom while she's sleeping? Who does that?"

Then she suddenly remembered that night in the Crystal Empire, when she stole Twilight's crown.

"Actually, never mind." she shrugged. "I forgive you. Just tell me what you were doing in there, will ya?"

"Sure thing. I was going in there for my break period. I didn't count on somepony already being in there. I tend to panic a lot when I get surprised by stuff like this."

"And yet, you're a stuntpony." Sunset said in a deadpan tone.

"Well, it was either this, or being the guy that brings donuts to the other actors." said the stuntpony. "At least I have a better chance of being famous if I did some stunt-work."

"Sounds reasonable, then." said Sunset. "Well, I'm gonna go check on that movie you're working on."

Sunset Shimmer went downstairs, to find an earth pony working a film camera, and a pegasus with a boom mic. In front of them were three gryphons in gas masks and an earth pony wearing a mud-splattered trench coat and domino mask.

"Quiet on set!" shouted the camerapony. "Action!"

The masked pony leaped onto one of the gryphons, and punched him in the head with his hoof. Then he proceeded to attack the other two, even putting the third into a headlock once the first two were both incapacitated.

"Cut!" said the camerapony. "That's a good take!"

The earth pony and gryphons took off their masks, and went to sit by a row of chairs that had been placed by the closed front door. Sunset approached the pony running the camera.

"Wait, wait." said the camerapony. "Who in Tartarus are you? I thought I didn't want anypony bothering us while we were filming our scenes! And I don't recognize you, either!"

"I live here." said Sunset. "And Mr. Quick Shot said I could help you out with your...cinematography."

"Really? Because I think we've got everything under control over here."

"I'll be the judge of that." said Sunset. "Let me look at the shooting script."

The pegasus that was previously carrying the boom mic flew over to the living room table, and grabbed a script, which he then handed to Sunset. She scanned the pages quickly.

"Okay, this looks pretty good." said the unicorn, casually. "Not too bad here...wait a minute."

Sunset paused for a moment.

"Why is there no description of a fight scene here?" asked Sunset.

"It's improvised." said the camerapony. "These are pick-ups. They tend to be made long after normal production is ended."

"And that weak little tussle I just saw was the best you guys could think of?" asked Sunset. "Come on, I've been in bigger fights than that! Here, let me give you some ideas of my own."

Sunset levitated a quill, a bottle of ink, and some sheets of paper from a nearby drawer, and quickly scribbled down several lines in a script format.

"Take a look at what I wrote." said Sunset, who levitated the paper back with her magic to the camerapony.

"Hmm..." the camerapony scanned the contents of the pages. "Yes, this looks like it could work. Yes, this looks quite nice. Ma'am, you should write screenplays sometime. We'll definitely keep this stuff in mind. Thanks."

"Always glad to help." grinned Sunset.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Sunset Shimmer, sister of Radiant Dawn and student of Princess Luna."

"No way!" said the pegasus worker. "Is that really you? You're the one that saved the city of Fillydelphia from the Changelings!"

"Wow, you heard about me?" said Sunset, surprised.

"Sure did! My wife told me all about you! She said that you fought a whole army of Changelings by yourself!"

Sunset couldn't help but blush a little.

"Well, I wouldn't say a whole army..." she dismissed.

"And that you're not just a hero, but have become something of a celebrity in Fillydelphia."

"Actually, I already knew about that." acknowledged Sunset.

"Boom Mike, are you sure about this?" asked the camerapony.

"Of course I am, sir!" said the pegasus. "She's saved an entire city from monsters. I think she deserves all the praise from us that she wants."

"Look, I really don't need all that." said Sunset. "I don't need the paparazzi harassing me in my childhood home. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go outside for a walk."

"No problem at all." said Boom Mike. "We already filmed the last exterior shots just a while ago."

"Good." said Sunset.

The unicorn went outside of her mansion, looked around the yard to investigate the garden, where Long Rim was prowling around the night before. There were large markings in the dirt, and a strange smell in the air.

"Geez, does this thing even know how to take a bath?" mumbled Sunset, sniffing the air. "Not even the Canterbury Animal Shelter smelt this bad!"

Then she growled angrily for reminding herself of the human world.

"You know what? Never mind." she grumbled. "I don't care about that place, anymore. And I bet they've forgotten all about me by now."

Comments

[Lord Nopony]

"You know what? Never mind." she grumbled. "I don't care about that place, anymore. And I bet they've forgotten all about me by now."

You've no idea Sunny.

[Starlight Nova]

I think you might want to change the cover art. It doesn't look very good.

[JimmyHook19]

Then she suddenly remembered that night in the Crystal Empire, when she stole Twilight's crown.

Oh the Irony