July 16: One Thing Leads to Another
Sitting at a lone desk in an office rented by the Federal Government, Canterlot Police Officer 2nd Grade Shining Armor let his fingers dance over a laptop keyboard as he finished his latest report. Though the other desks were prepped for use, they were empty and at the end of the day, some faceless government worker bees would gather the gear and the desks and he would move to the main FBI office at the Canterlot Federal Building.
Finishing his report, he saved before closing the laptop. So that’s that, he thought, looking around the empty room. We’ve been at this for a few weeks now and nothing to show for it than waste of a whole lot of money on what seems to be a wild goose chase.
“Well, here you go.” A cup of coffee and a couple of éclairs were set in front of him. A second later, Sandalwood plopped into the chair. “Shining, I know what you’re thinking – this whole thing is a huge waste of taxpayer funds and all that shit.” She took a sip of her coffee, muttering under her breath, “God, this is shit.” Looking back at him, she added, “But you’re right. And I still think that the Fibbies are right on this, too.”
“So then why are we releasing the rest of the Task Force back to their normal duties?” Shining asked her. “If they’re so sure about SIRENs being in the US that we have to write regular reports that we have to issue to the CIA, DHS, DOD and a whole shitload of agencies I’ve never heard of before?”
“They haven’t been released, Shining, they’ve been returned temporarily to train with the CPD SWAT unit. Hell, ECSD is starting up a Special Emergency Response Team, and they asked me to join once I return. Thinking about it.” She took a bite of her donut and another drink of her coffee before commenting, “But something’s going up, and I think we’re looking at a war – the kind of thing that usually tears up LA or Chicago, not here. I was talking to Hardline. She was a sniper – countersniper, no less – in the Marines before she joined the FBI. She told me she just started practicing with a rifle again.”
“You were in the Navy, Sandy. You tell me what you really think,” Shining told her.
“What you would like me to say, or what I really think?”
“Sandy….”
Sandalwood looked Shining right in the eyes. “I know you don’t like wearing body armor.” She tapped him on the chest. “Start.”
“Okay…where does this go again?” a voice asked Sunset.
“Table four, Soni,” Sunset told her, pointing at the table in question. “And then the other order goes to table twelve, which is the one by the window.”
Sonata Dusk sighed. “Sorry, boss – still getting used to this.”
Sunset grinned. “Hey, you should’ve seen me on my first day: I was afraid that half the time, I was just going to flip my lid and walk out the door, not ever coming back.” She patted the other girl on the back. “You’ve been here a week, right? Don’t worry; you’ll get the hang of it.”
“Thanks, Sunny. Well, time to go drop this off. Oh, before I forget: are we all still on for the movie tonight?”
“Yeah, if you, AJ, Flutters and Rarity don’t mind being the driver,” Sunset grumbled. “My dad says I can’t touch my car until I take the driver’s license test at the end of the month.” The flame-haired girl groaned. “My aunt and uncle give me one of their cars for my birthday because they’re moving out of country and I can’t touch it!”
Sonata laughed. “You sound like my sisters. Ari and Dagi hate cars, which is why they use motorcycles. But whenever we want to go somewhere, it’s always ‘Soni, can you drive us, pretty please?’” The Asian girl laughed, then added, “Well, let me get these to the tables.”
“Yeah, and when you’re there, can you ask Twily to check with AJ and Rares on the movies? Flutters said she can pick up me, Tavi and Twily.”
“Will do,” Sonata said with a soft smile before going back to her duties.
As Sonata headed off, Sunset smiled in appreciation; she was getting used to being a supervisor, and it helped that her first supervisee was friendly. It had been just a week ago that Sonata had answered the HELP WANTED sign, and during the interview had told Sunset and Mrs. Cake about having just moved from Vancouver – Washington! – a few weeks ago and that she lived with her older sisters, two of which were her fellow triplets. While Sonata tended to be a bit forgetful and clumsy, Sunset suspected that was more her shtick; the guys who came into the café tended to lap it up. What Mrs. Cake noticed was that Sonata did have a great talent at baking – apparently, she did all the cooking at her place – and she was more than capable with a wrench, having fixed one of the ovens so that a call to a repair company wouldn’t be needed.
Sunset and Sonata had hit it off as friends fairly quickly, and a couple of days later, the latter introduced the former to her older triplets, Adagio and Aria. Adagio, the eldest, was bookish but street smart; if anything, she reminded Sunset of a streetwise Octavia. Aria was a tomboy with a biting sense of humor; like Rainbow but a lot more earthy. Afterwards, Sunset introduced the three to her circle of friends and when they all started school again in the fall, the triplets would be attending CHS. All in all, it was fair to say that the three were on the way to becoming members of the girls’ group, and Pinkie would have to think of a replacement name for the “Eightmazing Eight”.
“Sunny, can you help me in the kitchen?” Cup asked from behind the register. “Brick Oven’s Pizza Parlor just requested a batch of pizza dough, and I’m going to need some help if we’re going to get it done in time.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Cake, it’s slow enough that Soni can handle it on her own.” With that, both went to the kitchens.
Meanwhile, Sonata walked up to table four, first tray at the ready. “Okay, miss, you had the shrimp salad and the fruit cup, right?” Then turning to Twilight, she commented, “And for you, the chicken salad club and fries.”
Twilight nodded. “Thanks, Soni.”
“No probs, Twily. Also, your sister asked if you can call AJ and Rares and see if they can pick up the others tonight.”
“Sure, I can do that later.”
“Thanks. Well, I gotta get this over to the other table, so you two enjoy lunch!” Giving them a cute little wave, Sonata left Twilight and her lunch date to themselves while she went over to take care of her other customers.
Meanwhile, Twilight picked up a fry. “Okay, now that the food’s here,” Twilight began, “would you tell me why you wanted to meet here, Fleur? Honestly? You look rough, and I could have easily met you at your place.”
“Sorry, I haven’t been sleeping well the past few days,” Fleur began. “And as to why I suggested here, you know some of the waitresses, right? Or at least that’s what I get from the one we were just talking to.”
“Yeah, but Sonata’s new. As to the rest, yeah, they’re my friends, and my sister’s the head waitress for the café.”
Fleur looked surprised by that. “You’ve…never mentioned a sister before.”
“Yeah. She goes to CHS, not Zacherle,” Twilight clarified. “Plus, Sunny’s adopted, and has only been in our life for about a year or so, but I love her as much as if she’d been there my whole life. But anyway, since I’m getting the feeling that you need privacy, I can promise that you’ll get that here.”
Fleur gave Twilight an appreciative glance. “You know, there’s something about you that’s changed over the past year, now that I think about it. You’re a lot more confident than you used to be.”
“Thanks. I think that’s due to Sunny. She’s been helping me come out of my shell, so to speak. But you were saying?”
“Sorry. In any case, you’re aware of how serious my boyfriend and I are, right? We’re actually waiting until we start college before he officially pops the question.”
“Congratulations!” Twilight chirped. “Planning to have the wedding once you graduate?”
“Yes, but that’s not what this is about, Twily. Anyway, Fancy and I don’t start Harvard for another month, but my parents want to take one final family vacation together before I go away to college – it’s apparently important enough that they asked for my brother and his family to join us. We leave for Belgium next week and are spending most of this month and next at my grandmother’s place.” She took a bite of her salad, then said, “This is going to be the last time you see me for a while, so, it’s time that you assumed your station…Diva.” Fleur reached into her pocket, pulling out an ornate pin meant to be worn on the breast pocket.
Twilight took the pin with all due respect. “I know we discussed this, but I’m really honored that you think this highly of me, Fleur.”
“You and Tavi made a real impression on me and Chammie. I know it’s not often that a graduating diva doesn’t pass the role onto another senior, but you two have a maturity and grace that I don’t see in the incoming senior class. It’s bad enough that they’re going to tie up the student council. Things could get bad if they get the diva slots as well.”
“Well, aren’t you supposed to give this and the burgundy jacket to me at the pinning ceremony?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that; I’ll be flying in from Boston for that weekend, and I already arranged with the faculty,” Fleur explained. “But I’m giving you the daily pin because I need you to assume your duties early – because I need your help.”
“Of course I’ll help, Fleur. We’re friends and friends help each other.”
Fleur ran a hand through her chiffon-pink and ice-pink hair, sighing in relief. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” She paused for a break, then continued. “My family and Fancy’s have known each other ever since my mother moved from Brussels to attend college here – for some reason, a lot of French speakers tend to attend Canterlot State or Shasta University. Anyway, you could say that I was married into his family from the moment my mother, Fleur de Blanc, met Fancy’s. But to skip the whole story, we’re intertwined: Fancy looks up to my older brother, Vin de Pays, as like older brother to him. And likewise, Fancy’s little sister, Coco Pommel, has practically been my charge since she was born. She certainly loves me like a sister and she means the world to me.”
“Sounds nice,” Twilight said. “But if that’s the case, I don’t really see the problem.”
Fleur’s face took on a haunted cast as she said, “Suri Polomare – that bitch has been courting Coco and you know Suri’s never up to any good.”
Twilight flinched. She’d heard all the rumors: that Suri’s boyfriend Blueblood had been behind the whole Vibe incident that had roiled the area several months back – and whose drug, courtesy of Sunny’s ex-boyfriend Flash, had cost her so much…and even more had Sunny not come to the literal rescue. Flash was apparently Blueblood’s cousin, who was Suri’s boyfriend…and when those links were connected, it filled Twilight with dread. Admittedly, both boys were proven in a court of law to have been framed by teens who were now serving time, and Suri had never been suspected of a thing, but…Twilight knew Suri was a schemer. She was the type of girl that codified the meaning of ‘if I want it, I get it and woe be to those in my way’. Nobody at school rubbed her the wrong way like Suri Polomare and her partner-in-crime Vanity Faire did.
“Tell me more,” Twilight told her friend.
“Fancy and Coco’s grandmother is in the hospital and isn’t expected to live much longer, so Coco’s been in somewhat of a mood as of late, one I haven’t been really able to help her with. I’ve tried to spend as much time as I can with her, but it’s never enough, especially since I have to leave soon. Fortunately, Coco’s got a best friend, name of Crackle, who’s been there for her all this time. Unfortunately, I just found out that Crackle is Suri’s half-sister, and that Suri and Vanity are sponsoring the girls for Freshman Rush. But I know those two are up to something, and I’m worried about Coco.”
“Do you think Crackle’s helping her sister to screw over Coco? And why?”
“No, that’s the thing: I’ve met Crackle once, and she’s nothing like her sister, so much so that had she not told me, I wouldn’t have known at all. And Crackle doesn’t strike me as the sneaky type; if anything, she seems like someone who is easily used. And I’m pretty sure that Suri would have no scruples even when it comes to her family; the fact that she handed Crackle over to Vanity means she doesn’t want her harmed in whatever schemes she has.
“As to why she wants Coco harmed? I’ve blocked so many of Suri’s little plans, it’s a wonder that she still manages to use her family connections to safely cover her ass. But now that I’ve graduated, Suri wants to send me one last message to say that she won, to make it clear that I no longer can stop her, and the easiest way to get to me is through Coco.” Fleur looked at Twilight, and the latter saw unending sorrow in the former’s purple eyes, something that made it clear that she meant every word of her fear. “And given that Blueblood has ties to Suri…I truly fear for Coco.”
For Twilight, there was no question. Sunny stood up for me because she loves me, but she also did it because it was the right thing to do. I haven’t met Coco Pommel before, but helping her is the right thing to do, especially if it’ll give Fleur piece of mind.
“I’ll do it,” Twilight assured her.
Vanity brushed her hair out of her eyes as she looked over at Suri. “So, let’s go over the plan again. You know your sister cares a lot about Coco, right?”
Suri took a drink from her glass of wine. “Because I think that little dyke is trying to seduce my sister,” Suri snarled. “Look, I know my little sister. She’s as straight as she comes, and she doesn’t need some little carpet muncher trying to weasel her way into Crackle’s life.”
“Aren’t you bi yourself, though?” Vanity asked.
“That’s different,” Suri said haughtily. “It was just physical between my last girlfriend and I, and it was mutual attraction, not some golddigger trying to work her way into polite society. Plus, it was before I met Blueblood. I genuinely love him – my complete control over him notwithstanding – and I have no intention of leaving him.” A grin came across her face as she admitted, “Doesn’t mean I that can’t have fun now and then, right?”
“Yes, but you’re talking about your boyfriend seducing your little sister’s ostensibly best friend. That takes her out of Crackle’s orbit and into yours.”
“And I’m more than capable of controlling her that way,” Suri pointed out. “After she checks out, if she still wants to be Crackle’s friend, I’ll…consider it. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, with what you have lined up. What have you researched?”
Vanity reached into her purse and handed Suri a flash key. “I’ve looked into six girls that are part of the freshman group. All of them have good breeding and come from well-heeled families in the area. One of them is also a lesbian, should your sister decide that way. Another of them has a brother, a sophomore, attending Muenchinger; he would make a good match for her if she moves in that direction.”
Suri plugged the flash key into the adapter on her tablet. “Ah, yes – you’re referring to Polished Crystal, correct?”
“Yes. Her older brother, Dapper Charm, is a charming young man.”
“Oh, I know – they have an older brother, Debonaire Style. I daresay that had I not met Blueblood, I’d have Debonaire wrapped firmly around my little finger,” she commented. “Actually, you may be interested in him yourself: he’s into girls that are ‘fun loving’, so to speak.”
“You mean girls that are into threesomes,” Vanity drolled. “Not my style. I want to find a husband, get in between his legs, and firmly control him and his assets, without any complications like mistresses or anyone that might present a challenge to me.”
Suri took another drink of her wine. “What is life without the challenge, Vanity? And believe me – I don’t accept any challenge unless I’m completely sure that not only will I succeed, I will dominate.”
Crackle focused her attention on Coco. The two were having lunch at Tacotopia in downtown Everfree Glades, and had spent some time shopping. An embarrassing point came when Coco’s credit card had failed; it had not been due to a lack of money, but rather that the card system had gone down completely. Crackle, without cash on her was consigned to have to put the items back, but fortunately, Coco, who preferred to pay with cash than use the card her parents gave her, lent her friend the money.
When the system came up ten minutes later, Coco immediately returned the loan as well as insisting on buying her friend lunch. Since Tacotopia was a relatively new place, the two opted to go there. And everything between the two friends had been bright and cheerful: Crackle had talked about a guy who was going to attend Muenchinger that had caught her eye, while Coco admitted there wasn’t anyone she wanted to date at the moment, though she wanted to wait until the first inter-school dance to see how many guys whose eyes she’d catch.
Then Coco’s cellphone rang, and she’d dutifully answered it, apologizing that it was her father. The smile fell from Coco’s face as the call continued, and about ten minutes later, as their meals arrived, Coco hung up and looked as though her world had just shattered.
“Your grandmother again?” Crackle asked gently.
Coco wordlessly nodded. “Dad just called. The doctor told him that there’s no hope…that it’s only a matter of time.” She looked up and her eyes started to well with tears. “Why is everyone I love leaving me? Nana’s dying, Fancy and Fleur are leaving, and many of our friends have even moved away!”
“I’m not going anywhere, Coco – we’re best friends, and you know you’re always going to mean the world to me.”
“Thanks,” Coco replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Thanks, Crackle – you’re the best friend a girl could ever have.”
“And don’t you forget it!” Crackle said with a wink. “Besides, you really can’t blame Heather Rose and Dazzling Smile for having to move. Heather’s parents are divorcing and she’s going to live with her mom in Maine; her life’s going to be rough as is. And Dazzy’s family’s moving to Miami – she’s lucky as hell! And besides, I miss them too, and I’m sure they miss us.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Wanting to change the subject, Coco asked, “How’s things going with Vanity?”
“It’s been…interesting. A lot of shopping and bonding. I’m glad that Suri paired me with her best friend. Vanity’s sweet and sure not to get me in trouble, which is probably what I really do not want – I don’t think embarrassing my dad would be a good idea, personally. How about you and Suri?”
“It’s…been okay….” Coco began, not sure of what else to say. Sure, other than being somewhat…forward…Suri had been well behaved. Plus, the older girl had introduced her to her boyfriend, and while Blueblood was a gentleman, there was something predatory about him, something that set her on edge. Though, at the same time, there was something alluring about him. When she was in the presence of both of them, she started to have feelings that she was sure she wasn’t supposed to have, that her family might not take well.
“Coco, is something wrong?” Crackle asked. She would’ve looked more concerned had it not been for the bulging taco in her hand.
“N-no! I mean…I appreciate you setting me up with her!” Coco exclaimed. “It’s just…look, I’m….” She sought brief respite by taking a bite of her enchilada. “Nana’s health troubles are still bugging me; that’s all. Your sister’s nice and I met her boyfriend, too.”
Crackle nodded. “Yeah, Blue’s a sweetheart. He’s like the big brother I never had and he’s always there when I need him.”
“I know he and my brother don’t get along,” Coco confided, “but I guess that’s a guy thing. They’re different people and they just don’t seem to match. I guess that happens.”
“Yeah, I guess it does,” Crackle agreed.
“Thanks for the birthday presents, Twilight,” Sunset said on her phone.
“I didn’t know what to really get you, so I hope the stationery set will do some good,” came the reply. “Sorry, I’m really bad when it comes to choosing everypony’s birthday gifts. Even the human ones.”
“Well, I still appreciate it.”
After she’d returned home from the movies, Sunset realized she hadn’t been in contact with Equestria since the week of her return from her little adventure. Deciding to rectify that, she waited until Twilight – her sister – was asleep; Octavia was “paying the monthly bill”, and as such, decided that she wanted to sleep alone, so she was in the bed in Twilight’s room. Once she was sure Twilight was asleep, the flame-haired girl immediately cast a sleeping spell on her plum-haired sibling, then threw up silencing and warding spells on the room; this would prevent anyone from wandering in. With that, she was clear to talk to Twilight – the alicorn princess – and dialed the cellphone she’d sent to her friend.
“The others have gifts for you as well, but I’ll have to wait until we have an extended time to send them – I’m guessing you’re pushing your luck right now.”
“Well, I’ve warded the room, but Twily’s asleep on my bed right now, so yeah, waiting might be better.”
“Oh, and Celestia says she’s going to hold onto your present until she sees you again; she told me she wants to see the surprise on your face, but personally I think it’s just a way of saying that she wants to see you again.”
“Mother’s prerogative, I guess,” Sunset laughed.
Those words made Princess Twilight wonder. “Uh, I thought Mo…I mean, Twilight Velvet was your mother,” the alicorn voiced before she added, “Mare, that is so weird that your mother has the same name as mine.”
“Well, they are essentially the same person, Twi,” Sunset pointed out. “Besides, while Celestia will always be a mother to me, as you’ve said, Twilight Velvet is my mom.”
“Sorry if this sounds corny, but I can practically hear the love in your voice when you say that. I think it’s sweet.” Sunset blushed, and was glad that Princess Twilight couldn’t see her at the moment. Thank God for not using video chat, she sighed.
“So…how’s your sister doing? I’m guessing she’s okay now?”
“Yeah, thanks for asking. She still thinks it was residue from that attack back in January, and I’m really not going to correct her, or anyone else in my family.”
“You really should, you know. You’re our ambassador to Earth and that means you need to take extra precautions, Sunny. Better to get it out of the way and let your family know what you really are, right?”
“Easy for you to say,” Sunset sighed. “My family just got used to me being a normal girl and not the problem child that Ms. Celestia said I was for so long. And you want me to tell them I’m not even human?”
“Sure you are – you said it yourself: you’re as human now as you are pony. And if they really love you, Sunny, they won’t worry or fret that you weren’t born like other girls. I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll…think about it, Twi.” The indicator was clear that Sunset most definitely didn’t want to think about it, but she wasn’t about to tell her friend that.
Princess Twilight knew that changing the subject was probably better for the moment, so she did: “Anyway, now that your sister – she goes by Twily, right? – is back to normal, tell me more about her; I’m interested. It’s probably weird seeing, well, me every day.”
Sunset silently thanked her friend for the discretion, and cheerfully answered. “Naah, not really, because you two are as different as night and day; I could have both of you standing next to each other and I could still tell the difference.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. For one, I dunno about you, but Twily’s a lot more affectionate with friends and family, at least since I’ve known her.”
“That’s probably your influence, Sunny. I’m working on it, but a lot of ponies say I can still be standoffish from time to time.”
“Also, while you’re both analytical and smart, you’ve mastered different disciplines,” Sunset continued. “You’re the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, and probably the only ones who can keep up with you are me, and maybe Razz, Luna and Celestia.”
“Not really; when it comes to normal magic disciplines, Razz really isn’t good at them – they have to be truly alignment-neutral for her to get them. As for Celestia and Luna, both have said I’ve outdone them in skill ages ago, and they’re only stronger in power because they’re older. Not trying to brag, but I well outstripped Cadance even when I was just a unicorn.”
“Ah. Well, to continue, Twily would have been in college already if our parents decided they didn’t want a superbrain freak for a kid – and no, that’s not an insult; it’s not normal for kids to be in college, and the ‘rentals wanted to make sure Twily had a normal life. In any case, she pretty much masters anything she comes across and I’m guessing she’ll probably have several doctorates in vastly different fields before she hits thirty.”
“She sounds like someone I would really like to know.”
“I’m sure you two would get along great,” Sunset said fondly as she sat down next to her sister, gently stroking her shoulder. “You’re a great friend, and my sister’s wonderful to know. You two would absolutely be as thick as thieves.”
“Wait – burglars are overweight on Earth?”
“It’s a figure of speech, Twi. Don’t worry, I didn’t get it at first either.”
“Ah, I’ll have to remember that. Anyway, I need to get some sleep: we’re having a ceremony tomorrow – we’ve decided to officially designate Razz our first Grand Mage of Dark Magic.”
“Really?” commented Sunset. It was probably something Raspberry Beryl deserved, but the former unicorn could easily see the amount of panic in the nobility that such a decision would cause.
“Well, yeah. Now that I’m a princess, I have to be more politically involved, which means less time for adventuring; and you’re obviously a little tied up in being, well, in another dimension, so we need another grand mage to fill the gap. I suggested it to Celestia, and she agreed. Plus, it gets rid of all those stupid sentencing rules that she was pretty much forced to impose on Razz. By making it her job, Razz can leave town whenever she needs to because it’s part of her duties, and really, with the way things are nowadays, it wouldn’t hurt to have extra defenses in case some giant walking disaster decides to trash the countryside again.”
“Makes sense. Well, I need to get some sleep as well, so I’m going to call it a night. Say hi to everypony and congratulate Razz for me and give Celestia my love next time you see her.”
“Sure thing; will do. Goodnight!”
“Night, Twi,” Sunset said as she hung up, then plugged her phone into the charger cable. She then deactivated the magic component of the dragonfire candle; as she did, the flame changed from green to orange, turning into a normal candle, giving off a sweet pine scent. Finally, she banished the warding and silence spells, then went over and shook Twilight slightly. “Twily? Sis? Wake up….”
Gently, the sleeping beauty stirred, opening her purple eyes to gaze at her sibling. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Well, if you’re going to go to sleep, you might want to get ready,” Sunset advised, as she started taking off her shirt. “I’d lend you some sleepwear, but the rest of mine are in the laundry, sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Twilight murmured as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Hey, Sunny, who were you on the phone with?”
Sunset fought to keep the shock from her face or show any outward reaction to the stunned sensation she suddenly felt. She heard that? Bu-but that was a mid-grade sleeping spell I cast on her! She shouldn’t have been able to sense anything! Quickly thinking of an excuse, she commented, “Oh, Trixie called. She just finished her show in Atlanta, and she wanted to know if we wanted anything from there.” That was certainly true enough; Trixie’s uncle Presto, aunt Star Swirl and grandfather Alakazam were touring during the summer as “The Amazing Lulamoons”, and Trixie decided to tour with them for the month of July. “She said she’ll call back in a couple of days.”
“Oh? Where’s she at?”
“Atlanta, if I recall correctly. She was tired, so she was half-slurring.”
“Makes sense,” Twilight nodded.
“Yeah. Well, I need to get some sleep – last day of summer school tomorrow, and that means finals – so unless you’re going to sleep with Tavi—”
“No, thank you. She kicks in her sleep when it’s that time of the month,” Twilight commented as she scrunched her face up in distaste. Instead, she started stripping off her clothing, and crawled underneath the sheets. “Too lazy to go get my PJs,” she yawned.
“Uh, Twily, you’re not wearing a bra,” Sunset commented.
“So? It’s not like I hadn’t seen yours – hell, saw them on the first day. Besides,” she said with a sigh that sounded just a little too creepy, “if I was going to have some girl take advantage of me…I’d rather it be you.” She bit her lip and brought a hand to her face. “Please, be gentle.”
“WHAT?!”
Twilight suddenly started laughing riotously, watching the floored face Sunset had as she reached for the light switch. “You actually believed that?”
“Twily, you do realize it would be easier for me to sleep if I just strangle you to death? It’d be quiet then,” Sunset mock-grumbled as she crawled into bed. “Besides, my tits are bigger than yours, so there.” She stuck her tongue out.
“Do that again, and I’ll French kiss it back into your mouth,” Twilight mock-threatened.
“Oh dear, oh dear. I’ve turned my little sister into an incest nympho. Whatever shall I do…other than waking up Tavi for a threesome?”
“Nope,” Twilight said, wrapping her arms around her sister. “I get you first. After all, it’s better when sisters are together, right?”
Sunset facepalmed. “Hoist on my own petard, I see.”
“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for a while to use that on you.” Twilight reached over and kissed her sister on her cheek, then snuggled closer. “But honestly? I think you’re rubbing off on me, sis. And I think that maybe, I needed that. Tavi’s helped me a lot with getting out of my shell, but you actually got me out of it. And I can’t thank you enough, Sunny.”
“No thanks necessary – that’s what family’s for,” Sunset said as she turned on her side to sleep.
Turning on her own side, Twilight yawned again and commented, “Get some sleep, Sunny. Big day for you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” Sunset admitted softly. “That it is.”
“Ari? What’re you still doing up?” Madrigal asked. She’d been up looking at the latest intelligence reports, and filing a few of her own. The news was becoming clear that Canterlot was more and more likely to be the place where things went down, which would make them the advance team. With that in mind, they had to start making preps in the event that the schedule accelerated.
“Can’t sleep,” Aria said as she wandered over to the kitchen.
“There’s some coffee if you want it. Also bought some sleeping tea as well.”
“Thanks,” Aria said, opening the cupboard and pulling out the tea box, then throwing a packet in before grabbing the teapot. “Do you have time to talk?”
“As a sœur, your superior officer, or—”
“One woman to another,” Aria asked as she sat down in the chair next to the older woman.
“Aria, there’s no shame in deciding this life isn’t for you,” Madrigal began as though she knew what Aria wanted to talk about. “In fact, if you want my honest opinion, Vesper probably wants you out of this as much as I want Soni to walk away.”
“No, we already agreed: either it’s all three of us, or it’s none of us. We don’t want to be split,” Aria explained. “But I want to know if I want to push for leaving or not. I mean…part of me wants to be a SIREN. Uncle Poutine was a father to us all, and what those bastards did to him? I want to commit mass murder if it means avenging him.”
“We’re not murderers, we’re sailors, warriors of the sea,” Madrigal said calmly but firmly.
“I know that; I meant that metaphorically. But regardless, that part of me wants to see this through to the bitter end. And then there’s the life we’ve been leading the past few. Dagi’s been happy working at that replacement pizza place that she works for: Jazzyrabbits or something like that. And I know that she and Tavi are becoming good friends. Soni enjoys working at that café she got hired at and she and Sunny are clicking. And I like my job at the YMCA, and I enjoy working out with AJ and Rainbow. Their friends are becoming ours, and we’re becoming part of their group.” Aria then looked up at Madrigal and said, “And personally? That frightens me.”
“How so?”
“We’re inserting ourselves into social groups, as assigned…but is it for the mission, or because we’ve been lonely? Are they really my friends, or just HUMINT assets? How can I look them in the eye every day, knowing that I’m lying to them? Those are the questions I ask myself constantly, and while I don’t know if Dagi or Soni are, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I don’t think they are. Especially Soni – you know how she can be.”
“Yes, I do.” Madrigal looked at the house and said, “If you guys do decide to leave…this house is yours. We’ve deposited several million in several accounts around the US that you can access. You’ll never want for anything, and you’ll be able to choose whatever you want for your future, as long as you don’t betray the Sisterhood.”
“I would never do that; I know they wouldn’t either, except….”
“Except?”
“Isn’t leaving a betrayal of its own? Aren’t we turning our backs on everything we’ve been taught? And I know what you said – keep saying – and I know what Vesper and Mezzo have told us as well. But I wonder, who am I? Am I Seaman Recruit Aria Blaze, or just Aria Blaze? Am I a teenage warrior – or just a normal girl with normal dreams and a very abnormal life? Do I want to die for Queen and Country on a battlefield somewhere…well, before this all began – or grow old with a husband, grandkids, the works?”
“Nobody can see the future, Ari. It could very well be that you make that choice, or that we may all be dead by this time next month. The world could end, or we could beat Les Scars. Nobody knows, though we continue our paths.” Maddie gave the younger girl a smile. “I trust you’ll make the right decision in the end…though only you’ll know what that really is.”
“I suppose.” Aria finished off her tea, then got up. “Thanks for the tea, Maddie.”
“That’s what I’m here for: senior officer and sœur.”
“And you do both great, Maddie.” The middle triplet got up, put her cup in the sink, then headed for the stairs. But she stopped, and without looking at Madrigal, asked, “If there were no restrictions….”
“Me or one of the other girls would have taken you three long ago. Maybe settled in Kansas, or Alberta, or somewhere similar. Someplace where we could all have the lives we want – the lives you three deserve.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Aria said. “That’s for the future to decide. G’night, Maddie.”
The following morning, Twilight called Rarity. “No, I don’t need to work today, not exactly, Twilight, dear, but I had planned to put in some time working on my designs today. Is there a reason for your call?”
“I’ll make it simple, Rarity: I need your help and your advice.”
“Well, of course I’m always willing to lend a hand. What can I do for you?”
“If you can pick me up in thirty, let’s talk about it over breakfast. It’s on me, okay?”
“Well, if you put it that way, of course. I’ll be there in thirty minutes then. Taa-taa!” Rarity hung up her end of the line, leaving Twilight to head to her room to wake Octavia up.
“Hey, sleepy, wake up. Rarity’ll be here in thirty.”
“Do I have to wake up?” Octavia mumbled. “I’m sore all over and my breasts hurt.”
“Sorry, but this is important, Tavi, and I need your help. It’s a diva thing.”
Octavia sat up. “Wait – Fleur already handed over the position to you?”
“She’s leaving for Europe this afternoon, so she needed to. And she has someone dear to her who might be in trouble.” Twilight looked at her cousin’s bleary eyes before saying, “Suri’s involved. And, maybe, she’s using the Vibe.”
“What?” The sheets on the bed turned into a geyser of fabric as Octavia leapt off the bed, pushing aside her pain. “What the hell?”
“Yes. We have to do something and we have to do it immediately. I’m having Rarity meet us here, and then we’re going over to Casa Picante for breakfast.”
“You know I’m not into Mexican food for breakfast, Twily.”
“You might not be, but Chammie, who’s going to help us, is. Plus, she might make you a diva as well – I’ll probably need some help.”
“This is big, isn’t it?”
“It’s as important to Fleur as you are to me,” Twilight said with a smile.
But I haven’t been important to you since that bitch came into our lives, a voice in the back of Octavia’s head growled. With effort, she ignored it and said, “Okay, if it’s that important. Let me go hit the shower and I’ll get ready.”
“Are you sure?” Crackle said, speaking to her sister on the phone. “I mean, Coco and I have been planning to go have a picnic in the park for a while….”
“Dear little sister, I wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t important – I know how dear she is to you,” Suri said on the other end. “But there are some girls I want her to meet, ones you already know, that could be advantageous to her future. And since you’ve been through this tedium before….”
“Yeah, I know,” Crackle groaned, twirling a strand of her unbraided violet hair. “And you’re sure you don’t need my help?”
“Quite, dearest sister. Do you remember when I took you last September? I recall you were bored beyond comparison. Especially when that one girl – Serving Set – prattled on for hours about types of herringbone china.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“Don’t worry; as soon as we’re done, I’ll have Blueblood drop you off – I have another appointment today – and if you like, he can take you both to the movies.”
“That’d be great! Thanks.”
“Be sure to thank him, Crackle, dear – he suggested it. I just suspect he wants to spend time with my adorable little sister instead of me,” Suri faux-sighed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll give him back. I’ll talk to you later, sis. And thanks again.”
“Think nothing of it, dear little sister of mine. Bye.” Suri hit the disconnect button on her phone, then set it in the charging cradle by the bed. Looking over at Blueblood, she asked, “Are you ready, dear?”
“Well, of course – I’m always ready, my love,” he told her with the look of a wolf in his eyes and a smile on his face.
“Yes, but if I get so much as a drop of that horrid drug in my system, I will break you,” she said with an equally loving smile and a viper’s glare.
“Wouldn’t think of it,” he said, getting out of bed. “So when does our ‘entertainment’ arrive?”
“Around nine or so. Do you remember the plan?”
“As if it were a part of me, dearest Suri. We chat breezily about things, and at noon, we have lunch, and we start administering the doses. You start putting on the charm at about three, I call your sister and say that plans have to change, and by four, I should have myself a little diversion.”
“So long as you don’t forget about me,” Suri said, leaning forward to kiss him.
“I could never forget about you love,” Blueblood replied, completing the kiss. However, his words made her wonder what exactly he meant by that.
“Yuz!” Lyra shouted. “No more summer school!”
“Oh, fuck yeah!” Rainbow agreed, pumping a fist into the air. “We get to enjoy a month and a half of summer vacation, oh fuckin’ great!” She looked at Lyra and Sunset and asked, “Hey, wanna go grab some lunch? It’s on me.”
“Thanks, Rainbow!” Lyra said.
“Yeah, much appreciated,” Sunset agreed. “And the best part is, I don’t have to work today: Soni says that she’s got everything handled, and that I can rest easy.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. How’s she working out, anyway?”
“She’s a trip, let me tell you two,” Sunset explained. “Sometimes she seems to be a complete space cadet, then I catch her on a break reading Sun Tzu, or a book on Desert Fox. She’s really into military literature for some reason. Then she’s a great cook and baker, and she knows how to fix things. And then when I’m thinking she’s some sort of superbrain, she makes this sort of off the wall comment that I usually associate with you, Lyra.”
“Oh, gee, thanks,” Lyra deadpanned.
“Seriously, though, she’s a good friend and I’m glad to know her.”
“Yeah, I’ll say – and her sister, Ari? She’s awesome. Seems to know a lot of different martial arts styles, and she’s been sparring with me, AJ and Bonnie regularly. And just when we think we’ve got her number? She switches styles and completely one-ups us. She’s good – damn good. Even AJ’s impressed.”
“Yeah, and then there’s Dagi,” Sunset began. “Smart as a whip and gets along with Tavi and Twily; plays a lot of chess by phone with them. Too bad she can’t go to Zacherle with them; I’m sure she’d do well there.”
“Wow, sounds like those three are like made for Disney Channel perfect,” Lyra observed.
“Maybe,” Rainbow replied. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?”
“Dunno, but my guess is that people who are that good in real life? It’s my thought that anyone that perfect? They have something to hide. I’m not saying that’s the case with them – they are, but….”
“But?” Sunny echoed.
“Eh, don’t worry about it, Sunny – probably just my imagination working overtime,” Lyra said with a grin. “Anyway, where do we want to go? I’m starved!”
Divine Right held the phone in his hand, as if in thought. He sat on the sofa in his mansion, thinking about what the next move would be. Clearly Canterlot would be where it all began, but even still that meant that he had to make plans. If things were to go his way, he would have to control every variable and avenue for change. Nothing could be left to chance, and there could be no margin for error.
«Your highness,» a servant sounded in soothing British-accented French as he came into the room, carrying a package.
Wary, Piano set down her book and withdrew a small pistol concealed in her clothing. She took her duties to protect him as fiercely as she was smitten with him, Divine noted. Too bad that will end soon.
«Easy, my dear,» he told her. Then looking at his butler, Stiff Posture, he asked, «Is that the package I purchased?»
«Yes, my prince,» the man said bowing and proffering the box, an elegantly carved oaken box with inlays of red and yellow gold. «The representative from the auction house in London brought it by with all the certificates and such. As requested, we’ve inspected the package and it matches.»
«Good. Frankly, I care not a damn about the certificates. Its authenticity speaks for itself.» Taking the box in his hands, Divine opened the case, looking within. There, nestled on a priceless silk cushion, was a silvery blade. Though polished to perfection, legend had it that it had never seen a day of burnishing, for it had never needed it. The handle was made of three colors of wrapped gold, leading to a hilt that had stars and swirls embedded on it. Finally, the leaf-shaped blade had writing on it that had yet to be deciphered to this day, its cryptic messages as unreadable as the Voynich Manuscript or the Rohonc Codex. Though dagger-sized, it seemed to be proportioned as though it was meant to be wielded as a sword – and not a short sword, but a primary blade.
Reaching into the case, he pulled it out, taking it into his palms. Yes, the legendary Sword of Balance. Though not mentioned often in the stories that made up the Matter of Britain, the sword was mentioned in the Matter of France – a blade made of pure magic and reputedly carried to these shores by Star Swirl the Bearded, a distant counterpart to Britain’s own Merlin. The blade had been in the hands of a German collector, a descendant of the kaiser, who had met with a…sudden and untimely accident. It had been mere child’s play for Divine to have someone convince the man’s widow to put the blade up for auction; likewise, a considerable amount of veiled threats and bribes ensured that he was now the sole owner.
The sword would be part of the key, just as the Gift would be, as the Chant would be. That trio would give him unimaginable power, make him nigh unstoppable and would return him to the throne – not only of France, but of the whole world.
A king – and I will have a proper queen, if she accepts, he said, looking briefly at Piano. You poor love-struck child. You’ve no idea what is in store for you.
But Divine Right, soon to be the absolute ruler of everyone and everything, certainly knew.
After all, it was his divine right, as it was always meant to be.
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Whenever I read Divine Right's thoughts, I want to punch him.
That last line still cracks me up.
It's like he's trying to get the readers angry at him by acting like a prick.
He's pretty much fucking up right now gathering all the items that work together.
They are all from Equestria?
Like seeks Like, right?
Guess where Sunset Shimmer is from?
Sunset Shimmer is pretty much going to have the option you never have: Be ruler of the world.
And I'm gambling that she is going to make the better choice.
5949397 He cracks me up to be honest.
A new chapter at this hour (in my country at least) and when tomorrow is the longest daw of the week for me? That's cold bro, then again, there'll be no ponies this weekend regardless
I hate Divine Right, whoever he or she is.
5949534
Would you have preferred no chapter at all? Or maybe with a pass through Enigma encryption
5949693
They are French.
That's all you need to know, really.
5949728 Fair enough, I find it funny that Sunset's really older than Shining Armor, though.
Loved the update! Looks like many things are coming to a head. I do hope Sonata Dagi and Ari decide to walk away and live a normal life.
Oh, Sonata, you are so great as a character. I love you
Hawt damn. Well, SIRENs finally meet Sunset, how much longer until all the truth blubbering comes?
Here's hoping "Almost Lethal" doesn't issue a C & D.
Cause you know, half of us forgot about the SIRENS.
And the prick (Divine Right) is doing a prickly job of being a prick.
5949728
5949728 Pretty sure we already established that Divine Right is a he. I understand the need to be cryptic about this story, but if I recall, the guy's gender isn't exactly a big twist. Or is it? He might actually have no gender!
Don't mind me but anyone see the reference to both Star Swirl the Bearded and Merlin and there being a connection there *Chuckles*.
And I like all the added stuff like Sonata,Aria and Adagio having some interaction with the main cast.
And finally with Divine Right I so want to drop a Super Spirit bomb on him then put him between Superman and Goku and let them beat him up a lot and then toss him into the sun.
5949783
Truth is, she assumes she's older than Shining; she has no actual proof. We don't completely know how the time dilation between the two realms are. Remember that Sunset went back a week in time coming through the mirror, and then a few days later when Princess Celestia sends her that note the alicorn says a month has passed.
We do know that Sunny is the same age as her brother's counterpart in Equestria.
5950500 That raises a good point. If a few days on Earth translates into a month on Equestria, how out of sync will Sunset be if she goes back through the mirror? It's been a month since the book began.
It's nice showing how the SIRENS and Sunset aren't that different, both wanting to live normal lives, yet denying it due to their own personal obligations. Makes it interesting to see how the Reveal (either) will play out.
Divine seems to be more like a person who wants to rule the world than run the world. He does kind of remind me of the Big Bad from Dragon Age: Inquisition.
5949728 Nope, but still, I love reading each chapter as soon as they're out of the oven, something I can't do right now. Better watch out for spoilers
Me wanty Soni and Dagi and Ari to be happyhappy. Ari was clearly sadsad when she was talking to Maddy and that's no good!
5950646
Ah, yes, the time dilation conundrum. At the time 7DSJ started (pre-RR where they just glued magictech crap to the mirror to bypass the time lock entirely), the concept of how long a day is in EqG was the same for ponies and humans directly so the exact progression of time between worlds is identical. Of course, this is also assuming that "30 moons" meant 2.5 years (which as pointed out in B2 causes some real problems given this means the mirror would only be open two times every five years...and the time frame between Sunset's first and second uses of the mirror is only four years when the mirror shouldn't even have been open for another year when Sunny stole the EoM). An example of this is how it is roughly early Spring both in Equestria and the human world when Razz's mind-rending spell accidently ended up targeting the wrong Twilight Sparkle.
Where all the time inconsistency problems that pop up in the show happen are due to the use of the other mirror portals, through Cavalcanti's/Sombra's mirrors. It's been neglected and according to Razz, "unable to close" due to the actual connection having been "distorted" (like how a door will not close if the doorframe is warped) all this time. It could be suggested that while Sunset spent seven days in Equestria in the span of 5 minutes in the human world, just when those seven days (in June
) may not have been congruent with actual direct time (basically, think "Back to the Future" in how the DeLorean has been to...basically an alternate version of three weeks from today, then the entire span between 1885 to 1955, but at no point did it exist between 1955 and 1985 when it was first built).
5951051
Awww, now I can't start any more time-based pointless rumors!
5951209
Implying the few you have going already aren't enough?
5951702
Seriously, though, to add an extra wrinkle to Blue's point: Sunny came to Earth in January, not October. That means that if we're with a 2.5-year period, there should have been no possible way for Sunny to return to Equestria to steal Twi's element. Let that sink in.
... Is it wrong that every time I see Suri in this fic, I want to reach through the screen and strangle her?
Seriously, the sooner she gets run over by something suitably large enough to leave behind what can't even be recognized as a corpse, the better.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
There's so many plot threds here, Sony's calling it Spider-Man 4.
I'm joking please don't hate me
If the Sirens are now friends of the Eightmazing Eight, why do I foresee them getting involved with Suri, Blueblood, and the Vibe? And why do I feel that even if the Sirens aren't involved, the resulting clusterfuck will be memorable?
5951867 So the first time she could have gone back was during July 3 years ago, and the next time was during January of this year. The portals should not have been able to open unless...Holy Fuckmothering Shit.
5954138
Ahh, you've put it into words xD Love this story, but Holy Plot!
which kind? well after this chapter your guess is as good as mine
5952636
Unfortunately, Leslie Nielsen is dead so we can't recreate *that* gag from Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad.
5954138
Hmm, what's the word to describe what shall now be increased?
5950891
Ah, yes, that.
5954686
Unfortunately, that is incorrect. Flutterrage has no effect on the mirror time lock.
5955083
Heh, it's funny you mentioned something particular, given what Shin and I discussed for *REDACTED* but that's all I can say
5955860
PRAISE THE SUN(BUTT)
5957080 I wasn't thinking Flutterrage was involved with the mirror mess-up. I was thinking that my theory was worth going Flutterrage over.
5957080 Scratch that. They're making this into the next Spider-Man reboot.
5957080
Please don't hurt the SIRENs, guys.
5957648
Which SIRENs are you thinking of?
5958065 Uh, Ari, Soni and Dagi. They're just teenagers, guys! Have a heart.
5958093
And all the other teenagers were okay to be harmed then?
5957193
You want a reboot? Ummm, I'll see what I can do...
5958255
Applejack nightmares involving werewolves begin now!
I would LOVE to see these things pop up. but they probably are not going to.
scottgames.com/4.jpg
cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/FNAF4-Teaser-540x360.jpg
5960105 Do you see 'crossover' attached to this fic? It is bad enough that there is already a prodigious amount of fad fics floating around, let's not add any more. I'm sure there is fan fiction about that on a site somewhere, why not go read those and enjoy this particular story without hoping for some fad insert?
5960105
I wrote 3NAF on a lark. Normally I don't do crossovers, sorry. And the main series (i.e. this) has pretty much been established as not a crossover.
5950646
I'm looking forward to Divine getting eaten by the demon he's attempting to unwittingly summon. It's the only saving grace of his character archetype: they refuse to take "no" for an answer until "no" kills them, but until then they're insufferable pricks you want to defenestrate from a building overlooking a major highway. The guilt of causing a twenty car pileup is nothing compared to the relief felt that he won't annoy you ever again.
Still waiting for Sunset to tell her family what she is.
Thought it's taking Sunset so long I might just wait until this fic is complete to read any more.
I do like the fact that Sunset is a Ranma 1/2 fan though.^_^
5997953
Wait? And miss the adventure?
So, this is the Divine everyone's been talking about, right?
Oh shit.....
Okay, that may be his name and all, but seriously, it was getting annoyingly weird and creepy at the same time. Oh, and annoying as well. You get my point.
7562386
I mean he does seem rather prissy. I think the video is more manly than he is.
DR is a creep who reminds me of Aaravos and everytime I think of him or read about him I think if the star touched elf.