Through A Darkened Mirror

by Dorath

5.0 … Fancies, Ultimatums And Decisions …

A month.

It had been a month since these six girls had fallen into Sunset’s life and moved into her apartment, and strangely enough, despite the crowding and occasional bickering, she was oddly okay with the situation.

‘It was damn lucky that Rarity had those coins, though,’ unfortunately, her prediction had proven completely accurate, and Applejack and Rainbow had been reduced to the occasional bit of day labor for income. Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity, at least, had found occasional work that actually suited their talents, with Fluttershy helping out at the Fife Free Clinic, Pinkie babysitting and Rarity repairing clothes and doing the occasional bit of custom alterations.

Now, Applejack and Twilight were off doing more research into how to get them all home, Rainbow was taking (yet another) nap, and Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity were engaging their host in something she had never really experienced before … gossiping about her new friends’ families, ‘Are they my friends? Huh. I-I think they are, when did that happen?’

“So, Sparky’s big brother was in the army?” Sunset winched slightly as shifted in her seat, futilely trying to find a position that didn’t pull on the stitches in her side, a memento from her last job.

“And quite highly ranked, before he retired,” Rarity assured the razorgirl as she sipped her tea, “Shining is the epitome of a proper, gallant aristocrat and was considered quite the catch among the nobility.”

“He’s always so polite and kind,” Fluttershy observed, “And very devoted to protecting ponies, Twilight just adores him.”

“And did we mention that he’s really yummy?” chirped Pinkie as she shot Sunset a wink.

“Indeed,” the fashionista smirked at the other girls, before giving a small sigh, “Pity that he is happily married, but a lady is allowed her fantasies.”

Sunset chuckled, “Any other brothers I should know about?”

“Well, my little brother, Zephyr Breeze, is in Cloudsdale studying to be a mane therapist, but he’s not doing well,” Fluttershy murmured, “And he’s always flirting with Rainbow, but I don’t think she feels that way about him.”

“I don’t have any brothers,” pouted Pinkie, “But I have three sisters!”

“Just an adorable, if trying, little sister for me,” Rarity added.

“So, it’s just Shining and Zephyr?”

“Now we didn’t say that, did we?” replied Pinkie in a singsong tone, “We haven’t mentioned Spikey and Big Mac yet.”

The razorgirl took a slug from her bottle of Tío Miguel’s, ignoring the slightly disapproving looks Fluttershy and Rarity shot at her, “Okay, I’ll bite, who’re Spike and Mac?”

Fluttershy frowned at her, “Umh … should you really be drinking this early,” wondered the timid girl, “And while you’re hurt?”

“Probably not,” Sunset shrugged, “Now stop trying to distract me and spill about these other two brothers.”

Rarity shook her head in exasperation before acquiescing to the older girl’s request, “Well, Spikey-wikey is Twilight’s little brother and her chief assistant,” she gave a small bubbly laugh, “And he has just the cutest chubby little cheeks!”

“He’s really a sweetheart,” added Fluttershy with a small smile, “Even if he does get into the occasional bit of trouble.”

Pinkie leaned over towards Sunset conspiratorially, “Spikey has been crushing on Rarity ever since they first met,” she said, without bothering to lower her voice, which sent Fluttershy off into a fit of quiet giggles.

“Oh really,” Sunset grinned at the fashionista, “He’s got a thing for more … experienced women, huh?”

Rarity reached over and, in a very proper, lady-like fashion, swatted Sunset.

“Okay, okay, sensitive subject, I get it,” chuckled the razorgirl, “So tell me about this ‘Big Mac’ fella.”

“Macintosh Apple is Applejacks big brother,” explained Fluttershy, “He’s very quiet and sweet and gentle.”

“He’s also very hard working and devoted to his family, a true country gentleman,” Rarity nodded, “He also has a wonderful singing voice.”

“Big Mac’s always helping out around the town when he’s not on the farm,” added Pinkie, bouncing idly on the couch.

“A farmer, huh,” Sunset mused, smirking at the other girls, “So … does ‘Big’ Mac live up to his name?”

Pinkie and Rarity broke out into more laughter, while Fluttershy blushed red, even as she nodded happily.

“Does he ever!” declared Pinkie eagerly, “Yum—wait, I already used that one … umh … Big Mac is all hummana hummana, and like half of Ponyville has a thing for him!”

“The farm boy and the soldier boy …” Sunset chuckled as she leaned back, her eyes half closed and a lecherous smile on her lips, “The things they could do to me ….”

“Really now, dear,” Rarity chided, even as she tried to hide her own smile, “A lady doesn’t mention such things quite so blatantly.”

“Hey, you said a girl was allowed her fantasies,” the flame-haired girl protested, “And I can come up with all kinds of fantasies about what to do with two big, strapping, handsome, guys.”

The clicking of the lock caught the four girls’ attention as Applejack and Twilight returned, and Rarity called out in greeting, “Welcome back, darlings, how did your research go, Twilight?”

“Not so good, I’m afraid,” Twilight replied, only to trail off as she noticed Pinkie’s massive grin, Fluttershy’s faint blush and the lascivious smile Sunset was shooting at her and Applejack, “… what have you fillies been talking about?”

“Brothers,” answered Sunset impishly.

“Oh. Oh! No, no, no!” the academic and farmgirl had both turned red as they matched Sunset’s leer with glares of their own, “There will be absolutely no lewd imaginings about big brothers going on here, young lady, none whatsoever!”

“Yeah, what Twi’ said!”

The two stomped back into the bedroom and slammed the door behind them, only for it to open a moment later as Rainbow was unceremoniously ejected.

“What’s going on?” the half-asleep athlete asked, blinking in confusion as the other girls snickered.

________________________________________

“You girls finally cool down?” asked Sunset as the group gathered for dinner a few hours later.

“We know how protective the both of you are of your brothers,” Rarity apologized as Fluttershy and Pinkie nodded along guiltily, “We were just talking about our siblings and … Sunset’s imagination got the better of her.”

“Hey, don’t try and dump this all on me!” grumbled the razorgirl, “You girls are the ones who brought up how ‘yummy’ Shining and Macintosh are. Besides, it’s not like I’m ever going to actually meet them anyway!” Sunset gave a half-apologetic wave, “Look, if by some freak miracle, I do run into your brothers, I swear I will not flirt with either of them without getting your permission first, okay?”

“Shining is married,” Twilight reminded the older girl.

“Then I guess I’ll need his wife’s permission as well, now can we please hear what Sparky found out?”

Twilight exchanged glances with Applejack before nodding, “Okay. It’s … not good. And that probably contributed to my … less than reasonable behavior earlier, so I’m sorry, Sunset, fillies, I overreacted.”

“You’re forgiven and quit trying to dodge the question,” Sunset replied brusquely, “All this beating around the bush is starting to freak out Fluttershy, so spill already.”

“Hey now, ya gettin’ all snappish with Twi’ ain’t exactly helpin’ matters none.” Sunset grimaced at the farmgirl’s rebuke and muttered an apology to Twilight.

Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts as she sipped from her cup, “I’ve finally narrowed down where the Portal opened on this side, there’s a tiny fracture in the dimensional fabric, but it’s so small I barely found it, and I don’t have nearly enough power to force it open from this side. But things aren’t hopeless,” she hastened to assure her dejected friends, “I’m positive that Celestia and Luna are searching for us, and if I go down there every day and manipulate the fracture to create a sequenced mana flare, surely the Princesses will notice.”

“So, you’re going to what, flash Morse code out at the entire universe and hope that these ‘Princesses’ are looking at the right place at the right time and realize what they’re seeing?”

“Celestia damn it, Sunset!” growled Rainbow as she glared at the flame-haired girl, “Are you trying to get us to give up hope or something?”

“No! No …” the razorgirl sighed, “I want you to have your eyes open, to realize that you’re here for the long haul, maybe even forever, but keep hoping. Yes, hope is poison, sure she’s the lying slitch that leads you on before laughing in your face while she slits your throat and dances in your blood, but hope is also the difference between being alive and just surviving.”

“Well, that there may have jus’ been tha most depressin’ attempt at a rousin’ speech Ah ever done heard.”

“Uhh … Pinkie … What are you doing?” Sunset asked as she tried to breathe through the mass of pink curls that was suddenly covering her face and the arms that were wrapped around her in a bone-creaking hug.

“You really sounded like you could use a hug, Sunny.”

“Okay … thank you. You can stop now.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie.”

Sunset shook her head, “Strange girl,” she muttered as she watched Pinkie bounce back to her seat.

“Sooo …,” Rainbow drawled, “I guess we can’t keep putting off that talk anymore.”

“What talk, Rainbow?” asked Fluttershy, before she noticed Applejack’s angry frown, “Ohhh … that talk.”

“My Granny didn’t raise me ta be no criminal!” retorted Applejack, as she glared at her friends.

“I understand, darling,” Rarity put a comforting hand on the blonde’s shoulder, “And I’m not particularly happy about the concept myself, but we must face facts. Even with my little stash of bits and what money we can bring in occasionally, we need more lucrative income if we are too pay our own way beyond the year, and unfortunately, this appears to be the only real option we have.”

“I’m sure our families, and the Princesses, will understand that we didn’t make this decision lightly,” Twilight added, “Especially if we make sure to cling to our morals, despite what our new profession might ask of us.”

“I think you’re all forgetting about something,” Sunset broke in, as Applejack bit her lip and mulled over her friends’ words, “If you want to get started in the Biz, you’ll need training and at least some kit, and that’ll mean dipping into Rarity’s stash, which means you’ll have even less time until your money gets tight. You girls sure that you want to do this?”

The six displaced ponies looked at each other uncertainly, before Applejack finally spoke up, “Ah’m sure Ah don’t want ta do this, jus’ like Ah’m sure as shootin’ that Fluttershy doesn’t want ta hurt anypony. But Rares an’ Twi’ are right, we ain’t got a lot of choices, an’ we can do this without forgettin’ who we are,” the farmgirl shifted slightly to face Sunset, “Do ya think ya can find us some help with that trainin’ an’ ‘kit’ ya were talking about, Sunset?”

“Ehh … some,” the older girl replied as she furrowed her brow in thought, “I don’t work with any espers regularly, so I can’t really help Rarity and Sparky on that end, but I can beat the physical training, marksmanship and teamwork into all of you, and I know people who can get all of you equipped, including rubber bullets or something since you’re so concerned about killing folks.” The razorgirl pointed her fork at the other girls threateningly, “And don’t you go thinking I’ll be going easy on any of you, neither. The Biz chews up and spits out new meat like you all the time, and I won’t have any of you dying on my watch, understand?”

“We understand,” the six girls responded, Fluttershy squeaking slightly.

Sunset continued to glower at the Equestrians for a moment, then gave them a sharp nod and returned to her dinner.