Sunset at the Midnight Sushi Bar.

by The Real Jack Doe

Wish You Were Here

It was a slow night, and that really meant something. Sunny Roll passed the time in his usual way, that is he sharpened his knives. A good sushi chef always kept his knives sharp and Sunny considered himself just that.

He also considered himself a ninja master, but he didn't advertise that on his business card. At least not the one he handed out.

Sunny was brought out of his sharpening zen when the chime signifying a costumer rang.

"Irasshaimase!" he said. "Take a seat I'll be right-" stopped as he looked up. There in the door way was the girl from last night.

"Oh, hey again. Couldn't sleep? Or is my Crunchy California Roll really that good?" he throw in the same jovial smile he wore for all his costumers.

The girl stared Sunny down for a second or two as if she was contemplating something, then she nodded. "Yeah. Also." She produced a few wadded up bank notes from her pocket. "I've come to pay for the food last night."

"You don't really have to. If you're all alone in town, you probably need to hold on to ever dollar you can." He finished sharpening his knife and placed it on the counter, "Besides, you never finished it."

The girl took a seat and Sunny could see uncertainty painted all over her face. Like she was wrestling with a particularity nasty thought

"So what's bothering you?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

She said nothing for a moment or two, which Sun was fine with, sometimes people came in and didn't want to say anything. It wasn't his place to pry, but there was a small part of him that wanted to pry. Wanted to help. After all, this girl was young and all alone in this town, she could use a... friend he guessed.

Finally, she looked him in the eye, and suddenly Sunny Roll was confronted with the most serious look any one had ever given him.

It was as if what ever she was about to say would be the most important thing he'd hear in his life. It honestly gave him the willies.

"I-," the girl began. She paused, trying to find the right words.

"Hey," he said. "Look, I get it. It's hard when you're alone. Believe me, I know. I just want you to know, that you've got those friends of yours. And, hey, you know what, if you ever feel like talking, my doors always open.

The girl looked Sunny right in the eyes then and for a moment he was worried he'd said something wrong. "I-I want you to know you're not alone too." the girl said.

Sunny was a bit taken a back by that but he smiled non the less "I appreciate that." He then poured the girl a glass of water and she sat in silence for a while

When she'd finally finished nursing the glass she put it down and gave Sunny that intense look she'd given before. "I have to tell you something. Something so fantastical and unlikely that I have no idea what could happen by telling you."

Sunny looked up querulously"Ok?"

"I came here tonight because, you do know what it's like to be all alone, and I could use a friend who really understands that. My firends at school..." She shook her head, "They really are the beast friends a girl could ever ask for, but at the end of the day, they go home to people they love and places that accept them, and all I've got it a crappy apartment and a cat that hates me."

"The cat's something." Sunny said trying to be encouraging. "But I get what you're saying."

Sunny roll nodded with a smile, but after a moment the smile faded and he turned to the picture hanging on his wall. "I'm sorry, miss, but I'm too full on baggage to help you out like that. I know my own limits and that where they start."

"I know." She said prompting a raised eye brow from Sunny, "At least I've guessed, just like I could use someone to look after me, I think you could use someone to look after you."

He was vary much taken aback now. "Oh?" He chuckled "I should warn you I'm a handful to look after. That's awfully kind for a complete stranger.

"Well," she said and then she reached in to her hoodie pocket and pulled out a bright red stone. She held up the stone in her hand and Sunny watched as it seemed to glow from within.

"There's more, and it's, well, kind of strange. But if I wanna be your friend I'll have to tell you."

His brow drew down "Tell me what?"

"Something hard to explain and entirely too fantastical for you to believe. So rather, I'm just going to show you."

The girl held out her other hand. Sunny looked down at then back to the girls face. It was resolute. He'd only seen someone this resolute once before. From Morning Glow, the mother of his daughter.

This girl, who ever she was, reminded him a lot of her.

Perhaps it was for that exact reason he took the girls hand.

And suddenly, in the time it would take a bead of sweat to hit the ground, Sunny Roll's mind became a light with images, thoughts feelings, sensations.

History. History from another world. Another time.

A young girl in pain, turning to sadism as an escape.

Literally escaping to another world.

Pain, anger, sadness.

Then a light.

Then more light. Love, power, hope.

All the while, a name flew threw his head.

When it was finally over, only half a second had gone by but it felt like Sunny Roll had just seen years. Which was vary much true.

He looked up at the girl. She was in tears, but underneath them were a wide warm smile.

"Sunset?" Sunny Roll said.

Sunset Shimmer sniffed wiping her eyes. She nodded.

"It's nice to meet you." She said "And I'm sorry."

Sunny Roll saw that she was saying something more, but he didn't hear it. Because at that moment he passed out and hit the counter on the way down.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousnesses was Sunset cover her mouth with her hands and yelp in shock.

---

"So... you're a... pony?" said Sunny Roll. He had an ice pack to his head. In the other hand he held a bottle of plum wine. He might need another before the night is over.

"Well, I guess you could say that?" said Sunset.

Sunny Roll took another sip of the wine. "And, you're Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset covered he face with one hand "Yeah, I'm sorry. I know this must be really confusing and..."

"Actually not as much as you'd think." Sunny said. Sunset raised a confused brow.

Sunny Roll smiled in his kindly way. "When I was a kid, I was really in to sci-fi." His smile then faded away. " When Suns- When my daughter died, for a while I liked to think that some where out there, there was another dimension where she didn't."

He looked off in to the distance "There was some hypothetical world where Sunset was going to school, and she was happy and surrounded by friends and there was a hypothetical me that got to watch her grow up and be happy." He took a swig of his bottle "I hated that hypothetical me."

"But, I never would have guessed it would be a world of horses."

"...Ponies, actually." Sunset said.

"Sorry." Sunny Roll adjusted the his ice pack. "I guess I was wrong at any rate. There was no hypothetical me who got to watch you grow up. He's gone instead."

He chuckled to himself, "I wonder if we're just really unlucky or are we cursed in every dimension?"

Sunset burst out laughing at that, "I've been wondering the same thing myself."

He decided to join in on the laughter until a realization dawned on him "Oh jeez, I'm sorry. How must it feel to find out that you were dead in another world."

"A little shocking at first. I'm not gonna lie, I almost threw up. But, like you said, there's a bunch of realities so, it's bound to be more likely then you think."

"Point." he said, actually pointing before taking another swig of wine. "By the way would you like some."

Sunset put her hands on her hips "Are you offering alcohol to a minor. That's vary irresponsible."

"Ha, minor my foot. I've seen your thoughts, I know how old you really are."

"Even so, I probably shouldn't, don't want you to lose your license." she said. "If you did, I wouldn't be able to ask you for a job, maybe?"

Sunny Roll raised an eyebrow, "A job?"

"Well, It might allow you to open this place at a reasonable hour if you had someone else working here too. And, I actually need one. Up until now I've just been doing odd jobs around town and for my land lord, but that's really not cutting it anymore."

Then her eyes dipped, "Also, I meant what I said before, I mean, you know I did because you saw my mind, but I think this our chance to... have a family again."

Sunny made a face at that word, which cause Sunset to grit her teeth, worrying that she'd said the wrong thing. That word, family, was a bit of a sore spot for Sunny. He'd told himself it was an old wound, which was true, but some old wounds still cause pain.

He looked again over to the picture hanging on the wall. To his happy family that never was. He scanned the picture for a moment until his eyes fell on the face of new born Sunset. Now that he looked at her, he wondered how he didn't recognize this Sunset Shimmer at all.

He looked at her smile, and thought of how when she was born, he never wanted that smile to go away. And in that smile he knew that if she was here now, she would want the same thing from him.

He turned to Sunset and smiled. "Alright Sunset Shimmer," he held out his hand, "It's a deal. Welcome to The Midnight Sushi Bar. You can start work on Tuesday."

She shook his hand enthusiastically "I can start on Monday, if that's alright." she said.

"Oh no, we're not open on Monday. Never order fish from a restaurant on Monday. It's not fresh on Monday."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sunset said.

"So," Sunny said after another swig of plum wine, "have you ever made sushi before?"

Sunsets's smile faded away and she shook her head.

"Have you ever made Japanese food of any kind?"

"Umm?"

"Do you know how to cook?"

"I can make mac and cheese." Sunset said excitedly. "As long as it's out of a box." She added sheepishly.

The small shop once again became filled with the sound of Sunny Roll's laughter. After a second or too the sound of Sunset's laughter joined in as both rose up in to the late evening sky.

End

Author's Note:

This was fun.

I'm definitely doing another fic in this same continuity. Probably going to start on that soon cause I like to keep my hands busy.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. leave a comment, even if you just wanna tell me I'm a mad gaf.

Love you.

Comments

[Twilight_Shimmer]

"A little shocking at first. I'm not gonna lie, I almost throw -threw- up. But, like you said, there's a bunch of realities so, it's bound to be more likely then you think."

He turned to Sunset and smiled. "Alright Sunset Shimmer," he held out his hand, "It's a deal. Welcome to The Midnight Sushi Bar. You can star -start- work on Tuesday."

[complexevil]

they go home to people they love and places that except them, "

I think that should be accept not except.

Otherwise really liked the story. Short, simple, sweet.