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#1 Findings3,084 words
#2 Hawkeye The Marksman4,992 words
#3 Planted Seeds4,379 words
#4 Setting Up3,099 words

#1 Findings

It was a slow morning for the Sweet Shoppe, unusual considering it was near the end of Summer. Currently, there was only a total of ten costumers in, a few in small groups quietly chatting, a couple in the corner, and several sitting alone reading. eating drinking or on their phones.

Mr Cake was currently in the kitchen pulling a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven, while his wife was manning the checkout serving one of their regulars, a blue haired woman with olive skin talking to someone on her phone.

"Yes, no cherries I remembered," the off duty vice principal rolled her eyes and chuckled. Mrs Cake couldn't help but smile herself at the happy tone in her customer's voice as she packed up her order. Luna's own smile gained a prideful edge at something whoever she was talking to said. "Yes, I am."

The two of them were so lost in their own little worlds that neither noticed a certain group of five enter the shop.

"Yes, I'll be there. I promised didn't I?... I love you too."

A high pitch squeal made Luna, Mrs Cake and the other costumers jump out of their skins. A loud CLANG! came from the kitchen causing Mrs Cake hurry into the back. Luna, meanwhile, spun round and found four of the Rainbooms pressing their hands against their ears, two giving their fifth member annoyed looks, who simply beamed at the Vice-Principal with an excited twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, everything is fine... No, that wasn't my phone," Luna's previous demeanour disappeared beneath her vice-principal persona. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you later."

After the other speaker hung up, Luna placed her phone in her purse, then regarded her students. "Hello, girls. Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, ma'am. We're-," Applejack was cut off as a certain young lady of fashion stepped in between her and the teacher.

" Vice-Principal Luna! How delightful to see you. How has your summer been?" Rarity asked, with an eager smile all who knew her recognized, particularly the local spa attendants.

The question raised a brow. "Fine."

Rarity stepped fourth from the group, who all wore expressions noting how badly this was going to go. "Anything of note occur, like say.... meeting someone special?"

The teacher didn't seem impressed, in fact she was the opposite. Most of the Rainbooms took a step back, though Pinkie continued to smile, Fluttershy ducked behind Rainbow. Rarity however was frozen to the spot.

"I was unaware my personal life was any of your business, Ms Belle," Luna's tone and glare killing any hunger for gossip the dressmaker had.

"Oh, q-quite right, Vice-Principal, m-my apologies," Rarity stumped over her words, surprisingly. "May I just say I love your outfit today."

She smiled at the bluette who simple shook her head, "No wonder your sister thought what she did was a good idea."

Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow flinched at the comment.

"I'll repeat myself, is there something I can help you with?"

"No, ma'am," Rainbow shook her head. "We weren't looking for you. We're here to meet up with-."

"Twilight Sparkle?"

"Uh, yeah," Rainbow exchanged a surprised look with Applejack. "How'd you know?"

"Thanks, Flash!" the group turned to the door to see the girl in question standing in the door way waving at a departing car.

"TWILIGHT!!!!"

The Princess' head spun round towards the voice just in time to see a pink blur flying at her. Seconds to spare, Twilight managed to sidestep out of the path of the Surface To Air Welcomer, who promptly smacked into the door with enough force that it swung open and hit the window.

Through the two layers of glass, a now straight haired Pinkie looked at Twilight with big sad eyes. "We're still not back on hugging terms, are we?"

The Bearer of Magic gave her a deadpan look and shook her head. With a whine the door closed and a disheartened Pinkie popped off then trudged over to an empty table.

Twilight then turned to the group, who greeted her, with the exception of Fluttershy who simply offered the Princess a wave before trying to cheer up party lover, who simply allowed her head to drop on the table.

"Circumstances aside, it's lovely to see you again, Dear" Rarity greeted, trying to lighten the mood then noticed a distinct lack of talking canines. "No Spike?"

"He's away in Canterlot, my world's Canterlot, and won't be back until tomorrow," Twilight answered, clearly not in the mood for pleasantries. "This was too urgent to wait for him."

The Rainbooms were off put by how direct and blunt Twilight was being about why she was there but chose not to comment. Save for one. "Geez, Twi, cold much?"

"You're surprised, Rainbow Dash? Especially after what you did?"

The athlete stepped back head bowed.

"No one got hurt."

"Ah'm pretty sure that's a matter of opinion, Dash," pointed out Applejack, who along with Rarity had now joined the pink haired members of their group at the table.

"Rainbow, I'm not here to hang out with you girls like I would have before. I'm here because after all this time you finally have a lead on where Sunset Shimmer is," Twilight walked past the sports star and stood in front of the Rainbooms' table arms folded. "Is that true?"

"Apparently," Rarity answered as the Rainbooms' turned their attention on their shiest member who briefly stiffened under the attention of the six sets of eyes locked on her.

"Well, where is she?" Luna asked, stepping up to Twilight's side her own arms folded, while Rainbow sat between Applejack and the unhappy princess.

"Oh, uh. Y-Yes, I know where Sunset is right now. Or where she may be."

"May be?"

"Beggars can't be choosers, Princess," Luna commented, then motioned for the animal lover to continue.

All eyes turned back to Fluttershy, who shifted in her seat, before speaking.

"Well, um, have any of you watched this morning's news?" Her fellow CHS students all shook their heads voicing various negative responses.

"Been outta the house all mornin doing chores."

"Baking for a charity sale," Pinkie mumbled against the table.

"Mother is planning on having a garage sale. Myself and father got roped into helping her, I'm afraid."

"Eh, If it ain't sports, I don't watch it."

Rainbow's response earned a sigh from her childhood friend, she should have expected that one.

"I'm afraid I haven't paid much attention to the news this morning either," Luna admitted with a sheepish shrug. "I had to rush out the house,"

Twilight couldn't say she was surprised if her sleep schedule was anything like her counterparts.

Fluttershy pulled out her phone, Twilight not looking happy to see the device.

"Well, this morning I was trying brush Angel's fur. He wasn't in the mood so I wound up chasing him around..."

With the exception of Pinkie, all present were adopting impatient looks. Rainbow held her head tapping her cheek with her pinkie, while Twilight and the vice-principal both tapping their folded their arms. Applejack and Rarity seemed to be attempting to keep a polite interest but clearly wanted her to get to the point.

"Anyway, I chased him into the living room while my brother was watching TV and this was on."

She showed the screen to the group, who leaned into to get a better look of the video playing. Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets, as they read the headline except for one pair which narrowed at the sight.

"Really?" Twilight looked up at the phone's owner unamused. "Did you really call me here for a joke?"

"Huh?" Fluttershy was taken aback by the question.

All human eyes turned to the Equestrian in various degrees of confusion.

Twilight stood up, "I mean, I could expect something like this from Discord."

"Who?" Rarity asked, while Luna gave the princess a befuddled look.

"Maybe Rainbow Dash."

"Hey!"

"She's not wrong, Dashie," Rainbow spun to the party girl, whose eyes looked up at her from the table. "Maud's still sore about the time with the tangerine and the anteater."

Rainbow's face shifted from an insulted frown to an embarrassed blush that she bowed her head to hide.

"But you, Fluttershy?!"

"Uh, Twilight, dear?" Rarity spoke up looking at her own phone.

"You call me over, across dimensions no less."

"Twi?"

"Tell me you've found Sunset after she's been missing for so long! Only to show me a scene from one of your human movies?! Of all the-"

"Twilight!"

The unicorn was silenced mid lecture, the loud command turning the attention of herself and others to Vice-Principal Luna, though for a split-second Twilight saw somepony else by the same name.

"Y-Yes, Prin- I mean,... Vice-Principal Luna?"

"It's real," the blue haired woman stated in a jarring matter of fact tone then walked off to a nearby table and picked up a newspaper.

"W-What?"

"It's not a movie," Applejack held up her own phone showing the same video, though this one had a picture of a bugle in the corner. "This is from this morning's news."

"...What?"

"Yes, dear, its on about every news site and station right now."

Twilight looked around the table, each of the Rainbooms had taken out their phones and were looking at the video or reading about it on different sites. Even the paper, Luna found had the story on the front page.

"This is... unexpected," she commented, traces of both surprised and pride in her voice.

"...But, this is about..."

"Yeah?"

"This-This is normal for your world?"

"Eh," Applejack made a so-so gesture with her hand. "Kinda. Not really around here...Well, not until recently anyway."

Silence fell on the group then Twilight asked, "How did I miss this?! Why didn't anypony mention any of this to me?!"

The humans, a bit taken aback, shrugged, Twilight was about to press the issue but stopped before she could make a sound. She took a breath with her hand against her chest then breathed out moving her hand out.

"Not important right now," She turned back to Fluttershy, who flinched when she did so. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry."

"...I-It's okay, Twilight."

"Not it's not, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"No, no. It's fine," Fluttershy held up her hands then added. "I wouldn't trust us either after what happened."

Twilight sighed, "This is... interesting, regretting I didn't pick up Spike before I left now. But what does this have to do with Sunset?"

"Oh, right. Let me just... Here."

Fluttershy offered her phone which Twilight took. The princess found the video had been... fast forwarded(?), focused on one of the unusual group. At first glance she didn't get it then she caught a glimpse of red and gold hair.

Her were locked on the screen, still wrapping her head round what she was seeing. She went to take a seat, not realising there wasn't one behind her until Pinkie moved one from the table behind the transformed unicorn.

"Uh, Thanks Pinkie."

"No problem!" the pinkette replied, then returned to her seat with a slight skip in her step.

Her violet looked at the group's phones, catching glimpses of different articles and videos about the topic. She then turned to the Vice-Principal reading the newspaper with her back to the group, just past her arm Twilight could see the front page picture, her gaze focusing on her red maned friend.

"How did this happen?"

A few months ago...

As Sunset stepped off the bus, a cold wind blew by sending a shudder through her body despite wearing her winter clothes. Zacherle Road looked like something off a Christmas card, which was somewhat odd considering it was a week and a half before Summer Vacation.

Hearing the door close with a hiss behind her, the former unicorn turned to see the back of the bus disappear around a corner. Leaving her alone under an old lamp post, she adjusted her coat then turned and crossed the road and down hill from the bus stop, into the treeline.

She made her was bushes and snow she came to her designation, her home. It wasn't very impressive being an old shed, hidden in the woods. She had found it during her first week in the human world, when she had gotten used to walking on two feet instead of four hooves. It had been the perfect place to set up shop. The bus stop was a five minutes away, the school and town were about forty minutes away on foot.

If the old building had a owner they hadn't cared to come anywhere near it in the five years Sunset had lived in it. She had cleaned it up and fixed it up when and where she could to make it more comfortable, though out of practical reasons then any sentimentality.

Sunset pushed the door open, not too wide to keep as much heat, if any, inside. For no real reason she looked around, the shed was large enough to house a tractor with room to spare.

When Sunset found it, there had been tones of old tires, tractor parts and a lot of scrap, most of which she had managed to sell for some cash when needed. Now it was replaced with a few pieces of furniture and other necessities she had got at the owner of a small junkyard on the other side of town, either bought cheaply or won in a poker game. Up a ladder was a small loft which acted as her bedroom, which consisted of a fold out bed and a trunk to keep her clothes.

She had to quick, otherwise she would be late for the slumber party with her friends. Sadly, the test she had in three days demanded she pick up the necessary text books before heading to Rainbow's house, now doubt to the athlete's displeasure. Sunset couldn't help but chuckle with a happy smile. Not long ago she would have called slumber parties a waste of time that could have been spent doing something else.

Now, she couldn't stop the feelings of joy at the thought of spending time with her friends. Especially with the sleepovers they were having for the last week before Summer Break. She hoped the freak snow wouldn't ruin their fun, though Fluttershy and Applejack would probably have other concerns with the sudden shift in weather.

Thinking of Applejack brought up more recent memories, namely what happened to her honest friend that day. Her mind was still raking over who would want to humiliate the farm girl online. It was bad enough that students were mocking her, but the fact they were doing it to someone who had saved them from the Sirens and... Sunset herself. That last one still hurt.

Pushing the troubling thoughts out her mind, she spotted the text books she was after on a table in the corner. But as she went over to get them, something caught Sunset's eye beneath her bed space, a something covered by a dusty old tarp that last she checked had been in the corner by the door.

"You weren't there when I left."

Giving into her curiosity, Sunset walked over to the tarp and yanked it sending a cloud of dust into the air. After getting over a brief coughing fit, she turned back and curiosity was replaced with bafflement.

Of all the thing she guessed the mystery thing could have been, a purple turbine engine with handlebars and a windscreen would not make the top 10. She got closer to the strange machine to give it a closer look, her first guess was that it was some kind of motorcycle, but what kind of bike had no wheels?

Behind the windscreen, Sunset saw an engine, while leaning against the back was what appeared to be a saddle, and some sort of container. The engine was unlike anything she had seen at the local motor shops or in her magazines, it looked a few decades too early to exist.

Turning her gaze to handle bars she what looked like a small computer among the fuel and speed gauges. Sunset leaned her head down and tried to have a peak at it under the frame. Seeing what she assumed was part of the hardware, there was something printed into it.

"STARK INDUSTRIES"

Stark.

With that name suddenly it all made sense. Stark Industries was (in)famous for producing some of the most advanced technology in the human world. Including energy sources, computer hardware, armour had become an in-house focus recently even she knew that, and of course vehicles.

A machine that looked like a jet engine fused with a bike with no wheels from that company could mean one thing, it could fly. And just like that Sunset knew what she wanted for Hearth Warming. Giving into her inner foal she grabbed one of the handlebars and twisted it. Nothing happened, but she couldn't help but laugh, as she took out her phone.

"Wait until I tell the girls about this," Sunset thought as she took a picture, then she noticed a few small details.

She moved her hand from the handle to the side and ran a her fingers over several small dents. As she did a thought occurred, whatever this wonderful thing was, it was a high grade piece of equipment. So where was its owner?

Then she heard something. A sound she'd know anywhere, a bowstring being pulled. She spun round and sure enough found an arrow aimed at her head, what little light was in shed shining off its tip.

Beyond the arrowhead, her teal eyes met blue, which seemed to struggle to keep open, behind a purple mask.

"Who are you?" demanded the archer, swaying slightly on his feet. "What are you doing here? Who sent ...you?

Before she could respond the arrow flew from the bow, barely missing Sunset's head and embedding itself in wall behind her. She spun round to the projectile seeing a few strands of red and gold hanging from it, then she heard a thud and found the archer on the ground, on his side, eyes closed.

"Hey!" quickly she was at his side, gently shaking his arm. The arm was covered by a sleeve. A wet sleeve. Sunset pulled her hand back and moved it into the light, her palm was red. She stared at the archer's masked face.

"Who are you?"

Author's Note:

Hawkeye first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

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