Equestria Girls - The Tale of Two Sunsets

by HumanSunset63

Chapter 66: Captain's Request

Back in Equestria, Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight had finally returned to their current timeline, still rather shocked to learn about the upcoming bad future. It almost felt as if time was suddenly of the essence, given how there was currently a power-mad artificial alicorn on the loose, who also possessed the Bewitching Bell. Upon returning, Rarity was glad to see that the trio managed to return without any issues, but noticed immediately that her friends showed expressions of grief and concern over what they had supposedly just witnessed.

"Well, I take it that the time travel spell did its job, but..." Rarity began, as she observed her friends' gestures. "I'm guessing that something about Equestria's future was very wrong?"

"You might want to sit down for this one, Rarity." Twilight sighed. "We need to call the rest of the council too, this is some pretty heavy stuff."

"Hmm, this sounds serious." Rarity understood. "I'll go and fetch the rest of our friends, they should still be at the castle's meeting room from earlier."

"Alright then, time for another official emergency meeting." Twilight said. "Now that I'm princess of all of Equestria, it's my responsibility to ensure that this bad future will never become a reality. As such, that'll entail figuring out a way to counter the Bewitching Bell's effects, so that we don't end up weakened from magic loss. For now though, it's time to deliver the hard news."

After eventually calling everyone on the council back over to the same meeting room from before, Twilight sat in her seat and began explaining everything. How the future of Equestria looked incredibly bleak and hopeless, combined with how it was also a future that still took place after Rainbow's Sonic Rainboom was able to unite the entire destined group of friends. Starlight also shared the closest thing to a hint they were able to gather, involving someone named 'Sunny S.', who supposedly was responsible for the future in question. The rest of the council showed rather mixed feelings about this, but the overall consensus was that this was truly a matter of shock and concern. No one else on the council seemed to have any idea about who 'Sunny S.' was, except for Rainbow.

"Wait a minute... Sunny S..." Rainbow began to recall. "You mean Sunny Skies? The mayor of Hope Hollow who invited us all to attend his town's Rainbow Festival?"

"That's what I was thinking at first, until I realized that it couldn't have been him." Twilight replied. "The main clues we were able to gather was that whoever was responsible, they caused an eternal sunset in Equestria, and their general appearance seems to resemble Sunset over here. Since Mayor Skies doesn't resemble Sunset at all, I'm pretty confident we can rule him out as a suspect."

"When I found that out myself, it almost got me wondering if I had a connection somewhere..." Sunset recalled. "I mean, Party Favor immediately freaked out upon seeing me, and the fact that the world became eternally sunset...? I... I couldn't have been the one who was responsible..."

"There's just no way, Sugarcube." Applejack assured. "Your humbleness as an honorary Apple, you're way too pure of a soul to do somethin' as awful as that to Equestria."

"I'm sure that even though Party Favor's behavior was... strange?" Rarity described. "There simply must be a logical explanation for why he reacted that way."

"I'm also sure that the eternal sunset has nothing to do with you, Sunset." Fluttershy added. "Why would you believe you're responsible for having a connection with that?"

"It's just that... I remember Twilight telling me about what happened with Princess Luna." Sunset recalled. "Isn't it true that when she became Nightmare Moon, she had the ultimate goal of covering Equestria in an eternal night? The fact that Double Diamond specifically described the bad future as having an eternal sunset, along with how... I'm the only pony I know of with a connection through my name? I just can't help but feel I have something to do with it..."

"Princess Luna's name is reflective of the moon though, silly." Pinkie tried to cheer Sunset up. "Not the night."

"Yeah, but the moon fully shows itself at night." Sunset continued. "I've practically exhausted all my theories up until this point, I just have no idea what this bad future is trying to tell us..."

"If I were to guess, this could just be someone we haven't encountered yet, who may or may not coincidentally resemble you, Sunset." Starlight added. "But because that pegasus is still on the loose with the Bewitching Bell, and there's that mysterious figure Zecora tried to warn Rainbow about, I'm sure it's entirely plausible either of them were responsible for the bad future."

"No real idea on that mystery figure whose name starts with an 'O' and rhymes with the word 'mean'..." Sunset pondered. "But as for the pegasus, I wouldn't be so sure if it's even her, considering how I don't look anything like that psycho. Plus, let's just say I've recently learned her name, it's Chestnut Magnifico. With a name like that, I couldn't imagine she'd have anything to do with making Equestria eternally sunset. But whether she is or isn't the culprit, that doesn't matter to me now. Since I have a little time left before graduation, and I still have a chance to help change the future of Equestria, I've decided to stick around a bit longer, mostly to help in any way I can."

"It's incredibly noble of you, how you're still willing to help save Equestria from that awful future, even after what just happened with that Chestnut pegasus." Twilight nodded. "But are you sure that's a good idea? Without your horn and unicorn magic, I could just never forgive myself if I let something else bad happen to you, Sunset."

"Trust me, Twilight." Sunset assured. "I've had my fair share of wild adventures back in the human world, including getting stranded on a desert island once. At the very least, I want to do anything I can to help protect... my old home."

"If you're absolutely sure about this, I understand and appreciate your commitment." Twilight smiled. "However, we're going to have to head over to the Canterlot Library and do some research regarding the Bewitching Bell, because the last thing I want is for any of my friends to get hurt again."

"Understood, hopefully we'll all find something crucial." Sunset nodded. "If that future of Equestria is just down the corner, I'm beginning to feel like time is running out..."

---

As Twilight and the rest of the council had rushed to the Canterlot Library to conduct any research they could in a timely manner, trouble was continuing to brew within the human world. Gilda had begun to make her way back to Canterlot City, but started to notice that her truck was running too low on gas. This prompted her to sigh in annoyance, before pulling over to a nearby gas station. She thankfully still had some spare cash on her, which was at least enough to get her back to her gang's hideout.

"Darn fossil fuels... why you gotta be so expensive?" Gilda grumbled. "Why can't you be as easy to steal as a school kid's lunch money?"

Knowing that she was a wanted criminal on the loose, Gilda put on her jacket's hood and added a pair of sunglasses, mostly as a precaution if the gas station's store had security cameras. She then exited the truck with her cash and was ready to refuel, but then recalled a crucial detail she hadn't really thought through before she decided to ditch the rest of the gang for the sake of her little quest.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I hadn't considered how I was going to explain why I was gone for so long." Gilda pondered to herself. "I might just have to come up with a dumb excuse and hope she buys it."

Gilda walked right into the store and handed the cashier her money to begin purchasing gas.

"30 bucks on number 6, please." Gilda said, rather calm.

"Oh, thank goodness." Soarin said with relief, before activating the gas pump. "An actual polite customer. I was almost halfway tempted to quit my job because of those rude Crystal Prep Academy girls coming in here just to make fun of me."

Although Gilda initially didn't care much for the cashier's personal sob story, she then suddenly remembered that Crystal Prep Academy was the school that Human Sunset seemed to have a personal vendetta against. As she was still in need of an excuse for why she had gone missing this morning, she figured that perhaps gathering some information about this school could not only put her back on Human Sunset's good side, but perhaps even persuade her to do her dirty work in locating the Tundra Tiara.

"Sorry to hear about that..." Gilda said, albeit insincerely. "Where might those girls be, maybe I can go talk to them?"

"I think I just saw them heading over to the cooler section to get some iced coffees." Soarin pointed to the far end of the store. "I tried to call the police before, but they always call my bluff."

Gilda turned around and saw two girls standing in front of the coolers, with one of the girls constantly touching bottles and cans, before putting them back on the shelves in incorrect places. Ignoring this unusual behavior, Gilda simply snuck over to the two girls from afar, before hiding herself behind one of the beef jerky shelves on the adjacent side of the coolers. She began eavesdropping, desperately hoping that she could find some dirt that could put her back in Human Sunset's good graces.

"Come on, Sugarcoat!" Indigo Zap tried to persuade her friend. "Why aren't you helping me rearrange everything around here? It'll be funny to make people believe that coffee costs 40 bucks while this pack of beer only costs 93 cents!"

"Why exactly are we doing this again?" Sugarcoat sighed in frustration. "You know that there's a universal number of things that are better to do than... this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Indigo asked rhetorically. "That cashier was clearly annoyed with us earlier. So maybe if we drive him bananas enough, he might let us take these iced coffees at no charge. After all, don't you think beverages just taste way better if they're free?"

"I can't exactly agree that it's free if you're going to spend hours monkeying around just to get something that costs less than a dollar." Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. "Honestly, we HAVE the money to pay for like a thousand of these, what's your deal?"

"My deal is, what if I end up getting a scholarship as an athlete in college, but then I'm a dollar short for health insurance?" Indigo said. "Did you ever think about that?"

"The way you choose to set priorities never ceases to amaze me." Sugarcoat said, sarcastically. "I honestly don't know why the rest of our gang entrusted you to hold on to our old Crystal Prep Academy uniforms. We're all pretty much depending on you to keep those vintage outfits safe."

"Duh, don't you remember?" Indigo reminded. "Since I'm an athlete, my locker also gets a completely separate compartment to store clothes, and you all complained about having to carry the uniforms around everywhere. Besides, if you're so confident that you can afford coffee, why are you suddenly so afraid of possibly losing $20,000?"

"Would you NOT say that out loud, especially in public!?" Sugarcoat snapped. "You know something? I might've appreciated you volunteering to hold onto our old uniforms until after graduation, but now I'm having second thoughts. You're not particularly responsible with time, let alone a large sum of money."

"Well, too bad!" Indigo huffed. "They're staying in my locker until we get our diplomas at graduation. Besides, you don't even know my locker combination to get in anyways."

"It's 6-7-57." Sugarcoat recalled. "I know this because you have a habit of chanting it all the time during soccer tryouts. Someone with only half a brain could even figure that out."

"SHHHHHHH!!!" Indigo put her hand on Sugarcoat's mouth. "You want somebody to hear?"

"Oh, NOW you're suddenly so cautious about revealing sensitive information in public, let alone in a gas station where there's video cameras and shady people." Sugarcoat stated, bluntly. "Listen, if you want to waste the rest of the afternoon trying to bother the gas station cashier, be my guest. But I think I'll just head on over to the school and take my uniform back."

"We're not allowed on campus if we don't have any active classes for the day, genius!" Indigo reminded. "Didn't you read Principal Cadence's new policy!?"

"I really wonder about you sometimes, Indigo Zap." Sugarcoat sighed. "You're either following rules to a tee, or doing ridiculously dumb things that make me lose brain cells."

"Just for that, I get your free coffee when the cashier's had enough." Indigo retaliated.

"Whatever, have fun wasting your life." Sugarcoat shrugged before she finally began to leave the store.

Overhearing all of this from behind the snack shelf, Gilda suddenly knew she had made a breakthrough that would help Human Sunset devastate these girls at Crystal Prep Academy, especially after she had heard their names. Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap, the same girls Human Sunset had the fiercest grudge against. Combined with this, Gilda had also learned of the locker combination to help them break in, as she quickly took out her notepad and a pen, writing down '6-7-57', to make sure she didn't forget. Then it suddenly clicked inside her.

Gilda realized that she could use the excuse of scoping out Crystal Prep Academy to gather intel as a means of explaining her sudden absence, along with using Indigo Zap's locker combination as leverage to force Human Sunset to acquire the Tundra Tiara for her. Feeling like she was most certainly just blessed with the best luck in the world, Gilda put the notepad back into her pocket, before getting back up and exiting the store to refuel her truck.

"Well, did you talk to them?" Soarin asked with desperation, as he noticed Indigo was still fumbling around with the cooler section. "What did they say?"

"Err, yeah." Gilda shrugged at this. "Just give that girl some free coffee and she'll leave."

"Fine then, if that's what it takes." Soarin breathed a sigh of relief, before Gilda stepped out of the store quickly to avoid any further awkward conversations.

As Gilda finally finished adding gas to her truck, she sped off back to the city, ready to set her plot into motion. It was obviously going to take a lot of work and acting to get through all this, but when the time was right, she would finally be able to awaken that sorceress and gain access to her omnipotent powers. Hopefully the locker combination wasn't a fib, but most importantly, she had the perfect explanation toward her absence, while Human Sunset and the rest of her gang were still slowly sabotaging the upcoming school graduations.

---

As Twilight, Sunset, and the rest of the council were busy conducting research within the Canterlot Library, it seemed to be going almost nowhere, as everypony had practically already exhausted every magic book on the shelves. Almost nothing appeared to give even the slightest hint of a way they could counter the Bewitching Bell's draining effects, let alone a way to fight back. As everypony was beginning to lose hope, Twilight finally shrieked in amazement when she found a book that specifically documented the Bewitching Bell.

"YES!!!" Twilight held the book up in front of her. "I knew you could always find any answers in your local library! It looks like this book was written by Starswirl the Bearded, and it carefully documents everything about the Bewitching Bell back when he and the other Pillars of Equestria were attacked by the nefarious Grogar."

"Cool!" Pinkie jumped with glee. "Could you read us the entire story? A lot of the books I've skimmed around here don't seem to have happy endings."

"Maybe another time, as much as I agree with your curiosity, Pinkie." Twilight began skimming the book. For now, I'm skipping over to the chapter that explains how Gusty the Great was able to defeat Grogar, even when he was nearly unstoppable thanks to the bell's magic."

"I'm just saying though, isn't it kinda weird how we're all afraid of some bell?" Rainbow reminded. "Yeah, that's right! You heard me, Bewitching Bell! YOU DON'T SCARE ME!!!"

A bell suddenly dinged out of nowhere, which made Rainbow jump up in shock, before she turned around and saw it came from a bell from the checkout counter near the library's entrance.

"Shhh!" The librarian demanded. "Keep it down, please!"

"Let's just at least be glad that this bell didn't take away your ability to fly." Rarity said, rather amused.

"Aha, I finally found it!" Twilight suddenly flipped to the page that explained Grogar's defeat, before placing the book on the table. "Everyone, take a look at this. For many years, nopony dared to even attempt standing up against Grogar, since he could very easily drain their magic in mere seconds. It didn't matter who it was, even if they were allied or working for him."

"Sounds awful, just like that rotten pegasus we're now up against." Sunset listened on.

"However, one day when the legendary pillar, Rockhoof, was mining around a quarry, he uncovered an artifact that somehow made him completely immune to the Bewitching Bell's draining effects, the Dragonstone. Rockhoof had managed to absorb the dragon fire from within, and he was completely unaffected by one of Grogar's intense rampages. Nopony ever knew specifically what the artifact was once used for, but for some reason, the stone itself could completely drain dragons of their dragon fire. I know this doesn't really sound particularly helpful, but it also had a secondary effect, that reciprocating the dragon fire onto somepony can make them completely immune to... magic draining effects. In this case, the Bewitching Bell. "

"Then I reckon that if only we knew about this back then, it would've also prevented Lord Tirek from drainin' us ponies of our magic?" Applejack deduced.

"Precisely." Twilight nodded. "The battle with Grogar was a real piece of cake for Gusty after she was given the Dragonstone's fire and became invincible to the Bewitching Bell. However, here's where things get... tricky. That's all there is as far as Starswirl documenting his studies on the bell itself. There's no mention past this regarding where the Dragonstone is now."

"Well, under normal circumstances, this would certainly be a real pickle." Starlight agreed. "But... since the Pillars are still around, after we brought them back during our battle against the Pony of Shadows, we could simply ask Rockhoof himself?"

"OH!" Twilight responded. "That's right, how could I forget that!?"

"To be fair, we don't really have the Pillars interacting with the new Equestria much." Spike added. "Though I'm sure that's mostly just an effect of them adapting back into society. It has been 1,000 years, after all."

"Wait, you... brought the Pillars of Equestria back to life?" Sunset asked, rather astonished. "Well, I'm definitely glad that I chose to come back to Equestria then, you usually wouldn't hear about stuff like this back in the human world."

"I'd imagine so." Twilight giggled. "Now then, we'll have to find Starswirl and Rockhoof, mostly to ask if they have any idea regarding where the Dragonstone is now."

"Did somepony call my name?" Rockhoof entered the room, as the timing appeared to be perfect.

"Oh, Rockhoof!" Twilight announced from a distance. "Good to see you, what are you doing here?"

"I'm actually here to return a library book that I borrowed over 1,000 years ago." Rockhoof explained. "You don't think the librarian will mind the lateness, do you? I wonder if she's my librarian's great great great great great great great great great great great great granddaughter."

"Well... why don't I just take it off your hooves and take care of it for you?" Twilight took the book from Rockhoof and smiled sheepishly. "I... had a bad experience with an overdue library book myself, let's just say."

"Much obliged, Princess!" Rockhoof nodded.

"Oh... my." Sunset said in awe. "You're... Rockhoof! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I read about you in magic school, you were actually the first Equestrian Legend I read about, and you were an amazing inspiration! How you went from being unable to pick up an axe to finding your inner strength when that volcano erupted, and you saved all those villagers from that magma! I always dreamt of one day becoming as strong and brave as you!"

"Aye, I hadn't expected that I'd meet a pony who idolized me so much in modern day." Rockhoof reacted, rather flattered. "Who might you be, lass?"

"Sunset Shimmer." Sunset began squeeing. "I've never told anypony this before, but your tale's legacy was the main reason that I always had a tendency to work out and become a much stronger pony each day. I remember always wanting to be just like you, the big and strong viking hero of Equestria, and... now I'm actually given the opportunity to meet you, pony to pony? It's such an honor!"

"Heh, I know Applebloom felt the same way when I had her meet Rockhoof too." Applejack added.

"Well, I'm certainly flattered that I was able to change somepony's life through what I accomplished thousands of moons ago." Rockhoof nodded. "But I hope you've learned that it's always a pony's inner strength that truly counts, not just their outer, physical strength."

"Well... yes, I agree with that." Sunset blushed in embarrassment. "I've managed to actually accomplish growing my inner strength to its best potential. That... was really more one of my fangirl moments, since... it's not every day you get to meet somepony you've admired so much throughout your youth."

"That makes two of us, we really have that inner fangirl in common." Twilight giggled.

"Aye, but at the end of the day, I'm still just an ordinary pony like the rest of you all." Rockhoof said. "I might've captured the hearts and imaginations of many ponies around Equestria, and have been appointed the role of the official Keeper of Tales, but that certainly doesn't make me better than anypony else in the room."

"Of course." Sunset nodded. "A certain somepony's taught me a thing or two about being humble, so I'm happy to hear you're quite humble about your heroics too."

"Always a pleasure to hear that you understand where I come from, lass." Rockhoof said with approval. "I still appreciate the kind words, regardless. But getting back to earlier, Princess Twilight? Since I believe I heard my name, I'm guessing you need something?"

"Oh, yes actually." Twilight nodded. "Rockhoof, if it's not too much trouble, we were mostly curious if you had any recollection of what you did with the Dragonstone? You know, the artifact you and the rest of the pillars had given to Gusty the Great to defeat Grogar all those centuries ago?"

"The Dragonstone?" Rockhoof's eyes widened. "That there be a rather dangerous relic to play with, especially if it fell into the wrong hooves. I don't particularly think it's a wise choice to let anypony know of its whereabouts now."

"But... why?" Sunset questioned her childhood idol. "We understand the magnitude of its power, but we don't seem to have a choice, especially after somepony stole the Bewitching Bell."

"THEY WHAT!?" Rockhoof shrieked. "HOW IN EQUESTRIA DID THAT HAPPEN!?!?!?"

"We... weren't exactly cautious of everything going on in Canterlot whilst we were settling a friendship dispute and... this pony managed to break into the Canterlot Museum and get ahold of it." Twilight explained.

"So that's where it was the entire time?" Rockhoof put a hoof on his face. "Princess, do you know why I ended up hiding the Dragonstone in a place where nopony would ever find it? To ensure that it would absolutely prevent something like this from ever happening! Why would you display the Bewitching Bell in a place as vulnerable as a museum!?"

"Hey, cut her a break!" Rainbow jumped in. "It was meant to be a display of victory after we had managed to finally defeat Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow for good!"

"Plus, we just figured that since anyone dangerous we've encountered had already been defeated or changed for the better, we wouldn't have to worry about anything like this happening." Twilight said. "But regardless, it's far too late now. We absolutely need the Dragonstone once again, if we're going to go up against somepony wielding the Bewitching Bell."

"You've only just become the Princess of all of Equestria, and already made such a foolish mistake..." Rockhoof sighed, before obliging to Twilight's request. "Very well, I suppose if that's our only choice now, I'll reveal its whereabouts. But I must warn you, actually finding it will be a dangerous and difficult journey."

"That's to be expected, and we're willing to do anything we can to get that artifact." Sunset said with confidence.

"Well alright, lass." Rockhoof began explaining. "Centuries ago, after Grogar's defeat at the hooves of Gusty the Great, we both mutually agreed that the Dragonstone needed to be hidden far away for the sake of Equestria. So I sailed the many seas for weeks, going from island to island, desperately seeking the absolute most isolated area to ensure the Dragonstone would remain hidden until the rest of time. Eventually, I ended up on Everfree Island, just south of the Celestial Sea."

"Everfree Island?" Twilight said, rather bewildered. "I've studied the map of Equestria for quite some time, and never got even the slightest hint of that place."

"It was purposefully never marked on the map, Princess." Rockhoof replied. "And for good reason too. Very few have made it to that island and returned alive. Some have even perished in the incredibly aggressive sea, capable of swallowing whole ships. I was one of the few to be lucky enough and make it all the way to Everfree Island with my ship completely intact. It was there where I had hidden the Dragonstone within the deep grotto at the center of the island."

"Hmm, well that doesn't sound too bad." Pinkie said. "If you steer us to that island on your boat, I'm sure we can all find that relic in no time!"

"Unfortunately, although I still have my ship, I cannot." Rockhoof sighed. "Shortly after I departed from the grotto, I heard a strange figure's voice. I never got to see them, but always believed it was some kind of spiritual being, who had only allowed me to return safely at a price. Because they was angry with me trespassing on Everfree Island, they demanded that I give up something in return to pay for my error. Since this being was rather impressed with me making it all the way across the dangerous waters without any struggle, they wanted me to give up my skills in sailing a boat, which I had no choice but to agree to. After which, I managed to return to Equestria safely, but unfortunately lost my previous knowledge and experience at operating a vessel. It appears as though... some kind of curse had taken effect after the deal was done."

"So in other words, although you have a boat strong enough to traverse the dangerous waters surrounding Everfree Island, you wouldn't be capable of being our navigator?" Twilight asked.

"That's right." Rockhoof lowered his head in shame. "You're more than welcome to use my ship for such a task, since it no longer has any use to me. But as for somepony to help you steer, you'll have to search elsewhere."

"Hmm, do we know anypony who can steer a ship?" Twilight asked around the council.

"Rarity, Pinkie, and I went on a lil' boat trip once, but considerin' how our boat ended up sinkin', even in relatively safer waters, I wouldn't really trust our luck at operatin' another boat." Applejack replied.

"For sure, let alone within waters capable of swallowing an entire ship." Rarity added.

"Wait a minute, what about the hippogriffs?" Starlight suggested. "Don't they have a navy? Perhaps General Seaspray could help us out."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, lass." Rockhoof dismissed. "Last time I tried to help General Seaspray navigate the seas, I ended up crashing his ship for my beliefs on the constellations always pointing us in the right direction. Most likely an effect of losing my sailing skills centuries ago. I highly doubt the general would want to associate with me, let alone navigate my ship after that mess."

"Oh, that's right." Twilight recalled. "I completely forgot about that too. Let's see, we have a boat, we have an idea on which direction to sail to, we have a crew, but we don't have an experienced ship navigator. This is certainly troublesome, since it seems like getting the Dragonstone is now our only hope at saving Equestria from that awful future. Does anypony know someone we can rely on as an experienced ship navigator?"

As everyone around the council wasn't able to think of anyone other than General Seaspray, Sunset had a different idea in mind, given how she had never even met the hippogriffs. In fact, it was somepony she was already somewhat familiar with in the human world, but was much nicer than her human counterpart. The only pony version of the Shadowbolts who Sunset considered rather kindhearted, understanding, and relatable as far as having a distant relationship with her father. Given how Sunset was also definitely still on good terms with her after their last meeting together, she finally spoke up to make the pivotal suggestion.

"Twilight, I think I know somepony who can help us." Sunset began elaborating. "The problem is, we'll need to head on over to Manehattan, specifically around the ferry area."

"Hmm, alright then." Twilight understood. "I guess we could teleport there to save time? It's admittedly been a while since I've been to Manehattan, so I'm not sure if I can reliably teleport us there."

"I'll do it, then." Starlight volunteered. "Sunset and I hit it off pretty well there, and I think I still have a pretty clear image of what the docks looked like."

"Alright then, we'll head over to Manehattan for a bit, please wait a while for us, everyone." Twilight said to the rest of the council, as everyone nodded.

Twilight and Sunset held hooves with Starlight, before she teleported them all to their destination. Sunset was definitely able to recognize where they had teleported to, as it wasn't far from the area from before. The same place where she was searching desperately for a way to reach Twilight's coronation on time. However, it didn't take long for her to lead her friends to the docks, and specifically to where she had boarded the Manehattan ferry. It was here where she suddenly began to notice something rather unusual. Although the ferry was absent and most likely carrying other passengers on a cruise, the captain herself was remaining alone at the pier. She appeared to be rather concerned, whilst staring at a walkie talkie desperately.

"Captain Zest?" Sunset addressed the captain who had helped her get to Twilight's coronation during her first day back in Equestria.

Lemon Zest turned around, rather surprised and happy to see the pony who had treated her with such kindness and understanding.

"Hey there, you're that passenger who really helped me turn my life and business in the right direction!" Lemon Zest recalled. "Sunset Shimmer, right? And Princess Twilight too? What are you doing here?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sunset nodded, before explaining. "Well, let's just say that back in Canterlot, we've unraveled quite a bit regarding the potential dangers that'll likely come to Equestria in the near future. We're able to prevent it, but the problem is... we need a ship navigator."

"I can see that you're the Manehattan's ferry captain, so you certainly must have tons of experience navigating a boat." Twilight deduced. "If it's not too much trouble, would you accept the role for us? We'd be willing to compensate you with any amount of bits you believe is fair."

"I see." Lemon Zest understood. "Well, I'd certainly be happy to do anything to help Sunset, given how her advice truly helped my business flourish lately. Over the past couple of days, I've actually had more passengers than ever before, with even some claiming they decided to not take the train after hearing the good word. Unfortunately, as much as I'd want to assist you, there's two troubling things going on in my mind right now."

"Oh?" Sunset was ready to lend an ear. "What might that be?"

"As you can see, the ferry's gone, and it was supposed to return over three hours ago." Lemon Zest explained. "I was gathering some tools in the city when it came time to repair the ferry during maintenance, so Ragamuffin took the wheel. This whole time, I've been trying to radio call him, but to no avail. I have no idea where the ferry, my first mate, and the passengers are. Something terrible must've happened, and I've been incredibly worried this whole time."

"That's awful." Sunset's ear went down. "Did you... by any chance remember which direction they sailed off to?"

"Well, the passengers wanted a new route for a better tour, so Ragamuffin and I both agreed that we'd open a new cruise path down the Celestial Sea." Lemon Zest recalled. "I believe it was south, according to my compass."

"...Oh no." Starlight began to deduce what this likely meant. "That might've been a big mistake. Let's just say... going south of the Celestial Sea? We've been told that it's incredibly dangerous."

"More specifically, that's the direction to Everfree Island." Twilight explained. "It's an unmarked area of Equestria that's specifically unmarked due to the many dangers that surround that island, including rapid and violent waters."

"So then... it's just as I had feared then." Lemon Zest took her captain's hat off in grief. "For all I know, my first mate and passengers are now gone like the wind."

"We don't know that for certain." Sunset continued to keep her positivity. "But the thing is, we actually do need to travel to Everfree Island ourselves. Let's just say... the future of Equestria depends on it."

"I suppose the future of my business too, if my passengers and first mate are now stranded on that island." Lemon moped. "I really want to help you, Sunset, along with being able to potentially recover everypony who boarded the ferry, but the truth is, just knowing that something bad must've happened along the way, I'm not exactly in the best mental state. Plus, since I've been a lot busier lately with the ferry business, I haven't had time to visit my dad. And... I just received word from my cousin this morning that... he had fallen ill and was sent to the hospital."

"Really sorry to hear that, I certainly hope he recovers well soon." Sunset put a hoof on the captain's shoulder. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Well, I would normally be doing everything I could to go visit him, but unfortunately... I can't." Lemon Zest sighed. "Not since the ferry's gone, and I need to travel to Canterlot. The hospital was already full here in Manehattan, so my cousin brought him to the Canterlot infirmary by train. And even if I could somehow go to Canterlot, I'm sure visiting hours are already over. I'm sorry, but... knowing that something tragic might've happened with my passengers and Ragamuffin, along with how I'm unable to see my dad, I'm just not mentally capable of navigating a ship, even with my years of experience."

"You need to get to Canterlot?" Sunset analyzed the situation. "We can take you to Canterlot right now through teleportation. And don't worry about visiting hours, I know a somepony who can let you in, no questions asked. Would seeing your father right now at least ameliorate things?"

"I suppose so." Lemon Zest agreed. "You'd do that for me? I'm sure that even if my business tanks due to this incident, I'll still be fine for the rest of my life if I can just see my dad one last time. Then I'll definitely be able to focus on navigating a ship, no matter how rough the waters are. You really are such a kind soul, Sunset."

"Thanks, captain." Sunset blushed. "Alright, let's go."

With that said and done, Twilight nodded and knew what she had to do. She instructed everypony to grab hooves before she visualized Canterlot in her mind and teleported everypony back to the library they had just met. The rest of the council and Rockhoof were nearby, rather astonished at how Sunset was able to locate a boat captain within such a short timeframe.

"Whoa, you found an actual captain, Sunset?" Rainbow said with astonishment.

"Yeah, but we need to do something for her first, before she agrees to become our navigator." Sunset explained. "By the way, where's Rockhoof's boat?"

"It's stationed down at the Canterlot Harbor, and it's still in perfectly good condition, despite the fact I haven't touched it in hundreds of moons." Rockhoof replied.

"Hmm, well in that case, we might need to head down there and check if the vessel needs any maintenance." Twilight suggested.

"Alright, in that case, I'll take Captain Zest over to the infirmary." Sunset volunteered.

"Are you sure you'll be able to do so safely?" Twilight asked with concern. "Especially considering your past experiences with Canterlot's security when I'm not around."

"Trust me, Twilight." Sunset nodded with confidence. "We'll be just fine."

Twilight understood, before she, Rockhoof, and the rest of the council headed off to check the condition of the boat. As Captain Zest and Sunset trotted over and began to enter the infirmary, they did the most logical thing and attempted to sign in at the front desk. However, the pony behind the front counter had denied them access, not allowing them to proceed.

"What do you mean visiting hours are already over?" Sunset said, rather displeased.

"It means that as long as I'm here at the front desk, I get the say on who gets to go in to see the patients." The receptionist said, snarkily. "The rules here in Canterlot can be just like that, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"But this is an emergency, especially because my father's ill and hasn't seen me in years!" Lemon Zest began to show tears in her eyes. "His name is-"

"Too bad, you were too slow." The receptionist rolled her eyes. "Should've come in sooner, but you didn't. So if you could just kindly get out of here, that'd be much appreciated. Or do I have to call security to kick you out?"

"Alright, fine then." Sunset crossed her hooves. "Go right ahead, call them now."

"You asked for it!" The receptionist wasted no time in pushing a button to alert security.

"Uhh, Sunset...?" Lemon Zest said, rather worried.

"Just trust me on this one." Sunset winked to the captain, confidently.

Moments later, Max Steele arrived at the building, seeing Sunset once again. He looked toward the receptionist, trying to understand what the problem was.

"Yes, as you can see, these two are trying to see one of the patients who've fallen ill, but visiting hours are closed for the day." The receptionist explained. "You think you could escort them out?"

"I think I have a better mind to escort you out, miss!" Max huffed to the receptionist. "This here is a VIP, a good friend of Princess Twilight! Whatever she's here for, I'm sure it's important, regardless of the rules! So you'll let her in right away, you hear?"

"Oh, she's... friends with the princess?" The receptionist stuttered. "I-I'm so sorry, I..."

"And she was pretty rude to us too, sir." Sunset added, making the receptionist even more worried."

"Was she, now?" Max frowned. "You let her in right now, or I can go ahead and find somepony else to fill your position!"

"Y-Yes sir, right away!" The receptionist, nodded nervously, before doing just that.

"Thanks for having our backs, sir!" Sunset nodded to the security guard, who did the same thing, before leaving the building.

"Good friend of yours?" Lemon Zest questioned, as she and Sunset began trotting over to the patients' hall.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Sunset replied. "He knows how that security's an art that can't be rushed, thanks to me."

"I certainly appreciate you having my back too, especially in these situations!" Lemon Zest smiled. "Alright, I remember my cousin mentioning that dad should be in... room 127."

"Alright, that should be on this floor then." Sunset carefully searched the various room numbers, before they eventually came across the room that housed Lemon Zest's father.

As the two ponies entered the room, they saw a stallion with glasses, sitting on the bed and looking rather ill. To Sunset, she didn't immediately recognize the stallion at first, but knew that he somehow looked familiar. Regardless, Lemon Zest instantly ran over to surprise her father, happy that this reunion was now filled with joy, rather than resentment from before. But the stallion was still sitting in bed, rather unresponsive.

"D...Dad...?" Lemon Zest got closer to the stallion, praying in her heart that the inevitable hadn't occurred. "Please... wake up!"

The stallion continued being dormant, as if nopony else was in the room at all.

"Dad!" Lemon Zest began screaming, before holding her father's hoof. "Please, I'm sorry about how badly things ended between us when I left home, I'd do anything just to have you see me one last time...!"

Sunset stood nearby, hoping as well that the reunion between Captain Zest and her father wasn't already too late. She specifically recalled how distant the captain had grown with her dad, and it was certainly alluded to that things ended rather messy between the two. As Captain Zest continued praying for a miracle, she eventually got her wish. The stallion slowly began to wake up and open his eyes, also rather surprised to see his own daughter, whom he hadn't seen in literal ages.

"Lemon... Zest?" The stallion weakly said.

"Daddy!" Lemon Zest hugged her father, before she leaked tears of joy. "I know that we've always had our disagreements and fights in the past, especially when it came to my career choice in being a ferry captain. But I know now that you've always just wanted the best for me, and... I just want you to know this from the bottom of my heart. I love you, dad."

"I love you too... my little lemon poundcake..." The stallion said, super overjoyed at this pleasant surprise. "You've... grown so much since you've left home. I remember that when I bought you that boat... you left and never came back... so what changed...?"

"I had a heart-to-heart talk with one of my passengers, and she ended up putting me on the right track, along with helping me change my approach with the ferry business." Lemon Zest explained. "Before, business was incredibly slow, but after I took her advice, I've had nonstop customers in just the past couple of days. And for the first time in my life, I've had genuine passion for this profession."

"That's wonderful..." The stallion held his daughter's hoof. "Who was this passenger...?"

"She's right here." Lemon Zest pointed to her left side, which prompted Sunset to come closer. "Her name's Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, this is my dad, Canter Zoom."

"Canter Zoom..." Sunset began recalling that name from one of her earlier adventures in the human world.

Sunset then realized this was the name of that movie producer who was in charge of that Daring Do film which starred... Chestnut Magnifico. This aside, Sunset also vaguely recalled that around this time, it was Mr. Zoom's niece, Juniper Montage, who had stirred trouble with her and the rest of her friends with a magical hand mirror. With this in mind, Sunset then questioned what she surmised this meant, if Lemon Zest was Canter Zoom's daughter.

"Nice to meet you both as well." Sunset replied. "You both wouldn't happen to know a Juniper Montage by any chance?"

"You've met my cousin?" Lemon Zest responded. "She was the one who brought my dad to the hospital, given how I had more... urgent circumstances to worry about back in Manehattan."

"She was always taking good care of me when my health started going... down..." Canter Zoom mentioned. "I always sadly felt like my niece cared more... about me than my own daughter. She's the only one who's been sending... me money to help pay for my medical treatment."

"I'm so sorry to hear you've been feeling that way, dad." Lemon Zest apologized for her past behavior and grudges. "I promise, from now on, I'll do anything I can make sure you completely recover, even if it means taking a break from the ferry business for a while- hey, wait a minute... what did you just say? Juniper's the only one who's been sending you money?"

"Y-Yes..." Canter Zoom replied. "She mentioned that she had always been using her waitress tips to cover the additional expenses, especially after insurance was no longer able to do so."

"That's a lie!" Lemon Zest said with disbelief. "That money she's been using, I specifically gave her those bits, they were from my earnings as ferry captain! I also definitely asked her to make sure it was clear I was the one sending you money. There's just no way she could've covered thousands of bits worth of bills with just her small restaurant tips! So... she's been taking credit for my hard-earned money!?"

"Ah... it makes sense now..." Canter Zoom began to piece things together. "Since I've been retired for years now... and I wasn't sure when my time was up... I already brought up the possibility of writing a will a few years back... when my niece and I were having dinner at my house... and it discussed who would end up inheriting the family house once I was gone..."

"I-I can't believe this!" Lemon Zest spat. "I've even used my own bits to financially support Juniper over the years, and I helped her get those various waitress jobs in Manehattan thanks to my experience there, and this is how she repays me? I can't believe my own cousin would backstab me like this!"

"To be fair..." Canter Zoom continued. "She was definitely aware of how you and I didn't have the best relationship... but that doesn't matter now... since I now know what's really been going on."

"Well, I'm definitely feeling pretty hurt and betrayed by what Juniper was doing behind the scenes..." Lemon Zest wiped away her tears. "But... I don't even care anymore. Dad, you can just go ahead and give her that house and whatever inheritance she thinks she can swipe from under my nose. Because all that matters now is that you know, and we can finally spend some time together."

"No... no..." Canter Zoom shook his head. "I hadn't signed the will yet, but I'm now able to see things more clearly... especially since I noticed my niece had a tendency of acting nervous... whenever I questioned how she covered the medical expenses with just her tips..."

"So... what are you saying, dad?" Lemon Zest raised an eyebrow.

"You're getting it all... the rest of the savings... and my house... full custody..." Canter Zoom insisted. "I always knew I hesitated... signing over everything to Juniper for a legitimate reason..."

"As much as I appreciate that, dad... it's too much, and I can't accept it." Lemon Zest replied. "Since mom's gone too, and it's just you, me, and Juniper left, I think you should still give her half."

"After she tried to cheat both of us with favortism and lies...?" Canter Zoom spat. "No chance... but you can do whatever you want with everything... once I'm gone..."

"No, dad." Lemon Zest shook her head. "Don't say that, the inheritance means nothing to me if you're no longer by my side. I'm already doing better with the ferry business, so I don't need any money from you. However, things got pretty rough today at work, especially after my passengers and first mate disappeared. I've already gotten a feeling that something tragic must've happened to them, but I have no idea if I should sail the seas to find them. I'll have to traverse pretty rough waters, for one thing."

"More specifically, we have to get to Everfree Island." Sunset specified. "It's going to be pretty dangerous, especially with the violent waters."

"You have a responsibility as a ferry captain... and you must fulfill them... no matter what..." Canter Zoom advised. "You're my daughter... I've taught you from a young age how to sail a boat... even in the most aggressive of waters... but I've heard many sailors would've met their ends on the waters near Everfree Island... not your pop though... and I know you can do it as well..."

"Y-You're right, dad." Lemon Zest began to regain her confidence and motivation. "Even if it's dangerous, I put them in this mess by allowing the ferry to take a south route from the Celestial Sea, so I must do what I can... for the business, for my first mate, and for you, dad!"

"Don't... do it for me..." Canter Zoom insisted. "Do it... for yourself... for your image as a big and strong lemon tree... who will serve her role and responsibility... as a captain... and as my daughter..."

"But... what if something happens out there, and I'll never get to see you again?" Lemon Zest lowered her ears.

"I know in my heart that you... will return safely..." Canter Zoom replied. "We've sailed seas as fierce... as Everfree Island's waters... I know... you can... do it..."

"I won't hold back and let those rapid seas get the better of me, then!" Lemon Zest said with confidence. "Will I ever get to see you again?"

"I'll always be with you... as one with the sea..." Canter Zoom continued. "Go and do what's right... make your pop proud...!"

"I will!" Lemon Zest hugged her father one last time, before turning to Sunset. "And... thank you, Sunset. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to repair my relationship with my dad. It's ironic how... my sailing career was not only what tore us apart, but also what brought us back together in the end. Funny how that works out, huh?"

"Yeah, I could definitely say the same thing with my... mother as well." Sunset related with her own experience with Celestia. "I'm happy to hear that you and your dad are on better terms now."

"For sure!" Lemon Zest nodded. "And most of all, now I definitely feel confident in being your navigator, since I most certainly have a responsibility to fulfill. Ragamuffin, my passengers, wherever you are now... I'm coming!"

As Lemon Zest and Sunset waved goodbye one last time to Canter Zoom, they began exiting the infirmary. They were now ready to head over to the Canterlot Harbor, where everyone else on the council was still waiting. It was finally time to set off on an expedition to Everfree Island, not only to obtain the Dragonstone, but also recover Captain Zest's passengers and first mate. However, Rockhoof's decision to reveal the Dragonstone's whereabouts would unknowingly and eventually seal the fate of Equestria. It had slipped Rockhoof's mind that Starswirl specifically instructed him to keep the artifact dormant at all times, as once the Dragonstone was activated, it would inevitably awaken the presence of a fire alicorn hidden within the shadows, who had been sealed for hundreds of years...

Comments

[GalaxiaStarfall]

GOODNESS GRACIOUS.
THE LORE.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"If I were to guess, this could just be someone we haven't encountered yet, who may or may not coincidentally resemble you, Sunset." Starlight added. "But because that pegasus is still on the loose with the Bewitching Bell, and there's that mysterious figure Zecora tried to warn Rainbow about, I'm sure it's entirely plausible either of them were responsible for the bad future."

Starlight is correct on the pony resembling Sunset, as it is her counterpart.

"Understood, hopefully we'll all find something crucial." Sunset nodded. "If that future of Equestria is just down the corner, I'm beginning to feel like time is running out..."

And it will be soon.

Gilda realized that she could use the excuse of scoping out Crystal Prep Academy to gather intel as a means of explaining her sudden absence, along with using Indigo Zap's locker combination as leverage to force Human Sunset to acquire the Tundra Tiara for her. Feeling like she was most certainly just blessed with the best luck in the world, Gilda put the notepad back into her pocket, before getting back up and exiting the store to refuel her truck.

Indigo, Sugarcoat and the rest of their friends will be in for a big surprise coming soon!

A bell suddenly dinged out of nowhere, which made Rainbow jump up in shock, before she turned around and saw it came from a bell from the checkout counter near the library's entrance.

Lol!

"Let's just at least be glad that this bell didn't take away your ability to fly." Rarity said, rather amused.

Mhm.

"Did somepony call my name?" Rockhoof entered the room, as the timing appeared to be perfect.

Well that was convenient.

"That makes two of us, we really have that inner fangirl in common." Twilight giggled.

Yes indeed.

"And she was pretty rude to us too, sir." Sunset added, making the receptionist even more worried."

worried."*

"Ah... it makes sense now..." Canter Zoom began to piece things together. "Since I've been retired for years now... and I wasn't sure when my time was up... I already brought up the possibility of writing a will a few years back... when my niece and I were having dinner at my house... and it discussed who would end up inheriting the family house once I was gone..."

Wow, he fell into that trap alright!

As Lemon Zest and Sunset waved goodbye one last time to Canter Zoom, they began exiting the infirmary. They were now ready to head over to the Canterlot Harbor, where everyone else on the council was still waiting. It was finally time to set off on an expedition to Everfree Island, not only to obtain the Dragonstone, but also recover Captain Zest's passengers and first mate. However, Rockhoof's decision to reveal the Dragonstone's whereabouts would unknowingly and eventually seal the fate of Equestria. It had slipped Rockhoof's mind that Starswirl specifically instructed him to keep the artifact dormant at all times, as once the Dragonstone was activated, it would inevitably awaken the presence of a fire alicorn hidden within the shadows, who had been sealed for hundreds of years...

Welp, they're sure gonna be in for one hell one an adventure.

[Republic of Equestria]

how many more chapters are planned in overall?

[Republic of Equestria]

I think that Human Sunset has to get a Bewitching Bell at the end and become a She-Demon. That's going to rhyme the first part

[Republic of Equestria]

When Ch 67 is going to be released?

[Gabriel Sava]

Bro it's been 2 months