Restoring a wasteland.

by Aiwhisper

Ch6. For Equis.

“DUSK!” I heard Sunset’s voice ring out as she ran through the castle’s hall towards me.

When she finally found me, relaxing in the castle greenhouse tending to the plants and watching the rain, she was panting like a dog. “There. You. Are. Where are Rainbow and Fluttershy?” She looked around panicking.

“Deep breath Sunset. They are in the guest suite across from the one we set up in. Seeping or talking.” I shrugged then set down the watering can and clippers that were hovering in my magic. I’m already finding it easier to stay up at night.

“Well we have a problem.” She walked closer to me and sat down. “Twilight Sparkle found the warehouse.”

My eyes went wide. “What! How?” My wings flared for a moment.

“I don’t know! She had some kind of device that could track magic and I forgot that she might be able to get through the wards and so I knocked her out!” She flared her own wings.

“You did what?” I hoped I had misheard her. How did Twilight already have her tracker. Oh Harmony I hope it can’t steal magic like in the original timeline.

She held up her fore hooves. “Sweet Mom, not like that. I used a sleep spell and put her in the break room. I didn’t know what else to do~o.” She hung her head and rubbed her hooves together like she was trying to wring her hands.

I sighed and put a hoof on her withers. “Well what should we do?” I asked as calmly as I could.

She looked up at me. “Wipe her mind and drop her at her house?” She asked jokingly.

I gave her a deadpan look.

“I know. But I honestly have no other ideas. We already have so much to do before the portal closes and we can’t stay on earth since I couldn’t find anything to keep the sun and moon moving, unless only one of us stays and that’s not happening.” She whined. I hadn’t even thought of just one of us staying but yeah possibly two years of isolation isn’t a plan.

“Then we play it by ear? We see how she is after waking up and only answer questions if she asks.” I fluffed my feathers.

“Fine but you do it. I still have wards to set up.” She pointed a hoof at me. “And~ I really don’t want to talk to her.”

“Seriously?” I asked and she nodded. “Fine but you owe me one.”

I was stunned when she threw her hooves and wings around me for a hug. “Thanks Dusk. I’ll get back to work now.” She trotted off before I could stop her. Harmony help me. My crown glowed a bit as if laughing.

---

“Flutters?”

“Yeah Dash?”

“Do you really want to move here?”

Both human girls that had been transformed into ponies were currently trying to sleep in a pony’s castle guest suite.

“I do. I never really fit in with people, only animals.”

“You know ponies are just people here right. I mean we are currently ponies that can talk and everything.”

Fluttershy paused. “Maybe, but there’s only Dusk and Sunset left. I just can’t leave them alone and it is a big opportunity.” She sounded guilty that she would get something out of it.

“They really do need us don’t they.” Rainbow chuckled, “and it would be awesome to learn how to fly.”

“Mhm.” They fell into a comfortable silence before sleep took over.

---

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open slowly as the harsh lights woke her up. “Ug where am I.”

“Specifically? The break room of our warehouse.” I answered sitting in a simple chair I had brought closer.

Twilight immediately shot to her feet at the sound of a male voice. She then checked herself and her clothes over, she was still fully dressed but her equipment and phone were missing.

“Nothing untoward happened if that’s what you’re worried about.” I consoled. Spike had woken up and began sniffing my leg before letting me pet him. This act alone calmed Twilight better than my words.

Narrowing her eyes behind her glasses she asked. “So who are you?”

“Dusk Shine. Nice to meet you.” I held out my hand but she didn’t shake it. I returned to petting spike.

“And why was I asleep here?” She sat back town and patted the couch.

“My partner Sunset laid you down here in our break room after you lost consciousness. She said you broke into our building after escaping an attack.” I honestly answered.

“Right.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “I was tracking a signal when some people tried to jump me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Where is, Sunset Right?” I nodded. “Why isn’t she here?”

“Well she had to get back to work, we… we’re on kind of a tight schedule that you interrupted but I have some free time.” I smiled. “Anyway it’s a little before sunrise so I was planning to drive you home.”

“Thanks and oh my gosh my family must be so worried I need my phone where is it.” She panicked a bit.

“Here, Sunset used it to text your mom that you were fine and staying with her.” It was smart she added some more details. “She didn’t tell them about the attack in case you wanted to keep it secret.” I passed her phone to her.

“Thanks.” She took her phone back and began texting someone. “What about my equipment?”

“It was damaged but.” I pointed to the table behind me.

“No!~ I don’t have the parts to fix it.” She cradled the broken device.

“Hey, better than your life right?” I rubbed the back of my neck.

---

“Well here we are.” I said as I pulled up to Twilight’s house.

“Thanks again for driving me home.” Twilight hugged spike then stepped out of my truck.

“No problem Twilight.” I watched until she made it inside then drove off back to the warehouse.

---

Once inside and back in her room Twilight set Spike down and pulled out her broken tracker. “At least the memory chip survived.”

Plugging it into her computer her eyes went wide at the data. It showed strong signals coming from the very warehouse she had been in before her device broke. “What are you two hiding.”

---

“So, how did it go?” Sunset asked after I got back. It was time to move our celestial bodies so we quickly preformed the ritual. At least it was easier with the portal in the next room.

“Hard to tell. She was mostly focused on the attack and getting home but she may get suspicious.” I replied once we finished.

“Better than nothing. Well I finished the wards and was going to pick up the girls from the castle and drive us all to school. I also have my exit paperwork to finish.”

“You’re dropping out?” I was surprised.

“Transferring, on paper technically, Who needs human school when you’re a magical pony princess?” She laughed and I couldn’t fault her logic.

“Fair enough. I’ll start on downloading everything I can from the internet onto the computers I bought then get some sleep after dropping off the rest of the supplies we bought. I figured some movies and games will help during the slow times.” I stepped away to getting working.

---

“How did you two like Equestria?” Sunset asked after they got back to Earth.

“It was a lovely castle.” Fluttershy said dreamily.

“Yeah, needs work outside though.” Dash put her hands behind her head as they got into Sunset’s car. The three continued to talk until they reached Earth's Sugarcube Corner where they were meeting the rest of their friends.

“Over here girls.” Rarity, who was already at a table, waved them over. “So did you two really go to another world?” Rarity asked after they all sat down.

“Oh yes. It was wonderful. I had the softest fur, silky wings and cute little hooves.” Fluttershy gushed.

Rarities eyes went wide, she was still debating if the whole thing wasn’t just a dream.

“You two honestly went through a portal to a magical land?” Applejack sat back on her chair. “Huh.”

“It’s real AJ.” Sunset spoke up. “Now, I know I asked you girls if you wanted to come with but it looks like that can’t happen for now.”

“Why not?” Pinkie and Fluttershy asked sadly.

Sunset put her chin on the table. “There’s only about one full day left the portal is open naturally and I don’t know how long it will take to open it on demand. If you come with… you might not come back for years.”

All the girls went quiet.

“Yeah. Sorry sugar, I can’t be gone that long.” AJ took off her hat.

“It’s fine.” Sunset sat back up and waved her off. “Just come say goodbye tomorrow and check in on our building now and then.”

---

Sunset’s last day of school dragged on slowly after breakfast. Once it was over she visited Principal Celestia to say goodbye and hand over her papers. The woman actually gave her a hug and promised her to stop by again if she could which brought tears to Sunset’s eyes.

Which her school life behind her she spent the evening packing up her apartment with things she couldn’t do without and planned to bring with to Equestria or store in the warehouse. “Clothes won’t do much good in Equestria but best keep some on this side.”

“I really need to thank Silver again for finding us such a great building.” She texted the girl her thanks and about being unavailable for the foreseeable future. Silver replied that she would watch over her accounts and for Sunset to text whenever she could. “I really made some great friends here.”

Comments

[NevianDragonPhoenix]

So the solitude starts, wonder how long it be before dusk and sunset get married
In future their be a lot of notices of people going missing and they chilling in Equestria
Thou how will they repopulate the animal species? Also what of the other intelligent creature's like griffins, dragon's, zebras and so on? Will some humans turn to them?

[RolkFlameraven]

11765917
Dragons might have survived. They can eat rocks and take baths in Lava. The sun being up all the time wouldn't necessarily kill them.

Everyone else... Minotaurs might live underground, Dimond Dogs might have also survived.

The hippogriffs might be alive under water as well.

The maid had only passed away a few weeks before Susnet came back and they restarted the day/night cycles. It's possible more made it in the far north and south, the Yaks might have been able to hold out.

The others, save maybe the changlings. Are probably gone and would need transplants from the human world, one would think.

[Aiwhisper]

11766333
Good thoughts. Harmony did only say it was her followers who were gone.