She's strong! She's magical! She's beautiful! She's... Sunset Shimmer? Or isn't she? The answer is not as simple as one might think.
She's an ally of justice! With powers of the sun, she smites villains that plague this world and rescue those who fell victim to their evil ploy! She is
Magical Girl Sunny!
No matter how much she denies it, she is Sunset Shimmer.
...unless, it's not her? But then, who is she? --- Set in between Friendship Games and Legends of Everfree. Edited by the ever helpful docontra.
The chapter titles do not reflect the content- it's not an anthology of anime parodies (no, really, it isn't).
"Are ya done yet?" Asked Applejack, averting her eyes from the terrifying view of the worst crime to common sense that remained legal in all states. "This place's creepin' me out!"
Rarity wasn't the least bit bothered by her less than stylish, yet still somehow 'cute in her own way' friend. "Endure it for just one more minute, darling."
Applejack tried to avoid eye contact with the price tag of a certain necklace lying in the display case of the jewelry store "Ah ain't comfortable 'round rocks smaller than an apple seed that could buy a new tractor!"
"Darling, you're exegarating,"
"With a driver. An' a farm!"
Rarity rolled her eyes. "I assure you, they're more than worth their price. Haven't you heard that diamonds are a girls' best friends?"
"Wasn't friendship priceless?"
Rarity snorted and let the conversation end before it jumped the shark. Soon after the clerk approached her, carrying a small, black box with content that grew Rarity's smile thrice fold. She was about to reach for it, when...
"FREEZE, THIS IS A ROBBERY!"
Three tall and bulky men rushed inside the store, all dressed in matching blue jeans, leather jackets and hockey masks, each carrying a pistol aimed at random clients. Applejack put a hand protectively before Rarity, gently pushing her slightly behind her, while everyone in the store raised their hands or cowered in fear on the ground.
The shortest of the bunch, presumably the leader, broke the display case while shouting orders. "Give us all the good stuff and nobody's getting hurt, got that?" He grabbed whatever he could, while his partners did the same to other display cases, cash registry and clients, stuffing whatever they could their in their bags and pockets. "And don't try to be a hero, or I'll shoot ya full'a holes!"
Applejack swallowed at the gun being pointed at her. Evil she-demons, sirens and other magical dangers: she saw it all. A human with a weapon made for killing other humans, without the power of friendship on her side? That wasn't worth the risk. She complied with the robbers' orders and held her hands up.
The main robber grabbed a few more items, before his eyes settled on the little box that one of the clerks held up in his hands. He moved to him and yanked the box for himself, pointing the gun at Rarity, who raised her hands again, thus stopping her gem-defending instinct from dooming her life. The robber's eyes could be seen narrowing even through the hockey mask, his intimidating gaze right at Rarity and Applejack trying to shield her, when...
"That's not a way to treat a lady!"
Everyone turned toward the front entrance to the store.
"Explains why you can't get a date, though!" The familiar voice added, ending with a snort. "And that's before having a snout so ugly you need to wear masks!"
All three guns were now pointed at the newcomer. She was a tall, young girl, around high school age. She was dressed in an overproduced frilly dress of shades of reds, yellows and oranges which only Rarity could name or even count. And despite wearing a wide, glittering orange domino mask, everyone could see the dark orange of her skin, as well as a fiery red and yellow hair tied with golden ribbons into symmetrical, twin tails. She struck a heroic pose, with one leg slightly forward, left arm on her waist, right hand extended at the robbers, pointing at the leader with a finger.
"Who the hell are you? Scram!"
The girl didn't budge, her smile growing even wider. She waggled her finger as she started talking. "I don't blame you for not knowing, I'm new in town. I decided to bless you, of all criminals, with my debut public action, so you could gloat in jail that you were the first ones who witnessed the power of..."
"Ah, shut up!" The leader turned to his henchmen. "Teach'er a lesson!"
The girl pouted, crossing her hands. "At least let me finish! I should've cut straight to the chase." She didn't move from her original spot, even as two muscled men approached her, each with a gun pointed right at her. "I don't guarantee you'll be awake when I finish my introductions, just FYI. You'll be feeling really bad when this goes viral and you'll be all beaten by a little gi-- holy shmoly!" She interrupted herself, as her eyes caught something on the side. She leaned over a lone, unbroken display with a certain, oversized necklace inside. "How many zeroes are there? You call this a sale? You could buy a house with that baby! With a family inside!"
"Told'ya!"
"Not now!"
"I heard diamonds are girls' best friends and all, but wasn't friendship supposed to be priceless?"
"Told'ya that, too!"
"Not! Now!"
"GET HER!" As the boss ordered, the two thugs rushed at the girl with their fists aiming straight at her face, while she was still being distracted by the price tag.
***
"Woah, woah, woah, time out!" Rainbow Dash interrupted her friends "Sunset Shimmer? OUR Sunset Shimmer?"
Applejack and Rarity nodded in unison. "Ah couldn't believe it mahself!"
"That doesn't sound like Sunset Shimmer at all." Fluttershy said. "More like old, evil Sunset, but as a superhero, maybe, but..."
"Maybe you're confusing her with someone else?" Twilight Sparkle added, scratching her head. "I mean, she was wearing a mask, it could be anyone."
Rarity waved her hand. "Darling, with all due respect, I know my Sunset Shimmer when I see one. I've styled her hair countless times and I by now I know her measurements down to a millimeter.
"You know all of our measurements."
"Not the point."
Applejack nodded. "An' she sounded like'er too! A bit off-character, but da real deal. An' don' even get me started on da dress! If Ah didn' turn magical pony ears every once in a while Ah'd say THAT was the gaudiest thing Ah've ever seen!"
"Darling, the word you're looking for is fabulous! I wish I had time to snap a photo. That was such a delicate design, I would love to put my spin on it!"
Suddenly Pinkie Pie raised her hand and waved at the group. "Oooh, oooh, me! I have a picture!" She pulled out her phone and showed them exactly what Rarity's colorful description implied. They stared at it for a moment, before turning to the pink girl.
"Pinkie Pie," Applejack asked, while massaging her temples "how long did you have that picture?"
"Since this morning."
"And you didn't tell us before, because...?"
"I tried! First thing I saw you five I was about to go 'hey girls did you see Sunset Shimmer in a magical girl outfit thing that was going all over MyStable that's super adorbs', but then Rarity was like 'you'll never guess what happened to us yesterday' and all I could think of was 'Rarity installed a chocolate fountain in her bathroom', but then I remembered she was on a diet, so I was out of ideas and you wanted to talk first so I thought my news could wait." Then she smiled widely.
Her five friends took a bit of time to blink and nod. Twilight was about to open her mouth to ask a question, but Rainbow Dash put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the patented 'it's Pinkie Pie, better don't ask' head shake.
While her friends took time to not ask unnecessary questions, Pinkie Pie opened a MyStable app and showed it to everybody. "Her fanpage has over 400 likes! Just this morning it was only 200! Now it's 413... 417... 420! Woooo, you go girl!"
They watched the page together in silence until it reached 450, then Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Now I've seen literally everything."
"You think that's weird? Wait until we tell you what happened next!"
***
Time slowed to a crawl, as two burly men in hockey masks threw themselves at "Sunset Shimmer", still admiring the necklace, along with its price. Rarity and Applejack opened their mouths to shout a warning, but before anything else happened, Sunset extended one hand, palm opened, at the closer thug.
"Sunny..." she quietly murmured, as a faint, cyan aura gathered around her hand, then shouted "...BLAST!" Then shot at the man, sending him flying several feet back, colliding with a big display case, shattering itself on impact.
"Sunset" winced, examining the hand she just shot with. "Oookay, wrong angle. Guess I should've skipped the 'distracted by shiny' act. Sorry," she shrugged. "I was going to call an ambulance anyway. note to self- try to avoid collateral damage. Even if they're insured and it looks cooler that way."
All the jaws that were about to shout about the danger dropped even lower, and the second thug stopped in his tracks, looking between the magical girl and his fallen comrade. The painful groans at least confirmed that he was still alive, but out of commission for today.
"Don't just stand there, you moron!" The leader shouted at his still standing underling. "GET HER!"
The thug shook his head, then focused his gaze on Sunset Shimmer, who was still busy examining her hand. His fist shot right in her direction, getting closer and closer to her face... and then it collided with the wall! He shouted a few obscenities over his shattered knuckles, his pain mixing with confusion over the location of his original target.
"BEHIND YOU!"
The thug's eyes widened, as he turned around only to see an open palm aimed straight at his face, with energy already building up. With legs and hands trembling, the thug couldn't make a single move.
"H-how did you... but you were...?"
She shrugged. "Magic. I don't have to explain it."
The thug raised his hands and swallowed. "M-mercy?"
She giggled. "You'll be fine!" Pause. "You'll wake up eventually! SUNNY BLAST!" Then shot right at his face, sending him straight at the wall he just hit himself with a huge thud. As the unconscious thug slowly slid to the ground level, Sunset brought her hand to her face, blew on it as if it was a revolver, then formed a fist and smiled. "Nailed it!"
"He's getting away!"
Sunset looked at the store clerk, pointing at the backdoor to the store. Her eyes narrowed and a smile appeared on her face.
Outside, the robber leader ran as fast as he possibly could, using those precious few seconds his henchmen bought him. The plan was a bust, but if he could escape with what little loot he stuffed into his pockets, it would still...
"Sup!"
"AAAAH!" He screamed, as he saw the familiar figure that appeared right around the corner he ran into. "H-how? Why? What? When? H-how?"
She shrugged. "Like I said, magic. Deal with it. Aaaand now I wish I had sunglasses... such wasted opportunity!"
He pointed a gun right at her. "D-don't move any closer, or I-I'll..."
"Shoot me 'full'a holes' with that toy gun? What, you thought I didn't notice how you didn't shoot a single bullet? I played along to be a good sport," she moved a bit closer, while he yelled and stumbled backwards, landing on his bottom, dropping the plastic toy. She smiled devilishly and leaned over the terrified gangster. "Look, just give up. I promise I'll be gentle," she winked, then glanced back as a group of onlookers, including people from the store, started piling up around them "come on, help me out, buddy! It's my first time, can you make it look good? ...that didn't come out right."
The robber raised his hands high into the air. "I GIVE UP!"
Sunset smiled. "Good boy. Now," she extended her hand to him "I believe you have something that doesn't belong to you?" The thug swallowed and reached for his pockets, emptying it from all the loot he just stole from the store, nervously placing it all in her hands.
"Now lie down on your back and wait for police," she ordered and he nodded, doing as asked. She giggled at the sight, then turned around and approached the people from the store. "Here you go," she said, handing everything in her hands to the store clerk, except the black box, which she delivered straight into Rarity's hands. "And I believe this belongs to you?" The fashionista was at a loss of word, but she gladly accepted her box back, nodding in gratitude.
As both Rarity and Applejack slowly recovered from the shock, they heard murmurs coming around, including sounds of phones snapping pictures, for which she made a few cool poses. As the tension mellowed out, the magical girl struck another pose to formally introduce herself.
"Don't worry citizens, there is a new hero in town. You can sleep safely tonight, because I'm keeping watch. I am..." Another pose struck, a glittering red smoke appeared out of nowhere from behind her.
"MAGICAL GIRL SUNNY!"
Applause, along with more photo snapping, ensued. Rarity and Applejack exchanged their confused glances between each other, neither sure if they should do or say any anything. Meanwhile, Magical Girl Sunny made sure to greet the applause warmly, bowing a few times, but declining answering any questions or signing autographs. She quickly turned to the thug lying on the floor.
"Can you tell your buddies who I am, once they wake up?" She got a reluctant thumbs up from the criminal. "Thanks! It's time to leave, but don't worry- I'll be there when you need me next!"
"Bye, bye and sun'ya!" And then she disappeared in her own smoke.
Rarity blinked, switching her gaze between the smoking spot and her box. "Sun'ya?"
***
"She... she has powers?" Twilight asked. "I mean, beyond powers of friendship and transforming into--actually, this makes way more sense than I originally thought."
"Ah know, right?" Applejack shrugged. "Ah mean, all'a us have some magic inside, but Sunset Shimmer used ta be a magical unicorn b'fore. If anyone, it should'a be her!"
"What I don't understand," Rainbow Dash joined in "is why she didn't tell us anything? Why would she hide it from us?"
Fluttershy nodded. "And why didn't she tell any of us she's a superhero? I-I mean, I can only speak for myself, but wouldn't we all support her decision?"
Rarity nodded as well. "And where did she get that amazing dress?" Pause. She quickly noticed a few bemused glances shot at her. "What, it's a valid question! You don't get designs like these in a thrift store!"
Applejack, along with others, only rolled their eyes in response. "Ah wanted to ask her mahself, but she ain't answerin' her phone."
"So, we have to ask her when she gets here?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
Rarity nodded. "It would seem so. Until then we'll just have to wait for her to appear, however long it would ta--"
"Hey girls!" Sunset Shimmer suddenly appeared and greeted their friends.
"--...okay, that was fast," she coughed, and smiled at her friend "Sunset, darling, how was your weekend? You didn't answer our calls."
"Yeah, sorry about that," she scratched her head laughing, oblivious to the suspicious staring "I left my phone charger at the band practice. Not that I needed it. I spent the entire Sunday binging on Netflux. My free month ends on Wednesday and I still have a few seasons to go through and I don't feel like paying 15 bucks a--"
"Really, now? You didn't leave your house this entire time?"
"Nope, I haven't moved from my apartment since Saturday evening till this morning. Don't worry, Rarity, I found time to take a shower, I swear!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, likely story...about leaving, not showering!"
Sunset tilted her head in confusion, but didn't get a chance to ask when she was bombarded by questions.
"Not even for a small walk to, say... a Jewelry Store?"
She shook her head, one eyebrow lifted. "Wha-- why would I--"
"Nothing 'magical' happened?"
"Not that I'm aware o--"
"No unusual events?"
Sunset blinked. "Uh..."
"You were alone all this time?"
She looked around her friends, only now noticing the attention she was getting. She swallowed. "Yeah, just me and my laptop, why wou--"
"So nobody can vouch for you?"
"Vouch? What are you talking about?" She looked over everyone, sweat pouring from her head. "Did I miss something?"
The conversation was stopped when Applejack violently stood up, slamming the table with both of her hands.
"Sunset, stop foolin' around!" She loudly exclaimed, her voice just barely below the yelling threshold. "Just explain what da deal with Magical Girl Sunny is already?"
As Rarity coughed angrily at Applejack's latest outburst (which the farmer quietly apologized for in a moment), the rest of the group patiently awaited Sunset Shimmer's reaction.
"...what?" That one word and a confused frown was all they managed out of her.
Rainbow Dash grabbed Pinkie Pie's phone and showed its contents to Sunset Shimmer. "Well, care to explain that?"
Time seemed to stop, as Sunset Shimmer carefully looked at the picture, her eyes growing wider every second. She grabbed the phone in her own hands and put it closer to her face, as her eyes started twitching nervously.
"W-what the...?"
***
It used to be just a shortcut. It saved a minute of walking at most, whenever she went shopping. It wasn't anything special: trees, grass and large open areas were plenty even in big cities. But somehow, it felt different and it's been like this past few days, every day. The bright green leaves danced on the wind, trying to escape their respective trees way before their time. The aroma of freshly trimmed grass emanated in the air. Somewhere in the distance a few boys played soccer, using their jackets as provisional goals. There was even a lovely young couple, holding each other's hand, using the other hand to guide a stroller with their sleeping baby inside. As if the whimsical tone wasn't sugary enough, a tiny dog ran towards her, at first yapping loudly like small dogs do, but eventually settled on just looking at her, happily wagging its tail.
Coco Pommel never had a pet while growing up, nor were they allowed in her dorms. She couldn't help but smile warmly at the little thing and kneel down to stroke its head.
"Hey there, little one. Enjoying your walk?" She asked the dog, noticing the collar with a golden name tag on it. "Poppy, huh? Did you lose your master, Poppy?" She looked around the park and contemplated looking for the owner, but that wasn't necessary, as an old lady called and the dog obediently ran her way.
Slightly disappointed, Coco sighed and stood back up, casting one last glance at the park at large. It's so nice today, maybe I could just stay for a while, relax. As the chill breeze touched her skin, she looked at the bags in her hand. Later. I have work to do! Filled with new found resolve, she nodded to herself and ventured forth.
Crystal Prep's girls dormitory was located a few blocks away from the school proper. It was a large, four stories high building, housing hundreds of girls attending Crystal Prep High. The boys dormitory was located a few blocks away from the school in the other direction, probably to decrease the temptation of youth. (Not the least sensible idea, if you think about it) She found a lot of students walking in and out of the building, as well as some groups hanging out by the stairs. And in one of those groups was her: a purple skinned girl with curly hair a few shades darker than her skin.
Suri... Coco swallowed and hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath and marching forward, doing her best to act natural and avoid being spotted. She kept her breathing as natural as possible, her eyes forward. All went well until Suri did notice her and their eyes met for a brief moment. She looked at Coco with contempt for a while, then turned away, humpfing loudly. Coco remained (almost) perfectly calm until she passed by her, at which point her pace increased. She quickly passed by the opened doors, stopping only once inside, exhaling heavily.
Of course she knew Suri wouldn't do anything. She wouldn't dare. Or rather, she didn't care enough to go through the trouble of bothering her ever again. She shook her head. No! Past is past! Present day beware- Coco Pommel has arrived! She took another deep breath of courage and went to her room on the third floor.
Once inside, she tossed her bags at her bed and booted up her laptop. The room was small, barely fitting two beds sitting across each other under the opposite walls, with two desks in between them and some space in the center, already occupied by something else. A female mannequin was dressed in what would soon become a fancy dress. But right now it was just a few hastily stitched fabrics, some frills here and there and a sketch of what it was potentially aiming to become taped to its face. Coco walked around it for a while, nodding and making mental notes. Yup, a cape would fit, she thought to herself, sketching that little detail... then erased and redrew parts of it, except half as long. I need to make it more maneuverable. This isn't just a decoration!
"A cape?" A voice sounded behind her.
"EEEP!" Nearly giving Coco a heart attack, making her fall on the ground.
"It's like you listen to me sometimes or something." She said, extending her hand to her.
Coco's breathing slowly regulated itself, though she couldn't help but look at the other girl with a little grudge. But only a little: she couldn't get too mad at her, especially when offered a helping hand. "Don't scare me like that!" She pouted, standing up with a little help. "I told you to knock!"
"This is my room too! Besides," she smiled slyly, leaning over the shy girl just low enough that they were at the same eye-level. "then I wouldn't be able to see those cute reactions of yours. And what kind of life would that be?"
Coco groaned and turned away, feigning offense, but they both knew she wasn't bothered by it in the slightest.
"So, how's the news spreading?"
Coco looked at the screen saver running on her laptop. How long was I working on the dress? She went to it and opened the MyStable page to find the appropriate numbers.
"It just passed one thousand likes! That's incredible!"
"Awesome! That calls for celebration, then! Do you wanna go somewhere, like a pizza? Or tacos or... Coco?"
Coco Pommel was busy browsing the fanpage, reading all the comments. Aside from a few down voted trolls and spam, all the comments were mostly positive, praising the heroic deeds, quirky personality and power set. Her heart warmed especially hot whenever she saw someone praising the dress. All was going well until...
"MEEP!" Coco recoiled when she felt a freezing sensation on her cheek. Donning another overblown pout, she turned to her roommate, who was holding a cold can of soda. "What's the big idea?!"
"Be careful or you won't notice when someone will steal you as you stand," she laughed and threw the can to her roommate.
Coco accepted the offensively cold can with a frown, but as always, she couldn't hold a grudge when it came to playful teasing like this. Whenever someone used to pick on her back in the day, it felt like a torture that she couldn't fight back. She wasn't strong and everyone knew it and took advantage of her meek personality. But when she did it, it felt different. It felt more genuine. Warm (no pun intended). Kind.
"Cheers!"
Coco bumped the other can with hers. "Cheers!"
Life became worth living since Sunset Shimmer became a part of it.
"T-that's... that's impossible!" Sunset Shimmer muttered, eyes glued to Pinkie Pie's phone showing a pictures slideshow of Magical Girl Sunny. Of herself. "Where did you get this?"
"Internet, there are plenty more on a MyStable fan page," Rarity answered, then coughed "Sunset, darling, would you like to tell us something? We promise we won't make a scene if you--"
"That's not me! I-I mean, she looks exactly like me, and sounds like me too, but she's not! It has to be a hoax! Someone photoshoped them to make fun of me!"
Twilight shook her head. "These look too real to be fakes."
"There's a video, too!" Pinkie Pie took her phone back to play a clip of Magical Girl Sunny posing for pictures, the ones she saw previously. She winced when her lookalike said 'Sun'ya' before teleporting away.
"Not ta mention Rarity and I were there, in da middle of it all. We almost got shot!"
"Weren't these guns fake?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Details, details..."
"You even saved my precious earrings," Rarity added, exposing her ears to show two blinking crystals on her ears "I was so shaken I didn't even take time to properly tha--"
"IT WASN'T ME!"
For a few more seconds the echoing 'wasn't me' went around Canterlot High, suddenly devoid of any other sounds. Despite being chock-full of students at this hour. Sunset Shimmer blushed slightly as she tried to avoid everyone's stares, especially after the mass whispering started. And judging by the amount of students walking around with smartphones, she knew exactly that the main topic of discussions could be one of two. And the Catchamon Go died months ago.
"Aaaalright," Rarity coughed, trying to bring the topic back on tracks "I suppose we jumped to conclusions a bit too fast there, darling, but ... we were there. I know what I saw, we have a ton of proof, so please forgive us for not believing in the age old 'I was alone in my room watching television' excuse."
Sunset opened her mouth for a moment without saying anything, then groaned, massaging her temples. "Okay, I see your point. But that doesn't change anything. It wasn't me back there and if you don't believe me--"
Rarity quickly interrupted her, waving her hands frantically. "Hold on, we didn't say we don't believe you! It's just that..." She bit her lip, trying to think of something else to say, looking for some hints from the other girls, who were just as clueless. "...well, nothing good will come from denying it, but we're having a hard time believing it. Even though we want to."
"So, if it wasn't you," Rainbow Dash asked "then who?"
Twilight Sparkle's eyes shot open. "M-maybe it's this earth's Sunset Shimmer?" She suggested. "I mean, you're from Equestria and we already met my other Princess-self, so maybe..."
"Impossible!" Sunset Shimmer quickly declared, then turned and started walking away. "Whoever it is, I'm not going to let her walk around posing as me!"
Everyone looked at each other in panic, trying to figure out which of them would be the one to stop Sunset from leaving. It ended with Twilight saying something first. "B-but, the classes...?"
"Tell Harshwhinny I got sick," she answered without looking back "it's not that far from the truth!"
As their humanized unicorn friend was leaving, the other six girls looked at each other, unsure what to say or do at this point. Twilight Sparkle was the first to stand up. "I'd better follow her. Maybe we can find something together."
Applejack nodded. "Good call. Keep us informed if ya learn anythin'."
After they bid themselves farewell, Twilight rushed after her fiery-haired friend, leaving the other five at the table. I'm skipping school! Because of friendship reasons! This is absolutely awful... why do I have a feeling Cadance will approve of this?
The other Rainbooms sat silently for a moment.
"So, what do we do?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Ah dunno," she shrugged, looking over the other equally confused four "What can we do?"
***
Sunset Shimmer yawned. She always imagined internet to be this wide open sea of information and entertainment, the black hole for spare time. And yet here she was- lying on her bed, with Coco's laptop on her chest, hot cup of cocoa at her desk (only so she could make puns at her roommate's expense... it wasn't worth the effort) accomplishing the impossible feat of being tired of OurPipe and MyStable. She glanced at her roommate, humming happily while working on her newest creation.
"I'm bored," she said, closing the laptop "how much longer?"
"Just a few more minutes, I'm almost finished." Coco answered, not missing a beat.
Sunset groaned, putting the laptop on the desk, then turning on her belly. "Kay."
Coco was able to work in perfect silence. For about two minutes, which was how long it took Sunset Shimmer to empty her lukewarm cup of cocoa.
"Done yet?"
"No."
One short pause later. "Are you done now?"
"Please don't start that age old routine. I promise I will tell you when it is."
Sunset whined, burying her face in the pillow. "Ugh, this is taking forever!"
Coco stopped for a moment, rolling her eyes. "Your whining won't make me work faster."
"I'm not whining, I'm just..."
"I know, I know," she sighed and turned to her roommate. "Could you pass me the cape, please?"
Sunset looked at the other bed where said piece of clothing lied, waiting to be picked up. Pointing her finger at it, she started slowly levitating the cape towards the future fashion guru, who nodded with gratitude and grabbed it without so much as flinching at the display of magic before her. It took a few days to get used to her roommate's magical powers and levitating clothes (and books, pens, towels, hair brushes, the list goes on) were already becoming a new norm.
"So," Sunset started, sitting on the edge of her bed "what's with the change of heart? I thought you didn't like capes."
Coco stopped for a moment, before sighing deeply. "I still don't," she explained "but I want to create dresses for a living when I grow up. Part of my dream job is meeting my clients' requests, no matter how... impractical they are in my humble opinion. As someone smart once said, it's not about what I like or not, it's about making the most out of what the future wearer wants. I treat it like a challenge. If I can't make a cape work on a magical girl costume, then why would I expect to do well in the showbiz?"
Sunset nodded. "Yes, your words are wise and thought provoking. And speaking of what the wearer wants--"
"No spandex."
"OH COME ON!" Sunset yelled, teleporting right in front of her friend, looking down at her. "Why not?"
Coco turned away, slightly blushing. She got used to random teleportations, but close facial proximity? Not nearly as much. "I just refuse. It's a matter of principles."
"You'll deny the world the view of my perfect body in a skintight jumpsuit?" She made a cute pose to emphasize the point.
Coco coughed, making sure Sunset Shimmer didn't notice the blush. "T-the world will have to live without it!"
"Oh come on, Coc's!"
Coco twitched, then turned at Sunset with wide eyes. "W-what did you call me?"
"Coc's. It's your new nickname," she leaned over the tiny girl with a sly smile "kinda cute, huh?"
"I-I'd rather you didn't," Coco muttered, blushing "I-I don't feel comfortable... with..."
"Why not, Coc's? What's wrong with..." her eyes widened as well "...ooooh, oookay, sudden realization! Didn't think this through!" Now it was Sunset's time to blush, while Coco giggled at her roommate. The seamstress continued her work for a while longer, while Sunset Shimmer's head cooled off after her recent faux pax.
"I don't think it would be good publicity if you suddenly changed your image, especially right after your debut! It's a lot easier to explain a new outfit on a magical girl than on a western superhero. They changed them every season and the public was in awe, but have Mili Second change her costume to a different shade, and you get a huge internet flame war!"
Sunset Shimmer hummed, then shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I agreed to the whole magical girl gimmick."
Coco continued. "I've watched enough TV to know that masked vigilantes aren't as accepted by public as little girls in bright costumes. Even if the powers aren't all that different."
"Who are you calling little? Although the latter is true," Sunset answered "speaking of which, how many dresses do you plan on making?"
Coco stopped on her tracks for a moment. She looked at their wardrobe, where her first masterpiece, the one Sunset used at the jewelry store, resided. They moved away all other clothes to different shelves and boxes to make space for spare costumes as they'd come around, as well as some emergency clothes in case Sunset needed something else on the field. Truth be told, she never had an end goal in mind. For now all she wanted to do was create them, one after another, see how her owner and public reacts to them, get some feedback and learn from it while aiming to make the one, the ultimate iconic magical girl outfit. And hoping she'd never have an excuse to stop. Not when she was hit by an endless fountain of inspiration after a miserable few months of... whatever you call a fashion designer's version of writer's block. Fashion block? Sewing block?
"I don't know. I'll make as many as I can. If you want them, that is."
"Kay," Sunset answered "so thirty seven is not a final number?"
"Thirty seven? Where did you get tha--" she stopped, her eyes widening in panic. She turned back to notice her roommate inspecting a particular notebook. The one she'd rather nobody looked at. Ever.
"I'm not sure about number 14, though," Sunset noted, rotating the open notebook to get a better view of it's content "I'm okay with ribbons, but this might be a bit overkill."
"GIVE IT BACK!" Coco jumped at Sunset and snatched her notebook away, then ran at the corner of the room, holding her prized possession tightly to her chest, sobbing.
Sunset Shimmer blinked a few times, then snorted. "I didn't say they were bad!" She giggled for a while, but her smile slowly faded as Coco's mood did not improve. She coughed and approached her friend. "Coco? Was it something I said?" She stopped one feet away from Coco, scratching her head in confusion.
A few moments passed in complete silence, until...
"EEEK!" Coco yelled and recoiled after a very cold, metallic object touched her cheek. Again. She turned to Sunset Shimmer, holding an ice cold can of soda. "Why do you keep doing this?! And where did you even get that?"
Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Cafeteria, duh," immediately the can disappeared from her hand, presumably back to the fridge in the cafeteria, where it originally belonged "this is the only thing that works whenever you get a mood," she crouched over Coco “what’s going on? Talk to me.”
Coco looked at Sunset’s rare, concerned face, but quickly averted her eyes. “It’s nothing, really.”
“Nothing doesn’t make you cry. Tell me or I’ll do it again. And I, uh, really don't want to. Hurt your feelings.”
Coco sighed deeply, still avoiding eye contact. “I just... I don’t want anyone to look at my designs,” she answered “I know it’s dumb and I shouldn’t be bothered by it, but…”
“It’s your passion, you put all of your heart into it and you’re afraid people might hate it, I get that,” Sunset said “but what I don’t get is why you hide it from me! I'm your top model, I'll wear anything if you say it'll appeal to crowds.”
Coco’s eyes widened, and soon after their eyes met again. “I-it’s not like that!”
“Just in case you’re forgetting, Magical Girl Sunny is wearing the newest Pommel design, not some Polomare crap,” the sudden gasp from her roommate confirmed what Sunset was afraid of “because it’s about Suri, isn’t it?” She didn’t get an answer, but the silence said it all. “Figures. Anything wrong with you life can be traced to your old 'friend'. Honestly, Coco,“ she massaged her temples “whose opinion do you trust more? Some purple bitch that can’t run a fashion club without your help, or the most magical superhero ever that can’t run around fighting crime without your help?”
The seamstress managed a giggle and couldn’t help but smile at her friend. Sunset smiled as well, then stood up and extended a hand.
“Are you cheered up now? Please say yes. Human interaction is hard and bothersome. I don't want to do it too often.”
Coco took her hand and stood up. “Then you picked a wrong 'hobby'. And you’re so good at it! Cheering up, not... actually, both.”
“Aw, shucks…” Sunset scratched her head and looked away, and the two shared a laugh. A moment after the laughter died out, Sunset coughed. "So, can I look at them now?" She asked, extending her hand forward. "Pretty please? With cherry on top? With whipped cream? And sprinkles? And cinnamon? And... I'll stop now."
Coco hummed and took her time, thinking about sharing her little treasure. She looked at her notebook, then at the pleading red haired magical girl. After a long sigh, she nodded and offered her precious possession to her roommate. But before Sunset managed to grab it, she pulled it back away.
"But just this once!"
"Okay, gotcha."
"And if you look at it again, then..."
"I get it, I get it!" Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Now may I?"
With only a few reservations left, Coco let go of her darkest secrets and passed the notebook to her roommate. "Just don't laugh..."
"I won't, I promise," she nodded, instantly opening the first page "not until I find a clown costume." Pause. "Are there any clown costumes there?" She asked with a sly smile. There was no direct answer, but Coco's annoyed glare said it all. "Just making sure," she giggled and went back to browsing.
For the next few minutes no sounds happened in their room, other than page flipping, Sunset's playful humming and Coco's rapidly beating heart, though she couldn't tell if Sunset actually heard it. Sunset's reactions were ranging from non-existent to mild amusement each time she flipped a page. At best the creation inside earned a curious raised eyebrow, but no verbal comments of any sorts, which was slowly driving Coco insane. Will she say anything? Should I ask? Logic dictated just leaving her be, going back to finishing her current project, not paying attention to being mentally reviewed. Not being bothered by someone judging your ideas, or...
"So," Coco shifted, interrupting the silence "what do you think?"
Sunset nodded, not taking her eyes of the notebook. "They're good."
Coco blinked. In this line of work a single word (especially THAT word) meant nothing. "No further comments? No suggestions, or feedback?"
Sunset shrugged. "Like I said before, I don't know a thing about fashion, I just know when I like what I see," she flipped another page "and I don't like repeating myself."
The conversation ended right there, as Coco turned away and went to one of her shelves for some more knitting materials. Or so she wanted her to think, she was just too embarrassed to show her rosy red face. Not that Sunset paid her attention right now, too absorbed in looking over her creations. She had only known Sunset Shimmer for a few days, but she could already tell that she had a very short attention span and anything that consumed her for longer than a minute wasn't just good. And she loved repeating herself. Especially when it ended up in minor embarrassment for her, though to her credit she only did it when nobody was watching. That counted for something.
"Actually," Sunset suddenly spoke, spooking Coco "I have one question."
Coco gulped, as few cold sweat droplets appearing on the back of her head while she slowly turned to her. "Y-yes?"
"So, me walking around in a skintight spandex outfit is a no-no, against your principles if you will... but a deep V cut dress that exposes everything down to my waist is ay-okay? Cleavage, belly button and the likes?"
A few seconds passed. "What?"
"Number Thirty four."
A few gears worked inside of Coco's head, before a revelation caused her cheeks to blush redder than ever before. Which was saying something. "I-I-I can explain!" She almost shouted, flailing her hands in the air.
"I'm all ears." Sunset Shimmer crossed her hands, clearly suppressing the amused smile from her face.
"I-it was, uhm, it was a-a... ballet! It was a re-rejected ballet dress!"
"Ballet dress?"
"YES! W-we were asked to make a few, the fashion club I mean, f-for the ballet club a-and I made this! It was rejected and they went with Suri's dress instead, though..."
Sunset nodded. "So this wasn't made for Magical Girl Sunny?"
"It wasn't."
"And it just so happens," she turned over the page to its creator "that the sketch has the exact same hair style as I do?"
"I-it's a popular hair style..."
"Coco, the sketch is colored. With crayons. It's actually kinda cute."
Coco's mouth opened and closed a few times with only occasional squeeking escaping from it, until she closed it and pursed her lips, as her eyes teared up.
"I changed my mind!" She suddenly shouted, walking towards her roommate. "Permission rescinded! Give it back!" Her hands reached out for the notebook, but Sunset lifted it so high she couldn't reach. A few futile tries later (she was a head shorter), she groaned with annoyance. Their eyes met- annoyed and determined; sly and mischievous.
Then Coco stepped back and looked around her room. Suddenly, her eyes widened as they concentrated on something else. She pointed her finger behind Sunset and gasped. "You have a fan mail!"
"Wait, what?" Sunset's eyes widened and she turned to the closed laptop.
Using the tiny gap in Sunset's defense, Coco lunged at the notebook and could almost touch it with her fingertips, when suddenly the notebook, along with Sunset Shimmer, blinked out of existence. With nothing to stop her fall, Coco landed a few feet away, flat on her face. Thankfully, Sunset was standing right next to her bed, so she landed safely, bouncing of the mattress. As she composed herself after her fail and fall, she heard a evil, maniacal laughter coming from the direction of the door.
"Mwahaha, nice try, miss Pommel," Sunset said, facing up as she laughed "but you need to do better than tha--"
POMF!
It didn't hurt. But being hit in the face by a cushion did throw Sunset Shimmer off balance and made her drop the prized possession of her partner, who used the moment to quickly dash in and out, with notebook safely in her hands. The joy of victory was sort lived when she realized that Sunset was blocking the only legitimate exit from the room.
"Miss Pommel..."
Suddenly, Coco was getting goosebumps. She swallowed, realizing what horrible mistakes had been made. But she could do nothing, other than wait and anticipate.
"I have a question." Sunset extended her hands toward her, her fingers swaying like tentacles. "Are... you... ticklish?"
Sunset Shimmer, a student of CHS, former unicorn from the magical land of Equestria, former she-demon slash villainess, current vocalist slash guitarist of the relatively famous band 'Rainbooms', sighed deeply, massaging her temples. Not only were they, along with Twilight Sparkle (the non-alicorn/unicorn one, because she lived in times where that had to be specified to avoid confusion) not getting anywhere in their investigation.
"Oh, and before you go," the jewelry store owner stopped two teen girls, as he produced a tiny box from under his desk "I never had the time to properly thank you for everything you've done."
Sunset raised her hands in defense. "Woah, woah, woah, that's what I'm trying to tell you, It wasn't... ooooh!" She cooed, as the store owner opened the mystery box to reveal a pair of two golden earrings, that just so happened to be shaped exactly like her cutie mark, though instead of yellow and red, it were two shades of gold, which would've gone perfectly with-- "NO! I-I can't take it! I'm not her!" She averted her eyes, with difficulty.
The man blinked and paused for a while, before gasping in realization. "Ooooh, of course, I understand," he coughed, closing the box, packing it into a small bag and all but shoving it at Sunset's hands "in that case, how about you give (wink, wink) it to Magical Girl Sunny. Once you eventually find her, that is!" He ended with a wink, then whispered. "Your secret is safe with me. Keep it, it's the least I could do." Before Sunset could make a single sound to object, the front doors opened and the owner immediately greeted new costumers, leaving two girls with the prize they did not earn. Sunset Shimmer slumped her shoulders in defeat and hid the box in her jacket pocket and the two left the store.
"At least we have the camera recordings," Twilight Sparkle said, holding a flash drive firmly in her hands "there could be some clues on them."
Sunset Shimmer was tired of sighing, but what other reaction would represent her mood right now? "I wouldn't get my hopes too high. Most of it is already on the internet."
Twilight opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but decided against stretching this topic. "So, what now?"
Sunset Shimmer sat on her motorbike and donned a helmet, throwing the other one to her friend. "We go to the only place where a vigilante would go."
Catching the helmet, Twilight raised an eyebrow. "And where's that?"
***
Twilight Sparkle, the full human, non-Princess one (in case you STILL need to be specific) had a lot of regrets. Not just lifelong ones, like never getting any friends before turning into a she-demon herself, but a recent one. If she knew Sunset Shimmer would bring her to the dark back alleys of Canterlot, the ones that adults in suits would rather avoid like fire in fear of getting stabbed, mugged, murdered or kidnapped (in any order), she would've, well, avoided that decision like fire. And yet here she was, trembling in fear behind her fiery-haired former unicorn friend, who wasn't the least bit bothered by four street punks in ripped jeans, differently colored hoodies and golden chains that would've made a great business with the previously met Jewelry store owner, if she wasn't almost certain they weren't all stolen or bought with stolen cash or by cash made by selling stolen goods... you get the idea.
Twilight wasn't sure what was scarier: the big, scary looking hoodlums; the fact that Sunset Shimmer wasn't afraid of them in the slightest; or the fact that she found them after asking a few of her old "buddies". She realized Sunset Shimmer was a little bit evil back in the day, but she thought it was just the mind controlling, dark powered demoness, not a common street thug! What kind of priorities have I developed?!
"I'll ask this once," Sunset said to the thugs "which one of you is Splint? I have a few questions."
If one of them was the person she was looking for, he didn't say, as all of them burst into laughter and started walking around the two girls. Twilight's hands clung to Sunset's jacket harder every time she noticed a gangster looking at her, while Sunset was not impressed at all, patting Twilight's hand while remaining poker faced.
"What'ya want with him, babe?" The thug in a red hoodie asked, closing his hand towards Sunset's face, only to get it slapped away before it got too close. "You a cop or somethin?"
"I just want to talk, then we'll be out."
"Woah, just talk and bye?" Oragne hooded thug asked. "That's cold, woman!"
"Yeah, why don'tcha hang out with us for a while?" The third, purple hooded one, asked.
Sunset groaned. "Look, is Splint here or not? We have places to be."
"I have a place I want to be..." the blue hood joined in "that place is inside yo--"
"Yo guys, what's up?" The sentence was interrupted by a voice of another thug (no hoodie) entering the back alley. He was a seven foot tall, dark skinned thug in skull bandana, cargo pants and leather jacket, not unlike the one Sunset Shimmer was wearing over her teal dress.
"Yo Splint, they're lookin' for ya! I didn't know yer ex was a redhead!"
Splint raised an eyebrow and looked at the two girls. "The hell do ya--AH!" He stopped and recoiled backwards once Sunset turned to him and their eyes met. "Ah shit, not you again!"
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "So you DID meet me?"
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" The giant thug made a few steps back, covering his face as if about to be pummeled with iron pipes. "I didn't do anything! I promise I was nice, just don't... don't..."
"Woah, calm down, I'm not going to..."
"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOONE!" And then he turned back and ran away, screaming and crying. Sunset Shimmer paused for a second, before giving him a chase.
All the other thugs scratched their heads and looked around each other, looking for any answers. Right in the middle of them was one particular purple girl, who stood perfectly still, paralyzed, eye twitching, sweating bullets and really, really wishing she was anywhere else in the world. All the eyes suddenly shifted down at her in silence. She started regretting befriending Sunset Shimmer for the first time ever. And most likely last time as well.
The chase went on for at least a few minutes. Splint was a giant, strong man, but he wasn't as fast as Sunset Shimmer, neither did he have enough stamina to keep on running for too long. Even despite the head start and toppling several obstacles after him (which she easily jumped over), she caught up to him as he was trying to climb over a fence. She snatched him by the back of his shirt and tossed him on the ground, where he curled up in fetal position, guarding his face, trembling.
"Not the face, not the face!"
Sunset groaned and leaned over the thug. "Relax, I'm not going to hu--"
"If it's about that lady's purse, I swear it's the last time and I'm totally turning myself to the police!"
She blinked. "That's... nice and progressive, but..."
"I don't want any trouble! Just let me go back to jail!"
She blinked again. What the heck did my doppelganger do to this poor gangster? She massaged her temples and tried a new approach. "Okay then, I'll leave you, just answer me a few things, okay?" His trembling silence wasn't much of an answer, but it was close enough to nodding that she was going to work with it. "When was the last time we met?"
"F-friday night! I've been clean since! I mean, aside from that purse... and that candy bar from a kid, I will totally get him a new one! Two bars! And by 'get' I mean buy! With honestly earned cash not the stolen one! I swear!"
Sunset hummed, touching her chin. Friday... two whole days before the Jewelry Store. She did mention it was her first PUBLIC debut. She looked at the trembling, now crying, thug. He's not faking it. I doubt I can get anything away from him at this point. "Okay then, Splint. Go to the police as soon as possible. And do behave next time. Or I will be back!" Getting the similar kinda-nodding-or-shaking-from-fear-or-both reaction again, Sunset walked a few steps away and groaned.
"Darn, another dead end. I thought I was onto something..." she shrugged "well, I'm out of ideas for the time being. I'm open to suggestions now." She paused for a while. There were no suggestions. Sunset raised an eyebrow and looked around her. "Twilight?"
Few seconds passed. Then a realization opened her eyes.
"TWILIGHT!"
She dashed with a speed of (not quite, but almost) a bullet, cursing at herself for leaving her helpless, newest friend in a dangerous neighborhood, with half a dozen (actually four) nasty thugs she swore to protect her from, begging the heavens for enough time to come to her rescue. Few minutes of running later, as she was getting closer, she started hearing things from afar.
"I'll show ya how it's done, Sparky!"
"No, please, don't...!"
"No escaping now, girlie!"
Sunset doubled her speed and clenched her fists as she approached the last corner. "HANG IN THERE, TWILIGHT! I'M COMING TO THE RESCUE!" She yelled just as she appeared back in their alley and saw...
"I attack with all my monsters!"
"Not so fast, I cast a reaction spell!"
Sunset Shimmer tripped and fell on her face. The sudden smack attracted the attention of all the thugs and Twilight, who turned to her for a moment.
"Sunset, you okay? I'll be done in a minute, just bear with it."
"More like I'll be done with you!" The red hooded thug laughed, his comrades joining him as well.
Sunset Shimmer raised her head slightly, only to notice the small, portable table, where Twilight and one of the thugs sat on foldable chairs, both holding a handful of cards, while others gathered behind their buddy. She wiped the dirt from her face and stood up, noticing a lot of colorful cards already nested on the table. Though what was curious was a stack of golden necklaces near her deck. The same ones she swore she saw on their necks not too long ago.
Twilight coughed and put a card on the table, while flipping several others on her side. "I use all my mana to cast 'Grand Sacrifice' and kill all my minions, except 'Dark Ritualist'," she gathered several cards from her side of the table and put them at a discard pile next to her deck "and for each two I destroy that way I get to destroy one of yours..."
"What? Bullcrap!!" He yanked the spell card from Twilight and carefully read it, his friends joining him, their jaws dropping as heir inner light bulbs lightened. "This card is bullcrap! I lost all my monsters!"
"And since Dark Ritualist is still alive, you take one damage for every monster killed on any side. And since among my destroyed monsters were two Exploding Zombies..."
"You take four more! You're on 2 life left!"
"Sick synergy!"
"And since you have no mana or monsters to block," Twilight continued, flipping her Dark Ritualist into attack position "I attack with Dark Ritualist for 3 damage, so... I won!" She beamed.
There was a lot of cheering. The loser threw his cards on the table and reluctantly threw one of his necklaces at the table, pouting. "Lucky shot..."
"Don't worry too much," Twilight took the necklace with one hand and patted his muscled arm with the other "your dragons really worked well together with your blessings. You took me down to 10 life. That's pretty good!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't patronize me..." Then they shared a laugh, which the rest of the group also joined in. Except a really confused Sunset Shimmer, who'se eyebrow twitched nervously, as she approached her friend.
"Twilight... what the actual heck?"
Twilight didn't look at her friend, too busy with collecting her cards into a separate card box. "You see, after you left me alone (no hard feelings, btw) I tried to sneak away, but I tripped and some of my stuff fell out of my backpack, including my 'Sorcery: The Collecting' deck and it turns out they're all playing it too, so we started playing to pass the time," she glanced over to the pile of golden necklaces "oh, and they didn't want to play just for fun and had me bet something and, well... I didn't lose." She smiled sheepishly.
Sunset blinked. Multiple nods confirmed the story. Then she blinked once more. Her imagination just went past the 'too much information' phase. "Okay, we're leaving."
Twilight nodded, apologized to her opponents for the early leave and promised that she'd be back for rematches, and they left the alley, waving goodbye to their new... friends?
"Wait a second," Sunset turned to Twilight as they were about to board the motorbike "you don't wear jewelry! What did you ante?"
Twilight's face got covered in blush. "Uhm... let's just say that I'm glad I took my competitive deck."
"...right."
They wore their helmets in silence, until Twilight broke it again.
"Sunset, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Shoot."
"Could I keep all of this in your apartment, for the time being?" She asked, looking at the few kilograms of gold she was carrying in her hands. "I really don't want to explain that to my parents."
Sunset snorted. "Sure thing, Sparky."
***
"'A hero we get, but do we deserve?' 'Some wear spandex, but our hero is way more fabulous!', heh, gotta give you props for that one... 'Evil Beware, Magical Girl Sunny is here', I could turn this one into a catchphrase," Sunset Shimmer (sometimes known as 'Magical Girl Sunny') turned away from the laptop to its owner. Coco didn't answer, she was lying on her bed in fetal position. Just like the last time she looked at her. She would've started to worry, if she wasn't certain while her tickle torture she didn't accidentally cop a feel, much less on purpose. "Oh will you stop that already? I wasn't that thorough!"
"I can't be a bride anymore..."
Sunset rolled her eyes and was really glad nobody heard this conversation without context. "And they say I'm the dramatic one!" She would've loved if her assistant grew a little thicker skin (both metaphorically and literally!), but then she wouldn't be nearly as fun to be around. Sigh, first world problems.
Ignoring her for the time being, Sunset Shimmer went back to one of her latest favorite past time entertainment, which was exploring internet by researching herself and finding what people thought about her magical alter ego. Most articles and comments she read were either positive and encouraging, or so overblown and trollingly (that a word?) that she couldn't take any negatives seriously. There were even first fan arts, though they left some to be desired (except one amazing piece she used as her new wallpaper... or rather Coco's wallpaper, not that she'd mind probably), a crude erotic fanfiction of herself and Maneiac (which she bookmarked for later) and of course, crowning jewel of her career, the MyStable fanpage, which grew so big in such short time that it was now a hub of everything Sunny related. Nobody is using 'Sun'ya' anywhere. Gotta market it better! Also, I could make some better speeches in the future... witness the power of The Great and Powerful Sunny! ...yeah, maybe not! She rolled her eyes and kept scrolling on the comments, just as a new post appeared on the front page.
Wonder if she appears. Looks dangerous.
Under it was a link to the local news site, which she clicked. Her eyes grew wide, with both terror and excitement. And more terror, because she wasn't sure which emotion was stronger.
"Enough fooling around, Coco" she said to her roommate, leaving the chair and flicking her fingers, instantly teleporting Coco at her chair. The girl yelped as she fell safely on it and looked around in panic, while Sunset continued. "This looks like a job for Magical Girl Sunny!"
Coco opened her mouth to say something, but the screen of her laptop caught her attention. It was open on a live-feed from the local news station, with an emergency broadcast on. Her eyes went to the summary information at the side.
Armed assailant took a child hostage. Local police forces attempt to negotiate with the criminal.
"Oh no!" Coco cried, turning around to her friend. "We need to do something!"
"Way ahead of you!" She nodded, turning at her newest crime fighting uniform. "Is this ready to go?"
"W-well, there are a few decors missing, but..."
"Will it break if I move too suddenly? Will it tangle my arms mid-combat?"
"No, it's just..."
"Good enough!" She nodded, then took one last good look at her newest dress, her heart beating stronger each second.
"Sunset, please be extra careful! I know you can take care of yourself, but there's a little girl taken hostage. And it's not a fake gun this time!"
"Who do you think you're talking to?" She went towards the door, grabbed the door-handle, but turned around one last time. "You know the drill, right? Comms?"
"Check!" She nodded, raising her cellphone and headset.
"And for the love of all that's sparkly, DO NOT touch the dress! Coco, if--"
"I know, I know," Coco answered, rolling her eyes "one inch in the wrong direction and you won't be able to teleport-swap it, and end up naked on the street. I know how your powers work."
Sunset nodded, smiling. "Good girl! And you know that if you want to see me naked, there's an onsen pla-"
"JUST GET GOING ALREADY!" She yelled through her blush.
Sunset snorted, finally opening the door and crossing it. "Sun'ya!"
As the door closed, Coco recovered from her blush and shook her head. "This will never catch on." She muttered under her mouth. She went back to the screen, trying her best to scout as much information from the live-feed as possible, really wishing she was a hacker instead of a dressmaker, or both. Maybe I could take some basic programming classes?
Barely few seconds into her inner monologue, the door opened again. "I shouldn't walk around in my uniform," said Sunset Shimmer, taking off her Crystal Prep blazer in a hurry, prompting a nervous yelp from her roommate "where did you put some 'incognito' clothes?"
"B-bottom left!"
"Sweet, thanks! What would I do without you?"
Coco didn't dare to turn around, knowing full well from the sounds that at this point her roommate was in her underwear, or even... No, bad Coco! No peeking!
"Okay, I'm going there! Sun'ya... again!"
Coco sighed deeply, calming her loud heart. Each and every morning... I need to do more cardio!
Somewhere in the suburbs of Canterlot City, there was a typical street of family houses; a place usually calm and quiet with no worries or crime aside from occasional shoplifters and jaywalkers. Not so right now, the street turned into a a scene of a crime in progress. Numerous police cars gathered around one house, with armed policemen waiting behind a cover, planning their next move, as a crowd of onlookers grew behind the police barriers, with a few news outlets observing the situation that has evolved. What was known, was that inside the house was a single culprit, armed with a handgun, booby trapping most of the entrances and taking a hostage. The eight year old Blossom Flower was alone in her own house for only a few minutes, while her parents went out to complete a few errands, but a few minutes was all it took. Right now, they were screaming their daughters name, crying, hoping and praying for a miracle that could save their little girl.
Ask and you shall receive!
Observing them was a lone girl in the crowd. She was dressed in long, tight black pants with a loose, leather belt, a tight, cocoa sweater with long sleeves and a black cincher on top of it. She had a number of accessories, such as a black bracelet on her right hand, black fingerless gloves, a number of black necklaces on her neck, with a black beret hiding most of her long, fiery hair, with eyes covered by a pair of black sunglasses. She thought about putting a leather jacket over it, but Coco thought it would be an overkill.
Sunset Shimmer, the newest (only?) hero of this city, looked at the crime scene from a safe distance, hidden in the crowds of curious bystanders. She contemplated entering from the front, doing as much noise as possible and counting that the criminals common sense would save them all the trouble. Yeah, like that will ever work... The man inside was already desperate and unhinged enough that there was no telling what he could do to his little hostage. She distanced herself from the crowds into the less populated part of the suburb, making sure to get one last glance at her reflection in cars window to admire her new style. Gotta give it to Coco, she knows how to dress in style! I wouldn't mind wearing this on a daily basis.
At the same time, a black motorbike stopped near the crime scene. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle took a look at the situation, then nodded at each other. When they noticed a plea for help on MyStable, they figured it was the best place to look. They also agreed to not interfere with the scene and let police and maybe the 'hero' to take care of the danger, seeing as their Rainboom powers and Daydream Shimmer weren't reliable in moments like these. Sunset Shimmer looked at the small device in her hand. The way it shined brighter every second confirmed that there was a lot of unusual magical energy very close by.
***
Once Sunset Shimmer found herself in the backyard of a nearby house, she took of her shades and looked around carefully, just to be extra sure to make sure there was nobody around, outside or inside and the fence was high enough that she wasn't in danger of being seen from the streets. Also, no surveillance cameras and nobody was following her.
She nodded to herself, smiling. Good, now I can transform in peace!
Wishing for a cool transformation theme song (her powers didn't include music making), Sunset raised her right hand up, left hand in front of her, then screamed (in a hushed tone).
"Sunny - Power Up!"
Then the magic happened, literally, as parts of her clothing started disappearing, instantly getting switched by its replacer. First disappeared her sweater and cincher with all the accessories, getting replaced by a top of her new dress, then pants gave place to the frilly skirt, with everything else following soon after. It all happened very fast, and even if you had a good camera, the naked bits were highlighted by magical light, rendering it unable to catch the details. She knew there were some who'd watch it frame by frame just to catch it and send to some shady sites. Internet fame was one thing, but she had at least some decency she'd rather keep.
***
Coco Pommel watched as her new dress, obediently hanging on the mannequin, was gradually being replaced with Sunset's disguise clothes. Gradually being the keyword here. She's doing the theatrics again, she shook her head I sure hope nobody is seeing this. She sighed and turned back to her computer, not bothering with the rest of the spectacle. They practiced this teleportation-swap bit so much, she was sure Sunset could do it in her sleep. I'm starting to regret showing her all those anime clips on OurTube.
***
Blossom Flower used to be the happiest eight year old girl in the world. Memories of her birthday from few days ago were still fresh- of the presents, the party, playing with her friends and generally feeling like the most important person in the world. It all came crushing down in an instant, when instead of her parents coming back home from shopping, it was a big, armed stranger. The same that ordered her to sit in the corner of the hallway, while he did something to the doors, all the while aiming his giant revolver straight at her, threatening to use it if she made a single sound. And while she tried to withhold her tears from exploding out of her eyes, he used her brand new cellphone to contact her parents.
"...I said a car with full bank, hundred grand and no police, unless you don't care what... no, I don't give a crap! You wanna see the brat alive again, then don't try any damn tricks!" The kidnapper threw the tiny pink phone at the ground, barely missing its owner, who sat obediently, hugging her knees, trembling from fear. He snorted at her. "At least you're doing what you're told, unlike your idiot parents! Seriously, they own a multimillion dollar company and won't pay for their daughters safety. What a laugh!"
Blossom Flower did what she could to keep quiet, but it wasn't getting easier. That he kept a gun pointed right at her all the time didn't help her calm down. She looked at the remnants of her new cellphone, about to explode in tears, when...
"Threatening a little child... makes me sick to think we're the same species."
The kidnapper jumped and aimed his gun at the newcomer "What the hell?" He yelled, eyebrows raised as he examined her, clearly not expecting a teenaged girl in gaudy, colorful dress, domino mask and half-cape. Who somehow bypassed all his traps and didn't make a single sound. She was looking at him with visible contempt. "How did you get here? Who the hell are you?"
She visibly rolled her eyes, making sure he saw it despite the mask. "I don't feel like introducing myself to a--" she stopped mid sentence, as she saw a little, crying girl in the corner of the room. She gazed at her with both confusion and awe, even despite having eyes and cheeks wet and red from tears. Sunset frowned, but quickly turned it into a wide smiled. She took a huge breath.
"I'm an ally of justice," she started, while moving her hands around to emphasize her points "with powers granted by the sun, I smite villains that plague this world and rescue those who fell victim to their evil ploy! I am..." Right foot forward, right hand on the hip "MAGICAL GIRL..." Dramatic pause, left foot forward with a loud stomp, left hand saluting with a piece sign.. "...SUNNY!"
The room resounded with echo. Not quite the entrance I planned... Sunset Shimmer heard only the nearby grandfather clock ticking, as well as her rapidly beating heart. The criminal gave her the 'what is this shit' face, while Blossom's shining eyes opened widely and jaw dropped in awe. Sunny smiled. But it'll do. It'll do just fine.
The kidnapper shook his head and grunted. "What--oh who cares!" He pulled the trigger on his revolver... but nothing happened. His eyebrow raised, as he kept trying to shoot again, each time with not effect. Sunny raised a fist at him and opened it, revealing a handful of bullets.
"Looking for those?" She threw them behind her. Teleporting objects within objects wasn't easy, as she had to know the thing inside and out. She has been studying the blueprints of various popular firearms for weeks, hoping knowledge alone was enough to pull it off. And if it didn't, she was going to teleport the weapon instead. So worth the effort! "Give up?"
He didn't say a thing, but threw the gun at her (she easily leaned back to avoid it) and pulled out a switchblade out of his pocket.
"Oh no, a tiny knife," she deadpanned "my only weakness..."
As he rushed at with the blade, Sunny took a defensive stance. She had many ways of dispatching bad guys- telekinetic strikes, fire blasts, teleportation tricks. But she didn't feel like doing any of that and was in a mood to let her fists and legs speak instead. After nimbly dodging the first few stabs, she struck his torso with a fist, then followed with another in the face and, while dazed, kicked the knife out of his hand, then spun around and finished with a roundhouse kick directly at his face, sending him flying few feet away.
And they said four years of karate is a waste of my time!
He quickly stood up and looked around for anything to be used as a weapon. Unfortunately he chose a hallway devoid of anything useful on purpose to better defend himself from police. But there was something... someone else he could use. He smiled viciously and jumped at the hostage, grabbing her by the arm... until she blinked out of existence and Sunny appeared right next to him, grabbing his head and smacking her knee right at his face! As the man slowly fell back, Sunny jumped at the dizzy girl and caught her before she fell after a sudden displacement. Sunny knelt before her, putting both hands on her shoulders, looking her deep into eyes.
"Are you okay? You're not hurt?" She asked, getting only a weak nod for an answer. "You sure? Are your organs all in place?" A confused pause. "I'm serious, I never teleported someone your size... good? Cool. Now go hide in your room and don't leave until I come back for you. Let big sis take care of everything," she patted her head "it shouldn't take long."
The girl nodded, wiped her tears and ran away, leaving the hero and the villain alone, eye to eye. At this point criminals either gave up and cut their losses... or did something incredibly stupid. A single combo usually took care of any assailant, but this one proved a ton more resilient, as he stood on his two feet again, spat the broken tooth out and growled at her direction, clenching his fists. Sunny resumed her battle stance. A for effort, at least. They did mention he's an ex-special forces.
The man struck again, this time with his bare hands, which Sunny still managed to avoid without using any of her powers. When it came to her usual counterattack, the kidnapper dodged her first. The second punch was always a follow up, almost an instinct to her, so she couldn't stop it and panicked a little as the man grabbed her by the cape and violently pulled her down to the ground. With a surprised yelp, she fell on her back, hitting her head on the wooden floor with a loud thud, grunting from the impact. Her vision got blurry for a second, but all it took was one blink to dispel the confusion, fast enough to notice a huge fist incoming at her. With a scared scream, she blinked herself out of danger in the nick of time, as a powerful punch hit the wooden floor, breaking a few bones of her would be killer's hand. She reappeared a few meters above and slammed both of her feet at the back of his head, sending him plummeting face first into ground. After the impact, Sunny wobbled on her feet before regaining her balance, then turning to her enemy to confirm that he wasn't getting up anymore. She sighed with relief a few seconds later when he didn't wake up.
"Holy crap, that was close!" She said to herself, collapsing on her knees and taking the much needed breather. As the adrenaline slowly wore off she turned her head to look at her cape, then tore it off and magically burned it with her flames. "Great, can't wait for the 'I told you so...'" She groaned. "She will not let me live this down..."
***
After five minutes of no response from the kidnapper, despite the parents bringing exactly what he requested, the police was ready to barge inside and take action, but before they made a single step, the front door opened. The police aimed their guns at it, but quickly lowered it when two figures walked out from it. One of them was a little, pink skinned girl, holding hands with a teenage girl in a mask and flashy costume, slowly walking forward, talking about something on the way. The girl was immersed in her new favorite heroine until hearing her parents call her name, at which point she rushed towards them and the three joined in a heartfelt, family hug. Sunny, as well as all the gathered crowds, police and press, observed the scene with a warm feeling in their heart. Until their attention turned elsewhere.
"Oh my god, it's her!"
"It's Magical Girl Sunny!"
"She's real!"
"We love you Sunny!"
"She's even hotter in real life!"
"You go girl!"
She was soon bombarded with cheers from the crowd, which made her stumble back for a bit, mostly out of inexperience with working with crowds this big. She coughed and composed herself, posing for the cameras. Although this time it wasn't just cellphone cameras of questionable quality, but also several news stations from all around the city. If it wasn't for the numerous police cars and policeman spread around the area, she would've been swarmed with a bunch of reporters as well. Even from this distance, she could hear them loud and clear despite the crowds.
"Who are you really?"
"Where do you live?"
"Can we get an exclusive interview?"
"What are your powers?"
"A comment about the recent crime wave?"
"Are there more people like you?"
She wasn't about to answer any of these question, mostly to keep the mystery up. But she couldn't just stay silent all the time. And she had a good line prepared for the occasion.
"I am..." she started. Her voice wasn't loud, but was heard by everyone just fine when everyone in crowds started shushing each other. "I am an ally of justice," she started, with greater conviction than ever "with the powers granted by the sun, I smite villains that plague this world and rescue those who fell victim to their evil ploy! I am..." Right foot forward, right hand on the hip.
"MAGICAL GIRL..." Dramatic pause, left foot forward with a loud stomp, saluting with a piece sign. "...SUNNY... but you already know that," she smiled sheepishly, scratching her head. Awkward... She looked at the little girl, held by her father, as she kept saying something to her parents with greatest, infectious smile on her face, pointing at Sunny all this time. Still worth it.
Just when she was wondering what else she should do right now, she was approached by several policeman and policewoman. She exchanged glances with each officer, making sure she knew where each of their guns is. Not all of them were holstered, but at least none were pointed at her.
"So," she said "are we going to do the whole 'you're under arrest for vigilantism' thing now?"
All the officers looked at each other and shrugged. The few ones who had their guns out immediately holstered them.
"And get on THEIR bad side?" One asked, pointing at the crowds and press. "Ah, hell no! I have at least fifteen more years till retirement!" She turned to her colleagues, but all looked away and whistled.
Sunny sighed with relief and nodded. "Thanks. Good to know not all TV is based off reality."
A middle aged, bigger officer laughed. "Hey, as long as you don't cause any problems and work on the side of good, we're not complaining'! If you didn't want to play nice, you'd be gone or doing even bigger mess than this! Though expect some witch hunters in the future, you know how it is... " All the officers laughed heartily and Sunset couldn't help but snort as well. "I have a little daughter myself, and if she's, heavens forbid, ever in any danger, I want someone like you to be there for her. Speaking of which," he pulled out a notepad and a pen "she's a big fan. Could you, you know?"
Sunny blinked, but signed the piece of paper (with a heart at the end of 'Y' in Sunny). Then others approached her.
"I have a ten year old daughter!"
"I have twins!"
"My girlfriend is totally following you on MyStable!"
"I'm single, I want one for myself, because reasons..."
She blinked, but couldn't find the strength to say no to any of them. Once that was done and they left her alone, she was about to leave, but not before saying goodbye to her new friend. She approached Blossom Flower and her parents with a smile. Before she could muster a single word, they jumped at her with smiles and tears.
"We can't thank you enough, Magical Girl Sunny!"
"You saved our little Blossom!"
"How can we ever repay you?"
"You're the best big sister ever!"
Repay? She blinked at the thought. Her eyes went between the mother, father and daughter, all looking at her wide-eyed, like at an idol to be worshiped well, that was kinda the idea to begin with, but... Her eyes caught a glance at something else. While Blossom's father held her with one hand, the other held a black duffel bag, which wasn't properly closed and she caught a glimpse of numerous banknotes inside. Her eyes widened when she remembered them mentioning paying the ransom with cash. She blinked, then looked back at the little girl and their parents.
She smiled. "W-well..." she opened her mouth, the paused.
The father blinked, realizing where her gaze went just now. "Do you need money? I'm more than glad to share it with my daughters hero!"
"W-wha--?"
He put Blossom on the ground, then pulled a few stacks of banknotes and all but shoved it into her hand. "Please, take it! It's the least we could do!"
With mouth wide open, Sunset looked at the money in her hands. It had to be around... ten grand? Twenty? If she asked nicely, chose her words right she could've get a lot more for her service! It's not like she was stealing or extorting it, they were adamant in giving it to her, and for all the right reasons!
"W-well, that's kind of you..." with heavy heart, she handed the money back into his hands "give that to charity, in my name. Does that sound fair?"
He blinked. "Ugh, uhm, okay? I guess." He exchanged glances with his wife, both dumbfounded by what just happened.
Sunny grinned, then knelt back to the little girl. Blossom Flower looked like she was about to explode from happiness, even despite all she went through. "I need to leave now. Take care of your parents, Blossom, they can be a bunch of crybabies when you're not around."
Sunset raised her hand up for a high five, but instead the girl jumped at her and tackle-hugged her. After barely keeping her balance, she hugged her as well. Once separated, Magical Girl Sunny stood up and smiled brighter than ever before. She assumed her, by now more or less trademarked, pose, of one arm at hip, the other saluting with a peace sign. Seeing Blossom Flower imitate her motions (it was super cute) sealed the deal- that was her new signature pose! I think I stole it from one of those clips Coco showed me... oh well, come at me, lawsuits!
"Sun'ya!" And then she disappeared, while crowds went wild for much longer.
Somewhere in the crowds, two girls followed a magical trail via strange device. Unlike everyone else, they knew that their hero wasn't as far away as everyone thought.
***
Magical Girl Sunset teleported back to the same backyard where she first transformed. After confirming that the coast was still clear, she allowed herself one loud squee, as her body trembled with excitement!
Was that the best day ever or what?! She took a few breathes to try and calm down, at least a bit. Not only did I save the day, established myself as awesome and kind, created my new signature gesture and catchphrase, beat up a scum with sick martial arts (and only some magic), but even made friends with local police forces, wealthy businessman. And Blossom Flower will no doubt be the most popular kid in her school for months!
She stopped herself from apparently walking in circles around the backyard.
Cons: I got a few close calls in fight; awkward display in public; cape was a dud... acceptable losses, lessons learned, don't hold back your magical powers when you could be curb stomping baddies! I can't wait to tell Coco!
She laughed to herself for a while, before finally taking a breath and taking a breath. I think I have enough energy for a few more teleports home. She hummed to herself. Or I could dress back to casual, take a bus, catch some fresh air, cool my head and get snacks on the way? Yup, sounds like a plan! That thought she took a deep breath, extended her hands forward and magically switched her dress with her previous attire. Once back to her tight pants and cocoa sweater, she proceed to summon glasses and beret to her hands instead.
She was so absorbed in her spell that she failed to notice that she was no longer alone and only just before donning the glasses and beret she saw someone else around. Crap, I've been discovered! She had contingency plans for such occasions, after all, what could a bystander do to her, especially in part of the town where nobody knew her? They couldn't send a picture to internet THAT fast, all she had to do was be calm. She was about to enact plan A, but once she took a better look at the newcomer...
"W-what..."
Her mouth opened, eye twitched. The culprit was a girl her age. Her size. Her shape. With the same kind of hair style and colors. Same eyes. Same everything, right down to the shocked expression. The attire was different- teal dress with leather jacket over it was about the only thing that didn't make her immediately think of encountering a giant mirror. The two stood where they were, frozen, for a longer while. One had a pair of shades and black beret in her hands, while other held some kind of brightly shining amulet pointed directly at the other girl.
Neither knew how much time has passed while they were petrified, but the silence was broken by another person.
"Sunset Shimmer, wait-- wait up!" The third girl, a purple skinned and haired glasses wearing one, yelled as she ran next to the jacket wearing one, stopping right next to her to take a few deep breathes, panting and sweating madly. "D-don't run so suddenly, I'm not used to running arouuu--wooooah!" Her eyes widened significantly as she caught the glimpse of her friends doppelganger. Her head switched repeatedly between the two, making her dizzy.
Jacket Sunset swallowed, before taking a step forward. "L-look, I know it's a bit confu--" The Magical Sunset squeeked and took a step back, dropping the contents of her hands to the ground, while observing the other one with panicked expression. Jacket Sunset coughed and tried again. "I just want to--" She extended her hand in what was going to be a goodwill gesture, similar to approaching a wild animal. The Magical Sunset didn't share that sentiment and instead teleported away. "--talk..."
Sunset Shimmer, the original unicorn from Equestria, sighed deeply, hiding a now inactive amulet to her jacket pocket. She passed by equally confused Twilight Sparkle and stopped at the spot where Magical Girl Sunny was just a few seconds ago, picking up the lost shades and beret.
"Who are you?"
***
The familiar 'blink' sound accompanied with a quiet thump made Coco turn away from her laptop. Those were the sounds of Sunset teleporting back to her room, which made her raise an eyebrow. Already?
"You're back! I thought you were going to take time and buy some--" she stopped immediately, as she saw her friend standing in the center of their room with blank expression and trembling legs, breathing heavily. Before she got to ask anything, Sunset collapsed on her knees. "Sunset!" Coco rushed to her friend and caught her as she was going to collapse on her face. "Sunset! Are you alright? What happened?"
She saw many faces of Sunset Shimmer in their short time, but a terrified, heavily breathing, covered in cold sweat one- that was something she wasn't familiar with. Nor did she expected to ever see.
Implying that someone "saw a ghost" was usually meant as an exaggeration. There was no such thing as ghosts, or so she thought at least until she started sharing a room with a living, breathing and, currently motionless magical girl. Since appearing in the room, Sunset Shimmer didn't say a word, not loud enough to heard, at least. She sat on her knees for what was about a minute already, shaking, sweating and breathing heavily, barely keeping herself from collapsing.
"Sunset, please, what's happening? Are you hurt? Did something happen?"
No answer. She remained like this for a while longer, barely registering anything that happened outside of her mind, when...
"EEEK!" She jumped back, hitting her head on the wall behind her. As one hand massaged the bump on the back of her head, the other touched her freezing cheek. "Coco! What the hell?"
The smaller girl didn't answer immediately, but sat right in front of her roommate, opened the can of soda and handed it to Sunset Shimmer. "Drink this," she offered, her voice more caring than authoritative, though there was some power in that sentence "calm down and start from the beginning. What's going on?"
Sunset Shimmer blinked, then snorted. By my own sword... Gently smiling, she accepted the drink, took a sip and started her story.
***
The doorbell to the Sugar-cube Corner rang violently, as five girls rushed inside, quickly finding their two friends already sitting at the table, both with their drinks already on the table.
"Oh my gosh, Sunset," Rarity was the first one to approach their fiery haired friend "we saw everything on TV! Darling, are you alright?"
Sunset blinked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by five sets of eyes glaring at her. She swallowed and shook her head. "No, I'm all right. The important thing is, we saw her! We saw my--"
"We know," Rarity interrupted her "Twilight told us that much. You didn't get into fight with her or anything, did you?"
Sunset blinked. Two thoughts crossed her mind. Why would they assume I had a fight with my double? The second thought had something to do with her purple friend. When met with a questioning gaze, Twilight shrugged.
"Umm, I wasn't supposed to tell them that?"
Sunset rolled her eyes. In hindsight, she could've specified what she meant when she told her to 'contact the others'. "Nah, I was going to tell them anyway. We found my 'clone', this time I have a proof and witness that it wasn't me! She even dropped--" She was about to reach out for the shades and beret, when Rarity raised her open palm near her face.
"Sunset, darling, let me stop you right there! Before you say anything else, we," she looked around at the other four, getting nods of approval before continuing "we all owe you an apology."
Sunset blinked. And once again. "It's okay, that's not really necessary. You had all the right to think I was doing something--"
Rarity slammed her hands on the table. "On the contrary! We jumped to conclusions and made our judgment before listening to what you had to say. That's not something a friend would do!"
While Sunset processed the speech, Applejack joined in. "We should'a trusted you from da beginning. The Sunset Shimmer we knew wouldn't hahd somethin' so big from any of us."
"And even if," Rainbow Dash added "for some weird reason, you were a magical girl fighting crime without our knowledge..." she scratched the back of her neck "that's not our business. We should've trusted you were doing the right thing."
Fluttershy nodded and also added. "Whatever you decide to do with your life, we trust your judgment and will always support your decisions." She paused, then turned slightly away, flock of her hair hiding half of her face "Unless you decide to go evil again, then we would've stopped you with the power of friendshipand try to make you good again, but I doubt we will ever need to go that farand I really hope I didn't just jinx it by saying it out loud...meep!"
Pinkie Pie just nodded happily. "I have nothing to add!" She gladly exclaimed.
"That said, just after you left," Rarity took out a stack of neatly organized papers from her purse and put them at the table before Sunset "after you left with Twilight to conduct your investigation, we decided to skip on the classes as well. I wasn't exaggerating when I said that dresses like hers don't come from thrift stores. It got me thinking, so Fluttershy and I checked online for stores that sell the fabrics I could recognize from the pictures. It's not something a good designer worth their money would be buying online, it has to be hand picked."
"We managed to narrow it down to nine," Fluttershy added happily "it's still a lot and the other Sunset could be any staff or clients or maybe even stealing some of it, or using an accomplice, but it's something, I guess?"
"And while they were doing this," Rainbow chimed in "I went with Applejack..."
"Applejack and I..."
"WE went and asked around the street. Turns out there are a few thugs that were beaten up by a girl in a shiny dress."
"We had ta rough a few of'em a bit," Applejack shrugged "no biggie. We didn' found much, but we know she knows kung fu."
"Technically it was karate."
"Same thing."
"So are apples and pears?"
"NOW YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"And while they were looking for clues," Pinkie Pie interjected her two friends who were at their "fight or kiss" phase and took out a device out of her hair. It resembled a pink squirt gun, except with a lot of odd machinery around it "I modified my Portable Pink Party Pistol (trademark pending) to shoot cinnamon dough instead of confetti!"
Other than the two feuding tomboys, the rest of the table looked around each other in confusion, until Twilight Sparkle was the first one to ask. "Why dough?"
"Not just any dough! It's a special granny Pie recipe, modified by yours truly! Once it lands on something, it will harden into a giant cookie that's as hard as a stone in a manner of seconds! Not very effective if your enemy has metal teeth and a sweet tooth, but it might buy you a few seconds." She beamed.
Rarity sniffed the air around. "By any chance, is that the same recipe we had on your last birthday?" She received an enthusiastic nods as an answer. "That explains the cinnamon aroma."
Sunset blinked at the odd device and it's beaming inventor. "That's... convenient?" She smiled sheepishly and scratched her head, as she looked at the PPPP and the papers with a huge smile. "You did all of that... for me?" She got the attention of all of the Rainbooms (and Twilight Sparkle), and received a huge wave of nods and smiles. Which made her eyes teary for no reason at all. "Y-you guys are the best!"
Among the mass "d'awwws", Pinkie Pie beamed. "Girls, you know what this calls for?"
"Pinkie, there are times when a party isn't--"
"I meant an obligatory group hug! Party later!" She extended her hands and soul, inviting every single one of her confused friends inside. "Don't leave me hangin'!"
Other girls looked at each other, then shrugged. Just as the Rainbooms were going to join as one (platonic!), they stopped and looked at the only one left at the table.
Twilight Sparkle blinked. "W-what?" Six glares looked at her expectantly. She gasped once the realization hit her. "N-no! G-go on without me, I-I wasn't even involved in most of your adventures, so I shouldn't--"
They dragged her by force. She complained only for the first minute. Or two.
***
"... it's like I was looking into a mirror, except with different clothes. Speaking of which," Sunsets eyes narrowed "you were totally wrong! She was rocking that jacket like it's nobodies business!"
Now it was time for Coco to roll her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it, the jacket, not the doppelganger, I mean" she shook her head "anyway, do you have any idea who it is? Maybe it's, I dunno... your long lost twin sister?"
Sunset shook her head. "Nope. I doubt any of my relatives have a girl my age. Who looks the same and has the exact same name."
Coco nodded. She remember Sunset mentioning the purple girl who called the jacket Sunset by full name. "Okay," she hummed for a while, staring at the ceiling for inspiration "a genetically engineered clone, then?" She earned herself a suspicious glare. "A time traveling you from future or past? Look, I know it's cliche, but I've been making costumes for a superhero for last few days. It's not that far away from the norm."
Sunset hummed, before groaning loudly. "Damn, I can't argue with that! Great, just perfect! My existence opened the floodgates for every possible superhero origin ever!" She slumped back on her bed with a thud.
Coco put a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment. "Your life became a typical Saturday morning cartoon."
She sat back to look into Coco's eyes with deadpan expression. "My life's always been a Saturday morning cartoon."
Coco snorted and nodded. After a short moment of thinking, she made another suggestion. "Maybe it's a parallel universe thing?" This comment earned her an annoyed, raised eyebrow. "You know, there are unlimited versions of reality, and a new one is created whenever someone makes a different decision, like a--"
"I know what that is," she rolled her eyes "so she's me, but from another universe?"
"To simplify it, yes."
Sunset blinked, then snorted. "Miss Pommel, I admire your dressmaking skills, intelligence, pop-culture references out of nowhere (who knew you were such a nerd?) and cute embarrassed reactions," Coco 'meeped' and turned her red face away "yes, like this one, but this has got to be the dumbest theory you had so far."
"B-but... you can use ma--" Coco's argument stopped when a finger touched her lips.
"Oh no, you don't!" Said Sunset right after teleporting before her friend. "Don't even try to insert the age old 'you have powers, so everything is possible' spiel. Just because I know a few neat tricks doesn't mean we get to insert alternative realities, aliens, ESP-ers, Loch Ness Monster and magical land of fairies and unicorns! At least not until season 2."
In response, Coco slouched back on her bed (if only to put distance between her face and Sunsets finger) and crossed her arms, pouting. "At least I'm trying to figure her out. If you think my theories are stupid, I want to see you try better!"
Sunset raised her finger up to say something, but quickly lowered it as she watched her clearly offended roommate. She stepped backwards and sighed heavily. "Sorry, I got carried away, I just... I'm still a bit shaken from seeing my... copycat. If I should vent, it should be on her."
Coco turned to Sunny, her face mellowing slightly. "It's fine."
Nodding gratefully, Sunset Shimmer started walking circles around their room, pondering quietly, though loud enough that Coco could hear everything. "I think we're looking at it from the wrong perspective. I've only seen her for about a few seconds and it really doesn't matter where or when she's from..." She gasped, turning to Coco with wide eyes and wider smile. "Why didn't I think of it sooner?"
"Think of what?"
"I know who she is!"
"You do?"
"You bet I do! She is..."
Coco leaned over her and swallowed in anticipation, as Sunset slowly uttered her next sentence.
"...a supervillain!"
About ten seconds passed. Coco blinked.
***
"I mean, what else makes sense?" Rainbow Dash asked. "She has to be you from this dimension, right?"
Sunset Shimmer shook her head, still drawing circles with her finger on her doppelgangers beret. "No, she can't be. There's something else to her."
"Hold on a minute," Applejack interjected "how can you be so sure of that?"
"Come to think of it," Twilight touched her chin in thought "you were quick to dismiss that possibility when I first mentioned it. Is there something I... we don't know?"
All eyes focused on Sunset, except Pinkie Pie's, who went for another slushie, though she joined them soon after. The fiery haired girl's focus was on the beret for the time being, but being drilled by stares eventually caught her attention. She shrugged before answering. "I know where this world's Sunset Shimmer is. And believe me, she's in no condition to fight crime, with or without magic."
A moment passed. Everyone blinked, then nodded.
"Okay, Ah guess that's fair."
"I-If you say so."
"Back to square one."
"Worth a shot."
"In that case we need to figuNOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE HERE!" Rarity slammed her hands on the table, spooking everyone, including making Pinkie Pie spit-take her slushie right in Fluttershies and Rainbow Dash's faces. "What do you mean you know where this world's Sunset Shimmer is?!"
Sunset blinked, then looked around her shocked, two partially wet and one chocking friends. "Didn't I tell you?"
"NO!" Everyone (except Pinkie, who still hasn't recovered) yelled back.
"Oh..." Sunset laughed sheepishly, scratching her head "must've slipped my mind... hehe... whoops." She coughed a few times, giving Pinkie time to do the same to recover and listen to her story without the lack of information. Once ready, she begun. "Shortly after I got used to having two legs, no hooves, no horn and full clothes (the same ones I wore most of my time in CHS), I started noticing many strange parallels to Equestria. Names of places, celebrities, Principal Celestia (and Luna too, I guess) being a carbon copy of Princess Celestia (and Luna). So I did what most ponies/people would do and I started looking for myself, out of sheer curiosity, not that I had any sinister plans towards myself or anything," she coughed again, trying to pretend she didn't see the confused/suspicious glares she was getting "and I eventually found me. Her. My other self..." she paused for a moment, building up her courage and tension in the air, as all of her friends leaned closer, each swallowing and awaiting the answer.
"Sunset Shimmer of this world..."
Long pause.
"...is dead."
***
"What."
"A supervillain! It only makes sense!"
Coco blinked again. Her head tilted. "I'm not sure I follow?"
"Think, Coco! Think back to every comic or tv show or book or whatever. What happens when a main hero or heroine gets some magical powers out of nowhere?" She paused, in case Coco had the answer. Few seconds after she didn't, she continued. "Someone else gets them too, of course! And by someone else, I mean, a LOT of people get them. And some of those people don't want anything to do with them, because, I dunno... they're boring normies or something? But most of them, by a huge margin... they become supervillains! I mean, who would stop them? If someone can, say, turn metal into liquid, or are bulletproof, or read peoples minds or some other overpowered, uhm, power, what's to stop the from robbing a bank? Or hurting people they don't like? Nobody, except those few gifted ones that have the power to stop them!"
"Like you?"
"Like me. And I mean, I can't be the only one who thought of becoming a superhero, right?" She gasped. "Oooh, I just imagined having a heroic team-up!" She beamed, looking in the sky. "So. Awesome!"
Fighting the battle to suppress the urge to burst her partners bubble, Coco coughed. "That doesn't explain who the other 'you' is."
"It doesn't matter who she is! All we need to know is that she took my appearance, voice and name, and that is never a good thing! She probably saw me on the internet and took my shape for... reasons. Oh crap, she's a shapeshifter! Or some copycat... huh, I wonder if my appearance is the only thing she copied? Does she have my powers? Or memories?" Her excited smile slowly turned into a frown. "Oh darn, what if she knows where I live? What if she knows who you are and uses you to get to me! That's a classic mid season plot, and my story has only just begun! I'm not ready to lose my only frie--" She stopped when a hand reached her shoulder.
"Sunset, relax," Coco's smile had a calming effect even in dire situations "we don't know any of that. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it when it comes up."
After a brief moment of silence, Sunset snorted, finally smiling halfway back to where she originally was. "Fair enough," she nodded "I guess I jumped the gun a bit, heh..."
Always glad to have her usual Sunset Shimmer back, Coco tried to change the topic. "So, how was the mission today? You didn't say a word since you came back."
The mere mention of her latest adventures perked Sunset up and released the excitement she was holding back this whole time. "Oh my gosh, that was so awesome! I mean, this was on a completely different level! The dude was like, an ex-marine or something and he almost landed a hit, and there was this girl hostage and she was so adorable and..."
***
"...d-dead?" Twilight meekly asked, to which her fiery haired friend nodded, her eyes still glued to the beret.
"Yes, dead. I made sure of that."
And then... nothing. Even though it wasn't even early evening and Sugarcube Corner was bustling with crowds, for some reason their favorite area was devoid of any sound. Sunset Shimmer sighed deeply after a while, before finally lifting her eyes from the hat of her copy, only to notice her friends acting... unusual. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had their jaws dropped and eyes twitching nervously. Pinkie Pie was holding her mouth with both of her hands, chocking and hiccuping, as pink slushie slipped through her fingers. Twilight had her mouth opening and closing rapidly, while blinking her eyes so hard, her glasses started slipping off. And Fluttershy had, what could be best described as, a face that wanted to scream loudly, but glitched in the middle of an animation and was sitting idly with her mouth wide open, as a faint, barely audible white noise came out of it.
Sunset looked around all the wide opened eyes of her friend. "What?" She asked, getting no answers. "WHAT?"
Out of all her friends, Rainbow Dash was the first one to recover. "Sunset, I knew you were an evil bitch before Princes Twilight hit you with friendship beams, but..."
"But what?"
Rarity was second. "We all forgiven you for everything we went through because of you... but this is going too far!"
"What is going to far? What are you ta--"
"Sunset, please tell us this is a lie!" Twilight looked at her with those beady, tearful eyes. "I-it can't be, this must be a mistake... or, or... tell me it isn't so!"
"What is so? I don't--"
Fluttershies white noise intensified, as Applejack's eyes narrowed. "Ah can't believe our best friend is... is..." she swallowed "a murderer!"
Pause.
"I-I am a what?!"
"This is horrible!"
"Unbelievable!"
"N-no, it's not like tha--"
"Ah knew there was somethin' fishy 'bout ya!"
"You were lucky we didn't think of looking for other you earlier!"
Fluttershy intensified.
"B-but I didn't--"
"I don't know, should we call the police?"
"This isn't some minor friendship problem here."
"We still love you... just a bit less..."
SLAM!
"I DIDN'T KILL MYSELF!"
The echoing 'myself' was the only sound heard throughout Sugarcubes Corner, as everything around it stopped on its tracks, and every single pair of eyes turned towards the originator of said sound. And it just so happened that the place was filled to brim with Canterlot High's students, including most of their classmates. Sunset's head lowered in redness of shame and embarrassment almost under the table itself. At least Fluttershy restarted.
Twilight was the first one to speak. "Y-you didn't?" She received a timid nod from under the table. "Oh..."
"But you said 'you took care of her'," Rainbow Dash scratched her head.
"Actually," Pinkie interjected "she said 'she made sure of that' and we all assumed 'that' meant assassinating her double just to be on the safe side, while plotting how to take over CHS, gain the element of magic and turn us all into slaves and we all assumed that's how it was because Sunset Shimmer was a very bad girl before we struck her with beams of friendship and included her into our circle and helped her develop into a leader of Rainbooms." Pinkie blinked, smiling. "But 'that' probably referred just to double checking the truth."
Slowly but surely, Sunset's head raised from under the table. "W-what Pinkie said."
Rarity nodded, then looked at the onlookers in the bakery, eyes still glued at their table. "Do you mind?" Everyone still watching turned away, quickly resuming their own business. Even the background music was back on! Rarity coughed. "It seems like we developed a habit of jumping to conclusions prematurely. Sunset, darling, do go on."
After recovering from her recent embarrassment and climbing back to her seat, she continued. "Right, after I figured that this is a mirror world, I researched my name in the local library (that was before I learned about internet). That's where I found this..." she reached out for her phone and with few taps opened a picture. Everyone gathered to witness an old, vintage photo of what seemed to be a class photo from many decades ago. One particular girl stood out from the picture.
Twilight gasped. "She looks just like you!"
"Even in monochrome I can tell her hair has the same colors."
Sunset explained. "That is this worlds Sunset Shimmer in her teen years. She died of old age three years before I appeared in this world. I also tracked down her descendants in case she has a daughter or granddaughter like me, but none of them resembles me in the slightest."
A collective 'ooh' sounded in the air. "But, how is that possible?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow Dash added. "And how old exactly are you?"
"These worlds don't match up exactly, like Celestia in my world being immortal, instead of just middle-aged woman (though I wouldn't be surprised), and I'm not old enough to be a mother to any of you, and let's keep it at that!"
"Wow, that's... a lot to take in." Fluttershy said, what was probably the first coherent sentence in a long time.
"Kay, so we know who she ain't, but that don' explain who she is,"
"I have a theory," said Sunset Shimmer while pulling out a very familiar book from her backpack "but I needed to confirm a few details first, unlike some people I know," her eyes narrowed at five of her friends, who instantly turned their heads away, whistling, while Pinkie Pie waved happily "and it just so happens that I personally know an expert on the subject. The answer should be there by now."
She opened the book and flipped the pages until she got to the recently written text inside. It was two pages long block of text, most likely claw written by a particular dragon. All of it was headlined by a word she feared would strike true.
An hour used to be only sixty minutes long. Each minute was sixty seconds long. Currently, each second took eternity, especially when all you had to occupy your mind and eyes were passing buildings, trees, people, other cars. None of them held Coco's attention long enough to save her from her own thoughts, which, for once, she would rather keep at bay. Her mind usually revolved around three things: fashion, her dream and passion; whatever movies, shows or games happened to occupy her free time whenever she needed to recharge her creative batteries; and Sunset Shimmer, her new roommate, a superhero she supported and... best friend? Can I refer to her like that? Should I...? She shook her head and tried to think of anything else, slowly driving herself insane to the point that she was worried about the other passengers of her bus. Innocent people who didn't know what she was going through. She didn't know what she was going through! She wanted to turn her phone on. Check the internet. Take a quick peek. But she was too afraid of answers. Especially the unreliable ones.
She sighed heavily, leaning her head at the bus's window. How did it come to this?
***
Just yesterday, Sunset Shimmer had been torn between being super excited over her last huge success, terrified of her doppelganger and paranoid over what it could do to them. It was Coco's job as a supporting, background character to keep her in check, keep her spirits high and just be there for her. The usual friendship, teamwork, all the shebang. And she was doing a perfectly fine job of it, if she was allowed to brag, and managed to carry her through towards the next day with only a few nightmares. Next day, after waking up, making herself presentable and enjoying breakfast in the cafeteria, came the last check up on MyStable before going to her classes. While Sunset was busy brushing her hair and applying makeup, Coco enjoyed reading the internet's reaction to Magical Girl Sunny and her latest, so far greatest, adventure, which was among the most upvoted things in local internet history.
And then she stumbled upon this:
Sandalwood: Good to see Sunset using her powers for good
She almost missed it, but quickly scrolled up when her brain registered something odd. She blinked a few times, copied and pasted it to a different document just to make sure she was reading it right.
Sunset?!
She tried to rationalize the use of that one particular word. Sunny and Sunset are very similar words. An autocorrect could easily mistake them, especially on cheap keyboards. Or on phones. This had to be a mistake. Otherwise, that would imply that the poster KNEW who Sunset was and knew about her powers! How many Sunsets were there with powers? Why did he write this sentence? Here, in a comment section right below the news article about Magical Girl Sunny? A day after the second Sunset Shimmer appeared out of nowhere and has been on original Sunset Shimmer’s mind this whole time?
She swallowed and refreshed the page. This is probably nothing, but just in case... The comment was gone, there was only a notification that it was deleted by the author. As if he accidentally wrote something he shouldn't and tried to erase his mistake before someone noticed. Someone who shouldn't have seen it. Pretend like there wasn't ever a sentence on the internet that implied that someone KNEW who Magical Girl Sunny was! Coco shook her head, took a deep breath and clicked on his profile page, swallowing as the page loaded.
Okay then, Sandalwood, if that's your real name, who are you, really?
A minute of inspecting his page gave her a lot of information. A high school student, attending Canterlot High School and getting involved in every hippie-thing she could imagine, if his dreadlocks and apparel were anything to go by. His front wall was full of eco messages, charity drives for nature, animals and healthy food, as well as some school events, with an occasional funny video here and there. Nothing special, if Coco had to guess by the page alone. He also had a lot of friends on his list, though one in particular made her heart stop for a moment.
Sunset Shimmer.
She blinked multiple times, but the screen didn't change. The smiling picture of a fiery haired teenage girl was still there. Breathing heavily, she clicked on it and prepared her heart for the worst, but nothing could have prepared her for what she found out. There was a lot of everything- pictures in multiple galleries. Friends on the friendlist. A lot of favorites pages. Many upvoted events, a lot of them dating back to years prior. What struck her the most were the pictures, few having less than two people on them, and almost every one of them had her and several strangers doing... friend things. Smiling, laughing, goofing around, posing in different outfits. And speaking of outfits, more than half of the pictures had her, "Sunset Shimmer", dressed in the same leather jacket, worn over either a black mini skirt and magenta shirt, or a one piece teal dress. Wow, she's really rocking that jacket!
Sunset Shimmer... her Sunset Shimmer, the original, was close by. From the sounds of it she was still preparing herself for the day. All Coco had to do was call her over and show her everything, but... she didn't. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right. The other, "fake" Sunset Shimmer, whose page was opened before her eyes, seemed very off. Something about her didn't seem right.
She was too real.
Obviously, internet was a fickle invention, easy to crack, hack and fake. This page could've been created just to throw them off. One side of her brain told her it was impossible to do something this elaborate in such short time, but magic was involved. Sunset, her Sunset Shimmer, could levitate things, teleport, shoot fire and who knows what else. The fake one could have powers that, for example, could mind control the moderators of MyStable? Or create pages in an instant? As far fetched as it was, what exactly were the limits she was dealing with?
She was about to call for Sunset Shimmer, her Sunset, but her mouth stopped when a thought entered her head. She just found out so much about the fake Sunset, but...
...what do I even know about the real one?
"Boo!"
Coco jumped and squeaked, which made Sunset Shimmer, her Sunset, snort. Amongst the heavy breaths, Coco was grateful that, for once, she sat on her bed, with the screen of her laptop away from her roommate. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," Sunset apologized while still giggling "Sho kewt! You looked like you stumbled on some weird page. I thought you had adult filters on."
Coco was silent for a moment. Her gaze ventured from the Sunset standing in her room, to the one displayed on her screen, then back, and so on. She shook her head and managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, just... a nasty comment." She answered weakly, raising the screen just a few inches higher to shield herself from her roommate's eyes.
"I told you to ignore them," she rolled her eyes "what do they even know?"
"Yeah... what do they know..."
"Come on, let's not be late to classes."
As Sunset Shimmer went to open the door, Coco stared at the profile page of 'Sunset Shimmer' for a moment longer. "A-actually, I'm not going to... class..."
Sunset paused, turning to her friend with an eyebrow raised. "Huh? Something wrong?" She made a few steps forward, which made Coco quickly close her laptop and look around for an excuse.
"U-umm, you see..."
"Do you feel sick? Should I take you to the nurse office?"
"N-no, it's... uh... a family emergency!" She explained. Sunset frowned and raised her eyebrow even higher, waiting for a follow up. "Umm, my mom's in town and she wanted to talk about... stuff..."
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Sunset waved her hands and stepped away. "Family issues, no need to elaborate. Unless, you know... you want to talk about it?" She smiled apologetically, sending an invisible needle right into Coco's heart.
"N-no, it's nothing that big, just... I'll tell you later." A very long needle.
Sunset smiled lightly and nodded. "Okay. I'll let teachers know then. So... good luck with that thing, I guess?"
"Thanks." She smiled and waved her goodbye. As soon as the doors closed, she groaned loudly and fell on her back.
What am I even doing!?
***
"I don't even know what we're doing anymore!"
"Well, we can still try the--"
"Pinkie, for the last time, being out of baking powder is NOT an emergency!"
"Well, clearly someone here has never worked a shift at the bakery during rush hour! And that someone is Rainbow Dash..."
"Ugh..."
All six Rainbooms (and Twilight Sparkle, who still wasn't convinced to join the band as anything other than a stagehand) sat or stood in a circle in the middle of the soccer field. Rainbow Dash practiced her tricks with a soccer ball, Fluttershy brushed her pet Angel bunny on her lap, while Rarity braided Twilight's hair. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer just sat quietly, still trying to think of a plan. Pinkie Pie had a plan, but it was swiftly rejected.
"Ah think we tried everythin' sensible. All Ah can think 'bout is a runnin' cart o'apples, but Granny Smith'll have mah plot if Ah damage it, so no dice."
They sighed again. It was barely noon, they even decided to skip school for the day (Twilight almost had a heart attack when they suggested it, but she got over it, give or take a few nervous twitches), but all they planned for luring Magical Girl Sunny turned into a disaster.
First, Rainbow Dash had the "brilliant" idea of (pretending to be) hanging by the ledge of a cliff, shouting to be rescued. Except they lived in the middle of a huge metropolis, with no hills in sight. Also, they rejected the idea of any of them endangering themselves for the sake of luring a person who might never show up in the first place, and doing it in safety gear defeated the purpose. They needed something more convincing. Something that "looked" like a job for a crime fighter.
The second idea came from Fluttershy, who feigned being attacked by a giant, wild bear, who was actually one of her animal friends and a pretty good actor, for an animal at least. It was going well, until "Beary" had a sudden attack of rheumatism and Fluttershy had to intervene and give him an... "improvised massage". By which she meant smacking him a few times in his pressure points and stretching his limbs, which Fluttershy had done in the past. The rest of Rainbooms all stood at least twenty feet away from them, with a tranquilizer dart-gun at the ready, looking at each other and wondering if the dart was meant for Beary. When it ended, the old bear was feeling fine. Pinkie Pie couldn't help but snap a photo of his blissful face, which earned her a hundred likes within ten minutes.
Realizing that cliffs and animals couldn't be trusted with this job (Fluttershy begged to differ, strongly!), Rarity made the third plan, which involved using nicely asking her new 'friends'. Rover, Fido and Spot, collectively known as "Diamond Dogs", were easily convinced to help their favorite fashionista in her plan, which had them 'play' a band of robbers trying to mug a poor, beautiful, fabulously dressed (the one piece dress was an overkill, she admitted after the fact) maiden, who could use the help of an equally fabulous superhero.
"She could use a few acting lessons, too!"
"I heard that!"
To be perfectly fair, despite Rarity's subpar performance (Oh pish-posh, that's your opinion!), the act was pretty convincing. So convincing, that it attracted not one, but two local heroes- the police officers! The bright side of the whole endeavor? Pinkie Pie gained a thousand more likes for the short video she posted on MyStable of the Diamond Dogs running away from the police, while Rarity tried to explain everything as she rushed after them. The Diamond Dogs enjoyed their five minutes of internet fame after Pinkie Pie got their permission to show the world the footage of them escaping police officers in broad daylight. Their response of "We've been worse!" was a little unsettling. But no amount of internet fame diminished the long lecture they got from the policeman for fooling around in such a dangerous way. They held back on snorting when one of the policemen mentioned that "such shameless behavior could detract heroes like Magical Girl Sunny from the real dangers!".
"Well, he wasn't entirely wrong!" Rainbow Dash noted while juggling her soccer ball, as they were remembering the recent events, earning herself a frown from some of her friends.
"Whose side are you on?" Rarity asked.
"I'm just saying that the policeman had a point," she caught the ball in her hands "from their point of view, she's been doing nothing but good. Meanwhile we're trying to catch her. We're the villains."
"Don't be ridiculous, Rainbow Dash! We all know she's a changeling and she needs to be stopped before anything bad happens."
"We don't know that," Fluttershy interjected.
"It's the best lead we have," Rarity, as well as everyone else, turned to Sunset "Sunset, darling, what do you think?"
Since reading the article about changelings, Sunset Shimmer went along with whatever crazy idea her friends had, but didn't add much to the conversation, silently standing on the sidelines.
She shrugged. "I don't know if it's a changeling. A lot of things add up, but not everything. I've been thinking... the way she acts, the spells she uses, the sheer fact that she looks... there's just too much resemblance not to think about it. And since changelings feed off love, becoming a superhero beloved by everyone makes sense- adoration is a form of love, and coming from crowds like yesterday it's... I dunno, probably a lot more than she'd get if she did things the 'old fashioned way'."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Rainbow noted "I mean, it's not like she's hurting anyone by feeding off our feelings?"
"True. But if what Princess Twilight wrote is to be believed, I'm more worried about their queen. Chrysalis is the type of leader that has a big plan. Probably."
"How do you even know she's behind this?"
"And why do we keep assuming it is a changeling?"
"Yeah, weren't we supposed to stop jumping the gun?"
Sunset raised a finger to say something, but stopped herself and groaned instead. "You're right, I'm thinking too hard about it. I just want this over with," her head lowered "I was supposed to take care of the magic problems in this world..."
She felt a hand touch her arm. She turned to see Applejack smiling at her. "We're s'possed to take care of it, together. An' we will."
Sunset smiled back to Applejack, then back to all her friends. There was supposed to be another mushy, emotional scene, but the multiple stomachs suddenly yelled for attention.
"Heh, all this magical girl hunting made us hungry." Sunset laughed. "I vote for a lunch break."
For the first time in forever, there was an universal agreement. While the other six debated over which place they should visit, Sunset pulled out her phone, where the MyStable app was still opened. Since this whole mess started, she has been following her own fan club, in hopes something more substantial would be posted there, but she soon realized that it was a dead end. Still, seeing such a huge following for the heroine made her feel a bit... guilty. When she first got to Canterlot, she was a textbook villain, defeated by the textbook heroes and having a textbook redemption arc. Meanwhile, Magical Girl Sunny started by stopping a robbery and saving a life. Which is the bad one, again?
As she scrolled by the message board for the fifth time, she noticed the original note about the kidnapping. The news were all over the TV, internet and radio, there were many ways she would've found out about it. But what if, by a small chance, she found it here first?
Can't hurt to try... She started typing a message, only occasionally casting a quick glance at her friends, just to be sure she didn't lose them, didn't bump into a signpost or, worse, had one of them notice what she was doing. It seemed like a bad idea to not involve her friends, but there was one detail that made it all more complicated. If it IS a changeling and it can feed on adoration or friendship, I shudder to think what it can do with a group of girls with powers that are FUELED by friendship. Literally.
"Sunset, you want pizza or tacos?"
"W-what?" She quickly looked up to see the other six look at her with confusion.
"Pizza or tacos. Which one do you prefer?" Rainbow asked again.
"Oh... uh, pizza." She quickly answered, prompting a few ecstatic responses and one tired eyeroll of a person who yearned for some more variety in her diet. She also attracted a concerned gaze from one.
"Y-yeah. I'm all fine and good," she said smiling weakly, before frowning and turning her head away "as fine as someone who has to hunt her superpowered doppelganger can be, at the very least."
Twilight smiled toward her and gently placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "We'll find her. I promise."
Sunset answered the smile with her own. "Thanks, Sparky." After exchanging one more friendly nod, Twilight walked away from Sunset to join the others. As soon as she was left alone, Sunset Shimmer went back to her phone. There is no way I'm getting any of them involved! Not when our friendship could be used against us. Or worse...
***
'The number you dialed is unavailable at the moment. Please leave the message afte--'
Sunset Shimmer turned off the phone and sighed heavily. She already left one message before and there was nothing beyond 'hope you and your mom are doing fine, call me back when you can' she could offer back to Coco. She tried watching something on Netflux to pass the time, but she couldn't concentrate for five minutes, let alone an entire episode of whatever was going with this Crown show where everyone died when you started to like them. Not to mention having the danger of her double lurking around. She could only pass the time in only one way she wasn't bored of. MyStable... to think I used to hate this site, now I'm getting addicted to it! Even though she was yet to make her own account and kept using Coco's to browse, she spent an unhealthy amount of time on her fanpage. At least the comments helped her relax a bit and collect her thoughts. I need to start cooperating with the police. Maybe they could send me some info about a crime I could thwart? I did make a good first impression, a 'Sunny Hotline' shouldn't be out of question? I can't be stuck with news and gossip forever.
She passed comment after comment, not paying them too much attention. She was happy to see all the encouragement, but it was getting a bit repetitive. And then, she found this...
Nightfall Sheen: I wish we could meet! Call me.
She would've passed it as more fanboy/girl talk, except a lot of things looked dangerously suspicious. First of all, the sentence was followed by two emoticons- an emoticon with sunglasses and a beret. Nothing out of ordinary, except... That's exactly what I lost when I teleported back... is this a coincidence? And then two, it struck her like a lightning once she saw it.
Nightfall. Sheen.
A perfect synonym to Sunset Shimmer, while still sounding like a normal name. As if someone made it with a thesaurus in hand. Unable to believe that she just witnessed the most convoluted, yet cleverly disguised call, she clicked on the profile. The page was empty- no friends, no posts, no upvotes or favorites, no personal information except gender- female, and a profile picture of a treasure chest with teeth and a long tongue.
Sunset snorted and her smile grew. I see what you did there... alrighty, let's play!
---
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were busy fighting over the next slice of a pizza. Rarity was chastising the poor manners of Applejack, who refused to use the plastic utensils they were given. Fluttershy held Angel Bunny on her lap and fed him chopped olives which she got from Twilight Sparkle, who refused to touch even a tiny bit. And Sunset Shimmer was barely in any of the conversations, slowly chomping on her first slice, while looking patiently at her phone. Maybe she didn't get my message? Was I too subtle? Or maybe she doesn't visit MyStable at all--
DING!
Sunset twitched when Nightfall Sheen got a private message.
Occultistic Lass Starry: Who are you, really?
Sunset's eyes grew wide as she analyzed every single bit of the information she got. She looked at her friends at the table, none of them noticing her acting weird.
"Excuse me, gotta go, uhm... powder my nose," she exclaimed as she left her group and headed towards the girls bathroom, entering the empty stall and locking herself inside.
Nightfall Sheen: I could ask you the same thing.
Occultistic Lass Starry: You have something that's mine?
Nightfall Sheen: Beret and sunglasses.
Occultistic Lass Starry: Also my face.
Sunset sighed deeply. That sounds like a challenge. I guess it had to come to this.
Nightfall Sheen: Let's settle this. Face to face. Alone.
Occultistic Lass Starry: How do I know it's not a trap?
Nightfall Sheen: You won't believe me when I say it's not a trap.
Occultistic Lass Starry: ...
Occultistic Lass Starry: When?
Nightfall Sheen: Today. I want to get over it.
Occultistic Lass Starry: For once I agree.
After giving her doppelganger the coordinates for an empty warehouse in downtown (that she used back in the day), she left the stall and went to her table.
"Sorry girls, I gotta go now," she announced to the others, as she grabbed her backpack and cold piece of half-eaten pizza slice "we'll continue this tomorrow."
The group was visibly confused by the announcement and would've showered her with questions and doubts, if she hadn't bolted out of the restaurant before they could say anything.
"What's gotten into her?" Rainbow Dash asked, unaware that Pinkie took advantage of her guard being down to swipe the slice from under her nose.
Twilight frowned, as she looked at the closed door where her fiery haired friend had left. "Good question..."
***
Back in the Crystal Prep dorms, Sunset Shimmer let out a huge sigh, as her heart kept beating faster and faster. It's happening... I got a date... with myself! She grabbed her phone and dialed the number of her only real friend, only to hear the exact same automatic response.
She thought for a moment, thinking that maybe it would've been best to keep her in the dark until it was over with.
...except it was an awful idea. "Coco, I got contacted by, you know... her. I'll be meeting her in an hour, so don't be surprised that costume number 1 is gone. If, by any chance, you get this before I leave, I could use some... I dunno, encouragement? And if it's too late, then... well... wish me luck. Sun'ya."
She took a few deep breaths, as her eyes ventured toward her wardrobe. Here comes a boss battle...
***
Coco couldn't answer her phone, since she had it turned off the entire bus ride. She needed to find out the truth and her phone, MyStable and internet at large had a lot of faulty information that she couldn't rely on. The only one she could trust was herself and the only place where she could find the answers was here.
Canterlot High School.
Standing in front of the building, right next to a podium without a statue (wasn't there supposed to be something here?), she swallowed and took a deep breath. Let the investigation begin!
When first conducting her investigation, Coco Pommel had a huge guilty conscience. She was investigating her only friend who was guilty of being caring, kind, supportive, heroic and occasionally teasing, as well as hiding a few things from her.
"Why don't you have a MyStable account?"
"I never really needed it back in the day. I don't feel like interacting with my previous classmates. I don't feel like going back there."
That was all it took. No more prodding, no more digging. She respected her privacy. She trusted her. She believed her and had no reason to doubt anything.
That was a few hours ago.
She arrived at CHS around the Lunch Period with a small notebook containing a list of people of interest from the MyStable's profile. Some people that she felt strongly about meeting, as well as a few she wanted to avoid. Such as the Rainbooms, five girls that appeared on most of 'other Sunset's' profile. Then, there was Twilight Sparkle. It took Coco a while to realize that she was originally from Crystal Prep (in fact they had taken some classes together back in the day). There was a huge risk of being discovered and recognized, and that would only attract problems. Obviously, a random girl asking questions about a certain student would raise suspicion, so she had to adopt some sort of narrative to fool anyone who raised an eyebrow at her stalkerish behavior. Her version was very convincing and quite simple: she had a crush on Sunset Shimmer.
If she had been a male or said anything else to the curious students of CHS, they would've chased her out, or called the police. Instead, they sympathized with a young, impressionable little girl (for once she was grateful to be this short and underdeveloped!) and cheered her on, claiming they'd keep her secret. Pretending to be a student who had a girl crush was incredibly easy due to, well...
Yes, conscience, I have a crush on Sunset Shimmer! I've had it since the day we met! There, you happy? I'm not denying it anymore!
First, she met Snips and Snails, two young boys who claimed to be her bff's and had a few pictures to back it up. She didn't get any information from them other than the fact that even though Sunset Shimmer used to be a complete bitch back in the day, at least she was hanging out with them then. Though from their stories it seemed more like she took advantage of them more often than not. She decided to look for better sources, but they found her right around the corner.
Three middle school girls took her as a new student and instantly showered her with attention and wanted to include her into the CMC (whatever that was), as well as recruit her to the CHS's branch of the Magical Girl Sunny Fan Club! The gray one with violet highlights cheerfully said that her sister was Sunny's best friend, before she was brutally shushed by the other two, who excused themselves and bolted away. She consulted her notes to confirm that this little girl was indeed the sister of one of the Rainbooms, and so was the red haired one. She had no idea who the third was, though.
***
Since it was a lunch period, most of the students were hanging out in the cafeteria. That's where she did most of her sleuthing.
"Sunset Shimmer? Yeah, she's cool now."
"Way better than she used to be. By a longshot!"
"I mean, I don't know any other girl who makes jackets look so amazing!"
"And her singing voice is sooo good!"
"She sounds like Twilight, or is it just me?"
"Ohmygosh, now that you mention it..."
"She helped me with my homework a week ago!"
"Pfft, she's not so Great and Powerful. Trixie is way mo--"
"Does she even have parents?"
The neon haired girl with headphones shrugged.
"Like, she never saw 'Panther Queen'. How do you grow up NOT seeing it at least once?"
"She fell for the 'pull the finger' gag. It was hilarious!"
"Between you and me, I saw her chewing some hay when nobody was looking... at least, I hope it was hay."
"She has... ze magics!"
Coco sighed deeply, taking a break to analyze her notes. While not all the students were to be trusted, most of what she learned checked out with what she had found on the internet. A lot of the information dated back to at least a few years back, meaning that they were either the greatest liars on the planet, or everyone here was mind controlled into being her slave. And if the latter was true, they were in deeper trouble than they first realized. But the most likely scenario was...
It's all true!
It was crumbling. All of her life began crumbling down upon itself the more she learned and confirmed. She realized something was amiss here and she was dearly hoping she was in the middle of a weird dream, where everything made sense in a way that didn't make her last few weeks a complete lie. Everything was fine just this morning. The world was in order, she had a best superhero friend and a life she never even dreamed of. Now all she had was... a good question: what did she have?
There was one more person on the list. She saved this one for last and for a good reason.
***
"Yeah, we used to date. That was an eternity ago!"
Flash Sentry snorted, casually answering while strumming his guitar.
"To be honest, we weren't exactly a... well, a thing. She was new in school and had to make a big impact, so how else to do it, than by dating the most popular guy in the school? not that I'm bragging, I don't want to make a big deal out of it," He flashed a sheepish smile, clearly embarrassed by his own words, then continued while avoiding her stare. "We got on a few dates, some movies, I bought her a bunch of clothes (that new dress was a gift from me, I'm happy she's finally wearing it), but we never... you know, did anything couple like," he blushed slightly "I mean, we kissed, but that's about as far as it went, so, yeah..." he pursed his lips and tried to play a few chords in his guitar, but quickly pulled it away and looked at Coco. The girl didn't say a single word and while she was facing Flash Sentry, her eyes and mind were focused in a completely different direction.
He coughed. "But hey, we talked about this later and we buried the hatchet. We're cool now. And in case you're wondering, I don't think we're ever getting back. Together," he scratched his head, especially after her eyes slowly looked at him, though her expression didn't change.
He coughed again. "In fact, I don't think she likes guys like me. Or any guys for that manner, if you get what I mean," he chuckled, though his face soured as the joke didn't help to cheer her mood in the slightest. "...I mean, she never outright said she was into girls, but I wouldn't put it past her and... I'm not helping, am I?"
Coco's face remained unchanged. After a short moment of silence, Flash Sentry gently placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling lightly.
"W-what I mean is, well, you have our support here at CHS. We'll be rooting for you!"
Coco nodded and forced a grateful smile Stupid Flash Sentry! Stop being so nice, I'm trying to hate you!
As the school bell announced the end of the lunch period, Coco's investigation concluded and she found herself on a lone bench outside the school with a handful of notes, all leading her to the conclusions she wasn't ready for. If everything was an elaborate prank or an over complicated plan to confuse and manipulate her into orchestrating Magical Girl Sunny's demise through some plot that requires half a season to explain, then it was working and the world was doomed. I wish...
That left only two plausible explanations, but each had a dangerous caveat.
Explanation number one: there are two Sunset Shimmers, both are real and somehow living in the same reality, unaware of each other's existence until recently. Which made absolutely no sense. The students at CHS were clearly hiding something important, but she couldn't outright ask them such specific questions. "Excuse me, is Sunset Shimmer, the one in your school, hiding some kind of secret about her existence?" That was out of question.
Explanation number two was the scariest one: since she knew so much about CHS Sunset and so little about CP Sunset despite living under the same roof, that would mean that CHS Sunset was the real one, while CP Sunset... her Sunset Shimmer, was the fake! Coco wanted to think it wasn’t true, but how was she going to explain it otherwise? Sunset... her Sunset, avoided talking about her past, claiming it was a 'sad episode of her life, not worth talking about'. She had several magical powers, who is to say she hadn’t been manipulating her all this time with some mind tricks? Or some very convincing psychological tricks? What if she used her in her own plans? Whatever they were.
She shook her head violently. No, stop overthinking it! She slapped herself on the cheeks a few times. There has to be an explanation. A very flimsy one. With many holes. The one that requires many liberties. But there is one out there... there has to be...
She let out a tired sigh while leaning over the bench, inadvertently looking at the cloudless skies and at the brilliant hot sun for just a few seconds, before her eyes started hurting and she had to rub the tears away.
Just like back then...
***
It was a cloudless, bright sunny day. The weather was perfect: warm, but not too hot to be exhausted after walking a few blocks. A perfect day for a picnic, a swim at the pool or anything else that involved an outdoor activity.
Coco Pommel at that time was vice-president of Crystal Prep's Fashion Club by virtue of being the only other active member. As the lower one, she was tasked with every possible manual labor: pickup and delivery, cleaning, and everything that didn't require a tiny hint of artistic abilities. Suri Polomere, the President of the Club and the eldest active member had her carry around rolls of fabric, while she busied herself with checking on the plans for the club activities on her phone. If she wasn't busy checking out MyStable or other social network apps, that is. She was 'graciously' helping her by carrying a small plastic bag of accessories, which weighed close to nothing.
What was the difference between carrying fifteen pounds of fabric and fifteen pounds of rocks? Most people couldn't tell that they weight exactly the same from just looking. That was her life right now: doing the heavy lifting as the lowest seat of the club, while Suri was busy with the actual design, sewing and showcasing her work to the public. In all fairness, being taken advantage of in the fashion industry was a common thing, so getting used to it now had to be good for her future... right?
"MEE--!"
She only managed half a squeak before tripping over herself and falling face first into the pavement, thankfully the fabric slowed the fall enough that she didn't hurt her face on the ground. Said fabric was dropped and rolled away in many directions, like a red carpet, except there were no celebrities around and there were a lot more colors. Suri turned over to her fallen underling and scowled.
"Ugh, look what you did!" She walked towards the nearest fabric to pick it up. "You can't even do a simple thing without screwing it up! And you wonder why I don't let you near the sewing machines."
"I'm fine, thank you..." Coco mumbled under her nose, but if Suri heard anything, she was ignored.
"Don't just sit there, they won't pick themselves up! I swear, if any of them are dirty or damaged..."
Suri said a few more unflattering things, so Coco tuned them out as she rushed to grab as much as possible. She crawled towards the half rolled out bright orange piece that stopped at someone's feet. The orange girl leaned down and grabbed the object. As Coco looked up to her, a magnificent ray of the sun blinded her for a moment. With her sight still hazy, she only noticed two hands: one holding the piece of fabric she was previously chasing, the other extended towards her.
"You okay down there?" The gentle, angelic voice from above asked. With her eyes still flashing before her, she tried to blink it away while extending her own hand, before Suri's voice reached them.
'Y-you're..." Suri confusedly struggled for words, pointing one finger at the new girl. Coco retracted her hand and rubbed her eyes, then looked at the girl above her.
"Sup, I just transferred here," the tall, fiery-haired girl in the Crystal Prep's uniform waved her hand at Suri. The same helping hand that Coco lost the chance of taking. "I'm Su--"
"Sunset Shimmer, I know," Suri interrupted her "I'm Suri Polomere, we met before."
Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow and put a finger to her chin, then after a few seconds of humming she shrugged her hands. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell. Sorry. No offense though, if I don't remember it's probably not something I wish to continue, so let's start fresh. How does that sound?"
Suri blinked. "O-okay, I guess..."
Once Coco managed to stand up on her own, Sunset Shimmer turned to her with a smile. "And you are?"
"Uh-uhm, I'm Co-Coco Pommel!" She squeaked incoherently.
"Nice to meet you, Cococo Pommel. That's a mouthful."
"J-just Coco!" She blushed, turning her gaze away from the totally hot new girl. "Only two Co's."
Sunset giggled. "I'll remember that," she passed by the shy girl and handed the piece of fabric to Suri "I'll be seeing you two later. See ya!" Then she left the two confused girls alone and disappeared behind the corner. Coco looked in her direction for a while longer, before a roll of fabric was shoved into her hands.
"This needs to be in the club room five minutes ago! Come on, chop chop!" She accentuated it by pushing Coco towards the school. It took her a lot of effort not to trip on her way again, especially when most of her attention was on the orange fabric in her hands.
***
One hour and twenty five minutes. Eighty five minutes spent on cleaning the shelves, separating the different fabrics by color and manufacturer, including somehow fitting the newly acquired ones among them without making too much clutter. That's almost one and a half hour wasted on maintenance and cleaning someone else's mess. Had it been her own garbage, she would've been fine with it, but considering how much actual sewing and designing she'd been doing these last few weeks, she didn't feel like this was her mess to begin with.
"Good," Suri nodded without taking her eyes off her half-made dress "now since you're bored, get a broom and sweep the floors, would you?"
Coco's eyebrow twitched. "Umm, I was thinking I could, umm, work on my new dress for the show... I-I mean, the contest is in less than a month and..."
Suri stopped for a moment to look at Coco with a deadpan expression. She blinked, so did Coco, then she shrugged. "Sure, you can do that," Coco's eyes widened and her mouth opened, then Suri continued "just tell one of the new members to clean for you."
Coco's good mood lasted for about half a second, as she frowned. "T-there are no new members..."
"Exactly," she turned back to her dress "so go and recruit some, or start sweeping the floors. As if I didn't have enough to worry about."
With a heavy sigh and zero ability to protest, Coco slumped her shoulders and went towards the closet and started doing what she was told. Doing what she was here for. Doing what Suri told her to do.
A few minutes later they heard the knocks on the door. "Sup, am I interrupting?" Sunset Shimmer waved at the two as she entered and looked around at the plethora of mannequins with various dresses on them. "Is it always this quiet?"
Suri jumped up from her seat and greeted the newcomer with a smile. "It was a bit more crowded back in the day. Sadly, most of the members graduated and we're the only ones left. Anyway, Sunset Shimmer, darling, can I help you?"
Sunset nodded at Suri, but her attention quickly went towards the dresses. "I was thinking of joining."
Both club members raised their eyebrows. "Splendid!" Suri clapped her hands. "I'll get the club application form..."
"Woah, hold the phone there, Sally!"
"Suri."
"Whatever. I said I was thinking, not that I am," she turned towards the club president "so, what exactly do you do here? Please don't tell me this is one of those 'get together, eat cake and talk nonsense' kind of club."
"Oh, heavens forbid," Suri giggled and waved her hand "we're not just interested in fashion: we create it! All of those," she waved her hand at all the dresses spread around the room "were created by yours truly from scratch! Now, I'll admit, these aren't my greatest works, but I had to make them on short notice. Crystal Prep has a lot of clubs that require custom uniforms and costumes, all of which have been supplied by the Fashion Club since its inception. Of course, with the shortage of members I have to cut corners here and there to keep up with the deadlines, but I manage."
Sunset nodded and hummed. Her eyes went for Coco with the broom, who squeaked cutely and turned away. "Just you and nobody else?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.
Suri rolled her eyes and groaned. "Well, okay, credit where it's due, Coco helped a bit. So," her frown turned upside down, as she put a hand over the shoulder of one of the mannequins "what do you think? Do you like them?"
Sunset hummed loudly, walking from one dress to the other, observing them carefully, looking at a few from different angles, before shrugging. "I guess they're fine."
Suri blinked. "Just fine?"
"Yeah, fine. Five out of ten, six maybe. Don't get me wrong, they're impressive for a high schooler and kudos if you had little time to make them, but... eh, that's not quite what I was looking for."
Suri’s eyebrow twitched. "Oh? And what were you looking for?"
Sunset hummed, looking around them for a little longer. "I'm not sure. Truth be told, I don't know squat about fashion, what's in or what goes with what. I just know when I see what I like. And... oh..." she stopped, as something caught her eye. She walked to the back end of the classroom, past two mannequins, to discover one more dress. Her eyes widened and she let out a long whistle as she approached the hidden one. "Well hello beautiful!"
Suri followed Sunset, but scowled once she noticed where her attention went. "Oh, that..."
"That's what I meant! I can't even express it in words, it's just," she hummed, walking around it, appreciating her find "I dunno what to say, but that's what I was talking about! I know a good thing when I see it. Eight out of ten, if only because blue is not my color." She turned back to Suri, smiling brightly. "Why would you hide something so pretty? Put it in a display case and you'll get a bunch of new members in no time!"
Suri stood in place in silence, her arms crossed and looking away. Coco stood in the distance, tightly holding the broom, almost as if trying to say something, when she noticed Suri's vicious glare, which stopped whatever she was going to do. Suri finally sighed and explained.
"I didn't make that one," she said, her head turned away.
"Oh. Then who...?" She asked and her eyes slowly went towards the only other person inside, when Suri suddenly spoke.
"The designer of that dress already graduated," she said, avoiding eye contact "she just, uh, forgot to take it. I would've just mailed it to her, but we didn't keep in touch, so... you know, I'm just holding it here, in case she ever comes back."
Sunset Shimmer looked at Suri for a moment, then at the dress, then at Coco Pommel shyly hiding behind the broom. Finally she shrugged. "Oh well. That's a shame, I would've loved to meet someone with such talent." She said with a smirk at the visibly irritated Suri. The purple girl coughed after a while.
"So, you're saying you don't know anything about fashion, am I correct?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Never held a needle in my life."
"Oh. Well, that's a shame," Suri turned around and walked to her unfinished dress "I would've loved to accept you in the club, but..."
"Yeah, I see you don't have the time to babysit a newbie," Sunset shrugged and started walking in the direction of the door "and I don't feel like joining a club where all I do is clean and carry stuff around."
"Then it seems like we reached a mutual understanding. A shame, really."
"Nah, it's for the best," she opened the door and turned to both girls one last time "I'll be seeing you in classes. See ya!" The door closed behind her, leaving both girls alone in the room once again. Suri sighed deeply, the scowl not disappearing from her face.
"Calling my work average, the nerve... Coco, bring me more threads!" A few seconds passed with no response. Suri looked around the room. "Coco?" All she found was a lone broom by the window.
***
"Sunset Shimmer, wait!"
Sunset stopped walking down the school hallway and turned to the girl chasing her. "Oh hey, Coco with only two Co's. See, I remembered!" She smiled brightly at the petite girl, currently catching her breath after running on the hallway.
After taking a few breaths, Coco looked Sunset in the eyes. "Did you mean what you said back in the clubroom?"
Sunset nodded. "Yup. I don't know a thing about fashion. Not very girly of me, I know..."
"N-no, I mean the dress!" She swallowed, before continuing. "Did you really mean what you said about that last dress?"
Sunset raised an eyebrow and nodded again, crossing her arms. "Yep, all of it. What about it?"
Coco went silent for a moment, as her head went down, what little of her face was visible was covered with a deep blush. "I-it's just... th-that w-was..."
"You made that dress."
"I m-made..." she stopped, her head slowly raising to face the smug smile of Sunset Shimmer. "H-how did you--"
Sunset cut her off with a laugh. "I knew it! I knew there was something I liked about you the moment I first saw you!" She leaned toward the girl, who at this point couldn't blush any more, and looked her in the eyes. "And it wasn't just a pretty face!" Correction- there was another shade of red a human face was able to achieve. "Not that your face isn't cute, it's plenty but..." she coughed and stepped back, giving Coco plenty of space and air to cool off. "Anywho, great job! Any girl would be happy wearing it. I know I would be." She ended with a smile. The temperature in the hallway was rising to a near critical levels, as Coco couldn't quite decide what to say, or what expression her face should take.
"T-t-tha-thank you!" She bowed down and Sunset Shimmer giggled at her expense. "I-it means a lot to me!"
"You're welcome. So, Coco," Sunset put both arms behind her head, as her eyes wandered over the ceiling "tell me, is your... 'friend' always so... always such a, how do I put it lightly... a bitch?"
Coco gasped, her arms flailing in front of her. "N-no, it's not that she's... Suri has been under a lot of stress recently and she's, uhm... stressed..."
Sunset nodded. "Okay. I was worried that she was completely evil for a moment," she laughed lightly, scratching her head "I mean, why would she lie about something you clearly put a lot of effort and heart into? It's not like she's jealous of your talent and she's doing what she can do to break your spirit, right?" There was no answer, so she continued. "I bet she's a really nice girl on a good day. Am I right or what?" More silence. "Well, I'm looking forward to meeting that version of Sally."
"...Suri."
"I know. But still, Coco," her smile disappeared "I'm not the one to talk about friendship, but you need to stand up for yourself. Don't let her take advantage of you."
Coco was silent.
"Who knows, maybe she's not noticing that she's hurting you? Maybe try talking to her? If she doesn't take it too well, then who who needs a friend like that? Am I right?"
Coco didn't answer. The sheer thought of opposing Suri in any way filled her stomach with heavy, sharp edged stones. She's not wrong. But still... She was pulled away from her thoughts by a finger touching her chin.
"Hey, chin up!" She raised her head up just enough to establish eye-contact. "I'm sure things will work out in the end," she then turned and started walking away with her hands behind her head. "Good talking to you Coco! We gotta hang out sometime!"
And for the third time that day, Sunset Shimmer was gone from her sight. Coco took a deep breath and slowly went back to the club room, her mind deep in thoughts.
***
Coco's regrets continued to build up until dinner in the cafeteria. Say what you want about Crystal Prep’s rigorous classes, uptight attitude and elitist behavior, but when it came to the food, it was second to none. Even something as simple as curry rice was one of the greatest pleasures she has ever had a chance to taste. She gladly accepted a bowl full of one of her favorite reasons to be in this school and sat at her designated table. If she was allowed to say one good thing about Suri, then at least she had the decency to reserve a spot for her at the 'Shadowbolts Table'- where only elite students were allowed to sit. Not by school regulation, more as a school's tradition. Officially Suri was a Shadowbolt, what with being chosen to represent Crystal Prep in various events, but everyone knew who the big shots were here and she wasn’t one of them.
She loved to act like one, though. "She thinks she's such a hot stuff, too good for MY fashion club! Can you believe that?"
"She is acting a bit strange," Sunny Flare rested her head on her hand, more absorbed in her nails than food "you'd think she'd recognize us after everything that happened."
"I know, right!" Indigo Zap nodded, waving her (unused so far) spoon around for emphasis. "I mean we're not exactly besties, but she could at least say something!"
The conversation continued on, but Coco tuned it all out in favor of some things that were on her mind right now. Like telling Suri how she felt. What Sunset Shimmer told her still resonated inside her head, but she had doubts. What if she got mad? What if she threw her out of their room? Sure, she could tell the teachers and principal, but who were they going to believe? An ace student, part of THE Shadowbolts, the president of the Fashion Club, or her -- a tiny mouselike doormat that could barely speak in her mind, let alone out loud? Suri was crafty, she would find a way to make her life a living nightmare, even worse than now.
She shook her head and concentrated on the good part of today. The part that wasn't the kindest girl she ever met, that is. The spicy smell of curry had tempted her for long enough, so she dug a spoon into it and slowly lifted it towards her mouth, savoring every second of the moment.
"Shoot, I left my phone at the club room," Suri frowned "Coco, go grab it for me."
The spoon stopped before reaching its destination. Coco's mouth slowly closed. Her eye twitched.
"Come on, get on to it already! I don't have all day!"
Coco's breathing slowed down, her gaze stuck on the spoonful of delicious, hot rice. Shaking, hot rice. Why was it shaking? Why was SHE shaking?
"Coco, are you even listening to me--"
"No."
Suri's mouth remained wide open for a little longer, before she slowly turned at her 'assistant' with one eyebrow raised. "What did you just say?"
Heart was beating faster than ever before. She could feel the cold sweat already gathering on her entire body. "I-I... I just..."
Suri waited a moment, but once it was confirmed that Coco would remain motionless, she rubbed her temples and continued. "I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. Ehem, Coco, be a dear and go to the club room and bring me my phone, would you kindly?" She asked with a kind, soothing voice. The one she used when she tried her best not to yell in public places. The tone she heard a few times over. The tone that always worked the magic of putting her right in her place.
She swallowed her own saliva with difficulty, then used every ounce of her inner strength to say the next sentence. "N-no! I'm no-not go-going... I-I'm eating di-dinner... go... get... it...your...self..."
She lowered her head and wished her limbs would move like they usually do, so she could run away, get in the nearest bus and hopefully never come back. But they didn't. Her mouth gathered all the courage her soul produced for her small, frail body, there was nothing else to rely on. Only her eyes managed to catch a small glimpse at the table. Sure enough, even despite her volume she was heard and everyone's reactions confirmed that for her. Indigo Zap, Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare went wide eyed and jaw dropped, stopping whatever they were doing at the moment. She couldn't tell what Sugarcoat was thinking since her face was as neutral as ever, but her hands remained motionless. Even Lemon Zest, who up until this point was content with eating her dinner while listening to loud music, had taken off her headphones and started paying attention to them.
She didn't see Suri's face. She couldn't turn her head that far, neither was she in any hurry to find out.
"Oh... okay, I see," Suri answered in what seemed like a calm tone, but Coco knew her too much to be relaxed by it "I get it, no, it's all fine. No harm done. No, that's okay. It's all fine. Everything's fine."
SLAM!
Coco closed her eyes and squirmed before Suri's hand, which sent a massive wave of echoes in her ears as she slammed right next to her food tray.
"What the hell is with this tone, huh? Didn't I make myself clear the first two times? Do I have to keep reminding you where your place is?"
"Suri, cut it out!" Sunny Flare stood up from her seat. "Can't you see she's scar--?" She didn't get a chance to finish the sentence, when Suri suddenly turned to her and yelled.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" She turned back from a confused (and also a little scared) Sunny Flare back to Coco and leaned toward her. "This is between the two of us. You know how this works, right? I tell you what needs to be done and together, we get things done. I'm not telling you to do something bad, am I? I'm just asking you for a little favor, it's the least you could do after everything I did for you. So," she reached out to her pocket and put a single key in front of Coco's tray "go to the club room, get my phone and we'll forget anything happened. How does this sound?"
Her little world shrunk to a tiny, confined box with places only for herself, Suri and a tiny key in front of her. Everything could be fixed very easily by just picking it and doing what she was told. Life would go back to how it was, no harm done, no hard feelings left. The one bridge back to the 'normal life' was still standing and it was up to her to cross it. With her heart beating faster, breath hastened and cold sweat on her arms, she made her choice. She raised her hand and slowly went towards the key. She grabbed it. It was for the best.
"I-I'm so--... so--... so--" she took a break to swallow what little saliva was left in her mouth "I-I'm so--"
Then she slammed the key next to Suri's hand.
"I'm so sick of being your slave!" She finally turned to her and their eyes met, although a thick layer of tears obstructed the way. "All you do is order me around, constantly, in classes, club room, outside, in the dorms, all the friggin’ time and make a hissy fit whenever I do something for myself, like maybe make a dress better than all the crap you call fashion, you self-obsessed talentless hack that can't get new members because she thinks she's the biggest, greatest designer this side of Canterlot and she's too good to accept 'plebs' in her club and everyone tolerates you because nobody got close enough to see your real, bitchy side behind those sweet smiles! I said it twice already and if you're either deaf or too stupid to understand me, I'll spell it out for you the way you'll understand:
GO!
GET!
YOUR!
F*****G!
PHONE!
YOURSELF! I'm busy eating dinner!"
Coco took a deep breath and turned away back to her own plate. Her heart was still beating fast and the sweat was still making her feel uncomfortable, but something felt different. It was... satisfying. Exhilarating! Cathartic! It wasn't until a few seconds later, she realized something else.
I'm gonna die...
Another quick peek at Suri revealed what that she wasn't quite far from the truth. She was standing still, not moving, except for one eye twitching nervously. If Coco was lucky, she would stay like this forever. She didn't.
"Y-you, how DARE you!" She grit her teeth at her and raised her open hand up in the air. "YOU LITTLE PIECE OF--"
Coco closed her eyes and braced for impact. She heard a few noises -- a couple of chairs falling on the ground across her, some screams and grunts, then... nothing. As ready as she was, the impact never got to her. She slowly opened one eye, then another and found out why. Two Shadowbolts, Indigo and Sunny Flare in particular, were standing, looking at Suri with shock. Or rather, looking at someone past her.
"W-what the--!" Suri growled at someone else. And not just anyone.
The fiery haired transfer student was standing right behind Suri, her right hand firmly holding Suri's left hand, which the latter futilely tried to shake off. "Let me go, dammit! Ugh, what the hell are you doing!?"
Sunset Shimmer blinked, a tiny smirk betraying some of her thoughts. "Why obviously, it's exactly what it looks like I am doing," she started, looking directly into Suri's eyes "I am casually grabbing your hand and holding it tightly, for absolutely no reason," the smirk disappeared "it only looks like I stopped you from hitting someone. But it's not like such a good girl like yourself would ever do something as awful. Especially not when there are so many people around," she glanced at the still shocked Shadowbolts, making sure that Suri also cast a glance or two at them. As Coco's breath stabilized, now it was Suri's time to inhale and exhale rapidly, her hair becoming steadily more disheveled.
"You wouldn't do something like that to your good friend," Sunset leaned closer to Suri's face "now would you, Sally?"
Suri's mouth opened and closed a few times over, as her eyes went between Sunset and the Shadowbolts, until she groaned loudly and finally yanked her hand away, grabbed the key and stormed away, with rapid, loud steps. All eyes at the table went after her until she disappeared.
"What a drama queen, I mean, really," Sunset Shimmer snorted, then turned at Coco, who looked at her with awe "Coco, you got some time? Can I steal you for a while? Thanks!" She grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away from the table. As she tried not to trip, the Shadowbolts looked at the whole spectacle, rarely blinking.
"Well," Sugarcoat interrupted the silence, digging her spoon into her bowl of curry rice "that is certainly not something you see very often. I think I speak for all of us when I say that Suri had it coming and it was very entertaining to watch."
Her four friends slowly turned to her and looked at her with confusion, as she resumed her meal.
***
Fresh air. It was a nice thing to have after... 'that event'. She wasn't expecting to be taken by Sunset Shimmer to the dormitory roof (or anywhere else for that matter), but it did wonders to help her cool off. And it made her feel like she was in some anime, where rooftops with flower beds are common meeting places.
"So, did it hurt?" Sunset suddenly asked, leaning over to Coco, who jumped away and looked around nervously.
"Uhm, w-what?"
"Did it hurt when you grew that giant bone in you back? Get it? Backbone? Anyone? That had to take a lot of guts!"
"Oh... that..." she paused, still replaying her little speech from just a minute ago. She still didn't believe it. "...I, I actually did it... I... I stood up to Suri!"
"And you didn't even leave your chair!"
"I yelled at Suri!" The smile on her face grew. "I yelled at Suri! Ohmygosh, I yelled. At Suri!" She grabbed her chest with both of her hands. "M-my heart can't stop pounding!" She exclaimed, smiling and gasping irregularly.
"That would be the adrenaline, it'll wear off."
"I-m... I'm free! I don't have to listen to her anymore!" Her smile quickly faltered. "She's going to kill me!" Her eyes went wide, her legs shaking so much she had to lean over the wall to not fall over. "She will destroy me!"
"Aaaaand it's wearing off!"
"What do I do? What do I do?" Her breathing went wild once again. "I must run away! I must run away!"
"Chill girl," Sunset put her hand on Coco's shoulder "you'll be fine! Sure, she's barking out loud, but if you keep standing up to her she'll get bored and stop. I doubt Sally here has enough will to concentrate all her life on you. I mean, it's not like you two are..." she paused, when a thought sneaked inside her head. "...roommates? Right?" Coco didn't answer her, unless the muffled 'meep' while slowly collapsing into a fetal position was an answer. "Oh. Ooooooh. Well, that's a... yikes."
If there was even a tiny hint of hope in Coco, it went out at that very moment. She buried her face in her knees and tried to find a way. Any way. From begging for forgiveness, to transferring to another school, running away, or... or...
"Say," Sunset Shimmer crouched by the broken shell of a fashion designer "you wanna come live with me?" She casually asked. There was no answer, but a few seconds later Coco raised her gaze to look at her with her eyes red from tears. Sunset tried to play it cool, but a tiny frown appeared on her face before she went back to her previous warm smile. "I have a spare bed in my new room, with no name written on it. Might as well be yours." Coco didn't answer, but she opened and closed her mouth a few times. Realizing how sudden that proposition was, Sunset coughed and continued. "I'll admit it, I feel kinda...no, I feel bad because all this mess is mostly because of me. If I hadn’t pushed you into saying something, well..."
No, you're wrong! I wanted to say it for a long time, but I never had any... never had any... courage.
"...so it's my way of saying, well, sorry. If it's any consolation, Sally will never be welcome in my, no, our room. And if she ever tries to do something to you ever again," her face turned deadpan "I'll break her legs. Without witnesses or proof."
Coco blinked. "I'm not sure if you're serious or joking."
Sunset shrugged. "I have my ways with people. So," she stood up and extended her hand "what do you say?"
Coco remained motionless for a longer while. "Why?"
"Why not? We could both use a friend and we're already getting along pretty well, after what? Twenty total minutes of interaction? And it'll only get better!"
There were many questions she wanted to ask. A lot of red flags. Many warning signs. So much mystery. And yet, she couldn't help but feel the warmth coming from the girl she barely knew. She couldn't take her eyes off of her smile. From the one who leaned over her with her hand extended toward her. For the second time today. That was more than anyone has ever offered her.
She wiped her tears with her sleeve and finally accepted Sunset's hand. The fiery haired girl smile even brighter and lifted her back on her feet.
"So, that's a yes?"
Coco nodded. "No Suri allowed?"
"She'll never bother you again."
"Then my answer is yes."
The two nodded to each other and stood in silence for a moment, reminding Coco that she hadn’t even touched her dinner. Her stomach was already grumpy about that and she didn't blame it in the slightest. Maybe if I ask the cafeteria staff nice enough, they'll give me some seconds?
"Okay, now that that's settled," Sunset Shimmer interrupted the silence, scratching the back of her head "I have a little confession to make,"
Coco's eyes went wide. Uh-oh!
"I didn't invite you out of sheer kindness of my heart. I have some... ulterior motives..."
There is a catch! I knew it! There always is!
"I mean, don't get me wrong, everything I said up until now is still true, but there's more to it,"
I had a feeling it couldn't be this good. It was too perfect. She was too perfect!
"For one, I never intended to join the fashion club, with or without Sally. I was just looking for a... well, a costume. Or someone who could make me one. And the one that caught my eyes, was..."
Coco raised an eyebrow. Costume? What does she...
Sunset sighed and stepped away, rubbing her temples. "There's no easy way to put it," she scanned the surrounding area, locking onto a small flower garden on the rooftop. She grabbed a few pebbles lying nearby. "Miss Pommel, I would like you to keep a secret."
Coco blinked and tilted her head with confusion, her gaze locked into Sunset Shimmer's wide open palm with several small rocks on it. Her eyes went wider and wider, as the rocks started dancing in mid-air.
***
Back to the present, Coco sat on the bench all alone with her thoughts, analyzing everything she had found out, as well as everything she... they had experienced in the past.
She was too perfect. I knew it. I was too blinded to look for any answers, even if they were so close. One internet search, that was all it took, and yet I...
Tears started pouring without her noticing, not until they dropped on her palms, that tightly grabbed her skirt. Her hands were shaking.
"This is my room too! Besides, then I wouldn't be able to see those cute reactions of yours. And what kind of life would that be?"
Was this all a lie?
"Coc's. It's your new nickname, kinda cute, huh?"
“Nothing doesn’t make you cry. Tell me or I’ll do it again. And I, uh, really don't want to. Hurt your feelings.”
Was I being used all this time?
“Whose opinion do you trust more? Some purple bitch that can’t run a fashion club without your help, or the most magical superhero ever that can’t run around fighting crime without your help?”
"Miss Pommel, I admire your dressmaking skills, intelligence, pop-culture references out of nowhere (who knew you were such a nerd?) and cute embarrassed reactions, yes, like this one, but...."
Am I just a tool to her?
"Oh darn, what if she knows where I live? What if she knows who you are and uses you to get to me! That's a classic mid season plot, and my story has only just begun! I'm not ready to lose my only frie--"
"Do you feel sick? Should I take you to the nurse office?"
"Family issues, no need to elaborate. Unless, you know... you want to talk about it?"
"NO!"
SLAP!
She suddenly slapped her face with both hands. Her cheeks started burning, which was good because it helped her focus, so she did it again, just for good measure.
Maybe she is using me. Maybe she is a fake. Maybe she has some evil plan or something. But...
She stood up and wiped the tears away, before looking at the sun again.
It is real to me! I'm not going to just throw all this time we had together away! Not until I hear her side of the story! She pulled out her phone and turned it back on. Her first impulse was to call Sunset and try to meet up with her somewhere, but instead a few voice messages awaited her. Her eyes went wide as she listened to both of them, especially the second one.
"...If, by any chance, you get this before I leave, I could use some... I dunno, encouragement? And if it's too late, then... well... wish me luck. Sun'ya."
Coco swallowed, then quickly looked around the area. That warehouse's address... it's not that far away from here! She hid her phone and rushed towards her new destination.
***
Magical Girl Sunny found herself right in front of a rundown, abandoned warehouse. Looking around, only rats were found roaming around the place. She took a deep breath and entered through the large open gate.
After consulting at least two different online maps, one paper map and two local workers, Magical Girl Sunny confirmed that she was in the right address. She wasn't sure what to expect when her doppelganger set their meeting place at an abandoned warehouse. The place was a large open space in the middle of nowhere, far enough from civilization that a bomb could go off and nobody would bat an eye, but with just enough support beams, debris and scattered empty wooden boxes and barrels to use as cover in a typical mafia shootout.
Few minutes of extensive searching later, she knew every single corner of this place and confirmed that either there were absolutely no traps laid out for her, or they were so well hidden that she was going to fall into one on purpose out of sheer courtesy. After a few minutes of waiting later, she heard engine sounds from outside. A small peak out of the broken window confirmed that her double had just arrived, on a motorcycle no less! A leather Jacket AND a motorbike? And here I thought I wasn't feminine enough! Seeing as she was the only one who arrived, the 'get away if outnumbered' plan went out of the window.
She didn't like that plan anyway.
***
After examining her jacket pockets and making sure she didn't miss anything, Sunset Shimmer swallowed and slowly walked through the open gate of the rickety, ready to collapse anytime old warehouse. Inside was just as it was on the outside, slightly darker but still easy enough to tell where everything was. She heard a distinct, familiar 'blink' sound behind her. She turned to Magical Girl Sunny, who just appeared out of nowhere in mid air and gracefully landed roughly twenty feet away from herself. She was wearing the same orange, red and yellow dress she wore during the jewelry store robbery. The two locked their eyes and looked at each other for a short while in silence.
"You're here," Sunset said calmly.
"So are you," Sunny answered. It seemed like she had something else to say for a moment, but the silence remained.
And remained for a long, long time. The two shuffled in place for a while. Well, this is awkward! Both thought at the same time.
"I–" Sunset started, but was interrupted by Sunny.
"Who–oh, sorry,"
"No, it's fine, go on."
"No no, you start."
"No, it's... okay, fine," Sunset coughed "who are you?"
Sunny hummed. I need to be careful about what I say. I don't know how much she knows and she could use anything against me! "I am Magical Girl Sunny. And it's a common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking someone's name!"
Sunset's eyebrow twitched. I doubted it was going to be that easy. "My name is Sunset Shimmer," she said, noticing a tiny twitching in Sunny's eye "I know this is confusing, but I come in peace. Let's just talk."
Yeah, just talk. No lies or deception and definitely not going to stab my back when I lower my guard. Obviously. Sunny smiled. "Let us talk, then. You can start by explaining why you're masquerading as me!"
Sunset frowned. "I was about to ask you the same thing!"
"I'm not masquerading as anyo–" she paused for a moment, before rolling her eyes. She took off her mask and teleported it away. "I am Sunset Shimmer. THE original one!"
"No you're not! Sunset Shimmer is d–crap!" She bit her tongue a few words too late. Damn, I said too much!
Sunny’s eyes grew wider. Oh? She knows something!? "What was that? Sunset Shimmer is what?" She asked, noticing sweat slowly appearing on her forehead. "Please don't tell me you have a habit of talking in third person when stressed?"
Sunset opened and closed her mouth a few times, before sighing in defeat. "L-look, I'm not trying to pick up a fight..." But I'm more than ready to defend myself!
Sunny snorted. Just the thing an evil imposter would say to distract me. "Neither am I. But you know the rules – one of us has to change, and I grew very fond of this body!"
Interesting choice of words. This could mean anything. Okay, here goes… "So did I," Sunset's eyes narrowed "What exactly are you? A changeling?"
Sunny blinked. "What, like from the movie?"
"...what movie?"
"You know, "The Changeling"? One of the biggest cinema disasters?" Sunny observed the other one's confused reaction. There's no way anyone would forget that trainwreck! She smiled slyly. Idea! "My turn for a question: how many Daring Do books are there?"
Sunset blinked, tilting her head. "What kind of question is that?"
"Are you going to answer it?"
"Okay, fine, there were, uh," Think Sunset, think! Rainbow Dash talks about them all the time! "Seven. No, wait, six! Seventh one is coming next month!"
Sunny snorted. "Lucky guess," she hummed for a moment, before asking again "how many legitimate kids does king Havoc have?"
"From Play of Crowns? One."
"BZZT! Wrong! He has two kids: Rune Saber and Pomegranate Jam!"
Sunset snorted. "Yeah, nice try, but that's a trick question! Pomegranate Jam was only in his imagination and she never existed in the first place!"
Sunny went silent. "What."
"He grew mad after the death of his wife and imagined himself a daughter. That's why nobody but him ever reacted to what she said or did, and nobody, not even Rune Saber, ever talked about her!"
"...no, wait, what?"
"It was revealed in the season 4 finale!"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Sunny flailed her arms. "I'm in the middle of season 3! Spoilers, geez!" She groaned, facepalming.
"Oh," Sunset frowned and hissed "ohmygosh, I'm so sorry!"
"Well thanks for ruining one of the greatest plot twists in history!" Sunny crossed her arms and turned away. "She was my favorite character..."
"It slipped, I swear! I didn't mean to!"
"Yeah, good job on convincing me you're not an evil clone!" Sunny pouted.
Sunset opened and closed her mouth a few times, before shaking her head in frustration. "This is stupid, why are we even... look, just tell me how you got those powers?" She asked, but was met with silence. "Were you born with them? Did someone give them to you?"
Sunny kept her hands crossed, carefully thinking how to answer that one. "That's classified."
"Do you have some magical artifact?"
Sunny hummed. This sounds like she knows something... or she's pulling it from a cliche bag. Which one is it? "That's classified."
Classified, huh? That's an interesting choice of words. Is she a clone that works for some evil morally ambiguous organization? Or she escaped from one? I hate to jump to conclusions, but that would explain a lot. Makes about as much sense as a changeling, though. "Normal people can't use magic. They can't teleport, shoot fire or materialize things out of thin air."
Sunny shrugged. "Hey, I never claimed I was a normal person!" She turned around, if only to not show her clone her surprised face. She sounded pretty sure when she listed those powers, even though I never materialized anything in public. Or ever, for that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out I could. But where did she come to that conclusion? She put a hand to her chin, noticing her orange glove. She examined it along with the rest of her sleeve. I never transformed in public, she probably thinks I make them on the spot. Looks like she doesn't know about Coco. She clenched her fist. And I'll make damn sure she never finds out!
"How do you know it's magic?" She asked, making Sunset step back in confusion. "How do you know it's not something else?"
Crap, she got me! Sunset's eye twitched, but she quickly recovered. "You said so yourself!"
Sunny blinked. "I did?"
"Yes. A few times, it's on the internet." Actually, I don't remember if she did, but here's hoping!
Sunny frowned. Did I? I can't remember! Damn me, my big mouth and long term memory! "Okay, point taken. Look, we're wasting time here, you're either going to explain yourself right here and now," she extended her hand, where a ball of fire started manifesting "or I'll beat the answers from you!" Sunset took a little step back, her legs slightly crouched, eyes narrowing. Sunny stood with a fireball ready to shoot. Something's not right! She's not running away. Which means... she's ready to fight! A few beads of sweat started forming on both of their foreheads.
Sunny coughed and asked again. "Who are you? Why do look like me? And most importantly: what do you want from me?"
"I've been trying to ask you all this time! I don't want to fight you!"
"Oh, if you don't," the fireball grew to a size of a soccer ball "then what's that you have in your pocket?"
Sunset's eyes shot wide open. She looked at her right jacket pocket, not even realizing that her own hand was inside it for some time, tightly holding its content. I didn't even realize it... how long did I...?
"Come on, it's just the two of us, you don't have to be shy. What is it? A gun? A bomb? A tracking device?" She asked, the fireball growing slightly larger with each successive guess.
"I-it's nothing," reluctantly, Sunset pulled her hand out to show her empty palm "it was just, uhm... my wallet?" Did she buy it?
I don't buy it. Sunny raised an eyebrow, then smiled slyly, as the ball of fire shrank down to golf ball size, before exploding in a harmless, but very bright explosion.
Sunset instinctively jumped back again and shielded herself with her left hand, while her right went back to her pocket, except... It's gone!
"Hmm, that's an interesting wallet you have there." Sunny said, examining the object that just appeared in her hands.
Sunset's eyes shot wide open. H-how did she...!? B-but... she just teleported it from my pocket? I couldn't do that when I was still a unicorn!
"What is this contraption?"
At first it seemed like a piece of hastily stitched gray fabric, very similar to what Coco was using for some of her works, with a few holes in it, along various mechanical parts woven into it. She looked at it from several angles, spread it before her eyes while holding it in both hands, before identifying it. It's a... fingerless glove? But what are those weird gizmos? She located an oval glasslike part in the middle of the palm, which resembled some sort of lens. On the outer part, in between the other machinery, she found two buttons that barely stuck out. One green, one red.
"No, don't touch that!" She heard Sunset yelling at her from afar.
She touched the red button. The glove vibrated and the mechanical parts started glowing with a familiar, bright light. Her eyes widened. Oh crap! She tried to toss it away, but the glove exploded only a few feet before her, emitting a huge shockwave which sent her flying for a few feet back, until she crashed into an empty, wooden box. Sunset cringed when she heard the cracking noise, wondering how many of those were actual bones. She swallowed and made a few slow steps forward, when Sunny emerged out of the wreckage, massaging her head.
"...Ouch!" She groaned as she slowly stood back on her feet, massaging the back of her head and thanking the heavens that the crate was on the way, as the concrete would've no doubt hurt a lot more.
"I tried to warn you!"
As soon as Sunny collected herself, she started walking towards her doppelganger, who was rightfully backing away. "For someone who doesn't want to fight," her eyes narrowed "you have some dangerous toys!"
Sunset swallowed. I didn’t think diplomacy would work anyway...
The two locked their eyes at each other. Sunset started slowly walking to her right, always ready to jump away at a moment's notice. Sunny did the same, matching her pace, waiting for the right moment to strike. Her eyes locked onto her other pocket. A glove always has a pair...
She raised her hand slightly toward her foe, but Sunset reacted faster and started running. Sunny groaned as she couldn't concentrate on teleporting something that was in motion. And she knows it! She instead quickly formed a fireball half the size of the previous one and tossed it in her direction. Sunset saw it coming and slid across the ground, narrowly avoiding the flaming projectile, which only managed to singe her hair a bit while flying past and exploding in the distance. As Sunset's slide continued, Sunny's eyes widened as she realized where she was going in the first place. The gauntlet! She thought that the exploding glove was destroyed, which is why she didn't bother locating it, but it was still intact, lying near a large support beam. She tried to reach her hand and teleport it to herself, but Sunset snatched it at the last possible moment, then jumped behind the beam and disappeared from her view. Sunny tsked.
Safe from her clone’s line of sight, Sunset took a deep breath, putting the glove on her right hand while leaning on the pillar. She opened and closed her palm a few times, trying to remember how to use this thing properly.
***
"So, how do I use this thing?" Sunset Shimmer asked while opening and closing her palm, trying to not complain that the "Power Gauntlet" (working name) wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear. Rarity apologized at least five times, but she had only like thirty minutes.
"Just aim and push the green button!" Sci-Twi answered with a smile.
Sunset looked between the adorkability that was Sci-Twi in her mad scientist lab coat (no matter how much she denies the former part), the confusing mess of a contraption on her hand, and the provisional shooting range they set up in the middle of Whitewood forest, which were just a few cans on a tree stump. Sunset took a few breaths and extended her opened right hand in the general direction of the cans, using her middle fingers as a crosshair.
The "Power Gauntlet" was only one of the fruits of the Twilight’s collaboration. Yes, both of them. When Sunset Shimmer asked Princess Twilight for information about changelings, she also offered her help in the hunt. Unfortunately she couldn't come by herself, but that didn't stop her from providing them with means to fight a magical threat. Using Sunset's diary as a communication channel (a glorified hand/hoof-written version of Spyke, written by Spike's claw, making it somewhat confusing to explain, thus banning Pinkie Pie from giving exposition), Sci-Twi and Pri-Twi collaborated on creating a few gadgets from whatever magical elements Pri-Twi left for Sci-Twi during her last visit. Turns out that after both Twilights stopped freaking out about there being two of them, they got along pretty well and found a universal multi dimensional language – science. Also magic. And friendship.
"What does the red button do?" Sunset asked.
"Oh, don't touch that," Sci-Twi quickly said, then explained "this one releases a powerful shockwave and as much as we tried, we couldn't make the wearer immune. Not unless we complete the anti-magical suit, but considering the lack of resources on my part, I'd estimate it'll be ready in... well, never, unless Princess Twilight brings more magi-tech crystal threads from Equestria."
"Then why is it even here?"
"Well..." Sci-Twi blushed, scratching her head nervously "it was originally supposed to be a shockwave grenade, but I tweaked the design a bit and I forgot to take out the original option from the prototype, so... I instead installed a delayed timer, so you have three seconds to take if off and toss it. You never know when you're going to need it, right?" She ended the sentence with a sheepish smile.
Sunset blinked at Sci-Twi, shook her head and went back to target practice. "What about the other one?"
***
Sunset took a few deep breaths, looking at her second pocket. Shame I can't use both at the same time. She put her hands closer together, leaning at the edge of the support beam, waiting and listening for the steps which weren't coming. It was quiet. Too quiet. She almost missed the distinct, familiar blinking sound when Magical Girl Sunny teleported right in front of her, at hand’s reach, with her fist already burning with a visible, bright aura.
"SUNNY SMASH!"
Both girls grit their teeth and time slowed to a crawl. Just as soon as Sunny appeared, it took her a fraction of a second to locate her target and send her fist in the direction of her face. At the same time Sunset raised both of her hands, slowing Sunny's right hand of course, then pushed the green button. Two explosions happened at almost the same time. As time went back to its normal pace, both girls froze in place, slowly realizing what just happened. Sunset turned to her left, where only an inch or two away appeared a giant crack on the concrete pillar. Sunny's hair was still flowing from the shock wave that passed right next to her face and ended roughly twenty feet further, crashing a stack of empty wooden boxes into splinters.
Both swallowed, pausing for a few seconds to observe what didn't happen to their respective faces, but eventually recovered and looked at each other. Sunset was the first to react, kicking Sunny away, then raising her hands for another shot. As the button was being pushed, Sunny couldn't regain her balance in time to properly dodge, but she blinked herself away in the nick of time, landing a few steps away from her original position, and only then fell on her back. She winced from pain, but tried to not let Sunset away from her eyes. Her jacketed nemesis kept her aim at her, but as a precious second passed and no shots were fired, Sunny managed to get back on her feet with one positive thought. Good news – that gauntlet has a cooldown. She jumped away in time to avoid another shot. Bad news – not a very long one. Her eyes went towards the gauntlet itself, but just as she collected herself enough to try to teleport it away, her doppelganger started running, breaking her concentration yet again.
Don't! Stop! Moving! Sunset Shimmer tried her hardest to breathe properly while running circles around her, shooting a very poorly aimed magical bullet every two or three seconds, just as long as it forced Sunny to blink away every time and not give her time to realize that half the time she didn't even need to, as the impact was nowhere near her. Teleportation takes a lot of energy, even on small distances. If I can tire her out, the next part will be a lot easier... assuming I'll last that long!
Magical Girl Sunny set a new record for successive teleportations in a row, though her body wasn't very proud of that. Realizing this was getting her nowhere, she teleported behind one pillar to catch her breath and think of a new strategy. Okay, what do I know: she has a power gauntlet that gives Platinum Man a run for his money; her aim isn't the greatest, but I can't risk my life on her mistake; I don't know how long she can do it. These things run out of power eventually, right? And I don't know what else she got. This can't be everything she brought with her! She knows all my tricks, while I'm a sitting duck... at least I know she's not a powerful shapeshifter. She relies on that gauntlet way too much. Good. The last thing I need is a duel with a friggin T-Rex! No matter how awesome it sounds! Then she realized she didn't hear the loud running steps. She stopped? Did she get tired? She peeked around the corner, but there was nobody in sight. She stepped out of her hiding spot, analyzing the area carefully for any signs of her opponent.
She heard some noise on her seven o'clock and immediately turned there and shot a quick firebolt... at nothing. Before she recovered, she heard another noise behind her and turned again, to see nothing. Again. She wasn't as bothered with any other random noises, which she assumed were thrown rocks, but she was still on alert for the real one.
She groaned. "Coward! Stop hiding and face me like a true man!" Pause. "You know what I mean!" Nothing happened. "If you won't come out right now, I'll burn this whole place down, with or without you!"
Crouching behind one of the less rickety crates, Sunset Shimmer swallowed. She's bluffing. There's no way she has that much magical energy! A moment passed. Right? Either way, I have to do something! She looked at the lens on her gauntlet. I'm running out of juice, I gotta finish this soon.
After taking a deep breath, Sunset jumped out with her hand raised and ready to shoot, except there was no target in sight. She tsked, carefully scanning the area. Great, now the roles have switched! She looked to her right, then to her left, behind and back to front, left hand firmly sitting on her right, ready to push the ‘trigger’ at any moment. She swallowed, listening for any sound of movement. Except she can teleport. Her breathing got harder, but she kept on walking, if only to make the teleportation trick harder for her opponent, as she examined every single possible hiding spot. If Sunny was anywhere on the ground, she was doing a fantastic job of hiding her presence. Ground... wait a second!
She looked up and sure enough, she saw her nemesis standing on the railing at the ceiling, observing her every movement. As soon as Sunset noticed her, she jumped down at her. Sunset reacted fast and instantly shot up and would've hit, had Sunny not blinked out of the way! Sunset's eyes widened in panic as time slowed down once again. She noticed her opponent in the corner of her eye, using the momentum from the fall to launch herself in her direction with both feet aimed straight at her face. Unable to dodge or shoot again, Sunset crossed her arms at her face, blocking the incoming drop kick, which still managed to send her flying back despite being blocked. She moaned from the pain of her beaten up joints, especially her arms and elbows (she had a feeling a few bones could break if her jacket hadn’t shielded her), but tried to stand up regardless. Her eyes went wide when she took a look at her hand, devoid of the glove. WHAT?! NO! Her gaze went back to Magical Girl Sunny, standing tall, her face visibly irritated, but still somehow managing a smug grin. She was holding the ‘Power Gauntlet’ long enough to make a point, before making it vanish.
"Not so tough without your little toy, huh? Now, would you like to–HEY!" She yelled after Sunset suddenly got up and dashed towards the nearest support beam. "GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!"
Sunset didn't listen, instead reaching out inside her jacket with her right hand, as she used her left one to hold onto the support beam to make a sharp turn behind it. Please be predictable, please be predictable, please be predictable... She prayed, as she pulled out something from her inside pocket, when suddenly–
"You're not getting away!" Sunny announced, appearing just in front of her, but instead of a surrender, she saw the other girl pointing some weird device at her. With no time to react, she had to block with her front hands. The odd gun shot, but instead of bullets or lasers, a large brown goop covered both of her arms. She stopped and tried to shake the slime away, but in a matter of seconds it hardened, subduing her hands in front of her in what looked like a piece of concrete. She struggled to get them apart, but she was no match to the strange substance. She sniffed it. Cinnamon?
Sunset let out a huge sigh. OHMYGOSH IT WORKED! She smiled at Pinkie's "Portable Pink Party Pistol" (trademark pending). Pinkie Pie, I owe you one. Big time! She threw the modified squirt gun away. Unlike its creator, it had to follow the laws of physics and couldn't hold more than a single shot inside. She reached out to her left pocket while Sunny was busy freeing herself from the granny Pie's cinnamon cake handcuffs. That's a legitimate sentence now. She shook her head, donning a similarly looking, fingerless glove on her left hand. This will be my only shot. Her eyes narrowed. Gotta make it count!
"Why-won't-this-stupid-thing-get-OFF!" After a long moment of struggles, Sunny applied enough of her magical force into her hand to explode the cinnamon cake, thus freeing her hands. She raised her head to see where her enemy was, but couldn’t react when a hand grabbed her face. She froze for a second, flailing her hands in panic before finally pushing the other Sunset away from her, taking a few steps back herself.
"Why you little!" She extended her hand forward and shot a quick blast of pure magical energy.
Except she didn't.
"W-what?" She looked at her hand confused, then tried to strike again. And again. No magic was ever released. "W-what, my magic! What–" her eyes widened, concentrating on Sunset who stood tall, her left hand slightly raised and dressed in a similar gauntlet, if much less elaborate, with fewer mechanical parts, but with a visible blue crystal in its palm. "What did you do!?"
Sunset snorted. "Not so tough without your magic, huh?" She said, as Sunny struggled to cast any spell at all. She should've turned back to her original form by now, unless... she's not a changeling! And her dress is still intact, so it's the real deal.
Unlike the "Power Gauntlet" (working name), "Magic Sucker" (also a working name) was Sci-Twi's own design, made from repurposing her magical detector which also happened to suck magic, into a magic sucking device that also happened to detect it. The final version Sunset was using right now was improved by using some of Pri-Twi's ideas she took from an already existing magic-dampening technology they had in Equestria. It could temporarily take all the magic from anyone it touched, but there was no off button, meaning it couldn't be used in tandem with "Power Gauntlet", as it caused all sorts of malfunctions if the two were in too close proximity. In order to properly take out the magic from a person (or pony), it had to be used on naked skin, which, considering Magical Girl Sunny’s attire, left only neck and face.
Sunset started walking toward her. "Now that we're both on equal terms, can we go back to tal–" She was brutally interrupted when she was forced to jump back from a roundhouse kick, followed by a punch that she barely blocked with both of her hands.
Sunny growled, her fist barely held back by Sunset's block. "Give. It. Back!"
Sunset's eyes narrowed. "Make me!"
The two stood in the same position for a while, then jumped away and assumed their favored combat stance. The battle continued...
***
After dashing for who knows how long, Coco stopped for a short breather just before the warehouse. She noticed a motorcycle parked by the entrance, the same one she heard CHS's Sunset Shimmer had. She swallowed as she entered the old, dingy building. She didn't have to look for them too long, the two Sunset Shimmers were clearly visible from the outside, beating each other up with fists and legs. Coco found a cover in the nearest pyramid of barrels and hid behind it, observing the fight from a safe distance. She knew both Sunsets knew martial arts, but why Magical Girl Sunny didn't use her magic was anyone's guess.
After a particularly long and exhausting exchange of blows, both Sunsets jumped away to take a small break. Both were breathing heavily, observing each other, never letting their eyes off their opponent.
Sunny wiped some blood from her mouth. I'm lucky I didn't lose a tooth after that last kick. Not having magic is so annoying!
Sunset wasn't faring much better, wiping the blood that was flowing from her broken nose. I'm really starting to regret I left the others, but I couldn't risk a changeling growing in power. I would rather fight The Sirens or Midnight Sparkle again, that was way easier! I miss the Power of Friendship!
Sunny raised her hands to resume her battle pose, when she noticed a few sparks that appeared and disappeared in an instant. Yes! My magic is slowly coming back, I can feel it! She looked at the other Sunset. Her expression didn't change in any significant way, which meant she didn't see it. Good. Now I have to time it juuuuust right!
Sunny took a deep breath and started talking. "You're way better than I thought!"
Sunset nodded. "Thanks, I guess. You're not too shabby yourself!"
"Thank you. What exactly is that, taekwondo?"
"Jeet kune do, actually. They get it mixed up all the time. And you?"
"Karate, 2nd dan. I would've been higher, but I didn't care enough to continue."
The two went silent once again, both sapped out of energy, still running on fumes and boundless willpower alone.
Okay, that should be enough for one more blast! Sunny thought, her pose lowering. "I had fun and all, but this has to end. Let's finish this!" She said loudly to her opponent, who nodded and also tightened her defense. And then she rushed forward with a battle cry and fist ready to strike.
Sunset prepared to intercept the next attack as it came, when all of a sudden her left glove started blinking with a faint, red light. It's only supposed to do that when there's some magic nea–OHCRAP! Time slowed to a crawl one last time, as her eyes went wide while Sunny stopped running midway and threw her fist in her direction, using every fiber of her being to shoot a single, powerful blast, while not shouting 'Sunny Blast' from the top of her lungs. Using what little time she had, Sunset jumped away in the nick of time, but could still feel the warm, magical energy graze her legs, but otherwise pass by her harmlessly and hit a stack of empty barrels instead, loudly toppling them over. Sunny winced and was about to follow-up with another attack on her currently defenseless opponent, but...
"Eeeeeeeeeeep!" A loud, high pitched scream echoed through the warehouse, instantly getting the attention of both Sunsets, before the sound got buried under the loud noise of falling metal barrels.
Sunny froze, as cold sweat ran over her body. T-that voice... it-it can't be! She rushed toward the barrels, completely passing by her confused doppleganger. Nononononononono! Please, anything but that! Please, please, please! After she got a bit closer, her heart stopped for a few seconds once she noticed a familiar, teal haired head stuck outside the mess of barrels.
"Co-... Coco?" Her legs trembled. She could barely stand on her own legs. "N-no, it-it c-can't..." She quickly rushed to her and pulled the barrels away, revealing Coco Pommel, her best friend, lying on the ground unconscious. Sunny opened her mouth, but no words came out initially. With shaking hands, she lifted her friend's head and torso up. "Coco? Coco, please, talk to me!" She waited a moment, barely holding the tears back, while gently shaking her. "Thi-this isn't funny! Coco! Please, wake up! Don't you dare... don't... don't... leave... me..." Tears started falling from her eyes like tiny waterfalls, but she didn't seem to notice. "I'm so-sorry, I di-didn't m-mean t-to..."
"There's no blood," Sunset Shimmer said, slowly limping toward the two "she's probably just out cold, we should call the ambula–"
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Sunny suddenly turned to her and waved a hand at Sunset, sending her flying with a small shockwave. She then turned back to her friend, and without another word they both vanished, teleported out from the warehouse.
Sunset Shimmer sat where she was, looking at the spot where the two were at for a moment, before collapsing on her back with a loud thud, letting out a huge sigh. She rested for a while, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the recent developments. She pulled out her phone and made a call.
"Yeah, hey, Rarity? I need you to gather everyone… no, it can't wait, I'll explain later... yeah, I'm fine... ish... don't freak out, but bring a first-aid kit. Please."
***
Sunny almost fell on the floor of her own room when she teleported here, but not before making sure that Coco safely landed on her own bed. With most of her bones aching and lungs barely keeping up with the strain she put on herself, she stood up and looked at her still unconscious friend.
"Damnit!" She struck the desk next to the bed, looking around the room for anything to either hit, destroy, mutilate, throw away or release her anger on. No! I must do something, but what... what... AMBULANCE! She shook her head and reached for her phone... except it wasn't there! She searched all over her dress in vain, before realizing she never had it there to begin with. She scanned the room and found her street clothes, which she searched for as well. Nothing. Panic levels rising and breathing getting harder, she reached to her school uniform, finding no phone either!
"Argh, where is it!" She opened and closed every drawer on her desk, on Coco's desk, every shelf, closet, the bathroom, with her phone nowhere to be found! She looked around her room, when she noticed it on her bed! She groaned, but rushed out for it and struggled to dial three numbers with her shaking hands.
Her phone fell on the ground, as Sunny immediately froze, while slowly turning to see her friend slowly sit up, massaging her head.
"What just happened... I... Sunset?" Coco blinked a few times, focusing her gaze on the disheveled, beaten up, bloodied and overall a mess of a human being she barely recognized as Sunset Shimmer. As Magical Girl Sunny. "Sunset, what happened to–"
She couldn't finish her sentence, when Sunset Shimmer, her Sunset, threw herself at her and embraced her in a tight, warm hug.
Coco took a while to recover from the initial shock. "S-sunset, wh-wha–"
"I'm so sorry!" She muttered through her tears. "I'm so, so sorry!"
Coco was at a loss of words. The only thing that she could bring herself to say, was... "I-I'm sorry... too..."
I was so stupid.
Her hands embraced Sunset as well.
I knew. I always knew.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Sunset said weakly.
She may not be the real Sunset Shimmer. Maybe they're both real.
"Well you better be!" Rainbow Dash finished with a loud huff before groaning loudly and walking a few steps away, handing the rolled magazine over to Applejack, who looked equally as bemused as her. As all of her friends, for that matter, though some were more vocal about their feelings than others. As requested, all other Rainbooms (and Sci-Twi) came to see her at the warehouse eventually and were rightfully freaked out to see Sunset, their Sunset Shimmer, lying on the floor, beaten up, bloodied, with disheveled hair and ruined clothes. Except the jacket, it was spotless as ever. It took her a while to calm everyone down enough to be able to explain her recent adventure. During the explanation, their faces changed from concerned, to confused, to slightly annoyed to the way they were now. She knew they weren't going to be happy to hear it, but they still managed to surprise her.
SMACK!
With a paper bat that hurt like hell!
"Oww, I said I was sorry!" Sunset massaged her head after Applejack’s mighty swing.
"Please stop squirming." Fluttershy said in the least Fluttershyish tone she has ever heard her say. Not quite angry, but decidedly less gentle, even as she was carefully wiping blood from Sunset’s face with a gauze from Rarity's first-aid kit.
"Ah heard ya loud an'clear!" Applejack said, flailing the paper bat dangerously near Sunset’s face. "We jus' wanna know what da heck did ya think you were doin'?"
"I'm sor-" she stopped herself when Applejack’s stare hit her. Geez, I thought only Fluttershy was able to do it. She sighed with her shoulders slumped. "I-I didn't want to... endanger any of you...meep!"
"By risking your own life even more?" Now it was Rarity's turn to lash at her, as she walked over and claimed the weapon from Applejack and pointed it at Sunset's face. "What made you think you were safer alone than together with all of us?"
"Umm... she could've been a... changeling..."
Rarity's eyebrow twitched. "And was she?"
Sunset swallowed, feeling smaller than ever. "No, but..."
SMACK!
"Oww!"
"Sunset, darling, we do understand what you were trying to achieve. Suppose that Magical Girl Sunny did turn out to be a changeling, she could have used our Power of Friendship against us. We understand that part. But what we would like to know is WHY you didn't bother to tell us anything and went alone to fight her!"
"B-because..."
Rarity smacked the paper bat on her hand, raising an eyebrow. "Choose your next words carefully."
Sunset Shimmer swallowed. "Uhm, be-because... you would've stopped me..."
SMACK!
"Owww!"
"Of course we would have stopped you! You were going on a suicide mission alone, without anyone knowing, armed only with two hastily made magical gizmos!"
"I-I also took Pinkie's batter gun!" Sunset hopefully announced, turning towards Pinkie Pie. "And it worked very well! It saved my life and helped me turn the tide!"
"You're welcome, Sunny Bunny!" Pinkie Pie beamed. "But don't change the subject, I'm just as angry!" More like 'slightly less cheery but still smiling brightly', which for Pinkie standards had to be quite severe.
"Yeah, I figured..."
Rarity continued. "Sunset, what if, heavens forbid, something bad... well, worse happened to you? What if she was a lot stronger than she appeared? Or if she had someone to help her? How do you think we would feel if you disappeared without a trace for a long time while there's a clone of you running around? We would've been worried sick about you!"
"Y-yeah!" Fluttershy shouted, with Twilight nodding.
"And there wouldn't be a restraint strong enough to keep Rainbow Dash and Applejack from tearing the city apart, block by block!"
"Damn straight!" Rainbow shouted, with Applejack nodding.
"And let's not even theorize what Princess Twilight would bring with her from Equestria! Or how many space-time laws she'd have to break to get here on such short notice!"
Sunset sighed deeply, her shoulder slumped lower than ever before. "W-well, that's true, I... I didn't think of that..."
Rarity nodded. "No."
SMACK!
"You didn't!"
Maybe the wounds she received from the battle made her body weaker, or the adrenaline did way more to mitigate the pain she felt while getting punched, kicked and almost blown up on several occasions. But nothing Magical Girl Sunny threw at her hurt half as much as a stupid, rolled up magazine imbued with the Power of Friendship.
***
"Ouch!" Sunny winced, as a wet gauze touched her wounded face.
"Please stop squirming." Coco asked politely.
"I can't help it, it stings!"
"You've had worse," Coco deadpanned.
"I was on an adrenaline rush, I didn't feel pain. I'm more worried about you! You need to rest, my face can wait."
Coco pouted, not even slowing with her treatment. "I will rest when I'm done with you."
Sunny snorted. "Hehe, that's what she said!"
Coco paused cleaning her roommate's face and the two stared blankly at each other, one having a sheepish grin, the other... not. "...Sunset?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," she crossed her hands and turned her gaze away slightly "I'm sorry."
Coco couldn't help but giggle, resuming her nursing. "Good to know you're back to normal. Your normal." She said as she finished nursing her friend. "Okay, that should do it!" Coco hummed, looking at her friend's bruised face. While most of it was dirt and scratches, she still had a visible black eye and a few cuts. "Well, I won't sugarcoat it, it doesn't look pre-I mean, you've been better!" She pulled out a pocket mirror and let her have a look, at which Sunny winced slightly.
"I am so glad the school photo was weeks ago," she nodded to her friend "thanks anyway Coco. You're a lifesaver. Literally."
After a short pause filled with a little warm fuzzy inside, Coco continued. "Umm, I could cover some of it with enough make-up, b-but, you should take a few days off. I'm sure it'll get better in no time!"
Sunset hummed, before shrugging with a sigh. "Yeah, I shouldn't give people more gossip fodder. I don't want them to think you're the abusing type," Sunny said smiling slyly, but only for a second, biting her tongue a few words too late. She panicked and started flailing her hands around. "B-because there's no way you would do anything like that and if anyone ever implies something like that, I swear I will beat them up until they-"
"It's okay," Coco nodded, smiling weakly "it was just another one of your distasteful jokes. I know you didn't mean anything."
Sunny laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "Heh, yeah, sorry about that... wait, what do you mean 'another'?"
Nervous Cocough. "Do you mean it? You won't sneak out to fight crime the second I close my eyes?"
Eyeroll ensued. "No, mother, I promise I will stay in bed today. I doubt I could stand straight after the things she and I did today." Pause. Sunset's smile grew larger and slyler (that a word?). "I know I said I didn't ask her to be gentle, but she was a lot rougher than I wanted. Especially since it was my first time doing it. Now my legs are all shaky, but they say it gets better over time..."
"I get what you're trying to do," Coco deadpanned "but you have to try better than that!"
Sunny snorted. "Fair enough," she shrugged, turning away "you're growing up so fast I can barely recognize the frightened, tiny mousy-girl I invited not so long ago. In a good way, of course." Another warm fuzzy happened before Sunset continued.
"That said, unless you spontaneously developed some magical super powers of your own I would appreciate if you leave the action to me! Does that sound fair?" She asked, receiving a weak nod in return. "Good. Because the next time I see my double, I won't go easy! I admit, I took her a bit too lightly and she took me by surprise... two or three times, who's counting anyway?" She giggled sheepishly, unaware that Coco just turned to grab her laptop "I already got rid of one of her super gloves and she needs to be within melee range for the second one to work, so as long as I-"
"Sunset," Coco interrupted her friend, catching her attention "there's something I need to tell you," She slowly turned the screen for her roommate to see. Sunset's eyes slowly went wide at the opened MyStable profile.
"I wasn't meeting with my mother today..."
***
SMACK!
"Ow!" Sunset yelped as Sci-Twi smacked her this time. It was the weakest one physically, but internally it was a lot worse than all the previous ones combined.
"That's for losing the 'Power Gauntlet' prototype Princess Twilight and I worked so hard on!"
SMACK!"
"Ooww!" This one was at least twice as vicious, both physically and mentally.
"And that's for going alone, after I specifically told you that we would do it together!"
Rainbow chimed in. "Especially after the whole Midnight Sparkle thing we had just recently!" She paused, looked at Sci-Twi, and her face turned red. "I-I mean, n-"
"No offense, I know." Twilight rolled her eyes and turned away cross armed. "None. Taken."
"Yeah, it took a while to get used to it."
After a longer, silent moment, Fluttershy finished treating Sunset's wounds. "There you go! It might hurt a little for a few days, but there shouldn't be any scars or permanent damage. Just try not to get into a fist fight in near future, if that's okay with you?"
Sunset managed a weak smile. "Thanks Flutter-"
SMACK!"
"Ow!"
"I don't EVER want to treat your wounds again," Fluttershy unleashed her stare into Sunset’s eyes, the paper bat (when did she get this?) still patting the fiery-haired head "u-unless you get hurt, then I’ll definitely do my best to help you heal, even if I will do it reluctantly and I know I will be v-veryp-p-peeved if it's like today, b-but... did I make myself clear?"
Sunset nodded strongly, her eyes glued to 'The Stare'. "C-crystal clear!" Fluttershy nodded and 'The Stare' slowly turned into just a tiny stink eye (a technique vastly less powerful!).
"Kay, as much as Ah want ta keep punishin' Sunset Shimmer till the end of the week," Applejack started "we need to focus on the real problem. We know who Magical Girl Sunny ain't, but then- what is she? Who is she?" Everyone turned to Sunset, who was still nursing a huge headache. "Did ya learn anythin' new?"
While still massaging her new numerous bumps on her head, Sunset closed her eyes and hummed. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm even more confused after our fight. A lot of things add up to make a coherent explanation, but there are way too many inconsistencies!"
Everyone raised an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash asked. "Like what?"
"I thought she was out to get me for sure, but when we talked she seemed like she was just as confused as I was. I thought she was pretending at first, but I'm not so sure anymore. She seemed way too... honest. Like she believed she was the real one, who tried to fight the fake, which I kinda am, in a sense..." She hung her head on her hands. "And then, there's the magic she was using!"
Twilight finally let her pouting down and raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"All this time I assumed she would have all of my magic, but when it came to exchanging blows... let me put it this way, I counted at least three spells that would've been really handy in her situation. I was ready for a lot more than she used."
"That's good."
"Except, the few spells she used, she... I dunno how to explain it," she crossed her arms and looked at the sky for a few seconds before answering "what little she was using, she used it up to its full potential. Like, I know channeling magical energy into limbs without damaging yourself is possible, but she was able to do it almost instantly!" She noticed the puzzled expressions of some of her friends, so she quickly explained (rolling her eyes in the process). "Her punches exploded."
"Awesome!" Rainbow chimed in.
"And the way she was using a teleportation spell. I knew it was technically possible to transfer objects outside of your line of sight, or even ones you're not aware of existing, but still, she made it look so... so effortless!"
There was a moment of silence, before Twilight spoke. "Does that mean you weren't able to do any of this as a unicorn?"
"I... I won't say I wasn't able to, as much as I never went that far with any of the spells I learned. I was more into learning as many as I possibly could, more for the sake of knowing them than ever utilizing any of them. Quantity over quality."
Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "All this power and you never wanted to use it?"
"I did. I just... didn't know where." Her head lowered. "Or how." Lower. "Or when." A chill went by the near area, even though there were barely any clouds on the sky. "Even when I got the element of magic, all I did was-"
SMACK!
"Oww, why?" She asked through the tears of a newborn bump.
Rarity smacked the paper bat on her hand. "Sunset darling, we've had this conversation before."
"Three times at least!" Rainbow added.
"We explored all the angles we could and we learned all of our lessons, so let's keep our focus on present time. That said," she coughed "you mentioned something about another girl that was there?"
Still massaging her newest bump, a still very fresh image of Magical Girl Sunny and her friend (?) appeared in her mind, still giving her an uneasy feeling. "I don't know if she was there all this time, but when... it happened, she was so terrified she missed a golden opportunity to-... umm," she coughed and omitted the part where she almost died. Again. Her friends heard enough of that angle. "I think her name was Coco," she frowned "I don't know who she was to her, but I hope she's okay. I mean, I know we just fought and all, but seeing her so afraid and... and vulnerable, it... it put a different perspective on things."
"Like how evil can she be when she displayed so much care for someone else?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, that. I would've felt and acted the same if any of you were hurt. Especially if it was my fault, even if it was just an accident."
After a brief moment of silence, Sunset's friends each fought with their own self to not smile warmly, because they were supposed to be angry and this was no time for warm fuzzies, no matter how well she put her words together.
"Wait, her name was Coco?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"Hmm... I think it's nothing, but did she happen to have shoulder length cyan hair? And was she about this size?" She motioned her hand to somewhere around her neck.
"I didn't get a good look at her, but I think she might be... why?"
"Because, and it's a longshot, I remember someone like that, from Crystal Prep." All eyes went wide at the shrunken from overabundance of attention Twilight. "W-we were sharing some classes a-and I remember t-that one time she forgot her book, s-so the teacher h-had us share mine a-and... it was terrifiying! Though at least she was really quiet, so it wasn't a complete disaster!"
Sunset put a finger to her chin and hummed for a moment. "It's worth a shot, I guess. We don't really have any other leads. Is there anyone we could call to confirm that?"
"Twilight, can you call Cadence?" Rarity asked. "She's pretty much your big sister."
"Unfortunately I can't. Her and Shining Armor are still on their honeymoon in the mountains. Besides, if she saw Sunset Shimmer in Crystal Prep she would've dropped everything and called me right away!"
"And there's no way to contact her?"
"Believe me, we tried! I don't know if there's no reception or they're always busy with whatever they're doing in a secluded hut far away from civilization-"
Rainbow raised her hands. "Okay, stop now! We don't need any mental images of your brother and sister in law!"
Twilight blinked and tilted her head. "What mental ima-" then her brain shut down. When it rebooted itself ten seconds later, her face soured, as if she just swallowed a whole lemon with a side of tabasco, which explained why it was getting steamy red. "Eeeeeewww! Eewwewwweewwwww!"
SMACK!
"Ow!" Rainbow cried. While Sunset felt sympathy knowing full well about her pain, she also tried to hide a smile of satisfaction from it not being her for once! Rarity wasn't as strong physically as Applejack or Rainbow Dash, neither were her hits as emotionally damaging as Fluttershy's or Twilight's, but she somehow managed to be a jack of all trades when it came to scolding. With a paper bat. "What?! I didn't say anything!"
"With your impeccable timing, you didn't need to!"
"U-uhm, can we go back to the topic before it gets too embarrasing? If that's okay with all of you... please!?"
Sunset coughed. "Right, let's! So, we need to figure out who that Coco girl is and if she's the same one Twilight remembers. Is there anyone else we can ask?"
"Her name is Coco Pommel, she's our age, she lives in the Crystal Prep dorms and she used to be a member of a fashion club, but quit recently." Pinkie Pie announced with the peppiest, beamingiest smile only a Pinkie Pie on a normal day could muster. She was met with six blank stares that only Pinkie Pie's friends after hearing a surprising announcement were able to do.
"Pinkie Pie... how long did you know that?"
"For about five seconds before I told you!" She showed them her phone. "While you were busy talking about Dean Cadence and Twilight's brother having se-"
"PINKIE PIE!"
"MEEP!"
"GAH!"
"AAAAAAAH!"
"EEEWWW!"
Pinkie shrugged. "What? It's not weird or anything. That's what married couples do!" She rolled her eyes and turned to the readers. "Sheesh, and they say I'm the ditz!"
After a moment of cooldown, Sunset managed to soldier on. "Pinkie, just... just get to the point!"
"Alrighty! I texted Lemon Zest if she knew any Coco and that's what she answered!"
Everyone blinked. Applejack recovered first. "By Lemon Zest, ya mean one o'the Shadowbolts?"
"Yup!"
"...huh. Why did’n we think'o that?" Sunset scratched her head and had a look over all her non-Pinkie friends to confirm from their expressions that they were all on the same boat- none of them actually kept in touch with anyone in Crystal Prep. After-Friendship Games party was one thing, but once they parted ways, the contact was severed as they never intended to talk to them again. Not because there was any animosity left, but more like they had nothing to talk about and, contrary to what some cartoons taught them, there was a limit to how many friends one can have at any given moment.
Such limits were not an issue to Pinkamena "Reality Is Optional" Diane Pie.
A cheerful beat announced another text appearing on her phone. "Oh, she sent another! She says..."
She's dating Sunset Shimmer, they're totes adorbs <3<3<3 Btw, you guys had a fight or smth? She doesn't want to talk to us at all. I thought we were cool -_-'
A well earned silence loomed over the seven friends for a long period of time.
***
"...I listened to your voice mail and you know the rest." Coco finished telling her story, all the while doing everything in her power to avoid eye contact, though if she sneaked a better peek she would've noticed it wasn't the issue, as Sunny was almost obsessively absorbed in checking everything she could find about the other Sunset Shimmer. "Umm, Sunset, are you..."
"Every word," Sunset answered without sparing her a single glance. After a brief pause, she closed the laptop and let out a loud sigh. "She was there all this time?"
"Y-yeah."
"Long before I arrived?"
"It-it would seem so."
"She was even at the Friendship Games! And here I thought it wasn't anything important!" She chuckled to herself "That's why everybody acted so weird around me!"
"I-I didn't know anything about that too! I wasn't chosen for the team, s-so..."
The two stopped talking for a while, each trying to piece together the large amounts of recently acquired information. Sunset opened the laptop again to take a look at some of the recent Sunset Shimmer photos. Most importantly, a group picture of the main six members of each team during the friendship games, which included Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle (whose room she was apparently inheriting!), five Shadowbolts she met in passing during the last few weeks (all of a sudden all their familiar behavior made a lot more sense), as well as five girls she didn't recognize. There's something familiar about them, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
"Sunset Shimmer?"
Sunset looked up at her friend's oddly determined eyes. The kind of face she didn't see often, that managed to take all of her attention. "Yes?"
Coco swallowed, then took a deep breath before asking. "Who are you?"
Sunset didn't answer.
"T-this morning, when I found her page, I-I realized just how much I know about you... or rather, how much I don't know, and it made me... doubt," her eyes lowered, but her voice, as trembling as it was, pressed on "and everyone I spoke to said such… such kind things of her, the other Sunset Shimmer, that I didn't know what to think anymore and... and..." a few lone tears slid by her cheeks "and things happened and I realized that I... that you... that you are the best thing that happened to me... I know how it sounds, but I'm serious! And whoever you really are, or whatever you are and whatever you want, I just want to say... that I trust you! But... but I have to know!"
Sunset kept being silent.
"I don't care what you want to do, or where you are from, be-because I decided that... that whatever happens, I will be there for you, l-like... like you were for me... I just, I want to know the truth! No matter what it is!" She paused to look up to see Sunset in the eyes. "I won't ask you for anything else, but I need to know! I want to know!"
The two pair of eyes were locked into each other for a brief moment, before Sunny suddenly raised her hand toward her friend. Coco jerked her head away and closed her eyes on instinct, but quickly opened it when she felt a gentle pat on her head.
"I swear, you have the craziest imagination!" She chuckled. "What did I do to you to inspire such loyalty?" She asked, gently stroking Coco's head. "What if I'm really a nasty monster?"
"You're not! N-not to me, at least."
Sunset snorted, then took her patting hand towards Coco's face to gently wipe her friend's tears with her thumb. As the tear drops soaked into the gloves, Sunny continued. "I didn't want my past to define me and I wanted everyone to see me, both Sunset Shimmer and Magical Girl Sunny, as I am today and nothing else. Canterlot City and Crystal Prep were going to be a new, fresh start, far away from yesterday. I never wanted to go back there because... well, it's not the easiest thing to talk about, to be perfectly honest."
Coco lowered her head. "Oh... w-well, if it's this painful to you-"
"But!" Sunset quickly interrupted her. "If knowing everything will prevent you from making another reckless mistake... then you, of all people, should know."
Coco swallowed, her palms tightly grabbing her skirt in anticipation.
***
"She was in Crystal Prep ALL ALONG!?" Rainbow Dash verbalized everyone's thoughts. "Why didn't anyone tell us?!"
"That's a good question!" Sunset said, then turned to Pinkie Pie. The party girl nodded and sent another text, getting a reply shortly thereafter.
We thought you knew o_O We didn't ask you because we didn't want to interfere... also Sunset is a jerk.
Rarity hit her face with her palm. "The age old 'you didn't ask'... I thought this only happened in cartoons!"
"But now what?" Twilight asked. "Should we tell her the truth?"
Sunset hummed and eventually nodded. "It's only a matter of time before people will start figuring it out. Lemon Zest has the right to know, especially if we're going to need her help later."
After sending a more elaborate, multi part text via Pinkie Pie's phone, the Rainbooms and Sci-Twi waited for an answer for a bit longer than usual. Once they started to get worried, they were assaulted by a myriad of text messages. Most of them were pictures of cartoons and celebrities, each wearing a varying degree of shock, surprise and general bewilderment, until the last one contained actual text.
THAT. EXPLAINS. SO. MUCH!
"She took it a lot better than I thought." Fluttershy noted.
"Well, now that we have this out of the way," Sunset continued "we need to ask her if she could let us inside the dorms."
"And then what?" Applejack asked. "Ya wanna go for round two?"
"No, I've had my fair share of mirror matches for a lifetime. I want to talk, this time for real. I have a feeling she doesn't feel like fighting me ei-"
SMACK!
"Owww!" Sunset yelped, holding her head where another bump suddenly appeared. "Pinkie Pie? Why the heck did you do that!?"
"Sorry," Pinkie smiled sheepishly, trying to hide the paper bat behind her back "I never got my turn, and the timing was getting worse, so..."
"Ugh, nevermind that! Could you please send one more message and ask if she could help us tomorrow?"
"Roger dodger!"
"Oh, and one more thing! I want to be as discreet as possible..."
***
"...also, don't tell anybody else," Lemon Zest read the text out loud "we need to keep this a secret from everyone for a little... longer..."
One blink. She looked up from her phone and looked at the other girls gathered at the cafeteria table. Indigo Zap had her finger up and mouth opened but said nothing. Sunny Flare had her arms crossed, with one eyebrow slightly raised. Sour Sweet was in between transition between cute and rude. Sugarcoat betrayed no emotion. Lemon Zest went back to her phone, then again at her friends.
"Yeah... whoops."
***
A series of loud knocking on the door woke Sunny up. She opened her eyes lazily and raised her body to a sitting position with barely endured pain. I knew I was going to feel it in my bones, but this isn't funny! She let out a loud yawn, grabbing her phone from her desk to check the time. Already past noon? It's a good thing we're skipping class today, otherwise we'd be so in trouble for getting late... Putting her phone back, she glanced at the other bed. Coco was still sleeping cutely and deeply as always. After the day we went through, I don't blame her.
A few more knocks caught her attention. She groaned and finally forced herself out of her nest, though reluctantly. "I'm coming, I'm coming, geez!" She went towards the doors, checking herself in the mirror to fix her bed head, even if only slightly, before unlocking the door. She expected one of the teachers or the class president coming to scold her and Coco for skipping school, but instead she was met with the green haired Shadowbolt. What was her name? Some citrus... Orange?
"What do you want?"
The girl scratched her head a bit. "Hi, I don't really want anything in particular myself..."
"Then bye!" She was about to violently shut the door, but Lemon Zest (THAT was her name!) quickly held it back.
"I brought someone who wants to see you!"
Sunset blinked and leaned out of the door frame to look to her right, where the other four Shadowbolts were waiting. She then turned to her left, where a different group of girls stood in the distance. Despite being a few doors away, she easily recognized all five original Rainbooms, as well as Twilight Sparkle. And then, there was her, just like she remembered from their first meeting, except without any gloves, instead holding some sort of plastic bag in one hand.
If not for yesterday's talk, her first reaction would've been either throwing the first punch, fireball, or better yet, teleport her and Coco out of here... except she didn't feel like it anymore. She faced the other Sunset Shimmer, while everyone else gathered on the hallway held back their shocked expressions from seeing two identical girls in one place. Except Sugarcoat, she had no problem masking her surprise.
"Hi." Jacket Shimmer waved her other hand.
"Yo." Pajama Shimmer did the same. "So, you found me again."
"I got lucky, I guess," she scratched her head, then reached inside the bag "you lost something, and I came to give it back to you." That said, she pulled out a familiar looking black beret, as well as a pair of aviator sunglasses.
Sunny looked at the two items, then turned back to her room to see Coco awake, though still groggy and looking at her in confusion. She turned back to Sunset and accepted the items.
Fifteen minutes turned into twenty five, but to their credit, the Rainbooms, the Shadowbolts and Sci-Twi were patiently waiting on the hallway, while Magical Girl Sunset Shimmer and Coco prepared themselves. At some points they were worried they had escaped through the window (or teleported away) and had to knock on the door to confirm that they were just taking a while to clean and prepare themselves, both mentally, fashionly (that is not a word!) and whatever other ways there were to have a calm, civilized talk. The first few minutes of waiting were a little awkward, until Pinkie Pie took out some card game about dwarves digging tunnels, searching for gold and sabotaging each other to pass the time. They were about to finish the last round when both girls opened the door and noticed twelve girls, sitting in a circle around a network of tunnels made out of cards, all looking at them pleadingly, as if begging for 'one more turn'.
Magical Girl Sunset, currently in her civilian uniform of black long pants, tight sweater, as well as recently reacquired beret and sunglasses leaned to Coco. "I imagined this moment a bit differently." Coco only chuckled sheepishly.
Unicorn Sunset Shimmer stood up first. "So, ready to talk?"
"Yeah, I guess we are," she nodded, before her stomach made a few unflattering noises. She looked away with a slight blush "...right after a late breakfast!"
***
One late breakfast (and small snacks for the others, because waiting for two people to eat while not having anything didn't feel fair for the establishment) in the nearby fast food joint, the group of fourteen girls were ready for a long awaited exposition. They claimed the large table in the corner, away from the crowds and cashiers, but still open enough that nobody felt like they were in any danger from either party.
Sunset Shimmer (the unicorn version) started "Before we get anywhere, I need to ask you one last time and please, please be completely, one hundred percent honest with me on this one."
"Yes. I am still a virgin."
Indigo Zap, Sour Sweet, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity spat their drinks at the same time. The others had better luck of not having any beverage near their mouth, though Sugarcoat was unfortunate to sit at a wrong angle, but she took a stream of soda to the face with the utmost dignity. Or apathy, it was hard to tell.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Beret Shimmer giggled (totally worth it!) "it's true, though."
Jacket Sunset blinked. "Uh... kay... good to know?"
"Welcome to my world..." Coco managed to deadpan.
Beret Sunset kept chuckling nervously. "Hey, at least it helped break the ice, right?" She took a look at the gathered girls, some of which were still wiping their mouths, tables and Sugarcoat, then coughed and looked away. "Sorry."
Jacket Shimmer nodded, but couldn't help a smile. She got that part right! "What is your name?"
"Sunset Shimmer."
"I figured you'd say that."
"Back at you, what is your name?"
"My name is Sunset Shimmer, too."
There was a pause. The two had their eyes locked at each other.
"Seems like we're at an impasse."
"It appears so."
After another brief pause of everyone too afraid to say something, Rarity coughed. "May I interject? Can we please find some good way to differentiate you two in speech? Because I swear, the last thing we need is having to specify which Sunset Shimmer we are talking about every sentence!" She raised her hand. "All in favor?"
Everyone raised their hands. The choosing part, however...
"Sunset Shimmer#1 and Sunset Shimmer#2 are out of the question?" Twilight asked. "I-I mean, she" pointing at CHS Sunset "was here first... no? Okay, nevermind."
"CHS Sunset and CP Sunset doesn't quite roll off the tongue either."
"What about Jacket Shimmer and Beret Shimmer? Isn't that what we think of them right now?"
"I don't wear the beret as a Magical Girl."
"Can't we just call them Old and New Sunset?"
"How is that different than number 1 and number 2?"
"Other than not sounding like a potty emergency?"
"I mean, we know our Sunset is a lot older than us, so-"
"I'M NOT OLD!"
"Sure, you're eternally seventeen."
"Not what I meant!"
"Why don't we just call them Human Sunset and Po-"
"PINKIE PIE!"
"What? You were going to tell her anyway!"
"But not right now!"
"'Po' what?" Magical Girl Sunny asked, looking over the group, who all of a sudden averted their eyes . "What are you not telling me?"
"I will tell you everything, I promise," Sunset 'Unicorn' Shimmer reassured her "but let's get this sorted out first!"
"Let's just call them Lucy and Stacy!"
Magical Girl Sunny facepalmed. "Okay, this is getting silly!" She stood up from her chair and pointed a finger at her double. "You can be Sunset, I don't mind, and I'll be Sunny. Does that sound fair?"
"I-I guess...?"
"I object!" Sunny Flare raised her hand, but Lemon Zest lowered it, shaking her head to her in a 'not now' manner.
"You're okay with not being called by your name?" Indigo Zap raised an eyebrow.
"I'm making the necessary sacrifice!" She proudly announced. "Also, I wouldn't make myself a nickname I didn't like in the first place. Now, can we go back to whatever super secret you're hiding from me, or do I have to beat you up one more time?" She waited a little while, but was met mostly with confused and terrified stares. She swallowed. "I'm not going to beat you, or anyone else for that matter... I promise!" She scratched her head, as everyone sighed with relief.
Sunset took a deep breath. "I have to warn you first: what you're about to hear might sound a bit... insane."
Sunny chuckled and waved her hand. "Girl, I'm a teleporting, fire shooting, crime fighting teenage superhero at the table with her doppelganger who fought me with a pair of gloves that shoot energy and suck magic, as well as a squirt gun that shoots cinnamon liquid concrete—"
"I'm sorry, what?" Sour Sweet asked, but was swiftly ignored.
"—you have to try really, really hard to surprise me!"
"I'm a unicorn."
Single blink. "...what."
"I am a unicorn who came to this world by a magical mirror (which also turned me into a human), from the magical land of Equestria." After a brief pause she added. "It's a land of ponies. And other magical creatures. But mostly ponies."
All sounds stopped. Sunny blinked a few times. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then a tiny smirk appeared on her face, which then grew into a goofy smile, before she snorted once. She burst into laughter.
"Pffbwahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA" That lasted at least a few minutes. Once her lungs gave up, she stopped to take a breath, then went into another fit of laughter again. The cycle repeated one more time, before Sunny finally calmed down for long enough to notice that she was the only one laughing. Everyone else's expressions ranged from annoyed grimaces, sheepish giggles and patient, but understanding, polite smiles.
She coughed and asked. "You're not kidding?"
Sunset shook her head.
Sunny turned to everyone else. "She's not kidding?" Everyone else either shrugged, shook their heads or otherwise confirmed or didn't deny. She looked at Coco, who was only able to offer a confused shrug, then back at Sunset. "Oh my god, you're not kidding!?" She asked, getting a simple head shake in response.
"Okay..." She took a sip of her soda, then composed herself, joined her hands before her with elbows on the table and looked Sunset in the eyes. "I'm listening."
And so she listened to more or less the entire story of how Sunset "Unicorn" Shimmer appeared in this world. She started from being a student to Princess Celestia, to crossing the boundaries of reality and appearing in CHS and manipulating its students into fighting each other, meeting Pri-Twi, turning into a raging She-Demon and getting blasted with the Power of Friendship. She skimmed over her redemption arc, only briefly mentioning the Sirens and Battle of the Bands, but went into more detail when it came to Friendship Games, from the confusion over Sci-Twi, the magical anomalies happening from it, to the epic Daydream Shimmer and Midnight Sparkle battle, which made her recent fight seem like a friendly sparring match (it really wasn’t).
"So, lemme get this straight..." Sunny asked, massaging the top of her nose. "...you're from a dimension of pastel ponies..."
"Pretty much."
"...where everyone from this world has an equine counterpart...?"
"I'm not sure about everyone, but most of the CHS, and even some Crystal Prep, students and faculty do have a counterpart there, like Twilight, or the Rainbooms. And, apparently, you."
"...and you're some sort of... magical pony princess?"
"No, I'm just a regular unicorn, although I personally know two of them." She touched her chin to think. "I could probably contact Luna and Cadance if I wanted to, though."
Sunny blinked, then leaned over to Coco. "Wasn't Cadence the name of our Dean? The one who's on her honeymoon?"
Sci-Twi answered instead. "Yes, she's a princess in Equestria. Also my sister in law, in both worlds... don't ask."
Sunset continued. "Princesses are all alicorns, which is a winged unicorn, and you have to be either born as one, or earn it with your actions, like Pri-Twi did." She paused, then averted her eyes. "Like I could have, but didn't." Without looking, she raised her hand towards the Rainbooms. "No, I'm not brooding! Put the magazine away!"
The Rainbooms (and Sci-Twi) looked at each other, smiling nervously. "A-ah dunno what yer talkin' bout!" Applejack said nervously, discreetly hiding her copy of 'Ranchers Monthly' back to her backpack.
Sunny sat low on her seat, arms crossed, eyes wandering from her almost empty cup to Sunset, then back, trying to process everything. She turned to the Shadowbolts. "Did you all know that?"
Sunny Flare shrugged. "Not all of it, but we got the general idea. We were right there when Sunset and Twilight turned into Daydream and Midnight, respectively. When the dimensional borders cracked, we saw a little bit of Equestria and it's real."
Indigo Zap added. "Although we never knew Sunset was actually a unicorn."
Sunset shrugged. "It never came up."
Sunny slowly nodded. "I'm gonna need some time to process all of that. Like... a week. Maybe two?"
Coco crossed her arms and pouted away. "’This is one of the dumbest theories you had’, she said" they didn't miss the tiny smirk on her face "'just because I know some tricks doesn't mean we have alternative realities', she said. I suppose we're in season 2, now that we have a magical land of ponies and fairies." Coco's smirk grew a few sizes, while Sunny looked away, blushing heavily.
"Shut up..."
Coco didn't say any other words, content with the rare opportunity to giggle to herself at Sunny's expense.
"I told you my story as promised," Sunset continued "now it's your turn."
After a brief pause, Sunny snorted. "My story... my story is not even half as interesting as yours." She sighed deeply and turned with a weak smile to Coco. "Well, there goes our little secret."
"They were going to find out eventually." Coco said.
Sunny smiled, then scratched her head. "I don't know where to begin, really? Here I was, living my life, when one day I woke up with powers!" She announced, then paused. "Huh, that's easier to explain than I imagined!"
Sunset blinked. "That's it?"
"Pretty much. When I woke up, I was floating above the floor and I didn't have time to yell before I faceplanted into the carpet. After that, a bunch of things in my room started floating around, appearing and disappearing in and out, and I burned my favorite shirt! Thankfully, I saw enough cartoons to realize what was going on, so I managed to calm down and everything went back to normal. Minus the burned clothes and all the mess I had to clean up, that is."
The Rainbooms hummed and looked at each other, before Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "That's it? No evil clones, long lost twins or at least a changeling from Equestria?"
"Trust me, I'm more disappointed than you are."
"When exactly was that?" Twilight asked.
"About two months ago. Why?"
As if one girl, all the Rainbooms, Shadowbolts and Twilight synchronised on a single answer. "Friendship Games!"
Sunny and Coco looked at each other but could only shrug.
"Could Sunny's magical powers come from opening the rift between two worlds?" Rarity asked and everyone's gazes turned to Sci-Twi and Sunset.
"We'll have to ask Princess Twilight if it's possible," Sunset said, then turned back to Sunny "does anyone else know about it? The powers or superheroing?"
Sunny shook her head. "Coco was the only one I told anything."
"What 'bout yer parents?" Applejack asked. "Ya did'n tell them anythin'?" Sunny opened her mouth, but immediately closed it and turned to the side. "Ah can't image they support riskin' yer life like that?" As she waited for an answer, she noticed Coco behind Sunny's back, shaking her head and hands. Applejack raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what she was trying to tell her.
Sunny turned to Coco, who immediately stopped and looked away. She smiled at her, clearly aware of what her friend was trying to achieve, then turned back to everyone. "No, my... current legal guardians don't know a thing. In fact, I promised them I would stay out of trouble," she chuckled nervously "heh, teenagers, can't trust them, huh?" She tried to contaminate the air with her forced, fake laughter, but she couldn't fool anyone, herself included. She sighed, then explained.
"We went on a family trip, my parents and I, when I was six, but on the way back there was an... accident," her head lowered, she put her shaking hands on the table, as she ignored anyone who tried to stop her. "My parents died on the spot, while I ended up in a hospital in a critical condition. I woke up six months later. They said it was a miracle that I survived... yay me."
There was a small pause. Nobody else had any guts to say a thing. A moment later, she felt someone's hand touching her. She turned to Coco, who was smiling weakly, but brightly nonetheless. She couldn't help but brighten up a bit as well.
"After that, I landed in an orphanage, then in a foster family. Eventually, I settled on a boarding high-school, before getting my powers and transferring here in the middle of the school year, for... personal reasons," she took a deep breath, then exhaled "wow, it sure feels good to get it off my chest! I feel much better now!" She looked around the table, where the general reactions ranged from terrified, tearing up, shocked, patronizing and Sugarcoat's lack of reaction.
Fluttershy was the first one to break the silence. "I-I'm sorry, we didn't-"
Sunny raised her hand. "Stop! Don't say another word!"
"B-but..."
"I'm an all A student in the most prestigious school this side of the globe, also a superhero with magical powers and a set of fabulous dresses. My life is awesome. I don't need nor want any pity from anyone!"
"But..."
"Anyone who tries to treat me like a helpless, poor little orphan girl will be punched in the face without warning!" She pointed at Sunset. "Ask her how pleasant it feels."
"It doesn't."
"Thank you!"
After a brief moment, Rarity coughed. "I feel that I know what the answer will be by now, but I will ask anyway," she looked into Sunny's eyes "are we friends already?"
Sunny blinked, looked at everyone at the table, then shrugged. "Well, after all this talk, I don't feel like being your enemy, so... I guess so?"
Rarity sighed. "Oh, thank heavens! Because I've been meaning to ask you... umm," she looked at everyone gathered "just to be clear, we don't have any lingering questions or details left to talk about that can't wait for some other time?" Everyone looked at each other, a few whispers were exchanged, before everyone agreed that the most important part was behind them and whatever doubts there were could wait for another time. With that in mind, Rarity nodded and went back to Sunny. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you get those fantastic designs? They are like nothing I have ever seen before! Are you making then with your magic?"
"Oh, that?" Sunny chuckled, pushing Coco before herself. "Everything Magical Girl Sunny wears comes from the creative mind and hands of this here miss Pommel," she leaned over the flustered Coco "say hi, Coco!"
Coco stuttered, but waved her hand anyway. "H-hi?"
Sunny giggled, all but passing her friend to Rarity. "Ain't she adorable?"
"Quite," Rarity nodded, then turned all her attention to the tiny girl "miss Pommel, you just must tell me how you came up with all of your ideas!"
Coco blinked. She looked at Sunny, getting a nod of approval, so she nodded back and the two fashionistas started their dialogue. Sunny moved her chair away from the two, who at this point were speaking in 'fabulous' and she couldn't understand every second word that came out of their mouths, but she was glad to see there was someone who could speak with Coco like an equal. She seems familiar, but I can't quite put a finger on it. Where have I seen her before? She was happy for her. And not jealous at all!
Before they noticed, the topic of two Sunset Shimmers got moved to the backburner and most people were already engaged in their own topics, and she wasn't feeling like she was on an interrogation anymore. Part of it had something to do with there being two Twilight Sparkles and the Princess one sending her regards via magical book. Everyone got busy on their own and nobody was looking at her anymore. All, except one person. Her other self, that is. This will take FOREVER to get used to! Sunset "Unicorn" Shimmer was the only person not engaged in any small talk.
Sunny got off her seat and joined her, as she sat alone, distanced from everyone else. "You've been awfully quiet for some time. Food for thought?"
Sunset sighed. "I'm just thinking about... stuff. I still have a lot of questions."
"Such as?"
"When I first got here, I found... Sunset Shimmer. This world's Sunset Shimmer, who was..."
"My great-aunt," Sunny interrupted her "she used to live in Canterlot, and passed away a few years ago. Is that what you almost said yesterday. before you stopped yourself?"
Sunset nodded. "Great-aunt?"
"Yup. My grandfather's sister, who I inherited the name after. I only met her once, way back in the day and I barely remember a thing. My grandfather used to say that she loved this city and wanted nothing but to protect it as its first ever female police officer," she snorted "he said I looked just like her."
Sunset managed a smile as well. "I guess bravado runs in the family. I could show you where her grave is. If you want to visit her someday."
Sunny nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that... so, any other questions?"
Sunset hummed for a moment, before asking. "Why did you become a magical girl?"
Sunny giggled. "That was Coco's idea, actually. I wanted to be the usual, spandex wearing superhero, but she insisted that this would've gone with public a lot better. And, truth be told, it grew on me!"
"No, I mean, why have you decided to fight crime at all?"
Sunny paused, her head lowering. "Because I can..."
Sunset blinked. "That's it?"
"...and I remember a time when I couldn't," she sighed, then added in a hushed tone "my previous foster family... they're all currently in jail or juvie. Don't pity them, they had it coming and they deserve everything that happened to them. For years, I couldn't do anything, no matter how much I wanted. Then I got my powers and all of a sudden, I could do a lot. I could do... something!" She announced with a cheerful smile, but quickly noticed Sunset's confusion. "It's a long story. Remind me someday to tell it to you." Sunset only nodded. After a brief moment of silence between the two, Sunny continued. "Does it bother you?"
"What?"
"Some girl that looks like you fights crime in the city and the internet won't shut up about it. Does it bother you?"
Sunset took a while to answer. "Not anymore," she shook her head "it used to, but only because it happened so suddenly, and because I didn't know anything. But now... I think the world could use some help," she reached out to her jacket pocket and produced a small, black box "the owner of a certain jewelry store thinks so, at least. I was asked to deliver this to you." She opened the box, revealing a pair of golden earrings, shaped as two suns with wavy beams coming out of it.
Sunny's eyes went wide as she whistled. "They're... beautiful!" She leaned closer to examine them in detail. "I'm not a jewelry person, but this... I don't know, the shape just... speaks to me, somehow."
"That's our cutie mark."
"A what mark?"
"Cutie mark. Pony stuff, remind me to tell you about it some day."
Sunny nodded, then reached her hand to grab the box, but Sunset pulled it away at the last moment.
"But just to be clear, I only accept Magical Girl Sunny because she's doing good for the world!" She said, making Sunny roll her eyes. "I promised everyone that, as a local expert on magic, I will keep magic of this world in check, so-"
"Yes, yes, if I ever abuse my powers and go bad, we'll have a round two."
"Exactly. And this time it won't end in a draw."
Sunny snorted. "Draw? Please, I handed your ass to you!"
Sunset looked away. "I was holding back."
"Uh-huh. That wasn't even your final form, huh?"
"Actually, it really wasn't. Next time you'll have a taste of Daydream."
"Just accept it, sister. I won!"
"I'm serious! I almost got you, even though I was only using a few hastily made gizmos!"
"That's like saying you didn't lose because you used your left hand!"
"Actually, I'm left handed!"
"So am I!"
"Go figure." The two matched their eyes for a while longer, before they smiled and burst into laughter.
Sunset wiped a single tear, then gave Sunny the box. "Okay, I believe you. But you have to promise to be careful!"
"I promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly," she started reciting, but in the middle of her sentence she noticed Sunset gasping at her. She heard a few voices behind her doing the exact same, so she turned around "stick a cupcake..." to notice the Rainbooms and Sci-Twi gasping just as loudly "...in my..." She turned back, but instead of Sunset, a pink face launched at her.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW A PINKIE PROMISE?!"
"EEeeyee!" She yelled as she fell back with her chair.
SMASH!
"Oww!" She said slowly, while Sunset had a strange feeling of deja 'not quite' vu.
The pink Rainboom (I thought only I could teleport here! What was her name again? Violet Cake? Fuschia Tart?) smiled sheepishly, offering a helping hand. "Whoops, sorry!" Once back on her feet, the girl bombarded her with questions. "How do you know a Pinkie Promise? Who told you that? Do you know what will happen if you break a Pinkie Promise? Is your head okay?"
Sunny massaged her head, while looking at the girl with confusion. Cyan Biscuit? Scarlet Cookie? No, that can't be right! "Pinkie... Promise?"
The pink girl nodded energetically. "Yup, that's a Pinkie Promise!" Her face went closer to Sunny. "Which I created!" And closer. "And only my friends know about it!" 'Will kiss if moved an inch' close. "Did you spy on us?"
Sunset pulled the girl away a notch, giving Sunny much needed space to breathe. "Pinkie Pie, personal space!"
Pinkie Pie... meh, close enough. "It's just something I made up," Sunny explained, scratching the back of her head "or more like, something I dreamed of a long time ago."
Pinkie Pie crossed her arms and tilted her head, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh really?"
Sunny shrugged. "I kept having this dream while I was in a coma," she scratched her head "I was friends with this girl, but then I had to go away, so she made me promise, with that rhyme, that I would be back, but..." she sighed, as her head narrowed "...that was the day before my accident, so yeah."
Everyone went silent, not wanting to dig the emotionally draining topic any deeper. Except Pinkie Pie. "So you promised to come back, but you couldn't because you had an accident?"
"Yes. It was just a dream, though."
Pinkie Pie opened and closed her mouth a few times. That reaction alone made almost everyone speechless. "What if she's still waiting?"
Sunny paused for a moment. "I guess, but it's not like she's... real..." she stopped, as her eyes widened.
Pinkie Pie took one step closer. "What do you remember about her?"
Sunny blinked and moved closer to Pinkie. "It was a long time ago, I only remember that she had... she had..." she swallowed, before continuing "...pink... skin... and hair..." She took a deep breath, her eyes going wider than ever before. "...Diane?"
Pinkie swallowed. "Shimmy?"
Sunny covered her mouth with her hands, as tears appeared in her eyes. "Diane!"
"Diane?" Twilight asked, looking between Sunset 'Magical Girl' Shimmer and Pinkie 'Might as well be magical too' Pie.
"Shimmy?" Coco asked as well, tilting her head at the scene.
"Diane!" Sunny exclaimed as she raised both of her arms.
"Shimmy!" Pinkie Pie did the same, and before anyone could say 'wait, what's actually happening?', the two embraced each other in a very tight, tearful hug.
A round of 'd'awwwing' ensued, even if the context of the scene eluded them for a moment. Rainbow Dash was the first one to shake her head and ask the most important question. "Wait, what the heck is actually going on?"
Everyone, aside from Pinkie Pie and Sunny, started looking at each other, shrugging and asking each other the exact same question. In the middle of all this, the two were still tightly locked in a hug.
"I thought you were just a dream!" Sunny said in between her tears.
"And I thought you were an imaginary friend, like many others!" Pinkie replied.
"I mean, look at you!" Sunny released the hug to take a better look at her entire body. "You're all... corporeal, and grown up and... and your hair is so puffy!" She patted Pinkie's bouncy hair.
"And you're a superhero now! Like, how cool is that?!"
"Very cool! It's a lot of fun!"
"I know, I've been there and done that!"
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" And then the two shared a laugh together.
Sunny Flare raised a hand. "No, can we please have some context now?" Pause. "The twelve of us left feel a bit left out." As she said, everyone else nodded and turned to the duo. The two turned to the group, smiling brightly as they rushed with an explanation.
"So, that time I went into a coma?" Sunny asked, not missing a beat despite the topic. "It was when we were going 'back' from Canterlot City, where my parents were visiting my relatives, except it was about some age old feud, I don't know nor care, so instead of watching them argue with each other, I went to see the neighborhood..."
"...which is when I first saw her!" Pinkie continued. "I was feeling down and I needed a friend to talk to, so I did!"
"You wouldn't believe just how shy she was!" Sunny added, making Pinkie Pie blush, while making the others raise an eyebrow. "Her hair was all smooth, long and clean, and she was stuttering like crazy!"
A few brains exploded.
Pinkie giggled while scratching her cheek. "Yeah, I was a sad kid back in the day. I got over it!"
Sunny laughed. "It all makes sense now! Everything was real! I didn't make anything up!" She took a deep breath and started piecing together everything. "That dream was just recent memories that I thought were all made up because nurses told me it was just a shock reaction after losing my parents!" She crossed her arms and pouted. "Thanks for nothing, Nurse Sweet Heart. Sweet Heart, hah!"
Sci-Twi raised a hand. "Why are you calling her Pinkie Pie Diane?"
"Because that's my middle name!" Pinkie Pie answered instead. "Pinkamena Diane Pie! Kids in kindergarten used to tease me about my first name, so I went by Diane! I got over it!"
Sunny gasped as she approached Pinkie. "Ohmygosh, Diane, I never called! I was so busy with, uhm, being an orphan, and I was told it wasn't real and I was too young to research it, and when I was old enough to use it I searched for any Diane in Canterlot, but..."
"That's okay Shimmy!" She patted her old/new friend. "When you weren't calling for so long, I made a temper tantrum so big, my parents took me to a child psychiatrist and he convinced me that life isn't that bad, that I shouldn't be bothered by what those boys were saying because they probably liked me and didn't know how to tell me that (turns out one of them DID have a crush on me!) and that instead of imagining friends I should go out and meet new people and become friends with them, so I did!" She paused for a moment. "Also, my hair went puffy for some reason!"
"Yeah, that's all so cute and touching. But," Sour Sweet said with a sweet smile, which quickly soured into a frown "how in the world are you remembering it NOW, while she!" Pointing at Sunset 'Not Shimmy'. "Was right there! FOR YEARS! How did you not connect the dots for so long!?"
Pinkie Pie blinked a few times, then shrugged. "Because they're two completely different people, duh!" She explained. "This is Sunset Shimmer, and this is Shimmy. I mean Sunny... Sunny Shimmy! Totally not the same person!" She smiled brightly.
Shimmy snorted, then leaned over to Pinkie Pie. "For the record, you're the only one allowed to call me that!"
Sour Sweet blinked a few times. "B-bu-but..."
Sunny Flare nodded. "She's not wrong. Somehow."
Rarity added. "Pinkie Pie was the first one among us to figure out Pri-Twi wasn't from this earth, so..."
Sour Sweet raised a finger and opened her mouth, then groaned loudly and slammed the table with her forehead, while Sugarcoat gave her a few much needed gentle 'there, there' pats on the head. Then everyone (except Sugarcoat) started laughing and even Sour Sweet couldn't help but join in after initial breakdown.
Rarity sighed. "Well, I have to give it to Pinkie Pie, when it comes to plot twists out of nowhere, she is second to nobody!"
Coco nodded. "Uh-huh."
"I was worried when we found out Sunny was in CP, but in the end," she continued, looking at the adorable duo of long lost childhood friends talking and giggling at each other "this turned out better than I could have imagined. Those two look so adorable together!"
Coco hummed to herself. "Yeah, they're precious...together..."
After a few minutes of blissful happiness, however...
"Uhm, girls!" Lemon Zest pointed at the large TV screen, which until this point was muted, but she found a remote to bring the sound back just in time for the emergency news announcement. It was a live feed, showing a female reporter in front of a huge crowd outdoors.
"We're broadcasting live in front of the Mayor's office, where a group of five armed assailants took over the building and took nine hostages, including Mayor Silver Scroll herself. The witnesses say they are armed with military grade assault rifles, and are highly trained! They have yet to make any demands. The police has surrounded the building and are trying to negotiate for the safety of the hostages. But the people outside the Mayor's Office, as well as most of you viewers behind the television screens, are asking one question: will Magical Girl Sunny be here, now that we need her the most?"
Sunset gasped. "Oh no, we have to do something! Sunny, do you-... Sunny?" They looked around the place, but Sunset Shimmer's doppelganger was nowhere to be found.
Back on the broadcast, a few people materialized in right next to the news crew, one of which they identified as the Mayor. Shortly after, a few more people appeared, each stumbling on their feet and barely keeping their balance.
"That's all nine hostages! Are we getting this on camera? ...perfect! All right, good. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a miracle! It seems like our prayers were answered! Everyone is safe outside, but what about the terro-"
She stopped when a sudden, loud noise of broken glass spooked her. The camera aimed at the front windows of the building, from where one of the masked terrorists fell out of, growling from pain, already being apprehended by the police. Next they heard various gunshot sounds from the inside, until everything went silent. A few moments later, the front door opened, and one of the terrorist came out of it, unarmed, unmasked and shaken, holding his hands up and falling on his knees. As the police arrested him, the camera pointed at the rooftop, where a familiar, fabulously dressed superheroine was already posing.
"Don't worry citizens of Canterlot City, Magical Girl Sunny will always be there to protect you!" She loudly announced. "You're welcome everyone, just pay no attention to the broken statue. I'm sorry, collateral damage, I tried my best, I hope it wasn't too expensive, just, uhm, it was destroyed by a grenade, just for your information..." she laughed sheepishly "well, gotta go. Sun'ya!" And she disappeared in thin air, leaving the cheering crowds behind her, as well as a reporter on her way to getting a prize for a material of the year.
Back in the restaurant, the thirteen girls were still staring wide-eyed at the screen, when Sunny, back in her all black and beret getup, slowly walked back to her seat and grabbed what was left of her drink and sipped it. She noticed all the stares were gathering on her. "What?" She asked, just barely stopping herself from bursting into laughter. "Did I miss something?"
"Woooo, you go girl!" Pinkie Pie jumped up to her. "Team Sunny: one, team bad guys, still zero! Yay!" The two high fived, while the rest of the table nodded in approval and admiration.
"I have to give her that," Rarity turned to Coco "she certainly does not lack skill nor style! Although that last part is mostly thanks to you, right?" She got no answer. In fact, Coco didn't even look at her. "Miss Pommel?"
Coco jumped slightly when hearing her name. "Wha-oh, sorry, I, uh... I got distracted, what were you talking about?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow, then turned to where Coco's gaze was previously, then turned back to Coco with a smile. "Nothing. It's not important."
Coco nodded and looked back at her roommate. And Pinkie Pie. Together. She sighed and went back to her soda quietly.
***
"Is that a best day ever or the best day ever!?" Sunny exclaimed as the door to her room closed behind her.
Coco shrugged, but felt strangely at ease, now that it was just the two of them again. "I don't know, is it?"
Sunny put a finger to her chin, thinking out loud. "Let's see... my doppelganger, who is a magical unicorn from the land of ponies, is totally not trying to kill me, I met a childhood friend I always thought didn't exist... oh, and I totally rescued the Mayor while beating up five skilled mercenaries! Yep, this is the BEST. DAY. EVER!" She masaged her back. "Minus the back pains and scars from yesterday, but meh."
Coco smiled weakly. "If you say so... you looked like you and Pinkie Pie were getting along."
Sunny snorted. "Well, she is a girl from my dreams, haha. And we have a decade of catching up to do, so yeah, that's not the last we've seen from Diane."
Coco nodded and turned away. "I see."
"Also, apparently she has three sisters, not two. I always thought it was just two, but then again, they're all grey and my mind is fuzzy on the details."
"Mhm."
"Sunset said her parties were amazing, I can't wait to see for myself! If other Rainbooms are to be believed, we should expect at least one 'We have a new hero in town' and one 'Real Imaginary Friends Reunion', unless she combined them into one giant combo party."
"Mhm."
Sunny raised an eyebrow as she looked at the back of her little friend. "And she lives in a sky castle with twenty maids and two butlers, one of which is a dog with bunny ears."
"Mhm."
Sunny sighed deeply, then extended her hand forward and quickly materialized a can of ice cold soda, then gently attacked Coco's cheek.
"EEEEK!" Coco jumped and turned to her, equally angry and shocked. "WHY DO YOU KEEP ON DOING THIS?!"
Sunny interrupted her by placing a finger on her lips. "You're jealous."
Coco opened, then closed her mouth. "I-I don't know what-"
"It's true that I wanted to see Diane for years and that she's amazing and I'm looking forward to hanging out with her. But," she handed her the can she assaulted her with earlier "you're still my number one!" She said, before leaving towards the toilet. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of Soda inside of me that needs disposing!"
Coco frowned. But only slightly. "You're disgusting!"
"But I'm sexy, so you'll forgive me!" She said, closing the door behind her.
Coco blinked. Then blinked again, as her cheeks started burning like two little suns (now there's an appropriate metaphor!), as she looked at the ice cold can. It was a soda from a 'No.1' brand, cherry pineapple. Her favorite.
The city of Canterlot! Even on Saturday, it was still a busy metropolis full of opportunities, commerce and all around fair and prosperous business. Also home of...
"GIMME THE MONEY OR I'LL SHOOT!"
"AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF CALLING THE COPS!"
...those who wished to take advantage of it. The current pair of robbers were concealing their faces with bandanas, were dressed in non-descript jean pants and jackets that defied identification, and decided to rob a gas station by the suburbs with old-time revolvers each, but those were more than enough to convince the store clerk to cooperate. He was just a lowly university student trying to make a living, fully content with packing the bags with cash, instead of dying over few hundred bucks. Once the bags were full, the two robbers ran outside towards their getaway car, thinking they were going to get scott-free.
Except they forgot about one small detail. Canterlot City was home to someone else.
"Sup guys!"
"AAAH" The two yelled, as they stopped right before the fiery-haired teenage girl in a fancy dress. She was waving at them, smiling brightly.
"Watch'yer doing?" She asked innocently, but instead of a peaceful conversation she got two guns aimed at her. Both triggers were pulled multiple times in succession before they realized that nothing was happening! Sunny giggled, revealing a handful of bullets in her other hand. "What's the rush? It's Saturday, you should enjoy yourselves! I mean the weather is so nice and all."
The only verbal reply she got were a few quick swears, after which they threw their guns right at her, which she easily dodged. She sighed deeply. "Guys, come on, you saw the news. You know how this will end."
A single punch went after her, but never connected with her face, as she nimbly leaned away, letting the robber follow through, and tripping him on the way. "Yeah, like that has ever worked before!" She rolled her eyes, then ducked, avoiding the other robber's attempt to bear hug her. As he recovered from the maneuver Sunny jumped up, uppercutting his face and sending him flying right next to a nearby car. She walked to the fallen, moaning robber as he tried to collect himself and stand up. She leaned over him and extended an open palm to his face. "Here's how it works: you play nice, and I play nice. How about it?"
The criminal groaned, raising his head just high enough to look her in the eyes as he said "You can suck my-"
"Sunny Blast!" A small explosion of kinetic energy shot from her palm, knocking him into unconsciousness. She shook her head and tsked. "You'd think they'd learn by now." She shrugged and stood up, turning to the other guy. "Please tell me you are smarter than your buddy over here?" She asked... an empty parking lot.
Facepalm ensued. "Well, he is a bit smarter, I guess?"
Less loot to split! and OHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRAP! were the two thoughts that Battery had inside of his mind, as he sprinted through the back alleys while hugging the bag of stolen money to his chest. Too bad for Assault, but eh, he'd do the same to me! I'll buy him a drink when he's out of jail! But just as he turned around the corner, about to leave the alley between two buildings, a familiar face appeared in his view.
"This is getting old, you know!"
"AAAAH!"
"It was fun the first few times, but now I feel like I'm rewatching the same episode over and over." Sunny made a few steps toward the guy, who stumbled backwards, falling on his back. "At least show some effort! If you can't be a challenge in combat, at least give me a good line, a joke or something. Honestly, I'll take a cringy dad joke at this point over nothing!"
The robber stuttered, crawling away with one hand, still clinging to the bag in his other hand. The back door of the building to his left suddenly opened, and a very confused man in a chef's apron met them with a confused stare while holding two bags of garbage. The robber immediately got up and rushed through the opened door, pushing the cook out of the way and sending him on the ground with all the smelly garbage spilling around the area.
Sunny groaned loudly, massaging her forehead. "Oh for Pete's sake!"
Battery rushed through the backroom into the kitchen area, pushing any waiter, waitress or chef that stood in his way, knocking over a few pots and frying pans full of various pieces of meats and vegetables that will now at best feed the stray cats and dogs. As he was about to reach out for the door towards the restaurant's main area, it opened before him and Magical Girl Pursuer walked in, her face visibly bemused.
"I could've just knocked you out with a single punch and be over with it," she said, walking toward him, as he once again walked backwards, stumbling into a table. "but nooo, I wanted to give you a chance! I thought that maybe, juuust maybe, you'd grow a few brain cells and see how stupid it is to steal, especially now, that this city has a frickin' superhero running around! But naah, why bother?" She stopped just a few feet away from the guy and crossed her arms. "One last chance: drop the money, surrender and I just might tell the cops you learned a lesson, better late than never. It's in your best interest," her eyes narrowed "choose wisely!"
The robber tightened his grip on his loot bag, and as cold and hot sweat (it was quite warm in the kitchen) covered his body, he looked around for one last chance for salvation. His eyes first went towards a nearby waitress who watched in awe as the situation unfolded, then at a large, meat cleaver next to her. He rushed toward it, grabbing the cleaver with one hand and the waitresses' hand with the other, still holding the bag of money as he put the giant blade near her neck.
"D-D-DON'T MOVE O-OR I-I-I-"
Before he finished the sentence, Battery watched as the cleaver suddenly disappeared from his hand, along with his hostage. He didn't have time to react, when all of a sudden Magical Girl Sunny rushed at him with his own cleaver in her left hand, while her right one burned with bright energy as she swung a punch right his face.
"SUNNY PUNCH!"
The sound of cracking bones was heard and felt throughout the building, as Battery fell unconscious on the floor with a broken nose, but still holding onto his bag of money. Sunny sighed, putting the cleaver back at the table where it originally was. She looked around the terrified kitchen staff, including the five second hostage waitress, and shrugged.
"What? I gave him plenty of warning!" She sniffed the air. "Something smells nice... is that beef?"
---
"Y-yes, they t-tried to run, but Magical Girl Su-Sunny appeared and, and, she took out one and chased after the other and she's been gone for a few minutes... no, I don't know where..." The gas station clerk stopped, when the automatic door opened and Magical Girl Sunny casually walked inside holding two bags, one of which had the stolen money. She put the money bag on the counter and waggled a finger towards him. "I-I think she wants to speak with you... yes, here you go..." He handed her the cell phone.
"Hiya, Magical Girl Sunny here... oh hey Officer Shield, what's up? ...Yes, all taken care of, I had to roughen them up a bit... yes, I warned them... yes, multiple times... yes... no, they're cuffed and ready for pick up... you'd be surprised what you can buy on the internet... yes, I'd like them back, they're not cheap... mhm... yeah... cool, awesome, I'll tell the staff," she pulled the phone away and said to the clerk "the police should be here in a few minutes," the clerk nodded, so she went back to the call "...so, how's the wife doing? ...oh, that's fantastic! ...twins? Wow, congratulations! ...boy AND a girl? ...no way... shut up! Wow, I don't know what to say!" She pulled the phone again and approached the clerk again, this time wearing a goofy smile. "He named his baby daughter Sunny Days!" The clerk looked around, and shrugged. "Yeah, I'm still here... uhuh... yeah, sure... kay, gotcha. Do you need me for anything else... 'kay, thanks!" She hung up and handed it back to its owner.
As she was about to leave the room, her eyes scanned a pack of chips on the shelf. She grabbed one bag and put it on the counter, searching over her dress for her wallet. "Did I put it in the other dress or what...?"
The clerk pushed the bag to her. "I-it's on the house!"
Sunny blinked. "Really?" The clerk nodded. She looked at him, then at the pack of chips, then shrugged and took it. "Thanks, you're a sweetheart!" She threw the chips to the other bag she was carrying, then saluted with a peace sign. "Sun'ya!" And then she vanished.
The clerk sniffed the air. "Is this... beef?"
---
"Hoooneeeey! I'm hoooome!" Sunny, back in her civilian clothes, loudly proclaimed as she opened the door to her room. She saw Coco standing in the middle of the room in front of a mannequin that had very few fabric pieces on it, too early to call it a dress. She noticed her roommate with a few pins in her mouth and snorted. "It's a good thing I brought food, you really are starving!"
Coco raised an eyebrow and pulled the pins from her mouth. "Ha, ha," she deadpanned "what did you bring?"
Sunny smiled widely as she lifted the plastic bag. "I hope you like beef, cause I got gifted some and my stomach isn't big enough for it!"
One family sized portion of beef and heroic story later...
"Ugh, that hits the spot..." Sunny announced, patting her belly, as the two finished their meal on the floor, since they didn't have a proper dining table. "... I love being a superhero!"
Coco, who finished the equally large portion despite her smaller size, nodded in agreement. "If I knew you'd be paid in good food, I would've agreed to help you a lot faster."
"So like, a minute before I asked?"
"Oh shush!"
The two shared a good, if slightly pained due to their full stomachs, laughter. They decided the chips would have to wait for later.
After a few moments of blissful, satiated silence, Sunny looked at the prototype dress. At such an early stage, not stitched enough to even pretend to be a full product, she couldn't even tell how it would look like, other than it being a few shades of orange. Coco refused to show her the design, claiming she wanted it to be a surprise. "So, when do you think it'll be done? Dress one and two are getting a bit worn up by now."
Coco turned to her work in progress as well. She sighed deeply. "It would've been done by now, but, well... Sunset Shimmer happened."
Sunny snorted. "Yeah, that put a few wrenches in our plans. Still, at least my copy-pony (that doesn't sound right) was a bit more challenging than the usual thugs." She sighed. "I'm so glad she's not out for my blood!"
Coco giggled. "Yeah, me too. I'd rather you fight the same boring thugs every day than ever go through her again."
Sunny pursed her lips, leaning over her own bed as she looked at the ceiling. "I wouldn't mind a bit more challenge, but yeah, she was scary tough. Don't ever tell her that though!" Coco nodded, making a 'lips are sealed' motion. Sunset continued. "It's only been a week since my public debut."
Coco leaned over her own bed as well. "It's been a week."
"Yup, an entire wee-" she started, but gasped mid-sentence as she got an epiphany "ohmygosh, she was there!"
Coco raised an eyebrow. "Who was where?"
"Rarity! She was there at the jewelry store! And so was Apple... Joe?"
"Applejack."
"Thank you. They were both there!" She hummed for a moment, then shrugged. "Not that it changes anything, but it's weird that they didn't mention it yesterday."
Coco shrugged. "Rarity mentioned it briefly to me. She said she owes you for saving her earrings."
Sunny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't want to be showered with gifts anytime I do something good. I don't want anyone to think I do it for any other reason than because 'I want to'."
Coco nodded. "That's what I told her, but she insisted!" She took a quick glance at the empty tray where their dinner was. "Maybe she can buy you dinner?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow and put a hand to her chin. "Now there's an idea! I don't mind being paid in good food (because magic burns calories, apparently). Or," she smiled slyly, giving Coco goosebumps "she could take you to a dinner, instead?"
Coco's cheeks went all red and burny in an instant. "W-what a-are y-you...?"
"Don't pretend, Coc's," she mustered enough strength to get on all fours and crawl towards her friend, ending up right in her face "I saw how 'chummy' you two were with each other," she got even closer, dangerously so that Coco had to turn to avoid colliding their noses "miss Pommel, would you like to tell me a secret?"
Coco swallowed and avoided eye contact, as sweat poured from her face. "I-I don't, i-it's n-not like t-t-t-that!"
Sunny's smile grew even wider as she sat down before Coco, thus creating a safe distance between them. "Ha, I knew it! You're into her!"
"N-no, I'm not!"
"Come on, you can tell me! It's not like I'll tell anyone that you have a crush on Rarity!"
"I don't!"
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Sure, and I'm a pony princess (I'm not, and neither is my unicorn version)," she shook her head and shrugged "hey, it's not like I don't get where you're coming from. She's smart, nice, you two share the same passion, and she's quite a looker too, it's like you two are made for each othe--"
POMF!
She stopped talking when a pillow hit her face. As it slowly slid down, she saw Coco's face burning red, equally as embarrassed as she was angry.
"Idiot!" She yelled as she took off, locking herself in the toilet, sitting with her back leaning over the doors.
Stupid Sunset Shimmer! She hugged her knees, burrowing her face into them. Get a clue already! She spent a few seconds in that position, until she sighed deeply. Stupid Coco, just tell her already! But, what if... what if... what if she's not into girls? Or if she and Pinkie Pie really have something? She's teasing me a lot, but what if it's just that: innocent teasing. But what if it isn't? Groaning, she buried her face into her knees again. I can't even get mad at her!
She was taken out of her thoughts by the sounds of knocking.
"Coco, are you okay there?" She heard Sunny's gentle voice through the door. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just teasing, you know, like I usually do. I didn't mean to go that far, I just... I'm sorry."
Coco raised her head and turned to look at the door behind her. I really can't get mad at her. "It's okay, I'm fine."
"Good. Cool." Pause. "I just want you to know that I wouldn't mind if you... you were... you know, interested in, uh, girls and stuff. Not that I'm pressuring you into anything, just, you know... saying."
Coco couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Good to know."
"It was just innocent teasing, you know how I roll, right?"
"I know all about it." She sighed loudly enough to let the girl on the other side of the door know. "I'm not mad at you!" No matter how much I try. "And I'm not into Rarity."
"Okay, gotcha."
"Good."
She sighed again, this time quietly, to herself and whatever spirits were trapped in the toilet. I don't know how much longer my heart can take. Speaking of which... "Sunny, are you still sitting by the door?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Could you... not? I actually really need to... uhm, use the restroom! And I would appreciate if you didn't listen to me... you know..."
"Oh... oh crap, sorry! Sorry!" She heard some shuffling from the other side. "I'm going, no worries, I won't be listening to your... to you... to you!"
Then she heard a few loud steps. She giggled, imagining the blushing side of Sunny she saw so rarely.
As Coco left a few minutes later, she saw Sunny walking around the room, her phone at her ear.
"...yeah, that sounds awesome, I don't see why-ah, she's back! Gimme a sec, I'll ask her," she put the phone to her chest and turned to Coco, smiling widely "are you doing anything tonight?"
Coco blinked, tilting her head. "N-no, why? Who are you talking to?"
"Oh, it's Sunset Shimmer, gosh it feels so weird saying it out loud, she's inviting us over!"
"Inviting us over to what?"
Sunny snorted while shaking her head. "What else? Diane is making a slumber party!"
---
I could've said no, Coco thought I could've said I wasn't in the mood, or that I was on my period (she wouldn't buy it), but how do you say no to that face? She sighed heavily, walking just a few steps behind Sunny from the bus stop through the calm, early evening row of suburban houses, with only a small handbag with spare clothes, toothbrushes and miscellaneous 'girl stuff' in them. She heard Sunny's humming all the way and couldn't shake the goose bumps from imagining how different her mood would've been if she decided against the sleepover at Pinkie 'Diane' Pie's house. How sad Sunny would've been from losing the opportunity to hang out with a girl from her dreams and her unicorn copy, as well as how heavy Coco's heart would've been from the guilt she would've felt. And yet, it was still preferable than letting her come alone.
It's not like I think those girls are up to no good, but... She looked up to take a look at Sunny, except she wasn't there anymore. She blinked, then looked around to find her roommate had stopped a few steps ago.
"Sunny?"
"I know this place!" She said, looking at the small playground consisting of few swings, a seesaw and a round sandbox, with a few benches installed nearby. "It's all coming back to me!"
Coco looked at the playground, then back at Sunny. "What's coming back?"
"This is where we met, Diane and I! That day I sneaked outside the house and looked around the neighborhood. Alone, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, I stumbled here and I sat at that swing," she pointed at one of them "I don't know how much time passed, but eventually Diane found me. I still can't believe it's real!"
"Yeah, me too."
"I can only imagine how life would've been, if I didn't have the accident. We would probably keep in touch, by phone, letters, e-mail, then MyStable. Maybe I would've been able to visit her once in awhile, and maybe my family would move to Canterlot so we could hang out regularly. I wouldn't be the outsider. Heh, imagine how confusing Unicorn Sunset's Reign over CHS would've been if I was around!"
"It would've been a riot."
"Yeah," she sighed "yeah, it would've been." She looked around the streets, and her smile suddenly disappeared. "Somewhere out there is the house of my relatives. I could probably still recognize it, even after all these years."
Coco looked at Sunny, then asked. "Do you... want to go look for it?"
Sunny opened her mouth, but closed it soon after, shaking her head. "No, not really. I don't even know if they live there anymore and it would only reopen old wounds," she finally turned to Coco and regained her smile, at least partially as bright as usual "I'm happy where I am now!"
The two stood in place for a while longer, just looking at each other with small, but honest, smiles. Until they heard some sound coming from afar.
"SSSSHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMM-"
As she slowly turned to the source, Coco only managed a quick 'what' as a super fast pink blur went past her, making her hair dance on the backdraft wind.
"-MMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
GLOMP!
Sunny grunted, suddenly hit by something very pink glomping into her, the momentum forcing her to make a few steps back to regain her balance, but she stood firmly on her own two, albeit shaking, legs, except now there was a pink mass of hair and happiness attached to her neck. Pinkie Pie looked Sunny in the eyes.
"You're here! I was worried you got lost while coming here so we all went around searching for you, we split up in teams of two, I went with Sunset Shimmer by the way, and as we were searching Sunset was all like 'they're just late, it's not like anything happened to them' and I went all 'GASP', what if they were mugged or attacked by a magical being from another world, I mean we all know monsters exist in Equestria and they can sometimes slip by the inter-dimensional barrier, so I rushed out to find you, but on the way I realized that you were a superhero with powers, which is a bit redundant since superheroes imply that they have powers already, except a few famous ones that don't so it's okay to say it, and so I slowed down and calmed down, but then I saw you and I was so excited to see you in the place we first met that I couldn't help myself and jumped at you and here we are!" She paused. "Hi Shimmy!"
Sunny blinked, but smiled anyway. "Hi Diane!"
Pinkie let go of Sunny's neck and landed on her own legs to turn to Coco. "Hi Coco!" The girl in question only managed a shy wave back to her, before Diane went back to Shimmy. "Come on, my house is super duper close, everyone is already waiting... actually, they're still looking around the neighborhood, we should call them, but once we do, we're gonna have So. Much. Fun!"
Sunny smiled brightly as she followed her childhood friend. "I could use some fun!" She briefly turned to Coco. "Come on, Coco, let's have some fun already!" Then she followed Pinkie Pie.
Coco sighed deeply and started slowly walking after the two. "Well, here we go..."
Contrary to expectations, the household of Pinkamena Diane Pie was quite a dull place that one couldn't tell apart from any other grey and brown two story suburban house. Unlike Pinkie Pie, both of her parents, as well as three sisters (one younger and two older) were either stoic, untalkative, extra shy or downright hostile. And as luck had it, their parents were out of town for an entire weekend, as was Marble. This only left Maud Pie, who was supposed to babysit the group, but she gave them free reign as she confined herself to her own room, books and rocks (they weren't supposed to ask); and Limestone, who would rather choke and die. Her words.
Sunny and Coco weren't the last ones to arrive, as Twilight Sparkle and Rarity entered the house, along with a small, very enthusiastic purple puppy.
"Sorry we're late," Twilight said "but someone really wanted to go for the walkies."
Coco loudly gasped, immediately crouching down and extending her hand toward the animal.
"Oh my gosh, it's a cute doggie! C'mere, here boy!" The dog was more than happy to run at Coco and lean over her legs while wagging his tail. She didn't waste a second before she started stroking his head. "Whosh a good doggie? Whosh a good doggie? Yesh you are! Yesh you are!" It wasn't long before he flopped on his back and she didn't miss a beat before the belly rubbing commenced. "Yes, you like it, do you? Do you want more? Yesh you do!" While the dog didn't give any answers himself, the way his leg shook said it all.
"I didn't know you're a dog person!" Sunny said.
Still busy with her newest friend, Coco answered. "I like most domestic animals and I always wanted to own a dog or cat, but my mom is allergic to fur, so I never got one. And our dorms has a strict no-pet policy, so yeah," the belly rubbing intensified, as she closed her face towards his, to the point that she was licked a few times in her face "and itsh a good thing, because I would take you home with me otherwise!"
As the petting continued, Sunset leaned over Sunny and whispered. "Jealous?"
"She never rubbed my belly."
"Have you ever asked?" She snorted, as a dismissive shrug was the only response.
As the rubs continued, Coco scouted his hairy neck in search of a collar. "What's your name, little guy?"
"I'm Spike. Nice to meet you."
Rubbing halted abruptly. Coco and Sunny blinked a few times, and looked around, before going back to Spike. "Umm... what?"
"I said my name is Spike," he got back on his legs and raised his paw "you're really good at belly rubs. What's your name?"
Coco's and Sunny's jaws dropped, and after a short moment...
"IT TALKS!" They both jumped away, pointing their fingers at the talking dog. Faces were palmed in the background.
Spike crossed his arms and turned his head slightly away. "I get that talking dogs are not a thing, but you don't have to be so rude about it!"
Coco stuttered, as she waved her hands frantically. "I-I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean t-to insult y-you o-or anything, I-I j-just... I'm... I'm... I'm talking to a dog," her hands stopped, as her eye twitched.
Spike hummed. "Okay, I'll forgive you... if you can scratch behind my ear? Twilight can never get it right with her tiny nails!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry?"
Coco opened her mouth, then closed it and just did as asked, instantly winning back Spike's favor.
"Oh yeah, that's the spot!"
While Sunny watched with her mouth wide open at Coco's increasingly more awkward talking dog 'pleasuring' (a highly dangerous thing to be said out of context), Sunset stepped forward.
"So, remember when I said that there were a few things to explain that we didn't have time to explain yesterday?" She pointed at Spike. "That's one of them."
---
Both Sunny and Coco (somehow roped into holding Spike in her hands) stopped on their tracks as soon as they entered the living room, which was outfitted to the brim with various decorations, from streamers, orange, yellow, light blue and cream colored balloons, confetti, streamers, table full of snacks, soft drinks and cakes, streamers, as well as a giant table in the center that was on the verge of collapsing under the weight of various colorful boxes of what they guessed were board games. Also, streamers.
"Wow." Sunny barely mustered.
"Wow." Coco agreed.
Rainbow Dash snorted as she shrugged. "You really went easy this time, Pinkie Pie."
Sunset Shimmer nodded as she looked around the room. "Yeah, I thought getting two new friends, one of which is technically an old friend," she pointed at the banner which said 'The Welcoming Of Two New Friends, but technically one is an old friend, Party!'. "...would call for a bigger party."
Sunny and Coco only gave them blank stares.
Pinkie Pie laughed sheepishly. "Yeaaaaaah, I know, but I'm on a budget and Maud's birthday comes right before I get my payday and all those rocks cost a lot even with family's discount codes. I hope you don't mind that I made it so small, eh Shimmy?"
Sunny opened her mouth, but spent a few moments speechless before casually waving her hand. "N-no, it's... it's fine. So, how many more guests are you expecting?"
Pinkie beamed. "None! It's just the nine of us tonight!"
"WOOF!"
"Ten!"
Sunny nodded, still trying very hard to have her eyes twitch a bit less than they were. "Nice and quiet, then... I guess?"
"Yep! Okay, let's get this paaaaarty started!" That said, she took off her shirt through her head, leaving her standing with her hands still in the shirt, exposing the gloriousness of the pinkness of her skin, currently covered only by a white bra.
A sound reminiscent of a mix of a broken glass and nails on a dusty chalkboard went out of Coco's throat, as she backpedalled herself into the wall, still holding Spike in her hands and using him to shield her blushing red face. "W-w-w-w-wha-what a-a-a-re y-you I-I-I didn't k-kno-kno-know it wa-was th-this ki-ki-kinda pa-pa-pa-party mybodyisnotreadyforthis!"
"What are you talking about?" Asked Rainbow Dash, also showcasing her bust covered only by a bra that was there due to cultural necessity rather than biological support. As in, she was kinda flat. "This is a slumber party, we're supposed to be in our PJ's!"
"Tha sooner we git outta our clothes da sooner da party starts," Applejack said, already out of her upper and lower clothing, leaving only underwear that held a plump body worthy of her origins, that one wouldn't notice under her usual heavy attire "an' trust me, ya don' wanna miss da fun!"
Coco might've tried to say something, but all they received was a mindless mumbling, as she covered her eyes with a very confused talking dog.
"Don't worry, darling," Rarity (also mostly topless at this point) walked toward Coco "there's nothing to be ashamed of, it's just us girls here..."
"Ehem!"
"...and Shpikey-Wikey, how could I forget!" She reached her hand to pat Spike's head.
"It's no use," Sunny, also mostly topless and bottomless, said "she's ridiculously shy when it comes to nudity. She only ever dresses when I'm not around."
"Then why do you keep on undressing when I'm nearby?!" Coco managed to snap back despite hiding behind a dog.
Sunny rolled her eyes. "I told you before, I enjoy seeing your embarrassed face!" She said with a smile. "But really Coco, you're trying to get into fashion industry, you'll need to get used to nudity at some point."
"I will get used to it when I feel like it! And I don't feel like it right now!"
Coco felt a few prods on her right shoulder. She took the risk of seeing something she shouldn't and turned towards the only other still fully clothed guest, the pink haired girl.
"Umm, maybe we could just go to the restroom, and change there?" Fluttershy asked quietly, her face also slightly blushing. "I don't really like changing when there are people around either, even if they're good friends."
With a few nods of approval, Coco followed Fluttershy outside into the safety of the hallway. As they left, the other girls, in different states of undress, sighed and shrugged.
"Ah swear, Ah don' get what the fuss is all 'bout. It ain't like she's a boy in drag or somethin'..." She paused, then turned to Sunny. "Or is she? Or he?"
Sunny immediately snapped back. "No, of course not!" Pause. "I think... I mean, I'm 99% sure..." Pause. "I mean, I've never seen her naked to truly confirm that, and she's very averse to seeing female bodies in the nude for some unexplained reason, but that doesn't... that... argh! " She grabbed her head, groaning loudly. "Now it won't stop bothering me! Stupid mental image!" She proceeded to bang her head over the wall, the others watching her in confusion.
"Ah was just kiddin'."
Speaking of shyness, Sunset Shimmer looked over to the only other person she expected a reaction from, but got none.
"You okay, Twilight?" She asked her purple friend, who had spent this entire conversation sitting on the couch, with arms crossed and eyes closed shut behind her glasses. "I thought you'd be freaking out the most."
"I appreciate your concern, Sunset Shimmer, but I'm okay. I figured something like this would happen, so I will just sit down here, with my eyes shut and think of nuclear physics until you're all in your pajamas."
"Oh... kay, but you do realize you'll have to undress yourself eventually?"
Twilight's face turned into a smug smirk, as she unbuttoned her shirt to reveal a light purple pajama top. "That's why I came here already dressed!"
Sunset raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help but nod in awe. "Ah, clever girl!"
"HEY! KEEP IT DOWN HERE, I'M TRYING TO DO MY HOMEWORK!"
Everyone turned at the grey girl with white hair, approximately a few years older, standing at the door. She only wore short jeans shorts and a white t-shirt, which revealed one of her shoulders, as well as part of her brown bra.
Pinkie waved at her happily. "Sorry Limestone!"
"S-sorry, my bad," Sunny said sheepishly, politely bowing "it won't happen again, I promise!"
Limestone rolled her eyes and was about to turn away and leave, when Pinkie Pie, still only in her bra and skirt, jumped to her. "Limey, wanna stay with us? We'll play a bunch of board games and eat a lot of cake! Come on, it'll be fun!"
Limestone hummed for a moment, before turning away. "No," she answered coldly and walked a few steps, before turning one more time "save me some cake?"
"Sure thing!"
She smiled lightly, then went back to being her sour self and left towards the stairs. Few steps later a realization hit her.
"Wait a second..."
She made a sharp turn back to the living room and would've violently smacked the door open if there were any doors to begin with. She looked at the group of her older sister’s friends one by one, though mostly stuck on Sunset Shimmer, catching her in the middle of removing her panties. Upon being noticed, Sunny stopped on her tracks and blushed a little.
"Umm, can I help you?" She asked shyly.
Limestone's eyes narrowed, as she looked between the exposed Sunny, as well as the area where Twilight Sparkle sat with eyes shut for some reason, before she shrugged. "No, it's nothing," she turned back and started walking away "must've been my imagination." It's not like there's two of them or anything.
Sunny stood where she was for a moment, before wearing her pajama bottom and moving to Pinkie Pie, who finished dressing in her pink, balloon adorned PJ's. "Diane, your sister was looking at me weirdly. Is she... you know?"
Pinkie Pie thought for a moment, before shrugging. "Who knows? It would explain why she keeps rejecting all those boys that keep asking her out."
Sunny blinked. "You don't say."
"FOUND IT!" Sunset Shimmer yelled as she emerged from behind the couch, holding a single earring in her hand.
Rarity beamed happily as she got her treasured accessory back. "Oh, thank you darling, you're a lifesaver!"
---
Well, now they all think I'm a weirdo! Coco sighed heavily as Fluttershy closed the bathroom door behind them.
"Don't worry about it, Coco," Fluttershy gently patted the tinier girl "everybody has something that they are ashamed of, whether it's nudity... or dark rooms."
Coco managed a smile. "Or waiting rooms at dentists."
"Or mimes."
"Public toilets."
"Screamers."
"Spiders."
"A-actually, I find them rather adorable," she noticed Coco's wide open eyes, which made her wave her hands in panic "n-not that I'm a fan of them, or k-keep some of them as pets like some people do, b-but it's not like they want to hurt us, most of the time they are scared of us more than we are of them and they hunt mosquitoes and flies, which do us actual harm. Also, did you know that-"
"Okay, I think I've heard enough, thank you very much!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said, covering her mouth with her hands. "It's just that people seem to judge them so unfairly despite all the good they bring to the ecosystem, while humanity keeps on polluting the environment for no rea- oh dear, I'm rambling again, I-I'm so sorry I... I... meep!"
Coco couldn't help but giggle as she looked at the other girl fumbling over her words while attempting to hide her face behind her hair. Is that how I look from the outside?
"I-it's alright, I understand what you mean and how passionate you can be about a subject, even if not everyone else is," she looked slightly away, her face souring "like how Sunny forces herself to stay awake when I'm talking fashion."
Fluttershy managed to perk up a bit. "W-well, if it's any consolation, I know a thing or two about the fashion industry!"
"You do?"
She nodded. "Not as much as Rarity, just a little about current trends and theory. Just as long as I won't have to be a model again, I'll be fine. I don't think my heart can handle it."
Coco's eyes opened wide. "You were a model?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Coco hummed, taking a moment to scan the even shyer girl's body from bottom to top, only now noticing her almost textbook proportions hidden behind unassuming, casual dress. After a moment of silent ogling, Fluttershy started burning red and covered her already covered body with her hands, mumbling something in a high squeak that sounded a little like 'please don't stare at me!'. Coco nodded to herself. Yeah, I can totally see it. I have to ask if Rarity has any pictures.
Eventually Coco stopped looking and shrugged. "Well, the fashion industry is worse for wear without your body."
"The fashion industry has been doing fine without my body for centuries!"
"I guess it did."
"I know it did!"
The two fell silent for a moment, before bursting into laughter.
"How did we get to this point?" Coco asked.
"I'm not even sure anymore." Fluttershy answered.
The two stood motionless for a few moments more, before Fluttershy started scratching her head. They looked around the bathroom, then at each other.
Cocough. "So, we should probably start changing," Coco said quietly "the others are probably waiting and wondering what's taking so long."
"I'm pretty sure Rainbow will tease us about it," Fluttersigh. She looked at Coco and a realization stumbled upon her. "I-I know I said it wouldn't be embarrassing, but..." She paused, before Coco finished for her.
"...there's two of us."
Fluttershy scratched her cheek. "I didn't think this through." They chuckled a bit, blushing as they tried to avoid eye contact. Fluttershy coughed and continued. "S-so, we could take turns, while the other one is waiting outside?"
"O-or we could just... do it together..." Coco proposed, igniting red after her brain caught up to the meaning of her words (even faster than Fluttershy did!) "DRESSING UP, I MEAN! NOT THE OTHER THING!"
Fluttershy blinked and tilted her head. "Uhm, what other thi--"
"NOTHING! Let's just, uh, turn our backs to each other! That way we won't be peeking!"
"B-but even if we're doing that, the sheer fact that there's another person... in the same room..."
"But if the other person is just as ashamed and scared to look, it m-makes it less embarrassing!"
Fluttershy took a moment to think, before her eyes went wide. "Y-yeah, I think I'm okay with this."
"I don't get what all the fuss is about," said Spike, still being held by Coco all this time "why do you humans make a big deal out of it? I mean, seriously, even ponies in Equestria know better than to feel ashamed of somehow not being covered by a bunch of clothes." He looked between the two, noticing their awkward stares. "What?"
The door to the restroom opened and Coco gently placed Spike outside the frame, before closing the door behind him.
Spike rolled his eyes as he sat in defeat. "Women..."
---
After a few minutes of 'not quite as awkward as they imagined' changing session, Fluttershy and Coco (along with Spike) finally appeared back in the living room, dressed in a long sleeved, bright yellow with butterfly patterns, and a cream colored with purple feathered hats pattern pajamas, respectively. They met their friends lined up facing back to them, looking at whatever they blocked. Rainbow Dash, in bright blue shorts and an old wondercolts t-shirt, turned to them first.
"What took you two so long?" A smile appeared on her face. "Were you making out?"
Coco blushed a little, but Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head, before quickly changing the topic. "What's going on?"
"Oh, you know," Rarity, in her fabulous white night gown with purple trimming, said "some people just can't stop themselves from expressing their manly side. Although at least it's not Applejack and Rainbow Dash for once!"
"HEY!"
---
Approximately five minutes ago.
"Ah, hell no!" Sunny announced loudly as she approached her doppelganger. "You are NOT doing this!"
Sunset turned to Sunny, analyzed her from top to bottom, then crossed her arms. "That's my line!"
The two narrowed their eyes at each other, as the other Rainbooms (and Twilight) looked at two Sunsets standing face to face. One was wearing a knee long pajama bottom, as well as a matching shoulder length top, all of it colored bright orange with sun patterns, very reminiscent of her cutie mark. The other was wearing a knee long pajama bottom, as well as a matching shoulder length top, all of it colored bright orange with sun patterns, very reminiscent of her double's cutie mark.
"Oh dear!" Rarity sighed and hit her face, all too aware where it was going.
"You know the rules," one Sunset, they weren't sure which one, said "one of us has to change."
"I'm sure Pinkie or one of her sisters can borrow you thei--"
"Nuh-uh, I meant you. I just bought this today for this party, I'm not taking it out!"
"So did I! I would've just taken an old shorts and t-shirts, but I decided to get a proper one for this occasion."
"I appreciate that, you look absolutely gorgeous in them... now take if off!"
"Why me? Why not you?"
"Because I'm a guest here, duh!"
"Pfft, I'm a guest too!"
"But you've been here longer!"
"So what? That would imply I have seniority, so I can make the rules!"
"As my 'senior', you should lead by example and kindly step back!"
Rainbow Dash grabbed a bowl of conveniently prepared popcorn and shared it with the rest of the group.
"Well, it appears we're at an impasse. Again!"
"It would seem so. You do remember how it turned out last time?"
"Oh, believe me," she cracked her knuckles "I wouldn't forget it if I tried!"
"Rematch for the right to keep the PJ's?"
"You got it!"
SMACK! SMACK!
"OWWWW!" Both Sunsets collapsed on the floor, holding their aching heads.
Rarity huffed, as she crossed her arms with a rolled up newspaper. "I swear, it's like you want to kill each other!" Her eyes narrowed, her figure, in white purple pajamas, shadowing the two magical beings. "Well, not on my watch you will not!"
"It's just a piece of paper! How does it hurt so much?"
"I've been asking that question a lot lately!"
"If you wish to compete, then find a better, safer way to settle your scores!"
Both Sunsets swallowed and nodded to their fabulous overlord, then looked each other in the eye.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I think I am."
---
Coco sighed in exasperation. "And all they could think of was arm wrestling?"
A few nods answered her question, as everyone was too busy observing two Sunset Shimmers, dressed in the exact same pair of sun-themed pajamas, sitting on their knees over a small coffee table, their exposed left arms locked in a deadly battle. Coco and Fluttershy weren't sure how much they missed, but judging how little the hands moved back and forth, they could tell it wouldn't be over for quite some time. Thankfully Pinkie Pie figured something like this would happen and made a lot of popcorn.
"Not gonna use magic?" Sunset asked, her face covered in hot sweat.
"Don't need no magic to, ugh, beat you!" Sunny gritted her teeth and doubled her efforts. "What, you're not gonna ask your friends to move closer so you can go all Daydream on me?"
"Ugh, I can win a.... ugh, stupid arm wrestling by myself!"
"You're gonna need at least one Power Glove to beat me!"
"Bite me!"
"So I would lose my balance? No chance!"
"Tsk, I tried!"
As the fight was going on, Rainbow Dash sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, the other girls eventually joining her. "I can literally watch them go for hours!"
Two minutes later.
"Okay, this got boring faster than I thought," Rainbow Dash yawned "hey Sunsets, how much longer will this take?"
"J-just a moment... I can feel her, ugh, relenting!"
"In your, argh, dreams!"
Applejack leaned her head over the couch and groaned loudly. "Ah for Peter's sake, can't ya just throw a coin or somethin'?"
Both Sunsets turned their angry gazes towards Applejack. "NEVER! I'D RATHER DIE THAN-" Both pairs of eyes opened widely and turned back to each other. "THAT'S MY LINE! NO IT'S NOT! STOP REPEATING ME! I'M NOT REPEA-STOP IT! NO YOU STOP IT! GRRRR!" They could hear their knuckles grip tighten even more. "COPYCAT!"
Applejack sighed again. "Well, Ah guess it's true what they say 'bout clones. It's either Kill or Kiss, and their ego's ain't big enough for the latter."
"Oh, Sunny's ego's plenty big," Coco reassured her, content with just petting Spike sleeping on her lap "so big I don't think there's space left for Sunset."
"Actually," Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack "it's Fight or Fu-"
SMACK!
"OW! Walked into that one!"
A few silent moments later, Twilight closed the book she was reading away from the others. "Weird, there's no mention of arm wrestling in the book! I don't think we're doing this right."
Everyone's gazes (sans Sunsets) turned toward Sci-Twi and her book, titled 'Slumber 101'. Rarity asked first. "Darling, pardon me asking, but where did you get this book?"
"From Princess Twilight!" She beamed her answer, and a few eye rolls ensued. "Although, there is something that we could do to differentiate them..." She opened the book at a certain page and showed it to the others. A few sly smiles appeared on their faces, though none were as big as the ones on Rarity’s and Coco's.
---
About ten minutes after threatening both Sunsets with the newspaper later, Rarity and Coco finally allowed their victims to look at the mirrors.
"Huh, I dunno how I feel about it. It's not that different than how I look as a Magical Girl."
"I think I feel," a smile forced itself on Sunset’s face "like I could use a taco!"
A few snickers escaped the Rainbooms.
"Can't ya wait for Tuesday?" Applejack managed to ask, barely keeping a straight face.
"Like, no way, I need it now! Like, for realzies!" Sunset answered, then kept a straight-ish face for about two seconds, before bursting into laughter.
Sunny and Coco looked at each other and shrugged, while all the Rainbooms went into a full blown laughter, even Twilight was giggling a bit. Nothing really changed about them, except that instead of battling over who got to keep the PJ's, they were forced to experiment with their hairstyles as a way to tell them apart. After a few more audacious choices, which included long drill curls; side buns of a princess from that obscure space movie; and a full blown afro, they settled on a very simple long ponytail for Sunset, and twin ponytails for Sunny.
"I guess we're under a spell!"
"I didn't know that I fell!"
"That's what you get from listening to my voice!"
"Ah didn't have a choice!"
"You should jump!"
"But how high?"
At this point everyone was literally rolling on the floor rolling, except Twilight, who kept her composure and only giggled under her nose, and Spike, who rolled his eyes long ago and fell asleep on the couch, now that Coco's lap was unavailable. And then there was Coco and Sunny.
"Ha, ha, ha," Sunny laughed dryly "I don't get it."
Barely stopping herself from her laughing fit, Sunset attempted to answer. "I-it's, hihi, Dazzling's so-, haha, song!"
"The who?"
"Oh, you know," said Rainbow, wiping a single tear "the Sirens."
"Huh, okay... I still don't get it."
As the laughter slowly died down, Sunset sat on the floor and nodded. "We skimmed it over yesterday, but I suppose I owe you an explanation. Just be wary, it might take a while..."
A LONG while later.
"...aaaand that's about it," Sunset let out a deep breath "then I joined the Rainbooms as a lead singer slash guitarist and the rest is history!" She ended with a huge grin, as Sunny and Coco listened carefully, eyes and mouth wide open while completely tranced by the story. Meanwhile the Rainbooms already opened some card game and quietly played in the background, only occasionally commenting on parts of the story.
"W-where are they now?" Coco asked. "The Dazzlings. They're not... you didn't..."
Sunset waved her hand. "They're still in Canterlot city, though they're too old for high school... by a few thousand years or so. When Princess Twilight left, she asked me to keep them in check, to see if they're up to no good," she scratched the back of her head "I can't say they're truly reformed, or that they didn't try to regain their powers and failed miserably... multiple times... but they're harmless enough. If anything, I think Sonata is taking it quite well, but the other two... well, they're making some progress, maybe they'll be decent citizens one day. In twenty years or something. At least they have jobs and can pay for rent and food."
Sunny hummed, then leaned back on her hands and looked at the ceiling, as a goofy smile appeared on her face. "So they do exist. Supervillains..."
Coco massaged her head. "Not this again!"
"You heard her loud and clear, Coco. If the three of them can appear in this city, then there's bound to be more out there!"
Sunset scratched her head. "Well, we haven't confirmed anything yet, but if old scrolls are anything to go by, Starswirl the Bearded used to banish dangerous monsters to other dimensions if he couldn't find any other way. Apparently he didn't realize that this world had intelligent lifeforms. By the time he found that out, it was too late to take it back."
Sunny's smile grew tenfold, as she turned to Coco and shook her shoulder. "You heard that, Coc's? There could be more supervillains out there!"
"Joy." Coco deadpanned.
"Heck, if Sunset hadn't jumped into this world, maybe I would've been the one to beat them!" She disappeared and reappeared in the middle of the game of cards and made her signature pose. "Magical Girl Sunny: Foiling the Scheme of a Mind Controlling Trio of Sexy Singers! Quite catchy, eh?"
Diane nodded vigorously. "Yep!"
"Actually," Sci-Twi interrupted her "the only reason the Dazzlings made their move, is because Pri-Twi and Sunset brought the Equestrian Magic into this world. Without them, they would've been just wandering around the world, being a minor nuisance at best." She turned to Sunset. "No offense." Sunset didn't answer, just groaned and rolled her eyes.
Sunny shook her head, then teleported right into Sci-Twi's face, making her squeal half as adorably as Coco used to. "Magic, huh? Like this?" She lifted her finger, making 'Slumber 101' fly into the air. "It's not a Rainbow Tornado of Friendship, but that could've lured them out."
Rainbow chimed in. "So they could absorb some of your powers, use them for their nefarious gain, cause a lot of havoc, and by the time you realize what's going on there would be mass riots on the streets, including a lot of property damage and injured civilians?"
Sunny raised her finger for a moment, then lowered it hesitantly. "W-well, uh... shut up."
"Oh my gosh, thank you!" Coco exclaimed. "I've been trying to explain why this is a bad idea to her for days!"
Sci-Twi coughed. "Be that as it may, I doubt it would've turned out this way. If Sunset Shimmer never came to Equestria, you wouldn't have your powers either!"
Sunny stopped on her tracks. She blinked once, then twice. "What?"
Sci-Twi put on a sly smile and fixed her glasses. "I guess it's my time to give an exposition now!" She pushed Sunny away and stood up. "Pinkie Pie?"
The pink one jump up and saluted. "On it!" She zipped away from the room and reappeared pushing a large whiteboard on wheels.
Sci-Twi grabbed a dry-erase marker, coughed and turned her teacher mode on. "As soon as I got back home yesterday I contacted Princess Twilight via Sunset's magical book and, after an extensive brainstorming, I think we figured out exactly where your powers come from and why you acquired them."
Sunny swallowed and took a deep breath, as everyone gathered before professor Twilight Sparkle. Coco hesitated whether she should say or do anything to her friend as she was about to learn the secrets of her powers, but she eventually decided against it. Especially since there were so many people around. Also, Spike noticed an opening and jumped at her lap again, thus rendering her immobile for the time being.
Twilight's explanation started as she drew two large circles on both ends of the board. "Imagine two parallel worlds, one being Equestria," she drew a stick pony on the rightmost circle "which is technically the name of a single kingdom and not the planet itself, but bear with me. And this," she drew a crude human stick figure on the other "is our world, let's call it earth for simplicity sake (even if Equestria is technically set on parallel earth too, but I digress). Other than being separated by a dimensional border," she drew a long line in the middle of the board "there are a few differences between our worlds, most important of them being the existence of magic!" She drew a few stars inside the Equestrian circle. "In Equestria, it's everywhere, from the air, soil, sky, minerals, to even living creatures, not just unicorns, though they are most adept at manipulating it."
"Now," she drew another pony stick figure, giving it long hair "when Sunset Shimmer crossed the boundaries of the universes, two major things happened! First of all," she traced a line from pony Sunset Shimmer through the line and into the other circle, where she drew another stick figure, giving it similar hair to the pony "she transformed into a human herself, with clothes and all. That part we can't explain. The second thing, is that she was without magic!"
"Those were dark times for me," Sunset chimed in "for more reasons than you think!"
Twilight continued. "The same happened when Princess Twilight did the same, which led us to believe that the magic was either hidden deep inside of them all this time, except no matter how much Pri-Twi tried, she couldn't use any spells. Which means that her, and Sunset's, magical powers weren't there anymore!"
Two hands were immediately raised
Twilight groaned. "I'm not answering why my art is so bad."
Rainbow Dash lowered her hand, but Fluttershy's remained up. When given permission, she spoke up.
"B-but what about our Magic of Friendship? Like how we pony up when we play our instruments, or how Sunset turned into Daydream with our help?"
"Good questions, but as far as Pri-Twi and I can tell, the Magic of Friendship is a completely different concept, though it is related, but for the sake of simplifying it I won't get into details now. However, the sheer fact that after more than three visits Princess Twilight regained her powers as soon as she got back to Equestria, it leads us to believe that the magic of ponies," she drew a star over the line that showed Sunset Shimmer's path at the point it crossed the barrier "stays in the borders of the dimensions, patiently waiting for their owner to come back. And such was the case for Sunset Shimmer. But then... I, uh... I accidentally messed up the balance of the universes."
Sunset continued for her. "For a brief moment, the wall between our worlds was damaged and the two worlds were connected."
Twilight took a few breaths to compose herself and continued. "Equestrian magic is known to posses some sort of primal instinct and yearns to connect with its owner as soon as possible. When the holes in in the border appeared, it used its first chance to reconnect with Sunset Shimmer," she drew a line from the star towards Sunset Shimmer, then stopped a few inches before "however, and this is the tricky part," she drew an elaborate dress on the stick human Sunset Shimmer, as well as drew another star above her head "the body she was looking for was already occupied by a different source of magic!"
Sunny gasped. "Daydream!"
Sci-Twi nodded. "It was unlike anything Equestrian magic is used to! Normally, it would've waited patiently for it to be gone, but it sensed something else, far away. Someone else," she first drew another stick figure, almost identical as stick Sunset Shimmer, then traced a line to it. She then looked at Sunny. "Someone who fit the description of its owner perfectly, and wasn't occupied by any other magical power!"
A long silence fell on the group, as everyone looked at both Sunsets and waited.
Sunny was the first one to break the silence. She did it with a snort. "Huh... of course," she started laughing to herself, before turning to Sunset "so, it is your power after all!"
Sunset nodded. "I guess I always knew. I could feel it deep inside, but I needed... confirmation."
Another batch of silence fell on the group, until Coco raised her hand. "Umm, if Sunset came back to Equestria, what would happen to her magic? Would she appear as a normal, non-unicorn pony? Or would she still be a unicorn but without magic? Or, would the magic... go back to her?"
Twilight shook her head. "We don't know that for sure. I'm leaning more into turning into a non-magical unicorn, but Princes Twilight thinks that something else might happen. Such aberrations were never recorded before!"
"My existence could cause some sort of existential rift," Sunset shrugged "that's one less reason to go back to Equestria."
There was another moment of silence between the group, before Sunny turned to Sunset, but hesitated before saying anything. "So, I guess I owe you an apology... and, if you need me to give it back..."
Sunset put a hand on Sunny's shoulder and shook her head. "The magic chose a host, I had nothing to say on the matter," she smiled "I'm perfectly fine without it, and I didn't have any plans on returning anyway. I'm glad it's being used for a good cause," she turned to her friends, then back to Sunny "I have something new, that I wouldn't trade for my old powers. Or anything else in the multiverse."
Sunny blinked, then turned her head away, blushing slightly. "I-if you insist..." she hesitated for a while longer, before looking back at Sunset "Thank you. For coming to this world. And for... making my dream a reality."
Sunset's reply was abruptly interrupted as Rainbow Dash leaned on her back and looked at Sunny. "Yeah, she has that effect on people. She appears, makes a huge mess of your life, brings about a bunch of evil villains, including herself and causes a huge space-time continuum mess," she held Sunset's neck in a chokehold, but managed to twist and turn it into a one handed, tight hug "but in the end, she somehow makes everything better than ever!"
As the gathering slowly turned into a group hug for Rainbooms and Twilight, Rarity observed it from the back. She sighed and put the rolled up newspaper away and joined in. Not this time...
"Okay, enough wishy-washy stuff!" Rainbow announced, as she freed Sunset from the chokehold. "Can we start the party already?"
Pinkie emerged from the group. "Oh yeah, let's do this!" She went over her board game collection and fished out a medium sized, completely black and white box. "A new board game store opened and the owner said this was their best hit! He said it's absolutely the bestest party game ever made, and all ten of us can play!" She looked at Coco's lap, where Spike was snoring cutely. "Nine!"
Everyone gathered in a circle to accommodate Coco's lack of mobility. Twilight pulled the box lid to herself and read the title.
"Cards against humanity?" She asked. "I'm not sure I can trust a name like that."
Pinkie Pie waved her hand. "Nah, don't judge the book by its cover!"
"It's not a book, it's a game."
"I'm sure it's going to be super fun!"
After a brief explanation of the rules, everyone got their cards and looked at them at the same time. Few seconds later, one by one, all the girls started either burning bright red, choking on air, squeaking in fear, emitting white noise, if not outright fainting.
Pinkie Pie looked at her cards carefully, before gently putting them back into the box, smiling weakly.
The game night went without any hitches after their initial fiasco. Even though most of the modern board games played only 4 or 5 players, Pinkie Pie still managed to find more titles that could somehow accommodate all nine of them. Though at some point there was only so much 'dexterity' and 'social deduction' games they could take. Especially after the last one about a resistance movement in dystopian future that had traitors inside, whose job was to incite distrust and chaos in their ranks, while the loyal ones tried to find out who they were.
They failed.
"Wait, you're NOT a traitor!?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you!"
"That's what any traitor would say!"
As the rebellion crumbled upon itself over the weight of their mistrust and accusations, the only three whose card didn't say "Loyal" joined in a three way high five (high fifteen?).
"YAY!" Sounded the most subtle, yet enthusiastic shout of Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Coco Pommel.
The group was met with slightly irritated gazes from the other side.
"I should've figured it was the quiet ones," said Sunny.
"It's always the quiet ones!" Sunset nodded.
"Eyup!" Applejack nodded as well.
The tension in the room remained... for five more seconds, before everyone exploded in laughter.
Pinkie Pie quickly packed the game and went to the table. "Who's up for another?" She was met with mostly positive replies, except for Rainbow Dash, who groaned loudly as she stood up and stretched her limbs.
"No more! If I sit for one more minute, my body will explode! Let's get some DCD going!"
Pinkie Pie flashed a smile and jumped into action. "On it!" She exclaimed going towards the big plasma TV and pulled out a gaming console.
Sunny raised an eyebrow and asked. "What's DCD?"
Pinkie rushed with explanation as she booted the system up. "Oh, it's super duper simple!" She pointed at the camera placed just over the screen. "Just dance like the dancy person dances on the dance... I mean screen!"
"Here, let the expert show you," Rainbow 'Dance Expert' Dash went towards the middle of the room. She tried to select the game mode for two people by sliding her hand in the air for a while, growing increasingly more irritated as the Connect Camera failed to register her moves. She heard a cough from behind her and Applejack walked into her area, moved her hand in the air slightly and too played mode started immediately.
As the song started and the competition was about to begin, Rainbow looked bemused at Applejack. "I had it under control."
The blonde girl shrugged, slightly turning away and smiling playfully. "Ah ain't sayin' nuthin'."
Rainbow turned her frown upside down as she eyed the farmer girl. "You don't have to," she walked into the position the game was telling her to, in order to start the match "how about you let our bodies speak for once?"
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!"
"Sunny, please..."
"What? She did!"
Ignoring the comments from the audience, Applejack nodded. "Bring it, Sugarcube!"
"Ah, there's their macho sides showing!" said Rarity.
"WE HEARD THAT!"
All giggling aside, once the two actually started the game, Rainbow Dash and Applejack copied whatever moves the dancer on the screen performed, almost perfectly synchronizing all of their limbs with the sounds of an incredibly catchy pop song in a language none of them understood or even identified. It lasted for three minutes and ten seconds, and only when the screen announced the final score the two allowed themselves a break, bending over and breathing quickly, sweat dripping from their face.
"Ya were sayin', Dashie?" Applejack barely muttered, exhausted after earning a 97% score.
"Heh, lucky shot!" Rainbow Dash tsked, but ultimately accepted her defeat with a measly 95% score and a begrudging smile.
The two exchanged their 'macho nods of rivaling approval' and turned to the others.
"Who's up next?"
Sunny raised her hand energetically. "Oh, me! Me!" She stood up and turned to Sunset, pointing her finger at her. "Come on nemezis! You, me, dance duel!"
Sunset blinked, her head slightly tilting. "Are you sure?" Seeing no reason to decline, she shrugged and accepted the challenge. "Alright, so be it."
As the two sun-themed superheroines prepared themselves, Fluttershy raised some doubts. "Umm, should we tell her that...?"
"No," Rainbow Dash crossed her arms as she sat comfortably on the sofa "she can find out the hard way."
Coco looked at the Rainbooms, all seemingly aware of the situation. "Find out what?"
Two minutes and forty five seconds of a (different) song later...
"H-how...?" Sunny muttered in between heavy breathing, as sweat poured from her body into the carpet. "Y-you cheated!"
"I wanted to warn you," Sunset replied calmly, still looking at their scores: impressive for a beginner 56% and a perfect 100% of a veteran player who spent way too much time on it in her apartment, back when she didn't have friends to hang out with and thought this game was perfect for practicing using her new human body "but I doubt you'd ran away." She beamed brightly.
Sunny huffed before answering. "D-damn straight! Y-you cheated, a-and I wasn't prepared and it was my first time!" It took her a fraction of a second to realize how big of a mistake she made.
"That's what she said!" Coco reflexively blurted, earning a few amused looks, as well as one irate one. It dampened her giddiness, though. "You're right, it is fun to say!"
Sunny groaned while facepalming. "She grows too fast," she shook her head and turned back to her doppelganger "anyway, I demand a rematch! I'm starting to get this, I won't make the same mistakes again!"
Sunset blinked, looking at Sunny with a slightly tilted head. At all the sweat, her disheveled hair and chest that kept breathing in and out. "Sure, but can we give others their turn first?"
"Oh don't worry about us, darlings, do go on!" Rarity reassured them, with everyone else agreeing enthusiastically.
Sunset blinked, then shrugged and the two stood before the screen once again. Though this time Sunny was a bit less confident, she was no less determined.
"Alright, no more miss nice girl!" She pulled back her sleeves and pulled up her pajama top, tying it just below her breast line, exposing her sweaty, perfectly shaped belly to the public. "Hit it, DJ!" That said, Sunset started the next song and the battle began anew.
It was clear by that point that Sunset's body had this song already ingrained in its DNA and moved to each single note like leaves on a wind current, not missing a single beat and earning the highest score every single time. That put Sunny at a huge disadvantage, as she had to first register the command that appeared on the screen and react accordingly each and every time to a song that she had danced to only once before, so while she was familiar to the moves she was performing, it didn't burn into her memory quite as well as her opponent. But Magical Girl Sunny was many things, and a fast learner was one of them. Her moves weren't nearly as clumsy as they had been at first and the game acknowledged that, no longer ridiculing her sluggish movements, but even praising and cheering on her from time to time. It was a nice sentiment, even if it was just the game code.
And while Sunny fully accepted her defeat, she wasn't about to quit or give up, instead she gave it everything she had, fully invested in growing her skills as much as it was possible. Despite the exhaustion, she moved her long, smooth hands around like a true dancer, uncaring for the huge beads of sweat pouring off of them, neither was she concerned each time a cold wind current hit her exposed, wet belly, or whenever a certain maneuver had her spontaneously jump up in the air, moving her big, juicy breasts behind her top up and down like a-
"INEEDTOGOTOTHEBATHROOM!" Coco suddenly jumped up from the sofa and rushed towards the corridor, leaving the others slightly confused aside from the two dancers, who were too absorbed in their battle to notice her.
Even after everyone else shrugged it off, Rarity still looked at the direction of the hallway and hummed.
---
"You can do it!" Coco said in between another cold splash into her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. Wet, with messy hair, still red as a tomato. She took a few deep breaths. "Just endure it, you can take it! You've been doing it for a long time!" She sighed, her face lowering. "A very long time..." One more splash of water helped her calm down. Slightly. She sighed heavily. "I don't know how much longer my heart can take this. Stupid sexy Sunny," she wiped her face and opened the door, still muttering under her nose "with her stupid bouncy boobs, amazing bacon hair, that mesmerizing, bright smile..."
"I admit, she has quite a presence," Rarity nodded in agreement.
"MEEEP!" Coco jumped away from the other fashionista who was just standing before her, waiting with her arms crossed, hiding the amusement she got from seeing the little fashionista's back hit the wall. "Ra-ra-rarity, wha-what a-are... h-how m-m-much d-did you...?"
"Suffice to say, the bathroom walls are very thin," she said sheepishly as the other girl Cocolapsed on the ground into a fetal position. Rarity coughed, walking towards Coco to pat her on the head. "If it's any consolation, I'm the only one around, so your secret is safe with me," Rarity said, but soon frowned when she received only pathetic whimpers in response "and I already figured out that you fancied your Sunset Shimmer, though I was under the impression you two were already secretly an item, the way she treated you like a special..." she stopped herself when Coco's face lowered even more than it was. She resumed and intensified the head patting. "Darling, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Liking girls, especially ones as extraordinary as Sunny, is not a crime and nobody in this house will offer you anything other than their full support," while Coco's head didn't raise out of her hands, it didn't worsen and Rarity couldn't hear the whining anymore. She took it as a good sign.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Rarity offered.
Coco remained motionless for a moment, before raising her head just enough to make her eyes visible again. "No."
"Are you sure, darling? It will make you feel a lot better."
Coco turned her head away. "No, I'm fine..."
Rarity's eyes narrowed and the head patting turned into a hand that grabbed Coco's head to turn her eye to eye with Rarity. "Miss Pommel, I can count with a single hand the times when a girl who said 'fine' was honest, myself included."
It took Coco a moment of courage gathering, but seeing Rarity's encouraging smile convinced her to finally take a deep breath and open her mouth. "I... I have a crush on Sunny."
"Good. Go on."
"I-I always did. Since we first met! I mean, I was never into boys, or girls, I just didn't think about it at all, but then she appears and it's like she switched something inside me... that didn't come out right... anyway, here I am: avoiding so much as looking at her when she's just... sweaty..." her face started getting steamy red as she continued "...and moving her body like... like... but it's mesmerizing and I just want to... want to..." as her breathing got harder and harder, her eyes opened wide and her gasping intensified, Rarity got a bad feeling about it.
"N-now, you don't have to-"
"She is SO! HOT!" She suddenly exclaimed, sweat pouring, but almost immediately evaporating before leaving her red hot face. "I want to say the pun was unintended, but her sense of humor has grown on me so much I can't even be sure anymore! I mean, did you look at her? She regularly works up, she wakes up early in the morning to run a few laps around campus, which is a blessing in disguise because I get some time to get dressed, and has the perfect body of a supermodel! I mean, have you seen those legs?"
"Y-yes, they are quite a sight."
"And she's usually wearing long sleeves, but don't think I didn't see her biceps," a goofy smile appeared on her face "they're barely noticeable so she doesn't look like a gym freak, but they're just strong enough that she could've crushed me if she wanted, but her hugs are still so warm and soft..."
"Darling, I think you're..."
"And she has Abs! ABS!"
Rarity hesitated for a moment, before coughing and admitting quietly. "That I did notice."
"But, what I like the most about her... is that smile," she let out a long sigh, as the colors of her face slowly came back to how they originally were "that no matter what happens, no matter how much she teases me, makes me mad or sad or anything, I just can't get myself to be angry at her. And she's teasing me all the time, because she knows I will tolerate her and forgive her every time..." her eyes went wide as she gasped "a-am I developing some kind of Stockholm Syndrome?"
A chuckle escaped from Rarity's mouth. "N-no, I don't think that's the case," she shook her head, then looked Coco in the eyes "but I think I know what's going on with you." She leaned over Coco, supporting her jaw on one hand. "You're in love, Miss Pommel."
Coco blinked and opened her mouth to answer, but Rarity beat her to it.
"Someone very smart once told me something. You don't love because, but despite!" She said while smiling brightly. After a moment, she added. "Although, that someone was my father, so the 'smart' part is debatable as he said it after the first and only family dinner prepared by Sweetie Belle, but I digress."
Coco blinked once again, opened her mouth and waited to be interrupted again, but this time Rarity was nice enough to let her ask the ultimate question. "Uhmm... what?"
"You see darling, if you think you love someone because they are pretty, or rich, or are nice to you, but bail when the first problems arrive, then it's not the relationship you're looking for. But if you can forgive and accept some shortcomings, which I can clearly see you do, then you're a lucky girl" she sat down and let out an exasperated sigh "I know I have been through few relationships that I could use as an example, whether the fault was on his side, or mine."
"I-I wouldn't go that far..."
"I would," Rarity said, smiling dreamily "in a way, I envy you. So young, and you already have someone special in your life!"
Coco's face got covered in a deep red blush. "S-stop it..."
"No, I'm serious! And honestly, you two are already acting like a couple. Don't you want that to be true?"
Coco waited for a moment before sighing loudly. "More than anything in the world..."
"Why don't you tell her, then?" Rarity asked and waited for an answer. It never came. "You're afraid she's not into girls?" Coco's head lowered. "Because I watched how she treats you and from my perspective, she really cares about you. A lot."
Coco shook her head. "She cares about me as a friend, at best," she sighed deeply "like the little sister she never had."
Rarity tried to find something to say, but instead let out a loud sigh and patted Coco's head before sitting next to her. "If you want some help, I suppose I could subtly ask her if she has someone on her mind, without ever mentioning your na-"
"No!" Coco said in what was the most assertive tone she had the entire day. Still avoiding looking at Rarity, she continued. "I get what you're trying to do and I really, really appreciate the kindness... but as much as it sometimes hurts to hold it back, I... I want to do it at my pace." She raised her head and looked up slightly. "The day we first met, I was... I was a mess! Nothing was going right, I let myself be pushed around, thinking that was the way it was supposed to be... but then she appeared, out of nowhere, and told me to get a hold of myself. And I did. I did something by myself. For myself! I was in control for the first time in my life!"
She finally managed a small smile as she turned to Rarity. "I'm not exaggerating when I say she taught me how to be happy! She pushed me forward to make the first step, but I walked the rest by myself! And if I ever take another step and decide to tell her everything... I want to do it by myself!" She proudly announced, before blushing and turning away again. "H-however long it takes..."
For a longer moment, Rarity sat with her mouth wide open, before bursting into a polite chuckle. "I can't say I agree with your method, but it can't be helped," she stood up, shrugging "as much as I want to help, you seem to have already made your decision," she extended her hand to her along with a smile "I guess I'll have to stand aside and cheer you on from the sidelines."
Coco looked at Rarity for a moment, before nodding and accepting the hand helping her stand back. "Thanks, it means a lot to me. And, well, thank you for letting me ramble. I, uh, I needed that."
"Anytime, darling. It's not healthy to keep it inside you for this long."
Coco immediately replied. "That's what she sa-" She immediately closed her mouth with both of her hands.
Rarity stood dumbfounded for a moment, before snorting. "Yes, she is rubbing off on you. In many more ways than one," she looked around, before smiling slyly "Yes, that's what I said!"
The two shared a healthy laugh for a while, before deciding to go back to the group.
"Remember Coco, you can always come for help to your friends," Rarity reassured her "that's what they are for. Now let's head back before Rainbow makes up some weird rumors again."
The living room was more or less how they left it, except the score on the screen was now 100% to 94% and Sunny, from slightly tired and sweaty but determined became near dying of exhaustion, lying on her all fours and breathing heavily and loudly as Pinkie Pie fanned her head with an instruction booklet to one of her games.
"Wow, you're almost caught up to me!" Sunset, slightly more disheveled but otherwise still perky, said. "Good job, it took me ages to get where you are!"
Sunny barely raised her head enough to look at her double. "Don't... huff... patronize... huff... me..."
Sunset smiled even brighter. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. I mean, it took me ages to switch from hooves to hands. If a unicorn can do this, then so can you!"
"I... huff... admit defeat... huff... but just... shut up!"
As the two fashionistas joined the rest of the group, Rainbow Dash took notice first and smirked at them.
"Damn Coco, first Fluttershy, now Rarity?" She whistled at her. "I didn't know you were such a player!"
Rarity leaned to Coco. "Just ignore her, she'll get bored of it."
"Meh, I've heard worse!" The two shared a giggle, completely bypassing Rainbow Dash and joining the couch crowd.
Just as the song was about to start, this time between Pinkie Pie and a Twilight 'very uncomfortable about moving her body in front of others, even though they're all friends' Sparkle, Limestone entered the room, her face about as angry as she usually was.
"PINKIE PIE!" She shouted, no doubt scaring whatever ghosts hid in the area, as she walked with heavy steps toward her upbeat and smiling little sister. "Did you take out the trash? Like mom and dad told you to?!"
Pinkie Pie stood frozen in place, blinking once as her chipper smile remained as it was. "Yyyyyyeeeeemmmmaaaaaaayyyyyybeeeeebutnotreallysorry..." Her smile slowly faded away under the weight of the frown that only a disappointed big sister could muster. She swallowed, then slowly turned to the door. "I'll get it done right away, be right ba-"
Limestone sighed, grabbing Pinkie's sleeve as she passed her. "Don't bother, I'll do it," she said begrudgingly "you have a party to run."
Before she managed to leave, Limestone stumbled under the weight of a teenage girl's body now hanging over her back. "P-Pinkie Pie, let me go!" She tried to shake her off to no avail.
"Oh thank you, thank you Limey..."
"I told you not to call me that!" Limestone grunted. "B-besides, I didn't do it for free, i-idiot..." She added with a slight blush.
"Two slices of cake?"
"Three, with a lot of whipped cream. Now let me go!"
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie released her oldest sister, who looked at the group for a moment before leaving the room, grumbling along the way. Pinkie waved as she went away. "I have the best sisters ever!" She proudly announced to everyone else, getting subtle, mixed reactions, most of which her idealistic mind was too oblivious for and nobody had the heart to tell Pinkie just how little they wished to see of her.
Then they went back to the game, but as soon as the two were getting into a (very one sided) match, a pair of two loud sirens started wailing from two different cellphones. Coco was the first to pick hers up to check what it was, gasping loudly at the revelation.
"Quick, turn to the news channel!" She said, Pinkie saluting and grabbing the remote to do as asked, while Twilight sighed with relief.
'Emergency App' was a curious, one dollar application that alerted people of any immediate dangers that were happening in their location, be it floods, traffic, robberies in progress or even bad weather. It was a perfect tool for a superhero on a budget. Everyone else gasped when the newscast broadcasted live a scene of a large apartment building under fire, with all the windows cast in flames, as several firetrucks blocked the road from the onlookers. The firefighters tried their best to extinguish the flames and enter the building, where a lot of people were still trapped inside, according to scrolling text underneath.
"Oh dear!" Fluttershy mumbled.
Sunset tsked as she bit her finger. Crap, if I knew this would've happened, I wouldn't have kept on taunting Sunny to continue playing the game and tire her out-
"I'm on it!" Sunny suddenly announced, standing proud and ready dressed in her magical girl outfit, the one she used during the hostage situation from way back when, except without a cape this time. Again, she was a fast learner.
"TOO FAST!" Sunset shouted, pointing a finger at her. "Weren't you almost completely drained and gasping for air just a few seconds ago?"
Sunny shrugged. "I got better." She then turned to Pinkie Pie. "Don't start the cake without me, Diane. I'll be back in a jiffy! Sun'ya!" And then she vanished from the spot, and almost immediately after they noticed her inside the TV screen, already announcing herself to the public and talking with the very confused, but desperate for help, firefighters.
Sunset sighed deeply as she plopped on the couch, right between Rarity and Coco. "I give up! I don't get her at all!"
"Tell me about it!" Coco deadpanned, then concentrated on the news broadcast, where Sunny already vanished for a moment, before reappearing with a terrified old lady in her night gown and handing her to the paramedics before vanishing again, this time for a longer while.
---
Meanwhile, just outside the house, Limestone put the lid on the trash can. So totally worth all this cake! She smiled lightly for a moment, before souring once again. Great, now I'll have to go back to the gym to burn those calories... stupid Pinkie Pie and her stupid tasty treats!
Unsure of what her true feelings were and if she agreed with them, she looked at the windows to the living room, where she could see her sister and all of her friends. Her eye twitched as she noticed one of them being, well, two!
"What the...!?" She blinked a few times, then rushed inside the house and ended up in the living room once again, where everyone stopped playing and was just lying on the couch and chairs, watching the news of Magical Girl Sunny saving the day. She looked at the group, Sunset Shimmer in particular, narrowing her eyes. Sunset looked back, but having her soul pierced by a gaze that gave cockatrices a run for their money, she couldn't answer, and neither could the others.
After a while, Limestone sighed and walked away. "I'm seeing things..." She mumbled, leaving the group as confused as they were scared.
Some time passed and the group went back to observing Sunny's heroic deeds on the television. As Coco watched her beloved hero in action, she noticed Rainbow Dash leaning towards her. "So, between the two of us," she started, somehow giving Coco goosebumps (and not because she was talking with a relative stranger!) "which one is next?"
Coco hesitated. "Uh, pardon?"
"First Fluttershy, then Rarity, who will you seduce next? I wanna say Twilight, but if you want a different experience, I suggest AJ. And before you ask, no, my hair color doesn't automatically make me a les-"
SMACK!
"Oww! Still worth it!"
With Rainbow's impure remarks under control, they watched the tragedy turning into a heroic story, as Magical Girl Sunny kept teleporting with more and more people more or less unhurt. They even managed to chuckle when she teleported with a panicking cat swiping wildly in the direction of her face, as she held it far away from herself, but still managed to get a few cuts on her face regardless. Heroic willpower prevented her from tossing it into a nearby trash can, instead giving it back to its owner, earning herself one more little girl into her fanclub.
While everyone in the group was mostly cheering on their heroine, Sunset sat quietly with her hands crossed and Fluttershy noticed her first. "Sunset, is something wrong?" She asked quietly. "I know you're worried about Sunny, but she seems to have it all under control." She said so at the same time Magical Girl Sunny panicked a little as she noticed that her left sleeve was on fire, but she quickly patted the flames away then sighed with relief, only slightly embarrassed that it was caught on camera. "Well, mostly under control."
"I'm not worried," Sunset answered "I just can't help but notice that she doesn't try to extinguish the flames with her magic."
Fluttershy hummed, before saying. "W-well, she's prioritizing saving lives. That's the most important thing!"
"True, but if she got at least some of those flames under control, it would have made her job a lot easier, not to mention safer for people and herself! I'm sure she knows that much!" She leaned toward the screen, holding a hand at her chin. "I know fire was my specialty back in the day, but I did know a few fire extinguishing spells as well." Princess Celestia forced me to learn after a few unfortunate accidents in the library, but I don't feel like talking about the past. Not today. She turned to Coco. "Does she know any other spells than what we saw?"
Coco put a finger to her chin and hummmed. "Hmm, no, I don't think so. Since day one it was mostly teleportation, levitating stuff and shooting fire. Oh, and the 'Sunny Blast' and 'Sunny Punch', but those are more like variants of her normal powers." She thought for a moment longer. "There's also vanishing the bullets out of guns! No, actually that's just very precise teleportation too."
"Woah, hold the phone!" Rainbow Dash interjected. "She does what with bullets?!"
Coco nodded, smiling proudly as she explained. "Yeah, she teleports bullets straight out of clips and magazines! She needs to see or know exactly where objects that are being teleported are, so she memorized the blueprints of every popular modern gun she expects to see on the streets," her face went slightly blushing "I think we almost gave the librarian a heart attack when we borrowed a huge stack of books on firearms back in the day," she laughed sheepishly "we switched to ebooks since."
"Awesome." Rainbow quietly admitted and everyone else nodded in agreement.
Sunset's face didn't change from before. "I'll take that as a no. I can think of several spells that could greatly enhance her skills."
"How do tha unicorns learn new spells?" Applejack asked. "Do ya have magical classes or somethin'?"
"Well, a typical unicorn instinctively learns a spell that matches their cutie mark. As for everything else, we learn it in magical schools. Princess Celestia runs the greatest academy in Equestria, though I doubt Sunny could attend it, for obvious reasons."
"Ah think there is someone who can teach'er," Applejack smiled, her gaze drilling into Sunset "someone we all know and are good friends with?"
Sunset blinked a few times. before gasping at the realization. "Oooh, of course!" She smiled brightly as she stood up. "I can ask Princess Twilight!" She didn't notice as her friends fell on the ground. "While she can't come here, what with being a princess of friendship and having tons of duties in Equestria, they could use the magical journal to talk to each other and set up some sort of correspondence courses-"
"Ah was talking 'bout you, sugarcube."
A few seconds passed. Magical Girl Sunny just levitated a middle aged man only in his bathrobe straight into the safety of the ambulance.
Sunset scratched her head. "I-I don't know, I mean, I know I was an all A student and it's my magic, b-but I don't think I'm cut out to be a teacher..."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Just like you weren't cut out to be a nice girl after the she-demon thing?"
"W-well, that's-"
"Or how you thought you weren't good enough to sing in the band?" Rarity added.
"That was-"
Fluttershy joined in. "Or how you doubted you could've done anything without Princess Twilight, but ended up turning into Daydream Shimmer and saving the day?"
"An' don' forget who's teachin' th’ Dazzlings how ta fit in society."
Pinkie Pie raised her hand. "Oh, remember when we told you to not fight Magical Girl Sunny on your own, but you did it anyway and held up your own despite having no magical powers and only two barely functioning magical devices (no offense Twily) and only ended up with several bruises and a damaged friendship, though mostly because Coco got involved and almost got hurt and... and..." she noticed a few glares aimed straight at her. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Uh, too soon?"
Ignoring her with a large eye-roll, Applejack's eyes went back to Sunset, who shrugged her arms in resignation.
"Okay, point taken. I don't know how much I can do, but I guess I can try teaching her a thing or two about her power. My power- old power. If she wants my help, that is."
"If it will make her safer out there," said Coco "then I will force her, if it's the last thing I do! Though knowing her, she will jump at any opportunity to get stronger."
"Fair enough." Sunset nodded and sat on the couch once again to enjoy the show of heroics. She would never admit it to her face, but she was really impressed with her technique. Even with her true potential still locked, the number of missing people from the burning building decreased to only a few unaccounted for, which Magical Girl Sunny was already looking for.
"Am I the only one with regrets here?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked.
"About what?" Sunset asked her back.
Dash pointed at the screen. "She's busting her ass out there, saving dozens of people and stopping crime, and we just sit here, play games and eat cakes," she crossed her arms, slouching back into the couch.
Rarity nodded. "It can't be helped. With the way our powers work, we would most likely end up getting hurt and make the situation worse!" Her head turned slightly to the side, as the memories of the robbery at Jewelry Store came back to her. Everyone knew all too well that having her money and earrings stolen would have been the best possible outcome if Sunny didn't show up.
"Oh come on, don't make a frowny face on a Pinkie Party!" Pinkie Pie bounced up and turned to them. "Now that Shimmy's here, she can do what we couldn't! And if we ever get super speed, super strength, talking with animals, making stuff blow up, telekinesis, crystal creation and mind reading, THEN we could become superheroes like her!" She gasped at the sudden realization. "We could become The Magnificent Eight!" She announced with a smile, before turning to Coco. "Nine!" Then she noticed Spike on her lap (when he got there was a mystery). "Uh, ten? This constant counting is really confusing!"
Rainbow Dash shook her head, but couldn't help but snort anyway. "Yeah, like any of that is going to happen..."
If only she knew...
Meanwhile in the television realm, according to the scrolling text on the bottom, every single person and animal in the apartment building was accounted for and in safe hands, minus a few burns and traumatizing experience. With Sunny's help with the rescue, the firefighters were able to put a lot more effort into, well, fighting the fires, thus keeping it under relative control. The chief of the department was currently vigorously shaking Sunny's hands, his eyes tearing up not only from the heat, as Sunny couldn't help but smile at the appreciation she was showered with by him and public alike. With one last catchphrase, she bid them farewell and vanished from the place. All the party girls expected her to pop up anytime soon, but after a few seconds she was still notably absent. Instead, Coco got a text message.
Back home, need to freshen up. Be there in few minutes.
Coco smiled at the text and was about to relay the message, when she got another.
DO NOT start the cake without me!
Without anything else to do while waiting for the main guest, Pinkie Pie turned the console back on. Twilight Sparkle was panicking about playing again and was this close to inventing a teleportation belt here and now to escape, but the peer pressure prevented her from it. Coco wondered why she was so scared of a little game.
Fifteen seconds into the song, she found out and had to force herself to look away from the crying, but somehow funny in a cruel way, trainwreck of a dancer.
"Why do you force her to do it?" Coco asked, taking huge pity over Twilight's fate.
"She lost a bet," Sunset explained shortly "she dug her own grave," her frown growing with each passing second "and I thought Princess Twilight was an awful dancer."
A few moments passed and the group decided to just look away and let her have what little dignity she would have left after the song was over. Applejack turned to Coco and spoke up.
"So, how're ya doin', sugarcube? We've been talkin' bout Sunny all this time that we almost forgot yer even 'ere."
Coco turned to the farmer girl, then to every other that looked her way. She smile brightly and nodded. "I-it's okay, she's kind of a big deal. Besides, my life kinda sorta revolves around her anyway," she said, a small blush appearing on her cheeks "a-and, to be completely honest with you all, I... I didn't really want to come here at first," she waved her hands in front of her to stop anyone from any reaction "b-but I'm having fun, a-and you're all so nice, and, well, I'm happy to be here, actually..."
This earned a warm smile out of everyone involved, Applejack most of all. "Welp, we've known ya less than a day and yer already like family to us."
Coco scratched her head, turning her gaze away. "Aw, shucks... I-I don't know what to say..."
"You don't have to say anything, darling," Rarity said, placing her hand on Coco's shoulder.
"O-okay..." After a small pause, she Cocoughed and channeled her inner Sugarcoat to utter in the best monotone she could muster. "No comment." And then she held her mouth from bursting into laughter... for about three seconds, and neither could the others. The song ended well into their fit of laughter and Pinkie Pie joined them, despite not being aware of the subject. Twilight didn't laugh, instead sat in corner and cried over her performance and had to be hugged and patted several times to cheer up. She got better after they explained that she wasn't being ridiculed.
"Hooneeeeey! I'm hooo-ooome!" Sunny suddenly announced. "Wait, that's not my home..."
Everyone turned toward their heroine with smiles, except...
"W-wait!" Sunset jumped from the couch in front of Sunny and scanned her new clothes. She was wearing thigh long white shorts and a short sleeved white t-shirt, with a smiling, cartoon t-rex on it. She was smiling ear to ear, and her hair was back to how it always was, except it was still a bit wet from the quick shower she just took.
Sunset's eyebrow twitched. "What. Is. This!" She asked, pointing at the top and bottom of Sunny's attire.
"My spare pajamas. The new one is all sweaty and yucky, so-"
"YOU HAD THIS ALL ALONG!?"
"Yep! Gotta have something on the laundry day, and someone here doesn't approve of sleeping in nude!" She eyed Coco, who blushed only slightly while making the 'Well excuse me!' frown.
"B-but, but... then what was all that kerfuffle for? The arm-wrestling and... and...?"
Sunny shrugged. "Mostly for fun."
Sunset opened her mouth and closed again and again, until she groaned loudly and joined Twilight in the corner, though for a different reason. As the two recovered their dignity and sanity, Sunny clenched her fist in victory.
"YESSS! Score one for Best Sunbutt!"
The rest of the crew rolled their eyes, but refrained from further comments and waited for the party proper to resume.
"No problem, Diane," Sunny nodded, levitating a huge chocolate cake like it was nothing. "But seriously, four cans of whipped cream for one cake?"
"It's okay, I have plenty more in case we run out!"
"That's... good. Good to know." She stood in place in silence while Pinkie grabbed the plates. "It's really happening, isn't it?"
"Yep! All this cake for the nine of us. Spike is a dog and it's poisonous to him, so he gets his own treats. Oh, and I owe Limestone three slices for being an awesome older sister. And one for Maud because she is also an awesome older sister. And I should keep one for Marble when she comes back because she's an awesome little sister, and one for mom and dad.”
“Lemme guess, they’re awesome too?”
“They have their moments!"
"I'm not sure there's enough cake for everyone. Whipped cream, however..."
Pinkie beamed proudly. "Which is why I made a second one, just for my family!"
"Ah, clever girl!"
After a bit more silence, Sunny continued. "Back in the day, I wasn't even dreaming about cakes. I was content with just the two of us, together... although having a good team is good too, I guess."
"Yup, a party of two is okay, but very unbalanced, so you both have to take multiclassing and end up unoptimized for later challenges, not to mention all the loot you have to ignore because you only have a single slot for each piece and your inventory space is limited and you need to carry consumables, and don't even get me started on what happens when one falls down and the minions don't give you five seconds to rez your partner so you have to complete the instance solo and it takes FOREVER while the fallen friend has to wait and hope we don't have to repeat the whole thing again! Ugh, that is THE worst!"
Sunny blinked and nodded, smiling sheepishly. I'm starting to see where the "don't think about it, it's just Pinkie Pie" saying came from. Confusion aside, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh Diane, if only I knew you existed, I would have transferred to CHS without a second thought!"
Unbeknownst to Sunny and Pinkie Pie, the two weren't alone. The eavesdropping Coco kept her distance behind the corner, and left without making herself known after she thought she heard enough.
"You can still transfer, just like Sci-Twily did!"
"Tempting... but I don't think CHS can survive two Shimmers," she chuckled "besides, I can't leave Coco behind, not after all we've been through. She would be kinda lost without me." She paused, then smiled sheepishly as she added. "Though not as lost as I would've been without her." Few seconds later she coughed and regained her usual attitude. "But if you're ever having another party..."
"You're already invited!" Pinkie happily announced, shoving a few envelopes into Sunny's hand.
Sunny raised an eyebrow at at least half a dozen invitations that had both her and Coco's names on it. She opened a few of them. "Diane, those are blank cards."
Pinkie shrugged. "That's because I don't know what the party will be for until I make it!" She announced with a bright smile.
Sunny snorted. Just Diane being Pinkie Pie... heh, I'm already getting used to it.
---
After several more rounds of dancing and one giant chocolate cake, everyone was much too tired to do anything stamina consuming, but too buzzed on the sugar to call it a day just yet, which is why they reverted to the final entertainment piece for teenagers: video games! They sat on the floor, taking turns in playing a four player fighting game about mascots from different games beating each other up with cartoony weapons. Coco politely stepped away and observed the rest from the safe distance of the couch, petting Spike as he really grew fond of her lap over the course of this evening while she was enjoying having a dog for a while as well. It was a lot less stressful than playing a game she claimed to have never played nor having any interest in playing. In truth, back home she still had three gaming consoles and all four installments, the one currently being played included, and has beaten all of them multiple times, including finishing all the Nightmare difficulty challenges, except the third one which still has 99,9% completion rate because getting Platinum trophy on a Rainbow Bridge without losing less than half life and not using super moves was completely impossible, bugged or otherwise put into the game by a frustrated programmer who wanted to spite the players for not getting lai-
Coco shook her head. No, bad Coco! Happy thoughts! Concentrate on the cute doggie! Head stroking intensified, which lead to one of the cutest possible dog sounds she never found on any cute animal compilations. Her smile grew as the stress slowly evaporated from her body and mind. The Puppy Therapy actually works! Who knew?
With her spirit slightly raised, she looked at her criminally unskilled friends who wouldn't survive five seconds with he-I SAID HAPPY THOUGHTS, DAMNIT! playing the game together. Of special note was Sunny and Pinkie Pie, last two survivors, running around the stage frantically searching for a weapon, slowly getting closer to the time limit, crying and screaming over any small move, while the rest of the crowd cheered them on.
Just because they get along doesn't mean they, well... It's not like a childhood friend from before amnesia always wins in the end, right? As the petting intensified even more, Spike didn't realize there was a way to be more relaxed. O-of course they get along. Pinkie Pie gets along with everyone, if her MyStable profile is to be believed. Her fingers started getting sore from scratching the purple fur. She sighed heavily, slumping on her back, trying to think of dresses, her usual happy place whenever she felt awful in pre-Sunny era. Except all the designs had different shades of pink, some of them even had parts made out of whipped cream!
Not too far away from her, Rarity looked at her and didn't need to read her mind to guess what was going inside of her. I wish I could do something to help. Her mind blanked for a second, before a sly grin appeared on her face. Ideaaa~! She leaned over Applejack and whispered something, getting a confused stare at first, until it turned into a grin. The two split up and relayed the plan to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, both of whom had similar reactions. Once the battle was over and Sunny went into gloating mode, they approached Pinkie Pie as well. All five of them together looked at Coco, then Sunny, Sunset and Twilight, dastardly plan growing inside their collective mind.
A few moments later...
Pinkie Pie gasped loudly. "Ohmygosh, I totally forgot the thing-a-ma-jig!"
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "A what now?"
She felt Applejack's hand on her shoulder. "It’s Pinkie Pie, don't ask." She said, shaking her head.
"It's in my room! I need some help!" Pinkie said then grabbed Sci-Twi's and Coco’s hands, waking up the latter from her trance.
"Wha-what?" Coco only yelped as she was forcefully removed from the couch, while Rarity caught Spike.
"No time to explain!" Pinkie easily pulled the two with her, no matter how much they resisted.
Sunny stood up and walked to them. "I'll come with you-"
"NO!" Fluttershy yelled quietly but assertively. "I-I mean, I w-wanted t-to, uhm, uh, braids! I wanted to have my hair b-braided, b-but..." She looked at her other friends, who instantly caught up and joined in.
Rainbow Dash cracked her knuckles. "I'm all sore from the gaming. Plus, I'm bad at hair styling."
"I would love to, but as you can see," she raised a grumpy, recently woken up Spike up "my hands are occupied."
Applejack looked around in panic, before noticing some leftover cake with cream still on it and slammed a hand right into the slimy mess. "Mah hand’s all messy!"
Sunny blinked, looking at the big, pleading stare of Fluttershy, which somehow prevented her from turning her gaze away. She swallowed and nodded. "Sure. Braiding sounds fun. And not even remotely suspicious." She noticed almost everyone in the room glaring at her with a vicious smile. Except Spike, who was mostly annoyed but not opposed to being held by Rarity, and Sunset, who was just as confused as her. Nothing suspicious. At. All.
---
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"I'll know when I see it!"
"And how are we supposed to know if we find it?"
"W-well, uhm... keep looking!"
Coco and Twilight stood at the entrance to Pinkie's room for a while longer as the party girl kept slowly looking through her shelves, boxes under her bed and other places, emphasis on slowly. They looked at each other and shrugged, before joining in the search for... something.
"Any idea what this is about?" Coco asked.
"No clue. Last time she acted so suspicious was when they threw me a surprise birthday party and had to carry the giant cake to the living room without me knowing. But I can safely say they're not going to steal your books and hide them in the men's bathroom. If only because you didn't bring any books, and both bathrooms are unisex..." she shook her head. "F-forget I said anything! I-I was j-just-"
Coco smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Upper Crust got to you too?"
Twilight stared with her mouth agape. "H-how did you... oh, right, you're from Crystal Prep. I keep forgetting that."
"It's okay. She was just toying with me, I mean, us, because she's a rich kid from high society and she thought she had to dominate over someone. But recently, she just... stopped. I thought she got bored with me, or she felt threatened when I stood up to Suri, but now that I think about everything, it all stopped around the time of Friendship Games. I guess the whole Midnight Sparkle versus Daydream Shimmer shook her into a better person... thanks for that, by the way."
Twilight went silent for a while. "You're welcome... I guess." She said as her hands grabbed the handles of the middle drawer of a shelf, when suddenly Pinkie Pie slammed her hand on it, spooking Twilight away from it.
"Not this one!" Pinkie said quickly, smiling brightly, even as her face got a few shades more red and a few beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Twilight blinked, before tilting her head and asking. "Why not?"
Pinkie's mouth scrunched, as the redness and sweat intensified. "B-be-because, th-that's where I... I... hold...my... my..."
"Your what? I can't hear you."
"My... my... underwear... and stuff"
Pause.
Coco and Twilight blinked once, before squealing and jumping away from the drawers that Pinkie was so uncharacteristically desperate to protect. They turned away, whistling while examining a part of the room far, far away.
Pinkie sighed with relief, then noticed someone walk by her opened door. The usual cheer returned to her as she shouted. "Maud, hey Maud!"
When called, Pinkie's older sister entered the room, wearing a long, grey night gown, along with a face that gave Sugarcoat a run for its money in emotion hiding category. "What is it, Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie beamed brightly, as she pulled Coco and Twilight before her. "Girls, did you know that Maud writes her own poetry?"
"N-no, I wasn't awa-"
"And I bet they would love to hear it! Right girls?"
"A-actually, weren't we looking for-"
"See how excited they are? So excited they can barely talk!"
Maud looked at the two confused girls for a while, her stare sapping any ability to refuse. She nodded and turned away. "Wait a moment." Then she left the room.
Pinkie wasted no time and pushed the two onto her bed. "You two are so lucky, this is gonna be awesome!"
Coco blinked and looked at Twilight, who could only offer a confused shrug. They didn't wait long before Maud came back, holding several printed pages in her hands. Pinkie Pie joined them on the bed, while Maud started reciting.
"Rock. You are a rock..."
---
Ten minutes later...
"...and that is why. A rock you will be. Always." Maud lowered the pages. "This is the end."
"WOOOHOOO!" Pinkie Pie cheered loudly and clapped her hands, one of which was already covered by a giant, grey foam finger that said 'Maud Pie #1'. "That's my sister over there!"
Right next to the relentlessly cheering pink girl were two other whose expressions were limited to mouths slightly opened and eyes wide awake, unblinking. It took them a few seconds to say anything.
"That was... something else." Coco said slowly.
Twilight nodded slightly. "I will never look at rocks the same way again."
"Woohoo! One more!"
"NO!"
"I-I think we should be going back," Twilight said, smiling sheepishly at Maud's stone cold (lack of) expression "w-we still haven't found the... thing..."
Pinkie Pie discreetly checked her watch, then nodded. "Yeah, we can go back now."
Maud stood where she was for a while. She blinked. "Don't stay up too late."
As her sister left, Pinkie turned to the other two. "Okie dokie, that should be enough. Let's go back!"
The two looked at each other then back at Pinkie. "What about the 'thing'?"
Pinkie shrugged, bouncing away from the room. "I forgot what it was!"
As the pink bouncing one left the room, the two girls gulped loudly.
---
Once downstairs, they encountered an unusually giddy Rarity standing in the doorway to the living room, clearly blocking their path.
Coco swallowed and smiled nervously as she asked ."So, is this the time you announce that you're all actually evil and wanted to distract me while you defeat Magical Girl Sunny?" Please don't be true, it’s just a joke!
Rarity giggled and waved her hand. "Oh, now don't be silly darling. If we had the intentions or means to defeat Sunny, we would’ve done so long ago!"
Coco rolled her eyes. "Sure."
"We would've just drugged your food and drinks and waited until Sunny's guard was lowered (which was all the time, mind you) and struck her with our anti-magic gauntlet," she tapped her chin to think "that's actually not a bad plan. Oh well, you should be glad we are the heroes here." She smiled brightly, clearly enjoying Coco's eye twitch. She coughed and stepped aside. "We prepared a 'friendly' surprise. I think you'll find it... quite enjoyable."
Few unsure, nervous steps later, Coco and Twilight found themselves back in the living room and stopped almost as soon as they found what they were hiding. Inside, were two Sunset Shimmers, dressed in the same exact, beautifully crafted long, shining purple dress, with long skirt with various flower patterns, long, wide sleeves and an opening just above the chest, which was just wide enough to give a sneak peak at the cleavage, but not enough to be slutty. Their hair was also styled similarly into twin drills, adorned with matching purple ribbons.
However others reacted, Coco needed a minute to regain control over her jaw and wipe some saliva from her mouth (and thank heavens nobody noticed... except maybe Rarity, but she was in on this anyway). Once she recovered her senses, she couldn't help but admire more than just the girl she had a crush on. And the one who looked exactly like her, but somehow didn't trigger the same reaction. The dress was very reminiscent of some of the designs she made for Magical Girl Sunny, except they were way too long, while her own used mostly mini skirts to accommodate for the much needed mobility. A final form, perhaps? She shook the stray thought away, breathing heavily to keep her heart from pumping too much blood into her head and causing a severe nosebleed (it has happened before!).
Rainbow Dash jumped in between the two Sunsets with a remote raised at her mouth level. "Welcome to the second ever 'Which is which' contest! The rules are simple," she pointed her hand at the two highly dressed girls "all you need to do is guess which Sunset Shimmer is your Sunset Shimmer! You have only one try though, so make it count!"
Seeing Coco's confused (and no doubt twice as charmed) face, Rarity rushed with an explanation. "I figured we could have some fun, seeing as we have a rare opportunity of having two copies of the same person in one place! And to be able to do it again, such luck!"
Coco blinked again, as a thought crossed her mind. She turned to Twilight, who smiled sheepishly.
"They did the same thing to me back when Princess Twilight came to visit," she crossed her arms "I should've known."
"And since both of you have known your respective Sunsets for roughly the same time (Twilight has a few weeks head start, but Coco lives under the same roof, it should balance it out), you were chosen to participate!"
Pinkie jumped in before them. "And the winning pair gets 'super special winning cupcakes only ever made for weird one-off competitions like this'!" Pause. "It's a working name."
"But, to make it more challenging," Rainbow interjected "both Sunsets are forbidden to talk. That would make it waaaay too easy!" She shrugged, earning a similar 'What is that supposed to mean' look from both Shimmers.
Twilight sighed deeply as she moved towards the Sunsets. "So this is how it feels from the other side... let's get this over with." She said nonchalantly as she began examining the models. She tried to make it look like she wasn't all that interested, but having lost the previous edition (or rather, Rainbow Dash lost for both of them) she was way too curious to try the 'longest name ever for a pastry' cupcake that Pinkie kept away from even her closest friends and family. That said, even having spent the entire evening with both of them and getting a good grasp at the differences in their personalities, from the outside the two Sunsets looked like photocopies of each other.
Then the devil is in the details! Fixing her glasses and activating her "Twi-Sense" Great, now Pinkie's naming convention is rubbing off of me too!. She tapped her chin as she walked in circles around the models, who tried to keep their composure despite being ogled from (almost) every possible angle. The audience, made out of Applejack and Fluttershy (now with braided hair!) with Spike sitting on her lap, held their breaths.
The obvious difference would be in their muscle structure, seeing as Sunny works out a lot more than Sunset, but they're all covered head to toes, so I can't see. However, her eyes flashed as a brilliant plan manifested. I distinctly remember that Sunny has been through a fire rescue today, during which she was scratched by a cat, which means... her eyes narrowed as she closed her face to one of them, making the other blush slightly, trying to avoid eye contact. Then she did the same to the other, who had a very similar expression. She went back to the previous one, then back to the second. And once again, going back and forth between them, until she realized the truth.
That's a really unnecessarily thick make-up!
"This one!" Coco calmly announced, pointing finger at the rightmost Sunset Shimmer.
The audience of three gasped. Rarity hummed, while Rainbow smiled slyly. "You sure? You have only one chance."
"I'm sure. This is my Sunset," she announced, almost instantly exploding with a blush as she corrected herself "I mean, the Sunset that I live with, uhm, Sunny! Shimmy!"
"Not gonna change your mind?"
"I'm certain."
"Hundred percent?"
"Yes."
"Hundred twenty percent sure?"
"Yes!"
Rainbow nodded, her smile growing and getting more smug. "Hehe... WRONG!" The audience gasped, but Coco didn't budge. "Your Sunset is over there. Welp, sorry to say that, but you lost, so the winning cupcakes goes to-"
"No, I'm not wrong."
"Huh?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Y-yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"You are!"
"Am not."
Rainbow groaned and walked to Coco to look down on her in the eyes. "Yes you are wrong! This isn't your Sunset Shimmer and that's that!"
Coco's eyes narrowed, as she looked back and didn't relent. "No. I'm. Not!" She stomped for emphasis.
"Oh give it up, Rainbow!" The 'rightmost' Sunset Shimmer said, using the typical, Sunny tone they got used to. "I told you she can't be fooled."
Rainbow growled for a while before she turned away and slowly walked to join the audience on the couch, muttering something to herself on the way.
Sunny laughed. "Easiest five bucks ever!"
With Rainbow Dash out, Pinkie Pie quickly assumed the role of a referee and raised both Sunny's and Coco's hands up. "And the winners are (drumroll please) Shimmy and Pommy!"
"Pommy?"
"It suits you."
They got their well deserved standing ovations from the crowd, including some from a slightly bitter Rainbow Dash, keeping her sportsmanship up, and even from Twilight, losing the opportunity to taste victory for the second time in her life (shoulder patting from Sunset helped only a bit).
Rarity smiled as she observed the two winners sharing the enjoyment of tasting the 'winner cupcakes'.
I did my part. The rest is up to you, miss Pommel.
---
It wasn't until a few hours after the 'contest' that the mass epidemic of yawning overcame the group to the point that they had to call it a day and roll out the sleeping bags. The room fell completely silent, save for an occasional snoring. Several hours in, Coco's eyes shot open, then she sat up.
Toilet.
One unspoken action later, she left the bathroom and yawned, the allure of a surprisingly comfortable floor pulling her back into the room, until she stumbled on some small, metallic object that rolled away as she accidentally kicked it. She went to pick up what was an empty can of some sorts. Whipped cream? How did this get here? She was about to shrug it off and put it somewhere so she could dispose of it in the morning, when another can rolled over in her direction, some cream still pouring out of it. She looked at the path leading to the kitchen and noticed a few more inside as well. After she made a few steps, she started hearing some noises coming from inside, though she couldn't quite place them. It sounded like... slurping?
Is someone having a midnight snack?
She went inside to investigate, the sounds getting louder and started resembling some high pitched, familiar voices. Before she truly went inside, she stopped as she stepped on something soft. She picked up what turned out to be a shirt, though she couldn't tell any details in the dim lighting. It seems awfully familiar. She looked down and found matching pants just nearby. She swallowed. What the hell...?!
The voices got louder and clearer to the point of becoming coherent.
"Mmmmm, that's so good!" Said a voice that she was all too familiar with.
Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. S-sunny?
"How do you like my pie, Shimmy? I have plenty more, juuust for you~"
As a byproduct of her Imagination running its course, Coco's head reached boiling temperature. They're just eating a pie, they're just eating a pie, they're just eating a pie...
She wanted to run away, but instead walked inside and turned just around the entrance. First, she saw a pair of panties and a bra lying nearby. She paid them no attention, instead locking her eyes at the pair of girls. Pinkie Pie sat on her knees, her hands and back leaning on the wall, dressed in what could be best described as an improvised edible bikini made out of whipped cream. Sunny sat on her fours just next to her, nibbling on the parts of the improvised edible bikini made out of whipped cream!
A faint, white noise came out of Coco's mouth, grabbing the attention of the two girls.
"Hi Pommy!" Pinkie beamed happily, absolutely unashamed of losing a part of her cream bra. "Do you want some Pie? I have plenty for everyone!"
White noise intensified.
Sunny pulled away, licking some cream of her lips. "Come on Coc's, you have to try this!"
"You came in just in time," Pinkie said, slowly spreading her legs apart "for the cherry topping!"
Coco had a heart attack and died.
"HAAAHHH!"
Coco shot up from her sleeping bag with a loud gasp, sweat pouring all over her body. She breathed heavily until her heartbeats normalized and the danger of cardiac arrest was over. She looked over the rest of the girls in the room, all sleeping soundly, none of them waking up due to her sudden panic attack. She glanced over to her left, where she sighed with relief to see Sunny sleeping happily, no Pinkie Pie or whipped cream in sight.
Just a dream... After giving herself a few more moments to calm down, she plopped on her back once more. Few minutes of staring at the ceiling later, she sat down again. There's no way I can fall asleep now!
She went to the kitchen, wary of the wild clothing and stray cans of cream lurking nearby. Once safe inside, she grabbed an empty glass and filled it with tap water. She took a single, refreshing sip, then another, before splashing some of the cold water on her face.
"Towel, where's the towel..." She said, half blindly inspecting the nearby area with her hand.
"Here you go, Pommy!"
"Thanks, Pinkie!" She started wiping her face with the towel. "PINKIE PIE!" She suddenly jumped away from the pink girl, who smiled at her, used to people reacting weirdly around her. Her heart was about to stop endangering her life, but not before she noticed her holding something in her hand.
"Want some pie?" Pinkie asked, raising the can of whipped cream up.
"NO! I, I mean, n-no thank you, I'm good..."
Pinkie shrugged and went to the fridge. "More for me!" She pulled out a tray of a half eaten pie, sat down at the table and started eating it straight out of the tray with a fork, applying an unhealthy amount of cream on every bite.
A few seconds later, after she was sure it was reality this time, she sighed and took another sip from her glass. This party needs to stop, like, yesterday! My poor heart can't take it anymore.
How about growing some spine, for once?
Shut up, Heart! That's not the point! She leaned over the counter and looked into her half empty glass of tap water, once in a while stealing a look at Pinkie Pie slowly chewing on each bite.
This is the first time you two are alone. You should talk to her!
Coco shrugged. About what? If she and Sunny are into each other, it's none of my business. She took another, long sip from her glass. Sure, I don't even know if there's anything happening, but what am I supposed to do? I can't just walk to her and casually ask-
"Hey Pommy, are you and Shimmy dating?"
Coco spat out her water onto the floor and cocoughed a few times, trying to regain composure. "Wh-what?"
"Are you and Shimmy dating?" Pinkie calmly repeated. "I wasn't sure, but you definitely look like a couple that's over the whole 'holding hands and announcing it to the entire world' phase and moved into the steady 'yes we date and kiss, but we'll spare you the details', but still understand each other without words and act slightly jealous over anyone who gets close, like how Sunny kept getting annoyed at Rainbow Dash when she kept insinuating that you're seducing Fluttershy and Rarity, but she kept quiet about it to save face, but I didn't want to assume anything, because I know how it feels when people treat you like a lesbian just because you cling to your best friends, who just happens to be female."
Coco blinked. "And you're not?"
"Nope."
"Oh." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and took another sip of her water. I was worried over nothing.
"I'm bisexual, I go any way I want."
Coco spat her water again, coughing even harder than before.
You brought this on yourself.
SHUT UP, BRAIN!
"You okay there, Pommy?"
"Y-yeah, just fine..." She said in between smaller coughs, putting the glass back on the counter and walking far away from it.
Pinkie nodded and took another bite of the pie. After slowly chewing and swallowing it, she asked again. "So, are you two dating or not?"
Swallowing, Coco looked around for an escape route. It was over there, nothing blocked the path, she was free to run away. As if. "N-no... we're not dating... or anything like that..." She ended the sentence with a huge sigh.
There was a moment of silence between the two, interrupted only by slow chewing. After swallowing, Pinkie said. "Sorry."
Coco leaned over the counter and after a while asked. "W-what about you?" Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "I-I mean, you've been reunited with you long lost friend after almost a decade, and she's a superhero. That's kinda like a fairy tale." Stop, shut up! "It's only natural that you'd f-fall..." Don't say anything! Stop right now!"...f-for her..."
Pinkie tapped her chin and hummed loudly, slowly thinking.
"Nah!" She answered suddenly, shrugging.
Coco blinked. "W-what do you mean 'nah'?"
"I'm not into her all that much. I mean, sure, she's been a big part of my childhood and I missed her all this time and I'll be lying if I didn't have some fantasies with her back in the day, or even just recently, but I get wet dreams about my friends from time to time, so it's not a big deal."
Coco's eye twitched. Brain, do me a favor and erase the last thirty seconds.
No promises.
"I like her alot, but not enough for hand holding walks on the beach, kissing under the moonlight or kinky whipped cream roleplay," she said, missing a quiet 'meep', "so go ahead, don't worry about me."
The meeping grew louder, as Coco instinctively flushed her hands before her while waving her face (or something like that). "Th-that's n-not, I'm not, I do-don't... ugh..." her hands and face fell down "why do I even bother hiding it..."
"Hiding what?"
"Nothing," she snorted "nothing at all." She hit herself on the forehead, smiling weakly. I'm starting to think Sunny might be the last person unaware. Then again, if she realizes it and didn't do anything until now, that could possibly mean that she-
"Aaaaand sent!" Pinkie happily announced, holding her phone in her hands.
"S-sent what?"
"So, remember when you were changing into pajamas with Fluttershy back in the bathroom and the rest of us didn't mind having all the girls naked around each other, even if most of them were in some sort of underwear 99% of the time? So, I may or may not have snapped a few completely safe for work but saucy underwear pictures as a joke and then Pinkie Promised to never publish them online or give to anyone that wasn't at this party, soooooo..." she paused, looked around with a goofy smile, then added in a hushed tone "check your email!"
For a moment, nothing happened. A few seconds later, it didn't seem like anything in the universe went at a different pace than usually, but inside parts of Coco Pommel's body begged to differ, as plenty of bodily functions went haywire at the same time. All the sweat pores opened up, blood cells turned the nitro on and went over the body in record speed and imagination suddenly got inspired to draw around a hundred pictures and fifty medium sized novellas, all starring our favorite sun themed Magical Girl. And all of it was smut.
"You're welcome, Pommy." Pinkie Pie beamed and went back to the pie once again.
"N-NO, I'M NOT!" Coco screamed, pointing a finger at Pinkie. "THIS IS A CRIME! VOYEURISM! BREACHING OF PRIVACY!"
Pinkie Pie shrugged. "They said it was okay if we had them. In fact, Shimmy posed for a few of them, and she's very photoge-"
"NOT HELPING!"
"I especially like the one where she leaned in just low enough that you could see her clea-"
"PINKIE PIE!"
Pinkie rolled her eyes and snorted. "If you don't want them, just delete the email."
"I will! First thing I do when I come back home!"
Sure you will.
SHUT UP, BRAIN!
"Sure you will."
"Shut up, Brain! I mean, Pinkie!"
After a moment passed, Pinkie Pie snorted and started laughing. Coco rolled her eyes and couldn't help but join her as well, the feeling of uneasiness nowhere to be seen, heard or felt.
"Actually, I'd like some of that pie, if you don't mind."
Pinkie nodded, reached out to her hair and pulled out some long object and tossed it to Coco. She caught the item and looked at it confused. Upon further inspection, she recognized it as a metal fork, tightly wrapped in see through foil and bubble wrap. She gave Pinkie a confused, one eyebrow raised glare, which she answered with a shrug.
"Rarity demanded it. Apparently it's not sanitary to keep kitchen utensils in your hair, even though I wash it every day. She can be such a weirdo sometimes!"
Coco tried to create a suitable response, but decided to let it slide, unwrapped the fork and joined the feast. And after an evening full of snacks and cakes, this was undoubtedly the best.
---
After a good night sleep (for a change), breakfast and a long, complicated but surprisingly compelling game of domination in space, the party had to come to a stop. After a few heartfelt goodbyes, Sunny and Coco went towards the bus stop. While Sunny could've easily teleported them back home in no time, the two agreed they needed some fresh air and a moment of quiet. Though not a complete silence.
"This was nice," Sunny said, stretching her arms up into air "we really needed that!"
Coco nodded. "Yeah."
"We should totally do it again someday. I have so many rematches waiting for me, it's not even funny!"
"Mhm. Just not too soon."
"Oh, two weeks at least! I'm all partied out!"
Coco giggled at Sunny's 'drama queening' her so called tiredness. "Me too."
Sunny turned around and looked at Coco's face for a moment, smirking at her. Coco's face turned red, her head turning slightly away. "Wh-what?"
The glaring and smug smile intensified as the distance between the two decreased. "You know, you were surprisingly social for such a shy little girl."
"Fluttershy, Rarity, Diane, Twilight, Spike... who else did you form a strong social bond with while I wasn't looking?"
"I-I, it's not like that!"
"Here I was, absorbed in the games and upstaging my doppelganger, and you were out there making contacts! And here I was afraid you'd be feeling lonely and out of place on a party. You're full of surprises... Pommy."
'Pommy' scrunched her mouth and crossed her arms. "Do I hear jealousy, Shimmy?"
Sunny's eye twitched a bit, her smile turning into a hostile frown. "How dare they take away my private possession! I didn't save you from Sally so you could befriend OTHER people!"
Coco 'humphed' as she turned her face away. "Well, I'm a free girl now, I'm allowed to have as many girlfriends as I want to, thank you very much!"
"Not as long as you live in my room! You're grounded until your Stockholm Syndrome kicks in and you become my obedient slave!"
"You can't order me around! You're not my real motPPFFTTBWAHAHA-" She stopped mid sentence as she burst into laughter. "I can't say it with a straight face!"
Sunny's expression didn't change. "Who said I was joking?"
Their eyes met for a moment, Coco wasn't sure what she was supposed to think at the moment... but then Sunny's face began breaking the facade and both exploded in shared, loud laughter. Once they stopped, they took a while to breathe and look at each other with nothing but earnesty.
"Parties are great, but," Sunny said, scratching the back of her head, blushing a little for a change "I still prefer when it's just the two of us."
Smiling brightly, Coco nodded. "Same here."
They smiled at each other, then resumed their walk for a few more minutes. Once they reached their empty bus stop, Sunny approached Coco, wearing an uneasy smile, as well as a light blush, while her eyes darted towards and away her. Coco swallowed deeply, suddenly having a very odd feeling.
"Coco, can I ask you something?"
Ohmygod!
"It might... no, it will sound out of left field, but there's no other way to say it, other than straight up."
OHMYGOD!
"You see, during the party, someone said something, and I've been connecting some dots and... and I've been thinking a lot about you... about us, living together, and... I must ask you, and don't take it the wrong way, but..."
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!
"Are you... are you a boy, or a girl?"
...
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...what-"
"I-I mean, AJ, or was it Rainbow, made a joke about you being a boy in a drag, that's why you're so ashamed of female bodies and never let me see you naked, not that I have a problem with that or anything, and a lot of things started making sense, a-and I've been trying to find some counterarguments, b-but I've never seen you on a pool, or in any tight p-pants, and... and..." her forehead started sweating.
Coco didn't laugh. She didn't frown, or cry or looked any bit annoyed, instead showing no sign of any emotion of any kind. "What."
"I-I just didn't want there to be any secrets between us, so if, by any cha-chance you were, umm, I dunno, pretending to be a boy, trans or something else I can't come up from the top of my head, I just wanted to let you know I will a-accept you as you are, c-cause after all we've been through our bond c-can't be broken that easily..." she swallowed, noticing the subtle eye-twitching on her friend's face, which slowly turned more and more annoyed "n-not that it is true, which is okay with me, since I like the you I've known more than the you I was afraid you were, except I would've been okay with you no matter what because you're you, and... and... I'm not sure where I'm going with this..."
Coco's eye twitch continued. "Sunset Shimmer!" She growled at her, taking a few steps forward, forcing her roommate to raise her hands in defense as she backed off, until she almost fell over the bench at the bus stop.
"So it's a good thing we can just forget this conversation happened, right? Haha..." she smiled sheepishly, trying to avoid Coco's glare drilling a hole in her eye sockets. She swallowed, then raised her hand to her face "Oh, would you look at the time!" She said, checking the watch she didn't have. "I have to, uhm, save the... orphanage f-from, uhm, being taken o-over by, uh, aliens! Sun'ya!" Then she disappeared.
"HEY!" Coco yelled at nobody in particular. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"
Sunny appeared on a roof of an apartment complex a few blocks away and almost immediately found the nearest wall and started banging her head on it.
"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! Me and my stupid imagination and my stupid mouth!"
She didn't have time to think of her new bumps, when she received a text message.
"...and with that out of the way, we'll spend the rest of our days bathing on the sunny beach of Hawaii, with our only worries being which color the next cold drink I get for the lovely ladies this time!"
The eight men nodded to each other, staring at the round table of various blueprints and notes scattered around the pieces of equipment, masks and guns. They were all experts in their fields: armed robbery, safe cracking, sharpshooting, hacking, stunt driving, forgery, they had it all covered. Four of them, the strike team as they called themselves, would get inside the Canterlot National Bank, armed to the teeth with assault rifles and shotguns bought on the black market, wearing rubber masks of cartoon characters and easily taking control over the situation. Inside were a few of their accomplices, who provided them with details on the surveillance system, including the information on how long it would take the police to appear if anyone managed to trigger the silent alarm. They knew exactly where the most valuable stashes were held and already had the equipment ready to cut through the bunker, as well as a car with false plates with the driver waiting outside and cops sent on a goose chase by anonymous calls shortly before the main event. And once out of the city bounds, they had new clothes, papers, alibi and plane tickets ready.
The plan was as perfect as it gets. If there was something that could possibly go wrong, it had to bend the laws of reality.
"What about... you know..."
"No, I don't know!"
"Magical Girl Sunny! What do we do if she appears?"
The rest of the group looked at each other, then started laughing.
"Hahaha, don't tell me you're afraid of some little girl!"
"What's she gonna do? Shoot a friendship beam at us?"
One of the other robbers started making some terrified expressions. "Oh no, I'm soooo scared of some little !@#$ in a slutty dress!"
"It's not slutty, it’s stylish!" Sunny interjected. "Also, calling someone a !@#$ is really rude!"
"Hey, she dresses like that it’s like she’s asking for some!"
"You do realize I'm underage, right?"
"You know what they say, if she wants a D, then who am I to... to..." He slowly turned his head left, looking into the eyes of someone they did not invite. "AAAAH!" All the robbers jumped away from the table at the same time, one even fell of his chair, then crawled as far away from Magical Girl Sunny, suddenly in the middle of the room.
She wore a new purple dress, the one from the party graciously gifted by Rarity (she had two of them anyway), though slightly modified by Coco. The sleeves were completely removed, leaving the hands and shoulders completely bare and covering the hands with elbow long matching gloves, as well as shortening the skirt to knee length and adding kneesocks to cover her legs all the way to her long, matching boots. It was a quick fix made by Coco, since dress number one and two were severely damaged and number three (now renamed to four) was still under construction, in early stage and barely any progress made.
Sunny sat on the table, happily waving at them. "Hi guys!"
The 'naughty' robber (she would later call him Bob, she had no idea what his name was) pointed his finger at her and started yelling. "WHAT? HOW? WHEN! WHY? How long have you been here!?"
Sunny tapped her chin. "Aaaaround the time you mentioned colored drinks, I think."
"H-how did you find us!?"
Sunny shrugged. "A little birdie told me you had a secret 'meeting', no girls allowed."
This wasn't entirely false. Blue Jay was a young, common street thug that had the misfortune of stealing a purse while Sunny was nearby. She caught him easily and was about to send him to the nearest police station, when the guy broke into tears and started begging for mercy. Caught off guard, Sunny listened to his sad story of how his parents didn't listen to him, his girlfriend cheated on him, that he was too handsome and wouldn't last a day in jail and would do anything she asked him instead. Before she opened her mouth, he told her about the heist that some of his friends were planning, even giving her the address and time. More annoyed than confused, Sunny let him go with a warning, hoping to Princess Celestia (she seemed like a cool woman... uh, pony) this wouldn't backfire on her. Luck had it, Blue Jay was right and deserved to be pardoned for his crime. This time.
'Bob' growled and pulled out a handgun from his jacket pocket. Everybody mimicked him, reaching out for the nearest shotgun or rifle, every single one aimed straight at Magical Girl Sunny. She didn't even flinch.
"Yeah, here's the thing about me and guns: we don't really mesh too well. Anytime I come near one, all the bullets inside just magically vanish!"
Some thugs checked their guns, only to find out they were all empty and none of them had any spare ammo in their pocket anymore! Someone behind her pulled the trigger a few times, hearing only empty clicks instead.
"Which is a good thing, because if they didn't," she tilted her head at the guy who tried to shoot her "you would've totally just murdered a teenager. Like, I get you're greedy, but adding a murder to your conscience? Really? You think it’s worth it?"
As the thug in question backed away to think about his life choices, another thug (she would later call him 'Jim') growled and tossed his rifle away, grabbing the pipe wrench from the table and walking towards her.
Sunny gasped, shielding her face. "Oh no, is... is that an aluminum pipe wrench?"
Jim stopped on his tracks and scratched his head. "Uh... yeah, I think?"
Sunny left the table an extended her hands forward, her face all terrified. "Aluminum is my only weakness! I-I can't feel... my powers... are... waning..." She collapsed on her knees.
"R-really?" Jim asked, looking at his other comrades who only shrugged.
Sunny slowly got up and tilted her head. "Nope, it's a lie." She said, blowing a raspberry at them.
Jim's eye started twitching, his face scarlet red from anger. "Why you little !@#$! I'm gonna kill you dead!"
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Then come at me already, bro!" She assumed a defensive pose, smiling slyly, with a battle plan ready in her head.
All the thugs grabbed some nearby object to use as a weapon, whether a pipe, bat or even a knife, and were about to start rushing at her with their full force, giving her plenty of occasions to use their numbers against them, confuse them with fireworks and teleporting tricks alongside some sick martial arts moves, when...
"POLICE! EVERYBODY GET ON THE GROUND!"
"What!? The police!?" The thugs turned towards all the entrances of the warehouse, where a seemingly endless stream of SWAT officers poured inside, forming a line of rifles pointed straight at them.
"Awww ..." Sunny frowned as all the thugs raised their hands in the air, dropping whatever they were holding, before allowing themselves to get arrested and cuffed, one by one. She expected at least a few of the SWAT members to get to her and demand she surrenders too, but thankfully she was for the most part ignored by law forces. Unsure if she had anything else to do, she was about to just turn and walk away, say something cool in a flashy way and vanish back to school, when...
"Wait!" She heard an unfamiliar voice calling in her direction. "Magical Girl Sunny?"
She turned around to the man. Unlike every other SWAT member, he was dressed casually, with blue jeans and and a brown leather jacket. He wasn't wearing a helmet, so she had a good look at his white skin and dark blue short hair, with few lighter streaks in between. His eyes were narrowed and set at her, giving her some odd vibes. This guy seems like a big deal. Gotta play it cool!
"Can I help you, handsome?" Ok, little less cool!
He didn't react, showing his badge instead. "Captain Shining Armor, CPD."
"Magical Girl Sunny, charmed" she turned on her heel and started walking away "it's been good meeting you, Captain, but I have something to do, so Sun'y-"
"We need to talk. In private."
Nothing really stopped her from teleporting away at the moment, but what would that achieve, other than anger a captain of the police? Drat!
They met a few minutes later on the rooftop of the warehouse. It was a bright afternoon and she had barely a few minutes until classes resumed. Unlike the criminals, who happened to have a meeting during her lunch time, cops had the tendency to drag things out and getting late to history classes three times in a row wouldn’t do any favors to her already strained reputation. The Captain joined her as soon as he was done issuing orders. He was about to open his mouth, but she beat him to it.
"Okay, if this is about me dishing out 'vigilante justice' without your consent, then don't bother, because I've watched enough cartoons to know that the law was created to bring order, but it won't stop crime from happening no matter what, like how these guys would’ve robbed a bank if I didn’t show up, although I guess your team had it under control, so bad example. Anyway, if you guys want to arrest me and put me in the same prison cell as the ones I put there in the first place, then let me give you a short reminder that I can teleport out of anywhere, so unless you somehow block the magic inside me it won't do squat! The sheer fact I'm even standing here and talking to you should speak volumes about how much I wish our relationship stays professional and mutually beneficial. Also, if I wasn't doing what I do, plenty of people could, and would, have gotten hurt during the fire incident this past week, not to mention the sort of hell a certain little girl would have to endure if it was up to the police to negotiate with a terrorist. So, if you want me to step down because the law says so, then I'll say screw the law and do what I want, and I want to do what's right and there's nothing you can do about it, other than deal with it!"
Shining Armor blinked, his face unchanging throughout all this rant. Once she stopped and took a long breather, he asked. "Are you done?"
After taking a few deep breaths, Sunny nodded. "Yeah, I'm good... Rant over. Sorry."
Shining Armor took a deep breath. "Now, I only recently got back after my honeymoon and let me start by saying that you're the topic number one at HQ. Ever since you first came, there's been an internal debate over what to do with you. So far, most of the field officers, especially the ones you met personally, vote highly in your favor, while the higher ranking ones are for the most part against, if only because there are no procedures towards magic, supernatural powers and whatnot, while vigilantism is still considered a deviation from the norm that brings more harm than good in the long run."
She swallowed, parts of her confidence slowly burning out. "And what's your opinion?"
He thought for a moment, she wasn’t sure if he knew that the waiting was killing her inside. "I believe that you want to help. And if you wanted to do something bad, you would've done it already and none of us could stop you."
"Damn straight! ...sorry."
"But I also believe that your escapades could cause a lot of harm, if left on your own."
"Because I use magic, or because I'm just a kid?"
"Because you're a human!" He said quickly, taking her slightly aback. "And any amount of power, magical or otherwise, can leave you wide open for mistakes. And in this line of work, those can cause a lot of harm, to you and your environment."
Sunny blinked. "Oh..." She nodded, unable to think of any rebuttal.
"But I can't deny that so far you've been doing a good job and that you're still learning, so," he took a deep breath "I'm going to trust you for now."
Sunny's eyes widened. "E-excuse me?"
"You are the first superhero in this world. I also watched a lot of cartoons while growing up, and all of them taught me that shunning those who wish to do good is rarely a good idea."
She gasped. "Oh my gosh, does that mean... no witch hunting?"
He shook his head. "I always hated that part. I know it's a base for good drama, but it was never worth the risk."
"I know, right?"
The two smiled, then Sunny started laughing; and although Captain Shining Armor didn't join her, she did catch him chuckling a bit.
Sunny scratched her head. "So, how's this going to work? Do I get a badge or something?"
"No, that won't be necessary. Not for the time being."
She nodded, when an idea crossed her mind. "Can I get some handcuffs?"
"Don't push it."
"The one I bought online is already broken. Oh, do you have some of those plastic thingies?"
"Flexicuffs?"
"Yeah, those! I could use a few. I mean, if it’s not a problem?"
Shining Armor thought for a moment. "I'll see what I can do."
She smiled, happy that she managed to bargain something, anything, out of an actual police officer. The sheer fact that she wouldn't be hunted by armed forces alone made her sigh with relief. Or at least she had someone on higher position backing her up. Whether she could trust him was an entirely different question. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a good feeling about this relationship. On a fully professional level, of course.
"Just to remind you," Shining Armor continued "I'm risking my entire career by putting my trust in you. If you start misbehaving, I will be held responsible for putting you down. And trust me, none of us want that to happen."
"It's alright, Cap... can I call you that?" She asked, getting a shrug in response. "I Pink- um, I mean, I promise I will always stand for the good cause... except that vigilante part that I hope nobody will make a big deal out of. Besides, I really don't think the police can handle magical threats anyway." Unless they ask the Rainbooms, but why would they know anything about them?
Shining Armor snorted. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. A word of advice- confidence is important, but don't underestimate your opponents, Miss Shimmer."
Sunny waved her hand. "Yes, I already learned that lesson the ha-" WOAH HOLD ON A SECOND! Her eyes shot wide open and sweat poured all over her body. "Wh-what did you c-call me...?"
He smiled as he answered. "Sunset Shimmer. That's your real name, isn't it?"
OHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRA- No, focus! Quick, contingency plan A!
"O-oh, I see," she laughed, slightly turning her head away "you're mistaking me with Sunset Shimmer from Canterlot High. Yeah, I was surprised too, the resemblance is uncanny, I must say, but we met up and cleared up the misunderstanding! I even have a photo together to prove that, in case people confuse us and it becomes a problem, I swear it’s not photoshopped or anything..."
"She's a unicorn from another dimension and you're her human version." He calmly explained. "Also, you're a student in Crystal Prep High, sharing a room with Coco Po-"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! "Wh-what, h-how did you, what, b-but... w-who told you tha-" She stopped, as dots inside her head connected, one by one, creating a cohesive narrative.
Honeymoon... just like our Dean... Twilight's sister-in-law...
Her eyebrow twitched, as she finally came up with an answer. "You're Twilight's brother!"
Shining Armor crossed his arms, and smiled brightly at her. "You are as smart as they say."
Sunny tried to smile alongside him, but couldn't let go of the disappointed frown. "No offense, Cap, but I might need to smack some sense into your sister. in her face. With my fist!"
"In her defense, she didn't say a single word."
---
"No way!"
"B-but Twiley!"
"No buts!" The bespectacled little sister crossed her arms and looked away. "I Pinkie Promised that I will never say anything! Not even to you!"
"Oh come on, little sis!"
"No!"
"Please? I promise to keep it a secret!"
"No! And if you keep on asking, I... I will... I will tell Cadance about the hidden folder!"
Shining Armor gasped. "Y-you wouldn't dare!"
She looked in the eyes. "Try me!"
The two locked their eyes for a moment, until Shining Armor relented. "Ugh, fine! Sheesh!"
Twilight nodded proudly. "Sorry Shiny, one can't break a Pinkie Promise!"
With one more victorious chuckle, Twilight went back to the dining room, where Cadance was in the middle of telling their parents what appeared to be another hilarious story from the ski trip. Leaning over the wall in the hallway, Shining crossed his arms and groaned. I was hoping this was going to be easy. I know Sunset Shimmer had some magical misadventures and she helped Twily during the friendship games! He glanced over at the purple puppy, playing with a squeaky toy in the corner, no worries in the world. I mean, we have a talking dog, for crying out loud! If mom, dad, Cadance and I can take it, why wouldn't... wait a second! He looked a bit longer at the talking dog, then smiled.
"Spike, here boy!" He crouched down, calling the dog over. Spike immediately lost all interest in his toy and rushed to get the well deserved (for being so adorable and obedient) head pats. "Who's a good doggie?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm great... behind the ears please." Spike asked and received. Shining Armor didn't have the nails that Rarity, Cadence or Mom had, but he was still a master at using his fingers. Cadance confirmed as such. His eyes shot open as his nose picked up some blissfully amazing scent. "What's that smell? It's... is it...?"
Shiny smiled, revealing a large piece of juicy, delicious of ham. Spike's tail waggled harder than ever before as he stood on his two legs and went from side to side, as Shiny waved the piece of meat just above his reach.
"Can I have it? Can I? Gimme, gimme!" He wobbled for a while, before shaking his head and going back to his all fours. "N-no, I-I can't! Mom said that it’s not for me and will be mad if she finds out! I-I don't like her when she's mad!"
Shiny laughed. "Trust me, I can relate. But don't worry, this will be our little secret. And speaking of secrets..."
---
"That traitorous mutt!" Sunny stomped the floor, only now realizing that Spike hadn't been included in any parts when they promised to keep everything a secret. Nobody imagined it would be a problem big enough to issue a Pinkie Promise against him.
Shining Armor laughed. "Don't blame Spike. He means well, but his animal instinct takes the better of him. And thanks to him, I know that you can be trusted. Trust me, if my little sister and her talking dog hadn't vouched for you, this would've been a completely different conversation."
“Y-yeah, I see...” she sighed heavily, fully resigned from taking charge in this conversation. "Can I go now? I don't want to be late for classes."
He nodded. "You are dismissed," she nodded back and slowly walked away "If something happens, I'll be sure to call you, I already have your phone number. Oh, and Sunny?" She turned back to him one more time. "My wife is looking forward to meeting you."
Sunny hummed, then shrugged. "Sure thing, BBBFF! Sun'ya!" She vanished.
Shining Armor snorted to himself, before getting back down to finish his job.
Some time later.
Coco sat on her bed, facing the doors, with a laptop on top of her lap (woah, is that where the name came from?!). This position proved to be much safer for work, since Sunny had no back to surprise her from, to take a sneak peek at her monitor, boo at her ears or stick an ice cold beverage at her cheek. For the past three days Sunny had been meeting up with Sunset, rotating between their room and the latter's apartment to practice magic. She was there the first two times, until she realized that magic lessons weren't as exciting as she expected. She decided it was more productive to stay home and work on the next dress. She liked Rarity's modified version just fine, but wanted to finish her current one as soon as possible. It didn't feel right for Magical Girl Sunny to walk around in anything other than a Pommel production. Has a nice ring to it!
But just like last few days, she wasn't getting anywhere with her work and forced herself to take a break after few fruitless hours of no progress. She had her browser tab opened at her personal mailbox, where among several read messages, one was still lit as unread.
From: pinkamena@pie.com ; Subject: have fun ;-D
For the past hour and twelve minutes since she sat down, the cursor went from the title, then towards the trash can icon, then opened a new tab to play a silly video or two, then went back and ended up doing nothing. The cycle continued for an hour and twenty two minutes.
Just one click, be done with it and go back to the dress. It's not that hard.
Her finger kept shaking, but not hard enough to properly click anywhere to get things done. Just delete it and get it over with! She breathed and pointed the mouse at the delete icon... then moved it away. B-but, what if it's the only chance I'll ever get? How many people get a chance like that? Wasting it would be inconsiderate to Pinkie... except they are still naughty pictures... but she is in her underwear, making it 100% safe for work... oh, that makes it all fine, HOW EXACTLY? ...w-well, she posed for them and she's aware they exist... and that makes it okay to use them for your nefarious needs? ...w-what nefarious needs? ...oh, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!
"ARGH!" She groaned and fell backwards, only now realizing she was too close to the wall and hit the back of her head. Grunting from the sudden pain and massaged her head, she cursed karma for punishing her for her sin. Whether it was the sin of impure imagination, sloth or inability to make a proper, assertive decision.
The doors to the room suddenly opened, making her instinctively close the tab, just in time for Sunny's lazy return.
"I'm back," she yawned loudly as she plopped on her bed face first and remained motionless.
"Welcome back. How was the lesson?" She only got a muffled groan in response. “That bad?"
Rolling herself to the side to see her roommate, Sunny let out yet another long sigh. "If two months ago you told me that magic lessons would've been so boring..."
"We didn't know each other two months ago."
"...and all of that so that I could learn how to grow mustaches!"
Coco blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, you heard it right! Apparently just because I didn’t have a formal training and lack the theory, I'm forced to learn the most boring things, just to 'adjust my inner mana matrix' stuff to avoid straining my horn, or whatever I use for concentrating mana, we haven't figured that mystery yet. Adjust my ass, more like... that sounded way better in my head." She coughed, trying to ignore the hushed giggling. "I mean, I can teleport and shoot fireballs, what else she wants? 'You need to practice your precision'? I could teleport the clothes you're wearing right now!"
She paused and gave that 'oh god she's thinking about something naughty' smile that Coco dreaded and loved so (in a very inappropriate way), then raised a finger and with a blink of light, a pair of light blue panties appeared at the tip of her finger. Coco shrieked in terror, tossing her laptop aside (it landed safely on the bed) and covered her skirt area, exploding in a deep red blush as Sunny kept swinging her new treasure around her finger, smiling smugly.
It took Coco at least ten seconds to discreetly check under her skirt... only to find out that not only was she still wearing everything, but she had white panties today. Her embarrassed gaze slowly morphed into confusion, then over to exasperation street, before taking a detour towards 'that lovely inflated cheeks while pouting face' that she knew was Sunny’s plan all along, but couldn’t compose herself to deny her the satisfaction.
Sunny laughed, still twirling the piece of undergarment on her pinkie. "Relax, I took the fresh one from the drawe-"
"GIVE IT BACK!" She lunged at Sunny and snatched her property back and turned away, holding the reclaimed good near her chest.
"Coco, those are..."
"PERVERT! CREEP! MOLESTER!"
"...those are mine."
Some time passed. Maybe a few minutes, half an hour. Actually, only a few seconds, though one could argue it felt like an eternity. Coco's eyes went over the pair of panties, examining them closely, before...
"EEEP!" She jumped away, tossing them right at Sunny's face, as she kept smiling widely from the ensuing comedy. She took them off her eyes if only to look at one more version of Coco she enjoyed way too much.
"I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY-" could be heard from the hand waving, cross eyed, messy haired little bundle of embarrassed apologizer. Sunny was well aware that this was a stressful time for her friend and felt bad for being responsible for it. She felt even worse for enjoying it so much that she considered it a worthy sacrifice for her own amusement. I'm a terrible friend... sometimes. Like right now.
It took some time, gentle back patting, plenty of apologies and one ice cold can to bring Coco back to her usual, if more flustered, self. They were glad nobody else had witnessed that scene, or it would've been extra awkward to explain how their usual day goes by.
"So, that was my day," Sunny continued "how was yours?"
Taking a sip from her soda, Coco narrowed her eyes as she answered. "Other than getting sexually harassed by my friend?"
"Oh please, that wasn't even a foreplay!"
That's kinda the issue here. "Not great." She looked at the mannequin in the middle of the room. "I know more or less what I'm trying to achieve, I have all the materials and plans, but it just doesn't... I dunno, I can't seem to get into it. It's hard to explain."
"So, a seamstress version of writer's block? What do you call it? A 'sewing block'?"
“We don’t have a name for it." Coco deadpanned.
Sunny thought for a moment. "You know, I think I know exactly what you need."
Coco swallowed the bad feelings she just got. "I'm afraid to ask..."
"How about," she walked in front of the mannequin and made her signature pose "some inspirational modeling?"
Coco flushed, slightly turning her head away. "N-no, I don't think that's it."
"What if I removed my clothes?"
"W-what?!"
"That way you'd either become more motivated to dress me up, or get used to seeing nudity! It's a win-win!"
"Sunny..."
"If you're too embarrassed by the live model, maybe you'd want some pictures? I'm pretty sure Diane could send you a few from the par-"
POMF!
Sunny remained silent for as long as the pillow remained on her face. Once it slid down to the ground, she coughed. "Too far?"
"Too far."
"Sorry." Sunny rolled her eyes. "Okay, now seriously, what you really need is..."
"Tread carefully," Coco's eyes narrowed as her hand reached out towards her bed, where a few more pillows lay within her hand's reach.
Sunny swallowed, then announced. "...some fresh air!" The sheer fact that all the pillows stayed in their place was a good sign. "I mean, you’ve been stuck here all this time. When was the last time you went to have some fun outside?"
"Well, there was the slumber party just last week."
"Apparently you need more relaxing. Which is why I’m taking you outside!" She grabbed Coco’s hand.
"W-what, b-but where are we..." Is this a... a date? I wasn't briefed for this! I'm not ready!
She pulled Coco towards the door, but stopped and let go of her hand. "We will think about the details on the way! A movie, bowling maybe? Oooor, we could visit some tea place? You could use some herbal tea, you know, to lower your blood pressure a bit?"
Coco blinked, then tilted her head. "Wow, you actually care!"
"Of course I care!" Sunny pouted, crossing her arms as she looked slightly away, (not) offended. "I would've jumped into a flaming building for you!"
"You would've jumped for anyone."
"And that includes you! Bottom line is, the sooner we get you out of the sewing block, the sooner the dress will be ready!" Realizing how it sounded, Sunny quickly added. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Rarity's battle uniform just fine, but I'd much rather wear something with a bit more..." She blushed slightly, turning her head away and fiddling with her hair. "...Pommel."
There were reasons, emotional and logical, not to take her up on her offer. There was some of that unexplainable teenage angst that she was aware was there, made zero sense and couldn't wait to grow out of. But for the time being, there was only a blushing Sunset 'Sunny' Shimmer in front of their door, waiting for her reply.
"I'll wear something more comfortable," Coco finally announced, "meet you downstairs?"
Sunny gasped, then smiled and left the room without saying a word.
Coco sighed heavily as she looked at her closet, realizing that despite her life revolving around fashion, she barely had anything to wear, other than her uniform and some casual clothes. Maybe I could convince her to go clothes shopping with me? For all the abuse I had to endure today, she owes me that much!
She giggled to herself, she picked some light dress, nothing fancy, then opened the door. She looked at the unfinished dress number four.
It's not perfect... She smiled brightly, closing the door behind her. ...but I'll take what I can get!
Several beads of sweat slid down Sunny's forehead, as she concentrated all of her willpower into a single, simple, yet deceptively hard spell. Like riding on a motorcycle, as Sunset Unicorn Shimmer compared it to her own experiences from this world. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Sunny took a deep breath and doubled her efforts, not wanting to disappoint her doppelganger teacher even further. Running out of Sunset's favorite raisin cookies (yes, we know, shocking) when she was explicitly invited in the dorms was one thing, but failing to impress her with her progress? That would've been way too much!
Eventually, her magical aura around her head and the lone apple at her desk intensified, and then, after a loud ‘pop’ sound, the apple went all ‘poof’ and became an orange! Seeing her spell worked, Sunny raised her fist in glory.
“YES! NAILED IT!”
Sunset clapped her hands, genuinely excited over her student’s quick progress. “Great job, Sunny! I knew you could perform the ‘Apples to Oranges’ spell!”
Sunny took a few deep breaths, then smiled at her teacher. “I couldn’t have done it without your help!”
“Nah, it was all you, I only cheered you on,” she chuckled, scratching the back of her head “just don’t tell Applejack.”
Sunny tilted her head slightly. “Why? Why shouldn’t I talk about it with Appleja-... oh.” Her eyes widened at the realization.
A short silence fell in the room, until the two couldn’t keep the snorting in control and started laughing out loud.
Sunset nodded, once the two stopped laughing “I don’t think I can teach you anything else.”
“Don’t say that!” Sunny put a hand gently on Sunset’s knee. “There is still something you can teach me!" She closed her face to hers. "Something only you can.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“I want you to teach me... how to love!” Then, without a warning, she grabbed her head and lunged at her face with eyes closed, locking her lips with hers in a forceful, but still gentle and passionate kiss. Sunset’s eyes shot wide open, her body paralyzed for the entire duration, even after Sunny removed herself from her, pulling away to give the other time to process what just happened.
Sunset opened and closed her mouth a few times... then smiled seductively at her doppelganger and the two went at each other with equal amounts of passion and lust, tangling their arms around each other’s hair, as their lips met up with much more intensity and greed. And a lot of tongue.
The door opened and Coco entered the room. “I’m back, is Sunset still he-WHAT THE !@#$!!!” She screamed, as she backed herself into a wall, dropping all the bags of groceries on the floor.
Both Sunset Shimmers stopped kissing and turned at the other girl and smiled. “Hi Coco!” They synchronised perfectly.
She couldn’t find enough air in her lungs, throat or anywhere else to shout any of the numerous questions she had, the least important being ‘why on my bed, of all places?’!
The two didn’t react at her outburst, still embracing each other, looking carefully and patiently at her. There was a string of saliva hanging from both of their mouths for a while. After a moment of silence, the two looked at each other, nodded, and turned back to Coco.
“Wanna join us?”
How come she didn’t get a heart attack and died on the spot was anyone’s guess (she found out later). She managed to tilt her head and twitch her eyebrow.
“There’s enough of us for both of you!”
Coco’s brain took a minute to gather her thoughts. On one hand, there were two Sunset Shimmers making out on her bed and asking her to join them for a threesome. On the other hand... two Sunset Shimmers were making out and asking her to join them... on her bed! She opened her mouth to attempt to question the situation a bit, when she got a sudden realization.
“W-what do you mean both of us?”
The window suddenly opened and a pink girl climbed inside, landing on her face (making a squeaky noise), but she quickly got up and pulled out two cans of whipped cream from her hair.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Pinkie Pie happily announced, shooting two streams of cream into the air.
The fact that she didn’t see any of it reach the ceiling only cemented her theory.
“It’s a dream, isn’t it?”
“YYYEEEEEP!” All three answered in unison.
Fluttersigh. She massaged the temple of her nose, having no idea why her sigh sounded like she was Fluttershy for a moment. Sweet Celestia, I have issues! Cocough. She looked at the hot Sunny on Sunset action mid-pause, waiting for her reply, then at Pinkie Pie, who grabbed two more cans of cream with her hair turned into tentacles, then back at the two Shimmers, now dressed in matching tutus, then again towards Pinkie Pie who just pulled out an entire chocolate bar out of her hair and started chomping on it, back to Shimmers in camo military uniforms, complete with face paint and rifles on their backs. I don’t even anymore... She hummed, took one short glance at Pinkie, ignoring the other two differently colored Pinkie clones (Tealy Pie and Olive Pie, respectively) and quickly went back to the twins, wondering what else her imagination will show her. Her blush and smile intensified at a Playboy Sunset and Catgirl Sunny.
Without taking her eyes off the two or even blinking, she swallowed and opened a few buttons of her shirt while slowly walking forward.
“Might as well make the most out of it...“
Sunsets released each other from one side to make room for Coco. And Pinkie Pie too, I guess. "This is going to be fuBEEPBEEPBEEP-"
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEE-SMACK!
Despite the best efforts of her unconsciously active left arm, the beeping did not cease. She lazily repeated the maneuver, slamming her hand on the night table a few more times, missing more often than hitting the noisy alarm clock...
Oh wait, I don't have an alarm clock!
...cellphone, but the contraption got louder with each second. Fed up with her fruitless efforts, she grabbed the device and threw it right at the wall, the crack it made upon contact being its last known words. Slowly recovering from her drowsiness, she blinked a few times, yawned and looked at the remnants of her phone. Well, carp...
She sigh-yawned, looking over the the other bed. It was neatly prepared and empty, Sunny probably still on her morning jog. Coco contemplated going back to bed, but decided against it now that the snooze button on her phone was... disabled. She got up and went through her usual morning routine, ending up in a presentable state, as expected of a Crystal Prep student. As she finished tying her bowtie, she looked at her never before used wristwatch that her mother gave her on her last birthday. She didn't need it before since her phone had a clock. Thanks mom, I guess.
Her friend being nowhere to be found, she decided to go to the cafeteria by herself.
She's probably held back by some petty criminal. She shrugged, casually glancing at the wardrobe where they held all the battle dresses. She resisted the urge to check inside to see if any of them were missing, but ultimately decided against it. She can take care of herself, no use worrying.
What if something happened?
She was only a single bite into her morning toast at an empty table when the thought appeared in her head. The probability of anything bad happening to Magical Girl Sunny was close to non-existent unless there's a third Sunset Shimmer, but that would be overkill, but she couldn't help but worry either way, fighting the urge to ask someone to borrow their phone just to make a short call before realizing she didn't have Sunny's number written anywhere except her phone's memory card and her laptop. Both of which had remained in her room.
All the worries were washed away when she heard a voice from behind.
"You didn't answer my text?"
Relieved and smiling, Coco turned to her friend. "Sorry, my phone kinda died so I could-woah!"
Standing next to her was Sunset 'Sunny' Shimmer, the roommate, friend and superhero she knew and loved, perfectly filling out her usual school uniform as she always used to. Except this time something was different.
"So, what kind of 'woah' was that? The 'woah, you look so hot I can't even', or the 'woah, what did you do to yourself'? I can't tell."
She wasn't sure what her opinion was. She associated Sunset Shimmer (both of them) with wavy, fiery looking shoulder length hair that danced with any wind and would sometimes cover part of her face, giving her the excuse to throw it back with a quick hand gesture. That was no longer the case: her hair was combed back with a generous amount of hair gel, leaving only a little streak in the front. Coco opened and closed her mouth a few times, tilting her head while trying to put her finger on it.
Sunny's shoulders slumped down. "Just say it. You hate it."
"N-no, it's not that I hate it!" Cocough. "I mean, I like you-... y-your previous style better, but I don't hate this one, and, uhm, it looks good on you, though honestly you'd look good in anything so it's not saying much..." she shook the blush out of her face. "So, why?"
Sunny shrugged. "Just felt like it. I passed by a hair salon and decided to give some new style a shot. I sent you a few photos to ask for advice, but you never answered (now I know why), so I went with the first one. But I guess it's a bust."
"N-no, it's just that," with her mouth scrunched, Coco hummed "I don't know, you remind me of someone else. I just can't quite put my finger on it."
"I know, right? When I first saw this, it felt oddly familiar. Like I saw this in some movie, or somewhere, though I couldn't tell-"
"NO!"
The two almost jumped when they heard a scream. Turning to its source, they gasped loudly.
"NO! THE HELL YOU ARE!"
The voice belonged to none other but Indigo Zap, Crystal Prep's most athletic student, also a permanent member of the Shadowbolts, the group of most prestigious students in the most prestigious school in the state, known for her high volume, extreme enthusiasm, overbearing willpower and a distinct hairstyle.
"Oooooh!" THAT'S where I saw it! Coco's and Sunny's minds and expressions synchronized.
With a tray held in one hand (it had a balanced breakfast with a glass of orange juice that never spilled a drop!), she walked toward Sunny.
"You know the rules! One of us has to change and I was here first!"
Sunny blinked at Indigo, whose finger pointed at her hairstyle, then turned to Coco. "You're right, I shouldn't fix what wasn't broken."
"There's always next time."
"I guess."
"HEY!" Indigo yelled. "STOP IGNORING ME!"
"I'm not ignoring you, zip!"
"IT'S ZAP! INDIGO ZAP!"
"I know," Sunny rolled her eyes, then turned on her heels and started walking away "now if you'll excuse me, I need to wash this thing off my hair before it becomes permanent." She blinked. "That's how hair gel works, right? Anyway, Sunny out!"
Once she was out of the cafeteria, Coco turned back to Indigo Zap, whose teeth were still showing and eyebrows were twitching "Why that little-"
SMACK!
"OW!"
"STOP BEING SO FRICKIN' LOUD!" Sour Sweet yelled at her, right after dope slapping the back of her head.
The other Shadowbolts shook their heads at Indigo's antics. Sunny Flare gave the recently gathered crowd an intimidating, icy gaze that dispersed them in a matter of seconds.
"Hey, it's not like I had a choice!" Indigo pouted, massaging the back of her head while STILL maintaining a perfect balance and not spilling a single drop of her juice. "She was trying to steal my hairstyle!"
Sunny Flare and Sour Sweet rolled their eyes, putting their trays on the table and taking a seat.
"For the last time, nobody is trying to steal your hairstyle!" Sour Sweet growled.
"At best she was subconsciously inspired by you." Sugarcoat said, sitting across the two.
Indigo put her tray and sat across Sunny Flare. "Either way, we gotta protect what's ours! Or more of us could lose our names and stuff!"
Sunny Flare snorted. "She didn't steal my name!"
"Uh-huh, sure she didn't," Indigo deadpanned, crossing her arms "I mean, if I yell 'hey Sunny' across the hallway, people will immediately think of you, instead of a transfer student that looks exactly like the lead Rainboom and bears a suspicious resemblance to a superheroine that just happens to have the same name. Seriously, who is she fooling?"
Sunny Flare raised a finger and opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"She has a point!" Sour Sweet shrugged, chomping on her sandwich, then turning to Sunny Flare. "So, do we give you a nickname?" She earned an annoyed glare. "How about Flary?"
"How about you shush your mouth!"
"I like it," Sugarcoat said "rolls off the tongue."
Indigo nodded. "She needs to be stopped, or she'll steal all of our schticks! Name, haircut, split personality..."
"Oh, Indigo, darling," Sour Sweet laughed, then frowned, eyebrow twitching "watch your words!"
"...not to mention that she's already treating us like air."
The group blinked, then looked to their left. At the edge of their table sat Lemon Zest, busy with buttering her toasts, sipping morning coffee and checking out social media on her smartphone, perfectly blending in the crowds, while wearing a set of large headphones playing loud music. Noticing she's being watched, she waved happily (they waved back) and then continued surfing on MyStable.
"I can't help but question why we even hang out with her." Sunny Flare lamented.
Sour Sweet shrugged, smiling. "Eh, she's harmless enough," the smile soured immediately after "when she's not playing those sounds of hellish misery she calls 'music' at full volume!" She growled. She noticed Lemon Zest looking at her, tilting her head, to which Sour smiled and gave her thumbs up, which she returned, before retreating back to her own world.
Indigo coughed. "So, back to Sunny," she rolled her eyes when Sunny Flare perked up "not you."
"Going by your logic," Sugarcoat said, fixing her glasses "if she's actually trying to upstage all of us, consciously or not, and has succeeded in three out of four attempts, that only leaves me as the only one she did not try to imitate. Although I'm not sure which part of me stands out the most that she could copy, other than my three pigtails... why are you looking at me like that?"
The other three turned their gazes, whistling the awkwardness away.
"Aaanyway..." Indigo coughed again "...we need to teach her where her place is! We're the Shadowbolts, we don't take crap from some new transfer students, magical powers or not!" She was met with four nodding heads (Lemon Zest was just bopping her head, but it looked like she agreed anyway).
Meanwhile, just between Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat, sat a short, teal haired girl, who was there all this time, unsuccessfully trying to finish her breakfast, making no progress out of sheer fear.
I shouldn't be here... Coco swallowed quietly, somehow managing to stand out even less than Lemon Zest, but for how long? Maybe if I quietly walk away, they won't notice? Carefully, without making any sounds, she raised herself from her seat, when a hand touched her left shoulder.
"MEEP!"
"Sit, Pommel!" Indigo's arm brought her back to her seat. "We need to talk."
She could only nod nervously, eyes concentrated on her tray, as sweat poured all over her body. Sweet Equestrian Celestia, I thought those days were behind me!
"I've been meaning to talk to you for a while, but, you know, the timing was always bad and... argh, I'm making excuses!"
I laughed when Sunny said we should buy me a tracker! Her gaze lowered at her hands tightly clinging to her skirt. Maybe she'll swoop in and rescue me, like she did before?
"Whenever I tried to approach you, Sunny, not you, was guarding you like a watchdog,"
No, it'll take her a while to wash all that hair gel! She swallowed, her options limited to just one that might work or backfire, either way it will be spectacular! I can't keep counting on her to save me every single time! I need to stand up for myself and fight off bullies on my own!
"...what I'm trying to say, is that I'm sorry!"
I mean, it's not like she'll lock me in the toilet, knowing who Sunny is and what she's capa- "Wait, what did you say?"
Finally turning, she noticed Indigo's face visibly sweating and shaking, as she looked forward and kept talking. "I was an awful human being, I regret everything and I'm here to apologize, no more excuses. Y-you don't have to forgive me or anything, I just want you to know. That's all."
Coco blinked. "Oh," she scratched her head and looked at the other girls, whose reactions were, from left to right, head bobbing obliviousness, facepalming embarrassment, the 'I don't even' head shaking and Sugarcoat. "I, uh, I accept your apology, I guess?" A moment passed. "What am I forgiving you for?"
Indigo sighed deeply. "Nothing in particular, really, just, in general for being a complete bitch to you all this time," she turned slightly "I didn't realize what you've been going through until Sunset Shimmer 2.0 turned Suri down a peg."
Coco hummed. "Well, I didn't exactly fought back or anything, so..." she shook her head "It's fine, really! It's not like you, any of you, did anything wrong."
"Well, we didn't do anything right, either! We should've stepped up long ago!" She looked at other girls, who looked away, slightly ashamed. Except Lemon Zest, obviously.
"She's right," Sugarcoat was the first one to join in "I thought telling Suri directly how big of a bitch I thought she was was enough to make her think about changing her behavior, but that was the extent of my involvement and I convinced everybody, including myself, that it was enough." She looked Coco dead deep in the eyes. "I'm sorry for not trying harder and I promise that I won't turn my back to you or anyone else being bullied again."
As soon as she managed to get her eyes off of Sugarcoat's deadpan, yet somehow touching declaration, she looked away and scratched her head. "Uhm, thank you, I don't know what to sa-"
"Oh, fine, sheesh!" Sour Sweet slammed her hands on the table as she stood up. "I'm sorry for being a complete bitch to you whenever we talked, like, two or three times. There, happy?"
Before Coco shook off her initial shock, Lemon Zest took off her headphones, no doubt attracted by the sudden table slam. "What'd I miss?"
Sugarcoat explained. "We're taking turns apologizing to Coco Pommel for not quite bullying her, but not stopping anything that happened to her from other sources, most notably Suri's enslaving tendencies. Currently, it was Sour Sweet's turn to apologize for, and I quote, 'being a complete bitch'."
Lemon Zest blinked, then nodded. "Ah, gotcha. To be fair, she's only a bitch half the time."
"NOBODY ASKED YOU!"
"She's a real sweetheart the other time, though. She just doesn't like when people say she's soft."
Sour Sweet groaned but managed to stop herself from exploding, took a deep breath, put a fist to her chest and slowly pulled it away, exhaling and turning 'sweet' in the process. "Thank you for your insightful input, Lemon Zest. You can go back to your world now."
Lemon Zest looked at the others, then shrugged. "Kay." She put on the headphones and was not heard from again.
Sunny Flare sighed. "I guess I should give you my apologies as well, though I'll save us the theatrics. Yes, I do feel for you, and yes, I should've been better than that. I can assure you I'm a different person now."
Coco blinked. She expected the day to go in a whole different way. Not that she was opposed to the Shadowbolts being friendly to her, for a change. I mean, they weren't really hostile before. Too much.
"I..." She scratched her head "...I'm not sure what to say. I-I appreciate it, I guess?"
Sour's eyebrow twitched. "You guess?"
Coco gulped. "I-I mean, I definitely appreciate it!" She said, and Sour Sweet'ened. "It's just that, I wasn't expecting... well, anything." She went silent for a moment, before mustering the courage to add. "For a moment I thought you were going to, uhm..."
Sunny Flare raised an eyebrow. "Bully you? Yeah, no thank you. We don't need to display our superiority by harassing those who can't fight back." She paused, turning her eyes away. "Not anymore."
"And even if," Sour Sweet said "we wouldn't choose you specifically. Not knowing what your girlfriend is capable of!"
Coco spat her juice and cocoughed painfully. Why do you always do this? Brain asked. Why do you always start drinking something just before someone asks you weird stuff? How is it that you didn't figure this out by now?! Do you have a death wish? Do you enjoy pain? Are you a masochist? ...no wait, that would explain why you like Su-
"I-it's not like that!" Her hands started frantically waving in front of her. "We-we're n-not... I'm not... she's not my... my... we're not!"
Four sets of eyes blinked at the same time, give or take a millisecond.
"Uh-huh." Sunny Flare nodded, her attention more on her mostly 'juiced' tray of food that so happened to be right in front of Coco. After some initial reluctance, she pushed the the tray away from her towards Lemon Zest, who snatched a piece of toast and ate it without looking (ew). She withheld a gag reaction and instead focused on Coco. "Sure you're not."
"I-I mean it! We're not a couple!"
Sunny Flare looked at her other friends, all of them perfectly synchronized in the 'nope, not buying it' expression. "You're trying to tell us that you and Sunset Shimmer are not dating?"
Coco nodded. They waited a few seconds (Lemon Zest ate a second toast... ew), before Sour Sweet hummed. "Huh. Could've fooled us!" Pause. "In fact, it did fool us, what with you being together all the time."
"And living together." Sunny Flare added.
"Not to mention that you two flirt all the time even in public," Sugarcoat said, making Coco blush furiously "yes, people did notice it and nobody said anything until now to not seem like a homophobic bigot. Also, sheer curiosity and silly bets aside, we don't care who you or Sunny, not yo-actually you too, not that I'm implying anything, has a romantic interest in, as long as it's mutual and you're not making a public drama out of it." She paused. "Most people think you two are adorable."
Coco's blush deepened, until she realized something. "Wait, what silly bets?"
Indigo, Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare looked slightly away, whistling innocently. Sugarcoat, unable to do so as well, fixed her glasses and announced. "I said too much and I refuse to elaborate any further."
Indigo explained instead. "I tried to bet ten bucks that you two are totally dating but nobody wanted to take it."
Coco blinked. She looked at the other Shadowbolts, then down at her food tray. "I'm... sorry?"
Indigo waved her hand. "Meh, saved me ten bucks. I should've learned not to judge people by their looks! I mean, who am I to assume who you're interested in!" She lamented, while Coco swallowed, feeling increasingly smaller. "Or that you're even into girls, that wasn't too considerate of me, I'm sorry I... I..." she tried to look the even tinier than she realized girl into her eyes, except at this point her nose was almost at the table level, eyes dead set on the purple of the tabletop, sweat pouring off her like crazy. Indigo blinked a few times, looked at the shrugging Sunny (the other one) and Sour Sweet, then back at Coco.
"You actually like like her?" There was a tiny meeping in response. "And you never told her?" More meeping. Indigo scratched her head. "Heh."
Coco shrugged. There was a long, silent pause, despite the overall noise coming from all around the cafeteria.
Sugarcoat was the first to speak. "Why didn't you confess to her yet?"
Now it was the other three Shadowbolts that spat their drink and had a coughing fit. Lemon Zest looked from beyond her world phone and rolled her eyes, deciding that this conversation was below her, whatever it was about.
Coco sighed. "I wish it was that simple..."
"It is," Sugarcoat quickly answered "just tell her that you love her and that you want to be girlfriends and if she feels the same..."
"B-but what if she doesn't?" Coco suddenly stood up, attracting some passerby student's attention. Sunny Flare gave them another 'move along' stare, while Coco continued. "What if she's not into girls, or worse, she is but I'm not her type and... and... and how am I supposed to live knowing that she-"
"Sit, Pommel!" Indigo once again brought Coco back to her seat. Another meep ensued.
"Did she express any interest in anyone else?" Sunny Flare asked. Coco thought for a moment, then shook her head. After the latest slumber party and the week of magical studies she's been having, Sunny, not Flare, never mentioned Pinkie Pie's name as anything other than a good friend. "Well, there you go! You have no other choice but to ask directly."
"B-but, what if..."
"She will." Sour Sweet said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's feeling the exact same thing and all this teasing is just her being too, uh, what's the word?"
"Tsundere?" Sugarcoat suggested.
"Yeah, sure. For all we know, she can't spill it either because she's too afraid of being rejected too!" Everyone at the table nodded. Even Lemon Zest, though she wasn't aware what for (but they were sure she agreed anyway).
Coco opened her mouth, but immediately closed it. I never thought about it that way, but what if they're right?
Indigo groaned loudly. "Ugh, ten bucks says Coco and other Sunny will be a lovey-dovey couple by tomorrow morning. Anyone in?" She waited a moment, but nobody said anything. She looked Coco in the eyes, eyebrow raised. "See what I mean?"
"Oh." She looked down, then back at Indigo. "B-but tomorrow, that's a little too early..."
"More like too late!" Sour said. "You're lucky she still single!"
"I hate to admit it," Sunny Flare said, her head supported on one arm, eyes looking away and her tone completely not sounding jealous "but she's really attractive. I wouldn't be surprised if they avoided her only because she reminded them of the other Sunset Shimmer. It's only a matter of time before someone asks her out."
Coco's eyes widened. "S-someone else?"
"Yep. And if someone does and she says yes, then you'd be forever stuck in... the friendzone!"
Friendzone... friendzone... friendzone...
"Hey, Coc's!" They heard Sunny's voice, that one's, and saw her tightly holding an arm of some guy in Crystal Prep uniform, though they couldn't describe his face as anything other than a blur. Sunny leaned her head over his shoulder.
"This guy just asked me out!" The 'guy' waved his hand at them. "Kinda cute, huh? Nobody asked me out before and since my other crush will remain unrequited forever, I decided to give it a shot and hey, wouldn't you know it, I'm in love! We're getting married in, like, ten minutes!" Coco blinked and suddenly Sunset Shimmer wore a wedding dress, with her superhero mask over it, for whatever reason. It looked like one of the discarded dresses she designed for her, but deemed it too impractical. I mean, a magical girl in a wedding dress? This will never sell! She was about to scream, when a hand passed by her eyes.
"Hello, anyone home?" Indigo Zap asked, getting Coco's full attention for a moment. Sunny and her fiance were gone.
Oh god, it's getting worse! I'm day dreaming!
"You're right!" Coco loudly announced, slamming her hands on the table. "All I've been doing this week was finding excuses not to, but no more! I swear I will tell her... I will tell Sunny... not you... how I feel!"
Indigo raised her fist. "Yeah, that's the spirit!"
"...right after I finish her latest dress!"
SLAM!
Sour Sweet raised her head from the table, eyebrow twitching. "Oi, what was that about finding excuses?"
"It's not an excuse, I mean it!" Assertive Coco Pommel proudly announced. "I will finish it before midnight and I will give it to her... along with my heart!"
A few seconds passed. Sour Sweet facepalmed. Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap snorted, as Coco's face covered in a deep crimson blush.
"C-could you forget I said that last part?"
"Oh, sure."
"If you say so."
"No problem."
"I will try to erase it from my memories, but I can make no promises."
Coco sighed, but kept her spirits up... for about five seconds, before sitting down, leaning forward. "I'm scared..."
Sugarcoat put a hand on Coco's shoulder. "You have no reason to be afraid, as it's quite clear that Sunny, not yo-"
"I GET IT!"
"...most definitely has mutual feelings for you. And in an astronomically low chance that she doesn't, I have a spare bed in my room and you're welcome to live there for as long as you deem it too awkward to occupy the same space as your unrequited love." She blinked, as several wide open pairs of eyes glared at her. She shrugged. "What? I'm just trying to be nice."
Coco managed a weak laugh. "Well, I doubt it'll come to this... I hope, but thanks anyway." She took a deep breath and stood up. "Alright, I'm motivated now! I should start working on the dress right away!"
"Yeah, you go girl!" Indigo cheered her on, as Coco nodded to everyone and hastily, but without running, left the cafeteria.
A relative silence fell over the table, as the group went back to their respective breakfasts. Indigo Zap graciously shared a sandwich with Sunny Flare, since her original tray was contaminated and entirely devoured by Lemon Zest by this point (again, ew).
Sour Sweet had a sudden realization. "Wait, today's a school day!"
Before anyone could question that statement, Coco walked back and sat down on her original seat, blushing slightly. "I... I will start working right after classes end."
Three girls snorted. Sugarcoat nodded.
Sunny scratched her head, watching her roommate nervously fiddle her fingers as she stood right next to a human sized object covered with a tarp. She knew what to expect underneath it, but seeing as just this morning the dress was nowhere near even started, she was allowed to have some reservations about Coco's productivity. She seemed a lot more confident than she did the past few days, which was good. And the first dress of Magical Girl Sunny was made in, like, two hours from scratch, so she knew it was humanly possible for Coco. And no, she scanned her for traces of any magical powers (she learned that trick recently from Sunset and Pri-Twi), but nothing out of the ordinary was present.
"So, is this the moment when you reveal to have been an evil mastermind all along and you just finished your doomsday device?" She asked slyly, earning only a slightly tilted head with a scrunched mouth. She shrugged. "What? You know I wouldn't pass an opportunity to say something snarky!"
"Nah. Quite frankly, I expected something more creative."
"Sorry to disappoint. Okay, out with it!"
Coco's smile grew thricefold, as she revealed her grand surprise with a single grandiose move.
"TA-DAA!"
Sunset 'Magical Girl Sunny' Shimmer saw a lot of great designs since she started living with Coco and nothing she'd seen so far has been anything below her standards, but today marked the first time she felt speechless. For more than thirty seconds!
"W-wooow..."
The mannequin standing in the middle of the room was dressed in orange. Color, not fruit. The torso was a simple, sleeveless orange vest, with a white-orange'ish part in the middle, shoulder pads reminiscent of tiny white wings, an exposed neck area just above her breast line (no cleavage opening), with a two-toned orange ribbon at her chest. Below was a short skirt of the primary color covered by slightly longer, see through frills. What caught her attention especially were the dark orange short track pants underneath, ending at roughly the same level as the skirt, removing the danger of upskirt shots (Coco was rather sensitive about them). Then there were the long, white boots, reaching up slightly above knee level, with ribbons at the end. Her hands were covered by a pair of white detached sleeves from slightly past the elbows, before ending with orange cuffs at the wrist level. While she was sure Coco had a lot of ideas for head accessories, seeing as the mannequin had no hair the only thing on the head was a domino mask, similar to the ones she was usually wearing.
It wasn't the most elaborate dress she had ever seen. It wasn't full of details, there were barely any accessories and it wasn't especially creative all things considered. It was better than what she ever wanted: cute, practical, easy to fix, modify or recreate in case of emergency. It's as if Coco's overblown creativity and Sunny's attention to practicality (capes aside) met in the middle and settled on a perfect compromise.
Also, there was something else about it, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Well? How is it?" Coco asked happily. She could tell what the answer would be to a word.
Sunny opened her mouth a few times, but it took her a lot longer to finally vocalize her opinion.
"It's... perfect! Ten out of ten! Hundred and one percent approval rating!" Coco tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. Sunny coughed and rephrased herself. "Hundred and twenty percent, even!" She said, making Coco smile even brighter. She approached her new costume and looked at it from different angles, paying the most attention toward the vest and skirt. "I don't remember this from your notebook."
"I-it's a fresh idea," Coco stuttered, blushing furiously, as her heart was beating harder and faster "spur of the moment, I guess?"
Sunny nodded without turning back, still concentrated on the fabric. She touched it a few times. "There's something familiar about it..."
Coco gasped, unable to believe her ears. She noticed! "U-uhm, i-it's be-because... it's the same one..."
Sunny turned to Coco and looked at her quizzically. "Same one?"
Coco nodded, blushing so much she was starting to have second guesses. She closed her eyes, remembering the support of the Shadowbolts from this morning. Somehow, it made her next words go by easier, without stutter. "It's the same fabric from when we first met. As in, the exact same roll you... picked up that day..."
Sunny blinked. Her eyes went back to the dress. "Huh. Neat!"
With Sunny's eyes away from her, she allowed herself a few long breaths in order to not faint. She could just end here and continue her daily life as she used to, but a promise was a promise. Not to the Shadowbolts, but to herself. She swallowed her pride, gathered all the courage she could find and approached Sunny.
"Sunny, there's... there's one more thing..."
A tall, ripped barbarian in loincloth, wielding a giant, double sided axe stood firmly his ground at the beach right next to the stormy sea. Before him, just shy away from his range was his opponent, a thin, short but well endowed blonde girl in a full body suit, firmly holding her twin rapiers in defensive position. Despite huge size differences, they were considered equals, their duel lasting much longer than any of them was prepared for, until both were at death's door, a single well placed strike enough to end it all. Neither dared to make the first move, only moving back and forth, ready to counter with their fastest, weakest move at any time, as it would've been enough. Other than their beating hearts, the only sounds around were the waves of the nearby ocean, a timer approaching the end of a battle and a hard rock tune, intensifying their struggle.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Sugarcoat turned towards her door, wondering who it could be at this time of the day. Half a second later she regretted that decision, as a quick crouching stab at the barbarian's leg was all it took to end the match.
KO!
You lose!
Rematch? Y/N
She blinked at her laptop monitor, then looked back at the door.
"Drat." She put the controller on the desk and went towards the door. "This better be important."
Behind the door waited Coco Pommel. She nervously looked at her, still in her school uniform despite it already being early evening. She was clinging to a handbag and avoiding Sugarcoat's gaze. Her hair was slightly disheveled and she was shaking.
"H-hi, I just... I mean..." Coco said slowly, stuttering her words "I-I know we don't really, uhm, hang out or any-anything, b-but you to-told me, t-tha-that, I... I cou-could..."
Sugarcoat blinked.
"I-I'm so-sorry, I shoul-shouldn't inte-interru-interrupt you, I will ju-just, g-go aw-away..."
Sugarcoat opened her arms. "Come here."
Finally allowed to drop the charade, Coco's eyes started tearing up, before she launched herself at Sugarcoat, crying herself into her breasts, as the other girl gently embraced her in a hug.
After abruptly stopping his car on the street next to the Canterlot City Bank, Captain Shining Armor and his partner, Mithril Shield, quickly joined other officers at the blockade made out of several police cars, guns loaded and ready for action.
"What's the situation?"
"All the entrances are blocked off and the civilians have been successfully evacuated, sir!" The masked SWAT member answered. "We were going to send a team, but, umm, Magical Girl Sunny arrived."
Shining Armor and Mithril Shield looked at each other and shrugged.
"So, the situation is under control?" Shield laughed, holstering his pistol. "And here I thought we were going to join in on the action for once."
Shining Armor glared at his partner then turned towards the gate, which suddenly slammed open! All guns pointed in the direction of a masked thug that rushed out in... panic?
"HELP, POLICE! GET HER AWAY FROM M-UGH!" He didn't finish the sentence, as he slammed face-first into the asphalt, making all the police officers and a few bystanders wince. He failed to bring himself back to his feet due to his shoelaces being tied, yet he still tried to crawl away, when...
"Where do you think you're going?" A cold, heartless voice brought the huge man to tears, as his crawling speed increased.
"PLEASE, TAKE THIS BIT--EEEK!" He stopped when a girl in an orange dress suddenly appeared before him.
"No, no, go on. Finish that sentence." Magical Girl Sunny, the same as they knew her, asked. She was wearing a brand new dress, but unlike every other time, there was no smile on her face. Only a cold, disgusted frown, which grew more hostile with each passing second.
"What, cat got your tongue?" She leaned over him and raised his head slightly up by the collar. "Or maybe your balls are attached to that AK-74 you so proudly waved around to everyone. Yes, AK-74, not 47. I can tell them apart, unlike some brainless losers who buy their cheap-ass firearms at black market summer sale!" Then, partially with her magic, partially with a surprisingly strong for a teenager arm, she lifted him in the air. "Well, do you wanna say something to me now?"
Between the sobs, he tried to mutter. "I-I'm so-sorry..."
"Louder!"
"I'm so-so-so-sorry!"
Sunny growled. "Apologize like a man, dammit! I've seen babies with more dignity than you!" She raised her other hand so he could see it burn with literal flames of anger.
All the dams broke and the thug in her arms turned into a sobbing, crying mess of a human.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" She screamed, pulling away her flaming fist. "SAY YOU'RE SORRY, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF GA--"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Sunny tsked, noticing Captain Shining Armor moving toward her. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she dropped the guy on the ground while extinguishing the fires on her fist.
"Captain." She welcomed him coldly, her expression unchanged.
Shining Armor looked between her and the crying, beaten up criminal. "Sunny."
The magical girl in question pointed a finger back at the bank. "There are more inside. Look for three weeping idiots tied up in the corner." She frowned in disgust. "The ones with wet pants."
Shining Armor and Mithril Shield looked at each other confused, then signalled to the others to go inside and secure the culprits. They had never seen a group being so happily to be arrested since that one drug den raid they'd rather forget about.
"Can I go now?" Sunny asked, arms crossed and foot nervously tapping the ground.
Shining Armor opened and closed his mouth a few times, catching a glimpse of the other three bank robbers being escorted by his men. They all had wet pants in the crotch area (ew).
"Sunny, a word with you?" He asked, getting an annoyed eye roll in response. Once they walked a bit further away from everyone, he asked. "What was all that about?"
She frowned. "What was what about? I only did the usual."
"You don't act usual. Those robbers were terrified of you!"
"And they should!" She snapped. "I shoot fireballs!"
"Just because I allowed you to remain a superhero doesn't mean I will allow that kind of attitude!"
"What attitude? He was aiming an AK-74 at me! He's lucky I didn't break all of his fingers, like I promised!"
Shining Armor's eyebrow twitched. "B-break his... this isn't what we agreed on!" He lashed out on the magical girl, who at this point wasn't even looking at him, glaring at the few bank robbers, nearly giving them a heart attack with her eyes alone. "Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Sunny snapped back. "Or you'll do what? Ground me?"
Shining lost his voice for a moment. His mouth opened and closed a few times without a sound before he shook his head and pointed a finger at her. "D-don't use that tone on me, young lady!"
"I'll use whatever tone I feel like!" She stomped the ground. "If you don't like it, feel free to tell my parents. Oh, wait, you're a decade too late!"
Shining Armor didn't say anything. What was he supposed to say at a moment like this? He blinked a few times with his mouth wide open, as Sunny kept standing where she was, hands crossed and silent. Mithril Shield walked towards the two after a moment and looked around the awkwardness, earning himself an angry glare from Sunny. Smiling sheepishly, he searched around for a way to break the silence in the least offensive way he could think of.
"Hey, uhm, Sunny I, uh... I like your new dress?"
"AAARRRGGGGHHH!" She groaned loudly, before teleporting away.
The two officers watched the space where a magical girl stood just a few seconds ago. They blinked. Shield slowly turned to his partner.
"What just happened?"
"I have no idea."
They blinked again, before Shield shrugged. "Heh, teenagers. I'll take a good homicide any day, but teenagers with superpowers? That is outside of my job description. I am NOT qualified to deal with it." That said, he left towards their car, Shining nodding after him.
"Yeah, me neither," he pulled out his phone. "But I know someone who is..."
Sunny landed safely on the floor inside her room, immediately announcing her return.
"I'm home..." said Sunny to nobody... she sighed heavily, looking over her room. Not much had changed since she left it this morning. What did change was the temperature inside, though she couldn't tell why that was since the windows were closed off and she hadn't messed with the thermostat. And yet, it was cold. Not freezingly so, just...
...soulless.
She looked at the tangled mess of pillows, blankets, fiery orange pajamas and some of her rejected clothes on her bed. She didn't feel like touching any of it. The other bed was the complete opposite - neat and tidy, no unnecessary things over or under the blanket, only a few cushions, with one notably missing. Her favorite. She looked around and confirmed that a few more objects were lost. Book bag. Notebooks. Shoes. Umbrella. Probably some clothes inside the drawers, not that she wanted to check. All the objects a teenage girl needed to have on short notice.
The only prized possessions not taken were the sewing kit, materials she used for dresses and a laptop. She probably figured I... Magical Girl Sunny needs it more. She smiled weakly, slowly taking off her newest, so far favorite, but most likely last, dress and getting into her school uniform.
Despite being already late to her class, she was still walking in the hallway in a sluggish pace in what she hoped was the right direction. The penalty for tardiness was quite severe in Crystal Prep unless you aced all your tests, in which case teachers tended to be a bit more lenient, which was thankfully her case. She tried not to think about yesterday, but the only other thing that came to her mind besides that, was this morning. She stopped on her tracks to smack her head on the nearest locker.
Keep it classy, Sunset Shimmer!
Smack!
You just COULDN'T shut up! FOR ONCE!
She didn't notice as a few students quickly passed by her, casting judging gazes while trying to ignore her and moving on. The few that stayed close (including one very confused first year girl whose locker was being head-banged on) remained only until Sunny stopped and turned around, making the tiny crowd quickly disperse.
I need to apologize to captain Armor and officer Shield. She thought as she pulled out her phone and was about to press the screen, but after a few seconds she put it back in her pocket. After the classes.
Another moment of silent walking later, she turned the corner and stopped on her tracks, just barely avoiding a head on collision. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the all too familiar tiny frame with short, teal colored hair.
Coco looked at her only for a split second, before turning her eyes away, desperately avoiding any sort of contact while tightly clutching a history book to her chest. Sunny bit her lip and turned her head away too, though she stole a glance or two from time to time while desperately trying to find something to say. Something that might fix what happened yesterday, but nothing came. On the surface, Coco looked like she always did, never sticking out from the crowd and always acting as if she was smaller than she truly was, but deep inside Sunny knew she was hurting inside and that in turn tore a huge hole inside of herself. She wanted to make her feel better, while at the same time remained fully aware that anything she did could only make things worse.
But even still, she had to try. She swallowed and opened her mouth, but as soon as a whisper came out, Coco immediately turned away and hastily walked away, as fast as she could without running. Sunny extended her hand but stopped herself in the middle, letting her go instead, though not without a sigh of regret.
"You should lea-"
"GYAH!" Sunny yelled and quickly turned around, throwing a literal fire punch, barely stopping her burning hand about two inches away from the bespectacled face as the backdraft wind made three light blue pigtails dance.
Sugarcoat blinked at the flaming fist right next to her face. "You should be more care-"
"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" Sunny snapped, pulling her punch away and shaking off the flames. "I could've punched a hole through your skull!"
Sugarcoat fixed her slightly crooked glasses. "Noted."
Sunny's eyebrow twitched as she looked at the stoic, never changing expression of a girl that had just been this close to death. What IS she? She shook her head and planted her right hand (left hand was still hot from the flames) on her face.
"L-look, I'm sorry, I'm, uh... I'm not having a good day."
"It's fine. I just wanted to inform you that Coco spent the night with me (no undertones) and it seems like she has no desire to go back anytime soon. She went back briefly this morning to get some of her things."
"Heh... I figured as much." Sunny sighed deeply. "So, how is she...?"
"She barely spoke, didn't eat anything and cried herself to sleep. As expected from a girl with a broken heart." Sugarcoat answered in the same tone as always. Sunny was wrong- her heart hadn’t sunk to rock bottom before. But now it did. "If it's any consolation, she seems better today, although I had to force her to eat a light breakfast." She stopped for a moment as Sunny's eyes went down at the floor. She coughed and stepped forward to look her in the eyes. "I don't know exactly what happened between the two you and I won't ask, but if you care about her, then please leave her alone. Being around her won't make her pain go away and can only make it worse."
Sunny nodded. "Yeah, that's for the best... c-can you take care of her, for a little longer? She's... she can be a mess without someone to, you know...?"
Sugarcoat nodded. "She's welcome to stay with me as long as she requires. And Sunset Shimmer... you take care too."
Sunny managed to smile weakly, but genuinely, before turning away and leaving. The smile lasted just until she disappeared from Sugarcoat’s line of sight. She stood in one place for a few seconds before forming a fist and punching the nearest wall, making a small cracking noise that was sure to leave a mark. Not to mention on her knuckle.
"Damnit...oww!"
Her lone contemplation was interrupted by a cough.
"Miss Shimmer, a word with you?" Despite dressing herself in the most boring business suit possible for a teacher of a boring school, Dean Cadance made the most of it and her small, but honest smile managed to warm the area near her, if only a little. Sunny wasn't affected by it.
"Sorry for the curse word, Dean Cadance. And for the wall."
"Forgiven. Care to join me in my office?"
Sunny swallowed. Despite the bright, warm smile, something told her that it wasn't a suggestion. She followed Cadance to her office and took a seat by the desk before such command was given. She knew exactly what conversation was about to take place and she wasn't looking forward to it, not one bit. Her eyes wandered around the various elements on the desk, from the monitor and keyboard, to a stack of papers, to a few framed pictures, most notably a wedding picture of herself and Shining Armor (could those two get any more saccharine?) and a picture of Shining Armor's side of the family, which included their parents, Sci-Twi (even a bigger mess than she is today), Spike (smaller and fluffier) and Captain Shining Armor in his university days, dressed in a black t-shirt from some old tv-show he no doubt grew up with.
"Miss Shimmer, do you know why you're here today?"
She knew exactly why. "I'm sorry." She whispered, gaze locked in the wedding picture instead.
"Sorry for what, exactly?"
Her gaze lowered. "F-for lashing out on the police officers..."
Cadence nodded. "I realize that as a superhero you feel it's your duty to strike fear into evildoers minds, but you were taking it too far. Fighting them is one thing, but if what I heard from Shiny, er, Captain Shining Armor, is true, then we need to have a longer conversation. Last I heard, intimidating people to the point of, ehem, wetting their pants, is something done by bullies, villains and amoral anti-heroes." She leaned closer, drilling her eyes into Sunny's soul despite not looking directly at her. "I don't think that's what you were aiming for. "
Sunny remained silent. She had no retort to offer.
Cadence sighed, leaning on her chair. "We all have our bad days, but we can't let that influence how we act towards others. Especially to those who are concerned about you," she explained, making Sunny's head lay even lower and her crossed hands tighten around her chest. "Shining Armor and Mithril Shield have been in police forces for years, they know a troubled teen when they see one." She leaned with both elbows on the desk and added, "If there's anything you need help with, we're here for you. You can talk to us about anything. Even the magical stuff, though I'm not sure if we can wrap our heads around that. Twilight on the other hand..."
Cadence waited for around ten seconds in vain hope that, for once, it was enough to get through to a young mind, but that rarely happened. Not this early or as easily.
"Of course I don't mean to pry. I will let this one slide due to... unusual circumstances that I was never trained for (though I'm slowly gaining more experience in it). But I want to let you know that you're not alone and if you need to talk to someone, my doors are always open. And if you're not feeling comfortable with talking to 'us boring adults', then remember what friends are for. And I know for a fact you have quite a lot of them."
After a few seconds, Sunny finally looked at the smiling face of Dean Cadance and managed to muster a weak smile in response. "T-thank you, Dean Cadance. I'll think about it."
Cadance nodded. "That's all I'm asking. You're dismissed."
Before leaving the room, she turned to Cadance one more time. "Dean Cadance, you may be an adult... but you're not boring." Then she closed the door behind her.
Cadence smirked. "Flatterer."
"Yes, they passed each other on the hallway, but they didn't talk. She didn't say anything to me all day, so I don't expect she will speak to the one girl responsible... I just told her to leave her alone... in a friendly manner... yes, I told her that, I... no, I'm not trying to sabotage their relationship just to have a roommate, even though some people think I would stoop that low... was that a rhetoric question or do you seriously suspect me of taking advantage over a girl with a broken heart when I'm not even into girls? ...apology accepted... nothing worth noting, she's been sitting on my spare bed, hugging her pillow... no, a normal pillow, not the body pillow... no, I don't have any... I refuse to answer this question... yes, she's been here this entire time... talking behind someone's back would require me to be away from that person, not sit in front of her... she hasn't said I couldn't, she's just looking at me indifferently... I doubt she minds, but if it bothers you so much, I can ask her..."
Sugarcoat pulled the phone off her ears.
"Do you mind if I talk to Sunny Flare, and by proxy to others, about you?"
Moments passed, Sugarcoat got back on the phone.
"She shrugged and turned away, so I will take it as a 'no'... she can stay as long as she wants, at least until they make up... I don't even know how it went... I'm going to assume it won't be soon..."
Sugarcoat kept on talking in her usual, expressionless monotone, but it might have been gibberish as far as Coco cared. She had her doubts about sharing a room with a girl whose only interactions with her so far had been getting critiqued over the lack of spine she'd been displaying back in the day, but Sugarcoat proved to be a lot friendlier and kinder than she was given credit for. She just never showed it, whether she did so by choice or because she was mentally incapable of displaying emotions was a question she wasn't going to ask. Not now and not until she could think of anything other than that night...
"Sunny, there's... there's one more thing..." She swallowed a huge lump of cowardice down her throat, away from the mind and mouth where they weren't necessary. Stomach was better suited for abundant emotions anyway. "...I-I've been me-meaning t-to s-say, that I... I..."
Sunny snickered and put her hands on her shoulders. "Cocs, breathe and relax." The other girl did so. "There, now say what you needed to say without sounding like a highschool girl with a crush on that hot guy from football club (does CP even have a football club, anyway?), approaching him in a lonely place to hand over a love letter like it's some manga romcom," still holding her palms firmly on Coco's shoulders, she looked slightly away "okay, that was straight out of that 'whatsitsname' anime, except the football crush was also a girl and I wasn't aware of that when I first watched it. I didn't finish it. Not that there's anything wrong with, you know, per say, just, uh... well, not my thing... I don't know where I was getting with this, but hopefully my pointless monologue helped you get your head straight!" She paused. "What were you going to tell me?"
Coco's mouth opened and closed a few times. She shook Sunny's hands off her shoulders. "Nothing." She answered, turning away from her friend.
Sunny raised a finger, but ultimately shrugged it away. "Oookay, if you say so." With arms crossed, she looked at her new crime fighting dress, though she glanced at Coco from time to time. Noticing that her friend stood motionless away from her, she slowly walked toward her.
"Coco, why the long face?" She asked, extending her hand towards her friend...
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
...only to have it slapped away! Sunny recoiled, stepping back to massage her hand, more shocked by the sudden outburst than actually hurting. She opened her mouth, but failed to deliver any commentary, too confused to process any thoughts. As precious seconds passed and Coco failed to follow up on or even explain herself, she finally spoke up first.
"Um, what was that about?" She asked, still getting no answers. Scratching her head she continued. "No, seriously, what was that about?" She stepped forward. "We were all fine and happy, then, well, this... I mean, I didn't say anything weird, did I? I'm pretty sure I was just talking about some yuri crap that... just... oh..." Her eyes shot wide open at the earth shattering revelation. Coco turned her head slightly, looking at her profoundly sweating roommate with the corner of her eye as she slowly put the pieces together. "W-wait, you me-mean that you l-l-li-... li-... you... m-me...?"
Coco's snorted. "Oh, you're finally figuring it out. Took you awhile..." She said in the most cynical, cold way she could.
Some time passed before Sunny continued. "W-when d-did that ha-happen?"
Without turning to her, Coco shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe when we first met and you helped with the fabric... that I later used to make this dress," she turned her head to her left "or when you complimented my dress, without even knowing I made it," she turned a little more, now halfway into facing her "or when you saved me from Suri, having stood up to her after you inspired me no less, or when you invited me to live with you as your crime-fighting sidekick?"
Once her slow turn concluded and the two were looking each other in the face, Sunny's heart stopped beating at the sight of Coco's beet red face, with tears still flowing out of her bloodshot eyes.
"Or maybe it was over time, as you kept teasing me, flirting, outright seducing me..."
"I-I was just joking around! I... I didn't know... h-how you... how you..."
"You said I was your number one!"
"FRIEND! I meant number one friend! Because you are!"
Looking away, Coco's head made the least convincing nod, before she turned away entirely.
"Y-you are... right?"
She wanted to say something more, but nothing came to her. Nothing that wouldn't make things worse, so after a bit of hesitation she backed off and turned away as well, though not without stealing a few glances in Coco's direction.
The room was never this quiet before. Even before Coco moved in.
Few minutes into the silence, Coco finally made a movement, grabbing a handbag and starting to pack it with several items. A mug, towels, notebooks, pencil case and some other smaller things. Sunny wanted to ask what she was doing, but bit her tongue in time, for once, only observing from the corner of her eye. When Coco started closing in on the door, Sunny crossed her path.
"W-where are you going?"
Coco hesitated for a moment, never even once looking directly at Sunny. She didn't give any intelligible answer, only a silent murmur.
"Move."
Reluctantly, Sunny obeyed and sidestepped to her right, letting Coco leave the room.
Seconds after the door closed, the silence continued once the echoes of the closing door dispersed. Gritting her teeth, Sunny withheld a scream for about ten seconds, before yelling out and hitting the closest thing at arm's length, which happened to be the mannequin, toppling the dress onto the floor. Looking at what could possibly be the final Magical Girl Sunny dress, Sunny wiped her tears and carefully pulled it back on its feet, carefully swatting the dirt of off it, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong.
Coco sighed for what had to be fifth time today, when in reality it was the fourth time in the span of ten minutes. It seemed like her body demanded the exchange of air in her lungs, since she didn't so much as speak a single word for what was now one and a half days. And even that was considered a progress from yesterday, now that Sugarcoat insisted, instead of forced, Coco to eat at least some of her morning cereal, or else she wouldn't be welcome back in the room. Few spoons’ worth was all Coco forced into herself, before spending the rest of her time at the table making circles in the cold, soggy, milky mess with her spoon. That was all the Shadowbolts could stand.
"Okay, congratulations on not starving to death," Sour Sweet cheerfully muttered through her mouth, before adding in a more irritated tone "you can go now."
With one more shrug, Coco slowly walked away from the table with the rest of her bowl not optimistically half-full. Few seconds after she was gone, Sour Sweet let out a loud groan, as she faceplanted onto the table.
"Ugh, I don't know how much more I can take..." she lamented. Lemon Zest patted her on her head, despite once again not being in the conversation, busy with loud music and social media. The patting was appreciated, though. "She traded Suri for this?"
"That's not a fair comparison," Sunny Flare said. "Sunset Shimmer didn't do anything wrong. I think."
"Well, she's back to being an emotionally damaged wallflower. Not much of a difference."
"She will heal over time," said Sugarcoat "it will take a while before she's back to her old self, by which I mean the happy one, not the sad one before meeting Sunny. Not yo-"
"Don't! Even! Start!"
After a brief pause, Sugarcoat continued. "She's on a good way."
"On a good way towards the classroom, you mean?" Indigo Zap asked, pointing at Coco, as she absentmindedly tried to open the closed doors that led to the school part of the complex. The doors that were closed on Saturdays.
Sugarcoat blinked. "It will be a long way."
Sunny Flare sighed. "I got this." She quickly walked towards Coco to calmly explain that today wasn't a school day, which Coco took as indifferently as anything.
While everyone else was absorbed in Coco's barely conscious behavior (aside from Lemon Zest, that is), Indigo Zap turned to the other end of the cafeteria. It was getting somewhat late and most students had ended their breakfasts, so there was little that obstructed the view of the few that turned up late or took their time with their meals. Most prominent among them was a fiery haired, ponytailed girl in plain jeans pants and an orange hoodie, sitting lonely at a large table. Indigo sighed deeply as she got off her seat.
"Be right back." She quickly announced as she slowly approached the lonely Sunny Shimmer.
Whether it was magic, loud footsteps in the nearly empty room or just plain old intuition, she was greeted before saying anything. "Greeted" being used in a rather loose sense. "What do you want, Zip? I'm not in the mood."
Indigo's eye twitched. "You know what my name is."
Sunny shrugged. "Yeah, so? I'm still not in the mood."
Oh brother, this is going to suck more than I thought. Indigo coughed. "Well then, I was gonna tell you that Coco is spending the weekend with us." She said, earning an indifferent shrug in response. "Just thought you wanted to know."
"Whatever," Sunny replied, turning her eyes even further away from Indigo, or her unfinished toasts and cold, scrambled eggs which were going to feed the stray animals "she's a big girl, she can hang out with all the girls she wants."
"R-right..." Indigo scratched her head, turning slightly back to her own group of friends, now (temporarily?) enhanced by one more member. "So, are you going to be okay?" She asked, never before wishing she bit her tongue as badly as right now.
It took at least five, maybe ten seconds, to get a clear answer. "I'm fine."
I could just nod and walk away. "You sure? Cause whenever someone says they're fine, they usually--" she was interrupted by a hand slamming the table. For the first time today, Sunny Shimmer turned to look her in the eyes.
"I'm more than fine!" She stood up to look at her even closer. "I still have superpowers. I still fight crime. I still have a huge, growing fanbase. I'm still on top of all my classes. And contrary to the rumors," she pointed a finger at Indigo's chest for emphasis "I have more than one friend! In fact," she pulled out her phone "to prove the point, I will text one of them right now!" And that she did, quickly typing on the screen.
"Okay, fine, point taken..." Indigo slowly backed away and was about to turn away, when Sunny's phone vibrated.
"Ha, guess who goes bowling today?" Sunny asked, almost shoving the screen with a long, emoji-filled text into Indigo's face. "I can always count on Diane! Always."
"R-right..."
"So if you'll excuse me, I'm meeting with my seven other friends," she walked right past Indigo, leaving whatever was left of her breakfast still on the table "at least they accept me for who I am..."
Before Indigo could raise any objections, Sunny quickly walked away, almost bumping into Sunny Flare, who was guiding Coco towards the cafeteria's only exit door. All of them stopped for a second and their eyes met for a fraction of a second, before Sunny turned and left the building with a huff. Indigo Zap watched the door where a lonely magical girl left, then turned her gaze to a tiny, other lonely girl who was on the verge of tears, stopped only by Sunny Flare's gentle, emphatic patting on the shoulder.
There was nothing else the last, lonely police officer could do, before crumbling on the ground, with her pistol empty and skin and flesh slowly torn off and eaten by half a dozen rotting, undead corpses, as she let the sound of her horrified, high pitched shriek out before her throat was ripped apart and she died a slow, painful death. The music went silent, the sounds of zombie grunting and chewing the only audible thing left in the alleyway, at least until a man's deep voice announced loudly:
YOU'RE DEAD!
"I-I'm sorry..." Said Coco, her shoulders and fake gun holding hand slumping lower.
"Stop apologizing!" Lemon Zest said, planting her palm to her forehead. She rolled her eyes and perked up, already reaching out for more quarters from her skirt pocket. "Heh, nevermind that, I wasn't any better the first time around. We'll get them next time for sure!"
Coco looked at her plastic, fake gun, then at the black cabinet with decaying zombies that it was attached to. Her body was still being tasted by the zombies, as the countdown to continue the game went down very, very slowly. "I don't want to play it anymo-"
Lemon Zest threw two coins into the cabinet and pushed the two start buttons, making the countdown disappear and respawning the fallen characters. "Come on, we got this!" She stated loudly and playfully smacked Coco's back.
"Meep!" Coco meeped and against herself pointed the gun in the general direction of the screen and started randomly pulling the trigger.
"Reload!"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I mean, ok!"
Away from the hopeless fight for survival in a zombie terror and other games filled with people, the rest of the Shadowbolts sat at the table of the juice bar section of "Juices&Arcades", an arcade parlor combined with a juice bar ran by a married couple,Mango Juice and Top Arcade. Their families ran their respective businesses separately and used to fight between each other for reasons time forgotten, but it all stopped when they found out their only children (conveniently of the same age) were in love with each other and forced their parents to either give them their blessings and end the war, or they would leave Canterlot and never speak to them again. Love won in the end and the two families combined their businesses and it flourished since. It's a lovely, but a completely different story.
"It's not quite what I expected when we decided to cheer her up," Sunny Flare spoke "but I guess it works." She shrugged, taking a sip from a multi colored juice that matched the colors of her hair and skin.
"Lemon Zest can bring levity to any situation." Sugarcoat nodded, her juice also colored after her.
"Heh, tell me about it," Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. She had the same beverage. And just like her juice, she soured. "Levity is about all she has to offer," then 'sweetened' "but this is fine!"
They watched the unlikely duo shoot down a horde of zombies with relative success, until they reached level 3, where overgrown, acid spitting mosquitoes quickly took the remaining half of their healths. They watched Lemon Zest loudly groan, before putting more quarters in the machine, while Coco looked like she wanted to run away, but was more afraid of the ensuing chase than being eaten by the zombies.
"That level is rigged," Sugarcoat coldly expressed "it is impossible to complete it with a single life."
The other three shrugged and hummed, before turning back to their respective "Yourself" (that's the name of the drink they somehow always customize to match the customer's color scheme and tastes. It was always absolutely delicious, too!) in relative silence.
There was no mall. There was no pop music running in the bowling range, nor were Rainbow Dash's friends or any other people anywhere in sight or mind. All that was left, was an eight pound, light yellowish ball, ten pins at the end of the sixty feet (give or take) long lane. And there was her, about to make or break all of the last hours of effort of her entire team. She took a deep breath, followed by a slow walk, then one swift hand movement sent the ball rolling for few seconds, until...
"STRRRRRRIIIIIKE!" She jumped cheerfully, as all ten pins crumbled upon her amazing skills, her teammates cheering as their score not only matched, but way surpassed the other team. "Yeah, told ya I'm a champion!"
Sunny shrugged. "I guess you did."
"I wanna see you try and beat that!"
"Yes, yes, I get it," she yawned, grabbing the nearest ball into her hands "you're the best thing that happened to this world, yadda, yadda, yadda!"
"Damn straight!"
"I was joking."
"But I wasn't!"
Shaking her head in exasperation, Sunny got a better grip on the bowling ball and prepared for her move. All the while being dressed as she was this morning during breakfast: simple, worn, long denim pants, an orange, zipped up hoodie (with an old t-shirt underneath, but she kept that hidden from the public), and hair tied up in a lazy person's ponytail. It took a few minutes, deep breathing and the promise of a makeover to avoid giving Rarity a heart attack. But once the initial shock wore off, they had something else on their minds.
"No more doubts about it," Rarity said, while Sunny corrected her grip on the ball "something is not right!" She announced, with Fluttershy nodding fervently.
"What do you mean?" Sci-Twi joined in on the conversation.
"For one," Rarity explained "she's being suspiciously... family friendly today."
Fluttershy nodded. "She didn't make any lewd remarks when Pinkie Pie accidentally sprayed whipped cream on my face."
"And when Rainbow Dash proudly exclaimed that she could 'take us all at the same time with hands tied behind her back', she didn't say 'that's what she said'!"
Twilight blinked. Knowing better to never question the connections between Pinkie Pie and whipped cream anymore, Twilight scratched her head. "That's... true, but-"
"And don't even get me started on what she's wearing!"
Not only Twilight, but even Fluttershy couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"So, why are they shooting a bunch of zombies in a post-apocalyptic setting, anyway?" Sunny Flare asked, with Sugarcoat quickly coming with an answer.
"It all started with a virus designed to be used as a biological weapon, but the experiment went out of contro-"
A loud facepalm interrupted Sugarcoat's explanation. "I meant, why are they playing a zombie shooter, instead of something more, well..."
"Girly?" Indigo Zap asked, raising a brow.
"Yes. Like a dancing game, karaoke or, I dunno, one of those fighters that keeps getting more female characters in their roster to the point that some of them have token male characters instead?" After a long pause, Sunny Flare rolled her eyes at the confused looks of her friends. "Yes Sugarcoat, I watched all those trailers you keep sending us!"
Sugarcoat nodded with approval.
Another batch of silence fell over the table, interrupted only by loud music, yelling of children and an occasional slurping of 'Yourself'.
"You know what I miss?" Sour Sweet interrupted the silence. "Shoes. In particular talking about them. We haven't been doing that recently."
"Tell me about it," Sunny Flare nodded "but it's hard to talk about clothes when someone is always whining whenever we bring it up."
Indigo huffed, turning away. "I'm not whining!" She protested through her teeth, not even trying to hide her usual grimace of 'stopping myself from whining about fashion'.
Sugarcoat also entered the conversation. "It's a stupid conversation anyway, because unlike some rich girls, some of us have to spend our money in a responsible manner, which does not include clothes we rarely get to wear due to changing seasons, trends and attending a school with uniform policy."
"Speaking of 'responsible money spending'," Sour Sweet smiled slyly as she asked "how many loot boxes have you opened this week?"
Sugarcoat remained silent for a while. She took a sip of her Yourself. "I only spent enough to get what I needed and I am done now."
"And what were you looking for, if you'd like to remind me?" The smile grew ever wider, as Sour Sweet leaned over towards the blue skinned girl, as poker faced as ever, except slightly turned away, slurping what at that point were regular, slowly melting ice cubes from an empty cup. "Well?"
Sugarcoat blinked. "It was... a maid outfit." She announced. Sunny Flare and Sour Sweet raised their eyebrows. "With cat ears."
"So," Sunny Flare tapped her finger on her chin "you're not buying an excessive amounts of clothes for yourself so you could gamble for digital clothes for a fictional chara-" she continued until she was interrupted by Sugarcoat's empty cup slamming on the table.
"I freely admit I lost this conversation and I request we change the topic."
Leaning on her chair, Sunny Flare smiled and nodded with satisfaction. "Yeah, we can do that." She extended her hand to her left, palm upwards.
"We sure can!" Sour Sweet nodded, low fiving her like minded friend, much to Sugarcoat's chagrin.
Indigo Zap rolled her eyes, but she did not whine.
"I do admit it's a strange experience not to be teased every five minutes," Sci-Twi admitted through her blushing cheeks "so what does that mean, exactly?"
"YEAH!" The three were interrupted by a loud yell. They saw Rainbow Dash as she jumped so high up in midair, they thought she'd sprout her wings and fly away (which, surprisingly enough, COULD happen). Thankfully it was just bowling, which apparently wasn't the most magical inspiring discipline, so she landed on her two feet, high fived her teammates and went on to trash talk the other team, in particular one fiery haired magical girl. Sunny only shrugged and smiled politely.
"Ooookay," Sunset Shimmer; the unicorn turned human, and Applejack; the human, joined the pondering trio "any idea what's bugging her?" She was only met with shrugging.
The awkward pause gave the Rainbooms (sans Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie) time to look at Rainbow Dash, STILL trash talking Sunny, who couldn't care less about being talked down, nor about Pinkie Pie playfully clinging on her neck.
"Girls, you don't think," Fluttershy started "that something, uhm, magical happened? I-I mean, it wouldn't be the first time magic influenced someone's mood..."
Pinkie gasped. "Shimmy got cursed!"
As everyone gasped, Applejack waved her hand as she explained. "Nah, come on now! Ah know she's bein' a lil' out of whack lately, but that ain't meaning she's cursed or somethin'!"
A few more hushed conversations started but quickly ended when Rainbow Dash finally left Sunny alone and turned to everyone else.
"Enough fooling around, who's up for a rematch?"
Sunny was the first one to raise her hand, thought not as enthusiastically as they expected.
"I'll pass, but you go on and have fun without me," she looked around her friends' dropped jaws, smiled sheepishly and pointed at the bar section "I'll get something to drink." And off she went, leaving the very confused friends behind.
Applejack coughed. "'Kay, so do we pony up ourselves, or should we call Princess Twilight first?"
Sunset sighed deeply and stood up. "I'll go talk to her."
Straight Spark had quite a reputation as a local casanova in his high school. It wasn't his fault that his charming, perfectly shaped face and mastefully modeled hair (not to mention his most up to date wardrobe) was too much for a single girl to handle. Feeling a bit more adventurous, he invited his two less charming (but quite loyal and dependable) friends as wingmen while he searched for new preysgirls worthy of him. And found them he did.
His two friends were a bit more skeptical. Recognizing the girls as Shadowbolts from Crystal Prep, they figured they were out of their league.
"Maybe out of yours." Straight said. "Watch how it's done!"
After making sure his hair was perfect, he made his way towards the table with four cuties, while his wingmen watched from a safe distance. During the five seconds walk, he made a few calculations regarding his targets based on first impressions and surface information. While all four of them were cute in their own way, by process of elimination he struck down the multi-pigtailed one, since her face never changed expressions, which meant she was crazy (and he wasn't a fan of monotones). The pink haired with freckles had the opposite problem, changing from angry to happy every two words, also crazy and not hiding it (hot, though). The goggled one was a tomboy and he wasn't a fan of dating someone who could outplay you in most sports. But the one that remained.... was perfect.
"Hey there, precious," he said, leaning over their table, trying to make eye contact with Sunny Flare, failing to grab her attention "what do you say we get to know each other better over, say, a cup of coffee?"
He was pretty sure he donned his million dollar smile and was loud enough for her to hear even in this rowdy environment, which made her non-reaction all the more confusing. Her friends noticed and looked at him with eyebrows raised, but he decided to ignore them.
Weird, this usually doesn't happen. Maybe she didn't hear me? He coughed and continued. "I know a really nice place, where we could spend some nice time, just you and..."
"Get lost."
"...I and nice--w-wait, what?"
Sunny Flare sighed deeply, firmly setting 'yourself' on the table. "I don't care enough to give you all thirty seven reasons why I'd rather date a poisonous viper..."
"Th-thirty seven?"
"...so I'll stop at two. One, I'm already in a stable, serious relationship, and two, your hair is stupid."
One blink. Two blinks. His brain stopped working for a solid several seconds, but regained some consciousness after shaking his head.
"M-my hair is... is..." he stopped himself from any further comments and decided to press on "Oh please, what can other men offer you that I cannot?"
An arm wrapped itself around Sunny Flare's shoulder. "Who said anything about a man?" The short haired tomboy asked, smiling slyly at Straight.
If the previous comment didn't crash his brain, then the view of two girls leaning on each other’s sides, hands over shoulders and heads touching, certainly did. Both smiled at each other, then at the stupefied boy, who didn't realize how wide his mouth was opened at this point, or what weird sounds were coming out of his throat. The three-tailed girl didn't say anything, while the freckled one facepalmed, not that he registered it anyway.
He scratched his head. "Oh... okay then..." he hummed, looking at the embracing duet. After some mental arithmetics, he took his chances. "You know... the three of us could--"
"Leave!"
"MEEP!" He meeped and turned on his heels and rushed toward his wingmen, who equally mocked and comforted their shot-down friend. Mostly mocked.
Once they disappeared, Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap finally broke into laughter, while Sour Sweet groaned and Sugarcoat wished she could.
"I will NEVER get tired of this!" Sunny Flare said.
"Me neither!" Indigo Zap nodded.
"On the risk of repeating myself for the sixth time this month, this stopped being funny months ago." Sugarcoat said and Sour Sweet nodded.
Indigo and Sunny (Flare) looked at each other and shrugged.
"Naaah!"
"He had it coming!" Sunny Flare said. "I have never seen a hairstyle that tried this hard to be cool and failed so much!"
Indigo nodded. "At least he wasn't unironically wearing an ugly sweater!"
"Ugh, don't even remind me!" She gagged at the memory, which then provoked another fit of laughter that transferred over to her 'occasional fake lesbian' roommate.
Sour Sweet stayed in her sour mood, the sweet side nowhere to be seen. "Sometimes I hate you two so, so, much!"
Sunny Flare crossed her arms. "You're just jealous you don't have your personal (fake) lesbian lover whenever some creep hits on you."
Sugarcoat crossed her arms. "Don't even think abou--"
"I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING!"
Indigo leaned over. "I think she's more jealous that boys actually hit on us."
"Ouch, shots fired!"
Sour Sweet's eyebrow twitched a few times, as she calculated the chances of commiting a first degree murder and getting away with it. Slim, but not impossible.
"Nah, we're just messing with you!" Indigo said. "No hard feelings?"
Sour Sweet groaned, then forced her face to smile in the sweetest way she could at the moment. "Think nothing of it!" The smile faded after two seconds. "You jerks."
Shrugging, Sunny Flare turned her head away in a dramatic fashion. "Well, if you have a problem with our relationship, then I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore!"
Indigo put a hand on her lover's (?) shoulder. "It's okay Sunny, yes you, for once, as long as we have each other, we don't need anyone else!"
Sunny Flare turned to Indigo, their hands joined. "Yes, you're right! Our love will overcome all hardships!"
"Always and forever!" She said, a chuckle escaping from her barely held composure. It didn't help that Sunny Flare was also on the brink of exploding, but neither wanted to be the first one to break.
Some time, barely a few seconds, had passed since the two joined hands. There was a cue. A missed cue. By now it was either Sugacoat's turn to say something incredibly snarky and insightful, or for Sour Sweet to continue her cringing (by now she should be withholding a desire to throw up herself... or 'Yourself'). Nothing. No usual reactions. Sugarcoat remained motion and emotionless as she usually was, but Sour Sweet... Sour Sweet's wide open eyes stared at them, while her mouth was slightly open, occasionally twitching. Indigo Zap and Sunny Flare blinked at them, then looked at each other. Back at their two friends, more specifically their eyes. It took them a moment to realize that their gazes weren't focused directly on them, but slightly higher, in the space between the two.
And then it hit them, at the same time, like a truck. A realization. A terrible, terrible one. They slowly, robotically turned their heads behind, to notice a short, teal haired girl.
Oh... Sunny Flare started the thought.
...crap! and Indigo Zap finished it.
Coco's mouth opened and closed a few times. She stood right behind the two, fiddling with her fingers, her head slightly tilted away.
"U-umm... we... we're done with... the game..."
In the distance, they saw their arcade cabinet, now occupied by some little kids, as well as Lemon Zest, busy with a crane machine nearby, oblivious to the situation at the table.
A sound of Sour Sweet's forehead slamming the table was heard throughout the mall.
Sunset sat down at the tall chair at the counter right next to her clearly depressed doppelganger, who sat in silence, waiting for her colored soda.
"So... food for thought?" She asked, but got only a shrug as answer. She swallowed and continued. "That's where you say you're not hungry, or something about going to food court or some other snarky remark..." Hearing no answer, she sighed "Sunny, what's going on? You're not acting like the usual you."
Sunny frowned. "Then how am I supposed to act? What am I supposed to do to appease everyone?"
Sunset blinked, opening her mouth for no sound to escape. Noticing her equestrian counterpart's confusion, Sunny turned slightly away, hoping for the conversation to just end, knowing full well it was only the calm before the storm. Before it was unleashed, the cashier returned with a cup of soda, putting it in front of them.
"Here you go miss, your... uh..." he said and blinked at his client, right next to another girl who, despite different clothes and hairstyle, happened to be an exact copy of her. His eyebrow raised as he continued staring for a few seconds, before Sunset chimed in.
"We're cousins!" She stated cheerfully, making the man blink a few times, before blushing furiously.
The cashier waved his hands, before gently bowing and bowing out of there, finding himself something else to do. Sunset chuckled at him when he was gone. I still can't believe this actually works! Unfortunately, she was the only Sunset Shimmer around who found any amusement at the moment, the other one busying herself with slowly sipping her drink.
"Problems with school?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "Twilight told me that homework at Crystal Prep is no joke, at least compared to what we have in Canterlot High... no? Umm, then it's something about the, you know..." she looked around, making sure she wasn't being listened to "magical girl work? Is that what it's about?" The only thing in between the silence was the slurping sound coming from the plastic cup. Sunset cleared her throat and kept going. "Because if there's something wrong with your magic, I'd rather you didn't hide it from me-"
"My magic is fine." She interrupted her.
Sunset stared at Sunny for a moment, scratching her head. "Oh. That's good to hear, I guess. Then what is-"
"This was a mistake." Sunny interrupted her again, placing her now empty cup at the counter, standing up from her seat.
"What was a mistake?"
"I should've stayed home," she said, turning towards the exit and slowly walking away "I'm sorry for ruining your weekend."
Sunset blinked a few times, watching helplessly as her human counterpart closed the door behind her. She turned to the other Rainbooms, also watching the recently closed doors, until they turned towards her. Their eyes met and at once, they all shared a nod and hastily packed their things to follow their friend.
The tension at the Shadowbolts table grew denser with every second. Coco Pommel stood a few feet away, her hands twiddling in front of her, eyes slightly shaking, barely withholding her emotions and tears. Seeing as Indigo Zap and Sunny not her Flare were paralyzed after their recent faux pax of cataclysmic proportions, Sour Sweet realized that fixing this mess was her duty. And while her neighbour was far from the most compassionate looking person, Sugarcoat was critical to her plan.
"So, did you die in level 3?" Sour Sweet asked, smiling sheepishly, before turning sour. "Cause I heard that it's rigged!"
Coco's eyes opened slightly wider, as she scratched the back of her head. "Y-yes, we did. It was, uhm... I'm not sure how you're supposed to go through it without losing a life."
"You're not." Sugarcoat quickly explained. "That level was clearly designed to squeeze as many quarters from kids as humanly possible. In the console port, this level is significantly easier, with more health pickups and weapons spread around in more visible spots."
"Oh... I guess that explains... it..."
Sour Sweet sighed with relief, glad that the conversation went from "dangerous" to just "omg they're talking about video games again" territory. It was the lesser evil. Okay, now we just need to avoid any sensitive topics and everything should be ay-okay! She thought, smiling to herself, watching, but not listening, as Sugarcoat kept reciting video game trivia to a mildly interested Coco, while Indigo and Sunny sighed with great relief. Then Lemon Zest came back, interrupting the friendly chat by playfully smacking Coco's back lightly.
"MEEEP!"
Relatively speaking.
"Don't worry, newbie, we'll get'em next time!" She laughed, oblivious to the annoyed stares she was given. Before anyone objected, she pulled her other hand from behind her back and placed a small plush toy straight into Coco's hands. "Here, you go. A souvenir!"
Coco smiled lightly, honestly trying to match Lemon's cheerful attitude, with lukewarm results. "Th-thank you, Lemon Zest. You really didn't have to... to... to..." The tone of her voice steadily grew more quiet, until only tiny squeaks came out of her mouth, all the while looking deep into her new little toy.
To their credit, the four non-Zesty Shadowbolts had some context available, but were less familiar with the mind and life of Coco Pommel, thus unable to quickly grasp the reality of the current situation. One after another they finally started noticing the same thing. First was Sunny Flare, whose eyes grew wider and jaw slowly lowered. Nanoseconds after noticing it, her roommate had a similar reaction, as the synapses in her head connected the dots. Sugarcoat blinked and uttered a hushed "oh". Sour Sweet chuckled, then slowly touched her face, which only hid her disgusted reaction halfway. Only Lemon Zest kept her cheerful attitude this entire time, only raising an eyebrow when everyone went silent for a longer period of time.
Coco opened her mouth a few times, but her efforts to create a sentence went nowhere, as the sight of a plush toy in her hands paralyzed her ability to think and speak. She couldn't take her eyes off of... a small, bright orange unicorn plushie. Judging by her chest movement, her breathing slowed down significantly, her lower jaw shaking uncontrollably, while her eyes started tearing up. It was only a matter of time before something was about to blow, when...
"SHOES!"
Everyone at the table almost fell of their chairs when Indigo slammed her hands, as she suddenly stood up with the declaration. All eyes on Indigo, most of all Coco, who woke up from her depression and wasn't sure if she should cover her face right about now, for reasons better not explained. Indigo coughed nervously, desperately trying to create a believable cover story.
"I, uh... you see..."
Sugarcoat was the first one to respond. "I think Indigo is trying to say that she needs to buy a new pair of shoes to compliment her dress for the Homecoming that's happening in next two weeks." She said, Indigo quickly nodding, sweat still pouring from her face.
Lemon Zest tapped her chin. "Didn't you buy a pair last week?" She asked, unaware of all the murder intent directed her way.
"Yes, she did," Sour Sweet said sweetly, then soured and added "but that was, like, sooo last week!"
Indigo's eyebrow twitched as she forced a smile. "W-what she said."
"Aaaand," Sunny Flare stood up and approached Coco "we could use your advice, since you're the vice president of the fashion club!"
"Was." Sugarcoat corrected.
"Whatever! Come on, we're going shopping!" She stood up and rushed toward the exit, ignoring all the ensuing meeping as she dragged Coco with her, giving Indigo an opening to carefully snatch the plush pony out of her arms while she wasn't looking, hide it in Sunny Flare's handbag and follow the two.
As the trio blended in the crowds, Lemon Zest scratched her head. "What was that all abou-OW!" She was interrupted by a thankfully empty plastic cup hitting her forehead. "Ugh, why did you do that!?" She complained at Sour Sweet, whose sweet side was nowhere to be seen.
"You," Sour said while standing up from her seat and walking out of the juice bar "are the worst!"
Lemon Zest kept massaging her forehead in even deeper confusion. She turned to the only other one present. "What got into her? She's even more hostile than usual!"
Sugarcoat also stood up and fixed her glasses, but took a few seconds longer than usual to formulate a retort. "I... I am officially out of words to describe your incompetence."
"...what?"
"I recommend not saying a single word more for the rest of the day and doing your usual 'in another world' routine." She then turned away and rushed after her friends, leaving Lemon Zest alone and more confused than ever before. "At least then you won't ruin anything else."
Lemon blinked a few times. "What did I do?"
"Any luck contacting Coco?"
"Unfortunately, no. Her phone is still turned off. Or broken."
"And she hasn't been on MyStable for days! DAYS!"
"Is that why she didn't upvote Angel bunny's last album?"
"Guys, you don't think Coco's in trouble?"
"Ah doubt it. If she was, Sunny woulda been searchin' all over the city!"
"Come to think of it, she's been avoiding talking about her today. Do you think they had a fight?"
STOMP!
The Rainbooms jumped when Sunny suddenly stopped on her tracks just a few feet away from them and stomped on the ground, with or without magic bolstering the act. It shut them up, as well as attracted the attention of nearby mall-goers. She turned at them with bemused expression.
"Gossip all you darn want but could you please kindly STOP FOLLOWING ME!"
The seven girls took a single step back, but no more after that. After giving the innocent and uninvited people around the 'do you mind?' gaze, Rarity stepped forward.
"Darling, we're just worried about you and want to help."
"And I appreciate it, but I'd... I'd rather be alone."
Rainbow huffed. "Pfft, and that line is why we're not letting you go that easily!"
Sunny facepalmed. "Ugh, seriously... don't you girls have better things to do?"
The rainbooms looked at each other, then looked back at Sunny and replied in unison.
"No." An angelic chorus answered with great conviction.
After a long pause, Sunny blinked. "Should've seen that coming."
The rest of the conversation had to be put on hold when Sunny's cell phone started ringing much louder than usual, with an old school tune from some cartoon. Sunny raised a finger while answering the call.
"Yes, captain? ... ok, I'm on my way... yes, I promise I'll behave this time!" She hung up and looked at the rainbooms. "Captain Twi-Bro called. So, do you girls want to continue this or can I go save a hostage and stuff?" She asked. The Rainbooms shared a frown, but shook their heads.
"We'll continue this later." Sunset Shimmer said.
Sunny turned on her heels and ran away, leaving a group of concerned girls, fully aware that she'd have to face them again eventually. Not that she blamed them, she would've done the same to them, but still she wasn't looking forward to it, whether she was going to come clean or lie. It was the least important thing at the moment, as she was scouting the mall for a safe place to transform and teleport away. Where's the nearest restroom, again? This place is way too big!
She stopped on her tracks just as she turned around the corner. Of all the possible times and places, it was right here, right now, in front of the branch of one the largest line of shoe stores in the country. At the exact same time as the Shadowbolts. With Coco.
Time stopped for a brief moment when the eyes of the two former roommates met. Their respective mouths silently gasped at the same moment, then both quickly looked aside, away from each other's gazes.
The Shadowbolts also held their breaths and looked at each other, hoping for someone else to figure out a good first reaction, but only meeting with an oblivious shrug. The only one who didn't freeze was Lemon Zest, as she followed the others from a safe distance with headphones on her ears and eyes buried into her smartphone, only miraculously avoiding any obstacles on her way. Partially because she didn't want to mess anything up again, partially because she was bitter about her previous treatment, either way she wanted nothing to do with them for the time, but without completely abandoning them.
After a few unbearingly long seconds, Sunny shook her head and resumed her previous journey, walking right past Coco and other girls she didn't care much for. She literally had more important things to do than stay and awkwardly do and say nothing. Along the way Indigo Zap was about to stop her, but was stopped when Sunny Flare touched her arm and shook her head.
Once she was completely gone, all eyes went towards Coco, who didn't move an inch, just stood where she was with her head lowered and fists tightly gripping her own skirt.
Sugarcoat walked toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to go back?" She asked gently.
Coco nodded.
After who knows how many long hours of silence, Sunny's room was suddenly filled with sounds of magical teleportation combined with the annoying groaning of an underage superheroine. Fifteen or so minutes of playing a nice girl, smiling brightly, saving the day and spouting nonsensical heroisms earned her a raise. Or at least a cake, or a batch of cookies, with chocolate bits the size of acorns. And what did they give her for saving that middle school boy from a supposed fate worse than death? A pat on the back. Some kind words. A few photos that were sure to end up on her fanpages. Yes, plural. Along with approving looks from Captain 'I have a wife and I won't hesitate to use her against you'.
She yelled off the top of her lungs as she kicked a mannequin down, sending it plummeting on the ground. There wasn't any dress on it, because she was still wearing it, so it was okay to abuse the worthless, naked piece of plastic. She looked at her messy bed, then at the empty, tidy one across it. A closed laptop was still lying on it. After taking a breath, she started slowly undressing herself, not even in the mood to use magic at this point, instead throwing all the clothes on the spare, unused bed. One glove ended up on the floor, but Sunny decided to not care, instead flopping on her own bed in her underwear. If there was a time to care less about the world and ignore existence as a whole, it was right now. Her eyes slowly closed, when...
Her phone started ringing again. She groaned loudly, then put her pillow over her head, deciding to outwait whoever was calling her at this moment. It wasn't the ringtone of captain Armor, so she knew it definitely wasn't urgent. Not to her. Not now. Not even when it didn't stop ringing... until it finally stopped. Sunny took a deep breath with the intention to sigh, when it started ringing again. Nearly choking on the air, she groaned again and levitated the bloody thing out of her hoodie and looked at the screen to see the caller.
Sunset Shimmer.
She groaned yet again, burying her head in the pillow, before taking the call. She knew avoiding her for too long would only spell disasters, like friendly interventions, except with magic and stuff.
"What do you want? ...yeah, just peachy, I'm perfect, why would you ever ask? ...whatever gave the away? ...look, I'm sorry I'm being a bitch now, but I'm not in the mood, so can we please... no, really... look, I'm gonna hang up, so... yeah, I know... I know... ugh, fine, you wanna know? Coco is gay and I'm not! There, I said it! You happy? Satisfied? ... yeah, didn't think so... so, do you have any good friend advice to someone who accidentally broke the heart of her best friend? Any spells that could fix the whole fiasco? ...yeah, that's what I thought. So no, I'm not feeling good, I'm trying to sleep in the middle of an afternoon on a messed up bed in an empty room while Coco is having the time of her life with the frickin' Shadowbolts! Now please stop calling me and let me wallow in self pity! ALONE! BYE"
She hung up on the call and threw the phone on the floor. She bought it with her action life in mind, so it didn't break. Unlike Coco's phone just a few days ago.
Lying on her bed for the next several hours, Sunny tried to think of some silver lining to cheer herself up. Nobody called, which meant that Sunset took a hint and left her alone. Or prepared a huge party with Diane. On the plus side, she saved a life today. It didn't feel quite as satisfying as the first time it happened, if only because the little white haired boy she saved was a little too clingy and huggy for her taste, but what do you expect from someone saved by a superhero? She never even got his name. And she didn't care.
After dozens of slow paced episodes, the final fight with the superpowered mafia boss came to an end, as the protagonist punched him through ten different walls, literally, sending his unconscious body right into the middle of a civil war that stopped abruptly once everyone saw the most powerful man in the country lying on the ground motionless. There were cries of happiness and despair alike, but our heroes smiled through their wounds and sweat, glad to see the nightmare was finally over. It was a perfect climax, sure to be followed by one or two episodes of clean up and then another arc. And yet, it felt hollow, but not due to the cheap animation or the show's quality, but external reasons.
As the ending credits started rolling out, Sugarcoat turned towards Coco. Just as she was happy to see her improve and get more lively, one faithfull encounter was all it took to sap the energy out of her and revert her back to her unemotional, vegetative state, just sitting in fetal position, hugging her knees and a pillow while watching the show. Or rather staring in the general direction of the monitor, who knew how much she was registering.
Sugarcoat shook her head as she started playing the next episode.
Takes place somewhere between chapters 16 and 17. You know, prior to the separation. Sorry, I had to write this while inspiration was high.
Mithril Shield yawned loudly. His partner, Captain Shining Armor, suppressed the urge to chastise him for his unprofessional behavior. Their lives became a little too easy now that every major crime in Canterlot city was handled by a genuine superheroine. Sure, the superiors weren't happy with an underaged girl fighting criminals in their stead, but the common policemen were more than happy to not risk their lives and let someone with magical powers take over. It usually took only a few minutes anyway, so it's not like anyone was complaining that their jobs were limited to surrounding the area and arresting the beat up bad guys.
Shining Armor sighed, wishing he could do something more. Equestrian magic combined with martial arts was an efficient combo, but for how long would that be enough? What if he should step it up. What if he...
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A high pitched beeping threw him out of his thoughts. He looked at his watch making the sounds, then discreetly looked around the nearby area. Shield was busy yawning and waiting, so was anyone else in the area. He crouched behind his car and pressed a button on the watch.
"Shining here. What's the situation?" He asked over the communicator on his wrist.
"Ve hav an emergenzy, Shiring!" A heavily accented female voice answered. "I'm under attack! Itz zhe Dusk Empire! I could uze zome help!"
Shining frowned. "Hold on tight, I'll be right there!"
"Don't keep me vaiting, darling!" She said in a sultry voice.
Shining rolled his eyes. "Vada, how many times do I have to tell you I'm married?"
"And how many timez do I have to zay I zon't mind?" He could practically hear her wink.
Shining sighed heavily. "Shining out!"
As the call ended, Shining Armor tried to sneak away from the scene, when Mithril Shield turned his way.
"Hey, where are you going? We're about to arrest those guys!"
Shining swallowed, slowly turning to his partner. "Uhm, you see, I was... I was... uh..."
Shield snickered. "Oh, you don't have to hide it. I know what you're up to!"
Shield's smile grew tenfold. "Oh I do know, you little devil you," he waggled his eyebrow "you're in a hurry to see your wife!"
Shining Armor's sweat stopped. "I... uhm..." he started laughing nervously "yeah, you got me!"
"Heh, knew it! I see how you two look at each other. It's okay, man, I got this," he extended his fist toward him "now go and make your wife happy!"
Shining Armor smiled, fist bumping his partner. "Thanks man, I owe you one!"
"By now it's more like twelve, but who's counting? No go, before I change my mind!"
Shining Armor nodded gratefully. Mithril Shield noticed a few beaten up thugs teleported in front of the museum, with their very own superheroine right after them, ready for pictures and fame.
"Shiny, you can take the car, I'll get with the o-" he looked at where his friend had been just a while ago, but was nowhere in sight now. "-thers..." He shrugged. Loverboy...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy, on the sand planet Juspion IV. On one side of the canyon was a group of ragged, freshly rescued prisoners, mostly children and elder Juspionians, and on the other side a squadron of over a hundred heavily armed dark footsoldiers, led by a tall, blue skinned muscled alien in a tight leather-like costume with a cape, and a giant, humanoid shrimp monster by his side. Between the two groups stood a lone blue skinned alien woman with long red hair, dressed in a skintight yellow jumpsuit, a standard uniform of the Intergalactic Police Force. She was limping on her left leg and barely breathing, but that didn't stop her from holding her laser sword up against the army.
The leader of the army laughed. "Zurrender to me now, Vadathaiela. Zee Emperor could give you one more chance to stand on zee vinning zide of ze war!"
The woman snorted. "I vould rather die zaving zhose people, den zerve you!"
The man shrugged. "I vaz hoping you vould zay dat." He pulled out a laser pistol out and aimed it at her "I vill enjoy zis!"
Vada swallowed, but grit her teeth and braced her sword harder, awaiting the inevitable. Just then, a few laser beams shot from the sky, the ensuing explosions decimating the faceless army to half its size.
"VHAT?!" The leader of the army growled at the fighter jet in the skies. Vada smiled hopefully as she recognized who the ship belonged to.
The jet circled around the army and fired a few more shots, each taking five or so soldiers out. When it reached Vada's position, a single person jumped out of it and landed right next to her. He reached his hand toward her.
"Sorry it took so long," Shining Armor, now dressed in a matching jumpsuit as his otherworldly partner, said. "You okay?"
Vada took his hand, then suddenly jumped at him with a hug. "SHIRING! YOU'RE HERE!" She then unhugged him and crossed her arms with a pout. "Vhat took you zo long? I vaz about to die!"
Shining Armor scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I had to take a detour over Spielban quadrant, space dust and all..."
Vada groaned, but eventually cheered up and smiled. "Don't mind! I'm juzt happy I got to zee you again, my love!"
Shining sighed. "Again, I have a wife back home."
She rolled her eyes. "I knov. You von't shut up about her!"
The two exchanged glares, snickered at each other, then looked back at the enemy unit. It was less than a tenth of its original size after the recent air attack, but that still left a dozen soldiers, along with their leader and monster of the week. Those usually took a single Sheriff alone to take down!
"Fourteen of them and only two of us."
"Yeah. Zhey're out of luck."
Shining Armor raised his right arm toward her, showing the communicator on his wrist.
"You ready?"
She nodded, raising her left arm, which had a matching one.
"Alvayz!"
The two wristbands started to glow once they touched each other (bands, not Shiny and Vada, you pervs!).
"TRANSFORM!" Both shouted, as they made an action pose.
"NO!" The leader extended his hand at the duo. "Don't let zhem finish zheir tranzvor-"
Before he could finish the sentence, the two were already done before anyone could blink. They were now wearing a matching set of metallic full-body armors, one slightly bulkier, the other more feminine, both matching their respective colors- Shining Armor's was a metallic white with a lot of light blue accents, while Vada's was a dark blue with red accents.
"-mation..."
Quick explanation is in order: Shining Armor and Vadathaiela are a duo of Space Sheriffs working for Intergalactic Police Force, an organization that fights intergalactic crime in every starfaring region of galaxy. While Earth was not included (for obvious reasons), due to his righteous morality and out of the box thinking skills, Shining Armor was scouted for the position of a Space Sheriff, an intergalactic law enforcer.
He and Vada met in the academy for potential future Space Sheriffs, but the Dusk Empire attacked it in the middle of their training and almost destroyed the organization, along with the higher ups of the Intergalactic Police Force. Vada started out as a spy for the empire, but her time with Shining Armor made her discard the old ways and she became one of the most promising Sheriffs in history, along with her unrequited (but not given up) love. Together, they fight to uphold justice in space and aim to finally put an end to the Dusk Empire and bring back peace to her once peaceful homeworld.
That said, even though she was a skilled candidate for a Space Sheriff and made the right choice in the end, she was still held responsible for many casualties, so her ability to transform into her battle form was restricted to be used only in conjunction with her partner, at least until she builds some more trust with superiors and pays for her crimes. Hence why she had to stand her ground in her regular form.
Also, her race believes in bigamy, just in case anyone wonders.
It's a long story, but the basic gist of it is simple: the two of them are...
"SPACE SHERIFF!" Shining Armor made a few heroic poses as he announced himself "SHINING!"
"SPACE SHERIFF!" She matched his poses and enthusiasm. "VADA!"
There was an explosion behind them, thankfully far enough from the rescued Juspionians, so it didn't do any damage, but looked darn cool.
The leader of the Dusk army groaned, pointing his laser sabre at the two. "GET ZEM!"
As the henchmen, leader and a giant shrimp monster charged at them, the Space Sheriff Duo assumed defensive stances.
"I vill take ze loud one! Ve've got zome unfinished buzinezz!"
"Old friend?"
"He vishez!"
The two yelled a battle cry, as they rushed into the fray...
Cadence opened her eyes lazily, yawning as her hand automatically reached out towards the alarm clock, turning the annoying sound off. Sitting upright on her bed and yawning one more time, she looked at her darling husband, still in deep sleep right next to her. This weird dream again... She smiled to herself. I wonder what awaits those two in the future.
She closed her face to her husband's and kissed his cheek. "Wakey, wakey, Shining. The universe needs you."
Shining shuffled unconsciously and mumbled. "Mhhmm... I have... a ... yawn... a wife..."
Cadence smiled at her darling husband.
"Yes, you do," she left the bed and walked away, dragging their only quilt with her, revealing his naked skin (minus shorts he slept in) to the chilly air in the room, sending shivers down his spine.
Sundays before the exam week in Crystal Prep usually went without any drama, other than for first years who didn't have time to get used to rigorous educational standards that put most high end universities to shame. Anyone who passed their first year was already used to sacrificing an entire day studying for the upcoming week and not even an hormone fueled emotional rollercoaster could disturb it. The Shadowbolts wondered if it was enough to divert the attentions of Sunny and Coco just long enough for them to get over their differences.
It wasn't.
From morning until the lunch break nothing shook up the recent status quo, with the two girls actively avoiding each other, never looking at the other for longer than two seconds, and remaining relatively silent even without the other one nearby. If someone was looking for a silver lining, at least Coco regained half her appetite and kept sighing over half a plate of her leftover spaghetti, before quietly excusing herself and pushing the leftovers toward Lemon Zest, who happily accepted it without a question, not once leaving her eyes off her phone. Once she left the cafeteria, the Shadowbolts (except Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest) finally let out a massive groan.
Sour Sweet hit the table with her forehead. "I don't know how much more of it I can take!"
"That's a good question," Sunny Flare said "how long does it usually take to get over a broken heart?"
Sugarcoat shrugged. "It depends on the person. It took me two weeks to get over my ex-boyfriend."
Sour Sweet buried her face in her hands. "Ugh, I don't think I can stand two more minutes!" She said, Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap both nodded.
A few seconds passed.
"Wait," Indigo said "YOU had a boyfriend!?"
Sugarcoat blinked, then looked away. "Yes, in the middle school. He was a jerk, so I don't like to talk about him. Lemon Zest had one too, in case you wonder... a different one, so you don't need to make weird comments. He wasn't that big of a jerk, though." She pointed at their absent friend, then noticed a very surprised look on the other three's faces.
A few seconds passed.
"Don't tell me none of you had boyfriends before?" She asked, but instead of answers she only got diverting eyes and quiet whistling. She nodded and made a note to herself if she ever needed some leverage against her friends.
Not long after that revelation, Sour Sweet caught something uncomfortable nearby.
"Uh, oh!" She prodded her friends and discreetly pointed at their least favorite awkward scene.
A meek, spooked Coco stood stiff a short distance away from an equally stiff Sunny, with a face that found a compromise between stubborn ignorance and inner hurt. Neither had their gaze set straight, both avoiding eye contact, yet somehow always found themselves in random places, no matter how much both tried. It was times like these they hoped this would be the one time one of them spoke up, no matter which one, and at least say a single word that would hopefully push them one step toward making up. They didn't. It always ended up just like today, with Sunset Shimmer being the first one to start walking forward past Coco, who fought hard not to turn after her.
The Shadowbolts collectively groaned.
"Ugh, I swear they're made out of magnets!" Sour said, then Sweet added with a smile. "I can't wait for this to be over already!"
"I wouldn't let my hopes up high." Indigo Zap said, watching as Sunset Shimmer went right past their table, also avoiding their sight as well, though at a cost of bumping into Lemon Zest, almost making the other girl fall on the ground, only miraculously grabbing the edge of the table to keep herself balanced. Sunny only cast a cursory glance back, before rushing away without a word.
"WATCH IT, WILL'YA!" Lemon Zest yelled at the running girl, lowering her headphones to her neck. "Sheesh, at least say sorry or something," she rolled her eyes and looked at the other four "can you believe her? What got into her all of a sudden anyway?"
She was met with four deadpan stares. Sour Sweet couldn't roll her eyes harder if she tried. "Gee, I wonder..."
"I mean, I know she doesn't like us all that much, but she's been extra bitchy lately, for no reason whatsoever!"
The other four looked at each other and exchanged tired and annoyed expressions.
"Yeah, no reason at all."
"Talk about being clueless."
"I'm torn whether Lemon Zest should stay in her world longer or get out more often.
"Like, seriously..."
Lemon Zest blinked and looked at her so called friends. "And on that note, you four have been acting extra rude lately as well."
Sour Sweet gagged and looked away. "Geez, you think?"
Lemon pointed at Sour. "Yeah, that's what I mean! I'm used to occasional sarcasm and all that, but this is getting out of hand! You don't even talk to me anymore (not like we talked much in our room anyway, but still). Did I do something wrong that I don't remember?"
Sour Sweet didn't even bother to turn to her when she started talking. "Oh my god, how dense can you be? Read the mood sometimes and think before you do something." She didn't notice Lemon Zest's eyebrow when it started twitching. "Or, if you're incapable of thinking, just don't do or say anything. For our sake." Or her teeth clenching until it was too late. "How can one of the top 5 students be so stu--"
SLAM!
The talk, all the talks in the cafeteria, stopped the moment Lemon Zest's hands slammed with the loudest crash on their table. Whatever squeeks all other Shadowbolts (and most other students) made in response were drowned in the echo made by a really angry, green haired girl.
"THAT'S ENOUGH! I've had it with all these passive aggressive jabs and silencing everything I do! If you have something against me, then either straight up tell me here and now what the hell is wrong straight to my face so I can apologize, or tell me to get the hell out of your lives already so I can find friends that actually talk to me!"
All eyes went wide at Lemon Zest's uncharacteristic behavior, not only from her four friends, but the rest of the students in cafeteria. The few smart ones quietly distanced themselves, while the less savvy ones stood by and observed... until her eyes glanced at them, at which point they quickly retreated away from her potential wrath. The other Shadowbolts didn't say anything for a moment, too shocked and scared of Lemon Zest. Even Sugarcoat, despite her everchanging pokerface, couldn't form a sentence.
A voice behind Lemon was the first to break the silence.
"Miss Zest, yelling on the school's property goes against the rules and I need to reprimand you for disru--"
"NOT. NOW!" Lemon interrupted, standing tall with her hands crossed and eyes still drilled into other Shadowbolts. "We're having an emergency friendship meeting right now! Please don't interrupt us, thank you very much!"
Non-Zesty Shadowbolts blinked. Students that didn't escape blinked as well. Dean Cadance also blinked. She raised her finger and opened her mouth, but decided against doing anything else. She cleared her throat and stepped back.
"I-I see," she scratched her head, still looking at the back of Lemon Zest's head "w-well then, do carry on. A bit calmer, i-if that's not a problem..."
"Sure thing."
"R-right… as you may." Dean Cadance looked around, then slowly turned and walked away very confused.
Few seconds after she was gone, Lemon Zest still towered over her four petrified friends. "Well?"
They looked at each other and shrugged. Sunny Flare answered first. "You mean you really don't know?"
A few more confused glares were exchanged. "You really don't know anything? About Sunny not me and Coco?"
Lemon raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
Even more even more confused looks were exchanged.
Sour Sweet asked. "Wait, really? You really don't know about their fight?"
Lemon's eyes widened. "They did what? When did that happen?!"
As most of them tried their hardest not to fall off their chair, Sugarcoat fixed her glasses. "I think we should start from the beginning..."
One long explanation, with detailed exposition of events happening since thursday evening until this morning later...
"...and then she bumped into you. And that's where we are now." Sugarcoat finished, taking a sip of her juice at the end.
Over the course of the story Lemon Zest's anger slowly melted away, as she sat down and listened carefully with wide eyes until they got to Saturday's mall adventures, during which she started massaging her temples and did so for the rest of the tale. She didn't interrupt her fellow Shadowbolts as they alternated telling the story and it wasn't until about ten seconds after they fell silent that she said anything.
"So, all this time Coco was hanging out with us...?" Lemon asked.
"It's because she didn't want to be near Sunny. The other one, not yo-"
"WE GET IT!"
"Okay, I have one question," Sour Sweet asked sweetly (finally!), then turned sour "how on earth did you miss all that!? We've been talking about this for DAYS!"
Lemon's eyebrow twitched. "Because THESE," she pointed at the giant headphones on her neck "are really, really loud! We've been over this many times before, if you want me to know something, you tell me when they're not on!"
Indigo crossed her arms looking at Sour Sweet. "You mean you didn't tell her anything?" The others joined in on the Sourgazing.
"What, Lemon not knowing things is my fault now?" Sour Sweet asked, getting four annoyed stares in returned.
"But seriously," Sunny Flare rolled her eyes and went back to Lemon "it didn't strike you as weird that Coco has been hanging out with us all this time?"
Lemon shrugged. "No. We've been meaning to include her in our group since we came back from the Friendship Games, but someone," she eyed each of them one by one for a few seconds "thought the timing was never right. And that someone wasn't me. And then Sunset Shimmer happened and it was all fine and dandy... until you broke it."
"And how is that OUR fault?" Sour Sweet protested.
"Everything was going fine until you pushed her into confessing!"
"Oh sure, cause if it happened later everything would've turned out so much better!"
"You don't know that!"
"Neither do you!"
"At least I didn't tell her to ruin her friendship!"
"You didn't do anything except ignore everyone around you!" She stood up and pointed her finger at Lemon Zest. "Like you always do!"
The girl in question recoiled, then shook her head and stood up. "W-well, I-I... I wouldn't be avoiding you if you weren't such a... such a... such a bitch half the time!"
Sour Sweet gasped, her eyebrow twitching. "I-I... well, now I'm pissed all the time thanks to you!"
"At least you're consistent now!"
"You were more bearable when you were silent!"
"Then maybe we should stop talking altogether!"
"Maybe we should!"
"Fine!"
"FINE!"
SLAM!
"ENOUGH!" Sunny Flare yelled as she slammed her hands on the table. It wasn't nearly as shocking or scary as when Lemon did it before, but it did the job, as Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest sat on their chairs, hands crossed and looking away from each other.
They went silent for a longer while. Lemon Zest almost reached for her headphones right then and there, but resisted the urge, just as Sour Sweet opened her mouth, but closed it after some thought. Indigo sighed heavily at the two and remained silent, as did did Sunny Flare.
After a minute of agonizing silence Sugarcoat was the first one to break it.
"We are really awful at friendship."
The others snickered and nodded, the tiniest of smiles of ironic defeat appearing on their faces.
Indigo spoke first. "You'd think that after helping save the universe from collapsing on itself we would've been better at it."
Sunny Flare smiled. "In all fairness, the people at school became a lot more bearable since Friendship Games."
"It didn't take much for that."
Sour Sweet shrugged. The table became silent again, though for a short moment this time.
"Sour Sweet?" Lemon Zest said first. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch. You're actually really cool if given time to know you better."
Sour Sweet blushed. "Thanks. And I'm sorry for not telling you anything and assuming you're the worst. You could still leave your world a bit more often, though."
Lemon smiled. "So, we're good again?"
"I guess we are."
"Hugs?"
"Don't push it!"
She didn't push, but was a little disappointed anyway. Their other two emotionally able friends chuckled at the two and Sugarcoat was just glad this was over with. A few moments after that, Lemon's smile faded again as she realized something.
"If I had known what was going on I would have never given her that unicorn!" Lemon said, her head buried in her palms. "She probably thought I was mocking her!" She was surprised to feel a hand patting her back.
"We know you wouldn't do it on purpose," Sour Sweet said gently "you're clueless, but not cruel."
Lemon blinked at her unusually Sweet roommate, then at her other friends who nodded back at her.
"Thanks, I guess..." She wasn't used to warm fuzzies, but wasn't against them at all.
Indigo suddenly stood up. "Okay, enough talking about friendship," she announced and started slowly walking away from the table "time to start acting on it!"
The other Shadowbolts looked at each other and shrugged.
"Where are you going?" Sunny Flare asked.
"To find Sunset Shimmer. This thing is getting out of control and I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" She announced coldly, making the others sweat cold at the thought.
Sunny Flare stood up and quickly followed her. "I'd better follow her and make sure she's not getting any weird ideas!"
The others nodded and let the two leave the cafeteria. After a few moments in silence, Lemon Zest finally spoke.
"Indigo's right! We started this whole mess, in a way, we should at least try and fix it!"
Sour Sweet crossed her arms. "Do you really want to risk messing something up again?" Pause. "Not saying you will, but the last time we got involved..."
Sugarcoat answered instead. "I can't stand watching them be miserable apart any moment longer."
"Didn't you say to give them more ti--?"
"I know I said we should give them more time, but I changed my mind. The sooner they get back together, as lovers or friends, doesn't matter, the better for everyone." Pause. "I don't want to see Coco depressed anymore."
There were so many ways to express their surprise at their friend's sudden display of empathy, so many ways to tease her or turn it into some sort of joke at her expense. That's what the old Shadowbolts would've done. That's what didn't cross the new ones' minds. Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet looked at each other, smiled, and nodded.
"Then I guess we should go find her!" Sour Sweet announced, getting Sugarcoat's attention. "Indigo and Sunny not that one are after Sunny that one, so that leaves us to deal with Coco... wherever she is."
Lemon Zest put a finger to her chin. "We have classes in twenty minutes, so she's definitely not back in the dorms, so she's somewhere in the school. But where?"
"SHIMMER!"
Sunny stopped on her tracks and sighed. She didn't want this and would rather keep walking. Running. Teleporting away from Indigo Zap calling her in the middle of the hallway. Unfortunately, not only there were witnesses around, but she was pretty sure Indigo was the type of person who wouldn't stop until she finally caught up to her, no matter the time and distance. Sunny took a deep breath and turned toward the goggled girl.
"What do you want, Zip?" She spoke through her teeth.
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Awesome. Whatever. What do you want? Wait, don't tell me, I don't care!" Then she turned around and started walking again, hoping this would discourage her.
It didn't.
"Why are you running away?" Indigo asked. "Are you scared?"
Sunny stopped on her tracks... but only for a second, before resuming her walk.
She snorted. "If you're going to call me a chicken, then don't bother. I don't want to talk with anyone, much less with you!"
Indigo watched Sunny increase the distance between them, but it didn't stop her from smirking as she said one more thing.
"I never said I wanted to talk!"
Sunny stopped again. She slowly turned her head back, one eyebrow raised in confusion. Indigo stood where she originally was, hands crossed and smirking slyly. Sunny Flare was just a few feet behind her, massaging her temples, resisting the urge to say 'you gotta be kidding me'.
Coco sighed deeply. The warm, spring wind touching her skin and hair felt very pleasant and relaxing, but she couldn't shake the bad thoughts off of her head. The panoramic view from the roof over the streets did very little to distract her mind. She turned around and leaned over the rails and looked at the small garden on the rooftop. She wanted to forget, even if for a short while, yet still subconsciously picked one of the many places that reminded her of... her. This is where they became friends. This is where she extended her hand, despite knowing her for less than a combined hour at that point.
She turned back to the streets of Canterlot City and leaned even lower. Anything in the school reminded her of Sunset Shimmer, her Sunset Shimmer. Sunny. Even Suri's lonely Fashion Clubroom would've found a way to bring back Sunny to her mind (easy: that's where she complimented her dress for the first time). Even the sidewalk down below waited to show her a detailed ghostly image of a clumsy, overworked and overslaved little girl when she first saw her hero.
This is literally the worst, she thought looking deep down over the railing I should've known it was going to end like this from the beginning. That's what I get from asking the universe for more than I dese--
"STOP! DON'T MOVE!"
Coco squealed as she heard someone shout at her, but didn't even get time to turn around...
SLAM!
...when she was suddenly tackled face straight into the ground! After the initial shock wore off, quite quickly, and adrenaline took over she began trying to squirm away from... whoever was atop her back, holding her by the arm to boot!
"Ugh, what, I-I'm sorry, I-I mean, let me go!"
"Trust me Coco, this is for your own good!"
Coco stopped squirming. "Lemon Zest?" She turned her head as much to the side as she could, but only caught a glimpse of familiar lime green hair above her.
"I know life seems pointless, but please think this through!"
"Wha-what are you--"
"I mean, it sucks to be shot down by your first love, and best friend, but I promise you it gets better!"
"I don't understand--"
"You will understand someday, I promise! Look, we don't know each other too well, but think of how we'd feel if you just ended your life here!"
"...wait, what? I wasn't--"
"So before you jump and create a scandal for Crystal Prep, let us help you and be the frie--"
"I WASN'T GOING TO JUMP!"
A wind passed by, making Lemon Zest's hair dance chaotically.
"You weren't?"
"YES! I mean, I wasn't going to jump, or do anything like that," she sighed into the concrete "I don't want to create any more problems for everyone..."
"...oh. Good. I'm glad. Tehe... whoopsies!"
A facepalming sound could be heard just a few meters away. Coco couldn't see who it was, but she quickly recognized them when they started talking.
"I tried to tell you," a Sweet voice started, before ending Sour "but why would you ever listen to me?"
"I was going to say the same thing, before you rushed without warning" Sugarcoat said "Coco isn't the sort of person to do something so selfish in a way that would inconvenience her peers or create a reputation shattering controversy for the school, and most of all make Sunset Shimmer feel guilty over her sui--"
"SUGARCOAT!"
"...I'm sorry. I said too much."
One awkward pause later, Lemon Zest coughed. "Anyway, I admit it was dumb of me to assume something this... grim. But I'd rather make a stupid mistake and look like a fool than do nothing and let a tragedy happen!"
Coco couldn't help but smile. "That's... that's very sweet of you. Unsettling, but sweet nonetheless."
Lemon laughed weakly. "Hey, anything for my friends. If you want to call me that, that is..."
Despite not seeing her face, Coco could imagine the kind of hopeful and shy face Lemon was no doubt making. She couldn't say no to that mental image.
"Yeah, I would call you that," she said, hearing a gasp of joy in response "and speaking of doing anything..."
"Yes? What do you need?"
"Get off me. Please."
Sour Sweet sighed deeply and turned away, while Lemon Zest let Coco's arm go, helped her stand up and frantically pat the dirt off of her uniform, apologizing all the while. Here's hoping Indigo and Sunny Flare are doing better than us...
Sunny, as in Sunset Shimmer of Crystal Prep, contemplated quitting. She looked at her hands, covered by the small, red boxing gloves she was wearing, which matched the color of the faceguard she had on her head, right below her long, wavy hair now tied neatly in a bun. Instead of her usual uniform she wore spare gym clothes, consisting of a long grey jersey pants with red lines running on them, a matching zipped long sleeved hoodie of the same colors, ending with white running shoes on her legs. Standing in front of her a few meters away was her opponent. Indigo Zap wore a similar getup, with red color switched to blue, obviously. Further to their respective right and left was Sunny Flare, still in her uniform, carefully watching the two girls with her arms crossed.
"For the record," Sunny Flare said when her gaze meet the other Sunny "I'm just here to make sure you don't kill each other. And probably call an ambulance after it's over."
Sunny, not Flare (this is getting REALLY confusing!) shrugged and looked back into how this all started... about ten minutes ago.
When Indigo said she didn't want to talk, Sunny was curious enough she somehow got herself provoked into accepting a duel with Indigo Zap, to see which one of them is stronger. That's it. There was no other reason, at least that was what Indigo claimed. Sunny was just about to turn on her heel and walk away, but Indigo brought up one good point that made her reconsider.
"I will never stop asking!"
Sunny Flare attested to that. Apparently it took Indigo a full month of pestering to become Sunny Flare's friend, though the full story was shrouded in mystery. If ignored, Indigo wouldn't stop pestering her no matter what and she had the eyes of someone who would absolutely dedicate her life to that! Begrudgingly, Sunny accepted the challenge on the condition that no matter who was the winner, there wouldn't be any rematches. Indigo was more than happy to accept those conditions, only asking for a fair fight. While the thought of letting her win was a tempting easy solution, the prospect of breaking her nose was even more attractive.
And that's how they ended up in the small practice room in the basement. It had a hard wooden floor, white walls and a giant mirror with railings on the wall. It was thankfully bright with electric lighting, since no sunlight reached this place. What was once exclusively a ballet room was eventually shared by other clubs, like drama, kendo, archery and yes, even Muay Thai. Indigo was the only girl in it, but it still had two sets of female uniforms, just in case someone joined or picked a fight with Indigo. She wasn't sure if she was the first one it happened to.
"No grappling or hitting when down." Indigo explained the rules. "We fight until one of us is knocked out cold or knocked down off their feet three times. You got that?"
"Yeah, sure. Let's get it over with."
"Oh yeah, and one more thing: no magic!"
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Geez, fine! I don't need magic to beat you! I don't want to kill you. All that much..."
Indigo snorted and looked at Sunny Flare. "I don't think she's treating me seriously!" She got an indifferent shrug in response.
Once ready to fight, the two stood a few meters away of each other, bumped fists and assumed combat stances, awaiting for Sunny Flare's signal.
"Ready? Three, two, one... FIGHT!"
The moment Sunny Flare finished saying the last word, Sunny was about to jump forward and start the offensive, but before she moved a single muscle, an impossibly fast fist flew right at her. Unable to dodge or block, Sunny took the hit right in the face. She recoiled back, shocked by the realization that the facemask and gloves might've been the only reason she wasn't knocked out cold, only stunned momentarily, but long enough for a follow up kick into her stomach, sending her flying backwards and hitting the floor.
She coughed a few times while massaging her stomach. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!
Sunny Flare announced the current score. "Indigo: 1; Sunset: 0."
Indigo chuckled, offering Sunny a helping glove. "So, do you wanna start over, or...?"
Sunset growled, smacking Indigo's glove away as she stood up on her own. She licked her teeth, making sure none of them were broken or chipped, then her lips. She tasted some of her blood and looked at the mirror to her right. Her upper lip was cut, but not enough to cause a concern. She took a deep breath and angrily turned to Indigo.
"IT. IS. ON!"
Indigo smiled viciously. Sunny Flare groaned, but didn't dare come any closer.
Meanwhile, a few vans parked just outside Crystal Prep school. As the door slid open, a young boy walked out and looked at the imposing building. He had a light yellowish skin and snow white, messy hair. He was dressed in all black: suit pants and black vest over a long white shirt.
"This is it, gentlemen," he said to the group of adult men only just leaving the van "the moment I've been waiting for." He smiled as he turned towards the entrance, with almost a dozen imposing, adult men behind him.
Finding and saving Coco was the first objective. While they were sure step four or five was definitely Profit a happy ending, everything in between turned out to be just a bunch of question marks. They stood around and waited for someone to start talking, hoping they could take it from there. The only problem was that they never figured out who the starting player would be and thus led to a really long, awkward silence, where they played a non-verbal version of 'say something already', where they looked at each other, waggled their eyebrows, shook their heads or made other weird faces, hoping someone would break the ice again.
"The weather sure is great today." Sugarcoat said suddenly.
Everyone looked at her, then at the sky, and nodded. Then they went silent again for a bit longer.
"This is where it all started," Coco suddenly said, making the other three jump from shock "Sunny and I, I mean. This is where she took me after she, um... saved me. From Suri."
"Oh yeah, I was wondering where you two went," Lemon snorted "that was epic!"
Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean Sunny's, not her, sudden arrival, or Coco's verbal beatdown?"
"Both! I should've snapped Suri a picture to commemorate that amazing moment! Dat face: once in a lifetime!"
"You don't have any powers, but still mustered enough courage to tell her off, where most people didn't. That takes some serious guts."
"I guess..." Coco managed a smile, but it was weak and short lived "but I would've never said it if she... if Sunny didn't inspire me to stand up for myself," she lowered her head and concentrated her eyes on her now twiddling thumbs "I'm worthless without her."
The trio looked at each other and took a deep breath. It was going to take a lot more than they initially realized.
Round two had Sunny more prepared. She grew complacent after beating up so many petty criminals who offered no challenge, so she wasn't used to anyone being able to keep up with her. Her only worthy opponent so far was herself, in a way.
When Sunny Flare announced the start of the new round, She was the one who lashed out with the offensive first. Her first punch was easily blocked, but followed by another before her opponent had a time to counter, and then by another, none of them connecting. After the fourth blocked strike, Indigo jumped back away from Sunny's reach, only to jump back with her own flurry of fists and kicks. Even though Sunny managed to dodge some and block the rest, her forearms were aching after recieving what was possibly the strongest blows she's had thus far.
I am SO glad none of them connected! She thought, as the two jumped away from each other to catch a breath.
Indigo didn't seem too bothered. "Come on, is that all you got?" She asked, making a 'come at me' gesture with her gloved hands. "If that's all it takes, then maybe I should become a superhero!"
Sunny growled, but stopped herself before doing anything stupid. She shook her head and focused on her inhumanly skilled opponent, trying to come up with some plan.
"Come on, try again but put some heart into it!" Indigo kept taunting. "Fight me like a true warrior, Sunny!" Pause. She turned to her roommate. "Not you!"
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes. "Oh, good," she sarcasted more than she ever sarcasted before "for a moment I was worried you were mad at me."
Sunny (Sunset Shimmer) narrowed her eyes and assumed her battle stance.
"Okay, let me see how you like THIS!"
Then she rushed forward, launching a roundhouse kick directly at Indigo's face. Her opponent easily blocked the strike with just her left arm, then grabbed her leg with her right arm, about to punish the reckless maneuver.
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes. So much for the no grappling rule.
"Predictable!" Indigo commented.
Sunny smiled. "That's my line!"
Before Indigo had any time to do anything, Sunny jumped with her right leg, spun in mid-air and used the momentum from the spin to kick Indigo’s exposed face, sending her opponent away and releasing her leg. Sunny (Sunset Shimmer) managed to land on her all fours, so it didn't count as a knock-down. Indigo flew a few meters further and rolled on the floor a few times before getting up on her legs, wobbling for a few seconds before regaining her balance.
It still counted as a knockdown.
She touched her lips, staining her gloves with her own blood. She now had a cut on her lips, similar to what she had given Sunny before. She licked the blood from her upper lip and smiled.
"So, you're finally taking me seriously?"
Sunny raised her guard. "If that's what it takes to silence you!"
"Good," Indigo smacked her fists together "let's have a conversation with our fists, then!"
"I thought you didn't want to talk."
"That was five minutes ago!"
And so the trio and Coco (almost a quartet) went back to the awkward silence, playing the 'you go first' game. Eventually, having nothing else to say, Lemon Zest broke the silence.
"Hey, so, about that thing... on Saturday..." she started, while playing around with the tip of her hair.
Coco looked at her, slightly confused. "What thing?"
"You know, the thing... that plushie... I gave you..." her voice lowered and she refused to establish an eye contact.
Coco blinked. "Oh, that thing." Pause. "What about it?"
"I-I didn't mean anything mean by it, okay? It's just, we were having buncha fun and I noticed this really nice unicorn in the crane machine, so it made me think about Sunset Shimmer, cause she's a unicorn from another dimension, and I thought you'd like it 'cause I thought you were... umm... you were... but... but... uh..."
"You didn't know we had a fight and you just wanted to be nice? I know." She reassured Lemon, who finally accepted the invitation to connect with the cyan eyes. "I mean, those headphones are really loud and you always have to take them down to talk to people, so I assumed you just didn't know about anything. And you don't seem like someone who would hang out with someone just to spite them in the end."
Lemon Zest blinked once. She blinked twice. Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet exchanged looks between each other, while Coco raised an eyebrow. There was no third blink, as Lemon Zest's smile appeared then grew thricefold, until...
"OHMYGOSH SOMEONE ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS ME!"
Then a sudden GLOMP happened, immediately followed by a MEEP. Coco didn't get a heart attack, if only because between Pinkie Pie and... well, mostly Pinkie Pie, she had time to get used to sudden hugs from nowhere. Here she was, embraced by Lemon Zest from behind, arms snaring her neck tightly yet gently, their cheeks nuzzling each other as she blank stared at Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet. They could've stopped her, but decided not to. She didn't blame them, she wouldn't want to touch Lemon Zest right now either, or she would ensnarehug them too.
"Cute, tiny, understanding, soft spoken, not to mention soft skinned," Lemon said, still rubbing her cheek on Coco's, who just gave up on everything and became a temporary hug doll. In fact, hugs were nice. She liked hugs and hadn’t realized how much she needed one.
"I told them we should've adopted you a long, long time ago!"
That comment made Coco raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me, what?"
"That didn't come out right." Sugarcoat said, as Lemon Zest only smiled sheepishly.
Sour Sweet sighed. "Cat's out of the bag," she Soured, then Sweetened with an explanation "We came back from the Friendship Games a little... different. I guess the Rainbooms and the Canterlot High atmosphere (and some actual, real life magic) rubbed off on us and we've been trying to bring some of it here," she Soured for the next comment "with mixed results. I don't know why Suri of all people remained as she was, but most everyone else started acting a little more friendly."
This does explain Upper Crust’s change in demeanor! Coco thought, listening while still being nuzzled. She didn't want to resist the pleasantly warm Lemon Zest.
Sweet continued. "That's why the five of us contemplated telling Suri off and having you join the Shadowbolts!" Sour again. "But we've been waiting so long that Sunset Shimmer appeared and we never got a chance since!"
Coco's cheeks were getting warmer every second. For a moment she thought it was Lemon's fault, but she only nuzzled her right cheek, while both were equally as hot.
Sugarcoat joined in. "We even tried to befriend Sunny, the Sunset Shimmer that goes to our school, in hopes that we could get both of you, but she's been acting very cold to us every time we approached her. I don't know why she doesn't like us, it's not like we ever did anything wrong to her."
"Sunny, uhm... she's very stubborn about first impressions," Coco explained "it's really hard to change her opinion on someone after the first impression sets in. Heck, she only accepted Sunset after they beat each other up."
The nuzzling slowed a bit and although Coco couldn't see it, she could tell Lemon Zest was exchanging glances with the other two.
Sour Sweet snickered. "Oh good, for a moment I thought Indigo was going to do something dumb!" She chuckled. "I mean no sarcasm this time."
"Indigo's reckless, not stupid," Sugarcaot explained, with the other two nodding (Lemon accidentally nuzzled Coco's cheek again) "she knows what she's doing."
"Actually, I've been meaning to ask, where is Indigo Zap? And Sunny Flare for that matter?" Coco didn't get an answer for two seconds, but that was all the time it took her to figure it out. "W-wait, is she...?"
The trio synchronized. "She is."
"A-are they...?"
"They are."
Contrary to wuxia movie logic, most thugs and lowlife criminals were just brutes with little to no finesse or martial arts training, whether they were using fists, bats, knives or even guns. Other than Sunset Shimmer, the only other people who compared to her were her teachers at the gym where she learned karate. The difference between them and Indigo Zap was now obvious: they were holding back. Indigo wasn't.
Now that Indigo was the one on the offense, Sunny kept having close call after close call, each time barely blocking or avoiding a rapid fast punch or kick. But while no one had ever posed quite a challenge, fighting criminals that want to ACTUALLY KILL YOU taught her to keep a calm head and make the most out of any situation. There always was an opening somewhere. And she found it.
She noticed a pattern. While most of the moves Indigo performed were varied and unpredictable, there was one combination that repeated a few times. It started with a wide, sweeping strike from her right hand, where it seemed like she exposed her torso for a moment, but it was a feint, since that move was quickly followed with left hand sweeping from the other side, but aimed lower, to punish those who duck under her first strike. And that's how it happened once again: Sunny ducked under the first strike, then immediately rolled to Indigo's left side as her opponent instinctively followed up on her combo. As Sunny stood up again, Indigo was still in the process of punching the air, unable to cover her ribs at a critical moment, which was all it took for her opponent to exploit it with a quick, direct hit straight!
Indigo grimaced in pain as she recoiled to the other side. Sunny jumped right back at her, hoping that lack of balance was enough to deliver at least one more strike, but Indigo regained her footing a lot quicker and kicked straight at her, which Sunny barely dodged.
"Ugh!" Sunny grunted as she landed a few meters away and gasped for air. Indigo Zap gave her a moment to rest, if only to massage her aching ribs. That was her sole achievement in this round. While it was better than nothing, she was hoping for a little more than a slight inconvenience.
Sunny looked at Indigo for a moment and wondered if she should exploit the moment. Or is it time for another mid-fight chat? She wondered for about a second, before Indigo jumped at her again. GUESS NOT! She braced for yet another series and the fight resumed. The strike she dealt her just now slowed her down... a bit. Not enough to make much of a difference.
Sunny Flare kept observing the two with a bit more interest than she was willing to admit. She wasn't into something as barbaric as unarmed combat between two macho girls, but still, she was pleasantly surprised that it was way less one sided than she was used to seeing.
She checked her wristwatch. Over four minutes. Nobody survived her this long! She smiled. I hope you're happy, Indigo.
"Don't worry about it," Sour Sweet hand waved happily "Indigo never actually killed anyone on the ring."
"Or out of it, for that matter." Sugarcoat added.
"Or out of it." She quickly added, then continued in Sour mode. "It's just a nasty rumor from internet trolls."
"You didn't see any of Indigo's matches, huh?" Lemon Zest asked. Coco vertically nuzzled her in response. "Figures."
"Let's just say we feel safe with her on the streets at night," she said Sweetly, then transitioned to Sour "which is never, because we have a stupidly strict curfew."
The conversation stopped, but the spirits were a little more upbeat. Lemon Zest kept Coco locked in a hug and wasn't asked to let go so she stayed. Was it the hugging that she needed all these days? Perhaps she had known that all this time, but who was she to ask girls who were for the most part just strangers, who just happened to attend the same schools and share a few secrets. Looking at them right now, they didn't feel like strangers. Not anymore.
"Well, this is a pleasant moment, but," another Sweet comment was followed by a more Sour one "can we finally address the elephant in the room?"
And then Coco's heart sank again. The warm hug kept her from freezing over the fear of something she couldn't quite grasp, as well as preventing her from running away. Was that the plan all along?
"I-I really don't want to talk about it..."
"Well, too bad! 'Cause Lemon's not letting you go until we have a pleasant conversation about your deepest feelings and desires! Isn't that right, Lemon Zest?"
"You can try to resist, but I wouldn't if I were you!" Lemon whispered to Coco's ear.
A shiver went down Coco's spine. She was confused before, but that was mostly just her own sexuality, hormones, and personal feelings. This wasn't quite like that (even if Lemon was quite hot, but that wasn't the point here) and it scared her. It seemed like a great story to tell your grandkids or write a book about, but at the moment she wanted to be anywhere else. If only she had the strength and willpower to shake Lemon Zest off of her. And even then, she had to outrun three girls that always scored perfect on PE.
"W-what about the classes?" She tried to bargain. "You don't want to be late, right? The teachers are very strict about it!"
Sour's eyebrow twitched and it seemed like she was defeated... for a second. She turned Sweet as she countered.
"We're THE top students with nigh immaculate reputation and quick wit. The teachers will buy any excuses we make up on the spot," she got Sour for a moment "as long as Sugarcoat lets us do the talking, that is. No offense, sweetheart."
Sugarcoat shrugged. "It pains me to admit it, but you're correct."
"And if we're sent to Dean Cadence, we'll just tell her the truth: we were trying to solve a friendship problem between you and Sunset. She's a sucker for those kind of things, she'll support everything we've been trying to do!"
A few seconds passed. Coco blinked. "...meep?"
Sour Sweet coughed and kept talking, though for once she was neither Sour, nor Sweet, only concerned. "Look, if you want to hang out with us and live in Sugarcoat's room until the graduation day, then we'll be happy to have you, as it was our original plan. But that's not what you want, isn't it?"
Coco turned away. Her chest was getting heavier, but not because Lemon Zest leaned on her.
Indigo's flurry of blows continued and Sunny managed to avoid all of them. She thought she was doing pretty well, until she realized that she missed the fact that she was getting closer to the wall, which limited her already narrow space to maneuver. Judging by the sudden flash of smile on Indigo's face, it was 100% intentional. And that scared her more than anything before.
Another fast straight punch flew her way, followed quickly by another, both of which Sunny avoided by swaying her body left and right, too afraid to take any of those hits, even if blocked. She expected a third hit right after it, but instead her opponent launched a quick, but suspiciously plainly telegraphed, low kick at her shins. Having no time to move away in a safer way, she jumped... and immediately regretted it. Indigo launched another fist right at her chest, predicting exactly what Sunny was going to do before she knew it, or rather manipulating her into doing what she wanted. Stuck in mid-air and unable to move away, she could only cross her arms and block the strike straight on. The hit hurt her hands like all hell, though not as much as when she hit the wall behind her. With aching arms, back, head and almost choking on what little air she had left in her lungs, she wanted at least a few seconds to rest... except another powerful blow flew straight at her!
SMASH!
The fist connected, sending tiny shockwave all over the room. For a moment Sunny Flare was afraid the mirror on the wall to their right was about to shatter and then they'd be in deep trouble, but thankfully it survived. Instead, there was a tiny crack in the wall. Indigo blinked, looking puzzled at the empty space that her fist passed through.
"Huh?" She blinked and turned around. Sunny, her opponent, sat on the floor on the other side of the room, covering her face with her arms while breathing heavily.
"I said no magic!" Indigo growled loudly.
Sunset Shimmer took a moment to recover from the shock. "I-I'm sorry! It was just-just... uhm, su-survival instinct?" She looked at the cracked wall that could've been her head. Or hands. Or both. "I mean, I like my face!"
Indigo rolled her eyes and sighed. "No, it's fine. I get it," she crossed her arms, her eyes displaying more contempt than ever before "it's only natural to run away from troubles."
Sunny Flare interjected sarcastically. "Yeah, I mean who would run away from having their skull crushed into a wall?"
"I warned her that I wasn't going to go easy!"
Despite breaking the rules, it all still counted as a knockdown, thus bumping the score to 2-1 for Indigo. Despite that last incident, she had to commend Sunny on going back to her feet and preparing for round four, even with the beating she just took.
Indigo sighed deeply as she massaged her forehead. "This isn't right! That's not a battle, it's bullying!" She looked Sunny Shimmer in the eyes, then smiled. "How about we make things even and let you use your powers?"
A moment of silence made the eventual sound seem a lot louder than it really was.
"WHAT?!" both Sunnies synchronized, though Flare was a lot more dramatic.
"I mean, it's only fair," Indigo shrugged "I'm not holding back and neither should you!"
Sunny's mouth opened a moment before she said anything. "Are you-?"
"-OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" Sunny Flare yelled.
"Stay out of it Sunny! Not you, though," she said, ignoring her friend "I wanna see what you're really made of! I mean, let's be real here: if this continues, there's no way you will be able to keep up. Look at you: you're barely standing straight! Losing here because you weren't able to give it all has to feel humiliating, doesn't it? And I know I wouldn't feel good about defeating a real life superhero. Not like this."
Sunny, the magical girl, thought for a moment. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"
Indigo crossed her arms. "You think I'm kidding?"
Sunny sighed. "...fine. But remember: it was your idea. Just so you don't regret it."
"I would regret if we had it any other way!"
As the two glared lighting bolts at each other, Sunny Flare groaned in defeat. "Ugh, can you at least not shoot any fire indoors? We're in enough trouble for skipping classes and that thing," she pointed her thumb at the crack in the wall "the last thing we need is burning the school down!"
Sunny Shimmer shrugged. "Whatever."
"Was that a 'whatever, I'm not listening anymore', or a 'whatever, I won't cause any collateral damage'?" She did not get an answer.
Dejected and too exhausted to protest, she announced the start of the round as soon as she got far enough from any magic that could backfire and cause a bit more collateral damage than cracks in the walls.
Indigo tensed her muscles, grit her teeth and prepared herself for anything... but nothing happened. Sunny Shimmer remained where she was, not even trying to defend herself, just standing straight, glaring at her opponent with eyes that could pierce her soul. Wait, is THAT what she's doing?! Jokes aside, she was dealing with magic now, literally throwing out common sense and changing all the rules (though she was certain telepathy wasn't one of her special talents). She decided not to wait and jumped forward first with all the ill intent. She didn't get far, as Sunny extended her hand at her.
"Ugh!" Indigo groaned, as an invisible force literally pushed her a feet back and stopped her charge. It felt like an incredibly strong gust of wind, except that it was equally pushing her entire body and nothing else, not even her hair or clothes felt it. She didn't get a chance to marvel at the sensation, when she noticed that Sunny, not that one, was gone!
SMACK!
"ACK!" She scowled as something (she knew exactly what) struck her from behind, as if something pointy and bony struck her directly at her spine, most likely an elbow, sending her flying forward, face first into the ground, then appeared right in front of her as she tried to regain balance, launching a powerful uppercut right at her face!
SMASH!
It connected directly at her jaw, sending her flying up, before painfully falling on her back with a large THUD! She laid on the ground for a while, savoring in the painful sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time and hadn’t realized how little she had missed it. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times to make her vision less blurry, and noticed her opponent standing above her. Indigo groaned and sat on the floor, massaging her face. Her jaw was still somehow in one piece and able to move on its own, though the rusty, crickety sounds were a bit worrying.
"If you want to stop, just say a word."
Indigo's eyebrow twitched at the question. She laid on her back, only to spring jump herself back on her feet.
"What, you're tired already?" Indigo said, stretching her neck left and right, then jumping up a few times. "One more round, let's make it count!"
Sunny rolled her eyes and stepped away to prepare for the last round. As soon as they started, she was already gone. Indigo was ready this time and turned around immediately, even before Sunny appeared behind her and struck her with a kick right to the stomach. Caught unaware, Sunny recoiled back, then teleported away just as Indigo's follow-up jumping fist was about to nail her down.
She appeared where she was before the round started, massaging her stomach and looking wide-eyed at her opponent.
"Like I said," Indigo smacked her gloves with each other, grinning madly "make! It! Count!"
Coco remained silent for quite a while after the easiest hard question was asked of her. She knew resisting was futile. If she screamed loud enough someone might actually hear her and react accordingly, sending all of them to the Principal's office, putting all four of them in trouble. All because she didn't want to admit her true feelings, even if she wore them on her sleeve.
"You want to go back to the way things were." Sugarcoat suddenly answered for her.
Coco couldn't help but nod. "I-I wish I never said anything," she whispered "I just want to talk to her again, as if nothing happened... like we used to..." tears started showing in her eyes. It hurt the trio, but it had to be done and they couldn't do much about it. Lemon Zest hugged slightly harder. "...m-make a dress, while she commented on it... hear her stupid, embarrassing jokes... ha-have her put a cold can to my cheek... t-to calm me down..." tears started coming down her cheeks.
None of the three girls knew what to say, thus they remained silent for the most part.
Everything changed and the roles were reversed, now it was Indigo Zap who was on the constant defense against an opponent that was able to be anywhere she wanted and still be out of danger. It seemed like a foregone conclusion... except it had been an entire minute since they had resumed the fight and somehow, someway, Indigo managed to keep up and fight back! Contrary to anyone's expectations, she had come to this fight prepared.
Twenty minutes ago
As soon as Indigo rushed out of the cafeteria, she reached out for her phone and made a quick call.
"Yo Sunset, Indigo Zap's here... yeah, I need a little favor. You fought Magical Girl Sunny before, right? ...can you give me some pointers? How she moves, what kind of magic she has... because I want to beat the living crap out of her, because she's been an annoying and whiny bitch... I'm 100% serious on this... will you help me or not?"
Now
Sunset Shimmer, the original unicorn that turned magical girl before it was popular, was reluctant to share how to destroy the only superhero in town, but eventually relented, for her own good. As her magical teacher, Sunset knew all about the spells Sunny was able to perform and other than some utility spells unsuited for combat, she had surprisingly few tricks. Aside from her trademark fire, the teleportation and telekinesis was all she had. That was usually enough to fight any battle, but there were downsides.
Every unicorn learned telekinesis early on and by adulthood used it as if it was just another limb, but Sunny, a human who had just gained her powers recently, wasn't used to that and had to put constant effort into it. That's why she wasn't using it while moving or combined it with teleportation. And while she could immobilize and lift any opponent if she tried, anyone sufficiently physically strong could wrestle out of it with sheer force. The backlash from a broken spell was apparently very painful and Sunny didn't feel confident enough that she could overpower her.
And teleportation, while handy and unpredictable if you didn't see it coming, was surprisingly easy to outmaneuver if you were expecting it. It was a mind game: whenever Sunny blinked out it wasn't a question of where exactly she was, but which direction was the most advantageous and counter it. That last part was easier said than done, as half the time Indigo managed to block at just the right angle and land a hit, but other times either her timing or guess was wrong and she was the one punished.
And there was one more thing: magic was apparently exhausting to the mind AND the body. Ponies were magical beings so they got used to using it on a daily basis, but humans were not. After a few exchanges of blows Sunny had to stop for a moment and take a breather, let herself cool down for a bit. Indigo was in no better shape though. She was rumored to be invincible by normal people standards, but she had her limits. Nobody was sure what they where, but she was slowly approaching them.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Indigo asked in between heavy breaths. "Is this how it feels for you everyday? Fighting crime while pushing yourself to the limit? Or did you grow bored of the weaklings who think they're something else just because they have guns?"
"I'm not talking to you!"
Indigo rolled her eyes at the last comment. "Yeah, I noticed. What's up with that, anyway? You've been treating us like crap and all I ever wanted was to talk!" Her eyes suddenly opened. "Oh, wait, I get it- you think we're some dumb bitches who think they're better than everyone? Well, we actually are, not that we make a big deal out of it... anymore." She looked at Sunny, who remained silent, if a little annoyed. "Yeah, not helping the case." She hummed, then smiled viciously.
"Or maybe, juuuuust maybe... you're jealous that Coco hangs out with us instead of you?"
She narrowly caught the incoming fast, but sloppy, punch that was about to hit her. She looked at Sunset Shimmer's furiously hot cheeks, focused eyes and grit teeth she breathed through heavily.
"Hit the nerve, huh?"
A moment of silence was all Coco was given, until Sour Sweet ruined it.
"Well, sucks that you can't turn back time then," she shrugged and felt three glares; one was confused and sad, the other two a lot deadlier, but she didn't give them time to react properly "what happened happened and you have to live with it, whether you like it or not."
Coco withheld the tears for now. "B-but I..."
"YOU need to stop hiding behind us and talk to her. Tell her how you actually feel and see how she actually reacts, none of this 'she has to figure it out' crap, cause it never works like that!" She exchanged an awkward glare with Lemon Zest, who groaned but nodded anyway. "I'm sick and tired of seeing the two of you be miserable whenever you inevitably meet up each and every time!"
She was strong, she didn't explode crying just yet. "I-I... I can't... I can't look her in the eyes... not after e-everything..."
Sour Sweet went silent for a moment. "Okay, I tried. I thought you wanted to make up with her, but if that's how you put it," she turned to Sugarcoat "I guess you get a permanent roommate, Sugarcoat, just like you always wanted! Good for you!"
Sugarcoat looked away. "Under any other circumstances it would make me very happy."
Sour Sweet blinked and looked between all three girls. The situation was going nowhere and as much as she didn't want to say it, nobody else was going to.
She sighed deeply. I hate this...
On the surface the fight continued as it was before, but something was clearly different. Sunny wasn't acting like a Sunset Shimmer or Magical Girl Sunny of any world, instead violently throwing one attack after another. She was noticeably stronger and faster than before, but also much sloppier and predictable, giving Indigo Zap no trouble in avoiding her. She could turn any of those attacks to her advantage and end this battle anytime she wanted.
"You're not even trying anymore!"
"SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!" She replied, breathing heavily. She wasn't teleporting anymore.
"Or you'll do what? Punch me?"
"STOP MOVING ALREADY!" She jumped forward with another strike, but Indigo just casually jumped aside and tripped her, sending her straight forward, face first, wobbling her arms to barely regain balance. One kick was all it would take to send her on the ground. One move was all it took to win the fight. But she didn't do it. Not like this.
"Try and hit me all you want, but we're not the reason you two don't hang out anymore," she casually dodged another strike "in fact, why do you dislike us so much? What did we ever do to you?" She didn't get an answer, not verbal anyway. Sunny's fists mostly spelled 'go to hell'.
"Don't tell me you're still mad over us bullying Coco in the past? Cause we never even touched her! Sure, we said some nasty things here and there that we regret now and we didn't stop the actual bullying, but we had a good talk recently and she forgave us. We're buddies now!"
Sunny kept fighting, as much as Indigo kept avoiding all the strikes. It wasn't a fight anymore.
"Besides, so what? You're going to keep holding the grudge forever? Are you too proud to change your mind?"
Her words were hollow. Sunny still tried and failed miserably to do anything. After a few more failed attempts, Indigo caught one of Sunny's fists, then caught the other.
"ANSWER ME!" Indigo yelled, then headbutted Sunny, sending her right at the wall.
The magical girl breathed heavily, barely holding her legs together from falling under the weight of her tired, beaten and sweaty body.
"Why do you keep treating us like enemies?" Indigo asked again. "WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND!?"
Sunny Flare tried but couldn't quite hide the tenseness she had been feeling for a while. She promised to let Indigo do her thing and not interfere, but that didn't stop her from sweating with anticipation. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, only to find it drenched. She was sweating a little too much. Way too much. Her eyes widened as she looked at Sunset Shimmer, walking slowly towards Indigo Zap, though the vision around her was blurred.
As if the air itself was starting to boil.
Sour Sweet shrugged. "This has to be better than letting her go back to the nasty old Sunset Shimmer, right? And I don't mean the nice and cool Rainboom."
She noticed Coco's eyebrow twitching. That didn't stop Sour.
"I mean, screw her, who needs that show-off anyway? Yeah, she fights crime and saves people, that's cool, but she's only doing it to stroke her own ego and get popular!"
Coco grit her teeth. Sour wanted to stop, but didn't. Couldn't.
"And she's such a great friend, like, yeah right. She only took you in to exploit you! Seriously, she found a naive but talented designer, pulled some heartstrings, used some simple emotional tricks and once you stopped being useful, just threw you away! From one awful friend to another, you have no luck with roommates. You're better off without he-"
Suddenly, Coco ripped herself out of Lemon Zest's tight embrace and stepped towards Sour Sweet, staring daggers straight into her eyes and raising her open hand. Sour Sweet closed her eyes before the impact... which never came. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a tiny, but very angry girl standing before her, still staring directly at her with her teary eyes, holding her shaking hand up in the air. She eventually lowered it, but wasn't done with the offensive.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT"! She yelled loudly, walking towards Sour Sweet and making her backpedal. "You don't know anything about her! She didn't use me for anything! Everything I did was because I wanted to be useful! Do you know why? Because when everyone was mean to me, bullied me or at best ignored my existence, she was the one who reached to me! She cared about me, more than anyone ever did in my entire life! She's the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met! If you don't like her or if you think she's doing it all for fame, then I won't stop you or anyone from thinking about it. But I'm not going to stand around and listen to anyone who says such horrible lies about her!"
As she finished, she started breathing heavily, while the Shadowbolt trio stood dumbfounded around her. Sour Sweet swallowed, but managed to compose herself when she confirmed that Coco was out of ammo.
"Then what's the problem?" She asked, making Coco flinch.
Indigo Zap went into this fight with confidence. She was confident that she would be able to defeat Magical Girl Sunny if she ditched the magic part and she was correct. She was pretty confident she could keep up with her once she was allowed to use them. And she was very confident that she was able to throw her off balance with few choice words. But right now, when she slowly approached her with the unbearable heat emanating around her, she was, for the first time since the battle started, doubting herself.
"You want to know why we're not friends?" Sunny asked quietly, her words echoing in the room.
Even though there was no tell, Indigo blocked on instinct and it proved to be the correct choice, as Sunny appeared right before her and struck her with a blow stronger and faster than anything she's done up until now, sending Indigo sliding a few meters back. Her hands weren't just hurting- they were burned!
"Because I don't like you!"
SMACK! She struck again, once again sending Indigo back. As this was going on, Sunny Flare ran up to them.
"STOP IT! Don't you see you're hur-"
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Sunset and Indigo turned to her and yelled at the same time, agreeing for the first time since they met. The combined shouting made Sunny Flare recoil and stop.
Sunset continued the offensive.
"I don't want YOU!"
SMACK!
"I don't want miss 'name's the same' either!"
SMACK!
"Or miss 'don't give a damn about anything'..."
SMACK!
"...or miss 'flip-a-coin mood'..."
SMACK!
"...and definitely not miss 'no emotions'!"
SMACK!
The last strike send Indigo's back straight into the wall, her hands still raised high, slightly singed from the beating she took. The gloves they were wearing subdued most of the heat on Sunny's arms, but that was a very weak silver lining. Just when she thought Sunny was out of things to complain about, she noticed her running at her, arms outstretched to punch her face into the wall. She yelped in response and quickly rolled past Sunset Shimmer, as she increased the tiny crack she made earlier with her powerful punch. Indigo got up on her feet just in time as Sunset turned back to her, still burning in all the ways except literally (and she was capable of that too!).
"And I don't want my doppelganger either!" She said slowly, as she continued striking Indigo, who barely dodged the strike. "I don't want Diane! Or any of the Rainbooms!"
Time slowed to a crawl as Indigo found herself on the receiving end of another punch, except this one didn't seem like it was glowing with magical fire- it WAS glowing with magical fire, whether Sunset Shimmer realized it or not. Unable to dodge, she braced herself, tightened her muscles and prepared to take the last, definitely the last, hit.
"I
WANT
COCO
BACK!"
SMASH!
Sunny Flare's scream was dulled by the sound of a small explosion of magical energy that hit straight at Indigo Zap's crossed hands, sending her flying back at the wall, hitting it so hard that a layer of dust fell off the ceiling and the walls shook under the impact. Indigo let out a loud groan, as she fell back on the floor, hands still in guard, closing her eyes as she collapsed, ending the fight for good.
A few seconds passed in relative silence, where the only sounds left were the beating hearts of the two standing Sunnies.
"INDIGO!"
Sunny Flare couldn't hold back the tears anymore, she yelled and ran towards her friend, who gave no signs of life at this point.
At that moment the other Sunny, Sunset Shimmer, a girl with magical powers, woke up from her frenzy and looked at her fallen opponent, then at her left hand and what little was left out of her leather glove. She took it off, along with the faceguard. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably.
"INDIGO, ANSWER ME! INDIGO!" Sunny Flare shook her unconscious friend, tears running through her cheeks.
Sunset Shimmer had a hard time breathing. "I-I... I didn't... I didn't..." She mumbled uncontrollably.
Sunny Flare's panicking stopped when Indigo moved around and opened her eyes, though she didn't say anything, just moaned painfully.
"I-I didn't, I didn't mean to... I'm... I'm..."
Sunny Flare gently rolled Indigo to a more comfortable position, leaning on the wall, taking off her faceguard as well, to inspect her wounds. "Indigo, can you hear me? It's okay, you'll be okay, just don't move!"
Indigo let out a tiny smirk. "...hurts..."
"I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't..."
Sunny Flare stood up and turned at Sunset, their eyes locking, though the latter quickly turned away. It didn't stop Sunny Flare from advancing in her direction.
"I'm sorry... I'm so so-"
SLAP!
She couldn't finish the sentence as Sunny Flare slapped her right in the cheek, very hard. She didn't try to defend nor did she react in any way other than touch her burning cheek.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU COULD'VE SERIOUSLY HURT HER WITH THAT! IF NOT WORSE!"
"I'm... I'm... I'm..."
Sunset couldn't form a sentence through her tears when Sunny Flare grabbed her by the collar.
"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?" She pointed at Indigo with her other hand. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? WITH BOTH OF YOU!"
Indigo moaned in the background. "...hurts..."
"Sit down and rest Indigo, I'll get you to the nurse office in a-"
"...hurts... to finally admit it... doesn't it, Sunset?"
Sunny Flare kept her mouth open for a moment, then looked back at Sunset Shimmer. The dam in her eyes was no longer holding back the stream of tears. Sunny Flare calmed down at the sight and released her from her grasp. Unable to stand on her own legs anymore, Sunset Shimmer fell on her knees and started crying loudly and openly.
Sour Sweet crossed her arms and advanced towards Coco. "If she's so great, then why are we having this conversation?"
"BECAUSE IT'S MY FAULT!"
All three Shadowbolts were taken aback at the sudden outburst from Coco, who stopped fighting the tears and let them out along with the still echoing last statement.
"She didn't do anything, it was all me! I was the one who ran away when things got difficult and it was me who avoided confrontation and hid behind you!" She wiped some tears with her sleeve. "Because I'm a coward..."
"I never had a friend like her before..." Sunset admitted after she ran out of tears. She sat on her knees, while Sunny Flare stood before her with arms crossed and Indigo listened carefully, sitting against the wall where she landed.
"...I always knew she was too good for me... she was too nice... too generous... too accepting... way too naive... but not as naive as me!" She wiped her eyes. "It never even occurred to me that she... that she had feelings for me... Because I'm stupid..."
"Everything was going so well!" Coco continued. "I was the happiest I ever was, but I just... I just had to ruin everything!"
Sour Sweet swallowed, as she tenderly put a hand on her shoulder. "Coco, I'm sorry, we pushed you to do this..."
Coco gently shook her hand off. "It's not your fault that I fell for my best friend! I asked her to give me everything she had... I wanted to get everything from her... I expected everything... but when I didn't get it, I just... I just ran away!"
"She did everything I asked her and never asked me for anything in return! She was just doing it for me, for no reason... is what I thought! And the one time she asked for something, I-I couldn't say anything... I couldn't give her anything in return..."
"I finally had a purpose! I helped her save the world, little by little, even if it was by just making a stupid dress, or covering for her in classes, I-I at least felt like I mattered, for once. I had all I needed, but I asked for more and I should've known better than that!"
"I was confused at first, but then I remembered all those times I made those stupid, lewd jokes at her. I thought they were funny. Innocent. But she... she had to endure them all, despite her feelings. It must have been a torture to her! And I didn't realize it until it was too late! I was hurting her all along..."
"I don't deserve it!"
"She deserves better!" Sunset wiped some more tears and snot from her face. "I thought I was mad at YOU five, but I'm just mad at myself. Because you were better friends to her than I ever was!"
"But even after everything I said, I can't help but be selfish..."
"But still, I just... I just..."
"I WANT HER BACK!" / "I WANT HER BACK!"
"I don't care if we're lovers, or just friends, or if it's awkward as hell..."
"...I'm lost without her. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I just ended up hurting everyone else that remained... and they only tried to help."
"I just want to talk to her again. Instead, I'm being pathetic, hiding behind you... bothering you with my own problems... I'm sorry for everything.."
A few moments passed after Coco released just about everything she had been holding inside her. She just stood where she was before and got back to sobbing quietly. Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat were about to console her again, but accidentally bumped their hands then went to non-verbal discussion about who should be first or if they should do it together. Sour Sweet wasn't in on this deal. They noticed her close her eye and take a deep breath inside, before...
"So, that's what you think you are to us, huh?" Sour said quietly. "A bother?"
Coco raised her head while averting her eyes at the same time. "I'm so-sorry I-"
"Stop apologizing, damnit!" Sour lashed at her and smacked the top of her head, then proceed to ruffle her hair violently. "Do you think we're doing all of this just out of pity!? What, you think we're some sort of shelter for broken hearts? That we did it all, for days, just because we felt sorry for you!?" She kept on ruffling her head with increasing speed and intensity.
"Oww, I'm so-"
"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT APOLOGIZING!"
"Owowow, I'm... I'm... oww..."
Sugarcoat stepped in to intervene. "Sour Sweet, this is going to far, stop it this ins-" she stopped abruptly when an angry glare reached her. She stepped back and said nothing else.
The ruffling speed decreased after a while and slowly transitioned into gentle patting.
"Did you miss the part about trying to be your friends?" Sour said. Coco looked at her, now completely turned Sweet. "Because we were totally serious about it. Are you a bother? Yes. Do we mind? A little. Do we want to help you? Definitely yes! Not because we feel sorry for you, but because we want you to feel better. Do you understand that?"
"Y-yes... I think..."
"And the only way to make you feel better," she paused, hoping Coco would finish the sentence. When she didn't, she sighed and continued "is to make you and Sunny get back together. Yes, that one." She said, making Coco deflate yet again. "Yeah, I think you do realize that means we're going to force you to confront her. Today."
Coco swallowed and started sweating. Again. "I... I don't know..."
"Don't know what? That she'll ignore you and keep pushing you away? Does that sound like something your Sunny would do?"
Coco shook her head, further messing up her hair that was still being patted.
"Good!" The pats intensified, though they were much more gentle now "let's get you cleaned up and find your true friend... And be honest, did it hurt when I hit you? You don't have any bumps, right? I was just trying to make a point, I didn't mean to hurt you."
Coco waved her hands and stopped herself from apologizing in the last moment. Lemon Zest couldn't help but smile. She exchanged glances with Sugarcoat, who seemed to share the feelings, even if she didn't show it. They shrugged and watched the Sweet Coco show.
"Sour Sweet?"
"Yes?"
"...t-thank you. I-I needed that."
"...sure. You're welcome, sweetheart."
It'd been almost a full minute after Sunny, magical girl, stopped talking and just sat on her knees next to the other Sunny, several feet away from the heavily beaten up but otherwise not seriously hurt Indigo Zap, who was the first one to break the silence.
"There, feels way lighter on your chest, doesn't it?" She asked, smiling weakly. "And it only took a little beating up on both sides to make you realize it. Hahaoww!" She scowled mid laughter and touched her ribcage. "I think one of my ribs is broken... no, it seems fine. Still, ouch!"
Sunny Flare turned to her friend with shaking eyebrows. "That was your plan all along!? Get beaten up by an actual magical girl, on a really bad day, JUST to have her vent?!"
"What? No, of course not, don't be silly Sunny... not you!" Indigo waved her hand, but looked away and avoided any eye contact. "I always wanted to see how strong she is, I just never had an excuse. I mean, I can't just approach someone and ask for a duel, now can I? It's not a damn video game!"
Sunny Flare opened her mouth, but after a moment just groaned and massaged her head. I think I'm going to need an ambulance more than those two combined! "One day you will be the end of me..."
"Heh, heard that one before!"
Sunny, the magical girl, looked at the two Shadowbolts with curiosity. As if it wasn't the first time something like that happened. She swallowed and addressed Indigo.
"If it's any consolation, you were scary strong. For a moment I was afraid I wasn't going to make it. You're a lot better than me, without magic at least."
Indigo raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Yeah, but so what? If I got you on any day when you weren't so stressed, there wouldn't be a fight. Sorry for taunting you, by the way. I only said that to rile you up."
Sunny nodded back. "I know. I was just mad because it was true. And I can only blame myself for that."
Indigo didn't respond, but she exchanged glances with Sunny Flare. They nodded to each other and Sunny Flare took over the conversation.
"If you think Coco prefers to hang out with us than you, then I don't think you're looking hard enough," she got other Sunny's attention with that "she's not acting like herself. Not the better herself, at least. And while she hasn't said it to us directly, it's clear as day that she wants to reconcile just as much as you do."
Sunset's eyes widened for a moment, until she bit her lower lip and looked away. "H-how do I even talk to her? After everything that happened..."
"How about," Sunny Flare interrupted her "you find her in a populated area," she crossed her arms and leaned to look Sunset in the eyes "so it's as embarrassing as humanly possible when you get on your knees, bow down so low that you can smell the floor and beg for forgiveness for as long as it takes, that she'll get on her knees and beg you to stop!" Pause. "Which, admittedly, won't be too long, few seconds tops." Another pause. "Unless this kind of act is beneath you, that is."
Sunny, the kneeling one, tightened her fists and looked at Sunny, the standing one, with resolute eyes.
"I'll do it!" She announced through her tears and snot. "I'll do whatever it takes!"
Sunny Flare blinked, then straightened up and smiled. She looked at Indigo, who was too exhausted to stand up but shared her sentiment regardless, as they both mentally congratulated themselves for a job well done. If getting beaten to a pulp was all it took, Indigo gladly paid that price.
Lemon Zest finished wiping Coco's face with a wet napkin faster than she expected, if only because she wasn't wearing any make-up. At least her face wasn't covered in dripping mascara.
"I can clean myself!"
"Never said you couldn't." She chuckled and took the napkin away. "There, good as new!"
"I, uh..." Looking at their smiling faces, Coco couldn't help but feel warm in her chest.
Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "I swear, if you're going to apologize one more time..."
"N-no, I just... th-thank you, everyone," she bowed, but only a bit, to not agitate Sour Sweet any more "for everything! I, uh... I needed that!"
Sour Sweet blushed and turned away. "I-it's nothing, really. D-don't misunderstand it, I-I was just..."
Sour's eyebrow twitched. "Do I even wanna know what those words mean?"
Coco and Sugarcoat answered in unison. "Not really." Coco raised an eyebrow and exchanged confused looks with Sugarcoat, before the two shrugged and Coco giggled for the both of them.
Lemon Zest massaged her head, but didn't lose her smile. "Just remember, even after you get your Sunny back we still need to go and beat level three!"
Coco nodded. "Of course!"
"And don't forget that we still have 657 episodes left to watch!" She was met with few blank stares. "It gets even better as it goes on."
The group stopped talking and just kept nodding to each other, almost ready to leave the rooftop and proceed to the hardest part, when...
"I think that's as good a cue as I'll ever get."
The four girls turned to the entrance to the rooftop, noticing the sudden guest. A young, either slightly younger than them or same age but growing slower as he was taller only than Coco. He had an ash grey skin and his hair was short, snow white and a little messy, but not untidy. He was dressed in black suit pants with matching black vest, with a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath. He walked towards them slowly with his hands deep in his pockets, stopping just a few feet away.
"This is a private conversation, if you don't mind." Sour Sweet said.
The boy shrugged. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I waited until you were done and I heard about, oh I don't know, half of it? But don't worry, my lips are sealed."
Sour raised an eyebrow. She looked over her friends to see if any of them had a reaction more positive than herself, but they were all as confused as she was.
"Yeah, that's not creepy at all," Sour sarcasted "do you need something? I've never seen you around and this is not a Crystal Prep uniform."
"Perceptive, as expected of the top students. You're quite famous here, the three of you at least. As to what I'm here for," he pulled one hand out of the pockets and extended it towards Coco "miss Pommel, could you come with me?"
There was no immediate answer. The three Shadowbolts looked at Coco, who was the most confused of them all, stepping away in an attempt to hide behind them.
"Do you know this weirdo?" Sugarcoat asked. Coco shook her head. That was all they needed to know.
"She's not interested!" Lemon Zest said as she stepped before Coco.
"And who even are you?" Sugarcoat asked. "The least you could do is introduce yourself."
The boy blinked and shrugged, putting his hand back to the pocket. "Excuse me for no introductions." He pulled out his other hand, holding a smartphone which he started fiddling with. "I know it's rude, but you'll just have to forgive me for that. And for what happens next."
The girls looked at each other, then at the boy. All four of them felt uneasy about the stranger, but none could put a finger on it.
"What do you mean by 'what happens next'?" Sugarcoat asked.
The boy kept looking at his phone, then smiled when a notification came back to him. "Just wait for it."
Sour Sweet groaned. "Wait for what? Who the hell are yo-"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
She didn't finish the sentence, as they all jumped when a loud, booming echo came from the school itself. It was then followed by several other short bursts of sounds, as the roof under them seemed to shake. The sounds continued in seemingly random streams, most of them as bursts of three booms.
Lemon Zest swallowed. "W-what is that?"
The boy's smile grew. "My argument, a very convincing one if I can brag. A bit theatrical, but judging from your faces it's very effective. Also, this..."
He raised his right fist so they could see it clearly. His light yellow hand suddenly started darkening, as a pitch black mist coming from his palms started enveloping it like tendrils that eventually formed into an almost perfectly round shape the size of a baseball glove. Despite the nice and sunny weather, the newly made ball of shadows seemed oblivious to laws of physics and remained perfectly pitch black, not interacting with the sunlight at all.
The four girls gasped and stepped away from the boy holding a 'magical' ball of shadows.
"Do I have your attention now?"
"What was that?" Sunny Flare asked, after the three of them heard a few series of booming echoes coming from the hallway. She walked to the doors while the other two sat on the floor, kneeling or back to the wall. The sounds themselves seemed familiar, but only Magical Girl Sunny realized why.
"NO, WAIT!" She yelled at Sunny Flare at the same moment the latter pushed the door open and peeked outside.
"EEEEEEEEK!"
Sunset jumped up the moment Sunny Flare released a high pitched scream! She saw her namesake fall on her behind and crawl backwards back to the gym, only stopping when she collided with the Magical Girl behind her. She stuttered trying to say something and pointed at the doors. Sunset walked in front of her to shield her from whatever it was that had scared her so much. She didn't wait long to find out what it was, as "it" walked inside.
At first, they thought it was some sort of wild cat. A quadrupedal creature about the size of a tiger, except made out of a black substance, reminiscent of tar but almost perfectly clear, slightly translucent even, as the other side of the room could be seen through it if you looked close enough. Other than having four legs, head and a tail, it had no distinct features on its body, except a head devoid of eyes, ears, even its mouth was just an opening with sharp looking black teeth-like shapes. It acted like a panther that had just found its prey. And despite having no eyes, they couldn't shake off the feeling that if it had, they would be dead set on Sunny. Not the one that screamed, though.
The creature had no actual throat or vocal cords, but it seemed like it was hissing at Sunset Shimmer.
The unknown white haired boy stood before the quartet of visibly scared girls, as the energy in his hand pulsated, expanding and shrinking as if it were breathing. A few tiny tendrils showed up once in a while, but quickly disappeared before they could inspect them further.
"I'll try to play nice," he stepped toward the four, who stepped back, all three Shadowbolts placing themselves on the way to Coco. "Miss Pommel, I'd like you to come with me of your own free will, if possible, while I'm still asking politely."
"What do you want with her?" Lemon Zest asked, trying to position her shaking body to block his line of sight.
"That is something between miss Pommel and myself, if you don't mind."
"A-actually, we do mind!" Sour Sweet said, with the other two nodding.
The wall of Shadowbolts protecting Coco eventually reached the rooftop fence. They had little experience with magic, but they knew enough to know that if someone this small, thin and outnumbered threatened them, he had to have a very good reason for it.
"W-who are you?" Coco asked.
"Doesn't matter. What matters right now is that I have patience that might run out if I don't get a positive response. Rest assured, I have no intention nor reason to hurt you or any of your new friends."
Coco swallowed. New friends... I don't like his choice of words. She looked around. In front of her, three Shadowbolts blocked his path, but nobody believed they were a match for the boy with a literal ball of shadows in his palm. Behind her was a four story drop into concrete parking lot. Other than jumping down, the only way to escape was through the door they all had come from, but even if she snuck past him, what awaited her could've been even worse. She didn't want to say it out loud but she recognized the sounds from before. Sunny and her studied those shortly before she officially went into the superhero business.
Gunshots. Multiple ones. He wasn't the only stranger in the school.
A moment earlier...
"And for this next problem, let's have it solved by... miss Indigo Zap?"
The classroom was completely silent. There was no sound of moving chair, panicked shriek or incomprehensible babbling of just woken up student. Professor Neighsay sighed deeply and took his eyes of the book and looked at an empty chair.
"Does anyone here have any idea where did miss Zap go to?" He asked the rest of the shrugging class. "On that note, I don't see miss Flare, nor miss Zest. I swear, if they think that they can bend the rules to their liking just for being the top students, they are sorely mista-"
SMASH!
He was interrupted by the door to the classroom suddenly getting kicked off its hinges by a big man in a full camo suit, black balaclava covering his face and an assault rifle in his hands, which he shot several burst into the ceiling with! All the students started panicking, some getting on the ground and covering their heads, others sitting where they were and covering their faces, most of them screaming as it happened. The teacher backed away into the other side of the room with his hands up. The still hot nuzzle of a rifle aimed at his head silenced any desire to speak.
"EVERYONE ON THE !@$ GROUND!" The terrorist ordered. Everyone who wasn't already doing it did as ordered, including Professor Neighsay. Echoes of similar situations could be heard coming from the hallway.
"Now, if you want to live long enough to post this on social media, you will do everything I say. And if anyone wants to play hero," he shot a three shot burst at the ceiling, shattering a few lamps, sending the shards of broken glass at the heads of crying teenagers "then be my frickin' guest!"
Sunset Shimmer didn't get much time to process the existence of the catlike creature before her when it suddenly lunged straight at her. Her first reaction would've been to dodge, but there was a problem: Sunny Flare was still sitting on the ground, right behind her. She braced herself and caught the beast by the mouth with her bare hands, having the razor sharp quasi-teeth cut into her hands. She winced from pain but didn't relent, then mustered all her physical strength and threw the beast aside. It wasn't as heavy as it looked and it flew several feet away before landing on all fours. It didn't lose a beat and tried to lunge again.
"SUNNY BLAST!"
Before it left the ground it was hit by a sudden, large explosion, making it evaporate into nothingness along with the fire. Sunset sighed deeply, then looked at the bleeding cuts on her palms. It stung, but there was no sign of saliva, so she wasn't worried about the infection. Not the normal one, at least.
"BEHIND YOU!"
Hearing Sunny Flare's warning, Sunset turned around to see yet another beast, also lunging straight at her. She didn't have time to dodge or attack at this point, so she crossed her hands and prepared for impact, when...
SMACK!
The beast would've yelped in pain if it had a voice as it was sent flying aside by none other than Indigo Zap's punch! It collided with the wall and fell on the ground, failing to land on all fours. Before it had a chance to stand back up and launch another attack, Indigo violently stomped its head, popping it out of existence. A few seconds passed after the second beast fell, Sunset and Indigo breathed hard and slow, looking intently at the doorway in case more beasts appeared. They sighed with relief when it seemed like that the coast was clear. For now, at least.
"What the hell was that thing?!" Sunny Flare asked all shaken up, having Indigo Zap help her stand up.
Sunset swallowed. "I-I don't know! I've never seen anything like this before!" She winced, as the stinging cuts pained her more, now that the immediate danger was over.
"Your hands!" Sunny Flare frowned, seeing the blood dripping from Sunset's palms. "T-there should be a first aid kit around here somewhere, I think."
"Nah, it's okay, I got this!"
She took a deep breath, raised her hands at the chest level, palms turned up, and closed her eyes. Moments later, a cyan colored mist enveloped her palms and the cuts slowly came together and the skin tissue repaired itself, leaving no scar, only a few bloodstains that she wiped on her gym shirt.
Sunny Flare's eyes widened. "Huh, I didn't know you can use healing magic!"
"After Sunset started teaching me magic, she insisted this to be one of the first spells I learn. Unfortunately, it has drawbacks."
"She has to stand still and put all her will into it," Indigo Zap explained "and it's only good for minor injuries, which is why she didn't use it during the duel." She was met with two surprised Sunnies. "That's what Sunset Shimmer told me when I asked for tips."
Sunset nodded. "Anyway, we're not safe just yet. Those sounds we heard before? I know what it was."
Sunny Flare frowned. "Please don't say it's what I think it is."
"M16A2 assault rifles. Military grade firearms."
Indigo Zap and Sunny Flare also swallowed and looked at each other to confirm that both were hearing the same thing and started sweating for the same reason.
"There is a black market for those in Canterlot," Sunset continued "I made a few enemies in their circles when I helped crash some of their operations. CPD has been tracking them down for months, but even with my help there are still a few missing shipments."
Indigo pointed at the ceiling. "I have a pretty good guess where some of it is."
"Okay, hold on!" Sunny Flare said. "Shadow monsters AND guns? In Crystal Prep?! Why?"
Sunset Shimmer opened and closed her mouth a few times, but didn't have anything to say. She didn't know what to think, let alone how to explain it.
"WE’VE GOT COMPANY!" Indigo suddenly shouted. Sunny looked at the still opened door, where three more cat-like beasts entered and started circling the trio.
No words were necessary. Sunset and Indigo assumed their fighting stances, back to back.
The ball of shadows spun like a planet in its orbit. Unlike the planets, it kept stretching around, contorting into random shapes, sometimes turning from a liquid like substance into a solid, spiky one. Between that and the boy's smug smile, the Shadowbolts were hesitant to do or say anything, knowing full well a frontal assault would end badly. Still, the same thought was shared among the three of them - whatever he wanted to do with Coco, they wouldn't allow it.
He stopped about three feet away from the quartet. "So, was that enough time to think this throu-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, when Sour Sweet jumped at him with her fist clenched, teeth grit and sweat pouring from just about every part of her body. She didn't get far, when part of the ball suddenly turned into a tendril that went straight at her legs and wrapped itself around her shins, then went further along her body and reached her hands, tightly ensnaring them to her body. The boy sidestepped as Sour Sweet, unable to keep her balance, fell face first on the ground.
"SOUR SWEET!" Lemon Zest yelled at her friend and clenched her fists as well, but didn't even get a chance to try, when two more tendrils went straight at her and Sugarcoat, wrapping their entire bodies just like it had done to Sour Sweet. The two fell on the ground, leaving Coco the last one standing, with nobody blocking the way anymore.
"LEMON ZEST! SUGARCOAT!" Coco yelled and wanted to rush at her new friends, except the boy resumed his slow walk toward her.
"I could've done this from the start," he said softly, but quickly turned more cheerful as he stopped before Coco "but to be perfectly honest, flaunting my superiority is a lot more fun! We smaller people have to use every opportunity to show off every now and then, am I right?"
Coco closed her eyes and averted her head. The fall from four stories wasn't nearly as scary anymore.
"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU FREA-MHPM!" Sour Sweet tried to shout, but the shadow tendrils extended to her mouth, the same thing happening to the other two.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Funny, I thought you would be more used to being targeted. Oh well. Here's a tip for a first time abductee," his hand reached out toward her, but landed right next to her hair, grabbing the fence right behind her "if you have the power to fight back, then by all means do it. But if not, then do as you're being asked and don't make your kidnappers angry! And before you start to act all brave and defy me, keep in mind that the best way to break a person..."
He extended his other hand at the three Shadowbolts and a shadow tendril, much bigger than before, manifested and went straight at Sour Sweet, lifting the panicking girl in the air.
"...is to break someone el-"
"I'LL GO!" Coco suddenly yelled. She swallowed and turned toward the boy, shaking as she tried to maintain the eye contact with him. "I-I'll do whatever you say, just... please, don't hurt them!" She started crying. "P-please..."
The boy looked at the resolute, yet submissive new hostage, then nodded. The tendril moved on its own and gently placed Sour Sweet back on the ground, then disappeared.
"But of course. I did make a promise, now did I?" He stepped away and extended his hand toward her. "Follow me, then."
She looked at his hand, but even after being warned to comply, she didn't take it, instead walked just beside him. That little act of rebellion was more amusing than disrespectful to him and went unpunished.
Indigo allowed herself a breather only after the last of the beasts vanished in the middle of an explosion. She wasn't ready to admit she was barely holding together, or that her hands, back and ribs were still throbbing after their duel. Not until Sunset Shimmer was going to show her signs of weakness first. Sunny Flare didn't get involved in the fight, concentrating instead on not getting in the way. She wasn't any good in a fight like this.
"H-how many more of them are there?" Sunny Flare asked.
"I'm going to find out!" Sunset replied.
A surge of light enveloped her body, blinding the two shadowbolts, so they were unable to notice how the bloodied gym clothes disappeared, then got replaced by Magical Girl Sunny's regular outfit, the same white-orange dress with a mask that she'd been wearing for the last few days. The same dress that Coco made for her before this all started. She didn't bother with ponytails though, leaving her wavy hair as it were.
"The shooting stopped after the first wave, so a bloodbath wasn't their goal," she explained "I think... I think they must've rallied whatever hostages they need by now."
Indigo looked at the Magical Girl Sunny that stood before them, so much different than the broken mess Sunset Shimmer had been just a few minutes ago. She was noticeably calmer, with her face betraying no emotions. Except neither Indigo nor Sunny Flare couldn't help but notice her slow, intense breathing, as well as a few sweat drops that hadn’t been there during the fight. They looked at her as she teleported her phone and dialed some number. And waited.
"No signal?"
The two shadowbolts raised their eyebrows. Sunny Flare pulled out her phone.
"Weird, there's usually at least a single bar down here. And school's Wifi is unavailable too. So's every other network, for that matter."
Indigo smacked her fists together. "Then I guess we need to do it the old fashion way!"
"No," Sunset said, walking slowly towards the door "not we. This is too dangerous!"
Indigo and Sunny Flare exchanged glares and nodded to each other, before following the Magical Girl.
"Uh, no, none of this 'you have no powers, so you're useless' crap," Indigo said "not after the fight we just had!"
"I hate to agree with her on this, but Indigo's right!" Sunny Flare said, as the two caught up to the door "We've been through one magical crisis once before and you need our he-"
Without warning, Sunset Shimmer turned to them to telekinetically push them further inside. The door shut closed as soon as the two Shadowbolts landed on the floor. They hesitated for a moment, before rushing toward the door. Indigo touched the doorknob and instantly pulled away, hissing as she licked her freshly burnt finger.
Sunny Flare thought twice before inspecting the melted lock and doorknob.
"Sunset, this isn't funny! Let us out!" She banged on the doors. "Sunset!"
The Magical Girl in question didn't hear her, as she was already on the stairs towards ground floor.
I'm sorry, but I can't let anyone get hurt, you two included!
Once she reached the main hall, she stopped on her tracks as she saw around a dozen or so pairs of non-existent eyes, each belonging to the shadow beasts, all centered at her. The hallway was already crawling with them and they were most definitely waiting for her, specifically.
This can't be a coincidence, the timing is too perfect.
She pulled away her hand, creating a giant ball of fire, as the cats started running toward her.
They want me, and me alone!
The beasts closed themselves and a few of them lunged at her. Right at that moment, she launched her hand forward, smacking one of the cats with the freshly made fireball, sending both the spell and monster flying towards the other beasts, knocking over a few, then ending in a firey explosion that engulfed the entire pack, as well as several lockers that were in the way. Nothing important survived the impact.
And they will have to try very hard to get me!
She waited a few seconds for the smoke to dissipate, when suddenly the fire alarm went off along with all the sprinklers, covering the area with water and soaking her hair and dress.
Her eyebrow twitched. "Great, what else can go wrong?" She said out loud through the alarm noise, taking the wet strands of her hair out of her eyes.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
She perked up and looked around, searching for the source of the slow, but loud clapping, so much that it pierced through even the alarm. Noticing nobody nearby, her eyes went to the speaker on the wall.
"Impressive, Magical Girl Sunny," a clearly young male voice from the speakers said "as expected of the world’s greatest hero. The only hero, but the best nonetheless."
Sunny's eyebrow raised. Who is this? Is he behind all this? She hesitated whether she should ask questions, seeing as the PA system didn't work both ways. Although... She looked at the security camera next to it. Do those record sound? My gut tells me no, but... only one way to find out!
"Who are you? Are you behind those shadow monsters?"
She was met with silence, now that the alarm was stopped, probably by whoever talked to her. A moment without any answers later she was about to leave and start searching the normal way, when the voice started again.
"I call them 'shadowcats'. I know it's not very creative, but after I made that name, nothing else I came up with came even close. But to answer your question, yes, those are mine. I have plenty more, if you're wondering."
Sunny swallowed. Nobody could see the sweat dripping from her head now that she was soaking wet.
"What do you want?" She yelled at the camera. "Where is everybody? And who are you?"
There was short pause. "How about we talk in person, how does that sound? I've been dying to meet you."
"Answer my question!"
"I will, eventually. When you get to me. I'm waiting at the theatre room. As to where they are, don't worry. We let most of them go free, they're far away from the school, safe and sound. And they're probably trying to contact the police, too."
Sunny swallowed. "Most?"
"And the others will be fine, unless you do something reckless. Reckless like calling the police. Or leaving the school grounds. Or exploring the classrooms before I tell you it's safe to do it. That wouldn't be a smart thing to do."
The voice stopped talking, but she could still hear the static and slow breathing coming from the speaker. The conversation wasn't over, not for him, at least. Why did he specifically said something about exploring the school? Damn, I can't just ignore him! Not until I get at least a few answers. How much does he know?. She knew what he wanted right now. She was supposed to ask. He wanted her to ask. And she was afraid she knew what the answer was.
"Or what?" She asked reluctantly.
"Or something unfortunate could happen. I gave you plenty warnings, so anything going wrong would be all on you. And it would be a shame if your actions led to someone getting hurt..."
Sunset's eyes shot wide open when a very scary thought came across her mind. N-no!
"...someone like..."
OH GOD NO! ANYTHING BUT...
"...our little friend, Miss Pommel."
Everything froze. Her legs shook and she had to grab onto the lockers nearby to support herself from collapsing on the floor under her own weight. Her worst nightmare came to be. H-how, b-but, why, he-he knows! Oh my god, HE KNOWS! THAT BASTARD KNOWS! He knows everything and... and... Coco!
"I am once again reminding you about recklessness. Miss Pommel agreed to come of her own free will and she's been quite cooperative thus far, so if anything were to happen to her, it wouldn't be her fault," he paused for a moment, expecting some sort of witty retort from the heroine, but she was still too shaken to answer. Too afraid. Just like he wanted.
"You know where to find me. Don't make me wait too long... Sunny."
Sunset stood where she was for a while, supported on the random lockers, trying to comprehend what just happened. How did that kid know about Coco? And if he knew about her, it was a dead giveaway that he knew a lot more of her secrets. He mentioned the police, so he had to know about Captain Shining Armor. And if he knew that, then was he aware of the Rainbooms and the other Sunset Shimmer? And just how much did he know about her powers? What were those gunshots about?
She shook her head. No, that's too many questions! I need to focus on what's important right now!
In fact, just because he knew about Coco didn't necessarily meant he had her. For all she knew, she was hiding somewhere safe, waiting to be found and unable to contact her because of whatever was jamming the signal inside the school. Also, Coco's phone was broken, so there's that. But even with all of that, she didn't have a choice. If he was telling the truth, then he was right about one thing - if anything were to happen to her, it would be all her fault. But no matter whose fault it was, she wasn't going to let her get hurt. Not by him, not by her, not by anyone. Never again.
She took a deep breath and composed herself as she started walking towards the theatre room.
Hang in there, Coco! I'm going to save you!
She knew it was a trap. She expected nothing else from anyone who took hostages, made demands, had magical powers of some description and acted all cheerful about it, as if he was a cartoon supervillain. With that in mind, Sunny opened the door to the theater room and entered with caution.
The theatre room lived up to its name, with a dozen or so rows of seats placed in front of a fairly big stage for a highschool. Few things were regular in Crystal Prep. She entered from the top of the room, giving her a good view on the entire hall. This was the first time she saw it being so empty, with all the chairs unoccupied and the lights completely turned off, save for the dimmed spotlight aimed at the center of the stage. It was aimed directly at him. The one white haired boy in black suit who waited for her. He held a microphone in his left hand, with the right hidden in his pocket.
"You're finally here," his voice came through the speakers "I was beginning to worry that you ran away. Oh, look at the faithless little me!" He dramatized the last sentence, before snickering. "I always wondered how it feels to perform before an actual audience. You're a natural it seems, with or without that mask. Except for a few goofs, but to be honest, they make you look even more adorable."
Sunny observed the kid, who had to be fifteen, maybe sixteen at best. She swallowed, walking along the stairs down, slowly, never once taking her eyes away from him, but still trying to be aware of her surroundings, looking for more shadowcats or other people. She knew she heard gunshots, there had to be more actual people around here, but she couldn't find anyone. The fact that he was standing on the stage, alone, while she was in the room, able to teleport right at his face and blow him to pieces... all of that made the confidence on his face all the more worrisome.
"I'm sorry if I sound a little nervous," he said, not displaying said emotion "I've been looking forward to this moment for a very, very long time."
As Sunny reached the bottom of the stage, she waited for a signal from the boy to stop moving, but he didn't say a thing. She took it as a sign that it was okay to come closer, so she climbed the stairs to the stage and continued until he held his hand forward.
"That's far enough," he said, looking her deep in the eyes, smiling smugly. She wished she could punch that face with fire, but he said it best - she wasn't allowed to be reckless. Not until she found out where Coco and the others were.
He continued talking through the microphone. "I've been dreaming about this moment for so long, I don't know where to begin! How about, let's introduce ourselves... no, wait, I already know who you are," he scratched his head "I never told you my name, though."
He shrugged, not feeling at all intimidated by the deadly lightning glare she was aiming at him, nor by her tightly closed fists that she had to forcibly stop from charging with magical fire energy.
"You can call me..."
Two of the three spotlights turned off, leaving only one, leaving only his silhouette barely visible to her. She saw the menacing, wide smile and glowing eyes, though.
That name was familiar. Magical Girl Sunny had heard that name before, but couldn't put a finger on it. Was it something she had heard from the other Sunset? Was it something from the news? She couldn't remember, but she had a nagging feeling that it was a very important name. And a very, VERY dangerous name. Not that she needed any more reasons to fear and hate him any more.
"Okay," Sunset said after a while "what do you want from me?"
Sombra looked at her for a moment. "That's it?" He asked through the microphone and PA system. "I was hoping for a better reaction."
Sunset tilted her head. "What?"
"Nothing, nevermind that," he shook his head and went back to his cheerfully smug self "to answer your question, I wanted to meet up, face to face. And have a little chat."
She crossed her arms. "About what?"
He kept his distance and kept talking through the microphone. "For starters, how about celebrating meeting another person with powers! For the longest time I thought I was the only one out there! Until I found a video about a certain magical superhero in Canterlot," he sighed "after I spent the last few years of my life hiding in the shadows, literally."
"You want revenge for blowing your cover?"
He shrugged. "You didn't do it on purpose, so I won't hold a grudge. It gave me an excuse to travel here and meet up with you in person."
Sunset's eyebrow twitched. "You came to say hi by attacking my school?"
"It sounds pretty bad when you put it that way..."
"You. Kidnapped. COCO!"
"How many times do I have to correct you, she went of her own free, if a little reluctant, will. Admittedly, I can be a bit intimidating. I will release her, but not until you hear me out. Shame if something were to happen to someone who designed your outfits. I especially love that they match so well with your earrings. It's quite a unique design."
She withheld her rage and managed to limit her emotional outburst to just a massive stink eye.
"Talk." She said through her teeth. While she didn't want to take her eyes off of him, she made sure to observe her surroundings carefully. It was dark everywhere she looked, the only source of light centered at the stage where the two of them talked. She wasn't sure if there weren't any other people inside or if she just didn't see them.
Sombra shook his head. "I imagined this scene to be a little less awkward" he commented quietly, though he was still easily heard due to the microphone he kept holding. "...but oh well, what can you do?"
He coughed.
"I tried very hard to keep a low profile, you know. Stay in the darkness, use my powers secretly, not get attached to a place or people, not get discovered by anyone, you know the drill. Where I come from, friendship isn't a thing, really. The strong use the weak as disposable tools, and the weak either give up and submit or plot long enough to overthrow them and take their place. The cycle repeats. Last time I openly talked with anyone about my powers, I almost ended up dead. I learned to be very, VERY careful around people. Especially the nice and altruistic ones."
Sunny's eyes narrowed even further. "So you took the entire school hostage?"
Sombra nodded cheerfully. "I needed to keep you in check somehow. And to test you."
"Test what?"
"To see who you really are, away from the camera lens and the audience, on your home turf. When the mask if off, figuratively." He stopped on his tracks and sighed. "Look, I rehearsed this conversation many times in my head and I still can't help but ramble. Seeing as you're losing your patience, I'll cut straight to the chase," he extended his hand toward her "what do you say we work together?"
Everything fell silent. The static from the speakers was the only other sound that could be heard at the moment.
Magical Girl Sunny blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
He nodded. "Let's team-up, as the world's first and only super-powered duo."
Sunny's expression slowly turned from furiously scared to profoundly confused. "No, seriously, what?"
Sombra rolled his eyes. "I'm dead serious! Just think what the two of us could do if we combine our powers! You saw a little demonstration of my powers and we both know what you're capable of, though I'm probably unaware of some of your other tricks. But as I've proven today, you can't do everything on your own and you have weak spots that could be exploited. Look at it from this point: if you and I exist and have powers like some mythical demi-gods, then what else is there?"
Sirens, she-demons, unicorns, parallel reality doppelgangers, a talking dog... Sunny named a few inside her head. He doesn't know about any of them! And I sure as hell won't be the one to enlighten him!
"I can be reasoned with, hence why we're having this conversation to begin with. But the others who could appear in the near or far future? I wouldn't guarantee it. They didn't show themselves yet, so either we're the only ones out there, or they're like me, staying out of the limelight, waiting for a good moment to strike, when you're at your weakest. But with our powers combined, we could be unstoppable!"
"And do what? Rule the world?"
Sombra snorted. "Come on, don't be preposterous! You're skipping a few important steps on the way, but eventually, why not? Who could stop us? It would be nice if we could bring forth a new era, just you and I..."
She crossed her arms. "Lemme guess: as king and queen?"
"Pfft, hahaha!" He laughed. "I was going to say 'equals', but sure. Just to be clear, those were your words, not mine."
Sunset blinked. She looked at the super-powered kid, slightly younger than herself, in front of her and tried to answer one simple question. Is he for real? Is this a trick, or does he actually believe that I would ever... She shook her head. No, stay focused! There is a way out of this.
"Okay," Sunset started "what about the hostages?"
He shrugged. "I'll release them all."
She blinked. "You will?"
"Sure, why not. To be perfectly honest, this was all just a show of power. Not just the magical power, but an overall demonstration of what I'm capable of. How many people can gather a bunch of trained, armed men and coordinate them into taking a school for the rich and genius hostage, while keeping the one superhero they couldn't deal with at bay? And I didn't even have to pay a dime, they all agreed to do it for free, if it meant having you out of the picture. Now, whether I keep my end of the bargain is another thing. And I did all of that in less than a week!"
Sunset swallowed. I hate to agree with him, but that is scary impressive! But this is fine, I can still turn it around!
Sunset forced a smile. "Heh, you got me there," she said "I... I'm not sure what to say. Like, wow." She scratched the back of her head.
Fake it, Shimmer! Coco and the others are counting on you! Until they're safe, I need to keep convincing this psycho we're on the same page!
"I can see where you're coming from," she kept forcing the smile "you make a lot of good points and true, those Shadowcats of yours, they're quite something alright."
Sombra scratched his head. "Nah, they're nothing really. You took them out easily."
"Y-yeah, I did. I don't know how I feel about, ehem, being attacked, in broad daylight, or you taking away my... my best friend..." she swallowed "but yeah, a team-up sounds like a sensible idea."
Pause.
Sombra blinked. "You do?"
"Yeah. I mean, if you wanted to just kill me, you would've already done it."
"That's true. Not that I want to."
"So if I'm torn between waging a war or being allies with you, then I guess I'd rather be on the winning side." She added a smile that felt somewhat genuine, if only because her definition of 'winning side' wasn't necessarily the same.
And from the looks of it, it worked, as Sombra smiled widely. "Huh, neat! That went a lot smoother than I expected! And here I thought you'd be defying me for much longer!"
"W-why would I waste energy on that?" She asked, shrugging while holding herself from vomiting mentally.
Sombra laughed. "I don't know. Because you seemed like you were quite concerned with the safety of all the hostages, not just Miss Pommel. Almost as if all of those altruistic heroics were genuine!"
A few beads of sweat fell from her forehead. "Pfft, why would I care about anyone here? They're all a bunch of jerks anyway," I'm sorry, Indigo and other Sunny! "except Coco, I mean. I grew quite fond of her, not to mention she's very useful with the costume department!"
He nodded. "Yes, she's a precious little thing!"
She tried to hide her tightened fists behind her back and distract him with a wide smile. I will break your face for EVER getting near her!
"Defiant, but not unreasonable. And she has a good taste in people."
And every bone in your body, one for each student that suffered today!
"In case you're wondering, she's hidden somewhere in the school, guarded by one of my men. Unharmed. I will have her released in a moment."
Oh, and a few extra hits for every teacher, janitor, secretary, lunch lady and whoever else works here!
"You don't mind if I keep the other hostages for a little longer?"
Her eyebrow twitched. "You were supposed to release them too!"
"Yeah, but I kinda promised my boys that I'll get rid of you AND they'll get the ransom money from the rich parents and I'd like to keep at least one of the promises I made."
Her eyebrow twitched again. She took a deep breath. "N-no, no problem. Not at all!" I will backstab you before you get a single penny!
"Good. That should put them at ease a little bi--"
"TRAITOR!"
Sunny almost jumped when an armed man in a balaclava screamed at Sombra. He stood at the door where Sunny herself entered, holding an assault rifle up, except he wasn't aiming at her. Sombra didn't seem bothered by it, as he didn't even acknowledge the man's existence at this point.
"I KNEW WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" He screamed again.
Sombra let out a long sigh. "Go away," he said through his microphone, never once turning in his direction "can't you see I'm busy?"
"I KNEW WE SHOULD'VE TAKEN YOU OUT WHEN WE HAD A CHANCE!"
Sombra exploded with laughter. "Pffft, can you believe that guy? He thinks he can take me on. That's cute."
Sunny swallowed. The guy was far away, wearing dark clothes and only illuminated by the halogen lights from the hallway outside, but he seemed like a tough, army type of guy. She met a few of those types before, most were ex-marines that joined organized crime after getting discharged. By far the best trained and equipped of the foes she met until today. Still no match for actual magical powers, but no pushovers either.
"HEY, DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-UGH!"
He suddenly stopped talking and dropped his gun to hold onto the shadow tendrils that rose from the ground and grabbed him by his neck. Sunny observed in terror as the terrorist was slowly lifted above the ground, his legs wobbling in the air trying to find any surface to hold onto, while his hands held firmly on the tendril crushing neck.
"I don't think I made myself clear before," Sombra said calmly "when I made this plan, I explicitly said that I call the shots. ALL of them. And if one of them is a change of plans because I felt like it, then it's YOUR problem, not mine!"
The shadow tendril suddenly evaporated, dropping the man on his back. He coughed a few times, attempting to compose himself from the ground.
"Now get back to your post before I get angry. And pray that I forget what your name is!"
As ordered, the man scrambled on his fours, grabbed his rifle and hurried outside, loudly shutting the doors behind him.
Sombra lowered his head and touched the top of his nose, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
"See who I have to deal with? I swear, I work with idio-"
SMASH!
He didn't get to finish the sentence when a sudden, lightning fast fist enveloped with fire struck him right in the face, sending him flying back!
While Sombra was having a 'conversation' with one of his minions, Sunny had some time to think her next move. She wanted to play the long game, but she didn't trust her own acting skills. She was sure she'd mess something up along the way, blurt out something that would incriminate her and ruin everything. Was striking him with her fastest, strongest attack she had, while he was distracted for a second or two, a reckless plan? That goes without saying.
But she gave it some thought and came up with a few conclusions:
One; she knew very little about Sombra's powers, but if they worked anything like the magic she knew about, all of its effects would wear off as soon as the caster was out cold. Shadowcats, those weird tendrils that may or may not hold the students, all of it would be gone and dealt with.
Two; he didn't seem like someone who could take a hit directly. If magic was all he had to offer, then striking him when he wasn't ready was the only option, as she was pretty sure he had tricks up his sleeve in case he had to fight directly. He said so himself- they weren't that different and she was at her most vulnerable state when taken unaware.
Three; with Sombra gone, the armed terrorists was all she had to care about. And she had dealt with those guys plenty of times. They knew they couldn't hurt any of the hostages, or they'd be lucky if they spent rest of their lives on a wheelchair, drinking food with a straw. And if she was extra lucky, they might just give up and save themselves the trouble for a shorter jail time. She was even ready to negotiate a complete amnesty if they just up and left. As long as everyone was safe and this nightmare was over, she was willing to compromise.
She observed Sombra falling on the ground, with the microphone he dropped reaching the ground a fraction of a second before him. A mic drop, how fitting, she thought, as an honest smile almost crept onto her face. Except when the microphone reached the ground, instead of bouncing back and making a static noise, it disappeared. In shadows. And so did Sombra.
She stared at the cloud of dark dust left where her opponent should've landed. She blinked several times, hoping any of those proved to be an exhaustion induced image from her imagination. It wasn't. Her heart beats slowed down. Sweat started pouring from her shaking body. She almost choked on the huge lump that grew in her throat.
Oh no...
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
NO!
"Oh Sunny. Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. My sweet summer child."
She looked around in all directions. While she could hear his voice via the PA system, he was nowhere to be seen.
"I knew this was going to happen. Deep inside, I knew you wouldn't accept me."
Even though she was sure he was nowhere near her, she couldn't help but frantically look around anyway, hoping he was nearby and she still had a shot.
"But you can't blame me for trying, now can you? I was serious about everything I said. We would've made a great team. But you just couldn't help yourself. You just had to hurt me. Right there, in the heart. And it really hurts."
Her breathing went from 'almost non-existent' to 'pounding like a bulldozer' in a span of seconds. She didn't know what to do, other than stand where she was and listen. And panic.
His gimmick is shadows, OF COURSE he could copy himself!
"I really didn't want to do this, but unlike me, you gave me no choice."
She swallowed, waiting impatiently for events to unfold, having a blank mind devoid of any ideas. She knew she had messed up and was about to face the consequences. From a psychotic kid with shadow powers. Who felt betrayed. She looked around, ready for whatever to jump out at her, be it a shadowcat army, a bunch of tentacles or whatever else he was able to do. She waited, carefully looking around herself, staying in the spotlight, because any darkness and all the shadows were literally potential enemies. No attacks came, but someone else did appear.
She noticed someone coming from the shadows, slowly walking toward her. She braced herself and readied to attack, but as the figure revealed itself, her heart skipped a beat. It was Coco! She stumbled out of the shadows, her legs shaking as she trudged forward, her arms holding her body as if she was freezing. She was looking around the stage in every direction, except at Sunny.
"COCO!" Sunny yelled at her friend, who didn't seem to notice her. She threw her arm forward and started walking toward her friend. She must've escaped somehow! I need to get her to safety, before Sombra gets to her! I must save her, no matter what!
She was getting closer and closer to her friend, ready to teleport her as far away from the school as possible. She wanted to speak to her, more than ever before. She wanted to hug her, cry on her shoulders, but that could wait! I must save her!
She was about to touch her, when a huge, bloody black spike emerged from Coco's chest!
Her mouth and eyes shot wide open, but no sound came. She shook slightly for an everlastingly short moment, before her hands and head stopped moving and limped down. Sunset froze, her hand was now only inches away from her best friend's corpse's head, looking away with still open, dead eyes. Behind her was Sombra, with his wide open eyes filled with madness, with a matching slasher smile. His arm was transformed into a long, bloody black spike.
Sunset's brain, body, and entire reality stopped. She opened her mouth and wanted to scream, but struggled to breathe, let alone make sounds while hyperventilating from shock. But before she recovered, just as she was about to touch Coco's dead head, her body evaporated into dark mist, along with Sombra behind her, leaving only a painful memory behind.
She fell on her knees. Painful didn't even begin to describe how she felt right now, seeing her friend dead for even a second. The relief she felt when it turned out to be just an illusion didn't do all that much to stop her from shaking. If anything, it made her feel even worse, knowing what she was up against.
"I think the message I sent was quite clear," Sombra's voice once again said through the PA system "now then, let's get down to business. I have something special planned for..."
Magical Girl Sunny disappeared.
"...you. Uh, hello? Sunny? Heee Ellooo?"
The real Sombra sat before a computer monitor, clicking through one camera feed to another, his target nowhere to be seen. He let out a long, tired sigh and leaned comfortably on the leather chair.
"Oh well, I can wait. She'll be back, right, Miss Pommel?"
In the corner of the office, there was Coco Pommel sitting on a chair, a few feet away from her kidnapper. She wasn't tied up or restrained in any way. She was told to sit down and not cause any trouble with the unspoken, but quite obvious, hint that if she were to do something weird, someone would be severely punished for it. Not necessarily her.
She swallowed and sat on her chair, her hands squeezing the skirt on her knees as she breathed slowly. Waiting to be saved. Helpless and useless.
Sunny reappeared in the safest place she could think of: her room. She held herself back for a moment, before collapsing on her knees over her bed. With nobody looking and nothing stopping her, she let out all the tears she held back all this time and screamed into her bedsheets. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was forced to face the fact:
I can't do this! I can't do this!
Once too exhausted to scream, she rose and turned towards Coco's empty bed. She looked at it for a moment, before briefly taking off her mask to wipe her tears. She put it back and frantically looked around her room. She made a mess of her own bed, even more than it was before, went through all the shelves until she found her cell phone in the drawboard next to her bed. In the same place she teleported it everytime she didn't need it.
I can't do this... alone! I need help!
She had never had to fight an evil force with magical powers, but she knew someone who had more experience. The Rainbooms routinely dealt with superpowered individuals and world ending catastrophes, Sombra was nothing against them! This was more in their league. Sure, she was quite good at stopping armed robberies and beating up mobsters that none of the Rainbooms could do anything about, but when push came to shove, they were the ones saving the world. They would save them. They could save her! But as soon as she unlocked her phone she noticed that there was already ten unanswered calls. All coming from a single source: Captain Shining Armor.
She swallowed and quickly called it back. Oh, this can't be good!
She didn't wait long for it to be picked up. "Captain, it's me, what's go-"
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!" Shining Armor's yell made her pull the phone away from her ear. "I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR ALMOST THIRTY MINUTES!"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I was..."
"DON'T CARE! We need you here right now! The Police Station is under attack!"
Sunny's heart once again froze.
Shining Armor composed himself and resumed talking. "A few dozen armed guys just barged in and started shooting everywhere, we didn't have time to react! I managed to get away unscathed with a few others, but not everyone was this lucky. Some of those who escaped with me are in need of medical attention. I don't think anyone had been killed, but still, my people are held hostage up there. We really need your help!"
He waited for an answer, but nothing came. "Sunny? Hello, can you hea-" he stopped when he heard her first. She wasn't saying anything, not anything comprehensible at least. "Sunny, are you... are you crying?"
She was. She couldn't help herself anymore and there was no hiding it anymore. Everytime she thought it would all work out, another problem came up and she knew Sombra was behind this as well. Everyone knew she was working with local police, of course they were going to be targeted!
"Sunny, I'm sorry I yelled, but we don't have time for-"
"N-no, it's not that!" She said through her tears. "It's... it's all my fault!"
"What? What do you mean your fault? What's going on?"
"It's Sombra... he attacked you because of me!"
There was a pause.
"W-wait, what do you mean Sombra?! THE Sombra!? B-but, it's impossible, he's still in maximum security prison! It would've been in all the news if he escaped!"
"You know him?"
"I heard about him, but I never met the guy. He's behind all this?"
"Y-yes! He attacked the school, be-because I... I... I..." She started crying again, when suddenly.
"SUNNY!"
Captain's yell brought her back to her senses. It was followed by his slightly more gentle tone.
"Calm down, take your time and explain everything."
Despite not seeing him face to face, Sunny still nodded, wiped her face and explained everything, starting from the first appearance of Shadowcats. She forced herself to recollect the part with Coco's shadow clone. It seemed like it took her eternity, but only a few minutes passed when she was done telling everything she knew.
Shining Armor sighed through the phone. "This can't be a coincidence. They planned both attacks to happen at the same time, so neither of us could help each other."
"I-I was going to call the Rainbooms. Maybe Sunset and others can do something about Sombra..."
"I've been trying to call them too, hoping you're with them, but not a single one of them is answering either."
She swallowed. "Y-you don't think..."
"That they're targeted too? I don't think so. I remember Twilight said something about going to a movie with her class, so they had to turn their phones off. Did Sombra mention them at all?"
"No. It's odd, he seemed to know a lot about me, but he never said anything about the other Sunset Shimmer. Or CHS in general."
"Good, let's assume they're safe then. We have a lot on our heads already. And if anyone can take care of themselves, it's those girls."
Sunny sighed. I hope everyone's okay. "Captain, who exactly is Sombra? He seemed surprised I didn't know either. Am I missing something?"
Shining Armor answered after a brief pause. "Well for one, he's not the white haired kid you're dealing with. The one I'm talking about is the most notorious war criminal from the middle south, though most of what we know sounds like an overblown urban legend. They said that everywhere he went, only ruins and death were left behind. The few survivors mentioned something about ghosts, monsters and... and... oh crap, this explains a lot!"
"You said he's in jail?"
"Yeah, I heard that a special ops team found him in one of his safehouses, unarmed, alone, sleeping in his boxers. He didn't resist the arrest and has been sent to prison, where he's been staying last few years. If he broke out, they would've notified me about a bounty of some sort. But still, your description doesn't match him at all. The original Sombra is a tall, strong, middle aged guy, with dark skin and black, waist long hair."
"You think they're connected somehow?"
"Maybe, but that's not important at the moment. What's important is the safety of everyone in the school!"
The school. Sunny couldn't stop sweating over the thought that the last few minutes talking to Shining Armor were the last calm moment she'd be allowed to have before coming back to that nightmare. Except this time it was even worse- she doubted Sombra would let his guard down again, not after the stunt she tried. She just hoped he was more interested in hurting her directly, rather than the rest of the school. She leaned over her desk, which just so happened to be right in front of the window facing the streets. She saw there were crowds of people gathering and watching the school with morbid curiosity, pointing at it and snapping pictures.
Something's not right. She thought.
"Sunny, you still there?" Shining Armor asked.
Sunset opened her window and jumped out, phone still at her ear.
"Yeah, I just need to check..." she bounced off of a magically made invisible platform and landed safely on the lawn. "...something."
She quickly found out why the crowds were this curious and scared, but not enough to just run away. She couldn't see the school anymore- it was covered by a gigantic dome made out of dark matter, like a non-translucent snow globe, with all the buildings, soccer field and part of the parking lot engulfed inside total darkness! Some kids were throwing stones at it, but they just bounced off it harmlessly. Nobody was brave enough to get close enough to touch it, but it didn't stop some people from taking selfies.
"Sunny, what's going on there?"
"I-it's some sort of... huge barrier, all over Crystal Prep! It's all made out of his shadow... his power," she started shaking "h-how the hell did he make this!? He... he... oh god..."
"Sunny, calm down!"
She stepped away. "I-I can't beat him! He's too powerful, there's no way I ca-"
"SUNNY!"
She jumped at the sound of his voice. He wasn't even that loud, but somehow the tone of his voice always put her back to her senses.
Shining Armor sighed, then kept talking with a toned down voice. "Do you want to give up?"
The question pierced her heart hard enough that she couldn't give an answer. The answer wasn't as obvious as she hoped it was.
Shining continued. "Look, I don't know anything about how magic works, so I can't even begin to guess your chances. But still, I have no other choice but to tell you... you have to do this!"
Sunny swallowed. "C-captain, I don't know if I..."
"YOU CAN!"
Once again she jumped at the sudden yell.
"Of c-course you can do it. Y-you are a hero of this city, right?"
Sunny couldn't believe what she just heard. Did he just stutter?
"If you can't, then nobody else can! So, please! There's no one else I can ask..."
She hadn't know Captain Shining Armor for long and even what little interaction she had with him had been very professional. The Captain of Canterlot's Police always struck her as the best person for the job. He didn't take crap from anyone, not from his officers, from a superheroine with powers, nor from the criminals he fought. He was always composed and had no weak spots. Except one.
"Cadence... she's in there, somewhere!"
Dean Cadence. His newly wed wife, just fresh out of honeymoon. Stuck inside the school with magical beasts, armed terrorists and a devil spawn that treated this as a game, as well as her dear students, whom she sworn to protect. To Sunset, she was just another hostage, no more or less valuable than any other living being she promised to protect from harm. But to Shining Armor, she was something else. She was everything to him. That's when she realized something.
The hero she considered strong, dependable, almost indestructible, was just as scared as she was! They've been on the phone for close to fifteen minutes now, but this was the first time he mentioned Cadence's name, but she could tell she was on his mind this entire time. She knew that if he could force his way through the walls, physical and magical alike, he would be the first in line to strike Sombra, by himself, with bare fists if he had to. She knew that feeling all too well. And yet it took him this long to show this so called "weak" part of himself, which he couldn't show to other police officers, who looked up to him and believed in him.
"Captain, I... I..." she started, but had to take a deep breath to finish the sentence "...don't worry, I will save her! I will make sure your wife... that Dean Cadence is safe! You have my word!"
There was a brief pause in their conversation, until he finally said.
"Thank you, Sunny. It means a lot to me."
"Y-yeah. You can count on me. And as soon as I deal with everything here, I promise I'll save you and your peo-!"
"No."
Sunny blinked. "What do you mean-"
"Don't worry about us, Sunny. Concentrate on what's right in front of you. We'll be fine."
"B-but..."
"We took you for granted, which ended up biting us back. Those thugs attacked us on our turf, in broad daylight and succeeded because we grew too lax, knowing there would always be someone watching our backs. If we don't start fighting back ourselves, what message are we sending? We are Canterlot's finest, we can protect this city, as well as ourselves, with or without a magical girl by our side!"
Sunny opened her mouth and tried to argue with that logic, but she couldn't find any arguments that could convince Shining Armor. Or herself. While she was still worried for the life of Coco and everyone else, she wasn't trembling as much as before. She even managed to crack a hopeful smile. She knew Shining Armor could as well.
She looked deeply at the giant dome of darkness that engulfed her school. What awaited her inside was unlike anything she has faced before and she was going to face it alone. No police backup. No Rainbooms. Not even Coco cheering her on from the safety of their shared room. She feared what was inside that building, but not nearly as much as she dreaded the possibility of leaving it behind. She finally found a place where she belonged and she wasn't going to give up without a fight!
"Before you go," Shining Armor suddenly said "I know that as an adult I shouldn't put this much pressure on you, a seventeen year old, but..." he sighed "but the moment you decided to put on your costume was the moment you discarded any excuses to be treated like a child. Like it or not, you're an adult now, Miss Shimmer."
Sunset blinked. Some onlookers started noticing her and walked a little closer, either calling her name or snapping pictures, though none of them came too close or interrupted her conversation. She mustered a genuine smile and showed a peace sign to put them at ease, even if her feelings were mixed at best.
"Some adult I am," she lamented, quietly enough so nobody other than her phone could hear her "I made a lot of stupid mistakes recently."
"Heh, Miss Shimmer... Sunny, want to hear the biggest truth about life? Being an adult doesn't mean you stop making mistakes. It means you make a lot more of them than you ever would. And they affect not just you but those around as well..."
She blinked. "W-what..."
"...and then you take responsibility for them. That's what being an adult truly means."
Sunny opened her mouth, but decided against saying anything. This conversation had dragged on for long enough.
"Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Don't let them get you!"
"Heh, of course! You too, Sunny."
There was no goodbye, no formal or informal end of this conversation, they just hung up at roughly the same time. She had a lot more to talk to him about, in person. But before that, she had some 'responsibilities' to take care of.
Shining Armor sighed deeply as he walked in the middle of the room. The shelter they were stuck had no windows and only a few lightbulbs lighting the place. The shelves around them were filled with food, water, medicine, and tools for a few days for around twenty people. Barely half of those were inside right now, and those that weren't hurt tended to the less lucky ones. He counted only about five, six including himself, that were in working condition, able to walk and use both hands without holding anyone back. They gathered all the firearms they had, which aside from their own sidearms, only counted two rifles, a single shotgun and barely any ammunition for them.
At times like these they were supposed to sit back and wait for help from other cities, but the circumstances were different now.
"Listen up everybody!" He said, catching attention of his fellow officers. "I just talked to Magical Girl Sunny," the sheer sound of her name made their eyes open wide, some hopeful gasps were heard in the middle. He almost hated himself for having to burst the bubble immediately. "...she can't come and help us."
As expected, the reactions were negative. At best they were quietly disappointed and hung their heads down in despair. At worst, they vocalized their fears a little too loudly, some started panicking.
"WE'RE GOING TO DIE HERE!"
"I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
"THIS IS ALL HER FAULT! SHE PROMISED TO PROTE--"
"EVERYBODY, BE QUIET!"
Shining Armor's shout was much stronger than all the others combined. And it did manage to get their attention back. He picked up the lone shotgun and a few shells and started loading it.
"As I speak, Magical Girl Sunny is busy fighting to save everyone at Crystal Prep. It's being attacked by a group of terrorists, likely connected to those that attacked us, except their leader is there, and it's a super powered person! That's why she can't be here."
Another set of murmurs spread around the room.
"Another magical person?"
"Holy crap, a real super villain!"
"Is Sunny going to be okay?"
"Crystal Prep? Isn't that where his wife works?"
Shining Armor continued. "That's why this time, she won't be the one helping us!" He hung the weapon over his shoulder. "Instead, we'll deal with this ourselves! And once we're done, we'll be the ones who will save HER!" He paused to let that sink in, then continued. "We're Canterlot's Police Officers! We trained to be this city's first line of defense against crime and as long as I stand here, I won't let them win! Magical Girl Sunny has been our greatest ally these past few months, she saved our assess on many occasions and made life threatening missions seem like child's play. It's about time we returned the favor and lifted some of the burden off of her!"
His speech was met with mostly mixed feelings. He could see some of his men nod in agreement, but not everyone was convinced.
"B-but how are we going to fight back two dozen guys? There's only a few of us left!" One officer asked.
Shining grabbed the shotgun in both hands and reloaded it. "With guns. And teamwork, and all the tricks we can think of. This is our turf, we know every nook and cranny, time to make use of that knowledge." He noticed not everyone was convinced. He rolled his eyes and used one last trick he knew. "I'll go alone if I have to."
The last sentence was what tipped the balance, as one by one, everyone stood up and cheered for their leader, before going towards the gun pile. Shining Armor couldn't help but smile at his fellow men and women. He couldn't ask for better followers and was determined to lead them all out of it alive!
While his officers were already starting to form the strategy, he went towards one that wasn't joining the raid. Not because he didn't want to.
"Heh, that's some speech there, Cap!" Mithril Shield, his old partner from times before his promotion (also: best friend) admitted, sitting under the wall. "Almost made me jump at your side, but, yeah..." he sighed, looking at his heavily bandaged leg, which only just recently stopped bleeding.
Shining smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know. It's okay, just stay here and rest."
Mithril sighed. "I'm sorry. I ended up being a burden... again."
Shining Armor shook his head. "Don't say that. Just because you can't follow me with a gun doesn't mean you can't help. Do you remember my sister?"
"Twilight? As if I could forget! You can't shut up about he-oh!" He stuttered, as Shining Armor suddenly threw something at him. He barely caught it in both arms. The object was his cellphone.
"Keep calling her and her friends. They're all under "Rainbooms" category. Don't stop until someone answers."
"Uh, sure. No offense, but how is your sister and her friends going to help?"
"With any luck, they won't have to. But just in case, here's exactly what you tell them..."
After landing in the middle of the main hall, Sunny stood still and looked at the two security cameras watching the front entrance. Showing herself like that would've been otherwise stupid, but at this point she was in no place to sneak around and risk everyone's safety. Not when every single shadow could be looking at her. She had tried to play against the rules once and the wounds were still fresh in her heart and mind.
"SOMBRA!" She shouted towards the camera.
She waited for a moment, breathing heavily, hoping her longer absence didn't bring about some unforeseen consequences. He went through a lot of trouble to arrange everything, there was no way he was going to just change his mind.
"Ah, welcome back, Sunny," he said through the PA system "for a moment I was worried you had left for good. Actually, I lied, I knew you would come back to save your precious friend. Or to exact revenge on me. Or both. But since you're here, what do you say we play a little game?"
Sunny swallowed, but nodded, ready to accept the one-sided challenge. If it meant getting closer to the real deal, then she had no choice but to play along. For now.
Standing up was out of question and moving around while completely entangled in whatever the black shadow goop was was hard enough, but it was made almost impossible in the pitch black darkness, courtesy of the giant dome of darkness that Sombra had created just before he disappeared with Coco. Sugarcoat lost count on how much time has passed, but she spent all of it slowly crawling on the dirty roof, trying to find a way towards the flower bed. It took a while, but she knew she finally found it when she felt a few thorns scratch her face. She would've yelped from pain, if her mouth wasn't gagged with the magical shadow. At least her glasses protected her eyes from getting gouged out.
The reason she chose to get herself there was a pair of garden shears, left by members of the gardening club. She fought through more roses (I told them it should've been tulips!) until she reached the desired item. It took even more time and literal thorns in her side to position herself to be able to grab it with the tip of her fingers and rotate it in a way to cut through the thin shadow tendrils on her hands. The shadow was no match for first grade gardening tools.
Once completely free, after first removing some thorns out of her uniform and massaging her scratched cheeks, she checked her phone. Not to call for help (she figured this magic would block the reception), but to turn on the flashlight so she could look for Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest. The three of them had some unfinished business.
Ever since the first attack was neutralized, the basement of Crystal Prep school was eerily quiet, with all Shadowcats gone. Other than working water pipes, the only other sound that echoed in the corridor was an occasional loud banging on the door. It went on for a few minutes in regular intervals, until the hinges finally gave in and the door fell on the ground with a loud thud, with an unnaturally strong girl in dirty gym clothes falling along with them. Her friend walked from behind and helped her stand up.
Once up, Indigo massaged her aching right shoulder, glad to feel it was still intact despite non-stop tackling. Crystal Prep didn't spare any expenses, not even on underground gym doors.
"A game, huh?" Indigo smacked her fists. "Let's see if it's multiplayer!"
Just a few months ago Upper Crust thought the time she believed (wrongly) that Jet Set was cheating on her was the worst day of her life. Then the Friendship Games happened, and she almost witnessed the end of the world as she knew it. All of that was NOTHING when compared to the last few minutes!
The terrorists let most of the students go free during their attack, so they wouldn't be a burden and make the important rest easier to manage. Her heart skipped a beat or two when she was considered one of the 'important' ones. This led her to being gagged and tied to a chair in the Home-Ec classroom, sitting by the wall while a muscled man in all black clothes moved the remaining chairs and tables aside, creating an empty space in the middle. He sat in the middle with his arms crossed, waiting silently and patiently watching the door.
She wasn't sure what was worse: waiting for her fate, or trying to get out. The ropes weren't very tight, the man who tied her told her that he "didn't want to damage the merchandise" and warned her not to try to escape. So she didn't. All she could do was sit tight, wait and hold back the tears. She never wanted to see her parents more. And Jet Set.
I hope he's okay...
The door suddenly opened and Magical Girl Sunny entered the room. Her hair and clothes were a bit disheveled, the twin tails ditched in favor of her usual hairstyle, but otherwise appeared as usual. Upper Crust livened up at her sights and mumbled something through the gag. Sunny acknowledged her existence with a single glance, then concentrated on the guy before her.
"Well, well, well, it looks like I'm the first one. Ain't that an honor!" He cracked his knuckles, stood up and kicked the chair aside. It landed a few feet on the side, making a loud mess.
Sunny didn't say anything. She kept herself relatively composed, breathing heavily while tightening her fists.
"What, cat got your tongue? Last time we met you couldn't stop yourself from quips. I wonder where that wit went?" The terrorist asked, raising his guard up, loosening his stance. "I'm gonna feel bad for the other guys. They were really looking forward to this!" He punched the air a few times. "You know the rules: use any spell on me and the girlie gets it!"
"Yeah. I know the rules." She answered coldly and walked towards the guy.
When she was close enough, the man threw a powerful punch at her, but nothing connected, as she disappeared right before his eyes. Before he recovered from the strike, he felt a hand grabbing the back of his head and pushing it forward. With the combined momentum of his unconnected attack and the girl's feet tripping his legs, he fell face first into the floor! The sound of the impact, taste of blood and sensation of his nose breaking were the last things he registered before passing out.
Sunny kicked the guy to confirm that he was out cold. He wouldn't last five seconds with Indigo. She shrugged and turned to Upper Crust, wide-eyed and awed by the fastest combat she ever saw.
The PA system activated once again. "I believe I gave you a warning..." An ominous voice said.
Sunny looked at the camera in the corner. "The rules never said I couldn't teleport." She announced nonchalantly. "You only said I couldn't use any magic on him. Which I didn't."
There was a long pause.
"Fair enough."
Sunny sighed with relief, then tied the guy's hands and feet with the police supplied flexi-cuffs.
"One down. Five more to go..."
"A game?"
"Yes, a little something all of us could enjoy," Sombra confirmed through the PA system "I'm assuming you played some console games back in the day? There was this one I played when I was little. It was about this guy trying to save the princess. He jumped on some monsters and shot fireballs, hence why I thought about you. It was a simple platformer, where you go through a bunch of stages, reach the castle and beat the boss to save the princess. However, the first few castles didn't have the princess, only some NPC that you didn't give a crap about, saying that she's in another castle. I hated those guys when I was a kid, and the internet seems to agree with me."
"So, those guys I brought along? Most of them were fine with me just offing you and being done with it, but some of them were a bit more... ambitious. You cost them a lot of money and nerves, you sent their friends and family to jail and in general made their lives a looot harder. And they really, really wanted to have a shot at you. Just a shot, a chance to beat you up, nothing more. So I thought, heck, why not? Look at the school map."
Sunny walked towards the giant school map that was displayed just next to the entrance. Six classrooms were circled with a red marker. They were as far apart from each other as possible, on different floors, different wings, at least a few minutes walk from one to another. This school is way too friggin' big!
"Those are the 'castles', where each of the six 'mini-bosses' wait for you to have an, ehem, honorable duel. Complete all six, in the order of your choosing, and you'll get the honor of a duel with me. And then, princess, Miss Pommel, will be yours... okay, not yours per say, but free and no doubt happy to see you. And before I forget: the mini-bosses each have one 'fake princess' with them. You know, to keep the spirit of the game alive!"
Sunny's eye twitched at the mention of Coco. There were only six places marked on the map and none of them was Sombra's location. She was pretty sure that if she could locate him and deal with him fast enough, the others would give up and release the fake princesses hostages. If only she knew where the PA system was located.
"If I remember correctly, there were some exploits in the original game. You could easily skip some levels, leave those fakes behind and get straight to the real deal. Did you ever wonder what happened to them after the 'happy ending'? Were they let go? Or did they meet a little more... sinister end? They were kept in monster filled castles, after all. Just because the king was dead, it didn't mean his minions just gave up. Or did they? Who knows, I don't know."
For a moment, Sunny contemplated doing exactly what Sombra suggested. Teleport to the most likely place where he was, finish this as soon as possible and hope for the best. The non-powered guys were nothing against her, even with hostages and guns. There was a problem, however: she didn't know where he was. She was pretty sure Dean's office had a PA system, but this school was full of potential places where he could hide. If she teleported into the wrong one, everything would be for naught!
She still remembered the first warning. And she doubted she'd ever get rid of that mental image.
"I'll take the silence as a sign of acceptance, then. As for the actual rules, just give my boys a fair fight. Don't use any magic against them, don't burn them alive. Also, no killing or intentional injuries, you know the deal. They even gave their guns, seeing as they don't work on you anyway. And no cheating the system: don't try interrogating or torturing them. They can take a hit, but they're still people. Once again, the choice is yours: if you break any rules, I might start breaking them as well... by which I mean Miss Pommel or someone else will get hurt because of you, in case I was too subtle."
After securing the first "mini-boss", Sunny went to free Upper Crust. Once free, she tightly hugged Sunny. Taken aback by the sudden display of emotions, Sunny couldn't quite shake her away. Not now, at least.
"Th-thank you! Oh my god, I was s-so scared!" She said with tears in her eyes.
Sunny looked at the rich girl clinging to her. She didn't know Upper Crust personally, only heard that she was from a very rich family, used to be the number five biggest snob in the school (right after the four core Shadowbolts, Lemon Zest aside), a bully to most people including Coco, until the fateful day of Friendship Games. That day changed many lives. Twilight Sparkle learned the value of friendship. She got her powers that took her on a new path. And the Shadowbolts melted their icy demeanor, some more than others.
Sunny managed to smile weakly and pat her head. "It's okay. Nobody will hurt you anymore."
It took a minute, maybe two, for Upper Crust to compose herself and let go. When released, Sunny turned toward the door and started walking.
"The school is surrounded by a barrier," Sunny said "I can't take you outside, so you need to hide somewhere, while I--ugh!"
In the middle of the walk, Sunny suddenly lost her balance and toppled to her right, only barely grabbing the nearby table to stand still.
Upper Crust behind her gasped. "Sunset, are you okay?" She caught up to her to help her stand up.
She wasn't. Her head was spinning and her eyesight darkened before becoming clear again. She experienced something like this before, way back when she was experimenting with her new powers before transferring to Crystal Prep. Her body was fine, a little beaten up and tired, but otherwise healed. The problem was more magical, as she felt her mana being somewhat depleted.
"I-I'm okay. Just... tired."
She wasn't about to collapse just yet, or at least she didn't want to admit it. Unlike in video games, she didn't have a mana meter to keep track of and her body wasn't sending as obvious signals as she'd like. Instead, every other spell she cast risked being the last. It would help if she had some numbers or estimates as to what she was still able to do, or how long it took to replenish even a little bit of it. Sadly, not even Pri-Twi, Sci-Twi and Sunset combined had any concrete answers.
...Sunset?
Her eyes went wide. She slowly turned back to her classmate. Their eyes locked. Upper Crust's eyebrow raised in confusion at first, then her eyes also went wide as a realization hit her. She couldn't quite hide the sweat pouring from her forehead.
"What... did you call me?"
The yellow girl swallowed, scratching her head as she desperately tried to avoid eye contact.
"Oh, uhm, sorry, slip of a tongue, haha... I meant to say 'Sunny', cause you know... it's your name?"
Sunset blinked. Upper Crust did too, until she sighed heavily.
"Okay, you got me!"
"You know!"
Upper Crust rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I mean you're not really fooling anybody. Most of us met the other Sunset Shimmer. So after you transferred and treated us as if we never met AND a magical girl appeared that looked exactly like her, it was only a matter of time before we connected the dots."
Sunset blinked. Upper Crust blinked too. Sunset let out a long sigh and sat on a nearby desk.
"Who else knows?"
"You mean before that Sombra guy confirmed it to everyone in the school? By that point I think almost everyone did. It's a school for geniuses after all. All my friends know, at the very least."
Sunny pulled her legs up and sat in a fetal position. "I don't know why I'm still bothering with this..." she took her mask off and threw it across the room.
Upper Crust looked at her hero's moment of weakness, before joining her on the desk.
"I... we never told anyone!" She started. "We talked about this a few times, among each other, but we never told anyone outside. I mean, isn't it weird that there aren't any widespread rumors going around the internet? By now someone should've spilled the beans, intentionally or not. But nobody did. Do you know why?" She asked.
Sunny turned to her, looking curiously and tired.
"Because we believe in you! Not just because you saved me today, or because our life depends on it, but because... because we really appreciate what you do for this city! For everybody!" Upper Crust smiled. "Th-that's how I feel, at least. But I'm pretty sure everybody else is the same."
Sunny blinked at Upper Crust. First Indigo Zap and Sunny Flare, now her? Whatever happened to a school for jerks? She smiled weakly and nodded. A tiny whisper almost sounded like a 'thank you'.
"I-I can't do much, but if there's anything I can do to help...?"
Sunny jumped back on the ground and turned to her with a smile. "You already did. But right now I need you somewhere away from the danger. Go to the underground level, it should be safe there."
Upper Crust nodded and went towards the door. She stopped for a moment to look at Sunny one more time, blushed, nodded gratefully and left the classroom. Sunny couldn't help but smile too. Few minutes didn't refill her magic, but she was feeling a bit better.
Before she left to face another challenge, she looked at the fallen mini-boss. He was indeed unarmed, but he did have a small, yellow-black walkie-talkie at the back of his belt, hence why she didn't notice it at first. She carefully examined it. I guess some radio waves aren't blocked in this dome. She shrugged and snapped the device to her belt, thinking it might come in handy at some point.
Unless they can track them too... She looked at the security camera and shrugged. Well, I'm not hiding.
"Oh, already at her limit?" Sombra asked, mostly to himself, though he still harbored some hope that his cute little hostage would finally speak. "And for a moment I was worried that six mini-bosses was too few."
Coco carefully observed Sombra. He made himself comfortable on the leather chair, rarely looking in her direction. He served both of them some tea and biscuits he found in the office. The intensive aroma of an imported black tea filled the room, but it didn't do much to help her relax. And as delicious as the biscuits looked, she didn't have an appetite. All that mattered was finding something she could do, to either free herself or make Sunny's job just a little bit easier. From the looks of it Sombra was completely absorbed in the camera footage from the desktop monitor. The corner she was in only had a few locked drawboards, no doubt full of useless documents, hardly something she could use. But then there was also one thing Sombra missed- a fire extinguisher in the corner, the smaller kind that you would usually fit inside a car. It looked light enough that she could easily lift it, but just heavy enough to cause significant damage if struck directly in the back of the head.
Her breathing got heavier, as she imagined the scene in her head. She could quietly grab it, jump forward and smack right at his skull, maybe even twice. He wouldn't even know what hit him until it was too late
Except he would definitely see it coming from a mile away.
She swallowed heavily. This is too easy. There's no way he'd let me get closer! And if I failed... An image of Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest appeared in her mind, as they fell helplessly on the ground, tied by the shadows. And of Sour Sweet, about to face the punishment...
She shook her head. I can't! She turned towards the teacup next to her, then carefully grabbed it with her shaking hand and sipped a little bit of the warm tea.
Not now... Her eyes once again went toward her kidnapper. He was still looking at the monitor, nibbling on a cookie while playing around with some object in his hand. She raised an eyebrow at the small, golden necklace he held on a small chain around his neck. She hadn't noticed it until now, he probably had it hidden all this time.
Odd, this seems a bit out of place. Was it always there?
"Oh, here comes round two!" Sombra suddenly said as he turned to her.
She managed to avert her eyes right before he saw her. Luckily, the teacup she held at mouth's level masked the surprised expression.
"You don't want to miss this!"
Coco took a deep breath and looked at the video on the screen. The grip on the teacup tightened as she watched her friend approach the next challenge.
Sunny stopped just before the door to the next classroom. I'm almost out of magic and there's still at least five more to go! She looked at her hands, tightening them into fists. Nothing good will come when I face him on an empty tank. I need to do this the hard way!
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
The view behind the frame was very similar to how the last room looked. All desks moved aside to create an arena for the next battle. The kidnapped, panicking student tied and gagged on a chair in the corner. Except this time it was someone she was a little more familiar with.
Sally. She thought to herself, her eyes narrowing at Suri Polomare, who struggled a bit when she noticed her savior. Despite the animosity between the two of them, Suri seemed glad to see her. The feeling wasn't mutual, but as much as she despised her, she wasn't about to leave her like this.
Right next to her was another one of the bad guys, though this one also looked a bit familiar. Sunny tilted her head and examined his face. Easily seven feet tall, dark red skinned, heavily muscled and bald. Like dozens of others she encountered before. Did I beat this guy before or what?
"Hey there, precious," the guy said, as he walked toward her "remember me?"
"Nope."
"But I remember you all too well. And what you did to me."
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, here we go..."
"We'd been preparing for that heist for months! We had everything- guns, plans, cars, the best people for the job, but then all was ruined before it even started!"
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Oh, the raid where I was interrupted by the police?" And first met Captain Shining Armor.
"And then, instead of coming back with the loot, I had to look my pops in the eyes as he bailed me out, all because you butted in!"
"No, I'm pretty sure the SWAT team would've done it even if I wasn't there."
"I promised pops I'd pay him back for all the years he took care of me, but instead? He had to save my ass, because I was beaten by a girl!"
"Yeah, sure, ignore me..."
"Well, I'm gonna make it up to him by getting rid of you with my own two ha-"
SMACK!
He couldn't finish the sentence because as soon as he looked away, a fist slammed right into his nose, breaking it on the spot and sending the guy back a few feet. Unlike most people hit like this, he quickly regained his footing. He didn't get time to react when another strike hit him, this time a roundhouse kick to the side of his face, sending him even further back, slamming him into the pile of desks that stopped him from falling on the ground. He shook his head and raised his arms to block the incoming jump kick. After the third strike failed, Sunny bounced back and landed a few feet away, surprised that the fight wasn't already over.
Her opponent wiped the blood from his nose, straightened it with a twist of his finger making an audible 'crunch' (ouch!), all the while looking at Sunny with eyes filled with hostility.
"You !@#$, that was a cheap shot!"
"What, were you waiting for a gong?"
The guy spat some blood (and probably a tooth, too) and raised his hands into a guard.
"I will enjoy breaking every bone in your body!"
"You can try!"
And tried he did, as mere seconds later he rushed at Sunny, sending his right punch in her direction. Sunny quickly stepped back, away from the obviously telegraphed attack, only to be surprised when he spun around himself and used the momentum to throw a kick right at her stomach, sending her flying back. Unlike him, she really felt the strike and barely stood her ground (though it was still not as bad as when Indigo did a similar move). She held back the coughing to avoid the next few strikes from her opponent, this time being a lot more careful about what she perceived was a predictable, obvious, telegraphed movement. And she was right to pay more attention, as in between the usual one-two punches he threw some surprises, like a low kick or an elbow strike right after missed punch.
Eventually, after a few seconds of being on the defensive, she reached the end of the classroom and bumped into the blackboard behind her. She almost panicked pre-emptively, as flashbacks of her Indigo fight reminded her of how her skull was almost crushed, before she teleported away from a powerful high school girl punch. Similar to the one her current opponent was throwing her way. Teleporting would've been her first instinct, but somehow, she managed to stop herself from using magic and instead ducked slightly to her side. The fist missed her by a hair, literally, passing just next to her shoulder and head and making a huge dent in the blackboard behind her. She felt the tremors on the wall on the back of her head.
The next second slowed down: he stood right before her, not even a feet away, his right fist slammed into the blackboard, the left one outstretched away and preparing for another strike, legs slightly crouched. She kept herself down, left shoulder right below his arm, looking up, staring him in the eyes. Given a second and a half to react, she did the first thing that came to her mind.
She uppercutted him with all her strength!
He flew for a few straight seconds, before landing on his back several feet away from her.
She kept breathing heavily, hunched over a wall next to a dent that wasn't what was left of her face. Despite having an aching stomach and swollen hand and red knuckles from the last punch, she was glad she managed to end the fight without using her magic, even if her opponent was a bit tougher then she-
And then he got up.
Sunny's eyes went wide, as she saw the man suddenly wake up, slowly get back on his feet and massage his jaw while looking at her with murder in his eyes.
Oh come the hell on!
She stood back up and prepared for another round. She expected him to rush toward her again. He didn't, because this time he went to the pile of desks on the side, grabbed the first one in one hand and tossed it violently right at her!
"GYAH!"
She barely jumped away, as a wooden chair with metal frames smashed itself on the blackboard with a loud smack, then another flew right at her, which she narrowly rolled away from and preemptively jumped away again, which turned out to be a good call, when another one crashed next to her. She landed right behind the teacher's desk, the only one that was bolted to the floor and couldn't be moved away. In between heavy breathing she took a look to her right, to see three mangled, misshapen chairs lying right under an even more dented blackboard, no longer able to fulfill its original teaching purposes.
Well, now I've seen everything! She thought, as sweat poured from her forehead.
The enemy waited for a moment, dual wielding chairs (a funny view, until he aimed them straight at you) and waiting for his target to get out of hiding. A few moments in, after realizing it wouldn't be happening, he slowly walked forward, ready to strike or throw one at any moment. He carefully approached the desk, then once he was close enough, he jumped in front of it and raised his hand to strike his hiding target... except she wasn't there!
"Huh? Where'd she go?"
Asking himself loudly proved detrimental, as his own voice drowned out the sound of steps running toward him. It wasn't until the last moment, when he pulled his eyes away from the floor under the desk, that he noticed Magical Girl Sunny running from the opposite end of the room, jumping on the desk and using it to spring herself toward him at maximum speed, with her outstretched knee flying straight at his face! He had a second to react, but he didn't: Sunny's knee landed straight between his eyes, smashing his nose (again) and sending him back at the poor blackboard, smashing the back of his skull into the wall with a huge crash. His entire body gave in, as he dropped both chairs while feeling down on the ground, with Sunny on top of him accelerating the already painful fall.
He was already unconscious when he fell, but it didn't stop Sunny from grabbing his collar with one hand and pulling back her other hand, ready to punch him if he so much as squealed the wrong way. She sat atop of him, breathing through her teeth until she confirmed that there wasn't going to be a round three. She sighed with heavy relief as she got up and sat on the teacher's desk, trying to catch a breath.
So much for not using magic...
After a moment to regain her breath, she proceed to secure the defeated opponent with flexicuffs, as well as improvised rope made out of his shirt around his arms, just to be on the safe side. Only then she finally went to free... her.
Unlike Upper Crust, Suri Polomare was a bit more composed when released. Even though she was still just as scared and glad to be free, she only managed a single "thank you" toward her rescuer. While neither said it out loud, both were aware that Suri knew the secret, even before today. She was probably the first one to find out, for many reasons. And while she was grateful for the save, it didn't change much in their relationship, so the two stood before each other in relative silence, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
Suri was the first one to break it.
"Hey, are you...?"
"Fine?" Sunset asked coldly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Top shape, never been better. Do I look fine?!"
"Oh-okay..."
"I'm exhausted, I broke my record of almost dying in a single day, I'm out of magical or physical power and I'm not even halfway finished with those bozos and I still have to beat a guy with magical powers, except he didn't need to waste them on a bunch of thugs or a regular nigh-superhuman highschool girl!"
"So you did fight Indigo."
"And if I try to do something other than play his stupid game the one who will pay the price won't be me, but... but..."
Suri didn't say anything. She crossed her arms and looked away.
"...it's not fair!" Sunny started tearing up. "I was going to apologize! Everything was going to go back to normal, but... now I don't know anymore...."
The two fell silent for a moment, standing right next to each other, arms crossed, stressed and tired, one more than the other.
"Uhm, your sleeve's kinda messed up." Suri said suddenly.
Sunny blinked and examined herself. Right sleeve was fine, but the left one was badly ripped, with parts of it hanging out awkwardly.
"Ugh, when did this happen?"
After watching Sunny for a few seconds, Suri sighed and pulled out a small case out of her front pocket.
"May I?"
Sunny looked at the other girl, in particular at the small black box she was holding. She recognized it easily, since Coco had a similar one. It was the emergency sewing kit, which contained several sets of threads, needles, scissors and other materials needed to quickly fix a clothing damage.
"Sure." As much as she hated getting any help from Sally, especially fixing a dress made by her ex-slavefriend, she was a little too tired to push away any assistance.
The purple girl pulled out a yellow thread and put it on a single needle and started reattaching the sleeve back to its place. While it wasn't the first time her combat dress was fixed by someone who knew what she was doing, the difference was that her tailor didn't need to stand on a stool to have her arm at eye level. And she wasn't even a bit interested at looking at her during the work. Nor was she interested in seeing her adorable look of embarrassment when someone she fancied closely watched her moving hands.
"This dress," Suri said in the middle of work "it looks really great on you. She really put her entire heart into it, even more than the usual."
Sunny didn't say anything in response.
"When I first met her, she was barely able to hold a needle properly and constantly made mistakes. But she was a fast learner and she mastered everything that I and other girls at the club showed her. Her skills grew up fast. So fast she almost caught up to everyone in the club. She definitely caught up to me. And I hated it more than anything!" She took a deep breath. "But you knew about that the day we met. Everyone knew. They were just nice enough to never point it out."
WIth one last cut, the sleeve was repaired. Sunny moved her arm a few times and confirmed that it was almost as good as new. Suri wasn't half the tailor Coco was, but even half a Coco was a master at her craft. The thread was a different shade of yellow than the original, though. A detail she would've never noticed if she hadn’t lived with Coco for so long.
"I thought she was like this by default. You know, shy, scared of everybody, a complete pushover. I didn't think much about it back then. But when I started seeing you two together, that was the first time I saw her... happy."
She finally earned Sunny's proper attention. The two exchanged glares, until Suri looked away and blushed.
"It... put some new perspective on things."
Sunny blinked. She always wondered if Suri never tried to bother Coco after that day because she was afraid of her, or because she actually had a genuine change of heart.
"Thanks," Sunny finally said "for fixing the dress."
Suri blinked, surprised, but still managed a tiny smile. "Sure. And thanks again for the save."
The two looked away from each other, until Sunny started walking away. Before she left the room, Suri called one last time.
"If... when you see her, could you... could you tell her... that I'm sorry?"
Sunset stopped on her tracks and waited in the middle of the door frame for a few seconds.
"I could've made your life a living hell," Sunny said coldly "I had all the reasons, desire and power to do so, but I never did. Do you know why?" She asked. Suri didn't say it, but they both knew the answer. "Because after all you did to her, all this time being treated like garbage and all the animosity she felt toward you, she still asked, almost begged, me to leave you alone. So to answer your question- no, I won't tell her that," she walked out of the room, but Suri could still hear the the last part "do it yourself!"
Suri nodded to herself. "Yeah, didn't think so either."
After almost an entire day of fighting, Sunny was exhausted both physically and magically, but thanks to Suri she added mentally to that list as well. She was way past the point of hiding it, as every step she took toward another classroom felt like eternity, as she trudged on, one hand supported by the wall. The last teleport wasn't enough to send her down, but it moved her dangerously close to the breaking point. She wasn't sure if going even slower would make a difference, but she grew past being reckless. Not when the worst was still before her.
"Could you move on a bit faster?" Sombra's voice suddenly called out. "Some of us have things to do today! There's a good movie on TV today, you know. I think, I don't watch much TV. Internet is way better."
Sunny stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked at the damned security camera and a speaker just nearby. Her eyebrow twitched, she knew the only reason she didn't blow it up on the spot was to conserve energy. She sighed heavily and looked directly at the camera and asked.
"What's the point of this stupid game, anyway?"
There was a short pause in the speaker activity, no doubt he turned the microphone off to laugh it off.
"The point of this game is to have fun! Duh! I went to all this trouble to arrange it just for you, and you give up not even halfway in? This hurts, right here... oh wait, you can't see me. I'm pointing at my chest."
Sunny was too tired and angry to roll her eyes. "This is between the two of us! If you want me, that's fine, but leave everyone else out of it!"
"We've been through this, Sunny. Without the hostages there's nothing holding you back from breaking the rules."
"UGH, just... if you want to kill me so much, then come here and do it yourself already! Enough with hiding behind your thugs, let's finish this right here, right now! Come on, are you so afraid of me you won't even show yourself? Huh?"
As expected, there wasn't an immediate answer. Whether he was ignoring her, laughing his ass off or preparing for answer, she didn't know until almost a minute later.
"Afraid isn't the word I would use," he answered "I just wanted for your play experience to follow a nice arc, ending with a well earned victory or a crushing, but heroic, defeat. But since you insist..."
The speakers suddenly turned off. All of a sudden Sunny got a bad, ominous feeling, as if she had said a few words too many. Other than her heartbeats and flickering of the halogen lamps, there were no sounds. She slowly turned back and her eyes narrowed.
He was there. From the other end of the hallway, Sombra was slowly walking toward her, with both hands in his pockets, smiling smugly.
She breathed heavily through her exposed, clenched teeth. The previously cold, damp air around her started heating up with every step he took.
"SOOOOMBRAAAAAA!"
She moved forward, her fists tightening on the way. Sombra took his hands out of his pockets and conjured two shadowy sets of giant claws on each hand and started running at her. He attacked first, flashing diagonally with his right hand, which Sunny easily sidestepped and attempted to punch him from the side. He quickly moved forward and out of her way, then turned back and struck again, missing once more.
They went back and forth for a while, avoiding each other's attacks, until Sunny noticed that with all this avoiding, her back was getting dangerously closer to the wall. Except after all those fights, she learned to use this to her advantage. She leaned on the wall on purpose, knowing full well that her opponent wouldn't miss a chance to strike, which Sombra did. A moment before it connected, she blinked out of the way and appeared right behind his back. She watched the shadow claw graze the wall and didn't waste the opportunity to strike him right at the back of his head, before he knew what was going on!
A fraction of a second before her fist connected, however, his entire body turned into a dark mist, which her fist went right through and hit the wall she was just leaning on a moment ago.
"Huh?" She looked shocked at the dent she just made. H-he vanished? Where did he-
"ARGH!"
She yelled suddenly, as she felt an immeasurable pain coming from a long cut at her back. Without trying to identify it, she just turned back and shot a blast of fire in front of her, directly hitting Sombra with the explosion! He didn't avoid, block or shield himself in any way before the explosion and smoke blinded her from seeing anything else. That's when the pain from her back reminded of itself and made her cringe and fall to her knees. Her back was hot in a bad way, she was pretty sure she felt blood dripping from it, but she didn't want to lose the sight in front of her. She wanted to see what happened to Sombra. Was he defeated? Did he escape? Or else...
The smoke evaporated in a matter of seconds and what was left, was nothing. No dark mist, no body, no ashes or other remains, nothing at all. And then it hit her.
"A-a clone!"
"What, you thought calling me a coward was enough to lure me out?" His smug voice came out, as always, from the speaker. "I am so disappointed in you... Sunny!"
Her mind went blank. She wasted a lot of her precious magic power on a shadow. She sat on her knees, trying to muster up some energy to get up, when her back once again sent a painful message to her head. It was only now that she reached with her hand and touched her back, then quickly recoiled from pain. She checked her hand and sure enough, there was blood on it. She took a deep breath and touched her back again, a little more carefully. She felt three long cuts just below her shoulder level. They weren't as deep as she was afraid, but it still stung like hell. The bleeding wasn't severe either, it made more mess than actual harm. And speaking of mess, she also felt three long cuts across her dress. She couldn't see it, but it made her wonder if the blood sticking her clothes to her body was what prevented it from falling apart in the first place.
"It might've been my jovial tone and carefree attitude that threw you off guard," Sombra said "so let's make one thing clear: I create the rules here! I gave you a fighting chance to save your friends and school, but I never said it will be fair. You just might be the only super powered being in this world and the only one standing in my way. I could kill you, right here, right now. I could've killed you before in more ways than one. And that would've made my life a lot easier. The reason why I'm sparing you, for now, is that on the off-chance there won't be anyone else with powers after you, I want my last one to be more interesting than a simple assassination... also, in case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm recording everything you're doing, so I can then sell it to the highest bidder. You've made a lot of powerful enemies, I'm sure they will pay a lot of money to see you suffer and die. So just to spite them, show them you're not a pushover, okay? Okay."
She wanted to say something. A simple 'shut up' would've been enough, but she couldn't open her mouth wide enough to make a sound. She didn't have the energy to stand up either. And despite her never-waning desire to save Coco and the others, her will to fight was fading away.
"Tell you what, I'm not going anywhere for awhile, and my boys and the hostages can wait a little longer. Take a break, drink some water, patch yourself up. After all, nobody likes a curbstomp."
Sunny didn't move. She couldn't move. All she could do was sit on her knees, curse her weakness and cry.
Coco's fists around her skirt couldn't get any tighter if she tried. She was barely holding her own tears, having to watch Sunny suffer, wounded and alone. The only thing stopping her from throwing herself on Sombra was, once again, the fear of failure and the price they'd pay for it. She turned to Sombra, who at this point was also holding himself back, not from crying, but laughing. Sweat poured from his forehead, as he breathed slowly, heavily, through a huge grin on his face.
"Holy crap..." he said, shaking "I know I shouldn't... I know I should end this as soon as possible... I know I'm tempting the fate, but..."
He turned to Coco, smiling ear to ear.
"...I've never had so much fun in my life!"
Coco turned away from the giggling villain and silently prayed for a miracle.
Sunny sat where she was for a long time. Tired, wounded, with broken clothes and no energy to do anything magical anymore. She pondered on what else could be done, but despite getting some extra time, she knew there was no way she could fight four more people and the real Sombra, no doubt a lot more powerful than his clone. But Sombra was wrong on a few accounts. There was one more thing she could've done. Nobody wanted her to do it, not even the bad guys.
Coco was only held prisoner because of her. If it wasn't for her, there wouldn't be a need for Coco and she'd be let go. All she had to do, was...
She couldn't finish the thought, when she felt something soft and warm envelop her back. She turned her head back, afraid for a moment... until she noticed who it was.
"I would ask how you're feeling, but..."
It was Sunny Flare, wearing the uniform she'd seen her in last time, except without the blouse. It was on the other Sunny now, sending a pleasant warmth through her body. Right next to her was Indigo Zap, in the same messed up, slightly burned and bloodied white shirt and jersey pants. The other three were right behind them. Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet were exactly as she remembered them, but Sugarcoat had some small cuts and bruises on her face.
"Can you stand up on your own?" Indigo asked.
Sunny opened her mouth, but then closed it and turned away. Indigo sighed deeply and crouched next to Sunset, put her hand over her shoulder and helped her stand up. Sunset wasn't resisting at all. Or reacting in any other way.
"Cool, the gang is all here at last," Sour Sweet said sweetly, then soured and added "now we can all die together!"
Sunny Flare smirked. "We survived one calamity before, we'll get through this one too!"
The Shadowbolts looked at each other and nodded. Sunny, the magical one, didn't.
Contrary to what most action movies tell you, not every badass hero makes a fuss while having her wounds treated with hydrogen peroxide infused cotton wool. Though in her case it was less from sheer toughness, but due to apathy. Magical Girl Sunny hadn't said a single words since she was dragged all the way to the school infirmary by the five Shadowbolts and stripped down to her bra and red spats before having her wounds treated. They were thankfully shallow, and the treatment was just Sugarcoat cleaning off the blood while Lemon Zest examined the dress, in particular the three bloody cuts across the back.
Lemon Zest shook her head, holding up the outstretched dress "I don't think anyone could fix this one!"
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes and turned to Sunset. "You can keep my blazer." She said to the magical girl, referring to her uniform blazer lying on the chair next to them. Sunset just shrugged.
The room went silent, save for an occasional groan from the patient. Despite locking the infirmary from the inside, Indigo couldn't help but lean near the door with her arms crossed and listen carefully in case someone came looking for them. Sour Sweet kept herself busy by checking the room for anything useful, but other than medical supplies she found only a few off-brand candy bars and an energy drink, carefully hidden in the nurse’s private stash. She placed them next to Sunset.
"It's not much, but you need all the energy you can get." Sour Sweet said as she sat by Sunset's side. Noticing that she was being ignored, her eyebrow twitched and her tone became more hostile. "Or, you know, you could just collapse from exhaustion after we risked our lives finding and treating you. And I still didn't hear a single thank you."
"Sour, don't push her," Sunny Flare chided, "she had it worse than any of us."
"And that's why she needs to eat, even if it's just empty calories. I swear if she doesn't do it herself, I will force feed her!"
"She's sitting right next to you."
"I barely noticed! She hasn’t said a single word since we found her!" She placed her head right in front of the magical girl. Their eyes met for a second, before Sunset turned away.
"Say something, dammit! I get that you've been through shit and you want this to end, but it's not over yet! Sombra is still out there, students are still in danger and Coco's been through too much already! You both have!" Now it was Sunset's time to look Sour in her tearing eyes, which she quickly averted.
Sour continued. "As much as I want to punch his teeth out, we can't even get close, let alone fight. I know, I tried. You're the only one who stands a chance!" She took a breath and turned back to her. "So kindly walk it off already!"
Sunny blinked. She opened her mouth, but ultimately closed it and looked away again. Sour Sweet sighed, but relented and sat further away, leaving the magical girl alone. The other Shadowbolts didn't say anything either. Sugarcoat only asked Sunny to raise her arms as she bandaged her upper body.
After a moment, they heard a single bang on the wall. They jumped spooked, until they realized it was just Indigo Zap hitting the wall out of frustration.
"Damnit, if only I didn't have that duel, of all the days!" She said and hit the wall again. "If she wasn't beaten up and exhausted after our fight, everything would've been solved by now!"
Sunny Flare walked to Indigo and put a hand on her shoulder. "You only tried to help."
Indigo's eyebrow furrowed. "I know, but still..."
"For all we know, Sombra was waiting for a moment like that. None of this is–"
"That doesn't change anything!"
"Maybe," Sunny Flare sighed deeply, then smiled "but there's no use dwelling on it. All we can do is look forward and fight back, like we always do!"
Only Sugarcoat noticed Sunset twitch. And she was pretty sure it wasn't from the pain.
"Yeah, you're right!" Indigo nodded and smacked her fists. "We're the Shadowbolts, damnit! If that kid thinks he can treat us like we're nothing then he's in for a surprise!"
Sugarcoat saw that Sunset's breathing got harder and deeper.
"So, do we have a plan, Miss President?" Sour Sweet turned to the other Sunny, who was also a student council president. A fact that a lot of people seemed to forget a little too often.
Sunny Flare put a finger on her chin. "Not yet, no. First off, we could use a little more information..."
That's when Sunset Shimmer finally stood up.
Everyone's eyes went toward their heroine, so much different than they were used to. Her clothes were destroyed and weren't coming back, no matter how much Lemon Zest tinkered with them. She was left half naked, with only a white bra and bandages on her top and red spats that she was always wearing under her one piece skirt, covering barely half of her thighs. She ditched the gloves after they got severely damaged by either fire or hitting. The long, white boots were the only thing still relatively intact. She didn't have her mask anymore and she didn't feel a need for it, now that everyone was in on the secret.
But more important than her clothes, gone was the wide-eyed optimism, strong posture or the contagious smile. There were no witty comments left and they didn't remember when was the last time she said her lame catchphrase.
"Oh, finally rejoining the battle?" Indigo said with a smile, walking towards her.
Sunset wasn't smiling. "I... I know what I have to do."
"Yeah! And we all have your back!" She put a hand on her shoulder. Sunset didn't react and avoided eye contact. Indigo kept smiling, despite everything. "Right?"
The atmosphere got tenser, as they waited for Magical Girl Sunny to say something.
"Sombra is... after me." She said. "All of this would've never happened if I wasn't in the school." She paused, then continued talking quietly. "The school would never be attacked, neither would be the police and Captain Shining Armor, and Coco..."
The Shadowbolts looked at each other with concerned looks.
Lemon Zest swallowed. "I don't like where this is going!"
Sunny Flare approached Sunset. "It's not your fault that there's an insane kid with superpowers..."
"I KNOW!" Sunset shouted, withholding the tears. "It doesn't matter! Everything went to crap because of me! And I... and I tried to fix it, but I... I just can't! Whenever I think I can do it, he just proves that he's always five steps ahead of me! And if I try to deviate from HIS plans, I risk someone else taking the bullet and I just... I can't take this kind of responsibility!" She lowered her head. "And I was a fool for ever thinking I could!"
A moment of silence passed by. Some of the girls thought about offering some consoling a hug or two maybe, but they doubted it would've made anything better.
"So what are you going to do?" Indigo asked. "You're going to leave everyone? You're just going to leave Coco?"
Sunset sighed heavily. "The hostages are all... mostly from rich families. A few millions dollars for the safety of their children is a small price to pay. And those who can't pay, Sombra has no use for them. He'll release them when they stop being useful. Probably. Coco's mother is just a secretary, he won't be getting any money from her. She's in there only because of me. There is no point in keeping her... once I stop being the problem."
Indigo's eyebrow twitched. "Oi, what are you planning?"
The magical girl looked away as she announced. "I'm sorry..." she started tearing up again. "...I-I never gave you a chance, but now I realize that... even after I kept pushing you away, all you wanted was to help me. I never appreciated that, until now, so... thank you. For all it's worth."
Indigo looked at her equally confused friends. "You're starting to creep me out!"
After another moment of silence, where it seemed like Sunset had gathered enough courage to say something, it was Sugarcoat who asked the hardest question.
"Why do you talk like you’ve accepted your death?"
Everyone's blood froze in their veins. Their stares were all wide and concentrated on Sunset Shimmer. Much to their chagrin, she didn't deny it.
"It's... the only way."
A moment of silence passed.
"I-I can bargain with Sombra. Trade Coco and others for my-"
SMACK!
She wasn't allowed to finish the sentence, when Indigo Zap punched her right into her face, sending her into the wall and knocking over a framed picture.
"Indigo, what the hell?" Sour Sweet lashed out, but was swiftly ignored.
"No!" Indigo yelled. "Over my dead body! What the hell are you even thinking? That you can fix this whole problem by committing suicide!"
As Sunset slowly got up and calmly wiped blood from her mouth, Sour Sweet approached Indigo.
"And what the hell are you trying to achieve by beating her up?"
"That's the only language she understands! I got her to sober up by punching her once before, so if that's what it takes, then I'll do it again and as many times as I have to!"
"Indigo, calm down!"
"I'M PERFECTLY CALM! She's the one who gave up and wants to kill herself!"
Sour Sweet groaned and wanted to continue, but she was pushed aside by someone behind her and before anyone could react...
SMACK!
...Indigo was punched straight into the wall with a loud thud, shattering an empty glass vase off the table.
"YOU THINK I WANT THIS!?" Sunset shouted as Sunny Flare quickly grabbed her from behind and stopped her from going further. "I tried, okay? I pushed myself harder and further than ever before and it still wasn't even close! I-I can't do this! It was easy to make mistakes when all I risked was my own skin, but I... I can't afford it anymore!"
Indigo also wiped some blood and stood up, but couldn't step forward when Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat grabbed her by her hands, together barely keeping the strongest girl/student person in Crystal Prep in check.
"And that's why you accepted defeat? How can you be so selfish to think everyone will just accept it? Do you think Coco will be happy with this?"
"Of course not! Because she would do the same to me! But I won't let her, because... I won't let her..."
The conversation went on for some time, but at this point it was mostly pointless shouting and repetition of the same points, so Lemon Zest didn't even bother entering the conversation. She had nothing new to add and nobody seemed to notice her at this point, as she sat in the corner, with Magical Girl Sunny's dress laid on her knees, bloodstained side up. She hoped looking at the dress and all its features would somehow inspire her with some ideas, but it just reminded her of how high the stakes were. The orange, now partially red, fabric reminded her of better days and of a friend who made it. A friend that she was on the verge of either losing or trading for another.
And then she looked closer at the collar...
"Well, that escalated quickly!" Sombra said to himself. He couldn't see how the situation looked inside the Infirmary because they had disabled the camera. Sunny seemed apathetic herself, but the other five weren't happy with voyeurism. He was slightly disappointed, but even he had his limits. He broke her spirit, but he didn't have to humiliate her that much.
"Well now I feel stupid. I thought she would blow through those six buffoons with ease," he leaned deeper into the chair "all those surprise levels and plot twists will now go to waste! Some lousy level designer I turned out to be."
He waited and listened to the ensuing argument for a moment, before sighing.
"I should be happy I won, but this isn't fun! Miss Pommel, maybe you can tell her something? Last I checked she listens to you, so..." he turned to his hostage and immediately stopped. She wasn't the prettiest sight at the moment.
She was nervous, scared and shy before, but now that the situation had escalated to this point, she just stopped moving altogether. She froze on her chair, hands tightly gripping her skirt and head down so low that he couldn't see her eyes anymore.
"Or not." He turned back to the black out monitor. "Whenever you're ready."
Lemon Zest looked at the set of dark orange buttons around the collar much closer. Her eyes widened as she noticed something she did not expect.
"Girls!" She said to the others, but...
"Coco would never let you just give up like that!" Indigo Zap lashed out, her advancement only stopped by the combined forces of Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat.
"Don't try to stop me! I made my decision already!" Sunny lashed back, with Sunny Flare keeping her mostly in check for now.
"Girls!"
"That's a !@#$^& stupid decision and you know it!"
"Then what am I supposed to do? Fight until I'm dead, so he can laugh his ass off even more?"
"Girls!"
"I don't know, but I wouldn't give up until I found her!"
"I don't even know where she is! You think I would've given up if I..."
"GIRLS!
SHUT
THE
F@#K
UUUUUP!"
The last word resonated through the room, as well as their own ears and souls. All five girls immediately stopped when they noticed the even redder face of Lemon Zest. The usually calmest Shadowbolt gave the entire group a massive glare, to the point that most of them had no desire to respond. Sour Sweet opened her mouth but was shushed before saying a single word. Same thing happened to Sunny Flare when she tried to communicate.
As soon as she was certain that nobody would utter a single word she gestured them to come closer. A few eyebrows were raised, shoulders shrugged and eventually Indigo and Sunset were released, begrudgingly nodding a ceasefire. The five moved in close to Lemon Zest, who pointed her other hand at the dress on her knees. At first they raised an eyebrow in confusion, but soon enough they noticed it.
"Tha-" Indigo tried first.
"SHHH!"
"Is-" Sugarcoat tried second.
"SHHH!"
Six sets of eyes were concentrated on what looked like a black button that Lemon pulled out from the dress' collar. At first it seemed to be just an out of place button, slightly bigger and of a different color than the usual orange buttons that were there, but the closer they looked it started to resemble a single, tiny microphone. Their eyes widened and they barely withheld themselves from gasping loudly.
Sunny Flare grabbed a stack of stick'em notes and pen from the desk, quickly wrote something on it and placed it on the dress for everyone to see.
BUG?
Lemon looked at the other girls and nodded. Sunny Flare took a deep breath and raised her finger up for everyone to see and waited. Moments later she started pacing around the room, moving her lips as if whispering to herself, circling around the room frantically, finger up at all times. Sunset Shimmer looked at her slightly confused, then noticed that one by one, all the Shadowbolts were starting to relax and carefully observed their school president.
A minute of pacing around later, Sunny Flare finally stopped and turned to Sunset Shimmer. The two exchanged glances for a moment, though Sunset's eyes wandered away, slightly embarrassed and confused over the attention.
After one short breath, Sunny Flare finally started talking.
"Okay, so what now?" She started, while also waving her hand around in a circular motion, in a 'roll with it' way. "You'll just take off the earrings and present yourself to him, powerless and helpless, begging for mercy?"
As expected, everyone's eyebrows were raised, most of all Sunset's, as unlike her friends, she failed to read the motives of the other Sunny. "Wha-"
Indigo quickly interrupted her. "But without them she's just a regular person! And nobody else can use their powers!"
Sugarcoat fixed her glasses and took over. "And if you explain that to Sombra as part of your bargaining, he will want them all for himself. And then he will be even more powerful than before."
"You think he could unlock its powers?" Lemon Zest joined in, sounding as concerned as she could muster, all the while holding a note with a 'PLAY ALONG' hastily scribbled over it. "Nobody else managed it before!"
Sour shrugged, but played along as well. "After everything we saw him do? I wouldn't be surprised if he knew some kind of universal magical password,” she smiled and continued in a Sweeter tone "not that it will make any difference once we're all dead!"
Sunset blinked. She looked at all five Shadowbolts, smiling and nodding at her. Everyone in this room knew that her powers didn't come from earrings or any other item, because all of them had been there when she got them. Whatever Sunny Flare had in mind, if it were to fail then the consequences would be even more severe, not just to her, but to everyone else. It was in their best, mutual interests, to stop this farce before it got too far. It was the right thing to do.
"I... I..." she breathed heavily, building up the courage to ruin the con they were hastily trying to pull of.
"We'll keep them safe for you," Sunny Flare continued, her eyes glaring at Sunset Shimmer "if you won't fight anymore, then let us at least protect them. Maybe someday, someone else will be able to use their powers."
Sunset's breathing got even heavier. The five Shadowbolts looked at her expectedly, each drilling her with their eyes and waiting patiently, seemingly trusting her to make the right decision. That was the feeling she got from all of them. And she appreciated it, a lot more than she ever imagined. She was grateful for their support, but that only made the decision to involve them even worse. Now she cared about them even more and couldn't bring herself to harm them in any way\{ She opened her mouth and was about to make her final decision...
Sombra hummed, fiddling with the necklace even more.
"I knew there was something peculiar about those earrings," he giggled to himself "this is starting to get interesting all over again."
Coco meanwhile kept sitting as she was, intent on not drawing his attention to herself.
There must be something... anything... even if it's a little bit, if only I could help...
She looked around. The fire extinguisher looked tempting, but just as futile as before. Nothing could be used against Sombra, not by her. The best idea she had was splashing him with hot water, but her teacup was both almost empty and lukewarm at best.
Wait a second... She looked at her cup for a moment, until her eyes widened. I got it!
"I-I want to talk to her!"
Sombra jumped and almost fell of his chair, turning toward the tiny girl as she looked at him pleadingly.
"I want to... to say something to... to Sunny!" She said, forcing every ounce of courage she had into that sentence.
Sombra blinked. A smile crept onto his mouth, which then turned into a laugh.
"Haha, for a moment I thought you were going to hit me with a chair or something, yeesh!" He waved his hand, as a small shadow appendage came out of his shoulder and grabbed the microphone he was using. "I promised you, I guess."
Coco breathed heavily, as a shadow tentacle moved the microphone toward her. But just before she grabbed it, Sombra stopped it mid-air.
"If you say something about where we are, or anything else you shouldn't... well, I don't need to remind you what will happen!"
Coco swallowed and nodded. Satisfied, Sombra moved the microphone into her hands. She took a few deep breaths and firmly pressed the button.
Here goes nothing!
The PA speakers went on just before Sunset was about to say something. But this time, it wasn't Sombra's voice coming from it.
"Hello Sunny, can you hear me? It's me, uhm, Coco."
Shadowbolts looked up at the speaker, each of them shocked to suddenly hear Coco's voice, though nobody was more than Sunset Shimmer.
"W-well, I just wanted to say that I'm okay and, and, I'm not hurt or anything, so you don't have to worry about me... I, uh, I'm... I'm sorry," while they couldn't see it, they heard the sniffing and trembling in her voice "I asked you for... for too much and I," more sniffing sounds "I hope you ca-can fo-forgive me!"
The distortion from the speakers wasn't gone, which meant the PA system was still active, but there was a pause in Coco's talking. The Shadowbolts all looked at Sunset. Just when they thought she was all out of tears, they found out that she wasn't. But despite the unflattering stream running from her eyes, she didn't seem sad to hear her voice, for what had to be first time in days.
"You dummy..." Sunset said "It's not like you did anything wrong... if anyone should apologize, it's me!"
She stopped and her head lowered even further. Indigo was about to approach her and offer some consolement, but Sunny Flare stopped her and shook her head.
On her end, Coco also wasn't able to stop her tears from coming. She wanted to talk to her all this time and even though this wasn't how she wanted it, she was happy to have this much. She wanted to respond and comfort her, but she struggled to stop herself from talking back.
If I talk to her directly, Sombra will figure out they found out about the bug and about the earrings. Whatever they are trying to do, I can't let their plan go to waste!
She wiped her tears with her sleeve.
Please understand it, Sunny!
"I-I know this is hard, but I want to let you know, that even without your earrings, or without your powers, you are still my hero, a-and my best friend. And nothing will ever change that!"
While Sunset was busy crying, the shadowbolts widened their eyes and looked at each other.
"The time we were together... creating your clothes, eating together in cafeteria, gossiping while drinking the Yellow Gold Tea after school, sharing little secrets... t-those were the best times of my life and I-I would do anything to get it back!"
Out of all the listening girls, it was Sunny Flare who raised her eyebrow in confusion, until a realization made her smile slyly.
"S-so, if I can have any last request, I... I want you t-to..."
She stopped to inhale, then...
"DON'T GIVE UP! I know you can achieve anything, so please, don't stop fighting! Don't let this arrogant bastard think he can mess with Magical Girl Sunny and win!"
And then the PA system was turned off.
Coco breathed heavily after the last sentence, still high on adrenaline. Like last time, it quickly wore off. Sweat came from her forehead as she looked at the bemused look on her captor’s face.
"I-I-I me-mean, I, uh..."
Sombra just rolled his eyes. "None taken."
The PA system was turned off after that. Sunset stood in place for a while longer, breathing heavily, until she turned to the shadowbolts.
"So, what now?" Sugarcoat asked. "Are you giving up like you planned, or did Coco's speech change your mind?"
Sunset swallowed. Her throat was dry as a desert, no doubt because she cried out all the fluids just now.
"I... I won't let him get away with this!" She said through her teeth. "If he wants those earrings, he will have to rip them from my dead body! But not before I SMACK his face. With. My. FIST!"
A lot of cheering ensued.
"Oh yeah, she's back, baby!"
"Figured this would happen."
"Go Sunny! Not yo- actually, both of you!"
She was still hurt. Her back was burning, less so after a surprisingly good treatment from Sugarcoat, but she still felt it. She was also getting a little dizzy, dehydrated and probably with severe blood loss, but she felt a new surge of energy passing through her veins.
I almost gave everything up... thank you, Coco. Thank you for reminding me why I'm alive again!
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask before," Sunny Flare said "but I didn't want to sound rude. That dress, as pretty as it is, it's kinda starting to smell of blood, sweat, tears and burns. Like, really bad."
She was met with a few disapproving stares, most of all from Sunset Shimmer. She wasn't the least bothered, as she carefully grabbed the 'bug' that was left on the desk and dress from Lemon Zest and went towards the window.
"What? You're not going to wear it anymore and it can't be fixed, so can we at least not smell it? I'm kinda sensitive to bad odors."
She opened the window, rolled the bug into the dress and was about to toss it out of the window, but awaited the approval. Every shadowbolt understood the point of getting rid of a bug in a way that wouldn't look suspicious. A bug that prevented them from talking honestly between each other. Sunset sighed deeply, but eventually relented.
"You're right, there's no use holding it."
Sunny Flare nodded back. "Once Coco's back, she'll happily make you an even better one." And then she threw it outside.
Sunset waved at the destroyed cloth. Goodbye, old friend!
They quickly lost it from her view, as it got engulfed in the darkness created by the lack of sunlight, courtesy of the dome of darkness outside.
Sombra sighed deeply. "Well darn, that's annoying. Oh well," he shrugged "I got my money's worth from it."
"For the record," Sunny Flare said after she closed the window "it wasn't smelly, I just wanted to start talking normally again."
"We all understood that part, we're not stupid." Sugarcoat said. "I thought we were going to keep up with the con, all the while communicating between each other with notes and gestures."
"I thought about it but there's too much that could go wrong. One of us would eventually slip up or any random thing could come up. At least we're in full control like this."
Lemon Zest raised her hand. "Hey, I can't be the only one wondering why that thing was on your dress, right?"
"Hell if I know!" Sunset said and crossed her arms as she sat on the desk. "That was a new dress, it was either on me or in the room. And until today I only wore it like, three times total!"
"Three times, huh?" Sunny Flare asked. "So, assuming he didn't break into the dorms, because he didn't know where you lived until he heard you talk, he had to do it at one of those outings. Can you remember them?"
Sunset sighed and thought about those moments. "Well, the first one was the very next day... well, after..."
"After Coco left your room and moved to mine," Sugarcoat quickly said "we all know what happened, we don't have time to waste on getting embarrassed or mulling over past events, so just get on with it."
Sunset swallowed. "R-right. Uhm, nothing really major happened there. Guys with machine guns robbing a bank..."
"The usual." Sour Sweet rolled her eyes so hard she was surprised she didn't injure her eye sockets.
"It went well, other than me acting like a jerk to police and bad guys," she sighed "not my best day ever. But nobody got close to me! Not even my allies."
Sunny Flare nodded. "And the other two?"
"The second was, uhm, the same day we accidentally met in the mall," she sighed, but continued before Sugarcoat activated the snark "it was a hostage situation, but it went pretty well and... and..." her eyes widened "that son of a..."
Everyone raised their eyebrows, but nobody was fast enough to ask a question before Sunset exploded with an answer.
"HE WAS THERE!"
Lemon blinked. "Who was where?"
"SOMBRA! He was there, as a hostage!" She gasped. "Ugh, I knew he looked familiar when I saw him today! How could I not recognize him!"
"Stress and maybe he manipulated his image a little today..."
"He hugged me!"
"...excuse me?"
"Sombra! He hugged me after I 'saved' him! He put his hands over my neck and... and...
"That's how he planted it." Sugarcoat said. "That's creepy as hell."
"That's that mystery solved." Sunny Flare said, then coughed. "Assuming the tracker was on the dress this whole time, that would explain how he knew so much about you. Hmm." She hummed, then asked. "Did you talk about Rainbooms? Or the Unicorn Sunset?"
Sunset browsed through her recent memories, to every other conversation she had in the costume, or in a room where it was. Her mind went to several phone talks with the various Rainbooms, most notably Sunset and Diane.
"I did talk to them, but it was mostly about Coco and recent stuff, I don't think I talked about magic at all. And I don't really call Sunset by name, because, well, you know!" She tapped her forehead for some more memories, until she realized something horrible. "Oh. Crap!"
"What is it this time?" Indigo groaned.
"I did mention it, just today! I talked about it with Captain Shining Armor! About everything, the powers, Rainbooms, other Sunset, and oh god I told him everything!"
"When was that exactly?" Lemon Zest asked.
"A-after I panicked and teleported away from the school, I called Captain Shining Armor..."
"Away from the school? So, like, outside the giant dome of darkness?"
"Y-yeah, why...?"
Lemon waved her hand. "This bloody thing blocks all the signals from outside and those bugs are powered by a technology similar to wi-fi. If my (brand new and powerful like a top shelf PC) smartphone can't get a signal from outside, then neither will the tracker. It only works inside the bubble, and even if not, the maximum range is only roughly 300 or so meters, give or take."
Sunny looked at the others, but nobody had problems with that revelation. "And you know all that, because...?"
"Because my family runs Secur A.T., a company that makes security related hardware and software, including cameras, communication devices and bugs. I know all about our inventions and gadgets because, unlike some rich people from this school, I had to work for my allowance, so they had me tinker with some stuff, maintenance, quality control and stuff. They always did said I take the technological genius from my daddy and looks from my mommy, tehe." She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew. I mean, you didn't even bat an eye when I disabled the camera using only a pair of nail clippers," she scratched her head while smiling sheepishly "or you didn't notice it because you had something else on your mind, I guess?"
Sunset's eye twitched for a moment and she was going to open her mouth and ask something, but Sour Sweet was faster.
"Of all the things that you learned today, is THIS the one thing you want to question?"
Sunset paused, then shook her head.
"If there's anything I'd like to know," Lemon Zest said "is how they managed to get their hands on it. That's a prototype, it’s not supposed to be sold until at least next month!"
"My best guess," Indigo said "the Black Market. Because apparently there is one in Canterlot."
"Huh. Yeah, that would explain it. I need to warn my dad about it later."
Suddenly Sunny Flare coughed loudly. "Anyway, now that we're certain that the Rainbooms are not targeted by Sombra, we can focus on the situation at hand."
Sour Sweet turned to Sunset Shimmer and smiled. "Despite her aristocratic roots and princessy behavior..."
"I act princessy?"
"...that wasn't a royal we," she soured and continued "we're doing this together, whether you like it or not!"
"B-but..."
Sour stink eye intensified. "As. A Group! Of SIX!"
Sunset swallowed, but nodded weakly. The compliance cheered Sour to the point of mild Sweetness.
"No," Sunny Flare said "not a group of six. Seven!"
Everyone raised their eyebrows. Lemon Zest started counting them repeatedly, in case she had made a grade school level mistake.
"I don't follow," Indigo flatly admitted "I don't think we'll benefit from Suri's or Upper Crust's help."
Sunny Flare smiled slyly and giggled before announcing.
"You're forgetting Coco."
She was met with even more confused blank stares and head tilting worthy of a kirin.
"Coco's not here," Sugarcoat said "rescuing her is supposed to be part of the plan."
"Oh, it is! But just because she's a hostage and we're nowhere near getting her back, that doesn't mean she's not contributing!"
She was met with even more silence and a quiet 'what?' from Sugarcoat. Sunny Flare palmed her face and groaned.
"What, am I the only one who was paying attention?" Pause. "Come on! We all heard what Coco said, right? Don't tell me you didn't hear her mentioning the earrings, now did you? We all know that your powers don't come from them, but Sombra doesn't! So if he was even a tiny little bit skeptic about this, then what Coco said as part of her 'heartfelt speech' pretty much confirmed it to him!"
There was some surprised gasping and she wasn't even done.
"But that's not all! We also now know 100% that they are together, in the same room and were listening to us all along. That's why Coco played along with our little narrative, even if she didn't understand the whole plan."
"Coco..." Sunset whispered to herself. A welcome, warm feelings started filling her lungs. She spent all this time worrying about her safety and panicking over every little decision that it never occurred to her that she would still do anything to try to help. Just not in the same way anyone else did.
"Cool, but," Sour Sweet added in it's sour entirety "it's pretty obvious that he keeps her close. That doesn't tell us anything we couldn't already figure out."
Once again it was Sunny Flare who disagreed, as she waggled her finger at them.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, except I already know exactly where they are! Because Coco just told me!"
As expected the reactions were unanimously shocked. Even Sugarcoat tilted her head in surprise.
"How did she tell you?"
"Last I checked she was talking to 'Sunset' and only to her!"
"Please don't make us revive the old 'not you' joke again."
Sunny Flare sighed deeply and shook her head. I swear, some of them cheated on the admittance exam. She thought, then perked up and started explaining.
"Not this time, ladies. Sunset," she approached the magical girl "what Coco said was true, right? You had after school tea, just between the two of you?"
"Uh, yeah, but..."
"Who was buying the tea?"
Sunset blinked (everyone else too). "I don't get it."
"Did you get it from some rich person as a gift or did you maybe steal it?"
Sunset's eyebrow twitched. "What kind of question is that? I didn't steal anything! We bought everything with our allowance!"
Sunny Flare nodded. "Splendid! I have no more doubts now!"
Sunset Shimmer blinked, then looked at the other Shadowbolts, hoping this was some inside knowledge thing. Unfortunately for her, the others were just as confused and only offered shrugs and raised eyebrows.
"I highly doubt that what you drank all these times was a Yellow Gold Tea... or was it?"
"I don't think I remember buying that brand, but..."
"Of course you don't. They don't exactly sell one of the most exquisite and expensive teas in convenience stores! You see, Yellow Gold Tea isn't something you just 'get'- you need some deep, worldwide connections to get your hands on even a tiny bag of it. Also, it costs roughly 3000 dollars for a kilo." Pause. "That's around 2,2 pounds, fyi."
Multiple eyes went wide at the revelation.
"Oh, kay, so that's roughly 1363 bucks per pound," Indigo laughed sheepishly "does it also cure acne? Cause who the hell pays this much money for TEA?"
"No, but it is sprayed with edible gold, which adds a very unique flavor to it."
Indigo blinked. "Edible gold?" She asked. Sunny Flare nodded. "Aristocrats."
Lemon Zest mused. "I think I read about it on the internet once."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "And how does this gets us closer to Coco and Sombra?"
"Because shortly before you transferred to Crystal Prep, our own Dean Cadance got married to your friend, Shining Armor. It was a small reception and while none of the Crystal Prep students were invited (Rainbooms were, not that I'm bitter about it), we still organized a 'secret fundraiser' from the entire school. Every single student threw in a few dollars for a wedding gift to our favorite teacher and dean."
"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Lemon Zest said. "We bought her a-"
"Hey! No spoilers!" Sunny Flare lashed at Lemon, who immediately blocked her mouth and silently apologized. "Ehem, the school council (mostly me) decided to buy her an exquisite tea set, one of the best money can buy. We heard her lamenting over losing her previous one and after making sure none of the other guests had a similar idea (we asked Twilight), we bought one of the best ones we could find, along with a sizeable selection of teas of different types."
"Woah, hold up," Indigo protested "I never heard about buying golden tea as a gift! We only got, like, a thousand dollars at best for the entire thing!"
Sunny Flare nodded. "You're right, we didn't. I added this one from my private collection and snuck it into the package without anyone's consent," she looked away, slightly blushing "I wanted to show Dean Cadance my gratitude personally, but I didn't want anyone to find out I smuggled a bag of literal liquid gold, so I hid it from everyone... sorry?"
There was little to no reaction, few shrugs at most. She coughed and continued.
"Until just now, only four people knew about this. Myself, Dean Cadance, her husband, and the person who packed it!"
It took a second, two or five at worst, but one by one all the shadowbolts started figuring out the answer. Sunset was the only one still in the dark, but even she was slowly starting to see where this was going. She remained silent, not wanting to jinx what was going to be a revelation she was waiting for.
"And the people responsible for packing the gift were the members of the Fashion Club! One of them did all the job with packing and I had her swear on her life that she would never, ever tell anyone about our little secret. Guess which of the only two members it was."
That was all Sunset needed to hear to finally figure it out. Her eyes went wider than ever before and she started shivering. Except this time for a much more positive reason.
Sour Sweet's eyebrow twitched as she asked. "So wait a second, are you trying to tell us that Coco managed to sneak a message she sent to Sunny, actually you for once, where she managed to tell us where they are, all of it in plain sight of a maniacal psycho with magical powers that threatened her and everybody for the past hour or so, while playing along a con we still haven't even figured out yet?"
Sunny Flare hummed, then shrugged. "Yeah, that sounds about right. There was no other reason for her to use Yellow Gold Tea or 'little secrets' in an otherwise regular speech, other than to connect it to me, the only person who knew the significance of it."
Sour Sweet blinked, then smiled. "Seems legit to me!"
"Like I said before," Sunny Flare smiled as she said "just because she's away from us, doesn't mean she's not doing what she can to help. She's not just fighting in the only way she can... she's also fighting in a way that only she can!"
"Hell yeah!" Indigo smacked her fists. "I knew she had a badass side to her!"
"Just don't punch her." Sugarcoat said.
"Ugh, I don't punch people!" Pause "Today doesn't count!"
"You threatened me like, less than two weeks ago." Lemon Zest said.
"You knew the risks of taking MY slice!"
"It was getting cold, so..."
"I like my pizza cold, okay?"
Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat looked first at each other, then together at Indigo. "Freak."
The conversation went on a little longer, but Sour Sweet tuned out about halfway in. She wanted to ask Sunset about their near future plan, but the magical girl had already left her previous spot. She found her near the bed where she was once treated, her hands were full of chocolate bars, unwrapped and in the process of being ungracefully devoured.
"Someone regained her appetite." She said, bringing everyone's attention at Sunset Shimmer in the middle of her meal.
Sunset swallowed and replied. "I don't know if it'll help me recover my magic, but calories are calories and I'm about to burn a lot of them!" She took a sip of the energy drink... and immediately spat it out. "Eugh, what the hell is that thing? Sugarfree? Are you serious?"
Sugarcoat passed her a cup of tap water from the sink that had been there all along. They watched as Sunset downed the rest of her energy drink, grimaced as if she had just eaten an entire rotten lemon, then grabbed the cup and drank all the water in a single gulp. Then she burped.
"Excuse me!" She said, blushing.
One eye roll later, Indigo looked at their new de facto leader, Sunny Flare. "So, do you happen to have a plan ready?"
Sunny Flare coughed. "As a matter of fact, I do have a few things that are worth considering."
"Like that whole thing with the earrings?"
Sunny Flare hummed and started explaining while circling around the room again.
"You see, we've heard everything that Sombra was saying over the PA system and he did mention the earrings in passing once."
Sunset reached back in her mind to the conversation on the stage and she remembered him complimenting them once. It never seemed like an important detail.
"We know that Equestrian magic can be transferred here in objects; Princess Twilight's crown; the Sirens’ necklaces; Sci-Twi's magic detector. Assuming that earrings that happen to look like Sunset's Cute Mark..."
"Cutie Mark."
"Whatever... are among them is only natural. And it's not unreasonable to assume that there might be even more out there."
Lemon Zest gasped. "Wait, are you trying to tell us..."
"Sombra has one of those objects too?" Sugarcoat finished.
Sunny Flare hummed. "If Coco played along with us, maybe she already figured it out on her own, hence why she mentioned them."
"Or he outright told her," Lemon Zest suggested "I know I wouldn't resist the urge to gloat about my awesome magical artifact in front of a helpless hostage if I was on his place... what? Wouldn’t you?"
Sunset put a finger to her chin. "So if we could find that object and take it away from him..."
"IF," Sour Sweet interrupted her "he has one to begin with."
Lemon Zest rolled her eyes. "There's the moment killer... again."
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes at Sour Sweet, but eventually sighed. "She has a point, all those theories are sound, but we need more actual, reliable information. And I think I know who to ask..."
After Sunny and the Shadowbolts got rid of the bug and the dress, everything went back to the way it was before, except Coco's spirit was somewhat lifted after she was sure that Sunny wouldn't give up no matter what and she had someone to help now. Sure, she was still trapped with Sombra, but that was only temporary. He seemed to ignore her for the most part, but she wasn't fooled- he was more than ready to repel any signs of rebellion and could squash her like a bug if he felt like it. And even if he was distracted enough to be attacked, she wasn't going to risk it. Not now that her friends were starting to fight back.
But even though she was glad to help in what little ways she could, she was still observing Sombra very carefully, looking for any opening she could use. As little as even figuring out what that golden medallion that he was holding onto was. She couldn't help but feel that it was very important.
"Just ask already, Miss Pommel."
Coco jumped and barely stopped herself from meeping. Sombra was now looking at her, while holding said medallion in plain view.
"You've been staring at it for a while" his head tilted as he smiled slyly "we have time. How about we kill it with a little chat? At worst I won't say a thing, you know..."
Coco looked between his eyes and the medallion. I guess there's no hiding it anymore. She swallowed and took a breath...
Bustle Fuss was no stranger to pain. He was used to getting beaten up by cops, other gangsters and, as of recently, even magical girls. But he was also no stranger to dealing pain and was one of the first ones to volunteer to fight Magical Girl Sunny one on one in Sombra's convoluted, but strangely gratifying, plan. A broken nose, a few broken bones and a mild concussion was the worst that she could do to him and that was not a steep price to pay for a chance to get even with her. Fighting her while she was at the height of her powers? Dumb. Fighting her when she was blackmailed into not using them? That was a once in a lifetime offer to be the one who kicked the ass of the first, and possibly last, superhero that ever existed. It was the single most efficient way to earn street cred, even if he lost in the end.
Even though he was the first one to fall and didn't land a single hit (and was given no chance to try), he had no regrets.
Yet.
"Wakey, wakey!"
SLAP!
He woke up with a massive head- and cheek-ache. His nose was sore, broken and covered with his own dried up blood and he wasn't sure if his bucktooth was going to fall off or not. As his blurred vision got better, he saw the four silhouettes before him, most likely young females. He couldn't move where he was sitting, as he saw that his arms and legs were cuffed before him.
"Good, you're awake," the freckled girl said kindly, before turning more hostile "we have a few questions for you."
He smirked. "I ain't telling you crap!"
She blinked and looked to her sides at the other girls: a blue haired girl in gym pants and a tank top; a short purple haired one in a uniform lacking the blazer, as well as the one he remembered well- Magical Girl Sunny. Without the mask and dress, replaced with a CP blazer, but he wouldn't mistake her for anyone.
He continued. "You think you're safe here? Once they find us, you're all going down with her..."
"We found the bug."
"...and you'll wish you nev-...wait, what?" His eyes widened in panic.
"And did you know that Crystal Prep has a lot of unusual rooms, including a small recording studio? Fun fact: Countess Coloratura, before she was the Countess, recorded her very first single in this room! Do you know what it was called?" Her smiled magnified. "'Soundproof'. Everyone thinks it was 'Spectacle'. That was her second, but the first one she recorded as the Countess, hence the confusion. Ironic, I know."
Bustle Fuss swallowed. He looked around the area more carefully. The room they were in was tiny, barely few feet square, walls covered with some kind of foam and behind the girls he saw a big window and a single door. Tiny beads of sweat started pouring from his body as he tried to keep his composure. Sombra assured him that Magical Girl Sunny wouldn't dare to interrogate them and she'd be stopped before she got a single word out of them, but Sunny wasn't the one speaking.
Sour Sweet suddenly stomped on his chest, rested an elbow on her knee and closed her face to his. She had a sadistic glare unfit for the sweet voice she was using.
"You can scream all you want, but nobody else will hear it. And when you're done, we will ask you some questions," the foot got a little heavier and the voice more sour "and hope to god we like the answers!"
Bustle Fuss swallowed again as the regrets started settling in.
The rigorous, strict rules of Crystal Prep by daylight created the most chilling atmosphere in their halls- a high school full of teenagers where there was barely any noise outside of footsteps and the occasional hushed conversation. Now that it was completely quiet, it felt even more eerie. Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat had to walk very slowly through the hallways of their school, careful to not attract any patrols in the hallway.
Thanks to the nurse's laptop, Lemon's l33t hackzor skills (her words) and a memory stick that had all the software required to break into the school's CCTV systems (that she may or may not copied from her dad's PC with or without his permission, but that was a discussion for another time), they were able to replace the normal feed with looped videos of nothing in strategic places. After gathering what they needed into two duffel bags, they reached back to the recording studio door.
They were gone for less than 20 minutes, but it seemed like the interrogations had concluded. Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap and Sunset Shimmer were outside the booth, looking at them expectedly.
"Did you get everything?" Sunny Flare asked.
Lemon Zest smiled for both of them, as they placed the duffel bags on the table. "Yep! All you asked and more!"
"Did he talk?" Sugarcoat asked.
Sunset Shimmer sighed. "He told us everything. Most of it wasn't good news."
Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat shared a glance, then sat at the two chairs and listened. Sunny Flare coughed and started with a little smile.
"First of all, we were correct about that necklace. According to our hostage, Sombra was really sensitive about it and didn't want anyone near it."
"He went ballistic when one guy tried to touch it," Indigo Zap added "almost got his arm snapped by a shadow tentacle!"
"As concerned I am by the news of his magic being able to easily break bones," Sugarcoat said "it's good to know he has a notable weakness that we could exploit."
"Yeah, that's awesome news!" Lemon Zest said smiling. "Now we just have to get Sunny Shimmy wait, only Pinkie was allowed to say that, but whatever, close to him, so she could snatch it, punch his face into oblivion and call it a day! I mean, you can do that, right?"
Sunny Shimmy nodded. "I can squeeze a few spells before passing out. That's not the actual problem, though."
"What, the four other Mini-Bosses? They'll give up as soon as Sombra falls, right?"
"Except," Sunny Flare interjected "they already know she's running on fumes. As soon as they figure out she can't defend herself, they'll leave the hostages and hunt her, or Sombra, down. As far as they know, Sombra is only a lesser threat than Sunny Shimmy and they would turn on him as soon as she's defeated."
"Please don't tell me this nickname will stick."
"So we need to take them on as well," Lemon Zest hummed "not counting Sunny Shimmy, there's five of us and four of them, so if we take one each, that means... NOT ME!" She was met with a few raised eyebrows, a facepalm and whispered comments she couldn't hear. She looked at her friends and shrugged. "What!? I'll help where I can, but I can't beat up grown men!"
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes. "Fair enough, you're more useful as a support anyway."
"Woo! I'm a girl on a chair, baby!"
"EHEM!" Indigo coughed. "Aren't you forgetting about the 'bad' part?"
Silence. There were no words said for a while, but both Sunnies looked down.
Lemon Zest swallowed. "That wasn't the 'bad' part?"
Indigo shook her head. "The Mini-Bosses weren't all that Sombra had planned. Once they are dealt with, he was supposed to send Sunny Shimmy to the "last level". Remember when he said that he released the other students and teachers? He lied. He put a few dozen of them in the gym and has at least six other guys keeping watch and armed with guns."
Sugarcoat blinked. "It does sound bad."
Sunset groaned angrily. "Those six guys weren't supposed to beat me, only delay and exhaust me! And they did a bang up job of it, too!"
"This is why I insisted on the interrogations," Sunny Flare interjected "now that we know about the worst part, we can start thinking of an actual plan."
"How about 'not barging in the front doors, guns blazing', for one?" Indigo Zap said first. A brief pause later she shrugged. "What? Even I had a plan for Shimmy after I consulted the other Sunset. And you have the bruises to prove it!"
Sunny Flare coughed. "Exactly, we're better than that. And before you question our fighting capabilities, yes, we're not monsters like you. Or Indigo."
"HEY!"
"But we have an ace up our sleeves, a few of them in fact!" Sunny Flare said. She opened one of the bags and presented the contents to the other Sunny.
Sunny Shimmy stared blankly at the content of the bag and nodded. "Oh."
"Just because you and Indigo can fight bare handed, doesn't mean we have to. If we cheat the living hell out of this, then we stand a chance!"
Shimmy pointed at one thing in particular. "Who is using this thing?"
"This one's Sour Sweet's!" Lemon Zest answered. "You wouldn't believe what she could do with this thing... wait, now that I think about it, where is Sour Sweet?"
Indigo pointed a thumb at the recording booth. "She said he was hiding something and she was going to find out what it was!"
Lemon Zest blinked. "...what?"
She turned towards the giant window, where inside she saw her roommate, standing over a tied up, grown up man lying in fetal position, his crying face right under her shoe. She was definitely talking to him, but the soundproof nature of the room prevented anyone from hearing anything. Which was probably for the best.
"Oh... my... god..." Lemon cringed, then turned to the others "are you trying to tell me that the three of you COMBINED don't have a full soul? What were you thinking, leaving him alone with... with HER!"
Sunnies and Indigo shrugged, nervously avoiding eye contact.
"She said she had a hunch and I trust her instincts." Sunny Flare explained.
"I would've done it myself, but I need to preserve my strength." Sunny Shimmy said.
"She gets the job done." Indigo shrugged.
“To be fair, only you have enough guts to stand up to her when she’s 100% Sour.” Sugarcoat commented.
Lemon Zest only managed a facepalm. "You three are a bunch of sociopaths!" She pointed at the window "Those are NOT the tears of a pervert enjoying being humiliated by a high school girl! And he doesn't seem like the type to enjoy an occasional accidental upskirt shot either!"
"You're not exactly better than any of us." Sugarcoat commented. "Also, gross."
"I think she's done!" Sunny Flare announced and pointed at a friend they were glad was on their side, as she left the crying mess and exited the recording booth. She first approached Sunny Flare.
"So, about that lawyer...?"
"You're safe, I'll make sure of that."
"Good!" She smiled as she announced. "Because my hunch was right! He was hiding something important!"
Everyone nodded and awaited the news. Sour Sweet kept silently smiling, breathing heavily, as some sweat passed through her face.
"That's great news!" Lemon Zest said happily. "So, on with it! Does Sombra have a weak spot we can use? Or there's a mole in his midst that we could ask for help? Come on, don't leave us hanging!"
Sour Sweet turned slightly away, her smile slowly faltering.
"Sour, seriously, the more you wait, the more you make us think it's more bad news and it can't get much worse, can it? Of course it can't, it's the worst it can be, right? Right? Sour, say something already!"
Sour Sweet finally sighed and started talking, neither sourly, nor sweetly. "There is one more hostage, but not inside the school. He called it a "bonus level". He made sure there was someone else he could use if everything else failed. He placed her away from the action as someone he could use against Magical Girl Sunny... or the Police Captain."
All faces paled at the same time. There wasn't any doubt what she meant.
"Dean Cadence!" Sunset said, as her heart temporarily stopped beating.
Sour Sweet nodded weakly. "They moved her away from the school just before it started. She's guarded by two armed men in one of the apartments."
"Where?" Sunset asked sternly.
"75th Coltshire Road, third floor, apartment 31."
"That's only a few blocks away from here!" Indigo said.
"They're supposed to move her away to a random place if they don't hear from Sombra every few minutes."
"Weren't all the signal blocked in this dome?" Indigo asked.
"There's a landline in the Dean's office," Sunny Flare announced, before facepalming "of course, that's how they keep in contact with the outside! I should've realized it sooner!"
The room went silent once again.
"So, we're doing it or what?" Indigo asked.
Sunny Flare nodded. "I guess we should start..."
Coco asked and she received her answer. Knowing that Sombra was powered by an object that could be taken away from him was the information she needed to calm down, if only a little. She also realized that there was no way she could do anything about it as long as he kept her on a figurative leash. Close enough that he could keep an eye on her, but far enough that he was able to react if she tried anything. She didn't know if this information would come in handy at any point, but it was better than not knowing at all.
She wanted some information about the power source, but for some reason she got more than she asked for.
"I never hated him growing up."
A lot more.
"I know that in the grand scheme of things he was kinda evil, but it's not like he was a bad person to me, or to my mother. Where I come from, having a shelter, food, water and education wasn't exactly a commodity available to everyone. But he made sure we got all we needed. This is where you should ask where I'm from, Miss Pommel."
Coco meeped and stuttered. "I-I, I mean..."
Sombra laughed. "Relax, I won't bite. But it's a lot easier to talk if there's someone to bounce off of."
Coco blinked. She watched Sombra lounging on the very comfortable looking leather chair, looking at her with the edge if his eye. She swallowed. I never signed up to be a therapist, but here we go...
"W-where are you from?"
"Golgen. A tiny country in the middle east, I wouldn't blame you if you haven't heard about it. It's one of those unstable regions constantly on the verge or during a revolution. One day it's on the map, the other it isn't. I think by now people are so tired that they stopped editing the wiki. And internet sucks there!"
Coco did hear about Golgen in passing. Crystal Prep teaches a lot about the current geopolitical situation, though all the textbooks that mentioned Golgen were sparse on the details. All she knew was that it's a relatively young nation that had several civil wars, subpar living standards and a crystal mine that made their neighbors (and others) interested. And a lot of terrorist activity that went outside the borders, though very little of it was officially confirmed. One name was pretty infamous online.
"Your father... he is the real Sombra!"
"Sombra Senior, to be exact, the original. The most wanted man on earth... until he was caught, at least. And I feel offended with implications that I'm a fake only because I'm not the first one!"
"S-sorry!"
"Nah, no offense taken."
Coco swallowed. Until today, his name was mentioned only as an urban legend. There was no mention of Sombra, senior or junior, in the textbooks.
"I... I heard some rumors. Are they true?" She asked quietly, slowly gaining more courage to speak. It seemed to please her captor.
Sombra shrugged. "Some of them, I guess? He's not a monster, if that's what you mean. Nah, he's as human as all of us... which makes him a monster in a different sense. Meh, semantics. He had powers that most people couldn't comprehend and those that saw them were either on his side, died before knowing what hit them, or were spared to send a message to deaf ears. I mean, who would believe some ramblings of a shellshocked lunatic who saw his entire squad die before his eyes in a gruesome manner, talking about living shadows and a guy impervious to bullets? Now that the existence of magic is publicly confirmed, in no small part thanks to our mutual 'friend', those ramblings sound way more believable. But I doubt he cares about that at this point," he shrugged "now that he's rotting in jail."
Coco couldn't help but hear an odd dose of satisfaction coming from those words. She heard that Sombra Senior was sent to some secluded prison on a lifelong sentence, but she never investigated the details. By the time she was indirectly fighting crime, the world had all but forgotten about "The Terror of Golgen" and she had no incentive to research it.
"You took his powers, didn't you? That's why he was caught!" She said, earning a hushed laugh in response. "You said you didn't hate your father, but that was past tense..."
Sombra sighed, slowly turning his head in her direction. He smiled weakly. "Very perceptive. Just a few months ago that question could get you killed... but that was then, everyone will find out anyway. And really, who could resist the urge to monologue about their dark past? Just a fair warning, there's no happy ending."
Coco nodded, eagerly awaiting the tale. Silver lining to this whole mess: she wasn't going to be bored.
"He wasn't always like this. For most of my life, he was just your typical freedom fighter: a crazy terrorist shedding blood in the name of his people. He cared about his land and his people, just not nearly as much as he did for his family. And he did it like any other middle eastern terrorist- with his small army of loyal followers, machine guns, guerrilla tactics and his own blood, sweat and tears. It wasn't until I was eight. That's when he received more power than any human should have. And eventually, we all paid the price..."
"...and that should be it," Sunny Flare sighed, wiping the sweat of her forehead "as long as we all do our jobs, don't screw anything up and nothing unexpected pops up, we will be fine!"
"So yeah, no pressure!" Lemon commented.
"Any objections?"
Sunset turned to her. "Plenty.... but there's no other way. But still, I don't feel good about leaving all the terrorists to you. Four unarmed guys each, sure, but the gym, with guns and hostages? I've been through moments like this before and I got by only thanks to my magic!"
"Except we don't know exactly how much more you can take. That's why you're only dealing with the two problems none of us can do anything about."
She hated to admit it, but Sunny Flare was right. Saving Dean Cadence meant leaving the dome, which she alone could do. Just teleporting someone else out there was more straining than taking two trips by herself and even if it wasn't, having one Shadowbolt less for later was a poor trade. And then there was Sombra himself. Nobody other than her could get close enough to land a single blow, but if his cowardice was anything to go by, one shot was all she needed. They hoped it was the case, because one shot was most likely all she had left.
She was brought back from her thoughts by Indigo, who gently touched her shoulder.
"We know our strengths. We would never try anything if we weren't sure we could pull it off!" Indigo said with a smile.
It managed to cheer up Sunset, but only just barely. "I guess so. I just can't help but worry about you all. You never fought in a life or death situation."
Sugarcoat shrugged. "There's a first for everything."
"That's what she said!" Lemon quickly responded.
"Lemon!"
"What? She did!"
Sunset blinked. "That was usually my line..."
Indigo coughed. "I'm more worried about you. Are you sure that you can do your part?"
"Of course I can, who do you think I am?" Pause, followed by a nervous laughter. "I mean, I'm used to fighting with magic so I'm not sure how well I can perform without it. And the last few times I tried I almost got my ass handed to me, but hey, I promised Captain I will save his wife no matter what. I just need to step it up, I guess, haha... ha..." she laughed nervously, barely hiding the increasing panic in her eyes.
"Right, about that," Indigo approached Sunset "I've been thinking about your fighting style and I noticed a... weakness. If you want my feedback, that is."
Sunset shrugged. "At this point, I'll take what I can get."
"Good. Because I noticed..."
The two of them walked to the side and conversed in private. While they could hear all that they were saying, they were too busy with their own preparations. In particular, Sunny Flare carefully examined a small black box from the duffel bags.
"Are we doing it?" Sugarcoat asked.
She checked her wristwatch and nodded. "The time is right. Get in positions!"
About this time Indigo and Sunset to concluded their conversation.
"I... I never thought about it that way," Shimmy hummed, but nodded "I'll think about it."
Indigo nodded back. The two didn't say anything else, as Sunny Flare clapped to get their attention.
"Alright, it's about time to move out. I will repeat because it's important, we need to synchronize our movements down to the second and we have a very tiny room for error, so," she raised her hand, revealing the stylish, navy blue wristwatch "we need to synchronize our watches, on my mark."
The other shadowbolts nodded, all raising their hands as well, each having a watch of her own. All except one.
"One problem," Sunset raised her watchless hand "I don't have a watch and the plan requires one, so..."
Sunny Flare smirked. "Yes, I figured as much."
She snapped her fingers and as she did, the other four formed a row behind her, standing still with their hands behind their backs. Sunset raised an eyebrow as the speech commenced.
"Normally this kind of occasion requires a full assembly of teachers and students, a ton of paperwork and a rehearsal, but as the student council president I've been given the permission to omit the rules in special cases, such as weather incidents, wars and terrorist attacks."
"What are you doi-"
"Shush! Don't interrupt my speech! It's hard enough doing it on the fly even without your comments! Rude."
Sunset, confused, raised a finger and opened her mouth, but decided against talking.
"Despite what you might hear from the outside rumors, Crystal Prep is NOT a school for rich people. It's true, most of the students are from the upper-middle and high class, but wealth was never the main factor (though it helped to get the best tutors). What Crystal Prep truly treasures is intellect; the willpower push thyself beyond your limits; as well as the will to sacrifice part of yourself in search for perfection (though that last part has mellowed recently). And among the students are those who exemplify those ideals the most- The Shadowbolts."
Sunset blinked.
"This name is shared amongst twelve teenagers, deemed to be the potential future movers of the world. Future leaders, scientists, artists, athletes and more. Growing up in the shadows, away from prying eyes and distractions, eventually they are meant to strike fast and hard, pushing the world to next level and bringing the much needed change to the status quo. All the alumni did so, each in their own way. This is who the Shadowbolts truly are. This is who they are supposed to be. Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset straightened up.
"Normally the membership is decided by voting of the committee and involves a lot of formalities, however... I saw how you did on the entrance exam, I'm well aware of your current grades, as well as your... extra-curricular activities. It's only a matter of time before the inevitable happens, but since we're short on time I'm willing to stretch my privileges. Sugarcoat?"
The stoic girl walked towards Sunset, pulling a rectangular purple box from behind and holding it in front of the confused magical girl, then opened the lid, revealing its contents.
Inside, sitting atop the red linen cushion, was a wristwatch. It had a small silver frame, with dark purple bottom and contrasting silver dials, the top case made out of diamond-like sturdy looking glass and with a thin matte black leather strap. With a tiny glance to the side she noticed that Sugarcoat was wearing the exact same watch on her hand. And so was Sunny Flare. And now that she was actively searching for it, so did Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet, lifting a bit of their sleeves to show it off. Even Indigo Zap had one, though she was certain she hadn’t been wearing it during their duel.
"Don't let its old fashion design fool you, what this watch lacks in functions like stopwatch or calendar (who needs it when we have smartphones anyway?), it more than makes up for in quality. The case is made out of dense, nigh indestructible crystal, the strap is hardened calf leather capable of withstanding enormous strain and the battery will last for thirty or so years. So far less than five hundred of them were made, they can't be bought with money and have only been given to those chosen to be the Shadowbolts. Those who got it should wear it with pride, just like the title it is attached to."
Sunset blinked again. She looked between the watch and the smiling, but otherwise completely serious Sunny Flare. Sugarcoat interrupted her by pushing the box into her hands.
"The official assembly will be held next month, but unofficially it's already been decided," she cleared her throat as she made the unofficial announcement.
"Congratulations on becoming a Shadowbolt, Miss Shimmer. We expect great things from you!"
Sunset blinked, again and again, switching her wide open eyes between the watch she was given and the hastily made assembly of five. Before a thought of saying anything even crossed her mind, she was interrupted...
Clap. Clap. Clap.
...by clapping from Sunny Flare, soon to be joined by the rest of them in a long round of applause. For the longest time all she could hear was clapping and all she saw were the smiling, confident faces of her new friends. Even Sugarcoat seemed like she was smiling. Or rather, she just realized that she was smiling this entire time, but it was the first time she felt it.
"Th-this..." she finally managed to speak once the applause ended "this is... this is just ridiculous!" She started laughing weakly. "You know y-you could've j-just let me borrow it, or... or..." she said something after that, but it was hard to decipher it between the sniffing and choking on her own tears.
"I know what I'm doing," Sunny Flare proudly admitted "if you don't like it, we could find a diffe-"
"N-no!" She shook her head, while tightly gripping the box she was looking at. The red linen cushion absorbed everything very well, but the tears that fell on the crystal case were there to stay until wiped. "I-it's p-perfect!" She managed to mutter through the tears, as she closed the box to her chest.
Sunny Flare shook her head, also tearing up a little bit, but not nearly as much as the crying mess of a superhero. She looked back at her four friends and exchanged warm smiles with all of them before looking at Sunset again.
"You're welcome, Shimmy! Just to warn you, I'm putting all my credibility on this, so don't you even TRY dying OR failing the next few exams, or else!"
What was once a barely held back flood of emotions just broke, as Sunset let loose and started openly crying in front of the five girls. No longer strangers as she considered them just this morning.
"I think she likes it!" Indigo Zap commented, inspiring a few smirks and giggles from the others.
"She'd better!" Sour said sternly, then smiled. "Because this is where she belongs now, whether she wants to or not!"
Lemon Zest meanwhile distanced herself from the general celebration, about to commence what might be her most risky plan ever. Standing in the middle of the row, with Sugarcoat to her left and Sour Sweet and Indigo to her right, with Sunny Flare in front, she was in the best position she was going to get.
Now or never!
She grabbed Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap by their elbows and rushed forward, pulling the two with her.
"What the..."
"Huh?!"
They were already in motion before they knew what was going on, losing their balance and tumbling forward, catching Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare along the road.
"Lemon, what are you...?"
"Gyah!"
Right in front of them was Sunny Shimmy, still distracted by her new watch and teary eyes. That's why she didn't notice the human pile reaching her until she heard Lemon Zest shouting.
"FORCED GROUP HUG!"
"What..."
CRASH!
They weren't sure exactly how it happened, but they sure felt the conclusion! Sunny Shimmy especially, as she was lying on her back on the bottom of the pile, with Sunny Flare directly on top of her. One photo was all it would take to ruin (or improve?) both reputations, involuterely touching with every parts of their bodies except heads (that miraculously avoided accidental kissingcollisions) and chests, separated by a luckily placed black box. On top of them, lying sideways was Sour Sweet, crushed by the combined forces of Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat, with Lemon Zest atop the pyramid, as the only voluntary member of it.
"Nailed it! Haha!"
"Lemon, what the hell?"
"My ribs!"
"Who's feeling my bu-"
"NOT INTENTIONALLY!"
"Run while you can," Sour Sweet muttered "cause when I get out, I swear I will kill you!"
"Pfft, yeah right! You've been saying this all this time, but the furthest you got was smacking me in the back of my head! Face it Sweetie, you like me and you can't deny it!"
"Mumble, grumble," it wasn't exactly what she said, but it sounded like "I will never admit it!"
"That's nice to hear," Sugarcoat deadpanned "but what was the point of this stunt?"
"It was a perfect moment for a group hug but every time I suggest one, you all reject it because your egos can't handle a few fuzzy wuzzies!"
"Fuzzy wuzzies?" Indigo asked. "What are you, five?"
"Nope, but I'm on top of the Shadowbolts now, suckers! Nyahaha!"
"G-good for you," Sunset Shimmer groaned from below everyone "but I really can't breathe!"
The tower only lasted a few more seconds before collapsing, sending everyone flying all over the tiny room, bringing the much needed air and dignity back to two Sunnies. But even when they collided with the floor and had bumps all over, they couldn't help but keep smiling at each other, until one by one they started laughing at each other. Everyone laughed until...
SMACK!
"Oww! Worth it!"
Sunny Flare cleared her throat. "That was a good... change of pace, but we should go back to fighting crime."
Everyone nodded, got up and wiped themselves from the dust. After putting on the watch, Sunset raised her hand and proudly admired her new addition. Getting her earrings back in the day seemed like a fair reward for her accomplishment, unlike this one. But she didn't want to give it away, instead work harder to earn the right to keep it!
"Okay, synchronizing in 3... 2... 1... go!" On a signal all clicked on their timers and were now displaying the exact same time. "And with that, the preparations are complete. operation 'Superior Shadows' is officially comme-"
"Wait!" Indigo suddenly raised her hand and voice.
"Ugh, what this time!?" Sour Sweet muttered.
"There's one more thing!" She stepped forward and pulled her hand forward, palm downside and looked at the other girls expectedly. They looked at each other and couldn't help but crack a smile, as one after another went forward and added their hand onto the pile, until there was only enough space for one more hand to join them, for the first time.
Magical Girl Sunny was a shadow (no pun intended) of her usual self. She was tired. Wounded. Almost out of magic. Completely out of tears. With most of her clothes destroyed, replaced with a borrowed sweater. No mask. Against more adversity than she ever faced.
And yet...
She slowly walked towards her team and firmly put her hand on top of it. Despite everything, she felt more confident than ever before.
"Let's do this!" She stated, getting a nod back.
"Let's show them what real shadows can do!"
"They've got nothing on us!"
Indigo finally announced. "Okay, on my count!"
Looking at the five new friends around her filled her with the kind of power she never felt before.
"Three."
She had a suspicion of what it was, but she didn't want to jinx it by even loudly thinking about it.
"Two."
There was one more thing she lost along the way: her earlier fear was gone.
"One."
Because with friends like that, she no longer considered defeat an option.
A loud yawn went across the classroom. Knuckle Duster was told to patiently wait for Magical Girl Sunny or any signal from Sombra, but he didn't realize it was going to take this long. There was only so much snooping around the mostly empty classroom until he ran out of leaflets, message boards (physical, not online) and algebra textbooks to alleviate his boredom. His hostage was useless. A tall but lanky tanned boy with overstylized blonde hair who went into a panicking frenzy when he so much as looked at him, so he just stopped looking altogether and probably wouldn't notice if he disappeared. Which for sure wouldn't happen now that he knew Magical Girl Sunny was almost out of power.
And speaking of which, he suddenly heard her voice coming from his walkie-talkie.
"Sombra! I know you can hear me!"
Sunny Shimmy stood alone on the hallway, a few dozen feet away from the recording room, holding a borrowed walkie-talkie, with no mask, no dress, wearing only a borrowed uniform top.
She didn't wait long for the answer.
"Ah, back from the dead finally?" A familiar voice answered from the PA system. "Can I help you?"
Sunny swallowed, glancing slightly behind her. The doors to the recording room opened and four girls carefully exited it, nodded to her then rushed in the opposite direction. The hallway they went into was masked with fake camera footage, courtesy of Lemon Zest and her mad hacking skills.
Just keep talking to him for five minutes and stay within the security cameras range at all times, she remembered Sunny Flare's instructions. As long as your footage is legitimate, he shouldn't have a reason doubt the other ones.
Sunny took a deep breath. "I have a proposition."
"I'm listening."
"I'm getting tired of this game, so why don't we settle this by ourselves? Just you and I, and if-"
"Yeah, no. That wasn't the deal. I didn't go through all this trouble of making all the rules to just skip the-"
"Geez, at least let me finish!"
"You have nothing more to offer, but by all means..."
She swallowed and looked at her watch. Only a minute had passed. I need to stretch it a bit more. "You know what, maybe you're right. It's not like you need any more power than you already have."
"...excuse me?"
"I was about to offer you a change of rules- if I win, well, I win and nothing changes. But if you win, then atop of whatever you're aiming for, I would tell you where I got my powers!"
There was a longer pause in the conversation. She assumed Sombra turned off the PA to laugh in private, maybe comment to Coco about how he could see through her deception. Yes, she was lying and she knew Sombra knew and she knew exactly what the end results would be. He was still under the impression that it was her earrings that gave her powers and that she was going to use them as her bargaining chip, which he would otherwise obviously just take by himself from her corpse, if he had to. None of this mattered at the moment. She was only buying time for the others as she slowly walked towards her next destination, carefully counting the steps per second so she wouldn't get to her destination too fast.
The PA was turned on again.
"That's a very interesting proposition, if it wasn't full of crap. Do you take me for a fool, Sunny?"
"Is that a rhetorical question or do you want an honest answer?" She deadpanned. "Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to be cynical. Or could I? You made up so many rules I lost track of half of them."
"Oh yes, sure, mock me more. I'm sure it won't backfire in any way."
"Mock? Please, it's just friendly banter between two magical people that want to kill each other. You wanted to be treated as an equal, didn't you?"
Small pause.
"Touche. So, about your proposition?"
"And what am I supposed to tell him?"
Sunny Flare shrugged while drawing a map of Crystal Prep. They were still at the brainstorming phase when this question came up.
"Just make something up. As long as it looks like you're trying to bait him out, you might as well talk about potatoes. Just make sure it takes exactly five minutes and you end up far away from any of us and find a place to leave the school for a few minutes."
"Like where?" Sour Sweet asked. "If she stops responding for even a moment he will start suspecting something!"
"What excuse would warrant a several minutes long absence?" Sugarcoat asked.
As the group tried to think of a place and a good excuse to disappear, it was Lemon Zest who gasped as she had the most brilliant idea.
Sunset spent the rest of the allotted time moving carefully towards her destination, weaving a story for her villain (and by proxy his lackeys) along the way. Knowing that Sombra was more than less convinced of the earrings idea, all she had to do was invent their origins. She steered the conversation as far away from Canterlot High as she possibly could and focused on one place she was aware of that was close and vague enough for the story to work:
Everfree Forest.
Her story was that she was once attending Camp Everfree (she wasn't), which she knew was a thing from local rumors of being a mystical forest of some sorts. Supposedly, during her camping trip she stumbled upon a cave where she found the earrings, along with some ancient texts on the wall that she couldn't decipher. She promised Sombra that if he won, she would show him the place. And if not, she would take this secret to her grave. It sounded about as authentic as she could hope.
As expected, he didn't buy it.
"Which book did you steal this story from? I might actually read it on a slow day."
Sunny rolled her eyes. "Fine, don't believe me!"
Sombra sighed. "Sunny, you're trying too hard. Did you really think you could bait me out with something like this? I mean it's better than previous attempts, but it's still pretty pathetic."
She arrived at her destination just as the five minute mark was approaching. She counted the seconds in her head, while Sombra kept talking.
"I don't know what you're planning, but it's not as funny as you think it is. So unless you go back to MY game, I will start taking out my frustration on miss Po-"
"Hold that thought!" Sunny interrupted him, as she opened the door to the girls room. "I need to take a dump."
The PA system made a few muffled noises, as if whoever was holding the microphone just fell on the floor. She was facing the entrance, so no camera registered the satisfied smirk she had on her face as she imagined him falling of the chair. It was the first time she truly caught him off guard. It was far from satisfying her deepest desires, but she was still going to savor it regardless!
Sour Sweet's eyebrow twitched. "Really? A toilet?"
Lemon Zest nodded happily, smiling ear to ear, even though everyone matched Sugarcoat's nonplussed expression. Not for long, because as soon as Sour Sweet tried to say something, she stopped herself to think for a bit.
"That's... actually a good idea!"
"I know, right! The camera inside is pointing at the entrance and sinks, at the angle where you can't see the reflections in the mirrors! And there are no cameras in the stalls. Obviously."
"I don't know about that," Indigo said, scratching her head "he'll suspect something, for sure."
"That's even better!" Sunny Flare said. "He'll definitely send someone to check," she pointed at one of the toilets on the map "it takes at least five minutes to walk there from the gym, so instead of the gym guys, he'll need to send one of the mini-bosses. And we can deal with them!"
"What if he comes by himself?"
"He won't," Sunny Flare smirked "because this has 'ambush' written all over it!"
Coco waited for an opportunity to act ever since she was dragged in the dean's office, but the toilet comment threw her off the balance too, though not enough to actually fall from the chair. Guess I'm a little more used to it. Sombra was a bit less composed than before, at least.
"What the hell...?"
"I've been holding it in for a while now," Sunny's voice came out of the walkie-talkie "so I need to use the toilet, numbers one AND two. As people sometimes do. Yes, even girls."
Sombra's eyebrow twitched. "Are you kiddi-?"
"If I'm gonna die on camera, I'd at least like to do it on an empty bladder, thank you very much!"
Sombra was, for probably the first time since they met, at an actual loss of words. He looked at the camera feed, all of them, expecting some sort of ambush. All the hallways were clear and he had eyes everywhere. Except the nurse's office, where the camera was disabled. It was probably where the Shadowbolts were still waiting, if only because he couldn't see them anywhere else. Not that he was concerned about a bunch of non-powered teenagers.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Please don't talk to me while I'm sitting on the toilet, you're already creepy enough."
"And what if he actually decides to come by himself?" Sour Sweet asked.
This gave them something to think about, but the answer appeared fast and simple.
Sunny Flare smiled as she announced. "We still have someone who can deal with that!"
"Can Coco still hear me?" Sunset asked through the walkie-talkie. "Be a darling and entertain our guest while I'm away, could you? Thanks." That said, she left the walkie talkie on the ground and entered the toilet, closing the door behind her.
Sombra switched to an inside camera, where she indeed entered one of the stalls and disappeared from his view. He blinked, then turned, completely deadpan, at Coco.
His already sheepish hostage smiled even fakier and shrugged. "She's uh... she's not pretending, actually. That's how she usually acts... it took some time to get used to it."
That sounded like she wanted me to stall. Okay, I'll do my best!
Sombra looked back at the monitors. "I see." After one quick look at the hallway where she left her walkie talkie, he pulled his own and made a call.
As soon as Sunset closed the stall, she sat on the closed toilet seat and reached out inside her borrowed blazer to pull out a second walkie-talkie. Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest grabbed it while they were searching for tools and weapons from her second opponent, the one who was guarding Suri. Leaving her old one at the doors was meant to make Sombra and his lackeys less shy about communicating between each other. And it quickly paid off.
"She's planning something," Sombra's voice came out of the walkie-talkie "someone check out the girl bathroom on the first floor."
"I'm on it!" One of the other voices quickly responded.
She had no idea which one it was or where he was coming from, but it wasn't her problem. And she didn't mean it in a negative way, it was just part of the plan that they all agreed on. She had her job, they had theirs and she trusted them to do their part, just as they trusted her. She checked her watch, but not because she wanted to see what time it was.
Good luck everybody!
She took a deep breath, then teleported out of the school.
After hearing Sombra's order, Knuckle Duster was literally the first person to answer. Even getting smacked in the face by Magical Girl Sunny sounded more entertaining than keeping an eye on a wimp who was on the verge of pissing himself. Attaching his walkie-talkie back to his belt he started making his way to the exit, but only got halfway there when the door opened.
He took guard, but quickly lowered it when it wasn't a Magical Girl of any sorts who greeted him.
"Sup'!"A teal haired girl in track pants and a dirty white t-shirt smiled at him, as she slowly walked toward him. "Sunny had a potty emergency. I'm filling in!"
"What the... who the hell are you? And how did you get here?"
"Indigo's the name and really, I just walked in. It's not like you put a barbed wire around the doors. Anyway, I'm here to save the... the..." she stopped on her tracks. She pointed at the hostage, while her face went a bit more sour. "Seriously? Trenderhoof, of all people?"
Knuckle Duster blinked, then looked back at his hostage, who was a bit calmer now. More than that, he seemed very happy to see the girl, giving off a smile that could be seen despite the gag.
"He's been hitting on me for months now," Indigo explained, using a tone that implied she was holding back some vomit "some crap about how masculine girls make him feel safe. Ugh, great, now he'll pester me even more!" She turned to Trenderhoof, whose eyes were now somehow shaped like hearts. "For the last time, you're not my type!"
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Knuckle Duster finally exploded in anger, moving his hand toward Indigo. "And if you don't, I will shu-!"
SMACK!
He was suddenly punched right in the face, which made him walk back a few steps, almost making him topple some of the desks behind. As the shock went away, he wiped his nose, which was now a bloody mess. He took another look at the girl, who smiled viciously at him and motioned him to 'Come at her'. This was his first urge- beat up the insufferable broad who cheap-shotted him, but...
She's working with Magical Girl Sunny! He took a step back and tried to discreetly pull out his walkie-talkie. I need to warn the others! He managed to get it right up to his mouth, almost pressed the button, when the device was suddenly roundhouse kicked out of his hand.
"Tsk, tsk, no tattle telling!" Indigo wagged her finger at him, as he massaged his aching hand.
Seeing as the walkie-talkie landed under the pile of desks, way beyond his reach, he decided against getting cheap-shotted for a third time and raised his guard. The two looked each other in the eyes, until he struck first, lunging at the girl with a straight punch. Indigo easily avoided the strike by lightly swaying to the side, letting the fist fly only an inch away from her face. He didn't end it there and quickly followed with his second hand, which met similar fate. Few more punches flew her direction, all missed the target, at best grazed her hair.
He stopped his flurry to take a breather. His eyes went wide with the scary realization that he wasn't just narrowly missing- she was letting him miss by a tiny margin, but no more, using the absolute minimal effort required, saving all her energy. Unlike him.
"That all you got?" She asked, stepping forward. She couldn't help but chuckle when he stumbled backwards in response. "My turn!"
He had no time to dodge, but managed to cover his face, blocking the ensuing punch that would've knocked at least one of tooth out if it connected directly. Before he truly registered the indirect hit, he strongly felt her foot almost burrowing into his stomach, making him not only release the air out of his lungs, but also loosen the guard, separating his hands and creating a gap big enough so a single uppercut slipped right under his chin and sent him flying what felt like into stratosphere, in actuality only few meters away, right on his back.
He was on the verge of losing his conscience, but the impact managed to fuel enough of his anger to keep him awake. He sat down on the floor and looked at his opponent. She wasn't moving from the spot, but had her guard up, swaying light on her feet and awaited his next move. Wishing he had a gun or at least a knife with him he looked around around for anything to use. The only thing within reach were the rows of school desks on his right. He reached to one of them for support while getting up, then quickly grabbed it by the legs, raised it above his head and turned toward the girl.
Indigo didn't move at all and waited, no emotions showing.
That's when he rushed at her, taking a long, mighty swing overhead, aiming straight at her head. She still refused to budge as the object got dangerously fast. Trenderhoof tried to yell something through the gag, but was ignored by both of them.
Just before the impact, she raised her hand above her head, her tightened forearm colliding with the side of the desk, stopping it dangerously close to her face.
For a moment, the two stood in the same place, the hands holding the desk fruitlessly trying to push it, as if hoping it would do anything, into the girl who held it above herself with close to no effort shown. Slowly but surely the bloodlust in Knuckle Duster's eyes weakened, being replaced by the realization of what just was happening at the moment, what happened less than a minute ago and what would most likely happen next. And with that realization came a ton of cold sweat, dread and regret over his poor life choices leading to this moment.
Indigo sighed. "You wouldn't last a minute with Sunny..."
She twisted her arm, grabbed the side of the desk, pulled it out of his very weak grip and tossed the desk behind her, creating an audible crash as it fell.
"...neither of them!"
He only had time to 'meep' and cover his face before the inevitable execution. He didn't see, but felt the next punch, as it hit his hands, sending the leftover impact right into his face. She didn't end there, immediately sending another punch, equally as powerful. And then another. And another. And another. He stopped counting after the fifth one, which was the one that ultimately led to him lowering his hands and exposing his face, which took the rest of the hits. Whether it was ten, twenty or a hundred, he had no idea, because he lost consciousness halfway through, taking the rest of the blows in his sleep.
Eventually, Indigo stopped on her own accord, letting the unconscious body sway for a moment, before collapsing on his back.
Indigo scratched her head and sighed. "Pft, what a drag!"
After making sure her opponent wasn’t getting up and using the plastic cuffs she got from Sunset, she finally went to the part she was looking forward to the least. Trenderhoof was very livid, blushing as he couldn't take his eyes off of her when she moved toward him.
With a heavy sigh, she took off his gag.
"I knew you would come for me, my amazonian goddess! Our fates were connected from the day we first met and destiny will always make us cross pat-MPH!"
Then immediately put it back on.
"Yeah, how about no?"
She grabbed the chair by the back and pulled it after her, with a confused Trenderhoof still roped to it.
I said I will take him to safety, but I never said I will free him.
Fleur de Lis, ranked as the #1 hottest girl in school according to the boys in an online poll (also voted #1 potential trophy wife by the super jealous girls who combined got less than half of her votes) was beyond terrified when this whole thing started and she was bound and gagged in the French classroom to be used as bait. But as time passed, the fear for her own life slowly gave way to fear for Sunset Shimmer, aka Magical Girl Sunny (unless she was wrong about it, but come on!), when she figured she was too valuable alive and unharmed. But right now?
"It was 'That's so Sparrow', right? No? Darn, thought I had it this time."
She was mostly annoyed.
When she was first abducted, she thought the weird stares her captor was giving her were a prelude to something... well, much sinister and disgusting than what it turned out to be. He was right about one thing though: she was a child actress and starred in a very popular sitcom on TV. She even landed a few minor roles in big budget movies, though she missed the chance for the Daring Do movie, much to her chagrin. What he was wrong about, was everything else.
"Oh, I know, how about 'Dragon and Jokes'? No, that's not right... hmm, it wasn't 'iStarly', wasn't it? Tsk, I only saw the pilot of that one."
Fleur sighed deeply, shaking her head. I would've told you which one it was, if only to shut you up, if you could TAKE THIS BLOODY GAG OFF OF ME FOR A DARN MINUTE! Unfortunately for her, the thought didn't cross his mind, either because he was too stupid or was under orders to never ever take it off. Which was a smart move in hindsight, because she was really tempted to take any occasion to bite off his finger if it ever got close enough to her mouth. The potential satisfaction was almost worth getting slapped for.
"Oh, I know! It you were Sirely, from 'Lavender and Sirely'!"
Fleur rolled her eyes as hard as she could, make-up be damned. That one stopped airing before I was even BORN!
The neverending game of TV trivia came to an end when the door to the room opened and someone walked inside. Blackjack's (that was his name) heartbeat rose, until he noticed it wasn't who he expected it to be.
"You're not Sunny!" He said.
"Actually, yes I am. But not that one."
Something about the girl seemed oddly familiar. She had short, purple hair with some pink strands and wore a crystal prep uniform except for the blazer. As soon as she entered the room, she put a small purse on the side, then kept looking at him, with both her hands behind her back. She kept a calm and professional demeanor all the way, with her face raised slightly higher and eyes directly at him, giving the impression that she looked down on him. Which she did and she was was not afraid to show it.
It took him a moment, but eventually the dots connected.
"Oh, I see," he smiled, leaving Fleur behind to move slightly closer "you're Sunny Flare! Daughter of Scorched Flare, THE owner of this school and about forty percent of the Canterlot."
Sunny Flare nodded. "It seems like you did your research."
"We have a list of the potential hostages based on their worth in dollars, and yours? Is two times higher than everyone else combined! When we couldn't find you, at first we thought you had skipped class or called in sick. And here I thought we would lose all that sweet, sweet ransom money. How much would your daddy pay for your safety? A million? Two? Five?"
"That's a valid estimate, but I doubt it will come to that. I've come to negotiate the change of terms."
This time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"I will offer you, and whoever you can convince to join up, a fixed sum of money, in cash, using a trusted courier, on top of dropping all the charges that will inevitably be put against you once this whole thing is over, whether Sombra or Magical Girl Sunny wins. My family lawyers will make sure that you, and any others who defect alongside you, will walk away unscathed. As if you were never here to begin with."
Blackjack blinked. He looked around, wondering if there was an ambush coming from anywhere, but as far as he could tell, the only entrance to the room was the door she had come from. The windows were shut tight and were too sturdy to just kick out, which meant that only Magical Girl Sunny could sneak up on him with magical powers. But if she could, there wouldn't be a point in the distraction in the first place.
He hummed. "How much?"
"Ten thousand dollars. To you and everyone else involved."
At first he held back, but it took only a second for his will to break as he started laughing loudly.
"Buahaha, ten grand? You seriously think you can buy ME for that much?"
"That's all I can offer from my personal savings, on top of dropping all the charges and letting you go. If you insist, I can raise it to-"
"CUT THE CRAP!" He yelled and stomped the ground for emphasis. Sunny Flare took a single step back, but managed to keep her composure. "If I wanted ten grand I would take a normal job!"
Sunny Flare sighed. "That's a no, then?"
Black Jack groaned and started walking toward her. "Tsk, you got a lot of nerve to come here and act all high and mighty, think you can get away with anything just because your daddy is filthy rich!"
"No, that's the other guy. The difference is a few zeroes on their..."
"I don't give a damn!"
He was at hand’s reach away from her, completely ignoring her full composure and lack of any signs of intimidation. He thought that grabbing and shaking her up a little would show her where she belonged, but he never found out. He didn't even notice when she suddenly sidestepped around him, gracefully maneuvering around him and appearing behind him.
While he was taken aback by her surprising agility, his initial surprise paled in comparison to the shock that came from a sudden painful sting.
"ARGH!" He groaned, grabbing his upper right arm. He briefly pulled it away and he noticed his own blood running through his shirt. "What the...?"
A few feet behind him stood Sunny Flare. She stood tall and straight, but relaxed and graceful at the same time, with her hands no longer held behind her back. She was no longer hiding the rapier, instead holding it before her, bloodied tip upwards.
"I figured anyone who would take this job would be either easy to intimidate by anyone with power, or so greedy they will commit the most heinous acts for money," she said, aiming the rapier at him while holding the same pose "I was just hoping you were the former."
Blackjack's eyebrows twitched, as he gnawed his teeth with rage. "You'll pay for this!"
"I was going to. But you declined!"
He lunged at her, fully determined to rip her to shreds and leave only enough pieces to get some ransom money from it. Her first strike was a cheap shot and a complete surprise which he wasn't going to fall for a second time. But before he got close enough to get his hands at her, her stance shifted: legs spread wider, shoulders and head went slightly forward and down, as she gracefully jumped back, then sent not one, but two attacks directly at her opponent, so fast he only saw a blurred hand motion. One hit was to his shoulder and the other was the thigh, making him fall on his knees, bleeding and cursing at her.
"I was going to keep my end of the bargain, just so you know," she said as she started circling around her immobilized foe "honestly, when you said you did some research on me, I thought you knew all of the details. Including the fact that I've been practicing fencing for half of my life and have won multiple gold medals back in middle school. I retired inhigh school because I started to dedicate more time for my studies and student council work, and to keep at least a few hours a week for social life and friends. Good to know I didn't get rusty."
Blackjack kept quiet, now that the immediate pain was being followed by the first signs of dizziness. His wounds were quite deep, she probably struck a few vital points as he bled more than he should have. Jumping at her in this state was synonymous with getting stabbed even more. He understood that part now, which is why he waited until she moved to a spot where she wouldn't notice him reaching for the walkie-talkie at his belt. All he had to do was to push one button and everyone else, Sombra included, would be notified and rush to his aid. His hand moved closer, until she suddenly stabbed his hand.
"OWW!"
He yelled, dropping the device. With one more swift move, Sunny Flare caught the strap with her rapier and brought the device towards her.
"When this whole thing started, I felt helpless," she said, casually clipping the walkie-talkie to her skirt "not only was I useless in a fight without a weapon, but even if I had it there was nothing I could've done. Those shadowcats were something else. They have no mind of their own, barely husks of magic programmed to do their job. They don't feel pain. They don't bleed. And most importantly, they don't fear death."
She put her rapier’s tip to his face, delicately pricking his nose and giving him a good view of his own blood that was still dripping from it.
"Do you?"
Her gaze was cold, but honest. Blackjack swallowed. "Y-you wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't I? How many skeletons in their closets do you think my family accumulated while climbing for the power over generations? Mine is still empty, but I am their firstborn, I will get some eventually. So by all means, try me. Find out just how much sympathy I have for common criminals who mess with my territory," the rapier went a little further into his nose "see how far I can go when I'm protecting my friends!"
He couldn't even look her in the eyes without feeling that he was already defeated. All he could do is lower his head and try to leave with the last shreds of dignity he had left. Seeing the battle had been won, she pulled back the rapier and went back to the purse she left at the entrance and tossed all its content at his feet: rolls of bandages and boxes of band-aids.
"Patch yourself. I want you to live long enough to tell everyone how much you regret messing with Crystal Prep, Magical Girl Sunny and especially the Flare Clan," she said while going past him, again showing no signs of hesitation "and be glad you didn't run into any of my friends. I had discipline taught to me since I could walk, I know how to hold back. My friends? Probably not. I'm pretty sure at least one of them is enjoying it far too much."
By the time Sunny Flare reached Fleur and started freeing her, Blackjack's will to fight was broken to the point of no return. With only survival instinct left, he started bandaging his wounds, though he still quietly muttered some bad intentions.
Fleur took off the gag off her mouth, hugged her savior and turned to her kidnapper. "It was 'Day Grassy High'! I played Celestial Snowflake the for first two seasons. Before they killed me off to boost the ratings, that is!"
"Yeah, I remember that," Sunny Flare winced "that's when the show jumped the shark and everyone stopped watching."
Blackjack glanced at her, nodded, then turned away.
"I knew that..."
Ripe Napper yawned loudly. The first twenty minutes of waiting and guarding his hostage were quite stressful and he was waiting for any opportunity to jump into action. Now that almost an hour has passed, he was just bored. He couldn't bring his phone with him and his hostage's phone was blocked by a password that he didn't feel like asking for, so he couldn't even pass the time with a few rounds of solitaire. His hostage, a gray skinned, dark grey haired boy with small glasses, seemed like the type who might scream like a girl if given the chance, so he didn't take it. All he could do was sit at the table where he could see the entrance, cross his arms and hum some catchy songs to pass the time.
Ar first, Jet Set wanted to run, scream and beg for mercy. Now he wanted to die and only fear for Upper Crust and desire to apologize and make up with her kept him sane (even if it was all her fault, but he was more than willing to let it go at this point). But even worse, he would never hear a Countess Coloratura song without getting a PTSD reaction.
Razzle dazzle... glitz and glare... something something... it's a spectacle...
Unfortunately his kidnapper didn't know any other lyrics, but that didn't stop him from trying.
He was about to ruin a Songbird Serenade song next (and the remainder of Jet Set's sanity) when the door to the classroom opened. Jet Set and Ripe Napper quickly perked up and watched at the... nothing that entered the room.
"The hell?" Ripe Napper raised an eyebrow as he slowly, carefully moved towards the door. He only got halfway there, when something flew inside the room. None of them had time to react, as a small glass vial shattered on the ground. Whatever liquid was inside, it exploded in a sudden flash of light.
"ARGH!" Ripe Napper grunted, as he and his hostage were blinded. His hands went to his eyes, rubbing the blindness away. It was only a few seconds of distraction, but that was more than enough for everything to change.
"UGH!" He grunted, as he felt something sharp piercing through his right shoulder. He quickly grabbed it and felt his blood flowing from the hole made by a foreign object that stuck there. It took a while for his eyes and mind to focus just enough to realize what it was.
It was an arrow.
"This one's from Magical Girl Sunny," a young girl's voice announced in a sweet, cheerful voice, then added in a more volatile, hissy one "the rest are from me!"
Blinking the blindness away, Ripe Napper finally got a better look at the silhouette by the entrance. It was a female Crystal Prep student, this one with long pink ponytail. More importantly, she was holding an actual bow in her right hand, aimed straight at him, while her left hand hovered over a quiver full of arrows strapped at her belt.
"Why you little bi-"
"Come on, finish that sentence!" She said cheerfully, pulling out an arrow and twirling it in her hand. "I dare you!"
Ripe Napper grit his teeth and looked at the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. He took a deep breath and grabbed it by the shaft.
"I wouldn't do that if I-"
"ARGH!"
Sour Sweet cringed as she looked at her opponent quickly pull out the arrow and toss it away as if it was nothing.
"Oookay, that was actually pretty badass!" She admitted cheerfully, then added sourly. "Less so when you fall unconscious due to blood loss!"
He didn't say anything in response and rushed at her immediately, arms outstretched, his wound seemingly not bothering him at all. Sour reacted immediately, instantly pulling and releasing the arrow she held, sending an arrow right into his other shoulder. It didn't stop his charge, but it slowed him down just enough to give her enough time to dodge to his right, pull out one more arrow and shoot it again at the shoulder, but this time from behind. He stumbled a bit and fell on his knee, but instantly stood up and glared at her.
Sour Sweet couldn't help but whistle. "A for effort... E for effect."
He growled yet again, louder than ever before, as he pulled out both arrows, one after another, while only cursing quietly to himself, withholding all the pain like a true man. Sour nodded with approval, glad that she wasn't paired up with a complete wimp at the very least. I wish Indigo got this one. He seems like her type.
Round two started just like the first one: charge in full speed, which Sour responded in kind by once again shooting an arrow directly at his upper body. This time he knew what to expect and sidestepped to the right, avoiding taking an arrow that passed right by his side. He smiled viciously at his prey and resumed the charge.
What he didn't expect, was that the arrow ricocheted from the blackboard upwards, where it found its way to the metal dish-shaped lamp and bounced off of it at just the right angle, that it went straight into Ripe Napper’s back. The sheer surprise made him stumble on his feet, giving Sour Sweet more than enough room to maneuver and move right past him, tripping him on the way, making him almost fall on his face.
It wasn't as deep as the ones before, but the fact it was there to begin with filled him with very conflicting feelings. Most of all, confusion. He pulled it out easily and stared at it wide-eyed.
"H-how the hell?"
"A+ in Advanced Trigonometry," she said, smiling from ear to ear "also gold medal in national high school archery competition, twice in a row. Although I never shot at a human before, so thanks for that experience. It's quite exhilarating!" She giggled, clearly enjoying it way more than a teenage girl should have.
He groaned at the arrow and threw it to the side. "I'll get you for this, you little piece of tra-AGH!"
He stopped to moan, as another arrow shot at him while he was distracted. He looked down at his legs, where his right knee now had an arrow sticking out of it.
"Lemme guess, you used to be an adventurer once," she said nicely, pulled out another arrow from the quiver and aimed it at him, switching the tone to the more hostile "until you were beaten by a girl with a bow!"
"F#$k yo-AGHH!"
She shot an arrow again, this time at his right ankle, making him yell again, kneeling in pain. His anger unquenched, he was about to say something once again, not noticing when Sour Sweet slowly just walked toward him and KICKED him right in the face, sending him tumbling on his back. As he yelled out in pain (he fell on the wounded shoulder), she stomped on his chest and pointed a pulled arrow at his face.
"Before you open your mouth again, ask yourself two very important questions. One: did I accidentally miss your vitals or was I avoiding them on purpose?"
She pulled the arrow a bit further, then quickly changed her aim and shot it straight in Jet Set's direction. His panic was short lived, as the arrow went between his upper arm and torso, through the chair and finally stopped when it impaled on a bookshelf behind him. A second after that, the ropes holding Jet Set harmlessly fell off him, freeing his hands without even scratching him or his uniform.
Ripe Napper swallowed heavily as Sour Sweet pulled another arrow.
"Two: will I stop shooting if you give up?" Her smile became more vicious. "The answer to the second question is..."
The doubt has disappeared. The madness in her eyes wasn't a theory anymore.
"...maybe?"
Drill Bit sat quietly on the desk in the back, patiently waiting for his turn or for any other orders. His days as a marine soldier taught him enough discipline to avoid any distractions. Careful about his surroundings, but not curious about them, neither about his hostage, a dark blue skinned boy in fluffy, heavily stylized white-blue hair. If Magical Girl Sunny planned something weird, and he was certain she was, he was going to be the one prepared, though he couldn't say the same about his comrades. If anyone was going to screw up, it wasn't him or Sombra, but...
His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. He perked up, only to discover it was one of the other guys instead of Sunny. He didn't catch his name, but he recognized him as one of the other mini-bosses.
"Hey, man, I, uh, I need some help..." he said, leaning out of the door frame, but didn't enter inside.
Drill Bit sighed heavily and stood up, moving a few steps forward.
"With what? You're supposed to guard one of those kids, get back to your po-"
"Y-yeah, that's the thing, I uh... I lost her!"
Drill Bit blinked. "You did what?!"
"Hey, it's not my fault! Here I was, doing my job, then I look away for a few seconds, and she's gone! The chair is empty, ropes cut and she's nowhere to be found!"
Drill Bit rolled his eyes as he got slightly closer. "That sounds like your fault to me," he grabbed the walkie-talkie "we need to warn everyo-"
"NO! Do you really want to call that psycho kid and tell him I failed doing the "ONE JOB"? Hell no, he creeps me out and I don't want to find out what he does to those who fail him! No way, we need to do this quietly!"
"We? I didn't agree to anything, you screwed up, you fix it!"
"Look, just..." he took a few deep breaths "...I know where she is, but the room has two exits. If I get close, she'll just run away, so I need someone to cover it. Come on, help me a little! It'll be two minutes and Sombra doesn't need to know!"
Drill Bit rolled his eyes. There are cameras everywhere so Sombra knew, but probably didn't think it was important to bother with. Still, he knew better than to let hostages roam around and complicate their plans. Sombra was just a kid who could ignore the details and pretend his powers will solve all problems, but he was well aware that those were often the cause of bigger issues.
He sighed as he walked to him. "Let's get this over with."
"Oh man, you're a bro! I owe you one!" The other guy said, moving away from the door into the corridor. "Sorry for all, man."
"Whatever. Better come clean and ask for help then hide and risk jeopardi-"
BZZT!
He couldn't end the sentence, because as soon as he crossed the door frame, something touched the side of his ribcage. He turned his head sideways and only managed to see a head with three light blue pigtails and a pair of glasses, when all of a sudden a massive electrical current went straight into his ribs and throughout his entire body. He didn't even yell when all of his muscles, tongue included, were paralyzed. Unable to move or think, his limp body fell flat on his back, with stray sparks still going over his body, making his body convulse uncontrollably for a moment.
Hustle Fuss only swallowed as he looked at his companion, a true bro in fact, fall due to his treachery. It was still a better option than saying no to the six girls who forced him to it. Magical Girl Sunny who broke his jaw in a humiliating fashion was NOTHING compared to the sour and sweet girl (whatever her name was) who enjoyed hitting him in the most vulnerable places even he wasn't aware of. But even beyond her, was the one who just downed his comrade.
Sugarcoat stood right next to the doors, lightly kicking the fallen terrorist to make sure the job was done. In one hand she held Batson 3K, the world's most powerful taser that could be bought with money. She was gifted it by her parents after she was mugged once. It was a simple snatch and run, she wasn't hurt in any way and she lost only a purse with some cosmetics, a bit of cash and a phone, all collectively worth less than a hundred dollars, so she wasn't bothered by it. Her parents were a different story- they went into a panicked frenzy, called police, private detectives and grounded her for a week, worried the mugger would come back to finish the job. Once they cooled off a bit, they still held a tight leash over her life, but eventually let go and went back to just being concerned parents of a middle schooler living in a big city.
As soon as she graduated middle school and was going to live abroad in Crystal Prep dorms to escape their leash, the parental fear came back, hence why her room was full of self-defense tools hidden in her shelves. Pepper spray, retractable batons, warning whistles and a few tasers too. She kept this one and even tinkered with it on a slow day, increasing iits already impressive output to a new high. She hadn't had an opportunity to try it on humans or other living beings (because she wasn't a monster, contrary to some rumors), until now.
Hustle Fuss was slightly concerned about the taser, but not nearly as much as the fact that she was holding an actual GUN! This entire time, from leaving the studio, walking the corridors to right now, her right hand carried a small six-shooter, constantly aimed straight at him at all times, finger hugging the trigger. The thought of overpowering the girl crossed his mind a few times. He could've assaulted her on the way here, or warn Drill Bit about it, or do something. Even with all his wounds after the fight and torture he was sure he could have mustered just enough to beat her. But there was one more thing about her that couldn't give him a peace of mind.
Her eyes. They were devoid of all emotions. No movement, no tells, barely blinking. Not when she issued an order, nor when she told him she would pull the trigger if he made any funny moves. The lack of emotions on her face scared him the most, even more than the two girls who used actual violence on him (and he totally didn't deserve most of it!). He knew a lot of cruel people in his life, both friend and foe alike. But someone who didn't emote at all? That was new.
New was unknown.
And unknown was scary.
"Get him into the classroom." She coldly issued yet another order.
He had yet another opportunity to attack her. Jump at her, take away her gun and pin her to the ground. He was able to do it... but he didn't. Not when those emotionless eyes stared right into him. He had no idea if she was going to shoot or not. And worst of all, he couldn't even begin to guess what her thought process was. Instead, he swallowed and did as asked, walking towards Drill Bit, grabbing him by his shoulder (after getting shocked by static electricity) and dragged him inside. He was taking no chances with a girl who may or may not shoot an actual gun at him. He had no idea where she got it from, as it was nothing like the semi-automatic sidearms that they were using.
"Cuff him." She said, throwing a fw flexi-cuffs on the floor.
He obediently did as asked, wary of the bullet that would pierce his skull if he defied her.
"Now turn around and get on your knees."
Reluctantly, he did as asked, losing the pigtailed girl from his view. He could hear her slow steps, as she was probably approaching him.
"Y-you won't shoot me, right?" He asked, genuinely not sure if he was correct or not. "Y-you're one of the good girls, after all! You want to save the school, so there's.... there's no way you would..." he swallowed, feeling something metal touching his back "...th-think about it, i-if you shoot me right here, y-you'll be a murderer! A-and there will be no turning ba-back from that, do-doesn't matter if you did it in self-defense or... or..."
"I'm not going to shoot you."
Hustle Fuss's sighed with heavy relief.
"This isn't even a real gun. It's just a prop used by Film Club."
"W-wait, wha-"
BZZZT!
That was all he managed to say before a strong electrical current went through his spine. He, just like Drill Bit, woke up several hours later with minimal damage to their body (earlier beatings notwithstanding). Sugarcoat watched her victim fall on his face, unconscious. She kicked him a few times to make sure he was out, then holstered the fake gun in her blazer and took out a pair of rubber gloves, looted from chemistry class along with materials for the hand-crafted flashbang for Sour Sweet.
She looked towards Royal Pin, her fellow Shadowbolt, looking at her with one eyebrow raised.
"What?" She shrugged, putting the gloves on her hands, then pulling out a few more flexicuffs. "It's for safety. I don't want to get electrocuted by accident."
Sombra shuffled nervously. Less than a minute had passed after he lost Magical Girl Sunny from the camera view and sent one of his guys to check up on her. He knew she was planning something, but couldn't put his finger on it, looking at the live footage of the school. The classroom that his lackey (what's his face) was supposed to guard was empty save for the unguarded, tied up student, but none of the other corridors showed him moving there at all. He looked from one feed to another, but couldn't quite locate him. Then again, the interface of the software used for the security in the school wasn't the most comfortable to use, so he resisted the urge to call his men again. He definitely wasn't going to make anyone, enemy or ally, think that he wasn't in complete control.
Coco was a different story. The talkative and smug Sombra she knew from before was now much more perplexed, masking his nerves very well, to the point that most people wouldn't have noticed, but she saw right through him. The throwaway line Sunny left her with couldn't be insignificant- it was an order for her action, one she was going to follow no matter what.
"So, back to our earlier conversation," she started again, this time way calmer "you mentioned your mother in passing. Is she..."
The clicking on the keyboard suddenly came to a halt. Her confidence was short lived after all, now that his gaze turned back to her, but this time a lot more hostile than before. I knew it, there is more to this story. "Uhm, I mean, I don't want to pry..." I REALLY want to pry!
Sombra had his deadly gaze aimed at her for a few seconds, before sighing. "Yes, she's... gone." He said weakly.
Coco swallowed. "I'm sorry..." She said genuinely.
"He didn't do it, if that's what you're asking. He would never hurt her, or me. I still believe that. But that doesn't change anything... it was all his fault," his palms turned to fists "and I will never forgive him!"
Coco looked at him, clearly struck at his weakness. She wanted to know. And he seemed like he wanted to tell her.
"What exactly happened?"
Unbeknownst to both of them, there was one more person watching them at the moment. Crystal Prep was heavily surveilled, almost every room had at least one security camera installed, including the Dean's office.
And sitting on a chair in the studio, with a borrowed laptop on her lap, Lemon Zest could see every second of it. She couldn't hear what Sombra and Coco were now talking about, but she was glad she understood the message and was going according to plan.
Lemon Zest was no fighter, everyone knew that. But she had a lot of talents to offer and hacking into the security system was just one of them, courtesy of her family connections. She knew the software used for this school like the back of her hand. She was one of the developer interns, mostly dedicated to testing the code she knew the source code inside and out and used that knowledge to design her own little virus. It was something she made in case she would ever need to quickly modify the footage if she wanted to skip school to go to some party, date or whatever else would come up. Sadly, that 'whatever' turned out to be a terrorist attack, but what could she do about it?
She named the program 'lemonade.exe' (working name) and with it was able to easily apply a looped footage to any camera. That coupled with some some quick editing jobs and after-effects that made Film Club buy her a lifetime supply of candy bars (In hindsight, I should've asked for something less caloric, like movie tickets) allowed her to send Sombra exactly what she wanted him to see, without raising any suspicion. It was only a temporary measure, she knew that. Any time now he was going to figure out something wasn't right, but those kind of revelations take time.
And I'll buy as much time as I possibly can! Coco and I, that is!
She looked aside to the leftover of the duffle bags. Her secret weapon was still lying there, obediently waiting for the right moment.
Sorry Coco, she sighed but it's easier to ask for forgiveness later than permission now.
"Woah!"
Sunset Shimmer, the magical girl from Crystal Prep, yelped as she fell on the hard roof of a small apartment building. She landed safely from a few feet above and stumbled, but ultimately held her balance despite her nearly depleted magic. She closed her eyes, and took a few breaths, confirming that she was still conscious enough to stand, walk and possibly more. Her batteries were almost gone, but almost didn't mean nothing. Not yet.
She looked around the empty roof. Five stories high, surrounded from two sides by two apartment buildings about the same size as the one she was on top of size, with deserted streets around. She leaned over the ledge and looked around, scouting a large, black dome, where her school once was. Even though she was almost a mile away, the crowds outside grew to the size that she could see them even from this far. She didn't pay any of it much mind, instead looking around for an address anywhere to confirm that she was at the right location. Below her, a few stories down, was Dean Cadence, held hostage to be used against her.
Hang in there, Dean Cadence, I'll be right there!
She took a few more breaths and looked at her bare hands, no longer covered by the gloves she usually had when fighting crime.
I can't use magic for this one.
Her gaze went slightly to the right, looking at the her new watch. A proof that she was no longer just a kid, no longer just a magical girl either. She was a Shadowbolt now. She didn't need to prove anything to anyone.
But she wanted to!
Her hands formed into fists and she smacked them into each other, Indigo Zap's style.
The day had started well. Dean Mi Amore Cadenza, better known as Cadence (as most people didn't even know she had a full Prench name) was surprised to find the Five Shadowbolts, in particular Lemon Zest, causing ruckus in the cafeteria. She couldn't hear what the subject was (although she would bet her new favorite Golden Tea that it was about Sunset and Coco), but that was besides the point and she had to intervene.
"Miss Zest, yelling on school property goes against the rules and I need to reprimand you for disru--"
"NOT. NOW!" Lemon interrupted, standing tall with her hands crossed. "We're having an emergency friendship meeting right now! Please don't interrupt us, thank you very much!"
Cadence raised her finger and opened her mouth, but decided against anything. She cleared her throat and stepped back.
"I-I see, w-well then, do carry on. A bit calmer, i-if that's not a problem..."
"Sure thing."
"R-right… as you may." She slowly turned and walked away very confused.
I know we teach them to be assertive, but this is ridiculous!
Taking a quick glance at their table before she left the cafeteria she saw they were still arguing, but this time using their inner voices. No use punishing people for trying to find a common ground. She shrugged and left them to themselves.
"Excuse me, Dean Cadenza?"
She turned around hearing her name. She didn't recognize the two men in police uniforms, the same Shining Armor used to wear a few promotions back.
"We need to ask you a few questions. Somewhere more private, if possible."
Despite initial panic, she remained calm on the outside and smiled. "Of course. My office is nearby."
At first she thought they were here to deliver bad news, but they would've called first if that were to happen. For all she knew (and hoped) they were just asking for a gift idea for Shining Armor. Either way, upon reaching her office, she unlocked the door with her key and went inside first, the two men right behind her, closing the door.
"Please have a seat. Would you like some teaUMPF!"
She couldn't finish her sentence when she was grabbed from behind by the neck and had a wet cloth pressed to her face. She struggled for a bit before the chloroform took effect and made her drowsy, eventually putting her to sleep.
When she woke up, she was no longer in her office, but tied to a chair inside a small kitchen of what seemed to be an old apartment building, gagged. She was sitting right by the kitchen drawers, with a round wooden table in front of her occupied by the two 'policemen' playing cards to kill time. Her friends sometimes joked that being the wife of a police captain was a surefire way to get kidnapped, but she just laughed it away. It wasn't funny anymore.
From their bragging she found out that Sombra, some kid with magical powers, was using her against both Magical Girl Sunny and Shining Armor. She had a hard enough time breathing through the gag, barely keeping herself from a panic attack or fainting, begging whatever deity there is to take good care of Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and her students. They didn't try to touch her at the very least, though they did make some offhand lewd remarks.
When Shining Armor gets here, you will be sorry! Because he will be here, any moment now... Tears started pouring from her eyes. He promised!
RING RING RING RING RING RING!
A very loud ringing suddenly pulled them away from the cards, making them jump and reach out for their pistols, aiming them at the entrance in front of the kitchen. Once the initial shock passed, they sighed with relief knowing that it wasn't anything serious. The ringing continued after a short pause. Racket, the shorter of the two, groaned while putting his gun back on the table.
"Probably just some pranksters."
"I thought this place was deserted?" His taller partner, Wrangle, asked, still warily holding his gun up.
75th Coltshire Road was an old, decrepit apartment complex that stood for almost a century and was among many planned for demolition to be replaced by a brand new building. Most residents had already moved away and only a few apartments were still occupied, none on this floor. This made it the perfect spot for any illegal activities, such as kidnapping.
RING RING RING RING RING!
"I'll take care of this!" Wrangle said, standing up and moving towards the door in front of them, his pistol held low with the safety on but at the ready. Racket nodded and watched him carefully, his own gun within hand’s reach.
Wrangle slowly moved towards the doors, careful not to make any sounds himself. He was pretty sure that police wouldn't come here even if they knew about it, as everyone was busy with the distraction at the main police station, meaning that they were woefully understaffed and unprepared to send a SWAT team this early. He carefully looked through the peephole, raising his eyebrow when he saw nobody at all, despite the constant ringing that persisted even now. The apartment was at the very end of the corridor, with no place to hide on the sides except for maybe the other apartments.
Driven by curiosity, he opened the door and carefully looked outside. The ringing didn't stop, even though the doorbell was not being touched or tampered with. He looked at it closer, wondering if it was stuck or taped after the prankster ran away, but there were no signs of it being touched in ages, with dust and cobwebs still covering the button. The more he analyzed it, he realized it was weird that the ringing wasn't coming from the inside of the house as it should, but from the other side of the door. He stepped outside to examine it closer.
Meanwhile Racket rolled his eyes and relaxed, fully convinced that it wasn't anything urgent. Cadence's heart slumped now that her hopes for Shining Armor coming to her rescue were dashed. But unlike Racket she heard something behind her, despite the constant ringing. She turned back, noticing the kitchen window opened wide, with a familiar figure carefully climbing inside. She was wearing a crystal prep blazer with no skirt in place of her usual battle dress, had no mask and lacked her usual presence, but it was unmistakably her! Their eyes met for a second, but Sunset Shimmer of Crystal Prep didn't pay her much mind, only nodded while squatting on the kitchen table, focusing her gaze at the back of Racket's head.
Wrangle looked behind the door and tilted his head at the pink smartphone in a rabbit-themed rubber case taped directly to the door, playing the most annoying sound on a constant loop on full volume.
What the hell...?! He peeled it off and tried to mute or turn it off. Unable to do so, he cursed under his mouth and threw the device on the ground and stomped it several times until the machine died under his boot. The silence was short lived.
Cadence had a front row seat to the scene that happened next. Magical Girl Sunny leaped into the air above her and straight at Racket, with one foot aimed at his head. With the ringing suddenly stopping, the crook heard the creaking of the furniture behind him and turned his head halfway, only barely seeing a flying kick that sent him flying down into the ground facefirst, while Sunny landed safely on the ground!
Once on the floor, she wasted no time and grabbed Racket's gun and removed the magazine (along with the bullet in the chamber, avoiding a common mistake), then threw it under the counter to make sure nobody, not even her, was going to use it.
I'm not THAT desperate and I refuse to ever be!
The fallen Racket was groaning in pain, most likely about to get up at some point if she didn't do anything, but then there was the other problem. She was hoping the ringing would continue for at least a few seconds to give her a little more advantage, but she wasn't that lucky.
"What the...!?" Wrangle only managed to yell as he entered, before turning off the safety and aiming his gun straight at her.
Usually at this point she would reflexively teleport the ammo or gun out of the reach or teleport out of the way if necessary, but she had to preserve what little magic she had left for later. Instead, she overturned the table and hid behind it as the first bullet shot right into the hardwood. A little out of panic, a little out of belief the old school furniture was no match for modern firearms, Wrangle shot a few more times, each bullet harmlessly bouncing off.
Sunny used all her strength to keep on her feet. The bullets were stopped, but she still felt the impact, even it wasn't enough to topple her. Right behind her sat Dean Cadence, with her eyes closed and shrieking in panic through her gag. Thankfully the table was big enough to cover her too, as most criminals tend to forget that hostages were there for a reason and it was too easy to dismiss them as safe in this situation. That was one of the few lessons Shining Armor gave her as part of their cooperation effort.
Wrangle kept shooting at the table unaware that this was exactly what she wanted. Sunny wasn't just waiting: every shot was accounted for and she knew exactly when he was going to stop to reload. Awaiting that moment, her left hand reached inside the pocket. Unlike many times before, this time she wasn't unarmed.
Wrangle kept shooting out of fear that if he stopped, Magical Girl Sunny would end him like she had ended the others. Sombra said that she was running on fumes, but he didn't trust him more than he could throw him. He kept pulling the trigger time after time, each bullet barely budging the table until instead of a satisfying BANG there was only a disappointing click after click. Cursing, he removed the empty magazine and reached for another in his pocket and loaded it inside, but that was when she revealed herself: no mask, no dress, throwing something shiny straight at him.
"ARGH!"
He yelled in pain, dropping the gun on the floor and grabbing his bleeding right hand, watching wide eyed at the foreign object sticking out of his palm.
Scalpel. The same one Sugarcoat used to cut part of her dress when she was being treated. That's what she had received as the last gift from Sour Sweet, right before the plan commenced.
"Uh, thanks... please don't tell me I'm supposed to slit their throats with it?"
Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and took the scalpel from her then casually tossed it at the cork board nearby...
...missing Sugarcoat's and Lemon Zest's heads by a inch each! Seeing the razor sharp blade fly before her eyes, Lemon meeped and fell on her butt, trembling from fear. Sugarcoat had no reaction at all.
"A simple projectile can go a long way when you're out of magic, not that I know that feeling," Sour casually said to Sunny "knives would've been better, but we couldn't find any," she soured "that's what you get in a school with no delinquents!"
Shimmy blinked and looked at Lemon Zest, still in shock. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and just nodded, fully embracing this as her new status quo.
"S-sour Sweet, wh-why?" Lemon stuttered, trembling and tearing her eyes while being gently patted by Sugarcoat. "Wh-what did I do? Wh-why me? I-it's for that g-group hug, i-i-isn't it? I-I'm so-sorry!"
Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap only rolled their eyes. They noticed that when Sour went to retrieve the scalpel, she was noticeably Sweeter.
Wrangle cursed the scalpel hanging out of his palm, more annoyed that it made him drop the gun than it actually hurting him as he casually took it out, ignoring the pain and bleeding. He looked with rage filled eyes at Sunny, who jumped over the table and dashed at him with her fists ready. He raised his hand to block the punch that sent him slightly back, but wasn't even close to knocking him down.
Sunny panicked slightly when he jumped at her and sent a punch with his wounded hand, barely missing, but then kept attacking. She was barely avoiding those attacks as they brushed by her hair way too close for comfort. Her opponent seemed much smaller from a distance, but he was clearly at least two feet taller than her and way stronger than she would ever be, gym or not. He wasn't nearly as fast as her, but that mattered much less when she was already this exhausted. She waited for a momentarily lowered guard to punch him in the face and it connected, but despite hitting straight in the jaw, it did very little. She struck again, but this time he caught her hand. She followed up with her left hand but this one got caught too!
She cursed herself when she felt her palms being crushed by the clearly stronger opponent. As if one overpowering her wasn't bad enough, she heard the other groaning and slowly regaining consciousness.
Quick, think Sunset, THINK!
She couldn't lift her legs high enough to hit him in the nuts. She looked around. Behind her opponent was the empty hallway, to the right was just an empty wall, but to the right was another door, slightly opened and leading to what she guessed was the bathroom. She diverted all her strength into her legs to push herself through the crooked door, pulling her opponent with her inside the bathroom, making him accidentally hit his head into the surprisingly low upper frame, weakening his grip just enough that his right hand, the wounded one, let go.
Not the plan, but I'll take it!
With only her right arm being grabbed currently, she placed it right next to the door frame, grabbed the door with her now free left hand, then SLAMMED it into him, effectively crushing his arm between the door and the frame. He didn't initially let go, but the yelling proved that he felt it, so she slammed it again and again, until he relented, let go and stepped away. Free of the grapple, she looked around. Sadly, the bathroom was devoid of anything useful, not even a bar of soap. Outside, both her scalpel and his gun were too far away to reach. Racket, the other guy, was up again, trying to reach for his gun under the counter, thankfully his hand was too thick to reach it. But it was only a matter of time before he abandoned that idea and joined for a two vs one, which she would definitely not survive.
Desperately looking around her surroundings left her with no weapons to use, but there was the bathroom door frame, which looked like it was strong enough to hold her weight. Not thinking much else, she jumped at it, hanged onto it with both hands and swung herself forward, hitting Wrangle straight into his face with both of her boots, sending him right into a wall behind him! He hit the back of his head on the wall, leaving him dazed. Sunny quickly jumped to him, grabbed him by the wounded hand (making sure to squeeze it tight so it'd hurt more), then used all the might she had left and threw him over her shoulder, sending him on the ground with a loud THUD!
Her toughest opponent thus far groaned loudly before losing consciousness. This put her somewhat at ease and allowed her a second to sigh with relief, which was quickly interrupted by muffled screaming behind her. Cadence's muffled screaming! Her eyes went wide as she realized something.
The other guy!
She turned back only to see Racket, standing right behind her with a wooden chair held over is head, about to strike. She had exactly one escape route, that being jumping back into the hallway, where she may or may not trip over Wrangle's body, giving his partner more than enough time to notice and grab a gun, at which point she would be screwed. She might hide behind the door to prepare a counterattack, but Dean Cadence was still inside, now more valuable as a hostage than ever before.
Against her own survival instinct, Sunny raised her hands above her head and braced for the impact.
"For one, you're way tougher than you look."
That's what Indigo Zap told her when she said she had a few pointers about her fighting style, shortly before she became a Shadowbolt.
"Thanks, I guess?"
"But you spend all your energy, physical and magical, on avoiding getting hit at all cost."
"And how is that a bad thing?"
"It isn't. Not getting hurt should be the ultimate goal of any martial art, no matter how tough you are. This isn't a video-game, you know, there are no health potions or dedicated healers at the ready," she hummed "although that last point doesn't really apply to you, but you get my point!"
"Y-yeah, of course I... no, actually I'm lost. What are you trying to tell me again?"
Indigo sighed. "What I'm getting at is that evasion is a good strategy... short term. Most fighting styles assume that the battle will be over with quick, so you need to put 100% all the time. But this is a battle of attrition, the winner won't be determined by skill and power alone, but also by the ability to pace themselves over a long stretch of time. Sombra came here with this strategy in mind and he's spreading his resources carefully while you're exhausting yourself by trying not to get hurt at all. To the point that you're too tired to defend yourself at all!"
Shimmy swallowed. Despite the treatment she received, the scars on her back were there to stay and severely limited her swimsuit choices. "What am I supposed to do then? Take it all head on?"
"No, of course not!" Indigo rolled her eyes. "Not all of it. But sometimes taking a hit head on, while you're expecting and bracing for it, can lead to an opening that might just tip the scales in your favor. At least that worked when I used it against you."
Shimmy raised and eyebrow. "Next you'll tell me that all the times I hit you was your plan all along."
"Nah, the ones you landed were legit... about 80% of them."
"You're too humble."
"Bottom line, you need to use all the resources you have. Skill, magic, knowledge, planning, tools, friends and yes, even your own health. Just don't get shot. Or stabbed."
Sunny nodded. She didn't like what she heard one bit, but of all people Indigo Zap seemed like she knew what she was talking about.
"I'll... think about it."
The heavy wooden chair shattered on impact, leaving behind splinters, bruises and bumps along her head and arms. She stumbled but remained still, withholding her yell while gritting her teeth so hard that she was worried they would shatter before her skull would.
When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she saw him where and how she wanted: backpedalling, dropping what was left of his improvised weapon, wide-eyed and rethinking his life choices.
Sunny grunted. Dear god, my head friggin' hurts!
"That all you got?" She asked coldly, lowering her guard to look at him. "I barely felt a thing!" She lied.
The step she took forward was mimicked by him taking a step back while covering his face. All things considered she had already won, but she wanted to make sure it was over on her terms. She pulled her watch up onto her knuckles, grabbed it tightly and pulled her fist back.
Noticing it, Racket squealed. "I give up! I surrender!" He said, raising both of his hands up and closing his eyes.
"Don'care! Suuunnyyy..."
She formed a fist with the same hand that had her new watch.
"...SHADOOOOW PUUUUUUNCH!
And smacked him right in the face, the crystal completely smashing his nose and at least one buck tooth out, sending him flying into the kitchen sink, where he fell on the ground unconscious.
A few seconds passed. Sunny took a few deep breaths. She first examined her watch, after wiping the blood off she saw not a single scratch on it. Wow, they weren't kidding about the quality! She then looked at the recently fallen Racket, down after a single, non-magical, punch (and a flying kick earlier).
She pulled the watch back on its place and looked back at Wrangle, wondering how much easier he would've been if she had just used it as a glorified brass knuckles from the start, but that was the past. Her head and forearms hurt like hell and she would no doubt be getting rid of splinters from her hair for at least a week (giving her more reasons to consider a shorter hairstyle), but at the very least Dean Cadence was safe. A little shocked and confused, but unharmed and slowly calming down, now probably more worried about Sunny than her own safety.
As more time passed and her heartbeats stabilized, Sunset Shimmer of Crystal Prep had a sudden realization. Her hands were bruised, bloodied and dirty. The hostage was safe. The opposition: down.
I... I did it!
A small smile appeared on her face, then grew exponentially, until...
"WOOOOOO!" Her hands shot up. "NO MAGIC! HELL YEAH! You wanted Magical Girl Sunny? Well too bad, you got Street Fighter Sunny instead, bitchez! Bwahahaha!"
She laughed triumphantly a while longer until she had to gasp for some air. Dean Cadence was looking bemused at her, with one eyebrow raised high.
"S-sorry," Sunny scratched her head "I got a little carried away there, but, but... it was my first time... be-beating criminals without magic, that is, haha! ...I, uh, I'll free you in a moment!"
As Dean Cadence rolled her eyes, Sunny secured the criminals and their weapons and retrieved (and wiped) the scalpel, her new second best friend (competing with the watch... and Coco), which she used to cut the ropes bounding her hostage. As soon as Cadence was free, she almost threw herself at Sunny and hugged her tightly. Caught off-guard, Street Fighter Sunny almost fell on the ground, but somehow managed to regain her balance and hugged her back.
"I was so scared!" Cadence said as she cried on her shoulder. Sunny pat her head gently.
"Everything will be alright, I promise! Nobody will hurt you."
Cadence gasped at the sound of the word. "Y-you're hurt!" She unhugged her savior and examined her body, most of all head and arms, removing a few splinters from her fiery red hair. "W-we need to call an ambulance-"
"Shhh!" Sunny put her hands on her shoulders. "I'm hurt, but I'm not done yet. It's not over!"
Cadence looked Sunny in the eyes and nodded, smiling weakly, unconvinced but unable to stop her.
"Th-they said Shining Armor is under attack, i-is he... is he..." she was about to go all teary eyed, but the grip on her shoulders tightened.
"He's... busy, fighting his own battle. I managed to speak with him and I made a promise that I will save you. And in return he promised me that he will get here as soon as he can," her smile grew "I kept my end of the bargain and so will he!"
Cadence looked Sunny in the eyes for a while, barely holding back the tears, but eventually managed to smile. She wiped her eyes and nodded to Sunny. "You're right, he will!"
Upon reaching their mutual agreement, they quickly shared short versions of their stories. Cadence was given Sour Sweet's borrowed cell phone to contact the ambulance. Sadly Sugarcoat's phone didn't survive being used as a decoy, but she said she was ready for the sacrifice and was used to losing her phones.
And speaking of phones, another one started ringing. And it wasn't any of theirs! The ringing came from Racket's jacket and the sheer sound of it made Cadence pale in terror.
"It's... it's him!" She muttered. "He's calling every few minutes to check on them!"
Sunny walked to the unconscious thug and took out the old, brick style cell phone from his inside pocket. The name on the screen only showed up as 'kid'. Sunny thought for a moment, looking over Cadence and the two kidnappers. If they had been conscious she could've coerced them to lie and buy her some time, but that wasn't an option anymore. If nobody answered the call he was going to assume the worst anyway, so given the choice between ignoring it and answering, she chose the more satisfying one.
She pressed the green button.
"Hello? What the hell is taking you so long? Listen, she's up to something, so be on guard and if you so much as hear a funny sou-"
"YO, Shadow Boy!"
There was a long pause. She heard his stuttering and heavy breathing through the phone.
Twice. That's how many times she managed to catch him off guard. And it was NOT getting old yet.
"H-how, b-but, y-you..." he groaned "h-how did you-?!"
"Someone told me. Those guys have no loyalty to you, but no matter. I recommend you don't try anything with Coco," she she took a deep breath and whispered "because what happens next... depends entirely on her!"
She clearly heard him swallowing. "W-wait, Sun--" she hung up the call and removed the batteries from the phone.
She sighed with huge relief. Like a breath of fresh air, she needed that feeling more than anything else. Except maybe seeing Coco's face when she's safe and unharmed. Soon.
"What about the students in the school?" Cadence asked. "I heard they took hostages, including a gym full of people!"
Sunny didn't answer immediately, but she was smiling confidently.
This was the second time Coco Pommel saw Sombra lose his cool. The first time was due to an out of place remark that may or may not have been a joke (it definitely was), but this time was different. He wasn't just thrown off by comedic timing. The fact that in his anger he threw his phone on the wall, shattering it into pieces, was a dead giveaway.
Now we do have something in common, she thought we both broke our phones the same way because of her!
Against her own judgement, she couldn't help but smirk. "Problems?"
She immediately regretted asking. She didn't need to see his death glare aimed at her, enhanced by the shadow constructs that arose around him making him look much bigger than he actually was. She meeped and turned away, remembering why she was sitting here in the first place. Sombra stood like that for a few seconds, before he took a deep breath and the shadows dissipated.
"No, not problems, just a little... plot twist!" He turned to the monitor, in particular the screens that showed a gym full of tied up students and teachers, with several armed guards patrolling around, their rifles at the ready. "She thinks she's so smart. She thinks that she took out all the aces out of my sleeves, when in reality I have an entire deck and then some!"
Coco swallowed. She trusted Sunny and the Shadowbolts to know what they were doing, but she couldn't help but worry anyway. She had long accepted that she might end up becoming a martyr for this cause, but the others? That was a much harder pill to swallow. All she could do was wait and believe.
"I counted six."
"That doesn't divide by four."
"More for me, then!"
Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare rolled their eyes at Indigo, who seemed a little too excited for someone who was going to fight people with guns. They didn't miss the cold sweat their powerhouse friend tried to hide.
"One of them is patrolling the upper seats." Sugarcoat reported, looking through the tiny creak in the door.
"I guess that one's all mine!" Sour Sweet shrugged sourly. She had no reason to smile.
The four met at the entrance to the gym after taking out their mini-bosses and leaving the hostages in a safe room (Indigo strongly insisted on NOT freeing Trenderhoof, for his own good, and nobody dared to defy her) and prepared for their next move, still having a few minutes until the main phase commenced. The double doors to the gym were not locked, but opening them would alert the bad guys and they would be riddled with bullets instantly. But if everything went according to the plan, that wasn't going to be an issue.
And they REALLY hoped it was going to go according to the plan.
Cadence sighed heavily. "I should've expected them to pull something like this." She said while checking out the gun she was given. Appropriately for a wife of a police captain she knew how to handle it, even if she wasn't proud of that skill. "But if Sunny Flare thinks that you can do it, then I have no choice but to trust you. All of you!"
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to stop me?"
Cadence shrugged. "How? A supervillain and his army of thugs couldn't, what chances do I have? At least I'm not in the way anymore."
Sunny blinked. She figured that Dean Cadence, as expected of the wife of Shining Armor and survivor of a similar calamity, would be a little more accepting of the current situation, but this went beyond that. Finding out that Shimmy had some unexpected help managed to put her somewhat at ease. Whether it was because of who was helping her, or because she had accepted assistance at all was a matter best solved when she wasn't on a timer. And speaking of which, she still had a few more minutes, but she was worried Sombra might get another brilliant idea if she gave him too much time.
"I need to go, but I promise I will make it right," she paused, before shaking her head and correcting herself "we will make it right!"
Cadence smiled warmly and nodded. "I know. Good luck!"
Sunny nodded back, took a breath and was about to teleport to school, when Cadence said one more thing.
"Oh, and, Sunset Shimmer! Congratulations on becoming a Shadowbolt!"
Sunset blinked a few times. Wait, I didn't tell her that, how does she... She looked at her watch. Oh. Right. Of course. She snorted.
"I know, you expect great things from me. And I promise... I will make everyone proud!" And then she disappeared.
Cadence giggled at the empty space. “You already did.”
She appeared back inside the stall she was in before. She didn't need to go back there specifically now that the jig was up (and she risked an ambush too), but as expected, as soon as she landed on her two feet, she stumbled and would've fallen on the ground if the stall wasn't so tight, instead making her lean on the wall with a huge migraine. She bit through the pain and took a few deep breaths.
Still not dead! Yay me!
One of the theories the two Twi's (Pri and Sci) had was that unlike a unicorn with a horn that worked as both a conductor AND a power limiter, a human body with pony magic was eventually going to pay the price for abusing their power with its own life force. They never tested it, deeming it too dangerous to try, but it seemed like they were correct and she just performed the unauthorized experiment for them. Those two would like to know that... heh, one more reason to survive! Feeling slightly better, she used the opportunity to wash her hands and face of the blood and sweat (respectively), then left the toilet, finding the walkie-talkie in front of the door, as she left it. That meant that no mini-boss had reached it, which in turn meant that everyone else did their jobs too.
Good, I'm in a mood for happy news. She thought, then raised the walkie-talkie to her head.
"Hello honey, I'm baa-aack!" She said cheerfully, making sure at least one security camera caught her smile. "Missed me?"
Sunny looked at the two tiny objects. She was now starting to understand what Lemon's secret weapon was, but it was yet to be stated loudly.
"What exactly are you going to do?"
Lemon smiled. A small, innocent smile slowly grew in size until her canines were showing, a held back, maniacal laughter started coming out from her. Sunny turned to the other four, each looking slightly away and pursing their lips in fear, as if a bad memory resurfaced in their minds at the same time. Beads of sweat trickled on their foreheads. Even Sugarcoat had a different aura around her. She swallowed and listened when Lemon Zest carefully explained everything.
Until now, in her personal ranking of how dangerous the Shadowbolts were, Lemon Zest was at the bottom.
Currently? She ranked third.
Yes, she counted herself too.
Sombra was quiet for a bit after learning that Dean Cadence was no longer his prisoner, but it wasn't for too long.
"You think you're so clever," his voice boomed from the speakers "but this changes nothing! I lost one bargaining chip, but the better one is still here. Looking at me pleadingly, wondering if her heroine will come to her rescue, or will abandon her. Like she already once did! Hahaha!"
Sunny grunted, tightening her fists, fighting the urge to snap back. She looked at the nearest security camera and weighed her options. She let out a long sigh, brushing her hair with her fingers before talking back.
"Nice try. Knowing Coco she's probably sitting where you put her. Obedient, sure. Watching your every move in complete silence. Waiting for a single mistake. Anything that'll lower you guard," she said confidently, playing with her long, curly locks "isn't she?"
She got no immediate answer, nor was she expecting one. She was only killing time with the mental image of Sombra looking suspiciously at Coco, possibly expecting her to attack any moment now.
Four more minutes. Just don't get any stupid ideas, Coco!
Locked up alone in the recording studio and hunched over a laptop, Lemon Zest smiled.
After defeating their mini-bosses, the Shadowbolts acquired a few more walkie-talkies, one of which was delivered back to Lemon Zest. They could now hear not only Sombra on the speakers, but also Sunny, as well as anyone else who used this line. They couldn't use them to communicate with each other, but they formed their plan in a way that would allow it to proceed without the need for it. They only created a few signals for Lemon Zest to look for.
Playing with you hair meant: proceed as planned!
"Acknowledged!" She said to the feed of Sunny. She knew nobody could hear her, but she believed Sunset Shimmer got her reply in spirit.
"Forgive me if I don't take those threats seriously, Sunny," Sombra's voice announced via the speakers "we're not done with the game."
"Yes, we are. All the mini-bosses are defeated, just like you asked. Check the camera if you don't believe me."
This was Lemon's cue to switch the fake footage she was using to fool his side of the security feed with the real one. The PA was temporarily turned off, as they enjoyed the mental imagine of Sombra finding out that all his men were defeated without him noticing a thing.
"HOW!?"
Sombra immediately went from relaxed and enjoying himself into fuming with rage.
"She was gone for a few minutes! There's no way she... ugh!"
And Coco watched him all the time, just as Sunny said she was. She was a damsel in distress for sure, but being scared and helpless was an excuse for bystanders who weren't given a choice. She wasn't one of them. She was invited into a life of crime fighting and was allowed to leave any time she wanted, but she didn't. She left Sunset Shimmer for personal, selfish, dumb reasons, but not Magical Girl Sunny or the mission. This was the life she chose for herself. That initial wishful thinking that she could slam something heavy at his head? It turned into a real goal.
The only problem? Sombra's rage was now literally visible and tangible, floating over him as a corporeal shadow spectre that could no doubt rip the head off her shoulders.
But he was going to make a mistake. And she awaited it.
"I did my part. Come on, show yourself!"
No answer. The time she was trying to kill suddenly slowed to a crawl. Crap, did I go too far? I swear, if that bastard actually hurt her... She shook her head. No, calm down! Lemon Zest has eyes on them, she would've sent us a message! She looked at the camera, in particular the tiny green light next to its lens. Green meant it was recording, while red meant it was inactive. It was the only way for Lemon to send messages to the group. Red meant 'something went wrong, improvise!'.
But it wasn't and that was what kept Sunny at bay.
"You... you cheated!" Suddenly the voice returned.
Despite the menacing tone and less than ideal implications, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Here we go...
"It was those five girls, wasn't it? Shadowbolts, were they? There's no way you could've beaten all of them AND tampered with the cameras on your own!"
Sunny rolled her eyes. "What, I'm cheating? Double standards much? We both know you wouldn't have revealed yourself even if I played along, so why bother? It's almost as if you didn't want to meet me eye to eye," she snorted "it's almost as if... you were afraid of me! Look at me: my clothes are all destroyed, I'm tired, wounded, out of magic. I can barely stand still. And yet here you are, still refusing to get closer. What are you afraid of, Shadow Boy? Still think I have enough fight in me to take you on?"
No answer. She could almost smell his fear even a few floors apart. She knew that he wasn't scared of her personally, but of the trap she had no doubt prepared for him with the help of five friends he hadn't seen since they found her in the hallway. He wasn't the type to get easily provoked into going out of his safe space. He wasn't going to fall for her trap.
Which is why they didn't prepare any and they had him exactly where they wanted him to be!
Sunny looked at the watch. Three more minutes.
"You seem to be forgetting one little detail," he hissed "I did warn you what would happen to miss Pommel if you went off-script!"
Sunset lowered her head and took a deep breath.
"I was nice to her until now, but maybe you will learn your place once you hear her screa-"
"Do it."
"-ming for mercy... wait, what?"
Sunny's face remained emotionless as she repeated herself.
"I said do it..." she glared into the camera "...you coward!"
Between the walkie-talkies and the speakers, everyone in the gym had pretty much the entire conversation laid out to them and reacted accordingly. The tied up students and teachers who were close enough to overhear the walkie-talkies went wide-eyed. The henchmen in the gym all shared confused glares among them, distracting themselves from the entrance. One could sneak up on them if they were careful. But nobody did. Not yet.
"Woah, what the what?" Sour Sweet almost shrieked at the walkie talkie, having to be shushed by other three, who shared the sentiment in silence. The double doors to the gym were thick, but not soundproof.
"Everything's fine," Indigo said "she knows what she's doing. I think."
"But does she really?" Sunny Flare asked.
"Go on, do it," Sunny insisted "I dare you!"
Sombra stuttered through the microphone. "A-are you... are you officially insane?"
"You know how I dress for battle, so maybe. I'm just fed up with those empty threats and I'm done doing what you told me to! Don't get me wrong, I want to save Coco more than I want to beat you and I was ready to pay the ultimate price for it. But..." she took a deep breath before continuing.
"This isn't about Coco, myself or what we want anymore! This is what has to be done, no matter what! I will NOT let you get away with anything, what you've done to all the students and teachers in the school, to my friends, to Dean Cadence, to Captain Shining Armor and every police officer in the city! For what you've done to Coco. For you've done to ME! And I promise you, I will make sure you won't ever hurt anyone else ever again if it's the last thing I do!"
Silence. Other than held back heavy breathing from both sides, there was no other sound.
Sombra broke it first. "You... you're willing to sacrifice your best friend?"
"If that's what it takes!" She answered immediately. "I know that Coco would never forgive herself if I let you get away with your crimes," she smiled weakly at the camera "she's... she's the most gentle person I know! The kindest I ever met. She never put herself before the others and I know that she's willing to do anything to... to save everyone else! And as much as it pains me... I have to! It's what she would've wanted. Ask her if you don't believe me!"
She looked down, supposedly down on herself, when in actuality she just wanted to look at her watch so she could start counting down the seconds. Almost there. Just a little longer...
She continued. "But before you do anything... just a warning: I will never forgive myself if something were to happen to her and I will have nightmares until the day I die... but that will happen AFTER I let out all my anger and sorrow on you! Do you have any idea how dangerous I am when I'm angry?"
Pause.
"Neither do I. And you... you will be the first one to find out!"
Sombra looked at his microphone with mouth wide opened. With time he would've figured out what was going on, but time wasn't a resource that his confused mind was granted.
"She's right!"
He almost jumped up when he heard his hostage speak. Coco pierced him with her gaze, smiling confidently.
"Sunny and I had a... difficult week, but wha-whatever is going with the two of us, one thing didn't change- we're in this together! If she's willing to give everything she has to fight you, then I... then I..." she looked around herself, then picked up the empty ceramic teacup and stood up with it "...I have to do what it takes too!"
I'm sorry, Dean Cadance! Suddenly, she smashed the teacup on the table! Sombra was too shocked to react and only watched as she grabbed the biggest shard in her hand, brandishing it like a shiv.
He raised his eyebrows and asked. "Do you really think this will do anything?"
Coco breathed heavily for a moment. Her eyes went from Sombra to her improvised weapon, shaking in her tiny, weak hands. She knew all too well how stupid attacking him would be at this moment.
She smiled. "It's not for you!" She pointed the shard at herself, bringing it closer to her left eye.
This caught Sombra off-guard. "Oi, what are you...?"
"What do you think she'll do to you if she finds me without an eye?" She brought the shard closer. Her breathing got more erratic, but as terrified as she was, she was desperate enough to try. She knew full well how her self-destructive tendencies worked when she was on an adrenaline rush. And deep inside, she enjoyed every second of it, in her own twisted way. "Do you want to find out?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The shard didn't get an inch closer, neither did the rest of Coco's body, which was now covered in a bunch of shadow tendrils holding her entire body in a tight grip, encasing her in a block of semi-transparent shadows. A lone tentacle rose out of it and smacked the shard away from her. She couldn't even move her neck anymore and had to watch as the angry, white haired boy closed in on her, one hand held forward and controlling the shadows around Coco.
"You forgot your place!" He hissed at her. "And you forgot what I was going to do to your precious school friends if you did anything like this!"
"Then do it!" Coco snapped back. Being completely immobilized didn't stop her from giving him a massive stink-eye. "Sunny was right. You talk a lot, but when it comes to actually doing anything, you're just a coward!"
Sombra's eyebrow twitched as he raised his hand up at her. Coco closed her eyes and braced for the impact. It was exactly as when she met Sunny. Everything was similar: the rebellious comments, the adrenaline rush, the incoming slap. Back then Sunny appeared in the nick of time and saved her, so maybe...
A few seconds passed. There was no slap. She opened her eyes and saw Sombra standing before her, hand held up high, shaking but not moving. Sunny wasn't here, the one who held Sombra back was himself. He took a few deep breaths and lowered his hand.
"I... I almost lost myself," he commented, his shadows still holding her in place "I see what you are trying to do and you almost got me. You have a lot more fight in you than I originally thought and it caught me off-guard. But let me tell you something, miss Pommel," he closed himself to her to look her eye to eye, she couldn't turn away even if she wanted.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Or anyone else, for that matter. Sunny is my only target and she's the whole reason why I'm doing this whole charade. You guessed it, I'm scared of her powers, now more than ever. She proved that she's a force to be reckoned with and I'd rather not face her directly... so what? I might be a coward, but that's how I survived this long. I was shot at by snipers, but the bullets never reached me, even when I wasn't aware of them- hence why I never tried it on her. Magic is a finicky thing: just when you think you know how it works, you fall once you realize you know jack-all!"
He turned away and walked a few steps. "Bravery is what made my father lose in the end. It's not his enemies that eventually got him, it was those he trusted, his friends, who were the ones to break his spirit. And his own kin who delivered the final blow. So forgive me if I keep my distance. But if she wants to fight...!"
He extended his hand to the side. Few shadow tendrils went out into the floor, separated themselves from his body and quickly formed their own shapes, becoming three shadowcats.
"This is how I fight! Hope you're satisfied, miss Pommel!"
Coco swallowed, watching the three shadowcats burst out of the doors. I really hope this was your plan all along, Sunny!
"Crap, this wasn't part of the plan!"
Lemon Zest followed the shadowcats on her monitors, from one window to another. Bad news: they knew exactly where Sunny was. Bad news: Sunny was in no condition to fight three of them and then fight Sombra. Bad news: He would definitely make more even if she could. Bad news: They were going to reach her in maybe twenty seconds.
Good news: That's all the time they needed!
Lemon took a deep breath and started punching on her keyboard. The moment of truth was incoming!
Standing before the doors to the gym, the four Shadowbolts prepared themselves. Sunny Flare and Sugarcoat brandished their rapier and taser, respectively. Sour Sweet already stood on her knee with an arrow pulled, waiting for Indigo to make her move.
"You wanted a fight, Sunny?" Sombra yelled over the speakers. "Hope you like the gift I sent you!"
Magical Girl Sunny stood motionless in the same place she was before. A lot of grim possibilities appeared in her head, most of them concluding in Coco getting hurt, but she fought those thoughts away with sheer logic. Sombra needed her alive. He needed Coco in top condition to keep her in check. Hopefully. She was breathing heavily, mentally preparing herself, when from the corner of her eye she noticed three shawodcats coming from the stairs, straight at her.
"Come on, show me what you can do! How many aces do you have up those borrowed sleeves? Because I can assure you that I can send you more. In fact, I can do this all day. Can you?"
Sunny didn't answer him. She glared at the shadowcats and didn't move.
"Hate to break it to you, but they're not zombies. Just because you don't move doesn't mean they will ignore you!"
The shadow creatures started circling around her. She looked at them carefully, but didn't move otherwise.
"Last chance, Sunny: give up your earrings and I will release everyone and end your suffering quickly. Yes, I know about the earrings. Don't ask me how I found out, I have my sources."
Sunny sighed. She raised her hand to brush her hair again, using this moment to look at the watch one more time.
"I don't expect you to make it easy on me, but it can't hurt to ask fi-"
"Whatever you're trying to tell me, don't bother," Sunny interrupted him by raising the walkie-talkie to her face "I haven't heard a single thing you just said."
That last comment gave Sombra a slight pause. His eyebrow twitched as he looked at Coco.
"She really can't help herself, can't she? Defiant until the very e-"
Suddenly, a loud, ear piercing shriek went out across all the speakers throughout the entire school building. Like scratching the building sized blackboard with freshly polished car sized nails, making all the glass exhibits on the corridors shatter, along with some frames with diplomas, some monitor screens and various other things, but not the actual windows. It also sent everyone inside the building into brain bursting suffering. Sombra covered his ears with his hands, but the damage was already done. Unable to concentrate on it, the shadow holding Coco instantly dissipated, giving her a chance to defend herself from the supersonic sound breaking her eardrums. This wasn't the first time she experienced this feeling, but it was a little different.
This time it was intentional!
Once upon a time, there was a Crystal Prep radio station playing in the background during breaks. The school was always equipped with that technology, as it came bundled with the PA system, but nobody had any idea, enthusiasm or time to operate it, and even then, the many rules and regulations Cinch put on it discouraged all who tried. Enter Lemon Zest, the first one who gave it a real try. The available selection of music genres left very little to work with (no metal made a sad Lemon), but even then she managed with the timeless pop and rock hits from the 70's and 80's, with a few classical pieces thrown in the mix, so that even someone as cold as Cinch couldn't disapprove. Spliced with school news from the student council, recruitment posts from various clubs and other 'pre-Friendship Games school propaganda' sounding things that further convinced Cinch to agree, Lemon Zest managed to keep the station running for almost two weeks.
She was the newscaster, DJ, manager and technician of the radio station. She had Sugarcoat help with the grunt work, but she still did most of the important work herself. Being a fast learner she quickly figured out the ins and outs of the broadcasting system. Unfortunately, the club funds were limited and radio equipment wasn't cheap, so she had to learn how to improvise with parts that weren't meant to fit together. And for the most part everything went well.
Until one day, when a few seconds of wrong settings on wrong hardware was all it took to break all the windows, trophy cases, bottles, glass mugs, some low end glasses (nobody was hurt at least) and even a few car windows on the parking lot, not to mention temporarily deafening a few hundred people, including herself.
She was lucky that she was already guaranteed to become a Shadowbolt as soon as the third years graduated, because anyone else would've been expelled on the spot! The faculty in Crystal Prep, Cinch especially, wasn't too keen on admitting one of the star pupils was ever at fault, instead blaming the hardware provider and extorting a sizeable insurance money from them. But even though all ended well and the new windows were of the bulletproof kind (not that they would ever nee-oh wait!), the radio station was completely dismantled, never to be used again.
...is what they claimed, but Lemon Zest knew better. The infrastructure was almost the same as before and operated by a software she had a copy on the cloud (thus she wasn't bothered when they confiscated it), easily fixable if you knew what you were doing. She knew better than to point it out or try it ever again, since she was in enough trouble as she was. But if she ever wanted to attack everyone in the school for more or less petty reasons...
Only twelve people in the building were prepared for the attack. One group was in the basement level, behind locked doors, in a place with few speakers and wearing makeshift earplugs made from the fabric Suri had on her at all times. It only helped a little.
The other group was the Main Shadowbolts. Lemon Zest found six pairs of high grade ear plugs, which protected them from all the damage. Sunset used the time Sombra had to deal with Coco to discreetly wear hers, her long hair perfectly masking them from the cameras.
Everyone else? No such luck.
Those gathered in the gym felt it the hardest. Some of the tied up students and teachers passed out on the spot, others barely kept their sanity with no way to protect their ears. The terrorists all closed their eyes and shielded their ears with their hands, letting off of their assault rifles, now dangling on their straps.
The double doors to the gym suddenly slammed open, kicked from the outside to deaf ears, literally. A single arrow shot inside the gym, passing by three guys who didn't even see it and hit the man who stood by the other end right in the shoulder. He let out a scream that even he couldn't hear nor could he warn anyone of the incoming attack. Four girls swiftly moved inside, all but Sour Sweet rushing forward while the archer did as promised and shot an arrow at the one standing at the upper seats, too high for anyone else to reach. The arrow struck right in the right arm, making him scream in pain and preventing him from using the rifle.
Meanwhile Indigo, being the fastest, zapped past the two closest ones and jump kicked the third guy, toppling him on the ground (probably with a loud thud). Falling on the ground didn't knock him out outright, but the follow up punch in the nose finished the job. Sunny Flare and Sugarcoat reached their targets roughly at the same time: one was stabbed several times in the legs and arms, the other fell after getting electrocuted, none of them knew what hit them until it was too late. Sugarcoat's opponent fell unconscious on the spot, but Sunny Flare had to kick her crouched opponent in the face to finish the job.
Sour prepared one more arrow and looked around for suitable targets. Three down, two wounded, one to go. Here's hoping Shimmy is doing good too!
Coco remembered this feeling all too well and now that she recovered enough sanity to think, she knew who was behind it and instantly forgave her. She opened her eyes, hoping to see Sombra was just as stunned as she was and this was her chance to attack.
But she couldn't see him. Someone stood in her way. Someone turned back to her, wearing the familiar, long white boots, that she designer herself. Shivers went through her body, as her gaze went further up. She recognized the grey spats, a borrowed purple Crystal Prep blazer and she started crying when her eyes saw the messed up, fire colored hair.
Sombra opened his eyes shortly after and saw exactly the same view, except towering over him from the front. His heart sank once their eyes met. Despite the overall tranquility and neutrality on her face, when looking deep inside Magical Girl Sunny's eyes, he could feel two things.
Rage he expected.
Joy... he feared.
Despite the initial success, the four Shadowbolts didn't stop to celebrate just yet. Sour Sweet scouted the area with one arrow ready to fire. At first she was going to get the only one that hadn't been attacked yet, but she noticed that Sugarcoat had already locked onto him. Indigo went for the furthest one she shot first, so he was of no issue. This left the one who had the high ground and tried to do the same thing, swapping the rifle to his other arm, about to shoot her with one hand, left one to boot! He had no chance to hit her like this, but full automatic could hit someone else by mistake and she wasn't having any of it.
He aimed straight at her, but before he managed to pull the trigger, an arrow went straight inside the barrel of the rifle. He looked wide eyed at the impossible shot, then back at the smug teen archer. He tried pulling the trigger a few more times, but nothing happened, the arrow jamming inside the rifle. Wounded, with a broken weapon and an arrow sticking out of his right arm, he panicked and ducked behind the bleachers.
Sour Sweet chuckled. Yeah, he's done with. Not worried about him, she looked at the others. Indigo had no problems beating the wounded guy into submission, as expected. Meanwhile Sugarcoat reached the one unharmed guy and lunged at him with her taser, except he was less dazed than he looked as he sidestepped at the last moment! She didn't get a chance to turn back, when he grabbed the rifle in both hands and smacked her in the back with the butt of his rifle, making her fall and dropping the taser.
Sour's eyebrow twitched at the sheer nerve of someone hurting her friend. She knocked a single arrow and took aim at the guy as he was preparing to shoot... but Sunny Flare beat her to it, piercing her rapier through his arm. Sour watched him get stabbed again and again, each strike aimed at the least vital organ that still hurt, before he fell on the ground, ready to give up. While she couldn't hear it, she certainly imagined the crunch of smashed nose when getting STOMPED by Sunny Flare's boot!
She cringed at the viciousness (which she approved of) and sighed with relief, lowering her bow, fully believing that they just won with minimal damage (though they would hear Sugarcoat's complaints for weeks going on, no doubt). The only one standing was about to give up any time now. And just a moment later he raised up from behind the seats. His arrow was removed and rifle dropped, but otherwise he seemed like he was harmless.
Her Sweet smile was short lived and quickly Soured, paled even, when she noticed something else. A little detail that everyone overlooked because it didn't seem important at the time. He had something in his left hand.
A handgun.
Sour's eyes widened. THEY HAVE SIDEARMS!
And he aimed straight at her. She instantly jumped to her side and pulled an arrow, just when he shot first. She couldn't hear the shot or ricochet, but she saw something bounce off of the floor where she was just a moment ago. In panic, she sent an arrow his way, but missed by a longshot! She continued her dash as he kept on shooting at her, each time missing by a hair, literally in one case as she felt something fly by her ear! The gym was a large open space with no cover other than the bleachers, which he was smartly using against her. The only safe place she could think of was the doorway they went through, so she lunged there, landing face first into the ground just behind the frame, still feeling the vibrations of the last bullet hitting the floor even after she was in the safe zone.
Her heart never beat this fast as she got up, huge beads of sweat falling on the floor. Holy crap I almost died! But at least I'm safe he-OH CRAP! THE OTHERS!
It only took another second to realize another detail: they were still wearing the earplugs and if she couldn't hear the gunshots and screaming, then neither could the others! And since Sunny Flare was busy taking care of Sugarcoat, and Indigo Zap was on the other side of the room...
OH NO! She instantly got up on her feet and went back inside, her own safety left behind as she pulled an arrow and aimed at the terrorist again. Just as she was afraid of, he wasn't aiming at her, instead he went towards the closest targets, which were Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare, neither aware of the danger. The arrow went straight at him and hit the gun out of his hand... nanoseconds AFTER he shot first!
The bullet went straight at Sunny Flare, hunched over Sugarcoat to help her stand up, neither knew what was going on, too busy with their own problems. Sunny Flare didn't even know it when she was hit...
...by Indigo Zap! Unlike the other two, Indigo saw everything and rushed at full speed to push Sunny Flare out of the way, but at the cost of taking the bullet herself, getting hit in the abdomen and falling on her back before her two friends. Sugarcoat looked at her as she always did, but it was Sunny Flare who screamed!
Sour Sweet blinked too, unsure what to make of what just happened. Her gaze went from Indigo to the guy who just shot her. He looked at the situation, unarmed, wounded and alone, and raised his arms up, screaming something at them, probably giving up. Sour didn't care; she pulled out an arrow and shot it at right at him. The arrow went right at his head, missing so narrowly it grazed his ear. The combined pain, blood loss, ear damage (internal and external) and now a near death experience took a toll on him and made him pass out on the spot.
Sunny Flare rushed to Indigo and lifted her head up. She tried screaming something at her, having heard nothing she removed her and Indigo's earplugs.
"Indigo! Indigo, no, don't you dare..."
The others also took off their earplugs, but kept their distance, fearfully observing from the distance.
Indigo slowly opened her eyes. "Ugh, damn that hurts!" She moaned weakly and coughed. "Hey Sunny Flare, you okay?"
Sunny Flare's dignity was beyond anyone else they knew, but even she couldn't stop the waterfall of tears coming from her eyes as she was cradling her wounded best friend.
"I-Indigo, you dummy! You-you're..."
"Pretty... friggin'... badass?" Indigo chuckled through her pain, then coughed. "Oww, the pain!"
"D-don't joke around! Y-you, you got shot be-because you... you saved me! You shouldn't have..." She said through the tears, but was stopped when Indigo's hand reached her cheek and wiped some tears away.
"I'm just happy you're safe... Flary!" She coughed again.
Sunny Flare almost choked. "Indigo, I... I..." she shook her head "we need to get you to a hospital! You're hurt and... and..."
"It was a rubber bullet." Sugarcoat said.
"...and it was a rubber... bullet?" Sunny Flare asked, looking at Sugarcoat. She held the sidearms from the other terrorist in her hand, with the magazine pulled out.
"Yes, they use anti-riot ammo. They're used mostly for crowd control, they only cause minimal damage," she shrugged "which makes sense, since they're keeping so many hostages and Sunny, not you, is all but immune to firearms anyway." She blinked. "It probably hurt more when I was hit in the back."
"You wanna swap?" Indigo said, massaging her belly. "Goddamn, I think he hit my kidney!"
Sugarcoat blinked. "I'm good, thanks."
"Rubber... bullets?" Sunny Flare repeated, staring blankly at Sugarcoat. Her eyes went towards Indigo, particularly her abdomen. She didn't pay attention to it, but her white shirt was not bloodied, not beyond what she had before from the duel. She raised Indigo's shirt up to reveal a purple bruise on her belly, but there was no fresh blood.
"You... you're not dying?"
"Who said I was? All I said is that it hurts like hell!"
Sunny Flare blinked. Indigo blinked back. Sunny Flare dropped Indigo's head on the floor, making an audible thud.
"Oww, why did you do that?!"
"You dummy, you knew it wasn't real ammo!"
"Well, duh!" She shrugged. "I found out just a few seconds ago!"
Sunny Flare pursed her lips, groaned and turned away, crossing her hands. "I actually... I actually thought you were... you were..."
Indigo smiled at her friend and raised her hand to pat her head. "Hey, you're not getting rid of me that easily!"
Sunny Flare hunched over to pout even stronger, but the thought of smacking Indigo's hand didn't even cross her mind. Eventually she sighed, stood up and turned to her best friend.
"I guess not!" She said while offering a helping hand.
Indigo accepted the hand and stood up with the offered help. "For the record, I would've totally taken a real bullet for you if I had to!"
Sunny Flare blinked, then shrugged. "Yeah, I know."
The two smiled and were about to burst into laughter, when Sugarcoat interrupted them.
"That's not a good moment to 'out-cute' Coco and Sunny, but if you step it up a bit you just might." She said in the same deadpan as she was. The two looked at her, then at their hands, still connected. They quickly let go and looked away, blushing slightly.
Sugarcoat looked between the two of them. "Just to clarify, nobody will judge you for harboring romantic feelings towards each other..."
"WE'RE NOT!"
"...but we will be judging you for hiding it from us or refusing to admit it to each other, whichever is the case. Isn't that right, Sour?" She asked their archer friend, but got no answer. "Sour Sweet?"
Sour Sweet was neither of her two selves at the moment. She tuned out after finding out that Indigo was fine, along with realizing that she was in no danger at all (though if Indigo felt it, it meant it REALLY hurt!). She looked intently at the last arrow she shot, stuck in the wall right behind where the terrorist passed out.
"Sour Sweet?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I-uh, sure!" She shook her head and walked to her friends, trying to brush away the thoughts of almost murdering a guy. I was never this glad to miss! Thankfully, nobody thought much about it, blaming the (ultimately false) near-death experience on the odd behavior.
Sugarcoat looked around the gym. "Did we just win?"
The others looked around as well, then one after the other smiled and nodded.
He tried, and really wanted, to do anything other than hold his ears even after the sound stopped. His head was spinning, eyes blurring the towering visage of Magical Girl Sunny, making it appear as if there were two of them when one was enough to send him into panic. She grabbed him by the collar with her right hand and shook him up a bit as her mouth opened and she started chanting something. Nobody, herself included, could hear exactly what she was saying, but it went something like this:
"SUUUUUNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYY..."
Her left hand stretched back, forming a fist augmented with the literal power of her new friendship: the Shadowbolts watch, once again acting as a brass knuckle.
"...SHADOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW..."
She put everything she had into her left fist, all of her remaining strength saved up for this moment, and launched it straight at his face!
"...PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!"
Sombra let go of his ears and tried to form some sort of shield, but he wasn't fast enough. She couldn't hear the smack, or crack or any other sounds that followed her usual strikes, but what made up for it was the feeling of an impact that met a little resistance in the form of a nose, but easily breaking it and sending him flying back, smashing into the bookshelf a few meters away! She watched him exhale the air mixed with blood as his back broke a few shelves, before he fell on his rear, eyes still open but no longer conscious. To add insult to injury a few thick books fell off straight at his forehead, clinching his defeat.
Sunny remained in her after-strike pose for a moment. She allowed herself to breathe again when Sombra was not standing up for a while. She could have sworn she saw him breathe slowly through his wide opened mouth, but not through the devastated, bleeding nose, that was for sure. Feeling a little dizzy, she stumbled on her feet, grabbing the edge of the desk to keep herself on her feet through the worst case of vertigo. She looked at her left hand, at her watch. Still not a scratch on the case, only blood of her enemy. She then looked at her right hand, closed tightly in a fist that until just recently held Sombra by his collar. She slowly opened her hand to reveal what she was after all this time: a golden, heart shaped necklace, with remnants of a torn golden chain still hanging from it.
I... I did it... She clenched her fist. I actually did it!
The sheer exhaustion was finally catching up with her, just when she was in the mood for a victory dance or at least a cool line, which nobody would hear. Her legs, arms, lungs and other organs pushed themselves to their very limits, fueled by her willpower and adrenaline that carried on to ensure her survival and victory. With the mission accomplished, all relented at roughly the same time, making her fall on her knees, but no lower, as she still held onto the desk.
More than the celebration, she was in a mood to pass out. Sleep for a few days, possibly in a hospital where they could give her the treatment she needed, but even that had to wait. There was one more thing she needed to muster some last embers of her strength into. She turned around on her knees. A familiar feeling once again went inside her head, body and soul. The sheer sight of Coco, alive and well, in the flesh, was enough to give her the energy to smile again.
Coco was far from composed as well. She stood behind this entire time and watched everything. At some point her hands went from covering her ears to mouth, trying to contain the sheer joy she felt when she saw her friend for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She was there for her, as promised. Neither of them could hold back the tears anymore.
Sunny nodded and said something, a single word. Coco couldn't hear a thing, but she replied with a single word, which couldn't be heard either. But it didn't have to. Neither of them had to say anything else. With no hesitation, Coco went on her knees and hugged Sunny tightly. The initial impact hurt a little, but that didn't stop Sunny from welcoming her friend and embracing her as hard as she could. Other than the lack of hearing, Coco was in top condition, so Sunny wasn't shy about leaning over her for support. Coco gladly took over her burden and held her weight on her shoulders.
Both of them were where they were always meant to be. And neither wanted to ever let go.
"No answer..." Sunny Flare sighed, putting the walkie-talkie away "now I'm actually getting worried."
"She's probably too busy cuddling with Coco and forgot to take out her earplugs," Sour Sweet said cheerfully, earning a raised eyebrow from the others. She sourly shrugged. "What? You're all thinking it right now!"
Sunny Flare rolled her eyes and raised the walkie-talkie again. "Lemon, any visuals on Sunny and Coco?"
"Negative," Lemon replied "the Sonic Zestboom..."
"We are not calling it that!"
"...cracked the screen on the laptop, I can't see anything!"
"That makes me worry even more." Sunny Flare said and looked down, when Indigo Zap touched her shoulder and smiled at her.
"Hey, if we did our thing, then so did she. Sour's right, she's probably too busy to take out the earplugs and Coco will be deaf for a few more minutes. I know they're fine."
Sunny Flare opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and just nodded back to Indigo, then to Sour Sweet, who smiled as well. Only one of them wasn't smiling, as always. Sugarcoat wasn't even looking at them, instead intently staring at the bulletproof gym windows that withstood the Zestboom.
"Shouldn't that thing be gone by now?"
Everyone looked at the windows, where Sugarcoat was pointing. Despite still being the middle of the afternoon, the outside was pitch black. The smiles instantly soured on all three and without saying a word, they nodded to each other and rushed to the doors.
Not too long ago, being embraced by Coco would've put her to sleep on the spot, but the sudden surge of positive energy, coupled with her body warmth, kept her awake at least for now. The feeling must've been mutual because Coco's grip wasn't weakening. She was touching her wounded back, not that Coco could tell through the blazer and Sunny hadn’t gone through all this pain and suffering to just push her away because she was scratched recently.
If I say anything, she'll just worry some more and we're way past that!
They were connected by a hug for who knows how long until Coco relented first. She didn't leave, but her grip weakened and no longer hurt her back, which was good. She started patting her shoulder, trying to get her attention. Sunny loosened her grip and pulled back to look at her. With her mouth wide open, Coco wasn't looking at her at all, her eyes glued to something behind her instead.
Sunny's sweat suddenly got cold. She slowly turned her head around, dreading the sight that awaited her.
Oh no...
A single book got kicked away lazily. Using the edge of the bookshelf for support, Sombra slowly raised himself up from the rubble, stumbling along the way and barely keeping his legs straight. He was breathing heavily with his mouth, his eyes were half-closed, looking down under him. He touched his broken nose, cringing in pain, possibly cursing something to himself as he wiped some blood off his face.
Sunny's eyes widened. She could feel her throat go dry. All her limbs went numb and only Coco's support kept her from collapsing.
No, oh god no!
Two sets of eyes met again, one filled with rage, the other with fear, except this time the roles were reversed. The dark shadow mists coming from his body only made it worse.
Sunny instinctively extended her hand to cover as much of Coco as she could, all but giving up on stopping her panic attack. Nononono, it can't be happening! Why? But, but how?! She looked at her right hand. The necklace was still there and she couldn't feel any power coming from it.
In fact, she couldn't feel anything from it at all!
Wait, don't tell me...
She noticed Coco pointing her finger at Sombra, shouting something at her.
What is she...? She shook her head and took off one earplug.
"The ring!" Coco yelled. "He gets his powers from the ring!"
If she wasn't the most pale version of herself before, then she certainly was now. She didn't notice it before, and how would she? This was literally the second time she saw him in person, first time that she cared. She only saw a duplicate made with the intent to confuse her, of course it didn't have his weakness on display! But now she saw it- out of all the parts of his body, the shadow seemed to be the thickest at his right hand, where in between the mists she could see a charcoal black ring, contrasting with his pale white skin. She looked back to the heart-shaped necklace in her hand. She didn't realize it before, but it was one of those opening necklaces and sure enough, it had a small photo inside. It was a portrait of a smiling, white skinned woman in her mid twenties, with long, even whiter hair tied in a ponytail and kind, blue eyes.
Her eyes went back to Sombra, who regained his footing enough to make a slow step towards them. His breathing was irregular, awkward, but somehow stable, with shadows around his legs keeping him stabilized.
"Suuuuunnnnnyyyyy...!" He yelled through his teeth.
His teeth... She thought of another unsettling discovery. She lost count on how many times she knocked a tooth or two when she punched someone before. Bigger, smaller, with or without magic, almost everyone lost something on the way or at least cracked it, but Sombra's jaw was still whole. Except for the nose, his face was mostly intact and she knew she hit it straight on! Whether he was tougher than he looked or he had more magic tricks than he gave away was a less important question than crap, what now?!
She shook her head and hid the necklace in a pocket, also reaching to another for her scalpel, immediately throwing it in the general direction of his head, consequences later. Despite the fatigue and shaking arm, her aim was true and it flew right at his forehead... but got caught in mid-air by a shadow tendril. She swallowed, watching as the scalpel got bent and thrown aside, with Sombra not even blinking as he made another step toward them.
This was it for her, she was officially out of ideas, even the stupid ones. The shadows grew in size, Sombra was now more or less enveloped in a thick, dark full-body armor, with his right hand growing three large claws. She couldn't even stand up on her own strength, but thankfully she didn't have to, as Coco grabbed her by her arms and used all her might to pull her back on her feet. Sunny looked back to see Coco, struggling to lift her friend with her frail body, scared but brave at the same time.
That was enough to bring her back to her senses. I can't get us both to safety, but... she turned to her and looked her in the eyes. The two spent the longest second looking at each other, concerned but somehow at ease despite approaching danger. Sunny gently touched her friend's cheek and smiled.
"Coco," she said, probably unheard, but confident that the message would get to her "please stay safe!"
Coco tilted her head at Sunset. "What? What do yo-" She didn't finish her sentence as she disappeared!
Coco's shriek was short lived. She was falling for less than a second before landing in the familiar, soft bed. Her own bed. In her own room as she remembered it, except a bit more messy. She frantically looked at the other, unkempt bed full of old clothes, but nobody else teleported in.
"Sunny!" She shouted to herself, finally hearing herself, but that's besides the point. She rushed towards the door, finding them locked. She reached in her pocket to fish out the keys, but they were not there and she quickly figured out why.
"Don't do this to me, Sunny!" She muttered and slammed the door, but it didn't budge. She dropped on her knees, knocking the door in vain hope someone would open it from the outside.
"Not like this!"
Sunset looked at a purple hat shaped keychain, along with a pack of keys attached to it. She sighed as she hid them in her pocket.
I'm sorry Coco, but if anyone is getting away from this... then it has to be you!
Just standing was painful. She was at the "almost empty" state for a very long time, but everytime she thought it was it, she mustered a bit of energy to do what had to be done. But this time was different. She pushed away the pain, head splitting migraine and general 'why am I still alive' queries and looked Sombra in the eyes. He didn't seem like he was in a rush. Even without the brain induced slow motion, his movement was sluggish, her strike had clearly hurt him a lot, and even more than that, it shocked him into taking her more seriously. He wasn't talking, gloating or hiding from her. At this point he probably forgot all about the earrings and their con. What he wanted more than ever, was blood. Her blood.
She took a deep breath and raised her fists to form a clumsy guard.
I've gone this far on my own... with help from my friends...
She swallowed, watching as Sombra raised his shadow-claw hand up at her.
...I think I earned myself a little miracle, right? I could really use one right about now!
Despite her best wishes and all the gathered negative karma, the miracle she deserved wasn't coming. She was alone and exhausted, barely standing on her own legs while Sombra had so much darkness in him that it was literally steaming out. With his teeth exposed, he was about to strike with a giant claw made out of shadows, when the doors to the office flew off the hinges inside.
Sunset's heart almost escaped through her throat and she couldn't stop her smile.
"INDIGO!" She shouted at the girl who called her name, with the other Shadowbolts right behind her.
They needed no prompt for action; Indigo was the first to jump forward, her fists clenched tightly. Sunny Flare and Sugarcoat moved right after her, flanking Sombra from both sides, while Sour Sweet shot three arrows at once. Even Lemon Zest joined in, throwing some handmade explosives (whatever it was) in his general direction.
For a moment everything looked like it would work out.
The arrows bounced off his suddenly darkened skin. Lemon's projectile didn't get far, as a small shadowcat jumped out of Sombra's claw arm, swallowed it whole and was gone immediately after! Two shadow tentacles emerged out of Sombra's shoulders and went towards Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare, grabbing them by their necks, forcing them to throw away their weapons to try to free themselves. Sombra slashed in Indigo's direction, shooting several dart-like projectiles. None of them hit her directly, but a few grazed her arms, one even left a small cut on her cheek, but she didn't stop! She reached the desk, sprung from it and jumped into the air, her fist aimed straight at Sombra's face... but she was caught by another shadow tendril! It wrapped itself around her entire body and kept her suspended in mid-air.
As much as she wanted to scream and insult her opponent, the squeeze was so tight she couldn't catch a breath, let alone talk. She struggled for a moment, erratically moving her body in every direction to shake him off, when suddenly...
CRACK!
There was a loud crack coming from inside her body. She let out a single gasp and stopped moving altogether, eyes and mouth wide open, staring blankly in front of her before her head limped down. The remaining Shadowbolts ceased their movement altogether, unable to believe what had just happened before their eyes. Sombra wasn't showing any emotions.
"Lucky girl, she didn't suffer at all. Unlike you... Sunny!"
Sunny let out a huge gasp and opened her eyes!
She wasn't in the office at all! She was lying face-down, hands outstretched before her. She knew she was still alive because everything hurt. A... a dream? She thought to herself, breathing heavily for a moment. No, a nightmare! Despite the migraine, she braced through and raised her head to look around. A few schooldesks were gathered around the walls, the pitch black sky was still present outside the windows and the blackboard was heavily dented.
Hold on...
She peeked slightly behind the teacher’s desk – the guy she recently knocked was still there, still tied up. This was the classroom where she saved Sally, which happened to be the room right below Dean's office, though she didn't realize it back then. Everything started coming back to her and she remembered what 'actually' happened.
Nobody came to her rescue, she was alone until the very end. He struck his claw at her, which is when she lost her composure and shielded her face, shrieking in the most humiliating way... and then she teleported! What little fumes she had left weren't enough for a proper spell, even a half-assed one, but apparently her survival instinct didn't get the memo and still teleported her somewhere else, if only a few feet below, where she fell face first into the ground, which made her pass out! It explained why her nose hurt too!
She looked at the clock on the wall. Only four minutes... She sighed with relief. Figures. Any longer and he would've found me!
She was still lying on her belly, too tired to move. This is fine. The floor is way more comfortable than I gave it credit. So I'll just lie here... for a moment... She closed her eyes for a few seconds, but quickly forced herself to open them again. No, I can't fall asleep! Come on Shimmy, get up! She took a few deep breaths and attempted to rise from the ground, when she met another snag.
She was used to any sort of pain at this point and yet she was still caught off-guard by the sudden burst reaching her brain and she barely withheld her scream, as her face fell on the floor again. Her right hand managed to lift her up a little bit. Her left hand, however...
Why isn't it moving?
She swallowed, once again trying to move her left hand. It didn't register.
Why can't I feel it? Why can't I feel my left hand?!
It wasn't moving! She tried touching it, but was only met with pain. The closer she looked at it, the more wrong the angle of her arm seemed. She groaned and smacked her head on the floor. In comparison to what she's been through, it felt almost pleasant.
No magic. No energy. No dignity. No friends. And now- no arm. Can this day get any worse?
...Sombra could find and torture me for the rest of my life! Which, silver lining, won't be too long anyway. She sighed heavily. At least Coco's safe. One life goal accomplished. Good job, Shimmy. Gold star!
She sighed and laid there for some time. Her arm wasn't hurting when it remained stationary and she wasn't visibly bleeding. Her chances of survival were close to none, unless Sombra left the school, but she knew it was false and he was searching for her. It was only a matter of time before he stumbled on her, defenseless and harmless. She didn't want to give up, but she couldn't put up any resistance at this point, so there was no point in trying. With Coco saved and placed in a room she won't be able to escape and get in any more danger and other hostages being in the safe hands of Shadowbolts, there was nothing else she had to achieve no matter what.
And as soon as I'm gone, he will have no reason to hang around. He won't benefit from hurting anyone else.
Her eyes slowly closed down.
...I'm okay with this.
As she closed her eyes, memories started pouring in, beginning from the day she transferred to Crystal Prep, where she met Coco for the first time. From the moment their eyes met, she knew this girl was special. Just being around her made her life more colorful and vibrant. After all those years being mostly alone, with no one to truly call a friend, to trust wholly, Coco was the one to break the vicious cycle and she was grateful that she could see and touch her one last time. She wished they could talk, but words seemed like an unnecessary thing back then.
And speaking of not being alone, she couldn't help but crack a smile when she remembered the embarrassment that was her duel with Sunset; a terrible idea in hindsight, but it made for quite the unique memory. And with memories came Pinkie 'Diane' Pie, her oldest childhood not-imaginary-after-all-friend. And other Wonderbolts too. And Princess Twilight, even if she never met her in person/pony. They were with her during her worst and didn't abandon her, no matter how much she tried to push them away.
And speaking of pushing away (I am KILLING with the segues at my deathbed!): the Shadowbolts. When it came to them, it was almost all regrets on her part. She rejected them on just about every occasion and only accepted them when her desperation reached its peak. If only I had opened up to them earlier... She cracked a smile, imagining how it would've gone if they became friends sooner. She would've found out about Other Shimmer in a more controlled environment. As cool as the story of fighting your own doppelganger was, it would've been much safer to her health, with all the benefits it came with (like the slumber party, magic lessons etc.), but with five more people to share the good moments with.
It was a nice mental image. If my last wish is to stay a little longer, then I can't be that mad at my life, can I? She couldn't tell if it was sleep or death approaching, but her mind was finally at peace as her eyes were shutting down.
What if they're still looking for me?
Her eyes shot open, cold sweat appearing as the thought crossed her mind. I was so caught up in the moment with Coco that I completely forgot to report to the others! She reached inside her pocket (accidentally moving her broken hand, but suppressing the cry of anguish) to fish out the walkie-talkie, or what was left of it. It was cracked and the little light wasn't working anymore. She tried pressing it a few times, but there was no signal.
DAMNIT! She threw it at the floor and took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. Okay, think, what would they do if we lost contact? If that happened then... then... Lemon Zest! She has eyes everywhere, she can probably see me right now!
Unless...
She looked up at the camera in the upper corner of the room. It was flashing the red light, meaning it wasn't functioning at the moment. Either Lemon put it on the 'broken' mode to tell me to improvise... or the security system is broken after the Zestboom. So basically I have no idea. She sighed. Okay, don't panic! They probably think that I'm still fighting, don't want to be distrubed and they would only get in the way and provide an easy hostage...
...who am I kidding?
She looked around the classroom for something that would help. The few desks that were tripped over spilled their contents around, which she didn't pay attention to before. Pencil cases, textbooks, a few tablets, as well as some miscellaneous stuff, including a small pocket mirror, a case of make-up accessories and a long, purple scarf, just lying around.
That's where I found Sally, so it's probably hers.
She took a deep breath and crawled toward it, gritting her teeth with every movement she made, hoping the arm would either stop hurting or just fall off already and stop getting in the way (Or better not, cause I would pass out from both pain AND blood loss!) She reached the scarf and clumsily, using only her right hand and teeth, managed to stabilize her left hand under the blazer, so it wasn't dangling around her. Her make-shift cast was a B- at best, realistically C+, but it allowed her to stand up from the ground without cursing every two seconds.
I'll thankapologize to Suri later!
Her legs were wobbly and she stumbled her first few steps, but all it took was grabbing the nearest table for support to keep her going. She swallowed and made the first few steps towards the doors. She wasn't quite ready to move away from the tables just yet, but her legs were slowly getting used to carrying her again, with any luck she was going to walk by herself in a moment. She was in a rush, but not so much to risk falling again, as there was no guarantee that she would stand up again after another fall. Once at the doors, she took a deep breath and carefully opened the door to peek outside.
The hallway was deserted, no live or dead soul as far as she could see. Despite the giant dome of darkness outside, the bright halogen lights gave her a perfect view in every direction, which was about the only thing that made the school look like it hasn't been deserted for decades, with all the broken glass displays, cracked frames, toppled trophies and random trash lying all over the place. The only thing missing to make it look like a zombie movie was, well, corpses. And she hoped to never find any.
She left the classroom on her own, without support, walking a few steps into the corridor... until she stumbled and almost fell at the nearest lockers, barely keeping her balance. Her breathing was heavier every second, her legs tried but failed to be of much use and only through sheer stubborness and her only healthy hand holding onto the wall was she able to keep on walking. She made her way towards the gym, hoping to run into other Shadowbolts on the way, or at least find a working security camera to give Lemon Zest a signal. So far all were broken, some had their lens cracked and not a single one had green lights shining. Lemon's room was in the opposite direction and on a different floor altogether and Sunny didn't trust her legs enough to try vertical movement in this condition.
The one highlight of her journey was a water sprinkler. She almost choked on the tasty, energizing ice cold water, splashing it all around her clothes and on the floor. She was very close to being relaxed for a second, when she heard loud sounds echoing around. She jumped and frantically watched her surroundings, afraid to see his face right in front of her any second, but she was alone. The sounds repeated but she confirmed that it was just a loud echo. It sounded like a door being smashed, or somebody beating up the lockers. For a moment she was afraid that he got to her friends, but there were no screams.
He's probably taking it out on the surroundings... that's what I would've done.
She couldn't tell where the sounds were coming from, so she wiped her face and continued her sluggish pace towards the gym, marginally faster.
Knowing my luck he'll catch up any moment and it was all for naught... She stopped for a moment and took a few breaths, trying to think over the situation. If he finds me first then... well... She let out a huge sigh. At least the others will lose their value as hostages? Yeah, silver lining! Gotta stay positive!
She pushed herself forward, fully aware that at some point she could collapse again. Scratch that- she was definitely going to collapse soon! She just wanted to do it after finding the Shadowbolts and telling them to get away as far as humanly possible!
Will they even listen to me? They were very adamant about staying by my side. She stopped, with the 'friendly chivalry' joining the long list of her worries. What if I beg them to get away?
Being lost in her thoughts, along with her overall exhaustion, dulled her senses, so she didn't hear the footsteps coming from around the corner behind her until it was too late. She considered turning her tail and running away, even if she wasn't going to get very far. Instead she stood where she was, watching wide eyed as someone walked out at her, hoping to gods it was one or more of the Shadowbolts.
...it wasn't.
"WHERE IS SHE!"
SMASH!
The desk flew straight at the wall, breaking on contact. Sombra didn't need to do that and it was the least sensible thing a pursuer could do at the moment. If anyone was nearby, they could hear him and run away. But he wasn't in the clearest of minds at the moment and challenged anyone to tell him to calm down right now. The nosebleed stopped a while ago, but the unpleasant tingling sensation was still there and he could taste his own blood whenever he cleared his throat. He didn't want to admit it, even if he had to: he was played out by a bunch of teenagers, even if they were his seniors by two years. What a group of professional assassins across five years couldn't accomplish was achieved by six girls, in particular the one he thought he had under control all this time.
I swear, if I find her, I will rip all her limbs, one by one!
He smashed open into another classroom and looked inside. It was one of the arenas, with desks and chairs stacked around the walls, with a bunch of trash everywhere. One of his henchman was lying on the ground, still unconscious and tied up. Sombra groaned and immediately left, not bothering to free his own ally, who was useless before and was going to be useless going forward. He wasn't angry at him at all, as he had served his purpose. He couldn't tell where, but she was hiding somewhere in the school, possibly on the move trying to avoid confrontation, but he was going to catch her eventually and only then he was going to relax. He knew full well that she had been running on fumes for a while and was approaching her limit. Unlike him, who still had a lot more to offer.
Unfortunately for him, Sunny knew this school well and probably had hiding spots he would never think of. For all he knew, he had already passed by a locker where she locked herself in, but he wasn't concerned by that. He didn't need to find Sunny, as any other person would do. Coco Pommel was the most effective hostage he could hope for, but even a random kid would suffice. A finger or two, three max, broken would be more than enough to lure her out of any hiding spot. That said, walking around the corridor, with his shadows always on and ready to protect him from any ambush, while not tiring or dangerous, was getting annoying and boring.
"Where the hell is she?!" He grumbled under his nose, slowly walking and looking around the messy hallways. He stopped when he noticed a nearby water sprinkler, with puddles of water still fresh around it.
Someone was here recently! He smiled and increased his speed, hoping to find someone to use as bait.
He crossed the corner and realized that he no longer had to. There she was – same Magical Girl, in a damaged borrowed uniform. The same one who had recently broken his nose, composure and mood.
"Found you..." He said, as multiple tendrils arose from his back and his grin increased tenfold. "SUNNY!"
As expected, she turned tail and started running away at a sluggish pace, but she was too slow. It took no time before the tentacles entangled Sunny by the torso and both arms and slammed her onto the wall, creating an echoing sound of smashing lockers and high pitched female screams.
Watching her futile efforts to struggle away was the greatest cure for his stressed mind. Just looking at her, nailed to the wall with legs dangling brought back his earlier confidence. She stopped struggling only when he went closer to her and their eyes met: one angry, desperate but not ready to admit defeat just yet, the other one confident and smug.
"You are many things, Sunny, but predictable isn't one of them," he laughed as he got closer to his defiant victim "and here I thought you were hiding in a locker, waiting for me to-UGH!"
He stopped when she kicked him right in the forehead with a hard, leather boot! He stepped away from her range and massaged the spot she hit. It was surprising, but once the shock was over all that was left was a minor bruise. He blinked a few times, then chuckled.
"Defiant to the very end, eh?" He watched with amusement as she threw her legs about, hoping another one would graze him. "Like a true hero, straight out of a saturday morning cartoon."
"You'll never get away with this!" She screamed at him.
"HA! You even talk like one!" He laughed, then sighed. "I would've been afraid of those words about... back when I still considered you a credible threat. But now? Not so much anymore. Unless you have another secret weapon..." The shadow holding her torso extended downward and now entangled her legs as well. With that done, he walked closer without the danger of getting kicked and looked her deep in the eyes. "I think it's about time you use it!"
Sunny swallowed and looked away. The shadows got even tighter, now crushing her arms and legs and making her scream. He watched with mild amusement.
"Nothing? Heh, shame!"
Sombra sighed and with one flick of a finger made the shadow grip even tighter. He didn't need to do it, but hearing the muffled screams was more than enough of a reason for him. He only did it for a few seconds, before the shadows loosened up a bit and let her breathe again.
"Or..." Sombra spoke as he started walking around her "you were running away to buy yourself some time. Or rather, to buy someone else the time...
Sunny immediately perked up at that and looked at Sombra with eyes wide open.
"Oh, that struck a nerve, huh? Do you really think I'm that dumb, miss Shimmer?"
Sunset swallowed and started sweating.
"You really believe that they will save you, huh? The Shadowbolts!"
Sunny blinked. She opened and closed her mouth a few times without making a single sound, until...
"L-LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS!" She screamed and started struggling again. "I'm the only one you're after!"
"Relax, Sunny, I'm not going to hurt them. I might rough them up a bit depending on how big of a nuisance they become, but I won't kill them. It's not like they can do anything. I admit, the supersonic thing was clever and caught me off-guard, but I doubt they can do it again and even if, you barely made a scratch, what can they do? They could beat up my henchmen, get their guns (which by the way are mostly anti-riot rounds because I don't need civilian casualties) and maybe, juuuust maybe, with those they might be able to get a drop on me. Except..."
He leaned in and pulled away his bangs, revealing an old, red bruise on his forehead.
"...someone already tried that! A few times, in fact. You see, my powers have way more utility than you think. For example, I have a small, but very hard, shadow layer right under my skin. I call it Shadow Armor. I still feel pain, I might bleed a little, but most of the blows bounce right off me, like the one you surprised me with – if not for the armor, I wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. The downside is that it takes time to prepare it and parts of my body are less protected than others. One of them being my nose!" He cringed as he touched his nose.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked in a kinder, more curious way, no longer acting like her previous aggressive self. "What have I done to you? I don't even know you!"
Sombra rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Honestly? It's because you'd get in my way."
"In your way of what? Robbing a bank? Taking over the world?"
He shrugged. "Dunno. Whatever the hell I decide. All that matters is that there won't be anyone who will stand up to me in the end!"
"Or with you!"
Sombra's eyebrow twitched. "What was tha–?"
"Because you will be lonely at the top of the world, without a single friend! Only those who fear and hate you for the villain you really are!"
Sombra opened his mouth, but didn't say anything at first. He watched the newly lit fire in her eyes and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He shook his head and continued his smugness.
"Fine by me! They only get in the way. Just look at yourself: all the friends in the world helping you and you still couldn't beat me! In fact, your 'friendship' with Miss Pommel is what gave me more ammo to use against you! That's what getting attached to others does to you!" He paused and looked away. His hand went towards his chest area, where he tried to grab his necklace, only to realize that it wasn't there anymore. He ignored it and continued. "It makes you weak and gives you more weak points for others to exploit..."
"YOU'RE WRONG!"
Sombra almost jumped when he heard her scream. The echo bounced a few more times as he looked at her confident, serious face.
"I thought like that once, too! That all I needed was my power, that it would solve all the problems... but I was wrong," she smiled weakly "I denied it for so long and pushed people away. But eventually, after a lot of poor choices, when I gave in and accepted everyone... that's when I found the true power. The power of..."
"Friendship?" Sombra asked mockingly.
Sunset nodded, not showing a single sign of offense or irony. "As cliché as it sounds, yes. It's never too late to accept it. Even for someone like you!"
That made Sombra pause and raise an eyebrow. He carefully examined her face, looking for body language that implied trickery. He found none.
"After everything I've done... you're offering me friendship?"
Sunset nodded, but Sombra only chuckled in response.
"Do you actually expect me to believe that all I need to do is let you go, apologize and everything will be fine?"
"It would be a start," she said "you'd still need to pay for all the crimes, but with enough work and help from friends, nothing is impossi–"
"Okay, we're done!" Sombra said, waving his hand at her. "Last time I tried this whole "friendship" thing I almost got stabbed!" His right hand formed a fist and the grip around Sunset tightened again. "It was pleasant talking to you Sunny, but our relationship ends here!"
"Ugh... I... tried..." Sunny grunted in between attempted breathing, but even despite the pain she was once again forced to endure, her smile didn't disappear. In fact, it grew a little, which made Sombra curious enough to loosen her one more time. Once he did, she started laughing loudly.
"What's so funny? Lack of oxygen is already messing your head?"
"No... I'm just laughing because..." She paused.
Sombra rolled his eyes. "Because what?"
"Because..."
"...because..."
She raised her head to look him deep in the eyes as she uttered her next sentence.
"...you got the wrong girl!"
At first he thought she was just messing with him, but for some reason he felt uneasy about the loud laughter she kept even now. Suddenly, he felt some presence right behind him, one he couldn't hear coming because of the noise she was making. He immediately turned around, but before he made any action, someone grabbed his right hand, squeezing the ring tightly. That someone was staring at him with a familiar pair of teal eyes.
That someone was... Sunny?
Magical Girl Sunny expected to stumble upon any number of people. She hoped it would be the Shadowbolts, but she wouldn't mind seeing any other student or teacher, so they could either give her a hand and pass on the message to her friends. It could've been one of the terrorists, who either woke up and freed himself or was never accounted for – in that case she was more or less screwed. And then there was Sombra, who would end her right here and now.
It turned out to be none of those people.
"S-sunset?" Sunny uttered in disbelief. She watched as her doppelganger and friend who she got her powers from appeared, leather jacket over skirt and all. A little sweaty and hard breathing, but her nonetheless.
Sunset ran up to her. "We got the message from the Police, I got here as fast as I cou–" she gasped when she got closer and could see what was left of the Magical Girl. "Sweet Celestia, what happened!? Y-your arm! And, and, oh my god, Sunny, are you okay?"
The temptation to answer with a sassy been better or feeling great, how about you was there, buried under a ton of other emotions. Happiness to see a friendly face in a time like this was one of them... but also fear. Until now, she, Sunset "Sunny Shimmy" Shimmer, was the only one in real danger.
"I heard about this world's Sombra and rushed here on my bike as fast as I could! The others are on their way too, they will be here any minu–"
"You-you have to run!"
"Huh? What do you...?"
"He's after ME and only ME! If he finds you, then he will... he will..." she started trembling, almost collapsing under her legs, with other Sunset catching her in time. "You can't fight him, he's too strong!"
"Sunny, what...?" Sunset tried to interject, but was stopped when Shimmy put her right hand at her shoulder. As long as they knew each other, she hasn't seen her this terrified before. Even when they fought each other and was about to be hit by a major blow she was never this shaken, though the time she thought Coco was hurt came in at a close second.
Sunset wasn't deterred, however, as she put both of her hands on Sunny, careful not to hurt her right shoulder.
"No, nobody is leaving anyone! I came here to help you save everybody, you included, and I'm not leaving until then!"
Sunny tried to reject her. The hope she brought with her wasn't stronger than despair over losing one more friend in a hopeless battle. Not yet, at least. "B-but..."
"You'd do the same for me!"
That was all it took. Sunny opened her mouth and looked at her friend wide-eyed. Tiredness, tears gathering up and a slowly drying throat couldn't' let her speak her mind, so she just nodded. The answer pleased Sunset.
"Okay, tell me what happened..."
And she did. Sunny summoned enough energy to describe her trials, if briefly. She told her about Coco becoming hostage until she was rescued, about the Shadowbolts and Cadence, but mostly about Sombra, what he was capable of, how much he endured and what he could do to them if he found them.
"It's no use. I don't have anything else to give and unless you somehow get friendship lasers or go all Daydream, then there's nothing we can do."
Sunset hummed, confirming that her phone didn't have any signal inside. "I might be able to, but not without everyone else here. But there's one more thing we can try!"
She reached to one of her jacket pockets and pulled out something that both Sunsets were familiar with.
"Is that...?"
"Yep! How else would I get inside?"
It was a fingerless orange glove with a blue crystal embedded in the palm. The "Magical Sucker" (working name), a magic sucking device that also detected it, repurposed from a magical detector that was able to suck magic, the effect of a collaboration between the two Twilights (Twillaboration?). This one was slightly different than the last one, though.
"Wasn't it the left glove before?"
"It's a second unit, Twilight keeps the original. Doesn't matter how much magic power he has, all it takes is one touch and he'll lose it all... probably."
Sunny hummed, looking at the magical artifact that had almost been her undoing last time. She managed to get by with her skills alone until she got her powers back. Sombra didn't seem like someone who posed a threat without his powers, and that helped the hope inside her heart grow stronger.
"His powers come from a ring," Sunny said, "but if he suspects something, he won't let us near. We need to–" she stopped mid-sentence, as the glove, in particular the blue crystal in the palm, started shining.
"He's close!" Sunset announced, frantically looking around herself.
"I'll distract him," Sunny suddenly announced "you hide somewhere and wait for a chance to... to..." she couldn't finish, as she stumbled on her knees, Sunset once again catching her barely in time. "We'll only have... one... shot..."
Sunset helped Sunny stand back and leaned her over the wall. She hummed, looked at her carefully, then proceed to take off her jacket.
"Good plan, except you are in no shape to be bait. Take off the sweater!" She said to her twin. Sunny was about to refuse, but Sunset beat her to it. "You'd do the same to me and you know it!"
Sunny paused, but eventually sighed deeply. "You can't keep using this excuse forever!" She cracked a smile and nodded. "I'll need some help with, you know..." she looked at her broken arm. Sunset nodded and the two prepared themselves for the last encounter.
Currently it was Sunny Shimmy wearing the leather jacket and the magic sucking glove, holding Sombra's right hand firmly in hers. The boy paused for a moment, looking confused between the two Sunset Shimmers, not realizing that something was off until it was too late. He watched the dark smoke-like energy get vacuumed out of the ring, then from his body, starting with his right hand, going to his shoulder then the rest of his body. At first he tried ordering his tendrils to come out and stab the Jacket Sunny, but as soon as a tiny bit of magic came out of his skin it went straight to the glove. He tried the same thing a few times with no success, until he tried pulling his hand with his own strength, but she held him firmly and wasn't letting go, despite her state.
"L-let me go!"
He punched her straight in the face once with his other hand. Her head turned slightly to the left, but quickly went back and looked at him, nonverbally implying to dare try it again. The new bruise on the cheek only made her look more intimidating and stopped any other attempts other than trying to shake his hand away.
Suddenly, the crystal on the glove started glowing so bright the light escaped through the grip. It was getting brighter and hotter by the second, until...
BOOOOM!
...it exploded, and a bluish-black shockwaved sent both teens flying away from each other! Sunny collided with the lockers while Sombra landed further on his back, both cringing from their respective falls. Sombra sat up, massaging the back of his head, realizing something horrible at the time.
It shouldn't hurt THIS much!
He looked at his ring, trying to conjure some magic. Nothing. Not even the smallest ember of dark energies appeared. His heart started beating faster as he examined his arms – he couldn't feel the shadows under his skin. Th-the armor! In panic he raised his right hand and kept pushing his will into any spell, but nothing worked. As if there was nothing there anymore.
Meanwhile, Sunny groaned from the pain, as she fought the temptation to pass out. The long list of her pains now included back head trauma, her back probably opening a few of previous wounds and her healthy hand feeling burnt as if she just touched a hot stove. She looked at the hand and glove- the crystal shattered in the explosion, the remnants spilling around the hallway (and maybe a few even went inside her skin) and the fabric was burnt to crisp. Her cheek was burning, but that was from before the explosion. She was going to curse the world for the misery she went through but one look at Sombra, at his panicked, futile attempts to summon his powers, made it all worth it.
Sunset Shimmer, the baiting unicorn, was the one who suffered the least. The shadows binding her to the wall were the last ones to get sucked by the glove, so she was let go just before the explosion, otherwise she would've helped Sunny in some way. As everything settled down, she rushed to her to see if she was okay, sighing with relief to see that she was alive and well-ish enough.
"What... what did you do?!"
Sombra stood back, his legs shaking, watching the two Sunnies, one next to the other. The one wearing the Crystal Prep sweater, the one he held just a minute ago, was wearing the wrong pair of boots and a teal skirt that covered her thighs. The one she was supporting, the one with the broken arm, fried magical glove and a bunch of visible and implied scars, had a black leather jacket, but also the long white shoes and gray spats that he recognized. While he had no doubts on who was the one he fought all this time, the wide, slasher smile of one of them was a dead give-away. Even if she had to be carried by the other one.
"Who-who the hell are you? And what did you do to my powers!? Give them back, now!"
'Shimmy' chuckled menacingly. "What, not so tough without them, huh?" She put her foot forward, but it was mostly the other Sunset who moved them forward.
Despite the critical state of his opponent, Sombra stepped away, watching the two with wide open eyes.
'Shimmy' raised her right fist, covered by a still smoking, burnt glove. "I got one hand still functioning, more than enough to smash your face! What do you have... shadow boy?"
Sombra kept backpedalling until he stumbled on the lockers behind him. "D-don't come any closer!"
"Just you and I..." She wiggled out of other Sunset's embrace and walked a few steps by herself, shaking with every step like a zombie. "...just like I've been telling you from the start!"
Sombra didn't answer, not with any intelligible words at least, but he did mumble something under his nose as he covered his face. It didn't stop the shambling almost corpse of a magical girl from slowly advancing.
"Let's end this!"
"N-NO!"
Then he suddenly turned to his right and dashed away through the hallways. Sunny looked after him and tried to give chase.
"HEY, GET BACK HERE, YOU COWA-ugh!" She suddenly cringed and fell on her knee.
"SUNNY!" Other Sunset quickly rushed to her and caught her in time, but Shimmy wasn't happy about it.
"I'm fine, go after him! We can't let him get away!"
Sunset didn't leave her. She gently took her hand and put it over her shoulder, slowly raising her up.
"It's okay," she showed her friend her smartphone, displaying a text message: "he won't get far!"
Many curse words went through Sombra's head as he rushed through the hallways, but unlike his ring, they never held any power he could use.
This can't be happening! How are there TWO of them? And how did they take away my power!
Despite doing his research, he didn't stumble on a single mention of there being two Sunset Shimmers in any way, shape or form. It did strike him as odd when all social media posts had pictures of her in Canterlot High, but he brushed it off as a simple misdirection in case some sleuths were looking for her true identity. What he didn't know was that they (both Sunnies and their friends, including Police Captain) decided to delete any evidence of Sunny and Sunny Shimmy still has yet to make a MyStable account and had little to no reason to. Sci-Twi used her mad hacker skills (because not only Lemon Zest had those) to delete whatever evidence was there online to make sure it wouldn't bite any of them back. It would be the last time she was called "needlessly paranoid" for taking those steps, instead becoming "rightfully paranoid".
He stopped his mad dash when he passed one of the classrooms where he left the door open. He noticed the daylight clearly visible from the windows.
Of course the dome is gone too! He looked at the black ring, even knocked it against the wall a few times, but there was still no response. This can't be permanent, right? Cause if it is, I'm royally screwed on so many levels! He shook his head and kept going to the exit. I just need to get out of this place, go to the nearest safe house and it'll be fine! Sunny, any of them, won't catch up to me in their state! As long as I avoid the Shadowbolts, I should be fine! Nobody else even knows how I look!
He ran towards the main entrance because it was the closest sure exit he could think of. From there it was just a matter of mixing into the crowds and rest was easy. He didn't stumble on anyone on his way and was very close to his goal, even saw the main gates, where some people from outside were already entering the premises. None of them were wearing Crystal Prep uniforms, so he assumed they were just civilians, lured by the weird dome that was there until just a moment ago.
No turning back now!
"HELP!" He yelled at them, summoning all his acting abilities to stumble like a terrified little kid. "Mo-monsters, they're attacking th-the school! P-please, help me!"
This caught the attention of the newcomers, who were some high school girls. They looked at him, then at each other, nodded and went toward him.
"It's okay there, we'll take good care of'ya... Sugarcube!"
SMACK!
And then she punched him straight in the face, sending him flying back on the ground. It was the second time his nose was broken today, but this time it felt way worse now that the armor was gone. His nose was straight up cracked at this point, blood was gushing way more than it should, his eyes were getting misty and everything hurt. But despite everything, he managed to stay conscious and sit up. The girl who hit him, a blonde with cowboy hat, massaged her fist as her gaze pierced his eyes. She seemed oddly familiar.
"Don' think ya can get past us... Sombra!"
His eyes went wide and a new wave of cold sweat went through his body. He was starting to remember.
"Sunnies say hi!" A rainbow colored girl said as she joined her friend's side. She was shorter and thinner, but no less intimidating.
Behind them were four more girls: a purple haired nerdy looking one, a puffy pink haired one who remained cheerful even now, unlike the other pink haired one who hid behind the elegant, also purple haired girl. Even combined they were not nearly as threatening as the two in the front, but they added to the numbers. He finally recognized them: the Rainbooms. He saw them on a lot of pictures with Sunny, though now he was no longer sure which one it was but it wasn't important right now. The ring was still not responding and he was not a fighter without it. The cowgirl and rainbow girl on the other hand...
"We heard all about'ya!" The cowgirl said, cracking her knuckles as she started approaching him, unable to hide the disgust on her face. "An' we heard yer power's all busted!"
"Smile while you can," the rainbow girl added, her slasher smile giving his earlier attempts a run for his money "cause you're about to lose a row of teeth in a moment!"
Sombra crawled back, barely holding back from messing his pants, looking everywhere he could for salvation. The other four girls didn't go for him but covered the exit and would catch him in case he somehow slipped by the two vanguards. He hadn't noticed at first, but the glasses wearing girl had a single glove on her left hand. A very familiar one at that. He didn't know what to do with that knowledge, other than avoid her at all costs. As if I had any powers left to lose...
"I recommend giving up, darling," the white skinned girl with fabulous hair said from afar "it won't stop Applejack and Rainbow Dash from beating you up, but it might soften their blows a bit!"
Sombra didn't answer. For one, his throat was at the same time sore and filled with his own blood, but even if not, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. The ring wasn't working, he couldn't feel the power coming back in any way shape or form. He crawled back and kept hoping there was something he could use, when he suddenly remembered something.
Of course, how could I forget!
He turned around and got on his four, seemingly to escape, but it was actually to reach inside his pocket, so he could turn back to them and...
"D-DON'T GET ANY CLOSER!" He yelled at the two girls approaching, pointing a handgun at them!
Even if he never had a reason to use it, he made a conscious effort to keep a sidearm at him at all times, just in case. He witnessed way too many fall because they had no backup plan. He never thought this would happen to him, but he was sure glad to not be unarmed at this moment. If only I had't forgot about it when I had Sunny and Sunny in range, but oh well...
He pointed the gun a bit at Applejack and Rainbow Dash. That alone stopped their advance, as the two planted their feet to the ground and looked at him cautiously. The girls behind him all got more cautious as well, covering their faces or slightly crouching.
No answers for a gun on their end... good! He sighed with relief, but didn't dare to lower his aim as he stood back up on his two legs and wiped his nose. There's hope yet!
"Don't get any stupid ideas," he threatened them as he slowly moved back, the corner he came from only a few meters away "cause I WILL start shooting!"
But he didn't, not yet. They were at a clear stalemate and everyone knew it. If he missed his shot, he would've been done for – even without powers, the two in front seemed to be fast enough to catch up to him before he recovered from the recoil and shot again. And even if he did hit his target, the other would get to him and for all he knew about them, those two wouldn't be stopped by a single bullet anyway. They were friends with Sunny, both of them, so subverting expectations was something he expected by now. The fact that they remained stationary meant that they cared for each other to not risk getting anyone hurt, which was his only salvation. Once he went behind the corner, it was a long dash to the next exit point. Even a closed window would've been enough, all he had to do is shoot the glass and jump out, hoping for the best. This plan had holes (for example, he didn't know that the windows were all sound AND bullet proof), but he was too desperate to care.
He didn't leave his eyes from the six Rainbooms as he went back around the corner. He was about to make a run for it, maybe shoot at them once in hopes it would stop them from pursuing, when suddenly something hit his arm, making him drop the gun on the floor. He grabbed his aching arm and watched as his gun slid on the floor, right next to the arrow that hit it.
A-arrow?
He turned back. The hallway wasn't empty anymore.
"Hey, Shadow Boy!" Sour Sweet asked, holding a composite longbow, with an arrow pulled and aimed at him. "Remember us?"
Right next to her were the other Shadowbolts. Indigo Zap was cracking her knuckles at him, Sunny Flare brandished her rapier, but it was the other two who concerned him, as they held their guns pointed at him. The same ones his henchmen were previously using. Even if he knew they only had anti-riot rounds in them and Lemon Zest didn't seem like she knew what she was doing with her assault rifle, it wasn't going to hurt less.
"Where do you think you're going, punk?" Indigo Zap asked, making him backpedal back into the previous hallway.
"You should consider giving up," Sunny Flare announced, stylishly pointing her rapier in his direction "so we will get bored of beating you up a bit faster!"
"Harsh," Sour Sweet commented sourly, but shrugged and smiled "but true."
Sombra wanted to turn away and run hoping their aim would fail, but the Rainbooms were waiting at the other end and approaching fast. He tried walking away from both groups, but only ended up backing himself into the wall. There was literally nowhere else to escape, except for a few locked classrooms. He ordered them locked to keep people from escaping Oh the irony... The two groups eventually noticed each other, smiled and nodded, the pink girl in the Rainboom side even greeted them loudly by calling their names, not that he cared at the moment.
Still massaging his aching hand, he let out a huge, defeated sigh. "Well, at least this can't get any worse..." he lamented sarcastically to himself, when suddenly...
"SOOOOOOMBRAAAAAAAAA!"
The urge to bang the wall with his head intensified, all it took was one familiar scream.
I just HAD to say it!
From the other side of the hallway where the Shadowbolts had come from, came two more people, one carrying the other by her shoulder. They were slowly limping towards them, but despite her horrendous state, the less healthy Sunny was still somehow the more eager one to get there.
"Sunny! Sunset!" The Rainbooms collectively exclaimed at their sight, with the Shadowbolts only slightly turning away to see them, but he still felt their sights were strictly on him. They moved aside to let the two Sunsets stand beside them.
"You're still alive, I see." Indigo motioned to Sunny.
"Obviously! Who the hell do you think I am?"
Indigo chuckled. "One of us!"
"Damn straight!" She laughed weakly, then glared at Sombra exclusively, making him sweat a lot more profusely. She shrugged herself from under the other Sunny and limped forward on her own. "So, to continue our previous conversation..." She raised her right fist at him.
He swallowed and tried smiling sheepishly. "So, uhm... about the friendship thing...?"
"That wasn't me," Magical Girl Sunny deadpanned at him "she might be the friendship ambassador in these parts, but me... I'm not that nice of a person!"
She was going towards him slowly, with each step taking a higher toll at her than anyone realized, but he doubted she could be stopped. Not by him, at least.
"Oh my god, Sunny!" The shy pink haired girl from the back exclaimed for the first time, as she rushed toward the wounded Magical Girl, stopping her advance. The other non-combat Rainbooms were right behind her. "You're hurt! We need to quickly treat your..."
"I appreciate the concern, but I-"
"No buts, you need to sit down and wait for an ambulance! Here, I brought a first aid kit!"
"Fluttershy's right!" Rainbow Dash said as she went toward Sombra. "We got this, you rest up and leave it to us!"
Sunny groaned, but couldn't advance not only due to Fluttershy's stare (she was the target for the first time and it wasn't pleasant), but also Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie blocking her way, with Rarity at her back. The Shadowbolts, as well as the other Sunset Shimmer, only exchanged shrugs and kept watching Sombra.
As for Sombra, he leaned on the wall and sighed deeply, ready to accept his defeat. He considered making a run for it, but the bow, handgun and assault rifle aimed at him kept him stationary. Waiting around meant he was about to have his face smashed, trying to run meant being shot and pierced. He almost hoped Sunny would get to him first anyway – in her state the punch to the face would probably hurt a bit less but still knock him out cold. With any luck they wouldn't kick him while he was down... too much.
As he was watching them, his eyes went especially towards the purple girl with glasses. She didn't look like someone who could fight, but the glove on her left hand intrigued him. The light from the halogen lamps reflected from its surface, making it seem like it was glowing, just like the one that took away his powers.
...wait a minute- it IS glowing! If it's reacting to magic and Sunny is drained, then...
It just so happened that his left hand was caressing his right one, still slightly aching from getting disarmed by an arrow shot. He kept massaging it out of habit, not realizing that this habit was developed over the years while he was trying to hide the ring from anyone who watched him. And the ring was starting to glow in a familiar, faint shadows.
The powers are coming back!
He took a deep breath, using all his willpower to keep his expression hidden. He looked up at the situation: Sunny was still demanding to get the last shot (I saw him first! was her argument), while the Rainbooms successfully kept her away. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash stopped on their tracks when she scowled at them. The Shadowbolts and other Sunset looked at the whole thing with mild irritation (though he couldn't tell what the triple-tailed girl was feeling), even if they were still ready to shoot him at the slightest provocation. He took a breath as a plan started hatching inside his mind.
I just need to buy some time!
He stepped away from the wall, donned a defeated, weak (and fake) smile, still holding his hand and massaging it as he was previously. As expected, everyone's attention turned to him and he was a little closer to getting shot. As he predicted.
"Relax, I'm not going to resist anymore. I know when I'm defeated."
Everyone looked at each other, giving him a few precious seconds. The power was coming back, but he needed a little more, so he kept his weak smile up.
"I wasn't supposed to do it, but what do you say we... bargain?"
A few eyebrows were raised. Notably, the Shadowbolts were not buying it and neither was Sunny (the magical one). It didn't matter.
"I'll still give up and go to jail or wherever you put me, preferably with my bones and all teeth intact." He stopped there. Every second counted and making them ask was one way to get them.
"And what do have to offer?" Sunny, the non-magical one (though at this point he wasn't sure about that part), asked.
"Information."
"...information?" This got their attention, especially Sunset Shimmer, who walked forward and stood besides Sunny and others. "On what?"
Sombra sighed. His powers were almost there. "The others, of course. You didn't really think I was working alone?"
"You said you didn't know anyone else with powers," Sunny Flare said "until you saw Magical Girl Sunny, that is."
He shrugged. "I lied. We promised to keep the existence of 'The Group' a secret. And I was going to keep that promise, but hey, desperation set in and I'd rather deal with them later, than with you now!"
"Who is 'them'?" Sunset Shimmer asked. All attention was on Sombra and any stupid moves he was going to make.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He chuckled. "So, do we have a deal?"
Then there were murmurs. The Rainbooms were divided on this, sharing their opinions in a hushed voice around each other. Aside from Sunny Flare, the Shadowbolts didn't participate in the conversation, all too ready to jump in and end this whole charade. They were waiting for their main member to make a decision for them all. And she did.
"Are you done?" Sunny Shimmy asked, walking through the Rainbooms to close their distance. "Cause I was done listening to your crap a long time ago!"
Sombra could only chuckle in response. "Oh well. You will regret this decision later."
Sunny kept waddling forward. "If you have anything interesting to say, I WILL hear it. Once you're behind the bars. In full-cast. Eating through a straw!"
He shook his head. "That's not what I was referring to." As soon as he said that, suddenly...
"IEEEEEEE!" Twilight Sparkle screamed from behind her, all eyes now on her.
They watched her reacting with panic at the dark entity that just appeared on her left arm, just slightly below the glove. The thing went around her arm then shot into the floor and like a rubber-band, pulled Twilight down, making her fall on the ground with a loud thud!
"TWILIGHT!" Almost everyone shouted, and those who did not went back to Sombra. Holding his right hand up, ring glowing with the familiar, old power, he smiled.
I won't be defeated by THAT thing again!
At the same time, Sour Sweet let go of her arrow, while Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest pulled on their respective triggers... but nothing happened. Sour watched the arrow get stuck to the bowstring, and the two triggers didn't budge no matter how hard they pulled. One look at all of them revealed the same, barely visible, black goo-like energy on them.
"GET HIM!" Indigo Zap shouted and rushed at Sombra on her own, but was immediately joined with the others.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Sunny Flare and Sunset Shimmer rushed along. If any of them reached him it would be the end, but he was ready for them. He formed a fist with his right hand and waited for them to get a little closer, then he swung his hand outward, creating a powerful shockwave that caught all the attackers and sent them flying at the walls. He wasted no time and shot several dark beams at all the fallen fighters, each entangling on their target. While this was happening, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest all fell victim to their own weapons, as the shadows that prevented them from using them grew in size and completely immobilized them, just like when they failed to protect Coco. Then he captured Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy, who were in the middle of either freeing Sci-Twi or at least taking off the glove to use it themselves, but they were too late and ended up entangled on the floor with the others. Even Sci-Twi got her other hand stuck to the ground too, just to be sure.
The only one left was Magical Girl Sunny: too weak to rush with the others, lucky enough she wasn't in the range of the shockwave and too slow to get tangled with any other group. She couldn't do a thing as she helplessly watched her friends being taken out one by one, until she was the last one standing. The hero and villain watched each other in the eyes again.
"Turns out it really ends between the two of us... Sunny!"
Sunny swallowed and assumed a stance, the best she could do in her state, with a broken arm. Sombra didn't wait long, quickly shooting a few knife-like constructs her way, which she barely jumped away from. He continued sending more things her way, each time getting closer to hitting her, with one shard in particular grazing her thigh, making her fall on the ground, right on her face and presumably her broken hand, if her scream was any indication.
"DIE ALREADY!" He shouted, raising his ring up and conjuring a giant, several feet large hand, then slamming it right at her! The ground shook from the giant hand colliding with the floor, the echo drawing out all the screams from the other girls who watched her vanish under the attack, holding her hand to shield herself.
A few seconds passed. The giant hand was still lying on the ground where Sunny last was, no sign of movement. No blood dripping from under it.
D-did I get her? He thought to himself, breathing heavily, afraid to dissolve the giant hand to see her somehow surviving it. He watched the shadow tracing from his ring to the impact zone, noticing something else on the ground. A shadow getting smaller and darker... that didn't belong to him!
He immediately raised his head and his eyes widened. He saw her, Magical Girl Sunny, falling from the high ceiling of Crystal Prep hallway.
Sh-she teleported?
Not only that, her gaze was strictly at him, while her right fist was glowing brightly, almost burning, as it got closer to his face, less with her own diminished strength and more on momentum from falling alone. He immediately cut off the power of the giant hand and raised his ring at her, shooting a string of darkness at her, but narrowly missing her face.
"SUUUUUNNNYYYYYYY" She screamed in mid-air, as her fist caught on flames.
"PUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!"
She was getting closer to his face and couldn't be stopped, until...
...she suddenly stopped! Her hand swung just before his face, then the flames let go, officially burning out the rest of the fumes she had. She was the last to notice the magic connecting the jacket she was wearing to the ceiling, strung like a puppet on a string. She tried to shake out of it or at least strike him as she were, both maneuvers proving beyond her powers! With one more movement of his hand she was slung back on the ground, then she he felt the darkness envelop her entire body, until she was in a complete straitjacket made out of magical shadows, complete with a blindfold and a gag!
Sombra breathed heavily. Everywhere he looked there were trapped girls in the shadows, unable to get themselves free, not allowed to even talk. He counted everyone, just to be sure. Six Rainbows, including one with the magical glowing glove, immobilized so she wasn't able to touch any of the shadows. Five Shadowbolts, away from their weapons or any sharp objects they could use. Two Sunnies, both completely pacified and within his view.
"Ha... haha... buahahahahaha!"
The laughter lasted for a long while, but not long enough for anyone to set themselves free, no matter how much they tried. Sunny tried to muster a few more fumes to at least burn away the shadows. All the times she thought she was out of power she had proved herself wrong, what was one more time?
Impossible, is what it was.
Sombra stopped laughing when he ran out of breath, then he sighed deeply, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked at the main entrance to the school, just in case there was a sniper or someone who could stop him. There wasn't anyone and there was no sign of anyone using it.
"I... I really thought I was a goner for moment!" He said in between heavy breaths and started walking toward Sunny, the magical energy on his ring turning into a long, sharp wrist blade. At the sound of his steps Sunny started struggling harder, but it made no difference.
"Wanna know the sad truth? If your friends had just let you get to me instead of caring about your well being, that would've been it for me. I'll let that little fact sink in." He chuckled, as a whimper of few Rainbooms could be heard "That was fun, if a little scary. If it's any consolation, I won't do anything to your friends... right now. But I won't promise the same if they decide to hunt me for revenge or something."
"Although..." he mused to himself, stopping right before Sunny, looking to her side. "The fact that there's two of you really caught me off-guard..."
Sunny's struggling intensified even more, now she was screaming something through the gag, but he wasn't sure if it was just another round of hard insults or pleading. Or both.
"...so just in case I should get rid of both of you. I mean, you never know. Also, I know you're gagged, but I should still ask you- do you have any last words?"
"Just one!" A familiar voice behind him said.
"Wha-" He raised an eyebrow and started turning around, when...
BONK!
He didn't finish even the first word, let alone the sentence, when everyone heard someone falling on the ground. They didn't have time to wonder what happened, as the shadows holding them back started evaporating at the same time, freeing their limbs and removing the gags and blindfolds. Sunny couldn't stand up anymore due to exhaustion and her wounds, but she managed to raise her head just high enough to see Sombra, lying face down on the ground, unconscious and shadowless!
Right behind him stood a tiny girl in a disheveled, sweat soaked Crystal Prep uniform. Coco Pommel was here, breathing hard, still trying to catch her breath after the adrenaline rush and everything she had to go through.
Breaking the door open with her limited body mass was hard enough. Running down was the easy part, until she reached the front gates, guarded by fire fighters who took over the absent police forces duties and didn't let anyone inside. She wasn't stopped by that and instead ran around the school until she found an open window on the first floor. It took some time, effort, a few falls even to climb inside the empty classroom, but once inside, she heard them, which was not only Sunny, Sombra and the Shadowbolts, but even the Rainbooms, clearly through the door. Sombra was lying over the wall right next to the door, it seemed.
He seems to be out of magic, somehow, she thought, listening to the entire conversation. Her heart skipped a beat, but in a good way, as it looked like they won! She wanted to run out and join her friends, but she opted against it. If I walk out... if I distract Sunny and others, he could use it to his advantage... maybe? Or not...? No, she... they suffered enough because of me!
And it turned out to be the right call, but for the wrong reason. Everything went south, starting with the scream from Twilight Sparkle. She couldn't see much through the keyhole, but she definitely saw darkness flying around and heard a few of her friends scream and then get quickly silenced. After some commotion, there was a long stretch of nothing, then laughter. His laughter! This was her cue to open the door without getting heard. She went outside, but not before grabbing the nearest object with her.
It took time, the patience of a saint and surviving the strongest heartbeats she had so far, but she did it!
Magical Girl Sunny almost accepted that she would never see her best friend ever again, but she was once again happily wrong! She was looking at her right now, holding a magical ring of shadows tightly in one hand, as well as a small, slightly dented fire extinguisher in the other. She was breathing heavily, but as soon as their eyes met, she smiled widely through her tears.
And she wasn't the only one.
Shimmy chuckled, finally allowing her guard to go down.
Captain Shining Armor didn't really know what to expect on the way to Crystal Prep High. He always kept his promises and coming here as soon as he could was one of them. A few grim scenarios that appeared in his head were instantly dispelled as soon as he arrived.
The huge crowd of bystanders was kept at bay by combined forces of paramedics and firemen, though thankfully he didn't see any of them being too busy with their actual job, instead concentrating mostly on keeping the crowds away from the victims, creating a barrier of cars and warning tapes. The mood around was generally uplifting, a news anchor nearby commenting on how everything got resolved peacefully, which was the information he hoped for the most. After crossing the barricade he saw a crowd of CP students sitting around the parking lot, shocked and scared but unharmed, with paramedics checking on them out despite no injuries. Some of the families and guardians were already at the site, hugging their kids with relief, while others were waiting, consoled by teachers who stepped up and took their counseling job seriously (even though some of them could use hugs themselves).
At the edge of the camp he saw a dozen of tied and gagged men in black uniforms, guarded by axe wielding firemen, not that they seemed like they were in any mood to escape in the first place.
Shining Armor quickly issued a few orders to his men to start doing their jobs, when he heard a familiar voice.
"You're late!"
He sighed with relief as he turned to Magical Girl Sunny. She sat next to one of the ambulances, where a nearby paramedic was treating her left arm. He expected her to be roughed up, but even then he couldn't help but cringe. Her magical girl outfit was barely there anymore, even her mask looked like someone else's purple scarf with hastily made eye holes (which it was). The dress was nowhere to be seen, replaced by track pants and so many bandages that she almost didn't need the borrowed opened sweater.
What stuck out was her left arm, held in a freshly made cast, which he could sympathize with the most. He had a similar one himself.
"Sorry. I got held up at the office. And I mean that literally, I was stuck behind my own overturned desk for a few minutes during the shootout. I need a new desk, heh." He chuckled, as he walked toward her, just in time as the doctor finished treating her and left. "I guess you managed without our help after all."
"Barely," she lifted herself from the foldable chair, wobbled a bit but held her ground "The Rainbooms got your message and got here in time, so thanks!"
"Well, good to hear I wasn't entirely useless," he scratched his head with his left hand. "Where are they now? I couldn't see them in the crowd."
Sunny pointed up. "On the roof. They wanted some fresh air, away from the crowds and stuff."
Shining Armor looked up at the roofs and noticed a few well hidden familiar girls, including his LSBFF waving at him. He waved back and went back to Sunny.
"Cadence. Is she...?"
"Not here, but she's safe. She's on her way here."
Shining Armor sighed heavily and nodded. He took a peek at all the ambulances, noticing something important. "From the looks of it I'm gonna guess there were no casualties?"
Sunny smirked. "Not a single one! And you?"
"Same. Plenty wounded, but not a single fatality on either side!"
"Nice!" Sunny said, nodding, but her good humor gave way to a wave of regrets. "Although Indigo Zap was shot by an anti-riot bullet. If it had been a real gun..."
Shining raised an eyebrow. "Just one? She of all people will walk it off."
"Y-yeah, but still..."
She was stopped by Shining Armor putting a hand before her mouth.
"Normally I should reprimand you – and especially myself – for having kids fight an adult fight, but old logic went out of the window back when magic started becoming a regular thing. You're not a normal teenager, your opponents are not normal threats and your allies... well, they seem like regular high school girls on the surface, but they are way more than that. I should've known they would jump at the first opportunity to get involved. It's okay to feel down on yourself, as long as you take a lesson from it. And never, ever be ashamed to ask for help, or take it from those who want to offer it when you need it most."
Her eyes went towards the cast that held his hand, where she noticed a very familiar looking wristwatch.
"Speaking from experience?"
He nodded. "Even before friendship became a part of the curriculum, teamwork was always important here. Although when I tackled my first terrorist attack it was AFTER I graduated the Police Academy! And they actually pay me for it, too!"
"Lucky you."
"Lucky me."
Then they started laughing, oblivious to all the weird looks they were given by the people nearby, most notably all the terrorists who were now wearing proper handcuffs and being escorted to the police van. They went on for a while, until Shining Armor cringed.
"Oo Wow!" He grabbed his wounded hand.
"C-captain, are you...?"
"I'm fine, it's just, I'm not supposed to move it!" He massaged his right hand. "Don't worry, it was a clean shot. The bullet went in and out, didn't even touch the bone! The blood that splattered on my vest was a pretty gruesome sight, but it looked way worse than it really was."
Sunny blinked. "That sounds badass!"
"I know, right?" He smiled smugly. "What about yours?"
"Oh, that. It wasn't nearly as cool as your story. I, uh..." her face got covered in a deep blush "I fell on it." She said while blushing, which earned her a prying raised eyebrow. "I was out of magic when Sombra swiped a giant claw made out of shadows. I panicked, subconsciously teleported a few feet down which was another classroom, where I fell, broke my arm and passed out from pain for a few minutes."
Shining Armor blinked. "You teleported away from a giant claw made out of shadows?"
"Now that the adrenaline wore off, this sounds way cooler than I remember it!"
"We'll need to exchange our full stories in full. My house, over a dinner?"
"Just the two of us?" Sunny smiled smugly. "Are you hitting on me, captain?"
Shining blushed slightly, but quickly composed himself and countered. "You wish. My wife will be there to chaperone us. On that note, feel free to invite Miss Pommel, if you want to."
Sunny looked at the roof. Coco was right there in the middle of the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts, easily blending in the crowd yet easy to find when you were looking for her. Their eyes met, their gazes stayed connected, neither looking away, both smiling happily. That's when another car arrived and two police officers came out, as well as Dean Cadence, looking around everywhere, searching for Sunny knew who.
"I believe she's looking for you, Captain."
The large, bright smile on his face was unlike any Sunny ever saw from the Captain before. "I don't know how I will ever repay you, Sunny!"
"I like beef."
He turned to her. Their eyes met for a moment.
"Well, you're gonna keep her waiting?"
He definitely wasn't, as he nodded and rushed to his wife, as fast as his current health allowed. She noticed him halfway and glomped him with enough force and love to give Pinkie "Diane" Pie a run for her money. Almost immediately after hugging him she noticed his hurt arm and went into a cute panic, but a single armed embrace from her special person was enough to calm her down. They also kissed, in public, disregarding the onlookers, even students, teachers and police officers, who never saw their respective dean or captain display this much affection in public before. The pictures were floating over the internet for weeks and got memed to oblivion, but they didn't care (they cared a little two weeks later after it got stale).
Sunny Shimmy didn't have any regrets about her heroic path, nor the wounds or suffering she went through, but even if she did, that view alone would've been enough to make it all worth it. She looked over at the roof. I should go back to them already. Before she went to them, the paramedics escorted the last person, but this one had a different treatment.
Sombra was being carried on a stretcher, gagged and tied up with so many straps that even she wasn't sure if it was possible to teleport out of it. The ring was currently sitting safely in the box she got her wristwatch from, held by Sunny Flare for safekeeping for now. Sombra had regained consciousness a while ago, but was still dazed and not at all amused by his situation.
"Hey Sombra!" She called and got his apathetic attention. The paramedics stopped for a moment. "I got something to say!"
She stood up straight before him, legs slightly outstretched, right hand raised to her head, then forming a peace sign, saluting him.
"Sun'ya!"
Sombra blinked. Paramedics and anyone around did too. Sunny kept her smile and salute for a few more seconds...
...then she just walked away, giggling. She couldn't see the reactions of the paramedics or Sombra, but she could almost hear the eyeroll and it amused her way too much.
With the arrival of proper law enforcement, she was officially relieved of her superhero duties until another incident happened (which, if her life followed the usual tropes, wouldn't be until next week). She looked at the rooftop, where Diane was waving slightly more intensively than Lemon Zest, while the others were a bit more subdued and calmly awaited her arrival.
That's a long way up the stairs. She pondered. Some of my powers are back. Maybe it won't hurt if I just teleport there? So she tried it, and...
BUMP!
She missed her target by a few feet up, somehow at the wrong angle, falling on her butt and making her friends, both Shadowy, Rainbowy and Pommely alike, jump from her sudden appearance.
"Ugh, or maybe not!" She massaged her back, as everyone started gathering around her. Silver lining- I didn't land on anyone!
"Maybe try acting like a normal girl for the next few days?" Sunny Flare suggested, appearing right in front of her and offering a helping hand, which Sunny Shimmy accepted.
"Meh, that's no fun."
"We do have stairs," Sugarcoat said from the back "that's how we all got here. We can wait."
"And waste time and energy on three stories high? Nah, this is still more efficient!" She said while wiping dirt from her butt. "Besides, even if this fall was worse I don't feel pain at this point."
That remark earned her at a dozen of disapproving looks.
"Don' even joke about this." Applejack remarked.
Shimmy laughed. "I'm not! I seriously don't feel pain right now! The paramedics pumped me with so many painkillers I don't feel my body from neck down!"
"Woah, really?"
"Yep! I'm so numb right now I probably wouldn't notice if my arm finally fell off... but I can still tell when someone is poking my behind... Diane, Lemon!"
The two pranksters giggled sheepishly and stepped away, apologizing quietly. Sunset Shimmer, the other one, stood slightly in the back with an open book in her hands.
"Princess Twilight said she will be here as soon as she can safely open the portal."
Shimmy nodded. They agreed that the longer Sombra's ring stayed in this world, the higher the odds were that it would eventually cause some disaster, one way or the other. Sci-Twi and Sunset Shimmer were no amateurs when it came to magic (especially on the disaster-causing kind), but it was still considered a safer idea to let Pri-Twi have a look at it, in an environment better prepared to handle it.
"You sure you don't want to keep it?" Sunny Flare asked, holding the box with the ring in front of her. "You never know."
"I see where you're coming from, but I'll pass. Besides, I don't think the ring likes me."
There were way too many mysteries surrounding the ring. Where did it come from? Who made it and why? Were there more? She was going to get some answers eventually, either from Pri-Twi or Sombra, but until then she didn't want to risk anything. She couldn't even hold it, because as soon as she got close to it it started going haywire and convulsing with power. Same thing happened when Indigo or Sunset tried holding it, but it was fine when Coco first took it into her hands and it was still silent when Sunny Flare held onto it. If there was a pattern they had no clue what it was.
"I'm not necessarily saying that you should be the one using it." Sunny Flare said.
"Oh, enjoyed being a hero?"
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good to skewer bad people with a rapier for the greater good."
Sour Sweet leaned on Sunny Flare, smiling slyly. "So... do you wanna become the 'Shadow Girl'?"
"That name is trademarked, so no. I would've gone with Shadow Queen. That one's not taken yet"
"Actually yes it is," Lemon quickly said, looking up the internet (that was finally back) "no, wait, that's fanfiction, those don't count."
"Well, you won't be Shadow anyone unless Princess Twilight says it's safe. And knowing her, that is probably a big no. The less magical artifacts in this world, the safer it'll be."
"Fair enough," Sugarcoat said. "We saw enough tv shows to know how badly it could backfire. Unless it's one of those new age subversive shows, but from what I heard about the Rainbooms' earlier adventures it seems like we're stuck in a more traditional setting anyway where evil powers are just evil." Pause. Sugarcoat fixed her glasses. "Why is everyone looking at me as if I said something stupid? We all know the rules."
A few raised fingers, nervous chuckles and coughs were all the answers to that question.
Pinkie Pie huffed. "Wow, that was the most meta thing I ever heard in my entire life!"
Everyone looked around at each other, especially the Shadowbolts, who showed more or less regrets over passing by the opportunity to become a superheroine herself, but eventually relented. It wasn't their call to make. With one problem solved, Sunset brought up another.
"Also, Pri-Twi said she'll bring a dozen or so scrolls of memory erasing spells."
"Wait, hold on, "Sunny Flare interjected "there are memory erasing spells? That sounds like a very morally questionable thing to do. Even in a magical world of pastel ponies."
"You say pastel when this world is just as colorful..." Sunset Shimmer groaned. "They've been banned for centuries and kept under highest security, only ever accessible to the Princesses. But while they are absolutely forbidden to use in Equestria..."
"...there is no law against them in other worlds, is there?" Rarity asked, rolling her eyes. "Loophole?"
"Yyyyes, that's why we're getting away with it this one and only time. We only have fourteen of them, one can make a person forget the last few days at most so it will cover the henchmen."
"Keep Sombra intact for now," Shimmy answered "he owes me some answers!"
"That's assuming everyone who knew was even here," Sugarcoat noted "he could have accomplices that weren't involved in the attack, or there could be a bigger picture we're not privy to yet."
Shimmy shrugged "There's not much we can do about it, so we'll have to live with it for now."
"There's one more thing." Sunset Shimmer said, pointing at the front of the school. "Not just the bad guys heard everything."
The area was still filled with people, most notably students who at this point were either reunited with their families/guardians or still patiently waiting, but nobody left home yet, possibly waiting for a police captain to make the call (and he was kept busy by his wife stuff). While everyone would no doubt receive their fair share of therapy (included in the scholarship), they seemed a lot less shaken than an average student would be after surviving a scarring event. Once again Magical Girl Sunny had to remind herself that this school had no place for the 'average'.
"So," Rainbow Dash started, leaning on the railing as she looked around everyone down "how many scrolls do we need for them?!"
"None," Shimmy calmly answered, also leaning on the railing with her one hand "we can leave them be. I... I think it's about time I started trusting other people." She smiled at everyone gathered on the roof. "It might be a stretch to believe in literally everyone here, but it's the one I want to make anyway."
The sentiment was universally appreciated, even if it did raise a few eyebrows. Shimmy turned back to the crowd and continued.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure the big brains down below would figure it out eventually, no matter how many times we wipe their memories. So instead of thinking about future problems that might never happen, I'd rather put my trust in them and hope for the best!"
The silence behind her painted a picture of a very confused, morally torn group of teenagers that struggled between cold logic and the unbeatable Power of Friendship. There were a few weak objections, but ultimately nothing came out of them and even Unicorn Sunset Shimmer, whose identity was endangered the most by this decision, couldn't help but support it. With that, all the current problems received a satisfying closure (or could wait for later), Shimmy was finally allowed to truly sigh with relief and just enjoy the moment of peace. There was no other lingering issue that couldn't wait until later.
Except for one.
"Are you sure about this?" Coco asked, leaning on the same railing, about ten feet away from her. "I'm all for second chances, but are you sure about everyone?"
She didn't say it, Sunny didn't ask, but both knew exactly who she was referring to. Among the crowds still waiting for the parent or guardian to show up, was one Suri Polomare. The one responsible for a lot of painful memories, while at the same time being the one who started it all for the two. This morning Sunny couldn't care less about 'Sally' and her well being but that felt like an eternity ago, too much has changed.
"Yes, I'm sure. She's young, she's allowed to make mistakes and act out of line... to a point. It's what she'll do next is more important."
Coco nodded. A moment passed.
"That was about Suri, right?"
Shimmy hummed.
"Yeah. Her too."
Coco nodded again, but didn't say anything else. For a moment everything around went completely silent, while the two girls leaned over the same railing, not more than a few feet apart, watching the same urban scenery while a soft wind flew through their hair. It could've looked awkward from another point of view, but it was anything but. A moment of calm silence was all they ever wished for and were content just knowing that the other one was right there and wasn't leaving anytime soon.
In fact, it went a little too quiet. Shimmy swore that both the Rainbooms and the Shadowbolts were still on the same roof, probably watching them in silence, waiting for their move. The fact that even Diane and Lemon went silent was telling. She could feel their gazes at her back, but didn't have the courage or energy to look around and tell them to stop and leave. While she would rather they were somewhere else, she also didn't mind them around, even at a moment like this.
Wait, what do I mean by 'a moment like this'? She thought, then shook her head. Argh, we all know what has to be done.
"Do you want to come ba-?" / "Can I come ba-?" The two said at the same time.
"Oh!"
They paused and turned toward each other, blushing with a smile.
"Do you want to answer on the count of three?" Sunny asked.
"Y-yeah, let's do that."
"Okay then, three, two, one..."
"Yes / Maybe."
Awkward pause.
"SUNNY!" Coco shouted, blushing furiously while Sunny Shimmy could barely stop her fits of laughter. A few seconds of pouting later, Coco sighed deeply. "Well, that's back to our normal, at least."
"Oh god, I missed this so, soooo much!"
Coco stared at her blankly, but relented and cracked a smile. "Yeah, me too." She giggled, regardless of the weird looks they were getting from the back. "Anyway, I just want to go back and pretend this silly thing never happened."
Sunny stopped laughing. She looked into Coco's eyes and all of a sudden the atmosphere was tense again.
"Yeah, about that. I can't just... forget about it. There's no turning back after everything we said and did. It's too much to ignore."
Coco swallowed. "S-sunny..." she didn't finish when Sunny put a finger on her mouth and went on.
"I know we only know each other for a very short time, but I considered you my best friend from the very start... well, only friend, but still, ehem! That's what I thought we were all this time, but... today I made more friends. Real friends, the ones that accepted me for being me and went to hell with me..."
"Awww, see? She still cares!" Lemon squeed from distance.
"Wait, then what are we? We've been there for her first!"
"Rainbow Dash, this is not a contest." Sunset deadpanned.
"I guess that makes you Rainbooms second league. As usual."
"Indigo, this is not a contest either!" Sunny Flare also deadpanned.
"Not a contest that we're WINNING!"
"You wanna fight about it?"
"Both of you shush, you're ruining their moment!"
Now not only Sunny, but Coco also looked awkwardly at the crowd in the back and wondered if she should politely ask them to leave, but she didn't. Sunny coughed and continued.
"...as I was saying, I now know what friendship really means and you... Coco, you're not like that to me," she said, getting all rosy red around her face, which also infected Coco and her heart "you-you're m-more... m-more than that... to me!"
Coco gulped. "S-sunny!"
"Th-the time I thought you were gone, I just, I lost it and I almost gave up. Multiple times. Each time I had to be reminded to keep going, but even then, when I heard your voice... when you told me to keep going, that's when I knew that I... that I... that I didn't want to live in a world wi-wi-without... without you..."
"Sunny, I..."
"Look, this might be exhaustion, hormones, blood loss, sugarless energy drinks, adrenaline rush, mana deprivation and morphine overdose combined talking, but... but I... I want to..."
"Y-yes, you want to?"
"I... I... I mean, Coco, do you wanna..."
"OH MY GOD JUST KISS HER ALREADY!"
The already shaky, questionable mood was officially killed by Sour Sweet, who was the one that shouted from the back. Coco and Sunny turned to her, annoyed and furious, respectively.
"DO YOU MIND? We were trying to have a moment here!"
"You've been TRYING to have a moment for weeks and I'm not gonna wait a second longer! Just kiss her and be done with it, how hard is that?!"
"Were you talking to Shimmy or Coco?" Sugarcoat asked.
"YES!"
Sunny Flare sighed then said. "Sour's right, you two are overthinking it! We're teenagers, kissing and dating is what we're supposed to be doing (even though all of us are still single)! So kindly let your hormones loose, smooch already and think about consequences LATER!"
Rarity coughed. "That's... not a very mature way to look at things."
"And this ain't how it normally goes." Applejack noted.
Sugarcoat shrugged. "Most adults hook up this way, if literature and TV is anything to go by."
"And none of us are normal!" Lemon Zest added cheerfully.
Rarity raised her finger and was about to object, but it was too true, so she went with the crazy logic and let herself be swept by her inner, outer and inbetweener romantic nature. And so did everyone else, all nodding and agreeing. Sunny Shimmy was torn over being glad to have so many supporting friends on her side and being annoyed that they dictated her personal life (even if they meant well).
"B-but, this is way too embarrassing-"
"L-let's do it!"
Shimmy blinked. She turned toward Coco Pommel, who despite burning red face and beads of sweat pouring from her head stood her ground firmly and refused to turn away. The brave and absolutely adorable little Coco made Sunny sweat too.
"I-if you want to, I-I mean..." Coco barely let out those words and Sunset was this close to having a heart attack. The good kind. "I-if it's you, then I..."
"Y-yes! I mean, I w-want... t-to... try at least..."
"O-okay then!"
"Well..."
The two closed their distance so they could hear their respective heartbeats. Sunny had to kneel slightly to see eye to eye with her "friend", holding onto the rails to keep the balance. The two looked into their eyes for a while, until...
"C-can we get a little privacy here? It's stressfull enough without a dozen pairs of prying eyes!" Sunny turned to the audience, but was swiftly rejected.
"So you could teleport away the moment we leave you out of our sights?" Sunny Flare asked, raising an eyebrow. "You two are not the only ones who suffered for this moment, we expect results and we want to see them!"
"YEAH!" The other four Shadowbolts nodded.
The Rainboom looked wide-eyed at Shadowbolts.
"Sheesh, you weren't kidding about the zealous nature of this school!" Sunset noted.
"I know, right?" Sci-Twi nodded.
Shimmy swallowed and looked away from them. "I-I wouldn't do that! Probably...
"Sunny, it's okay!" Coco said, drawing her attention to her beet red face. She was sweating like crazy too. "I-I don't my-mind..."
"C-coco..." Sunny Shimmy's temperature was reaching boiling point and she was afraid she'd either pass out or subconsciously teleport to the floor below in a desperate act of self-defense, like she did once before when her mind was losing it. "I-I don't know wha-" she tried saying something, but was stopped when two hands reached her cheeks.
"I-it's okay! I got this!"
And that's how it happened: Coco closed her eyes and gently pulled Sunny toward her, until their lips finally met! At first Shimmy was in shock, eyes wide and panicky... for about two seconds, before she calmed down almost instantly, closed her eyes and let things happen on their own. She could've sworn there were some noises next to them- maybe cheers, whistles or squees, but all of it was just white noise while she was locked in their own world, enjoying the kiss and the plethora of new feelings that she failed to describe with words.
Who knows how long after (11 seconds for those who counted), their lips finally separated and they slowly went back to their original positions, with only a string of their mixed saliva connecting their mouths for a short moment. As they finally opened their mouth, they were no longer panicked like they were before. Scared? Embarrassed? Confused? A little bit of it all. Ashamed? No longer. Calm? Yes.
...happy?
"S-so..." Sunny chuckled "that happened!"
Cocough. "Y-yeah, it did."
Pause. The two said nothing and remained like they were, Coco's warm hands still embracing Sunny's face.
"Coco?"
"Yes?"
"Was that your... first...?"
Coco nodded, smiling sheepishly. "A-and your?"
"...yes." She admitted nervously and the two had a little chuckle about that together.
"So... do you wanna try aga--"
"YES!"
And they did so again, this time without any need to force it on either part, just two lovebirds enjoying themselves, while their friends watched and cheered from afar.
"Oh My Gosh, that's so cute!" "Woohoo, finally!" "Yay!" "It's not creepy when they know about us, right?" "Try not to think about it." "Sunset, doesn't it feel weird, you know, watching basically yourself kissing another girl?" "I thought I'd be weirded out a little, but I'm not... huh."
Meanwhile, the Shadowbolts exchanged fist bumps in the background, gladly putting this unnamed operation under the "Finished" label.
"Did you get all that?" Sunny Flare asked Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest, both of whom held their phones out in the open.
"Every second of it." Sugarcoat confirmed.
"It's already in the cloud! I missed our wi-fi!" Lemon Zest added with a laugh.
The two were stared down by a very confused (and slightly terrified) Fluttershy, who was the only one who noticed them. Their eyes met for a moment.
"Wanna link?" Lemon Zest asked, but only got a 'meep' in response. She got it later anyway.
The second kiss ended up being slightly longer than the first one and most definitely more wholesome, signifying the new change in status quo.
"Are we a couple now?" Sunny asked more cheerfully.
"Only if you want to?"
"Cool!" She smiled at her, before turning back to the gathering grinning from ear to ear. "Hey girls, I have a girlfriend now!"
"Y-you don't have to brag about it!"
The audience only nodded and laughed heartily, all of them happy to see a good ending to this episode, making the last few days go away as nothing more than a bad memory. And as expected, the one most happy about it was none other than Pinkie Pie.
"Wooo, oh yeah, this calls for a party (at a later date)!" She announced as she bounced around the area, throwing around pink envelopes (that somehow didn't fell off the roof), way more than there were people gathered on the roof but since when was Pinkie Pie subtle?
Coco grabbed one of them, opened it and together with Sunny they read the title of the invitation:
Congratulations on becoming a couple, SunCo! alone with a high quality manga style depiction of the two of them embracing. It was signed "Commisioned by PP; signed: W-Melody".
"When did she make those?" Sunny asked.
"Umm, Pinkie? How long have you been holding onto them?"
Pinkie Pie smiled, slightly tilting her head. They could swear her eyebrow twitched.
"Too long, Pommy! Too. Long!"
Once it was about time to leave and finally get some rest, the Rainbooms bid everyone farewell and left the school, leaving the Shadowbolts and Coco to their dormrooms. Sugarcoat's room was on the way, so they stopped briefly to gather Coco's stuff, said goodbye to her temporary roommate (and promised they'd hang out later) and finally reached their room. First thing they encountered was the door broken out of its hinges, lying on the floor before them.
"Okay, this might be a little problem." Sunny sighed.
"Sorry about that!" Coco smiled sheepishly. "It's kinda your fault too!"
Sunny just shrugged. "Oh well, we'll fix that later."
Sunny went inside first, turned and motioned Coco to follow her. She did so, fidgeting before saying.
"So... Honey, I'm home?" Coco said almost all with a straight face, but then blushed almost as much as she had just few minutes ago. Sunny just shook her head, exacerbated.
"Yyyyyeah, leave the bad jokes to me."
Coco sighed. "Fair enough."
They left the few bags of Coco's stuff on the floor, deciding to sort them out later. At this point both of them just wanted to chill, drink some tea and let this day end, but they were too tired to put the kettle on. Sunny looked at her impossibly unkempt bed and was decidedly against cleaning it at the moment. She turned toward the other bed. Other than a few wrinkles that must've happened when she teleported Coco here (and thankfully her aim was true!) it was much tidier and inviting than before. She sat and lied on it before, but that's when it wasn't the bed of her... girlfriend.
This will take some getting used to! She hummed and smiled. I should start right away!
"Coco, can I crash on your bed today?"
"Uh, sure, I don't mind, I guess I'll-"
"Kay Thanks!" That said she went toward the bed and basically dropped herself onto it so she'd land on her back, but grabbed Coco along with her!
"EEEP!" That was all her tiny girlfriend could do before she fell down, somehow ending up on Sunny's side, under the embrace of her girlfriend's arm. Her head was leaning on her just over the latter's chest, which was the closest she'd ever been to it to date!
"S-Sunny, what are you...!"
"Please, let's stay like this," Sunny said tiredly, with eyes already shutting "just for a... moment...zZzz..."
Coco was in a little pinch. On one hand, she was here (slightly?) against her wishes, had a lot of cleaning to do (maybe do something about the door?), maybe take a shower (wet wipes only got her so far) and she wasn't even an hour into her first relationship, which was WAY under the suggested minimum time to wait before sharing a bed with someone. But at the same time, not only it would've been rude to wake her up after everything she'd been through, but it was way too comfortable! Plus, Sunny's chest was just as soft as she had hoped and being embraced by the arm that just saved her life, feeling her warmth, hearing the heartbeat and slow breathing- all of this was what she always dreamed of and fought for with her own life, literally!
"Now that you mention it... a nap sounds... nice... zzZz..." and she too fell asleep. For the first time in a long time, and not for the last either, she finally knew what the world "wholesome" really meant.
"Coco, you forgot your pillow." Sugarcoat's voice could be heard from the outside. "Sorry for not knocking, but the door is on the floor and I..." the triple-tailed girl stopped talking when she entered the room, stunned at the view of the two sleeping together on the same bed like true, innocent angels. She went inside, put the pillow on Coco's desk and quietly retreated without saying another word.
...she came back after a few seconds to take a single photo of the two, sent it to everyone (sans Coco, who still had no phone) and finally left them alone with their dreams.
